Logan slid out of the limo and straightened only to be greeted by Finn's head popping out the sunroof. He only sighed as he watched his clearly tipsy friend climb out of the opening and clamber down the hood of the limo managing by some miracle to land on his feet. Finn was rather like a cat that way, the whole nine lives and landing on your feet wives tales quite true to life.

Finn smiled as he landed and winked at Logan before offering his arm to Alice and proceeding towards the club "I'll have you know good sir that princes never use doors."

Logan rolled his eye but then hurried to catch up. He beat Finn to the door by a few steps, which afforded him enough time to get a scant glance of the set up, and a chance to direct the group of misfits before they stumbled into more trouble.

Luckily there wasn't much time before the ceremony started so Logan herded them all towards the great room with one eye looking out for Rory. He peeled off to one side when he spied her talking to Lorelai down the long hall to the side of the reception hall. He snuck up behind her putting finger to his lips for silence when Lorelai spied him over Rory's shoulder. His breath tickled her neck and made her start in surprise "Wedding date reporting for duty." He saluted smartly.

She spun towards him with a ready smile and gave him a little kiss before she backed away and looked down the hallway behind him "Where's the cavalcade?"

"They are already safe and sound in their seats... at least I hope they are. I left Colin in command."

Rory nodded solemnly "I hope he's up to the task."

Logan grimaced slightly "I'm not sure anyone is really up to that task...Finn might have had a wee bit o' the drink on the way here."

Rory raised one eyebrow "Might have?"

"Well he was a bit upset by his mystery date and he needed a bit of soothing."

Rory raised an eyebrow "That bad huh? What did Paris do this time? Tell me she didn't send that mean chick from the debate team?"

Logan looked thoughtful "No, although that would have been equally amusing. No she sent some girl who is a total Lord of the Rings fanatic and has renamed us all as part of the cast of characters."

Rory couldn't stop the snicker as her eyes widened "Oh my god, she sent Alice?"

Logan gave her an inquisitive look "I take it you are acquainted with our young elf princess."

Rory smiled wickedly "She sort of a legend in the Gellar clan. Has she spoken in elvish yet?"

Logan looked taken aback "Can't say we've had that pleasure."

Rory smirked "Well, the evening is young. Gellar was certainly in fine form with this one. I guess the hapless Finn deserved a bit of liquid refreshment. Just make sure he doesn't cat call my grandmother when she walks down the aisle and I think we'll be okay."

Logan turned and took a grinning Lorelai's hand for a kiss "Hello Lorelai. You look wonderful tonight. Definitely not like the mother of the best man." He gave her a little wink.

Lorelai smiled in appreciation "Logan. I'd say you clean up nice but I don't believe I've ever seen you NOT in a suit or a tuxedo. I'm beginning to fear that perhaps you are a clone of either Donald Trump or James Bond. Although I'll be honest when I say I'm hoping it's not Trump because frankly no amount of money makes that hair acceptable. That man needs a major hair intervention,"

Logan chuckled "Bond it is then."

Lorelai nodded with her eyes twinkling before she tilted her head to one side "You would make a passable Roger Moore although then I'd have to dislike you just on principle because he was my least favorite Bond, maybe Sean Connery." She paused as if considering "Can you do a passable Scottish accent?"

"Not without a few pints under my belt."

Lorelai nodded "Well, nothing like a bit of the 'Wee Heavy' to bring out the Scot in us all. Well, I'm off, I'm on deck first and Emily would have me strung from the chandelier if I'm late." She left with a jaunty little wave.

He turned back to Rory for a quick kiss, she smiled and gave him a good once over "You look quite handsome by the way. "

He looked her up and down taking in the smart little black suit that showed every delicate curve and then gave her a little wink "So do you Ace. You auditioning to be the fifth Beetle later?"

She smacked his arm lightly but her eyes were smiling. The music signaled the beginning of the ceremony and she nodded at the door to the left "That's my cue." She blew him a kiss before joining her grandfather at the door.

He watched her for a moment wondering at the heady feeling that always seemed to follow contact with her. Then he turned on his heel and headed for his seat.

The ceremony was beautiful, simple, elegant, marred only once by a resounding wolf whistle from Finn when Lorelai walked down the aisle. A whistle which was rapidly silenced by a hand clapped over the mouth and whispered threats so dire to his manhood that not even Finn was imbecilic enough to ignore them. Not that keeping Finn from procreating was such a bad plan regardless. Lorelai gave Logan a little wink and he just rolled his eyes expressively. Then settled back to watch the rest of the ceremony.

Even given what he knew of this family, of the tensions and imperfections that lay behind the facade, it was hard to imagine two people so clearly in love as Richard and Emily Gilmore. They practically glowed with it, and the radiance was distributed to the faces of daughter and granddaughter. A family, united in that one perfect moment of happiness. His eyes drifted to Lorelai and watched as she sent one of those secretive glances at someone in the front row who he assumed was Luke. Then he felt his gaze drawn inexorably towards Rory and he was mesmerized. Her smile, that brilliant smile that lit her eyes and made those cerulean orbs sparkle was turned on him full force, for the space of a heart beat they existed in the world alone, the hundred guests around them melting into nothingness, and he felt the heat of that gaze as real as a physical caress. He almost shivered as he felt her gaze leave him, drawn back to the ceremony in progress.

