What happens next?

Rory stared at the words etched in black ink in her journal, tracing them over and over with a careful hand and a blind eye. After staring at the ceiling in her bedroom for long minutes she had found that sleep would not come, despite the weariness dragging at her bones. Finally she gave up all together on capturing the elusive beast that ran at the reigns of Queen Mab and reached over to the shelf near her bed in search of her journal. She traced it's worn edges with an affectionate fingertip thinking about the words it held, all in all 2004 had been a good year, a year of transitions but in this moment she was at peace. She felt... happy. Trite but true.

She would be sad to see 2004 go, to wave goodbye as to an old friend and place this journal on the shelf next to all the one's from years past, some decorated with lace or glitter or pink hearts...back in the days when her mother would sneak into her room and steal the tome full of thoughts and dreams so she could dress it up, "make it pretty", her eternal mission in life...to make things beautiful. That's what she was, the reigning Lorelai, a splash of color in a white room, a ray of sunshine breaking through the clouds, the diamond in the rough that sparkled and shone and dazzled the eye when you looked inside to see it's shimmer.

Nowadays the journals were of the plain brown leather variety that was much better suited to the third Lorelai. She might have a subtle shine but she didn't sparkle. Preferred to blend, to observe, to explore the world, taste it, touch it and describe it. She didn't need bows and lace to do that but maybe a heart wouldn't hurt. She watched her hand as it crossed that field of glaring white marred only by the dark ink of that brief sentence and sketched the soft shape of a heart around the words. What did happen next? She didn't know...and therein lay the beauty of the moment. She shut the book. The rest of the page remained blank, waiting for the question to be answered.

Rory finally abandoned the idea that her brain might allow her to sink into oblivion anytime soon, knowing the combination of caffeine and the surfeit of euphoria producing chemicals in her brain would make restful sleep all but impossible. That decision made she took a hot shower and not particularly keen on hanging around the suite waiting to hear Paris' undoubtedly opinionated remarks on her first date she headed for the Daily News and the solace of routine.

It was Sunday and due to her hyperactive mind she was up at an hour that was usually better left to the birds and the sundry members of Yale's subculture of people whom much to their roommate's eternal chagrin admitted that they were indeed morning people. This group usually dwindled quite significantly by the end of the quarter with only a brief rally during finals week, mostly because of a bolus of people who never actually went to bed at all. Since it was that nice little lull before finals crunch hit Rory expected the newsroom to be a nice sanctuary of quiet stillness in which to drink her coffee, read the newspaper and perhaps write a few words of her own if the mood struck her. The room was silent as a tomb and blessedly empty when she entered and she plopped down in her chair with the newspaper and her requisite coffee. Soon she was deep into the description of a travel writer's trip to Bangladesh.

Her heart nearly stopped when a hand landed on her shoulder, engrossed as she was she figured an ax wielding mad man probably could have snuck up behind her and she might never have heard it. She smelled him before she heard him and that treacherous heart started again with a vengeance when a warm intimate voice sounded near her right ear.

"Couldn't sleep either huh Ace?"

"Too much caffeine. Figured I'd catch up on some reading." The lie slipped easily off her tongue...too much caffeine? As if there was such a thing.

He propped a hip on the corner of her desk so he was facing her. His quirked eyebrow said he wasn't buying the nonsense she was selling but he let it pass and launched in as if in the middle of a conversation. "My applause. That was a hell of a goodbye."

He didn't have to mention the kiss for her to understand the reference "Not a goodbye, more of a to be continued." She said it with a smile, glad to know that she had rocked him as much as he had her.

He cocked his head to one side "Good point." He paused before admitting in a tone that implied a dark secret that should never be repeated on pain of death "I had to take a cold shower."

The edges of her grin turned a little evil as she met his eyes "Good for the constitution I hear."

"Finn almost joined me."

She squinted her eyes closed in a face that implied utter disgust "I really did not need that visual running around in my brain."

His tone turned conversational "I think Finn might try to steal you from me."

She cocked her head to one side as if evaluating this option "Finn is a charming fellow." Her tone was thoughtful.

"Should I be worried?" his smile belied the tone of concern.

She pondered and then shook her head. "I'm not really his type."

Logan looked skeptical "Do you have two X chromosomes?"

"There is probably a biology textbook or two that would say that's the case."

Logan nodded decisively "You're his type."

"Lucky for you then that I seem to prefer cheeky provocateurs to lascivious Australians."

He wiggled his eyebrows at her "Just say the word, I'll provoke you anytime Ace... give the Aussie a run for his money."

They shared a smile and then both shook their heads in slight dismay at their own sappy behavior.

Rory broke the spell "So, what are you really doing here...on a Sunday morning...you do now this is the Daily News office right? I guess you can't be sleepwalking because we are actually having a conversation."

