Disclaimer: I own nothing
A/N: I have tried uploading this for weeks, and I have to assume the internet hates me...
Chapter 8
"You know, of all the places I ever thought I would end up with you guys...I don't think that a place that served melted butter on anything would be on the list." Rory laughed as they all settled in on the patio of Bostwick's Chowder House, Honor had requested the entire patio space, and naturally had been accommodated.
"Well Rory, we've lightened up a bit since those days." Honor laughed, "This place is amazing though, I asked them to do a big clambake for us, and they'll bring a bunch of stuff out for the kids, pasta, chicken fingers, that kind of stuff."
"You've thought of everything." Rory smiled appreciatively, "We only decided to do this a few hours ago!"
"We're all on vacation Rory, enjoy!"
The kids were all seated at one end of the table, Rory was relieved to see that Charlotte seemed excited to spend time with the other kids. Honor had two boys who were both a bit older than her, Hunter and Liam, and Steph and Colin's boys, Cooper and Riley were 6 and nearly 4 respectively. Charlotte didn't normally spend a lot of time with kids outside of her school friends and soccer team, Paris had a son and daughter but they were both older than Charlotte, same with Steve and Kwon, Lane's boys.
"So," Steph cut to the chase, "are you seeing anyone Ror?"
Rory smiled awkwardly, "Not really." she told them, "I have an ongoing thing with a guy I've known for years, he's really great with Charlotte, and we just... click when we're together." she explained, "It's not official, or serious, we just have fun."
"So no boyfriend." Steph nodded, "And Logan is single now..."
Rory laughed awkwardly once more and took a sip of the sangria that she was suddenly glad had been waiting on the table when they arrived, "Logan is in the process of a divorce, and we don't know each other anymore. This is platonic and for the sake of our daughter." she told them in a slightly hushed tone so Charlotte wouldn't overhear.
"Well, let me tell you, his wife was no walk in the park. I couldn't stand Ode-" Steph began before Honor cut her off.
"O not being around is still a new concept for my kids...be nice." she warned, "We may not have loved her, but kids love whoever brings them presents and junk food."
"Sorry." Steph sighed, "I forgot about that factor. How are they doing?"
"They're alright." Honor shrugged, her kids normally saw Logan and Odette a couple of times a month, but Odette normally shipped them the coolest presents and that was not quickly forgotten by them. "I think it's weirder for them because there was no goodbye, you know?" Honor looked to make sure that Hunter and Liam weren't paying attention to her.
"I never thought of that." Rory admitted, "How awful is that? In all of this, I've only thought of how this effects Charlotte and I... I've barely considered the impact it would have on anyone else, especially the kids."
"Honey you did not cause this." Steph assured her, "This was a long time coming, and even if they hadn't split now, when someone found out about the secret she was keeping from him...do you really think he would've forgiven her and moved on?"
"Why don't we move on from this." Honor suggested, "We move forward, that is the only direction we can."
"What are the boys up to tonight?" Rory asked, she knew that they would all be together, but she wasn't sure what was going on.
"Last I heard they were all meeting at Logan's and they were going to be playing poker, smoking cigars and getting drunk in the pool house."
"Yes, Josh told me he was going over to Finn's." Honor rolled her eyes, "Because Finn loves to pretend the pool house is his, he even leaves a toothbrush there."
"Dental hygiene is important." Rory joked as she glanced over to watch Charlotte with the other kids, she seemed immersed in conversation, but she was also paying attention to the colouring book she had brought for herself. Rory was glad that the boys were at least trying to include her, she knew it was easier for Charlotte to meet new kids than it was to meet just adults.
"Well I would imagine that if my husband comes home at all tonight, he will be useless until nearly two in the afternoon." Steph laughed.
"You know, I swear, for all that Josh is an amazing Dad, he is always useless. He would give them chocolate chip cookies for breakfast if they told him it was alright."
"Charlotte will tell anyone who will listen that I let her eat chocolate chips or chicken nuggets for breakfast." Rory rolled her eyes, "The daycare Moms think I am crazy enough."
"The things our kids do to us." Honor smirked, "Without any consideration for how ridiculous it makes us look."
xxx
When Rory walked back into the house with Charlotte, it was silent. There were lights on, but no noise as Rory walked Charlotte upstairs to get ready for bed. They had stayed out later than Rory had originally intended, but Charlotte had enjoyed herself and so had Rory, it was nice to catch up with Honor and Steph and get to know their kids a little bit. "Honey you go brush your teeth, I'm going to put on my pajamas." Rory told Charlotte as they reached the two bedrooms they were occupying.
