I follow him to a small table in the back of the diner and meet his gaze softly. "What's up?"

"I mentioned society page announcements earlier?"

"Briefly, yeah. Something about your father overhearing a conversation between stock-guy and his friends."

"He did. And then he talked to Richard, Emily and my mother."

I breathe deeply. "So your parents, and my grandparents, think we've been dating on the sly for what, eighteen months?"

"Pretty much." He pauses. "I hadn't planned on bringing you your car. I was there to get the keys to mine."

"Okay."

"My mother was having tea with Emily. I got the distinct impression from the brief conversation that they're expecting an engagement in the very near future."

"You're totally not kidding, are you?" I whisper.

"No, I'm not. And unless you want to stage a large, public break up in the near future, they're expecting it before the holiday season."

"Thanksgiving is next week Logan."

"They're really not concerned about our timelines Ace. They want to make sure there are no children out of wedlock." He deadpans.

I kick his foot lightly and smile. "I am a child out of wedlock, thank you very much."

He nods. "I know the story, but when you walked down those stairs last night, wearing millions of dollars in diamonds, people stopped caring. Whether you knew it or not at the time, in that instant, you went from the black sheep's love child to Lorelai Leigh Gilmore, heiress to the Gilmore family legacy and fortune."

I freeze. "Millions? Legacy? I…what the hell are you talking about?"

I meet his surprised eyes. "C'mon Ace. I know your mom left it all behind, but she had to have told you something." He winces. "I'll take your silence as a no. GBA Publishing, GM Jewelers, GB&S Associated Insurance, MGA. You've heard of them all, right?"

I nod. "My grandfather worked for GB&S for years."

"Ace, your grandfather owns them all. Controlling interest. Gilmore Brighton Avenue Publishing, Gilmore Matheson Jewelers, Gilmore, Bryant & Smith Associated Insurance and Michaels, Gilmore and Associates."

I swallow. "That was not something I knew." I whisper.

"What wasn't?" Luke asks from above me.

I smile tightly up at him. "Nothing. Can I get some coffee?"

"You should have water. You look peaked."

"Coffee Luke, definitely coffee. And Logan here was whining about juice of all things earlier." I glare at him.

He smiles. "Coffee would be great."

Luke nods. "Sure. I actually came over to let you know that your mother called to say she was bringing Emily and that Miriam lady by."

I feel my entire body tense. "Lots and lots of coffee Luke." I whisper. "And make sure mom has a mug as soon as she walks in. Better yet, take her somewhere that isn't here when they get here."

"What's up?"

I sigh, and glance at Logan who nods to the door. "Just…take care of her, okay? Take care of her and tell her movie night is still on. I'd like it if you came too."

"Please god, tell me you're not watching that chocolate movie."

"Induction by fire for Logan here."

"I'll take her shopping, if you let her know I'll go get Lane from upstairs." He turns away and heads up the stairs to his apartment.

"Lane as in 'Luke's, Lane's and the Dragonfly'?" Logan asks lightly.

I smile a bit. "That would be the one."

He smiles. "So the consensus is that we're not engaged, right?"

I nod. "And we haven't discussed it."

"We're also not planning to until we finish school."

"Or, you know, if we happen to decide we want to hop a plane to Vegas and elope."

"Which could have its merits in a 'lets just piss them off royally' kind of way." He breathes deeply. "They're here."

I glance at the door and notice the horrified look on what I assume is his mother's face. "Has your mother ever been in a diner before?"

"I think she may have walked past one in a fit of teenage rebellion once. Your grandmother doesn't look too much happier."

"She doesn't like Luke much." I admit. "Can we make them eat here? That would be fun."

He grins at me. "I'll tell you what Ace. First person that can convince one of them to eat here can choose the activities for our first date."

"Not including movie night tonight?"

"Tomorrow then."

"Deal." I glance up as they carefully place themselves near us. "Hi Grandma. Pull up a couple chairs and join us, we were just about to order." I pause and look at the tense lines on my mom's face. With a smile, I gesture at the counter. "Luke wanted to talk to you about being late. He said he doesn't care what has come up, he re-arranged the entire diner schedule for this shopping trip of yours, and there's no way he's letting you get out of it now."

I see the thanks in her eyes as she nods. "I'll just go do that then. We're still on for tonight?"

"Luke said he was coming too."

"Thanks Rory." She hurries away and I smile tightly at Grandma and Logan's mother.

"Hello mother, how has your morning been so far?" Logan asks calmly.

"Lovely, thank you Logan. Emily and I visited Lorelai's charming Inn."

"I'm glad you liked it. I don't know if you met her last night, but this is Rory. Rory, this is my mother Miriam."

I smile at her as warmly as I can. "It's nice to meet you. What brings you to Stars Hollow?"

She sits down next to me. "Dear, you should really be next to Logan. Emily, why don't you come sit here so that the lovebirds can sit closer together?"

I stand and move around the table to sit next to Logan as Grandma takes my seat, and breathe a little easier when he squeezes my hand reassuringly. "You were about to tell us what brings you to Stars Hollow, I believe?" he presses.

