A/N: I don't own GG.

Full Confidences or Nothing at All

"Lorelai," Luke called, "Let's go."

He'd been standing in the living room for twenty minutes waiting for his neurotic girlfriend to finish getting ready for tonight's dinner.

"I'm almost ready," she called down. "I just can't seem to find my hidden store of arsenic."

"Right, because that's the logical way to deal with one night with your parents."

"No," she rebutted as she descended the stairs, "it's how you get out of a night with my parents. A coroner's note always works."

"Let's just go," Luke begged, eager to get the night over with.

"Are you prepared? We are going into Mount Doom."

"I'll be fine."

Lorelai walked into the kitchen and removed a flask from the broiler before filling it with tequila.

"You keep a flask in the broiler?"

"It keeps the socks company; they get grumpy when they're sober. Where's yours?" she asked, bottle in hand ready to fill up his flask.

"My what?"

"Your shield, your deflector shield, your fortress of solitude; the one defense you have against Emily Gilmore?"

"I thought you were joking."

"No. 'Bring a flask to Friday night's dinner' is no joke."

"We're going to your parent's house."

"Yeah, that's why it wasn't a joke. It was me giving you a life boat, complete with motor and driver, and you saying 'I'll wait for the next one, thanks'."

"You're parents will have drinks."

Lorelai stared at Luke.

"One of us has to drive," Luke reasoned.

"Uh huh. You just made that up to cover up the fact that you denied by life boat."

"Can we just go?"

"Fine."

Rory felt the car roll to a stop. For a moment, she couldn't really remember where she was, or for that matter why she felt the moving sensation; her bed wasn't attached to any sort of motorized contraption that she knew of. She rubbed her face against her pillow as per her wakeup ritual, but realized her pillowcase felt different. In fact, it felt nothing like her pillowcase. Still groggy, she moved her hand up to smoosh her pillow into a more comfortable position only to find her pillow rather solid and un-smooshable. On the plus side of her strange surroundings, her pillow was warm and smelled really nice, nicer than the generic detergent smell her pillowcase normally had. Then she felt her pillow move, more like a rumble.

"How you doing there, Ace?"

Rory's brow furrowed, and she attempted to burrow herself further into her pillow. Which laughed. She was now confused; her pillow, or really any pillow wasn't supposed to laugh.

Logan enjoyed the feel of Rory curled up against him. She'd fallen asleep about an hour ago, and she fit perfectly against him. Stephanie and Rory had been discussing something that only those with copious amounts of estrogen could or would want to understand, so he'd promptly tuned them out. After the girls had exhausted their Maybelline discussion topics, Rory had fallen asleep. After hitting one extra deep bump, Rory had fallen against him. Clearly, she found the position comfortable because she'd then preceded to arrange him to suit her. Her hair smelled amazing and she was warm and soft and cuddled up against him. When the car stopped, he wanted to curse the shortness of their journey because he knew reality would spill the dreamlike existence he'd been experiencing for the past sixty miles. Her waking up ritual was adorable and when he felt her nestle deeper into him, he pulled her closer and placed a kiss on the top of her head.

She blinked her eyes several times before the world came back into focus; she was in a car. Instead of the traditional pillow used as a sleep aide, she was snuggled up against a body. A body that just kissed the top of her head and had its arm wrapped around her. Warmth spread through her body and she realized it was pointless to continue to deny her attraction to Logan. She allowed herself a while to enjoy being held tightly by an attractive man whom she liked. Again, she still knew they had issues to talk though, and things that must be decided, but for the moment, living in denial was a viable option.

"Where are we?" she asked from the cocoon of his arms.

"Nice try, Ace," Logan answered, smiling.

"Mean," she grumbled as she started to disentangle herself from him. "How long was I out?"

"Long enough for Finn to fully embrace the darkness," Colin explained. "He regaled us with his new plan to woo Rosemary."

