A/N: Oops. Sorry about the mix-up. This should be the right chapter. I hope. Haha. Thanks to all of you who alerted me to this problem. Enjoy!

Chapter Fifteen: Brando and Burgers

Rory had repeated the whole story to Lorelai and had felt so drained afterwards that she needed half a pot of coffee before she could even utter another coherent sentence. Lorelai had been so worried that she called Luke and asked him to bring over burgers and fries and pick up Brando's The Wild One on his way there.

"We have burgers and Brando coming," Lorelai told Rory, hanging up the phone.

"Gruel," Rory answered, furrowing her eyebrows in confusion afterwards. "I mean, good."

"Ah, don't worry, hun. The ability to speak will return with burgers."

Rory nodded, curling her feet under her bottom and clutching a pillow to her stomach. Waves of nausea hit her as she thought of Logan. He had looked so defeated in his father's office. He looked the same way in the car, as if he had already given up on them.

"It's over," Rory choked out, her fingers pressing into the pillow.

"You're speaking," Lorelai said gently, sitting next to her. "See, you didn't even need the burgers."

"It's over, I can't believe it's over."

"Who says it's over, huh?" She gently rubbed her arm. "You two are just going through a rough patch."

"I wasn't understanding. I should have been more understanding."

"It was a lot for you to take in, babe. Don't beat yourself up. If anything, Logan should be beating himself up."

"No," Rory insisted, shaking her head. "He made a mistake. People make mistakes."

"Rory, don't put this on yourself," Lorelai warned. She could see where her daughter was heading and said, "You're right, people make mistakes, but he shouldn't have hid it from you. The fact that he repeatedly brushed off your questions proves that maybe you two do need a break."

"I don't want a break," Rory cried, shaking her head obstinately. "I…"

"You what?"

"I love him," she cried softly.

For a moment Lorelai was silent, unsure how to tackle the enormous road block that Rory had thrust into Lorelai's carefully constructed plan. She had thought they would stay up late eating junk food and watching bad biker movies and that things would look different in the morning. Rory was a rational person and Lorelai was sure they they would come to a rational solution. Those three words changed everything, though.

Lorelai had once told her daughter that when your heart's involved, everything comes out in moron.

Rory's heart was working double time and with that, all rationality went out the window.

"You love him?" She asked softly. Rory shook her head, beginning to sob audibly again.

"I love him. I love him and all I did was yell at him."

"You were upset."

"I could have listened. I didn't, though. All I did was yell."

"You had to process it all, babe."

"He probably never wants to see me again."

Lorelai saw the pity train coming towards the station and swiftly stopped it in its tracks. "Don't start that, Ror. If anything, he is probably dying for you to call right now."

"No he's not."

"You put the breaks on and believe me, the person left waiting always wants a call."

There was a knock at the door and she felt Rory stiffen. "Relax, it's probably Luke."

She answered the door and smiled gratefully at Luke who was holding three bags. She could smell the French fries.

"You are a life saver."

"Is everything okay?" He asked. "Last time you ordered this much food late at night was when you watched Babette's cats and lost one."

"Rory is a little upset."

"Is she okay?" Luke asked immediately, peering over her shoulder. "Why is she clutching a pillow to her stomach? Is she sick?"

"Boy trouble."

His eyes widened and she quickly said, "The pillow is not covering anything."

"Good, because if it was.."

"I know, you would take care of the guy."

Luke nodded and adamantly said, "Damn right I would."

"It's just plain old boy trouble. She'll be okay, though."

"Can I help at all? Do you need pie? I can go and get you some pie."

"It's fine, Luke," Lorelai said gratefully. "We're fine."

"Are you sure? It would be no trouble."

"We're fine," she repeated.

"Okay, well, if you need anything…"

"I know," she said. "Thanks for everything, Luke."

"You're welcome."

They stayed silent for a moment, Luke awkwardly shoving his hands in his pockets and then she stepped back with a little nod, closing the door.