She nods. "To begin the plans for the engagement party next weekend, of course. You didn't really leave us all that much time."

"Who's engaged?" Logan asks.

"Don't be ridiculous Logan, you and Rory are."

The strangled squeak from above us alerts me to Lane's presence. "Hi Lane." I say carefully as she places coffee in front of Logan and I.

"Rory. Anything new since I talked to you yesterday afternoon?" her eyes are flashing with hurt.

"We're not engaged Lane." I explain softly.

"A formality." Grandma cuts in and I see comprehension cross Lane's face. "It won't do to have the two of you gallivanting about un-married. Richard and Mitchum are hammering out the details as we speak."

"For an engagement that doesn't exist." Logan cuts in. "Rory and I have never discussed marriage."

"Don't be ridiculous. All the arrangements have already been made."

"Would anyone like some cherry pie?" Lane asks suddenly. "We've been told by tourists for years that our cherry pie is the best in the state."

I stare incredulously as Miriam Huntzberger's eyes light up. "Did you say cherry pie?"

"My mother's weakness is cherry pie." Logan whispers fiercely in my ear.

"I did." Lane smiles. "And in exchange for an extra month with the soda shoppe, Luke got Taylor to 'fess up to his supplier, so we just got a shipment of sweet cream ice cream in that is fantastic."

"That sounds divine." She looks at Grandma and I tense next to Logan. "Emily, doesn't that sound divine?"

Oh. My. God. "It does. Two of that." Grandma agrees.

I sigh, and glance at Logan, who looks as sick as I feel. "Make it four Lane. You know I can't resist Luke's pie, especially cherry."

Logan stares after her as she hurries to the counter. "Did she just?"

I nod. "Yep."

"And that means?"

"You bet. And she doesn't even know it."

"We could always not mention it."

"Are you backing out?"

"No, but realistically we could –

"Then she wins Logan."

"Wins what?" his mother asks.

"Nothing mother. Just a little contest." He glances at Lane who has returned with the pie. "Rory and I need to talk to you later."

Her eyebrows lift in surprise. "Okay." She looks between us a few times. "Luke made me promise not to make you pay, so it's on your mom's tab."

"Thanks Lane. I'll yell at him for it later." I tell her.

"This is superb." Grandma comments suddenly, and I can hear the surprise in her voice.

I sigh. "Everything here is superb Grandma. Luke's recipes are the most closely guarded secrets in the county."

"Interesting." She says softly as Lane moves away. "Now, the engagement party will be held on Thanksgiving –

"We're not engaged." I cut in again.

"As I said, the engagement is a formality. You'll take care of it by Monday. We've arranged for Tavern on the Green for the wedding reception the weekend of May 21st, the flowers should be well formed by then." Grandma begins to explain.

"Okay, hang on. Engaged before out of school is one thing. But married in six months?" Logan asks, and I nod in agreement.

"Grandma, I want to finish school before I get married. It's one of the reasons Logan and I have never discussed this before!" I try.

"Tavern on the Green, Logan, and the main ballroom at the Plaza. We're not asking you to ignore your studies to plan a wedding. A perfectly competent wedding planner will do that." Miriam says firmly. "This is very important to solidify the –

"Don't you dare. Don't you dare bring business into this." Logan cuts her off.

I close my eyes, and when I open them I look at my grandmother sadly. "It was one thing to have the party Grandma. But you're talking about the rest of our lives. We get a say. Period. You don't get to lift a hand and say 'marry this one'."

I see her eyes flash a bit. "Let's go Miriam. There's no use talking to them about this."

They stand, and as they walk away, Logan's mother turns. "Your father will be calling you about this." She clips and they leave abruptly.

I lean into Logan's side as his arm slips around my shoulders. "That went well." I comment dryly.

"Until my father hears about it."

"How likely is it that we're going to get our way on this?" I ask hopefully, knowing the answer.

"Slim to none. Did you know that once upon a time they wanted my oldest brother to marry your mom?"

"I was not aware of that, no." I admit. "It's not that you're a bad person or anything, but I'm not ready to get married." I say softly.

"Neither of us are Ace. We'll find a way to deal with this."

"But you're basically saying that as of Thursday…" I trail off and glance up into his eyes.

"Yeah. I am."

I nod. "We should get Lane over here for the bet." I pause. "Also to explain the whole 'Rory and Logan are having an engagement party' thing." I stand slowly and move to the counter, where she's furiously scrubbing a coffee pot. "Please talk to me."

She looks up. "Why didn't you tell me? Why did I have to overhear it? I thought you were with Dean." She whispers.

I smile sadly. "Dean broke up with me last night. Stranded me at my grandparents' house, actually. As for the other…to be honest I didn't know myself until just before they walked in."

"That's insane Rory. They were at the Dragonfly with your mother making the arrangements for the party on Thursday. People start arriving first thing in the morning that day."

"Good to know. Lane, I'm not kidding. This wasn't me. This was them. They've decided Logan and I are getting married in May. We're not sure if we can stall them."

"That was fast." An angry voice clips from behind me.