Disclaimer: Do not own Gilmore Girls.. makes me sad.

AN: Sorry, that I took so long to update this, but I was pretty busy with school these past few weeks :) Chappie 10 is already thought out, just have to type it out, but first things first. I hope you like it. :) And thank you for all the wonderful, amazing, great, magnificent reviews. (does my point come across? Hehe) You really motivate me. Without further due… tudududu chapter 9! Read and review :)

Chapter 9 Two steps back

"Just like a 4! Down- right- down…" Logan laughed.

"It's not working!!" Rory was frantically trying to get the car in it's 4th gear.

"Down…" Logan's hand was resting on top of hers, "right… and down again…" Rory sighed and pouted.

"This is stupid."

"I'm going to teach you how to drive stick shift if it is the last thing that I do."

"Why would one want to drive stick shift when you can drive automatic… well automatically…"

"I could go on and on…" She stuck her tongue out at him.

"You just like torturing me!"

"Hey I put on skates for you… humiliating as that was I did… now stop pouting missy, you are on a highway and you are shifting the damn car in it's 4!"

Just then someone knocked on the window. Logan opened it.

"What are you people doing?"

"I'm teaching Ace how to drive stick shift."

"Yes, Finn, I'm on a highway now."

"You are standing in the parking lot, love. " He deadpanned.

"Oh, where is your imagination, Finn!"

"Sorry, it's just bloody early…"

"It's 4 pm."

"Exactly. So…can I get a ride?" He got in the back of the car and buckled up.

"Whereto, Finnegan?" Rory asked, looking at the Australian through the rearview mirror.

"To New York!!!"

"New York it is…"

A week had passed since their trip to New York. Things had calmed down a little. The drama subsided. The initial shock of the fact that Logan Huntzberger had a monogamous relationship had washed away and now they could quietly explore their new found ' agreement' and most of all each other. They talked. For the first time in their relationship they really talked. Hours filled with conversation. He told her what she wanted to know. She was like a sponge, sucking up every detail that left his mouth. In a way she had some catching up to do. Yet he still found it hard to tell her things out of the blue, without her asking or guiding their conversation. She didn't push him, hoping that he would ease into it as time went by.

"This is boring…" Finn whined. "Can't we reenact some horrible car crash or something?"

"Finn, this is a teaching session!" Logan groaned.

"But we are not driving!"

"Finn! So you are on a highway and you are going from 40 to 60 mph… you put him in its 4 and then ease over in to … "

"Vroomvroomvroomvrooooom EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEW -ah -eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeew AAAAAAAAAAH IIIIIIIIIH BOINK!!!! I think we killed that koala! Step on it, sister! We have to get out of here!" Finn went wild on the back seat.

Rory started laughing uncontrollably, doubling over the wheel.

Finn was still screaming hysterically, bouncing in his seat. The car gently rocked on his wheels.

"There are no koala's in Connecticut, Finn… after 8 years… would you adjust already? It's getting old you screaming that there is a black widow in your shoe or that there is a wombat hiding in your closet. Just learn the flora and fauna of the state, mate. " Logan laughed.

"Well this was a koala… or a very ugly dog. And do not diss the wombat, mate. It really was there!" Finn explained.

"I'm sad... I just killed a koala…now I never want to drive stick shift again!" Rory pouted.

"Cute, Ace. Put me out of my misery will ya? Just shift that stick!"

"Fine... down… right…" Just then the three of them let out a scream as Colin jumped on the hood out of nowhere, yelling like a maniac and plastering his face against the front window. In a sheer panic reflex Rory turned on the windshield wipers and Colin got a few decent hits on his nose before he could make his escape.

Finn and her boyfriend seemed to have the time of their lives as tears were streaming down their cheeks.

"NOT FUNNY!" Rory yelled, her heart still racing. Angry she got out of the car and slammed the door shut. Colin seemingly in pain, clutched his nose. She gave him a deadly glare.

