The Fortune Cookie's Always Right


Disclaimer: I own nothing but my imagination.

Author's Note: I'm constantly surprised at your favorite parts of the chapter; please continue to share them with me. Often, they're bits that I added at the last minute, although some were thought through. Meanwhile, do any of you watch Supernatural, you know, that new show with Jared Padelecki? Do you like his character on the show? Also, I don't watch it, but isn't it confusing that his character's brother's name is Dean? Every time they say Dean on the show, don't you get confused? Why would WB execs allow that to happen? This is a puzzlement. Ooh, and that 'King and I' reference reminds me that I have now instituted my own "Gilmore-isms" for this fic. I try, as you can tell, to stay true to the show as much as possible, and that includes some references that might not be clear to all. I do not claim to be as esoteric as the geniuses that write the episodes, but I do try. Now, on to the drama…you didn't think I would continue this fic without a lil' drama, did ya? (Oh yes, and I'm posting the Gilmore-isms on my profile for easy access. Enjoy!)


CHAPTER 5: NICK AND NORA, SHERLOCK AND CLOUSEAU?


Rory and Logan were standing on her porch in Stars Hollow. The moon was especially bright that night, giving Logan a luminous view of Rory, who was feeling rather flustered at the moment.

"There won't be running, will there?" Rory asked, adjusting her dress.

"Why do you ask?" Logan said mischievously, leaning against the railing.

"Logan!" said Rory. "Running is not a possibility in this dress, much less these shoes!" She looked down at her dress. It was a vintage 1930s sheer silk dress, low cut and pale pink in color. She also had a white fur wrap and vintage shoes to go with it.

"And another question: is this real? Because if so, I need to learn how to pray so I can ask for forgiveness," Rory asked, fingering the wrap.

"Ask me no questions, I'll tell you no lies," Logan said easily.

"I'll pretend I didn't ask," Rory grinned.

"You look great," Logan said, easing off the railing and stepping closer.

"So do you," Rory responded honestly. He was dressed in a tuxedo, as if he was ready for a party, which suited his role perfectly. "You guys continue to amaze me with all these crazy events. Something tells me that you are wearing a tuxedo that is literally from 1934, and I'm not even going to ask you what this dress cost you!"

Logan grinned. "It's no big deal, Ace. It's all in the name of fun. Besides, the mink cost more," he said with a wink. "And by the way, did I tell you you look good? 'Cause you look good," he said, reached over, intending to kiss her.

"Hey!" Rory said, pulling away. "Stay away from the hair. It took Stephanie and me two hours to turn me into Myrna Loy. It was not easy, let me tell you," Rory said, checking her 1930's-inspired tresses.

"Well lucky for you, it's not the hair I'm concerned with," Logan said with a smirk. He pulled her to him and kissed her. Rory leaned into the kiss until a sound at Logan's feet made them pull apart.

"Hey! There you are, buddy!" Logan said, kneeling down to playfully ruffle the dog's hair.

"Why, Asta! We've been looking all over for you! Found any clues?" Rory said, sharing a grin with Logan. 'Asta' just barked.

"So whose are you, really?" Rory asked the dog as Logan stood back up.

"My sister's, so please don't lose it or I'm out three grand," said Colin, walking up in turn of the century clothing, a deerstalker hat perched on his head and a tweed overcoat swinging as he walked.

"Sherlock Holmes, I presume?" Logan said, sticking out his hand.

Colin merely chewed on his pipe and whipped out a magnifying glass to inspect Logan's hand. He swept out his tweed coat. "Clean fingernails, soft hands; you've never done a day of work in your life, have you, Nick?" he said with a ridiculous English accent.

Logan laughed. "Good deduction, my man. You see I have my Nora," Logan paused as Rory gave a slow nod of acknowledgement, "but where's your Doctor Watson?"

"Right here," said Stephanie, walking up, fully dressed in an Englishman's suit. "This is so unfair," she said dramatically.

"What is?" Colin asked, dropping his phony English accent.

"Rory gets to wear fabulous gowns from the 1930s, and I have to be a cross-dresser!" Stephanie pouted.

"Tragic, isn't it?" quipped Logan.

"It is!" Stephanie said seriously. "If she wasn't so sweet, I'd have to hate her," she said.

"Um, thanks, I think," Rory said.

"It's a compliment, trust me," Colin said.

"Is this the rendezvous point?" Robert said, walking up to the group.

