***A few people have asked why the story is called Crush. Its named after one of my favorite songs, from Dave Matthews Band. Check it out. The way Dave sings about his feelings for his wife is the way (hopefully) that Logan feels about Rory.

Also, I wanted to bring up something that has been on my mind. People have always suggested that Logan was Rory's Christopher, but I think Jess was more like her Christopher - because she couldn't count on him, and because he left her. Logan, in my opinion, is like a young Richard. He has money, an education, a career, and loves Rory like Richard loved Emily. What do you all think of my opinion? Feel free to discuss among yourselves.***

While Rory relaxed in a bubble bath, Logan took some time to just breathe and think. He had so much on his mind, so much to worry about, so much to plan. He was surprised that he wasn't afraid of having a baby - he was more afraid of their relationship falling apart. Also, he was engaged. Again. This time to someone he truly loved with all his heart, but someone who had the ability to hurt him very deeply - and had already.

Logan knew Rory well enough to know that she was likely hungry, or would be very soon. He got dressed so that when she emerged from the bathroom, he could make sure she had dinner. As he got dressed, he looked around his flat. It was called a 'flat' in British slang, which he found humorous because it was anything but flat. Even the street was on a hill. And then the apartment was two story, in a weird configuration of the kitchen, a bathroom and a bedroom on the first floor. The second floor was an odd configuration of a completely open floorplan. The only real walls on the second floor sectioned off the bathroom - otherwise the living room area was completely open to the master bedroom area. There was a balcony with a great view, so it made sense that the living area was on the second floor. Still, if Rory moved in fulltime, they would need more space. If they tried living there with a baby, they would definitely need more space. Other baby stuff crossed his mind, like transportation. Logan never bothered to get a driver's license in London. He relied on chauffered cars and taxis. How did all of THAT work with car seats and safety and etc? Also, he owned the flat so he would need to sell it if they moved, or rent it out. If he rented it out, he would need someone - maybe a company - to manage that. If she wanted to live in the US, he would have to figure out work, transferring his duties, finding a place to live, etc. It was all SO much.

Rory was definitely rubbing off on him. 24 hours with her and he was rambling in his own head, making mental lists and worrying about everything! Speaking of Rory, she needed an engagement ring. Well, SHE didn't need any engagement ring. HE needed her to have an engagement ring - he wanted her to have something beautiful and sparkly - maybe to remind her that she was spoken for. Was that thought old-fashioned? Probably. But he had wanted her for over a decade, now that she was his, he was definitely going to do his best to do it right. He also liked the idea that other men would be put off by an engagement ring on her hand. And, finally, he just wanted her to wear his ring. He still had the ring he purchased for her nine years ago. But, he wasn't sure if that was the right one for her. They were different people now - and he was in a different place in his career. He decided to talk to her and see what she wanted. Did she want to go out and pick something together, or did she want him to shop for her? Knowing Rory, she wouldn't want him to bother at all. He sighed, remembering how different they were and how frustrating she could be when all he wanted was to do something nice for her.

Logan walked downstairs, looking around, trying to decide if there was any room for renovations to enlarge the flat. He wasn't sure - maybe he could call a contractor? He shook his head, as though trying to get the spiraling thoughts out of his head. Logan leaned against the kitchen counter absentmindedly, trying to imagine all of the ways he might screw up this fairy tale that had become his life.

He heard Rory on the stairs so he glanced that way. She descended the stairs in an ice blue sweater dress and boots. "Ace, you look great! How are you feeling?"

She smiled at him. "A lot better, thank you. It feels good to get dressed and look presentable."

He smirked at her. "You look a lot more than presentable." His cell phone rang in his pocket. He checked the caller ID and asked her, "Do you mind if I get this?"

She shook her head and said, "Of course not! Go on."

"Hey, Brad. Everything okay?"... "Oh, wow. That sounds terrific."... "Thank you for the invitation, but I have a guest in town."... "Hmmm, okay. I'll ask her."... "Thanks for the invitation. I'll get back to you." Logan hung up and put his phone back in his pocket.

Rory immediately said, "If there's something you want to do tonight, I don't mind if you go. You shouldn't change your plans because of me."

"Ace! That's not it at all. Brad is a coworker. He and his husband really like Jack Johnson, just like I do." Rory nodded. "Anyway, Jack Johnson is doing an acoustic thing tonight with a very small audience. He's trying out new music and telling stories and stuff." He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her on the forehead. "Would you like to go out to dinner and then listen to some music? I want you to meet my friends anyway."

"Of course. It sounds fun and it might take my mind off the meeting tomorrow." She kissed him lightly on the lips. "So, what are you going to tell your friends about me?"

He furrowed his brow, trying to figure out the implication. "Well... I'd planned to tell them that I reconnected with my college girlfriend who finally agreed to marry me. How's that?"

She wrapped her arms around his neck and asked him, "Are you sure about this?"

"About what?" Logan was confused.

"Going public with this so soon," she replied.

"Yes, very sure. I can't wait to tell people that I finally wore you down and you took pity on me." He grinned at her while she looked up at him through her lashes. "Speaking of which, you need a ring."

