A/N: Finally got "What if it was different" finished which I'm happy about so now I'm working on getting this one finished. It shouldn't take me too long because we're not far from the end. Hope you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 21

Rory POV

"Do you have any idea how hard it is to plan a wedding from halfway across the world?" I asked Mom, as I was walking across the Oxford campus to get a cup of coffee after my last class.

"Not really no." She said. I heard a loud noise in the background.

"What are you doing?" I asked her.

"I'm looking for my wedding planning notebook." Mom said.

"Why?" I asked.

"Because there might be a few ideas in there that you might like." Mom said.

"If you say so." I said.

"How's London?" She asked me.

"It's good. Logan and I stay pretty busy between school and work, but we're making it work. But we'll be back in Hartford next weekend for the engagement party." I told her.

"Yay. I'm so excited. It'll be nice to have you home. James and Steph don't entertain me like you do." Mom said.

"How're things on that front?" I asked mom. Not having really talked to my brother since everything had come out.

"He's mad at himself. He blames himself. He said it was his idea not to say anything because even though he was the last to find out that Logan was planning to propose to so he didn't want to distract from that, but he realized that he should have at least told you." Mom said.

I paid for my coffee. "Yeah he should have especially with how I found out that they were dating back in high school." I told her.

"I know sweets. He said that he wasn't trying to hurt you." Mom said.

"Yeah but he did." I told her.

"I know. Your Dad just got home so I'll talk to you soon okay?" She said.

"Yeah Mom." I said and hung up.

I was sitting in the living room studying when Logan came home. "Hey babe." He said.

I looked up at him and smiled. "Hey. How was your day?" I asked him.

"Eh. I don't get how some of these people even got their jobs. Some of them are complete idiots." He told me.

"I'm sorry." I told him. He walked over to the wet bar and fixed himself a drink. "So, I talked to Mom today."

"Yeah, how was that?" He asked.

"She's excited that we'll be in town next weekend." I told him.

"I bet. Colin was telling me that he saw James and Steph the other day and something seemed off." Logan said.

"There's no telling. I haven't talked to him and I don't talk to Steph often. The only thing that Steph and I talk about is wedding plans because she's been handling things there for me with Mom's help." I told him.

He walked over and sat beside me on the couch. I scooted over and leaned my head on his shoulder. "It's not easy planning a wedding from halfway across the world." I told him.

He kissed the top of my head. "I know babe. You're doing the best you can. How are the wedding plans coming?"

"They're coming along. We've got the engagement party next weekend. Mom trying to find a bridal shop that can squeeze us in to look at dresses Saturday morning before the party. Mom is also checking out a couple of venues that she thinks would be a perfect fit for us." I told him.

"Sounds good. And I mean the holidays are coming up so when you get a break from school you can go stay with your mom and keep pushing forward." Logan said.

"You'd be okay with that?" I asked him.

He sat his glass on the coffee table and pulled me into his lap, wrapping his arms around me. "I want you to listen to me. There is nothing that I wouldn't do for you, as long as your happy, that's all that I care about. I love you Rory. I want you to plan this wedding the way that you want it. Do not let your grandmothers, my mother, your mother…anybody convince you of anything for this wedding that you don't want. You hear me?" He said.

I kissed him. "Thank you. You always know what to say to make everything better." I told him. "When I got out of class today, I had six voicemails from your mother reminding me of the engagement party this weekend, like I would have forgotten." I told him.

"I'm sorry babe. I know that she can be a little hard to deal with sometimes. I'll talk to her." He said.

"I just don't get it Logan. What did I do? I didn't ask to be handed my grandfather's company. You know that I didn't want it." I said, feeling the tears.

"I know babe. I'll take care of it. Okay?" He said and I nodded.

Logan POV

I'd finally convinced Rory to take the night off from studying, knowing that she'd probably been studying since she got home. She'd finally relented when I told her to go take a bubble bath. While she was in the tub, I walked into my office and sat down and dialed the all too familiar number. "Hello?" The voice said.

"Mother." I said.

"Logan dear, it's so good to hear from you." She said.

