Disclaimer: I've been forgetting these lately, but I still do not own anything ASP created!!

ENJOY! (A/N's at the bottom)

Rory absentmindedly ran her thumb over the slightly faded pages of the book she pretended to read. She tried her best, but she couldn't concentrate and laid the paperback down beside her, before glancing over her shoulder to check the time on the stately grandfather clock in the corner of her rarely used parlor.

7:15 pm.

She looked away frowning but quickly refocused her gaze on the clock to make sure she had read the time correctly.

"Where is he?" Rory asked the empty parlor, as she realized she didn't have a sham clock. She had decided to sit here to wait for Logan since it was the only room on the first floor with a view of the driveway and she had wanted to greet him at the door. However, now she wasn't sure as he was about forty minutes late for the 'Home and Gardens Annual Grand Homes of Hartford' soiree.

She rolled her eyes and wished the anger bubbling up inside her away. They were going to be late to the party, which would not have bothered her if it was one of Logan's events; however, she had organized the 'Home and Gardens' Event with the DAR, did not RSVP and was going to be showing up as Logan's date… Being late would just add to the crazy gossip, and that was something she wanted to avoid.

More to the point, she had left Mitchum's in a rush to pick up her dress and jewelry, shower and fix her make-up, to look presentable for this social engagement and she had been left sitting in her five thousand dollar emerald green Grecian gown on an uncomfortable lounge chair in the foyer. Rory stared down at her silver strapped sandals and couldn't help feeling aggravated by Logan's forty-five minute delay. She was just about to reach for her clutch and retrieve her cell phone when she saw his car pull up out of the corner of her eye.

Immediately, she jumped up, silently scolding herself for the bright smile that appeared on her face. She was supposed to be upset; she had every right to be.

"Sorry I'm late, Ace', Logan called as he made his way through the door.

"No worries, babe," she said reassuringly as she came into the hallway.

His lips curled into a curious smile – he was sure she would be at least a little mad at him for showing up over forty minutes late – but she wasn't. She was practically glowing as she looked at him and his eyes slowly traveled up and down her body.

"Come here, Ace', he said, holding out his hand for her. She took it, without hesitation, and he pulled her into a hug.

She melted at his touch; any anger she might have had swirling through her most definitely disappeared as she let herself relax in his embrace and breath in his delicious scent.

"I've missed you, Ace, and I'm sorry about tonight…" he whispered into her hair.

She pulled away slightly, fixing her eyes on his. Rory was about to make a lighthearted comment, but Logan's lips colliding with hers stopped her from doing so.

After a few moments, Logan broke off their mini-make-out session as quickly as he had started it. "We should get going," he told her with a smile, though his tone mirrored his business persona.

She wiped a few stray hairs from her forehead, trying to catch her breath. She was confused, seeing as two minutes ago she was convinced Logan would carry her up the stairs, throw her on the bed and undo her of her dress and make passionate love to her, like in a check-out line romance novel.

Her eyes searched for a sign that Logan had made his comment in jest; but she did not see any. "Let me just fix my hair," she said with a tight smile.

"Quickly," he warned as he whipped out his blackberry.

She raised a critical eyebrow at him. He had the balls to tell her to hurry up, while he was the one that was running late and the one that just rejected her!

"We're running late," he said, adding insult to injury, without even looking up from the text message he was sending. Her pissed off sounding mumbling caused him to look up and shoot her a questioning look. Maybe she even saw a little apology in there.

She sighed and gave him the benefit of the doubt. Again. She hated she was letting him get away with so much crap; but, on the other hand, they were still in the process of working things out and in her mind, putting herself in his shadow, following him like a puppy dog was part of going through the process. Rory pressed a quick kiss on his cheek. "I'll be right out."

Rory rubbed her sapphire ring, deep in thought. She and Logan hadn't exchanged a word since getting into the waiting town car. The ride to the Club wasn't long, but it seemed like hours in complete silence.

