Disclaimer: Do not owe Gilmore Girls.

AN: Thank you, thank you for your reviews! Hahaha … I want more! Here is the next chapter! So read and REVIEW! Tell me what you think. The more reviews I get the more motivated I get :P hahaha. c

Chapter 7 Grandma got run over by a reindeer

It was still dark when Logan softly shook Rory's shoulder.

"Huh…?" she cracked open an eye.

"Get up," Logan said. "I want to show you something."

"What time is it?" she asked.

"7 am."

"Are you insane?"

"No… just eager to show you something. And I wont take a no for an answer, so it'll be easier if you just cooperated."

"I don't wanna…"

"Logan…." Rory stretched half an hour later with warning in her voice. "I'm not getting on that."

"You are hurting Buttercups feelings…"

"I'm sure Buttercup will understand." Rory crossed her arms in front of her chest.

The big black horse pushed her soft nuzzle in Rory's face.

"Meeeeeeew…"

"See, Ace she is sweet. Have you ever ridden a horse?" Logan asked.

"I did and I'll never do it again. It's for Buttercups benefit."

" What happened? Did you fall off?"

"No it died?"

"Who died?"

"Arthur."

"Who is Arthur?"

"The pony."

"Your pony died and that's why you are scared?"

"It died while I was sitting on it."

Logan bit his lip, trying not to laugh.

"Your pony died while you were riding him?"

"Did I stutter?"

"How…"

"I was sitting on it and it died! Lord, are you deaf?" She exclaimed in frustration.

Buttercup started shaking her head nervously.

"Oh sorry. See I bring bad luck…"

"No you don't, Ace," he said stroking Buttercups shiny black neck murmuring things in a low voice till she calmed down. Even Rory shivered at the sound of that tone.

"Come on… It's absolutely beautiful here, but you only get there on horseback

"Fine! But if it dies, it's your fault…" Rory sighed.

"It won't die, Ace…" Logan said, giving her a boost.

"Oh… goodness." Rory said in a small voice. "It sure is high up here." Logan handed her the reins with a smile on his face.

"You'll be fine, but maybe it is a good idea to get you a helmet. I'll be right back."

"Logan…?" Rory meekly replied. Buttercup whinnied and started moving.

"Buttercup? Good horsy… Stop. Hush."

"Just pull the reins, Ace," Logan said. "That's what they are for."

He handed her the helmet.

"It's shaped like a ladybug…" Rory said taking the red and black dots helmet with antennas on top from him.

"It is."

"Why?"

"It's my nieces'. Or well I don't know what she is. She is Franks sisters daughter."

"She's…"

"11."

Rory put it on her head. Logan laughed.

"Glad you're amusing yourself."

Logan mounted Chinook and looked at Rory.

"Just relax, Ace."

"What? I am relaxed."

"No you are not. You're sitting there as if you are awaiting your execution. I wont let anything happen to you. Trust me." He said prompting Chinook into a slow walk. Rory did the same following him. When Logan moved Chinook into a trot, Rory pulled the reins.

"Logan, I can't shift gears."

"What?" Logan laughed.

"I cant drive nor ride stick shift."

"Well, Ace, Buttercup is an automatic." He laughed, "She'll follow Chinook."

"But not too fast ok?"

"Not too fast." Logan nodded.

"So you spent summers here?" Rory asked after a while of silence.

Logan nodded.

"Yeah. Gallivanting around with Wendy, driving Rose insane."

"Imagining you were the Hulk…"

"Imagining I was the Hulk..."

"Wendy seemed nice."

"She is. Too bad you two didn't get to know one another. She's getting married in April."

"Oh, wow…" Rory could not help but feel relieved.

"Yeah… it seems just yesterday that we burnt down the hayshed."

"How…" Rory's eyes grew.

"Long story involving two 10 year olds, an ingenious design of a rocket, matches and well hay…" Logan laughed.

Rory laughed.

