One more update! I've got plans for this story but I'm struggling with a bit of writers block. wish me luck, guys.
As always thanks for reading and reviewing.
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Chapter 12 – *The Freshmen
When I was young I knew everything
And she a punk who rarely ever took advice
Now I'm guilt stricken,
Sobbing with my head on the floor
Stop a baby's breath and a shoe full of rice, no
I can't be held responsible
'Cause she was touching her face
I won't be held responsible
She fell in love in the first place
Logan opens the door to Galli and walks towards the usual table he and Odette share. She is already there, having a glass of red wine and she smiles as he sits down.
"I started with out you." She motions towards her drink.
He leans in and she lifts her head to kiss him. He instead kisses her forehead and he notices how she sighs. Sitting down he orders a scotch from the waiter and an appetizer for the table. They talk on banalities and the day's ins and outs and enjoy the calm before the storm.
As the table is cleared of their dinner plates she orders a tiramisu and some coffee for dessert. He still hasn't said anything of importance and Logan runs his hand through his hair. He knows he has to tell her, but it's not going to be easy.
"So, are you ever going to just tell me that you're leaving me?" She says interrupting the silence that has sprung up between them.
"What?!" He is shocked at her question. "What are you talking about O?"
"Well, I mean, carbs and wine, and information about Rory and you needing to talk to me. It all adds up to one thing."
"No it doesn't O." He quickly grabs her hand before she can move it away. "That's not… I'm not… How could you think I could walk away that easily?" He's a little hurt, even though he knows she always been a worst-case scenario type person.
"It's Rory, Logan." Is all she says in response.
"Man this is all so fucked up." He starts. "I'm not leaving you O. That's not even what happened."
"So she didn't tell you she's still in love with you?"
He chuckles, "Not even close babe. But there is some big news that I can't keep from you, even though I don't even know where to begin or how to make things right."
"Well don't keep me guessing any longer. You know I'm driving myself crazy right now." She laughs. She's always been a bit neurotic.
"Ok, so remember when Ace and I had been seeing each other, before the wedding?"
"Yeah, I remember. The last time was on the impromptu trip to New England, right?"
"Right." He looks down. "If I'm totally honest with you I was hoping that she would ask me not to marry you. I wanted so much for her to tell me she loved me." Odette looks down at the coffee and dessert now being placed in front of her.
"I figured. I was surprised that you still wanted to get married after that trip. I figured you two had finally worked things out. I was kind of rooting for you."
"Damn Odette, how can you be so forgiving about all of this? I cheated on you and you act like I'm not even your husband." He says almost angry.
"Come on Logan, don't be mad. I love our life and I'm content in what he have and if I'm totally honest I don't want that to end. You make me happy, but happiness should be a two way street and I don't want you to be with me if you're not happy."
He shakes his head and scoots closer to her; he brings her hand to his lips and kisses her fingers. "I never said I wasn't happy."
"I know."
"God that's not even what I even need to tell you. Nothing between Ace and I has changed."
"Then what?"
"I have a son." He makes sure to make direct eye contact with her.
"A son?" she says shocked.
"Apparently I left more behind than my heart during the New England trip."
"Why did you wait so long to tell me? Did you think I wouldn't marry you?" She pulls her hand away.
"No, God no, O I didn't know. She didn't tell me. That's why Emily and Lorelei were at the hospital. Rory had been in a car accident and he came early."
"OMG is she ok?!"
"She's healing fine but Richie isn't doing so great right now."
"Richie?"
"That's his name. Richard Logan Huntzberger."
"Wow." She says
"Right?" He answers.
"You have a son." She says with awe in her voice.
"I do." He pulls out his phone and shows her the one photo she snapped.
"He's so cute!"
Logan chuckles, "I think maybe he's taken the title of cutest baby from Elias."
"Did you talk to Rory yet?"
"I did. Finn and the boys were with her when I left."
There are a few moments of silence as she takes a few bites of the sweet dessert. "How are you doing with all this?"
"I don't know what to feel." He sits down the coffee cup. "I'm pissed, I'm happy, I'm tired. I'm so tired, O."
She motions over the waiter and pays the check. "Then lets go home. You don't need anything else to drink. You need a hot showers, and some rest."
"It's not that easy."
