Disclaimer: Gilmore Girls does not belong to me. No copyright infringement is intended.

Summary: It was at that moment I knew Ace was the one.

Author's Notes: Edited. I felt that Logan's apology on the show wasn't enough, and that they didn't really resolve the conflict in this episode. This is how I think it should have gone. Reviews are LOVED.

From A Hospital Bed

krinaia

"Finally awake, I see."

I blinked, clearing the sleep from my eyes. Every part of my body was numb. The walls were very very… white. There was someone moving in front of me, too big to be Rory. "Where am I?" I croaked.

She moved to adjust something behind me. "Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, New York." She smiled. "You suffered a very nasty fall. You're a very lucky man, Mr. Huntzberger."

Hospital. Costa Rica. Parachute. Fall. Everything was clicking into place. "How long have I been here?"

"You were airlifted here last night. It is now one in the afternoon." She started scribbling something on a chart. "How're you feeling?"

"Numb for the most part, except for a headache." That was an understatement. My head was throbbing; it felt like there was a marching band in there.

She nodded. "Do you feel nauseous at all?"

Just tired. It hurt to keep my eyes open. "No."

"All right, I'll see if we can get you something for that headache," she informed me. "Do you need anything else?"

"What-" I had a hard time getting the word out. "What happened to me? Why do I have," I attempted to gesture at all the things sticking in to me, "all this?"

"You have 'all this' because you are recovering from," she consulted her chart, "a partially collapsed lung, six broken ribs, one broken ankle, torn cartilage in both knees, a severe concussion, contusions over a third of your body and a high fever on top of all that." She looked at me in what could only be disapproval. "Maybe you'll think twice before jumping off cliffs drunk again."

I closed my eyes.

"You should rest. I'll go call Dr. Shultz."

She left, and for some inexplicable reason I felt alone.

Well, maybe it wasn't so inexplicable. I was alone in a hospital I'd never been in before. I couldn't feel my legs, let alone move them. There was a needle in my arm. There were things stuck to my chest, which was bound up tightly. In the distance, I could hear beeping. Even further, I could hear the hum of different people, the PA system making announcements, people visiting their loved ones.

There were a million people running through the hallways, but my room was empty, save for me.

I had no idea where Colin and Finn, or the other members of the Life and Death Brigade were. Probably continuing the last big celebration in Costa Rica. Honor was off on her honeymoon. My parents sure as hell weren't coming. And Rory.

I didn't even want to think about Rory. I was such an idiot. If only I hadn't slept with those girls, Rory would be with me right now. I know she would. I could just see her, cracking jokes left and right about hospitals, nurse costumes, and ER, and George Clooney, maybe even Ben Stiller, trying to cheer me up and get my mind off the bandages and casts and needles on me. She'd have a load of books with her, both mine and hers, maybe even reading some of my books to me, just to make sure I stayed on top of my school work. And in true Rory fashion, she'd have at least two cups of coffee at the ready.

But I screwed it all up. In moments of weakness and loneliness, I slept with a few girls. And I hurt her. She probably wouldn't come, even if I called her. She was so mad at me. My last memory of her was her looking down at the floor as I left the apartment. She didn't say anything or kiss me goodbye.

My room was empty and it was my fault. No jokes, no George, no Ben, no books, no coffee. No Ace.

"Hey," came a cheerful voice. Rory Gilmore walked into my hospital room.

Despite the fact that my face was numb, probably bruised beyond belief, I couldn't have held back a smile if I wanted to. She was here.

"Hey."

My room wasn't empty anymore.

"Just rest. I'll be here."

"I'm glad."

I closed my eyes, my tired to keep watching her no matter how much I wanted to. I felt her press a kiss to my forehead.

It was at that moment that I knew.

She was the one.

Rory was good, sweet, entertaining, and beautiful. If that wasn't enough, she knew me. She knows how I like my tea, she knows my issues with my parents, with my friends, all my insecurities. She motivates me to work harder even. I studied and worked on school more during the one year I was with Ace than my elementary and high school years combined. I wrote more pieces while Rory was editor of the Yale Daily News than my first three years on the paper.