"Whoa! Great choice," Colin said. Robert had poofed up his hair and had a very realistic moustache. He also was clad in a bright Hawaiian shirt and very tight pants with a pair of wide sunglasses perched on his head.

"Magnum, P.I., at your service," Robert said.

"Did you see anyone else on your way here?" Logan asked, holding Asta's leash as the dog tried to explore the porch.

"Yeah; Jim and Gary were pulling up. They went with Simon and Simon. I'm also fairly sure I saw Jonah, who, by the way, might be very chemically altered," Robert said.

"What makes you say that?" Rory asked, tilting her head.

"He came as Miss Marple," Robert deadpanned. Everyone laughed.

"Well, let's head to the pre-appointed place, agreed?" Logan suggested.

"Wait – shouldn't we wait for Finn?" Colin said.

"No need, mate, I'm here!" Finn said.

"Oh my Lord," Rory said, barely suppressing her laughter. Finn had a huge false nose and was wearing a trenchcoat, a blow-up parrot perched on his shoulder.

"Ah, Inspector Clouseau, glad you could make it," Logan said.

"Yes. I regret Kato could not accompany me. I told him we did not have enough hrooom," Finn said in his best Peter Sellers' impression.

"Come on, let's go meet Kirk," Logan said, grabbing Rory's hand and leading the group through Rory's backyard and into the woods behind Miss Patty's.

"Kirk really organized this?" Rory asked, running a little bit to keep up with Logan and the dog. "You can't be serious; you never trust Kirk with important things!" she said.

"Don't worry," Logan assured her as the group began to traipse through the woods. "We merely used his intimate knowledge of Stars Hollow to aid us in the placement of the objects. He's basically going to stay at home base and declare the winners."

"Well, ok," Rory said uneasily. "Did I ever tell you about the time that we let Kirk hide the Easter eggs for the annual Easter Egg Hunt?"

"No," Logan replied.

"Yeah, well, he hid them, alright. Except he didn't make a map of where the eggs were, so a few months later, the town began to smell."

"Oh no!" interjected Logan.

"Oh yes," Rory confirmed. "The whole town got together to hunt for the last 12 eggs. I think Kirk eventually found them, but Taylor didn't trust him for a long time." Rory thought for a moment. "You did make sure he knows where everything is, right? I mean, if a group doesn't find their object or whatever, the objects won't be lost indefinitely, will they?"

"Um, that I don't know," Logan said. "If I knew all the details, it wouldn't be fair. Besides, I'm already getting comments on having you on my team. Apparently that gives us a home team advantage."

"Well, Stars Hollow isn't that big. There aren't many secret places that I would know that you guys can't find in a little under ten minutes. Of course, one could say that I have the advantage of knowing Kirk, but that's not an advantage," Rory reasoned.

"And why's that?" Logan asked.

"Because," Rory said simply, "nobody knows what goes on in Kirk's mind."

"Ah," Logan said with a smile. "Say, do you think people in a small town like this will notice a bunch of private detectives running through their city?"

"Well, no, and there are two main reasons," Rory said. "For one, everybody should be in Miss Patty's for the town meeting tonight."

"And the other reason?" Logan queried.

"We're already crazy here; a handful more crazies won't make a difference," she said.

"Ah," Logan said, smiling.


"Ok, everybody, listen up. Everyone, attention please. Please direct your attention to the podium," Kirk said into his megaphone. The crowd got marginally quieter. "Thank you all for coming tonight. As you know, this is a scavenger hunt. Each team has their own envelope of clues. The envelope contains the first clue that leads you to the next clue, where you'll find another clue that will lead you to the next clue, and so on and so forth," Kirk said authoritatively. "Now, the first group to return with their object wins. The winners get this gold trophy. It's a nice trophy, although not as nice as the many trophies in my own personal collection. I am the reigning champion of the annual Stars Hollow Dance Marathon, a feat not come by lightly. In fact, I remember just last year -"

Kirk was interrupted by Logan clearing his throat.

"Right," Kirk said. "Well, anyway, when I call out your group name, come get your envelopes and wait for the signal to open them."

Kirk passed out all the envelopes. "On your mark, get set…go!" he shouted.

"What's our first clue?" Rory asked impatiently, holding onto Asta's leash. Logan opened their envelope.

