Title: Taking a header or staying the course

Author: Joy

A/N: For those of you that want the livejournal thing, go to my Author profile and it should be listed under my 'homepage' location. I won't have written it yet so give me a few days before checking. I may make it less risqué but whatever.

Also...you get your wish...one more chapter. I just kept writing and didn't get to what I wanted to write about so next chapter is the final chapter.

Chapter 15: Spring Break

Finn, Colin and Logan sat on a leather couch sipping imported beers mechanically, all three thoroughly depressed. Nothing had happened, it was just depressing. They were on their scheduled Spring Break trip and none of them could truly enjoy it because they were each missing their better halves.

Spring Break began for Logan as he found Rory in the quad getting coffee. He soon had her pressed against a wall kissing her madly before she carefully pulled away to get to an exam. It had been an interesting few days since the wardrobe-filling excursion.

Interesting because the cool, collected, and in general together Logan Huntzberger was anything but when he was within eyesight of his girlfriend. Rory couldn't work or study over at Logan's because he was constantly distracted and did his best to distract her as well. On Tuesday night Rory had deemed it an unsafe work zone when Logan went about seducing her in some of the most innovative and tasty ways she could imagine. (In fact, a new use of coffee was discovered that night.) But once the activities were over, Rory put Logan on probation from seeing her so she could get her work done. The quad run in only added full to the fire.

So now sitting with his buddies he couldn't help but wish he were in Star's Hollow with Rory.

Finn guzzled his beer before putting the bottle down hard. "This officially sucks. I mean I am normally three sheets to the wind, very mellow, and in general looking to get laid. And yet here I sit knowing I really only want to get laid by one person and that person isn't here so once again I am at 'This sucks'."

Logan smirked, "Tell me about it. Monday on our little shopping trip, Rory got outfitted with lingerie and underwear to keep in her wardrobe. Well me, being an idiot, got a wardrobe with an actual lock that only Rory has the key for...so I can't even get in to see what I will get to play with at a later date. And of course after Tuesday she refused to see me because I was 'distracting' her."

Colin looked at his friend, "Logan, she came over to study just to be with you. Within a half an hour we had to have a movie going to cover over all the enraptured sounds coming from your room."

Finn chimed in, "We put on Lord of the Rings: Return of the King...the director's cut and you were still at it when the bloody thing was over."

"And what was with the coffee?" Colin asked.

Logan couldn't help the smirk that emerged on his face. "That is private."

"Like hell it is...we are your best friends. Besides Tressa is very into coffee too so I would like to know this wonderment."

Logan shook his head, "Ace would kill me."

"Fine," Finn grumbled. "What's with you Colin?"

"I want Steph. Plain and simple," Colin sighed. "It's weird to wake up and she isn't there."

"Yeah...I hate that feeling," Logan grumbled as well.

Finn grabbed more beers and returned to the room to hand them out.

Logan played with the label on his first beer. "Guys?"

"Yeah?" Colin answered for both he and Finn.

"What would you say about breaking up the team next year?" Logan asked seriously.

"Why?" Colin snipped.

"Because I want to get an apartment with Rory," Huntzberger admitted.

Finn raised an eyebrow, "Are you serious mate?"

"Yeah."

"You realize that you're becoming domesticated," Colin chided.

"And isn't a bit fast to do that?" Finn stated with clarity unusual for the young man.

"I know...but... I have just been thinking about it non-stop over the last couple weeks."

"What about the next year? Won't you be destined for New York?"

"Oddly enough...no... I think Dad wants to adopt Ace," Logan explained.

"Meaning?" Colin asked.

Logan sipped his beer and went back to playing with the wrapper. "He knows that Rory is the only thing I won't give up. I'll give up the purse-strings before I will give up Ace. Apparently he figures if he makes me go while Ace is finishing Yale then I run the risk of screwing up left to my own devices OR saying goodbye to him and the business if it means keeping us apart for a year."

His best friends smirked at him. "What?" Logan challenged.

"Nothing mate...its just funny to see you planning ahead. You are Mr. Spontaneous. This relationship is less than spontaneous," Finn explained.

"Yeah...I mean you realize that you are talking about something a little less than two years away," Colin joined in.

