Disclaimer: I do not own Gilmore Girls
A/N: The lyrics in this chapter are Monster by James Blunt. Italicized & centred portions are the lyrics. So this is the second to last chapter everyone, the final chapter should be up tomorrow. I love reading your reviews and giving a softer touch to Mitchum and Shira as well as the dynamic there. This chapter is...sad, so enjoy!
Chapter Fifteen:
"Rory, my Mom called, I have to go. I'm going to meet her at the hospital."
"Do you want me to come?" Rory wrapped Logan in a tight hug. "I can drop Charlotte off with Grandma."
"It's fine. I'll be fine." Logan assured her, "Thank you though. I love you, and tell Char I love her, I'm sorry I can't pick her up from school."
"Logan don't be silly, you need to go."
xxx
Oh, before they turn off all the lights
I won't read you your wrongs or your rights
The time has come
I'll tell you goodnight, close the door
Tell you I love you once more
The time is gone
So here it is
"Dad?" Logan spoke barely above a whisper as he entered the private hospital suite that has Father had been brought into the night prior. "You awake? Mom is just taking a breather. I'm here now, it's alright." he added as he approached the bed cautiously.
Mitchum still looked like himself, just tired, as he lifted his head and gave his son half a smile. "Logan, sit."
"Dad, I think maybe…" Logan paused, he wasn't even sure how to say it, how to admit that after all of these years, he still needed his dad, "I have more to learn. I'm not ready for you to go."
"Son, I am proud of you, you will be fine without me." Mitchum reached for Logan's hand, he squeezed it as tightly as he could. "You are a good man," he paused for a breath, "I take no credit for that, but I am thankful. Please tell Rory thank you."
"Dad, you can tell her. She will come, I can have her come tomorrow." Logan told him seriously.
"You will take care of them, take care of your Mom, and your sister." Mitchum spoke clearly, as though he was getting a bit more strength. He knew that wasn't the case. Mitchum had spoken to his doctor shortly after Valentines Day and they had made it clear, his organs were beginning to fail as a result of the cancer, and his heart was struggling to pump blood through his body. There was nothing they could do, it was just a matter of time.
I'm not your son, you're not my father
We're just two grown men saying goodbye
No need to forgive, to forget
I know your mistakes and you know mine
And while you're sleeping, I'll try to make you proud
So Daddy, won't you just close your eyes?
Don't be afraid, it's my turn
To chase the monsters away
"I'm sorry for…before, I know you were trying to do your best." Logan acknowledged, and it wasn't a lie. When Logan was younger he resented how much his father worked, but in the few short months he had been with Charlotte, he could understand the drive to do anything to provide more, he supposed the key was to understand that they had enough, and watching his father dying was a reminder of the importance of memories.
"Please make sure, make sure my grandchildren remember me, remember I love them." Mitchum told him, both men now had tears coming to their eyes. "Hunter and Liam, they are good boys, but they need structure. Honor is an amazing Mom, and Josh is a good father, a good son in law."
"He won't believe me if I tell him you said that, Dad." Logan tried to bring some levity to the situation. "We love you Dad, you gave us a great life."
Mitchum gave him half of a smile, "Your Mother did the best she could, and I want you to know."
"Don't talk about Mom." Logan sighed. "Dad, you can say all of these things to everyone." he pled with him, he felt like he was 8 years old, begging him not to go on a business trip again.
"Your Mom did her best, she loved you in the way she knew how. I didn't make it easier." his breaths were becoming more laboured, "But cut her some slack, Logan, she is your Mother."
"I love you both." he told him honestly, "Dad, just rest. Save your strength. Please."
"You and Rory, Miss Gilmore." Mitchum gave his hand another squeeze, "Don't let her get away. She is too good for you, for us, but she loves you, and Charlotte is an amazing little girl."
Logan nodded, he could feel the tears flowing freely from his eyes as Mitchum spoke to him, "I'm not ready for this, Dad." he tried once more, hoping that Mitchum might have some fight left in him. "I'm going to go get Mom, so I'll be right back. You just rest." Logan leaned forward and kissed his father on the dead, something he hadn't done for as long as he could remember, "I love you." he stayed close, hugging the man for just a moment longer.