"Lord you really were a pain in the butt. Wait, you still are…"

"I still am? I don't hear you complaining…" He winked.

"You are so … so… obnoxious."

"Again… I don't hear you complaining. If I am so repulsive why do you crawl in bed with me?"

Rory's cheeks turned bright red: "Well… I…."

"You…."

"I … need someone to warm my feet."

"I see. Parasite."

"Aw… and yesterday I was a donkey."

"You have just been degraded."

"I'm sad…"

"Yup… from now on you are a parasite.. fungus, on the hoof of the donkey."

Rory gasped.

"I'm not fungus! Otherwise you have sex with fungus! "

"What's the alternative? Sex with a donkey? Lord… change of subject. I'm not sure I like where this is leading."

"I'm not fungus! Fungus don't go to Yale."

"Smart fungus do."

"So I am smart fungus?"

"Just enjoy the scenery!"

"How? I'm fungus… I'm not sure I can enjoy scenery. I'm a decomposer of dead organic matter. I'm…"

"…. Missing the view." Logan interrupted.

Rory looked up and held her breath. They were standing on a small hill overlooking a lake. It was surrounded by spruces, their branches heavy with snow. The snow was glistering due to the first rays of sunshine.

It looked as if someone had scattered diamonds all over. The lake itself was frozen and covered in a transparent mist. And then there was the silence. It was so silent that it seemed another world.

"It's wow…. I'm afraid to breath it's so pretty," she whispered. Logan smiled pulling his scarf tighter around his neck.

"See what you would've missed…"

She turned to face him. The two antennas on the top of her ladybug helmet swayed lightly in the soft wind.

"Thank you." She said leaning in and letting her kiss say what words couldn't.

Buttercup had an agenda of her own though and started moving towards a bush nearby, causing Rory to lose balance. This time however she didn't fall... immediately. Logan wrapped an arm around her and tried to pull her off of Buttercup onto his own horse, but her foot was stuck in her stirrup and when it finally came loose he tipped backwards and tumbled down, pulling Rory with him. The bushes broke the fall.

"Oompf…" Rory brushed the snow out of her ears, trying to find her way out of the tangle of limbs. "You ok?"

"Some heavy fungus you are…" Logan laughed. "I think I broke my back."

"Really!" panic was shining through in her blue sapphire eyes.

"No… Aren't you a scardycat. I'm fine. Now where were we?" He smirked pulling her down.

Rose smiled when she saw Logan and Rory riding alongside, laughing, through the kitchen window. The helmet on Rory's head shining bright red from even that distance.

She really hoped Logan pulled his act together on this one.

"So she does ride?" Frank remarked following Rose' eyes.

"I don't know…I guess that doesn't matter. It has more to do with Logan's persuasion techniques…" She laughed.

"She's not a girl to date Logan, for my tase…"

"She isn't ."

"…Well…"

"She is in love with him Frank, and love makes people do things they normally wouldn't do."

"I like the girl."

"I think Logan likes her too, hon'." Rose smiled.

"I'll go make zucchini pancakes. They are probably starving. Boy, that girl can eat."

Frank said pulling a bowl and 2 zucchinis out of a cabinet.

"Frank!" Rose took a deep breath. "You have got to stop with the zucchinis. It's seriously not edible. People cannot eat zucchinis 24/7. Zucchini on toast for breakfast, zucchini soup or salad for lunch. Zucchini stew for dinner and zucchini in chocolate for dessert! No zucchinis! I'm putting my foot down. I love you, but from this day forward I do not want to see a zucchini in ten mile radius from this house."

Frank just eyed his wife.

"10 years…" he said. "10 years we have been married…"

"Yes…" Rose suddenly felt guilty.

"You have bared my zucchinis for 10 years…"

"I have…"

"You hate them?"

"I do… from the bottom of my heart."

"10 years."

"Yes…" Rose started to get worried. She didn't want to hurt his feelings.

Frank dropped the zucchinis on the floor and grabbed Rose by her shoulders attacking her with his lips.

