Thank Tess (who, apparently, would die without this update) for pushing me to edit this one faster and thus, put it up sooner than I'd anticipated. Thanks Tess!

Rory couldn't stop the grin that blossomed over her face as she pulled into the driveway of her childhood home the night of the Huntzberger business party. A sense of nostalgia wafted over her as she remembered all of the good and admittedly bad times that had occurred throughout her life in that house. Sophie was already half way up the walk when Rory finally pulled herself from the car, Honour not far behind.

"Lorelai!" Sophie exclaimed, throwing herself into the woman's arms. Rory smiled. Sophie had been down and dreary for the past week. Rory was glad to see the girl happy again. Immediately, Lorelai started tickling her mercilessly and Sophie's happy laughter rang out through the quiet streets.

Rory shook her head and waved to Babette next door. "Hey Babette."

"Hey there, Doll. What are you doing here?"

"Dropping off Sophie. Honour and I are going away for the weekend and Mom promised to watch her," Rory answered, watching with a smile as Lorelai pulled Honour into a hug too.

Much to Rory's surprise, Honour had been easily accepted into the Gilmore-Hayden household, regardless of her name and money. Rory was pretty sure it had everything to do with Honour's choice to start a charity and support terminally ill children. It really didn't matter how she was accepted, just that she was. Honour hadn't hidden her lack of affection for her own family and Rory was glad she had the chance to experience some sort of familial love, even if it wasn't from her own biological parents.

"You need to visit more often," Babette ordered. "This place ain't the same without you and your mom in Luke's every morning."

Rory laughed. "I'll try and make more of a habit to be down here," she promised. "I'll see you later."

Rory smiled at her dad who was waiting for her at the door. Over the years, Rory and Christopher had developed a very affectionate relationship and while Lorelai and Rory were best friends – and nothing would ever change that – Rory had turned into quite the Daddy's Girl. "Hey, Dad."

"Hey sweetheart. How are you?"

"Tired and definitely not mentally prepared for a society function."

Christopher chuckled. "I'm sure you'll be fine."

"Thanks for looking after Soph this weekend," Rory said, changing the topic completely. "Now, she's been coming down with a bit of a cold recently, but she's said she's okay to go to school so I'm not that worried. Just keep an eye on her, okay? She's been looking a little paler than usual and that's scaring me a bit."

"We'll watch her and it was the least we could do. Your mother and I have been worried about all of the work you've been doing lately," Christopher admitted. "Getting a weekend away will be nice for both you and Honour."

Rory nodded in agreement. "I don't know why we've been so busy. I guess we just got this huge influx of applicants and we have to go over each and every one of them with the board of directors…"

"Ah, the world of business," Christopher lamented. "Your mother's been fending off huge companies with a stick. Apparently everyone wants to buy her inn."

Rory grinned. "We knew The Dragonfly would be a hit," she reminded him. "I'm so proud of her."

"So am I, Ror."

Rory sighed as she watched Honour and her mother goof around with the two little girls in the living room. Kitty hadn't even seen her, but Rory didn't mind too much. "Honour and I figured we could change here," Rory finally said, motioning to her ensemble of jeans and a turtleneck. "That way we could make the really long drive then the shorter one."

Christopher nodded. "Logical. You guys had better get going then."

Rory sighed again. She really wasn't looking forward to this party at all. "Honour," she called. "I'm going to run out to the car and get our stuff, okay?"

Honour waved a hand in acknowledgement before turning back to Kitty's tea party.

"If you need a saviour, call us," Christopher offered. "We can make up something dire that you need to leave for."

Rory grinned. "Thanks, Dad." She hugged him close. "Okay, gotta get ready."

Honour and Rory sat in Rory's car for a few minutes after Rory had killed the engine. "I don't want to go in there," Rory admitted.

"Neither do I," Honour replied.

"Remind me why we're here again?"

"Donations, Rory, donations."

Rory nodded. "Right. I still hate these things."

