Strings, Ropes, Chains
All characters and situations from Gilmore Girls are properties of Amy Sherman-Palladino, Dorothy Parker Drank Here Productions and Hofflund/Polone in association with Warner Bros. Television. No copyright infringement intended.
Rating MA What if it was Rory that wanted a no-strings relationship. Rogan, completely AU
Chap 1 Rory Gilmore, Lorelai Hayden
Lorelai "Rory" Gilmore Hayden, 28. Graduate of Yale, current occupation writer.
Parents Christopher and Lorelai Hayden married for 28 years, and still in love.
Brothers, twins, Spencer and Grant, 21, students at Yale.
Logan Huntzberger, 30, graduate of Yale, runs Huntzberger Publishing with his father Mitchum. Still single and dating.
Mitchum isn't a bad person; in fact he actually is nice.
Even though they both attending Yale they never met, now you may wonder how that can be, you'll have to wait and see.
The story starts in mid-April present time.
Rory Gilmore had a good life; she had a close and supportive family and great friends. She did come from money and did have to attend some society functions but her parent's kept her and her brothers' grounded by raising them in the small town of Stars Hollow.
After Yale she did work overseas at a London paper and although she loved London she found that she wasn't fulfilled. She left the paper and decided to travel to, while traveling she wrote freelance articles for several publications, and on the side she wrote a quirky book about the town she grew up in.
Now at the age of 28 she was being celebrated for an accomplishment of her own, the publication of her book. The Hayden's and Gilmore's were going all out on this event, she didn't want much but her grandparents never did anything small.
He stood by the bar most of the evening, watching her. He had heard about her from his friends but he never had the opportunity to meet her, and didn't seem like it would happen tonight. He was there with his father to represent the book's publisher and, according to his father, tonight would be the night he had been avoiding for quite some time, meeting Lorelai Hayden. He didn't know much about Lorelai except that her grandparent's were Straub & Francine Hayden and she was raised outside of society. His parent's tried to set him up with many girls and he will say some were fun but he preferred to avoid these set-ups as much as possible. Lorelai was one girl he managed to avoid for years.
Mitchum noticed Logan staring most of the night. He was actually surprised his playboy of a son didn't approach her. But than again she wasn't left alone, she had quite a lot of admirers that evening
"So Logan, are you ready to meet her?"
"Dad, I didn't know she was here yet"
It was then that Mitchum realized that Logan didn't know that Rory Gilmore was Lorelai Hayden.
"Come on son, I think you will be pleasantly surprised."
Logan didn't know why his father said that but next thing he knew his father was leading him to the woman of the evening, Rory Gilmore. "Dad, is Lorelai a friend of Rory's?"
"Well Logan, you can say that they know each other very well."
As they approached Rory, Logan noticed that she was even more beautiful up close. He noticed how at ease she was with all the people who spoke to her, and how her eyes lit up when she argued a point. Even though they both went to Yale, they never met; he had heard a lot about her but their paths never crossed.
They stopped and he noticed a smile form on her lips, was she smiling at him, but then he saw her go to his dad and give him a hug. "Mr. Huntzberger, thank you for coming and for everything"
"Rory, you know what I have told you"
"Sorry Mitchum, but I don't know if my grandparents' would approve of calling you by your first name"
That's when Mitchum decided to clue Logan in," Now I've seen Francine and Straub but where are your other grandparents?" It didn't take but a couple of seconds for Logan's face to go blank, did he just say grandparents Francine and Straub, did that mean this was Lorelai Hayden. No, it couldn't be the same person, why wouldn't his friends tell him.
"I just spoke with Grandpa Richard a few minutes ago, and I think Grandma Emily is trying to find a suitable prospect for me."
Mitchum laughed, he knew that was Emily and Francine's goal, to finds a nice boy from a respectable family for their beloved Rory. He always hoped it would be Logan, but after all the missed dinners and events he knew that Francine and Emily had written him off as a match to their Rory.
'Well Rory, you have to excuse my rudeness, but I would like to introduce you to my son, Logan. Logan, this is Lorelai Gilmore-Hayden, also known as Rory"
It was confirmed, he chose the wrong girl to avoid, maybe she didn't know.
"So, this is the Logan that has been avoiding me for years"
"Um, um, I wouldn't say I was avoiding you, why would I avoid someone as beautiful as you" he smirked. She was laughing.
"You're just as charming as your friends have said"
Logan was confused he wondered what she meant by that, than it dawned on him that his friends, who are also her friends, told her about his dating habits. More like is habit to charm them right into bed.
"So Rory, what will you be doing next?"
"I have a few things up my sleeve, and I won't forget I will give you first options Mitchum"
"Well, it was a pleasure, but I see my grandmothers heading this way, so I need to get going."
"See Logan, I'm not always trying to ruin your life, you would benefit from listening to me every once in a while."
He couldn't believe this; he avoided meeting a beautiful girl that his parent's love for years and his so-called friends never bothered to tell him that Lorelai was Rory.
All he knew is that he was going to "bump" into her again, and maybe his second impression would be a little better.
