Chapter 4: Phase IV
The moment Rory opened her eyes, pain exploded in her head. Groaning, she hurried to squeeze her eyes shut again.
"Morning, love!"
She knew that voice. She knew she knew that voice. She just couldn't concentrate on putting a name to the voice as the two words were still echoing loudly in her head.
"Owww, not so loud," she grumbled, trying to bury her head deeper into the soft cushion her head was laying on.
"Headache?"
Why would that idiot not simply leave her alone? "Right now there's a sledgehammer world cup going on up there," she whimpered.
"You know, I don't think there are many people who can be as descriptive as you after a night like you had one," the voice said, amused.
Night? What night? Uh… and for that matter, what day was it?
There was a shadow of memory and she tried to grab it, to remember… she had been working on finishing an article, then…
Finn.
Of course, Finn. Ugh, now that explained a few things. This was all his fault. "Go away," she mumbled.
"And rob you of the pleasure of my presence? I don't think so," Finn answered. A moment later, Rory could feel one of his big hands on her shoulder. "Come on, now, love, I've got something for you. But you'll need to open those killer eyes of yours for that."
"Uh-uh," Rory groaned. "Hurts."
"I know, love, but if you don't open your eyes now it will hurt a lot longer than necessary," Finn's sympathetic voice floated over her.
"This better be worth it," she grumbled. With a sigh, Rory started to slowly open her eyes, whimpering a little when light exploded in a hurtful ball in her head again. This time though she forced herself to keep them open, well, at least a little. After all, as tempting as it was right now to just lay there and never have to open her eyes again, it would probably get boring at some point.
Once her blurry sight cleared enough to take in a grinning and awfully cheerful looking Finn, her eyes dropped to the mug he held out to her. She sniffed the air then glared at Finn. "That's not coffee."
"Always impressed by your detective skills," Finn chuckled. "Now drink it."
Rory made a face. "I want coffee," she whined.
"In a moment. For now, drink this," Finn though insisted.
She stared at it suspiciously, then shook her head, a movement she regretted on the spot. Ow. "Not drinking this. It looks eew. And it stinks."
"If it wouldn't stink and look like shit, and I promise you, it will taste even worse, then it wouldn't be my most patented hangover drink," Finn explained patiently. "There's nothing better, trust me. Now get it in you, drink it and then you can have your coffee."
Rory stared unhappily at the drink. The problem was, she did trust Finn. He was the expert on hangovers after all. If he said it would help, it would help. But she really, really, really didn't want to force that thing down.
Finn sighed. "If it helps you can close your eyes again and hold close your nose. I won't tell."
With a sigh, Rory very carefully sat up and grabbed the drink. "Do I also get a taco?" she asked in a small, childlike voice.
"Whatever the lady wishes," Finn assured her with an amused smile.
With a sigh, Rory did just what Finn told her. She squeezed her eyes shut again, held her nose close and swallowed the disgusting brew in four large gulps. Finn was right. It tasted worse than shit.
Not that she could actually compare it. But there was nothing that could taste as bad as this thing.
"I think I'm going to be sick," Rory moaned.
"Nah, that's just the first reaction to the brew. Should pass soon. Just lie down again and wait a little," Finn told her grinning, but his eyes were gentle when he took the now empty mug out of her hands.
A minute passed.
"Any better already?" Finn asked impatiently.
Rory threw him a glare. She did feel a little better though. Seemed like Finn hadn't promised too much about his special hangover drink. Didn't mean though that she was ready to take on Finn. "How come you're so awfully cheerful anyway? Shouldn't you be in an even worse shape than me?" she asked annoyed.
"Practice, love," Finn let her know with a smirk. "Besides, someone at least had to stay a little sober and as you had decided to take on the Irish yesterday…" he spread his hands.
"Well next time, talk me out of such stupid ideas," Rory grumbled, rubbing at her temples. Unfortunately, more and more images of the last night started to come to her. She frowned. "Have I dreamt it or did I really perform a table dance?" she asked ominously.
Finn's wide, shit-eating grin said it all and with another groan, she buried her head into her hands. "Tell me now I took off my clothes too and I'm going to have face surgery and move far, far away under another name."
Laughing, Finn drew her hands away from her face. "No need to be so dramatic, Gilmore. I doubt anyone in that bar knew you. Besides, what happens in Dublin stays in Dublin."
She frowned. "I thought that's Vegas."
