Disclaimer: I don't own Gilmore Girls.
Rory looked at Logan across the table. It may have been ten years, but in those ten years her feelings for him had not changed.
"Are you really going to marry Odette?" she asked. Logan smiled a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.
"That's the dynastic plan," he replied. Rory sat quietly, thinking. Ten years ago, Logan had asked her to marry him, to spend the rest of their lives together. She had said no, and had regretted it ever since. What would have happened if she had said yes? If she had just jumped with him when he'd asked her to and not listened to her mother? To the fears and doubts in her mind? Perhaps they would still be sitting here, but as a married couple with kids at the grandparents' while they enjoyed a night out. As Rory thought about it, she could see now Lorelai had manipulated her into doing exactly what she wanted. Logan watched her; he could always tell when something was going on in Rory's head.
Anger suddenly welled up inside him. What was he doing? Marrying Odette when the woman he truly wanted to marry was sitting across from him? He took a deep breath, emboldened by the champagne and his love for his Ace, and prepared to speak. Whatever happened after, he would have an answer.
"Tell me not to," he said. Rory looked at him in confusion before comprehension dawned on her face. She slowly started to shake her head.
"Logan—"
"Tell me not to marry her, Rory. Tell me-tell me to call it off," Logan said. Rory was silent as a strong sense of déjà vu came over her. Logan had asked her a question very similar to this eleven years ago. Had it really been that long? That long since she was a junior in college who had thrown her boyfriend a London-themed farewell party on the eve of his departure to the city he was headed to. Rory felt as though she was twenty-one years old again, so desperate to stay with Logan, yet fearful of coming between him and his family. "Rory." Rory jumped and looked at Logan, who was watching her with an expression she could identify very well. Hope and love mixed with a little bit of fear. She wet her lips to speak.
"Logan, I—"
"Don't say you can't do that. Don't say it. Tell me not to marry Odette. Please!" Logan exclaimed, his voice cracking on the last word in desperation. Rory blinked back the tears in her eyes as she fought with herself. She knew if she did this, she would be walking away from Logan forever. Steeling her resolve, she bit her lip and placed the key he had just given her on the table between them.
"I can't. I'm sorry. Goodbye, Logan," she whispered. Standing quickly, she gathered her things and avoided Logan's outstretched hand. She knew if she looked at him, she would never be able to walk away. She bit her lip and fought to keep the tears back as she hurried across the dance floor and up the stairs.
Logan watched her go, his heart breaking. This felt worse than when Rory rejected his proposal all those years ago. He picked up his champagne flute and knocked back the contents in one go and repeated the action with Rory's barely touched glass before he sank back down into his chair and rested his head in his hands. He'd known it might end this way, but he'd hoped so much Rory would tell him what he wanted to hear. He was dimly aware of footsteps approaching and a hand being placed on his shoulder. Logan sighed as he looked up into Colin's face, Robert and Finn on either side of him.
"Well mate, I hope you'll understand when I say you're a total idiot," said Finn. Robert smacked him on the back of the head.
"That's not helping Finn," he said firmly. Finn ignored him and plowed on.
"Logan, I know, we all know, you're only you, your true self, with Rory. You love her and she loves you, so what's the problem?"
"I'm engaged to someone else, Finn."
"Then what did we come here for?! So you could have a last hurrah with Rory before you get married? I thought you were going to tell her-" Logan snapped.
"I asked her to tell me not to marry Odette and she said she couldn't! All right?! I asked the only woman I've ever loved to tell me to break off the arranged marriage, the marriage my parents deemed "acceptable," so that I could be with her and she said no. I love her, you all know how much I love Rory—"
"Then go after her! Go after her right now Logan! You've got one more shot to make this right and you'll always regret it if you let her walk away. Do you really want to be trapped in a loveless marriage for the rest of your life?" Finn asked. Logan stood silently, staring at his friend. Finn was right. He'd regretted walking away from Rory on her graduation day ever since that day and if it hadn't been for his stubborn pride and that stupid ultimatum, he and Rory might have been together all this time.
Without a word he brushed past his friends and raced up the stairs. He burst out of the building and dashed up the steps leading to the alley. He looked around for Rory, she couldn't have gotten far. He heard a sniffle coming from the direction of the car and headed that way.
