Rory pulled the hood of her sweater up as it slowly started to rain and pulled out her phone to call her mom. She balanced the phone between her shoulder and ear as the dug in her purse for headphones. Suddenly she heard her mom's voice.

"Ah, Rory! I was beginning to worry! I haven't heard from you in a few days, I was considering sending a search party all the way to Germany to look for you." Lorelai answered. Rory laughed.

"No need for a search party." She smiled, putting one of her headphones in and plugging it into her phone. "But I'm sorry I haven't called, but I've been a little busy."

"I'm sure you are." Lorelai laughed. "How's your conference?"

"Over tomorrow. But that's not why I've been busy." Rory smiled and looked around in her bag for an umbrella as the rain started coming down harder. She fount it at the very bottom of her bag, pulled it out, and opened it. "I ran into someone from school, actually."

"Who'd you run into?"

"Um," Rory paused, not sure if her mom would be as excited as she was. "Okay, I ran into Logan."

"Logan?" Lorelai repeated. "Huntzberger? As in the Logan that proposed to you at your graduation party, Logan?"

"The very same." Rory smiled.

"And? What happened? And what is he doing in Hamburg?" Lorelai asked in a rush.

"Um, well, he has clients out here." Rory answered slowly. "But I was walking around in a park and suddenly heard someone call my name and I turned around I freaked the fuck out because oh my god, it was Logan fucking Huntzberger." Rory gushed. "And obviously we haven't seen each other in like, eight years, and honestly, the way we left things was… not great."

"You refused his proposal and he walked away from you." her mom pointed out. "I would call that leaving things on a very bad note."

"Well, yeah. So we went out to dinner and this great café and I found out that he speaks German, then we went out for drinks, then I ended up spending the night with him at his hotel."

"So, like, you slept with him?" Lorelai clarified. Rory blushed as she shook off her umbrella before ducking into a bar.

"Er… yes."

"Oh, Rory." She sighed.

"What?"

"It's just… this isn't going to turn into anything more, is it? Like, this is just… once, because you ran into each other in Germany? You're not going to keep this up, are you?" her mom said carefully.

"I don't know, mom." Rory replied slowly. "Why?"

"I just don't want to see you hurt again, kid."

"Well, I mean, even if we do make this a thing again… we're older now, you know?" Rory defended. Lorelai sighed again.

"Where's he living right now, anyway?" she asked.

"London." Rory answered quickly. "Which is actually really good because I'm in London a lot."

"Rory, just don't jump into this, alright?" Lorelai warned. "Be careful."

"Okay." She promised. Her phone beeped, indicating she had another call. "Hold on, mom, someone else is calling." She pulled her phone out of her pocket and saw Logan's name flashing on the screen. She smiled. "It's Logan."

"Oh, okay. I'll let you go. I love you, kid." Lorelai said quickly. "Oh! When do you get home."

"Wednesday." Rory answered. "I love you too, mommy." Her mom hung up and she quickly answered Logan's call.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Ace." It was so nice to hear his voice on her phone again. She smiled.

"What's up?" she grabbed her wallet out of her bag and walked up to the bar, intending to order something to eat.

"Not much. I was just missing you and the client I was supposed to meet with for lunch today cancelled and I was curious if you were free for lunch?" She could hear the smile in his rushed words.

"Possibly." She answered, putting her wallet in her bag. "Where're you at right now?"

"Back at my hotel. I can send a car for you if you need it."

"No, I'm close enough to walk. Meet you in… ten minutes in the lobby?"

"Why not come up to my room?" Logan asked playfully.

"Because I'm staving." Rory laughed.

"We can order room service." He suggested.

"I'm sure we could…" she said slowly. "No, we need to talk. We can go back to your room after lunch."

"Everything okay, Ace?" he asked. "Not a lot of good conversations start with 'we need to talk'." He sounded worried.

"Don't worry, Logan. Everything's fine." She assured him.

"Can you at least tell me what you want to talk about? "

"I'm walking up now, are you in the lobby?"

"Not yet, but I will be in a minute."

"Okay, hurry up." Rory said, opening the door.

"I'll see you in minute, Ace." He sounded rushed as he hung up the phone. She walked into the lobby and sat down in one of the comfortable chairs by the door, impatiently shaking her leg, thinking of how she was going to ask him where they should go from here. If they should go anywhere from here. She really wanted this to work, to continue, to go as far as it could. She really missed him over the last eight years, and from what he told her last night, she could tell that he also missed her. Maybe they could make something work. Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey there, Ace." Logan said quietly, smiling down at her. He offered Rory a hand and pulled her closer to him, pulling her in for a kiss. They broke apart and Logan rested his head against hers. "Are you sure you don't want to go upstairs?"

"No." Rory smiled. "But we have to talk about something."