She gently reached for his hand and squeezed it comfortingly. He responded by giving a short squeeze in return. Rory eyed his face carefully. His brow was slightly furrowed, his nose scrunched up ever so slightly and his lips lightly pursed. It was obvious he was concerned about something.

"Are you okay, babe?" she asked softly, unsure if breaking the silence would annoy him. She hated that she felt like she needed to walk on egg shells around him sometimes.

Logan remained silent for a moment, before softening his features and shooting her a tender smile. "I'm fine, Ace. Just tired and nervous about tonight…." he trailed off, not wanting to bother her with business details. After all, he knew she hated shoptalk, since she never had a proper 'shop' to talk about.

"Big business deal, huh?" she asked, trying to get him to open up to her.

He nodded slowly. "Yeah, but it'll be fine. I'll mingle with the men and the ladies will be there for you, right?' he spoke more to himself then to her, "so we'll be out of there fairly quickly.'

Rory instantly understood that her role was limited to 'Mrs. Huntzberger' tonight, and not 'Mrs. Huntzberger Chair of Social Events for the Daughters of the American Revolution." The credit for the 'Home and Gardens' party would go to her mother, her right-hand-man in organizing these events. Rory knew and she had made peace with that week's ago.

"You'll do great, babe," she said with a hint of sorrow in her tone that went completely unnoticed by him. He did; however, turn to look at her.

"You look amazing tonight, Ace," he said, smiling as he pressed a gentle kiss on her lips. "The most beautiful woman in the room, guaranteed."

A tiny blush crept over her face and he pressed another kiss on her lips, loving how he could still make her blush. "I'll hurry up my mingling," he said, lowering his voice as he whispered the promise in her ear, "and maybe we'll finish what we started earlier…"

Logan and Rory entered the ballroom at the Club, fully knowing the hushed whispers were about them. It was how Society worked and after close to thirty years of living in the confined realm of Society, they both knew the drill.

He gallantly grabbed two flutes of champagne from the waiter that sashayed around with the big silver tray.

"You'll need this, Ace," he told her, pressing a kiss on her temple.

"You too," she laughed back, though she looked passed his face, as she tried to see what one of the overly made-up society women was talking about. From her gestures and disapproving look, it was obvious it was about her. Rory Huntzberger, who had enough gall to crash her own party; Rory could cope with that. She had prepared mentally; however, the business of the afternoon had completely pushed that unmistakable black bob that she spotted to the back of her head.

"Oh God," Rory groaned softly, before downing the rest of her champagne.

"What's wrong, Ace?" Logan asked light-heartedly, "Bite into a salmon puff instead of a cream puff?"

She looked up, granting him a semi-amused smile, before clarifying, "Lane's here. I forgot that Mom, Stephanie and Lane would be here…"

"Oh," he furrowed his brow in confusion, "That'll be good, right?"

She shot him a blank stare. "No, not really – we fought at brunch…" She stood on her toes and scooted in a little closer, so she could whisper the rest in his ears, sheltering her words from gossiping ears. "I stormed out since they called our marriage a joke…" Rory stepped away and shot him a questioning look, "Remember?"

He sighed inwardly as he remembered the conversation he had had with Rory this afternoon. Really, he would never understand women. So they had a little heated discussion, surely no reason to avoid those they'd known their whole lives.

"Oh Ace," he snaked his arm around her waist, pulling her in for a comforting sideways hug. "It'll be alright; I'll walk you over to them before I buckle down and mingle." He leaned in, deliberately letting his hot breath tickle her neck, before whispering in her ear, "That'll show them our marriage isn't a joke!"

Lorelai, Stephanie, Lane, Finn and Emily were engaged in a lively discussion about the new tennis courts at Martha's Vineyard as Logan and Rory approached the gathering.

"Oh, hi Logan," Stephanie said, raising her voice slightly, alerting the other members of the group of the new arrival.

Everyone, except oblivious Emily, shot the couple a tight, polite Society smile.

