CHAPTER SEVEN
RORY
Cameron was in her room reading and Mom and I were waiting for Logan. Mom had come over early to help me get ready. I looked at the clock on my wall, it read 7:58. Time seemed to stand still at this moment. I was starting to loose my nerve and that cat-shaped clock laughing in my face surley was helping my nervousness any. This was the first time I had gone out with someone in 2 years. I had dated two different guys. When Cameron was 2, I went out with a guy from work, Johnathan. I had felt go guilty, all I could think about was Cameron at home. I cut the date short and wouldn't let him kiss me on the lips. The other guy I didn't like to talk about much.
What was I doing? Did I really think about how this was going to affect Cameron?
"Mom-" All she was missing was a hat and a booth on Pier 39 for the way she read my mind.
"Don't worry about it. I am not letting you get out of this. You love him."
I signed and looked at the clock, it read 8:01. The clock finally decided to be on my side when Logan wasn't.
"He's late."
"Traffic honey, it's New York. Give him a chance."
"It's going to be fine, right?" I practially begged for reassurance.
"It will be great." I thanked her with my eyes. My heart jumped to San Francisco when I heard the doorbell ring.
"Go get 'em kid." Mom told me. "Cammie come say goodbye to your Mom and Dad before they leave!" She yelled as I opened the door to Logan. As I looked at him, everything I was nervous about suddenly melted away. Cameron came running in with her book in hand and stood in front of me and Logan. "Bye Mom, By Dad. Have fun on your date."
"Thank you honey." I leaned in and hugged her. "And remember, don't eat the urine mints." Cameron whispered into my ear. I laughed, she spent way to much time with my Mom, who liked to tell people that intersting statistic before they went on dates, even since she found out from me.
"Ok, I won't remember Nana knows where the tylenol is if your arm starts hurting, but you can call mine or Daddy's cell if you need to, just in case."
"Mom, I know. Chill. Everything will be fine, go have fun."
"We're going. Make sure you go to bed early enough. You have school tomorrow."
"I will Mom. Go." She patronized me. I wouldn't be suprised if I came home to ice cream cartons on the floor and Cameron passed out from a sugar high.
"Seriously Rory. Everything will be fine. Logan is being very patient standing by the door waiting to take you out." I signed at turned to Logan, who smiled at me.
"Let's go." I said. Logan and I walked out to his car. "So where are we going?"
"Dinner at this great italian place and a movie."
"A Gilmore favorite pass time."
"That explains the t-shirt."
"I'm not into subtle." Logan laughed as he pulled out of the parking lot.
LOGAN
I stopped in front of her apartment door and dropped Rory's hand. I wanted to go in with her and make love to her like I had been waiting for six years. But I didn't want to pressure her, plus we were taking things slower this time.
"Want to come in?" She asked me. The magic words.
"I do, but I'm not." She asked me.
I knew she understood why. "I guess I will see you tomorrow then?" I leaned in and kissed her passionatly. She opened her mouth and I slipped my tongue between her lips, gently pushing her against the door. I pulled apart from a lack for oxygen. She smiled.
"Did you really think I would leave without doing that first?"
"I was hoping..."
"For a proper goodnight?" I finsihed her sentence.
"Yeah." She answered me.
"My parents are having a party next week. I want you to go with me."
"Your parents?"
"Yes." I answered, knowing she would end up agreeing to go.
"I'm not sure..." She stalled, looking for an excuse.
"Come on. I want to show you off."
"Half of the people know me already."
"They know you as Emily and Richard's Granddaughter. I want to show you off as the Mother of my child."
"No one knows you are Cameron's Father. Think of the headline the day after. 'HUNTZBERGER AND GILMORE LOVE CHILD.'"
"We don't have to tell anyone about her. We don't even have to bring her."I put my hand on her cheek. "Please."
She sighed. "When?"
"Sunday at 8."
"Cameron would have o go to Stars Hallow and spend the night, my mom couldn't stay here again."
I smiled. "Good, then it's settled." I leaned in to kiss her again before Lorelai swung the door open.
"Ok seriously, i'm missing Charlie Rose because all I can hear is 'No, I love you more.'"
"Sorry Lorelai." I turned to Rory. "Goodnight Ace." I kissed her again before walking away.
RORY
I took a much needed day off of work in preperation for this party. Mom, Cameron and I went shopping in the morning, looking for the perfect dress to make Logan drool. I came home alone around 1, Cameron went with my Mom, and I tried to figure out what to do with the rest of my day. I hadn't taken a day off in over a year and I wasn't very good with managing my free time. I started on a finished a whole article, finally starting to get ready at 4. I hadn't spend the night away from Cameron since she was 3, and that wasn't my choice. I wanted teh apartment empty for when Logan dropped me off. I finsihed doing my hair and makeup and got dressed. I waited for Logan to show up, even my frog-shaped clock was against me. Logan finally showed up.
"Ready?" He asked before kissing me hello.
"Yes I am. Let me just get my coat." I said, getting it off the couch. "Let's go." I started walking torwards the door but he pulled my arm back and rested them on my hips.
"You look beautiful."
"Thank you. You don't look bad yourself." He started at me for a minute and I felt like a statue in a museum.
"Would you kiss me for we can go?"
"Bossy tonight, Miss Gilmore?"
"It's part of the Lorelai-complex." He leaned in and kissed me.
"Let's go." We left and got to his parent's house about an hour later.
"So will there be a sub-party here?" I asked
"Come on Ace, we're much too old and mature for that." He joked. Shira opened the door before I could respond.
