A/N: Please make sure you've read Chapter 6 - I didn't get an e-mail when it updated and it never bumped to the front page...so better safe than sorry. I *hope* to have another chapter by Sunday?

Disclaimer: I don't own Gilmore Girls

"You get a message from a ghost?" Logan asked, Rory had looked at her phone and then immediately something about her face had changed, she looked tense and worried.

Rory shook her head and ran her hand through her hair, she smiled and sat up from her reclined position on the couch, "It is late, I should go to bed." she told him, "Today was fun though, I think we are going to have a good week."

Logan nodded his head and stood up, he reached forward and took her wine glass from her, "Is there anything in particular you want for breakfast?"

"Charlotte eats just about anything, and so do I, so whatever you want." Rory told him as she began to walk towards the stairs before stopping, "Do you need help with dishes or anything?"

"Go to bed Ace." Logan smiled at her warmly. "I've got this."

Rory nodded her head, "Goodnight." she smiled before continuing towards the stairs and into her bedroom, she quickly checked on Charlotte who was fast asleep, and then she looked down at the message on her phone.

She is so far. She will meet his nephews tomorrow. How is your weekend going? x

Not as glamorous as yours. Try to get some writing done?

Rory sighed, she was hoping that Jess might have lightened up, and sure, in some ways he had, but he was still keeping her at arms length and it was hard on her.

Will do, night.

Night.

xxx

"Mom! Mom!" Charlotte squealed as she stood on Logan's shoulders in the pool, "Look! I'm a giant!"

Rory laughed from her spot beside the pool, "Be careful!" she warned them both as she looked back down at her computer, she had decided to listen to Jess and try to get a bit of work done, she figured change of scenery might help to inspire her.

"Throw me!" Charlotte laughed as Logan walked slowly through the shallow end with her on his shoulders.

Rory laughed as she heard a big splash in the pool followed by laughter, she decided to close her laptop and join in on the fun. "Charlotte do you think I should swim too?"

"Mommy come in!" Charlotte laughed as Logan helped her get on a floaty and began to pull her around the pool.

Rory smiled and walked towards the steps of the pool, "You guys can't have all the fun." she smiled as she swam towards them, plunging under the water and pushing her hair back, when she broke the surface she immediately squirted water out of her mouth and onto Logan with a laugh.

"Mommy got you!" Charlotte laughed before she leaned and took a mouthful of water to do the same.

"Hey!" Logan pretended to be offended, "You two can't gang up on me!"

"Can too!" Charlotte grinned as she squirted water at him once more, "Get him, Mommy!" she encouraged her mother.

"No more honey." Rory spoke calmly to try to calm Charlotte down a bit, "Why don't we just swim."

"Is Dah coming?" Charlotte asked. "Dah comes swimming."

Rory looked to Logan to try to gauge his reaction, he was keeping his composure at the very least, "Honey, remember this is just special for you and Logan." Rory explained to her, "You and Dah are going to spend a week together at the end of August and go camping. Remember?"

"Oh," Charlotte nodded, "ok." she seemed satisfied with the answer as she used the flotation device to doggy paddle her way to the side of the pool.

"Camping?"

"Jess asked to take her camping over Labor Day." Rory explained, "I said he could."

Logan nodded, there was no way he could complain, and he wasn't angry, but it was an adjustment to think that he would always have to share them with him. "That will be fun." he smiled. "Are you really wearing a turtleneck bathing suit?" he changed the subject, referring to Rory's high-necked swimwear.

"I am." Rory laughed, "Paris bought it for me," she explained, "I think one of the actresses Doyle was working with told her it was all the rage."

"Well that makes a bit more sense." Logan laughed, they were both moving steadily towards Charlotte as she drew pictures with the water on the pool deck.

"When will everyone be here?"

"What time is it?" Logan asked, they had gotten in the pool after breakfast and had been playing ever since.

"Just before eleven when I got in."

