Sorry this took so long. I got mono. Felt like dying not typing. Thanks for sticking with me.
The convertible roared to life and they tore off down the gravel road that led away from the Huntzberger home. Rory stuck her feet back out the window area of the car and let her toes catch the tropical breeze once more, but this time the feeling was like nothing she had felt before.
If this was what apathy felt like, she thought; she should have given up hope for Logan ages ago. The warm breeze whipping past her toes was like a gentle massage lulling her to sleep. The truth was it didn't take much to lull her to sleep these days. Growing a human was harder on her body than she had realized it would be.
"Wake up. You have to see this." Finn gently rocked against her shoulder.
Rory woke to find herself in a bed she didn't recognize; curled up with her head in the lap of Finn. He was so excited and pointing out the window like a small child on Christmas morning.
"How did I get here?" she asked.
"Look!" he shouted hoisting her over his lap and towards the window.
Outside the jet's window she saw a beautiful sunrise crowned with a rainbow. The warm glow from the morning sun flooded Finn's face. He looked as young and carefree as he had sounded moments ago.
"You Brits never cease to amaze me." She laughed sliding herself off of the bed to stretch.
"I'm not a Brit." Now it was his turn to chuckle.
"Of course you are. You were raised in London, went to Eaton, and I've met your father before he passed away. He was a Londoner through and through."
"My mum was an Aussie. She raised me alone until I was 10. She was a teacher, and we lived in Kuranda." Finn's eyes drifted off and a warm smile crossed his face. It was obvious that he was lost in a fond memory.
"So how did she meet your dad?" Rory covered his hand with hers and pulled him back to the present.
He chuckled," The worst vacation of my life. We saved and saved for a trip to England so we could see Buckingham palace. Mum always fancied herself a princess in her own right, and she saved so that we could have a whole summer holiday."
"So you were 10 and got to go on such an amazing adventure! How could that have been so bad?"
"The night before we went to Buckingham she met Gregory in a pub. She got soused, he got what he wanted, and 6 weeks later I found out I was going to be a brother by the man who had spent our holiday banging my mum and beating me."
"Your mom let him hit you?" she squeezed his hand.
"She didn't know. I didn't want to ruin her fun. She spent all she had on me and my happiness. It was her turn."
"I'm so sorry, Finn."
"Better me than her. She had a rough pregnancy. She was sick all the time. He blamed me. Said I was a spiteful child and that's what was making her sick."
"What?!" Rory was appalled.
"I didn't handle leaving home well. We never went back you know. I didn't even get to say goodbye to my friends. The first few months I was angry… angrier than I should have been. I hated everything, everyone, including her. I got kicked out of 2 prep schools."
"Wow. Must have been hard."
"Yeah," he said wiping a single tear from his cheek," I should have taken it easier on her."
"I meant for you. Losing everything you know and love. Getting stuck with an abusive step father who valued money and station more than his new son. I can't imagine how hard that would be for a little boy. All of that and then to lose your mom."
"How did you know she died?"
"I just guessed. No one talks about someone quite that way unless they have passed away. How did it happen?"
"It was when she had Charlotte. Char came home okay… she didn't."
"Finn… I'm so"
He interrupted," We'll be back home soon. You should really get some rest."
Noticing the abrupt change in mood and topic she didn't press," I think the hours I've already been asleep will be enough. I do have a favor to ask though."
"I already whisked you off on a Bahamian getaway. What more could you ask?" he joked.
"You're right. Nevermind."
"I'm only joshin'. What is it that I can do for you, love? Anything. You just name it." Finn knelt at her feet.
"I need a friend." She stated so bluntly.
"I hardly call that a favor, love. I thought we were already friends."
"No I mean… I need someone to just be just my friend. All of my friends are either team Logan or team Jess. Jess gave me a sample so I could find out who the baby belongs to. I find out next few weeks, and I don't know what I would do either way. I need someone to be team Rory. I know it's not fair and I know it's not right with you being one of Logan's closest friends, but"
"But nothing. I'm yours. I, Finnius Finnegan, not my real name, swear my allegiance to Team Rory. Whatever you need I'm at your disposal. My only request is that I crash on your couch. After all our debauchery I don't believe the lovely Lorelai will be welcoming me at either of her fine establishments."