"It says here: 'Your first clue lies high above the troubadour's spot; on the ground it is not.' Man, Kirk here really missed his calling – he's a poet and don't even know it," Logan said with slight sarcasm.

Rory swatted at him. "Be nice. He has so little in his life," she said.

"Hey," Logan protested, "he'll have plenty in his wallet after tonight, so let's not feel too sorry for the guy, ok?"

Rory grinned. "Ok, so let's think: troubadour's spot…um… the troubadour usually performs on the corner of the square next to the gazebo. God, I hope he didn't hide the next clue on top of the gazebo!" Rory said worriedly.

"First things first, Ace. Let's go the square! Lead the way!" Logan said. "Come on, Asta," he said to the dog. Asta barked and started trotting. Rory laughed and grabbed the skirt of her dress as they walked briskly to the town square. They bumped into Finn in the middle of the street as they were crossing to the gazebo.

"Oy, I don't understand this clue," he said, his Kato in tow.

"Hey, no fair, we're not supposed to help each other," Logan pointed out.

"Oh, come on, Logan," Rory protested, "maybe Kirk gave him too hard a clue. What is it, Finn?" she asked.

"Well," he said, squinting at the card, "it says something about everything coming up roses and a toolbox, but every damn house here has a garden!" Finn whined.

Rory thought for a moment. "Of course! Kirk's love of musicals rears its ugly head. Go to Gypsy's; she fixes cars, and I guess look inside her toolbox," she explained.

Finn scratched his head. "Alright, then. Whatever you say, love. Come on, Kato."

"My name's Adam," offered the guy accompanying him.

"Yeah, whatever, come on. Just don't attack me again, got it?" Finn said. 'Adam' shrugged.

The pair left. Rory and Logan shared an amused glance. "Ok, come on," said Logan. "Here's the gazebo. What now?"

"I'm not quite sure," Rory said, looking around. Asta began to bark and paw at the tree with two front paws.

"I guess climb the tree?" Logan suggested.

"Logan, no, you'll ruin your clothes, and is it even safe?" Rory said.

"Don't worry about the clothes, but I'm touched by your concern," Logan said, pulling Rory in for a kiss.

Rory briefly kissed him and then smacked the back of his head.

"Ow! What was that for?" Logan said, rubbing his head.

"Ego," she said simply. "Besides, we have no time for that; we have a trophy to win!"

"Fine, but you better feel damn guilty if I fall out of this tree," Logan said, beginning to climb the tree.

"Do you see anything?" Rory called up to him.

"Not sure yet," came the muffled answer. "Wait – got something. Coming down," Logan said.

"Be careful!" Rory said. "Come here, Asta," she said, kneeling down and hugging the dog.

Logan hopped down the last few feet and brushed himself off. "Phew! I hope they're not all that unreachable," he said.

Rory stood up and threw her arms around his neck, kissing him.

"Not that I'm complaining, but what was that for?" Logan said, settling his arms around her waist.

"For not falling out of the tree," she said, as if it were the most logical thing in the world.

"Well! I should not fall out of trees more often," he said, nuzzling her neck.

Rory laughed. "Ok, the moment's over. What's the clue say?"

Logan reluctantly let go. "Ok. Let's see," he said, opening the envelope. "For your next clue, here's what you do…"


Five crazy stops later, Rory's feet were hurting. "Ok, stop stop stop," she said, grabbing Logan's shoulder for support while removing her heels. Asta whined. "See? Even Asta's tired!" she complained.

"Ace, come on!" Logan encouraged. "We gotta be close to the end. Besides, I think there's only one more card. We didn't make too many because Finn's attention span is short."

Rory sighed. "One more?"

"One more," Logan said reassuringly.

"Ok, but there better be coffee soon," Rory grumbled. "What's our clue say again?"

Logan pulled the card from his pocket while Asta whined and sat down, his head on his front paws. Logan rolled his eyes and read the clue: "Almost there, my friend, you're near the end. To find your final clue, look behind the superglue."

"Ok, superglue," Rory said, thinking. "I suppose we should try Doose's Market."

"Will anybody be there?" Logan asked. "I thought everyone was at the town meeting."

"Well most everyone is, but Taylor likes to keep one guy there to keep it open. Apparently he's willing to still take money from those not involved in town events, though he frowns on them," Rory said.

"Let's go, then!" Logan said. Rory and Asta didn't move. "Oh come on, Ace! How are you ever going to be a famous reporter if you can't even make it through one little scavenger hunt?"