"I love you too, son."
Oh, well I'll read a story to you
Only difference is this one is true
The time is gone
I folded your clothes on the chair
I hope you sleep well, don't be scared
The time has gone
So here it is
"Logan," Rory looked at him as soon as he stepped out of the room. She had called her Mom and Grandmother just as he left and told them to take care of Charlotte, explaining that Logan needed her. They held each other for a moment, both knowing what they were in the midst of, what was happening around them, happening to them and to their family. As the moments passed, Rory couldn't help but wish she had tried harder, wished she had called or e-mailed, anything to bring Charlotte to Logan and his family sooner. She knew it was silly, it was a desperate wish in a desperate situation.
"Ace," he bit his lip as she embraced him, he couldn't contain his sobs, "have you…have you seen my Mom?"
"I'm here, Logan." Shira stood from the chair beside the door.
"You need to go see him, Dad," Logan took her hand, "he has to talk to you."
"He did sweetheart, your father and I had a lovely talk last night before he came in." Shira assured him, "We said what we needed to say." she paused, Lets go. Honor will be here soon." she led her son back into the hospital room. Rory stayed a couple of steps behind them by choice, she knew what was coming.
"Dad, Mom is here." Logan spoke softly. "Dad?"
"Mrs. Huntzberger?" a nurse entered the room. Shira and Rory both looked at her, "I'm sorry, but…his heart has stopped beating a couple of minutes ago. We will wait, but…it looks like he is gone. I'm sorry for your loss."
"No." Logan whipped his head around, "He was just talking, he can't be dead."
"Sir," the nurse kept her lips in a straight line, she didn't want to smile and come off as uncaring, "his heart stopped beating just after you left the room. This is common…with this type of organ failure, in his condition. He wanted to say goodbye to you, he told us that, and…I hope he did. Your father is gone, I'm so sorry for your loss."
"I…" Logan paused, he wiped the tears, "thank you." he nodded to the nurse, "I guess I have to go and…make the announcement."
"Logan, I don't think you have to do that now." Rory could almost feel her own heart breaking as she watched Logan, his eyes were full of pain and sadness.
"Can you call Til?" he asked Rory, "Tell her we are on the chopper to the city, I need the board in the boardroom, and we will have a press conference at five." he looked at his watch, it was barely noon, more than enough time to get things in order, "Who has Charlotte?"
"My Mom will pick her up from school." Rory explained, she had to admit, she was worried. Worried that what he said next would erase all of the promises he had made about always putting her first.
"Can you ask her to get on a train to New York? Or drive? She can take the jet…have her meet us at my parents place in the city. I want to be together tonight."
Shira looked at him sadly, "Logan, we don't have to do this right now."
"Mom, we do. It is what Dad wanted. He didn't want his death to cause any…concern about the company. I have to do this. Put one foot in front of the other. Once we have told Honor, Rory and I will go to New York for the meeting, you, Honor, the kids, Josh, Lorelai and Charlotte will come on the jet after this," he waved to the hospital bed, he didn't want to think about his fathers body sitting a few feet away from him, it was too much. He had to keep moving. "by the time you get to the city, I will have informed the board, and we will do the press conference, once that is done. It is over. We can mourn, we can mourn privately, we can plan that stupid fucking trip to Disney World that he wanted us to go on. But I can't, Mom I can't do that with this shit looming over my head. He dies, and suddenly my world is completely different than when I woke up."
"Logan," Shira stepped forward, "you don't need to prove anything." she took his chin and lifted it towards her, "Not to the world, not to the board, not to me, and certainly not to your Dad. He was proud of you. He tried to spend these last couple of years showing you that."
"He did." Logan nodded, "This is for me, Mom. I need to take care of this."
"Then fine." Shira agreed, "We will tell your sister, and then you will go to New York. Rory, did you get ahold of Matilda?"
"I sent her a text, she passes along her condolences and will have outfits ready for everyone at the office." Rory told them. "Do you…do you mind if I have a moment? With…uh…with your Dad?"
"Sure." Logan nodded, he pulled her in for another hug, "Thank you…for knowing, for coming."
