AN: Sorry about the delay in updating! Thanks for all the reviews. I'm already working on the next chapter, so hopefully it should be up soon.

The next day was Saturday. Rory had to host a tea while Josh went golfing. Later that day there was a special DAR function in Francine's honor. Rory got out of bed knowing it would be a long day.

She hurried to get ready; making sure her outfit was perfect. After all, in high society one had to look perfect.

Once she was satisfied she went two doors over and knocked, opening the door. Smiling at what she saw she crept over to the bed and laid down next to the still-sleeping figure.

"Wakey wakey." She whispered.

Jake's eyes fluttered opened and he blinked a few times.

"Hey, what are you doing in here?" He questioned, yawning.

"You are going golfing with Josh and the other men, you told me to wake you at eight… it's now eight-oh-five." She pointed to the Cartier watch.

He nodded groggily, throwing the covers aside and stood up, wearing only his blue boxers.

"Your mother had some clothing sent over for you. Camille put it in the closet." Rory informed him. Camille was one of the Hayden maids. She had worked at the mansion longer than any of the other maids had.

"Thanks." He told her. "So, are you ready for the plan?"

She smirked. "Absolutely. Well, I'm going to let you get ready. You know the guestrooms are always stocked… but if you need anything come get me."

-GG-

Shannon strolled in a half hour before the tea was to start. She hummed, smiling.

"Good morning, darling!" She cooed at Rory, who was making the maid measure the candlestick tapers to be sure they were six inches apart.

Rory stopped in her tracks, turning around. "Has the apocalypse started? You hate mornings!"

Shannon grinned. "Not when you have Australian for dessert the night before."

Rory's eyes got huge and her jaw dropped. "Australian?" She croaked, shaking her head.

She saw Shannon nod happily.

"Was he here last night?"

"Yes, I met him here. He's from Yale. Do you know him?" Shannon questioned innocently.

"Shannon, was his name Finn?"

Shannon nodded, but her smile faltered a bit. "What's wrong?"

"He's Logan's best friend."

"Bloody hell!"

Rory was taken aback by Shannon's outburst. "What's wrong?" She asked her.

"I slept with your ex's best friend. Isn't that like, wrong on some level?" Shannon asked, looking at Rory.

Rory shook her head. "No, now come on and help me. I have to tell you about this plan Jake and I have…"

"Ooh! A plan! Goody!" Shannon clapped her hands together. "Will there be alcohol at the tea?"

-GG-

Josh swung his club, hitting the ball onto the green.

A group of the men were golfing, bonding, and discussing business. Mitchum, Chris, Logan, Jake, Josh, and Colin were there. The other men all were either in other groups golfing, playing racquet ball or playing tennis. To say the mixture in the group was uncomfortable would be an understatement.

As the group finished with the hole they began to move on to the next one. Logan grabbed Jake's arm before he had a chance to leave.

"We need to talk." Logan informed his new rival.

Jake shook his head. "Is this about Rory? If it is, I have nothing to say to you."

Logan glared at the other man. "Well I have things that I need to say to you."

"Such as?"

"Such as I intend to get Rory back." Logan informed him smugly.

Jake smirked. Did this guy honestly think he could just say he wanted Rory and he would have her? "Too damn bad. Really."

"I will get her back. I care about her."

"Bull shit, Huntzberger. You care about yourself. You care about your family name, and you care about money. That's what you care about. If you cared about Rory, you never would have hurt her in the first place." Jake seethed, holding onto his self control so he would not punch the blonde. In his opinion anyone who hurt Rory was dirt, and deserved to be treated as such.

Logan sighed. "Look, I just need to know what you are to her. Besides, I obviously didn't hurt her too bad, we managed to remain friends."

Jake shook his head. "You allowed your family to treat her like dirt, and then you broke up with her because you couldn't handle it."

"The break up was mutual!" Logan defended.

Jake scoffed. "Yeah. Of course it was. Rory agreed that it just wouldn't work out. She agreed that your timing was off. She agreed that there were too many factors against the two of you, right?" He challenged, remembering Rory's late night phone call to him, spilling out the details of her break up.

Logan blanched. "How do you…?"

Jake smirked. "We tell each other everything. Now let me tell you something. Rory is none of your business. Not anymore. You hurt her, whether you realize it or not. You suggesting that you guys should break up basically told her that the only reason why anyone would ever want her is for her money. It suggested that she's not good enough without it. You want to know what Rory and I are to each other? Well, it's none of your damn business. But I'll tell you anyway. I'm the man that will do anything to keep you from hurting her again. I'm the man who is with her now. Get used to it. I'm not going anywhere."

Logan watched on, glaring at the other man as he walked away. Realizations pounded him, hitting him, making him realize that he did just what the other man said…

It was a sunny day, the weather nothing like Logan felt. It was a beautiful day. Too bad he was on his way to do something he would live to regret.

He knocked swiftly on her door. He never used the door. He would always come through the window. But this time was different.

Rory opened the door, looking curiously at Logan. "Hey, you knocked… you do realize this isn't the window, right?"