"I had fun tonight Mommy." Charlotte told her.
"I'm glad sweetheart." Rory smiled.
"Can 'Ogan read me a story?"
"I think Logan is having some fun with his friends tonight." Rory told her, "You go brush your teeth and I will come read you a story." she continued, she waited at the door and saw Charlotte get her pajamas and walk to the bathroom, Rory continued on towards her room and down the hall she saw the light in the master on. She walked towards the door and heard Logan's voice behind it. Rory wasn't sure if she should interrupt him, but she knew that the night before he had wanted to read her a story and so Rory walked down the hall and knocked softly before pushing the door open, "You up?"
Logan looked up from an oversized reading chair and smiled, he put his book down on his lap and pulled his reading glasses off, "I am, sorry you must have heard me talking to my book...it's pretty intense." he told her with a laugh, "You guys have a nice night?"
Rory smiled, "We did. I thought you and the boys would be getting wild." Rory admitted, "I'm surprised to find you curled up reading?"
"The boys are still out there, I felt a little bit like turning in, I don't want to waste tomorrow with Charlotte having a hangover."
"How responsible of you." Rory stood in the doorway, "Charlotte was hoping you could read her a story?"
"Really?" Logan grinned and stood up, "I would love to."
"Well go see her, I'll be there in a couple of minutes once I've put some pajamas on." Rory told him, by the time she finished the sentence he was already at the door and on his way out of the room.
xxx
"And then the prince and Cinderella lived happily ever after." Logan closed the book and gave Charlotte a kiss on the forehead, "Time for bed."
"I don't want to. More books." she pouted.
"We said this was the last one." Logan smiled, "I think your Mom wants to give you a hug and a kiss." he nodded towards the door where Rory was leaning and watching them.
His voice brought her out of the daze she had been in, she had listened to him read her Paddington Bear and Cinderella at her request and she couldn't help but notice how good it felt, how normal it seemed for them to all be together. She wondered how much she had deprived them both of by not following up with him all those years earlier. "Honey, it is time for bed, give Logan a kiss."
"Night night 'Ogan." Charlotte hugged him tightly and kissed him on the cheek.
"Goodnight beautiful." Logan kissed her forehead, "I will see you in the morning." he got off of the bed and watched as Rory came and flattened the covers out.
"Sweet dreams Charlotte." she kissed her forehead, "I love you."
"I love you too Mommy."
Rory smiled as she walked out of the room and turned off the light, shutting the door as she walked into the hallway.
"So that is what that's like?" Logan was grinning from ear to ear.
"It is." Rory nodded, "Pretty amazing, isn't it?" Rory nodded.
"She just...all of her feelings are so pure, so unconditional?" they both stopped in front of Rory's door.
"She loves in a way that I don't think anyone can understand until they have kids, and I love her more than I've ever loved anything."
"Me too." Logan looked at her, straight into her eyes the way he had looked at her when they were younger. "You are an amazing Mom, Ace."
"Thank you." Rory smiled awkwardly, "You...you are going to be an amazing Dad."
"We should..." Logan paused, trying to gauge the situation.
"Turn in." Rory nodded, stepping further into her own bedroom and away from Logan and the butterflies in her stomach, "I think you promised her a boat ride tomorrow, so it will be quite the adventure."
"Goodnight Rory."
"Goodnight Logan." Rory slowly closed the door as Logan walked back to his own bedroom to turn in for the evening. Rory grabbed her phone and dialed the familiar number of her Mother.
"Lorelai's line of love..." Lorelai answer the phone quickly.
"Mom?"
"Bueller."
"Mom."
"Bueller."
"MOM!" Rory groaned louder.
"Hiya sweets, what is going on?" Lorelai exhaled, "Where are you? The South of France? Miami?"
"You know that I am in the Hamptons with Logan." Rory told her.
"Oh yes, the Hamptons with your baby daddy, how could I forget." Lorelai joked, "How is that going?"
"It has had...ups and downs." Rory admitted, "It has been hard for Charlotte to adjust to meeting all these people and understanding who is family and everything..." Rory paused, "But tonight...I don't know there was something about tonight."
"What? Did someone break into song or something?"