"I love you, Logan." Rory whispered in his ear, "Don't lose sight of that."
"I love you too," he kissed her temple, "and I won't. Today is just…one day. I need to get through today."
"We will, promise." Rory nodded as Shira and Logan left the room for a moment. It was strange. Ten minutes earlier, Logan was coming outside to bring them in, Mitchum had been speaking to him, and now he was gone. Rory tentatively walked forward and sat at the foot of his bed. "I know that you haven't always thought I was enough." Rory smiled at the memory from all those years ago, knowing how things had ended up. "But the person you have been to me, and to my daughter for these last few months…thank you. Thank you for being so good to her, and for showing her that you loved her." Rory wiped a tear from her eye, "I used to think I would never forgive you for the things you did to Logan and I, but the way you loved Charlotte…it more than makes up for anything else. I promise he will be the man you thought he could be. Rest easy, Mitchum." Rory leaned forward and squeezed his hand, it was still warm, almost like he was just sleeping. She remembered seeing her Grandfather after his heart attacks, and at a quick glance, it was almost the same, but she knew better this time.
I'm not your son, you're not my father
We're just two grown men saying goodbye
No need to forgive, no need to forget
I know your mistakes and you know mine
And while you're sleeping, I'll try to make you proud
So Daddy, won't you just close your eyes?
Don't be afraid, it's my turn
To chase the monsters away
xxxx
"Do you want to talk about it?" Rory asked, they had just landed at HPG and were riding down the elevator, she was pretty sure this would be their only moment alone for the next few hours.
"I'm ok." he assured her, giving her a quick peck on the lips.
"I called the boys." she told him, "They will be over after we are done at the office. To be with the family."
"You did that?" Logan paused and smiled.
"Of course I did." Rory creased her brow at him, "Is that ok? I thought you would want them around. They are your family."
"Thank you Rory. I just…thank you for knowing what I need, even when I don't."
"Do you want me to go in with you?" she nodded to his office.
"I mean, yeah, we've got to get changed and I'll get a chance to see you undressed," he smirked, he knew he was scaring her with his push to get things taken care of so quickly, and wanted to bring some levity to the moment, "But you can wait for me here, I'll go and talk to the big boys myself, and then hopefully everyone will be here for… it."
"What are you going to say?" Rory asked, referring to the press conference that she had learned about on the flight over. The major news networks and handpicked reporters were being brought together to receive an announcement from Huntzberger headquarters, where Logan would inform them of Mitchum's death.
"I don't know." he admitted, "I have a speech, it's been written, proof read weeks ago, approved by legal. But…I don't know. He was my Dad."
"Speak from the heart." Rory told him, "You won't say the wrong thing, you're far too smart, as much as it pains me to say sometimes, but you'll be fine."
"Mr. Huntzberger," Matilda stood up from her desk, she hadn't seen Logan as much recently but she had been with him through thick and thin, "I'm so sorry about your Dad."
"You know to call me Logan, Til." Logan assured her, "But thank you, he really liked you." he told her, "This is going to be a long couple of days, emotions are going to be high…please just…don't take anything that comes from my family too personally."
"I won't, sir."
"Sir?" Logan laughed.
"Logan." Matilda smiled, glad to see that he was still the man she had worked for for so long.
"Thank you for getting all of these clothes together," he nodded to his office where there were carefully selected outfits for each family member. "Rory, how do you feel about this?" he nodded to the small garment bag with Charlotte's name on it. "I mean, she just has to stand there, but…I don't know, do you think it's too much?"
"I think it is a lot." Rory acknowledged, "But I also think this is her family, so you are her Dad, and if you want her up there with you guys-"
Logan cut her off, "Us. You are part of this family Rory. I want you up there with me. Dad…he was proud of you."
Rory had to admit, she was surprised and touched at the fact that Logan wanted her with him. "Whatever you want. If all Charlotte has to do is hold my hand and stand there, I think she can handle it. If she says no, she can stay with my Mom in your office?"
"Sounds good." Logan nodded as he began taking off his casual outfit from when he had left his home in Hartford that morning and putting on the black Gucci suit that had been selected for him, black pants, jacket and tie, crisp white shirt, the cufflinks were a gift from his Grandfather that stayed in his desk, they had been intended to be worn when Logan took over the company, and that moment was now upon him.
