AN: You like me, you really like me! I love the reviews. And although I don't have a quota for amount of reviiews until I upload the next chapter, if I did, it would totally be filled. If I knew you all a lot better, and had assurances that you weren't creppy stalkers, and we all lived in the same city, I would totally invite you all to my birthday party! So, with that said, I hope you all like that. Some of the speeches are kind of lengthy, but this stuff needs to be said, and I figured I might as well get all the informative stuff out of the way to make way for the pure insanity to ensue! Yay! I can't wait!

Chapter Five: You Held Your Breath, and the Door For Me

Relieved that it was finally 12:00, and he didn't have to continue killing time, Finn started to shut down his computer and pack up his briefcase, slightly relieved that he wouldn't have to see his desk for two days. He looked at the clock, 12:06. If he walked slowly, and took time in his car, he could arrive right on time. Her house wasn't too far from his office, but he didn't want to seem too eager by arriving early, so he took his time leaving, thanking God that he didn't wear a suit that day, and had instead opted for a pair of dress pants and a polo because of the heat and lack of appointments that day.

Meanwhile at casa de Rory, she was rushing frantically to dry her hair and apply makeup before Finn arrived. She glanced at the clock, it read 12:19. 'Shit,' only eleven minutes to pick out an outfit. She quickly opted for a skirt and a blouse because of the heat outside. She made her way downstairs with three minutes to spare. 'I am the master' she thought to herself. She didn't know why she was worrying so much about what she wore, anyway. It was just Finn. Just a friend from college. An extremely sexy friend from college, she added to herself. Before she could drive herself crazy over why she cared so much about her appearance, the doorbell rang. She looked at the clock, which had just turned 12:30 exactly.

"Well Finn, of all the was I remember you from college, punctual was definitely not one of them."

"I'm much older and wiser now. I know better than to keep a pretty lady waiting."

Rory laughed at him but did not miss the sincere look on his face when he complimented her. "Ever the charmer. Would you like to come in?"

Finn, curious about her home, accepted the invitation and entered the foyer. It was covered in family pictures.

Finn looked around at them and saw children featured in all of the ones featuring a more adult Rory. "I didn't know there were so many kids in your family. Nieces and Nephews?" He hoped his questioning was subtle.

"Well," she moved to stand beside him and gestured to the pictures. "Those three are my half brother and sisters from my mom's side."

"Wow, they're so young."

"Well, you forget that my mother had me when she was 16, and just got remarried eight years ago."

"Oh yes, that was probably one of the best receptions I've ever been to. I still don't know why I was invited, I didn't even know your mother."

"Yeah, but I told her about your 'Passion of the Christ' and she was dying to meet you. But I digress. This one there," she gestured to a picture of Gigi on her last birthday, "is my half sister on my dad's side. They live here in Boston, just a few blocks away."

"And this one here?" He asked pointing to a picture of Rory holding a dark haired boy who looked about two when the picture was taken.

"That," she started hesitantly. "That's my son Ernest."

His head whipped around to face her, causing their eyes to meet. Upon finding a questioning look on his face she embellished, "I had him when I was 24, while I was living in New York."

"Wow," was all he could think to say. Colin hadn't mentioned her having a kid. "You do not look like a woman who's had a baby."

"Thanks Finn. I'm going to take that as a compliment."

"You should. Now back to the subject. Where's Ernest now? I'd love to meet him."

"Well, he's staying with his father in New York right now. We technically have joint custody, but Ernest's going to be going to school here, so his dad will be getting him during the summer."

"What a shame, some other time I suppose. We should get going, I made the reservation for 1:00."

"Ooh a reservation. Fancy." Rory said as they made their way to the car.

As Finn started the engine, Alanis Morrissette started to play. Rory couldn't believe it. "Finn! A chick rocker? I'm so proud of you. Sinatra last night Alanis today, what's next, the Clash?"

Finn smiled with a knowing look in his eyes as he began to speak. "You know Rory, you and I aren't so different."

"How's that?" she asked, curious to know where he was headed.

"Well, you have a child with whom you share custody with and I have a son who"

Rory interrupted him, "You have a son?"

"Is that so hard to believe, I am a man, and obviously my parts work, as about half the female population at Yale could have told you."

"You do not look like a man who's had a baby," was all she could think to say.

"Whatever that was intended as, I'll take it as a compliment," he laughed and continued his explanation. "I was 22, drunk, horny, and without a condom. So nine months later, Charlie was born."

"So do you see him much?" Now throwing subtlety out the window Rory questioned him directly.

"Actually, I see him every other week now. The reason I took the job in Boston was because by living in Hartford, I would have only gotten to see him in the summer. Now we have joint custody. I wanted him to know who I was, and not be just a guy he spends a month out of the year with."

He did seem truly happy with being a father. Although she never would have imagined it, she guessed fatherhood was good for him. They pulled up to the restaurant not a second later.

He went around the car and opened the door for her with a over-zealous bow.

Rory tried to swoon, but it ended up looking like she was having a seizure.

"You should probably work on that swoon before you try it in public again."

