A/N: I know that all of my updates have been coming a bit slow lately, but I promise you that I AM working on them! I also know that this chapter isn't the longest, but I really wanted to give the next part it's own chapter, and I thought that by squeezing everything into one chapter would be a bit too choppy. So this isn't really the best chapter I've ever written, but it's an important stepping stone to what comes next.

I've also had quite a few inquiries about Fighting For Something. I'm still working on it, I promise, it's just given me a bit of difficulty lately. In the mean time, I have plenty of other things for you to read while I work on it. So please try to be patient as you wait for me to update all my stories. I have to juggle writing with college, and sometimes it can be tricky. I'm trying my best though.

Anway. Enjoy this chapter!

Chapter Four – A Ride At Disney Land

Logan groaned at the sound of his cell phone ringing on the bedside table next to him. The girl from last night (what was her name again? It was something that started with a T. Tanya? Taylor? Teresa? Thalia? Terry? No…Tiffany! That was her name) was sprawled out in the bed next to him, still sound asleep. He groped for the phone blindly, wanting nothing more than to make it stop the incessant ringing noise.

"What?" he barked at the person on the other end of the line. He hadn't even bothered to see who it was.

"Did you really have to do that last night, Logan?"

It took him a moment to register what the voice was talking about. He couldn't possibly imagine what he'd done last night to make someone sound so angry with him. And anyway, he wasn't even properly awake yet!

"Why is this?" he grumbled.

"Who is this? Really? It's Steph, you moron!"

In all honesty, Steph wasn't nearly as mad at Logan as she was letting on. She had her own suspicions regarding what had happened last night at the bar. She'd carefully watched the way Logan had interacted with Rory, the way he smiled at her even though she was clearly pissed off. It was as though her anger only served as encouragement to him, something that would normally turn Logan away easily. He didn't normally have to work so hard for his prospects. In any case, he'd had a girl for that night already. Why he felt the need to go out of his way to badger Rory (and really, that was the only way to describe what he was doing. He'd intentionally sought to get into a disagreement with her, there was no doubt in Steph's mind) was a bit of a mystery.

Then there was the fact that Rory wasn't willing to put up with whatever game Logan was playing in the first place. Steph and Rosemary had both been impressed by the way Rory dished back everything Logan had given to her. Not that Logan had put down his weapons and let her walk all over him; Logan was too good at his games for that. The two had played off of each other well, despite the fact that neither one of them had realized it. Rory had successfully put Logan into his place, and while Logan left Rory feeling slightly confused.

At first, Steph had thought that Logan was just wasting his time by messing with a girl who would be unwilling to budge an inch (which she had to admit, was part of the appeal of watching Logan try in the first place) but now Steph wasn't so sure. Rory was much harder to read than Logan was, maybe because she didn't know her so well yet. Still, Rory's feathers definitely seemed a little ruffled after her interaction with Logan.

"Wow," Steph had said when she'd returned to the table with their drinks, after watching Logan walk away. "That was impressive. I've never seen someone argue with Logan like that before. Well, his Dad, maybe. Never a girl, though. No one has the courage."

"I don't know how you put up with him," Rory commented, folding her arms across her chest. "He's so…"

"Cute?" Steph suggested.

"What? No!" Rory said in a rush, willing herself not to blush.

Steph raised her eyebrows. "No?"

"What is it with everyone asking me that? First my mom when I told her about the naked Finn incident, then Rosemary while you were at the bar, and now you. I mean, yes, objectively speaking, he's an attractive human being. But so what? Good looks aren't the most important thing in the world!"

Steph and Rosemary shared a quick look with each other. It was clear to them that Rory had no idea who Logan was. That was a first with them; they were used to the woman hanging around Logan practically fawning all over him because his last name is Huntzberger.

Rory felt uneasy at their shared secret. "What is it that you two aren't telling me?"

This is going to be interesting, thought Steph.

"There's a line to get to him," she said flatly.

Rory actually laughed. "A line to get to him? You mean, get in bed with him?"

"Pretty much," said Rosemary.

