Chapter Nineteen

A loud banging roused Rory from a deep sleep. Groaning, she pulled herself upright. It took a moment for the unfamiliar surroundings to register with her brain. Glancing around, she took in the pristine white furniture and the ocean blue walls.

Right, grandma's guest room. Nantucket. Rory's brain finally caught up with her eyes as she turned slightly and caught sight of the sleeping man next to her. Logan. An unfamiliar swell of happiness rose in her chest. Sighing happily, she snuggled back into the toasty warm bed.

THUD! THUD! THUD! The banging sound returned, reminding Rory of the reason she woke up in the first place. She glanced towards the door as she finally realised someone was knocking on it.

Then her grandmothers voice spoke, sounding muffled by the door between them. "Rory! Are you getting up? Breakfast is ready."

Rory groaned. "Grandma! I'm still asleep."

"You're talking to me, Rory, so that means you are in fact awake."

"The babies need more sleep!"

Rory heard her grandmother's patented tut from behind the wooden door. "Fine. I suppose you want me to keep some breakfast for you?"

"I'll be down soon, grandma. I promise."

Emily Gilmore didn't respond. Rory heard her footsteps fade away from the door. She groaned once more as she swung her legs over the side of the bed. There was absolutely no part of her that wanted to get up yet. Trying hard not to disturb Logan, she reached for his shirt that was laying on the floor and pulled it on. Padding over to their suitcase, she started rummaging around for some clothes as she silently wished she had let the maid unpack for her last night.

"Now, that's a sight for tired eyes."

Rory jumped at the sound of Logan's voice behind her. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."

Logan smiled as he propped himself up on the white pillows. "If you genuinely thought I could sleep through the sound of a disapproving Emily Gilmore…" Logan let the sentence trail off as he reached for his iPad on the cabinet next to him.

Rory grimaced and resumed her search for clothes, suddenly feeling self-conscious in his shirt. "I'm really sorry."

"You don't have to apologise, ace." Logan frowned at the screen in front of him. "Hey, how about Howlett?"

The question caught Rory off-guard. "Huh?"

"Howlett. Logan Howlett. Mr and Mrs Howlett."

"Seriously. Logan. I'm not following."

Logan laughed lightly. "Well, if I'm out of the Huntzberger family, I guess I need a new name. So, I'm trying to pick one."

"And you started with X-men?"

As Rory wandered past the bed, Logan caught her arm and pulled her to him. She happily sank into his lap and looked at the screen he showed her. "It was the first one to pop up. Like it?"

Rory cocked an eyebrow at him. "Well…"

"So not Howlett, then."

Shaking her head, Rory was quiet for a long moment. Then she spoke in almost a whisper. "Gilmore."

Logan threw her a questioning glance. "Gilmore?"

"Well, how about it? When we marry, you take my name. Mr and Mrs Gilmore."

Logan's face creased into a frown as he considered it. "Logan Gilmore."

Rory was mortified. "You hate it. It was a stupid idea. I'm sorry, you can forget I said it. You don't-"

"Rory. Stop. I love it."

A hesitant smile lit up Rory's features. "Really?"

"Even if I didn't, I'd do anything for that smile."

Rory wrapped her arms around Logan's bare chest and pulled him in close for a kiss. "Logan Gilmore. It's perfect."

Logan nodded as he rolled Rory onto her back and leaned down to kiss her again.

Another voice broke through their bubble. "Rory! Get your pregnant ass out of bed and downstairs right now!"

"Mom?"

"Don't you mom me! My mother is insane. She's packing. Already. Which is your fault. But apparently, everything is my fault."

Rory smiled apologetically at Logan, who was already clambering out of bed with a put-out expression on his face. She mouthed the word 'later' at him before replying to her mother. "What's your fault?"

"Everything! You have to rescue us. Luke has developed a twitch in his right eye. Every time my mother says the word 'Hartford' Luke's eye twitches. She has already called Kirk to look at houses in Stars Hollow. Stars Hollow!"

Rory rolled her eyes and pulled open the door. "Oy with the drama already."

Lorelai Gilmore stood on the threshold and grimaced at her daughter. "You have to stop her. She can't live in my town. It's my town!"

Rory smiled. I've missed this, she thought. I'm so glad grandma is coming home.