"But when I'm a world-famous reporter, I will be wearing sensible shoes," Rory argued.

Logan sighed. "Do you want me to carry you?"

"What?" Rory laughed in surprise.

"Well you can't run around in bare feet, you might step on something sharp, and if you can't walk in your shoes, then I see no other alternative," Logan reasoned.

"This is totally one of those way romantic moments! I need a camera, where's a camera?" Rory said. Logan just gave her a look. "Ok, or no camera, no camera is fine."

"So?" Logan asked.

"Yes, please!" Rory said, preparing for Logan to pick her up. She was unprepared, however, when he bent at the waist and picked her up, slinging her over his shoulder. Asta trotted along behind.

"Logan! Put me down!" Rory shrieked, kicking her feet and holding onto her shoes.

"What? You wanted me to carry you, I'm carrying you," Logan said, walking down the sidewalk.

"I thought you meant like – you know, the traditional kind of carrying, like over-the-threshold kind, like the Clark Gable in Gone with the Wind up-the-staircase kind!" Rory protested, finally stopping her struggle.

"Well, I am doing the Clark Gable kind of carrying; it's just the It Happened One Night kind of carrying," he said reasonably.

"You're impossible!" Rory pouted.

"I've been told," Logan replied. "Doose's Market coming up, watch your head," he warned.

"Logan! You are not going to carry me in there," Rory demanded.

"I beg to differ, Ace," Logan said, opening the door and walking in.

"Logan, please?" Rory pleaded.

"You sure, Ace?" Logan said. "You mean, you don't want me to carry you anymore?"

"You're such an ass," Rory said under her breath.

"What was that?" Logan said, a smirk on his face.

Rory sighed. "No, I don't want you to carry me anymore. I don't know what I was thinking. Now will you put me down, please?"

"Sure," Logan said. "All you had to do was ask," he said, gently setting her back down.

"You're evil," Rory said, hitting Logan on the arm with her shoes.

"Ouch! Boy, Ace, you sure can be violent sometimes," Logan said, rubbing his arm.

"Just think of it as passionate," Rory said sweetly.

"Oh yeah?" Logan said, a gleam in his eye. He grabbed her by the shoulders and attacked her lips. Rory was surprised at first, but then melted into his arms. There was something about Logan that ignited her. Someone cleared their throat behind them and they reluctantly broke apart. Their eyes were still locked together when the person spoke.

"Can I help you?" he said, with steel in his voice.

"Dean!" Rory exclaimed, stepping back and touching her lips. "Um, we were just, um," she stammered.

"Looking for the superglue," finished Logan.

"And you were just checking her tonsils, is that right?" Dean said, enraged.

"Something like that," Logan said easily.

"Aisle 4," Dean said through clenched teeth. Logan smiled his thanks and started to walk to Aisle 4. Rory seemed rooted to the spot.

"Come on, Ace," Logan said quietly, touching her waist and waking her out of her apparent coma.

"Aw, how cute," Dean said sarcastically. "You already have pet names. You sure move fast, don't you, Rory?"

"I…" Rory didn't know what to say. Part of her was angry; after all, Dean dumped her! However, it still hurt.

"Hey, listen buddy," Logan said, holding Rory protectively. "We didn't come here to cause a scene, ok? We'll be out of here in a minute."

"Right, because of course you wouldn't expect to find me here, in Stars Hollow," Dean replied sarcastically.

"Not lookin' for a fight, man," Logan said smoothly. Rory looked down at her feet.

"So what, you guys goin' to a costume party with your rich friends?" Dean said snootily.

"Not really at liberty to say," Logan said with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Look, Rory, why don't you get what we need and I'll meet you outside," Logan said.

"Ok…" Rory said slowly.

"Dean, how about we have a little chat?" Logan said, gesturing to the door.

"Fine," Dean said.

Rory slipped her shoes back on and went to find the next clue card amid the superglue, wondering what words were transpiring between Logan and Dean.


Outside, they were having quite the discussion.

"So, you here to tell me that this is all in my head? That you're just friends? Well I don't buy that, and I don't appreciate you sleeping with my girlfriend," Dean said, before Logan had a chance to say anything. Neither of them noticed that the town meeting was slowly trickling out… right down the sidewalk in front of Doose's Market.

"Look, what Rory and I do is none of your business. In case you've forgotten, you dumped her, remember?" Logan said. "She is no longer your girlfriend."

