Chapter Thirteen

"Finn, where are we going?" Rory tried again to get answer out of her cryptic companion.

"Not far, buttercup. Not far. Say, you wouldn't happen to have any scotch, would you? Left my bottle back there."

Rory laughed. "It's in your hand, Finn."

Finn held up his arm, a look of wonder on his face as he saw the bottle. "So it is. Well, here we are."

"Miss Patty's?" Rory arched an eyebrow at Finn.

"That is what he said. Oh, sweet Jesus. Tell me I have the right place." Finn frowned. "I knew I should have written down all the instructions. I'm not built for subterfuge, Rory. I just like to drink my scotch and watch Colin buy things."

"Well, this is Miss Patty's. Shall we go inside?"

"Yes. Yes! Inside. Come on, darling. The best is now to come."

Finn held out the door like the gentleman he pretended to be, and Rory stepped inside. It was pitch black, she couldn't see an inch in front of her face. A flashlight clicked on, its narrow beam illuminating a small path leading up to one empty chair.

Rory tried to squint into the gloom. "So… I just sit in the chair, huh?"

With absolute certainty, Rory just knew Logan was somewhere in the silky darkness of the building. Taking a deep breath, she made her way carefully to the chair and seated herself. Once she was settled, she looked up expectantly.

Realising that even Finn had now seemingly disappeared, Rory started to get slightly agitated. "Logan Huntzberger, if this is all some elaborate prank I swear to God, I will never speak to you ever again!"

At the exact moment she finished speaking, the lights in front of her flickered into life, illuminating the stage area of Miss Patty's barn. Finn stood centre-stage, a microphone in his hand.

"Ladies and gentleman, hounds and horses! On behalf of the organiser, I would like to welcome you to our version of This is Your Life!" Finn paused, and Rory heard applause from behind her. Spinning on her chair, she realised half of the town was packed into the barn behind her. She spotted Lane and shrugged her shoulders with a half-smile, indicating she had no idea what was going on.

In front of her, Finn produced a large, red book. "Rory Gilmore, as the star of today's gathering, I would just like to say that this is your life! A small disclaimer, however. Due to the amount of scotch consumed and the relatively short time spent planning this theatrical occasion, some events may have been omitted entirely."

Finn winked at Rory, as Logan finally appeared onstage. His entrance was met with catcalls and wolf whistles from the crowd behind her.

"Now to our show! First of all, I would like to introduce our actors. Playing himself, the handsome, the blond, Mr Logan Huntzberger! And starring alongside him as the amazing Rory Gilmore, it's the one and only Robert! I am your maestro for the duration, so settle in and get comfy."

Finn bowed low, and the lights dimmed down. Rory leaned forward eagerly in her chair. Suddenly the lights flicked back up, casting a glow over Logan and Robert as they stood in front of a door. Rory couldn't stifle the laughter that bubbled up at the sight of Robert wearing a long, dark wig as he pretended to be her.

Finn's voice boomed from the side of the stage. "We join the wonderful Logan on the day he first met one Rory Gilmore. On that fateful day at Yale, I was scouring the halls for a lady I had met. Never did find her, oh, but she was a stunner that one-"

Logan cut him off with an exasperated tone. "Finn!"

"Don't Finn me, Huntzberger. It's completely relevant! Right, as you are. The day these two lovebirds met."

Rory watched as Logan and Robert re-enacted the disagreement that she had had with Logan the second time they had met. She laughed as Robert called Logan a 'butt-faced miscreant'.

"That came later, when I got to know you more!" Rory called out, heckling the boys.

Logan winked at her. "Blame Finn and the scotch, I got muddled."

The scene ended as Logan sauntered off-stage, leaving Robert doing a remarkable impression of the bemused face she had pulled that day. Rory got to her feet to applaud, laughing so hard she was almost crying.

Finn wandered back onstage nonchalantly. "Aha, so now we move onwards to the day Logan fell in love with Rory. It was a fine day. Can't say I remember it at all."

As he bowed off the stage, a curtain was pulled back revealing a small scaffold at the back of the stage. Rory sat up straighter. She knew this day like it had happened yesterday.

"I am not going up there." Robert said, his voice as high pitched as he could make it.

Logan locked eyes with Rory in the crowd as he spoke his line. "You climb up here with me, it's one less minute you haven't lived."

Robert/Rory looked up. "I… ok."

"And FREEZE!" Came Finn's voice. The actors onstage froze. "This is the exact moment Logan says he fell in love with Rory. Do you remember this, darling?"

Rory almost couldn't speak. "Of course I do." She spoke directly to Logan. "Logan, I had no idea..."

Moving to the front of the stage, Logan responded. "Well, now you know. I've loved you since this moment right here. You were so brave and determined to prove me wrong."

Rory couldn't help it, she started to cry. "Thank you, for this. For all of this."

Logan nodded and winked again. "Don't cry, ace. We haven't even got to the best part yet."