"And anywhere on the world where the great day is being honored," Finn said. Then his eyes took on a wicked gleam. "Of course there's this wonderful contraption called digital camera."
Alarmed, Rory sat up abruptly, ignoring the firework erupting in her head, to glare threateningly at Finn. "Finn, don't you dare to even think about showing anyone, and I mean anyone, any picture you have taken yesterday!"
He gave her his puppy dog eyes. "Now where would the fun be in that?"
"Finn…"
"But don't worry. I sure know not to waste such perfect blackmail material. For now you're safe from exposure," he promised her.
Rory didn't like the sound of that at all, not at all. But as the firework was still going on in her head and because she knew Finn, she decided to let it rest for now…and think about a way to get to whatever pictures he had on that camera and erase them.
And she needed coffee. God, she really needed coffee right now.
"Didn't I hear you say something about getting coffee if I drink that gruesome stuff?" she wanted to know, fixing her eyes on him. "I hope you still remember the rules about me and coffee."
"Love, even I know by now not to mess with a Gilmore and her addiction to coffee," he told her with a grin and briefly vanished through a door. When he came back a minute later with a new mug and a bag in his hands, Rory eagerly grabbed the mug, inhaled the heavenly aroma and then downed the liquid almost as quickly as she had forced down Finn's hangover drink. Once she was finished, she sighed. "Now, that is better," she declared and held out the mug for a refill.
Rolling his eyes, Finn complied. "And they thought I was crazy when I ordered a full can," he commented dryly. "Obviously, they never had a Gilmore staying here before."
"Obviously not… uh, where are we again?" Rory asked, taking a look around.
"In the hotel," Finn answered.
"Gee, thanks," Rory replied sarcastically. "Kind of figured that one out myself. But I don't remember checking into a hotel. Didn't you say something from partying we'd go back to the plane?" She frowned. "Uh… what time is it anyway? Already midday?"
"It's almost five," Finn let her know. "And you don't remember checking in because you were already passed out at that time."
"Five? That better be five pm or I'm going to be seriously pissed," Rory muttered. Though to be honest, she wasn't sure if she wanted it really to be that late in the afternoon. She didn't mind sleeping in but until five in the afternoon?
"Boy, aren't you just Miss Sunshine today?" Finn said dryly and got up to go over to the windows where he pulled the blinds open.
Rory glanced at the sky through the blinds. Heavy clouds were hanging low and it was already starting to get dark again, but yeah, it was definitely not five am.
"Besides, we did party through and then got straight back to the plane," Finn said casually as he opened the windows.
A rush of cold air floated in and Rory shivered. "Hey!" she protested. "Will you…" That's when his words dawned on her and her eyes widened. "Wait, what did you say? We got what? But where…"
He turned back to face her, but said nothing. It wasn't necessary as, at that moment, bells started to ring, and announced five o'clock.
Very particular bells.
Very typical for a certain city and that was sure as hell not Dublin.
Paling, Rory jumped up and backed away, shaking her head. "No. Oh no. Finn… what the hell did you do?" she exclaimed.
Finn sighed, his eyes heavy on her. "I did what you asked me to, love."
"I sure as hell didn't tell you to take me to London!" Rory snapped.
No, this wasn't happening. She wasn't here. She couldn't be here. What if Logan…
"You told me to take you home," Finn said quietly.
"Yeah home! The States! Connecticut, Yale, ring any bells?" Rory angrily said, looking around for her things. She needed to get away from here. It was bad enough back at home, missing him so terribly. But here? Being so near and still not being able to be with him again? That was even worse.
"I asked you: 'Home where?'," Finn told her and something in his voice made her stop and look back at him, meet his eyes that shone with warmth and understanding. And something else. What was that? "Your answer was simple, but clear, Rory."
Rory stilled, dreading what he was going to say. No… surely she hadn't…
"Logan," Finn said very gently.
Oh yeah, she had. Damn it!
"I was drunk," she whispered.
Slowly, Finn came over to stand in front of her. "In vino veritas, love. Even the Romans knew that way back then already!"
"You don't understand!" Rory exclaimed, shaking her head. "I can't…"
"You're right, I don't understand." Finn shook his head and she could see that he was getting angry now. Or frustrated. "I swear, I've never seen two such fools like you and Logan. What the bloody hell is so hard for me to understand? You love each other. You're both going crazy with missing each other and that's no wonder because you two are simply incomplete without the other one. Neither of you is happy, both of you are feeling miserable, but still, you act as if the world's going to end just because you're in the same city as Logan now?"