"Oh, Logan," Emily exclaimed, "I did not expect to see you here, what with the company and all. Richard tells me you are doing a marvelous job," she smiled at him. "But honestly, Rory, your presence is not really required. After all, this isn't your 'Big Night' is it?

Her smile turned into a scowl as she looked at Rory.

"Big night?" Logan asked, looking down at his wife.

She waited a beat, feeling the glares her friends and mother were sending her, before looking up and meeting his gaze. "It's not a big deal…" she shot Emily an apologetic smile, "Since I did not RSVP Mom gets the recognition for tonight…"

Rory hoped Logan would be satisfied with her not-so coherent answer, but he still had confusion written on his face.

"I'm sorry, I don't follow…" Logan chuckled lightly as he glanced at the group quickly.

"It's a DAR-thing, babe," Rory waved his confused tone away, before anyone else could speak, "The 'Home and Garden' Event is very prestigious to host and there is a little award attached to it, it's no big deal…."

"Rory!" Emily gasped in shock, "Little award? How could you say such a thing? It's a great honor!"

"Mom," Lorelai tried to interject, saving her daughter from an Emily-rant, but it didn't matter. "You weren't even supposed to be here, Rory! Honestly, why did you even come – frankly, it's a slap in the face to your DAR sisterhood!"

"No, Grandma, I did not…," she sighed heavily, trying to find the words she so desperately need, "I… Logan and I had plans tonight and…they got cancelled, because, well, Logan needed to be here, so I am here as his date. I am not slapping any sisters faces, or trying to get back my 'Big Night', I'm just here to support him," she paused as she took another flute of champagne off the tray that a waiter held before her, "and for the free champagne."

Logan shot her a confused look; not totally grasping the extent of Rory's blatant neglect of certain Society Events and basically putting everything on hold for her husband, which was completely unheard of in their circles.

"Honestly, Rory," Emily said finally, "I had to sit Social Chair for eight years before I was awarded for my efforts. You are nominated after three years and you don't even care! As a member of the DAR I simply do not understand your motivation; however, I am your Grandmother and as your Grandmother I'd like to say that you look stunning this evening…" She paused; glancing passed her to look at Logan.

"Exquisite taste," Emily complimented him, before disappearing into the crowd in a huff.

"Wow," Logan shook his head laughing, before pressing a gentle kiss on Rory's head. "Are you okay?"

She half-expected him to apologize profusely, storm off to whomever dealt with DAR nominations and demand Rory got her moment in the sun; but, like always, she should have known better.

He didn't even wait for her answer, "These awards come around every year, right?" Logan asked lightly, "I'm sure you'll get the prize next year, Ace. Besides, the nom is nice, too, right?"

His eyes scanned the room as she mumbled her answer.

"Good, great, excellent," Logan exclaimed, slowly morphing into the cunning business man. "Oh, there's the guy I need to be talking to…"

He looked down at her, his eyes softening for a second as he asked her once more if she was alright. She nodded, received a quick brush on the lips and watched ruefully as he made his way through the crowd. The anger she felt earlier bubbled up again. Tonight was supposed to be hers and he didn't even care – he was late, their talking was back to being limited to calls and coffee breaks, whereas their physical time was spent together doing just that – sex.

They might have changed in Europe, but for that change to last on US soil, they both needed to work at it. Lane, of course, had been right: it wasn't okay just because Logan was close by.

She let out a deep sigh, before looking her friends in the eye. They all had sad, sympathetic looks on their faces.

"I'm sorry for being such a bitch at breakfast," she shot each of them an apologetic half-smile, before they enveloped Rory in a crushing hug.

"Ah, Rory, love," Finn said, pulling away from the embrace, "I would like to apologize on behalf of the entire male species for my man's behavior. It's that damn Y-chromosome! How can we make it up to you?"

Rory shook her head, letting a soft chuckle escape her lips. "Get me a beer?"

Finn gasped in mock-shock, "Beer at a Society Event?"

"The rebel thing works for me," she quipped back and laughed as Lane and Lorelai also ordered Finn to bring them beer. Stephanie stuck to sparkling water.