It left him shaken. That intense connection that only seemed to be getting stronger with time. At first it had been a subtle burn but now they all but sparked off one another when they were in the same vicinity. Lust for him was usually a transient thing; something that burned bright in the dark of night, when the excitement of the chase was at its pinnacle but paled noticeably in the light of day once the prey was caught.

This was different. This felt like watching a fire flicker to life, the spark that led to the slow burn that sizzled and grew until it became a roaring inferno that bathed all the room in dancing, dazzling, entrancing light. One could be mesmerized by those every changing flames, drawn into the altered world they illuminated. He could feel himself slipping deeper, farther, faster than he had ever imagined. The scare and the thrill of that freefall were more powerful than any adrenaline rush he had experienced before.

His attention snapped back from his mental meanderings and focused on the stage set before him. As he shook to clear it of these wandering cobwebs of emotions he found new and unfamiliar. Tonight he was here to have fun, he would think about the edge of that cliff tomorrow.

Then the march was commencing, the happy couple was leading the parade followed closely by daughter and granddaughter who exchanged playful happy glances and then peeled off to find their respective beaus. Logan watched her come to him waylaid only once or twice by well-wishers until she stood in front of him. He held out a hand and pulled her back away from the door keeping them in the room after most of the guests had moved into the main reception hall. He leaned forward ever so slightly and met her lips with his taking her deep. His last thoughts trickled through what little active brain cells remained in the face of such mind erasing passion. He was in way over his head and loving every minute of it.

Need for oxygen eventually over rode even their eclipsed mental powers and they parted slightly still breathing a little heavily.

"Not that I'm complaining but what was that about?" her voice was pitched low so it didn't carry beyond his ears.

He grinned and smoothed back an errant curl that had escaped it's pin "What can I say Ace, cross-dressing works for you."

She smiled wickedly "I'll remember that Huntzberger. Now we had better join the others before they send out a search party. Besides I don't want to miss the first dance."

She clasped his hand and they walked into the main hall looking for their table. It wasn't hard to find what with Finn doing a rousing chorus of 101 Bottles of Beer on the Wall. Rory gave Logan a look that implied dire consequences if this activity did not come abruptly to a halt...and soon. "How much alcohol did you say Finn had on the ride here?"

Logan cleared his throat a little sheepishly "Well, there was the pre-pre-party that I suspect but can not verify, then there was the bottle of champagne in the limo and what ever he managed to consume from the flask when I wasn't looking during the service..." he trailed off at Rory's horrified look "I'm not helping am I?"

Rory shook her head and pointed at the table as a bawdy rendition of something that sounded suspiciously like an Irish drinking song drifted towards their ears "That has to stop at least until the other guests are drunk enough not to remember who they came with. I have to find my mom and Luke so your job is to deal with the Doobie Brothers."

Rory gave him a kiss that was a far sight more chaste than the previous one and they parted ways. Thankfully the ballad ended as Logan came to a stop in front of the table.

Finn toasted him with a bottle of champagne "Howdy Lover boy. Saw the kiss...have to say you two seriously need to work on your PDA, that was the most pathetic example I've seen in a long time and from you of all people Huntzberger...you've shamed my good name. I can't give that more than a 4.5" Finn took a deep sip of the champagne straight from the bottleneck.

Logan rolled his eyes "I see we've progressed to the Man Show portion of the evening."

Finn turned his attention to Logan with a little squint that suggested that perhaps there were more than one of Logan in his sights "Oh poppycock, I'm Aragorn, prince among men. I don't have to explain such behavior to you light footed elves." He laid his head back and stared admiringly at the ceiling that was dripping with chandeliers.

Logan laughed before he looked at Alice sitting next to his clearly inebriated friend "Are there any court jesters in Middle earth because I'm thinking that might be a more appropriate title for your prince here."

Alice contemplated the question gravely "Well, there are hobbits and they are rather flighty, frivolous beings who enjoy food and drink to the point of some gluttony. I suppose we could make him a hobbit."

Finn raised his head at this and squinted at his date "Wait...aren't the hobbits the ones who are always running around in their bare furry feet and having to be rescued?"

Alice looked pleased "Exactly right, maybe Legolas is right, that does seem a better fit."

Finn's countenance took on a rather petulant look just as Rory appeared at Logan's elbow with Lorelai and Luke not far behind. She took one look at the scene before her and leaned into Logan "What's Finn sulking about?"

Finn answered for him with impressive poignancy "I WAS a king among men but apparently I've been demoted."

Rory held in a chuckle "That is tragic."

Finn slumped back in to his sprawled position with a melodramatic sigh "You've no idea the pain I am in. Here I was a prince for but a few spare hours and then to have my crown ripped from my hands with such cruelty. No doubt I've been emotionally slain."