Rory stood with her back against the brick wall. She tilted her head back as tears raced down her cheeks. Her heart, her lungs, every muscle in her body was screaming. Screaming at her to go back to the club and tell Logan what he wanted to hear. What she wanted to tell him. But she couldn't do it. She couldn't make her feet move. She sniffled as she tilted her head forward and watched her tears fall onto the pavement. She patted her pockets for her phone, she had to find a way back to Stars Hollow. She would call a cab, just as soon as she calmed down. As she took a couple of deep breaths, she heard the door slam open and hurried footsteps come up the stairs. She wiped her eyes on the back of her hand and sniffled again as she listened to the footsteps coming closer. What was wrong with her? She was alone in a strange city, in the dark, and no way of defending herself, yet she couldn't move as the footsteps came around the corner.
"Ace." Rory let out a sob and turned her head to the side, facing away from him. She closed her eyes as he stepped closer and felt him stop in front of her. Two fingertips, rough yet soft, that she knew as well as her own, gently turned her head to a central position. When he spoke, his voice was soft, pleading. "Rory, please look at me."
Logan's heart twisted in pain as he rounded the corner and saw her standing against the wall. Now that he was here, he wasn't sure what he would say.
"Ace," he said, and felt his heart and stomach simultaneously contract as she looked over at him and let out a sob before she turned her head away from him. He couldn't let her go like last time. Not again. With that in mind, he closed the short distance between them until he stood in front of her. He looked at the face he knew so well and gently laid two fingers against her cheek, turning her head back to face him.
"Rory, please look at me," he pleaded with her. Rory breathed deeply before opening her eyes and staring directly into Logan's. Logan debated whether or not to put his arms around her, but something told him she might not welcome that right now. Before he could decide what to do, Rory spoke.
"I'm sorry," she said for the second time in the last five minutes. Logan opened his mouth to speak but Rory beat him to it. "I'm sorry for all of it." Logan gave her a puzzled look.
"You're going to have elaborate a bit, Rory," he said. Rory swallowed hard and nodded as she mustered her courage.
"I'm sorry for saying no to your proposal when I really wanted to say yes. I'm sorry for not fighting harder for you at my graduation. I'm sorry I just let you walk away from me, I'm sorry for this stupid arrangement we've had for the last couple of years, I'm sorry I didn't have the courage to tell you yes when you said you would walk away from the family business when we met in Hamburg, and I'm sorry I'm not brave enough to tell you not to marry Odette," Rory sobbed. To hell with it Logan thought before he pulled Rory into his arms, thankful when she didn't resist and buried her face in his vest.
As he held her, he thought how strange this picture might look to anyone passing by, anyone who didn't know them and their history. He was wearing clothes that spoke of a time when this world was younger, while she wore clothes that were more modern. It felt like two worlds were colliding, the past and the present. And maybe they were. The two of them were part of each other's pasts and the present, and as Finn's words rang through Logan's head, maybe, just maybe, he and Rory would be part of each other's futures too. Logan was pulled out of his train of thought as Rory lifted her head and looked at him, her mascara streaking down her cheeks.
"Do you want to marry Odette?" she asked. Logan shook his head.
"No, I don't. I've only ever wanted to marry you, Rory. I would marry you now, tonight, and then deal with my father and the whole dynastic plan after." Rory bit her lips and looked down at her feet. "Rory, what's going on in there?" Rory took a breath before she looked back up at Logan. This was it, her final chance to do what was right for her and what she wanted and needed.
"If I'd said yes back then, things would be so different now," she said, echoing her thoughts she'd had in the club. Logan looked at her, his heart filling with hope even as he tried to push it back out. "I love you, Logan. I never stopped loving you," Rory felt a weight lift off of her as she finally said the words she'd been carrying in her heart all these years, the words that she'd told herself countless times she would say to Logan every time they saw each other, but had never been able to work up the courage. Logan's lips crashed into hers as his arms tightened around her, molding their bodies together, and Rory was reminded of the time he'd kissed her after they had officially become boyfriend and girlfriend. For a moment she was twenty years old again as she let herself get lost in the feeling of being with Logan for the first time in a long time.