He chucked her lightly under the chin "Funny girl. If you mist know, my nay saying friend, I am here to write."

That had her brow furrowing in suspicious confusion...an expression that he was particularly amused by.

He stopped her with a finger to her lips before she could utter what was surely a sarcastic comment "Do you know what the root of the word sarcasm means Ace?" he ignored her eye roll and continued in a casual tone "It means to rip flesh... apt description don't you think? Now I know that this is a situation that practically begs for a smart-ass remark but how about we let that warm fuzzy feeling last at least a few minutes before we launch into the next verbal skirmish. I'd rather have a skirmish of a different variety if you don't mind."

He removed his finger and replaced it with his lips, kissing her softly but with some heat until all thought of smart ass remarks was temporarily wiped from her synapses... hell of a way to change the subject.

A loud and rather indiscreet cough from the other side of the room snapped them back to reality and Rory felt the blush climbing her cheeks when her eyes landed on Doyle standing less than five feet from them with arms crossed, foot tapping and a sour look on his face that implied that he had taken a bite of something he found distressingly unpalatable. So much for a nice quiet place to read her paper... apparently unbeknownst to her there was actually quite a club of people who made the newsroom their destination on Sunday mornings, either that or he and Paris had a secret tryst planned which Rory really preferred not to picture.

"Doyle." One word...but the polite yet imperious tone of Logan's voice clearly put the obsequious editor in his place.

Doyle backed off with clear mutiny in his eyes but his voice had turned unctuous.
"Logan, what brings you to our fine newsroom today? "

Logan rounded the desk and clapped a hand on Doyle's shoulder skillfully steering him away from a still flushed Rory. "Well Doyle, I had a little visit from my muse this morning." he shot a little wink in Rory's direction " and I figured it was a perfect opportunity to work on getting myself one of those bylines that my father is so fond of touting. "

He stopped in front of the desk that was ostensibly his although he had never used for much but the occasional nap, knowing that Doyle's pride was smarting he tossed him a bone. "You know chief you're the experienced one around here so if you have any advice, I'm all ears."

Doyle clearly was not prepared for this reversal or the conversational camaraderie of Logan's tone. His eyes had gone a little wide and he stuttered a bit "Uh, sure Logan...how about I look at your first draft."

Logan smiled the polished smile of an accomplished politician who has just charmed the lollipop right out of some unsuspecting child's hand and patted Doyle on the shoulder "Thanks. I appreciate the help. I'll remember it." Magic words to an aspiring lackey like Doyle.

He fell into his seat and flipped the switch on the computer that had spent most the past weeks gathering dust. Doyle stood there for another minute gaping at this rare sight until Logan looked up again with a slightly abstracted expression "Was there something else Doyle?" It was an obvious dismissal and Doyle got the hint. He shut his mouth with a snap and whirled towards his own desk with a little huff.

Rory watched the whole exchange with a not quite hidden smile. She liked Doyle, she really did but she figured he got what he asked for when he insisted on being such a toady anytime a bearer of the Huntzberger name was present. Logan sent a pleased eyebrow wiggle in her direction "You can thank me later for scaring away the big mean editor."

She rolled her eyes but grinned, "It's nice to know that there are a few perks to dating you."

His eyes turned flirtatious "You mean besides my dashing good looks, irresistible charm and spine tingling kisses?"

She snorted, "I'll cede you the kissing part but we really have to work on that self-glorification disorder of yours. The ego needs a little whipping into shape."

"I would say my ego is quite healthy." This was said nose in air with a complete lack of humility.

She nodded emphatically "Exactly the problem."

"You would prefer that my ego be sick?" he looked appalled at her evil wishes.

"Maybe just a little flu or something...to bring it back down to the real world with the rest of us mortals." She was enjoying the banter.

"Mean..." he quoted her without batting an eye, which got a chuckle out of her but didn't stop her retort.

"Just an observation. Now, if you don't mind my asking again, what ARE you doing here?"

"You mean coming here to gaze adoringly at my sugar cakes isn't a good enough reason?" he sent her a doting look.

Rory was speechless "SUGARCAKES?"

Logan looked inquisitively at her hiding the smile that wanted to bloom at the absolute outrage in her tone "You prefer Honeybuns? Or maybe Sweetlips?"

Rory's eyes widened as they cast around her desk for something sharp to throw at him.

Her voice dropped to a threatening and malevolent hiss "You soooo do not want to play this game with me."

Logan considered for a moment and then smiled at her with a wicked gleam in his eyes "Oh but I do... angry is a good look for you but infuriated is one step better...give me your best shot, I can take it."

"How about Hunk of Burning Love?" She smirked at that stroke of genius.

He smiled angelically "Flattery will get you everywhere."

"Captain Amore." That one she was sure would get him.

He waved a playful hand at her "Oh go on, now I'm blushing."

