AN: First of all, I want to thank everyone who reviewed and say that really appreciate it. I was surprised that I didn't get any negative reviews telling me how much I sucked. I was also a little disappointed. I was expecting one, and when I didn't get it I felt kinda let down. Almost to the point that I considered doing something stupid like having Finn progress his undying love for Rory, who would then reveal that she was really a man, which would of course shock Finn but he'd love her so much that he'd see past that. Ahh, true love. Then I decided that plot line was best left for another story. Keep an eye out for it. I'm thinking of calling it "One Tiny Difference, Well not Tiny" after a line from "The Birdcage"

I don't know how I feel about this chapter. I finally attempted to write Lorelai, and for the most part, I'm happy about how it turned out. The Chapter title comes from a variation on a Karate Kid quote. And on with the show!

Chapter Three: Denial Does not Exist in This Dojo

When Rory arrived home that night, she couldn't stop thinking about how much Finn had changed. He was ... different to say the least. But she could still see the remnant of the Finn from college. He was more reserved than she remembered him, but she did recall most of her Finn memories featured him with alcohol in his hand. Although she didn't know if his overall change came from sobriety or maturity, but she was liking this new Finn. With that last thought, she drifted off to sleep.

Finn, in his own home, was having similar thoughts to Rory's. As he turned on the TV to watch Letterman, he contemplated how Rory was compared to her old self from college. He always had a small crush on his best friend's girlfriend, but it stayed a crush for that reason. Now she was as beautiful as ever, and Finn felt the attraction more than he ever had at Yale. The problem was, that he had no idea what her current situation was. Although they had discussed why she was in Boston, and his life since he had moved to the area, they never even talked about significant others, or hopefully lack there of. Instead they spent most of their time catching up on what their friends were doing with their lives. Finn could only assume that she wasn't married from the lack of a ring, but that didn't mean she wasn't in a relationship of some kind.

Sighing, he turned off the TV which he had completely ignored and made his way to bed, looking forward to a restless night thinking about Rory Gilmore.

In the morning, Finn rose at 6 am, and went for a run before getting ready for work. He really didn't have to do much that day, so he planned on doing some paper work and heading out after lunch. 'TGIF' he thought sarcastically to himself. Although he, like any other working guy loved the prospect of the weekend, he had never really developed much of a social life since becoming sober. He hadn't even begun dating until a year ago, and even then his dates were usually with women from AA He was afraid of falling into old habits, so unless his attendance was necessary, he had even managed to avoid society gatherings.

As he arrived at his office, he thought back to the previous nights events. He wanted to call Rory up and continue their conversation from the night before but he didn't want to risk seeming too clingy. As he sat down at his desk, the telephone interrupted his thoughts. He decided to let his secretary answer it. It was way to early do deal with a whiney client.

"Mr. McDonald" He heard the intercom on his desk say.

"Yes Rose" He replied to his secretary.

"There's a Rory Gilmore on line two"

"Thanks Rose" Finn took a deep breath before picking up the phone. "Hello"

"Hey Finn, this is Rory."

"Oh hey Rory, I was thinking about calling you"

"Well, I'm flattered, but I needed to ask you something."

"Shoot" he grinned at her slight hesitation.

"Its just a little embarrassing." He was even more eager to learn what she was going to ask now.

"Well, last night, in your car" she began slowly.

"Yes, what about last night" He was already to accept the invitation for a date he was sure she was going to offer.

"Well, I think I might have left my balls in your car."

"Huh?" He asked confused. This was not the invitation he expected.

"Damnit McDonald, give me back my balls" She demanded forcefully.

Suddenly the memory came back to him of the time in her philosophy class when he had told Rory to give Colin and Logan their balls back. He smiled at the thought.

"Oh yes, that was clever wasn't it? That line was my idea too. Logan wanted something boring like shame on you, but I refused to let his lack of creativity limit my performance. Although, I do recall the retaliation was much better than our stunt. If I remember correctly it took Logan about an hour to stop staring at the hallway your grandfather disappeared into. He spent the whole day trying to get a hold of his dad." He chuckled at the memory of his friends face.

"Well that was pretty much the effect I was going for. So anyway, the real reason I called."

"Wait, you mean didn't really leave your balls in my car"

"Anyway, I was calling to see if you wanted to get together today. You're probably working, but I have already finished my article and I have nothing to do for the rest of the day."

"Actually, I was planning on cutting out at lunch anyway. I have no appointments with clients today, and this paper work is mind-numbing."