"I need a cheeseburger," Rory said when she saw her mother with the grease stained bags.

"One coming right up," Lorelai said with a small smile, pulling one out and tossing it to Rory. The latter didn't catch it and it landed with a soft thump on the ground. Lorelai picked it up hurriedly and handed it to her, murmured, "I guess I should know better than to throw it to someone in emotional distress."

"Sorry."

"It's all good."

"What movie did you get?"

"The Wild One," Lorelai told her with a grin as she put the movie on. "Not only does it have Marlon Brando in tight pants, but a death scene that may rival Sophia's in hilarity."

"Don't forget the cheesy green screen," Rory added weakly. Lorelai grinned and sat next to her daughter.

"That's right," she said, patting Rory's leg.

The opening credits began and she heard Rory say softly, "Logan has a leather jacket like that."

RLRLRLRLRLRLRL

"Mate, I don't think you should drink anymore," Finn said, becoming confused after the sentence left his mouth. "Did I really just say that?"

"Finn's right," Colin said, pulling the tumbler from Logan's hand. "You're a fun drunk, but tonight you're just depressing."

"Rory knows," Logan slurred.

"Knows what?"

"She knows about Amy."

All three were silent and Finn said, "Bloody hell, give him his drink back."

"She said she needs time to think," Logan said, draining the glass. "That's always the beginning of the end."

"How would you know? You haven't been in many real relationships," Colin pointed out.

"Well, that's how all the television shows portray it. One minute things are fine, then the girl says she needs time, and a week later she is shacking up with the guy's best friend."

"Reporter Girl is too straight-laced for me," Finn assured him.

"I actually find her quite attractive, but you'd kick my ass if I touched her," Colin said.

"Well, in a week's time you two can touch her all you want and I won't be able to do a thing. She won't be mine anymore."

"Don't be such a ninny," Finn drawled. "Rory is not going to break up with you."

"No, she will. You two don't understand. She grew up in a household that despised money. Emily and Richard used their name and clout to get what they wanted and Lorelai hated it, therefore Rory did as well. What my father did-no, what I did-is exactly what she hates."

"That sounds bad, mate," Finn said dejectedly. "You really do sound screwed."

"Exactly my point and exactly why I need more alcohol."

"Maybe she'll forgive you. It's not like it was your choice. When Mitchum gets sets his mind of something it pretty much is a done deal." Colin offered.

"She won't forgive me. I told her that we were the same, you know. I basically told her that what I did is exactly what she would have done if she were in the same situation."

"Ouch."

"I was wrong, though. Rory wouldn't have run from her responsibilities. She would have been there for the kid."

"Her situation would have been a bit different though, Huntz. I mean, the thing would have come out of her."

"You know what I mean," Logan lamented.

"Of course we do, mate."

"I blew it. The first girl that I really care about, and I blew it."

"Just give her time. She'll turn around."

Logan just shook his head and stared down into the empty tumbler. He had a hard time believing that she would ever come back to him. He had seen the disgust in her eyes, the crushing contempt. He would need a miracle to make her forgive him. A fucking miracle.

RLRLRLRLRLRLRLRL

"It's an April morning miracle," Lorelai said cheerfully, walking into the kitchen to find Luke making pancakes, a thermos of his famous coffee on the counter. "Did you break in again?"

"I didn't know if Rory would be up to going out this morning, so I decided to bring Luke's Diner to her."

"You're a big softie," she teased.

"I smell coffee," Rory said, coming out of her room. "Luke, what are you doing here?"

"I am making you some breakfast. The late-night cheeseburgers made me think you weren't feeling too good."

"No, I wasn't," she answered.

"Well, I brought you some coffee and am currently making pancakes. Help yourself."

Rory poured herself a large cup of coffee and felt her spirits lift a bit as she took her first sip.

"This stuff is magical," Rory commented.

"It is," Lorelai agreed. "Luke, what secret spells do you do to make it oh so delicious?"