"Or maybe The Green Horney."

He wiggled his eyebrows at her suggestively "You ain't seen nothin' yet babe."

"You are such an outrageous smart ass..."

He smiled winningly "But I'm your outrageous smart ass."

She groaned in exaggerated self-pity "I must have done something horrible in a previous life."

He snapped his fingers "I've got it... Sour puss!" he ducked behind his computer screen just in time to avoid the empty coffee cup aimed at his head.

"What are you? Five?" the admonishing remark came from an irritated looking Paris who happened to step in the line of fire and be hit by the balled up napkin that followed the cup. Her look could have singed them in their seats had they both not been caught in a fit of giggles at her timely arrival. She rolled her eyes "God, save me from saps. Now if you'll excuse me some of us came here to get something done."

She stomped in the direction of Doyle's desk and Logan leaned forward and said in an exaggerated whisper which was clearly intended to reach her ears "Wanna lay any bets of who she was planning to 'do' this morning?"

Paris's back arched and stiffened in a rather menacing parody of a cat cornered by a happily barking dog and her tone made menacing seem like a euphemistic term "A word of caution Huntzberger...I don't care who your daddy is, you take me on and Hiroshima will look like a nice little fireworks display."

Logan widened his eyes in mock trepidation "See Snookums, I told you to leave me alone so I could get some work done and now look what all your horsing around has gotten us...General Gellar preparing to give us a personal re-enactment of Little Boy's descent into history."

Paris growled and turned slitted eyes on her hapless roommate who was still chuckling before storming away with a huff.

Rory's eyebrow rose in new respect "nice on Huntzberger... I think that may be the one of the few times I've seen Paris without a snappy comeback. She does detest being one upped in the historical references department though so I'd watch your back."

He leaned back with a look of triumph "Well, I'm proud to say that all those hours slaving away towards my degree in History have been vindicated."

This surprised her even further "You're a History major?" he tone implied complete shock.

He smiled knowingly "Let me guess, you figured anyone with the car keys to a Porsche had to sign a contract stating their affiliation to politics or economics."

She laughed "Something like that."

"I happen to think that a student of history is the best economist or politician amongst us, the greatest master of not repeating mistakes already made by our wise and not so wise forefathers." Rory was surprised to see a sincere expression on his face and appreciated this side of him. Didn't stop her from teasing though.

Rory grinned, "Planning your strategy to attain world domination?"

"Just call me Dr. Evil. Speaking of which, we could go back to the discussion of endearments."

Rory pointed and accusing finger at him "Do not go there."

Just then Paris and Doyle marched back through the room and Logan gave an exaggerated sigh "Geez Gilmore, what do I have to do to get some work done around here? Gag you?"

Rory's phone rang which was probably a good thing. She flipped it open still glaring across the room at a smirking Logan. She answered automatically "Hello."

Her mom's voice floated across the line "So tell me about the boy."

Rory focused on the words with a little laugh "You've met him...you've nicknamed him, you've already threatened his life several times what more do you want to know?"

"Does he hog all the popcorn, is he a dessert man and most importantly, is he a good tipper? You know I always say the tipping is a good way to judge a man's character, if he tips too little then he is cheap and shallow, if he tips to much well that means he thinks everything and everyone has a price, either that or he has the hots for the waitress...neither option is good."

"I didn't count it down to the cent or anything but it was over 15 and less than 25."

There was an exaggerated sigh on the other end "What a relief. So how was the date really?"

Rory thought for a long moment for the right word that would sum up the true fairytale of their first date. The word slipped off her tongue unbidden "Perfect."

It took the triumphant crow of delight from across the room for her to recall the conversation between she and Logan mere hours ago...she quickly tried to cover her slip "It was a perfect opportunity to see Peter Sellers on the big screen."

Logan's look plainly said he wasn't buying it so she changed the subject "So, mom what possessed you to call me so early on a Sunday."

"Preemptive strike."

Rory waited for a more complete explanation but none was forthcoming "Okay... granted I'm not running on all cylinders right now but I think even on my best day I would need a little more than that to piece together what you are talking about."

"Sonny and Cher are back together again. The world mourns."

"You like Sonny and Cher so I'm assuming that you are referring to two people who are not Sonny and Cher." Her tone was less than playful. Just what she needed her mom in one of her cryptic moods.

Lorelai answered but only grudgingly "My new name for Yale is the place that fun goes to die. Fine Grouchy Gus here's the short version. The cold war is over... your grandparents are cohabitating again. Mom called me last night to tell me ALL about it...apparently there were treaties signed and everything. Watching C-SPAN would have been more fun than this conversation."

A grin split Rory's face "hey, I like C-SPAN. Besides this is great news, they were so miserable apart and now no more cocktails in the pool house... you should be happy."

