The Fortune Cookie's Always Right


Disclaimer: I own nothing but my imagination.

Author's Note: Sorry for the wait. I had a serious writer's block. But I'm back on track – I already know how the story's going to end! (Meanwhile, for plot recaps, see the long-ass one in Chapter 14 and the brief one in Ch. 16.) As always, check the Gilmore-isms on my profile for references.

We pick up our story at the end of the night of the fateful Unbirthday Party…


CHAPTER 17: HOLD FOR MR. HUNTZBERGER


Rory and Logan walked down the front porch steps to Finn's SUV, where the Yalies were piling in.

"You sure you don't want me to stay and help you clean up?" Logan asked Rory, pausing at the end of the driveway.

She looked through the living room window and watched as Lorelai tried to wake a sleeping Kirk who was reluctant to give up the pillow he was curled around.

"No, I think we'll be alright. Sookie's gonna clean up the kitchen and we've pretty much got the living room covered."

"Ok. Well, when she gets done with Kirk, tell your mom thanks for getting us rooms at the inn. It was really nice of her… considering…" Logan left the word hanging in the air. Considering that his parents crashed the party and created a scene, leaving the remainder of the evening awkward.

"Yeah, considering," Rory said simply.

"So… I guess I should go," Logan said carefully.

"Yeah, drive safe," Rory said, briefly kissing him and then taking a step back, hugging herself in the cold.

"Are we ok?" Logan said, gesturing to the space between them.

"Yeah…yeah… of course," Rory said. "I just have a lot of explaining to do to my mom," she said.

"Explaining about… how much you love me?" Logan said with a cheeky grin.

Rory rolled her eyes. "I think a better place to start would be 'wherethehelldidyougetthoserings and whywouldpeoplethinkyou'refalselyengagedbeforeIwouldsuspectyou'refalselyengaged,Ishouldbethefirsttoeveraccuseyouofanything'," she said wryly.

Logan paused, absorbing the Gilmore stream-of-consciousness. He waited a beat. "And then you'd get into how much you love me?"

"Go home, you idiot," she said, pushing him against the car and grinning.

Logan leaned against the car and took a deep breath. "So, you know all that stuff about… about what I said about Vegas, that was just bullshit. You know that, right?"

Logan didn't notice Rory's face fall momentarily before she put an indifferent look on it.

"Yeah, I mean, I figured that was just your rebellious heir streak rearing its ugly head," Rory said nonchalantly.

"Ok, good," he said, visibly relieved. "Cuz, you know, it's one thing to drop the three-little-word bomb, but quite another to seriously consider getting married by an Elvis impersonator," Logan said with a grin. "You know," he said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, "that's the first time I've ever said the L-word to a girl and meant it. I'm very proud of myself."

Rory rolled her eyes. "Congratulations, Casanova. I'll be sure to throw a party in your honor."

"You do that," Logan smirked.

Rory gave him a wry smile.

"Alright, glad we cleared that up," Logan said, slipping his hands in his pockets and easing off the limo where he was leaning.

"Yep, all clear," Rory said, nodding her head. "You should probably go, everyone's waiting," she said, gesturing to the limo.

"I will as soon as I get a proper good night kiss," Logan said, sliding his arms around Rory's waist.

"So demanding," she teased as Logan's head bowed to hers.

"Ain't it always the way," Logan murmured, hovering over her lips before closing the space between them. Logan made sure it was a proper good night kiss indeed; he wasted no time in deepening the kiss, threading a hand through her hair and coaxing open her lips. Rory yielded to the kiss, opening her mouth and allowing his tongue entrance, pushing all hesitations and doubts out of her mind. She kissed him back with equal ferocity and passion, causing Logan to moan when she stood on tiptoes to battle for control.

"Oy, are you two gonna make out all night long? The door's open and we're freezing!" Finn whined. "I bet Robert's car has already got there, and we'll be left with the crap rooms!"

Stephanie giggled. "Yeah, as anxious as we all are for the Huntzberger heir to procreate, we're not too keen on first-hand observation."

"Come on now, let's not be too hasty. I don't know about you guys, but I'm enjoying the free show. Skinemax has nothing on these two. Bomb-chic-a-bow-wow!" sang Colin in a poor imitation of porn music.

Rory flushed as Logan slowly lowered her so her feet were once again flat on the ground. They pulled apart, still staring into each other's eyes.