"So lunch today then"

"Yeah there's this place over on Essex I've been meaning to try. Do you want me to pick you up"

"Yeah that'd be great, do you remember how to find it"

"I wasn't really paying attention last night."

"Oh, that's fine I'll give you directions."

"No need, just give me your address and I'll use On star."

"Ugh I hate those things, they give me the creeps, and somehow cause me to get even more lost than I would have been without it."

"Noted, I'll turn it off before I get to your house. I'll come at 12:30" After giving him her address they hung up and Finn tried to go back to his work in vain, eventually giving up and glancing at the clock. 9:47, and the good times keep on coming. He picked up the phone dialed a familiar number.

"Lorelai's house of love, how may we service you today"

"Hey mom" Rory smiled at her mother's antics.

"What, who is this, it can't be my daughter. I don't have a daughter. I mean, I thought I did for awhile, but I must have been mistaken, because if I had a daughter, she would call more than once every two weeks."

"What? Mom, I just talked to you on Tuesday."

"So what? It sounds more dramatic if I add more time."

"Whatever mom" Rory replied. "So how's life going, how's Luke and the kids"

"Life's good, Luke's good and baby Billy's good too."

"Baby? Mom, Billy's almost 7. He's hardly a baby any more."

"I know, but baby Billy sounds so much better than little kid Billy, don't you think"

"I think that he's six. He doesn't need an epithet added to his name every time you say it. What about Sarah and Jessie"

"They're okay, I think" she said.

"You think? How can you nt know?"

"Well, they hardly make any noise. I swear, if I didn't have very painful memories about their births, I would swear that Luke had bore them and raised them all by himself." The comment caused Rory to laugh on the other end. "So how's life going for you? It's Friday, you got any smokin' plans that involve bubble wrap and peanut butter."

"I think you're confusing me with you mom."

"Oh that's right, it was me that my mother caught with my blond boyfriend in our kitchen about to do unspeakable things with whip cream." She said sarcastically, causing Rory to sigh.

"We never actually got anywhere close to the whip cream part. Logan just grabbed that out of the fridge as a joke."

"Riiight, keep telling yourself that you weren't about to go Varsity Blues on him."

"Mom" Rory squealed. "And to answer your question, no I don't have smokin' plans tonight."

"Oh" Lorelai said softly.

"You sound disappointed"

"Well, I was hopping that maybe you were going on a date or something. Far be it for me to think that maybe my beautiful single daughter was going to enjoy the company of a gentleman caller. How am I supposed to live vicariously through you if you don't have wild encounters with the opposite sex?"

"Well, I don't know about wild encounters, but I am having lunch with a friend from Yale today."

"Oh, who is it? Do I know them"

"Well, you met him at one point"

"Him? Its a male? Why did you fail to mention this before? Oooh, who is it? Marty? Doyle" She said with a chuckle.

"You never met Doyle mom, it's actually a friend of Logan's."

"Oh, who, Colin"

"No, it's Finn McDonald"

"Wait, the Australian one? He told me he was going to go back to Australia to study the Indigenous peoples."

"He was probably drunk at the time right?"

"Well now that you say that, he probably was. Actually, if I remember correctly, he made that comment about twenty minutes before he propositioned Lane right in front of Zach."

"Well, he's actually in AA now.."

"Oh Do they do that 'Hi I'm Finn and I'm an Alcoholic' thing?"

"I don't know actually. I mean I assume they do, but I can't really see Finn doing that. He seemed like he liked it though, and I really think he's changed for the better since college."

"Oooh you like him."

"What? No I don't, he's just a friend. I mean, when Logan and I were dating he was always around. I've never even thought about him that way."

"Bull honky! You like him!"

"Bull honky? I don't remember you ever having trouble saying shit when the occasion called for it before."

"Yeah, but Billy just walked in and Luke has this new idea about us not cursing in front of him. Crazy, I know, but I agreed to try it out for a while."

"Luke might be right, if you had at least watched your language a little around me, we could have avoided that incident in kindergarten when I told Sam Goldman his ass looked fat in those jeans."

"Oh, but then I wouldn't have that great story to tell every time I see his mom. But you're avoiding my question. You like him."

"One, that's not a question, and two, I do not!"

"Forever in da Nile. Oh sweet daughter, when will you learn?"

"Okay mom, this is getting me no where. I'm hanging up"

"Fine, but take with you these last words of wisdom."

"Okay, hit me with 'em."

"Strike first, strike hard, no mercy sir!."

"Goodbye mom!"

AN2: The last line from Lorelai is also a line from the Karate Kid. Ahh, so much wisdom from just one movie.