Rory laughed, "No, I went out for dinner with Honor and her kids, and then Steph and her kids, and Charlotte was there, and it was just so ... normal. You know I've never really fit in with the other parents in Philly, so even though it took some getting used to, it just felt normal. Then I got back to the house and Charlotte asked Logan to read her a story, and he did and it was the sweetest thing."
"You feel like everything is how it should be." Lorelai knew the feeling very well.
"Was that what it was like when I was younger...with Dad?"
"Honey, I don't think you can compare your Dad and I to you and Logan...it is...similar, but it's different. You and Logan were adults, your Dad and I were kids."
"I'm just looking for something that isn't there." Rory shook her head.
"I thought you didn't want anything romantic with him?"
"I'm not saying I want something romantic with him." Rory told her, "But I like the idea of all of us spending the holidays together, or her birthday, like I don't want to split major holidays or events with him, I just want us all to be together."
"I think that you guys will work something out." Lorelai told her, "When are you coming to my place?"
"I will leave here on Thursday I think."
"And you'll be here for a week?"
"Yep."
"Alright, I have to go to bed, we'll talk it all over when you're in town."
"Night Mom."
"Goodnight Ror."
xxx
Rory was halfway down the stairs with Charlotte when she heard Logan's voice say her name from the kitchen, "Rory take Charlotte back upstairs." he shouted. She didn't respond she simply took the little girl back up the stairs, telling her that Logan must have some sort of surprise for them and that he would come get them when it was time.
What is going on? Rory texted him once she got Charlotte settled watching some cartoons in bed.
Just an unexpected guest, nothing to worry about. Logan responded quickly.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Logan glared at his soon to be ex wife.
"Logan I made a mistake, I don't want a divorce, I don't want any of this drama, and I think that if you and I talk about it we can figure it out." Odette was standing in front of him pleading for him to take her back. She had been standing on the front porch when he went outside to get the morning paper.
"Odette a few weeks ago you wanted to be with Michael. You loved him, and he was the be all and end all, and now here we are, once you've told me I have a child you hid from me, and you think I am just going to welcome you back with open arms?" Logan scoffed, "That is rich, even for you."
"Please just think about it."
"You told him." Logan stated, "You told him you had slept with other people and he didn't want any part of it anymore. Is that it?"
"Did you tell her? Your precious Rory that you have upstairs in our house, did you tell her about the others?"
"Odette you are delusional!" Logan laughed, "There were no others, and Rory and I aren't together, we have a daughter, we have enough to fucking figure out thanks to you without throwing any romantic overtures into the situation. Don't compare us, you and I are not the same. You need to get out of my house before I call the cops. I don't think this is a headline that you particularly want these days, so go, save yourself the embarrassment and I will have the passes re-set for the gate. If I see you on any of my properties ever again, including business holdings, I will have you charged with trespassing. Do I make myself clear?"
xxx
"Sorry about the delay guys." Logan smiled as he knocked on Charlotte's door. The interaction with Odette had only last a few minutes, but he needed a few minutes afterwards to cool down. He had already started making cinnamon buns when he had seen her. "I brought breakfast in bed."
"There better be coffee." Rory smiled as he came in. "Charlie should we eat in bed?"
"I love to eat in bed!" Charlotte squealed as she made room for Logan to get onto the bed with them.
"Of course there's coffee, Ace." Logan handed her a mug, "Black." he added for good measure.
"Everything alright?" Rory asked as Charlotte began eating a cinnamon bun.
"Someone was just...expressing their regrets." Logan explained, "It doesn't change anything though. She is gone, and no longer a part of my world."
"We are all in the same world 'Ogan."
"Yes my dear, you are right." Logan laughed, it was amazing to see the simplicity that kids could see things with, everything was black and white, right or wrong, there was no grey.
"What do you want to do today?" Rory asked them both.
"Well, I was thinking that I have a bit of a surprise for you?" Logan told them, "But for that surprise to happen I think that we need to stay home and relax all day."
"A surprise?" Rory looked at him with a little bit of concern between the bites of her cinnamon bun and sips of her coffee.
"I have it on good authority that this surprise will make Charlotte very happy." Logan shrugged, "So if you guys want the surprise, we'll have to stay home."
"What do you think Charlotte?"
"We stay home Mommy! Of course we stay home for the surprise!" Charlotte grinned, "Can we still go swimming?"
