The Fortune Cookie's Always Right


Disclaimer: I own nothing but my imagination.

Author's Note: Sorry for the wait, guys. I know, there's no excuse. Feel free to beat me with a stick. All I can say is that I peaced out for Spring Break (which I desperately needed) and though I didn't not-meet cute guys or kiss a girl (come on, doesn't anyone remember season 4?), it was a good break. And then, of course, there was the mountain of work waiting for me when I got back. So anyway, here's your chapter. Like I said, I never abandon my stories! Check the profile for Gilmore-isms and let me know what you thought. Skip the next bit if you remember this fic, but if not, here's the briefest of summaries (skipping all the Luke/Lorelai banter, of course):

Previously on "The Fortune Cookie's Always Right":

Chapter 1: During the Male Yale party that Emily and Richard threw for Rory (exactly like the show until about twenty minutes into the episode), Rory is cornered by an overly amorous jerk; Logan shows up, plays the boyfriend, and rescues her. He then ups the rescue to a steamy kiss in front of everyone, which is when Dean shows up, punches him, then lets Rory placate him.

Chapter 2: Marty brings some leftovers to share with Rory, and they hang out and eat a fortune cookie. Rory's reads: "Romance comes into your life this year in a very unusual sort of way." Dean shows up, thinks Rory's got somethin' goin' on with Marty, and she calms him down. She wakes up the next morning to find a note from the LDB.

Chapter 3: Rory shows up to the LDB location blindfolded. Colin, Logan, and Finn take her to a mystery location that turns out to be Stars Hollow. They discuss their next big LDB event and how she will be involved over coffee at Luke's. Kirk makes an appearance, of course. Finn hits on Lane and Logan and Dean have a mini-confrontation outside Luke's.

Chapter 4: Lorelai and Rory discuss how to fix her and Dean's relationship, which is not like it was in the good ole' days. Rory and Dean exchange lackluster Christmas presents, and Logan surprises Rory with an extravagant gift. Rory decides to bring Dean to a New Year's Eve charity ball thrown by the DAR. At the ball, Shira tells Logan she's glad he isn't dating Rory because she wouldn't make a proper society wife. Logan bristles at her insinuations and goes off to say hello to Emily and Richard… and Rory. At midnight, Rory got separated from Dean and shares New Year's kisses with all the guys, but most especially with Logan. Dean sees, they go outside, they break up. Logan notices Rory outside alone and freezing, goes to make sure she's ok, and ends up kissing her.

Chapter 5: The great LDB event! Everyone is dressed up as different detectives throughout time, and they go on a scavenger hunt through Stars Hollow. Rory and Logan have been hot and heavy for a while now. One of the clues for Rory and Logan's team takes them into Doose's Market where Dean interrupts them making out in the aisle, acts menacing, and Logan calmly asks him to take it outside. They go outside where Dean says some pretty awful things; punches are thrown, and Luke and Colin and Finn have to break up the fight. Rory pleads with Logan to let her say a few words to Dean. Logan goes off with his friends who convince him that Rory is too much trouble, and he's not in a place to have a serious relationship right now.

Chapter 6: Rory is depressed when Logan abruptly stops seeing her. Meanwhile, Robert asks Logan if it's ok if he asks Rory on a date. Logan lies and says it's fine with him. Rory accompanies Robert to Finn's birthday party where the theme is Hollywood. Logan's there with another girl, but he's miserable. He feigns disinterest in Rory, but Colin knows better. Logan and Rory share a dance and a kiss; Rory backs away and they argue about commitment, or lack thereof. As Rory leaves, Logan decides he wants Rory enough to commit to her and devises a plan to get her back.

Chapter 7: It's Friday night dinner! Rory grudgingly tells her grandparents that she broke up with Dean. Emily suggests a night at the theater to get her mind off boys. Rory agrees, and arrives the next night only to find out that Emily set her up! Not realizing that they already have a history, Emily sends Logan and Rory to New York for the weekend.

Chapter 8: Meeting Colin and Finn in New York, the gang sees "Wicked," then goes on a midnight run for snacks and movies to have a Rory-approved movie marathon in the hotel. Colin and Finn tease Logan about making a move on Rory, though Logan explains that they're not really on great terms and he'd be foolish to try just yet. They all fall asleep by the second movie. Colin and Finn are splayed out on each of the beds in one room, so Logan and Rory are forced to take the king bed in the adjoining room. (I know, I know, only in fic-land.) They reluctantly share the bed, but in the morning they somehow wake up in each others' arms. They share some tender moments before Finn bangs on the door, requesting aspirin for a hung-over Colin.

