Chapter Twenty – Coming Home

How could six little words from the man she loves, the father of their unborn child fill her with so much fear? Was it because she expected something bad to come from it like that dinner with Colin and Finn or was it just seeing him, being there with him. She took a slow breath as those words repeated in her head.

My father wants to have lunch.

It was something that would have happened inevitably and Rory did feel like she owed it to the new side of the family she would be marrying into but with how that initial dinner with his grandfather had gone, not to mention the terrible internship and then the boat-stealing escapade. Dinner with Mitchum Huntsberger always left a bad taste in her mouth. That she would get herself impregnated with Logan's child, he had to have something to say about that.

She had spent a longer time that morning picking out something to wear, doing her hair, trying to hide the baby bump as much as possible. She knew that Logan was back only for a short time and it wasn't as if she was having the dinner alone with him, that would have been terrifying. No. She just had to draw the final sword before she approached the dragon. "We're in this together, right?" she asked the little soybean in her womb.

Rory took a slow breath before feeling Logan's arms wrap around behind her. She smiled as he kissed her lovingly.

"We're all going to get through this," he said before Rory looked at him with a smile. Rory nodded. Logan had been dealing with a lot more responsibilities at his work so that he could build this home with her and he had turned down offers from others who wanted him to work with them on risky deals, one of which it had turned out would have lost a lot of money for the company. It had impressed his father that he had turned it down and Rory knew that Logan was trying to think in more rational terms.

"Do you think that if it's a girl it'll make a difference to him," Rory tried to joke and Logan cupped her cheek, he lifted her chin as she turned to look at him and kissed her with a smile growing on his face afterwards.

"It doesn't matter to me whether we have a girl or a boy," he told her, "or even if they want to stay as a girl or a boy. I just know that whatever life we've created, I'll love them and if he has any sense of love or duty or respect, he'll love them too. He cares deeply for Honor." Rory nodded as she thought of her future sister-in-law. Maybe Honor had her moments of being a little self-obsessed but she was a kind person who had tried to get Rory to see her since learning about the pregnancy. She would have to accept one of Honor's kind invitations soon, maybe when Logan moved back.

"Yes, he does love Honor," Rory smiled. "She's not the heir to the -"

"Who cares, yes, my parents have named me the heir but we don't have to do it that way," Logan said. "Ace, traditions which you don't believe in hold no weight. I thought the two of us were all about making our own traditions. Remember, you jump, I jump."

Rory smiled and relaxed in Logan's hold as he wrapped his arms around her. She pressed her cheek to his chest feeling comfort in hearing his breathing and heartbeat. "We'll have to think of names," she whispered and Logan nodded.

"We can do that together," he assured her. "And if my dad is a complete ass then we can leave. We don't have to let him ruin this for us."

Rory smiled before nodding. She checked her appearance again and took a steady breath in before reaching out for Logan's hand. "You drive," she said and he nodded. She followed him out of their house and to his new car which was more family-friendly and took another breath before looking at the house behind her. Maybe she was trying to build a home with Logan but this man was going to be a grandfather. He probably had hoped his first grandchild had come from Honor and not from someone with a lower-class background who wanted to be a journalist.

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Rory felt a little more nervous as Logan told her that he had received a text that Mitchum was already at the steakhouse. It was a fancy, high-class restaurant and it was making Rory feel sick. Yes, she was a Gilmore and her grandparents belonged to this type of society but she felt that she was wearing a straight jacket that was trapping her into the lives of the wealthy and elite. As she saw Mitchum, she paled and put a hand to her chest. She felt as if she could throw up.

"You all right, Ace?" Logan asked as he stopped and looked to her in a very concerned manner. Rory nodded.

Logan noticed that his dad had stood up, still bearing his own concern. "I've got it," Logan said and Rory came to sit down at the table. She felt as if she was a young girl who was going to get scolded for making a plate of food with melted crayons and expecting him to eat it. She knew that she might face the same thing with her child. Hopefully they wouldn't find themselves ashamed in any way when it came to their mistakes.

"Hello, you look well," Mitchum said as he turned to her and Rory straightened in the chair. "That's good. It means that you're healthy, getting all of the vitamins that you need, eating healthily."

"Rory takes excellent care of herself," Logan said and Rory smiled.

"Yes, my mother's friend is a chef and she's also been pregnant twice, she knows the best food to eat when you're expecting and she's made some food that she's frozen for me to heat up. My mother and her have helped me out a lot with taking care of myself," she said and Mitchum nodded.

"And your grandmother, I hope," he said and Rory looked at him. Was that his way of pointing out how she had a good background or was it just his way of saying that his connection to her was second strongest through her grandparents or was it a jab about how her grandmother had tried to be overly involved. No. This wasn't a literature class, she was analyzing this too much.

"Yes, my grandparents have been very supportive," she replied and Logan took her hand and squeezed it.

"We've been reading up on what to do as well, trying to do the best for the baby," he said and Rory shifted. She knew that Logan was trying to show his father how mature he was. She knew that he had been reading up but she had stopped looking at the books and placed more focus in the upcoming semester at Yale now she was worried that she had missed something.

"Rory, you've truly molded Logan into a future fa-" Mitchum said and Rory shook her head.

"Logan did that all by himself," she argued and Logan coughed before laughing as well. "He's really going to be a great father, I've been really lucky to have him and hopefully soon I can have him here with me where I know we can make plans together," she said. Mitchum chuckled as he saw the water glasses getting filled.

"Exactly the topic I'd like to discuss," he said and Logan looked to him confused. "I think that we're ready for you to do things remotely over here in the US." Mitchum told Logan who smiled in relief. Rory smiled as well. Was that what the topic of this was about? "I mean, you'd still have to go into the office daily and meet with our American clients and make the odd trip out to San Francisco or New York but, do you think you're ready."

"More than ready," Logan grinned as he pulled Rory towards him. "Thank you. Let me know what you need me to get set up."

Mitchum nodded. "I am very proud to see this responsible young man in front of me. I also want to set up a trust for my grandchild. I hope you won't take that pleasure away from me," Mitchum said and Rory shook her head. She knew he would want to do something like this. Her own father had put money away that could be touched when the child was eighteen but he would have to draw up more paperwork when the name was chosen and the baby was born.

"Thank you," Logan smiled and Mitchum turned to Rory.

"I know that you don't just want me to give you a job. That didn't turn out well the last time and I know that you prefer to earn your own way in life, I respect that. I have a few leads of remote journalistic work for you though," he said as he pulled out an envelope and handed it to Rory. "You are expected to earn that job yourself, all I have done is provided information on it. Also, let me know if Yale is causing you any trouble."

Rory shifted as she took the envelope not knowing how to react to it. It would give her something to consider later but the most important thing was that Logan would finally be close to her, they could start setting things up for their married life together. "I'm sure that my grandfather can help me with any problems with Yale but thank you for the offer."

"Well if Richard isn't able to solve those problems, you still have my contact information," Mitchum said and Rory nodded quietly. Mitchum looked around for a waiter and smiled. "I think that I'm going to order one of their finest red wines, Logan did you want to split a -"

"I'm not drinking," Logan said. "Rory can't drink and so I think it's best if we do this as a unit."

"As I said very responsible," Mitchum told them and Rory bowed her head to hide the fact that she was rolling her eyes. Logan squeezed her hand and held it under the table. He was just glad that he could be coming back to her.

End of Chapter Twenty

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