"I walked across an empty land

I knew the pathway like the back of my hand

I felt the earth beneath my feet

Sat by the river and it made me complete

Oh simple thing where have you gone

I'm getting old and I need something to rely on

So tell me when you're gonna let me in

I'm getting tired and I need somewhere to begin

I came across a fallen tree

I felt the branches of it looking at me

Is this the place we used to love?

Is this the place that I've been dreaming of?"

-Somewhere Only We Know by Keane

Chapter 3:

The next morning brought two very different things to our respective heroes. To Logan, morning brought a slight hangover and a sense of anticipation. To Rory, it brought a sense of apprehension and a remembrance of the previous night's thoughts. In each of their separate beds, they both knew that it was going to be long morning.

Rory got up, dragged herself to the bathroom, showered, brushed her teeth, and then set at the task of finding something to wear. She mused that she had been serious when she told Anna that she occasionally missed uniforms. After digging through her closet for a few moments, she decided on jeans, a dark green shirt, and brown shoes. Finally dressed and ready for the day, she grabbed her bag that had her materials for her latest article, her cell phone, some lip balm, picked up her brown coat and headed for the door.

Across campus, Logan was pumping himself up for the task he had set before himself. He had gotten up earlier than usual, around 8:30 (am, not pm), and taken a shower, following which he got dressed in his normal attire (which consisted of khakis, a navy blue turtleneck, and brown shoes with matching belt). The entire time he was getting ready, he was trying to psych himself for the challenge of getting Rory to agree to go out with him. Well, not him per se, more like accompany to a party thrown by the LDB, but that wasn't the point. The point was that he had to think of a pretty clever way to get her to say yes to him. And that task was easier said than done.

So, Logan decided the best way to just accomplish his "mission" was to seek Rory out (subtly, of course), and just let things go from there. 'What have I got to lose? Oh, I forgot, my pride,' he thought. 'Okay, now if I was a book-sniffing, studious, coffee addict and it was somewhat early in the day, where would I go?' After pacing around the common room of his suite for a few moments, he was finally struck with an epiphany, so he quickly grabbed his wallet and his keys and walked out the door.

Rory was at the one place that was logical for a daughter of her mother to be at such an hour of the day. She was getting coffee. Rory knew that she couldn't expect to be able to function and actually accomplish anything unless she had least two cups of that delicious, slightly bitter brown liquid. And since today was a fairly big day, she concluded that she was going to need three cups in order to just be able to force herself to sit at her desk at the newspaper.

After grabbing a cup on her way out the door, Rory decided that on her way to the paper was the perfect time to get cups two and three. She made her way to kiosk that made the best coffee and that was on her way to the paper. It was cold that morning, the brisk air biting at her nose and causing her to be able to see her breath. She hoped that it would get warmer as the day progressed —drastically warmer.

Meanwhile, Logan had been searching every place that he could think of that sold coffee. Logan must've been to at least fifteen coffee stands, and was having no luck at finding Rory. He was starting to get a little frustrated. So, he made his way towards the paper offices, thinking that at the very least he would go there and terrify Doyle until Rory showed. But just as he turned into the courtyard before the newspaper office, he saw Rory standing in line at the kiosk right there. He mentally kicked himself for not thinking to check here earlier, but nonetheless, he smirked and made his way over to Rory.

As she stood in line, Rory bounced up down lightly on the balls of her feet to keep warm in the cold air. She had been doing that for only a few minutes when she felt warm breath on her neck, and heard someone speak.

"Whatcha doin' Ace? Trying to prevent osteoporosis?" Logan said, jovially in her ear.

Rory smiled, and turned around, raising a single eyebrow as she looked at him. "What if I was? I've got to counteract the coffee I drink somehow," she responded.

"How very health conscious of you. Are you sure that there was not an ulterior motive to your bouncing? Bunny fetish, perhaps?" he asked, smirking

"Nope, I just want strong bones and teeth," she answered smiling broadly.

"I can't say that I'm not slightly disappointed that I won't get to see you a Playboy bunny costume, but then again, I would hate for you have a hunched back and be constantly worrying about breaking a hip. So please, Ace dear, continue your hopping."

At his words, Rory immediately stopped bouncing. She looked at him, taking a step back from him as the line progressed forward.

"So, Logan, what brings you here?" she asked.

"Well, I do go to school here, Ace," he replied cheekily.

"I meant here, to this particular place, to this coffee stand."

"I thought that my reason was fairly obvious."

"And what reason would that be?"

"For coffee," he said with a grin.

By that point, Rory had reached the front of the line, and before she could order, Logan had stepped in front of her and begun to place his. At this action, Rory started to get a little angry; no one stood in the way of her and coffee. No one. Those who were foolish enough to try usually parted ways with something that was fairly precious to them. That was another thing that she had been taught by her mother: those that keep coffee from being consumed are bad. It was a law of nature, at least at the Gilmore house.

That is why Rory reacted the way she did. "What are doing?" she asked Logan, feeling fire coursing through her veins.