"I'll see you in a bit." Logan kissed her once more as he straightened his tie.
Sleep a lifetime
Yes, and breathe a last word
You can feel my hand on your own
I will be the last one, so I'll leave a light on
Let there be no darkness in your heart
Logan found his pace quickening as he walked down the halls of his floor. His office was on the third highest floor of the building, along with the major boardrooms and a handful of other executive offices. Above him was the office of the CEO, it spanned an entire floor and included a private boardroom amongst other things. Logan didn't want to think about when he would take over that office, but he knew it as upon him.
"Ladies, gentlemen," Logan nodded as he walked into the room, Matilda following a few steps behind him, "thank you all for coming," he glanced at his watch, "I'm sure you all had a full day ahead of you but here we are. I'm sure some of you have assumed why I called this emergency meeting. My father, Mitchum, has passed away. As you all know, this was not sudden, Dad had been sick for quite some time. He passed peacefully and surrounded by his family. At this time, I am requesting that we vote on the immediate implementation of the succession plan set out by my father, wherein I will take over his seat as chairman of the board, and the official title of President and CEO of Huntzberger Publishing Group and all of it's subsidiary companies." Logan spoke firmly, "You'll see in your copy of the paperwork, it is all as was discussed at our last meeting with my father present. I will leave the room and our interim CEO will take the vote. Please note, my place taking over the company will be effective immediately however I will remain on a 3 week bereavement leave to attend to my family at this time." he nodded to the man sitting to his left, "Dave, just grab me when you are ready to have me come back in."
Logan left the room and found himself sitting in the long hallway between the expansive rooms. He wasn't sure what he was nervous about, the vote would pass, no one would have a problem with it, but it was the finality of it all. Knowing that his life was about to change in a monumental way and there was nothing he could do to stop it. Logan was brought out of his thoughts by a familiar sound coming towards him.
"Dad!" Charlotte shouted, he could see Lorelai running behind to catch up with her, "No Gramma, DAD!" she pointed to her father.
"Hey, kiddo." Logan leaned forward and lifted the little girl up, "I'm so glad to see you. How did you get here so fast?" Logan asked her.
"We flew commercial." Lorelai winked, Rory had warned her that Logan would think they were nuts, "Rory called just after it happened, she had a feeling we would need to get to the city."
"God she is too good for me." Logan laughed as he held his daughter close. "Thank you for bringing her."
"Of course Logan," the elder Gilmore smiled at him, "I'm sorry about your Dad. I have some experience," she paused, "with complicated relationships with a father…and losing them."
"Thank you." Logan smiled, "Rory is in my office if you want to let her know you're here," he pointed down the hall, "do you mind if I keep her?"
"She is all yours." Lorelai smiled, "And for bonus points, I made sure she went pee when we got downstairs."
Logan laughed as his mother in law walked back towards his office. "How are you doing kiddo?" Logan asked his daughter, it felt like he hadn't seen her for days.
"Gramma says you're sad?"
"I'll explain later." Logan promised her, "Right now, I'm just happy to be with my best girl." he kissed her head and held her close, he noticed Dave walking towards him, "You wanna come with Daddy to a meeting?" he asked with a grin. Charlotte nodded as Logan carried her into the boardroom, "Forgive the informality," he addressed the group, "but this is my daughter. I know some of you saw her at the Christmas party."
"Logan," Dave, the CFO of Huntzberger spoke with a smile, "we are terribly sorry for your loss. We know that these will be enormous shoes to fill, a legacy which the board is excited to see you carry on in the future. The vote has passed unanimously per the succession plan made by your father. We assume you will be heading downstairs to make the announcement?" the man was intentionally vague with his choice of words given the young audience.
"Yes, that is," Logan looked at his watch, "in about an hour. My family should be arriving any moment, we need to speak, as you can imagine I got here as quickly as possible. I will make sure you all receive the details for the service as soon as I have them." Charlotte was absently drawing circles on his shoulder as he spoke, "But, we gotta go. Thank you all, again for coming in. We really appreciate your support." he smiled before exiting the room, "Wanna go see Mom?"
