Disclaimer: Gilmore Girls is the creation of Amy Sherman-Palladino.

Chapter 28: What's Wrong with Junior?

Hartford, Connecticut, St. Joseph's Hospital, Saturday, May 20, 2017, 1:30 pm EST

Fifteen minutes later, Rory and Logan were hygienically scrubbed with the hospital soap, attired in sterile hospital gowns, and standing over their sleeping newborn.

"He looks like you when he sleeps."

Logan's eyebrow went up at Rory's observation; he regarded her claim as dubious. She might see him in Lucas but he saw a lot of Rory in their son's features. But, then again, Lucas's most prominent Rory feature, those big blue eyes, weren't visible while he slept.

"Maybe it's just the sleep factor, Ace. You've seen me sleep. It's not like you've seen yourself sleep."

"I don't watch you sleep, Huntzberger. What do you take me for?"

Logan chuckled. "I said nothing about watching me sleep. But now I'm thinking the lady doth protest too much." Smirking he looked up from the baby and fixed his eyes on hers. "You still have the Yale Naked Collection, don't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Ah, I think you do. It was a perfect New England storm. A digital camera with lightning fast shutter speeds. A newly discovered appreciation for candid photos. A lapsed sense of propriety and personal boundaries."

Rory laughed. "That was fun. I do still have them. Somewhere. On a jump drive."

"And the Jump. You still have those?"

"Of course. I have the article too. Somewhere."

The two stood staring at one another for a few seconds that stretched to a moment and then another moment. Finally it was Logan who pulled his eyes from Rory's and redirected their attention to the one they were there for, the one who brought them together.

"Have you thought about how our story is now his story?"

"Yeah. I have realized that, actually. It's one hell of a story."

"Definitely got some highs and lows."

"That's one way to put it." Still focusing her eyes on Lucas, Rory slowly shook her head. "When I think about how I treated Paul... That's the guy I was dat - "

"I know who he is, Rory." Logan interrupted her. He really didn't feel the need to be reminded of Paul. Ever. But especially not at this moment, which was otherwise perfect, just the three of them.

"He didn't deserve what I did to him." She looked up then, at Logan over Lucas.

"Yeah, well." Logan's eyes bored into Rory's. "Maybe you're right. Or maybe he had it coming."

"No! He was the nicest guy in the world. Really. He was so sweet and–"

"Rory! You ever think maybe I don't want to hear about the virtues of your other boyfriends?"

Rory shot a curious look at him. Watching her, Logan could tell she didn't get it. It would never not bother him – at least a little bit - to think of her with other guys. Whether they were together or not. Now she belonged to them. To Lucas and to him. So he definitely didn't care to be reminded of 'Paul.'

"Sorry. I didn't mean to hit a sore spot – "

"Rory, it's fine. I just…" Logan let that sentence falter. "I'd just rather focus on the future. Not on the past. A month ago I might've been right there with you. Feeling sorry about my less than stellar ability to remain faithful to Odette. But now, all I can think about is what she did. What she stole from me. And from you. And from him. She doesn't matter. The past doesn't matter."

Rory watched him with those crystal blue eyes. "You know who I got the biggest lecture from?"

"Who?"

"You won't believe it."

"Oh? Damn, Ace," he smiled. "Now I have to guess." Given what Rory was saying, Logan surmised it hadn't been Lorelai. Although they were in their thirties, Logan was certain that Rory, in describing being on the receiving end of a lecture from Lorelai, wouldn't preface the narrative with 'guess what happened.' A sudden thought flashed in his mind. In an instant, he knew who it was. "Okay. I got it."

"Go for it."

"Paris."

"Yep. Paris." As she nodded, her lips slightly curved upward. Rory's eyes didn't stray from his. "I'd say 'good guess,' but I'm thinking it's not much of a guess. You probably got a dose yourself?"

"That obvious? It's a bit of blur, but I seem to recall being compared to Archie Bunker, the Great Gatsby, Nigel Farage, and Woody Allen all in one conversation."

Rory smiled. "Wow. Paris was in rare form that day. I was compared to Wallis Simpson, the Kardashians, and the home-wrecking nanny."

"Which one?"

"Any of them. I don't think Paris was inclined to be choosy."

"She also quoted Jung to me."