"Yeah, for now," Dean snorted. Quite a crowd was gathering.

"What does that mean?" Logan said.

Dean smiled menacingly. "That means that she may have these flings with other guys, but she always comes back to me. In the end, Rory knows that she wants me," he said arrogantly.

"Sorry to disappoint you, but somehow I don't think that's how it works anymore," Logan said. Rory came outside, the clue in her hand. Asta barked at Dean as the crowd grew, with some LDB members interspersed.

"We'll see," Dean said, seeing Rory over Logan's shoulder. "Tell you what, when you're done fucking her, you send her back to me, ok, Richie Rich?"

"Dean!" screamed Rory in shock and outrage. Logan lunged for Dean, who had a 'bring it on' attitude. They each landed a few good punches before there were suddenly more people involved.

"Ok, break it up guys, cool down, I mean it," Luke said, thrusting himself between the two. Finn, Colin, and Robert rushed over to pull Logan off Dean, and Kyle and Luke were dragging Dean away from Logan.

"I'm ok, it's cool," Dean kept insisting. He shrugged off the guys and adjusted the Doose's apron.

Logan, however, was having a harder time getting rid of his anger. "Did you hear what he said?" he fumed.

"I know man, take it easy," Colin kept saying.

"I don't wanna take it easy; I wanna beat the shit outta him!" Logan insisted.

Rory finally spoke. "Logan, look, calm down."

Logan gradually stopped resisting until the guys felt it was safe to let go.

"Maybe you should go; I have some things I need to say to Dean," she said, her voice soft but firm.

"What? After -" Logan said incredulously.

"Yes," she said, putting a hand on his arm. "Go, here's the clue, I'll catch up with you in a minute."

"No point, love, Colin and Steph already won, we were just coming to tell you," Finn said, keeping close to Logan in case of another outburst.

"Ok, well…" Rory said helplessly as the entire town pretended not to be listening in. She crossed her arms in front of herself, suddenly very cold. Asta whined and rubbed against her legs.

"We'll see you later, alright, love?" Finn said. "Let's go to the car, shall we?" he said to Logan, pulling Logan along with him. Colin briefly smiled at Rory and grabbed Asta's leash. The LDB group broke off and walked away.

"Ok, folks, nothin' to see here. Move along," Luke said in his usual gruff tone. The townspeople began to scatter, casting backward glances. Miss Patty and Babbette walked away, heads together deep in conversation.

Luke walked over to Dean. "I'm gonna be in my diner. See that window?" Luke said, pointing to Luke's Diner. Dean nodded. "I'm gonna be watchin' you from that window, and so help me God, if you lay a finger on her -"

"Thanks, Luke, I got it from here," Rory said.

"Ok," Luke said. He pointed at his eyes with two fingers, then Dean's, then back to his for emphasis.

Rory saw her mom out of the corner of her eye dragging Luke into the diner.

Now that they were alone, Dean looked expectantly at Rory. "Well?" he said, after she didn't say anything for a long time.

"That was way out of line and you know it," she said firmly.

"Oh please, Rory. I'm not a complete idiot. You had to have been cheating on me! Not one week after we break up and I see you with this jerk making out in my town in my store. What, were you trying to rub it in?" Dean said.

"That's not how it is at all!" Rory said.

"Then tell me how it is, Rory, 'cause I really wanna know," Dean said.

Rory wasn't quite sure how to respond. "It's just…" She couldn't find the words. "I mean, technically, you dumped me, so it's not really any of your business," she said, trying to weasel out of an explanation.

"Bullshit, Rory. We may have argued, but I have never treated you bad and you know it. I deserve at least some explanation, and I'd really like it to be the truth," Dean said.

"The truth?" Rory said. "The truth is that Logan was just a friend, and nothing happened between us except the two kisses that you saw – which is terribly ironic, when you think about it – and we didn't begin…well, dating, I guess, until after the ball."

Dean was obviously having a hard time swallowing this. "You mean to tell me that nothing was going on when we were dating?"

"No!" Rory said. Except that wasn't entirely the truth. "I mean… nothing on my end. I didn't think of Logan as anything except a friend, and I had no idea he had feelings for me. I always thought he was just messing with my head or being nice, but then one thing led to another, and, well, I guess there was an attraction there…but you don't really want to hear this, do you?" Rory asked.

