Chapter 2. 'Deck the halls, a friendship grows.'

Walking out of her professor's office Rory sighed with relief; her final paper was handed in, now she could go home and breathe. The week had advanced in a rapid pace that she had barely been able to keep up with, extra study sessions and grueling exams had kept her moving for days without a moment's rest.

"Hello, Pet."

Rory smiled as she heard the accented voice. Finn seemed to have become a fixture in her life over the last few days, always with a smile and coffee, lighting up her mood and stress so much so that she didn't even mind all the nicknames he used. Somehow, the oddball boy with a love for beer and redheads was becoming very important in her life.

"Hello, Finn, what havoc have you created today?" Rory quipped, already taking the coffee he was offering. For days now, Finn had been waiting for her in random places with coffee. Rory had stopped trying to figure out how he knew her schedule and just welcomed the idiosyncrasies that seemed to come with Finn and with his little cliché itself. Linking arms with the boy, she smiled up at him as he started in on another of his wild stories, this time involving the dean. "So. Dean Winston has a toupee?"

"Well, he did." Finn answered, a playful grin that never seemed far way with Finn came out in full force. "So are you finally finished?"

"God, yes!" Rory took a sip of her drink, sighing with relief as she placed her head on his shoulder, walking slowly through the halls. "I'm meeting my mom later to go shopping for dresses and then home sweet home."

"Dresses?"

"My grandparents are having their Christmas party; we must dress adequately or suffer through an Emily Gilmore rant."

"Sounds like fun." Finn answered dryly before smiling slyly, something that Rory missed. "You know the Huntzbergers go to that party."

"I know, Grandpa told me."

"Logan's going this year, he usually gets out of it but his father left a message on the machine. He's been summoned by the big man."

Rory laughed at the joking cringe Finn gave. "It's not a bad party, food, drinks, you know…."

"What?"

"Why don't you come?"

"Excuse me?" Finn questioned.

"Yeah, come and keep me company and Logan, too, since he's going to be there. You get to meet Lorelai."

"Ah Lorelai." Finn said dreamily and Rory rolled her eyes at the tone. Earlier in the week, Finn had been hanging out at her dorm preventing her from studying, whining every few seconds that he was bored. It seemed that the gods had taken pity on him and herself because moments later, Lorelai had called. Making himself at home, Finn had answered her phone and had proceeded to talk to her mother for the better part of an hour before passing her the phone. "I'm in, shall I dress as Santa?"

"No."

"Why?" Finn pouted.

Rory looked at him, confused. "Why would you want to?"

"I look good in red." Finn stated honestly while opening the door to the dorm. "Don't I?"

Rory walked into the dorm suite he shared with Colin and Logan, making her way to the couch, smiling at his puppy-dog look he gave her, Rory started to take off her boots. "You look good in anything."

Finn's eyes lit up and Rory laughed at the expression, shaking her head when he offered her a drink, she threw her head back on the couch, closing her eyes and letting out a breath.

"I'll be right back." Finn said, walking to his bedroom. "I have something to show you."

Rory didn't bother to answer and just got comfortable on the couch. She was just reaching a relaxed state when the door opened to loud laughter, as Colin, Logan and another two other guys Rory vaguely remembered from the Life and Death gathering. She looked at them with an amused smile as they came to a stop, all watching her like she was something strange they had never seen before. "Boys."

Colin was the first to split from the group. "What brings you by, Gilmore? Came to see me?"

Rory laughed at the question before she could stop herself. "You wish."

"Sometimes." Colin answered, smirking at her, not bother by her mirth.

"I never had a doubt." Rory shot back, enjoying the banter.

"Have you met Seth and Robert?" Colin asked, pointing at each guy.

Rory nod in response. "I have. I just didn't remember their names, hello."

"So, Ace, what are you doing here?" Logan questioned after watching each of his friend greet Rory with friendly smiles while she continued to sit on his couch like she belong in their dorm. And the fact was, she looked good and comfy in his space, her shoes on the floor, her feet up while she smiled at Seth and Robert and teased with Colin. Rory opened her mouth to answer him when Finn walked out waving a DVD.

"Ta-da, Willy Wonka special edition. Finally, I will see what's so bloody great about this movie…" Finn looked up from the case, smiling at Rory once he saw the new arrivals. "You didn't say we had company, Luv."

"They're not company if two of them live here, Finnegan." Rory responded, taking the DVD from his hand as he sat down.

Finn cringed at the name. "You promised, you wouldn't call me that if I told you what Finn was short for."

"I lied." Rory answered, looking at the other guys as she smiled. "Who wants to see Willy Wonka?"

"Me, I love that movie." Seth answered and also sat down.

"Good man, boys?"

"What's it about?" Robert asked, making himself comfortable.

"Another one?" Rory looked at him, her eyes wide. "How can you and Finn not have seen this movie?"

"I haven't either."

Rory shook her head at Colin and then looked at Logan. "Huntzberger?"

"Sorry, Ace." Logan said smirking at the over-dramatic look she gave them all, her eyes full of pity.