This woman has stood by me through good times and bad. She's seen me at my best and my worst.

She makes me a better person, as cheesy as it sounds.

I can't imagine life without her.

"Ace?"

"Yeah?"

I opened my eyes.

"I love you."

"Always good to hear," she smiled. She squeezed my hand. "You really should get some rest Logan. You can barely keep your eyes open."

I shook my head. "No Ace." I gripped her hand tighter, despite the bandages on my fingers. I had to make her understand. "I love you so much. And I'm sorry I hurt you. If I could take it back I would."

"Logan shh-" she tried to interrupt me, but I had to make her understand. I had to make her believe that sleeping with those girls was the most idiotic mistake I have ever made, worse than crashing that boat in Fiji, worse than jumping off a cliff in Costa Rica while drunk. I had to make her see how sorry I was that I hurt her.

"The girls last Thanksgiving-" I exhaled. Talking was hard, but if it was because of my injuries or the topic, I didn't know. "The girls last Thanksgiving meant nothing. I drinking so much because I didn't want to face the fact that, that I needed you."

"Oh Logan…" she sighed, tucking her hair behind her ear. "You don't have to-"

"I do have to. I have to say this." I looked up at her from my hospital bed. "After our fight, I thought I lost you. I thought I didn't want to be in a relationship anymore either.

"But I was wrong. Incredibly wrong. I went back to my old habits after our fight, but nothing was the same. It was empty, Ace. And I realized that I didn't want that. And also…" I paused, searching for the right word. "And also that I blew it. I had the perfect life for awhile, but I screwed it up. I even messed you up-"

"No, Logan no," she shook her head. "You did not mess me up. Do not take the blame for my mistakes. You did not tell me to drop out of Yale, you did not make me go to those parties. It was totally my decision."

I gave a sad smile. "Well anyway, knowing what I lost, well. I was depressed. I just wanted to try to feel the same way I did when we were together. My sleeping with them… It wasn't about loving or hell, even liking them. It was about losing you."

Rory softly kissed me on the lips. "I understand."

"I'm sorry I hurt you," I whispered. "And I will do anything to make it up to you."

"I know Logan, I know." She ruffled my hair. "Now get some rest."

"Look Buttercup! Our son's awake!" Finn's drawl was unmistakable.

"Welcome back to the land of the living, Sleeping Beauty," Colin grinned at me. "We were beginning to think you were going to fake a coma to escape finals."

They both looked considerably more put together than I remembered. The stubbles they had been sporting in Costa Rica were gone, and their clothes looked immaculately clean. Something was different about them though. They were strangely subdued. "Why aren't you in Costa Rica?" I mumbled.

"We brought you here, mate," Finn replied. "It was great while it lasted though. Amazing landing. Except for all the blood of course."

"And the screaming, don't forget the screaming," Colin interjected. "Besides, Mitchum would have our heads if we left you to bleed to death. You owe us by the way."

"We had to skip the after party. The girls all dressed up in coconut bras. Too bad you couldn't have jumped until after the coconut bras."

"Finn, that's why it's called an after party. Emphasis on after," Colin said rolling his eyes.

Finn smirked. "Well, Rosemary promised they'd reenact it for us once they got back."

Many people dislike Colin and Finn. People think they're arrogant, egoistical, and self-centered. They are however the best friends a guy could ask for. People don't know that they are incredibly loyal. Colin, despite his tendency to criticize and insult everyone in his path will defend his friends to the death. Finn, despite his happy-go-lucky nature, is the quickest to act in crises (which happen a lot), and makes sure that everything and everyone is taken care of. I've lost count of the number of times we've gotten up in the middle of the night, or left parties, to bail each other out of jail- or other jail-like places.

Today though, they seemed oddly subdued. Normally there were a lot more jokes and laughing. They didn't even comment on how I looked, which probably meant I looked horrible.