"I know. I would get freaked out about this except Ace has taken the role of 'We'll cross that bridge when we come to it.' And while that in and of itself should send me screaming, its nice to know this is me making plans, not someone else forcing them on me."

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"Finn man, up for something crazy?" Colin asked out of nowhere. The Aussie shook his head.

"Okay that is scary," Logan commented.

Finn just looked at his friends, "Lets just say I got a verbal thrashing from my loving Tressa to end all thrashings."

"I'm confused...are you broken up or whatever since I never did know what the level of commitment was there?" Colin asked in a curious tone.

The Aussie just sighed, "The argument wasn't really an argument. She was laughing at me...my life. I told her about a bunch of the crazy things I have done and she laughed harder. I asked what was so funny. She said that I honestly believed I was living life to its fullest, that these things I did were somehow proof of that. Then she laughed even harder."

"Why is that funny?" Logan asked having a feeling he knew where this was going but afraid to ask.

Finn tilted his head to the side; "Tressa said I numbed my existence with women, booze, the occasional drug, and adrenaline. I was the perfect example of a rich boy with too much money, time and freedom. That is when the argument started. I never had to suffer any consequences to my actions so I never knew anything real. I was an adrenaline junkie that needed a fix in regular intervals to prove I was alive. She then looked at me hard and smirked this really evil smirk. Tressa said that I would never know what real life and joy felt like until I had real pain in my life...you can't have one without the other. She then alluded to the fact that Logan might have some real pain coming up. That was when I snapped back to ask what the hell was wrong with her... It was so weird. Tressa came back to herself, swallowed, looked around, and then apologized. I asked what she had meant. Her eyes went big and made a phone call; obviously making sure something was cancelled. She said she had 'forgotten' something that had been put into place ages ago and needed to be stopped. Whatever it was man, I'd be scared of her, and you owe me big."

Logan nodded a little, "I am beginning to think she's right about us."

"What?" Colin said incredulously.

Logan shrugged his shoulders, "I watch Rory deal with her dad, or talk about living at the inn growing up, her times at Chilton, her romantic debacles, and I realize I may tease her about not taking chances but I know when we jumped off that scaffolding she got way more out of it than I did. I figured at first it was because it was new to her, but then I realized I have never felt the sort of joy she lives in daily. My Ace is strong, independent, a great sparing partner, has a backbone that won't quit, and this light inside her that nothing can snuff out. She feels her life...day in and day out...thorns included. I spend most of my time numb and she seems to be the only thing that gets through."
"And thus why you want to live with her next year?" Colin observed.

"I guess," Logan said in a non-committal tone.

"That and he wants to have sex in every room without fear of roommates," Finn chimed in.

"That too," Logan said with a smirk.

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Rory arrived at her home at Star's Hollow just in time to see a very aggravated Lorelai arguing with one of many deliverymen, as Paris had prior. "We didn't order this!" Lorelai shouted.

"Excuse me. What's all this?" Rory asked as she hugged her mother hello.

"Metal bed fame, size queen. Queen size box spring and mattress. Navy blue sheets made of silk and White sheets with a grey floral pattern made of Egyptian cotton - both queen size. A reversible silk comforter- queen size. Two night tables with two small lamps plus a wardrobe fully stocked. And finally two garment bags full of other clothes," the delivery man said even as people moved in and out of Rory's room. "We can either leave the bed in here or we can move it into the storage unit."

Lorelai looked at Rory, "Daughter of mine, what's this?"

"Logan."

"I figured that... He replaced your bed?"

"More room for when he's here," Rory offered sheepishly.

"Oh which one of you is Lorelai Gilmore the second?" a different deliveryman asked.

Lorelai looked at him oddly, "I am."

"Then this is for you," he said passing her a bag.

"There's a note," Rory offered.

"I see that...and it's from Logan. 'Sorry to disturb your lives. I hope Ace is home before this stuff arrives, but if she's not or you're really angry or you are having visions of cutting my head off with rusty wore hedge trimmers then except this gift via Asia. The bed in Rory's room will be moved into the storage unit with our beds from school. You can get it back whenever...which maybe sooner then later if Ace will talk to you about that thing my father alluded to on his way out on Monday. Thanks Lorelai. You've made an amazing girl. I am doing my best to be worthy but I doubt I'll ever get there. Logan.'"