"Buzzkill," Logan directed at his friends, never taking his eyes off of Rory. He winked, and Rory wondered just what exactly it was about Logan's winks that was so damn sexy. She had a brief flash of all the other girls Logan had probably said 'I love you' to when he slept with them. She shoved the thought out of her mind.

"Later, Ace," he said, planting one last kiss on her lips. He turned around and let Finn toss him the keys as he slid in the driver's seat.

"Come on, Loverboy. There will be other times for your sexcapades," Finn said. "Goodnight, love! Fabulous party!" Finn called out the window as they drove away.

Rory waved goodbye until the car turned the corner, then sighed and trudged inside to face the Inquisition.


"So, quite the little soiree, hm?" Lorelai said, tossing some paper cups into a trash bag.

"You can say that again," Rory said nervously, following Lorelai around the room and picking up paper plates to add to her trash bag. "Where's Kirk?" she asked.

"Oh, he went out the back door… I guess you didn't see him. He was having another one of his nightmares. When I woke him up he shouted, 'I want the purple carrots' and then 'on with their heads… on, dammit!'"

"Oh," Rory said, as if it were nothing out of the ordinary.

Lorelai wasted no time in getting right down to it. "So… wanna tell Mommy a goodnight story?"

Rory sighed. "Ok, well, I mean, it's not really that big of a deal."

Lorelai raised her eyebrows.

"So… Logan and I took that trip to Paris, right?"

"Right," Lorelai said slowly.

"Ok, well, um, so we were having a really fun day, but it started to get late and I was all jet-laggy, and Logan said there's this great hotel that he loves to stay at when he's in Paris. The thing about this hotel was, apparently he only stayed there with family or friends or something, because it's a family-owned hotel and the proprietors do not give out rooms to the unwed."

"Their prerogative," Lorelai allowed.

"Yeah, I suppose so. So… um… it'd look pretty fishy if we registered at the front desk as Mr. and Mrs. John Doe sans any proof, right? Kinda sleazy in a high class way. So this whole conversation about the hotel happened in a department store, or maybe in the cab, I don't remember, but anyway I went to go get some pajamas and a toothbrush while Logan went to the men's department to get his stuff, and when we met back up, he had bought this set of a diamond engagement ring and two wedding bands to make us look more convincing."

Rory took a deep breath while Lorelai let it all sink in.

"So anyway, it started out as a thing so we could stay at this amazing hotel, but it turned into a running joke, and since it was awkward trying to give them back to Logan – I mean, it's not like he could really return them – I put mine on a chain and converted them into a necklace."

"Ok… I think I understand," Lorelai said slowly. "No, I take that back. I don't understand. So you have these souvenir rings that you're keeping for…sentimental value?" Lorelai paused long enough for Rory to nod in agreement. "Alright, so you have frosting… what did Logan do with his?"

Rory grinned at her mom making the exact same reference that she had used with Logan. "He put it in a safe or something."

"A lockbox?" Lorelai said, a gleam in her eye.

Rory rolled her eyes at the way ancient reference. "Yeah, lockbox."

"Alright." Lorelai set her garbage bag down and sat down on the now-clean couch. "So what was with the interrogation?"

Rory winced and sat down next to Lorelai. "Well, we brought the rings out of retirement for one night to play a trick on Colin and Steph and Finn at the pub. We got them pretty good and then just had a normal rest of the evening. I had no idea that a son of a son of-"

"A sailor?" Lorelai offered. Rory glared at her. "I'm sorry, was that not an insert-Jimmy-Buffett-reference-here moment?"

Rory sighed. "Yes, well done, Mother. Like I said, we had no idea that anybody else saw. I can't imagine what would have happened had it gone any further."

"What, like, what if the papers found out?" Lorelai said, raising an eyebrow. "Oh my God, Paris Hilton would be soooo mad at you for taking her front page spot."

"I doubt it would make it above the fold… hey, you're mocking me," Rory pouted.

"Sorry, hun. It's just… the whole thing seems so blown out of proportion. Although, I gotta say, I'm having a hard time psychologically deconstructing Logan's thinking here."

"What do you mean?" Rory asked.

"Well, what exactly made him buy those rings in the first place? I mean, granted, it was for his so-called favorite hotel, but there are a million other places to stay in Paris. And Mr. American Express Black could afford any one of them."

"Yeah, I guess."