"Yeah. I got that too." Rory's glance shifted from Logan to Lucas.

"What did you think?" Logan followed Rory's lead, also turning to watch the baby.

"About what?"

"Jung. 'Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.'"

"I haven't really had time to think about it. Kinda busy here."

"Yeah, I get that."

"I will say it's not easy when you want different things for different reasons."

"Agreed." Logan waited a beat before continuing. "List no help?"

"Some things are beyond neutral attempts at pragmatism."

"Like having a baby with your ex?"

"Like having a baby with your ex."

Pulling his eyes away from Lucas, Logan looked at Rory. As he watched, she saw her lips open and then close. What was she about to say that she decided against?

"Ace?" Rory's eyes shot up to his. "Your lips are moving but I don't hear anything."

"Ha. I'm debating whether or not to say something."

"Obviously. You realize now you have to tell me."

"Yeah. I know. It's not about fate. It's more about luck. I'm wondering if you would've spotted me in Hamburg if I hadn't been wearing a bright red dress?"

"Interesting question. Lucky outfit? Or fateful outfit? Why Rory Gilmore, are you telling me you think Paris and Jung are right?"

"No." Rory shook her head emphatically. "I'm not saying that. I know you think Paris is right." Rory responded, smiling. Glancing back at the sleeping baby, Rory directed her next words to him. "Lucas, how am I gonna tell Aunt Paris your daddy actually thinks she's right?"

"Wait. How do you know that?"

"What you said this morning." Rory brought her eyes back to Logan's. "About us being right where we're supposed to be."

"Oh, yeah. I did say that this morning. Didn't I?"

"Yeah, you did. Did you mean it?"

"Yeah. I meant it."

"And what if I don't believe it?"

"I'd say I'm not surprised. If this were easy, you wouldn't be you. Something would be off," he laughed. His eyes were smiling when he continued. "It's okay. I know how to be patient." Logan glanced down at Lucas. With a humorous tone, he spoke to his son. "Right, Lucas? Daddy's been waiting for Mommy for years."

"Cute."

"Why'd you change anyway?"

"It may be lucky but it's not for breastfeeding."

As they both returned their gazes to Lucas, the baby stretched his arms and legs. His tiny fisted hands flitted over his cheeks. Logan noted, amused, that the infant seemed impatient in his quick, jerky movements. Baby Lucas almost seemed anxious to get on with it. Whatever 'it' was.

That is definitely more me, Logan smiled inwardly.

Logan found himself hit by one of those moments of overwhelming clarity and wonder. While it still felt unreal –on some level – that he was a father and that he had a child, at the same time, Logan recognized it as the most real, concrete, and irreversibly true thing about him. Where he lived, what he did, how he spent his days were all variables. The status could change. Even with Rory. Although he desperately wanted it to be different, whether or not she was in his life was still fluid. True, Rory would always be his son's mother, but that offered no guarantee to Logan that she'd be in his life. Or that he'd always hold a place in her heart.

But Lucas was his son. Living the reality for four days, Logan was still amazed that this tiny little person was his son. His and Rory's son.

That was something that would never change.

And, as much as he hated agreeing with Paris Geller – and he really needed to make sure Rory never, ever let Paris know he'd agreed with her - he had to admit Jung's theory worked for him.

Still staring at the baby, Logan finally spoke. "We should've known it wouldn't work."

"What?"

"Vegas. No strings attached didn't work back then. Vegas didn't work now."

"What about that saying? You can't gauge future performance by past performance?"

"Yeah. That's about mutual funds," he shrugged. Looking up from Lucas, Logan saw that Rory's gaze was fixed on him. "Besides, I seem to remember someone telling me that was a sucker's maxim."

"Yeah, I did say that, didn't I? "

"Sure did."

"You know something? I think my mother might agree."

"With sucker's maxim?"

"No. With Paris. Jung. You. When I finally told her – about Vegas - she called you the guy I can't quit."

It wasn't lost on Logan that Rory said 'can't.' She could've said 'couldn't'. 'Can't' may have been Lorelai's word choice then but it was Rory's word now. She could've used a past tense variation but she hadn't.

"Hm. Can't. Don't want to. Fine line, Ace. And now there's Lucas."

