Part 7: The Morning After:
Logan, Colin and Finn rode up the elevator to Logan's New York apartment. Well more like his dad's.
"So, how exactly are we going to find her mate?" Finn asked. Logan shrugged.
"Who says we're here for her?" Logan asked.
"Who says we're not?" Colin retorted. Logan shot him a glare.
"Look mate, all I'm saying is that it's a big city. There's a 1 chance that we actually run into her on the street." Logan rolled his eyes and opened the door to the apartment. They all stopped dead when they saw who was sleeping at the desk.
"Is that..." Colin trailed off as Logan nodded. "Looks like we got that 1."
"Will you look at that mate." Finn said rather loudly. They saw Rory shift and they all held their breaths as she stayed asleep.
"Shut up you dolt. You'll wake her up." Logan said. They walked over to her and saw that she had fallen asleep at her computer. He took a look at the website she was on and smirked.
"Guys, take a look at this." Logan said. Finn and Colin walked quietly over to the computer and looked. There, in front of them, was a website talking about the Life and Death Brigade. Under Rory's hand were notes that she had been taking.
"She's doing an article on the LDB?" Colin asked.
"Looks like it." Logan answered. He looked down at the sleeping girl and sighed. "Which room do you think is hers?"
"The one down the hall." A voice behind them said. They turned around and saw a man wearing sweats and a white undershirt standing at the entrance of the hall. He had brown hair and brown eyes. He walked over and picked Rory up. Logan noticed she was in some pink pajama bottoms with what looked like blue rubber ducks on them and a white tank top.
"Daddy?" She muttered.
"Hey, I told you not to work late."
"I need coffee." She whispered.
"Sleep first, coffee later." Rory nodded and went back to sleep in her father's arms. Christopher carried her to the room and laid her down on the king size bed and covered her up. He kissed her forehead and closed the door quietly behind him, then walked down the hall. He saw the three guys were closing Rory's laptop saving the work she had done and picking up the things she had left.
"You must be Huntzberger's son." He said to the blonde. He nodded.
"Logan Huntzberger."
"I also hear you're engaged to my little girl." Colin and Finn both stopped to hear the exchange.
"Rory's your..." Colin started
"Daughter." Chris finished
"But your last name is..."Logan said
"Hayden. Lorelai and I didn't get married after she got pregnant, you'd think Emily would have told your father that piece of information."
"You'd think." Logan said. "Oh, these are my friends. Finn and Colin."
"How do you do, sir." Colin greeted shaking the man's hand.
"'ello mate." Chris sighed and shook Finn's hand as well.
"Look. The only thing I have to say is that if you make her unhappy your life will be a living hell." Chris turned and went back to the room, closing the door quietly behind him.
"He is one scary man." Colin said. Logan nodded in agreement.
"What do you say we get some sleep? There are two guestrooms left. One of us gets the couch." They both looked at Finn.
"Fine. Guess it'll be little ol' me on the couch all by myself." Logan went over to the hall closet and threw him a pillow and blanket.
"Have fun." Logan said retreating to his room. Colin smiled and went to his own room.
"Night Finn."
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Chris was rushing around the next morning getting ready for his early meeting and saw the three guys sitting on the couch. Gigi sauntered out of the room and sat down next to them. They all stared at her not knowing what to do.
"That's Gigi, Rory's half sister, Gigi, say hi."
"Hi!" She waved. Chris tied his tie and looked at the three boys.
"Look, don't bug Rory, you guys might not know this yet, but Rory isn't in her best moods when she wakes up and doesn't have coffee in her system. So if you do wake her up you better have coffee." Logan nodded.
"Already on it. We made some when we got up." Chris shook his head.
"You already know her?"
"Some bits here and there." Logan responded. Chris nodded and kissed Gigi's head.
"Gigi, be good to Rory and the guys, okay?"
"Otay!" She said giving her father a kiss.
"Good." He grabbed Rory's notebook and ripped a sheet out of it and wrote her a quick note, folded it and gave it to Logan. "Make sure she gets it." Logan nodded and put it on the table.
"Got it." Chris nodded grabbed his briefcase and left without another word.