Chapter 9: We open with Babette and Miss Patty gossiping about Logan and Rory. Dean overhears just enough to realize that Logan and Rory broke up, but misses the part where Logan and Rory are spending the night together. Meanwhile, Logan and Rory share the perfect day in New York, with the day tailored to Rory's interests. After ending the day with dinner at Luke's, they have a discussion about where they stand. Rory reluctantly says she'll give Logan a chance. They make a bet on whether or not Rory will like the band that he's taking her to see; if she likes them, then she has to spend the night (platonically) with Logan for a week. If she doesn't like them, Logan has to mow her lawn for a month. Of course, tricky Logan takes her to see Hep Alien, so she has no choice but to love them. She unexpectedly runs into Dean at the concert. Dean asks if they can be friends, and Rory warily accepts, admitting that if she ran into him at the Winter Carnival she wouldn't run in the other direction.

Chapter 10: Rory wakes up next to Logan a bit confused until she remembers the bet. She also remembers that she let him kiss her at the concert and proceeds to freak out. She tells him that they need to halt the physical aspect of their relationship to make sure that they are more than just sexual attraction. Logan reluctantly agrees. Much banter later (including two original Lorelai Limericks) the gang meets up at Luke's where Finn tries again to hit on Lane. Kirk provides a few laughs. Rory and Logan are doing well and making progress until Rory sees him with another woman.

Chapter 11: Rory vents to Paris about her situation with Logan. Logan asks Paris what's going on with Rory. She tells him and he explains that the mystery woman was his sister. Meanwhile, Rory goes to the Winter Carnival and ends up hanging out with Clara and Dean. Rory unexpectedly runs into Colin and Finn and tells them she's mad at them by extension. Later, Logan show up and tries to explain, but Rory won't listen. She goes back to hang out with Dean and drowns her sorrows in some of Patty's punch. Clara goes off with her friends, and Dean tries to put the moves on Rory despite her protestations. Finn walks over and gallantly rescues Rory. They guys show up behind him and Rory goes off with them, leaving Dean and Logan to have another confrontation, this time with Logan giving him some pretty clear warnings to stay away from Rory. Logan finally manages to explain to Rory about Honor.

Chapter 12: Logan informs Rory that he will be spending the night in Paris, so if she wants to fulfill the bet, she has to come with him. They spend a lovely day in Paris drinking coffee at the cafés, buying books by the river, dining, and generally having a marvelous time. When it comes time to check into the hotel, however, there's a catch. Logan always stays at this perfect place, but the owners have ideas about unmarried men and women staying together. Logan buys them some wedding bands and an engagement ring in order to pretend to be married. From the moment they check into the hotel, there is a new underlying tension brewing between them. The sexual tension intensifies through dinner and clubbing until finally they give into their desires.

Chapter 13: The morning after scene! Well, more like the morning, mid-day, and afternoon scene. They handle sex with the same wit and emotion as everything else since Logan decided to be a commit-able guy. They stay an extra day in Paris before heading back to school on Monday. Logan and Rory come back to her dorm room and drop off their stuff. They…um… spend some quality time together, after which Logan goes to the common room to fetch water for Rory… in his underwear. He runs into Doyle who is dressed in Paris's robe and holds an entire conversation with Doyle in his boxers. When Logan returns to Rory's room, Paris comes out and Doyle tells her that Rory and Logan must have eloped because Logan was wearing a wedding ring. Paris won't believe him and makes some ridiculous excuse to check Rory's hands. She wonders aloud if Richard and Emily know about this supposed elopement. Rory calls Lorelai to give her an update on her love life and Lorelai demands to meet and hang out with Logan. They decide to throw an Unbirthday Party at the inn so Yalies and Stars Hollow folk can mix.

Part of Chapter 13 we're about to continue:

"Oh – I almost forgot," Rory said, stepping away and pulling the rings off of her finger. She tried to ignore the twinge of regret as she spoke. "Here you go," she said, holding out her hand with the rings sitting in her palm.