"I think it is raining out kiddo." Logan interjected, "So maybe we can watch a movie while we wait for the surprise." he suggested. Charlotte nodded her head in response, and Rory looked at him with a little bit of confusion in her eyes, "And tomorrow we have Honor's party, so we will have a busy day tomorrow."
"What do we wear to that party?" Rory asked, Honor had told her it was happening, but Rory had a feeling that it was a bit more formal than a backyard barbecue.
"Give her a call and ask." Logan told her, "I have no suggestions."
"Charlotte honey," Rory noticed Charlotte about to snuggle back up under the covers, "Your hands are covered in cinnamon, please go wash them and brush your teeth."
"Fiiiiine." Charlotte groaned dramatically and slipped out of the bed, leaving Rory and Logan to talk for a moment.
"So she came here?"
"She did." Logan nodded, "Presumably things with Michael are a lot less rosy when they aren't secret and clandestine."
"I can't say I blame her for wanting you back." Rory admitted.
"You never wanted me back Rory, we were a means to an end...Vegas? Isn't that what you said."
"I was trying to do what I thought was right." Rory told him, "It wasn't right, and I know that, but I was trying to do the most right thing in the situation we were in. I guess I never particularly thought that I would lose you."
"Well, we are stuck with each other for a long time now, maybe not as we had always thought we would be, but as coparents." Logan told her.
"Enough," Rory didn't want to get dragged back into the negative that had gone on over the years, "What is the surprise."
"I am not telling you, it is a surprise for both of you." Logan smirked.
"Logan, I need to know to gauge if it's appropriate." Rory tried to get the information out of him.
"I can assure you, it is appropriate for both you, and Charlotte." he promised.
Once Charlotte returned from brushing her teeth, they all went downstairs and settled by the television. Charlotte watching a movie while Logan caught up on a few e-mails and Rory worked on her book, they all happily existed in relative silence with the exception of the television noises in the background.
"More coffee?" Logan interrupted Rory as he stood up, putting his computer on the coffee table and grabbing his own mug.
"Please." Rory nodded without looking up.
Logan grabbed her mug and walked into the kitchen to pour another cup for each of them, he quickly checked his phone to confirm that his surprise would arrive on time before he walked back into the family room with the beverages. Rory smiled as thanks as he gave it to her and then he sat down to continue with his e-mails. It was about half an hour later that the doorbell rang and brought them all out of their silence.
"Who here?" Charlotte looked at both Logan and Rory curiously, Rory shrugged her shoulders in response, assuming that it was a member of Logan's family at the door.
"Why don't we go see?" Logan suggested to Charlotte who happily got up and took his hand. "Ace, can you pause the movie?" he asked as he and Charlotte began to walk to the front door and he swung it open.
"DAH!" Charlotte squealed with absolute delight as Jess stood on the other side of the door.
"Hi kiddo," Jess bent down and hugged her, kissing the top of her head as he held her close, "I missed you."
"I miss you." Charlotte told him.
Logan smiled, backing away from the interaction as Rory came to the front of the house after hearing Charlotte. "You did this?" she asked him quietly.
Logan shoved his hands in his pockets and shrugged, "We're all her family, so it only seemed right. She missed him."
"Thank you." Rory reached down and squeezed his wrist. She knew well enough that this would have been hard for him, to acknowledge that even though he wanted Charlotte to need him and miss him, she was missing someone else too.
"So, Charlotte, why don't you go help Jess pick a bedroom upstairs?" Logan suggested.
"I do! I can do it!" Charlotte nodded her head enthusiastically. "C'mon Dah!"
"One second." Jess adjusted his bag on his shoulder and turned to Logan, "Thank you for doing this." he told him, extending his hand out.
"We're all family I guess." Logan shook his hand, "It's a holiday weekend, and I think that Charlotte would want to spend it with the people she loves."
"Well, I hope we can have some fun then." Jess agreed and then followed Charlotte down the hall and up the stairs towards the bedrooms.
Rory and Logan could hear Charlotte talking to Jess as they were upstairs and Rory waited a moment before she turned to Logan, "I'm impressed." she admitted, "I didn't think you were happy about the situation with Jess."
"It isn't my first choice." Logan told her honestly, "But it is the reality of our situation, and I don't want to make that harder. I heard her talking to him, she clearly missed him, so I tracked him down and asked if he could get here for a few days, he said he could and now here we are."
"You're going to be an amazing Dad to her, and she is going to fall so in love with you, I promise."