"They'll get here after lunch."

"Charlotte honey, why don't we get out of the pool for a little while." Rory suggested, swimming over to where Charlotte was playing at the edge of the pool with her water wings on and her pool float around her.

"No Mommy, I want to swim."

"We can swim after lunch, but we need to have lunch and then I think we are going to meet some new people."

"I don't want to meet any more people." Charlotte whined, she was normally well behaved, but all kids had their moments.

"Honey, you are being rude." Rory told her in a stern tone, "Why don't we go inside, get dressed, play for a little while and then we can eat lunch and we will go from there."

Logan watched the interaction from a few feet away, he was still incredibly unsure of his place in all of this, he didn't want to over step, but he also didn't want to always leave Rory having to be the 'bad cop' so to speak. He swam to the edge of the pool and got out of the water, hoping that maybe it would coax Charlotte into doing the same. "I'm going to dry off." he told them as he grabbed a towel and patted himself down.

Rory smiled, she appreciated what he was trying to do and she was hopeful that by him getting out of the pool it would draw Charlotte out as well, "Charlotte..." she warned.

"FINE!" Charlotte glared at Rory as she shimmied along the edge of the pool until she reached the stairs and climbed out. Charlotte stomped her feet until she was over at the pile of towels and took one.

Rory quietly got out of the pool and gave Logan a weak smile, he hadn't seen Charlotte in a bad mood, but he was about to. "Drop the attitude, missy." she warned her as Charlotte scowled at her mother.

"I want to swim!" Charlotte shouted at Rory.

"We will be back in the pool later," Rory promised her calmly, "you cannot be out too long or you will get a sunburn, so we are taking a break and then we will come back out to the pool after lunch."

"I want to swim now!"

Rory exhaled and wrapped a towel around herself, counting to three in her head in an effort to stay calm, "We are done swimming for right now. If you do not apologize to Logan for being rude, you will not be coming to the pool this afternoon, you will be going straight to your room and you will not be playing with your toys, do you understand me?"

Charlotte was defiant, she crossed her arms over her chest, "I HATE YOU! I WANT TO GO HOME AND SEE DAH!" she shouted before she ran into the house. Rory was a few steps behind her and could hear the little girl begin to cry as she slowed to a walk to go up the stairs and into the bedroom. Logan was left standing outside, he knew that Jess was the only real father Charlotte had ever known, but it didn't mean it hurt less when he thought about it.

Rory waited a few seconds before letting herself into Charlotte's room, she walked in quietly along the hardwood floors and sat down on the bed beside Charlotte who was sniffling into her pillow, "I'm sorry that you miss Dah."

"I want to go home." Charlotte sniffled as she rolled over and curled up against her Mother.

"This is a lot for you." Rory acknowledged, partially to Charlotte and partially to herself, "New people in your family, Logan..." she paused, "Honey your Dah is your Dah, that isn't going to change. Jess loves you and he always will...but...I want you to understand that Logan...he was supposed to be here all along." Rory knew she was speaking in a way that Charlotte didn't completely comprehend, but Rory was saying it to herself too. "We can't go home, we are staying here for the week, but Dah is going to be in Stars Hollow next week, and maybe you can Facetime him later?"

Charlotte nodded her head in response, "I like 'Ogan." she stated.

"I know you do honey, you don't have to pick one of them."

xxx

"How is she?" Logan asked as Rory came back into the kitchen after about half an hour.

"She's confused." Rory acknowledged, "She's a bit overwhelmed by all the people and the introductions, and I can't blame her for that. She is also afraid that she is picking between you and Jess, and that scares her."

"I never thought I would have to share my kid with him," Logan chuckled, "but she loves him, and I don't want her to choose. I want her to get to know me and like me and love me, but I don't want to take all of those things from Jess."

"Good." Rory nodded her head, "I think maybe it would be best if Charlotte and I go and do a bit of sight seeing this afternoon before the guys arrive, give her some normalcy. Would it be alright if I take your car?"