She waved his concern away. "That's no rush at all."

"No... I insist on this. But, I need to know. What kind of ring do you want? Do you want me to pick something out or do you want to shop together?" Logan wasn't budging on this.

"You have so much to worry about. This isn't important right now," she tried to convince him.

Logan shook his head. "Nope. This is important to me. I know its old-fashioned but I really want you to have an engagement ring. Think of it as a bribe for putting up with me for the rest of your life." She laughed and kissed him. He continued, "But, we have some other options too. There are a few heirloom rings that have been in my family for hundreds of years. AND I still have the ring I tried to give you many years ago."

She was shocked. "You do? You're kidding."

"No, not kidding. I got it for you and I never wanted anyone else to ever have it, so I kept it."

Rory had tears in her eyes. She sniffed a little and buried her face in his neck. "I'm sorry, Logan. That was a mistake. I never should have said no."

Logan rubbed her back and said, "Ace, that's all in the past. Now, what would you like for dinner?"

She grinned at him. "I don't know, but I know its not The Ivy."

"Really? I thought you loved The Ivy?" he asked.

"I did, but its where we always went for our farewell meal. I don't want to say goodbye to you again, so I don't want The Ivy." He frowned at her. "Don't worry. I love their food, I'm sure I'll request it fairly soon. But for now, I want something different."

Logan smiled softly at her. "Okay. Want to come upstairs while I get dressed to go out?"

She gave him a once-over. "You are dressed."

He looked down at his chinos and casual button-down shirt. "Eh... this isn't right for dinner and a club."

She looked down at her casual sweater dress. "I think I might change too. How long before we have to leave?"

He glanced at his watch. "Maybe two hours."

She started working on the buttons on his shirt. "Hmm... I wonder how we will pass the time..."

After dinner, they met his coworker Brad - and Brad's husband Joshua - at the club for the concert. Logan gave his name at the door and then they left their coats with the coatcheck. They walked into the beautiful room where the concert was being held. It was beautiful and warm. There were several fireplaces, what looked like hundreds of candles and lamps all over the stage. Each table had place for four people and a tiny lamp. There was someone playing a soft melody on the piano on stage, while people took their seats and ordered drinks. With less than twenty tables, it was a very small audience with the stage in the middle.

Brad stood up and waved to Logan to get his attention. Logan waved back and guided Rory over to their table, with his hand on her lower back.

"Brad! Good to see you!" Logan shook his friend's hand. Joshua also stood up to say hello. "Hey, Joshua, I don't remember the last time I've seen you! Its been too long."

Joshua shook Logan's hand and then said, "Nevermind us. WHO is this vision of lovelyness?" He gestured to Rory.

Logan grinned. "Gentlemen, THIS is Rory Gilmore." He gestured to one man then the other. "Ace, this is Brad, we work together - and his husband Joshua."

Brad leaned in and did the double-cheek-kiss thing that is so popular in Europe. "Rory, it is wonderful to meet you."

Rory beamed at him. "Its great to meet you too. Both of you!" She also gave Joshua a hug. "Thank you for inviting us. This is a beautiful room."

They also sat down and ordered drinks. Logan and Rory were sitting close and he had his arm around her. They were whispering little things to each other and basically snuggled up to each other. Finally Brad asked Logan and Rory, "So how do you know each other?"

Logan glanced at Rory and said, "Well, Rory was my college girlfriend. She was always the one that got away..." He smirked at her. "BUT she has put me out of my misery and finally agreed to marry me."

"Wow! That's incredible!" Joshua hugged Logan and then Rory.

Brad hugged them both as well. "Congratulations to you both. Logan, I am so bloody happy for you. This is terrific!"

Logan grinned at his friends. "Thank you both, so much." He took Rory's hand.

Joshua told Logan, "You know, I thought you looked a bit different when you walked in. I guess its because you're in love! Happy looks wonderful on you!"

They received their drinks and chatted a bit more before the show started. Jack Johnson played for 2 1/2 hours. The concert was marvelous and they all had a great time. Rory enjoyed meeting Logan's friends and they seemed to enjoy meeting her. During the show, Logan and Rory sat close and he constantly made sure she was comfortable and didn't need anything to drink. They took turns stealing glances at each other whispering in each other's ear like high school kids. The couple they sat with, Brad and Joshua, enjoyed watching them. They smiled at each other and exchanged knowing glances as they watched Logan succumb to happiness and love.

After the concert was over, the two couples decided to walk across the street to a cafe for coffee and dessert. Brad and Joshua were fascinated with Rory. The four of them talked about anything and everything. They talked about the upcoming holidays.

Then Brad asked Rory, "So what do you do, Rory?"

She gave a weak smile, "Fledgling writer is probably the best way to describe my career. I've been editing a tiny newspaper in Connecticut for free. I've also been writing a novel, and I do freelance articles for whoever asks."

Joshua said, "That all must keep you busy. So you live in the US?"

She nodded, wanting to change the subject. 'So, Joshua, what do you do?"