"I don't like them any more than you do." Then Honour sighed. "Come on. The faster we get in there, the faster we get out and get to Martha's."

Rory allowed a relaxed smile to flit over her face. "Martha's," she said in a dreamy voice.

Honour giggled and opened her door. A few seconds later, she was prepared to ring the bell. "Okay, best society behaviour, and that includes society smiles," Honour coached.

Rory chuckled. "I know how these things work Honour. Let's just get this over with."

With that, Honour rung the bell. A maid answered and greeted them, taking their coats. Rory and Honour glanced at each other then the crowd of Mitchum Huntzberger's business men. Honour snagged two champagne flutes from a passing waiter and held one out to her. "We're going to need this."

Rory laughed as she clinked her glass with Honour's and took a sip.

"Okay," Honour decided after gulping down half the glass. "I'm going to find my parents. Don't get lost, attacked, molested, mauled…"

"I get it Honour," Rory said with a laugh. "This isn't my first business party. Go play nice with your parents, then come find me, okay?"

"Have I ever told you how much I love you for being so supportive?" Honour asked, her grin infectious.

"It comes with the title of 'partner'," Rory assured her. "Now go." Once Honour had turned and gone, Rory allowed herself to observe the people around the room. She couldn't stop the smile from spreading over her face when she caught sight of Logan looking extremely bored and had to refrain from laughing when a woman approached – his mother, she assumed – dragging with her two young women and their families.

This isn't a business party, Rory thought to herself, remembering the male-Yale party her grandparents had planned for her during her second year. It's a meat market to find a mate for Logan. Shaking her head she watched him for a few more seconds, watching his mother depart and leaving him with the women and their families. He look so incredibly uncomfortable that Rory had to stop herself laughing at his 'pain'. After watching them for a few more seconds, she took pity on him and made her way over.

"Logan, sweetheart, sorry I'm so late."

Logan hated stuffy dinner parties. However, he hated meat markets even more and from the distinct over-abundance of ditzy, trophy wife women in the room, he figured this was it. He let out a heavy breath and took another sip of his scotch. Already it seemed like the night was dragging on and he'd only been in the room for twenty minutes.

"Huntz, there you are. Find your wife yet?" Colin asked, weaving through the crowd to his side.

"Not so loud, Colin, I don't need mommy and daddy dearest hearing you and hunting me down to introduce me to another 'lovely young lady'," Logan replied. "Is there anyone interesting here tonight?"

Colin chuckled. "Finn's around somewhere, most likely drunk, but it looks like a typical society party to me."

Logan shook his head. "Damn. When will my parents get through their heads that I won't be marrying anyone in this room? I'm pretty sure I've slept with the majority of them anyway. Have you seen Honour?"

"Not yet," Colin replied. "Does this sudden need to find your sister have anything to do with the rumour that her moral support tonight comes in the form of a gorgeous and witty brunette?"

Logan groaned. "Come off it, Colin. If she does come that make it at least one interesting person with a brain.

Colin chuckled, then looked a little terrified. "Woah, I need to go… powder my nose. You're on your own."

Logan glanced to his left and groaned quietly as his mother approached, two women and their families in tow. "Logan! I'd like you to meet Viviane Gardner and Melissa Fallon. Ladies, this is my son, Logan."

Logan smiled politely. "Hello."

Both girls smiled and batted their eyelashes, but it was one's father, Mr Fallon Logan assumed, who stepped forward. "Fantastic to meet you, my boy! How's business?"

Logan resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He hated talking business. "Alive and kicking. We're looking at acquiring a new paper out of Nebraska."

"Mitchum mentioned that," one of the young women, Melissa his mind supplied, spoke up. "And then he said something about kicking and screaming…"

Yeah, that's what I'm doing right now, Logan thought to himself though he pasted on a smile. "They're not being very cooperative."

"Logan, sweetheart, sorry I'm so late."