"But Logan, what if…"
Finn stepped even closer and grabbed her shoulders, shaking her a little. "Have you heard anything I said, love? Logan nothing! He's as stubborn and stupid as you are, but the moment he lays eyes on you, he'll sweep you off your feet and will never let go again." He took a deep breath that seemed to calm him because when he continued, his voice was soft. "He loves you, Rory. You. He loves his work as well, but without you, it can't satisfy him. It's not enough for him. He needs you."
Rory stared at him, but she couldn't say anything, the lump in her throat was too big for that. She desperately wanted to believe him. But she didn't dare to. Because if she did and then were to find out that he had been wrong, that her hope had been pointless… she wouldn't be able to bear it. She was managing barely as it was. And that alone scared her. That her need for Logan was so overwhelming that she wasn't sure she could cope without him. That wasn't how she wanted to be.
"Why are you so afraid, love? He's not going to hurt you, not if he knows what's good for him. And believe me, the last thing he'll be thinking of when you're standing in front of him will be to send you away again," Finn continued, giving her a leery wink.
The wink made Rory smile. With a sigh she looked down and leaned the top of her head against Finn's chest. She felt his hands loosening his grip on her shoulders to pull her into a hug. It calmed her, centered her, more than she had been since Logan had left. How could it be that a person as energetic and chaotic as Finn was could radiate such calmness and safeness?
And then she found herself talking. "But what if I lose myself? Mom raised me to be an independent, strong woman who can stand on her own two feet. Then I met Logan, fell in love with him. You all say that he changed, because of me. But I changed too, Finn. Some things were good, but there are things that I don't like so much. Most of all, I simply don't seem to function without him anymore." She raised her head to gaze into Finn's eyes. "It's so hard to be apart from him. And I miss him so much. But somewhere deep down, I know that this time, I'll be able to get over him more or less intact. At least we separated in mutual agreement, without a fight, without hate." She smiled sadly. "If I go now to him and find out that he doesn't want me anymore… I'm not sure how well I'll be able to cope with that."
"But love, he'll…"
"Or he's as glad to see me as you tell me he will be. And then we get back together again. But Finn, what comes next? He's still stuck here in London. And I'd be very surprised if his father will just let him come back to me once the year is over. Where will he be sent then? And it's not just his job. Mine, if I'll get any job, won't be easy on time or traveling either. We can try to make it work, and a big part of me wants to, but… there's also this tiny voice that tells me that this time, I won't get over him again if it doesn't work out." Rory looked away. "I hate that, it sounds so needy, but I can't help it. He's…"
Finn cupped her cheek and forced her to look at him again. "He's your soul mate. As you are his. I can imagine that such a thing, such a strong love like you two share, can be scary in its intensity. But, love, that's just it. It's so strong, so why are you so afraid it won't work? If you two want it to, it will, I have no doubt about that. Sure, there's no guarantee, no one can give you that. But just think about the happiness you can attain if you two get back together, instead of the pain it may or may not cause you, should it not work. So maybe, the next few years will be hard on the two of you. Who cares? These past few months should have proven to both of you that without the other, it will be even worse. Together though…"
Was he right? Was she really so foolish? After all, hadn't she wished for the past eight months and three weeks to be with Logan again? To not have let him go, at least not emotionally? Yet, now that she was here, so near him, she suddenly got cold feet. For what?
"You know, the last year hadn't been easy on Logan either, with his father putting so much pressure on him. Yet, he's never been happier. Because of you," Finn added, his thumb stroking over her cheek.
Rory remembered the haunted look in Logan's eyes whenever he had gotten back from one of his many meetings with his father, remembered how it disappeared after a while though when he was back with his friends and her. And she remembered how crappy she had been feeling when she had been on the outs with her mother, missing what they had had so much that sometimes, all she wanted to do was cry. Remembered how the only solace she had had in that time was when she had been in Logan's arms, when he had taken the pain away from her, sometimes by merely a simple, innocent smile.
"He's here, love. You just have to let me take you to him, it's about ten minutes from here," Finn whispered. "I can drag you there, and I will if I have to, because I want you and Logan back and you know that I put my happiness above everything, but I think the two of you would prefer it if you went to him on your own."
Ten minutes? Only ten minutes? Rory closed her eyes and there he was, his eyes, smiling mischievously at her, but full of love. She could hear his voice, soothing, calming. She remembered the contentedness she had felt whenever she had been in his arms.