"So you only started sleeping with him after we broke up?" Dean said doubtfully.

"I haven't slept with him," Rory said angrily.

"Really?" Dean said suspiciously. Rory just looked at him. "Really?" Dean repeated, this time believing her.

"Really, ok?" Rory said, looking at her feet.

Dean didn't say anything. He just considered Rory. "You're not his type," he said.

"Excuse me?" Rory said indignantly.

"You're not his type. We had a discussion about you," Dean said loftily.

"When? When did you have a discussion about me?" Rory asked.

"When you guys were having your cozy little lunch bunch," Dean said.

"I see," Rory said, thinking back. "So what transpired, if you don't mind my asking?"

"Not at all," Dean said, rocking back on his heels. "He said that you're a great girl, but you're a girlfriend girl."

"So?" Rory said, not hearing anything important.

"I don't think you understand," Dean said condescendingly. "He said you're a girlfriend kind of girl. As in he would never be willing to be a boyfriend."

"I see," Rory said, slowly understanding.

"I mean, I could be wrong," Dean said, realizing he had the upper hand. "Does he call himself your boyfriend? Does he introduce you as his girlfriend?" he asked innocently.

"Well, there hasn't been a situation – I mean, not in so many words – there's just not been an opportunity…" Rory was at a loss. "It hasn't come up," she admitted.

"Uh huh," Dean said, trying hard not to smile. "Look, I've got to get back to work, so…"

"Right, right," Rory said distractedly. "See ya," she said, forgetting to yell at him. She was preoccupied with what he said about Logan. She missed his knowing smile as he went back into the Market.

Rory walked down the sidewalk in a daze. She went into Luke's Diner.

"Hey, babe," Lorelai said sympathetically, greeting her from a table. She patted the chair next to her and Rory slid into it.

"You," Luke said, pointing to Rory, "get a giant cup of coffee and pie. Lots of pie," he said, walking back into the kitchen.

Lorelai grinned in spite of herself. "And that, my dear, is why we date men in the food industry."

"Is Emeril taken? 'Cause suddenly I feel very single. Or what about the Naked Chef? Jamie what's-his-face. He's closer to my age," Rory said, setting her chin in her hand.

"Aw, honey, it's Jamie Oliver, but you already have one Naked Guy in your life," Lorelai said, stroking Rory's back.

"Aren't you the one who said you can never have too many naked guys in your life?" Rory said.

"No, but it sounds like me," Lorelai said. She paused, not sure how much to say. "So…wanna tell Mommy what happened?"

"I'm sorry, couldn't you hear? The whole town was there," Rory said miserably.

"I'd like to hear your version," Lorelai prodded.

"Well, you know Dean and I broke up at the ball," Rory started.

"Yes, dear, we drove you home," Lorelai said wryly.

"Right, right. Well, after Dean broke up with me at the beach, what I didn't tell you was Logan came out to find me," Rory said in a small voice.

"Oh really?" Lorelai said with an eyebrow raised.

"It was no big deal, I just gave a patented Gilmore girl rant on the snow, and he said something about great things still being able to happen and then he kissed me and I hung out with him and his friends for awhile before I came to find you," Rory explained.

"Yeah, two hours when I didn't know where you were, missy," reprimanded Lorelai.

"You gonna wave around your Mom Card or you want me to continue the story?" Rory said.

"Sorry, sorry. Continue," Lorelai said.

"So anyway, I hung out with the group and they cheered me up. Finn did a one-man rendition of West Side Story but hurt his arm when he tried to re-enact the rumble and fell off the pool table he was performing on. He then suggested we play strip Scrabble, and the group pretty much disbanded after that," Rory explained.

"Well, you know, when you're hanging out with Yalies, the intellectual games abound," Lorelai said sardonically.

"Right," Rory said with a light chuckle. "Anyway, ever since then, Logan and I have been hanging out."

Lorelai just looked at her.

"Ok, so, hanging out with kissing. But the thing is, tonight, Dean said something that really upset me," Rory said.

"Well, I was at least there for that," Lorelai said.

"No, that wasn't it," Rory said.

"Excuse me? He said some pretty nasty things," Lorelai said.

"Yeah, but they weren't true. The thing that did bug me is something that might be true," Rory said.

"And what's that?" Lorelai asked.

"Well, he said that Logan told him that I was a girlfriend kind of girl, and that wasn't his type," Rory said with a troubled look.