Logan felt the thrill of heat as her scent wafted into his nose and knew immediately who's hand flattened against the bottom of his spine. He resisted the urge to shiver when her delicate touch trailed to his hip as she stepped around to face him. When she briefly touched her lips to his he almost jumped at the spark.

"You know how this charity thing goes, Honour had a little bit of a crisis, but it's all over now." Then she turned to the people behind her. "Oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't see you. Lorelai Hayden."

Logan resisted the urge to smirk. She'd pulled out the big guns for this particular display. Hayden was a bigger name than Gilmore and apparently his Ace could play the game with the best of 'em. He watched the shock turn to envy as Rory graced them with her patented society smile. He made the introductions quickly before excusing them both and heading off to find his sister. "I owe you one, Ace," he said into her ear, his hand resting on the small of her back.

"Don't mention it. You looked a little cornered."

"That I was. Thank you for saving me."

"Oh, don't thank me. I'm no white knight, princess."

Logan chuckled. "Could've fooled me. Where did Honour head off to?"

"To find your parents, I believe," Rory replied, surprised when he held her hips to guide her through a particularly thin gap between people. She could still feel his hands on her skin through the dress when he returned the contact to her back.

"Willingly? Girl's got guts, I give her that."

"They're your parents, Logan, they can't be that bad."

"Have you looked around this room, Ace? I have Colin – Finn's debatable – but other than that, the number of males in this party is extremely lacking."

"I see plenty of men, Logan. True, they are definitely outnumbered by women but that doesn't mean they aren't around."

She was teasing him and he knew it. Still, he found it endlessly entertaining to play along with her and see where she would take it or if he could turn it around on her. "If I had known you had a taste for older men I would have introduced you to my father ages ago."

"Oh, that's classy Mac. Accuse your savour of shacking up with your father. See if I ever come to your rescue again."

"Okay, okay, I apologize. I need your help to keep the potentially long line of girls away from me for just one night of interesting conversation in a pitch that isn't grating on my nerves."

Rory glanced at him from over her shoulder. "Is that a compliment?"

"In a backwards way, yes," he admitted. "Now, say thank you and prepare to meet the devil himself. Dad!"

"Logan, son, I was wondering if I'd find you around."

"Well here I am and here I'm going. Have you seen Honour?"

"She went off with your mother, I believe. I think they're planning another benefit for the Foundation. You know how much Honour loves that place."

"With good reason," Logan agreed. "Dad, have you met Lorelai Hayden before? I know she's Honour's business partner, but I wasn't sure if the two of you had crossed paths anywhere."

Rory and Mitchum politely shook hands. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr Huntzberger."

"Likewise, I'm sure," Mitchum responded quickly and Logan found himself subconsciously tugging her closer to his body as his father advanced. "How are your grandparents?"

"All four of them are doing well, sir," Rory responded politely.

"That is excellent to hear. Excuse me."

Rory let out a breath of relief she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "I'd forgotten how incredibly dull these parties are. I need my mom."

"Your mom?"

Rory looked up at him briefly before returning her eyes to the room. "How much do you know about my family?" Honestly, she had no clue why she would be telling him this. Never in a million years would she ever believe she would be talking to Logan Huntzberger about her mother, the scandal.

"You know who my parents are by name; do you know them by reputation?"

"If you're asking if I know about the scandal your mother created then the answer is yes. I always admired her for doing what she did."

Rory faced him head on, surprised by this revelation. "Are you serious?"

"As a heart attack. It takes guts to completely cut yourself off from high society like that."

Rory shrugged. "My mom worked for everything in her life. Mom left this world behind and raised me in a little town outside of Hartford. I didn't know anything about this society until my mother made contact with my maternal grandparents again."

"But your father stayed connected, right?"

Rory nodded. "And kept in contact with my mom. They still dated after I was born, but Mom refused to get married until she was good and ready."

"What about Straub and Francine?" His questions weren't meant to be probing, but he'd been yearning to understand how this woman worked. Background on her parents from her point of view was integral in that understanding.