"Make sure they give it to you in a bottle, baby," Lane called after him. If they were going to be tacky, they might as well do it right. As soon as Finn was out of ear shot, Rory apologized again, but they waved it away – it was clear to them Rory had had several epiphanies since this morning's brunch.

"Rory," Lane rubbed her friend's shoulder gently, "You'll figure it out. You always do – you just can't let him be in charge all the time. You are not in this alone…"

"I know," Rory nodded.

"Baby, it's not as black-and-white as it seems," Lorelai continued Lane's story. "You've got to talk to him, make him hear you, you know? Figure out what you want, and let him know. Spell it out in alphabet soup if you have to, or take him on 'Wheel of Fortune' and have Vanna White turn the letters for him… Just do something!"

Rory let out an inaudible snort – it was the second time today someone was telling her to figure out what she wanted. Finn returned with the beers and she drank hers quietly, as she kept half an ear tuned into the conversation, half an ear on the gossip and her eyes glancing around the room; watching as Logan stood in his element.

Well, this was certainly not how she wanted to spend her Saturday evening. She sloshed the last sip of beer around in her bottle, trying to drown out the sounds around her to make a pro-con list; but she couldn't. She needed to be home, in her pajamas, with lots of coffee and red vines, complimented by the soothing sounds of 'The Antiques Roadshow' softly in the background.

She quickly swallowed the last sip of her beer, and placed the empty bottle down on the table. "I think I'm just going to go home," she told Lorelai, who looked at her with concerned eyes. "Mom, don't worry - I am just going to take your advice to heart and I can't do that in six inch heels with Cookie and Birdie whispering about my hair and trashy look!"

"You, trashy?" Lorelai laughed, "Hardly."

Rory shot her mother a genuine smile and gave her a quick hug. "I love you, Mom."

"I love you, too, honey. Call me if you need me!"

After another round of goodbye's and love you's Rory left the Society Event with a bright smile as she realized it was quite possibly the last one in her lifetime.

"Ladies and gentleman; your attention please," a polite female voice filled the ballroom, causing the attendees to cease their gossiping, drinking and eating.

The pot-bellied man Logan was trying to convince to invest in HPG's latest endeavor indicated that their conversation wasn't over as both men directed their attention to the main stage.

"Thank-you all for joining us in celebrating 'Home and Gardens Annual Homes of Hartford',' the botoxed blond bob smiled at the crowd, " to everyone who submitted their home we say thank-you and to those who have secured a spot on the list we say congratulations…"

A gracious applause flitted through the room as the women continued, "As you know, this event would not have been possible without the wonderful assistance of the Daughters of the American Revolution; though, one woman in particular went above and beyond the call of duty and for that we would like to present her with a Star Achievement Award."

Logan and his conversation partner exchanged a quick glance. The men, like everyone else knew Home and Gardens wasn't presenting the award out of the kindness of its heart; but, because it was the thing to do. It was just something that went along with the hubbub of the event. Nevertheless, the women of Society regarded the 'award' as a celebrated thing, which was absolutely pathetic in Logan's mind.

The polite clapping drew Logan from his thoughts, just in time to see Lorelai accept her award and thank her DAR-family. He saw Lane, Finn, Stephanie, Colin, Christopher, Emily and Richard applauding and smiling brightly; however, Rory was nowhere to be found. A sudden nervous waved washed over his body and he knew something was up.

Frowning, he turned to the pot-bellied investor, "Excuse me, Phil," he said, as he took a business card from his back pocket, "I'll be just a minute, but don't hesitate to e-mail me those documents."

He turned sharply on his heel, trying to make eye-contact with his mother-in-law, but she deliberately looked away, adding to Logan's worry.

"Lorelai," he called out, but she quickened her pace in another attempt to avoid him. It was not her typical style; though, she trusted that Rory would deal with Logan later this evening and she did not want her meddling to damage anything between the struggling couple.

"Lorelai," Logan said a little more forcefully this time as he reached out and put his hand on her shoulder, forcing her to look around.