"Mom, you need to stop." I said.

"What did I do?"

"The voicemails, the negativity…all of it needs to stop. Rory thinks that you hate her Mom." I said.

"Logan, I really wished that you would reconsider marrying her. You need someone that…." She was saying but I cut her off.

"No Mom. I will not break off my engagement for someone that you can control. You use to love Rory. What happened? Is this because Straub is handing her the law firm? Do you know that she doesn't want it? Did you know that I don't want HPG. Honor having her meltdown like she did was the best thing for me. All I want is to be happy with Rory. All I want is for Rory to be happy…but I came home today to Rory upset because you keep upsetting her. Mom I won't hesitate to cut you out of my life if you don't back off. Do you understand me?" I said to her.

"You wouldn't Logan!"

"Oh I would. You still don't get it Mom. Rory means everything to me." I said.

"Back off Mom. If you don't back off, I will distance myself from the family and I will quit the company with no hesitation. Don't push me." I said.

"Fine. Is that all you called for?" She asked bitterly.

"Yes. Goodnight mother." I said and hung up.

The rest of week seemed to fly by and the next thing I knew Rory and I were flying back to Hartford for the engagement party. We'd decided to stay with Rory's parents because she wanted to enjoy the weekend and not have to fight with James or Steph. Rory was still hurt by the fact that they had gotten married and not told anyone. I didn't know what to say to her about it. James was her brother and once upon a time Steph was her best friend. But ever since the Honor stuff and the Tristin stuff things between them and Rory had been strained. When she'd ousted them at her parents house a few months ago, James had let it slip that she'd been pregnant. I hated that she hadn't told me about it but she'd been right… I would have felt guilty about not being there with her. Ever since then we'd made it a point to tell each other if something was bothering us. It had been made clear that we couldn't rely on James and Steph anymore but we wanted to make sure that we could always rely on each other.

"What's on your mind?" Rory asked me, pulling me from my thoughts as Frank drove us to her parents house.

I grabbed her hand. "Just thinking about everything that's been going on the last few months." I told her.

She nodded. "Do you think that James is going to be civil this weekend?" She asked me, looking out the window.

"I think that he's going to wonder why we're not staying at the townhouse." I told her. She nodded again.

Lorelai POV

Rory had called me earlier in the week and asked me if they could stay at the house when they flew in for the engagement party this weekend. I couldn't tell her no, I knew that she and James still weren't speaking to each other even though it had been a few months. Rory had let James and Steph move into the townhouse after graduation while James and Steph saved up some money for their own place. If I were being honest, I think that if they were on better terms Rory would probably sign the deed over to them. Especially since Rory and Logan had no idea how long they would be in London. They would have to move back at some point, unless Rory decided to hire someone to run the Hartford office.

Things with Chris had been strained ever since we'd moved to Boston. I knew that he wasn't happy about moving to Boston and opening up an office there. Ever since then, he'd been distant. I wasn't even sure if he'd talked to either of the kids. I'd been staying in Hartford all week finishing the final preparations for Rory and Logan's engagement party. When I'd reminded him that the engagement party was this weekend, he'd agreed to be pleasant and social. I just hoped that he would be true to his word.

Rory POV

The night of the engagement party, Logan and I had walked downstairs to find my mom and Grandma Emily doing final checks of the living room. They hadn't noticed that Logan and I had walked downstairs. I took in the room as I walked around. "It looks great in here." I said, causing Mom to turn around.

"You think?" She said.

"Yeah. It looks great." I told her.

Half an hour later, everyone started to arrive. Logan and I had positioned ourselves near the door so that we could greet everyone as they came in. After a while, I needed a drink so I made my way over to the bar. While I waited on my drink, I turned and looked around the room. There were people that had been invited that I hadn't seen in years. As I was looking around the room, I noticed my brother approaching me. I turned back toward the bartender just as he went to hand me my drink. "Ror." I heard my brother say.

I took a drink of my martini before I turned to face him. "James. How are you?" I said.