Rose was speechless, utterly confused.

"You are not mad?" She asked in a small voice.

"No… I love you. And the fact that you put up with my zucchinis for a decade tells me that you love me too."

Rose only nodded.

Frank sighed.

"So… what about cucumbers…" Rose let out a laugh before enveloping him in another kiss.

"Oh my virgin eyes!" Logan exclaimed. Rose and Frank broke off their kiss only to see Logan and Rory in the doorway. A mischievous gleam in Logan's dark eyes, a sweet one in Rory's blue ones.

"Oh please, Logan, your eyes are everything but virgin." Rose said with a laugh.

"Breakfast anyone?" Frank asked. "What about pancakes with… apples."

Both Logan and Rory looked surprised and eyed Rose who gave them thumbs up. Where upon Logan broke down in laughter.

"Well good for you…" he said whipping the tears out of his eyes.

"So… pancakes?"

Rory nodded eagerly. Pulling the still laughing Logan further into the kitchen.

Goodbyes came soon and Rory couldn't help but feel a little sad to leave this place. It was like an alternate universe. So close to home, yet so far away. She loved the peace and quit here, the beauty, Rose and Frank, even Napoleon and then there was Logan who seemed so different here. Maybe because Rose had given her some insight in his complex personality, maybe because he felt at home here. She didn't know, but she liked the Logan she saw, though she had some trouble processing all the input she had gotten. She barely could look at him without feeling sympathy, wanting to console him, take away his pain, but also knew that he had to tell her himself before she could do any of it.

She watched as he put their bags in the trunk of the black SUV and walked around it to hug Rose and Frank.

"It was very nice to meet you, Rory. And I truly hope we will meet again." Frank said hugging her. She smiled. She hoped so too.

"Same here."

"Let me hug you, kid." Rose said wrapping her arms around Rory. "I have the feeling this is not the last time we meet, so I'm not saying goodbye."

Rory smiled. "I hope so."

"I know so." Rose replied. "My gut never lies."

"You are not going to the charity?" Rory asked.

"Not my kind of people. Plus Shira and I: not the best friends. And then there is my other sister, who is on the board of the foundation…" She smiled.

Rory could only imagine how weird it had to be for Logan. His step mom at a charity in the name of his mother.

"I really had a great time," Rory said. "Thank you… for everything."

Rose nodded.

"You are always welcome here. And use what I told you wisely." She said with a wink.

With a last squeeze she let Rory go. She squatted and scratched Napoleons ear. She had become fond of the little fur with an oversized personality. With a last wave she got in the car where Logan was already waiting.

"Ready?" He asked.

"Yup."

"Buckle up." He told her as he shifted gears and drove off.

"Yes, dad."

Logan rolled his eyes.

"Fine if you want to become road kill don't fasten your seatbelt."

"I'm just kidding, Logan."

"I know." He said with a sigh. "Headache."

"Want me to drive?"

"That's ok. Stick shift remember?"

"Huh… well want some Aspirin?"

"Have some?"

"Yeah. In my purse."

She grabbed it from the back seat and dug in there for the box of Aspirin. When she couldn't find it she turned her purse upside down and shook the contents out of it. Tampons, gum wrappers, pens, lipstick, a sock, phone, wallet, half a candy bar, keys, tissues, markers, coins, a pencil sharpener, 4 different notebooks, a pantyhose, gum, bandages, mints, duck tape, a few screws, a toy car, antique candy wrappers and then of course aspirin piled in her lap.

"Dead mice in there?" Logan asked with a smile.

"Oh shush. You want a painkiller or not."

"Not if it hasn't seen daylight since the beginning of World War II, that is obviously still going in there…" he threw a glance at the contents of her purse.

Rory stuck her tongue out to him.

She handed him a pill and tried to open a bottle of water. Logan watched as she struggled with it and took it from her when she tried to wrench it open with her teeth.

"Hold the wheel," he said.