Lorelai heard the last of this as she and Luke approached the table and leaned towards Logan who was the closest to her "I'm going to make a wild guess here and say that our maudlin performer is Finn."

"The one and thank god the only." Logan turned to Luke to clasp his hand "Luke. Nice to see you again."

Luke shook his hand with only a slight stiffening of his shoulders...he was still adjusting to this whole idea of Rory no longer being the ten year old that he fed hamburgers and milkshakes after school while she did her homework in the diner.

Finn lifted his head at the sound of a new female voice and did a none too subtle head to toe evaluation of the new arrival conveniently ignoring the man at her elbow.

Suddenly he was all charming smiles and sweet of tongue as he rose and took her hand, in a show of gallantry he brought it to his lips "Ah, who is this lovely vision who graces my sight, you my lovely mistress can only be the inestimable Lorelai, mother to our fine Woodward here." He raised his head with an incorrigible twinkle in his eyes and gave her an appreciative smile "And might I say there is no doubt where Woodward gets her enchanting beauty."

Lorelai's eyes twinkled merrily and her lips curved in a born seductress's smile as she all but purred "And you are Finn." It wasn't a question.

"Until recently yes...I'm told that my new appellation is Aragorn, king among men." He cast a hurt glance at the girl next to him "Although now I hear some treasonous rumblings about usurping my title."

She shot a laughing glance at Rory and Logan "Good eve then Prince of Gondor."

At this comment Alice perked up and joined the conversation "You know Lord of the Rings?"

Lorelai gave her a little smile "I know my sexy men in chain mail and Viggo is on top of that list."

She turned back to Finn "I've heard a lot about you good sir."

Finn puffed up his chest in good parody of a peacock strutting his feathers and gave her a naughty wink "I assure you, it's all true."

She laughed, that musical sound that had called to the souls of many an adventurer and Finn swore for evermore that he fell a little in love at that siren's song

He was considering how inappropriate it might be deemed to kiss this seraphim in front of her daughter and her boyfriend when he heard a rumbling cough at her back.

Lorelai turned to her companion with a grin "Don't worry Luke, you can wear chain mail for me any time...maybe one of those visor things and carry a sword and a shield...my very own paladin." She fluttered her eyelashes at him in playful coquettishness.

This took the scowl off of Finn and transferred it to Lorelai. It also afforded Finn time to switch his adoring gaze to the man behind Lorelai and thrust out his hand in a friendly no offense intended sort of manner, his malleable visage instantly shifting from hunter on the prowl to innocent kitten. "You must be Luke. I've not heard tale of your beauty but your coffee has engendered many a heartfelt ode from your young supplicant. "

Luke looked completely taken off guard by this about face and soon was in the midst of a hand shake with the young rake that had only seconds before been all but drooling at Lorelai's feet. Rory watched and then shrugged with a laugh when Luke gave her a questioning glance. Logan was right, it was impossible to stay angry with Finn, he made the ridiculous seem strangely reasonable.

Lorelai looked around the table "Okay, so we've got Aragorn and his lady friend, Big Mac and Woodward..." she paused with a laughing glance at Rory "Good nickname by the way. So where are the two unrequited lovers?"

Finn took over the emcee duties and slung his arm around Lorelai's shoulder with a sly smile before turning to point to the bar across the room "There are our two fine friends, Sir Colin the Cowardly who I believe is currently trying to drown said cowardice in single malt scotch and Lady Stephanie...she's the one with the long blonde hair and sweet countenance, I assure you though that the comparison to Rapunzel ends there as our Lady is less of a lady and more of a temptress."

"The best women are."

Finn's look was admiring "Now I see that Woodward came by both beauty and tongue honestly."

Lorelai cocked an eyebrow at him, the epitome of wickedness "Do I want to know what your acquaintance with my daughter's tongue is?"

Finn gasped in mock affront "I assure you dear lady, I have tasted only the sharp side of your daughter's wit. After all I was saving myself for you." He looked sideways at Logan "Besides the elf over there would pummel me if I tried and frankly, I'm a lover not a fighter."

Lorelai laughed outright at that thoroughly enjoying the boy's shameless audacity. "You're one smart man for a prince. Too bad I already have my man in shining apron."

She hugged Luke sideways and gave him a kiss on the cheek, which of course caused a rising blush to creep up his neck as she looked back at Finn "Unless you make coffee you're not even in the race."

Finn's face fell in a perfect parody of tragedy and he clutched at his chest as if in excruciating pain "Ah me, the dagger strikes deep at those cutting words, I fear I may not last the night and will die of a broken heart." He fell to his knees and looked sadly up at Lorelai "Perhaps you could fulfill me one last wish."

Lorelai played along with a solemn face "Anything for a dying man."

Finn put on his bravest face and knelt on one knee before her "All I ask is one dance, one dance to remember you, the angel that escaped my humble grasp."