She laughed again, harder this time. "That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard! What is he, a ride at Disney Land? Is there a turnstile next to his bed, counting how many pass through? Do they wait outside his room, waiting for him to call their number? What in the world could possibly be so special about one boy that warrants a line? He has no respect for women!"

"On the contrary, he has a lot of respect for women. He just doesn't believe in seeing one at a time." Steph told her.

"And apparently he's really good in bed," Rosemary added.

"And that makes up for being a jerk?"

"He's just messing with," said Steph. "Try not to take it too personally. He doesn't like being proven wrong."

Rory frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I asked him to play nice and keep the innuendo to himself. I swore up and down that he wasn't trying anything funny; I think he's trying to prove to me that he's not trying to turn you into just another conquest."

"Oh," Rory replied. She wasn't sure if that statement was a compliment or an insult. Should she be glad that she seemed to be the one girl he was treating with respect (or at least his twisted version of respect), or annoyed that she seemed to be the only girl he didn't think was good enough to go to bed with him?

"I like her," Rosemary commented. "We should keep her around more. She'll keep the guys in check."

But that seemed to be the question of the hour; whether or not Rory would stick around and hang out with them. Steph couldn't help but notice that Rory was far more annoyed by Logan's behavior than she was letting on. It was enough to warrant the early morning wakeup call to Logan the next day.

Steph continued to berate him. "Why did you have to piss her off on purpose, Logan? Do you really hate her that much?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Rory!"

As Logan's mind began to awaken, he started to remember the details of the night before, specifically his thoughts about Rory. She had been a bit of a distraction, to be honest, and it had proved to be quite annoying. He had been completely focused on Tiffany in the moment, although his thoughts returned to Rory as he was drifting off to sleep afterwards. In his half asleep, post sex haze, he remembered the fierce and determined look on her face as she counteracted every point he made. It was a sight to behold, and he started to wonder what other ways he could push her buttons to provoke such looks. And then, just before he fell asleep, a thought popped into his head. He wondered how that look would translate into the bedroom. If he found her so captivating in the midst of annoyance, how would that same look appear when caught up in the throes of passion?

Of course, it was pointless to wonder such things. Their debate had shown him that she wasn't the type of girl to sleep around. And anyway, he'd made a promise to Steph. He didn't need Rory for that, in any case. He had a more than plentiful supply of girls who actually wanted to sleep with him, unlike Rory. What he didn't have was a girl to actually hold a conversation with that didn't make Logan want to chop his own ears off. That's where Rory came in.

With a sigh, Logan sat up in bed, reaching to the ground to pull his discarded boxers back on. Careful not to wake his bed partner, he quietly went out to the deserted common room.

"I don't hate her," said Logan, taking a seat on the couch. "She's a nice girl. Good arguer."

"Well, do you have to piss off every girl who doesn't want to sleep with you on purpose?"

"What difference does the way I interact with Rory make? It's none of your concern."

"Because, idiot, Rosemary and I are friends with her. It makes it a little difficult to spend any time with her if she won't come near us because she hates you!"

Logan wasn't sure he entirely believed her. This wasn't the first time Steph had gotten mad for the way he spoke to Rory. "Is that really it, Steph? Or is there something else you're not telling me?"

"Don't be stupid, Logan. What else could it be?"

He couldn't fathom it himself, so he decided to just let the subject go for the time being. "Look, if she really doesn't want to be around you guys just because the two of us got in a healthy debate or two, then she has bigger problems. We're not always going to agree on everything; she's just going to have to accept that. In any case, it was fun debating with her. So what's the problem?"

Steph sighed. "You'd tell me if there was something else going on, right? Like, if there was more than just you being your usual self."

Logan frowned. "I don't follow."

"Like, for example, if the two of you really didn't get along at all. Or maybe you got along too well. You'd tell me about it, wouldn't you?"

Logan didn't see any reason why he shouldn't agree. Because there was nothing else going on. Rory was just another girl added to their usual group of friends.

"Sure, Steph. I'd tell you if there was something else going on. But there isn't, and there won't be."

There was no other way to explain it: Rory Gilmore was extremely stressed out.

Her course load was proving to be far more intense than she could have ever imagined; she was finding it a little hard to keep up. Still, Rory was determined. If her grandfather could handle taking five classes a semester while he was at Yale, than so could Rory.