"You're really starting to worry me with that, Ace." Logan said, taking her hand and leading her out of the hotel. "What is it that we have to talk about?"

Rory paused. "Well, I called my mom earlier. I was actually on the phone with my mom when you called, and she bought up a fair point. Have these last couple days just be a thing because we ran into each other here and it's never going to happen again? Or is it going to continue?" she said in a rush. "Because I really like this, I missed you so much and I don't really want to lose you again because seeing you everyday has made me the happiest I've been in a while and I don't want that ripped that away from me again."

"I guess it depends on you, Rory." He squeezed her hand, turning her down another street. "I really do want this continue, more than anything in the world." He smiled and kissed her temple. "I honestly still can't believe that I ran into you here, of all places." They stopped and Logan turned to face her. "I never thought I'd see you again." He smiled. "I can't believe my luck. So… I mean, if you'd have me, it'd love to continue this."

"Nothing would make me happier." Rory smiled and kissed him before looking around. "Where are we, by the way?"

"Can I surprise you ever, Ace?" Logan sighed. Rory shook her head. "Well too bad."

"Well, I don't know, you could be kidnaping me." She said, poking him in the side.

"You'd have a weird case for kidnapping, if that was the case." He laughed. "You came to visit me at my hotel and you're allowing me to take you to lunch.."

"No, that's actually how a lot of kidnappings start." Rory said matter of factually. "The victim meets the kidnapper at a previously approved spot, but the kidnapper actually has other sinister plans in mind. And thus, the unsuspecting victim gets whisked away to never be seen again! They're either killed, or raped, or held for ransom that could get paid but the victim still doesn't get returned home! Sometimes it's all of the above." She said, staring at him. Logan sighed.

"Oh my god." He rolled his eyes. "You're ridiculous." He said, leading her into the restaurant. "I didn't know you were an expert on kidnapping." He turned around and shot her a look. "Should I be worried, Ace?"

"Yes, I have three young children in my basement right now. I'm currently waiting on the ransom money. Collectively, it's about 3.2 mil." Rory said seriously.

"I always knew there was a darker side of you, Gilmore." Logan laughed, pulling her into the restaurant.

"Damn, I thought I was hiding it so well." She smirked.

"Almost slipped it past me, not gonna lie." He said as they walked up to hostess.

"Two?" she asked, grabbing menus.

"Yes, please." Rory answered, bouncing on the balls of her feet. The hostess nodded, grabbed two menus, and led them to a table in the back.

"Thank you." Logan said politely as the hostess placed the menus on the table. He waited for Rory to sit down in her chair, pushed her in a little and sat down across from her.

"This isn't all fancy food like we had the other night, is it?"

"No, it's like regular café food." He smiled. "Look at the menu." He gestured at the piece of weighted paper in front of her. Rory picked it up and scanned it.

"That's great and all, but I can't read it." She handed him the menu. "You're the one that knows German."

"Oh right." Logan smiled at her. "Okay, Ace, how does…" he looked over the menu quickly. "Eintopf sound?" he said after a while. Rory raised her eyebrows.

"What's that?"

"Soup."

"Okay, that sounds good!" She smiled. He waved the waitress over and ordered for them. After she left, Logan turned to her.

"So, on the subject of us being together." He started. "I want this more than anything, but I just thought of something. You live in New York and I live in London."

"That could complicate things, you're right…" she paused, not looking at him. "I know this is a silly question, but… like, you can do this, right? You're single." She said quietly. He didn't say anything for a moment. "Logan." There was a hint of pleading in her voice. "Please tell me you are."

"It's complicated, Ace." He said finally.

"No, there's no 'it's complicated'. Fuck, Logan! It's a yes or no question!" Rory was trying not to raise her voice, but it was quickly failing.

"Things aren't always black and white, Rory."

"I know that, but it is right now!"

"Just please hear me out." He begged. "Please?"

Rory didn't say anything for a minute, just stared down at the table in front of her with tears burning in her eyes. Finally she looked up.

"Fine."

"It's an arranged marriage with this French heiress and I." He sighed. "Essentially, a contract between the companies of our fathers. I mean nothing to her, she means nothing to me."

"I will not be a side piece."

"I'm not asking you to be! Just let me finish, please, Rory." Logan pleaded. "She's still in Paris, absolutely in love with some artist out there." He reached across the table to hold her hand. Rory moved her hand to her lap. "I'm sure it would be a relief to her if I broke it off. She dreading it just as much, if not more than I am."

"So that's what you're going to do?" She asked, looking up.

"Yeah." Logan said quietly. "Honestly, it's what's better for the both of us. And you know it's always been you, Ace. You're what makes me happy. Not being forced into this arranged marriage."

"What will Mitchum do?"

"Who the fuck cares?"