"No!" Rory exclaimed horrified.

"Just hold the wheel."

"No! Are you insane? Just stop."

"Ace… for one second hold the wheel."

"I am not holding the wheel!"

"Well too bad cause I'm letting go…"

Logan let go of the wheel and got a good grip on the water bottle as Rory yelped and grabbed the wheel. The car dangled lightly.

"You are horrible! You are a terrible stupid miscreant! What if we crashed?"

"Then it would've been a good thing that you are buckled up." Logan replied downing the little white pill of salvation and putting his hand on the wheel again.

"Thanks."

Rory on the other hand made no attempts of removing her limbs.

"Ace? You can let go now."

"Till next time that you go crazy." She said moody.

"Come on, Ace… I didn't juggle grenades here. I let go of the wheel, but only because I knew you would take it."

"And what if I didn't? What if I had gotten an epileptic seizure and hadn't taken the wheel?"

"And what if a giant meteorite had hit earth?"

"Stop mocking me."

"Then stop exaggerating. Nothing happened."

She looked at him, still mad, but let go.

"Goody, the evil eye."

They drove in silence for a while. Logan sneaked a glance once in a while, but Rory was sternly staring out of the window, arms crossed in front of her chest.

"Grandma got ran over by a reindeer, walking home from our house on Christmas eve. You can say there is no such thing as Santa, but as for me and grandpa we believe…" he sang. "She been drinking to much eggnog and we begged her not to go but she forgot her medication.. and she staggered out the door into the snow. When we found her Christmas morning at the scene of the attack she had hoof prints on her forehead…"

"Oh my GOD!" Rory exclaimed with a laugh. "Stop, just stop! You are so so…"

He winked at her with a smile.

"Can't have you all cranky."

"Just promise me you wont sing that ever again…"

"Scouts honor," He said and opened the vocals again.

"If God had long hair and a goat tee…"

"LOGAN!"

"Can't sing that either?"

"No! Just don't sing at all…"

"You are not fair."

"Life isn't. Deal with it." She said and regretted the words immediately. If someone knew that live was unfair it was Logan.

"So where do you have those hideous songs from?" she asked.

"Cant sing them, but I have to tell you where they are from?" He asked smirking.

"Yup."

"Well Finn + winter break + massive amounts of alcohol equal said songs of the genre."

Rory laughed.

"You must be pretty musical yourself." Rory tried cautiously.

"Why do you think that?"

"Oh.. uh.. I don't know… you sang them with such… flair."

"Well I know one about a hairy butt…"

"I don't want to hear it!"

"Cultural barbarian!"

"…. When a girl is lying in the dark, her brand new lover's naked in her bed she runs her finger down his body and lets out a scream that wakes the dead… her hands are tangled in his hairy…" Rory clasped her hand over his mouth.

"You finish that and you are sleeping on the couch."

The sound of his muffled laugh filled the car.

"Do you like it?" Logan asked Rory. She had been walking around their suit for 15 minutes now without saying a word.

Rory turned around, smiling.

"Like it? I love it!"

"It's just a hotel room, Ace." Logan smirked.

"I know. It's just I thought we would stay at "The Plaza" or "Four Seasons" knowing you."

" We can still go to the Plaza or Four Seasons if you want."

" No! No! This is perfect. It's just I didn't expect it from you. It's so homey and still pretty and so not over the top but sophisticated and still chic." She raved brushing her fingers over the beautiful black grand piano in the middle of the living room.

Logan laughed.

"I like the Soho Grand too, Ace."

"I always wanted to play the piano…" she said quietly. Attempt number two.

"So why didn't you?" he asked.

"I don't know…" She shrugged.

"You need to get ready." He said, "They are waiting for you downstairs."

"Who?" Rory asked confused.

"The people, that are going to groom you…"

"Oh…I am going to be groomed?"

Logan nodded with a smile and pushed her out the door.