She opened her eyes again. Screw everything to hell, she wanted her man back.
Slowly, her eyes focused back on Finn who had waited patiently, and had now a huge smile on his face, in his eyes.
"You always claimed that Logan got his good eye for sizes and the perfect outfit from you. Now's the time to prove it. Go get me an outfit that will knock Logan over," she told him and turned away from him to head to the bathroom.
Now that she had made up her mind she was anxious to finally see Logan. But she was nursing a hangover and she knew what that meant to her looks. If she had waited that long, she might as well wait a little longer to make herself at least presentable so she wouldn't scare people away with her appearance.
"And for heaven's sake, get me that taco you promised me!" she added but then smiled at the memory that her words reminded her of. The last time she had needed a taco that much had been when Logan had wanted to go steady, instead of breaking up. Back then, her hangover had brought her luck. She just hoped that this time, it would turn out as lucky for her as then.
Finn went to pick up the bag he had brought in with the coffee and handed it to her with a light bow. "Here, Ma'am, just like you ordered," he drawled in the worst Texas drawl she'd ever heard. "And that killer dress is already waiting for you in the bathroom, Ma'am. I think it'll meet your approval. And certainly my buddy's too, Ma'am."
"Call me Ma'am again and I'll mention a certain escapade in New Orleans to Colin and Logan, Finn," Rory warned.
"You wouldn't dare," he countered confidently, but his eyes did widen a bit.
"Try me," she said, smiling sweetly at him.
His smile matched hers. "You seem to forget that I now hold certain pictures of one Lorelai Leigh Gilmore, the Third, doing a table dance," he reminded her.
Damn. He was right with that. But…
"Oh Finn, I may have been pretty plastered… but do you really think that it was as embarrassing as New Orleans?" she asked in her most sugar sweet voice.
The dark look on his face said it all.
Laughing, Rory left him to go get herself ready for her man.
"Hmm… Yeah, got it… Sure, good luck…"
The murmur of these words that echoed a hundred times louder in his head woke Logan up. He didn't open his eyes though. He wasn't quite sure what had happened or where he was, but he had partied enough in his life to recognize the signs of a hangover. And opened eyes and hangover never worked well together. So he was perfectly happy to stay where he was, his face buried into something soft and wait until it would be less painful to acknowledge to the world that he was still alive.
Someone else though had other plans. Something cold and wet hit the back of his neck and with a curse, Logan jerked his head around, his eyes opening to glare at the bastard who had dared to drop that thing onto him.
Big mistake.
A marching band, sledgehammers and fireworks started to go off in his head and with a groan, Logan quickly squeezed his eyes shut again.
Fuck, that hurt.
"You got one minute and next thing over your head will be a bucket of water."
The haze in his mind cleared enough to name the bastard. Colin. Figures.
"Go to hell," Logan mumbled, letting his head fall back down on the cushion.
"Cheerful as ever, I see. Forty seconds," Colin replied dryly and Logan could hear him move in the room. Hard to miss as a giant couldn't possibly make more noise.
"Find the door," Logan told him unfazed.
"And miss all the fun? I don't think so. Twenty seconds," Colin's voice said, closer now. There was another sound too… wait, was that swapping water? Or a tsunami?
Fuck. Looked like he did have to open his eyes again after all. He did so carefully and winced when bright light hit his sensitive eyes. Nope, not a tsunami. Logan glared at Colin. "You throw even a drop of that water on me and you're going to die."
"Yeah sure, I'm going to believe that," Colin answered unimpressed and grinned. "It's your choice anyway. You got five seconds left to get up until you take a shower."
Logan knew Colin. He would do it.
Shit.
"Asshole," he hissed, but pushed himself up into a sitting position, dropping his pounding head into his hands.
"Aww, I love you too. Come on, drink this," Colin said and held out a mug to him.
The stench hit him even before Logan could take a look through his finger. Unfortunately, he knew that awful smell only too well and his stomach rolled. "Ugh, no…"
"Fine, whatever you want. It's your head after all," Colin said with a shrug and put the mug down on the night table.
His night table, Logan noticed. Looked like they had gotten home after all. Hell knows how.
Sighing deeply, Logan reached for the mug. He'd rather drink his own urine, but hell, Finn's patented hangover mixture may smell like shit and taste even worse, but sadly, it did wonders to a heavy, aching head. He sputtered and made a grimace, once the brew was forced down his throat. God, how could something so awful help so much?
"Feel better?"