"Well?" I asked.

"Yes love?"

"What's up with you guys? I'm here, I'm fine. Ace is watching over me. Why didn't you fly back to Costa Rica?"

"Well, the party got considerably less fun when we had to leave. Near-death experiences tend to do that to events," Finn answered. "Besides, with the other members gone, I have one day with the girls in the pub to myself."

If I had thought they were subdued, I was wrong. They were downright somber, which was strange for them. Finn made that last statement without even cracking a smile.

"Logan, you nearly died. We thought you actually did die when you hit the ground." Colin looked uncomfortable. "You're lucky. Really lucky," he emphasized.

I was more lucid now. Finn was silent. Whenever Finn was silent, it meant things were incredibly serious. Colin wouldn't even look me in the eye.

"I know I'm lucky. I'm alive though, nothing to worry about. I'll get better, and we can have that coconut party the second I get out of this bed," I joked weakly. The somber mood was unsettling.

"Oh you definitely were lucky to survive, but that's not everything. I meant Rory," Colin said. "She drove here straight from Star's Hollow, and hasn't left your hallway, save to go to your room or the bathroom."

Finn cocked his head to the side. "She was furious with us earlier, actually. Your Ninety-nine is scary. Extremely scary. Started yelling about how we were useless and should have had your back."

Oh no. "I'm sure she was just worried. She didn't mean it."

"We figured. She apologized later," Colin stated. "We drove back to New Haven to get a few of your things. Rory wanted to spruce up your room."

Finn gestured to the suit of armor. "Of course Rusty was a necessity."

"Your idea, Finn?"

"Of course. I even bought him a balloon so he wouldn't get lonely," the Australian grinned.

The fact that my room was no longer remotely resembled to room I had woken up in was late to register. My room was now filled with different things, the suit of armor from my apartment, flowers, several 'get well soon' balloons. Oddly, even some silly string.

"Excuse me boys, would you mind leaving the room? I need to check on Logan," Dr. Shultz said, entering the room.

They stood up. "We'll grab some dinner, but we'll be back in a while," Colin told me as they left the room.

"Wait. Can you guys take Rory with you? Make sure she eats? Has she slept at all today?"

"We'll take care of her, Logan," Finn answered as they left.

After Dr. Shultz left, Rory came in.

"Ace, what're you doing here? I told Colin and Finn to bring you out to dinner."

"I told them to bring me back a few fortune cookies," Rory smiled, putting a few books down on the table beside me. "I told you I'd be here Logan, and that's exactly what I'm doing. I'm being here for you."

"My knight in shining armor."

"No, your knight in fabulous four inch heels and a great dress," she smiled. "The shoes are killing my feet though. I forgot to tell Colin to bring me an extra pair of shoes."

"Is there a gift shop here? Maybe they sell flip flops or something." She looked adorable; scurrying around my room, cleaning up the silly string I'm assuming was Colin and Finn's mess.

"Oh good idea! I'll go down and check when Colin and Finn come bac." Rory walked to throw all the silly string in the trash can. "I just spoke to Honor. She and Josh are on her way here, but they're having some trouble getting a flight. The flight they found has this five hour layover in Angora, but they're looking for more direct ones. She'll be here tomorrow." She was fixing up the flowers on the table on the left wall, putting the cards up on display.

"Hey Taz, come here a second, I'm getting dizzy. You've really got to stop that," I told her, remembering a hunt for Thucydides some weeks ago.

She came and perched on the foot of my bed. "Are you feeling all right? Do you need anything? Should I get the nurse?"

I shook my head. "I just wanted to know how you were. Have you been up since last night?"

"Haven't you heard? Sleep is out. Huge cups of coffee are in. I hear dark circles under the eyes are really making a comeback," Rory smiled.

"Ace, you've got to sleep. And eat. My getting better will be pretty useless if you whither away and die you know."

"I slept a little while you were sleeping, and the guys are bringing me food. Do not worry about me," she reprimanded. "Focus on getting better, you hear me?"

