Gilmore Girls

Uncanny

A/N: Okay, Tristan didn't really fit in with this chapter but I SWEAR he comes into it more in the next chapter. Honest. Happy reading! Evie. x

Summary: The voice on the answering machine. The picture on the entertainment. Both are eerily, uncannily familiar. L/R/T in London.

Disclaimer: I do not own nor am I affiliated with Gilmore Girls in anyway.

Chapter Five

"Logan, do those back issues need to be on the desk?" Rory asked, blowing a stray piece of hair off her face.

"Hang on a minute, Ace," Logan said, briefly holding up a hand. Rory sighed and he continued typing furiously.

"This can't wait, Logan," she said, plunking down in her seat. "I need somewhere to spread this out and you are taking up all of my room."

"I said just a minute," he shot-back, continuing to type.

"You know what," Rory said, pursing her lips. "I think we need to get you your own office."

"Why?" he asked, glancing at her briefly. She gave him a withering look and he went back to his typing.

"I can't get any work done in here. This is just craziness. There are three spare offices. It's not like we have no space and it's not even like you'll be in a cubicle," she continued. "I can't work like this. I need my office back. I promise I'll get you the nicest one we have."

"But I like this one," Logan replied, not looking away from his computer screen. Rory re-arranged herself so her feet were on the desk and she was leaning back in her chair.

"Well, this is my office. It's the editor in-chiefs office and you are not editor in-chief," she pointed out.

"I know," Logan answered. He pushed his chair away from the desk and mirrored her. His leg pressed into hers but to her credit, she didn't pull away. "What's your point, Ace?"

"When you told me you were coming, you said you were taking over my job for three months so I just thought sharing an office would be easier," she said. "It's not and you haven't done a single editor in-chief thing."

"Is that what I said, huh?" Logan asked thoughtfully. "What I meant was I was taking over being in-charge and restructuring the paper so it works more efficiently and to its potential. Not that this paper isn't great but everything can do with some improvement."

"My paper is fine, Mitchum," Rory grumbled. Logan shot her a wounded look and she immediately felt bad. She bit her lip and made to apologise but Logan moved quickly on.

"If I move offices we won't see as much of each other," Logan replied.

"We see enough of each other as it is. You're always around," Rory said, not quite able to hide the agitation in her voice. Logan was quiet but he didn't miss it. "I can't even have private phone calls. You just sit there and grin. You come to all my meetings, we have lunch together. We arrive and leave work together. We are never apart."

"Hate leaving you alone for a moment," he quipped, trying to make a joke of it. He took his feet off the desk and turned to face the window in an attempt to cover the look on his face. He was disappointed, and sorry, that Rory felt that way.

"I wasn't going to say anything," he heard her venture. "But Tristan isn't too happy with the fact that you and I spend so much time together."

He turned the chair slowly around to face her.

"But every moment you're not with me, you're with him," Logan retorted. "He does realize that we do actually spend some time apart, doesn't he? Really, Ace, the way you put it they way you do it sounds like I'm stalking you. I'm sure Tristan thinks I'm here for the sole purpose of winning you back."

"He just gets jealous," Rory defended him.

"I don't know why. You said it yourself. You're not going back here," Logan repeated. "I don't understand. I leave you two alone as much as I can. I go to my room after dinner or I can clean-up to give you two time alone."

"But you're still always there," Rory shot-back.

"What the hell am I supposed to do?" Logan yelled.

"Do what you did before you lived with us! I don't know. Go for a walk or have dinner with some of our friends," she suggested. She was battle-ready now, perched on the edge of her seat ready to pounce.

"I'm really sorry," Logan said, finally. "I didn't realize I was so in the way."

"I'm sorry too. It's not your fault. It's just that every time Tristan and I are together now, we fight. I guess I'm just stressed with all the changes we're making to the newspaper and with you moving in. It's not fair of me to blame it on you. It's not fair for me to take it out on you or him either," she sighed.