"They weren't deliberately cold like the Gilmore's, but they understood, in a really odd and twisted way, what my parents were doing. Once Dad proposed it didn't really matter anymore anyway. But the point of the story isn't the craziness it took to get my parents married and me involved in the fringes of society."

"This is true," Logan agreed. "Why do you need your mother?"

"Comic relief. Mom hates society functions almost as much, probably even more so, than I do. She always finds some way to make a scene and she tends to know all of the great escape routes out of every Hartford home."

Logan chuckled. "Well, seeing as this is the Huntzberger estate, I'm pretty sure I know all forty three ways out of this mausoleum that my parents don't know about," he offered.

Rory laughed. "While this may be true, I'm here as Honour's moral support. I think she's planning on charming the place to get donations, but with Honour, you never can tell."

"What I can tell you is that she won't be finding herself any sort of husband tonight," Logan said darkly. "I told my mother I wasn't going to play this game."

Rory chuckled. "Which high society slut have I not banged?"

Logan choked on his scotch. "What did you just say?"

Rory looked up at him, her blue eyes full of innocence. "Are you telling me it's not true?"

"Neither confirming or denying, I just never thought I'd here words like that out of your mouth, Miss Hayden," Logan teased.

Rory grinned secretly. "I'm full of surprises, Huntzberger. Just you wait."

"With baited breath, I assure you." He couldn't help grinning. Flirting with Rory like this came easy and he was very much aware it wasn't as blatant as he had been in the past. He looked her over his face shifting into a stoic society mask, his eyes gleaming. "Have I told you that you look absolutely stunning tonight?" he asked with an air of complete formality.

It took Rory a moment to school her features into the same formal society mask as she played along. "No, I don't believe you have, and it is very, very rude of you. Where are your manners?" she responded, eyes twinkling with mirth. Formality hadn't been a part of their friendship since the benefit where they'd met.

He felt the corner of his lips twitch in amusement but managed to keep a straight face, morphing it into an apologetic mask. "I sincerely apologize for my oversight. Words cannot describe your beauty. The stars and the moon worship at your feet."

Rory couldn't hold her laughter in any more and she bent double, feeling the tears creep out of the corner of her eyes and using Logan's shoulder for support. For his part, Logan started laughing along with her, though he managed to keep himself upright. Nevertheless, he wrapped his arms around her waist to steady her against his body. She rested her head on his shoulder when she calmed down, but only long enough to catch her breath.

Logan looked down at her. "In all seriousness, Ace, you look fantastic."

She blushed and grinned. "Thanks. You clean up nice yourself."

Silence blanketed them as they looked at each other. Logan was just leaning into kiss her when her phone rang from her purse. He took a small bit of satisfaction at the frustration on her face as she looked to find the offending device. He started to worry at the wide-eyed look as she recognized the number.

"Mom?"

"Rory! Thank God."

"Mom, what's wrong? What's going on?"

"I'm not sure. Once second she was fine and the next… we took her to the hospital, Hartford Memorial. At this time of night there wasn't any traffic…"

Rory stepped away from Logan, her body tense. "What the hell are you rambling about, Mom? What happened?" She could hear the phone switching hands.

"Rory, it's your dad. Sophie fainted tonight. She's at Hartford Memorial."

"What?" Rory exclaimed. "The hospital? What did you guys feed her?"

Logan put what he hoped was a comforting hand between her shoulder blades too focused on her reaction to realize how soft her bare skin was.

"It wasn't what we fed her, sweetheart," Christopher said, trying to calm his oldest child. "That cold is apparently a lot worse than we thought. When she collapsed she was absolutely burning up."

Rory groaned and felt tears well in the corners of her eyes. She should have known better, she shouldn't have sent Sophie to school that week, she should be there with her daughter right now. And as it was Rory was very much aware Sophie's immune system wasn't completely up to snuff. The doctors had said it was some sort of after effect of the cancer treatments she'd been through.

"We're already here at the hospital, honey. We haven't heard anything since we came in."