Logan looked down at the rings, making a split-second decision that he hoped he wouldn't regret. "Why don't you hold onto them," Logan said, folding her hand closed. "You know, as a keepsake of the weekend." Rory smiled, and he got an idea. "In fact, wear them to dinner tonight; I think we should wear them long enough to see the look on Colin's face, don't you agree?" he said mischievously.

Rory smiled back. "Forget Colin; I can't wait to see Steph's face! You should have heard her speech about how there was a line to get to you. Someone better be there to catch her if she thinks you've been gotten for life!"

"Maybe I have," Logan said with a wink. "Later, Ace."


CHAPTER 14: LORD AND LADY OF THE RINGS


Logan and Rory walked into the pub and looked around for the crew. They didn't have to look very long; certain voices were distinct among the crowd.

"Hello love, what's your name?"

"Finn, for the last time, it's Stephanie. Ste-pha-nie! You have known me for years. You need to find new people to hit on. Do I need to cut you off?"

Rory and Logan shared a grin and headed toward their table.

"That is blasphemy and you know it. You never ever separate me from a pint, you got it?"

"I dunno, man," Colin interjected. "I mean, how many of me are you seeing right now?"

"Two, which is four less than I was seeing an hour ago, so we're fine," Finn explained rationally.

"Hey, guys," Logan said, sauntering up behind them, hands in his pockets. "What's up?"

"We've been at the pub for two hours, what do you think is up?"

"Your blood alcohol level?" Rory offered from beside Logan.

"Well, look who it is!" Finn said, turning around. "I knew those two crazy kids would get back together," Finn said. "I mean it. They've got chemistry, and like I always say, where there's smoke, there's a fire!"

"No," Colin refuted. "Where there's smoke, there's you holding the matches!"

Everyone laughed. "Touché," Finn admitted.

"Ok, it's my shout," Colin said, scooting back his chair to make a trip to the bar. "Who needs a drink?"

"A drink?" Logan asked, watching Colin sway a bit as he tried to stand up.

"Yeah, you know, alcohol. The great social lubricant. Makes white people dance and what not," Colin said dryly.

Logan smiled and shook his head. "The usual."

"Double scotch on the rocks, got it. And for the lady?" he asked.

"Give me two piña coladas; I need one for each hand," Rory said with a smirk.

"Ok," Colin said. He walked over to the bar.

"No, Colin, I was kidding!" Rory called after him hopelessly. She hurried after Colin.

Finn noticed Logan was still standing. "Sit, sit, tell me all about gay Paree," he said, gesturing to Colin's now-empty seat.

Logan sat down. "Well, what can I say? We had fun," Logan said, not revealing anything. He glanced across the room at Rory who was waving her hands about as she explained to the bartender.

"I'll say," Stephanie said, noticing the unconscious smile that came over his face as he watched Rory. "So let's get to the important stuff: what did you buy me?" she asked matter-of-factly.

Logan laughed and turned his attention back to the table. "You know, with all there is to do in Paris, somehow souvenir shopping slipped my mind," Logan said. "And besides, aren't you going this summer?"

"That doesn't matter! You guys all got to go to New York together while I had to rot at my grandparents' in the Vineyard. The least you could do is buy me a trinket. Or a small Picasso. I'm not picky."

"Oh, Logan's very good with the trinkets," Rory said as she and Colin returned to the table. Colin set down the drinks in his hand and pulled a nearby chair up to the table. Rory perched on Logan's lap as they shared a secret grin. Logan gave an imperceptible wink to Rory as she pretended to casually scratch her nose with her left hand.

"Oh my God!" Stephanie shrieked.

"What?" Logan asked innocently, yawning. He happened to cover his yawn with his left hand.

"Oh my God!" Finn and Colin chorused.

"No fucking way! Are you serious?" Colin asked incredulously.

"I'm sorry, but I do have jet lag," Logan explained.

"And my nose really itches," Rory offered helpfully.

"Shut up! Did you guys elope?" Stephanie asked. "I can't believe it. There went the line. I mean, it was an unbe-fuckin-lievably long line, and you just demolished it. Unless this was like a Britney Spears wedding? Cuz then it won't really count."

"Or a Ross and Rachel," Colin said.

"No," Finn said in a rare moment of clarity, "Ross and Rachel were drunk. Ross didn't go out and buy a freaking ring. Well, not 'til another season, anyway, and that's another story entirely. I can't believe you didn't tell us! This is so uncool. I was hoping to be a best man, man."