"Idiot!" she exclaimed stomping her foot to emphasize her irritation. "You nearly gave me a heart attack!!"

"Logan?!" Colin yelled, "I'm starting to find your girlfriend scary!"

"Hey, you still awake?" Logan asked.

They were sitting at their usual table at the pub and Rory's head was resting on his shoulder. She hadn't said a word in 15 minutes. He brushed a strand of hair out of her face and noticed that her eyes were closed.

"Huh… no. I'm awake." She opened one eye.

"Sure you are." Logan chuckled. "Come on I'll take you home."

"No really. I'm not tired…" she said stiffening a yawn.

"I can practically see what you had for dinner yesterday." He joked pulling her up. "Lads, I have to put this baby in bed."

Rory pouted, but didn't protest as Logan helped her put on her coat. They said goodbye to Colin and Seth. Finn was not in sight.

"You want me to call a cab?" Logan asked once outside.

Rory shook no finding his hand and entwining her fingers with his.

"I want to walk." She said looking up to him. "I don't want to say bye to you yet."

Logan chuckled.

"And why do you have to say bye to me?"

"My mom and I are having lunch tomorrow… And I have to help grandma before that. Soooo… no boyfriend tomorrow… and you leave for Chicago the day after that and I wont see you for whole 4 days!"

"Aw… You pore thing."

"Valentines day is next week…" Rory sighed, while they turned the corner. Her heels echoing into the frosty night.

"It is. Another stupid Hallmark holiday. Waist of time… waist of money… waist of pink." Logan sighed as air escaped in little clouds out of his mouth.

Rory looked at him biting her lip.

"What you don't agree?"

Rory shrugged.

"I think it's nice."

"It's stupid. Why do people need a day to express their feelings towards each other… it's in contradiction to the fact that you have to love everyday in life." He kissed her cheek.

"We are here."

She spun around kissing him lightly on the lips with a sigh.

"Can't you… oh well I don't know… reschedule your grandma? I kind of want to see you…" he smiled.

Rory groaned.

"I could come down with the flu…"

"Yes… I heard that was going around and…" he kissed her forehead, "You do feel warm."

She giggled.

"You are corrupting me, Huntzberger."

He laughed pulling her in his embrace.

"Well… I don't think anyone can make you do anything you don't want, so Gilmore… you so do want to be corrupted…"

Her arms slid in his coat and around his waist.

"Stay here tonight?" she asked in a whisper in his ear.

"Hmmm… depends." He smirked.

"Depends on what?"

"Well… on what you are serving for breakfast."

"Coffee," she kissed the spot behind his ear.

"Colin can make great coffee too."

"Bagels," her lips traveled down his jaw.

"Hmm..the bakery across the street from my place has the best bagels in town."

"My company…" she found his smiling lips.

"Now I can't say no to that."

With a smile Rory fished the key out of her bag and stuck it in the lock, all the while Logan traced kisses down her neck.

"Grandma? It's Rory." Rory said in a soft voice, trying to feign a bad cold. Logan didn't make it easier, kissing her neck and her back and whispering things in her ear that certainly wouldn't get a PG sticker.

"Rory, you sound funny," Emily Gilmore remarked.

"STOP IT!" she mouthed to Logan giving him a shove.

"I don't feel that well. Ehm… is it very bad if I miss the meeting today? I'd still send you the seating plans and would handle the music."

"Well it's an important meeting, Rory. But if you are sick you are sick. We wouldn't want you to get the other DAR ladies sick, would we now."

Rory nearly shouted out loud as Logan poked her side and hit him jumping out of bed and running to the bathroom, locking the door.

"I understand, grandma, and I'm sorry." She said sitting down on the toilet.

"You are out of breath why are you out of breath and why is the sound of your voice suddenly different?"

Frantically she tried to think of an excuse, then rolled her eyes and started coughing.

"Oh, dear, that doesn't sound good. You stay in bed."

"I will, grandma, tell the DAR ladies I am sorry."

"I will, dear, get well soon."