Logan nodded, "Of course, you can take her around, do some shopping, whatever you want."

"I'm sorry." Rory told him awkwardly, "I am sure that was hard for you."

"It's all new." Logan smiled, trying to reassure her that he was fine, "It will all take some time to figure out."

"I'm going to... go change." Rory nodded before disappearing back up the stairs to change. She was exhausted, it wasn't even noon, but dealing with the emotions of a four year old was challenging at the best of times, and these certainly were not the best of times. Rory poked her head into Charlotte's room and told her that she was next door if Charlotte needed anything, the little girl nodded her head and continued to colour in the colouring book she had been using in Logan's office the day prior. As Rory sat down she pulled out her cellphone and pulled up Facetime, she needed to talk to Jess.

"This is a surprise." Jess answered, he was sitting at his desk at work.

"Well," Rory tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she leaned against the headboard, "I needed to talk to you, and I thought Charlotte might want to hear from you as well."

"Things not as rosey as you were letting on last night?" Jess smirked.

"She is having a tough time adjusting," Rory admitted, her voice cracking due to poor reception, "and she is asking for you."

"I'm always here for her, Rory." Jess smiled, although he didn't want Charlotte to be upset, he was glad to still be the one who could comfort her.

"Do you think that you could meet us in Stars Hollow?" Rory suggested, "I'm sure Mom and Luke would be thrilled to see you."

"Can I talk to Charlotte?" Jess asked her.

"Sure, I'll go get her, just hold on, ok?" Rory put her phone down and went to go get Charlotte, "Sweetheart?" Rory poked her head into the door.

"What?" Charlotte grumbled.

"Dah wants to talk to you."

"He here?"

"No honey, but we can do a video call on my phone?" Rory suggested as Charlotte slipped off the bed and walked to the door.

"Ok." she nodded her head and followed Rory back into the other bedroom, "Just me."

"Alright." Rory nodded, she dialed the phone and handed it to Charlotte who had become familiar with Facetime through her frequent calls with Lorelai, Luke, Christopher and Emily, "Call if you need me?"

"Hi Dah!" Charlotte grinned as Jess appeared on her screen.

"Hi baby, are you having fun?" Jess smiled when he saw her, "You look like you're having fun!"

"We went swimming." Charlotte explained, "And I met Nana and Pops."

"Nana and Pops? That sounds like fun." Jess told her warmly, "Mom said you were having a bit of a rough day?"

Charlotte nodded her head, "It different."

"Charlotte, I know your Mommy told you that Logan is your Dad, you know that I'm still here, right? I will always be yours."

Charlotte nodded her head in response, "You share with 'Ogan?"

"We are different babe, Logan and I aren't going to be the same, but we both love you, and that is the important thing, so sometimes I will hang out with you and Mom, just like before, and sometimes you will hang out with Logan, and that is good too, you're allowed to have fun." Jess told her, he meant the words as he said them, "Did your Mom tell you that we are going to go camping? Just the two of us?"

Charlotte nodded once more, a smile spreading on her lips, "We make marshmallows?"

"We can make marshmallows, and s'mores, and go swimming, just you and me."

"Mommy doesn't like it outside." Charlotte laughed. "I love you Dah."

"I love you too Charlie. Do you feel better?" he asked her, hoping that his pep talk had helped.

"Uh huh."

"So go and have fun, your Mom said you are going to meet some new people, and I have it on good authority that they are going to be a lot of fun. You are an amazing kid."

"We talk after?"

It was his turn to nod as he assured her that they would, "We'll talk later, I love you." he told her again before she hung up the phone.

xxx

"And then we got ice cream!" Charlotte grinned as she sat at the island chatting with Logan, her legs swinging from the chair.

"Ice cream? What kind?"

"It was banilla!" Charlotte told her, "Mommy said there was more new people?"

