Disclaimer: Gilmore Girls is the creation of Amy Sherman-Palladino.
Chapter 18: The Heir
Hartford, Connecticut, St. Joseph's Hospital, Friday, May 19, 2017, 1:00 pm EST
Hours later Logan found himself in the elevator heading down to the hospital's ground level. He was leaving the hospital to find lunch for himself and Rory. The visit with Lucas had gone incredibly well. According to the nurse, the baby had not had any breathing episodes since Wednesday. If he continued to do as well as he was doing, he might be released from the hospital earlier than originally forecast.
Making his way past Maggie at the front desk, he nodded to the hospital staffer, giving her a smile. Deciding it was finally time to send the promised photo to London, Logan pulled his cell phone out from his jacket pocket.
But not before studying each picture. Rory had demonstrated herself to be quite the photographer. She'd taken three pictures of him holding Lucas. Although each from a different angle, each photo was pretty good. They'd gotten Nicole to take a few photographs of the three of them together, Rory fully covered. He loved those pictures. They looked so happy. He and Rory at any rate. Lucas looked asleep. Peaceful. Lucas had definitely inherited Logan's ability to sleep through noise. Rory could be a world-champ sleeper, but she definitely woke more easily.
Selecting one of the photos of him alone holding Lucas - angled so that you could make out a bit of each of their profiles - he put together a group text to his sister, his mother, his dad, Finn, and Colin. If Robert cared, the ass could look over Colin or Finn's shoulder.
Accompanying the picture, Logan typed "Lucas and his dad get acquainted. Mom pulled a Princess Kate, acting as photographer."
Smiling as he hit send, he watched the phone as he exited the hospital and stepped out onto the hospital's exterior walkway. He wasn't usually one for staring at his phone to wait for messages but then it wasn't every day he introduced his son to his family. He didn't have to wait long.
Colin: Nice, Huntzberger. Thankfully he seems to take after Rory.
Finn: Logan Jr. looks quite tuckered. Party ways already?
Honor: Oh my God! He's so beautiful! We're flying out ASAP.
Dad: Cute. A heads up would've been good. You should've heard your mother's scream. You'd have thought Louis Vuitton was going out of business.
Logan was not expecting his phone to actually ring. Frowning he tapped the answer key. He'd keep it brief. He didn't want anything marring what had been shaping up to be a perfect day.
"Hi Mom."
"Logan! The baby's so cute. Of course, I believed it when your father told me the news but that baby looks so much like you did as a baby there's not a question in my mind that he's a Huntzberger!"
"Mom, you could've just looked at the DNA test. There should never have been a question in your mind."
"Now, Logan, don't be naive. You can't always trust everything that comes out of a lab. There's mislabeling. Or cross-contamination. Incompetent technicians. Or unscrupulous ones who can be bribed."
"Mom, I'm not interested in hearing you badmouth my son's mother. Nor am I interested in hearing about everything you learned today on Forensic Files. So is there something I can do for you?"
"Logan, I'm not badmouthing Rory but you have to admit the whole thing is suspect. You two weren't dating. You have one liaison -"
"We definitely had more than one liaison. Is that what you're fishing for? And I'm thrilled things turned out the way they have. Just sorry it didn't happen sooner. Is there anything else?"
"Well, your father and I are planning on coming home. Just as soon as the whole crisis messaging is figured out. You know cancelling the wedding is a big deal. There are board members and shareholders to consider. Not to mention competitors who will happily exploit flighty, indecisive behavior on your part-"
"'Flighty, indecisive behavior'? I've never been more sure of anything in my life."
"You know the truth matters less than the picture that's painted. Besides you were days from marrying Odette. That you changed your mind on a dime -no matter how steadfast your resolve- is not to your credit, Logan."
"Okay. I get your point. Is there anything else?"
"That's it. But when your father calls you later you need to promise to keep an open mind."
"An 'open mind'? About what?"
"About the crisis messaging. Your father's team has been working day and night since we got the news. They say this is the only way to save face with the last minute cancellation, not to mention you cheating on Odette, and Lucas's illegitimacy."
"Mom! Stop. Please!"
Logan let out a loud, frustrated sigh. He couldn't believe how quickly the absolute happiness of earlier in the day was being replaced by the same old Huntzberger drama and nonsense.
"Fine, Logan, I'll stop. But the sooner you face reality the better. Odette is not some little nothing. Her family's very wealthy and very influential. Especially in Europe. I wish you'd reconsider -"
"Not a chance."
"Fine. You're not going to come off looking great in any case, but played wrong you could lose the respect of everyone."