"We all can't be as talented as you Finn."

The waiter came up and they ordered drinks, Finn ordered water and Rory ordered a Dr. Pepper.

"You can drink alcohol around me you know," he didn't like when people purposely avoided drinking in his presence.

"No, I actually don't drink much anymore. I let it behind with my rebellious college years."

"The most rebellious thing you did in college was jump off that tower at the Brigade event."

"Hey! That was scary, and besides that was not the most rebellious I did."

"Ooh please share."

"Once, I told Paris to go shove it up her ass!"

Finn laughed at this remark, but did not protest, as he had learned Paris' wrath on his own.

"So, can I ask a personal question?" Finn asked her.

"If I say no, would it stop you?"

"No, but it's polite to ask. How did Ernest happen?"

"I thought you of all people would know how babies were made." Finn chuckled as she continued. "I'll tell you what, how about you tell me what you do know, and then I'll fill in all the details?"

"Well, I don't understand this concept of where the"

"Stop right there Finn, I really don't know want to know where you're going with that."

"Fine, I'll save you your innocence. But you still haven't answered my question. After college you seemed like the least likely person I knew to have a baby two years later, what happened?"

"Well, like I said last night, I went to New York to test the waters. Inevitably I ran into my ex-boyfriend Jess. Jess was the reason Dean and I broke up the first time. He was a bad boy, I thought I could change him. It turned out, I was wrong. Then when I met up with him in New York, he just seemed so...different. But in a good way. All the qualities I had loved him for were there, but there was also this new...responsibility. So we started to hang out, which eventually led to a reprisal of our old relationship. After about a month we realized that it just wasn't there anymore, so we decided to be friends. Which by the way, is the only relationship where the "I hope we can still be friends" line actually worked. So anyway, a couple weeks later I found out I was pregnant. We moved in together and Jess and I worked through the pregnancy together. It's a regular lifetime movie now that I think about it."

"So if you guys were so happy, why'd you move to Boston?'

"I was getting there."

"Oh, by all means continue."

"So, as I was saying, we were living together. Jess was working in a bookstore and I was writing for this little independent paper and Ernest was about 18 months, and then I got my job offer to write for a real paper, Jess wouldn't let me turn it down.

"He sounds like a really good guy."

"Oh, sure he is now. He didn't come like that, he had to have his whole finding himself phase. So now you got the goods on me and my illegitimate child. Tell me about yours."

"Well, I was a first year law student, drunk, and I had just met a red head named Cindy at a party. She didn't even tell me she was pregnant afterwards though. I didn't find out until two years later. I started to pay child support, and see him occasionally. After I passed the bar and then got the fateful DUI a few months later, I kind of reevaluated my life. I realized that I couldn't go on like I was with my self destructive behavior. So, I stayed with Colin for four months, secured a job up here, where Cindy and Charlie were, and then moved here and started my new life as a lawyer and a father."

"Okay, I take it back. If mines a lifetime movie then yours definitely earns the title of Hallmark Hall of Fame movie of the week."

"But you didn't even here the part about the dog with the broken leg named Skippy."

She laughed but then stopped when she saw his expression. "That was a joke right?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" He said with a glint in his eye.

By this time their food had arrived and they turned their attention to their respective meals.

When the food arrived, Finn reached for the bill.

Rory quickly protested, "Finn, I already let you buy me coffee last night, let me take care of this one."

"Rory, you and I both know that I love a good excuse to spend money. It's no trouble. And the coffee was nothing."

She gave up with the comment, "Fine, but I'm paying next time."

Finn smiled at the unintentional promise of a next time, and though he knew he wouldn't let her pay then either, he answered her, "Fine."

They made their way out of the restaurant, neither one looking forward to the date's end. Finn was struck with an idea.

"What are you doing tonight?"

"You want a good answer or the sad pathetic truth?"

"Your sad pathetic truth can't be worse than my plans of sitting on the couch and ordering pizza while looking for a movie on TV. The sadist part is, I probably won't find a movie, and I'll end up watching reruns of Fear Factor, until getting bored and going to bed at 10."

"Trade the pizza for Chinese, and you pretty much have my plans. Oh, except minus the Fear Factor, I hate Joe Rogan."

He laughed. "I propose we combine our potentially boring as hell nights into one fabulous social event."

"I can do that, I'll even take it one step further and turn it into a Gilmore Girls patented movie night. We can watch a selection of old favorites. You bring the JuJu Beans, I'll bring the Red Vines."

"I agree, how about my place? I have an excellent sound system set up in the basement. It'll knock you over."

"Okay, let's do it. As long as we order Chinese instead of pizza."

"Fine by me"

"I'll get the movies, and come over around 7:00?"

"Seven's fine. I'll give you directions when we get to your house."

They pulled up to Rory's house and Finn gave Rory directions to his house, only to discover she knew exactly where it was.

"So I'll see you a seven then, she said as he again opened the car door for her and walked her up it her porch."

"I'll be waiting with bated breath," and with that, turned and returned to his car, leaving Rory on her porch to watch his retreating figure.