"Thanks, grandma, bye." She hung up and smirked opening the door, letting out a shriek as Logan grabbed her out of nowhere.

"YOU!YOU!YOU…!" she yelled as he tossed her on her bed.

"Me, me, me what?" he asked hovering above her.

"Are impossible." She finished losing herself in his eyes.

"Isn't that why you love me?" he smirked.

"Partly…" she grinned pulling him down in a kiss.

A knock on the door woke her. She must have dozed off. With a glance at the clock she got out of the otherwise empty bed. 11 am. Grabbing her bathrobe from the floor she padded to the common room looking around for Logan and opened the door.

"Fruit of my loins!"

Her heart stopped.

"Mom….hey, you're early."

"Yeah… Emily called, said you were sick so here I am to practice my motherly duties."

"Ehm… you didn't have to do that." Rory said her heart racing a mile a minute.

Lorelai entered the room looking around.

"Were you about to take a shower?" she asked.

"Huh? What no…"

"Then is there someone else here? Or do you like the melodic sound of the running water." Lorelai joked.

Rory paled. Oh-My- God, she thought. Logan.

"Uhm someone here? No one here." She said way too quickly, praying that Logan wouldn't come out. Then suddenly the water stopped.

"Magical shower…" Lorelai said, "it has a life of it's own. If I wouldn't know you better I would think you were hiding someone…" She raised her eyebrows… picking up Logan's jacket, that was casually slung back over a chair.

"A guy?"

"That oh, that's Marty's. He left it the other day," she said looking to the ground.

"Marty?" Lorelai asked with raised eyebrows, "Did Marty win the lottery? Rory, who are you hiding."

"What?! It's Marty's."

"Rory, this is a fur-lined leather jacket. Marty can't afford a jacket like that. Stop lying to me. Why are you lying to me? To your grandmother?"

"I'm not laying to you!"

"Ace… did you by any chance see my shirt?" a muffled voice returned from the bathroom.

Lorelai's face clouded as she looked at her daughter.

"Marty huh…" she asked, her voice cold.

"Ace? Where did you go? Isn't your mom com…" He stopped, tightening his grip on the towel around his waist.

"Hi." Lorelai said. "So how long have you been sleeping with my daughter?"

"Eh…" Logan tried to find the right words, looking at Rory for help.

"Don't answer that." She said.

"No, do answer that. I'm Rory's mother by the way."

"Nice to meet you?" he uttered puzzled.

"Forgive me if I don't concur." She stated bitterly.

"You can better go." Rory said quietly.

He tried to find her eyes, yet she evaded his gaze. With a sigh he nodded and disappeared in her bedroom to get dressed. In silence he took his jacket from the chair, never leaving Lorelai out of sight as if she could attack him every second. He contemplated whether to say something or keep to quiet.

"Call me?" he asked in conclusion of his thought.

She nodded with a sad smile, before he closed the door behind him, hoping she would be ok.

"So do you want to tell me how long this has been going on, miss I'm so sick I can't get out of bed?" Lorelai asked, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"Almost 6 months." She answered barely audible.

"6 months! You have been lying to me for 6 months?!" Rory cringed. It was the pain in her mothers voice that stung her. "You have had a boyfriend for 6 months and you didn't bother to tell me?! Why?!"

"He wasn't my boyfriend."

"He is not your boyfriend?"

"He is… now." She answered sheepishly.

"But you have been sleeping with him for 6 months. Lord every time I got you out of Friday night dinner, every time you were 'sick' " she used air quotes. "You lied to me. I lied for you!"

"Not everytime."

"Last week New York."

Rory looked away.

"Today's flu attack, Thanksgiving! And then just sleeping with some random guy! This is NOT YOU!" she exclaimed.

"I'm not a child anymore, mom."

"No." Lorelai took her bag from the table. "I guess you're not."

With that as her last words she left, slamming the door behind her. Rory clasped her hand in front of her mouth stiffening a sob as tears spilled from her blue eyes.