There was a sigh that reeked of martyrdom on the other end "Yeah, that's me, tickled pink. Just can't wait for the reunion of the world's two most accomplished Lorelai critics. I'm not too proud to say I liked it better when they were making scathing remarks about one another and mom was ridiculing dad's sparkly vest."

"Mom" Rory's tone was censuring "Come on, you know you want then to be happy."

Lorelai's voice turned petulant "Sure, happy is good, I just don't particularly enjoy being the piƱata at the celebration party where they take turns whacking me with sticks."

"You are exaggerating, they aren't that bad." Rory knew they actually could be that bad but was hoping that things had changed for the better.

"Sure, easy for you to say, it's not your wardrobe, life choices and hairstyles they mock."

Rory could sense a good sulk coming on so she intervened quickly to head it off. "So, Grandma called and told you the good tidings, I'm still not seeing the reason for the Sunday morning call."

Lorelai's voice brightened noticeably "Oh, well, I haven't told you the best part. Next weekend they are having a renewal of their vows ceremony. Mom asked me to be the maid of honor a gig I only praying does not involve anything Pepto-Bismol pink or made of taffeta...you know how taffeta gives me a rash. Dad wants you to be the best man."

"Best man? Isn't that usually the job of a... man?"

"Could have knocked me over with a feather too. Apparently the whole second marriage thing has opened the door to crazy. It's a regular Billy Bob and Angelina moment for my mom and dad, next they'll be telling us that Elvis is doing the ceremony or we have to stand in a big circle and light candles and chant. Regardless, the request will be made when mom calls you this morning, that and a request that you bring a date...my mother specifically mentioned the name of one Logan Huntzberger." There was a wincing pause.

"Ah" the reason for the early morning call suddenly became clear "Well thanks for the warning."

There was a pause as if she was waiting for the other shoe to drop and a follow up comment when the shoe failed to appear "Okay, I don't get it. For someone who was practically reduced to a wiggling puddle of panic at the mention of said young man's name from my mother's lips two days ago you seem entirely unfazed...like eerily unfazed...did he slip you some Love Potion 9 last night or something?" This was said in a curious tone.

Rory shrugged but then realized her mom couldn't see her over the phone line...they really needed one of those video phone thingies "I'm picking my battles, I've decided that it's a good thing to just get the whole family function thing over with. Its going to happen eventually and what better time than a celebration."

"How very Junior Statesman of you." Lorelai's tone was dry.

"I'm going with the philosophies of Benjamin Franklin when he said 'There was never a good war or a bad peace'. Her tone was very matter of fact, truth of the matter was, she figured it was a good way to get the obligation out of the way when her grandparents were bound to be on their best behavior. Even Emily Gilmore wouldn't make a scene on her own re-wedding day would she?

Lorelai's tone turned contemplative "Hey wasn't he the guy who also said "If you lie down with Dogs, you will rise up with Fleas."'

Rory rolled her eyes "You just like to argue."

"Well yes, it's the only sport I'm good at and I need a little exercise if I have to walk down the aisle in some frilly concoction by the Madame. So given the concession speech I'm assuming you are going to invite the boy?"

Rory glanced at Logan who had given up all pretense of working and was clearly eavesdropping on the conversation. "It's not a concession, more of a run up the white flag and call an armistice speech and yeah."

Lorelai pounced on the vague answer with a crow of delight "He's there isn't he? Never mind don't answer that. I won't ask where you are either ...too much information that could cause mommy many nights of unpleasant dreams. "

Rory sounded exasperated now "I'm in the newsroom mom, get your mind out of the gutter."

"But I like the gutter, there is mud in the gutter, I always liked playing in the mud, making mud pies." She was smiling and Rory knew exactly what she was thinking.

"Not only was that the last time you made anything that even resembled food from scratch but you know you only liked the mud because it was a surefire way to ruin those pretty dresses you so detested." She smiled a little at the thought. Her mother must have been a hellion as a child.

Lorelai chortled, "you know me to well daughter of my loins."

Rory groaned "Icky, do not start that again."

"Only one way to shut me up... I want to talk to the boy."

"No!" the tone was adamant and brooked no argument.

Lorelai calculated in her head and then figured a little white flag of her own might do the job "Okay fine, take away all my vicarious fun. Guess I'd better get going, good luck with grandma, don't let her dress you in a tux and tails...and remind her that you would just look silly in a top hat." The phone clicked dead and Rory stared at it for a second with narrowed eyes. Something about her dismissal had been too abrupt, too easy. She was up to some... Rory's train of thought slid to a screaming halt when Logan's cell phone rang and her eyes widened. She wouldn't. Sadly she knew without a doubt that she would and she had.