"I can't make up for the time I've missed." Logan told her, "But I can try to be there for everything I can moving forward, and the only way for me to do that is for me to acknowledge that Jess is a part of that life."
xxx
"Do I look..." Rory paused as she ran her hand over her stomach and looked at herself in the mirror.
"Beautiful." Jess assured her, "How about me?"
"You look handsome." Rory smiled, she had chosen a black, floor length, spaghetti strap dress made of cotton, it was fancy, but also casual and that is how Honor had described the evening. "How do you feel about tonight?"
"What? Being the poorest guy in the room? Having to explain who the hell I am? Or hanging out with people who buy and sell publishing houses like mine before breakfast on a regular morning?" Jess laughed as Rory adjusted the collar on his dress shirt.
"So I guess we are both nervous then." she laughed as well. "I just need to go talk to Logan about something, do you mind checking on Charlotte and bringing her down when you're ready?" Jess nodded and Rory disappeared into the hallway and knocked on the door to the master bedroom, "Can I come in?"
"I'm just in the closet." he shouted, he could hear her footsteps following his voice until she was standing in front of him, "You look gorgeous."
"Thank you." Rory felt a blush creep over her cheeks, "You don't quite look dressed." she grinned as Logan flipped through his shirts with a pair of khaki pants hung on his hips.
"Sorry," he mumbled as he pulled an undershirt off the shelf, "I can't decide if I should go red or blue."
"Blue." Rory told him as she took notice of all the boxes around her and looked at them quizzically.
"Odette's stuff." he told her, "She had a summer wardrobe sent here when she was at fashion week, and now it is being sent...anywhere but here."
Rory nodded, "Of course, a summer wardrobe." she tried to make light of the situation as Logan pulled the polo over his head, "You look great." she told him.
"Did you come to my bedroom just to compliment me?"
Rory felt the colour returning to her cheeks, "Sorry, no. I was actually wondering...the guests...will anything about...me...or Charlotte...us..."
"Everyone who walks through the door signs an NDA." Logan assured her, "It's mutually beneficial in most cases, but what happens at Honor's stays there."
Rory nodded, "That is what I was hoping you would say."
"Eventually people will find out more, but...that will be when we decide it is for the best."
"I should...go."
"I'll see you downstairs." Logan agreed.
xxx
"See this isn't so bad." Rory clutched a champagne flute as they stood in Honor's backyard, people milling around them and talking as kids played in the pool and on a play structure under the watchful eye of a half dozen nannies and a lifeguard.
"I've been to worse parties." Jess admitted, he had been introduced to Logan's family and friends, they had all been civil at the very least.
"And the booze is free." Rory laughed.
"Go see your friends." Jess nodded towards Logan, Steph, Colin, Finn, Robert, Rosemary and Juliet. "I'm going to go see Charlotte."
"Come by after." Rory nodded, "I think you'll find that you might actually like them."
"No promises." Jess joked as he walked away, he turned back to see Rory casually walking over to her old friends, "Hey kiddo." he smiled to Charlotte as she played with a bunch of kids, there were probably thirty kids running around which was indicative of just how many people were at this party.
"Hi Dah." Charlotte hugged him, "What doing?"
"Just wanted to come say hi." Jess told her, "Are you having fun?"
"Yes, and Aunt... Honor said we have cake soon." Charlotte grinned, it took her a moment to remember exactly who was who given how many people she had met over the weekend.
"Cake?"
"Yup, I have with Mommy." Charlotte nodded over to where her mother was standing and Jess looked too, just in time to catch a glimpse of Rory throwing her head back with laughter as Logan leaned in, his hand on the small of her back and told her something, his eyes creased with laughter as he told her the story. "My 'Ogan invite you?"
Jess imaged that when Logan heard Charlotte call him Dah that it felt an awful lot like the way he felt whenever Charlotte said My 'Ogan, it felt like a punch square in the gut. "Logan did invite me, he thought that maybe I had missed you, and he was right." Jess told her. To say he was shocked when he picked up a call from Logan two days earlier would be an understatement, but the two men had seemingly called a truce. Logan told Jess that like it or not they were both in the same situation and as far as he was concerned, neither of them were going anywhere, so they may as well figure out a way to get along. Jess had agreed, how could he fight it? Logan was right, and at the end of the day, Jess had no legal rights to Charlotte.
"I miss you." Charlotte nodded, "Meet my fwiends?"
"I would love to meet your friends."