"You two are odd."

"And you would not have us any other way," Lorelai told him. Turning her direction to Rory she asked, "So, how many times did he call you?"

"How did you know?" Rory asked with wide eyes.

"I am your mother, also known as she-who-knows-all. Spill."

"Eight."

"Wow, the kid's dedicated."

"Or a nuisance," Luke said, opening up a cabinet. "Hey Lorelai, where are the plates?"

Lorelai took a dirty one from the table and handed it to him.

"This is dirty," he pointed out.

Lorelai took it from him, wiped the crumbs onto the floor and then handed it back to him. "There, all clean."

"This house is disgusting."

"You think that now? Just wait until you see the silverware."

Rory's phone buzzed and she found a text from Logan.

Ignore all my calls from last night. I'm sorry. I'll give you the time you need.

"Everything okay?" Lorelai asked gently.

"Yeah, everything's fine."

"Was it him?"

She nodded. "He said to ignore his calls from last night."

"I'm guessing he was a bit off his game, huh?"

She nodded again.

"Well, at least he's sucking out the poison. Most guys just make the calls and then make up some story about their friend calling and impersonating them on a dare."

"Most guys do not do that," Luke told her.

"Well, all of mine did."

"Here," Luke said, placing the plate in front of Rory. "And don't worry, I washed it."

"Thanks Luke."

"So, is this about that Logan guy?"

Rory swallowed a partially chewed bit of pancake and choked momentarily before managing to say, "Yes, Logan."

"Shame, that guy wasn't too bad."

"Really?" Rory asked, surprised. Luke never liked her guys. He didn't even like Jess, and that was his own nephew.

"Yeah, he seemed to really like you. He would get that googly-eyed look whenever he looked at you. It was actually kind of disgusting."

"He got googly-eyed?" Rory asked softly.

Luke nodded. "He seemed like a good guy."

"He is a good guy," Rory said and the conviction in her voice surprised Lorelai. She looked at her daughter and was both pleased and worried to see the color returning to her cheeks.

"Luke, these are delicious pancakes," Rory enthused, taking a large bite. "I would say that they are your best ones yet."

"That's because Cesar makes the other ones," Lorelai told her, smiling despite the curling of her stomach at Rory's sudden turn-around. "He's too busy singing La Bamba to really flip properly. It's all in the flip."

"I heard he does that when he closes," Luke commented.

"Flip?" Lorelai joked.

"No, sing."

"Oh, he does," Lorelai said with a nod. "I've seen him do it."

Rory listened to them banter but slowly drew back into her thoughts. All night she had been tossing and turning over the news that had been thrown at her. She had felt conflicted. One side of her wanted to leave Logan and never have to deal with his deluded family again, while the other side wanted to stay with Logan and shield him from said family. She went back and forth between decisions, waiting for something to tip the scale. She was waiting for a miracle.

And then she found Luke Danes in her kitchen.

While Luke's fondness of Logan did not entirely drive her decision, it gave her an outside view on Logan. It was a view not tinted by her own feelings, or her mother's dislike of money. It was an unsolicited view from her boyfriends' harshest critic. His liking Logan solidified her belief that Logan was inherently a good person. Gone were her doubts and second guesses, replaced by something new. Margaret Mitchell would call it gumption, but Rory thought of it more as a conviction to make things right. The bottom line was that she loved Logan and was not willing to give him up.

She wasn't willing to give in, either, though.

There was something she wanted from Logan and she intended on getting it.

RLRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRL

"Are you sure you're ready?" Lorelai asked, watching Rory fix her hair a bit before she headed out to Yale.

"I'm ready to face it."

"Don't you think you should take a little more time to sort through it all?"

"When it comes down to it Mom, there really isn't that much for me to sort through. Logan has a son. What more is there than that?"

"I don't know, maybe the fact that he paid off the mother to keep the paternity a secret?"

"That was his father, not him," Rory told her.