Logan glared over at Colin. He could feel the mixture do its wonders already though. Within an hour and with the help of a little coffee and a shower he should feel fine enough. Well… at least to face work. Incidentally… what time was it anyway? Logan glanced at the clock on his night table and his eyes widened.
17:44?
17:44!
Fuck, fuck, fuck!
"Why the hell didn't you wake me up?" Logan exclaimed, ignoring the pounding protest his head screamed. "Work… I need to get into work!"
Colin simply raised an eyebrow. "You do know that it's Saturday, don't you?"
It was Saturday? Right… But still… hadn't there been some meeting scheduled for today? Someone his father wanted him to meet. Shit, that would mean trouble.
"And that you, being the boss, can't be late?" Colin added.
Logan shook his head and went over to his dresser to get himself some clothes.
"But being the Good Samaritan that I am, I called in for you to let them know that you won't be in today," Colin said and sighed. "But of course I got that old dragon on the phone, so no guaranties, man."
Logan stopped dead in his tracks and turned to stare at Colin. "You did what?"
"Called in sick for you," Colin repeated patiently, then shook his head. "Though then, who in his right mind expects people to work after St. Patrick's? Anyway, Elsie said it's no problem, that you hadn't had anything scheduled for today anyway."
Hadn't he? But that meeting… no, no that one was on Monday. Okay… then he guessed it wasn't so bad if he had slept in. Logan frowned. It's been quite a while since he had slept in, let alone all through the day. Then again, it's been a while since he had been that intoxicated. His momentary energy leaving him, he let himself drop back down on his bed. "God… just how much did I have to drink yesterday?" he asked, more to himself than to Colin.
Colin had no problems answering him though. "Let's just say that Finn would have wept with pride."
"That bad, huh?" Logan sighed and tried to remember the last day.
Okay, what was there? Colin showing up. Check. Dragging Logan out to watch the parade, then the street party. Check. Then hit the bars… Check. Until then he hadn't had that much alcohol, he remembered that much but then, how…
Oh… right, Logan thought darkly as he finally remembered Colin cornering him about Rory. Shit. No wonder he had hit the booze that hard.
"Couldn't you have just stayed out of things that aren't your business anyway," Logan asked angrily and got up to stomp back to his dressers and grab himself some sweats and a shirt.
"I assume you're talking about that charming lady of yours," Colin said and made himself comfortable in one of the leather chairs.
Logan shook his head. "Leave it, Colin, I mean it," he warned his friend.
"No, no, I think I won't. I think there's still a lot to be said about your Ace," Colin answered him calmly.
Upon hearing that special nickname Logan had for Rory, Logan closed his eyes as he felt a wave of pain slamming right into his heart. Damn it, he couldn't take this right now. Why couldn't Colin just let it go? Why couldn't he see that it fucking hurt to think about Rory, talk about her? And hear him referring to Rory as Logan's time and time again was the worst of it all. Because it only reminded him very clearly of the fact that she wasn't his anymore. He had lost her. Simple as that… horrible as that.
"No there isn't," Logan said evenly. "We're over, she's the past. End of story."
"Right, that's why you call her voice mail every day to just hear her voice," Colin said dryly.
How… shit… just how drunk had he been the previous night to go spill out that little secret of his?
Colin stood up and strode over to Logan's night table, pulling out the top drawer. When his hand came out again, it held a little, dark blue velvet box. "Or why do you keep this here, right under that picture of Rory? Why do you, each night, take this out, stare at it, finger it?"
With two big strides, Logan was right in front of Colin and snapped the box out of his hands. "Don't touch that!" he hissed and put it back into the drawer, slamming it shut.
"Wake up, Logan!" Colin all but yelled. "You are far from over her. You are anything but over her."
Without a word, Logan walked to the bathroom and slammed the door shut behind him. Inside, Logan leaned on the sink and stared down, breathing hard. Did Colin really think he didn't know that he was still very much in love with his Ace? Why had he had to bring Rory up anyway? So far, neither Colin nor Finn had ever said anything, and now this attack was launched on him. As if it wasn't already bad enough, without Colin pushing that much. Trying to convince him to just forget everything and head back to the States, go get Rory back. Making it sound so easy, so uncomplicated.
If it had been that easy, he would have done it long ago. Hell, he had thought every fucking day of these eight months and three weeks to do just that.
But he couldn't. It wouldn't be fair to Rory. It wouldn't be fair to him.