"And you say I'm sheltered, you four have sad lives." Rory commented, turning to Seth. "Obviously, Logan was right; you are the genius of the group."

"I was right?" Logan asked, smirking.

"It had to happen sometime this lifetime." Rory said seriously. "So, movie?"

"Movie!" Finn got up and put the movie in the DVD player.

"What the hell," Logan said, making his way to the couch. "Wanna give me some space, Ace?"

Rory chuckled, moving enough for Logan to sit and still leave room for Finn on her other side. "You rhyme."

"No talking." Finn said, sitting back down, this time taking Rory's legs and draping them over his, an act that seemed unconscious to all but Colin who gave Finn a look. Finn flashed a smile at his friend motioning slightly with his head at Logan who was frowning.

The six of them sat quietly watching the movie, Seth and Rory's eyes firmly planted on the TV, the other four while enjoying the movie weren't quite able to see what had the other two enchanted enough to quote parts of the movie.

Logan sat silently staring at the girl next to him, he had given up on the movie, finding Rory's reaction to it much more entertaining. He couldn't help but smile softly at her and her excitement when the Oompa Loompas came out. The smile left his face as he watched her lean into Finn. When had this happened, he wondered? When had Rory gone from being his acquaintance slash sparring partner to Finn's friend? He didn't know when it happened. He just knew he didn't like the fact that Rory was much more at ease and friendly with one of his friends and not him.

Colin faced the TV feeling a headache coming on while studying the three parties—a stubborn Logan, a clueless Rory and a scheming Finn plotting against them could only spell trouble. Colin silently asked himself why he always had to be the keeper of the group, always witnessing the happenings. Once again, Colin realized that ignorance would truly be bliss. His musings where broken by the ring of a cell phone.

"Mine." Rory addressed the group, knowing that each guy was already reaching for their cell phone. Not bothering with a greeting, she started talking to the person on the other line. "You can't flake out on buying dresses and you can't flake out of the party. Deal with it."

"Rory." Her mother whined through the line.

"Lorelai." She answered back, her tone dripping of mockery. She held up her hand to Finn who started bouncing in his seat as he realized who was on the line.

"Let me talk to her, please, please, please."

Rory rolled her eyes at Finn who was already pouting. "Stop, I can't deal with my mother and you at the same time."

Finn whined and made a sound like a puppy while rubbing his forehead on Rory's shoulder.

"You should be an actor." Rory said dryly while a small smile graced her face. "No, not you, Mom, well maybe you, too, it's Finn… he's wants to talk to you…fine."

Rory handed over her phone, her smile widening as Finn excitedly took the phone and greeted her mother warmly.

"Finn knows your mom?" Colin questioned while the others looked on and the movie put on hold.

"Not personally. The other day Finn was hanging out at my dorm, my mom called, he started talking to her and they hit it off." Rory explained, smiling as she watched Finn walk back and forth laughing on the phone. "Not surprising, they're both insane so their personalities blend."

"I wasn't aware you and Finn were hanging out so much."

She shot Logan a confused look while his words were nothing out of the ordinary his voice held something that caught her attention. She watched the other guys smiling in Logan's direction when she caught the quick scowl he sent their way as she answered cautiously. "Finn's cool, he told me you're going to my grandparents' Christmas party. Sorry you couldn't get out of it."

"It's okay, open bar, good food. It won't be so bad, Ace, you'll be there to keep me company, right?" Logan asked, smiling.

Rory rolled her eyes. "Finn will be there, too, you'll have to help keep him on a tight leash."

Colin questioned. "Finn was invited, I wasn't? Gilmore, I'm hurt."

Rory laughed at the look Colin gave her. "You really want to spend your night making polite small talk, huh? Colin, you wild man."

"When you put it that way, no, but how is Finn going… Huntzberger here is being forced by Huntzberger senior."

Rory shrugged, reaching for her boots. "I asked him to keep me company; I promised him an introduction with Lorelai, I think he's smitten with my mom."

"So, you invited him?"

"Who invited who?" Finn asked, closing the cell phone and handing it over to Rory as he sat down.

"You know I was talking to her, right?"

"She said she'll meet you on State Street in thirty minutes."

"I better go then. I have to stop by my dorm and get my stuff." Rory said, getting up. "It's been fun, boys, thanks, and if you guys want to be bored to death tomorrow, Finn or Logan can give you details of the Gilmores' bash."

She grabbed her coat, heading for the door with Finn in tow. "Later, Finny."

"Bye, Luv, see you tomorrow," Finn leaned down and gave her a hug.

"No red suits, promise."

Finn held up two fingers. "No red suits, scout's honor."

Rory laughed and went on her tip-toe to give him a kiss on the cheek. "Like you were ever a scout, later, boys."

Finn closed the door behind her and turned to his friends who were all staring at him. "So...movie?"

Everyone remained quiet until Logan who had been frowning during the whole exchange spoke up. "I have one question, Finn."

"Yes, mate?"

"When did you start dating Rory?"

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