AN: I'm sorry for the little vanishing act, but between work and Christmas and Omicron (and my second fulltime job of finding boosters for everyone i've ever met...I got mine today), it has been chaotic. I have also been watching Law and Order SVU and spending a lot of time in that fandom...but excuses, excuses. This chapter is in some ways filler, but it's also necessary. So please enjoy the banter and the hope. Also, for those of you who celebrate Christmas, Merry Christmas, for those of you who celebrate one of the many other holidays this time of year, happy holidays and I hope that you stay safe and happy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Forever My Girl or Gilmore Girls

Chapter Thirteen

She had been absently tracing circles on his chest for what felt like forever and Logan didn't mind. He didn't want to move and ruin the moment. He did't want to spook her and make her question everything they had just done. "You know," he spoke finally after about twenty minutes of perfectly calm silence, "that isn't why I was doing the lawn."

Rory laughed, she looked up at him, her blue eyes sparkling as her fingers stopped moving but remained on his body. "I didn't think that this was all some…plan."

Logan kissed the top of her head, her brown hair still smelled like he remembered it, one of the many things that hadn't changed over the years. "Well there was a plan," he admitted and Rory looked up at him again, this time a bit of confusion playing on her features as she waited for an explanation. "I wanted to do something to make your life easier. You have been carrying the weight of the world, and I wanted to take some of that burden away from you."

"So you thought household tasks might be your shtick?" Rory smirked.

Logan didn't answer, he pressed his lips together and smiled, "I want to figure this out…but not right now, not today. Today I just…"

Rory put her hand on his bare chest and propped herself up slightly so that she could kiss him. The taste of his lips was so familiar, like nothing had changed but everything had. "Why don't we just have fun?" It was an impulsive suggestion from her, they both knew that. "Relax, watch some movies? Order takeout…stay in bed…for today."

"Stay in bed," Logan kissed her again, "that sounds like an offer I can't refuse."

Rory put her head back down, she listened to his heartbeat and felt his chest rise and fall. She tried to push the thoughts from her head. The thoughts about how much he had missed, the thoughts about how much he had hurt her…she thought about how Lane had suggested that she needed to separate who he was as Hannah's father with who he was to her…but Rory wasn't sure she could do that, she wasn't sure she wanted to do that. Because she wanted him. She had held on to the hope somewhere in the back of her mind since he had been back that maybe, just maybe it would all work out. But then there was the part of her that wasn't sure she could trust him. The part of her who couldn't believe he would never leave, because he had left. He had left her and he hadn't looked back. It had nearly destroyed her. And then when he hadn't come back when Lorelai died, when he had never reached out again… she had mourned him like a death.

"Ace," Logan exhaled, they had been laying in bed for almost an hour and he could feel her mind spinning. He could feel all of her worries and all of her concerns and he wanted to find a way to take them away, but the truth was, he couldn't. He couldn't take it away because every concern she had was valid. Every bit of doubt she had in him was well placed and well deserved. "We can talk about it…if you need to talk about it."

Rory shifted her body, she was now laying flat on her back, she had grabbed a t-shirt a while ago so she didn't feel so exposed but she certainly appreciated that he had only put boxers on so that she could appreciate the view. She knew that he expected her to say something profound, something…painfully true about his absence in their life. "What should I wear?" She asked, clearly surprising him as he furrowed his brow and moved onto his side to face her, "for the date. The Logan Huntzberger date."

"You know," Logan smiled, "you've had the real Logan Huntzberger experience, in fact you might be the only one who has really had that…"

Rory shook her head and laughed, "no, no, no." She was smiling broadly as the pair both sat up, leaning agains the headboard as she twisted her body towards him, "I got the teenaged Logan, the young adult Logan…the Logan who still had a credit card his daddy paid the bill for," she added with a wink. "I want the man experience. I want to know what you do when it's all on you."

"I feel like this is a test," Logan rubbed his chin, "and I don't even know if it is a test I can pass because you seem to have a pretty big idea of what it is like to go on a date with … whoever you think it is I am."

Rory licked her lips and gave him a reassuring smile, "Logan I know you. I know you better than anyone," she added softly. "Sometimes I wish I didn't know you as well as I do. But I've seen it. I've seen you on the news and in the grocery store magazines…I've seen the tweets and the TMZ blasts…"

"You're sleeping with me for my looks and my money?" Logan joked. "Wear something cute. Something you can walk in, something you feel good in."

"Well I feel good in sweatpants so…"

"Then wear sweatpants, but like you said…you've seen the TMZ blasts…" Rory rolled her eyes and Logan winked at her, "look, wear what you want to wear. Be comfortable, we aren't going to anything crazy."

"You already know where we're going?" Rory couldn't help but perk up at the thought that she had only just asked for him to take her on a date and he already had a plan.