"He had to have agreed to it, Rory."

"He was seventeen. His father had the upper hand."

"For someone who was so upset last night, you seem to have moved on pretty quickly," Lorelai noted as gently as possible. The steely look in Rory's eyes when she looked at her said she had not spoken gently enough.

"I realized that I overreacted."

"Maybe you were warranted to overreact a little. This is a serious issue, Rory."

"I know that," she sighed. "Believe me Mom, I know that."

"Well, are you sure he's ready to face all of this?"

Rory turned to her and said, "I don't know, but either way, he needs to know I'm on his side." Rory paused, her hand going to her side. "You know, I'm nervous."

"Remember, you put the breaks on," Lorelai told her. "He's pining."

Rory nodded, picking her purse up from the bed. "Well, I'm going to go."

"Good luck, babe."

RLRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRL

"Why do we never remember the morning after when we are drinking ourselves to death?" Logan complained, sprawled on the couch with Colin collapsed on the floor next to him.

"We never do, do we?"

"I swear, we block the memory."

"Of course, we do. If we actually remembered how bad the morning is, we would never drink the night away."

There was a loud knock at the door and Colin winced.

"If that is Finn I am punching him in the groin."

"Since when does Finn knock?" Logan asked, standing up. The room moved around like a lava lamp for a moment and then he moved over to the door.

"You know who Finn reminds me of?" Colin asked, groaning afterwards. "I hate headaches."

"I don't know, who?"

"Kramer from Seinfeld. Everytime Finn enters a room, it's Kramer."

Logan chuckled. "You're right."

He pulled open the door and his grin disappeared.

"Ace."

"Rory's here?" Colin mumbled, twisting his neck to see her. "I'm seeing double, damn that's not good."

"Can we talk?" She asked him.

"Um, yeah, come in."

She walked pas him, taking in the complete disarray of the apartment.

"Colin, close your eyes," Logan ordered as Rory walked past him, her skirt giving Colin a prime view.

"Already done, man," Colin groaned.

"Can we talk in your room, maybe?" Rory asked.

Logan nodded and led her to his room, looking at her for a moment before closing the door. She sat down on his bed, not trusting her legs to support her.

"I'm glad you're here," Logan told her. "I'm really glad you're here."

"I thought a lot about what happened yesterday."

He nodded.

"And I want you to know that I'm here for you."

"Rory," he breathed out and she felt her throat tighten as tears filled his eyes.

"Oh, please don't cry," she pleaded. "I'll never be able to do what I need to if you cry."

"What you need to?" He repeated.

"I'm here for you," she told him, "but there is something that I need you to do."

"Anything."

She took a deep breath.

"I want you to visit your son."

He stared at her, his throat dry. "Visit my son."

"I can come with you if you want. I just think that you need to get to know him. You'll regret it if you don't."

"Rory-"

"Your son has a good man as his father. He deserves to know him."

"My father would get pissed," Logan said after a moment.

"He doesn't have to know."

"What if Amy tells him?"

"You'll have done nothing wrong," she assured him.

"I don't know, Rory."

"Look," she said gently, "Logan, look at me."

He met her blue eyes and nearly lost it there. She could see right through him.

"I know you're scared," she said softly. "But this is the right thing to do."

"It's been three years," he told her. "Won't it look odd for me to just waltz in after three years?"

"Have you had any contact?"

He shook his head. "Mitchum paid for a clean break. You know, I looked for them the last time I was in Santa Barbara. I couldn't find them. It was like they disappeared. I don't even know how we would find them now."

"We'll find a way."

"What if he rejects me?"

"He's three, Logan. Just bring him a toy and you'll be his best friend."

"You're incredible," he murmured, gazing at her. "With all of this, I mean, you are really incredible. I thought you were going to run after a told you."

"I almost did," she admitted. "So, will you do it?"

Logan took a deep breath and then reached for her hand. She took it willingly.

"Okay, I'll do it."

A/N: Thank for reading!