"Oh, Logan, hey," she said flustered as she brushed her bangs away, "I didn't realize it was you." She shrugged at her lame excuse and shot him a tiny grin.

He returned the favor, knowing that Lorelai's off behavior meant he was in serious trouble. "Where's Rory? She didn't go home, did she?" Logan asked, getting straight down to business.

Lorelai cocked her head to the side and scoffed, hating that he was so oblivious. "She left quite a while ago," she said and her accusatory tone did not go unnoticed by Logan.

"Why?" he asked incredulous. "She wanted to come," he clarified lamely as he caught Lorelai's piercing glare.

"No, she wanted to come three weeks ago, when her name was going to be on the plaque I just received," she dropped her tone to a hushed, but terrifying whisper, "She wanted to come to collect this dumb-ass prize for her unwavering service to the DAR and Society Events. She wanted to come when it was about her – even though you think it's pathetic – but she cancelled like that…" Lorelai snapped her fingers for added emphasis, "Because you wanted to have Matt Damon movie night…"

Lorelai crossed her arms over her chest as she continued to stare at Logan, whose expression went from guilty to pissed-off. He hated that Lorelai could read him so well; of course it was obvious he thought this whole get together was ludicrous but then again, he never knew it was potentially important to Rory. Besides, Lorelai had no right to meddle and make him feel guilty.

He released her shoulder and gave her a short nod. "I am going to go home. Congratulations on your award," he told her, not caring that the last part was added in condescension.

Lorelai smiled tightly as she watched him go and hoped that tonight her daughter and husband would figure it out, because she really, truly did not want a moping Rory sleeping in her guest house.

He was not sure if he was mad or confused as he replayed the events of today in his mind in the backseat of the town car. Rory had called him, upset because their friends mocked their marriage. She passionately defended them as a couple and teased him with innuendos on the phone.

She never mentioned that stupid society award to him and so he thought it was not very important to her. She was the one continuously mocking the DAR anyway. She even cancelled and yet she was willing to join him this evening as a date. If she hadn't wanted to come, because it would be awkward for her then she should have told him, she should have declined his offer. She was being unreasonable – Rory knew how important these engagements were for HPG!

And she just left. For the girl who was so consumed by Society's perception of them as a couple it was a strange thing to do. Rory knew her leaving would just ignite the ferocious gossip about their union. Logan knew that she knew it would make him as head of HPG look bad.

He let out a deep, frustrated sigh. Weren't they supposed to be working on their marriage? Everything Rory did tonight jeopardized that. Didn't she understand this was important to him? He knew she hated he worked at HPG, but it was a reality of their lives and she needed to deal. He was trying! Logan decided he was definitely mad as he slid the house key in the front door.

Logan sprinted up the stairs to the library where he knew she would be reading as she waited for him. He didn't bother to knock as he opened the hardwood door with great force.

Immediately, she looked up at him and met his furious gaze. Logan gave her a quick once over. She was sitting sideways on a big chair, a notebook resting on the top of her thighs. Instead of her floor-length gown and full make-up, she was wearing an oversized Yale tee-shirt over a pair of short-shorts. Her face was washed free of make-up and the long curls she had earlier were scrunched together in a sloppy bun.

It was clear to him that she had been deep in thought before he entered as he saw crumpled up papers scattered around the room as well as candy wrappers and a bowl of Red Vines. Her eyes didn't hold the same anger as his; rather they looked sad, yet hopeful. She appeared to be at peace, which was the complete opposite of his demeanor right now.

"Hey babe," she said quietly, hoping to break the tension that filled the room.

"You left the party." Logan's harsh reply hit her hard; however, she was not going to be told off for that. In no way did she deserve that tone he was taking with her. Besides, if he just listened they wouldn't have to have the fight that was about to come.

"I did," she replied indignantly crossing her arms over her chest. She raised an eyebrow at him, provoking his anger.

"You had no right, Rory." She winced at her name, but he did not noticed, "You knew how important tonight was for me – for HPG."