"Yeah. Now there's Lucas." She smiled as she continued to look at their son. "He's really cute. And I mean that objectively. He's going to be beating them away with a stick."

Sighing, Logan grimaced. The reality check of being a Huntzberger.

"News flash: He's not gonna be hurting for company. Even if he looked like a toad. Which he doesn't. He is pretty damn cute. We done good, Ace."

Logan watched as Rory continued to stare at Lucas. She didn't reply at first but he knew she understood what he meant just by the tightness that appeared around her brows. Her features suddenly marred by worry, Rory's next words confirmed to Logan that she fully comprehended what he was saying.

"How are we gonna protect him?"

"We can't. Not every second. Best we can do is raise him to have discriminating taste in friends."

Although Logan had only been in Hartford for three days, most of his time awake had been spent at his son's side. So he'd gotten accustomed to the constant background noise associated with the NICU. While most of the NICU's tiny residents spent the majority of their time peacefully asleep, the unit definitely wasn't quiet. There was a constant hum of monitors buzzing and beeping. Logan, like Rory, had gotten used to ignoring the sounds for the most part.

The sudden blare of a new, loud and persistent alarm immediately set Logan's antennae up. Puzzled he looked at the woman across from him.

"Rory? What is that? What's wrong?"

Rory, eyes wide, a slightly heart-stricken look on her face, moved from where she stood at the side of Lucas's giraffe to the lower end of the bed. Positioned there, using an index finger on each foot, she started to gently tapping Lucas on the soles of his feet.

"Rory? What's happening?" Looking at Lucas's monitor, Logan noticed a red light flicking on the screen. "What's the red light mean?"

Lucas's Saturday attending nurse, a sunny older blonde woman who'd introduced herself as Kim when Rory and Logan had first come in, was making her way over to them at a fast clip.

"It's bradycardia." Rory continued to flick the baby's feet. "He's breathing too slow." Finally the alarm stopped.

"Hey," greeted Kim. "He okay?"

"Seems to be. Now." Rory, Logan saw, was biting her lip. "Stay a while. I was hoping he was over that."

"He's been doing really well. According to his chart he hasn't had an episode since Thursday night."

"What?" asked Logan. "What episode?"

"Preemies sometimes don't breathe regularly. Interrupted breathing- apnea- can cause bradycardia, which is a slow heart rate. That's your A's and B's: apnea and bradycardia."

"What do you do for him?"

"He's getting medicine for it. And what his mom did is exactly what a medical professional would do. Patting him or touching the soles of his feet to remind him to breathe."

Logan looked over at Rory. A new heart swell of admiration and respect came over him. "You've done that before?"

Silently she nodded. "The first time it happened when I was here, I watched the nurse do it. But I did it myself the second time. That was …Wednesday."

"When you called me?"

Again Rory nodded without a word. "They were talking about ventilation machines and trachea tubes and," Rory broke off mid-thought, suddenly her eyes filled with tears.

"He's okay, Ace. He's more than okay. He's doing great. And you're not alone anymore. I'm here now." Logan reached inside the baby's bed, where Rory had a hand gently splayed on Lucas. Logan covered her hand with his own.

"I know." Despite the tears coursing down her cheeks, she smiled at him. "I know."

The couple fell silent as Kim quietly and efficiently checked all of Lucas's wires and monitors. After a few minutes, with a parting smile, she left. "He's good. Wave if you need me."

"Thanks, Kim." Rory returned the woman's smile before turning back to look at Lucas.

From where he stood, Logan's view captured both Rory and Lucas. He felt his eyes water. He acknowledged a profound sense of happiness. More than that, it felt right. This was right. This was really all he would ever need.

"You know something, Ace?"

"What?" She looked over at him.

"I think we're gonna be excellent parents!" He winked at her.

Rory laughed at Logan's nod to their early relationship.

"You think so?"

"I do," he replied, suddenly serious. "We make a good team, Rory. We always have."

"I guess that's true."

They continued to lock eyes as Lucas shifted and stretched below their joined hands.

AN: Thanks for reading and for your patience. I need to stay off Reddit. LMAO. What a time suck! Speaking of time sucks, I have an idea for a new GG parody fic. Hopefully I'll lose interest in it. I already find it a challenge juggling ITMH and WITS (Major kudos to writers juggling 5-6 fics at once).

08/12/2017