"I'm not saying it's easy, but in the last two days you've seen her, and found out you have a baby. I'd say your mind and body need some rest and while things won't suddenly be figured out in the morning, it will be a new day and you start again."
She takes his hand and pulls him in for a hug. "Let go home, ok?"
He allows her to lead him to the car and lets her drive. He feels like such an ass right now. Once again she's taking care of him.
After the shower Logan crawls into bed next to Odette. She reading and doesn't say anything as he settles in. He rolls on to his side facing away from her. After a few minutes of thinking he turns back to her.
"Hey, O?" She pushes her glasses up her nose and faces him, laying her book on her lap. "I know love wasn't part of our deal but there are so many kinds of love and I'd be lying if I didn't tell you that I feel something for you."
"Logan…"
"You've been there for me in ways that I can't imagine many, if any other woman would be. And none of what we have is something that I would ever just walk away from like it was nothing, you are not nothing. You mean something to me. Ok?"
"Ok." She acknowledges. "You know you mean something to me too right?"
He smiles and rolls back over to his side. Beside him Odette picks up her book and continues reading.
I can't be held responsible
'Cause she was touching her face
I won't be held responsible
She fell in love in the first place
For the life of me I cannot remember
What made us think that we were wise and
We'd never compromise
For the life of me I cannot believe
We'd ever die for these sins
We were merely freshmen
"Rory, wake up." Paris is standing at the bedside looking annoyed that it's taking so long for Rory to wake up. "Wake up Gilmore."
"I'm up." Rory looks at her friend. All this rest is exhausting her.
Paris motions to the wheelchair next to the other side of the bed. "Doctor Collins says the infection is cleared and he's going to release you today, so I thought you'd like to go see Richard before you have to sit around and learn about all your release paperwork and home care."
"Yes." Rory says and immediately tries to get out of bed.
"Slow your row there turbo, let me help. You have to take the chair and you have to stay seated. You're still too weak. Ok?"
Rory puts out her hand and Paris lends her, her arm and gently sits her in the chair. They roll in silence down the hallway, and finally stop just inside the NICU. Paris talks to the nurse and she walks ahead of them to get Richie read.
"You ready for this Gilmore?"
"I'm terrified." Rory admits.
Paris pushes her the rest of the way and stops before going in. Beside them a woman looks in at the resting babies. Rory makes eyes contact as she waits for her son to be ready.
"Yours?" the woman nods at the room.
"Yes."
"He's adorable. What's his name?"
"Richard. Which one is yours?"
"None unfortunately. I can't have kids. I'm visiting someone."
"I'm sorry." Rory says.
"Thank you. Well it looks like you're all ready." The woman says as Paris exits the room leaving the door open. "Congratulation."
Rory only nods as she's unable to speak right now, he son is so close and all she wants is to feel him near her again.
Inside the nurse already has Richie in her arms and as soon as Rory is close enough she situates the tubing and places him in Rory's arms.
The brunette holds her son and the tears flow freely as she's overcome with emotion. Just a week ago he'd been a part of her that she loved even without every seeing and now he's laying in her arm. He's awake but he doesn't move a lot. He's weak, and the oxygen is still being pumped into his body. She wants to fix everything for him, and all she can do right now is hold him.
Rory sits in the quiet with her son for a long, she feels physically unable to leave him.
Eventually Lane joins her. "Hey. I can't believe you're a mom."
"You were a mom long before me"
"You're gonna love it and I'm here for whatever you need, plus I still have all of Steve and Quans clothes so you're ahead of the game. Especially since we never even got to have your baby shower."
"Oh god I don't even have a place to live let alone a nursery yet. What am I gonna do?!" Suddenly everything is moving way to fast and she's not ready.
"Well that's not entirely true."
"I can't live with my mom and Luke forever."
"You don't."
"What do you know?"
Lane laughs. "Nothing."
"Liar!" Rory teases her best friend.
"Nope. Just wait. Dr. Collins in your room ready to release you."
Paris steps back in the room and give Lane a quick, stiff hug. She always hating sharing her only friend with Lane but what can you do. She takes the baby from Rory. "He needs some rest, and you need to get home and get all healed so that when he's ready to come home, you'll be ready. He's gonna be here at lest another month."
"Why so long?!" Rory asks, concerned.
"His lungs. We can't risk him not getting the oxygen he needs. His brain is still developing and his lungs need to support that. I got him, let Lane get you. Ok?"