Logan answered with his eyes on Rory's face, perplexed at the instant of panic that flitted across her face as she bolted out of her chair and the look of resignation that followed. His thoughts were interrupted by a cheery voice on the other end of the phone " Logan? It's Lorelai Gilmore, Rory's mom..." there was a pause and then Logan answered with a little shrug in Rory's direction "Good morning Ms. Gil..."

Lorelai cut him off before he could make a dreadful mistake "I'm not your teacher or your boss so call me Lorelai." There was no doubt in Logan's mind that there should have been an 'or else' tacked onto the end of the comment.

Rory marched towards him and held out her hand for the phone without a word but Lorelai's words beat her to the punch "Don't give her the phone yet." Logan was amazed at the apparent psychic link between mother and daughter.

Logan couldn't help a little chuckle, talk about being between a rock and a hard place "I get the feeling I'm damned if I do and damned if I don't."

Lorelai's tone turned business like "You're smart I'll give you that. So you had a good time on this date I assume?"

"Uh, yeah?"

Lorelai chuckled at the tentative tone "Don't worry I'm not going to interrogate you for details, I do that to Rory later. I usually do this speech in person but seeing as you live in New Haven this will have to do. You don't need to understand this, just remember. Some time soon it might come in handy to remind yourself that sometimes "The strong must protect the sweet" immortal words from a wise wise man."

Logan couldn't make heads or tails of this cryptic remark but played along "And that wise man would be?"

"Homer Simpson...but that's irrelevant. Look Mac, my daughter likes you; so far I can say the same. Don't give me a reason to change that opinion. I know it's hard to believe But when my mama bear personality gets angered I'm not always my usually charming self. I'd hate to have to maul you beyond recognition."

Logan smiled but his tone was solemn "I believe I would like it even less than you would."

"Good so we understand one another. Louie, I think this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship." The tone said business was concluded in a mutually satisfactory manner.

Logan did laugh aloud at "You know your daughter used that exact quote on me shortly after we met."

"She's snappy on the references. A gift she got from me." There was pride in the voice that told him exactly how much this mother and daughter bond meant to her.

Logan polished up his smarmy voice just because he knew it would amuse her "One of many I'm sure."

Lorelai laughed with glee at that one "You might just earn that nickname after all. Don't hurt my kid and you could go far."

"Goodbye Lorelai."

"See you next Saturday." The phone clicked off before he could ask what was happening on Saturday.

Rory was looking less than pleased as Logan shut his phone with a thoughtful look. She placed her hands on his desk and leaned forward when no explanation of the conversation was forthcoming.

"What did she say?" her tone was none too pleased at her mother's latest meddling.

He met her eyes and clasped the hands that sat in front of him "What's next Saturday?"

She recoiled visibly and sputtered for a minute "She didn't."

"Didn't what?"

"Invite you."

He thought back on the brief conversation "No...some rather garbled philosophy was exchanged but I'm pretty sure there was no invitation."

She sighed in relief "Good." She was planning to invite him but she herself hadn't even gotten the formal invitation yet and ...well frankly she was stalling.

Logan rose from his chair now and flipped off the computer having written a title and nothing else. His hand fell with what felt like familiar ease on the small of her back and he began to steer her towards the door "How about I take you to coffee and you can tell me what sort of ritual sacrifice or torture I'm invited to."

Rory looked back at his computer "But what about your story."

"My muse will just have to make an appointment, right now my schedule is all full up."

She considered for a moment and then cocked her head at him in question "Would there be pancakes involved in this coffee outing?"

"Well, I was planning on inviting you to the coffee shrine in my room which is currently sans pancakes...but if you'd rather go somewhere else..." he considered the options.

"No...if memory serves your coffee is well worth the loss of pancakes." She rubbed her hands together in anticipation.

"Better than pancakes? Now there is a first."

The linking of hands as they strolled seemed natural, maybe too natural but they were past fighting it. They arrived at his door and Rory found herself a bit nervous, she had never really seen his suite except for the time that she had come here mere weeks ago that now felt like years to rip his head off for the whole Marty incident and frankly she hadn't been paying all that much attention to the ambiance on that occasion.

She looked around curiously as the door swung open. The room was filled with dark, masculine furniture of the my wealthy parent's decorated my room variety but here and there were splashes of color and a bit more modernity that spoke to Logan's taste. It was surprisingly neat for the abode of a single boy and smelled of a rather pleasant combination of coffee, leather and what she could only identify as male. It was sophisticated which didn't surprise her with a leaning toward artsy funk, which did. The multifaceted Logan had struck again. Her eyes zeroed in on the object of their quest as Logan headed towards a tall butcher-block table that clearly doubled as a bar and the aforementioned shrine to coffee.

The chrome finish of the fancy espresso machine shone like a beacon and she drifted towards it looking as if she had just encountered a new life form. "This looks nothing like Stanley...you sure this thing isn't actually a Martian ship about to take off and head back to its motherland?"