Rory was blushing hard. Lorelai gave her a look, "Tell mommy what the blonde boy is talking about."

"First what about the bed?" the deliveryman asked.

"Take it...and I'll sign," Rory stated trying to put off the inevitable.

"Thank you Miss."

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Lorelai opened her bag to see on the top a Bangles t-shirt, "Oh my god." Lorelai flipped through the pile. "She bought me band t-shirts and clothes I like and look there is a respectable dress in the back that I like that I could still wear to my mother's."

"She's good. Thanks for going with her...I loved my clothes."

"Did you like the black dress with the plunging back?"

"Mom the thing doesn't plunge, it dive bombs," Rory explained. "I had to find special underwear to wear with it so everything stays in place."

"But that's the fun...just wait until Logan peals it off."

"Mom!"

"Sorry...so back to this thing that you are hiding from mommy."

Rory sighed, "I'm not hiding it...we just have talked around it."

"And that would be?" Lorelai asked.

Her daughter bit her lip, "Logan said he was going to get me a bigger bed for here...but when we looked at frames they didn't fit my room. I called him on it and he grudgingly realized..."

"He realized?" her mother encouraged.

"That he wasn't thinking about it being in Star's Hollow but somewhere else... not now... just soon."

"Child of the vague...come back to me," Lorelai chided. "If you can't say what you want I am not going to believe you are ready for it."

Rory sat up a little straighter, "Mom, Logan and I have talked about living together next year...actually if everything goes well, the next two years."

Lorelai sat in shock, staring at her daughter not knowing what the next move was, "Wow."

"Yeah, wow," Lorelai Leigh agreed.

"When did this happen?"

Rory looked at her mom, "On Monday, when Mitchum came to visit, Logan surprised me with everything, right?"

"Right."

"Well we talked about the bed situation. It became obvious that Logan was thinking about the future...I mean far into the future...as in seeing children with his hair, my eyes and us buying the property next to the Dragonfly to be close."

"Whoa," Lorelai said with big eyes. "Are you sure he isn't a pod person?"

"I know...but I understand. It's like we have fights about stupid stuff or big stuff but we work it out...right then. Nothing carries over to the next day...There are always the weird 'You're richer than the queen' moments that throw me for a loop but even then we deal with it... This wouldn't have even come up really if Mitchum hadn't suggested we go to NY to shop for our new apartment that we were obviously planning. When Logan talked to him about it later Mitchum all but insisted that Logan stay in CT preferably living with me for my senior year," Rory explained.

"He doesn't want Logan to screw it up by the temptation of being alone in the big city," Lorelai said sagely.

Lorelai took in Rory's expression, "Well my girl, what do you wish for?"

Rory shrugged, "It's a really nice dream...but this week I needed my own space because Logan kept..." Rory turned red and didn't finish.

Lorelai smirked, "He's hit the 'I want to ravish my girlfriend every minute of everyday' phase huh?" Rory nodded. "That dies down in time... You could plan on working up to living with Logan your senior year if you want to?"

"I don't want to abandon Paris...I think I might be the only one that will have her," Rory explained.

"Cross that bridge when you come to it... Let's check out the new bed and all," Lorelai offered.

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Lorelai bounced on the bed that had been assembled and made, as Rory went to the wardrobe to find it locked. She laughed. "What's funny?" Lorelai asked as her daughter bounced next to her.

"Logan... I have lingerie from the little shopping excursion that Logan wanted to see. I however locked the wardrobe so he couldn't see it. He seems to have done the same."

"Well I give the kid credit...this is an amazing bed with amazing taste... Hey there is a hook hanging from the ceiling. When did that get there?"

Rory opened her garment bag and on the top of the pile found a white gauze-netting thing. "Oh my god...I don't believe he... I am so embarrassed."

"What?" Lorelai asked.

"This is not something we have ever really discussed," Rory said with a squished up face.

"Rory," Lorelai chided.

She bit her lip, "Logan asked me what I considered the cheesiest romantic thing that I would never ask for because it was so cheesy. I said a canopy bed with curtains. I admitted that a little part of me liked the romantic idea of someone seeing me asleep through curtains and pulling them back to get a closer look and finding me breathtaking. He asked me if that was when I still had a thing for Prince Phillip... Anyway, I wouldn't allow a canopy bed so this is a practical replacement."