Frustrated, Logan stepped into the shower, turning on the water. Besides… who told him that Rory was even waiting for him, back home? They were broken up. She could do whatever she wanted, go out with whomever she wanted… And she was a one-guy kind of type, so if she was going out with someone else, it probably was more than just a little dating.
Hell…
His Ace was a catch and he knew perfectly well that some guys had just been waiting for him and Rory to break up so they could have a chance with her. His hands fisted. For sure they were swarming around her like bees around a pot of honey.
And he couldn't do anything to stop it. Had no right to. Not anymore.
Quickly, he put on shampoo and shower gel. If she had found someone new already… he had no right to butt in. Not without being able to give her something, but he couldn't. Rory needed stability. He had seen it when she had dropped out for a semester. Then, she hadn't had any constancy, steadiness, and she hadn't been happy. She had coped, had functioned, but she sure as hell hadn't been happy. Logan had done his best to cheer her up but it was only afterwards, after their first break-up that he realized just what she would have needed from him to really help her during that time. His love, his heart, giving her a sense of the home she had lost with the estrangement from her mother. Yeah, she needed stability, a home, and for the next few years, Logan wouldn't be able to give her that. Not with his father still controlling him.
Logan turned off the water with force and stepped out of the shower, patting himself dry with a towel.
If he had found a way to be able to make her promises, and be able to keep them, then he would have gone back to the States in a heartbeat, to Rory, taken her. Or rather convinced her to take him back. But he hadn't. Almost nine months, and he had come up with nothing. He, mastermind, organizer of daring stunts and challenges, and he came up with nothing. Zilch. The most important person in his life, and his mind was blank. Actually, the longer he had been here in London, the more obstacles he could see to his plan to somehow find his way back to Rory.
In a way, it had been easier to bear the distance between the two of them from London. Here, she was at least far away, out of reach. The few times he had been back in the States, for business or for a quick visit to his family, it somehow seemed worse. To know that his Ace was so near, yet unable to go see her.
Go make love to her.
He started to slowly dress himself. It's been torture. So he had avoided going back as often as he could. Finn and Colin had complained, but not as much as Logan had thought they would. Probably, because they had guessed his reasons for rather staying in London and had respected it, without any word.
Until now.
Until Colin had to come and mess everything up, tear open again every wound, confuse Logan, mess with his head.
And Logan was tired. So tired. Tired of fighting with himself over his decision to leave Rory behind. Tired of missing Rory. Tired of only existing rather than living. Tired of not being able to follow his heart. Tired of bowing to destiny. Tired of being unable to find a way to get his life back. Tired of wanting to get his Ace back. Tired.
When he came back out of the bathroom, Colin was still there, of course. Pretty much the last person Logan wanted to see now. He didn't want to be in anyone's company right now. Best would probably be if he just went to work, finish that article Colin's arrival had interrupted. Yeah. That was what he was going to do. Go to work, turn his head off, concentrate on the matter at hand, allowing himself not a second to dwell over Colin's words or that deep voice inside him that screamed to call Rory or even better, go back and see her, talk to her.
Sweep her off her feet and never let her go again.
Irritated, Logan pushed that treacherous thought away. He couldn't allow himself such thoughts.
"Got it. No, almost done. Yeah, later," Colin said into his cell phone, shut it and turned to Logan.
"I'm heading to work," Logan told him before Colin even had a chance to say something.
Colin frowned. "And you think that will help escape the pain?"
Logan said nothing and simply went to get himself a jacket and his briefcase.
"It's sad, you know. You never were a chicken shit before. Then, there comes a woman along and puff, gua, gua, gua…" Colin said with a sigh and shook his head. "How very cliché of you, Logan. I'm seriously disappointed in you."
Logan slammed his keys, which he had just gotten, back to the table and turned to face Colin, angry. "You know what, I think it's best you go mind your own business now and leave me alone. Seriously, Colin, you're my best friend, but this isn't your business and I won't let you continue harassing me, got that?" he asked furiously.
For a long moment, Colin simply stared at him, apparently unfazed by his words. Then he shook his head again. "Sorry mate, no can do. See, your stubbornness doesn't just cause pain to you only. You're not the only one who loves Rory. Perhaps not in the way you love her, but love anyway. I miss her too. And Finn really misses her a lot, especially as he sees her almost every day but because of this ridiculous break-up he can't go to her, talk with her and that's really not easy for him after being friends with her for two years."
Great, and now Colin tried to send him to a guilt trip on top of it all. Well, fine. But Logan wasn't going to play along. "I never told you or Finn to break contact with Ace," he clarified and turned.
