A/N Hiya- Thanks for all the love and support in the reviews.
I originally wanted all the reactions to the engagement in one chapter but then I figured it would be SUPER LONG and very and this happened and this happened, so I decided to split the reactions into two chapters at least. This is also a very much angsty chapter for Lorelai so there is a disclaimer that if you don't want her coming across in a negative way this is not the fanfic for you. I have to say that writing the drama for this chapter was pretty difficult and challenging so let me know what you think of this- get technical with me too- I want to improve my writing.
Thank you so much for all of your love and support again. Enjoy!
Chapter 4
Rory felt like she was floating on a cloud as Logan held her waist as he spoke to his friends at the pub they had headed to in order to celebrate. She looked at the ring on her finger and just felt an unbelievable joy flow through her, she looked up at Logan and just leaned back into his embrace. Stephanie, Juliet, and Rosemary were all there and had fairly rapidly ascertained that she was the owner of new jewelry. They had spent a good fifteen minutes cooing over the ring before Logan had sworn them to secrecy, they got bored and went to the bar to order the overly expensive and strong cocktails that made Rich Man's Shoes so popular on campus.
Rory thought about her mother and friends like Lane and Paris. She wanted to tell her mother in person, but she could call Lane and Paris, Paris may even join them at the pub. She looked up at Logan, her fiance, she would never get tired of saying that, 'babe I'm just gonna go make a phone call I'll be right back okay' she kissed his cheek but he kissed her before he let her go 'tell your mom I said hi' she shook her head 'i'm gonna do that one in person with Grandma and Grandpa, we're doing dinner tomorrow right- Friday night dinner?' he nodded 'I'm calling Lane- and maybe Paris- I feel like I need to hear the squeals at the moment' he smirked, kissed her again and she exited the pub.
Lane had just got her babies down for bed and was sitting in front of her television half asleep with Zach when her phone rang 'Rory, hey, give me a second.' Zach made a noise and she laughed at him as she got up and moved to go outside so she could hear her best friend better 'hey how are you? You'll never guess what happened today. Zac got a phone call from Vapour Rub, he's their new lead guitarist. The babies are just so incredibly gorgeous as well when they're sleeping at least. So how're the finals going? I can't believe that you are almost done with Yale. How's Logan, is he back from California yet?' Rory listened to her ramble for a minute as she smiled down at her left hand 'Yale is great I have one more final to go but that's not until next week, Logan proposed, and lead guitarist for Vapour Rub, that is amazing Lane, tell Zac congrats for me.' she stopped and took a breath before the squeals forced her to hold the phone away from her ear.
'Wait Logan proposed. What did you say? Did you say yes? Does Lorelai know?' Lane questioned in rapid succession whilst Rory just listened with a huge smile on her face. 'Lane, I said yes, Mom doesn't know yet- you're sworn to secrecy until at least tomorrow night, we're doing family part one tomorrow so the Gilmores, Mom, Dad and maybe Francine, Logan mentioned something about that, never mind. I would invite you to the kind of party thing that is going on here but it's short notice and with the boys…. but I wanted to call and tell you, and ask- will you be my matron of honor?'
'Oh Rory I would love to, I've got to get you back for your comments at my wedding one way or another- I'll find something don't you worry. I love you Rory' she smiled, 'let me know when and where you need me and I'll make it happen.' Rory smiled, laughed at Lane's threat, made a mental note to ask Logan to make a decision on Best Man, and after they both said goodbye she hung up on her friend and called Paris who after far fewer squeals agreed to meet Rory at the pub in order to celebrate. Entering the pub again Rory found Logan regaling the story of her and Richard's prank yet again to the group of Life and Death Brigaders that had congregated and as he smiled down at her as she wrapped her arms around his waist kissing her forehead all she thought was that she was exactly where she was meant to be.
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Rory and Logan had headed to a gorgeous hotel rather than returning to Rory's apartment, with Logan pulling out all the stops claiming that they were celebrating and that they could really enjoy the facilities of the large Jacuzzi tub, which they did before falling asleep as a tangle of limbs that were awoken by the sound of Rory's phone ringing insistently she answered 'hello' she was groggy and felt that she hadn't had enough sleep. Logan was still half hugging her and he kissed her bare shoulder as he got up to make coffee for her
'Fruit of my loins...where have you been this week...I feel like I haven't spoken to you at all, all I've been getting is brush off texts so i need some Rory time and therefore I'm coming to your apartment and we are going shopping.' Rory suddenly felt very awake 'Mom, what time is it? I'm not really feeling shopping today. I've got some studying to do for my last final on Monday. And you'll see me this evening for Friday night dinner.' she grimaced at Logan rolling her eyes as her mother entered a tirade about how she should be able to see her daughter whenever she wanted but Rory was caught off guard when Lorelai mentioned 'I'm just looking forward to you being at home this summer. We'll get to do that rollercoaster trip we've been planning for you for forever at the end of your college years. Gilmore girls only right. We haven't done a good road trip together for years, Mia's wedding doesn't count because it was hijacked by Adolf. Actually, the last one had to be Harvard right? Rory you still there?'