Lorelai smiled "I believe that is a wish that I can grant, but first I say we drink, catch up a bit on the libations. It appears you've had quite a head start and my good name will die a painful death if I'm drunk under the table by a young upstart Aussie such as yourself. I consider it my duty to uphold the Gilmore name."

Finn clapped his hands together and rose from his knees "A woman after my own heart. I'll get the drinks."

She sat at the table and pulled Luke down with her as she whispered an aside to him "This is good, as long as we are sitting we don't have to mingle. I detest mingling. If there were a test in mingling I would fail it with flying colors. There are only about ten people here whose names I remember and I only remember them because I hate them."

Luke rolled his eyes "Well, at least we get to sit at a table of your ilk."

She brightened "There is that." She focused on Logan who sat on the other side of Rory "So, an elf huh?"

Logan shrugged as if to say these decisions were out of his hands "Legolas I'm told."

"Ooh...another category of greats...hot men in tights." she nudged Rory "Think Errol Flynn and Cary Elwes... although Orlando Bloom's right up there on the list, good choice kid."

Rory grinned, "I try...after all I did get lessons from the best."

Lorelai considered this "Well yes that is true but not every apprentice came live up to their master."

Their drinks arrived and Lorelai toasted the table "To weddings and new friends."

Alice was looking thoughtful "Actually I'm a little confused about this whole wedding thing. Aren't they already married?"

Rory nodded and started to explain "They are married but they were separated for a while and then reconciled and this is their fortieth wedding anniversary so they thought that it would be symbolic to renew their vows in front of all of us."

Lorelai piped in "So, really you should look at this party as less of a wedding and more of a reunification of warring parties with cake." She shrugged "all in all not a bad way to spend a Saturday evening, cake, free alcohol and dancing...if you ignore the overabundance of Anglo-Saxon Protestants it isn't so bad."

"Speak for yourself." Luke grumbled into his beer but Lorelai heard him and turned to him with a winning smile.

"It's not all bad...you get to dance with me."

He rolled his eyes "Oh joy."

Lorelai feigned injury "I'm told it is a highly sought prize. You're just playing the grump. You'll fall victim to my wiles in the end."

The music got their attention as the bandleader announced the entrance of the happily re-married couple.

Logan settled back with his drink more entertained by the byplay than the words from the man of the hour. Colin and Stephanie had joined them when the music started and he noted with some interest that Colin had his head bowed in Alice's direction and she was laughing at some comment he had made. More interesting yet was the sour expression that flitted across Stephanie's face at this interaction just before she took a healthy drink from her glass. Clearly something was eating at the usually carefree Stephanie. Colin's plan appeared to be working quite smashingly. He just hoped he didn't push it to close to the breaking point.

He watched as both Lorelai and Rory beamed in response to the happy faces on the dance floor. Luke was more entranced with Lorelai than the show on the floor and Logan watched with interest as Lorelai absently leaned towards Luke in response to the obviously romantic moment.

Then Rory's warm hand slipping into his own halted his observations. The tingle of the touch, the soft patterns she drew on the inside of his palm with her fingertips made him focus entirely on her and he was helpless to control the smile on his lips.

A moment passed before he registered the fact that other couples were getting up to dance and he stood and looked down at Rory just as Luke and Lorelai swept out to the floor. Luke had apparently succumbed to Lorelai's charms as expected. He held out his hand to Rory "Would you care to dance?"

She responded gaily as she rose from her chair "Lead the way my man in tights."

They swirled into the crowd of twirling bodies, one hand clasping hers as the other fell at her waist, hers on his shoulder. They fit together, moved together as naturally as breathing.

They watched Finn glide by with Alice, dipping her gracefully as he spun. Rory looked back at Logan "How is he able to do that when he is clearly more than half-sloshed?"

Logan laughed, "Finn does many things well and claims that he does them even better drunk. Although if he manages to get a microphone I'd find a reason to hide."

Colin and Stephanie caught her eye as they danced by on their other side, she cocked her head slightly as she watched them sensing something no quite right in the stiff way they moved. Again she directed her query at Logan "What's up with Colin and Stephanie, they look...I don't know...uncomfortable."

Logan turned his head towards them and observed silently for a moment "I think Colin's playing hard to get. Doesn't hurt that he and Alice seem to have bonded over this whole Lord of the Rings thing."

Rory's forehead wrinkled "Whoa, that must have been some car ride I missed, I thought Colin was going to make a play for Stephanie?"

"I think he's working his way around to it, maybe it's not a bad thing for Stephanie to get a little taste of her own medicine though."

Rory narrowed her eyes at him "Seems a little risky to me. What's to stop her from finding some other willing male companion?"

"Nothing really but strangely it seems to be working like reverse psychology and I haven't seen her more than glance at another guy all night... might be he's on to something with the jealousy thing. I think generally Steph takes him for granted, he's the fall back and she expects that he will always be there. Maybe it's not a bad idea to remind her that he might not wait forever."

She looked at him suspiciously "This wasn't your idea was it?"

He shook his head "Not this time. This is a Bradshaw original."