"'Everyone'? Don't you think you're being a little melodramatic? Cancelling my wedding upon finding out I have a son does not say a thing about my professional capabilities. The people I respect know this."
"You'll be taking over HPG when your father retires, Logan. In a few short years. You can't underestimate how much something like this could leave a permanent blemish on your reputation."
"Whatever," replied Logan. He really wanted his mother to stop talking. "Mom, I was actually on my way to pick up lunch. Is there anything else we have to discuss now? Or can we postpone to later?"
"No, Logan. I said my piece. Just remember what I said when your father calls."
"I will do that."
"Thank you."
"Sure."
Logan ended the call. Crossing the street, he made his way to a deli not far from the hospital. If his mother was trying to get under his skin, she'd succeeded. He was left wondering what messaging the crisis team had cooked up and why his mother felt it necessary to advise him to keep an "open mind." Then there was her heads-up that she and Mitchum would soon be 'coming home'.
Not good. Definitely not good.
Later that afternoon, Logan left Rory alone in her room to rest and pump milk while he went downstairs to sit in the cafe and check messages. Luke and Lorelai had returned to Stars Hollow while Emily was spending time with friends or possibly "Daddy Jack." Logan wasn't ready to leave the hospital - he intended on spending more time with Rory and Lucas before he left for the day - but he did need to amuse himself for a while.
Given the tenor of his conversation with his mother, Logan figured his father would be calling him shortly. And -if the discussion with his mother was anything to go by- it was destined to be less than pleasant. While he didn't want his time with Rory or Lucas to be poisoned by Huntzberger crazy, he had been left somewhat concerned by the conversation with his mother. That concern -that worry - had been hanging over him since the call.
What the hell could the PR crisis team have possibly come up with?
For that reason, he decided it would be better to call his father preemptively. Logan would rather discover a problem now -when there was still a chance to fix it - as opposed to later when whatever window of opportunity that might've existed closed. Mitchum answered on the first ring.
"Logan. I take it you're calling because of the talk you had with your mother?"
"You tell me."
"No time for games, Logan."
"Agreed. No time for games. Yes. I spoke to Mom. She said you'd be calling me. I decided to call you. What's going on?"
"You know I've been working with your Uncle David and the crisis team..."
"Yeah. Mom said to keep an 'open mind' -whatever the hell that means."
"So you're positive things with Odette are irreparable?"
"Yes. She fucking blo-" Logan started to rail on Odette for blocking Rory on his phone but then dropped it; he didn't want to say anything about that yet. "The prenup would've blocked me from having a relationship with my son."
"You want a relationship with the boy?"
"Yes."
"But more than that. He's your heir?"
Logan knew that had Rory been in the room, hearing this conversation, she would've been horrified. It's just a word he told himself. A word that means different things to different people.
To the older generation of Huntzbergers it means the boy is everything. The continuation of a legacy in publishing. A week ago, in envisioning his future with Odette, Logan would've thought nothing of sharing that perspective of their- his and Odette's - hypothetical children, especially their hypothetical firstborn son.
But now?
Now things were different.
He was no longer talking about hypothetical children.
He was no longer talking about Odette's children.
Now the word simply meant that Lucas was Logan's son. Lucas and Rory were Logan's family. He'd share everything he had with them. They could be involved in HPG if they chose to, to whatever extent they wanted to.
In a startling moment of clarity Logan realized this was the real reason his parents never supported his relationship with Rory. They knew their line's tradition of firstborn heirs controlling HPG would come to a screeching halt. They knew Rory wouldn't allow her son - her children - to be railroaded into a life of HPG servitude.
Of course, Logan would expect Lucas - and any other children - to intern at HPG but he wouldn't force them into a long-term role they didn't want. Certainly not to the detriment of them being able to pursue something they really wanted to do. But with he and Rory as the parents, chances are their children would be cerebral. They'd probably be gifted writers. But they'd also be allowed to choose.
At least within reason he told himself.
As the parents, he and Rory would have to make those decisions together when it came down to it.
What if Lucas wanted to drop out of school?
Join a band?
Join a cult?
Join a competitor?
"Logan? You hear me?"
"Yeah, Dad. Lucas is definitely my heir."
"Okay, so here are the options. The first one would also work if there's a chance you might reconcile with Odette -"
"There's not."
"We'd say the wedding was postponed to allow you time to address the paternity issue. While you and Odette remain committed to one another -"
"We don't."
"-the birth of a child resulting from a fling you had with an ex-girlfriend necessitates a pause on the wedding."
"Permanent pause. And come on. Describing my relationship with Rory as a 'fling'? Everyone back home who saw me propose would know that's bullshit."
"I forgot about your proposal."
