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Chapter 2

The Loneliness

Rory ran from the Dragonfly looking for Logan. She went straight for the gazebo, but with no avail. She had no idea where he had run off to, and she had no idea what she would say if she found him. She knew that Logan would never intentionally hurt her, and she knew that she could not marry him, but she also knew that she was miserable without him.

After returning home and wandering around town, she was finally convinced that Logan had left Stars Hallow in certain defeat. With a shaky sigh, Rory returned to the Dragonfly to see a dissipating crowd. She located her mom and Luke, changed, and ready to go off to Hawaii on their honeymoon. Rory could still not believe that her mother had convinced Luke to go to Hawaii; she thought he finally agreed because of the promise of fishing.

"Rory!" Lorelai yelled to her daughter spotting her in the Inn.

"Hi Mom, sorry I skipped out of there like that." Rory said apologetically.

"It is okay kid. So did you find him?" Lorelai asked cutting to the chase.

"No, I think he left town. He asked me to marry him." Rory said on the verge of tears.

"WHAT?" Luke yelled, overhearing the conversation. "What was that punk thinking? I am going to kill him." Luke said, playing the protective father role.

"Calm down Luke, I told him no. I just…miss him. We were good together, when we were together." Rory said, finally letting the tears spill.

"Hey hun, it is okay. We all make mistakes. If you want Logan back, we will all support your decision. Will you be okay without me though? Should I worry?"

"Mom, I am 22 years old…I think I will be fine without my mommy…but thanks." Rory said as she hugged her mom.

"Okay Rory. We will only be gone for a month. If you need anything please call us. Hawaii is not that far away, I can be home in a matter of hours." Lorelai said, trying not to cry.

"Mom, you are going on your honeymoon, please don't worry about me and have fun! You only get married once…well hopefully." Rory said, stepping away from her mother to go hug Luke.

"Take good care of her, and don't let her freak out about me." Rory whispered to Luke.

"She will be okay, just give her a few days." He responded.

"Bye guys, I love you!" Rory yelled as they left for the airport in their "Just Married" limo.

Rory wiped the remaining tears from her face, sighed and made her way back inside. She sat down at one of the tables, looking at her heel-clad feet wishing she could sink into the floor.

"You are not going to do anything stupid are you?" Jess asked after finally finding Rory back inside the Inn.

"No, I am just confused. I thought I was finally getting over him, and now…I don't know. I feel like this could be it. I don't want to lose him Jess." Rory said with fresh tears in her eyes.

"Rory, I don't think you lost him. Trust me, he won't let you get away…I know the feeling." Jess said hugging her.

"Thanks Jess…I am glad that you are here." Rory said, meaning not only at that moment, but in her life.

"No problem Rory. A guy has to mature at some point." Jess said standing up and offering Rory his hand. "Come on Rory, I will take you home."

Rory silently agreed and made her way to Jess' car. They silently drove back to her mom's house where Jess bid her farewell.

"Do you want me to stay?" Jess asked Rory concerned.

"No, I really have to do this on my own, but thank you Jess, you have been amazing." Rory said, leaving him in the driveway.

The devastated Rory silently climbed the stairs and made her way to the bathroom where she put on her pajamas, washed her face and crashed into bed. The emotional chaos of the day left Rory exhausted and she was amazed at the ease she was able to fall to sleep.

The next morning Rory woke up only slightly hung-over and feeling ten times better. The alcohol of the night before had left her judgment slightly skewed and now with the morning light she realized that she had acted too hastily. Logan had broken her heart. He could not purpose to her after not seeing one another for months and expect things to be okay.

Rory stepped into the shower, feeling a fresh batch of anger consume her. As the water splashed over her she steadied herself. She convinced herself that she would not allow herself to get so worked up. Logan had given up, and she was not about to get excited for a relationship that would never be.

After throwing on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, Rory headed to Luke's…err, Jess's to get her daily sustenance. Rory took a seat at the counter only to hear the hum of conversation rapidly fade. Jess appeared a moment later with his pot of coffee for Rory.

"You are the talk of the town." Jess said with sad eyes.

"Why am I not surprised? I am sure my outbreak from last night is the most excitement they have seen all year." Rory said looking around the diner where all eyes were on her.

"It's okay guys, I will be here all month, you have plenty of time to talk about me." Rory said angrily.

"You would think they would not be so blatant about it." Rory said with a half-hearted laugh.

"Hey, its okay. In a few days Kirk will do something to get the whole town abuzz." Jess said offering her a reassuring smile. "If not, I still have a reputation to live up to. I am sure I could rig something up that would distract this crazy town from your woes."

"Shut up Jess. If you even think about doing something stupid I will stop talking to you." Rory said glaring at him. "I am starting to really like this grown-up version of you."

"Okay fine…but you can't stop me from paying some kid off to set the town roaring." Jess said walking away to fill an order.

Rory smiled wistfully at Jess's attempt to cheer her up. As she dazed out the window she saw a familiar figure walk by. Rory shook her head trying to focus to make sure she was not finally going insane, but sure enough, it was him.

0o0o0o0o0o

Logan was convinced that Rory would be at the diner in the morning. Although she told him to go to hell and that she never wanted to see him again, he knew that he had to make things work. He loved Rory more than he thought humanly possible, and he had been miserable since he made the decision to cheat on her. The year they spent apart had been hell for Logan, and he thought that by sleeping with another woman the pain would ease. His suspicions were rebutted however, confirming that it was the biggest mistake he had ever made. He fessed up to Rory immediately; however, she declared it to be the end of their relationship. Ever since then Logan had been walking around in a stupor, not sure of his next move. Lorelai had invited him to her wedding without Rory knowing it. Logan and Lorelai had actually had a few heated discussions about Rory, and Lorelai trusted him once again. She wanted Rory to be happy, and she knew that Logan could do that. Now Logan had to face the challenge of getting back onto Rory's good side. Both Lorelai and Logan knew that Rory would never agree to the proposal, but Logan felt that at least this would get her attention and she would realize that he was here for good.