"Ah. That must have been…interesting," Rory commented absently. She was a bit distracted from waking up in Logan's arms.

"We also discussed the attributes of Finn's that would make your werewolf suggestion extremely valid," Stephanie added. "We almost convinced Colin to just admit you're correct."

"Come, on Anna Quindlen. Time to face your story," Logan said.

He got out of the car and reached in to lift Rory out of the car. Once her feet landed on the ground, he couldn't seem to pull his arms from around her waist. He knew they needed to being the walk to the actual event location, and that task could not be accomplished by standing next to the SUV. He reached down and took Rory's hand.

"Wouldn't facing involve actual sight?" Rory asked as she allowed herself to be led by Logan.

"Patience, grasshopper."

"Come on, Logan. I smell trees," Rory offered.

"Nothing get's by you, Ace."

"And the firing squad is just up ahead?"

"Yep. And there's a line, damn."

"Good, the waiting in line will give you plenty of time to remove the blindfold. I would like to face my end with my own eyes," Rory told Logan.

"If you insist," Logan said. "I was trying to save you from the horror of watching the men in matching uniforms and pantaloons raise their rifles and take aim and – I'll spare you the rest of the description."

"You're such a gentleman," Rory complimented as she felt Logan pull the blindfold off.

"Wow," Rory breathed as she took in the sight before her. There were dozens of little tents, candles, lanterns, and giant tables that would have fit well in the main room of Beowolf's castle.

"Is this what you expected?" Logan asked.

"Oh yeah. I always expect camping trips to look like the cover of an Eddie Bauer magazine," Rory quipped.

"I'm sure. Let me tell you what you were epxcting."

"You're a mind reader now?"

"Mildew covered tents, sleeping bags, flashlights, keg, three boxes of stale Triscuits, half eaten bag of Oreos, some Doritos and a bong."

"That might be exactly what I was picturing."

They stopped in front of one of the canvas tents. "You can apologize later." He pulled back the front flap of the tent. "This is yours."

"Mine?"

"I did forget to mention the overnight part. The least I could do is provide a tent," Logan told her.

Rory walked into her tent. There was an end table with an honest to God old-fashioned basin and water pitcher. Next to it was a mattress on a wooden cot with sheets and blankets. "It's cozy."

"Not much closet space, but the view is descent. It's next to Stephanie's so you girls can continue you're bonding," Logan told her.

She smiled up at him. "You thought of everything."

"Festivities start in half-an-hour," Logan informed her. "Be ready."

After Logan left, Rory sat down on her cot and pulled her cell phone from her purse.

"Hey mom."

"Hey kid."

"So, I know I promised a post-Friday night dinner Weston's meeting to dissect the potentially awfulness with Grandma, but I can't."

"What? Why? You cannot abandon your mother in her time of need."

"I'm working on something for the paper and it's going to take all weekend."

"What? All weekend? What kind of article takes all weekend?"

"One where I'm summoned by mysterious letters then ended up Patty Hearst-ing it to locations unknown."

"Um, I really don't know what to say in this situation. You're an adult, and I hope you brought antiseptic."

"I'm sleeping in a canvas tent, so I think I'm good without antiseptic."

"You'll tell mommy all the missing letters later?"

"I'll let you preview the article."

"Good."

"Did you bring the flask?"

"No."

"Liar."

"Yeah, well, I need it. And Luke didn't bring his."

"Well someone had to drive."

"That's what he said."

"Dirty and be nice at dinner tonight."

"I'm sorry, you're breaking up. All the woods-ness is interfering with the signal."

"Bye."

"Bye."

"Boyfriend?" Stephanie asked from the entryway of Rory's tent.

"Mother."

"Bizarre."

Rory smiled. "What festivities begin in half an hour? Logan said I needed to 'get ready'."

"There should be a box under your cot. You're outfit isn't the appropriate attire for the evening."

"Right." Rory reached under the cot and felt around until she found the promised box. She pulled it out and opened it.