Logan nodded his head and made eye contact with Rory, "They are here," he told her, "they are some friends of mine and your Mom knows them too." he explained.

"I think actually," Rory interrupted, "I am going to go see them in the pool house, and you can hang out here with Logan for a little while?" Charlotte nodded her head in response to her mother, "I feel like the boys and I have a bit to catch up on, don't we?"

Logan shrugged, "They'll be thrilled to see you." he assured her, "Now go on, Charlotte is going to tell me all about this ice cream she had, aren't you kiddo?"

Rory smiled as she walked towards the patio doors and out across the perfectly landscaped and maintained patio to the pool house, interestingly enough this pool house was larger than her actual house, she knocked on the door before letting herself in, feeling a bit nervous as she did. "I hope everyone is decent." she joked.

"Depends on what you consider decent." Robert joked as he emerged from the kitchen holding a drink, "It's been a while."

"It has." Rory nodded her head, she was relieved when he walked right towards her and embraced her warmly, "It's good to see you." she told him honestly.

"And you." Robert offered her a drink, "You know this could've been us mixed up in this debacle if you hadn't run off with Huntz at Finn's birthday party all those years ago."

"It could've been." Rory laughed as she took a sip of the drink, nearly spitting it out as she did, "Is this straight gin?!" she gasped.

"I bought a distillery!" Robert told her, "What do you think?"

"I think its too early for straight gin!" Rory laughed as she heard footsteps coming from the second level, "Is it the gruesome twosome?" she referred to Colin and Finn.

"I think it is, and Steph." Robert nodded, "The kids are with Honor's boys."

"Well, you my dear look even more ravishing than the last time I saw you." Finn walked into the room and immediately enveloped Rory in a hug, "How are you, love?"

"I'm good Finn." Rory hugged him tightly, she was glad that they weren't furious with her, she could understand why they might have been angry with her. "How are you?" Rory asked him as she turned to embrace Colin. "You guys look so old."

"Well here I was about to agree with Finn and say how beautiful you are." Colin laughed.

"Steph," Rory looked at her old friend, "I'm sorry it's been so long." she told her before hugging her, "You look amazing, you've got two kids?"

Steph smiled and hugged Rory tight, "You're too kind. I cannot believe I never knew about all of this, even Col knew?"

Rory exhaled, "I know, it just...it got so complicated and out of hand." Rory told her, "We didn't mean for any of it to be the way it was."

"You can't control matters of the heart." Steph nodded, "Tell me what is going on? I've been listening to these two yammering on about mergers and acquisitions, and Robert keeps talking about his damned distillery and my kids...don't even get me started on my kids!"

"Why don't we go out for dinner?" Rory suggested, "Maybe just you and me, the kids, Honor and her boys? I think Logan said Juliet and Rose are coming too? They could come? Leave the boys at home to be boys? Except t he kids." she laughed.

"Juliet and Rose will be here tomorrow." Steph told her, "But that sounds amazing, I will text Honor and she can make reservations, and then we will get two drivers so we can have a couple drinks, nothing tackier than a DUI these days. Right Finn?"

"You got a DUI?" Rory gaped at him, she wouldn't be shocked to hear it.

"I did not get a DUI, I got a warning, I blew a wee bit over, but not illegally so." Finn corrected her.

"Potato pohtahto." Steph rolled her eyes, "Anyway, we'll take two cars, Logan said he was getting a carseat?"

Rory nodded, "He has one in his car."

"This will be perfect! I cannot wait to meet your little girl, Logan showed me pictures, she is adorable."

"She will be really excited to meet you too, and some kids to play with. I think she's sick of the grownups." Rory explained.

"This must be hard on her, and you." Steph acknowledged, "All of the...changes?"

"It has been a bit different, but Logan is her father, and this is his life, so I need to try to help her adjust." Rory nodded, "He will be the most amazing Dad."