Lorelai smiled at her daughter, "And the thing I consider most romantic that Luke has done is build me shelves and buy a TV."

"What about the Chuppah?"

"Can't use it yet so its still sort of...I don't know. I guess you're right." Lorelai smiled wickedly, "Lets hang it up."

"No..."

"Come on. You don't really want me to have to deal with the fact I will know every time you two have sex here by if this thing is up or not?"

Rory sighed in defeat, "All right."

She pulled the item away and saw a note from Logan on top of more clothes. "He didn't... He did," Rory groaned.

"What?" Lorelai asked unpacking the netting.

Her daughter shook her head, "Logan had Asia show him everything I took then went with her and bought me more funky t-shirts, a few more fancy dresses and a bunch of lingerie. He was taunting me with the fact that he had seen them and that I wasn't going to get to see what was in his closest...oh no... Mom does Luke know how to pick locks?"

"I know how to pick locks," Lorelai said standing on the bed hanging the gauze.

"Open the wardrobe...I have a very bad feeling about this."

Lorelai hopped down, retrieved a few small pieces of thin metal and went to work. She quickly popped the lock and they both stood in shock. Lorelai began to crack up while Rory stood completely mortified. "You want to explain to mommy why there are clothes for Logan on one side of this and on the other there is everything a good sex shop would sell not to mention the black lycra body suit and boots for you?"

Rory stood completely red as she picked up some long silk scarves. Lorelai laughed again. "This isn't funny. Its embarrassing."

"Logan didn't intend for you to see this with me Hun."

"That's true."

"Now you want to explain, because there is obviously a little back-story," Lorelai asked.

Rory turned pink; "I may have gotten a little forceful in the bedroom earlier this week. Logan seemed to like it...a lot."

Lorelai smirked, "Honestly, most guys do. They like to be in control but every once in a while they like to not have to take the lead. Nothing in here makes you or he a perv."

"Really?"

"Really...it just makes you not so much of a Mary anymore," Lorelai contended.

Rory seemed to need to talk about it as she sighed, "That night, Monday night...He was so sweet afterward...like he knew I was really self-conscious about doing that. I mean he is normally affectionate but this was like he wanted me to know he would respect me in the morning or something."

Lorelai played with her daughter's hair before she shrugged, "Logan's never dated anybody like you before. He's probably asked for a bit of guidance. That is something an older guy would know to do."

"He's been talking to his sister more I know," Rory commented.

"Well then you most likely have your answer. Honor is engaged or about to be if I remember what Mitchum told me correctly," Lorelai commented. She then looked at Rory seriously. "Back to this moving in thing, it sounds to me like you aren't quite ready yet... you should talk to Logan about waiting until maybe Christmas or the beginning of your senior year. Just if you decide to tell him you want to wait be very gracious and sweet about it. Tell him in person hopefully. If he appears very disappointed then talk about all the stuff he would miss out on his senior year if he doesn't lived with his friends. If you are ready that's great...go for it. If you aren't, remember to cater to the insecurity that is bound to pop up."

"Yeah..."

Lorelai winked at Rory as she relocked the wardrobe. "I am heading to Luke's to get us coffee and to eat a late lunch with him. You call your boyfriend... Reach out and touch someone," she said wagging her eyebrows.

"Mom!"

Lorelai looked at her daughter, "Your boyfriend gave you a great bed with awesome silk sheets, the romantic netting you wanted... put on one of the intimate items Logan got you and give him a call...it will help with both your frustration levels."

"I cannot believe my mother is suggesting I have phone sex with my boyfriend," Rory grumbled.

"It's me...now if my mother suggested it, that would be scary...see you," Lorelai called as she went out the front door.

Rory bit her lip, found a nightgown and underwear set she liked, changed, and began to dial Logan's cell. She hoped he wasn't in public or things could get...messy.

TBC...

So you guys get one more chapter...once again its not written so who knows I may write an epilogue...oh I like that.

So please REVIEW...it will make me so happy... Please REVIEW... Let me know what you think of the epilogue idea... Oh and did I mention- please REVIEW.