Disclaimer: No, I don't own Gilmore Girls or the characters. I'm just borrowing them for my own delusions.

Author's Ramblings: So it took longer than expected. Sorry about that. But hey, at least I'm updating right?

Moving Backward

Chapter 02: No Rules

There are no rules for friendship.

It must be left to itself.

We cannot force it any more than love.

-William Hazlitt

Logan watched as his one word admission registered with Rory and sighed. He had thought of various ways she might respond to his proposal. Maybe just shake his hand and be done with it or invite him in to talk. She might give him a quick thank you kiss. Or, if he really stretched his imagination, she might grab him; pull him into a kiss and well…Logan wouldn't be climbing out of her window that night.

Despite all the ways Logan thought Rory might have responded--and he had thought of plenty because she was silent for a long time—the last thing he expected her to do was pull her window closed, shut the curtain and turn out the light.

He stood there shocked for a total of thirty seconds before retaliating with a loud 'thump' on her window. What in God's name was wrong with her? Didn't she see he was doing what she wanted? He was trying to be her friend. Locking him out, however, was not a very friendly thing to do.

"Rory! Open up." A pause. "Come on Rory!"

She flinched at the sound of her name. Rory. He hardly ever called her Rory. She could count the number of times he'd called her that since his nickname for her first emerged. Five times. Twice at her grandparents vow renewal, when the whole thing started. She blushed at the memory. Another time was earlier in the week, when it was supposed to end. And two more times just now. Five times. She realized that she doesn't like the sound of her name coming from his lips. It signifies seriousness. Problems. A rift between them.

Dean always made it sound like something perfect. Stretching it out. Two syllables, like it was something to be honored or cherished. Jess had made it sound desirable, wanted. Breathed all at once, barely above a whisper when they'd been kissing. With Logan, she would rather be anything than Rory. Well, barring kiddo. She giggled at the memory. It brings her back to reality. Suddenly she was more aware than ever of the fact that Logan was standing outside her dorm room, well after midnight, banging on her window and asking to be her friend.

Taking a deep breath, she let out a sigh, and opened the window once again. "Can I help you?" She hoped her voice sounded more confident than she felt.

A sigh. He looked straight at her. "Look I think I did this wrong. Can I come in?"'

Nodding she stepped aside and let him in. Immediately she backed up, folding her arms over her chest. Protection, she thought. She needed to protect herself from him.

"What are you doing here?"

He took a step forward. She took one back. He got the message. From then on, he stood still. "I can't stop thinking about you. You've been on my mind all week."

"Logan I can't—"

"I know, and that's okay. We don't have to be together like that but let's at least see each other. I figured we could try being friends, like you suggested?"

"You're serious?" The skepticism was evident in every syllable.

"As a heart attack." He smirked.

"See that, right there is what is making me doubt this."

A shrug and half a smile. "I miss you Ace." He closed the space between them quickly, and wrapped her in his embrace. "What do you say, friends?"

She smiled back and silently agreed. She just hoped they were both able to do this. Being friends with Logan Huntzberger hadn't worked the first time. It was going to take a lot of effort to make it work now.

Stephanie Anderson let out one last giggle before regaining her composure and turning to Logan. "Okay, I'm sorry. Say it again."

He only scowled.

"I'm sorry I promise not to laugh this time."

"Rory and I aren't seeing each other anymore. It wasn't working out and we're going to be friends."

Logan stopped short as his friend resumed her giggle fit. What was wrong with the world? He thought Colin and Finn were bad, asking if he had a fever, and if they wanted to schedule an appointment at the nut house or would he be doing it. Stephanie couldn't even keep a straight face when he said it.

"Why is this so funny?"

"It jus-- you…" She snorted. "Friends with a girl. When has that ever happened before?"

"Never, since my friend Steph's body was found in a ditch just outside the pub. Cause of death; unknown, but some suggest her friends."

"Let me rephrase. When was the last time you were friends with a girl who hadn't known you since the diaper days?"

He shrugged as he ordered them another round of drinks. "So I don't have a lot of experience in that area. That doesn't mean anything. How hard can it be?"

An unlady-like snort escaped her lips. "Logan you've dated this girl. You've slept with her. You've kissed her while sober."

"So?"

"So that changes everything. I swear, why you would go to Colin and Finn for advice on this type of stuff is beyond me. You need a women's touch."

"Well, what do you suggest I do?"

"Alright." She twirled a strand of her blonde hair while contemplating her friend's fate. "You say you two are just friends? Invite her to the party this weekend. Let's see what happens."

"No."

It was an immediate reaction. He responded without thinking. It wasn't that he didn't want to see Rory this weekend. He loved the idea of seeing Rory, especially since he hadn't seen her since their midnight meeting, a few days ago. On the other hand, Rory at the party, talking to others irritated him to no end. They were idiots and slime balls and he momentarily forgot that these were some of his closest friends.