Logan didn't respond. Instead, he tapped Rory on the shoulder. "Was that good for you? Cuz it was good for me," Logan said to Rory. She merely grinned back at him as he slid his arms back around her waist.

"Excuse me?" Stephanie said.

"Allow me to translate," Rory said. "The wedding was more of a J-Lo affair."

"As in…" Colin said, confused.

"As in it was fake," Logan said. "Gotcha!"

"Oh my God, you nearly gave me a heart attack," Finn said.

"Wow. And I was just about to ask if Rory was pregnant!" Stephanie said to Colin.

"Steph!" Rory exclaimed, shocked.

"Rory wouldn't have been pregnant," Colin snorted.

"Why not?" Stephanie demanded.

"Because," Colin said simply, "they haven't had sex yet."

"Oh my God," Rory said to herself, putting one hand over her now red face as she tried to shrink down to nothing.

"How do you know they haven't had sex yet?" Stephanie asked.

"Because he would have told us," Colin explained. "Right?" he asked Logan.

"Right," confirmed Finn, not even giving Logan a chance to answer.

"Ok, um, joke's over, let's just let it go, ok?" Logan said, finally regaining control of the conversation.

"Are you blushing?" Finn asked, looking closely at Logan. "He's blushing!" he crowed.

"Oh, they totally did it," Colin said.

"Hey, look, a beer. You love beer," Rory said, pushing Colin's drink toward him, trying to distract him.

There was a moment of silence as Stephanie, Colin, and Finn looked at Rory and Logan with knowing smiles. Rory looked everywhere in the room to avoid meeting their gazes and Logan chose to try to stare them down. Finally, Stephanie began to giggle. She was soon joined by Finn, and then, surprisingly, Colin. At that moment, their entire table erupted in laughter.

Rory clutched her stomach as she laughed. She playfully hit Logan on the arm.

"What?" he asked, rubbing his arm as if it actually hurt.

"You were going to tell them?" Rory asked, pretending annoyance.

"What? No! No, I mean, obviously, I didn't tell them!" he said defensively, pulling her closer into him and trying his damnedest to look innocent. The others paused as they took in what he was saying.

"Ha ha! You just did!" Stephanie shrieked. They all collapsed in a fit of giggles again. Rory's face turned beet red.

"Hey, ok, so, new topic," she suggested as the second round of laughter died down.

"Ok, what's up," Logan said, calming down a bit.

"My mom wants you to meet everyone in Stars Hollow," Rory said.

"What, the entire town?" Logan asked, taking a sip of his drink.

"No," Rory said, nudging his shoulder. "Just the important people. Actually, my mom wanted to hang out with you, you know, you being the new boyfriend and all, but word gets around pretty quick in my little corner of the world, so if you came over for a movie night pretty soon Babette and Miss Patty would be knocking down the door with one excuse or another and the house would fill up faster than… than… well, than something that fills up really fast. So anyway, what once was going to be a Hitchcock marathon is now an Unbirthday Party," she finished.

"Hold on, love. Are you saying that there's going to be a party, and we're not invited?" Finn said. "I'm hurt!" he said, grabbing his heart.

"Of course you're invited!" Rory said quickly. "I mean, I don't know if it's gonna be… um… your scene, but I guarantee that it will be as crazy as one of your LDB events… just a different kind of crazy."

"Oh we're in; right, everyone?" Colin asked. They nodded in agreement. "So tell us more about this – what was it, Unbirthday Party?"

"Well, I believe it's going to have an Alice in Wonderland theme, though Lord knows what Sookie and my mom will cook up," Rory said.

"Who's Sookie?" Stephanie asked.

"She's my mom's best friend and business partner. They run an inn together. The party's actually going to be held at the Dragonfly Inn," she explained.

"Cool!" Stephanie said, genuinely excited.

"I have one word," Finn announced. Everyone looked at him expectantly.

"Karaoke!" he cried.

"Oh no!" Rory and Colin moaned while Stephanie and Logan simultaneously shouted "Yes!"

"Aw, come on Ace, what do you have against karaoke?" Logan cajoled.

"Let's just say I've had bad experiences with it," Rory said.

"Oh please, how bad can they be?" Logan said dismissively.

"Hey, you try being forced to sing 'Baby Face' sans the 'baby's at your dad's girlfriend's baby shower and tell me you wouldn't be scarred for life."

"Well, this is different," Logan said simply.