He replied, "Oh, I'm afraid I'm terribly boring compared to the three of you. These two are execs at HPG and you are living the dream. I have one of those boring nine-to-fives everyday."

Logan chuckled and said, "Ignore him. He's a cardiologist."

Brad added, "A top pediatric cardiologist, if we're being completely accurate."

Joshua waved away their comments, "Like I said, a boring nine-to-five, unless I'm at the hospital which is definitely not nine-to-five."

Rory nodded. "Very impressive! Speaking of kids, do you guys have any?" Logan squeezed her hand at the question.

Brad said, "Its funny that you ask. We met with an adoption attorney yesterday to begin the process."

Logan said, "Oh, wow! That's wonderful!"

Rory nodded emphatically. "That IS wonderful. How long does all of that take?"

Joshua said, "Well, it depends on if you know someone who is expecting and you want to adopt their baby or if you want to adopt a child from a place like a group home. We would like to find an infant or toddler to adopt, but we haven't made any firm decisions yet."

Logan nodded. "I know nothing about any of this, but if you need anything or just moral support, let me know."

Brad smiled warmly at Logan, "Thanks, that means so much! And... what about you two? Any plans for kids after the marriage?"

Logan and Rory exchanged a look, and Brad said, "That looks like a very tough question. Maybe we shouldn't pry..."

Rory took a deep breath, looked at Logan and said, "Okay... Here's the Cliff Notes version of our story." Joshua raised his eyebrows but smiled. "Logan and I were together in college for about three years. Then we broke up on the day I graduated." She looked at Logan who looked at the floor. "But six-ish years later, we ran into each other at a conference in Germany. We've seen each other sporadically over the past few years. We saw each other one last time about two months ago. We had decided that we were going to go our separate ways." Joshua and Brad took each other's hand and sighed.

Logan continued, "But I was devastated. I couldn't let her go. So, I came back to London to deal with some things and then try to get Rory to commit." Brad nodded, knowing that Logan was recently engaged to someone else. Logan went on, "I finally got everything taken care of. This past weekend, I went to the US to try to talk to her. But at the same time, she was on her way to come and see me."

Brad squealed, "This is so romantic! Go on!" while Joshua nodded emphatically.

Rory squeezed Logan's hand and said, "So I was on a plane from Hartford to Heathrow to come and talk to Logan. There was an empty seat next to mine. There was a stop at JFK where Logan boarded the flight - he had been assigned the seat next to mine."

Joshua said, "Oh my God! This all happened this past weekend?!"

Logan grinned at them. "Yesterday, actually. So, I saw her, told her I missed her, loved her and wanted to be with her."

Rory added, "And I told him that I wanted all that too, but didn't think he would. But also, I was going to London to tell him in person that I was expecting - the last time we saw each other had a lasting result."

Brad shrieked, "So YOU wanted to be with HER, and YOU wanted to be with HIM and you finally told each other?! That's perfect!"

Joshua continued, "And you conceived this beautiful love child two months ago when you saw each other last?" Rory smiled and nodded. "That is cosmically perfect! Congratulations to you both! This is brilliant!"

There was another round of hugs, kisses and congratulations. Logan continued, "So we're still figuring things out, but she agreed to marry me earlier today. I've never been so happy." His eyes glossed over as he looked at Rory. He pulled her into his side and kissed her temple.

Brad was incredulous. "You got engaged TODAY and spent your evening with us? I'm just honored!"

Rory grinned at him. "Thank you so much. I'm thrilled, I'm terrified but thrilled."

Joshua asked, "You live in the US," gesturing to Rory, "And you live here," gesturing to Logan. "Won't that be tricky?"

Logan nodded, "It does have potential to be tricky, but its all so new and we're figuring it all out."

Brad said, "Its all terrific!"

Rory replied, "And you gentlemen are the first people we've told actually. Thanks for being so positive."

They talked and laughed for a few more minutes and then decided to call it a night. There were more hugs and well-wishes before the two couples parted ways.

Once Logan and Rory got into their cab, she put her head on his shoulder and snuggled into them. "Thank you for tonight. It was perfect. Your friends are so sweet!"

"Thanks for coming with me, Ace. By the way, you look absolutely gorgeous tonight." Logan pulled her close and closed his eyes, enjoying the bliss. "Brad's easy to talk to, right?"

Rory nodded, "Yeah! I had no intention whatsoever of telling them any of that, but they both were so nice and welcoming. I adore them."

Logan smiled, "Me too. I've known Brad for years now. He's become a close friend."

Rory asked, "Are they your new 'Colin and Finn'?"

Logan shook his head, "No way. They are great, but they are no Colin and Finn."

They got back to Logan's place quickly. Rory went to get ready for bed first. By the time Logan was ready for bed, Rory was already curled up in the fetal position with her eyes mostly closed. Logan crawled into bed behind her and wrapped her in his arms in the spoon position. "Logan?" she asked.

"Yeah?"

"I love you, and I'm so happy."

"Me too, Ace."

They both fell asleep immediately