"Loud and clear." The medicine that Dr. Shultz gave me as well as the fatigue from staying up that long was kicking in. Making a mental note to find and buy Rory comfortable shoes, I dozed off.

Hospital food was disgusting. Everything looked so limp and tasteless. I convinced Rory to get something from the vending machine, for herself of course. I doubt Rory would let me eat anything unhealthy for the next week or so, but maybe if I asked the right way-

"You look terrible."

I opened my eyes to find my dad staring at me. Of course I had known from 'you' that it was him. No other father can pack in hostility, disappointment, and condescension into three words like Mitchum Huntzberger. Of course over the years, I had developed an immunity towards it.

"Dad? What're you doing here?"

"Visiting my injured son. I'd ask you what the hell you were thinking, but I'm sure it wouldn't even register," he replied. "Will I be paying for any damage to Costa Rican rain forests?"

"No." I wasn't in the mood to deal with my dad. I wished Rory would come back. "I didn't think you'd be here."

"Well someone informed me none too kindly that I was being an ass and had an obligation to visit you. Personally, I thought it was also an opportunity to talk to you about stopping this Life and Death Brigade nonsense."

"Colin?"

"Rory."

"Ace called you? You're kidding." I thought Rory was afraid of my father. She had a panic attack when he showed up at the DAR charity event she hosted. I couldn't imagine her picking up the phone to talk to him. "I thought she was afraid of you after the whole internship thing."

"No, your girlfriend is quite the character. She's more aggressive than I thought she was. Who knew that Richard Gilmore's little angel had such bite to her bark."

"That's my Rory," I said simply.

Dad moved to sit on the chair next to my bed. "So it's serious. Pops and your mom weren't exaggerating. You really are serious about this girl."

"Serious as a collapsed lung."

"Don't be glib, Logan," my dad replied, more out of habit than anything else. "Never thought I'd see the day my son actually committed to something other than the Life and Death Brigade."

"Yeah well, people change."

"You should commit to your studies and the paper as much as your girlfriend does. Why with all your talent, you should have been editor of the Daily News. Rory even took a semester-"

"Don't even go there, Dad. Do not start comparing me to Rory. Rory is incredibly talented, and she deserves that position more than anyone."

"Well I do have to credit her for being the only editor to get Logan Huntzberger to write more than one piece the whole semester. I saw your work. Some of your quotes read too long, but otherwise they're fine. Some topics were hopeless though- why the hell would you write about the renovation of the bathrooms?"

"The paper needed filler pieces. It almost didn't come out actually."

He frowned. "Why? Rory couldn't handle the job?"

I wanted to kill my dad. Rory's the most capable person I know. "No, Paris Geller was the editor. Her perfectionism went overboard, she didn't delegate- most of the staff quit. Rory actually was the one who pulled everything together in the end. I think it even earned her the editorship."

My dad snorted. "Well your piece on textbooks was good. I see you took my advice about contacting Julian Morrows."

"Actually Rory wrote that one."

The look on my dad's face was priceless. "Then why the hell did it have your by-line? Has she been writing all your pieces?" That was a very interesting shade of puce.

"Just that one. She was pretty ticked off at me then and-" I shrugged. "Long story."

"Was that when you cheated on her?"

I looked incredulously at him. How the hell did he know that?

"Now son, don't give me that look. What kind of a journalist would I be if I didn't know what went on in my own house? Didn't you sleep with Walker-"

"Don't even finish that sentence." My father had absolutely no right to pass judgment on my love life. He could criticize my school work, he could criticize my choice in friends, but he could not criticize my love life. Not when he… well.

"People do surprise you," my dad smirked. "I thought you would have moved on to another girl by now Logan. Yet there Rory is, outside your hospital room."

"She's the one, Dad."

I hadn't planned on saying that. I could see the disbelief in my dad's eyes. "The one, huh? At 23, you think you've found the one."

Yes. I had found my one, my Ace.

"Yep."

Author's Notes: Review? Please?