Two Years Later…

Rory sat on the steps of the gazebo in Stars Hollow and looked around at the small town that had shaped her. It was spring and the flowers were blooming. Since her first book was released, this small town has seen an influx of tourists. In the first few weeks after the release of the book both the Dragonfly and its annex, simply named Town Square Inn, had been booked out for six months. Each festival the town had a larger attendance, and the towns people embraced the challenges and more offered to host booths. The Stars Hollow Gazette was sold to HPG, it kept the poem and digitized the publication. Lane started writing a music review section that highlighted new artists and it was picked up by some of other HPG papers. One of the guys in the over 30 group started writing a section about upcoming town events and one of the women would often write stories about Stars Hollow's history. New businesses started being built on the outskirts of the town while keeping with the small town charm. Morgan Hotels bought the Independence Inn property and was in the process of restoring it to almost like it was with all the modern upgrades. There were even small cottages being built where the shed that she had grown up in once stood. While the town was growing slightly, it was still being run with an iron fist by Taylor Doose to ensure that the charm remained.

It had taken her a bit of time, but she had finally returned the previous summer. She had been afraid that the memories of her mothers' true colors would overshadow her memories, but she had been wrong. Since then, the family of three had been back a few times but it was hard to make the trip with their busy schedules. This trip was different, and it was the final event for her third book. It still amazed her that her first book became a New York Times bestseller as well as her second and the projections for her third also showed it was also become one. The tours had gotten a little longer and while Logan hadn't been able to accompany her like the first one, Richard still joined her accompanied by Patty.

Logan had also been busy with his new role. While Rory had been worried about how the new job would affect them, she soon realized that she worried for nothing. Logan hired people to head up the divisions and he let them run them with minimal interference from him. He also invested more in technology and soon HPG's digital footprint was one of the largest in media. With all of the promotions it alleviated a lot of travel. Mitchum had even admitted that he traveled so much to get away from Shira. He still had an occasional business dinner but they were few and far between with him wanting to limit business to during business hours.

They both had gotten more involved in society and attended events but even these they limited to the ones that supported worthwhile causes. Media was still interested in them but that didn't stop them from going about their lives. It wasn't uncommon for a photo of them at the playground with Ritchie to appear on a website but with no scandal in seemed they weren't as interesting as they once were.

"What has you lost in thought," Logans voice came from beside her and she turned to look at him, a smile immediately forming on her lips.

"Just thinking about everything," she replied as he sat down beside her, and she immediately cuddled into him.

"A lot has changed over the last few years," he stated as he also looked at the town. He remembered the first time Rory had brought him here.

"It has," she agreed and thought about the last time she sat on these gazebo steps with someone. In all the times that they had returned she had avoided this place because the memories of that conversation with her mother still hurt her. But today she had decided she needed to sit here to prove to herself that she had moved past those words, that they no longer held any control of her.

Logan knew that Rory had always avoided the gazebo and he knew exactly why. When they were sitting in Luke's and she had said she wanted to go out there he wanted to join her but he knew this was something that she needed to face alone.

"You know," she sighed and turned to look at him. "I have so many good memories in the gazebo and I let one horrible one overshadow them all. But as I sat here I realized that while I will never fully get over the pain of that conversation the good times here outweigh that one moment… I want to make more memories in this place. I want to remember the good…"

"I'm glad," he replied and placed a kiss on her lips. "I have wanted to kiss you sitting on these steps to show you made the right choice," he teased.

Rory threw her head back and a gale of laughter escaped her. "I don't need kisses in the gazebo to know that," she retorted and placed a soft kiss on his lips and then pulled slightly back and looked him in the eyes. "But I do have something I want to tell you," she continued and he just looked at her questioningly for a moment before a small smile started forming on his lips. "I want to replace that memory with one so much better," she continued and squealed as he leapt up a grabbed her to stand with him. "I'm pregnant." She barely got the words out before he picked her up and his lips crashed down on hers. They had decided to start trying a few months ago and he couldn't be happier for the news, he was going to be there for every step of the way this time.

"God, Ace," he whispered as he placed her back on her feet but kept her in his arms. "I didn't think I could be any happier with our lives but… this… I don't even know how to describe how I am feeling."

"I know," she stated as she looked into his eyes that were filled with love. "When I was filling out the paperwork at my appointment yesterday I realized I was late so they did the test…" she let out a small laugh as she remembered at how she had started at her phone realizing that she was two weeks late but had been so busy with the final leg of the tour that it hadn't dawned on her. "I didn't want to tell you on the phone."

"I'm so glad you didn't," he agreed and placed another kiss on her lips. "I would have been on a helicopter immediately to you so that we could celebrate together! I love you Rory and I can't wait for this next chapter."

"I love you," she beamed, and their lips once again met. This moment, this memory was what she needed to replace that previous one… this moment was perfect.