A/N: I wish I had Rory's trustfund to work whenever I wanted, but it's not the case (hahaha). I need to work my ass off to pay the bills. So, it took me a while to finish new chapters and updated here. But here I am again driving people crazy with this unexpected story. Hope you all enjoy and review!
Old friends and new fancies
"Diapers. Check. Onesies. Check. Toys. Check. Pacifiers. Check. Extra bottle. Check..." Rory made sure everything was in order and beamed at the sparky baby lying on the bed. "I think you are ready to go, Ellie." She addressed the little human who was freneticaly kicking and waving her tiny arms.
If the young Gilmore hadn't read so many books about child development, she would swear the girl could understand everything and was excited to go out with daddy for the first time. Ellie was over three months old and the most delicated phase had passed, so it was about time to let father and daughter have some fun without a chaperone.
As Rory took the baby up and Ellie automatically rested on her chest, the new mommy contemplated how far they've come since that dreadful night at the drugstore. She never mentioned the episode to anyone, not even to Lorelai. The young Gilmore didn't want her mother to feel guilty for not being around. She knew it would make the woman doubt the decision to go ahead with the new inn project and it was time for Lorelai to stop putting life on hold.
The blueprint of the new inn had been ready since Ellie was born, but the construction didn't start sooner due to the changes in the family dynamic. Once Rory seemed more comfortable in mom shoes, there was nothing else in the way of The Dragonfly's expansion.
Whilst Lorelai was focusing on work, Rory has been handling things pretty well by herself. It took some time and practice, but she eventually picked up on motherhood 101. Then again, the new mommy has also been completely exhausted. No matter how good you get at parenting, a child is still very demanding and things are never easy - especially for a journalist who was trying to keep her job.
Rory knew she could redeem the vouchers that guaranteed many favors from Stars Hollow friendly citizens, but she didn't want to spend them all at once. It would be a long ride and baby-sitters would come in handy later on.
So, when the doorbell rang announcing Logan's arrival, the girl was filled with a mix of relief and anxiety. A day-off was everything the young Gilmore could think of. She took the bag that contained every possible baby item and rushed to the door with Ellie in her arms, not bothering to check herself on the mirror previously. Her hair and her outfit were a total mess, but the new mom didn't care. She could barely hold the excitement of having an entire day for herself.
Logan, unfortunately, wasn't prepared for the sloppy person at the door. "Whoa!" He failed to hide his shock. "Hey..."
"Hi..." Rory wrinkled her forehead. "Is something wrong?"
"Oh, nothing," Logan winced, trying to come up with a good cover story. "I was just surprised you answered so fast."
"Right..." Rory observed him in suspicion for a moment and then continued. "So... Ellie is changed and ready to go. And here is everything you'll need for the day, including a schedule of her nap times. Please, follow it through." She went on about the instructions while mechanically handing the bag and the notes to the young Huntzberger. When she finished talking, her eyes got a glimpse of Logan's disconcerted expression. "Are you still with me?"
"Sure! This moment was way less overwhelming than the time you went on and on about Seymour Hersh's striking portrayal of Kennedy in The Dark Side of Camelot. At least, today you took some time to breathe between sentences."
"Logan, come on. We've already talked about this. One-on-one time is the best way to bond. You even said it was your chance to master the art of mixing the perfect bottle for this lovely young lady, remember?"
"I know! I meant what I said," he claimed and tilted his head charmingly. "But... It's Sunday morning, Ace. Why don't you join us? What are you going to do alone around here anyway?"
"Oh! That's a tough question. Let's see..." Rory knitted her brows with sarcasm. "Maybe I'll take a long shower and wash my hair, get my nails done, sleep, eat a meal before it gets cold, read a little, enjoy the silence of my own thoughts or basically do anything that doesn't involve being a mom for a couple of hours."
"It seems like a long to-do list," he chuckled softly, a bit embarrassed.