"I'll let you get changed. I'll come back in twenty minutes and we'll find some food and gallons of champagne."

Rory nodded. Inside the box was a white dress, white ballet slippers and a linen jacket to go over the dress. Of course, all of the items were her correct size and she admitted the outfit looked good on her.

"Ready?" Stephanie asked. "Oh, you look amazing. Logan does have good taste in clothing."

"Logan picked out my clothes for the weekend?" Rory asked stunned.

"Oh yeah. He knew that you wouldn't know about the whole overnight thing, so he wanted to make sure you had clothing that wouldn't interfere with the 'integrity of the event'. I wish all men knew how to shop for clothing like Logan."

She and Stephanie wandered out amongst the mass of people dressed in a similar fashion. It appeared that all of the guests were wearing neutral, pale colors. The banquet tables were covered with an assortment of food that could have been planned by Emily Gilmore at her finest. People stood in groups eating, drinking and conversing. In many ways, it could have been a party at Yale.

They wandered over to a group that seemed to be having a rather animated conversation.

"How about bland balking at political and social stands?"

"Ridiculous. Total stand-still for all in his vicinity. What do you say?"

"I concur totally."

"Crazy construct if you think for a bit."

"Dubious logic if you ask this thoughtful guy."

"Hello, boys," Stephanie greeted.

"Hi, guys. Period Outfits, always fun," Rory said.

"Shock, this girl doth know our aim," Colin announced. "This first visitor is adjusting swiftly."

"It's a game," Stephanie said with a sigh.

"Again fair lady mocks us," Colin continued. He turned to Rory. "Do you want for instruction?"

"Okay."

"Said gap 'twixt 'd' and 'f' shall not slip from lips in any word this group allows," Colin explained.

"Ah," Rory said. Poor Stephanie. She turned to her new friend. "Sorry. You could ask for a dissimilar dub."

"I can't believe you're going to play their silly little game. It's just their ability to show off their intellect before the unending supply of liquor causes their pea-sized brains to reveal their true stupidity," Stephanie huffed.

"Silly girl, not adjusting to this proud point of ours," Colin chastised.

"Sad this diminishing vision," another boy added.

"Introductions must occur," Colin announced.

"Rory, Rob – alas to finish his salutation would count as a faux pas," Colin introduced.

"Glad to know your short salutation," Rory greeted.

"It is I, fair lady who am in vapors to know you," Robert returned the greeting. Like Finn, he took Rory's hand and kissed the back of it.

She blushed at the attention, and silently congratulated herself on being able to play their game. It was ridiculously challenging to come up with complete and grammatically correct sentences without using the letter "e".

"Alright, boys," Logan said as he approached the group. "Our visitor's first program will contain much activity. I will banish said lady from your midst."

Rory shook her head as Logan led her away by the arm. "I understand I have you to thank for the period-appropriate clothing."

"Couldn't have you stand out, Ace. That would be mean," Logan teased.

"Is it always a safari theme, or do you vary the themes? Do they go in chronological order? Does everyone get a say in what theme is picked? Are there leaders? Do you have a secret handshake, or secret code?"

"So many questions. Just relax, Ace. I told you you'd get your story. Just enjoy yourself for the night," Logan paused by the champagne table. "Here." He handed her a glass of champagne.

Rory smiled up at him as she sipped her champagne. She watched the way people acted around Logan and was amazed by the deference they showed him. When he'd simply interrupted the game group and escorted her away, no one said anything. In fact, she guessed that if he'd used a word with the letter "e", no one would have called him on his mistake. Something else she noticed was that none of the girls attempted to superglue themselves to his side.

"Logan," Rory said, pulling his attention to her.

"Ace?"

"I think we need to talk."

It was a lot more difficult that it seems to write more lines without using the letter "e", but it was fun and I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Extra brownie points for anyone who can leave a review without using any "e's"!