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Rory had been having a wonderful dream about her bathing in the sun in the Caribbean, no work to bug her, no articles to write and no weddings to think about, just herself and a handsome servant named Antonio serving her hand and foot. This was interrupted by someone snuggling up to her stomach and giggling. She opened her eyes and saw Gigi's brown hair sticking out from under the covers. She looked under her covers and saw that she was in a tight little ball obviously holding on to something. Then she heard the voices outside.
"You heard Christopher. We're not to wake her up." She heard Colin say.
"But that little she-devil has the DVD remote!" Finn complained. She smiled at Gigi.
"Did you steal that Gigi?" She whispered. Gigi looked up at her and giggled more.
"Finn, in the time that took you to get off the couch and run down the hall chasing after her you could have very well have walked to the DVD player and pressed play." Logan said rationally. Rory rolled her eyes.
"You guys shhh, the door's open, she might hear us." Rory shook her head.
"Look, I say we just peek in and see if the kid is hiding somewhere in the room. If not, then we leave and watch the movie." Finn said.
"Finn, we can just press the little button on the DVD player."
"That's not the point." Finn said.
"You're not going in there, Finn." Colin said. Rory sighed and got out of the bed. Then frowned, how did she get in bed in the first place. She remembered getting up from the computer to put on her PJ's, but not the actually getting in bed part. She shrugged and picked Gigi up who gave her an innocent smile and held on to the remote as if her life depended on it. She opened the door to find the three guys look at her with wide eyes.
"The only thing I have to say is you better have coffee." They all pointed to the kitchen. She walked down the hall and towards the kitchen with Gigi still in her arms and the guys following her. She walked in and stared at the massive kitchen. It was all marble. From the counter to the floors. There was an island in the middle that held knives and cooking utensils plus the stove. Then, on her right was the refrigerator with built in TV and counter top. She walked in, set Gigi on the island facing the fridge and started her search for the cups. Logan came up to her and opened a cabinet handing her a blue mug.
"Thanks." She got her coffee and poured it in, then put it up to her lips and took a sniff. It smelled so good. She took a sip and closed her eyes as the warm liquid went down her throat and warmed her insides. She sighed oblivious to the three pairs of eyes looking at her.
"You, love, are the only girl I know who gets an almost orgasmic pleasure from drinking coffee." Finn stated. Rory blushed and looked at him.
"Coffee is definitely better than sex. How long have you guys been up and ready?"
"Hours, it's already ten." Logan said.
"I needed to sleep in." She looked back at the fridge and stared at the little TV. "Does that get cable?" Logan nodded. "Think you can put on cartoons for Gigi?"
"Yeah." He grabbed the remote from the top of the fridge and turned it on flipping the channels till he came up to Spongebob Squarepants. Gigi bounced up and down and giggled at the antics Spongebob and his friends were up to. She put the remote down on the counter, then scooped it back up when Finn reached for it.
"Bloody hell! The girl won't give it back to me!" Finn yelled. Rory laughed.
"Why did she steal it in the first place?" Rory asked. Finn looked at the floor. She frowned and looked at Gigi. "Gigi, why did you take the remote?" Gigi looked up at her with wide eyes.
"Finn and boo and ahh! Scary man!" Gigi said looking back at the mini TV.
"You scared her!" Rory said. Finn looked at her.
"How the hell did you get that out of what she said?" Finn asked in awe.
"Finn. You. Boo and ahh means you scared her and she screamed. And scary man means just that, scary man."
"She still won't give it back." Finn whined.
"Have you asked?" Finn looked at her and shrugged.
"I told her to give it back."
"Telling and asking are two different things." She put her cup down and got to Gigi's eye level. "Gigi, can I have the remote back please?" Gigi looked at her, the remote, then back at her and nodded handing it to her. "Ask and you shall receive." She said giving it to Finn. "And next time you decide to argue in front of my door... don't."
"Well, if this idiot had just pressed play on the player we wouldn't have gotten in an argument."Colin said
"It wasn't the point" Finn yelled. Logan rolled his eyes.
"Your dad left you a note." He said getting it out of his pocket and handing it to her. "We couldn't help ourselves so we read it. I must say you have a very interesting dad."
"You read my note?"
"We couldn't help it" Logan shrugged. Rory shook her head and opened the piece of yellow paper.