"Really? That's how it's going to be." He said. I glared at him. "I said that I was sorry, okay? I know that I screwed up not telling anybody that Steph and I were getting married. But it's not her fault, okay? Stop ignoring her. You wanna be mad at someone, be mad at me." He said.

"Oh trust me, I am mad at you. But Steph played her part too. Despite the fact that you told her not to say anything she still could have told me. Especially since I let the two of live in MY house, rent free. Even when you lied to me I still let you live there." I said. I leaned closer to my brother. "Do not underestimate me." I said, before I walked off and made my way back to where Logan was waiting for me.

As the night progressed, Logan and I made the rounds and talked to everyone that we needed to. We even stopped and briefly talked to Logan's parents. When the room started to begin to feel suffocating I made my way out to the back patio. I leaned against the railing and just inhaled the cool fall air. I wasn't sure how long I had been out there but after a while I felt a pair of arms wrap around my waist and I knew that it was Logan. I leaned my head back against his chest. "You okay?" He asked me.

I nodded. "I think so. I'm just ready for this night to be over with you know?" I said.

He kissed the side of my head. "I know baby. I talked to my Dad." He said.

"And?"

"And…He said that when you finish Law school, he and Honor are giving me the Hartford office. It will be all mine." He said.

"Does that mean what I think it means?" I asked him.

"Yes. When you graduate we can come home." He said.

I turned in his arms and wrapped my arms around his neck. "That's awesome babe." I said.

"What'd you say we go hide out in the pool house for a little bit?" He asked seductively.

I looked around to make sure that nobody was watching us. "Let's go."

About an hour and a half later, Logan and I made our way back to the party. My Dad was standing in a corner talking to James and Steph's dad looking really uncomfortable. I dragged Logan over with me. "I'm so sorry to interrupt but Logan and I were hoping that we could steal my Dad away." I said to Mr. Vanderbuilt in my society voice.

"Of course. Congratulations by the way." Mr. Vanderbuilt said.

"Thank you Mr. Vanderbuilt." I smiled, as he and James walked off.

Dad hugged me. "Thank you. That man bores me." He said and I laughed.

"No problem. You think that Mom would notice if Logan and I left." I said to Dad.

"Your mom? No. But your grandmothers might." Dad said. I groaned. I wanted nothing more than to leave the party and run away to New York with Logan. I just wanted to escape. "Why don't you two head upstairs? If anyone asks I'll tell them you weren't feeling good and that Logan's taking care of you." Dad said.

I kissed his cheek. "Thanks Dad." I said, as Logan and I made our way upstairs.

When Logan and I walked into my bedroom, I headed to the bathroom to start a bath. I really needed to relax. I turned to see what Logan was doing and I saw that he was standing in the doorway. "Care to join me?" I asked him.

"Absolutely." He said.

Once Logan and I were situated, I leaned my head against his chest. "Do you think that we're going to be able to get through this wedding without any drama?" I asked him.

"Drama-free? Absolutely not. But with little drama? I hope so. Dad and Honor said that they'll try and keep Mom in check but I don't know. I'm honestly surprised that she was here tonight. I really didn't think that she would be." Logan said.

"Babe, it's a society event. You should have known that she would be. She can't have anyone thinking that she doesn't like her soon-to-be daughter in law." I said.

Logan kissed the side of my head. "It's not that she doesn't like you, it's just that she wanted me to marry someone that she could control." Logan said. "And I've never wanted that…you know that. You're the only one that I've ever wanted. I love you, Ror."

I turned so that I could see him a little better. I reached up and touched his cheek. "I love you too."

The weekend wasn't exactly what I had in mind. But it hadn't been terrible either. Maybe James was right, maybe I didn't need to ignore Steph. I had enough people in Hartford that I needed to ignore, I didn't need to add to that list. I hated the fact that Shira had ignored me all weekend and that I thought that she was secretly planning how to sabotage our wedding but I wasn't going to let that get me down. Logan said that he was handling her, so that was exactly what I was going to do. I was going to let him handle it. Something else that I had noticed was my parents. They'd been acting strange all night. They were constantly on opposite ends of the room from each other. I made a mental note to ask my mom about it.