Logan looked over and studied her. She looked exhausted. Make-up barely covered the circles under her eyes and her face was drawn. He watched her pick at her nails until eventually she sighed and lifted her eyes to meet his.

"Okay, Ace," he murmured. "I'll move offices."

-

Logan listened to the TV from his bedroom. He knew that Tristan was stretched out on the lounge and he knew that Rory was lying on top of him, her head on his chest. Tristan would have one hand on the remote and the other would be in Rory's hair. Logan knew what it was like to be Tristan and he knew it was just what Rory did with her men. Tonight, however, she would be doing it with her man alone.

He pulled his leather jacket out of the closet and put it on over his burgundy cashmere sweater and khaki pants. Casual but expensive. He took one last look in the mirror before grabbing his phone and wallet and leaving his room. He walked down the hall with enough noise to alert the happy couple to his presence. He caught a glimpse of them before Rory pushed herself up on Tristan's chest.

"You look nice," she remarked with a smile.

"Cashmere and leather. Enough to make an impression on somebody," he shrugged.

"It worked," she laughed.

"You going out?" Tristan asked lazily.

"Yeah. I'm just going to meet some people from the old paper for drinks," he explained.

"Oh?" Rory asked a slight embarrassed flush coming onto her cheeks. Logan smirked. She looked so pretty with the light in the background and wisps of her hair framing her head and a vacant expression on her face. "Who?"

"Clarissa, Gav and Mel," he replied.

"Well, don't be home too late. You have to work in the morning?" Tristan joked.

"See, I know the boss," Logan retorted with a small laugh. "I don't think that'll be a problem."

"Say hi to them for me," Rory piped-up.

"Sure, Rory. Night, guys," he said, walking to the door. He thought he heard Rory saying good-night behind him as the door closed but he wasn't sure.

Well, Ace had gotten her wish. He hoped she was happy.

-

"You want a coffee?" Rory asked. Tristan shook his head so she didn't move.

"You can get one if you want," he said. The vibrations from his chest tickled her lightly.

"It's okay," she said, settling back down. "I don't really want one."

They continued to watch the television in silence.

"So, how was work?" Rory asked, trying to make conversation. "You were busy when I got home so I didn't get to ask."

"Work was work. I went there, I worked, I came home," he answered. He said nothing else and Rory fought the urge to sigh.

"It's nice to have the house to ourselves," she ventured.

"Mmm. It's great," he replied. She sighed and shut her mouth. This just wasn't working. They watched the show and when it ended, Tristan softly pushed Rory off him. She fell in between him and the back of the lounge. She moved in to kiss him but he only kissed her lightly before slowly standing up. "I'm a bit tired, Mare. I might go to bed."

"But Tristan, we have the house to ourselves. It's just you and me here," she argued.

"I know. I finally get the gym to myself," he said. Gym was a big word for it. It was a spare room filled with weights and a treadmill. He bent down and kissed her on the forehead. "I'm going to work out for awhile first. I'll see you in bed."

She sighed and pulled herself up so she was in a sitting position. After an hour, she switched the TV off and sat Indian style in the dark and listened to Tristan in the gym. She heard him leave and heard the shower turn on. Minutes later he was padding down the hall to their bedroom. Rory went in after him and crawled onto the bed, her large dressing gown swamping her.

"Tristan?" she asked, softly. He was lying on his side so she slipped an arm around his waist. "Are you awake?"

There was no answer. She tried shaking him lightly but he didn't stir so she began to run her hands through his damp hair.

"That feels nice," he whispered so she kept doing it. Eventually, he turned over and lay on his back looking up at her. "I love you, Mary."

"I love you," she whispered back. He grabbed her chain and pulled her gently towards him. Their lips met and they kissed passionately. Eventually, he pulled away and stared up at her again. She saw something in his eyes that she had never seen before but she understood what it meant. At the moment, for whatever reason, he just wanted her to leave him alone. She closed her eyes briefly and then opened them, smiling bravely. "I'll let you sleep. Night, baby."