For 2 hours she was peeled, combed, exfoliated, massaged, painted… She was laying in a chair as her pedicure was being done and wondered how to subtly get Logan to talk to her. She bit on her nail and got a little smack on her head from Pablo… the manicure man.

When she finally got upstairs again dressed in a robe. The suit was empty.

" Logan?" she called.

No answer. She walked into the bedroom and noticed a large black box with a smaller one sitting on top. She made her way to the bed and picked up the note, that held Logan's distinctive handwriting. The letters were tipped backwards, round and swaying but still a little messy.

I'm at the lounge. Come and surprise me, when you are ready.

Logan

She opened the smaller box and gasped at the sight of a pair of red satin Jimmy Choo peep toe heels. Those shoes had to cost a fortune. Carefully she removed the lid of the bigger box, pushed the thin paper aside and pulled out a plain blue silk dress. The fabric felt so soft, the blue was so pure. She pulled it on and shivered when the cool silk brushed against her skin. It reminded her of Logan in a way. The way his fingertips and breath made her skin tingle. When she looked in the mirror she couldn't believe that it was her staring back. The dress left a distinct V on the front, showing off her creamy skin. It was teasing, but not vulgar. It fell to the floor, hugging every right curve, molding with her body as a second skin. The blue slightly glistering in the dim bedroom light. She stepped in her shoes and pulled out the matching shawl. Her hair was pulled back in a big bun, a read ribbon around her head. Her make- up light, drawing attention to her lips, that were a dark full read.

She took a deep breath and made her way downstairs after one last look in the mirror. She felt naked walking to the lobby. Dozens of eyes following her every move. When she entered the lounge her eyes started seeking for Logan. And the whole lounge sought with her. People where shamelessly staring at her. When she spotted Logan in one of the lounge chairs reading a paper and nursing his favorite scotch, and started waking up to her, the eyes of her beholders moved with her, 'lucky bastard' written on them, when they noticed who she was looking. She stopped in front of him, but he didn't seem to notice her. He scoffed at what he read and turned the page, mumbling something in the manner of idiots. He looked sharp in his tux, yet Rory had to smile at the blond battle on his head.

"Hey," she said softly causing him to look up.

His eyes darkened a couple of shades when they met hers. He didn't say anything just let his eyes wander over her body. Leaving her eyes, resting on her lips for a while, tracing her neck and collarbone, teasingly brushing past her cleavage, hugging her waist and hips. Rory blushed. It felt as if he really touched her in front of all those people.

Logan was dumbstruck, astonished, stupefied, caught by speechless admiration. She was so beautiful that it made him dizzy.

"Logan?" Rory asked unsurely after a few minutes of silence.

"Yes?" he answered in a foreign voice.

"Say something."

He stood up, Rory couldn't help but smile. He looked almost annoyingly handsome.

"I'm speechless."

"Well there is a new development." Rory joked.

"Huh… very funny," he said huskily pressing her against his body. "I can't voice maybe, but I can let you feel…" he whispered in her ear, causing her to turn bright red

"We are going to be late.." Rory said trying to free herself from his grip.

"Are we now?" He looked at her, in a very not innocent way, deepening her scarlet till it almost hit wine red. He then smiled letting her go.

"Breath, Ace, I'm not going to have my way with you here… now…"

He put on his cashmere coat and took her hand leading her through the lobby to the awaiting limo.

Rory's white skin nearly turned blue, when it came into contact with the freezing February wind. She shivered when the driver shut the door.

"Could you turn up the heat, please?" Logan asked the driver, noticing that Rory shivered. "Thank you."

Rory looked at him, trying to read what he felt. This charity had to have some affect on him. Sadness, joy. His face was completely blank though.

He smiled at her. "So… not that you need it, but it's custom to have some frosting on these kind of events."

"Frosting?" she asked confused.

He nodded pulling out black velvet box from the inside pocket of his coat and handed it to her.

Rory opened it and shut it immediately with a gasp.

"No!" she said handing it back to him.