He watched as she circled the machine "You know Ace for a javaphile you are woefully unacquainted with the better members of the species known as the espresso machine...and do I need to ask who Stanley is?"

She shrugged "My coffee maker of course, only I'm sure he'll never speak to me after today when I come home smelling like the dregs from the Silver Bullet here." She patted the machine like one would a small dog or cat.

He rolled his eyes "I don't think they are like pets."

"Closest we ever got in the Gilmore household, aside from a few misadventures with small rodents. Probably for the best that we form irrational attachments to our inanimate objects rather than living breathing things that we might cause the demise of."

He grabbed a can of coffee beans and poured them into the matching silver grinder next to the machine "I guess I see your point when you put it that way."

He flipped the switch on the machine and after a brief whirring noise the smell of coffee began to permeate the room. Rory sniffed deeply and her face assumed the rapturous expression that most people associate with an orgasmic experience. When her eyes blinked open Logan shook his head with a little smile.

Her eyes had taken on the silvery cast of lust but he wasn't entirely sure if those thoughts were directed at him or the coffee...wasn't, if he were honest with himself certain that he wanted to know. She leaned on the edge of the table and watched with rapt attention as his hands moved then she laughed at some secret joke.

He cocked an eyebrow in her direction while still watching the coffee level "Mind letting me in on the joke?"

She smirked, an expression he found alluring on her lips "No joke ...I just like watching you make coffee, it's sexy watching a boy be all domestic. Plus there is the added bonus of getting to imbibe the product of such domesticity."

He put a cup in front of her "You are an odd girl. Or maybe you aren't' and that is the secret that all us members of the Y chromosome club having been missing all this time. The secret key to a woman's heart. In the spirit of male bonding I should probably share this information with my male compatriots but I don't' think I will... I like having the trump card up my sleeve."

He grasped his own cup and took a sip letting the rich flavor pool on his tongue as he met her eyes. Her eyes had glazed a bit in pleasure but when she regained the power of speech she commented, "I have to warn you the coffee making thing, I'm not sure it will work on anyone but me."

He grinned and leaned towards her with that sexy smile firmly in place "Good enough for me. Besides, it is gratifying to make coffee for someone who appreciates my skill, my usual audience isn't nearly so adoring and they definitely don't call me anything as flattering as sexy."

The door swinging open interrupted them and Logan leaned back with a sigh and could only shake his head at Finn's always-impeccable timing. The words out of his mouth proved to Logan's chagrin that he had overheard the last of his comment "I'll call you sexy all you want if I get some of that coffee too."

Rory was overcome with the urge to laugh and wasn't sure if it was more because of the look on Logan's face or in reaction to Finn's attire, which consisted of the ever present sunglasses, boxer shorts with crimson red lip prints on them and a long black robe which was regrettably not tied, notably missing was a shirt and footwear of any sort. His hair stuck straight up in about ten different directions and gave him an adorably devilish look.

Rory couldn't help herself and laughed as she took a seat on the couch with cup in hand "You trying to give Liberace some competition?"

He either did not deign to respond or failed to make a coherent connection between her words and his person. He plopped down on the seat next to Rory and looked at her with a slightly bleary squint "Didn't I see you leave not long ago?" he looked around the room as if trying to ascertain whether he had stumbled into the wrong room, or the wrong dorm for that matter. He muttered to himself "Or maybe that was all a hallucination...been known to happen now and then." He looked around again with a quick bobbing of the head and closed one eye "Anyone else see those pink elephants?"

Rory just looked at Logan with a grin "I take it this is you usual audience?"

Logan handed Finn an espresso cup and then started to make another "One of...no doubt the other will be here soon." He cocked a thumb at Finn who appeared ready to drop nose first into his tiny cup "This one is like a bloodhound when he smells coffee, he can be sleeping the sleep of the undead and he will wake up for coffee."

Rory nodded "I can respect that."

Logan set another cup next on the coffee table just as the door opened again and Colin ambled in looking a far cry better than his friend although not noticeably more awake. At least he had bothered to put on clothes and had made the acquaintance of a comb. Rory doubted that Colin ever went anywhere with a hair askew.

She watched what she now recognized as ritual as Colin dropped into the chair next to Finn and grabbed the coffee with a grateful look. Rory suddenly in the role observer watched as Logan gave them all another round and then plopped himself next to her on the ottoman. They made an odd threesome when you saw them like this, Logan the leader, but clearly also the one that held them together. Colin the conservative one, the safe one, the over thinker but also the one most plagued by insecurity and Finn the flamboyant fearless troublemaker with the heart of gold...or maybe tarnished brass was more apt.