She left the room and padded back down the hall and into the living room where she sank onto the window seat. She watched the headlights of the cars slice through rain and the dreariness. She loved London at this time of night. It was just so beautiful. She and Logan had sat for hours just endlessly looking out at the street, sometimes making up stories about the people in the cars or who walked on the street. It had been fun.

Thinking of Logan, she glanced at the time on the stereo. Almost two am and he wasn't home yet. Before she really knew what she was going, she picked up the phone and dialed his number. She had thought she had wanted him gone but it was strange not having him there. They were so used to him already. The phone rang five times before it was picked up but when it was she heard the noise of a crowded bar and she nearly hung up.

-

Logan became aware of his phone ringing around two am. He pulled it out of his pocket and yelled to be heard over the din. When Logan had arrived, half the staff had been gathered at the trendy bar and they had been steadily drinking, on the company's tab, since ten.

"Hello?" he called.

"It's me," Rory said softly. "It's getting late and I just wanted to see where you were."

"I'm at Orange. You should come down. Where's Tristan?"

"Asleep. Look, I'm going to bed soon and I just wanted to say good-night in case I wasn't up when you got home," she explained.

"Is that so? Well, good-night to you too, Ace," he yelled.

"Ooh, is that Rory?" Clarissa squealed. She was almost a carbon copy of Shazza from 'Bridget Jones' Diary.' Loud, brash, blunt, smoke and swore like a trooper and a sailor on leave. "Let me talk to her!"

She lunged for the phone and began a loud, piercing conversation. Logan turned away and sipped his scotch until the phone was handed back to him. He held up to his ear and suddenly the bar seemed too hot, too smoky, too loud and he felt too drunk.

"I'm leaving now, Ace," he said.

"Well, I'm off to bed. I'll see you in the morning," she said. She paused for a second as if she meant to say something else but changed her mind. "Night, Logan."

"Good night, Rory."

-

"Good night, last night?" Rory asked, entering Logan's office. He had woken up late so they had come into the office separately. He squinted at her and pointed to the seat across from him. She slumped into it and laughed. "You look shocking."

"Thanks," he muttered. He rolled his eyes and grimaced. "You'll have to stop being sarcastic. It hurts my eyes to roll them."

"Sorry, no can do. I'm a Gilmore," she chirped. "Sarcasm is in our blood. In fact, I think it is our blood. Anyway, I just wanted to remind you that we have a meeting with subscription in fifteen minutes."

"All subscription do is whine," he groaned.

"I know and this time I don't have to deal with it. I just get to sit and watch. I can even join them if I want," she grinned. "I love having you here."

"You would not be so cruel," he replied.

"Oh, I think I would," she shot-back. She grinned at him again. "You're so cute when you're tired and grumpy."

"You're just annoying when I'm tried and grumpy," he retorted.

"Oh, now, that's not nice," she replied. He grinned and sat up straighter in his seat.

"How was last night?" he asked. Rory grew distant and shrugged.

"You know… it was good," she answered. He nodded slowly.

"Didn't go as well as you'd hoped, huh?" he asked.

"We had nothing to say and all Tristan wanted to do was go to bed. It was weird. It's never been like that before," she admitted. "Tristan wasn't even tired. He went into the gym and trained for nearly two hours. It was like he didn't even want to spend time with me and when we were together it was awkward."

"Maybe you're just out of practice," Logan suggested. "Or maybe he was just really tired but he couldn't sleep and needed to wind down. It happens to you."

"Maybe," Rory answered. She shrugged. "Who knows? Anyway, we only have ten minutes so we should start getting ready."

She stood up and produced a water bottle from behind her back and two white pills.

"For the headache," she explained. He took the gifts from her hand and smiled.

"Thanks, Ace. And I promise things will get better with you and Tristan."

"I hope so," she said, pasting on a big fake smile. "Let's go."