"I didn't… you didn't tell me until 1:30!"

"As if that should matter, Rory – how many society functions does it take for you to realize that they are all important! Otherwise, we wouldn't attend!"

"Please," she said with an eye roll, "your ego would keel over and die if it wasn't stroked like a new puppy dog on Christmas at those events….."

"Amazing analogy," he mocked in anger, "That'll be the one that wins you the Pulitzer Prize!"

She was about to strike back, but she stopped herself. Really, he had said some really horrible things to her, but never had he criticized her writing or linguistic abilities. This was a low-blow. She narrowed her eyes to angry slits as she collected her notebook, pen and Red Vines, before getting up and brushing past him.

"Rory, come on, don't run away!" He called out after her as she stomped down the hallway.

She stopped dead in her tracks and turned around slowly. "Fuck you."

Complete silence filled the mansion, before Rory once again turned around and angrily stormed off to their bedroom and violently shut the door.

A perplexed Logan was left behind in the hallway, staring blankly at the closed bedroom door as Rory's angry voice rang in his ears. It was as if they were back at Square One.

He sighed heavily. Yes, his comment was out of line, but he was mad and she made him mad. She should have been there tonight to support him. She knew he needed her there and she was being selfish for leaving him. She was selfish for being mad. Nevertheless, he didn't want her to be mad at him.

He quickly walked to the bedroom door. "Rory please let me in…"

"No," she yelled

"Ace, Rory, please…I was being a dick…"

The thud that followed led him to guess she had started flinging her shoes at the door.

"You are going to ruin your shoes!" he meant it as a joke, but it came out patronizing.

He heard her mumble through the door and he was caught off-guard as she pulled it open, causing him to stumble.

"I'll just buy new," she told him, matching his tone, "Amex knows who I am, remember?"

"No, I know, I didn't mean it like that…"

"Then what do you mean?" Her eyes were on fire with rage and he knew he had lost all of the Brownie Points he might have earned over the last couple of weeks. He had One Shot and this was it.

"I am sorry, Ace," he said in a soft voice as he extended his hand to brush her arm, but she swiped it away.

"That sounded absolutely heartfelt," she said, sarcasm dripping from her voice. "Really, I'm touched."

"Come on, Ace," he pleaded, "Don't act like this. I'm trying here…"

She raised her eyebrows in surprise. "No, no, I don't think you are!" She hated that her voice turned awfully high-pitched as she got angry, but she couldn't help it.

"I am the one that's trying here, Logan," she told him as she turned away guilty. "I'm the one who's sacrificing. I am the one who is, once again, facing the Hartford Wives by myself, listening to endless gossip, ordering bulk amounts of salmon puffs to pass the time and jumping to your side to escort you to God-knows-what-event so I can spend a micro-minute with you before you leave me to go off and mingle with associates! Oh, and I'm the one that's defending our marriage to our friends!"

A clammy sweat washed over his body as realization hit. She was right. His work sheltered him from the harshest comments and mundane day-to-day society living. She wasn't the one making him mad – it was their situation and he was the big, egotistical jerk for blaming her. Tonight was supposed to be her night, not his and he should have been there to support her. She had every right to be mad.

"What?" she snapped at him, eager to hear his response to her rant but he remained quiet. Her features softened slightly as she watched his expression shift from absolute anger to complete guilt.

"I'm sorry." His voice was raw, as if he was about to cry. "I am so sorry," he said again, turning to her. "I am the one fucking this up, again."

A silent moment passed between them. Rory couldn't help the touch of smugness visible in her eyes at is admission; however, his apology didn't cut it for her. He had apologized many times before and promised her the world; though his words meant nothing without action. They were empty.

"Ace?" He asked her, as he was now eager to hear her response to his apology. Instead of bursting out in tears and falling into his arms, she frowned as she casually leaned into the doorway.

"You know what Mitchum asked me today?"

"No." His reply was short and honest – he was taken aback by the randomness of her question, but he wasn't about to tell her off and force her to accept his heartfelt apology.