Logan leaned and kissed her, "I have a plan," he told her, "and do yourself a favour and stop comparing yourself to TMZ blasts. Those girls wanted something from me, they wanted something that…" he rubbed his jaw and smiled, feeling like an idiot for saying it, knowing that if Colin or Finn ever heard him say it he would never hear the end of it no matter how much they liked Rory. "Those girls wanted something from me. They wanted money and fame, they wanted to think they would be the woman who stole my heart."

"And what makes you think I don't want those same things?" Rory smirked.

"Because you have that," he admitted, his voice was barely audible but she heard him clearly. "I'm not trying to…" he regretted saying it at all, but he had put it out there and there was no sense taking it back because they both knew it was true. "Those girls wanted something from me that they couldn't get it. It wasn't theirs to take."

"Hence the cellphone," Rory smiled.

"Hence the cellphone."

"You could probably get a new one now, wouldn't you say?" Rory reached over him and grabbed the Motorola Razr from the nightside table, "this thing doesn't even have a password. Lose it and anyone could get into it." Rory slowly opened it and hit the button to call the voicemail. "God…I cannot believe," she almost couldn't believe how easy it was as she typed in her own birthday as the password. "One - zero - zero - eight, god you're sappy."

"Don't listen to it Ace," Logan groaned. He wasn't about to fight her for the cellphone, partially because he knew she wouldn't let up and partially because he didn't want the phone to break. "Come on…"

"I'm not listening to it," she knew what it said. She had of course spoken it, she had lived it over and over and over, more times than she could count. "I'm deleting it. You don't need it."

"You can't delete it, it's…"

"It's what Logan?" Rory cut him off. "It is the past. It is over, and we are…we are figuring things out. You're a Dad to Hannah, you are… kind…we're going to be ok…we'll figure it out."

"For us or for Hannah?" Logan asked, Rory was still playing with his phone and he watched as her finger went to the 7 which would delete the message.

"For Hannah…always, but…you and I will figure it out. Don't worry."

Logan wasn't sure where to go from there. She closed the phone and handed it back to him and for the first time in a long time, he felt like maybe he wasn't living in two different worlds anymore. The thing that tethered him to the past had seemingly vanished with just the push of a button. "We'll figure it out," Logan nodded. "Guess I need a new phone?"

"Maybe one of those newfangled ones with a touchscreen?"

"Your Grandmother probably has an iPhone."

"She does," Rory smiled, "doesn't know how to use it, but she has one. It'll be nice though. You get a fancy new phone, we can take pictures on our date…"

"Friday," Logan told her.

"Friday?"

"Our date," he continued, "is on Friday. I'm going to get a water. Want anything?" Logan flipped off the blankets and sat up.

"Uh, I can't do Friday," Rory told him, following suit as he stood up. It wouldn't hurt to get out of bed, she was certain that the two of them would happily stay in bed all day, or whatever was left of the day. He gave her a look, as if he was asking why she couldn't see him on Friday, "Grandma is in town, Hannah and I are having dinner with her…"

"Oh come on Ace," the pair were in the hall and on their way down the stairs now, "Emily would not be opposed to this…us."

Rory rolled her eyes as she grabbed Logan a bottle of water and took one for herself. "Yes I'm sure she wants to see me gallivanting around town with you…oh wait, but it's not just around town, it's what…New York City?"

Logan chuckled, "I'm not telling you where the date is, nice try though Ace. Just talk to her. Please?"

xxx

A night spent in bed, a morning spent in bed…Logan could't remember the last time he had been this content. He had left in the early afternoon after he picked Hannah up from Chloe's house. The three of them had lunch at the house and Logan felt for the first time in a long time that things were as they should be. He and Rory were on the same page. They were going to figure out a way forward, for Hannah at the very least and hopefully more.

"You'll never believe what I'm using to talk to you," Logan was grinning as he got onto the highway.

"Hopefully a phone?" Mike replied, he was tired, he was stressed out and for once it wasn't a result of his biggest client Logan Huntzberger.

"Ha ha," Logan rolled his eyes, "bluetooth!"

"Bluetooth? As in you finally upgraded that old piece of shit?" Mike laughed. "What about ht message from Rory?"

"Well," Logan adjusted the volume settings in his car, "I think we're on the same page…we're going to figure things out for Han…we're good. We're in a good place."

"Well I'm glad man, I have to admit, I'm a bit surprised, but I'm glad."

"Surprised?" The comment wasn't lost on Logan. Everyone in his life was pushing him towards Rory, the only person in his life who wasn't on that train was his manager, Mike. Of course, he had to assume that everyone in Rory's life was telling her to run but it was a miracle that she hadn't.

"Look, Logan. You know that I am…I am glad that you have found this calmness with being a Dad and Hannah…she sounds like a great kid. I'm happy for you, truly."

"But…" Logan knew better than to think this was just some pep talk from the man who took 10% of his earnings, Mike was one of few people he could expect the truth from and also had his back.