She recognized watching the tableau that this relationship she was jumping into with Logan was going to be a two way street. Whether it was a blessing or a curse was yet to be determined but she could see that Logan came with people, with baggage just like she did. Logan got the kooks of Stars Hollow, her eccentric mother and her psychotic roommate and she got the merry pranksters and their princess. She wondered idly what role she would play in the group.

She nudged Logan "Where's Tinkerbell? Or is she not a member of your little Coffee Club?"

He answered automatically "Steph doesn't usually surface before noon on a Sunday, not even for coffee."

"So it's just me and the cub scouts here...and you as their den mother...it's cute really." She laughed at the imagery of the three misfits in uniforms with badges.

Logan rolled his eyes but Finn beat him to the retort raising his head from a comfortable position laying against the back of the chair his tone was bit bemused "I think I'm going to be insulted by that comment later. Not awake enough now. Can't be expected to interact with others during my midnight snack...it's inhumane." His head fell back into position.

Rory shook her head, past the point of being shocked at anything Finn said or did "You do know it's 10 am right?"

Finn wiggled a lazy finger at her as if lifting the entire hand were simply too much effort to even contemplate and tsk tsked sadly "Time is in the eye of the beholder my dear. Ever heard of a little thing called relativity theory?"

Logan covered Rory's hand with his own to stop her and leaned over and whispered "Don't answer that...rhetorical question." Rory gave him a funny look so he continued "Finn has a pet conspiracy theory about the universe and the whole time and date thing...best not to tackle that one without a goodnight's sleep. Trust me."

She subsided and picked up her third cup of coffee that had magically appeared in front of her. She pondered that feat for a moment and then realized that she was actually drinking Logan's. This didn't stop her but it did get a glare from him "You do realize that you are drinking my coffee right?"

She feigned surprise "Really? Now that is odd, I would have sworn that you were smart enough to have made me at least three." She sighed and patted him on the cheek "Not the brightest bulb on the string are you."

Colin snorted out loud at that comment finally coming out of his comatose stupor and earning himself a nasty glance from the king the castle. Logan's tone was just a tad snarky "I'm thinking I should make a new habit of locking the door. Keep out the riff raff."

Finn smirked "You wouldn't do it...you love us. Besides it would be a wasted effort, I've got a key."

Logan's eyebrows went up at this confession "Oh really, and how did you manage that little feat?"

"I've got my sources."

Logan was still looking a bit put out by this information "And why do you need a key to my room?"

Finn grinned now, the grin of a cat that has just found the cream " Emergency backup bedroom."

Rory put up a hand to stop the inevitable question from Logan "Please. If you ever want me to set foot in this room again stop there. Most the time things aren't better left to the imagination but I'm thinking this is one of those exceptions."

Logan obediently shut his mouth, thinking this was one time they were in absolute agreement. He relaxed and put his feet on the coffee table "Okay Ace subject change as requested; you going to tell me about this event to which your mother alluded but did not extend an invitation?"

She sipped at the coffee "You want to have this discussion with an audience?"

He waved a dismissive hand at their companions, Finn was snoring and Colin had picked up part of Rory's newspaper and was doing a good imitation of her grandfather at the breakfast table "They hardly count. Colin's won't hear a word we say until he had read the entire financial page and Finn is dead to the world, he has an amazing ability to fall asleep anywhere and anytime regardless of environment and probably won't hear a word we say unless it includes the word sex or beer."

Rory watched fascinated as Finn stirred a bit at the mention of these words but then settled back into rather noisy snoozing.

"Okay but first the disclaimer, I want you to know that you don't have to go if you don't want to, I mean there is no obligation, I didn't even know about it until today so I totally understand if you have other plans or just don't want to spend your Saturday night with my crazy family..."

Logan rolled his eyes "You are beating this poor bush to death, just spill it Gilmore."

"I, you, I mean we have been invited to my grandparent's wedding next Saturday." She spit it out in one rapid sentence.

His eyebrows pulled together but his reply was interrupted by the formerly snoring Finn "A wedding! I love weddings."

Rory glared at Logan who just shrugged apologetically "Sorry...I didn't know to warn you not to say the word wedding, Finn thinks they are his own personal singles bar."

Finn continued, now looking bright eyed and bushy tailed and rambling joyfully. He rubbed his hand together "Now all I need is a sacrificial date that I can dump once I have found myself a nice bridesmaid."

Despite Logan's recent denial Stephanie walked in as if on cue and was instantly in the game despite her hair being in pigtails and her pajama bottoms being covered in big pink hearts "Did someone mention a wedding? I love weddings."

Logan just laughed a little helplessly "What is this crazy day at the Huntzberger coffee house? I don't recall any mention of you two being invited to anything."

Finn turned a winsome smile on Rory "But Woodward LOVES me, of course she'll invite me. A party's not a party without Finn Morrison."