"Well obviously he thinks you're enough his type to be with and fight over," Lorelai said.

"Maybe," Rory said slowly. "Or maybe Dean's right. I mean, Logan and I have never discussed our status… I think we're dating, but I'm not sure. I mean, before, with guys, I knew when they were my boyfriend. It was obvious. But this whole Logan thing…" she drifted off. "I mean, is it a college thing?" she asked.

"Ok, well, I'm the wrong person to ask here," Lorelai said. "But when you're an adult, which I will occasionally admit that you are, things are more complicated. Everything's not as clear cut."

"Hm," Rory said thoughtfully. "So should I ask him?"

"God, no!" Lorelai said. "You don't want to seem desperate," she said with a grin.

"Right," Rory said, rolling her eyes.


"Get a hold of yourself, man," Finn said as they walked back to Logan's car. Logan was still obviously upset.

"I'm sorry, it's just… the nerve of that guy!" Logan said, cracking his knuckles.

"Um, don't you think you're overreacting a bit?" Colin said.

"What?" Logan said sharply.

"Look, I just think you're getting in too deep too fast," Colin said.

"He's right, mate," Finn offered.

"What are you talking about," Logan said sulkily.

"I'm talking about you and Rory. This is becoming pretty serious. Now, I know you're in that lovey-dovey stage that we all go through when we first meet a particularly fantastic girl, but generally that will wear off in about a week and it's time to move on to the next," Colin said.

"I know," Logan said grumpily.

Colin and Finn just shared a look. "Look, is this something you're doing to piss off your parents?" Finn said as they reached the car.

"What?" Logan said, blowing the comment off. "That's ridiculous," he said, sliding into the driver's seat.

"Not really," Colin said, picking up where Finn left off. "I mean, you've never gotten this worked up over a girl, and we're reaching that point of our illustrious collegiate careers where the parental units are going to start expecting us to settle down and get serious about the family biz," he said rationally. "It makes sense that you would see this as an opportunity to get back at your parents by dating an unsuitable girl."

"What are you, Dr. Phil?" Logan said derisively. "You're full of crap."

"Maybe, my friend," interjected Finn. "But are you seriously suggesting that you want a girlfriend?" he said incredulously.

"Maybe I do," Logan said defiantly.

"What?" Colin and Finn chorused.

"Oh please," Colin scoffed. "Logan Huntzberger, man's man, man about town, having a serious girlfriend? Now is the time to play, man, before real life starts. You only have another year to live it up before you gotta be responsible."

"I guess that's true," Logan ceded.

Colin sat back, relieved he had talked some sense into his friend.

"But…" Logan said.

"Oh my God. But what?" Finn said.

"I keep having these feelings for her that… well, that I usually don't feel for other girls," Logan said.

"Such as?" Colin asked.

"Like, for instance," Logan said, shifting in his seat, "I feel this weird protective thing. I mean, I know she can take care of herself, but I feel like I want to…I dunno…beat people up on her behalf."

"As you so generously displayed earlier," Finn said wryly. Logan just smiled.

"Seriously, man, at least hire thugs to beat up people for her," Colin said, shaking his head.

Logan laughed out loud at that one. "I suppose that's more reasonable," he said.

"Look," Colin said, serious this time. "It's not that we don't like Rory, we do, it's just that things are already way more complicated than you're used to, and is she really worth all this trouble?"

Logan pondered Colin's question. The car sat in silence for several minutes.

Finn was the first to break the silence. "Did we ever pay Kirk?" he wondered from the backseat.

"Oh shit!" Logan and Colin chorused. The guys laughed as Logan did a u-turn.

"I knew we forgot something," Colin said, thumping the dashboard. He regarded Logan. "Are you gonna go find her when we get back?"

"Nah; I think I'll just sleep on this one," Logan said. Colin and Finn shared another glance, but neither said a word.


Sleep on it? Could Logan be having second thoughts about getting involved with Rory? And why won't Dean leave her alone? Ok, I'll stop sounding like a soap opera and begin my pleas for reviews. Do please! Next chapter, we'll see Paris at her obnoxious best, but that's all I'm telling you. :) Oh yes, and also, check my profile for a list of Gilmore-isms! Many will seem like "duh" statements, but you never know; there might be people out there who have never seen "Gone with the Wind." I don't know any, but I'm sure they're out there. :)

And did I beg for reviews? Cuz if not, I'm beggin' ya now!