Disclaimer: I own nothing. Everything up to Jews and Chinese Food is fair game. Past that, it's just where my mind takes over.

Teaser: When Rory and Logan's arrangement goes prematurely sour, his friends take it upon themselves to intervene. Sequel to Keeping it Casual

Story Title: Nothing A Good Friend Wouldn't Do

Chapter Title: On The Hook

AN: Lol, I promise, this one isn't a cliffhanger! And the answer to 'the question' is directly below—GO! READ!

Rory's eyes opened and looked searchingly into Logan's.

"You don't have to do that," she said, moving quickly to put her clothing to rights. When he didn't move or speak, she began working on pulling up his zipper, so no one that happened by would know what had transpired here. It was a miracle they hadn't gotten caught, in her mind. As incredible as it was, the moment of pleasure gave way to a reality she hadn't expected. She certainly hadn't expected those words to flow so easily from his mouth. He put his hands on hers, stopping her actions.

"Hey, look at me."

She gave in to his request, looking up at him. She pursed her lips, and looked first at his forehead before allowing her eyes to settle on his. She didn't trust her own words right now, and she continued to look at him expectantly. She was sure that his admission was some sort of euphoria-based reaction, and she was willing to let him off the hook.

"I just wanted you to have all the information," he said finally, not wanting to start a fight over these words. They were important words, ones he'd never said in that order to anyone, ever.

"Are you sure?" she asked, glad to have the support of the building holding her up.

"I'm sure that you drive me to do things that I never thought I'd do. Believe it or not, this," he pointed to their surroundings, "Isn't something I've ever done before. I'm sure that I would walk out of here right now, and go wherever it is you want to go, because you'd be there. I'm sure that my parents, despite their best intentions, could never give me anything to make me a billionth as happy as you make me."

She smiled, liking that he wasn't just repeating what could been a phrase meant to reassure her and get her to do what needs to be done. To make her feel better about what she had literally just done. He was putting real manifestations of feelings behind those three very important words, proving the validity of his admission.

"And," he added with a sigh, "I'm sure that you don't need to say it back. I just wanted you to know, that you're important to me, and I really want you to meet my parents."

She put a finger to his lips, signaling the lack of necessity for him to continue to convince her. "I love you, too."

He smiled against her finger. "You don't have to do that."

"Hey, I told my mother on Sunday, so if anything, I came to this conclusion first," she said, teasing him.

"I see, you've been holding out on me," he nodded.

"In what way, exactly?" she raised an eyebrow and tapped his zipper, which he moved his hand to finish closing.

"Wait, you told your mother on Sunday? When?"

"Before you got there. Why?"

He laughed. "Uh, let's just say she was waiting on me when I got out of your room. We had a little chat. I wondered why knives weren't involved."

"Mom talked to you? What did she say?"

"Just that I needed to be sure of what I was about to do. That she wanted to see you happy. And that I wasn't so bad."

Rory smiled. "Maybe I did save your pretty face. You owe me," she informed him.

"And what does the lady want for compensation?"

She smiled and took his hand. "Let's go upstairs."

"I think I'm going to like this penance," he said as he followed her out from behind the hedges and into the side door of his dormitory.

XXXX

"Okay, okay, okay. I am going to ask one thing, anyone can answer, and then, I'm taking him," Rory pointed down to Logan, who'd been practically glued to her side until she stood up, "in there," she pointed to his bedroom.

Once she and Logan had gone upstairs, their flushed cheeks and necks a dead giveaway to their behavior in their joint absence, they'd been enjoying conversation and beer with the others in the common room.

"I always said you needed a woman who knew how to take charge," Jill ribbed Logan, who rolled his eyes and pulled Rory down by her belt loop.

"Ask away, darling. Just don't make him moan too loudly, it's not good for my digestion," Finn informed her.

"Can anyone tell me anything remotely redeeming that can make me actually want to meet his parents?" she asked, half-joking. Logan slid a hand between her back and the cushion, rubbing small circles on her skin.

"Mitchum is really funny," Colin offered.

"No, he thinks he's funny and people that have to make a living on the salary he allots them laugh at his dumb jokes. There's a difference," Logan supplied.

"Don't listen to him, the guy has a sense of humor," Colin assured her. "Proof being that young Logan here has escaped many a scrape alive."

"And your mom is always really nice to the girls you bring along to events," Stephanie chimed in. "When I came along to that alumni dinner with you last year, she was really sweet."

Finn stood up, holding the remains of the beer in his glass up towards the rest of the crowd. "Buck up, Gilmore, if all else fails, we'll get you so drunk on return from the big house that you will have no actual recollection of the entire evening!" he reached out to clink glasses with everyone else, and they all took a last swing of their drinks. Rory stood up and hugged Finn, having had one drink past observing her normal behavior. Besides, normal behavior was sort of thrown out the proverbial window earlier in the evening. It lay on the ground in the hedges outside this very building, in fact.

"Thanks, guys, for everything," Logan said, looking around at his friends before trying to detach Rory from Finn's more than eager grasp.

"Hey, anything for you," Steph ruffled his hair. "But after all this, if you screw this up, we're liquidating your assets," she smiled happily before picking up her purse and heading for the door.

