A/N: Thank you all so much for the enormous amount of support you all have shown me through your reviews. You have no idea how much they mean to me. I can't thank you all enough and I'm so glad you think my story is worth something. A lot of people wanted to know why Rory left, and a few of you guessed correctly. You'll find out the reason for Rory's disappearance in this chapter. Also, in case you don't pick up on this, this chapter picks up about a year later from last chapter.

One Year Later

Rory Gilmore was dreaming. In the dream she was dancing with Logan at his parents' annual Christmas party. They were the only couple on the dance floor and all eyes were on the young couple so obviously in love. As they gazed into each others eyes their bodies swayed to the music while taking pleasure in the simple comfort of the closeness of one another.

"I love you, Rory Gilmore," said Logan.

Guilt washed over Rory. "Logan, how can you say that after everything I put you through? I left you, I didn't say goodbye. You haven't heard from me since I left. You have no idea what I've been keeping from you. It's not possible for you to still love me. You don't mean that." Rory was on the verge of tears.

"I love you, that will never change. No matter where you are, what you do or have already done, I love you. You stole my heart, Ace." There was that smile, the one he reserved only for her.

Hearing him speak the nickname he had given her so long ago, Rory started to cry. As the tears obscured her vision she saw that the room itself was fading. The people in the background faded away until only Logan was barely visible.

"Logan, wait! Don't leave me! I didn't get a chance to tell you that I love you! I always will!"

But she was too late, he was gone. When he had melted into the darkness Rory was left alone to sob uncontrollably.

Rory awoke from the dream to find that her pillow was wet. The dream had felt so real. So real that when she was once again separated from the safety of Logan's embrace she had started to cry for real. Her mouth was dry and when she parted her lips with her tongue she tasted the salt of her tears. Slowly she sat up in bed and reached for the glass of water on her nightstand. Taking a long sip she placed the glass back on the table, swallowing with difficulty around the dry sobs.

She picked up a tissue and dried her eyes as she had done so many times before. It was impossible to count how many tissues Rory had gone through in the past year. The first weeks away from Logan and her life at Yale had been the hardest. Not a shopping trip went by without at least two boxes of Kleenex being purchased.

Tossing the balled-up tissue into the trash can, Rory settled back against her pillows and drew up the blankets around her to keep in the warmth. December in the New England states was cold. There were times when Rory was sure she would freeze to death outside. The only cure for the cold was being inside her apartment with a cup of hot cocoa with the thermostat way up there and the mounds of fleece blankets she piled on her bed. She loved fleece, loved how soft the fabric was against her smooth skin. Rory had turned her bed into a nest. She had flannel sheets, a down comforter, numerous fleece blankets she could add on or take off as the temperature dictated, and more pillows than the bed could hold.

The additions to her bed weren't just for sleep, though. There was a method to Rory's madness. She had been used to being held at night by Logan. Now that she was no longer with him, at least when she went to sleep she could pretend that the pillows she lay against was his perfectly toned body, that the blankets drew up to her mid-section was his arm slung across her waist, not wanting to let go of her even in sleep.

Rory shook her head, trying to pull herself away from the direction her thoughts were heading in. If she kept thinking about him she would never get back to sleep. Then she would fall back on a habit she had developed, her body having done it so many times the movements were almost mechanical by now. She would pick up the phone and start dialing his number, always pressing each number slowly, always stalling at the last number, always putting the phone back in the cradle before reaching for yet another tissue. The tears would fall down her face and she would drift off into sleep only to experience dreams like she had just had which lead to even more tears when she woke up, beginning the process all over again.

Rory knew on a conscious level that she couldn't go on like she had been. She knew that if she continued in this manner her life would slip away and she would become a shadow of her former self. Going through the motions of everyday life, only really living for the few precious moments spent in his arms in her dreams.

But she had a reason to live. She had her family, her mom and dad, Luke, her little sister GiGi and her new baby sister Alyssa Danes. And she had Christopher. Some mornings she only got out of bed for him. He needed her and she had to be herself for him.

Telling herself that she needed to get rid of the extra pillows and blankets that symbolized a happier time, Rory got out of bed intending to do just that. She started to pick up the superfluous pillows, placing them on the overstuffed chair against the wall she usually sat in when writing her articles.

She got to the blankets, intending to fold a few of them up and put them in the linen closet. Rory had a sudden flash from her dream, of Logan standing there with a smile on his face only for her, and then he was gone. She looked down at the blanket in her hands that she had been in the process of folding. Her brain reminded her that it was in the twenties tonight. She should keep all the blankets on her bed because of the cold. Slowly she unfolded the blanket and placed it back on her bed. It was one of the things she loved most about coming in out of the cold. She shouldn't take them off tonight. Maybe when it got a little warmer. She purposefully ignored the little voice telling her that it wouldn't be warmer in Rhode Island until April at least. For now, she told herself that she needed them to ward off the cold, never mind the fact that she had indoor heating. When it was warmer, she would take her blankets off. Just not tonight.

Confident that she had made the right decision, Rory got back under the covers and settled her body into a comfortable position. She closed her eyes and willed sleep to come.

No such luck. The minute she felt herself drifting off, she was woken up again by the sound of crying coming from the next room. Pushing back the covers once more, Rory got out of bed and quickly made her way into the nursery. She walked over to the crib and picked up her four month old son.

"Hey there, Christopher. It's okay, Mommy's here and she's not going to let anything happen to you." She sat down in the rocking chair and tried to soothe her fussy son. Rory checked his diaper and upon feeling that he wasn't wet she switched tactics. "I'll bet you're hungry, huh little man?" She moved the hem of her shirt up so that she could settle the baby over her breast.

Rory hummed to herself and her son to pass the time. She tried not to think of the dream she had had but failed. Looking down into the face of her son the tears began all over again.

"Oh Logan, I miss you so much. If only you knew.." The only response she got for her declaration was a happy Chris opening his eyes and looking at her. Rory tried to ignore the tears that were streaming down her face. She couldn't afford to cry. She had to be strong for her son. She had to be strong for Logan's son.

A/N: I loved that a few of you guessed that she was in the Witness Protection Program. That's what my dad thought was happening when he read it. And no dad, just because you raised me does not mean that you get to read the chapters before I post them, you'll have to wait like everyone else.

One last thing, I seem to have inadvertently started a cold medicine war with that stupid joke I made about Tylenol and Advil last chapter. Out of the 38 reviews I have received so far (counting the ones from and Illusive) 13 people mentioned the Advil/Tylenol thing. I've even had write in votes for Aleive. In all honesty I was just trying to be funny. I promise I'll work harder at being funnier, if only in my authors notes. However due to the overwhelming response I'm thinking of making it into a running joke. In every chapter we'll vote on the best medicine and in the end we'll assign a winner. What do you say?

Standing tally: Tylenol in the lead with 8 votes; Advil tailing with 2 votes tied with Alieve with 2 write-in votes.