"Logan, you two will be just fine without me..." Rory encouraged him. "Besides, haven't you heard? Mary Poppins is back. Given your current zip code in England, I'm pretty sure you have the right to summon a British nanny."
"Oh! She'd melt before touching Yankee soil."
Rory laughed sheepishly for a sec and confessed. "Seriously, Logan. It's obvious that I really need a break." She exhaled deeply, giving away her fatigue. "I should say you can call me if you need... But, I beg of you... Please don't. You're staying at the Dragonfly and my mom is going to be there the entire day. I've already talked to her and she'll be more than happy to help in case of an emergency."
"In exchange for funny videos of dad failures..."
"Well, it's a small price to pay, mister." Rory shrugged. "If it's any consolation, she has me on camera too. We'll probably love to watch it in the future and laugh."
"I guess you have a point," the young Huntzberger nodded in acceptance and opened his arms to welcome the child. "Come on, Ellie. Let's go make some memories!"
Rory kissed the baby's forehead and felt a tad emotional before placing her in Logan's arms. This was also the first time she would be away from Ellie. Needless to say, the idea was secretly making her very nervous. However, the journalist kept in mind Paris's advice about sharing responsibilities with Logan. She couldn't be the only one changing the diapers after all. So, the new mommy just put on a brave face and ignored the feeling.
Meanwhile, Logan hesitated for a moment with Ellie in his arms and the baby bag clumsily hanging from his shoulder. He was standing still in the same place, looking totally lost about what he should do next.
Rory observed the static man with amusement. Since they've met, Logan always knew what to say and what to do. But not today. Not even the fancy clothes or the big car could hide it. All his confidence was out of the window right now.
Ellie was the one who snapped the young Huntzberger out of the silent panic attack. The baby girl babbled in her typical unrecognizable language and smiled playfully at her father, a small gesture that gave the man enough courage to finally move. Logan straightened his body and started walking away from the house instantly, before self doubt could freeze him again on the porch.
-o-
As soon as the door closed behind her, Rory was taken aback by the reflection on the foyer's mirror. No wonder Logan was in shock a few minutes ago. She looked exactly like one of the poor unfortunate characters depicted in Les Miserables.
"I'd definitely be the sad woman singing 'I dreamed a dream' in the musical version, right?" Rory vented to Paul Anka, the only other resident at home now.
The dog was watching her from the stairs and barked in reply, what the young Gilmore interpreted as a firm advice to stop feeling sorry for herself because it was a waste of time. Ergo, she decided to drop the whining and jump in the shower. It was the best way to get some dignity back.
After ditching the stained rags she was wearing to enjoy quiet minutes in the shower, Rory's mood changed for the better. She felt full of energy and the initial idea of spending the day in bed or on the couch wasn't so appealing anymore.
The new mom looked outside the window and the beautiful sunny morning was like an invitation to go out. She could almost feel the warm breeze and hear the cheerful conversations on the street. Wrapped in the nap and feed routine for weeks, a carefree walk around town was everything Rory needed to relax.
On a whim, the girl changed into a comfy flower dress with cute flats and left the house. Although it was late August and fall season was around the corner, today seemed like one of those lazy-hazy-crazy days of Summer in Stars Hollow. There were happy faces everywhere and live music coming from the gazebo. The scenery was a boost for Rory's enthusiasm. The only thing missing to make it perfect was a cup of Luke's coffee.
Captivated by the cheerful vibe, Rory watched the simple life of her hometown while strolling distractedly down the streets. The young Gilmore was just letting her legs lead the way to the diner - after all, she knew the map by heart.
Rory didn't realize right away, but she unconsciously took the old route to the diner and eventually she found herself in the middle of Peach Street. She passed the spot where Luke parked the float the day Ellie was born and remembered that the Forester's house was just a few steps ahead. Out of curiosity, the young Gilmore quickened her pace to give it a look. When she got to the familiar address, the girl halted at the sidewalk.