"Anyone want to walk me out?" Jill asked, standing to leave as well.

"I suppose that's my cue," Colin moved behind her, sharing a smile with Logan.

"Okay, come on, time for bed," Logan said, moving Rory back out towards his room. "Night, Finn," he called over his shoulder. They disappeared into his room. Finn looked around the remains of the gathering and sighed.

"But the night's still so young," he said to himself, and grabbed his keys, sauntering out the front door, out to find some adventure of his own.

XXXX

"You should drink some water," he said, putting the aspirin bottle and a glass of water on his nightstand for her. He was pulling his clothes off, getting ready for bed. She'd climbed instantly into the bed, fully dressed including shoes.

"I'm too tired."

"You'll be sorry in the morning. Come on, come here," he said, trying to grab her leg to rid her of her shoes.

She rolled over on her side and pushed herself begrudgingly to a seated position. She looked at him skeptically as he began to pry her shoes off her feet and get her more ready to sleep comfortably.

"Do you like your parents?"

He looked up at her in surprise. He couldn't remember anyone ever actually asking him that question. "What?"

"You're so concerned that they're going to treat me poorly," she explained.

"You were concerned your mother was going to treat me poorly," he pointed out.

"But for very different reasons," she yawned.

"Yeah, well," he started to raise her arms over her head like he would a small child before lifting her shirt up over her head.

"Do you?"

"Yeah. I mean, they have their moments, but overall, I can't really complain."

"That's not liking them. Are you close to them?"

"Rory," he sighed, wondering why she was starting such a major conversation when she looked likely to pass out at any given moment. "Lift up a sec," he instructed, pulling her jeans down just in time for her to fall back down on her butt. "I wasn't raised the way you were."

"Duh," she said, now in her underwear, but still upright. He moved to his dresser and pulled out a shirt before returning to her.

"My parents were always gone—working, charity events, vacations; there wasn't a lot of time spent playing catch or checking my homework. People were hired for stuff like that."

"That's sad," she said as he raised her arms again and pulled the shirt on over her head.

"It smells good," she said, pulling the collar up to her nose. "Like you."

"Good," he smiled, moving over to the bed, at which she scooted over to make room. "Do you like your parents?"

"I love my parents," she nodded vigorously. "Mom is the best. She was always there, no matter how much she had to work or the classes she took, she always seemed to be there. She did everything," she yawned, curling up against him.

"What about your dad?" he asked, admittedly curious as he couldn't remember her ever really mentioning the man. He'd gotten quite an impression of him at the wedding, but that had all happened really quickly—and he'd been all to happy to get the hell out of there as fast as humanly possible after Lorelai had discovered them.

"He was there, sometimes. But it was usually better when he wasn't."

"But, you get along with him?"

"Yeah, I mean, most of the time. I'm so tired," she announced.

"Why is it better when he's not around?" he asked.

She sighed, "He never really got over my mother. And she's better off without him. It's just, complicated. It's like they can't get rid of each other."

He looked down at her, noting her eyelids had grown too heavy for her to support any longer. Her breath was slow and long; if she wasn't already asleep, it wouldn't be long now. He knew one thing was for sure—he had to make sure his parents kept an open mind, to see that this was what he wanted. It was clear from his earlier conversation with his father that they still believed they could call the shots and get him to do whatever they wished. He needed them to just meet her, with no preconceptions of who they think she is, or what they wish she were.

She had been through a lot in her life, and he had only really heard and seen the surface of certain fundamental truths in her life that most people didn't have to deal with. Things that made her believe she had to work harder and be smarter. She had to be safe and cautious to make it to where she wanted to be. Her goals were decided upon early and reached. She had plans and things she wanted to be and do in this life. He envied that about her, her knowing what she wanted and going after it. He didn't have anything in his life up 'til now that really mattered to him like her future career did to her. He had never gotten to choose what he wanted to do in that respect, it was all assumed. He did what came naturally to him, and had all the fun he could pack into every moment. He saw the future as something that was looming ahead, ready to collect him like the Grim Reaper. She made the future look a lot brighter and worth investigating. She was more than a good time, and this was what his parents needed to know.

He looked down again, and saw that she was definitely asleep. He reached out to his cell phone on his night table, next to the untouched supplies he'd prepared for her. He hit a speed dial number and waited.

"Logan?"

"Dad, sorry to call so late," he offered.

"Something wrong?" his dad's voice was thick; he's obviously woken him up. It wasn't the first time Mitchum had been pulled up out of bed in the middle of the night on account of his son.

"No, I just wanted to know if it was alright if I came by Friday night, alone."

"Are you still coming Saturday?"

"Yeah. We are."

"She isn't coming Friday?"

"She has a dinner with her grandparents."

"I see. Contrary to popular belief, you are welcome home any time, son."

"I know. So, Friday?"

"Friday. Goodnight."

"Night."

Logan hung up his phone and replaced it by his lamp. He settled back down next to Rory, who wrapped her arm around his torso, tucking her hand under his back and holding him like an oversized teddy bear. He closed his eyes, enjoying the memory of their romp earlier outside and the feeling of her so close to him now, knowing she felt comfortable and safe. And so did he.