When she glanced at the dance floor again she noted that the dancing partners had changed, a swap that Colin and Alice seemed to be enjoying immensely as they spun and swayed to the music and Stephanie seemed far less than pleased about. In fact she appeared to be keeping a rather keen eye on the couple dancing across from her, a couple who seemed quite wrapped up in their conversation and who were dancing quite close.

The music ended and there was clapping as the guests took their seats; cake-cutting time appeared to have arrived as the tinkling of glasses called for silence. The bride and groom flush from dancing stood in front of the cake as the crowd quieted. Rory peeled off from Logan after he dropped into his chair next to Luke at their table and joined her mother next to the beaming newly re-married couple.

Lorelai leaned over to whisper to her as their glasses were filled with champagne "You ready for your big speech kid?"

Rory nodded "I think I'm set."

Lorelai winked at her "No sap though... sap is for romantics."

With a slightly nervous smile Rory stepped forward as the crowd turned their attention to her. "As the best man I've been asked to give the first toast." She looked at her grandparents for a moment and then took a breath before she launched into her speech "For a good part of my life I didn't know my grandparent's all that well but even when I saw them only at holidays, family weddings and funerals I had this picture of them in my mind and in the picture they were always a pair, a matched set. They epitomized a perfect, happy, loving marriage to me. This year when they told me they were separated it made me sad to see that illusion shattered, to realize that really they were only human beings like the rest of us, struggling with the ups and downs. Now it maybe be the rose colored glasses now back on my nose on this happy occasion but I like to think that now I have an even better picture in my mind. A picture that doesn't hide the imperfections in their love, that recognizes the hurdles they have faced and acknowledges the courage it took to overcome those in the name of love. The happiness I see in them today convinces me that the reality was so much better than the illusion." She smiled at the little tear in her grandmother's eye and raised her glass as the crowd followed suite "Perhaps the Latin proverb says it best 'Amor vincit omnia – Love conquers all'." There was a cheer and the clinking of crystal as Rory blushed a little and took a gulp of her own champagne and endured a hug from her both of her grandparents.

Rory waved a hand at Lorelai to indicate that it was her turn and she stepped forward with a deep breath willing the words to come. She started off in typical sarcastic Lorelai style, the comic with a punch line to get to "A blessing on the happy couple: As you slide down the banister of life, may the splinters never point in the wrong direction." she trailed off at the little chuckle that circled her and she shrugged "Hey you try following a Latin spouting Yalie." There was another laugh and she straightened and breathed deep "I'm Lorelai, maid of honor and daughter of the couple of the hour...most of you probably know me as the bane of their existence." This got a another ripple of laughter and she plunged onward "And if you know that much you probably also know that we don't agree on much, my parents and I, not on life or wardrobe or the correct distance between candlesticks but today is different. Today is about love, the thing that ties us together even when we wish we could cut those bonds; the thing that silences even the most vocal of critics, the thing that we hope makes us better, more than we are alone."

She turned slightly and caught her mother's eyes and had to swallow the lump in her throat at the tears she saw in Emily's eyes "It's about the thing that I see shining in my parent's eyes today and even I can't argue with that."

She fiddled with the stem of her glass for a second and her voice was almost contemplative when she continued "Wise men say that only fools fall in love..." there was little laugh that had her smiling again as she raised her glass "Here's to the fool in each of us."

There was a resounding clink of glasses and then Lorelai grinned "Enough of this sappy stuff...let's get this party started." There were hugs all around and Rory held back a tear of her own at seeing her mother and grandmother embrace and the whispered comment from Emily "Thank you Lorelai."

The cake cutting commenced with great pomp and circumstance and the music resumed and Logan returned his attention to the table as he saw taht Rory would be a few minutes with her grandparents. Stephanie turned down Colin's request for a dance with a transparent excuse about needing a fresh drink and Logan wasn't surprised to see Colin turn to Alice without hesitation and hold out a hand "Since I seem to be out of a date would you care for a dance Lady Arwen?"

Alice smiled without guile and jumped from her seat "Why of course Lord Faramir, I'd be honored."

They swirled away and Logan watched them for a moment before turning back to Stephanie who was staring into her drink and making snide under her breath remarks about the 'Lord', as he observed she took a rather large swig of the bronze liquid in her glass and gave a little grimace as it slid down her throat. Logan pulled out the chair next to her, recently occupied by Colin and slid on to it. "Having a little visit with the green eyed monster?" his tone was conversational.

Steph glared in his direction but then played ignorant "I don't know what you're talking about. I just didn't feel like dancing, so sue me."

Logan cocked an eyebrow at her but held up his hands in a gesture for a truce "No offense intended and no law suit filed, it's just rare that you aren't in the mood for a party and you seem, well, a bit tense."

Stephanie relaxed her shoulders with some effort as she darted another quick glance at the dance floor where Colin was flirting and laughing with the damn elf queen "I just have a headache that's all." Her tone was that of a sulky child.

Logan nodded knowingly and settled back in his chair with his glass of champagne "That headache wouldn't happen to be named Colin would it?"