Colin ignored his protest and took a step closer to Logan. "But most of all, it hurts Rory."
Briefly, Logan closed his eyes. He couldn't listen to this. He needed to get out, right now, or…
"You know, Finn said she's not doing so well lately," Colin said softly, quietly.
Logan's thoughts came to an abrupt stop and he whirled around, stepping up to Colin with one big stride. "What? What do you mean she's not doing well? Is she sick? Does she have problems with school? The paper?" he demanded to know, his heart beating fast. "For heaven's sake, Colin, answer me already!"
Colin's eyes held an edge as he continued, but there was also gentleness in them. "No, Logan, she's not sick, not yet. And school and work is good as she has thrown herself into it just like you have. But that's just it. She only works, never goes out. She's pale, she lost weight and she hardly smiles anymore, at least no real smile. Her shine is diminishing, Logan, and that's because of you. Because she misses you as much as you miss her. Because she's as miserable as you are, as incomplete as you are feeling." He took a deep breath and blushed a little. "Look, this will sound terribly cheesy now, but it's how I figure it is… in the time you two had been together, your lives, your souls if you want, have woven themselves together and now, neither of you can be happy anymore without the other." Colin's voice dropped to an urgent whisper. "You need each other."
Logan stood frozen on the spot, each of Colin's words slamming into him like a sledgehammer. Rory… if she was really as bad as he was…
Colin took his coat and stepped past Logan. "It's on you now, Logan. Either go ahead and be stubborn, stay here and make yourself and the woman you love more than life itself miserable or take a leap and go win her back, grab your chance at happiness."
Before Logan could even think about an answer, the doorbell rang.
Irritated, he stared at the door. He wasn't expecting anyone. And he sure as hell wasn't in the mood to deal with anyone else right now.
"Won't you get that?" Colin asked, raising an eyebrow.
"No," Logan said shortly, turning his back to the door.
"It could be Finn, you know. He said he'll come by later on," Colin mentioned casually. "You really should open the door. It could be something important after all."
Throwing up his arms Logan turned back around and marched over to the door. "Fine!" he hissed, figuring that it would be better to just open the damn door than to listen to Colin go on and on about it.
He angrily opened the door, and the instant his eyes fell on his visitor, every thought left his mind as his eyes widened in surprise and disbelief.
"Here's the key for the elevator. His apartment is on the top floor," Finn told Rory and pressed a key into the palm of her hand.
"Figures," she murmured.
"Hey, a guy has to have his standards," Finn said with a grin.
Rory shook her head. "Sometimes I really ask myself why I'm friends with you snobbish bunch," she remarked dryly.
Finn gave her an even bigger grin and slapped an arm around her shoulder to draw her into the crook of his arm. "Because you love us," he told her cheerfully.
"Which is beyond me," Rory said with a nod.
"Well, what's there not to love?" Finn asked with raised eyebrows then became serious and looked down at Rory with knowing eyes. "And you, my love, are stalling. I just wonder why? What are you waiting for?"
With a sigh, Rory looked up to the top floor, where, according to Finn, Logan was. "I dunno. For my nerves to calm down? For finding the courage to go face him? For words to say to him, to explain why I'm here? For this whole thing feeling like it's not so big, so ultimately life-changing, and world-shifting?" she asked quietly.
Finn squeezed her shoulders and smiled down at her, affectionately. "Just go, Rory. Everything will be fine in a little while, you'll see." He gave her a little push that sent her out of his arms. "Go, love. He's waiting for you."
Rory sent him a last, long look, before she breathed in deeply and turned to slowly enter the building where Logan was residing while in London. As instructed by Finn, she went into the left elevator, inserted the key and pressed 'P'. Smoothly, the elevator started to move upwards. Nervous, Rory waited. This was ridiculous. This was Logan. They weren't fighting, they had separated as friends, and there was no reason to be so nervous, wasn't there? Wrong. She had every reason to! This was Logan, her Logan… well, if that was still true, she would find out in a few minutes, when she finally faced him.
But what should she say? A simple 'Hello Logan?' Or be a bit more direct? Like 'Here I am, take me?' Definitely not. Repeat his words from so long ago, the night they first had slept together? 'Hello stranger?' Maybe. Or the brutal truth and beg it actually was: 'I love you. I can't live without you so please, please take me back'? Now if something screamed for endless humiliation that would be the one. Unfortunately, it was still the truest way she could think of.