"And," Lorelai continued, "don't take this the wrong way, but he has such a history of being an anti-commitment kind of guy that even a pretense of marriage seems like enough to make him freak the hell out."

"Yeah, about that…" Rory said, looking down at her hands.

"What?" Lorelai asked, part concerned and part freaking out herself.

"He said he loves me," Rory said unhappily.

Lorelai looked at her. "Ok, um, correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that a good thing? Or did he say it in the heat of passion, in a moment of weakness, in-"

Rory held up her hand. "Please don't continue that thought." Lorelai promptly shut her mouth. "He said it after that big argument with his parents, and I'm pretty sure he was serious." She decided to leave out the part about his impulsive proposal and later retraction.

"Well he did seem rather adamant about it with his parents. Hell, even I agreed with Babbette's 'atta boy.'"

"I know. It's a good thing," Rory said unconvincingly.

Lorelai looked at Rory for a moment. "Did you say it back?"

"No," Rory mumbled, looking down and playing with her hem. "But the timing wasn't right, or at least the mood, and with the party and everything… I didn't really have a chance."

Lorelai looked surprised. "Do you love him?" she asked cautiously.

"I do… well, at least I think I do. I mean, you know me, Mom. It takes longer for me to know whether or not I love someone. I knew I loved Dean when we were dating the first time, but it took a long time for me to realize it and actually say it back and it was no big deal for him. I loved Jess, or at least, I thought I loved Jess, but he was so distanced and guarded that I never knew what he thought or if he really loved me back. I mean, remember the last time I saw him, when he came to my dorm and asked me to come away with him? He said he'd changed, but how could I be sure?"

"Yeah, but that doesn't really answer the question now, does it? Logan isn't Dean or Jess. He's Logan."

Rory sighed. "Yes, he is. And that's what makes him a completely different type from either Dean or Jess. Dean was the good boyfriend, the normal guy… well, at least he used to be. Jess was the bad boy with issues, and he was exciting to be with despite the angst. But Logan… Logan's this rich playboy who's never had a serious girlfriend because he's never wanted one. He's never needed one, come to think of it. Girls just throw themselves at him and he can basically have his pick of anyone he wants."

"Well doesn't that make it more special that he wants you?"

"I guess. But there's so many levels… on the one hand, I get the impression that he always knew that his parents wouldn't think I was suitable, and it was another way of rebelling, just like going out and partying with his friends and sinking yachts and having to be rescued from foreign jail cells."

Lorelai raised her eyebrows at the foreign jail cells bit, but kept her silence.

"And the other thing is that Logan likes to try new things. It's what makes him Logan… always on the chase, always searching for one more thrill, ascending new heights… and then jumping from them. What I'm really afraid of is that I'm just a novelty, and soon I'll wear off. I mean, when you think about it, we haven't really known each other that long. All of this seems new and exciting to Logan, but what happens when he gets bored? I just don't know if I'm ready to invest that much emotion in someone who has such a short attention span."

"I don't know what to tell ya, kid. I think you're just gonna have to go with your gut feeling on this one."

"I know. I mean, I'm sure he thinks he loves me, or he loves me like he loves his car, but I have a hard time believing he even knows what love is."

Lorelai frowned. "Well, there's only one thing that's going to solve this mystery." She got up and scurried out of the room, banging around in the hallway.

"What's that?" Rory called out to her.

"Aha!" Lorelai said, walking back into the room with a Magic 8 Ball. "What does 8 say?"

"Seriously?" Rory said, shaking her head.

"Seriously, come on, give it a try. Many a decision has been made based on what the all-knowing Magic 8 Ball says. Shall I wear the shirt with the rhinestone penis? Do I want to buy that Kenny G album? Should I marry Max?"

"Mom! Please tell me you didn't really ask it the last one," Rory said in horror.

"No, but I bet it would have pointed me in the right direction if I had asked it." Lorelai held it out and Rory took it.

Rory looked at the Magic 8 Ball dubiously. "What did it say about Kenny G?"

"It said 'outlook not so good.' See, I told you it worked."

"Hmm," Rory said, shaking the Magic 8 Ball and closing her eyes. "What about the rhinestone penis?" she asked, peeking at Lorelai with one eye.

"'Without a doubt'," Lorelai said, grinning and going into the kitchen.

Rory squeezed her eyes shut and formed her question in her mind: Does Logan love me?

