Fresh & Fancy Free

When she came back to her dorm Paris was on the couch, watching C-Span as usual. Rory literally snug in, because her mother had spent a great deal of time the day before, to make pin curls all over her head. And she startled Paris by sneaking into the dorm.

"Damn you Gilmore," Paris yelled as soon as she had gotten hold of herself "You almost made me fart a firefly. And why on earth are you wearing that ridiculous hat."

Rory had found one of her mothers less in style hats, to cover her head as she drove back. But it made her look like the top of a watermelon, so the pin curls might have been more wanted. Rory told Paris about the party, and the pin curls. And it turned out that Paris knew a little about styling pin curls, so she ended up helping Rory with her hair.

At ten to 6 Rory was ready. She had done what she could to be true to the period, so she had bought a pair of silk stockings in a second-hand store, and had borrowed shoes and earrings from her mother. Both were inherited, and had belonged to the first Lorelai, Richard Gilmore's mother. All in the entire outcome were good; the shoes were black dancing shoes, and looked wonderful mixed with the beautiful dress. And Paris had made her hair to look almost professional. They sat down on the couch and watched C-Span, waiting for Finn to pick her up.

At 6 o'clock exactly there was a knock on the door, and Rory went to open it. Outside was Finn wearing a 40ies uniform; he looked at her and smiled widely.

"I said you could pull it of Kitten, and you do it ever so nicely." he said motioning to her outfit.

"And I must say you pull it off to," Rory looked him up and down, pretending to inspect his uniform, but honestly she was just happy to get a chance to look him over. He looked great in the uniform, like he did in almost everything.

"So we should get going." He held out his arm so she could link her in it.

"Bye kids," Paris yelled from the couch, never taking her focus of the T.V. "have fun, and don't do anything I wouldn't do Gilmore."

The only answer she got was the door slamming, and she just smiled as she got up to get ready for when Doyle came. This time they didn't expect to be interrupted.

Rory and Finn went out to the SUV that was parked outside, while they received a few odd looks from people passing by. Rory got in the passengers seat and said hello to the other people in the car. Stephanie and Colin were sitting in the middle seat, and Robert and some girl Rory didn't know was in the back. The girl introduced herself as Abby, and Rory remembered having seen her at the last LDB event she went to. As they drove of Rory turned to face Finn.

"Are you sure you and Logan are okay?"

"Sure," Finn sounded less than certain himself "why do you ask?"

"He's not here, you have noticed haven't you? Or did you just forget to pick him up?"

He looked at her slightly huffed "Would I do that? Forget my best friend?"

"Well, there was that time when…" Stephanie meddled, but Finn just shot her a death glare in the rear-view mirror. He returned his attention to Rory, who was trying not to laugh to hard.

"He was helping to organize this one, so he's already there."

Rory didn't seem to care that Logan wasn't with them, and that made him feel a little more relaxed. He had been worrying all day, after all Logan had been the one she made friends with, and she never seemed to interested in getting to know the others. But she was already talking to Steph trying to make her tell the story she had just referred to.

"I can't he'll kill me if I do," Steph grinned "but it involves Logan being left in a parking lot in Hawaii."

"Steph," Colin looked at Finn in the mirror "I care about you, and I fear for your health if you continue that story."

"Aww, he cares for me," Steph said and batted her eyelashes at Rory "aren't I a lucky girl."

After they were done laughing at Colin and Steph fighting, they were all silent for a while. Rory noticed the glances they sent each other, and thought to herself that she had to ask Stephanie what were going on at some time. She sad down further in her seat and looked at Finn

"Where are we going this time, and should I have brought a overnight bag?"

"Cant you ever just wait for the surprise, Kitten? And no, an overnight bag would have been an silly idea." he looked at her like she had just said the she was an alien, and craved for a brick to nibble at.

"I never know with you guys," she grinned at him "it's not like I had any warning the last time."