"Probably not. Though can you blame her? You stole the koi from her pond."
"The word is liberated, and it's exactly why I need your couch."
"If it buys your loyalty on the baby front I guess it's a cheap price."
Three weeks later…
"Rummy!" Lane yelled as she smacked her cards down on the table in front of Finn.
"Cheat!" he yelled back as Rory came through the front door arms full of grocery bags.
"Finn," she whimpered from behind the paper bags.
"Here, love, let me get those." He sashayed the bags over to the kitchen table and began to go through them," let us see what the great Luke has sent for us to dine on this week."
"Not Luke, Sookie." She answered as she bolted for the bathroom.
"God bless that woman! Look Lane, meat pies!"
"Rory, I have to go. I've been hiding from my children for hours- because you were coming home. You are a couple hours late. I entertained your man-child. I have to go home and stop whatever nuclear holocaust/evil villain plan my boys have cooked up."
"Tell Zach I said hi." She yelled back from a cracked bathroom door.
Rory emerged from the bathroom fresh faced, and freshly pajama-ed. She bounced around to the stereo and began dancing around to the music. Rory grabbed Finn and shook him by his arms to the bass of her stereo.
"It came." Finn grimly interrupted.
"I know. The shipment of laptops showed up today. I don't know who this new owner is, but she's amazing! I'm getting to turn the gazette into an amazing online magazine while still keeping the traditional gazette local."
"That's great, but that's not what I'm talking about." He held a menacing envelope out in between the two of them.
"Oh…" Rory took a deep breath.
She grabbed the envelope and tap-tap-tapped it against the table in front of her securing it's contents to one side before she ripped the end of the envelope off. She blew a puff of air into the envelope and began removing it's contents before she froze and forced the parcel toward Finn.
"You do it." She whispered.
"Are you sure?" he asked.
She nodded.
Finn's hands were shaking as he pulled the DNA analysis report from it's cave. He and Rory had grown closer in the last week than they had over their years of friendship. He didn't want to hurt her. After discussing the possibilities each night until the early morning hours for the last few weeks, he knew either way would cause damage, but there was definitely a result that could hurt more. Neither potential father had even bothered to show up, but both were an overbearing presence in her life.
Jess took to sending Rory books. Books about babies, books to read to babies, and books about running a business. He sent her letters about his family life growing up, and his medical history 'just in case'. He also left her drunken voicemails accusing her of 'doing this to him' on purpose. Logan took a different play out of a similar book. Plenty of gifts. Lavish bouquets of flowers, jewelry, even a family car. Logan left her voicemail full of a mix of marriage proposals and angry outbursts.
They weren't the only ones harassing Rory these days. Babbette and the pro Loganers swung by the newspaper daily to remind her about all the things in life that Logan could give a baby that Jess couldn't. Miss Patty, Lane, and the Jess brigade were forcing Rory down memory lane every other waking moment that she wasn't at home. So except for late night discussions that Rory initiated, they didn't talk about Logan or Jess. It wasn't worth the pain it caused her. Besides the conversations had become so frequent that Finn hadn't slept alone except for nights that he flew back to New York to handle business.
"I didn't think it would take so long after Jess provided a sample. I guess Logan pitched in his 2 cents of DNA and started the process all over again." Rory shifted from foot to foot.
"I'm just glad you didn't go for that grotesque needle the doctor was pushing. It looked like something to jump start Frankenstein's monster not treat an itty bitty baby." Finn laughed uncomfortably.
"So… what does it say?"
"It says that with at 99.92% likelihood Jess is the father of your little one."
Rory fell to her knees. Her face was in her hands and she was hyperventilating. It wasn't the answer she had wanted. Writing off Logan would have been so much easier. She could have cited his reckless behavior or alcoholism. With Jess it would be the whole of Stars Hollow wanting answers. Even the pro-Logan squad would want answers too if Rory didn't fulfill the town fairytale.
"It's okay. I'm here. I'm not leaving. If you want I can tell Logan, but you- you have to tell Jess, and before you tell anyone else. It's only fair."