Rory nods her head. Somewhere along the way Paris really has become someone that she can't image life without. She always wanted what was best for Rory, even if she thought what she wanted for Rory was the better then Rory's own choices.
Back in her room the Doctor releases her, the nurses goes over her care instruction while Lane packs her stuff. She feels like she's walking in a fog. Nothing seems real. But with a sling holding her broken arm, and strained shoulder she's rolled out to Lane's car where Zach is waiting behind the wheel.
"You've been here all this time?"
"Yep, figured I'd let you and Lane have some time alone. How Richie rich doing?" Zach asks as he gets out and helps Rory into the front seat and put her stuff in the back with Lane.
Rory can't find the words.
"He's good. Looks like he's got more color in his cheeks." Lane adds.
"The fingers? He still got those lead guitarist fingers?"
"Yes." Lane says.
The radio plays in the background and the there's a gently banter between Lane and Zach. It makes Rory feel more alone being with them. They've been together for such a long time now and no matter how Lane hates that Hep Alien has became a hobby instead of a career for Zach she knows how much the two really love each other.
She's been in her own world during the drive and she hasn't been paying attention but suddenly she realizes that she's not in Starts Hallow. "Where are we?'
"We're taking you home." Zach say.
"Umm this is definitely not Stars Hallow. In fact.. Isn't this my grandma's neighborhood?"
As she asks they turn on to Emily and Richard's street and into the drive way. "Why are we here?"
"I'm just the wheel man." He says holding his hands in a don't shoot the messenger action.
"Lane…"
The car stops and Lane gets out and opens the door for Rory. Zach hurries over and grabs her other arm to steady her. "I got you."
Rory is confused but allows herself to be led to the front door. Before she can knock Emily opens the door with her usual Gilmore Flare. "Surprise!" She yells
"Mom, you're suppose to let her in the house and then we all jump out and yell surprise. Didn't anyone explain the art of a surprise party to her?" Lorelei looks at the other confused guests who come out of hiding now that the brunette has entered the house. They mumble their own surprise.
"I know what you do a surprise party Lorelei, but this ia my surprise so I did it first."
"Your surprise?" Rory says confused.
"Yes, dear. Surprise!" She holds her hands up to indicate the house they stand in.
"I don't know what that means grandma."
"Did your mother never teach you common hand gestures?"
"I taught her one…" Lorelei says sarcastically.
Emily glares at her daughter and then turns her smile back to Rory. "Yes, surprise. It's yours."
"The house?! Rory says.
"Yes dear." She ushers Rory and her friends farther into the living room. "I kept turning down prospective buyer because I couldn't bear to actually part with this part of your grandfather. He loved this house so much Rory, but he loved you more, and when I really thought about it I knew without a doubt that this would make him so happy."
"You're giving me the house?!" Rory says again. She looks around the room and see Luke, her mom, Lane, Zach, Paris, her newest conquest, most of Stars Hallow, Marty and his girlfriend, Lucy and Olivia, Jess and Cassidy and several other of the important people in her life.
"Yes. It's yours. Don't you love it?" Emily says clearly very happy with herself.
"This is too much Grandma, I can't…"
"Don't you dare say you can't. You can and you will. Remodel, redecorate, anything you want to do it. Make it your home now. For you and Richard." Emily says her eyes tear up at the mention of her late husband.
"I don't even have a job…" she tries to argue.
"Yes you do," Lorelei steps in next to her mother. "You have to heal, and you have to write that book, and you get to take care of that amazingly little boy when he comes home. You can run the Gazette from here for a while and Taylor has even decided to start paying you since the papers suddenly being talked about in all the neighboring towns. He doesn't want to lose you."
"Pay me?"
"Don't get your panties all in a twitch just yet, it Taylor it's not going to be a lot." Lorelei laughs.
Suddenly to the surprise of all in attendance Rory starts crying. Not a little sniffle or single tear. We are talking big, huge, wet droplets of joy, and pain and sadness and gratefulness start to flow. She can't stop herself. She feels like the last year of her life has been this constant clock ticking. Time is running out on being a reporter, it's edging her closer to losing Logan, it's pulling the rug out from her with a pregnancy and then run her over with a truck by literally almost running her over with a truck.