Typical of his father. He wasn't in the room. He didn't witness it himself. Therefore it didn't happen.
"Anyway, is Odette on board with this? I can't imagine that she is."
"Odette sees the bigger picture."
Logan chuckled. "Sure she does. Saint Odette can do no wrong."
"That's uncalled for. Especially considering what you put her through."
"Is there more to this, Dad? Even if I were willing to play along, I doubt Odette would."
"Option two is similar but we focus more on the birth of the next Huntzberger heir, less on the last minute wedding cancellation. The baby's name will include Huntzberger I assume?"
Logan hesitated. It was going to be hard enough getting Rory acclimated to the idea that all manner of Huntzbergers will be fawning over her newborn as the next 'heir apparent' to the Huntzberger Publishing Group, but getting her to agree to add Huntzberger to the boy's name? He definitely had his work cut out for him.
"Yes."
"Excellent. Well, it sounds like option two it is. I'll have the team start drafting a birth announcement. Want me to send it to you before it goes in?"
Two words immediately came to Logan's mind: plausible deniability.
"No. Don't send it to me. Keep it simple. Stick with the facts. Anything about Rory - just pull it from Richard's obituary."
"Good idea. The larger piece can wait a couple of weeks."
Larger piece? A couple of weeks?
"Dad, Lucas was born early. Remember? He may still be in the hospital a couple of weeks from now."
"All the better. More of a human interest story. It'll dampen the curiosity about the wedding."
Logan rubbed his temple. He knew this was bad. How was he going to get Rory to understand the need for this? If he were honest with himself, he wasn't sure he understood it.
But this is what it meant to be a Huntzberger. This is why Logan was still asking Rory Gilmore to marry him, ten years after the first time he asked. He knew she could become accustomed to nearly everything about the Huntzberger lifestyle -hadn't she the first time they were together?
But living life under a microscope?
Rory was writing a book about her life Logan reminded himself.
She's inviting her own microscope in, whether she realizes it or not.
Logan forced himself to pay attention to his father.
"The wedding was scheduled for tomorrow. We've got a press release saying 'due to extenuating circumstances, the wedding has been postponed'. We'll know it's cancelled but we don't need to say that. Once the birth announcement hits, it'll be obvious. How about we get the announcement in on Sunday?"
"Dad, isn't this in poor taste?"
"Logan, that's a bit hypocritical coming from you. Frankly, the wedding is old news. The next Huntzberger heir is the news. It's all gonna come out anyway. We do it this way, we control the spin and we mitigate the damage. We sit on our hands and let someone else break the story, we have no control over it. Who knows? Maybe they'll focus on Rory. That she's a failed journalist who saw an opportunity to reignite her career by hitching her wagon to an old boyfriend?"
"That's ridiculous. Who's gonna believe that? She's writing a book. She's hardly the first journalist to make that career transition."
"It's not my argument. I'm just playing devil's advocate, Logan. You have to admit Rory's no innocent in this."
"What the hell's that supposed to mean?"
"She was seeing someone else. Did you know that? A Paul Ansel."
"Yes. I knew about Paul."
"You know she was almost arrested for attacking Gail Collins?"
"What?"
"You know how many food blogs have threads on how nuts Lorelai Gilmore is?"
"What?"
"My point is Logan if we don't get ahead of this, competitors will dig. Because you're you and Odette Lamontagne is who she is, inquiring minds are gonna wanna know who the showstopper is at the center of it. That could be Lucas. Or it could be Rory. But it's gonna be someone."
Logan sighed. Why couldn't anything ever be easy?
"Logan? You understand?"
"Yeah."
"You have some time to think about this but you really need to talk to Rory and get your story straight. The fact that Lucas is illegitimate doesn't matter to your mother and I but some of the board members and partners are of the old guard. If you and Rory have a future, they're gonna wanna hear that a wedding is in the works. You need to think about that. There'll come a point when you'll need them. Think about it, Logan."
"I'm thinking about it, Dad."
"You'll have to make sure you're on the birth certificate. You got the test. That's good. You might need to sign a paternity form. You'll have to update your will. I can get the lawyers on that if you want."
"Sure. Have them start drafting changes and send it to me."
"Will do, Logan."
"Thanks."
After ending the call with his father, Logan stared out pensively before him.
Rory and he had managed to score themselves twenty four hours of a Lucas-filled happy bubble.
A happy bubble that seemed destined to pop.
AN: Honk if Mitchum Huntzberger views your child's premature birth as an opportunity for good PR. I am not vilifying Mitchum. I really believe this is how the man views things. You have to take what he says with a grain of salt. Thank you for reading, reviewing, alerting, and fave'ing.
07/01/2017