Rory was looking at Logan who shrugged and she simply said 'yeah we'll have to talk plans Mom, I'm still a bit up in the air as far as work is concerned so plans for the summer should be flexible plus I don't know where Logan is going to be' Lorelai cut her off at that not realizing that Rory had put her on the speaker 'well hun, your relationship will change with the end of Yale- especially if he gets an offer on the West Coast, I mean you wouldn't follow him there. Your plan is to work for the New York Times as a foreign correspondent. Maybe the summer apart would be good. You know ease into the inevitable.' Her comments were cutting Logan to the quick but Rory just pulled him down to the bed beside her 'Mom I've got to get going this morning we'll see you tonight' and she hung up the phone and just looked at her fiance. 'I love you Logan and I am going to marry you, no matter what anyone says. You are my future.' He did nothing but kiss her pulling her back down to the mattress. Breakfast could wait.
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Rory did spend the day studying. After getting up late she had headed home and done about four hours of note review before joining Logan for lunch with Colin and Finn. she called her Grandpa to confirm that her Grandmother was expecting three extra people for dinner that evening, and suggested that Richard should call her Dad to confirm the invite for Francine. Whilst her relationship with her father had improved despite the failed marriage between her parents she had also started to repair the twenty years of damage to the relationship with her paternal Grandmother. She wanted to tell her entire side of her close family in one swoop. Logan was busy negotiating with Honor to have a Huntzberger family dinner the next night, not that either Rory or Logan expected to actually make it to dinner at the Huntzberger mansion; it would be a miracle of epic proportions. Soon enough it was time to leave for Hartford, climbing into her car had never made her so nervous and excited at the same time she just hoped that her family would be happy with their news.
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Upon arriving at the house Rory looked at her left hand that was home to her gorgeous ring, sighed, and switched it to her right hand as Logan watched 'Emily is like a jewelry sniffer dog. I don't want my finger to blab before I'm ready to speak about it' he laughed at her 'maybe I should hold onto it for a few minutes then because it doesn't belong on your right-hand baby and it's kind of obviously an engagement ring' she assented and handed it to him 'I want that back' he kissed her forehead 'last time it will ever be off your finger I promise. We won't worry about my parents tomorrow, your finger can blab all it wants.' she smiled and they got out of the car. She noticed that her mother's Jeep was not there yet but that her father's Volvo was there but only because she was looking for it. It seemed to be tucked down by the side of the garage. Together they mounted the steps and Logan rang the bell. Her last thought before the door was opened by the maid was 'let the game begin'.
The maid whose name was Gloria took Rory's jacket and led them through to the sitting area where Christopher and Francine Hayden were sat with Richard and Emily Gilmore. 'Hi everyone thanks so much for hosting Grandma. I hope you weren't put out.' Rory was the first to approach the group kissing everyone on their cheeks and giving her father a brief hug as Logan followed her around the group kissing the women on the cheek and shaking the men's hands. They accepted their drinks from Richard, scotch for Logan and Rory had a martini. They settled down and Rory answered some banal questions from her father and Francine about her last few weeks at Yale and how she was looking forward to graduation. Logan held her hand and just looked at the woman who had agreed to be his. Her ring in his pocket felt like a lead weight and he couldn't wait to get it back on her finger. They had been there for about five minutes when Lorelai entered the room, and the minute she did it felt like the room dipped about twenty degrees in temperature.
'Chris what the hell are you doing here?' was the first thing out of her mouth. Chris looked at his soon-to-be ex-wife in surprise 'I was invited Lor, by Richard, he wanted me to encourage my mom as well, something about wanting to have a pre-Rory finishing up at Yale celebration. I wanted to see Rory. I've barely seen her this month with all of her studying so I thought that we could be adults for the evening.' Lorelai looked at the faces of the people who were there and nodded sitting in one of the armchairs opposite her mother as her father made her drink. She didn't look happy about being blindsided 'so kid, tonight is all about you. One more final. Then we can think about moving you back to the Hollow.' Lorelai was speaking like Logan wasn't even there and whilst she maintained the calm smile that she had been exuding since arriving she looked at Logan who nodded at her 'well not quite Mom. As I said earlier, Logan and I don't quite know where we will be going forward, I don't think moving home is gonna happen though. I didn't get the Reston fellowship so I'm focusing on graduation then I can worry about summer. However, on that note, Logan and I do have an announcement. Babe.'