Rory took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heartbeat. "Okay, I'll meet you there. Call me if the doctors come out, okay?"

"Sure thing, sweetheart. Don't break any speed limits."

Rory sighed. "Right now, Dad, I just need to see Sophie." She hung up the phone and immediately started scanning the room for Honour.

"Ace?"

Rory had completely forgotten Logan was still standing beside her. "Logan! I have to go."

"To the hospital, I heard. Is everything okay?"

"Honour and I were going to head up to the Vineyard this weekend so my mom is watching Sophie who was coming down with a cold this week before I left her and apparently it's a lot worse than I thought it was because she collapsed and now she's at the hospital and I need to find Honour so I can tell her I need to go..." Logan was already tugging on her hand, weaving through the crowd towards the door. "Where are we going?"

"The hospital. You can call Honour on the way, you're in no condition to drive."

"Logan, no, that's okay—"

"You're too upset to drive, Ace. Call Honour on the way. We'll even take your car, just hand me the keys."

"Logan…"

"The keys, Rory."

It was the use of her given name that had her placing her keys in his outstretched palm.

"Good girl."

She frowned but followed him through the crowd.

"Logan! Leaving already?"

Logan closed his eyes as his mother approached. "I'm taking Rory to the hospital, Mother. I apologize."

"The hospital, what happened?"

"I'll call you, okay? We need to leave now. If you see Honour can you let her know?"

"Of course, dear, but…"

Logan pulled Rory out the door before his mother had a chance to say anything else. Logan opened Rory's car door for her, making sure she was securely in before closing it and jogging over to the driver's side. Rory was silent through most of the ride, wringing her hands in her lap until Logan reached out and took one, squeezing it reassuringly.

"Everything's going to be fine," he promised her.

"You can't promise something like that."

"I just did. They probably have her jacked up on all kinds of meds, she'll be ready to go home in a couple of hours."

Rory sighed. "I'm going to have to postpone my trip with Honour again. There's no way I'm leaving Sophie alone by herself."

"Wasn't she going to stay with your mom?"

Rory shook her head. "Sophie hates hospitals."

Logan had assumed Sophie was a pet of some sort and was surprised when she told him to go to Hartford Memorial. She bolted out of the car as soon as he parked and rushed as fast as her heels would let her into the emergency room. When Logan stepped in he noticed Rory with her arms around another dark-haired, blue-eyed woman. He walked over but stayed a step back.

"Excuse me?"

Logan looked down at the little girl tugging on his pants. "Hello." He was completely surprised when the girl held up her arms, the classic sign for 'pick me up please'. He did, perching her on his hip.

Her little arms wrapped automatically around his neck and she stared into his eyes. "Why do you keep looking at Rory like that?"

Logan was surprised, though it hit him that her baby blues were almost identical to his Ace's. "Like what?"

The little girl seemed to ponder that for a moment. "Like Daddy looks at Mommy. Who are you?"

It took him a minute to get his faculties back. "I'm Logan. I'm a friend of Rory's." His head was pondering something completely different. Did this kid just relate my relationship with Rory to that of her married parents?

"Katrina, Rory's sister."

"Kitty?"

Both Logan and Kitty looked up at the man who had spoken. "Who's your new friend?"

Kitty grinned. "This is Logan. He's Rory's friend."

By that time Rory and her twin had made their way over. Rory looked exhausted and drained and they'd only been there five minutes. "Logan, these are my parents Lorelai and Christopher. Mom, Dad, this is Logan Huntzberger."

"Honour's brother," Lorelai made the connection easily taking Kitty from Logan's grip. "Nice to meet you."

"You too," Logan replied politely, shaking Christopher's hand.

Rory sighed. "I'm going to go see if they can tell me anything," she said, glancing around at all the worried faces and landing on Logan's. "Can you call Honour? Let her know I'm here?"