"Logan! Great! your here."She had yet to acknoledge me. "And you brought Rory." I could tell she wasn't too excited about that.
"I told you I was bringing a date Mom."
"But, of course. Come in, everyone's waiting." Shira moved aside and we stepped in. We walked around with Logan's hand on my waist. I saw someone I reconized, but couldn't think of her name. She was tall and blond, if only i could only remember her name.
"Rory Gilmore, as I live and breath." She said.
"Stephanie!" I felt so stupid for not remembering. I hugged her. I haven't seen her in years. "It's been a long time."
"I know, I guess we just lost contact after Graduation. We have to catch up."
"We really do." I told her honestly. I wondered if she knew about Cameron.
"Who are you here with?" She asked me.
"Logan."
"Colin told me he moved back but you guys are here together?"
"Yes." Logan finally came over from talking to his sister.
"I just talked to you yesturday! Why didn't you tell me you are back together with her!"
"I thought Colin would have told you." He excused his actions.
"I made Finn and Colin promise not to tell anyone abot Cameron."
"Who's Cameron?" She asked instantly. That was obviously something else she didn't know.
"I'm going to go get us some drinks before Steph kills me." Logan said before hurrying away.
"Why am I going to want to kill him? Who's Cameron? I'm confused, spell it out for me."
"Cameron is Logan and my daughter."
"What? How old is she? I thought Logan was in California? Is she pretty? I bet she's pretty." Questions swirled around my head, I almost felt dizzy.
"Come on, let's sit down. I'll show you a picture." I guided her to the couch.
LOGAN
I watched her sit on the couch with stephanie. God, Rory was so beautiful, I doubted she realized how breath-taking she really was. It almost hurt practicing restraint watching her move a stray hair back behind her ear. She drove me crazy. I could stare at her all night. I felt someone stand behind me. I knew who it was immediantly.
"I see you brought Rory." He told me. His voice was masculine and serious, he was obviously trying to scare me.
"Yes I did, do you have a problem with that?" And it wasn't working.
"She doesen't belong here Logan. Look around, try as she might, she doesen't fit. But Cameron can, she's young."
None of this made the least bit of sense. "What do you mean? Cameron isn't going to be raised in this enviroment."
"One day I hope you'll understand that I had to do this."
"Leave us alone. Don't say anything to Rory, about her or us or Cameron."
"Logan..." He tried to reason.
"I'm warning you Dad. Stay away from her." I told him in all seriousness.
RORY
I was looking around for Logan, who never came back from getting our drinks over a half a hour ago. I spotted him walking away from his Dad. He looked angry. By the look on his face, they had to be fighting. I knew it was about me, no assumption about it. I felt like a fish out of water with this group, who had nothing interesting to talk about, short of who was seperated that month and the newest cars on the market. Shira made sure I stayed feeling that way. It seemed like everytime I turned around, there she was, staring at me like I had the plague and was going to infect everyone there. They hated me and even though they only meet her once, they hated Cameron and her existance. I had a bad feeling about all of this and I didn't like it. They had something up their sleves and I had to stop it.
"Hello Rory." I jumped at her voice startling me.
"Shira, I didn't notice you there." I excused myself.
"So, I noticed you didn't bring Cameron." She surley didn't waste any time.
"No, she's spending some time with her Nana."
"How nice." Shira looked, dare I say, nervous. I had never seen her so darting-eye, shift in place nervous.
"Is there anything I can do for you Shira?"
"Oh, no. I just came over to bring you something." She said before pulling a folded envelope out of her pocket and handed it to me. She walked away silently. I opened the envelope and read the first page out of the few there. I couldn't believe it. It had to fine Logan.
LOGAN
I was talking to Steph, asking if she had seen Rory. We kept missing eachother all night. I wanted to make sure my Dad didn't get to her. I wasn't sure what he meant by what he said about Cameron, but I made a point to find out before the situation exploded. I was still talking to Steph, when I noticed Rory walking torwards me. As soon as she reached me, she hide her face with my chest and hugged me. She was sobbing.
"What's wrong?" I tired to talk to her, Steph did too but she couldn't get words out.
"Come on Steph, we're going to the car." We walked outside and consoled Rory untill she was calm enough to hand me an envelope. I studied it's contents and felt my blood boil. I couldn't believe they would even think of something like this.
"Steph, stay with Rory. I have to take care of something." I practially ran back into the house to find my parents. I couldn't let this happen to my family, I couldn't let them tear us apart.
"How could you? Do you have no heart?" I yelled, throwing the papers in their faces.
"This is for the best Logan. We are more competant to raise that girl!"
"So you are going to sue us for custody of Cameron."
"It's for the best."
"This is unforgivable." I started the walk away. I turned back, making sure I had the last shock. "And Dad, I quit." I went back to Rory and drove home. She was quiet. I walked her to the apartment. She invited me in and we sat on the couch.
"I won't let this happen. I'll hire a lawyer tomorrow."
"I can't lose her Logan." She told me, resting her head on my shoulder. I pulled her closer to me. I needed the comfort too.
"I love you Ace." I told her, I wasn't sure why or even how I said it, but I knew I meant it. It felt right to say, even if saying it didn't make our situation any easier to deal with. She kissed me then, putting all she had into it. She sat on my lap and started to push my jacket off.
"Are you sure this is the right time for this?"
"Just love me Logan." She looked at me, I might of screwed up her and Cameron's life, but I could defiently give her that. She got up and led me to her bedroom, kissing and shedding articles of clothing along the way.