"How so?"

"Because Finn will be there," Logan said. Finn nodded in acknowledgement.

Rory looked at Finn, then back at Logan. "What makes that so different?"

"Because you have to look at it this way: no matter how embarrassing you may behave, there's a good chance that Finn will embarrass himself even more."

They laughed. "No, seriously, it's true, love. And I'm damn proud of it!" Finn said.

Rory rolled her eyes. "Well, just don't expect me to sing," she said.

"Oh, I bet we could get you to do one teeny tiny song," Stephanie said, an evil gleam in her eye.

"Maybe…but only if it's a group thing!" Rory disclaimed.

"That's ok. You know anything by the Bangles?" Stephanie asked.

Rory's eyes widened. "You know, I think we're going to get along just fine," she said, lifting her glass. "Cheers!"


"Mom? Hello? Anyone home?" Rory called, walking through her front door.

"Kitchen!" Lorelai called.

Rory dropped her stuff by the door and walked to the kitchen.

"Hey," she said, sitting down at the kitchen table.

"Hey kiddo, whatcha doin' home on a Wednesday?" Lorelai asked, offering Rory a bottle of water.

Rory took it and gave Lorelai a big cheesy grin. "I love you and miss you and need to see you in person?"

"Yeah, and that's Donald Trump's real hair," Lorelai scoffed.

"Ok, fine, so there is a distinct possibility that I need to do laundry," Rory admitted.

"Ha ha! I knew it," Lorelai crowed. "You caved so easily. I didn't even get to do my Omarosa impression," she pouted.

Rory rolled her eyes. "I'm sure there will be plenty of opportunities in the near future. Is the washer free?"

"No, I've got a load of toe socks and slutty underwear in there right now," Lorelai said.

Rory just looked at her.

"Ok, it's empty. But theoretically I could have had a load of toe socks and slutty underwear in there," Lorelai pointed out.

"Advance notice would be appreciated. Got it," Rory said. She went to put her first load in.

"So do you have a guest list yet?" Lorelai asked when Rory returned.

"Oh yeah," Rory said, pulling a piece of paper out of her purse. "Ok, let's see: I've got Paris and Doyle, Marty, Colin, Finn, Stephanie, Robert - "

"Whoa whoa whoa. Robert-you-went-on-a-date-with Robert?" Lorelai asked.

"Yes, Robert-I-went-on-a-date-with Robert. It's ok, we're all friends," Rory said.

"Quite an incestuous little circle you've got going on there," Lorelai said.

"Please," Rory said.

"Ok. Please tell me you don't plan on dating all of them before the year is out," Lorelai amended.

"You're impossible," Rory said, smiling as she shook her head. "Here's the complete list."

Lorelai took the list. "Great. Hey, did I tell you that Sookie's planning all these cute little English biscuits with 'eat me' written on them?"

"No, you didn't. I can only imagine!" Rory said, shaking her head.

"Yeah, and there will be little vials of drinks that will have little 'drink me' labels on them. We were thinking we could drop a lil' watered-down Patty Punch in them."

"Great idea! Just make sure there's a limit, because Finn – you remember meeting him, right?"

"And how!" Lorelai said. "Alas, too young, but if Luke ever leaves me I could go for some Aussie lovin'. He'd be like my own little slice of Heath Ledger. Or Hugh Jackman. Yeah, I'm sticking with Hugh Jackman."

"Mom!" Rory protested.

Lorelai held a hand up. "Sorry, sorry. You were saying?"

Rory tried to wipe the image of her mother and Finn out of her head. "I was saying that Finn drinks like a fish, so there's gotta be a limit to how much he can imbibe. I don't think he'll understand the power that Patty's Punch packs."

"Ok, did you plan that alliteration?" Lorelai asked warily.

"No, I'm just brilliant," Rory said, getting up and kissing her mother on the head. "I'm gonna go surprise Lane at the diner. Meet you there for supper?"

"Sure thing, sweets. See ya."


"Rory!" Lane squealed. "You're here in the middle of the week!"

"I know!" Rory said.

"Hey, Luke? Rory's here. I'm taking my 15," Lane said, untying her apron.

"Rory's here?" Luke said, popping his head around from the kitchen. "Hey, Rory!"

"Hi, Luke," Rory said with a wave.

"How's school?" he asked, wiping his hands on a dishrag.

"Oh, you know," Rory said breezily. "Hard."