The house was almost the same on the outside. The only exception was a new salmon color. She wondered if the interior was also repainted, but, even if it wasn't, the young Gilmore knew everything was completely different inside. There would be no Avril Lavigne blasting from Clara's stereo. And Dean wasn't in his old room anymore, asking the girl to turn it down. A long time has passed and things have changed since the days Rory would climb a tree to tap on his window.
Rory's mind drifted away, imagining what might have happened in Dean's life over the past years.
Apart from his marital status, there was so much she didn't know. The girl only found out he was married again and moved to Scranton thanks to Facebook. Lane left a comment in a photo and somehow the interaction popped up on the young Gilmore's screen, splashing a new picture of an overjoyed Dean hugging three smiley boys and a gorgeous woman named Jenny.
The image stung a little, but Rory dropped a sincere compliment in the post for the family anyway. It was nice to see him happy. And when they met last year, the young Gilmore just testified how his satisfaction wasn't something staged for social media. Not that she ever thought it was.
Dean was so full of joy talking about lice and ordinary moments of parenthood, it was hard to imagine he has had a bad day raising three boys. That's something I'll definitely ask the next time we bump into each other. Rory thought, wishing they could have another opportunity - with less crying involved - to catch up about life in general. She wanted to know if he finished college, what he was doing for living and how he ended up in Scranton Pennsylvania of all places.
Maybe Dean is a fan of The Office, or the city has something to do with how he met Jenny. What was their story by the way? Did he ever build her a car from scratch too? Or was that exclusive for me? The questions were flooding Rory's head when a friendly voice startled her:
"What are we doing?" Lane said, imitating her friend and standing still in front of the Forester's house.
"I was just taking a walk..."
"... Down memory lane, apparently." Lane teased, a witty smirk on her face.
"Well, you got me there, Sherlock." She turned to the girl by her side. "How long have you been here?"
"You were already absorbed in your emotional flashback scene when I got here. I decided to say something before the movie cuts to the part you start singing and a bunch of dancers appear from nowhere to join you."
"Huh!? I've always thought it was cheap to randomly throw musical episodes in TV Shows, but, somehow, Stars Hollow definitely has the right atmosphere to pull it off." Rory quipped.
"Miss Patty would be thrilled for sure. Luke not so much." Lane paused for a minute and then insisted, her gaze drifting back to the house. "So?"
"So what?"
"Before I interrupted your musical number, it looked like you were having some kind of epiphany."
"Oh, no!" Rory shook her head. "I've just noticed the house looks different. That's all. I guess today I paid attention properly to the surroundings because I have all this free time on my hands."
"This is your first kid-free day?"
"Aham! Logan's on baby duty."
"Double milestone! This calls for a celebration. Luckily my schedule is totally clear. Brian took the boys to the mall in Hartford."
"Well, I was actually on my way to Luke's. Would you like to join me, Mrs. Van Gerbig?"
"Only if you promised to talk about everything, but kids."
"Deal! How about you begin filling me in on the music school project?"
The girls made their way to the diner and Lane updated Rory about the next steps to open the new business. Over an improvised brunch, she explained that the gigs in the local area paid off. The money goal was achieved to advance to the remodelling phase. Now, they had to announce a closing-down sale to make room for the future plans. Emily's assistance would be welcomed to spread the word to the best buyers and Rory agreed to make the call, in part because she was also looking for an excuse to rebuild the bridge with her grandmother. The woman probably learned her lesson from the Michum incident.
After a nice meal at Luke's, the two moms found a spot to enjoy the live music at the town square for the rest of the day and chat some more. In a way, it was a lot like when they were younger, despite the grown-up topics of conversation. Lane was particularly invested in convincing Rory to join Tinder or give online dating a shot, leading to great laughs about past failures in the date departament. It was exactly what they both needed: a moment to be just women, not somebody's mother.