Rory,
Had an early meeting and I didn't want to wake you up. I left my credit card on my dresser. Go crazy and buy what you want. I swear it won't get declined. I'll see you at dinner. You choose.
Dad
P.S. Try not to get your bracelet stuck on any more nipple rings. I don't think my poor heart can take it.
Rory laughed at the last part and the boys stopped arguing to look at her.
"Care to explain, Ace? Or are you going to leave us in the dark? We tried for hours to decipher that last part."
"Yeah darling, whose nipple ring did you get your bracelet stuck on?" Finn asked
"Dean probably." Colin said. Rory rolled her eyes.
"Dean doesn't have one." She said. "I was over at my friend's club getting the tickets for the band, he was teasing me, I shoved him and got my bracelet stuck on his ring as I had been talking to my dad and it took him off guard by me saying to hold on so I could detach myself from said ring and he overreacted. Hey, did you get the tickets from your desk?" She asked turning to Logan.
"What tickets?"
"For the concert. I left them on your desk in the newsroom."
"Oh, you left them in the newsroom? I rarely go there. See, I have this issue with Doyle."
"Really, what issue?"
"I don't like him." Rory laughed
"Well, I left them on your desk seeing as I don't have your cell or dorm number, so I couldn't call to ask or go and give them to you."
"Right. I'll get them tomorrow before the show." Rory nodded and drank the rest of her coffee.
"That should tie me over." She picked up Gigi who started to fuss because she was being taken away from the going ons in Bikini Bottom. "First bath, then cartoons Gigi, I promise." Rory said heading to her dad's room to get Gigi's clothes. She sat Gigi on the bed and started going through the Princess Jasmine suitcase. Logan walked in and sat on the bed as Gigi jumped on it.
"So, what are you doing today?" Logan asked. Rory looked up at him, then at the credit card on her dad's dresser and smiled.
"Shop, I need to get a new outfit for the concert, then pick a place for dinner."
"Okay, so that's what? Two hours max. What else?" Rory raised an eyebrow.
"You've never seen me shop. I need a skirt, a top, shoes, accessories and makeup and other things. Plus I want to take my time. I don't go in and out, I like to browse. So no more than six hours maybe." She said. Logan shook his head.
"I should have brought Steph."
"Why didn't you?" Rory asked taking out Gigi's clothes and putting the suitcase back under the bed.
"She had a date." Logan lied. Truth was, he had completely forgotten to ask Steph if she wanted to come. She would have loved the idea. After meeting Rory, Steph wouldn't shut up abut her. "She likes you, you know." Rory smiled.
"Really?"
"Yeah, She's never been big on the whole girlfriend thing. Doesn't have many. She's usually with us."
"Oh, tell her sorry for me."
"Haha." Logan laughed sarcastically. "You know, if you want we can take care of Gigi while you shop." Rory stopped fussing with the clothes and looked at him.
"You'd do that? You'd take care of a three year old little girl who is, by the way, learning to be potty trained so I could have time by myself?" Logan looked at her and nodded.
"Yeah, how hard can it be?" Rory laughed.
"Oh, it's hard, believe me. Besides, I have a feeling she would kill Finn by stealing his things. Also, I never get to see this little munchkin and I want to spend time with her. Right Gigi?"
"Rory!" She giggled and fell on the bed laughing. Rory laughed
"Come on, time for a bath." Gigi shook her head and started to jump off the bed, but Logan grabbed her before she made it off. Rory laughed as he handed Gigi to her. "Thanks. You guys are welcome to come along with us if you want." Rory said going into the bathroom. Logan nodded and went back to the living room.
"You guys up for a shopping trip?" Logan asked sitting next to Colin and Finn. Finn paused 'Monty Python's The Meaning of Life' and looked at him.
"Shopping?" Colin said.
"Rory needs to go. Something about a new outfit. I was wondering if you guys wanted to tag along with her. I mean she probably doesn't know her way around and who better to guide her than us three?" Colin nodded.
"I'm in. In Omnia, right?" Colin said.
"That's the spirit." Logan said. "Finn?"
"Well, I don't want to be all by my lonesome today. So sure." Logan nodded.
"Good."