"Well I guess it's supposed to be," Luke said. He lifted the lid of the donut display. "Here, take a muffin," he offered.

"Thanks, Luke," Rory said, graciously accepting the proffered muffin as well as the coffee to go that he handed her. She reached for her purse and Luke waved her away.

"It's on me," Luke said.

"Thanks!" Rory said.

"Come on, let's go, I only have 14 minutes now," Lane said, grabbing Rory's elbow and leading her out of the diner.

"What was that all about?" Rory asked.

"What was what all about?" Lane said.

"Free coffee and muffins? Luke is not known for giving out free food unless Kirk has argued with him for over 45 minutes over the price of toast."

"I think he still feels bad for you about the whole Dean thing," Lane said, shrugging.

"Oh," Rory said, looking down. "Well… it's sweet of him to care," she said.

"Well of course he cares, he's Luke!" Lane said.

Rory grinned. "That's true. So what's new?"

"Nothing much," Lane sighed. "We're still playing local gigs, but we're finding less and less time to practice now that Brian's job is getting more involved."

"Bummer," Rory said sympathetically.

"But, on the plus side, Zach has now managed to remember to add the necessary girl items to the weekly grocery list," Lane said.

"That's good," Rory grinned. "How's things with Zach?"

"They're good. Too bad he's not getting any until we get married. I almost feel sorry for him."

"Do you think you'll get married? To Zach, I mean?" Rory asked.

"I don't know," Lane said thoughtfully. "I mean, you could say that he's my first real boyfriend. I mean, Henry didn't count because we didn't actually get to go on any real dates, and Dave sort of counts because we kissed and dated on the sly, but it didn't last very long since he went to college. But I guess I could see myself married to Zach. I mean, we're already living together."

"True, true," Rory said.

"So what's new with you?" Lane said encouragingly.

Rory smiled wryly. "How long have you got?"

Lane quickly checked her watch. "Ten minutes, but I'm sure Luke won't mind if I'm late. What's he gonna do, fire me? I'm the best – and only – waitress he's got!"

"Well, I'll try not to keep you long," Rory said. She took a deep breath. "Ok, so what was the last I told you?"

"Well, let's see," Lane said, thinking back. "Last time we really talked, Logan had randomly stopped returning your calls, but then a few weeks later you showed up at Luke's with him and his friends. That I remember, because that annoying guy was with you. What's happened since then?"

Rory smiled. "Oh boy, how can I condense it into our seven remaining minutes? I'll just hit the highlights…"


"Wow," Lane said, hand in chin, mesmerized by Rory's story. "Are you serious?"

"Completely," Rory said.

"I am so jealous!" Lane said. "I mean, normal people don't get to have their first time in a Parisian paradise. At least not people from Stars Hollow."

"Um, Lane, you do remember the whole Dean thing last year, right?"

"Well, yeah, but this was your first time with Logan. You know, you could think of it as a do-over. I mean…" Lane looked around to make sure nobody was whispering. "How was he? Was it better with him than it was with Dean?"

Rory blushed.

"Come on, Rory! You've got to remember that I'm living sexually vicariously through you here."

"With Logan… with Logan it's different than it was with Dean," Rory said, not sure how to explain it. "With Dean it seemed comfortable at first, but then it started feeling wrong, and then I felt guilty, and near the end it was basically miserable. With Logan, though…" Rory trailed off as she remembered the weekend. "Logan may be more experienced than Dean, but with Dean it seemed like he was going through the motions, and with Logan, it was like we were the only people in the universe at that moment."

"Oh my God, that's beautiful," Lane sighed.

"Yeah, but the thing is, now I don't know what to do about the ring situation."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, we agreed to keep them as keepsakes of the weekend and we decided to wear them to dinner when we got back in order to play a trick on his friends, but now it's this big awkward thing and I don't know if I'm supposed to keep them on or take them off."

"Well you're not wearing them now," Lane pointed out.

"I know, but can you imagine walking into my mom's house dripping with diamonds? She'd freak!"

"Speaking of which, why haven't you told her all this?" Lane asked.

"I don't know. I know I'm supposed to be honest with her, and I want to be, but the whole Dean situation was so embarrassing, and I don't know that I really want to share sexual details about my life with her."

"I'm sure she'd understand."

"Probably, but I'm just not ready to try yet," Rory said.

"So do you have them now?" Lane asked.