"He asked me what I wanted…"

Logan scoffed. Where did his Dad get off telling her that? As if he held no responsibility for their current situation.

Rory clicked her tongue, "Just listen to me, Logan. I'm twenty-eight years old and no one has ever asked me that before."

"And what do you want?" he asked in a soft voice, as he heard the despair in tone.

Rory let out a heavy sigh as she turned to look at her notebook open on the bed. She had spent the rest of the night making various pro-con lists, writing down her ambitions, goals, hopes and dreams. Her conclusion was that she was at a crossroads in her life and it was now or never. And yet – there was one thing – one person – that stood above that all, without fail, his name made it on every pro-side of every list.

"You."

The distant tone in which she spoke caused Logan's heart to break and anger flow through his veins. He never thought it was possible to be angry and compassionate at the same time, but he was feeling it right now.

"You have me!" he yelled exasperated.

"No, I don't!" she screamed back, frustrated that he was unable to see things from her side. "I have bits and pieces of you. Five minutes at a time, eight if I'm lucky. I get you in snapshots between your conference calls with Europe and the West Coast…"

She saw he was about to interject but cut him off, "You know that's what I get and it's not what I want. It's not fair."

He swallowed hard, knowing it was true. "I'm doing my best, Ace," he sighed, "When Mitchum comes back…"

Rory smiled wryly at his overused excuse. Things were not going to change. "Mitchum isn't coming back, Logan."

"What?" he sounded surprised, "Of course he is…"

"He's pushing seventy, babe," she said knowingly, "He's worked his whole life, he's done!" Rory knew this for a fact as Mitchum had told her several times during their frequent meetings after his bypass surgery.

This information was too much for Logan to process. Instead he answered in a tired sigh. "You have me, Ace, no matter what. I'm yours…"

The anger suddenly flickered back in her eyes and the room refilled with tension. "Don't you dare bring up the contract," she warned in an icy tone, "This isn't about that!"

"Like hell it is, Rory!" Logan countered, "Without it, you would have divorced me years ago! Hell, without it you might have never married me!"

Rory's face dropped and she stared down at her sapphire ring. "Don't say that," she told him in a soft voice. She was too busy trying not to cry to notice the sorrow written on her husband's face.

"Maybe this is just too complicated for us to figure out…" he trailed off; after finally voicing the doubts that filled their minds from their teenaged years. It was a hard, dark truth.

Rory looked up, sadly meeting his gaze before turning to look back at her notebook. "What about Europe, Logan? What about college?" she probed him. "You want to throw that away?"

"No," he replied breathlessly, "But it's not reality, Rory." He let out a frustrated grunt. "The reality is that my ass is owned by HPG. I have to work, I am HPG!"

She locked eyes with him. "You are Logan and you are my husband. There is a difference!"

He looked at the childlike hope in her eyes and couldn't help feeling like he was the wiser, older, more responsible one in their relationship. He hated as if he felt he was babying her, but she needed to realize that this is what their life was going to be.

"And you are my wife, Rory, you ought to understand."

"I do, Logan," she retorted, "That's why I put up with the crap for so long. But I know better now - I know what I want."

"What, what is it then?" he said becoming increasingly irritated by her changing moods and slightly condescending tone. "That damn award?"

"No!" Rory threw her hands up in anger. "How many times do I have to tell you that awards and all the DAR-crap means nothing to me?!"

Logan raised his eyebrows, "You are obviously upset about it…"

"I'm not mad about that," she told him as she shrugged, "The recognition would have been nice, okay, and I'll admit that, but it's not what I want."

He knew she dreamt of being a reporter, a journalist but he also knew that she knew that those dreams were simply unattainable in their society. He sighed, "Then what is it? You want a baby, a kid?" he spat, with a crooked eyebrow.

"One day," she told him cryptically, glancing back at the bed.