Logan turned at looked at her innocently, as if he hadn't heard the fire behind her words. "Ordering coffee. What does it look like I'm doing?" he answered.

"Do you not realize that you are standing in the way of a Gilmore girl, and her coffee? And that to a Gilmore girl, coffee is the very elixir of life and those who stand between said girl and said coffee, meet terrible and painful ends?" she continued.

At those words, Logan seemed to ponder what Rory was saying before answering. "Well, I figured that you took your coffee seriously, as you do go to the Pub for the coffee, which is slightly abnormal, and that I usually see you consume at least two cups when you are working at the paper, so I was just about to ask you what you wanted."

Rory just stared at him. "What?"

"I'm asking what you want. As in to drink. Coffee," he said, being a smart ass.

"Oh. Well, I want two medium cups of coffee, black. I don't want any of that cream or sugar stuff in it. It's too earlier," she answered, recovering quickly.

"Atta girl, Ace," he answered and he turned back to the cashier and restated her order and paid for the coffee. Shortly after that he turned back around, three cups of coffee clutched in hands. He held out two them to her, which she gladly accepted.

"Thanks," she said, as she began to guzzle down the first of the two cups.

"Your Welcome," he answered. After watching her practically chug the cup of coffee, he simply stated, "Whoa, slow down Ace, you might choke, and if you did, whom would I argue with?"

She paused her drinking, and looked him, a blush creeping up her cheeks. "Sorry about that, it's just that coffee is very, very important to me. Did I scare you?"

"Just a little bit," he said, laughing slightly. "But I am also deeply impressed. Two cups of black coffee? Wow."

"Yeah, I get that from my mom. She says that morning coffee must be black, afternoon coffee blond, and evening or night coffee however the mood dictates. She is even quoted as saying 'In the morning, I like my coffee black, like the color my soul is on a morning without coffee.' It's just one of those things we do," Rory responded, as the two of them began to head towards the newsroom together, taking their time.

"Your mother sounds like quite the woman. But then again she'd have to be, to have you as her daughter," Logan said with a smile.

"My mom is amazing. She's bold, fun, and so full of life. You'd love her," Rory said without thinking.

"Is that an invitation to meet your mother sometime in the future?" Logan asked, smirking.

"Well, maybe, but if that ever does happen, be warned, by that time she'll know all about you," Rory said.

"I look forward to that day."

After a few moments of silence, Rory looked at Logan and thoughtfully asked, "Logan, what are you doing up so earlier? More importantly, what are you doing at the paper so early?"

"Well, Ace, the truth is that I came to see you," Logan confessed.

"Really? Why?"

"Because I wanted to ask you something."

"Okay, what is it?" Rory asked, pushing open the door to the newsroom.

"Ace, I was wondering if — "

Logan was cut off by a voice shouting, "Gilmore!" from across the room.

They both looked in the direction that the shout came from to see Doyle coming towards them.

"Gilmore, we need to talk about your next article," Doyle said tensely.

"Can it wait a moment? Logan was just about to ask me something," Rory asked.

Upon hearing Logan's name, Doyle instantly became more tense, and turned to Logan, smiling, "Huntzberger, how wonderful for you to be gracing us with your presence so early in the morning. Now would, you please excuse us, as I need to speak to Gilmore, right now."

After finishing those words, Doyle seized Rory's arm and began to drag her in the direction of his office, away from where Logan stood.

"I'm so sorry, Logan, but can it wait until later?" Rory asked, as she was being dragged away.

"Yeah, I'll call you," Logan called back at her.

"But you don't have my number!" she called back.

"Trust me, Ace, I'll get it," he finished, just as the last of her was pulled into the office and the door slammed shut.

"Shit," he muttered under his breath. He sat down at his desk. "Shit, shit, shit."

'Well there goes the plan,' Logan thought sourly. 'And it was all going so well, before Doyle stepped him and messed it all up. Oh well, I guess that I will just have to do a little research and give her a call. Perhaps, it will be better this way.' He resolved as he turned on his computer to begin his quest to find Rory's number. He was determined to have asked her by the end of the day, even if he had to shout it from the tops of buildings, something he was pretty sure she wouldn't react kindly to.


A/N: Ta da! Chapter 3! I am quite pleased with myself over a number of things. A) I got this out in a timely fashion, and B) it is the longest chapter I've written so far of anything, ever (it's 5 pages! That speaks very well about my inspiration & direction for this story). I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed between my last update & now (Lovelock79, g--b-S-t-E-r07, megliz716, Daisy Deertree, ilovetombrady12 (thanks for pointing out the grammar errors, if you go back & check now, I've corrected them, it was just bad proofing on my part), preciousbabyblue, SassyAngel05, fairieangel, hunnydukes-chocolate, OMARION, and Brianne (is that site you mentioned by any chance Illusive? Cause I do post my story there also)). Please keep reading and reviewing; it's good to know that people are reading and enjoying this story, because I am enjoying writing it. For more details on anything, including my next update time, check the profile & until next time adieu!

P.S. I hope that the Rory & Logan banter turned out okay. Let me know what you think. Thanks!