"You need to be sure you want to bring them into this world. I know that you care about her. You wouldn't have been carrying around that piece of shit phone for years if you didn't…I just want you to be sure before you get them wrapped up in this. You can be a dad, you can be present, you can do all of those things under the radar…but I don't know how you're going to carry on a whole life with these people and keep them away from the press." Mike paused, he was gauging Logan and his reaction. He wasn't sure if the man was going to listen or explode, or maybe just be willing to engage in a conversation about it. "I want you to be happy Logan…"

"She makes me happy," Logan told him honestly, softly, "both of them. They…I would stop acting. I would…I would be a bag boy at a grocery store for them. For a life with Rory and Hannah, I would give up anything. So we're going to have to figure it out Mike because as long as Rory will have me, I'm going to be with her."

Mike exhaled. In some ways he was relieved. He was relieved that the client he had picked up fresh out of rehab, the client who at the time had fired his entire team…the man that he had faith in, that man had grown, that man had become the person that Mike had always thought he could be, and here, and now, Logan Huntzberger was putting his family first. For a long time, even when he was sober, Logan had put Logan first, and seeing that growth…well, Mike was proud of him. "No one in that town has ever said a word about you," he admitted, "so I guess…unless you want to gallivant around Los Angeles, you should be ok…"

"Right now we're just going to figure things out. I'm taking Rory on a date, hopefully on Friday. She wants to experience what it is like to date me…as…whatever the fuck it is I've turned into."

"A raging narcissist?" Mike joked.

"Something like that," Logan chuckled, "but we're going to go to an art gallery, grab a nice dinner, spend the night at The Plaza. I have no intention of hitting up clubs and all that shit, that…I'm done with it. So while I can't promise there will be no paparazzi, I'm not going to be baiting them."

"I'll get you guys a room and a car," Mike told him. "You'll take care of the rest?"

"The Fitzgerald suite." Logan told him, "I'll take care of the rest if you get that and the car."

"Don't fuck it up buddy," Mike exhaled, "you've only got one shot at fixing this."

xxx

"You're not supposed to be here," Emily Gilmore looked her granddaughter up and down, "and you're supposed to be at work," she looked at her watch next as she stood up and walked towards the doorway. The maid had answered the door and let Rory in, Emily had arrived in Hartford late the night before and she was just trying to take care of her plans for the week when the doorbell rang. "You and Hannah are coming tomorrow…"

"Hi Grandma," Rory kissed her cheek and smiled, "it's so good to see you," she dramatically took a seat on the settee and crossed her legs, nodding as the maid offered to get her a cup of coffee. "I just wanted to come see you. Figured no time like the present. Michel has things covered at the inn, and I am…well, I am all set. Sometimes in business things work out well and I get to take a break to visit my Grandmother."

"And other days the kitchen is on fire…quite literally if I recall," Emily raised an eyebrow as she returned to her seat.

Rory laughed, thinking about several instances during which Sookie had somehow managed to set fire to the kitchen, or an appliance or a dish towel in the kitchen or on an appliance. "Well I'm here to see you." Rory took the coffee from the maid and took a sip, "thank you," she had to admit, the people her grandmother employed certainly knew how to make a good cup of coffee. "I was hoping to catch up, spend some time together. I have some new designs that I'm looking through for the rooms at the inn, so I was hoping to get your input." She watched as her grandmother perked up at the thought of discussing the decor at the inn, there was nothing Emily Gilmore liked more than to feel valued. "And," Rory paused, "I wanted to talk to you about Friday."

"Rory," Emily exhaled dramatically, "is it so much to ask for one night? Can Michel not just work the Friday? I won't be in town for long and I was counting on seeing you and Hannah, plus there is a business matter we need to discuss."

Rory tried to ignore the comment about the business matter, she wasn't completely sure what the business matter could be as she and her grandmother didn't exactly have any business together. "I know you won't be in town for long and Grandma, I really do want to spend time with you, which is why I'm here now. But I…" suddenly she felt like a teenager again having to ask her mother about going on a date, "Logan and I were going to go out. There is something he wanted to take me to, and he was hoping we could do it on Friday. I was thinking that you and Hannah could have a sleepover, and I could come pick her up on Saturday afternoon. You and I can do our catching up now…" she looked to see what kind of response her grandmother seemed to be having before she continued. "I know I haven't exactly been…a plethora of information when it comes to Logan and I, but we are trying. Hannah doesn't know, we just…there are a lot of feelings there still."

"Of course there are a lot of feelings," Emily nodded her head slowly and pursed her lips, "that is what happens when you leave someone at the altar." Rory's face fell and Emily immediately regretted her words, "is he seeing someone…about his…issues?"

Rory nodded, suddenly feeling a bit more hopeful, "he does, and we have seen someone together a handful of times, just on the coparenting stuff. No matter what, we need to get along for Han. But Grandma…he is still that person who knows me inside and out."

"I should hope, you have a child together," Emily smirked, Rory couldn't believe that her grandmother had made a joke about sex but she figured it was a good sign. "I trust you Rory. Just like Luke said…we trust your judgment…but if he hurts Hannah, or you…"

"He knows," Rory realized that she was playing with her bracelets and stopped, "thank you Grandma."