In addition to a night of pro-con list making, she had done some research on small publications in the area. She had gotten to know Mitchum pretty well in the last few weeks and she had a hunch the old Huntzberger was up to something; something that would make both of them insanely happy, without tarnishing the family name. And even if her hunch was wrong, she now knew they would be able to escape from society. She could not explain it, but she felt it in her gut and it made her excited. She wasn't about to give up on them yet.

"What are you doing?" she asked as Logan brushed passed her and proceeded to grab a pillow off their bed.

"I'm tired and you are mad, which means I'm sleeping in the guest bedroom," he told her in a dull tone.

"We decided no more separate beds, Logan," she reminded him as she stepped over to him and reached for the pillow. "And no more going to bed angry. We are fixing this – tonight."

Logan let out a deep sigh. "We can't, Rory," and winced, "since when did you become so damn optimistic?"

"I talked to Mitchum." She paused, "talk to your Dad, Logan; just give him a call," she jerked her head at the phone on their nightstand.

"It's three in the morning." He stared at her hopeful smile blankly. "This is insane."

"Maybe so," she shrugged and turned on her heel, making her way over to the sitting area in their master bedroom. She let herself drop on the cappuccino-colored lounge chair and picked up a copy of Cosmo Magazine.

Again, she felt completely at peace. For the first time, she saw a new life in front of her, one she could get behind and one she was sure he would get behind. She could not tell him tonight, though, she needed him to fix whatever issues he had with Mitchum first.

"What are you doing?" he asked, running a hand through his tangled hair.

"We can't fix this until you talk to him. We are mid-fight so we can't go to sleep and so I will read until the hospital opens. We are visiting Mitchum first thing," she told him calmly, yet firmly looking him in the eye and letting him know she was completely serious.

Logan watched in awe as his wife scanned the meaningless articles. He felt a smile creep over his face as she scrunched up her nose in horror at some parts. He wondered if it was because of the complete garbage the magazine promoted or if it was due to bad quality writing. His chest tightened as he realized the severity of his insult before.

He silently changed out of his suit and he enjoyed feeling her eyes roaming his naked body. He purposely left his T-shirt off; he knew he wasn't getting sex tonight, but walking around half-naked seemed like a nice 'make-up' present for her. He rolled his eyes inwardly – he really was egotistical. Then, he walked out of the bedroom, returning a few minutes later with a tray of coffee and chocolate chip cookies.

"Thanks," she said with a half-smile, taking the steaming mug of goodness.

"I figured it'd be a long night," Logan shrugged, relenting to Rory's twisted logic. She hummed approvingly, before returning to her reading.

"Hey, Ace," he said, letting himself fall into the plush chair across from her. "I am really sorry about the Pulitzer comment…."

She looked up, shooting him a soft smirk, letting him know it was okay – she was over it. He felt her eyes trail over his bare chest and smirked back.

"Any good articles in there, Ace?"

Phew!

A shout-out to Miss SassyAni for being the 200th reviewer on this story! Congratulations and a big, big thank-you (again) to everyone who has taken the time to review – it means a lot to me.

Anyway, hope you liked the epiphanies and the fight and its non-conclusive ending….You might have noticed the lack of flashbacks and it's time to be frank. In my notes, I only had one more flashback left (the wedding) and I'm not sure I want to add it. It's not that I'm taking this story in a new direction, it just seems irrelevant. I think I've made it clear they were happy in the past and that things went downhill pretty much right after they got married and now the pair are moving towards the future together… I don't know, what do you think?

Also, I'm thinking about doing a sequel set about fifteen years in the future. I can't give too much of the plot away (I don't want to spoil the ending to this one, but PM me if your curious) but let me know if you might be feeling a sequel entitled "The Simpler Life" (and don't let the title confuse you – drama will be a main theme as always!) No promises that'll I'll actually write it, but I was toying around with the idea.

Ah, well, I postponed writing an essay on UNESCO's world heritage sites for this (for your enjoyment as much as mine) so let get back to non-creative writing. In the meantime, drop me a line and tell me what you think! Much love - Gilmoregirl19