She scoffed but he noticed she took another swallow of the fiery liquid in her glass before she spoke "Hardly. Lord, can't a girl have a headache without getting the third degree?"

Logan backed off "Sure, sorry, just trying to be a pal." He took a couple of silent sips of his champagne and watched the activity in front of him.

His tone was a tad on the sympathetic side and it really rubbed at something raw in Stephanie, that something that had been screaming in her ear and giving her that headache for the past hour while she watched Colin affectionately lean in and whisper to Alice or take her hand as they danced or laugh at some stupid unintelligible comment about hobbit kind. She didn't like it, didn't like one bit that she even noticed that his attention wasn't focused on her. Didn't like the fact that it made her doubt herself, doubt her strategy when it came to love and friendship. Didn't like that little sliver of some unnamed emotion that felt suspiciously like panic that had wormed it's way into her consciousness.

She had denied for a long time the attraction that she knew he had for her, thought it was better that way for both of them, thought it was better to keep him at arm's length, in the role of a friend, where gentle hearted Colin couldn't get hurt. Where she couldn't get hurt. It was selfish of her to admit but it had never occurred to her before today that he might find someone else. That he might be the one to desert her and leave her hanging here bewildered and alone. She didn't know what to do about it and she wasn't all that keen about discussing it with Logan who understood too well her predicament or Finn who saw too much that she wanted to keep hidden. She glared into the innocent glass whose only offense was being empty and raised her hand to get another from a passing waitress.

Logan watched her eyes focus on the dance floor for a long moment and hated the tinge of loneliness that colored her gaze for a second before she slammed down her glass with more force than she realized. He tried one last time "He's yours for the claiming you know."

Stephanie wasn't ready for this game, was pushing still at the walls of inevitability and her chin came up stubbornly "I don't want to claim him."

Logan slid out of his chair with a sigh and gave her a little kiss on the cheek "If you believe that then you could give Lady Arwen a lesson in fantasy."

Stephanie glowered after him but he only waved a hand back at her as he went in search of Finn. He found the merry prankster at work. Seems he had commandeered one of the bar stations and was happily mixing drinks that appeared to be about ten parts alcohol and a bit shy on the rocks or the mixers. He leaned in with a smile "I didn't know you could make a gin and tonic without the tonic."

Finn smirked at him "It's all about marketing, besides I'm well on my way to becoming the leader by popular demand of this particular colony of WASPs, pretty soon they'll all but hand me the keys to their kingdom and the microphone."

Logan rolled his eyes "You're stooping to new lows in the search for fame."

"To want fame is to prefer dying scorned than forgotten. " Finn's tone was lofty if a bit slurred.

Logan shook his head "Let me guess you're quoting Adolf Hitler now?"

"E.M. Cioran actually but I'll pardon the insult, not all of us have the power to sway public opinion."

Logan grabbed a glass of his own and poured scotch fearing the danger of a drink from the hands of Finn "I don't think getting a bunch of wedding guests drunk is swaying much but their view of the ceiling."

"Oh ye of little faith...just wait until you hear my solo, they'll be lauding me to the rafters.'

"Sure, the one's who are still standing, I have heard that alcohol dulls sensory perception...such a hearing."

Finn handed out another drink to another of his loyal parishioners. "Did you just come over here to lob insults at me?"

Logan laughed, "No actually, I can do that any day. I came to tell you to get your act together and dance with your date...you remember her, short, brunette...thinks she's Liv Tyler. Make nice with her Finn, I think Steph's getting a little envious of Herr Bradshaw's new fan. Not a bad thing but a little jealousy goes a long way."

Finn turned his head towards the table where they saw Stephanie suddenly stand with such force that her chair clattered to the ground behind her. "Ah, I see what you mean. Seems a rampage is in the offing." He nodded resolutely and fixed another drink "One more of these and then I'm your man."

Logan just shook his head at him and took a different tack "I can't remember the last time I saw Finn Morrison brought to his knees by a girl and to think all it took was a girl pronouncing herself a mythical creature with magical powers. Got to give Gellar points for this one...she definitely found your weak spot."

"Those are fighting words lover boy." Finn glared at him and downed the drink in one gulp "Now get out of my way, I have a fair damsel to rescue."

Logan laughed as he watched Finn and Stephanie charge the floor from different directions, this night was better than theater, he just hoped it didn't take the bent of a good Greek tragedy and leave all the characters dead or bleeding.

He was pulled from his reverie when a pair of warm hands slid around his waist and Rory nuzzled up against his shoulder "What are you laughing at?"

He smiled back at her and then pulled her around so she was facing him "Oh, you know life, love, the madness of it all. Great speech by the way, waxed a little poetic but strong finish, always appreciated a good Latin catch phrase myself. Did you have to sign many autographs?"

She smacked him lightly and then grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the dance floor with a wicked light in her eyes "You can be Eddie Izzard later, now we're going to dance."

He slid into a gliding stride with her and demurred "I believe that you are the cross-dresser, not me."