She scrunched up her nose. "Why not?"

"They're not her scene." He lied easily. "Rory's not into fratt parties."

"Logan I'd hardly call those fratt parties. And besides, she seemed to have fun at Finn's birthday."

She had fun a Finn's birthday. That was exactly the reminder Logan needed at that moment. He took another sip of his drink.

She had arrived late at the newsroom, so she had to stay late, per Doyle's request. So she stayed, finished her article, and hurried to pack her bags back at the dorm. She was going home for the weekend. As it was, she was a half hour behind schedule.

She hurried for the door, bags, keys and coffee cup in hand. When her phone rang on the way out she had absolutely no intention of answering it. It was probably her mother wondering if she'd get to Stars Hallow at all. No, Rory had no intention of answering her phone, or even listening to the message. That was until, she heard his voice.

"Hey Ace, it's me. Guess you're not home. Listen, uh, a bunch of us are throwing a pre-finals party on Saturday and I was wondering if you wanted to come." He paused. "You know, as a friend. Alright, uh, just give me a call when you get the message."

Rory blinked, staring at the machine for several minutes before continuing out of her dorm. One of Logan Huntzberger's parties was the last thing she needed to deal with.

"So then after Zach proclaimed that he was leaving me for Kelly Osborne because she's just so much more rock and roll, I decided to run away and join the circus. But I can't decide tight rope walker or clown?"

A pause.

"Rory?"

"Huh? Oh…right, the tight rope walker had a frown."

"Okay. That's it." Lane hoped off her stool in Luke's flipped her black hair out of her face, and stared her friend straight in the eye. "What is the matter with you?"

Rory crinkled her nose. "What do you mean?"

"I just proclaimed that Zach left me for Kelly Osborne and you didn't even turn your head."

"Oh, um, I'm sorry Lane. I'm just a little preoccupied today."

"Yeah, I can tell, but because of what?"

Her friend sighed, biting down on her lower lip. She said nothing. How did she tell Lane what had happened between her and Logan these past two weeks? She wasn't even sure what had happened herself.

Reluctantly Rory her last few encounters with Logan, starting with her trip to his dorm and ending with his message on her answering machine. True to form, Lane cringed, cried, and sighed in all the right places. She hugged her friend at the end of the tale and told her that everything would be all right, even if she didn't know that for sure yet.

"I just don't know how to handle it all. And I can't tell my mom, because she'll just tell me to forget about him and move on and—"

"You don't want to do that."

"I just can't see him not being in my life, you know?"

Placing her chin in her hand, Lane sighed. "Yep. I know."

A moment of silence.

"So when's the party?"

"Tonight."

"Where?"

"Not sure."

"Oh, well…could you find out?"

"I could, but why?"

"Well…" Lane motioned between the two of them.

"You and me…go?"

"Yes."

With her hand on her head Rory let out a sigh. She wanted to go. She did. She wanted to see him; she just didn't know if she could see him. He'd probably have a date with him, and he would probably ignore her all night. But he had invited her, and they had agreed to be friends. She could go, have some fun, introduce Lane to her Yale friends, and prove she was over him.

She gave her a weak smile. "You sure that's a good idea? Last time we crashed a rich people party you ended up liking a guy your parents would approve of and I ended up kissing my arch enemy?"

"But…." Lane motioned with her hands, trying to find reason. "We're older now. More mature. We know how to handle ourselves, and…I have a boyfriend. So the liking a guy thing isn't an option."

"Right."

"So, you want to go?"

Biting her lower lip Rory contemplated for a moment. "We'd need to go shopping first. And I'll need to call one of them—not Logan. I'll call Stephanie. I have her number; I think. I'll ask her where it is."

"Right. So you get the location. Then we can go shop, and get you a totally hot outfit that will make Logan drool—"

"I don't want to make him drool, Lane. I just….want him to notice me."

"Right, got ya. Get him to notice you. Then we can spend the rest of the night and Sunday in your dorm catching up some more. Zach and Brian and doing a guy's night anyway." She gave her best friend a reassuring smile.

"Okay. Let me call her."

Rummaging through her purse Rory found her cell phone and dialed the number of one of the few females Rory got along with from Logan's group of friends. "Hi, Stephanie, It's Rory Gilmore…"

Hanging up the phone moments later Rory smiled. "They'll be in the Great Hall at Berkeley. Remember that."

"Got it. Now come on!" Lane grabbed Rory and dragged her towards the door. "Let's go shopping!"

"Aren't you working?"

"Oh, right." She threw off her apron, and quickly yelled to Luke that she was taking the rest of the day off. He grunted, and they took it as their sign of approval.