"Ace, come on…"

"Tell me this is a loan."

"It is a loan." He said with a sigh.

"Like you mean it!"

"Rory…"

"No! This, dress, these shoes… I mean it all costs a fortune! You are not going to give me a necklace and earrings. Do you hear me?"

"Ace, you do not have to worry about me going bankrupt any time soon. I bought it because I can. If I would live in a cardboard box under a bridge, I would make you a necklace out of pebbles and a rope. Since that is not the case, we are going to do this all over again. And when I show it to you I want to hear a why is it not pink instead of a

No." he smirked. "Ready?"

He opened the box and pulled out a briolette Y-necklace out of white gold and aquamarine beads, ending in a single drop.

"It's beautiful…" Rory said barely above a whisper.

"That'll do it too." He smiled fastening it around her neck. "It does you justice."

He watched as she put in the hanging earrings.

"I'm afraid to move wearing all that money."

"Rory, YOU are priceless running around naked. You wear this stuff. It doesn't wear you."

She smiled at him.

"Thank you."

It was an event like Rory had never seen before. Located in the Four Seasons it held the crème de la crème of high society, celebrities, politicians. Served was the best champagne, food that looked to pretty to eat.

"Logan…" a woman addressed them.

They turned around and saw a blond woman standing in front of them.

"Shira…" Logan's voice sounded poisonous.

"Your father asks to talk to you." She said, taking in Rory with a cocky raised eyebrow.

"Then he come and find me." Was Logan's answer.

Shira scoffed, turned on her heel and took of.

As soon as Shira was out of sight Logan's demeanor changed to his charming old self again.

"Are you ok?" she asked, lightly touching his arm.

"Of course I'm ok, why wouldn't I be ok?" he laughed. "Come on, lets not let the music go to waist."

He pulled her on to the dance floor capturing her into an embrace.

"So you and Shira…"

"Everything is fine, Ace." He answered as they swayed on the soft music. "Have I told you that you look beautiful already?"

Rory sighed. She was becoming tired of his games.

After two songs a tall man made his way to the two of them.

"Logan." He said. "Why do you have to be so difficult?"

Logan sighed.

"I don't know, dad. Why do you?"

Rory looked from one man to the other. Here she was standing in front of the great Michum Huntzberger and all she could think of was to kick him for abandoning his son when he needed him the most.

"Did you do rounds?"

"No dad, I didn't."

"Then go. There are lots of people here tonight, that want to talk to you."

"I'm kind of busy." He looked at Rory.

Mitchum's eyes, that also were Logan's looked at her too.

"I'm sure your …. date can entertain herself." He said.

"Careful now…" was Logan's answer.

"Grow up, Logan. Stop fucking around, stop embarrassing me." Michum hissed. " Bringing some cheap…"

"You finish that sentence and I'll show you embarrassing." Logan's jaw was clenched.

Rory was shocked, that this was a conversation between father and son.

Mitchum didn't finish his sentence, though Rory could see how much effort it took him to not set his son 'straight'.

"Do your rounds," he said in an icy voice before walking away.

"Logan..?"

"It's ok, Ace. Just ignore him."

"I can't." She answered.

"I know he's a jerk… Just don't think about him." Logan smiled.

"Don't do that." She said quietly.

"What?"

"Pretend that it is fine."

"It is…"

"No Logan it isn't!"

He could see the hurt in her eyes and was confused for a moment.

"If it is about what Mitchum said… The man is a bastard. Don't take it personally."

"It's not about what Mitchun said! It's about you pretending that it's raining roses! How can I not take it personally, Logan? How can I not take YOU personally!" When he didn't answer she scoffed.

"Fine I'm glad you are happy." She said turning around. "Have a nice evening!"

With that she ran out. The blue fabric tangling with her legs. She didn't bother to get her shawl and went straight for the big golden doors. She gasped when the cold wind hit her skin, but didn't care. Swiftly crossing the street she disappeared into snow-clad Central Park.