The only difference was, Richard didn't have Paris and Janet and Tana living with him during his freshman year. While things had calmed down a little with regards to the war between Paris and Janet, the situation was still a little tense in suite five of Durfee Hall. To begin with, Paris appeared to be fighting with her boyfriend Jamie. Although perhaps fighting wasn't the correct term. It was hard to say what exactly they were doing, because rather than deal with the problem, Paris was simply ignoring his phone calls. Rory was forced to listen to the phone ring over and over again while Paris sat on her bed glaring at it. On the rare occasion that Paris did answer her phone, she'd yell at Jamie and promptly hang it up seconds later.

Then there was Janet, whose latest exorcize regime included a miniature trampoline. This perhaps would not have been a problem if the trampoline wasn't so squeaky. The repetitive squeaking noise was forever echoing in Rory's ear as she attempted to study. Matters only became worse when you added Tana into the mixture. Her other, shy roommate usually wasn't much of a problem, except for the fact that she had recently taken to watching TV rather loudly in the common room. Rory felt bad asking her to turn the volume down; she didn't want the others to think she owned the room just because her grandmother had purchased all that expensive furniture.

There was nowhere to study. Her dorm was too noisy, and the libraries were too quiet. Or maybe Rory was just being too particular.

She couldn't go home, either. Rory's bedroom in Stars Hollow had temporarily become a sort of food storage area, as her mom and Sookie prepared to cater the launch party of her grandfather's new business venture with Jason Stiles.

So Rory hadn't really noticed that she'd been a little anti social lately. Or at least she didn't until she literally ran into Steph and Rosemary at the coffee cart.

"Rory, hey!" the blonde girl called from across the quad as Rory waited in line for some much needed caffeine. Rory waved as the two girls came running up to her.

"Haven't seen you around lately," Steph pointed out when they reached her.

"Yeah, sorry. Things are a little hectic lately. The phone won't stop ringing because Paris won't answer it, and Janet squeaks, and Tana watches the TV too loud. And I can't go home because my room is filled with some kind of broccoli tart. And the library doesn't have the right feel, so I was just going to get some coffee and find someplace to sit outside and study."

"I don't know what any of that means," Rosemary said.

She should probably stop doing that, talking at a million miles an hour and expecting everyone else to know what she was talking about. "My room's too loud, the library's too quiet, and there's nowhere to study at home. I'm just a bit stressed out right now."

"Oh, well that's a relief," said Steph. "We thought you were avoiding us."

"Or avoiding Logan, to be specific."

It hadn't even occurred to Rory that she hadn't seen them since the night at the bar. "No, just trying to study. Nothing too out of the ordinary."

They waited while Rory ordered her coffee, and then followed her through the courtyard. "Well, if you're not avoiding us, then come hang out now. We were just about to meet up with the guys," Rosemary told her.

"I'd love to, really, but I have a ton of studying to do. Another time, maybe?"

Rory barely gave them a chance to agree before she hurried off, desperate to find the perfect place to study.

Logan spotted Rosemary and Steph standing near the coffee cart talking to someone as he made his way down the path with Colin and Finn. The girl turned slightly, gesturing wildly, a haggard look on her face. He smirked; it was Rory. Logan hadn't seen the girl since that night at the bar, putting his plans of pushing her buttons on a temporary hold. Now seemed like the perfect chance for him to spark some kind of conversation that would get her riled up without getting her too angry with him.

Unfortunately, almost seconds after receiving her coffee, she hurried off in the opposite direction, away from his friends.

"Was that Rory?" Colin asked the girls when they reached Rosemary and Steph.

"Who's Rory?" Finn asked.

"Yeah, that was Rory," answered Steph, completely ignoring Finn's question.

Although he was a little disappointed, he brushed it off immediately. He'd have plenty of other opportunities, and he didn't see any reason why he couldn't use this one to his advantage anyway. "I hope she didn't leave on my account," Logan commented casually, shoving his hands into his pockets.

Steph gave him a skeptical look, to which he shrugged. "No, she had to study. She's a little stressed, that's why she left in a hurry"

"Why would she leave because of Logan?" Colin asked.