Logan's heart was singing as he focused on the woman in his arms, so focused he never noticed his three friends come around the corner and stop in their tracks as they took in the spectacle in front of them.
"It looks like you got through to him," Colin whispered to Finn, who nodded and grinned as he watched his two friends reconcile. He cleared his throat.
"If you two are about done, I believe we still have some frivolity and debauchery to take part in," he said, startling both Rory and Logan, who broke apart and glared at him. Finn raised his hands. "Just saying."
A little while later, they arrived at an inn. After Rory tried and failed to shush the three stooges, Logan took her hand and pulled her a little closer to him.
"Where are we?" she asked.
"New Hampshire. We bought the place out for tonight, it's just us here," he replied. Rory grinned at him.
"New Hampshire, I've never been here," she said. Logan nodded.
"I know," he said, and suddenly felt shy. "I-I got us both a room, I wasn't sure how tonight would play out, so—"
"Show me," Rory said. Logan nodded and the two of them slipped away up the stairs. The moment the door closed behind them, Logan locked it before taking Rory's face in his hands and kissing her soundly while her fingers found the fastenings on his vest. "Did you ever notice we get interrupted when we try to have a moment alone? Like when my Mom caught us at my grandparents' vow renewal?" Rory asked between kisses as Logan removed her jean jacket.
"I don't want to talk about your parents right now, Ace," he said as he backed her towards the bed. Rory hit the mattress with a moan and a nod.
After, Rory tangled her fingers with Logan's as she turned on her side to face him. He'd fallen asleep a few minutes ago, and she wasn't very far from slumber, she could feel her eyelids beginning to droop, but she wanted this image to hold on to. Who knew how long it would take for Logan to sort everything out with his father and to call off the wedding? How long would it be before they could really, truly be together? Rory yawned, she couldn't think those thoughts right now, she just had to enjoy the time she had left with Logan. With that, she curled closer to him and rested her head on his chest. Logan sighed and wrapped an arm around her back in his sleep, holding her close. Rory yawned one final time before she succumbed to sleep and let the dreams of her hopes for the future carry her away.
Logan woke up in a panic when he felt Rory's side of the bed and discovered she wasn't there. Had she changed her mind? Had she put on her clothes and left without saying goodbye to him? He sat up, ready to pull his clothes on and set off in pursuit when he saw her sitting on the window seat, wrapped in a robe and looking out the window. He yawned and Rory looked around at the sound, smiling when she saw he was awake.
"What are you doing over there?" he asked her.
"I woke up and couldn't go back to sleep, so I decided to watch the sun come up. It's beautiful here," she replied softly. Logan got out of bed and pulled his T-shirt on before coming to join her at the window.
"I wanted it to be special for us," he said, resting a hand on her shoulder. Rory smiled at him and stood up so she was facing him.
"It was. It was just right for the both of us," she said as she wrapped her arms around him. Logan hugged her back tightly. He had a flight back to London at noon, and he wasn't looking forward to returning to the city he called home when his true home was here, with Rory. He bit his lip hard, he couldn't stand the thought of being parted from her again, for any length of time.
Rory felt him tense and pulled back to look at him.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"I hate that I have to leave you again. I know it was me who left and walked away on your graduation day, so I should be the one apologizing for not fighting for us. You didn't give up on us, you didn't want to, but I did give up on us. I'm so sorry, Ace."
He visibly fought to control himself, Rory could feel his hands trembling where they rested against her back. Rory put a finger to his lips. "Logan, shh. It's going to be all right. We've both made mistakes and let our fears and pride get in the way, but it's not going to be like that now. We know we still love each other. No matter what's changed in the last ten years, that hasn't. We're going to figure this out. Together." As she said it, Rory finally felt at peace and with more hope than she had for a long time. Logan nodded.
"We'll figure it out," he agreed.
Author's Note: Hope you enjoyed the story! As much as I did not enjoy the revival, I was hit with inspiration out of nowhere for this one-shot last week and just had to get it out. My best friend and I have got another Gilmore Girls story in the works, but I hope until that one is ready this will tide you all over.
Till next time, xoxoxo.