She threw her head back and laughed feeling high on life, love...the madness of it all, this was what happiness felt like. She noted a bit of a squabble out of the corner of her eye and looked askance at Logan "What's with the battle brewing over there with your compadres. Did I miss something?"

Logan shook his head "Only something that has been a long time on the back burner, it's about time it boiled over."

Rory shot another glance over Logan's shoulder as they whirled by the foursome clearly in hot debate about something "There isn't going to be a brawl is there?"

"No, I'm thinking this will be less West Side Story and more Breakfast at Tiffany's...hopefully it won't go the route of the Odyssey because that would really end badly."

"Gee that's comforting."

As the music transitioned from quick to slow their feet adjusted mindlessly and Logan drew her a step closer "I'll comfort you Ace, no matter what the plot twists bring."

Thoughts of Colin and Stephanie and their predicament quickly fled her brain in the wake of the smile that riveted her attention to her the boy in her arms. They spun and shifted together as the music rose to a crescendo and Rory felt that delicious drop of her stomach and the tremble of her knees as their bodies danced closer. She felt a zing of electricity every time their skin touched. Anticipation clouded her senses, that heady feeling of the ground dropping away from your feet as you lifted off solid ground and followed the fairy dust to Neverland. She wasn't sure how much more of this awareness, this prickly, stand on the brink sort of fervor she could stand before she burst. She touched her lips to his wanting to ease that tension inside of her and their tongues dueled lightly before she pulled away to look up at him again.

It wasn't enough. She wanted more. There was a long frozen moment of indecision that existed mainly in her head while the rest of the world whirled on around them as she thought about this realization. Was she ready for more? This part had always frightened her, made her shy away from intimacy, from losing control. The soaring part was great but the fear of falling all that way to the cold hard ground of reality wasn't so nice. She had tried before, to have that freefall but wear a big parachute that would soften the landing, she knew without a doubt that it hadn't worked. Logan would be a risk but she understood he was a risk she had already taken. She wanted more and she was going to take it, cast caution to the wind and let her reckless heart take over. Her eyes landed on Logan's mouth, those sensuous smirking lips capable of soft gentle caresses, able in a flash to demand heat and passion. Then they floated upwards to his eyes, those expressive pools of chocolate that made her want to never breathe in anything but him ever again.

Logan had lost all notion of the steps his feet took, the rhythm they followed and for once was glad for all those dreaded dance lessons that had installed such ingrained muscle memory that his feet danced of their own accord to the strains of the waltz and left his mind free for other pursuits. His awareness had shrunk down to only the curl of dark silken hair that tickled his cheek, the warm breath that hovered near his ear, the heat that seemed to scorch his skin through even the layers of protection offered by his normal impervious cashmere suit jacket and had his internal temperature ratcheting up several degree.

Her lips lifted to meet his and he met her halfway. The kiss was tinder on the flame and far to brief. Rather than assuaging the thick awareness that weighed in on him it only left him wanting more. He leaned forward to delve again into those depths but something in her eyes stopped him, some secret battle she fought. Then he was pinned, those liquid sapphire eyes that were heated within by some unseen fire and that now reminded him of that inflorescent blue that one often saw at the base of a flame, the eyes that lingered on his lips before sliding upwards to his eyes holding him immobile.

She stepped back putting a mere breath of space between them but enough that Logan felt the loss of her warmth. His arms slid away from her and he watched her for a second while she fought some internal struggle.

Then she held out a hand to him spanning the brief distance between them "Come with me." The words were simple but the offer was not.

He let out a breath that he hadn't known he was holding and slipped his hand into hers "Lead on my queen. I'd follow you to the gates of hell itself."

"I don't think that will be necessary but I do appreciate the offer." The response was automatic, a lifetime of deflection by wit so she sailed past it.

He grinned, "I aim to please."

The smile warmed him from the inside out as she laughed and turned to tug him through the crowd. She seemed to be in a hurry so he followed her at a quick pace as they wound their way to the edge of the dance floor and he hardly raised an eyebrow when she grabbed a bottle of champagne on the way out of the ballroom. They found themselves in an empty hallway and Rory started opening doors, looking for what Logan was not sure but apparently after the third door she found something acceptable because she quickly pulled him in to what appeared to be a dressing room and closed the door behind them.

She stood that way, facing the door for a long moment and he watched her take a deep breath and turn towards him as he opened the champagne. He offered it to her as she joined him in the center of the room and something in his chest fluttered like a bird trapped in a cage as she took the proffered bottle and took a deep draught before setting it on a table next to them.

Her eye were hypnotizing in their intensity and a little reckless as her hand came up of it's own accord and glided down his cheek, behind his neck and then in one sinuous motion pulled him toward her. Her voice came out husky and soft against his lips "I want..." she hesitated slightly on the word "more."

He didn't hesitate to respond as their lips met. The singing of blood in their veins was better music than any waltz, the thrill of chemistry and adrenaline had them trying madly to get closer, to touch, taste, revel in each other. Her hands clenched and released in his hair and then drifted lower, down over his shoulders and to the buttons that held his shirt together, she fumbled a few of them and then gave up in frustration and ripped the last two off the bottom with a sharp tug.