"Yeah, I just put them in my pocket; here," Rory said, pulling the rings from her pocket.

"Holy crap," Lane said, picking up the ring off the table. "That is the most gorgeous ring I've ever seen!"

"I know," Rory said, feeling her face get warm again. "If I had to choose from any ring in the world, I think I would have chosen that one. It amazes me that he knew exactly what to pick given that we haven't known each other that long and we've been dating for even a shorter amount of time."

"I suppose…" Lane said. "But maybe it's that he sees you."

"What do you mean?" Rory asked.

"Well, I don't know that Dean, or Jess, ever really saw you, you know? But Logan, this society guy, could have his pick of any girl, but he chose you. That's what makes it so cool," Lane said, handing the ring back to Rory.

"I never thought of that," Rory said softly. She shook her head to clear her thoughts. "But back to the issue at hand: what am I supposed to do? I mean, this was a fake marriage, it was just a ploy to stay at his favorite hotel, and for all intents and purposes these rings should be sitting in my jewelry box at the dorm," Rory said, nervously running a hand through her hair.

"Well…why aren't they?" Lane asked simply.

"I don't know!" Rory said helplessly. "After dinner Monday night, I left before everyone else because I needed to finish my homework, and Logan came over later and fell asleep at my place and we still had the rings on, and we didn't have any classes together yesterday and we promised to spend last night apart because we keep getting…um… distracted from homework, and I haven't seen him yet today. So basically, the last time I saw him was when we woke up yesterday morning, and we still had the rings on, but I guess I should assume that he took his off when he got back to his room. What do you think?"

"I think my break is over," Lane said, getting up. Rory slipped the rings back into her pocket and they walked back to Luke's.

"So let me ask you something," Lane said.

"What?"

"Have you worn the rings this whole time?" Lane asked.

"Yeah," Rory said sheepishly.

"Interesting," Lane commented.

"It is interesting," Rory said impatiently, "but what am I supposed to do with them?"

"I dunno. Maybe you could call one of his friends and ask them if he's still wearing his. Then maybe you can follow his lead. Are there any other people you plan on surprising with a fake elopement?" Lane asked.

"No!" Rory laughed. "At least not that I'm aware of. That's a good idea, though. I'll call someone on the way home. Thanks, Lane."

"No probs. See ya!"

"See ya!"


Rory scrolled through her phone book on her cell as she sat at Stars Hollows' only stoplight. Who to call, who to call… Rory grinned as she noticed Finn's number complete with a misspelled name. No surprise there; he was half-drunk when they passed her phone around the table to enter their numbers. Finn probably wouldn't remember, so she scrolled past his name. She wasn't quite comfortable asking Colin those kinds of questions yet; she still considered him a bit acerbic for her tastes. Aha! Stephanie! She might have enough girl loyalty to not tell Logan what Rory was asking. Besides, anyone who shared aspects of Rory's pop culture upbringing had definite friend possibilities.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Steph, it's Rory."

"Oh, hi, Rory! I'm sorry, did we have plans? I don't remember agreeing to anything, but then again, that never seems to absolve me from blame."

Rory laughed a little. "No, no, we didn't have plans. I was actually calling to ask you a question. It's rather embarrassing, but I'm going out on a trust limb here."

"Okay, shoot."

"Have you seen Logan recently? Like yesterday or today?"

"Sure," Steph said, sounding puzzled. "We had lunch today. Why, did he stand you up? Cuz if he did, I'll beat the crap out of him. I figure it's high time he learns how to be a boyfriend, even if we're still adjusting to the fact."

Rory grinned. "No, nothing like that. I was just wondering… you know how we wore those wedding rings as a joke?"

"Yeah, some joke. I nearly had a heart attack, and I thought Colin would shit his pants."

"Wow…um…yeah, so anyway, I was just curious…was Logan still wearing his today?"

"You know, actually, he was. I didn't know if you guys were planning on messing with other people's heads, but I asked Logan about it and he went all weird on me and said he just forgot to take it off. Personally, I thought that was a load of crap since you would think he'd take it off in the shower, but then I decided I didn't want to think of Logan in the shower and I promptly forgot about it."

Rory thought about it. "Ok. Well…thanks."

"No problem. Is the party still on for Saturday?"

"Yeah, my mom's got some crazy ideas for decorations, and Sookie's going all out with the food. I think it's really going to be fun."