He just smiled knowingly, and they drove on in silence. After about an hour they drove up in front a building that looked like an old airplane hanger, Finn and the others got out, and he came around the car to give her a hand.

"We're here," he said and grinned at her confused expression "It's an old air force base, and the party is in the hanger over there. We always try to make it as real as possible."

The others were already walking towards the building, and she and Finn followed, with their arms linked. Robert opened the door, and light streamed out, accompanied by music she recognized as an upbeat Charlie Parker number.

"Wow," Steph squealed "They did good…"

She seized Colin's hand and ran for the dance floor where they threw themselves out in a wild jitterbug. And as Rory looked into the building she had to agree, whom ever they´ were they did good. There where balloons and streamers hanging from the sealing and walls, all in red, blue and white, and over the dance floor was a banner that read Good luck to our boys overseas, come back safe´. On the other side of the floor from where they were standing was a bar set up, and next to it was a phonograph, there was a couple of guys watching them, and she suspected they weren't LDB. They hired people for that. She was stunned, everything looked amazing. Finn smiled at her expression, and tugged her arm a little.

"So, are we gonna go in Kitten, or are we just gonna stand here all night." he gave her a smirk when she looked at him.

She blushed slightly when she realized what she must have looked like. She smirked back at him.

"Sure, we wouldn't want you to be that far from the bar all night."

"I was thinking more about a dance," he grinned as she looked at the dance floor. It was full of people doing the jitterbug.

"Do you know how to?" she smiled remembering all the dance marathons she had attended with her mother.

"I'm more worried about you." He grinned and grabbed her hand as they made their way out to the dance floor.

They followed in Steph and Colin's footsteps on the dance floor, Finn turned out to be great dancer. He knew steps and lifts that she had never dreamed of being able to do, but with him as a lead she could do them all. They danced to a couple of songs, and then they went to get something to drink. Stephanie was standing at the bar, her cheeks were rosy, and she gave Rory a huge grin.

"Wow, you two were great. Rory, you're a great dancer."

"It was all Finn, he good lead," she smiled at Finn, and drowned the champagne he gave her.

Stephanie smiled back "I know, but not a lot of girls can keep up with him."

They enjoyed the rest of the night, dancing, drinking and talking. Logan turned up with a girl named Corey and they all had fun. Only Stephanie noticed the long glares that Logan shot Rory every once in a while. Around two o'clock their ranks started thinning, there were only a few couples left on the dance floor. Rory and Finn were one of them dancing to a slow, dwelling Dizzy Gillespie song. Her head were resting on his chest, and he held her hand against him. She could hear his heart beat under his shirt, and she moved, more I sync with that than with the music. Her other hand were at the end of his neck where it fiddled with his hair. He had his face buried in her hair. His free hand was at small of her back, and just as she had wished for in that moment, he tugged her closer. Her breathing was forced, and she felt his heart beat faster. Then he suddenly stopped moving, she looked up at him, expecting his face to come down for a kiss. He wanted to kiss her so bad, but he was afraid what her reaction might be, what if she ran? What would he do if someone like him tried to kiss him? Bolt, he would bolt. He didn't need a broken heart again, she didn't either.

"So, we've better turn in," He let go of her except for her one hand and lead her from the floor.

"You are sleeping with Stephanie, she will show you were." He continued.

She was confused, sleeping? And he hadn't kissed her, didn't he want to? She was so sure that he had felt like her.

"I thought you said I didn't need an overnight bag?" was all she got out.

"We made one for you, Steph will show you where it is and where you are sleeping."

She saw the blonde girl sitting tired-looking in a chair.

"Ready for bed?" Finn asked her and she just nodded.

She got up and started to walk to the door, Rory and Finn followed her out to the car. Finn got a bag out of the back, and bent down to kiss her on the cheek.

"Sleep tight Kitten, see you tomorrow."

He turned around and walked towards one of the buildings close to the hangar, while she just looked after him.