She opened her eyes and read the Magic 8 Ball: 'Cannot predict now.'

"Stupid ball," Rory said, forcefully setting it down on the coffee table and sighing.


"Ohhhh… where am I? And where are the drugs?" Colin groaned.

"Go back to sleep, man," Logan said, sitting on a chair and putting his shoes on.

Colin sat up and looked around the room. "Seriously, dude, where am I?"

Logan grinned and shook his head. "Remember? The party? Rory's mom got us rooms at her inn so we wouldn't have to drive back to New Haven."

"Oh, right," Colin said, scratching his head. He yawned loudly. "All I remember was a breakdancing rabbit and your parents yelling." He flopped back down on his bed.

Logan's smiled faded away. "Yeah, well, you're right on both counts. The breakdancing rabbit was yet another example of the colorful characters from Rory's hometown. The yelling parents were a result of our practical joke that night at the pub."

"Huh? But they weren't there," Colin said, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Yeah, but some friend of the family told on us and Mom and Dad thought it was for real. Though I really don't see what the big deal was."

Colin looked at him incredulously. "Are you kidding, man? The big deal is that you, former playboy who never took relationships seriously, all of a sudden decided to up and turn yourself into a one-woman man. It's throwing our whole universe off balance."

"I guess so," Logan said.

"I know so. And as much as I like Rory, your former flocks of attractive girls used to come with flocks of attractive friends for me," Colin said pointedly.

Logan grinned again. "Sorry to disappoint, man. Maybe you better try getting women on your own."

"Ouch! That was a low blow, Huntzberger. A really low blow. But I'm gonna let that one pass," Colin said.

"Why's that?" Logan smirked.

"Because in order to kick your ass I'd have to get out of bed, and that's something I'm not prepared to do right now." He rolled over and promptly began snoring again.

Logan chuckled to himself and decided to go downstairs for breakfast.


"Steph, you're up! I'm surprised," Logan said, sitting down across from her at a table. She was still groggy and clutching a cup of coffee as though it were the elixir of life. Logan signaled to the waiter who brought him a menu.

"Yeah, well, so am I. Can someone tell me how I ended up in a room with Finn? The boy snores, Logan. And I'm not talking baby snores. I'm talking diesel engines here," Stephanie complained.

"Hey, don't look at me. I recall you and Finn wanting to finish a re-enactment of… let's see, what was it now… Last Tango in Paris?" Logan said innocently. "I'll have the omelet and a cup of coffee, thanks," he said to the waiter.

"Oh God. You better be kidding," Stephanie said in mortification.

Logan laughed. "Don't worry, I am. I think you were actually re-enacting Pirates of the Caribbean. Finn was both Jack Sparrow and Will Turner and you got to be Elizabeth and… um… Davy Jones, I think."

"Great," Stephanie said, rolling her eyes. "I hope I didn't sleep with him," she said, casually sipping her coffee.

"Would it be the first time?" Logan smirked.

"Whoa, personal question! Time to refocus on… you," she said, an evil gleam in her eye.

"Oh, payback's gonna be a bitch, isn't it?" Logan said, grinning.

"Most definitely. So, you and Rory seemed awful snuggly last night," Stephanie began.

"And that's unusual because?"

"Well, considering the encounter with the parental units, I sensed some drastic damage control needed to take place, and I was just surprised that you guys recovered so quickly."

"Well, we had a little talk afterwards," Logan said evasively.

"And?" Stephanie prompted.

"And I proceeded to freak out some more," he admitted, "but everything's ok now." The waiter set down a mug of coffee. "Thanks," he said, taking a sip.

Stephanie narrowed her eyes. "Why do I sense there's something you're not telling me?"

"Must be your feminine intuition," Logan said casually.

Steph just looked at him. "Look, I'm too hung over to nag, so why don't you just tell me what really happened and then I can go back to not caring."

Logan sighed. "Well, I might have told her I loved her… and then proposed…" he said in a small voice.

"What?" she screeched. She grabbed her head. "Oh man, that hurt. Ok, so back up here. Logan Huntzberger, notorious billionaire and playboy extraordinaire said 'I love you' to a girl? On purpose?"

"Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time," Logan said defensively.

"Fine fine fine, we'll get back to that part later. But proposed? I know for a fact that you did not have enough to drink to impair your judgment enough to make such a wild suggestion. I know your breaking point, and you were at least five or six drinks away from it."