"Yes please." Charlotte smiled, "Daddy?"
"Yes baby?" Logan smiled as they walked.
"I love you."
"I love you too." Logan couldn't help but notice how Charlotte seemed to know exactly what he needed the exact moment that he needed it. He entered his office and was relieved to be surrounded by family, "Go give Aunt Hon a hug." he told his daughter as he set her down. "It's done." Logan told them all.
"You alright?" Rory asked, walking towards him, she had changed into the very appropriate, black cashmere dress which had been waiting for her on her arrival.
"I am ready to get out of here, but we're doing alright." Logan shrugged, "I think we should tell her." he nodded to their daughter who was snuggling with Honor.
"Is there…another room? More private?" Rory suggested.
"Yes, come on." Logan took her hand. They quickly extracted Charlotte from Honor and made their way into what seemed to be a smaller office within Logan's office, it was a room lined with books and old newspapers with a couple of comfortable chairs and a mini fridge, "This is my secret." he laughed.
"Doesn't seem very secret." she told him as they all sat down.
"Everybody see'd you come in here, Dad." Charlotte informed them, "With their eyes."
"Thank you, both of you." Logan smiled. "Charlotte, honey, Mommy and Daddy need to tell you something."
"I in trouble?" Charlotte looked at them, tears welling ever so slightly in her eyes.
"No," Rory assured her, Charlotte was sitting on Logan's lap as Rory held her hand, "do you remember how Daddy and I told you that Pops was sick, and it was hard for his body to stay with us?" Rory asked her.
Charlotte nodded her head in response, Logan unwillingly tightened his grip on her ever so slightly, "Well sweetheart, Pops died today." Logan stifled a bit of a sob as he spoke, "So we aren't going to see him anymore, but we will remember him, in our hearts."
"Pops die?" Charlotte repeated, she remembered when a classmate had told her about a dog dying but that was her only real experience with death. "I see him?"
"No honey, you can't see him anymore." Logan told her again, Rory could feel her heart breaking as he spoke. "But he loved you, ok? We all love you, and everyone is safe, but we just…we aren't going to be able to see Pops anymore. Just in pictures."
"Is that why you are sad?" Charlotte asked, she was clearly trying to string together the right words, "Because your Dad, he dead?"
Logan nodded, "It is, and it's why Aunty Honor is sad, and Nana too."
"Can I play with Liam now?" Charlotte asked them.
"You sure can." Logan hugged her close, quickly wiping his own tears with the back of his hand, "But, I need one more thing. Do you think you can do that?" Charlotte nodded her head, "I need you to stand with Mommy while Daddy says a few things to a camera. Nana, Aunty Honor, Uncle Josh and the boys will be there too, do you want to do that?"
"Uh huh." Charlotte shrugged, "Can I bring a stuffy?"
"You can bring your panda that you brought with you." Rory agreed, Lorelai had brought it into Logan's office with them. "We should go." she looked at the clock.
Logan stood up, still holding Charlotte on his hip as he entered the main portion of his office once more. "Everyone ready?"
"I've never felt so much like I'm a part of a football team in my life." Honor giggled. "Sorry, that was…I just…"
"I get it, we all need it." Logan grinned. "Mom, you ready?"
"All I have to do is stand there Logan." Shira rubbed his arm. "Are you ready?"
But I'm not your son and you're not my father
We're just two grown men saying goodbye
No need to forgive, no need to forget
I know your mistakes and you know mine
And while you're sleeping, I'll try to make you proud
So daddy, won't you just close your eyes?