Almost instantly she was rearing back with astonishment in her eyes as if she weren't sure what harlot had possessed her "I'm sorry..." his mouth on hers stopped the apology and he whispered to her between tugs on her lips with his teeth "Sweetheart you can rip every stitch of clothing off me if you want. It's well worth the price of a new shirt."

He could feel her lips curve and she threw herself into the kiss as the passion swam in her blood and took her past embarrassment until all she felt was his lips, his skin and still she yearned for more. He nearly lost his grip on her shirt buttons when she started kissing her way down his neck with tiny bites, her tongue soothing the path left by her teeth. He brought her head back up to look at him as he felt himself being swamped by sensation and knew he was close to his breaking point. He'd done this a thousand times but it had never mattered like this. He was desperate for her but he wanted it to be right. He forced her eyes up to his and felt his heart pound at the wildness there, the danger. This girl was everything he wanted, and so much more than he deserved.

That had him backing up a tiny step despite the moan it elicited from her. His voice came out rusty as if from disuse "Rory." When she kissed his palm where it lay on her cheek he felt the touch of her tongue clear to his gut and held himself steady only by sheer will, needing to hear her answer, he forced the words out "Rory...do you want to do this now?"

Her eyes zeroed in on his and he felt the heat of them searing a path straight to his heart. He was a goner and if she said yes he knew there was no way he would ever walk away from her. He stood suspended on that tight rope of emotion and slick lust that balled in his gut and had him yearning to rip her clothes of despite their surroundings.

She blinked once, twice as if trying to make sense of his words and then she pulled her head back as her brow wrinkled, her voice was hurt "You don't want me?"

Logan closed his eyes in a silent plea for strength, leave it to her to misunderstand his intent in this most important moment "No...I want you, more than I ever wanted anything." She relaxed a bit in his grip and his forehead came to rest on hers as he let out a sort of disbelieving laugh "You have NO idea how much I want you, how much I want this, in fact I can't even believe I am having this conversation... Finn would have my balls if he were here." He felt her brow wrinkle beneath his

"I'd really rather you left Finn out of this discussion."

"Right...noted." Logan pulled back from her trying desperate to slow his breathing, forcibly resisting the urge to touch her, knowing that would undermine any good intentions he had. He raked a hand through his hair in a gesture of frustration. "Look Rory, I just want you to be sure that here and now is the way you want to do this, I just want this... the first time, to be something special...you deserve that."

Rory frowned slightly and took a step towards him but he warded her off so she crossed her arms in front of her chest "It's not my first time Logan I don't need it to be all candles and romance and rose petals on the bed, I just want to be with you."

He considered this for a long moment and couldn't believe his answer even as it came spilling from his lips "Okay, maybe I want it to be special for me."

She looked almost as shocked at this pronouncement as he was so he paced further and mussed his hair again with an agitated hand. "I can't believe I'm saying this, I didn't think I could but here they are, the words and somehow I can't do this without saying them." she wasn't entirely sure whether he was speaking to her or to himself.

Finally he came to stand in front of her and took her shoulders. Whether to bring her closer or hold her at bay wasn't entirely clear. She started to speak but his eyes stopped her. There was a compelling light there that seared it's way into her and left her short of breath "Rory, I don't know what this is that I feel for you, there are no words in my vocabulary, no reference point in my experience to define this by. All I know is that I have never felt like this before, it's like the best high and the scariest adrenaline rush and the most amazing exhilarating roller coaster ride all wrapped into something that is more than all those things. I've never been so afraid in my life, afraid of what this thing is, where it is leading, but most of all afraid of how much I want you, not just physically but in my life. I don't' know what to do with that yet."

She put her hand up to his face and felt him tremble under her touch "I feel those things too Logan. I'm scared too but I know that I want you, want this. I've never been so sure of anything. It doesn't matter to me if it's in a storage closet or a five star hotel. The rest of the questions, they don't have to be answered today."

Logan's hands lifted to her face and he lowered his lips to hers softly, so gently that it felt like the brush of butterfly wings and then he let his lips disengage from hers slowly and met her eyes with burning sincerity "I can't explain why but it matters to me. I want more for me, more for you, more for us."

She felt it like an earthquake, the quiver that started in the region of her heart and rippled outward leaving her shaken and her heart wide open and welcoming in it's wake. There was no doubting this feeling. It was too strong. Too undeniable Her lips trembled apart and she was carried on that ripple past all her normal inhibitions "Logan, I..."

He saw it in her eyes, emotion shimmering there and trembling on her tongue an instant before they were abruptly interrupted by a door swinging open. The one and only thought it Logan's brain was that he was going to buy a shot gun tomorrow if it was Finn.

They whirled together in surprise at the disturbance and were stunned to see a man who looked equally flummoxed by the situation. He was clearly drunk and seemed to be squinting in Rory's direction. "Rory?"

Her voice went from recognition to horror in the space of a syllable "Dad?"