"It was just a reaction to my parents. They pissed me off, you know? I mean, the one area of my life that they have never been able to control, they now decide that they can take that over as well? I don't think so," Logan said heatedly.

"Ok, so let me get this straight: you proposed marriage as a knee-jerk reaction to your overbearing parents? Come on, Logan."

"Well…" Logan said, searching for an excuse. "I dunno. It just slipped out. I mean, it wasn't a down-on-one-knee how-do-I-love-thee-let-me-count-the-ways kind of proposal."

"Well what kind was it?"

"More like a 'hey, screw my parents, let's elope in Vegas,'" Logan said sheepishly.

"Honestly, Huntz. That's sad, even for you," Stephanie said admonishingly.

"Well what can I say. It was a monumental slip. But don't worry, she didn't take me seriously. Plus, I took it back right before we left."

Stephanie gave him a 'yeah, right' look. "She didn't take you seriously? Honey, I know you think we all approach life with the same devil-may-care attitude, but Rory's different. She probably thought you were being serious."

"No way," Logan scoffed. He paused. "Really?"

"Um, yeah!" Stephanie asserted, sipping her coffee. "I can't believe you took it back," she said to herself, shaking her head.

"Well I didn't want things to get weird between us," Logan said.

"Oh, sure. I'm sure you did the right thing," Stephanie said, smirking. "I'm sure things aren't going to be weird at all, now."

Logan gave her a look but didn't say anything. He just drank his coffee, wondering what would happen next.


"What's so great about Superman?" Lorelai said randomly. She and Rory were spending the day shopping, putting real life on hold for a moment.

"You mean other than the fact that he's super?" Rory said, flipping through some dresses.

"Yeah, I mean, here's a guy who has a bunch of powers like x-ray vision or flying or repelling bullets, but he decides to run around with his underwear on the outside. He should spend some quality time on a couch."

"Hm," Rory said noncommittally. "How about this one?" she asked, holding up a tea-length grey dress.

"Very Friday night dinner," Lorelai said. Rory made a face and put it back.

"I think it's time for a lunch break," Rory declared.

"Excellent idea, offspring. Luke's or Al's?"

"Um, Luke's, I think. Today is Moroccan Tribute to Casablanca Day at Al's, and I think last time his couscous gave me diarrhea."

"Ok, too much information, CIA-Leaker-Guy."

"Sorry," Rory offered. "Luke's?"

"Luke's," Lorelai confirmed. They linked arms and exited the store.


"Ok, I'm going to shower. That is, if Finn's not in there," Stephanie said, slowly ascending the stairs.

"Like that would stop you?" Logan said, humor evident in his voice.

"Watch it, Huntz," she said, not bothering to turn around as she continued climbing. "I know too many of your dirty little secrets. You just wait."

Logan chuckled and then turned around, letting her have the last word for once. He immediately bumped into someone. "Sorry," he said automatically. He stepped back and noticed who it was.

"What are you doing here?" Dean said snidely. He had his toolbelt on and was obviously doing some sort of maintenance on Tom's behalf.

"Lorelai put us up for the night… not that I owe you any kind of explanation," Logan said, comfortably slipping his hands into his pockets.

"You know, I'm getting sick and tired of your smug ass, Richie Rich," Dean said.

"Why, I'm offended. My ass isn't smug at all," Logan said cockily, leaning against a column.

Dean took a threatening step forward and then stopped himself. "You're not good for her, you know," he said, remembering that night when his virginal Rory was engaging in… relations with this jerk.

"I don't think you're in any position to make that judgment. As I recall, you and Rory broke up," Logan said easily, though his eyes were intense, betraying his barely restrained ire.

"As did you," Dean pointed out. "And the worst part about this is that you're just using her, you're turning her into this person that she would never have been if you hadn't come along. You're gonna break her heart, and you probably don't even care," he said vehemently.

"No I'm not," Logan said, allowing the steel to creep into his voice.

"Oh no?" he sneered. "Didn't you bail the last time things got a little difficult? What if they get more difficult? What if Rory gets pregnant, did you think of that?"

"Not really, but whatever happens I'll handle it," Logan said, clearly not having thought of that, though he wasn't going to let Dean know it.

"God, I can't believe you're being so irresponsible about her," Dean said incredulously.

