Chapter 192

May 31st, 2006

Rory's day had been a busy one, though then again she was used to 'busy'. She was juggling Yale Daily News, squeezing four semesters into four, her occasional freelancing at the Stamford Eagle Gazette just to name a couple of things she was invested in. But this day had been next level even for her.

Rory was driving back from Friday Night Dinner, her mind going through a million things she needed to get done within the next hour-hour-and-a-half. She knew she didn't have to, but from the bottom of her heart she wanted to. No, she needed to.

She'd already finished two articles early his morning ahead of deadline, went out before dawn to fetch Logan's dry cleaning and get them breakfast so Logan wouldn't have to cook, set aside her outfits for the day, helped Logan get ready, still feeling a little protective about him not overdoing it after his accident, made a billion photos of him, including a few naughty ones, watched him graduate and disappointedly seen him whisked away from her like she was nothing. Sure, she had seen him graduate, which was better than nothing, but even getting more than a wave from him after the event had seemed impossible, considering all the family and friends he'd had at the graduation. It had definitely not been four tickets per graduate in his case. But it was not like she was terribly eager to go talk to his family anyways. She just loved him. But this she'd also anticipated and the plan had been to meet back at the apartment in thirty minutes and spend the afternoon together - early dinner at a crappy Italian place where the owners fighting provided the live show while Finn, Colin and Stephanie helped set up their apartment for the surprise party. Logan's fare-well party. She didn't like calling it that as it made it all too real.

Logan, however, had been stalled considerably, Mitchum demanding to talk business with him even after the event. Synergies and new media ventures - yada-yada-yada - the thought made Rory groan. It almost sounded like a made up excuse to keep him from her. This meant that Rory had no time to celebrate with him before Friday Night dinner. The drive alone was taking a big chunk out of their last evening together. Naturally, Logan had been apologetic and overall amazing about it, assuring that nothing was lost. But he didn't know that they weren't exactly having a very private evening that night, not just anyways. Rory had even lashed out to Mitchum about him taking Logan away from him on their way downstairs, sharing an elevator, which had been energizing in a way. Truthfully, she'd done that a couple of times by now and it was her way of taking back what Mitchum had taken from her - her confidence. It helped a little, but she didn't at that point really grasp how deep rooted something like that had been. But she had, reluctantly, agreed that in a way Mitchum was right. Logan did need to grow up, slow down on the partying and apply himself because he was talented. She didn't want him throwing his life away, or getting hurt again. Ugh, she hated to agree with Mitchum Huntzberger. She didn't even want to think about what it meant about his statement about her if he was so spot on about Logan.

As she got to New Haven, she parked across the street from the Taft building as she usually did. After greeting the security guard at the foyer, like she always did, she took the elevator upstairs, hoping it'd just move faster and glanced nervously at her phone for time. It was as she got there though, when she let out a big sigh of relief, seeing that Stephanie was already there, setting up the decorations they'd bought a couple of days ago. Logan being late before, had led to a series of changes in plans - presently Colin and Finn were trying to keep him occupied at the Rich Man's Shoe.

"Hey," she exhaled, seeing Stephanie.

"Good, you're here. I was beginning to think I was doing this alone, and he's not even my boyfriend," Stephanie laughed.

Stephanie was dressed as Baby Spice, her hair in two high girly pig-tails and wearing a pink slip dress, currently barefoot as she was climbing onto various objects to hang garlands and UK flags. Her open-toe strappy platform shoes, which would complete the ensemble later, were lying in the middle of the floor.

"No way... Just nothing's gone according to plan today," Rory sighed, even her grandma's dinner had gone longer than she'd hoped.

"I can't imagine how you're holding it together in the first place," Stephanie replied in all honesty. While Stephanie was single presently, she had just a couple of months broken up with her boyfriend and gotten her heart broken. But she could still picture what love felt like, she'd even cried on Rory's shoulder one time after she'd gotten too drunk when out with the LDB crowd.

"Barely," Rory tried to joke. She was holding herself together because some things, like Logan leaving for London in the morning, were too horrible to really think about. She was pretty sure if she started crying now she wouldn't stop. And she didn't want the last hours they had together to be about him comforting her sobbing mess. She wanted him to have a happy, joyous, send-off. It wasn't just her that he was leaving, it was all of his friends, and in a way this was the graduation bash he deserved too. He didn't like to brag, but Logan had actually managed to graduate magna cum laude despite his priorities often being elsewhere. It was just a prime example of how talented he really was.

They continued filling the place with paper fans, UK flags, paper cutouts of Queen's guards

By the time they'd finished setting the place up, guests were already arriving and she hadn't been ready at all. She still needed to get dressed and she had this whole elaborate make-up thing planned. Thankfully, Robert arrived soon enough with the food and beverages, and took over letting people in while she headed to the bathroom to get ready - a downside to a studio, clearly.

Stephanie helped her with the final touches, makeup and hair, and she was forever grateful. She was hoping Logan would like the look.

"I'm spending the rest of the night with my girl," Rory heard Logan say through the door, having gotten a heads up from the guard that he had been heading up. Even that simple sentence moved her, making it hard for her to stay in character. But she swallowed her emotions and swung the door open with a big smile on her face.

"Hello, governor. Chips?" Rory said, in her best attempt at a British accent, handing Logan a cone of french fries, a pint-sized glass of beer in her other hand.

"I'm sorry. I was looking for my girlfriend," Logan replied, humbly, playing along from the first second. Throwing each-other little surprises had definitely become their thing though this was the biggest thing she'd ever organized for him.