And yet during all this has been this overwhelming sense of family. Of her mom, and grandma, Luke and Jess and her friends reminding her that while she may sometimes feel like Dorothy following the yellow brick road, unsure it where it may lead, she's still got those people around to help her. And yet even as she thought about the Wizard of Oz she's reminded of saying goodbye to her other boys, Finn, Colin and Robert. Her scarecrow, lion and tin man. Logan has always been her Wizard, bringing out all of the flourish and whistles to make her happy. All she had ever needed was him, but he never thought he was enough.
Lorelei helps Rory into the piano room yelling for everyone else to start the party. "You ok kiddo?"
"I don't deserve all of this mom. I lied to Logan, I slept with Odette's husband, my kids in the hospital. I already suck at all of this."
They sat down on the piano bench together. "Just breath. Ok, breathe." She waits while Rory calms herself. "You are doing just fine daughter of mine. You will be great. Just breathe."
The women sit together in silence; their company of one another all they need to relax. The sounds of the rest of the group laughing and the clinking of glasses filters in from the other room.
"Mind if I cut in?" Jess asks from the opening.
"I told you Jess I'm already married to your uncles. Incest is NOT best." Lorelei jokes.
"Right."
"You know for a guy who can write so eloquently, it certainly doesn't translate to your vocal chords." She says as she leaves her daughter with the once paramour.
"Did I hear Emily say that she saw Logan at the hospital?" He sits and nudges her shoulder. She nods in affirmation. "I'm proud of you for telling him."
I didn't. He was visiting his sister and saw mom and grandma."
"Ouch."
"To say the lest. It was awful. But civil."
"That's not good." He says.
"Right?! Mom keeps saying at lest he's not yelling, but I wish he would. Yell, scream, something that shows he still cares about me, but he just asked to hold Richie and then came and said thank you. He and Odette eloped months ago."
"Wow. I'm sorry Ror."
"Thanks."
"But at lest you got the best gift in the world waiting for you." He says as she kisses her on the cheek.
"You're already married." She jokes.
"Haven't you ever seen the show Sister wives?"
"Have you?"
"No, but I heard it's a lot of work for the Kody dude, I don't know if I'm man enough for that."
They laugh together and it feels good to smile. "I'm glad you never gave up on us being friends, Jess."
"Me either."
My best friend took a week's
Vacation to forget her
His girl took a week's worth a
Valium and slept
Now he's guilt stricken sobbing with his
Head on the floor
Think somebody now and how he never really
Wept he says
Back at the hospital, Logan stands in Rory's now empty room. Anything that reminded him of her was gone. The only thing left he had to hold on to is in the NICU, trying to stay alive.
"I knew I'd find you here." Odette said from behind Logan.
"What are you doing here?" He asks without anger.
"When I woke up and you were gone I knew there was only place you could be."
"I'm sorry."
"He's one special kid, Logan."
"What?!"
"And she's prettier then I imagined."
"How?" is all he can manage?
"When I got here and you weren't here, I just wanted to get a glimpse of your little boy, but while I was down she was rolled in to hold him."
"She got to hold him?! Finally."
"She just sat there for along time. Then I heard her friend say she was being released. She went home, Logan."
"Did you?" he raises an eyebrow.
"NO." she sakes her heard furiously. "I didn't say anything her. I just looked at the babies."
"I'm sorry, O. This must be so hard for you."
"Could be. But all I can see right now is that there's a baby in my life and for that I am incredibly thankful."
"Do you ever NOT see the bright side of things?"
"What's the good in that?"
He glances at the empty room and pulls Odette in for hug. "You know I can't imagine not having you by my side right now babe."
She kisses him on his cheek. "She left without saying goodbye, didn't she."
"She doesn't have to say goodbye to me. She said that months ago. Lets go home."
"No, you go visit with your son, meet me at home later."
"You don't want to come?"
"It's not my place Logan, until you two figure things out, I'll take the back seat. But please give that little boy a big kiss from me. I think I already love him."
"You're too much." He says concerning her heart.
"I'm just enough." She answers. "See you at home."
He stands, still in the empty room as Odette walks away. He takes one last look at the vacant hospital bed and heads off to see his son.
For the life of me I cannot remember
What made us think that we were wise and
We'd never compromise
For the life of me I cannot believe
We'd ever die for these sins
We were merely freshmen
*Lyrics are The Freshmen by The Verve Pipe