Logan nodded and Rory mirrored the gesture, stepping through the circle of family to go to the desk. Without thinking, Logan caught her hand on the way by and squeezed. She rewarded him with a small smile before letting her hand slip from his. Logan sighed, excusing himself from the others and dialling Honour's cell number.

"Where the hell are you? Mother's throwing a fit about how you left so abruptly and rudely."

"Hartford Memorial," Logan answered with a sigh.

"Where?"

Logan smiled at the blatant shock in Honour's voice. "Hartford Memorial. Rory got a call from her mother saying Sophie was here."

"I'll be there in half an hour."

"Honour, no, it's okay. Her family's here, I think she's got more than enough support."

"And you're there."

"I was with her when she got the call. I brought her here, so yeah, I'm here."

"Mom's going insane."

"She'll take a drink or a pill and be just fine. Now, I need your help."

"Now?"

"Yes, now! What can you tell me about Sophie without Rory getting mad at you?"

"She's eight and Rory's favourite. She's registered with the charity and that's how Rory knows her. Her parents died in an accident and Rory applied to be her legal guardian and has been ever since."

Logan was speechless. "She took on a kid all by herself?"

"Her mother did the same thing, granted with help from her father, but basically Rory was raised by her mom."

"In Stars Hollow."

"Exactly. Remember all the holidays I said I was staying with friends for through Yale? Most of the time I was in Stars Hollow with Rory and her family."

"How does she balance Sophie with the charity?"

"A nanny. She hates doing that to Soph though so more often than not she takes work home with her. She has an entirely outfitted home office."

"Wow." He really didn't know what else to say.

"Yeah. Listen, can you let me know as soon as Rory finds something out about Sophie. I'm assuming our trip to the Vineyard is cancelled but tell her it's no problem and we'll just reschedule. She needs to be with Sophie right now."

Logan pulled the phone away from his ear and looked at it strangely. While Honour had never been completely selfish, there had been a sense of whine to her when things didn't go her way. To see her perfectly okay with cancelling a relaxing weekend threw Logan for a bit of a loop and only cemented his belief that Rory Hayden was a very special woman. "I'll do that, Honour."

She laughed. "Don't sound so surprised. Rory would do the same thing for me if I was in her situation. Now go, be comforting or whatever you feel you need to do, but Logan? No funny business, okay?"

Logan rolled his eyes. What was with everyone and accusing him of having alternative motives when it came to Rory? "She's my friend, Honour, that's all. We drove her car so it's not like I can come back home."

"Brilliant move by the way. It means you can't leave the hospital until Rory does." Then she paused for a minute. "Logan? I'm glad there's someone else there with her that won't leave her alone."

Logan was about to ask what she meant by that, but Honour had already hung up. With a sigh he headed back into the hospital, his eyes scanning for Rory. He found her curled up in a chair, staring off into space. "Ace?"

"They won't tell me anything," she revealed, sitting back in her seat.

Logan took the empty one beside her. "What do you mean they won't tell you anything?"

"I asked," Rory said, waving to the nurses' station. "And they said they weren't at liberty to discuss it. What if she's alone in a room, scared out of her wits because there's people around her she doesn't know? She doesn't like hospitals, Logan, regardless of the amount of time she's spent in them."

Logan didn't think twice about wrapping his arm around her shoulders and moving closer so she could use him as a human pillow. He almost breathed out a sigh of relief when she came willingly. "You want me to try?"

"How could you do any better?"

Logan looked over to the nurses' station she'd waved at earlier, taking in each of those manning the station as his fingers trailed over her shoulder and upper arm. "Besides the fact that Huntzberger's a pretty powerful name I figure if I play my cards right and find a pretty female nurse I could charm it out of her." He didn't realize he was looking to get a laugh out of her until it happened. "So?"

Rory pondered the idea for a moment. "Don't harass them too much, okay?"

The soft tone of her voice scared him almost as much as her complete silence did. Sophie meant a lot to her and he found himself inexplicably wishing he could mean that much to her some day. "Promise, Ace." He kissed her head and stood, aiming for the nurses station.