He nodded slowly, hating himself for what he was about to do. It wasn't that he wanted to do it, but it needed to be done. His family would never accept her. They would crush her dreams. They would hurt her. He realized that when he overheard the talk between Elias and Mitchum the night before. This was for their own good.

"Can I come in?" He asked her, looking into her big blue eyes.

"Uh, sure." She answered, swinging the door open wider, making way for him.

"What's this about?" She asked him, watching as he paced, hands in pockets.

He looked up at her. "Ace… I've been thinking." He started, blowing out a deep breath.

"Ok…"

How on earth could he do this? How could he turn away from the person who had started to mean the most to him? He wanted to say to hell with his family. He wanted to ignore their protests, and stay with her. But he knew it would hurt her in the long run. She wasn't used to his world. She didn't belong in it. He would drag her in it, and she would be miserable. It was for the best that he did this.

"This isn't working, is it?" He lied, hoping she wouldn't put up to much of an argument.

She sat down, getting the drift of where this was going. She said nothing.

"I mean, you agree with me, right? It's just the wrong time for us. I'm going to be taking the family business over next year…I need to concentrate on that."

She blinked back tears. He pretended not to notice, but he did.

"Then there's the family thing… it just… Ace…you understand, right?" He pleaded with her, begging her to understand. He didn't know how much longer he could continue to lie to her, to pretend he didn't care. It was the first time he ever broke up with a girl he actually cared about.

She stood up strait. Her whole demeanor changed. She wasn't about to let him see her in pain. "Yeah, there's a lot against us. And you know what, I think you're right. We're from two different worlds. So, I'll see you around."

"Friends?" He asked quietly, just before he turned around.

"Yeah, sure. Friends." She replied, her voice not convincing.

He turned around and walked away, pretending not to care. In reality, he hated himself for what he did. Sure, they would pretend to be friends. She would join Colin and Finn for drinks or attend parties, and he would be there. But they wouldn't really be friends. Not like they used to. Nothing would be the same.

"Logan, are you coming?" Colin called to him, jarring him out of his thoughts and his memories.

"Yeah, I'm coming." Logan replied, following him. He needed to convince Rory that he would never hurt her again. He needed her. He wasn't sure how he would get her back, but he would somehow. Of that he was sure.

-GG-

Rory welcomed all the women and they sat down, enjoying their tea. She had been going out of her way to politely ignore Shira all morning.

"So, Rory, dear, how are you and my son doing?" Shira asked sweetly, smiling. She thought if she cornered Rory in front of the others she could help Logan to win her back.

Rory sharply looked at Shira, a polite smile on her face. Shira's smile faltered a bit. "I don't know how Logan is. I'm great. I'm sure you know we're no longer together. We haven't been for some time now. You know, I'm sure he would make a lovely match with that Fallon girl, don't you think so?"

Shira fought to keep a smile on her face. She had no idea what this girl was capable of. She was good, very, very good.

"Well," Mrs. Whitehall broke in, oblivious- as were the rest of the women- to the tension, "I know someone who would make a perfect match for my Bunny."

"Oh, and who is that?" Alexandria Overly asked.

"Jake Pittman. A wonderful young man indeed!" Mrs. Whitehall replied, smiling.

Shannon smirked. "Yes, Jake is a wonderful man. Unfortunately for your poor Bunny, he and Rory are back together." Shannon had been clued into the plan earlier, and was thoroughly enjoying herself. This would be fun.

Shira spit her tea back into her cup, choking.

Rory smiled, looking over at Shira. "Are you alright?"

Clemency, who was sitting next to Shira, decided to help her out. She took her fist and beat her back four times, as hard as she could. "Are you alright, Mrs. Huntzberger?" She asked, her voice innocent.

Shira flinched in pain, throwing a fake smile on. "Of course dear, thank you for the help. Just went down the wrong pipe, that's all."

Not only was Rory good, but her friends were, too. Good, very, very good. They knew how to play the game.

"Of course." Rory said, smiling. "Camille, please get Mrs. Huntzberger some fresh tea."

Once the group had settled down Clemency's mother, Claire Hines looked at Rory. "Well, I for one am glad you and Jake are back together. You always were the cutest couple. A real power couple, that's what you are."

Rory beamed, enjoying the look on Shira's politely fuming face.

-GG-

The men were all in the lounge at the club, sipping scotch and discussing stocks.

"Christopher, may I have a moment?" Mitchum asked, puffing on a cigar.

"Of course, Mitchum. What can I do for you?" Christopher replied, looking at the other man. While the Huntzberger's were not as powerful as the Hayden's, they still had plenty of power and authority. Maybe not so much in Boston, but in Hartford.

"Could we discuss this somewhere a bit quieter?" Mitchum asked, lowering his voice a bit.

Chris nodded, following the other man to an empty office.

"What does this have to do with now, Mitch?" Chris asked once the office door was shut.

"This is about our children. I'd like to make a deal with you." The other man replied as he began to elaborate on his statement.