The hour had come, there stood Rory and Logan by the gates at London Heathrow savouring each moment they had with each other until Rory had to get on her plane bound for Connecticut and an ocean away from the man she loved once again. Both knew that this time was coming but unlike May, they were bolstered by the knowledge that an end was in sight. New York was a little less than six months away, but even that was worth a little less right now, as tears streamed down Rory's cheeks, and pooled in Logan's eyes. Their kissing became more brazen and desperate. Their tone more pleading and sad, their time together was almost up.
An announcement came over the audio system, "Now boarding American Airlines Flight 503 to John F. Kennedy International Airport, at gate 12"
"That's my flight," Rory looked into Logan's sad eyes, imagining hers were similar, "now I know why you didn't let me come with you when you went," Logan's mouth turned slightly upward in a smile. "It's only six more months, and I'll be back here during my spring break, and weekends will be had together, Logan this is going to work," and reading Logan's mind she continued, "this is going to be different than last time. Trust me."
Logan was not surprised at her mind reading; their weeks together had seen an easy re-establishment of their connection to each other. Truthfully he was feeling a bit of apprehension; this was the beginning of the downfall of their relationship the first time. He had told her that he had trusted her and that he knew things would be different this time. But saying it and putting it into practice were two very different things. "I do Rory, I do trust you. I just, I don't want to let you go."
"You're not letting me go, you're loaning me to states for a few months, but never doubt that I'm yours. Well as much as someone can be someone else's without demeaning them and making them into property or a commodity, don't get me wrong Logan, I love you, but I'm my own person as well and while…" Logan cut off her cute rambling with a final kiss that told her everything she needed to know about how secure their relationship was.
"I hate to say this Ace, but you'll miss your flight. I love you. Have a safe trip," Logan told her and kissed her once more.
Rory simply nodded morosely, took a deep breath and went through the gates and onward to her plane, back to the United States, back to Yale, but far away from home.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The drive back to his apartment was slow and depressing; Logan couldn't stop thinking about how different his time would be spent without Rory. Eating dinner wouldn't be the same without someone else to enjoy it with. Discussing books wouldn't be the same without Rory to engage him in passionate debate. Nothing would be the same, nothing would be better. Logan just had to make it through a few more months and then things would be right again. He put the key into his door and turned the knob and was surprised to see his previously empty apartment occupied by two people Logan knew very well.
"Mate! We were wondering when you'd get back. Thank god you came when you did, we're almost out of scotch," Finn boisterously proclaimed, while Colin went to Logan to give him an appropriate manly greeting.
"What are you two doing here?" A slightly happier Logan asked.
"Well, with us in the working world we haven't really stayed in touch as much as I'd like."
"You're a very difficult man to get a hold of these days man, email, phone calls, nothing seemed to work? What was going on?"
Logan felt bad that he was ignoring his friends during his break up with Rory, there his friends were trying to reach him and he was just pushing them away, "Yeah about that, I was going through a bad period and I just didn't really want to talk to anybody, sorry, you wouldn't have liked talking to me anyway."
"I figured as much," Colin continued, "I had to resort to getting in touch with Honor; she told us Rory broke up with you. Sorry to hear that."
"Yes, I always liked Reporter girl, affinity to daylight aside. But it'll be okay, three single men taking the world by storm, just like the old days," Finn said hopeful.
"You mean the old days of a few years ago, Finn?" Colin asked.
Logan interrupted, "Sorry to break up the plans for the three of us to conquer the world of single women once more, but I'm not on seeking anyone new. I've got a girlfriend."
"Honor didn't tell me this when I called her a couple weeks ago."
"So tell us, who got you on the rebound?" Finn asked.
"It's Rory."
"You have a thing for that name, and what are the odds that you'd even meet two people named Rory. That's uncanny," Finn spoke in awe of the coincidence.
"Moron, this new Rory, is the old Rory, he got back together with Rory Gilmore, Reporter Girl," Colin clarified things for Finn.
"Yeah, it happened recently, but I couldn't be happier. Except for when she left this morning. But I am going to be back in New York before the summer, so that's a plus."
"Wow, that's great, shocking that Mitchum would allow you to do that, but great."
"Fantastic, but enough talking, the three of us are together and ready to tear up a major metropolitan area. We need to get a plan in action."
"Finn, it's 11 in the morning, we've got plenty of time to tear it up," Colin said, almost wincing at saying 'tear it up'.
"What do you say we first grab something to eat, and then decide whether or not to tear it up tonight?" Logan asked.
"Great," Finn said getting up from the couch and heading to get his jacket, "I'm starving."
Colin and Logan watched as Finn quickly made his way out the door, they then turned to each other and slightly chuckled, they may have graduated but some things never changed. Colin grabbed his coat and both of them followed Finn out the door, ready to eat and catch up with one another.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rory called Logan when she touched down in New York, and again when she landed in Hartford, both times their conversation was interrupted multiple times by Finn and Colin wanting to know how Rory was doing. Rory smiled, she was glad Logan had the opportunity to spend some time with his good friends. He had told her one night that he had missed his friends and she was glad that they were now there when he was feeling a bit down due to their distance.
Rory told Logan that she would call him in the morning her time, and that he was to have a fun night out, which was a decree Logan was trying to hard to follow.
Logan's alarm went off and when he stretched out to turn it off the reality hit him. He didn't have to worry about waking someone next to him, for there was no one there. Rory was sleeping in her own bed, and wasn't going to be in his apartment when he came home from work, she wasn't going to eat dinner with him tonight and she wasn't going to kiss him goodnight before he feel asleep. But Logan felt better about waking up this morning than he did that first day in London. There was an end in sight to his stay in England. There was a promise from Rory that she would be there for him. There was a date that he was coming back to Rory. He thought about all of those things as he extricated himself from his bed and made it to the bathroom to begin the first day in the countdown to his return to Rory.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Author's Note: This is another transition like chapter, now they get to try a long distance relationship again, and it will be featured in the story unlike the first time when it just showed their break-up mostly. Anyway, I'll try and get the next chapter up as quickly as possible, it will be Monday at the absolute latest, but it could be earlier, who knows. As always reviews are appreciated. Happy reading.