Lorelai had helped Logan find a place in Stars Hallow, all without Rory knowing. She knew that her daughter would freak out, but she also knew that in the end Rory would forgive her. She hoped by the time she returned from Hawaii, Rory would have forgotten about her deception and would be all the more grateful.

Lorelai hated getting involved in her daughter's love life. She felt like her mother, but then again, he mother always had good intentions, she just didn't act upon them in the best ways. Lorelai hopped that Rory would receive her intentions better than she ever had with Emily.

Logan had managed to buy a home in Stars Hallow. It was a modest home by his standards, but to Stars Hallow it was considered gigantic. In the month leading up to his arrival, he had added a new wing to the three-story home adding a library and game room. It was nothing compared to the home he grew up in, but it was perfect for him, and Rory, or so he hoped.

Showing more confidence than he had, Logan strode up to the diner and sat at the counter, watching the shocked Rory from the corner of his eye. He was determined to let her speak first.

Jess made his way over to the new patron and glared. "What are you doing here?" He asked him.

"I was in the mood for some good coffee and an omelet, and I know this is a local favorite." Logan said with a smile. "I hope that I am not blacklisted." He added, noting his less than welcoming host.

"I will serve you, only because Luke told me to serve you, but if you cause the slightest disruption, you're ass hits the pavement." Jess said filling up his coffee.

Once again, the diner was silently watching this exchange. As if in a tennis match, their eyes darted from Logan to Jess to Rory and back to Logan.

This sparked Rory's attention. "Luke TOLD you to serve me?" Rory demanded.

Jess shifted awkwardly not knowing how to respond. He did not know what exactly Lorelai and Luke had planned, but he knew that he was not to mess with it. "I…umm…I think your order's up." Jess said heading back to the kitchen to get her pancakes.

"What is going on here?" Rory said, finally acknowledging her diner companion.

"I don't know what you are talking about. I am here for breakfast." Logan said with a sly smile.

"I KNOW you are pulling something Huntzberger, and I want to know what it is!" Rory shouted.

"Rory, calm down. I am not pulling anything, I swear. I am merely trying to eat breakfast and then I was planning on going back home to read the paper."

"Going back home? So you stayed at the Inn last night?" Rory asked confused as to why her mom let him stay in one of her rooms.

"No, I stayed at my house." Logan said simply.

"So you drove all the way here from New York for breakfast?" Rory asked bewildered.

"No, that would be crazy, I walked." Logan said.

"What the HELL is going on?" Rory shouted at him beyond confused.

"I walked to the dinner from my house."

"Where is your house? You live in a New York apartment!" Rory said.

"I used to Rory, but things have changed. I grew up. I bought a house."

"Here?" Rory asked, finally putting the pieces together.

"Yes, actually it is just a few blocks away." He said pointing up the street.

"Why would you do something like that?" Rory asked flabbergasted.

"I told you that I am not going anywhere Rory. I know this place means the world to you, and because of that, it will mean the world to me. I love you Rory, and I am wanted to move here for you to realize that."

"Where are you working then? You can't possibly commute to New York everyday." She demanded.

"Oh no, that would be silly. I actually have a job here." Logan said.

"Doing what? Washing the dishes?"

"Ha, no. I miss that humor. Actually, I am the new editor of the Stars Hallow Gazette. They were amazed to get someone so qualified for the job." Logan said. "We are looking for a new staff reporter; Bonnie is retiring in a few weeks. She will be nearly impossible to replace, her coverage of the bingo tournaments was amazing, but we are going to have to find someone soon." Logan said grinning. He knew that Rory was in search of a job, and although Stars Hallow was no New York Times, he knew that it was just quirky enough to capture her attention.

"Are you asking me to apply?" She said astonished.

"I don't know...are you qualified? This is a serious position; I need to make sure that the person who fills it is mature and responsible." He said.

"Shut up, you know I am qualified!" Rory said exasperated.

"Are you interested?" He asked her point blank.

"I may be. I am unemployed currently, and although the Gazette is not my ideal job, it is a place to start. BUT, would that make you my boss?" Rory asked suspiciously.

"Well yes, but I promise I won't force you into anything compromising." Logan said lifting his eyebrow in innuendo.

Rory hesitated. She did not want to work for Logan, but she desperately needed a job, at least temporarily until she found something more suitable. "Okay, I guess I can bring some of my work by tomorrow for you to review." Rory finally said.

"I have read your work Rory. You don't need to bring it by." Logan informed her.

"I know you have, but I don't want any favors from you. If I am going to get this job I want it fair and square. I want an interview and I want to meet the staff." Rory demanded.

"Okay…I believe that the other two staffers will be in the office tomorrow around 2, if you want to stop in then I know they will be happy to meet you and I should have time for an interview." Logan said as he finished his omelet and put down a 20.

"Okay, I will see you tomorrow then." Rory said watching him leave.

"I look forward to it." Logan said with a smile.

Once Jess saw Logan leave he immediately jumped to Rory. "What did he want?"

"He offered me a job at the Gazette. Did you know he worked there and bought a house in town?" Rory asked him accusingly.

"No! If I had, I would have kicked his ass." Jess said with an angry gleam.

"I thought that you may have had something to do with all of this. From the sound of it, Luke and my mom have something up their sleeves." Rory said as she paid her bill.

"Anyway, I have to get going, I have to find all my clippings for my interview tomorrow." Rory said as she left.

Jess just stood at the counter shaking his head as he watched the once again hopeful Rory leave for Logan.