"Listen, buddy, you don't know the first thing about me. I care about her," Logan said angrily.

"Oh, sure. You care about her so much you're just using her for sex. What happens when you get tired of her, huh? Rory's not the kind of girl who just settles for casual sex."

"You're right, she's not," Logan said, his words full of meaning.

Dean wasn't sure what to say back. Did this guy really think that Rory was in love with him? More importantly… was she?

"Ever consider the possibility that maybe I love her?" Logan said.

"Please," Dean scoffed. "Like you'd even know how. You know, buying her fancy things is not the way to Rory's heart. You just don't get it, do you?" Dean said, shaking his head. "I heard about that whole ring thing."

Logan raised his eyebrows. Word sure travels fast in this town. Not even twelve hours.

"You don't think that messes with her head?" Dean said. "Leave her alone."

"Why should I?" Logan said, crossing his arms.

"Because if you break her heart, it won't be just me who you'll have to deal with," Dean said.

"Oh, what's that supposed to mean?" Logan sneered.

"It means that the whole town is watching you, buddy. So I'd watch my step if I were you," Dean said, satisfied.

Logan raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, I'll remember that," he said, clearly not taking Dean seriously.

Dean just regarded him. "You do that," he said, backing off and walking away.

Logan released a breath that he didn't realize he was holding. All this drama… was it really worth it?


"Rory!" Lane said excitedly, scurrying around the counter to jump on Rory the second she walked into Luke's.

"Wow, Lane, hi," Rory said, awkwardly hugging her back. "Um, I know it's been a whole twelve hours since you've seen me, but can you maybe let me breathe here?"

"Sorry," Lane said, releasing Rory and practically bouncing on the balls of her feet.

"Seriously, what's up?" Rory said, intrigued.

"This!" Lane said, holding up her left hand. A very punk-rock flavored ring was on the all-important finger.

"What? Oh my God, Lane!" Rory said excitedly. "What happened?"

"Well," Lane said, eagerly leading Rory to a table. "After the party, we went home, and Zack was pacing around the kitchen. I figured he was just making a mental grocery list, you know? Because he likes to pace."

"Ok, so there was pacing," Rory prodded.

"Yes. So he was pacing and I said that I was going to the market tomorrow, and did he have any special requests, because I know he has his favorite brand of dishwashing liquid. And he said 'marry me'!"

"That was his special request?"

"Yes!" cried Lane. "He said that seeing Logan get all defensive about his parents not dictating who he will love was very rock'n'roll, and it made him think about who he loved – which was me! – and it would rock if we got married."

"Oh my gosh," Rory said.

"I know! So he gave me his favorite ring. He promised diamonds, but I wouldn't trade it for the world," Lane said, looking down lovingly at her hand.

Rory started tearing up. "Oh, Lane. I'm so happy for you!" she gave Lane a hug.

"Thanks. I'm pretty happy myself. Hey, and who knows, maybe Logan will do the same someday. I mean, you already know he loves you. I bet his proposal would be more romantic, though," Lane said, completely ignorant of the remainder of last night's proceedings.

"Yeah," Rory said quietly, remembering Logan's crazy proposal and hasty retraction. She tried to clear her head and focus on Lane. "I don't know, though, that was pretty romantic. And very rock'n'roll. The band will be pleased," she said, smiling through the tears that threatened to fall.

"I think so too. Ok, well, I better get back to work. Luke's annoyed enough with me; I can't stop humming," Lane said with a wide smile.

"Ok, I'll see you later," Rory said.

"You don't have to go! Stay, have lunch," Lane said.

"No, really, I just remembered I have to be somewhere. Um, tell my mom when she gets here from the video store that I had to go, ok?" Rory said, trying to leave before she actually started to cry.

"Ok, see ya!" Lane said, bouncing back into the kitchen.

Rory exited the diner as swiftly as possible and leaned against the wall of the building, trying to keep her emotions in check. It just wasn't fair; Logan makes some sweeping declaration of love that's more about rebellion than it is about her, and it inspires Zack to make a heartfelt proposal. And she knew Zack meant it; for all his doofiness, he really loved Lane, and Lane really loved him back, and they were going to be happy together. It wasn't that she wanted to marry Logan… she had only known the boy a short while, but somehow it seemed cruel that Logan's actions inspired others while having negative repercussions on their own relationship.