Rory tried to sidestep "I haven't even been invited formally yet so I hardly think I can start adding people to the guest list. Besides it's not even a real wedding, my grandparents are just renewing their vows and the only wedding party I know of is me and my mom."

Finn looked Rory up and down with a calculating eye "You don't by any chance get your looks from your mom do you?"

Logan looked ready to clobber him for the once over and Rory's face had twisted into such a caricature of disgust that Finn quickly hurried onward "Doesn't matter...old people weddings are the best, lots of marriageable young daughters and granddaughters wandering around getting all mushy and dreamy eyed at the thought of everlasting love...perfect hunting grounds."

Stephanie nodded in agreement and then clapped her hands together "Better than the usual routine any day. You want to be my date Finney?"

Finn shook his head sadly "Sorry Doll you can't be my throw away date. You're too pretty and too much fun. You'd scare all the potentials away. Get old man Bradshaw here to take you." He gestured at Colin who dropped one edge of the newspaper upon hearing his name and blinked like a mole poking its head out of a hole completely clueless about the direction of the conversation.

Stephanie gave Finn a little glare knowing he had purposefully backed her into a corner, now it would be bad manners not to ask Colin and heaven knew the last thing she wanted to do was offend him or hurt his feelings. An Achilles heel that Finn had identified long ago. She turned a friendly smile on the still blinking and oblivious Colin "How about it Bradshaw?"

Colin looked a little like a deer in the headlights and clearly had no idea what the question was Finn just shook his head at his hopeless friend "Just nod and smile Colin."

Colin gave him a dirty look "I don't even know what the question is."

Finn muttered under his breath "Not like it matters you'd say yes if she wanted you to strip naked and be her surfboard."

Stephanie shot him a quieting look and covered his muttered words with her own "I was wondering if you want to go to Rory's grandparents wedding with me?" She rushed to reassure him "Just as friends of course." This pulled his eyebrows together momentarily and there was a second of held breath around the room as everyone anticipated his reaction to this automatic response from Stephanie. Then his forehead smoothed and the moment passed, his voice was easy a tone Rory suspected that he practiced just for occasions such as this and to his credit hardly a fray showed "Sure...no problem, anything for a friend."

Stephanie jumped up and down in glee and planted a happy kiss on Colin's cheek. Then whirled away to grab Finn by the arm and pull him up from his seated position "Come on Finney we've got to go figure out what to wear...we have to dress for maximum impact."

Finn smiled conspiratorially "I know just the dress for you darling, boys will be tripping over their tongues when they see you." Rory suspected that Colin would as well which was exactly Finn the matchmakers plan. They linked arms and trouped towards the door as Stephanie replied "You know Finn, it's a damn shame you weren't born a girl...you'd be the best girlfriend."

"I wouldn't want to be responsible for the multitudes of broken hearts that would be a result of such a twist of fate." Finn looked back over his shoulder to a still blushing Colin " Coming Colin?"

Colin pushed a hand through his hair successfully ruining the effect of the earlier combing and he glanced at the Rory and Logan still sitting on the couch with a look that implied that he was kicking himself for agreeing to this crazy scheme and then tr5ailed the two laughing hyenas out the door.

Logan sighed wearily and commented with an air of disbelief "Sorry about that, I have no idea what just happened but it feels a little like I imaging being run over by a freight train would feel."

Rory giggled a little "don't worry I'm used to it, my mom's kind of a one woman version of a freight train and my grandmother makes her look like a featherweight."

Logan rolled his head to the side and looked at her "Guess it's sort of a moot point now but I would love to go to your grandparent's wedding with you."

She smiled "that's good because that whole free will, no obligation thing went right out the window when Finn invited himself along. You have to be there to save me from those nuts you call friends...and you're crazy if you think I'm saving Colin all by myself."

"I wouldn't miss the show."

Rory leaned her head down on his shoulder and looked down at their linked hands for a moment before a yawn overtook her. "Well, at least they accomplished one thing. They managed to make me sleepy."

Logan laughed, "What can I say having friends like them is exhausting work."

They both thought that maybe they should get up, should go for breakfast or part ways and head for their own respective beds but that all seemed like an impossibly gargantuan effort to bodies that had finally relaxed into that drowsy near sleep state where muscles resisted quite adamantly any attempt to fight gravity.

There was silence, blessed silence where all they heard was the rhythm of their combined breathing.

"Maybe we should..."

Logan trailed off as he turned his head to see those sharp sapphire eyes go cloudy with sleep and flutter closed. Logan gave up his resistance and slowly felt himself sinking into the pool of warmth that her body created next to his. Her warm breath tickled his cheek in a pleasant caress and he traced the lines of her face with his eyes as it softened in peaceful repose. It felt good, being here with her, holding her hand as he dropped of that edge of wakefulness. He felt at peace and a last fleeting thought drifted across his consciousness before he slid into welcome oblivion. He was happy.