Logan nodded 'well when I was on the West Coast I realized how much I literally can't be without this one here' he nudged Rory with his elbow 'and a plan that I had been thinking about for a while started to come together in my head. Then about a week ago Rory called me super early' Rory interrupted 'it was about seven-thirty his time' the group minus Lorelai laughed 'anyway she woke me up because she had a nightmare and then during the course of a conversation essentially bulldozed every plan that I had made, but she gave me an idea of how to make it better so I did. Cut forward seventy-two hours and we're in the Sterling Memorial Library on campus, where Rory had once called me a- what was it again?' Rory responded like she had when he proposed 'butt-faced miscreant' she supplied 'yes she called me a butt-faced miscreant and that was the first time I had the thought of 'wow this girl is different but we're in the library and I'm asking her to marry me' Rory then cut in again, 'and I said yes.'
Logan handed Rory her engagement ring as Emily and Francine jumped up and moved the three feet towards the couple who stood as well. She slipped it onto her finger and Logan accepted the handshake from Richard and then Chris as he waited for his mother and Emily to stop cooing over the ring for a second in order to hug his daughter. Lorelai on the other hand was sat stock still in her seat staring at the scene that was occurring in front of her. Her brain was working a million miles an hour after a second thought she stated 'Rory can I speak to you for a second? In private.' Richard had gone to get a bottle of Champagne, Emily and Francine were already discussing the wedding and Chris was shaking Logan's free hand, Rory looked to Logan who gave the smallest of shrugs, she kissed his cheek 'Grandma don't make too many plans yet- I do want input' she giggled and followed her mother to her grandfather's study leaving the door open behind her. Lorelai didn't notice, she was pacing up and down.
'Rory, what the hell do you think you're doing? Agreeing to marry Logan? What's going on babe are you just feeling like you don't want to lose him 'cause hun you shouldn't agree to marry him because of that. You're running straight towards everything that I've protected you from your entire life. What the hell is Francine doing here? Are you still in contact with her? Don't you remember what she said about you when you were sixteen? How you were nothing to her family? Why didn't you talk to me about this babe you're making all these decisions and you haven't discussed any of them with me. I'm supposed to be your best friend Rory.' she then just looked at her daughter as she finished with her continuous stream of questions.
'Mom, I wanted to tell you about the engagement in person, I wanted to tell the entire family together, no one outside a very close circle of friends knows, and they are sworn to secrecy until we are ready to announce. He proposed last night. Logan, Mom is the one person that I can't live without. I had this nightmare on Monday night, and it's got me rethinking a few things. For instance, I think my choice to be a foreign correspondent is a little too out there for me, I much prefer features and literature. I'm thinking in detail about getting my master's too. Logan is helping me with that. I need him, Mom, this nightmare had me watching from afar after I turned him down and I wasn't truly happy Mom. My worst nightmare wasn't losing my career, it was losing him to another woman. I love him and I want to marry him. It probably won't be anytime soon. I'm looking at a longer length of engagement potentially not that we've discussed it in detail we're still waiting for the chips to fall about his options and where in the country we're gonna be based…'
'Who the hell are you right now Rory. this doesn't sound like you. You're talking about moving to follow a boy without a plan. Just move according to his career. I didn't raise you to settle like that. You're independent. You don't need a man just like me. Heck, even your grandmother sees that she called us kayaks. We don't need a guy Rory all we need is each other' Lorelai grabbed Rory's wrists and held them in a death grip 'you can't marry him, Rory. I won't let you. All guys do is let you down. Look at your Dad. Look at Luke.' Her voice was loud and her hold on Rory was getting tighter as she pulled on her wrists 'Mom you're hurting me.' Lorelai didn't listen 'all we need is us, Rory. Leave the ring here and we can go back to Stars Hollow and' Rory pulled her wrists out of her mother's grip backing up to the door 'Mom I know you don't like the idea of me moving so far away but I love Logan. I want him, I want to marry him. Have his kids. The whole storybook. I'm sorry that you haven't had that but it's what I want and you don't get a say in that.'
Lorelai struck out at that slapping Rory clear across the face. Rory's head flew to the right with the force of the slap, which through the open study door, echoed down the hall and was heard by Richard, Chris, and Logan in particular who had heard the raised voices in order to try and calm the two Lorelai's down. They found Rory cupping her cheek with her hand and tears streaming down her cheeks. She barrelled into Logan who on instinct pulled her into his chest away from the angry visage of her mother. Richard assessed the situation 'Lorelai I think you should leave'. Logan guided Rory towards her grandmothers as Lorelai called out 'when you come to your senses Rory you'll know where I'll be' then the front door could be heard slamming behind her. Logan simply held Rory as she burst into fresh tears and everyone sat in silence.