"I know," she sobbed," I was just so sure. We only had sex once… once."
"I don't mean to sound like your sex-ed professor, but that's all it takes."
"Shut up!" She laughed and smacked him knocking him from a crouch to the floor.
"Oh that's it!" Finn jumped to his feet and looked like he was going to wrestle a bear.
He ran at her and picked her up carrying her to the couch where he began mercilessly tickling her. Rory squirmed, and laughed, and screamed while she tried fighting back.
"Thank you." She said breathlessly as she laid her head on his shoulder.
"No problem. I'll tickle you until you wet yourself daily if you like."
"No. Thank you for being here. I'll tell Logan though. No reason he should hate you too."
"Huntzberger isn't going to hate you… he isn't capable."
"I don't know. He left his fiance for me, and now I'm having someone else's baby."
"And then instead of coming to you he shacked up with the lot of random whores and prostitutes that the Bahamian isles had to offer." Finn reminded her.
"Touche. I don't think I want to be with Logan anyway."
"So Jess then?"
"No… yes… I don't know how I feel. I feel… hungry and pregnant. I'm prepared to raise this little guy alone though."
"Guy? Is that what the doctor said?" Finn asked.
"No. Just a guess. Why?"
"The report has the sex on there too."
"Hide it! Burn it! I don't want to know. I promised Sookie that I would let her throw one of those ridiculous gender parties. You sir are now keeper of the gender. Don't screw it up."
"I swear I will kill all who try to worm the information out of me." He declared.
"Maybe just refuse to tell them. I think that will be enough."
"So when are you going to tell Jess?"
"He's coming into town tomorrow to discuss the deal his house is offering on my book. I guess I can tell him then?"
"Seems dangerous mixings, Rory." Finn cautioned.
"I know. I have offers from Coffee House, Haymarket, and Graywolf too. They all loved the excerpt that I published on the website."
"I told you they would. Who wouldn't love a story about you ggallivanting across Europe chasing Italian tail with your grandmother." Finn waggled his eyebrows at Rory.
"Not funny. You know that's not what happened. At least you would if you read any of my book." She chided.
"… and with that I knew Emily was more like Lorelai than she cared to admit, and I like her. It was the legacy of the Gilmore girls to love deeply, and recklessly. Emily her latin lover, Lorelai her hometown hero, and I the high school sweetheart I had left behind." Finn quoted her book.
"That's not from the excerpt." She was shocked.
"No it's not."
"You read my entire book?"
"Well, love, I've been here 3 weeks now with not so much as a drop of brandy in the house."
"I'm pregnant." She reminded.
"You sell yourself short, Rory. You are so much more than that."
The air around them was thick. Rory knew that Finn was a good man, but she never would have guessed he was so caring. It was clear now that he had stayed because he was more than a caring friend. Finn began to lean in close and brushed the hair out of her face. Rory hadn't felt this way in a very long time.
"Wait…" she stopped him.
"You're right. We can't do this… can we?" he asked.
"No, we can't. I…"
"… have to tell Logan and Jess first." He finished her sentence.
"No. I'm pregnant, Finn. It's just too much all at once. I can't tell you how much I appreciate you being here for me, but I just can't do this right now. And you… you deserve to not be stuck with a single mom and her kid."
Finn looked defeated momentarily before putting on his rakish smile back across his face," You're right, doll. Tell you what, I'll just crash one more night on your couch, and help you prepare for this telling the boys thing. Then, I'll be on my way and you can go back to living your life."
"You don't have to go, and the couch is lumpy. You can still have your side of the bed and your drool covered pillow."
"I'll take the pillow… and the couch."
Later that night…
"Finn," Rory called from her bed as she did every night.
She needed to talk about what was going to happen; what could happen. She waited in the darkness for what felt like hours for him to slide into bed beside her as he did each night, but he never came.
Rory slid out of her own warm cocoon of blankets and made her way into the living room. There was Finn in all his glory curled up on her lumpy couch eyes closed tight and pretending to sleep.
"Finn," she whispered.
He snorted and pretended to snore.
"Fine," she argued," have it your way. I'm going back to my warm, comfortable bed. Enjoy the couch."