She was brought out of her reverie by the insistent sound of her cell phone ringing.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Is this Miss Rory Gilmore?" the nasal voice on the other end asked.

Rory sniffed and wiped her eyes. "Yes, this is she."

"Hold for Mr. Huntzberger," the voice said.

Rory was confused. Why would Logan have a secretary? Unless…

"Rory! Hello, Mitchum Huntzberger here."

"Oh… um… hello, Mr. Huntzberger," Rory said, clearly confused.

"Listen, Rory, I feel just dreadful about the way things went down last night, and I was wondering if you could stop by my office on Monday for a chat."

"Oh, I don't know, I have class, and-"

"Excellent. I'll just put you back on with my secretary and she can work with your schedule. See you Monday."

Rory made the appointment with his secretary and hung up, dumbfounded. What in the world did he want to talk about?


"Mr. Huntzberger, I have a Rory Gilmore here to see you," buzzed his secretary.

"Thank you, Sandy."

"Mr. Huntzberger will see you now," she said to Rory.

"Thanks," Rory said. Suddenly, his door opened.

"Rory, come in, come in. Sandy, hold my calls please."

Rory followed him into his office. He sat down behind his desk and gestured to one of the chairs in front of it.

"Please, sit down, Rory," he said.

Rory sat down without a word.

"Now, I'm sure you're wondering why I asked you to come here."

"Well, to be honest, I am rather curious," Rory said.

"I just want you to understand that Saturday night was nothing personal, it wasn't about you."

Rory raised her eyebrows.

"I know my wife can get…" Mitchum searched for the right word. "Intense, sometimes. I apologize for any embarrassment we might have caused you or your family. But you need to see things from our point of view."

"I'm listening," Rory allowed.

"Logan is and has always been being groomed to take over this company. It is his future, and he knows it and accepts it. That is not opinion or an option, it is a fact. And as much as we may seem disappointed in him at times, I personally feel that he has the brains and the ingenuity to run this corporation someday."

Rory nodded slowly.

"Now, we have allowed extra room for growing pains. I realize that this is college, and Logan and his friends have pulled some pretty spectacular stunts over the years. Personally, I can't complain too much. I myself had some pretty wild times in college," he said with a knowing wink. "But in the end, I knew what my duty was, and so does Logan."

Rory nodded again, not sure where he was going with this.

"And now this brings us to you."

Rory shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

"I've heard that you have journalistic ambitions," he said kindly.

"Yes, I do," Rory said defiantly.

"Excellent. I admire any young person who wants to join our illustrious profession," he said with a smile. "However, there's something you must know. If things with Logan get serious, which may or may not happen, I don't pretend to know what's going on in my son's personal life, but if they continue down this path, I think you ought to be aware of the sacrifice you'll need to make."

"Sacrifice?"

"Yes. When the time comes, if you're ready to give up your journalistic aspirations to be with Logan, that's your prerogative."

"But-"

"Hear me out, Rory," Mitchum said, putting up a hand to quiet her. "Logan has a certain lifestyle that he will need to maintain. None of us choose it, necessarily. It's just the way the business works. And a part of that lifestyle is a supportive wife. This may sound too Donna Reed to you, but if you were to marry Logan someday, your role would be a supporting one. You would not be able to go off and cover the Middle East for CNN because you'd already be busy hosting networking functions and logging time on charity boards."

"I don't think-" Rory began to protest.

"Look, this is not a put down, and it's not a sexist thing, it's just the way things work. Now I have heard nothing but lovely things about you from your family, and I'm sure that you and Logan would be great together. You just need to know that realistically, this is the kind of life you would need to lead. Being a society wife is not all that bad, or so I've heard. Your grandmother, for instance, is a lovely example of a well-respected woman who supports her husband while living a very full life herself."

Rory inwardly flinched at the comparison to her grandmother. Thank God Lorelai wasn't here to see this.

"All I wanted to do was paint a realistic picture of Logan's future so you know whether or not you're willing to accept a place in it. It's your decision, Rory." Mitchum sat back and let Rory absorb all that he said.


Rory sat at her desk in her dorm room, thinking about her meeting with Logan's father. Maybe this was all too much for a college romance. She was far too young to be seriously thinking about marriage. And what about Logan? His father seemed to have more confidence in him than Logan ever let on, but maybe Logan didn't know that he was actually respected. Rory sighed. Logan. That was what it all came down to. Logan wasn't ready to grow up. He knew what he had to do, but to him, it was a far-off someday, not a matter of semesters or months.