"Awesome. You did tell her about karaoke, right? Because you know Finn will be singing whether or not you have it."

Rory snickered. "Yeah, I told her. She thought it was a great idea."

"Cool. Well, I gotta go, I'm late for dinner with my roommate."

"Ok, see ya," Rory said.

"Bye."

Rory hung up her phone. Very interesting. Very interesting indeed.


Logan looked up from his laptop when he heard a knock at his bedroom door.

"Yeah?" he called out, still reclined on his bed.

"You have a visitor," Lanny said, opening the door.

"Thanks," Rory said, walking in and shutting the door behind her. She shrugged off her jacket and draped it on his desk chair.

"Hey you," Logan said, closing the lid of his laptop and setting it aside. He grinned when Rory walked over and sat down on the edge of his bed.

"Hey, long time no see," Rory said quietly, a small smile on her face.

"Long time no see? Two days and that's the best greeting you can come up with?" Logan pouted.

"Beats 'hey you,'" Rory pointed out.

"Well I can think of a better hello than that," Logan said mischievously. Rory yelped as he grabbed her arm, sending her toppling over him.

"Hi," he whispered, cupping her face in his hands and kissing her passionately. Rory moaned and shifted on top of him, making herself more comfortable. They rolled so that Logan was hovering over Rory, their legs tangled up together. He kissed her several times in succession, finally pulling away slowly, capturing her bottom lip with his lips. Rory opened her eyes and was amazed to find herself breathless.

"Better?" he whispered, tucking some wayward hairs behind her ear.

"Much," she breathed. She closed her eyes and laid her head between his shoulder and neck. "So…" she said, sliding one arm across his chest. "I hear you don't want a divorce," she said teasingly.

"Oh yeah?" Logan said.

"Yeah. A little birdie told me that you were having trouble letting go."

Logan chuckled. "What can I say. I thought I'd skip boyfriend and cruise straight to husband."

Rory smiled against his chest. "Aww. My little overachiever."

"Yeah, I guess I forgot to take it off until Steph noticed it lunch – hey, that's your source, isn't it?" Logan said suspiciously.

"I'm sorry, I'm not at liberty to disclose my sources at this time," Rory said.

"Right," Logan said dryly. "Well, anyway, no need to worry, I have officially retired it to my safe."

"Your safe?" Rory asked, opening her eyes to look at him.

"Yeah, you know, that metal box that contains all important documents and valuables. The oh-so-important box that locks so my roommate cannot snoop. I mean, not that I don't trust Lanny, but he's got some sketchy friends."

"I see," Rory said, smiling to herself.

"And how about you, Ace?"

"Me?" Rory asked.

"Yes, you," Logan said, lifting her left hand to find it naked. "What became of your rings?"

"I gave them to Paris," she deadpanned. "She thought she could work them into one of her pieces from her craft corner."

"Very funny," Logan said wryly. He waited for Rory to take it back, but she didn't. "Seriously?" he asked.

"No, not seriously," Rory said, giving in. "I keep them close," she said mysteriously.

"How close?" Logan asked.

"Pretty close," Rory said, reaching underneath the top of her shirt to pull out a necklace. The rings hung on a simple chain.

"Hey, look at that," Logan said, reaching over and fingering the rings.

"Yeah, check out my frosting," Rory said.

"I'm sorry – your frosting?" Logan said, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm sorry, sometimes I forget you're not my mother. There are references you will never get, so don't even try," Rory sighed.

"All I can say is if you're still confusing me with your mother, I must be doing something wrong," Logan said, shaking his head.

"Well, let's see if we can't fix that," Rory said, reaching across him to turn off the light.

"I like the way you think, Ace. I like the way you think," Logan said, pulling the covers over them.


So there you go! This ended up being more of a set up chapter for the chapters to come. I was going to go ahead and put the party in this one, but it was getting too long. So… next time, on The Fortune Cookie's Always Right: Lorelai throws an Unbirthday Party to allow Rory's Yale friends to meet her Stars Hollow friends, but what happens when some uninvited guests show up?

(Just a teaser: there will be much more banter and references, and I'm sure you can only imagine all the Stars Hollows characters – and I mean characters in the sense of whacked-out people – mixing with the Yalies. I mean, can you imagine Miss Patty battling Finn for karaoke time?) Please review and I promise to update sooner. Thank you for reading and reviewing! Y'all rock!