The sun was starting to go down when Rory headed back home. Paul Anka was still the only one there to welcome her. Logan sent a message telling Ellie was sound asleep and he didn't want to disturb the baby. So Lorelai would take her home later, which means an extra hour of spare time for the journalist.
Rory was reading cosily on the couch, under the covers, when Lorelai arrived. In silence, she put a sleepy Ellie on the crib and came back to the living room to join her daughter. The woman placed the baby monitor on the coffee table and sat on the floor.
"That kid is a little prankster." Lorelai made an effort to continue between laughs, while Rory watched her with curiosity. "Daddy made the rookie mistake of leaving a full dirty diaper near her. So, she managed to grab it and waved it around. Oh, God! It was hilarious. Logan was terrified."
"I think that's definitely a 'Holy Crap' moment, huh? The expression really applies in this situation."
"Oh, yeah! And I have it all on camera. Tons of great footage. If we keep this up, in no time, we could make a reboot of Three Men and a Baby without Tom Selleck."
"Glad to know you had fun," Rory pointed out sprightly. "With the expansion on going, I wasn't sure Michel would get off your back today."
"Well, we have a guest from France staying at the inn this weekend and that's keeping him entertained. He said he was taking charge of things because the occasion demanded a more refined taste to meet the parisian standards of customer service," Lorelai explained, using a fake accent to replicate Michel's speech. "So, as a good manager, what else could I do? I delegated."
"And conveniently got yourself a break to film a mockumentary."
"Hold on! I demonstrated step by step how to change the diaper first. When it was Logan's turn to do it, I only recorded for academic purposes, because it helps to visualize what you are doing wrong. It's not my fault the guy is a slow student."
"You know you are not supposed to torture the guy and scare him away, right? The plan is the opposite."
"By your judgemental tone, I guess you don't wanna see the video of the diaper changing disaster of the year?"
"I never said that. Don't put words in my mouth."
"Then, how come I'm the only one who is getting scolded? Oh, the hypocrisy!" Lorelai said, feigning to be outraged.
"Duh! All I'm asking is for you to go easy on him. He's truly making an effort."
"I know! I get it. Despite a few bumps, he handled things well-ish today... But I'm dying here. Can I just play the videos now?
"Videos...Plural?"
"Oh, yeah! Wait 'till you see his reaction when Ellie spitted milk on his face."
-o-
Starting the day at 6 AM wasn't something Rory used to love, but it definitely had advantages. Since Ellie got over the newborn stage and was sleeping six hours straight at night, the journalist couldn't deny the early-bird schedule was making her more productive. She went through the morning diaper routine, checked the news while the girl was having a bottle, did the laundry and now was ready to enjoy a cup of coffee during the baby's tummy time. Soon it would be time for the first nap of the day, which means quiet hours before lunch to begin the research on the technicalities to record and upload a podcast.
Before Rory could reach the coffee machine, the doorbell rang and interrupted her plans. She wasn't expecting any visits, but perhaps it was someone looking for Luke or Lorelai. It wouldn't be the first time one of the neighbors stops at the house in the middle of the day, instead of going straight to the diner or the inn. So, the girl put Ellie down on the crib and rushed to the door, expecting to see Babette or Morey. But the person standing on the porch surprised her.
"Logan?!"
"Hello again."
"Hi!" She paused with confusion and checked the time on her phone. "I thought you were already on your way to the airport. Don't you have a flight to catch?"
"Yeah, I should be in Hartford by now." The man rubbed his neck. "Can I come in?"
"Of course!" Rory stepped aside, inviting him in. The young Huntzberger quietly made his way to the living room. "Is everything okay? You're starting to worry me." Rory finally asked.
"Err... I don't think there's an easy way to share this," he replied a bit shaken. "But Odette was here in Stars Hollow this weekend."
"Wait... What?"
"She got here one day before me and checked-in at The Dragonfly without telling me. I actually thought she was in Montreal."
"B... but," Rory sputtered. "Why?"