A knock on the door startled her.

"Come in," she said.

"Hey, Ace," Logan said, opening the door and stepping inside. "Paris let me in."

"Oh, I didn't know she was home," Rory said distractedly.

"Yup. So, how was your day, honey?" Logan said with a smirk, stretching out on her bed.

"Interesting," Rory said, turning sideways on her desk chair.

"What, did you learn something fascinating in Cameron's class? Let's see, perhaps you discovered the political secret behind France's ineffectual world domination efforts."

"No," Rory said, allowing a small smile. "Actually, the interesting part of my day didn't come in European Politics. It came after class."

"Ooh, something I should be jealous about?" Logan teased.

"Well it depends. Do you consider your father a serious contender for my affections?"

"My father?" Logan said, sitting up.

"Yeah. He had his secretary set up a meeting for us to discuss our future."

"Whose future?" Logan asked.

"Yours and mine, not mine and his," Rory said dryly. "Apparently I need to choose between becoming Christiane Amanpour and your trophy wife."

"What?" Logan said, getting angry.

"Chill, Logan. He just wanted to apologize for the party."

"Yeah, but this is so like him, to butt in where he's not wanted," Logan said, standing up and pacing.

"It was actually very informative," Rory said.

"Informative? Jesus, Rory. He's already telling you what committees to join and we aren't even getting married," Logan said, running a hand through his hair.

"Yes, a fact which you have made abundantly clear, ok?" Rory said, hurt.

"What does that mean?" Logan demanded.

"Nothing, it means nothing," Rory said dejectedly.

"What? Oh come on, Ace. Don't give me that. I don't need that kind of attitude from you too," Logan said pointedly.

"Fine, how about I don't give you anything at all," Rory said with an air of finality.

"What are you talking about?" Logan asked, still pacing.

"I'm talking about stepping back, giving you your space to do whatever the hell it is that you really want to do. Your family gives you enough crap as it is, so I'll just take myself out of the picture," Rory said matter-of-factly.

"Ace, come on, that isn't funny," Logan said, stopping and looking at her.

"It's not meant to be funny. I'm completely serious. Look, we had our fun, let's just end it before things get too… get too…"

"Get too what, Rory?" Logan said dangerously. "I love you, Rory, I told you that."

"Yeah, well, you say you love me but you don't mean it so I think we should stop seeing each other before it gets out of hand."

"Before?" Logan said incredulously.

"Yes." Rory wrung her hands. "Look, I don't want to be around long enough for you to really hurt me, because I'm already falling for you and I can't stand the possibility of getting my heart broken."

Logan's heart warmed at her admission but quickly turned to the matter at hand. "How do you know that would happen? Come on, Ace. Live a little. Just take a risk for once," he said, grabbing her hands and pulling her up from her chair.

"No, Logan," Rory said, shaking off his hands and folding hers across her chest. "You're the risk taker. I play it safe. You're a Lamborghini and I'm a Volvo. Your idea of a thrill is to go skydiving while mine is to find an original signed edition of The Fountainhead. We're too different, and this is never going to work. Your parents are right; I'm not the right girl for you. I'm not a cheap fling sort of girl, but I'm not going to be a society wife, either. So the way I see it, we're getting in too deep to be just having fun, and if we're not going to get married in the end, then it's just not worth it to continue. Now I know you may have random excuses but can you really prove me wrong?"

Logan didn't know what to say. He was silent as Rory's heart broke.

"I didn't think so," she finished sadly. "Here," she said, taking the ring necklace from around her neck. "I think you should have these back… it wouldn't be right, considering…" she choked up. "Just take them."

"Rory," he said helplessly, folding his hand over the necklace.

"No," she held up her hand. "Don't, just… I'll see you in class, ok, Logan? Goodbye," Rory said, grabbing her purse and rushing out of her room. Logan sat down, dumbfounded. Did they really just break up?


Dun dun dun! Well folks, it's been a wild ride, but all good things must come to an end. The next chapter will be the last. (That is, unless I'm crazy enough to do a sequel.) Will Rory and Logan go their separate ways? Next time on "The Fortune Cookie's Always Right": Logan and Rory deal with their breakup and come to some startling conclusions. One of them makes an attempt at a reunion... with help from the last person they'd ever think of...