Don't be afraid, it's my turn
To chase the monsters away
"Thank you all for coming." Logan smiled as he stood in front of the flashbulbs. His family standing behind him. His mother to his right, Honor, Josh and the boys beside her, and Rory on his left with Charlotte on her hip. "Earlier today, my father, Mitchum Huntzberger, a trailblazer in the publishing industry, Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer of Huntzberger Publishing Group and it's subsidiary holdings passed away peacefully in Hartford. My father was a brilliant businessman, a loving husband, dedicated father and grandfather, father in law and beloved uncle to many nieces and nephews. News of my father passing will be a shock to some, and that is how he planned it, anyone who knew my Dad knew how fiercely he protected his privacy, and he courageously fought his battle with cancer privately. We as a family have enjoyed spending his last few months with him and celebrating the holidays, we are eternally thankful for the hard working team of medical professionals who have supported us during his treatment. Effective immediately, and with the support of our board of directors, I have taken over his role as Chairman of the Board for Huntzberger Publishing Group and it's subsidiaries, as well as President and Chief Executive Officer. I certainly hope that I can fill his enormous footsteps both personally and professionally. My sister, Honor, and my partner, Rory Gilmore will take over many of his charitable and philanthropic endeavours to encourage literacy and food accessibility to many Americans in need." Logan paused, swallowing the lump in his throat. "I believe we have enough time for a couple of questions, however after this press conference we will have no further comment at this time. My family will be holding a memorial in Hartford, and will then be mourning privately." Logan nodded to Matilda who would select the reporters. "First question." he smiled.
"Mr. Huntzberger, sorry for your loss. This is Tim Evans from MSNBC. Do you plan to lead Huntzberger with a hands on approach as your father did or will you be more of a hands off leader given your background is more in the business side of dealings?"
"I will be actively involved in our papers when necessary, I have been incredibly involved in moving our papers and our content to a digital medium over the last decade, and will continue to work with our teams on that. I certainly trust my staff is more than capable of doing their jobs without too much interference on my part." he smiled. "Next?"
"Mr. Huntzberger, this is Sarah Brown from Fox News," the blonde smiled, "You mentioned that Rory Gilmore will be taking over some of the philanthropic and charitable efforts, what place does Ms. Gilmore have in this organization? In the Huntzberger family." she added.
Logan was surprised, most reporters coming to their conferences had the good sense not to burn a bridge with him, "Sorry, I'll just give you a moment to rephrase that." he smiled.
"No, I think I was clear."
Logan glanced back to Rory who gave him a reassuring smile. Their relationship wasn't a secret, they had simply been private about their choices. Living outside of New York they were able to keep things within their social circle, and Logan having been away from work for a period of time helped with that as well. "Rory Gilmore is the mother of my daughter, and we are committed to one another. She had a wonderful relationship with my father and is thankfully carrying out his wishes to continue his legacy."
"Follow up?"
"Sure, if you feel the need." he nodded.
"The girl Ms. Gilmore seems to be holding looks to be about five years old. Five years ago you were marrying Odette Huntzberger. Were you carrying on an affair with Ms. Gilmore?"
Logan had to admit, he was shocked that this woman was going down this path and then it clicked. Sarah Brown was an old friend of Odette's, he wasn't sure how she had gotten into this, but he was sure this would be her last kick at the can. "I will consult with Ms. Gilmore and we will consider making a statement regarding your question. However, as I believe the statement was issued by the former Mrs. Huntzberger and I last year, Odette Huntzberger was not faithful before or during our marriage, and purposely concealed Ms. Gilmore's pregnancy from me. Please hand your press pass to security on your way out." he added for good measure before walking off the stage. Rory immediately grasped his hand as the Huntzberger family exited the room.
"Logan, I am so sorry." Matilda was the first to speak in the hall.
"It's not your fault, Til. I want her press pass, and I want her job. She is not to get a word from anyone affiliated with us in the future, she is not to step foot on our property. Call Colin, I'm going to be suing my ex-wife."
"Logan!" Rory looked at him with shock.
"We had an agreement Rory, we had an agreement when we split that we would make one statement about this, nothing else. If she felt it necessary to share the gory details with her friend, she violated her non-disclosure agreement. I'm sick of this, I am not going to spend the rest of my life explaining myself when I'm discussing another subject. If she thought this was the time to mess with me, I never knew her at all."
"Charlotte, give Daddy a kiss." Rory smiled and handed Charlotte to her father, "Grandma is going to take you to Nana's house and there will be pizza. We will all be there soon." Rory told her.
"I love you kiddo." Logan hugged her close, "Thank you for being such a good girl today."
"I love you Daddy." Charlotte gave him an extra squeeze.