"She said she wanted to see the baby to figure out how she feels about the situation," Logan walked to the bedroom door and observed Ellie's crib; Rory joined him. "So, Odette got on a train to Hartford and ended up here. Apparently, she watched me with Ellie in the garden yesterday, from a distance. I didn't even notice her. At least, not until she knocked on my room early this morning to talk."
"God, is she from a French spy agency?"
"I don't think I can blame her for the secret operation, you know?"
"Right!" The girl bit her tongue. "How did the conversation go?"
"Long story short: the engagement is off. Odette said it was too much to deal with. Ellie is not a secret and my name is in the custody documents. People can access the information and just do the math. Since she is a public person in France, gossip websites would bring my indiscretions up and make her life a living hell. Her words exactly were 'I forgive you, but I can't handle it". So, she graciously gave me back the ring and the keys of the apartment and took off. I guess I should stop giving women rings and house keys, huh?"
"I'm so sorry, Logan."
"It is what it is." He exhaled sharply. "Not everything is bad news anyway. Ellie wouldn't exist if it wasn't for the mess, right?"
"That's a good point," the journalist chuckled.
They were both leaning on the doorframe, observing Ellie cooing on her crib. Rory was still smiling when she turned to Logan, who apparently had been staring at her. Intensively.
The man started to move in her direction, in a way Rory knew too well. She could feel the scent of his aftershave, fresh and luxurious. It would be really easy to just let go and cave to his charm. Too easy. But, suddenly, attraction gave place to rage. The young Gilmore got furious and put her hand on Logan's chest to stop his advances.
"What are you doing?"
"Well..." He replied with a sexy husky voice and a naughty grin. "Since I already lost the plane, Ace, we could make the best of my stay."
"So that's why you are doing all this?" The girl raised her voice. "You went through the trouble of a custody agreement and the visits, just to keep this dance between us? You're unbelievable."
"I'm unbelievable? Last year, I told you I was getting married because it was the dynastic plan and you were all cool. Now I tried to kiss you and you are actually pissed at me. I'm sorry that is such a horrible idea to be together, I better get going," Logan started to walk away in anger.
"Fine! Just let me know: how long are you going to disappear from her because you're mad at me? Should I even bother to send you an invitation to her first birthday?"
"What?" He uttered, offended.
"I know the story well, Logan. And I don't want to repeat it. I don't want to treat you the way my mother acted with my father. It was never healthy for them. And I was always caught in the middle of the drama," Rory took a deep breath to calm down. "Remember when you first showed up here after I told you about the pregnancy? We put our cards on the table about why we weren't together and..."
"...Odette wasn't on your list..." Logan looked at her and hunched his shoulders. "She wasn't really on mine either."
"I've never asked you to leave her, Logan. And, in the back of my mind, I knew what you wanted with the whole adventure in New Hampshire, or the House in Maine offer. You were expecting I'd stop you from getting married..."
"It didn't work though," the young Huntzberger repeated, wistfully, the same words from the day they said goodbye in New Hampshire. "You were the one sending me back home."
Rory held his gaze and assented. She watched Logan lean on the kitchen table in silence and then continued. "Odette is collateral damage in the mess I dragged you into. And I'm truly sorry. But there's a reason why I sent you away. My motives haven't changed. I stand by everything I said before. I don't want a life in the high society world, Logan. That was the only thing your father got right the other day at my porch." She moved closer to face the man again. "And don't pretend you are suddenly feeling the itch to start over and build a career from the ground."
"Why not?" Logan snickered. "It always works perfectly fine in Hallmark movies..."
"In that universe, a person just needs to leave New York and spend the Holidays in a bed and breakfast of a small town to find true love. Ask my mom and she will tell you how unlikely that storyline is." The girl raised her eyebrows. "The plot of a cheesy rom-com movie would never work for us, Logan. You are not the cliché character unsatisfied with your job. You love the business. You have loved the game since you were younger."
"No, I didn't..."