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Rory took Gigi out of the tub and wrapped her in the white plush towels and laid her on the bed. She put on the diaper, then her pink little shorts and tugged on the white tank top with little flowers all over. She combed her brown hair and put it in two pigtails, then put on her pink jelly sandals. Rory smiled as she led the little girl into the living room and sat her down next to Finn.
"Take care of her. I'm going to go get ready. I'll be right out." She left and got in the shower herself. She got into the massive tub and turned on the overhead shower and let the water beat down. It felt so good. She could get used to it. Her eyes opened and she stared at the wall. She didn't want to get used to this. She didn't want this! She didn't want this lifestyle or a marriage with Logan, a guy she barely knew.
She washed her body and got out of the tub wrapping a towel around her body. She stared at her reflection in the foggy mirror. She had a boyfriend. She had a good life. She didn't want to ruin it. She got out of the bathroom and went to the room and got out her clothes. She was pulling on her low rise jeans when her cell rang. She looked at the caller ID and almost yelled in frustration. She loved Dean, she did, but as of late, he had been acting very protective and asking where she was and with who. It was like he was keeping tabs on her. She answered the phone and put it up to her ear.
"Hello?"
"Rory, hey."
"Hey Dean."
"Are you coming down this weekend?" Rory frowned.
"No, I'm not. Why?"
"Well, I thought that with Lane's concert and all you'd come down here."
"Nope, we're meeting at the club."
"Oh, then what are you doing today? I thought maybe I could come down there and we'd have lunch, you know make it up to you for not being able to go tomorrow and all?" Rory sighed.
"I'm not at Yale, Dean."
"Oh, where are you?" Rory grabbed her black CBGB tank top.
"Hold on a minute. I gotta put on my shirt." She put the phone down and pulled the shirt over her head, then grabbed the cell back up and went to the mirror to comb her hair. "I'm in New York."
"With who?"
"My dad and Gigi." After combing her hair she went to the living room. Logan looked up.
"Ready?"
"No, not yet."
"Who is that?"
"Do you have a hair dryer?" She asked. Logan nodded.
"Check under the sink."
"Thanks."
"Rory, who was that?"
"Logan, Dean." She walked into the bathroom and checked under the sink "Haha, found it." She plugged it in.
"Who the hell is Logan?" Rory rolled her eyes.
"The boss's son. We're staying at their apartment, Dean. And he's a friend from Yale. Look, I gotta to go. I have to get coffee in my system and they're waiting for me."
"They?"
"Logan and his friends, Dean. Look, I've got to go. Don't call unless it's an emergency. I just sort of want this time to myself, okay?" She heard Dean sigh. He never understood the concept of her wanting time for herself.
"Yeah. I'll see you next week."
"Yeah."
"Okay. I love you."
"Same here. Bye."
"Bye." She hung up the cell and blow-dried her hair. After her hair was all dried, she fixed it up and left it down. She grabbed her purse and went to her dad's room and grabbed the credit card off the dresser. She put it in her wallet and then in her purse along with her cell. She went out to the living room and stopped when she saw what they were watching. "The Meaning of Life" and they were right in the middle of the sexual education part of it. They were all laughing and Finn and Colin seemed to be holding on to something.
"What kind of babysitters are you, letting a three-year-old watch 'The Meaning of Life'!" She yelled and walked over to see Colin holding on to Gigi's ears so she wouldn't hear the crude comments and Finn covering her eyes so she wouldn't see.
"We've got it all figured out, love." Finn said. She looked at Logan who shrugged.
"I wanted to see the Holy Grail." Logan said. Rory rolled her eyes and turned off the TV.
"I need coffee. Let's go." She said.
"Didn't you already have a cup?" Colin asked letting go of Gigi's ears and Finn let her see. He picked her up and set her on his hip. It seemed Finn had acquired what seemed like a soft spot for the young girl.
"Yes, I have, but I need at least four to keep functioning."
"Well, there's a good coffee place down the street." Logan said. "We can go there." Rory nodded.
"Sounds good." Logan picked up the keys and cell and walked out the door. Rory and him were behind Colin and Finn. Finn holding on to Gigi and talking to her as if she were a grown woman.
"You know, I once dated a girl who looked like you, Gigi, I swear by it. She was good in bed too." Finn said.
"Finn!" Rory yelled hitting him upside the head. They went down the elevator laughing.