The look on Logan's face was definitely filled with appreciation and also intrigue, and… hunger. Rory knew that look. The very short red button-up dress with a white collar and detailing along with a matching hat, and of course the auburn wig, which she was surprised herself, that looked pretty cool on her. Rory could tell Logan was loving the look she'd hastily pulled together and might have been more keen on undressing her than actually attending the party - but he'd just have to wait.

"Oh, I'm sorry, mate. No girlfriends here. Just us birds and blokes taking the piss out of each other," Rory replied, taking his hand and leading him into the apartment that was no filled with everyone he liked. Rory had been very particular about the latter.

"Your accent is terrible, by the way," Logan commented, but it didn't sound like heavy critique but just a cute observation.

"Just go with it, you geezer. Now we've heard that you're about to fly away to old blighty, and word 'round the pub has it you're not happy about it," Rory stayed in character, recalling every deeply British expression she could, turning him around and just observed him as he took in the state of the apartment and the number of people she'd managed to get up here without him knowing about it. He was genuinely impressed.

"Well, I'm leaving a couple people I'm pretty fond of... and some people I'm a little afraid of, but all in all…," Logan replied, casually shaking hands with some people along the way.

"Well, we're just going to have to change your mind, because London, you see, is a place of fun and musical excitement, the queen, hello! Magazine," Rory tried to sound as optimistic as she could. God, that was hard.

"You're gonna break into a chorus of "Chim-Chimney" any minute, aren't you?" Logan said, just really wanting to kiss her.

"Shush, now. None of that talk. Because tomorrow, brilliant things will happen, a new life, a new adventure. You like adventure, don't you, mate? Well, London is certainly the place for that, and we, frankly, would not be the fine chaps we claim to be if we did not send you off in a proper way," Rory continued. "With the bash of a lifetime!" she added in a raised voice, wanting a cheer from their guest on his honor.

A round of cheers followed of course, and Logan was finding it harder and harder to fight a bitter-sweet smile.

"Come on. Someone get this chap a pint. See if you can't be happy, at least you can be drunk," Rory continued, speaking quickly, not wanting any negative thoughts to bring her mood down.

"Kiss me, Mary Poppins," Logan requested.

"Really? I thought it was more like Gwyneth Paltrow, "Shakespeare in love," Rory replied, sounding pretend-disappointed.

"Kiss me!" he demanded again, and pulled her in for a kiss. It was a damn good kiss which could've easily led to more had there not been quests.

"To the queen!" Robert chimed loudly.

"To the queen!" the rest of the guests, including Finn and Colin cheered, and Rory rubbed Logan's chest for a big, as she could tell he was definitely not all happy about what was going on, but was entertaining the effort in part for her sake.

They had some beer, chips, actually tried to dance a little and talked to a bunch of the guests, some of which Logan hadn't seen in a while considering he was still limping and using a cane these past few months, not exactly socializing. People were wearing all kinds of crazy costumes - there was the Queen, The Beatles, Mary Poppins, Dr. Who, Paddington, half of the TeleTubbies and some with just Union Jack themed accessories. But since Logan's leg was getting tired after a long day on it, they settled onto the couch amongst themselves soon enough and people seemed to be getting the idea to give them their space.

After a while of discussing their friends, a couple of jokes, Logan felt he needed to say something deeper, "Yeah, well... you know, I have given a lot of great parties in my lifetime," Logan exhaled, his hand stroking the sensual texture of her white fishnet thighs on her thigh, familiarly.

"Oh, I know," Rory agreed.

"But I do believe that this one has topped them all," Logan said, looking her in the eyes.

"Hey, it's not over. We have hours to go. There's plenty of beer left, and no one's slugged Finn yet, so…," Rory continued, keeping up her light and positive banter.

"Thank you," Logan said, solemnly.

"My pleasure…", Rory replied, thoughtfully, before adding, "You want more beer?" being not ready to go to that serious place yet.

"No," Logan said.

"More Twiglets, Cadburys?" Rory continued in a chipper tone.

"I'm good," Logan sighed.

"Do you want to try the Frug again? 'Cause I think my cramp has gone away," Rory replied, hopefully just not liking seeing him this serious and sad. What if all he really wanted to do was tell her that they should break up and that he couldn't do long distance? - was a deeply hidden fear of hers. Or maybe he just wanted to have some freedom again in London, and would put it some way that would make her sick to her stomach - 'so he wouldn't hold her back'. Those were all worst scenarios she'd thought up to protect herself. But get gut didn't really believe it - they'd been doing so well. This was what made this so hard.

"Tell me not to go," Logan exhaled, desperate for her to say it. He didn't look her in her eyes, too scared to, too afraid he might cry in the middle of his own farewell party.

"What?" Rory asked, shocked to hear him say those words.

"Tell me not to get on that plane. Tell me to blow off my father, the paper, the whole Huntzberger destiny. Just tell me I can figure something else out. Just tell me not to go," Logan pleaded.

"Well, I can't do that," Rory said, in a broken voice, without having to really think long about it.

Logan inhaled audibly, accepting it, and slowly put his arm around her. He should've known she would say that. And in a way that just supported his impression of her - she wasn't that selfish, she was just that kind of person that would never stand in his way of potential greatness.

"Hey, you afraid the teacher's gonna see, or something?" Logan said, painting a more joyous impression onto his face, and pulled much her closer for a deep, lingering kiss. All was not lost - tonight he would still have his girl next to her. He would have her skin to touch, her lips to kiss - a body and mind to forget his sorrows in.

AN: Point of the exsistance of this chapter will be continued in the next one.