"Really? Do you remember the first time you visited me in New York? You were so excited for a business meeting the next day that I called you a work dork. And it wasn't a one time thing. Everytime you were about to close a deal you would not stop talking about it. The rush, I swear, is in your eyes. You didn't walk out back then because you didn't like the job. Let's be honest. The whole thing had more to do with the fallout with Mitchum and you being too proud to accept your father pointing the consequences of your screw up. You know this."
"Ouch!"
"Truth hurts... But I'm not pointing fingers here. Believe me I can relate," Rory weighed for a moment and admitted. "'Cause when I was being too proud to deal with my own screw ups, I turned to you. I knew you were the only person who'd understand the need to run away from problems... in Vegas."
"I've always wondered why Vegas..." He scoffed and gave her a profound gaze. "That makes sense."
"I didn't intend to be harsh when I turned you down. I just... I care about you, that's why I won't lead you on to keep my options open. It would only cause pain and drift you apart from Ellie. Besides, it is not fair to you. I want to see you happy with someone who fits your current life in the empire. And that's not me." Rory reached for his hand. "We are going to be bonded forever because of our daughter. But we can't fall back into old habits whenever one of us is lonely or having a bad day. Mr. Toad's Wild Ride is over. This is a totally different and new ride. It's our personal version of Kingda Ka at Six Flags. Are you up for it?"
"You know I can't resist a good roller coaster, Ace." He winked playfully. "Where can I get the tickets?"
A/N: The moment I decided this story would explore Logan as a present father, I knew Odette was out. The situation in the long run would be too humiliating for her. I know many fanfic stories revolve about Odette being in the way of Logan and Rory, but I've never seen Odette like that. Sorry (not sorry). There are much more interesting reasons and I tried to explore them more here. On top of that, I wanted to put the characters in the same spot we so often found Lorelai/Chris, but not repeating the same mistakes. In my story, Rory and Logan are making different decisions and it's curious to imagine where this may lead - or the conflicts that may unfold in the future.
Just to be clear about the revival, I think Logan wanted to keep Rory in his life somehow. And this time he knew better than to give her an ultimatum. That's why the tango club scene is very interesting. I always thought Logan meant something more when he said he was marrying Odette because "it was the dynastic plan". That line sounded like he was stating his feelings for Odette weren't some epic love in an effort to give Rory an opening to ask him to call off the wedding. Curiously, Matt Czuchry talked about that scene on a podcast and said exactly the same (I always mention what an actor/actress says about his/her own character because I believe it was how the writers directed the actor and it gives me more context about the story in general). I believe it makes a lot of sense, because Logan is the one who keeps staring and waiting for Rory to say something. She just brushes it off and goes back to watch the boys being stupid. For me, it was infuriating when she offered to "sleep" in his room later. But not because I thought she was confused or afraid to express her feelings. In my opinion, it was just Rory wanting to continue running away from reality and clinging to him to escape her problems. That wasn't fair to anyone involved.
I know I have a different take from most GG fics, but I believe it's too shallow to say "it was all because they were so in love" or "they can't communicate" (we're talking about Logan here, not Jess). Plus, it doesn't add up to the rest of the story. IMO, we can't analyse the Logan plot alone. The revival is trying to show us Rory's emotional/mental state. She was 32-year-old, in a bad place, beaten and lost because life didn't happen the way she expected. That's deep, man. It'a low blow for an overachiever that always believed plan A was going to work. If we put together the Wookie, the mess with Sandee Says, the life in boxes AND the situation with Logan, it's clear Rory was spiraling out of control. And let's just say the last time she was a bit frustrated she stole a boat, got arrested and dropped out of college... So, I don't think the sequence of poor decisions in the revival are out of character. For me, Rory was clinging to Logan and their past history because it was a last memory of the time her life was promising. She couldn't run to her grandparents this time, because she would have to admit she messed up (Emily was already pointing things weren't good). And she was not 20 anymore. I could write an essay about it, but I'll stop here.