Here she was celebrating, and she was enjoying her time but throughout the evening she got a strange feeling that someone was watching her. When she finally fount the source she was pleasantly surprised. She knew who he was, she heard all the stories, but what she didn't know is why he was staring at her when he made a point to avoid meeting her all these years.
She was enjoying a conversation with several friends of the family when she saw Mitchum approach. She couldn't help but smile and give him a big hug. When initially meeting him she was intimidated but he beneath the surface he was a really nice person. He gave her an internship at one of his papers while she was in college and offered to read her manuscript first hand once it was completed.
"Mr. Huntzberger, thank you for coming and for everything"
"Rory, you know what I have told you"
"Sorry Mitchum, but I don't know if my grandparents' would approve of calling you by your first name" it always felt uncomfortable calling him Mitchum, I know we were now peers but to my he was always a person I respected.
Now I've seen Francine and Straub but where are your other grandparents?"
She had a chance to look at Logan, and he was as handsome as many of the Yale girls mentioned, but once Mitchum mentioned her grandparents she noticed his face go blank. She realized that he did not know she was Lorelai Hayden and the only reason she could think of is her friends were trying to protect her as usual.
'Well Rory, you have to excuse my rudeness, but I would like to introduce you to my son, Logan. Logan, this is Lorelai Gilmore-Hayden, also known as Rory"
So I guess he didn't know.
"So, this is the Logan that has been avoiding me for years"
"Um, um, I wouldn't say I was avoiding you, why would I avoid someone as beautiful as you" he smirked. She couldn't believe that Logan was flustered while talking to her. After hearing all the stories of how he talked girls into sleeping with she thought he would be more eloquent that.
"You're just as charming as your friends have said"
"So Rory, what will you be doing next?"
"I have a few things up my sleeve, and I won't forget I will give you first options Mitchum"
"Well, it was a pleasure, but I see my grandmothers heading this way, so I need to get going." She really wanted to stay and talk to Logan but she knew her grandmothers were not fans of his and she really wasn't in the mood to talk to the guy they were dragging over.
Rory managed to hide behind a rather robust person as she heard her grandmothers approach Mitchum.
"Hello Mitchum, was the Rory I saw you talking to?"
"Hello ladies, might I say that everything looks wonderful tonight. I must say Rory is a lucky young lady to have such caring grandparents."
Mitch managed to stall these women as long as he could so that Rory could get away. Rory was a great girl and after seeing the looks they gave each other maybe he knew Logan still had a chance with her.
"Thank you Mitchum, but really we are the lucky ones to have such a wonderful granddaughter." It was working
"Well, speaking of wonderful let me introduce you to my son, Logan." Mitchum was laying it on thick, but he knew that they have been upset with Logan for avoiding all the events.
"Logan, this is Francine Hayden and Emily Gilmore."
"It's a pleasure to meet you both, I can see where Rory gets her beauty from" He did know how to charm the ladies of all ages, something his father was proud of.
"Logan, aren't you the one who avoided all the dinners Richard and I invited you too?"
"Mrs. Gilmore, I'm really sorry I couldn't attend your dinners but as you know I am being groomed to take over for my father and that leaves very little time to enjoy an evening out"
"Well Mitchum you need to let the young boy enjoy some time away from the office, why don't you all come over for dinner next Saturday. I'll call Shira and arrange it. Francine, please bring Straub along. Logan, please try and get away from the office for a few hours."
"Logan, didn't you already have plans with Honor for next Saturday?" He was hoping Logan would pick up his clue and politely refuse
"Dad, it's nothing I can't postpone. Mrs. Gilmore, Mrs. Hayden. I'm looking forward to it."
Mission kind of accomplished Rory escaped, but Logan didn't take the hint and refuse dinner. Wait till he finds out that Rory won't be there. He has to go now that he accepted especially if he wanted to get into the graces of Emily and Francine. And here he thought the boy was smart.
Rory got away from her grandmothers just in the nick of time. She would have to remember to thank Mitchum.
She wandered around the party stopping to talk to some people when a hand came out and pulled her into another room.
She was about to scream when she heard the laughing of her mother, followed by her father, and brothers.
"You should have seen your face, it was priceless."
"Mom, stop laughing and what are you all doing in here?"
"Well um, well you see Spencer and Grant weren't feeling well and..."
"You were hiding; I can't believe you were hiding. Dad, I expect it from Mom but you, et tu Brutes?" she heard the snickering. "Spence, Grant don't even start"
"I was out there with no support, you know how they insist on me meeting every available man under 40, and let me remind you that that is only a few years younger than you."
"Well if you listened to me in the first place than we wouldn't be here"
"Mom, I could not not show up at a book party for my book"
"Then next time think the of the consequences first"
"Mom"
"Okay, okay, I'll stop"
"So how much longer do we have to stay?"
"You know that my flight leaves early tomorrow and the party seems to be winding down, so why don't we all go out and say our goodbyes and head out"
"You know Chris I'm glad we kept her, the other two I'm still debating on"
"Thanks mom we love you too"
They all went out to find the grandparent's and bid their goodbyes. Rory thanked them again and vowed to come by once she was back next month.
My first fanfic let me know what you think