The elevator stopped at the top floor. Oh God! Here it was. Very slowly, she stepped out and moved tentatively to the only door in the small hallway. She checked the nameplate to be sure she was at the right door.
L. Huntzberger.
This was it. He lived here. Just push the button and… yeah well, that was the problem. What then? Would he send her away, having moved on? Was he alone? Would he ask her in? Would he, like Finn seemed to believe, simply stare at her for a moment then crush her in a hug, kiss her senseless, sweep her off her feet?
There was only one way to find out.
Taking a deep breath, she rang the bell.
It couldn't be. It just couldn't.
Rory?
Just how much exactly had he had to drink last night? And what had been in that brew Colin had made him drink? LSD? Because he had to be hallucinating. This couldn't be his Ace, could it?
Still, hope like he had never known it before flamed up. He knew it was stupid to hope, but God, this hallucination sure looked damn real.
And then it happened.
"Logan," she choked out and her eyes seemed to drink the mere sight of him.
Her shaky voice, so full of emotion, and her eyes, shining in the clearest crystal blue he'd ever seen, broke him out of his frozen stupor. No hallucination could sound so real. And no imagined eyes could shine so much like the real ones.
Rory… his Ace… she was really there, standing in front of him, her heart in her eyes.
And right then and there, nothing mattered anymore, not the question of how she got there, not what she was doing there or not even what it would mean for them in the future. Right now, there was only one thing that mattered.
She was there, standing right in front of him.
Logan took one step and scooped her up into his arms, pressing that luscious body of hers against his and blindly captured her lips in a kiss, a passionate kiss like the world hadn't seen so far.
And there was only one important thought that settled in both their minds, in both their hearts.
Home.
"Well?"
As he joined him, Colin beamed the biggest shit-eating grin Finn had ever seen on his mate. "Fifty-six seconds of dumbfounded staring before our boy finally sprang into action and swooped her up into his arms, then the two kissing as if they were dying of thirst and the other one is the water they have been searching for for days." He shook his head. "Damn, that was a kiss." He laughed. "I doubt either of them noticed me leaving. I swear, Finn, from the moment their eyes met, the world around them ceased to exist. Nothing mattered to them anymore," he sighed, growing more serious. "I'm not sure if a love like that is a good thing or not. It's so intense I sometimes fear it will burn them."
Finn looked up to the windows of Logan's apartment, light shining warmly out of them. He shook his head. "It's worth it, Colin. You can't wish for more." He looked away. "And as long as those fools stay together now, it will be fine."
And Logan better watch out and treated Rory better than before. Finn loved his mate, like a brother, but if Logan messed up again, he doubted he'd find the strength within himself to be the good sport and stand back again.
Upon hearing the melancholy in the heavily accented voice, Colin took a moment to watch his other best friend. Finn only spoke with a heavy Australian accent if he wanted to flirt or if his emotions got the better of him. And he could see the sadness, if not even bitterness in his green eyes, just like he could see the happiness for their friends, the satisfaction with what they had achieved… that they brought these two idiots back together.
And that, Colin reminded himself with a silent sigh, was exactly what was breaking Finn's heart right now. "You okay?" he asked quietly.
Finn avoided looking at him. "I will be," he said simply and started to walk away from Colin. "But I sure as hell deserve to be the best man now," he added in a low voice.
"Hey, where are you going?" Colin called after him with a frown, not even bothering to deny Finn that right anymore. Finn was right. If anyone, he deserved this honor.
"Away," came the short answer.
This time sighing loudly, Colin let him go, knowing that his friend needed to be alone right now. Hell, if he was in his place he would probably want to get as far away from here as possible as well. He looked back up to Logan's apartment again and involuntarily, he smiled.
At least there was one happy ending for today, he thought, contented.
Phase IV was successfully accomplished.
TBC
(Author's Note: Well, a more official one. First of all, thanks for the many, fantastic reviews. Glad you liked it! And second: I know, a lot of this chapter circled more or less around the same thing as in the last. Those fools. But I hope the repetition didn't bore. But as you can see, those two idiots really needed a brick to the head to finally see the light. Three: I know it's a bit sappy, if not cliché. But you know what? Sometimes it just needs sappiness and a little cliché. And this baby here sure needed it. And four: Poor Finn… sigh. But what a man... isn't he just great? Anyway, hope you enjoyed this last official chapter and are now waiting impatiently for the next and last chapter, the epilogue. I hope to get it done within a few days, but no promises.)