Rosemary rolled her eyes. "Because Logan's lead her to believe that he's a misogynistic playboy who treats having sex with girls like a ride at an amusement park. And he picked a fight with her."

"Hey!" Logan protested. "That's a little harsh criticism. When have I ever treated women like trash?"

"Well, I wouldn't have put it that bluntly," Steph said. "But come on, Logan. You sleep with a lot of girls. You all do. It looks really bad to someone who's not used to that."

That annoyed Logan. He didn't think he should have to apologize for the way he chose to conduct himself. Sure, he hadn't always been truthful to women in the past. He'd told girls things he didn't mean, and snuck away in the middle of the night to avoid an awkward confrontation in the morning. But Logan liked to think he was better than that now. He knew better than to say anything to a girl just to get her into bed with him. He wasn't that stupid.

"Look, it's not a big deal," Steph continued. "She looks at relationships differently than the rest of us. Let it go."

But Logan wouldn't let it go, not now. If being around Logan forced Rory to challenge her views, then there was no way Logan would back down. So as they made their way through campus and Logan spotted Rory leaning against a tree as she studied, he came up with a plan.

Rory woke up the next morning with a new sense of relief. Once she found her new study tree, she'd managed to get an unbelievable amount of work done. The stress that Rory had been feeling for the past couple of weeks had lifted a little, now that she'd found a place to get some work done.

She was in a good mood as she meandered around campus that afternoon, on her way to her new study tree. But as she approached the spot, she stopped short in her tracks. There was Logan, leaning up against the exact spot she'd been sitting in the day before, reading a newspaper.

Anger surged through her. He had to be doing this on purpose. Somehow, he must have figured out that she'd be there, at that tree, and had come specifically with the goal of getting on her nerves. There was no other explanation for his sudden presence in the exact spot she needed to study.

Rory tried to keep herself calm as she marched towards the tree, stopping in front of him only when she was close enough to cast a shadow over him, essentially blocking out his light.

Logan looked up, smirking.

"Hey, Rory," he said casually, lowering his paper a little. "Long time no see."

She shifted her bag from one shoulder to the next. "What are you doing here?"

"Reading the paper," Logan replied, holding it up to show her, as though giving her proof. "It's a nice day out."

"You're leaning on my tree. I need it back."

"I wasn't aware the tree belonged to you," Logan replied politely, his grin never wavering. "Did you plant it yourself?"

Rory huffed. She wasn't in the mood for this. "No, it's not mine exactly, but I need it. I have to study."

"Well by all means, don't let me stop you. I promise to be on my best behavior."

Even though his voice was dripping with formality and politeness, there was something in his smile that indicated he was teasing her. It was meant to come out as playful, but Rory wasn't in the mood for it.

"I can't study with you here! And I can't go anywhere else. Paris just lets the phone ring, or she yells at Jamie. And Janet's trampoline squeaks, and Tana watches TV loud, but I can't ask her to turn it down because my Grandmother's crazy. And my room's filled with broccoli tarts because my mother's catering a party for my grandparents. And the libraries are all too quiet; you can practically hear the lights buzz! Then I found this tree and it's perfect. It fits the shape of my back, and it's in a place that's reached that perfect equilibrium of quiet, but not too quiet. I got so much work done yesterday, and I have a ton today. So no, there is nowhere else in either New Haven or Stars Hollow that I can study except for that tree!"

Logan just stared at her. "I have no idea what you just said." He had to hand it to Rory, the way in which she'd rambled was impressive. She'd barely even paused to take a breath as she spoke.

"No, you wouldn't, would you?" She sighed. "Look, just give me the tree so I can study, please? Isn't there somewhere else you can read the newspaper?"

He looked at her with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. He definitely was doing this on purpose.

"This tree has the best lighting," Logan said as he glanced upwards at the sun. "I'll tell you what. Why don't we share it?"

"Seriously?" Rory exclaimed, her frustration taking over. "You won't give up this spot to let me study so you can read the newspaper? Does college mean nothing to you?"

"Well, actually – "

But Rory didn't let him finish his sentence. "I mean, here I am working my butt off, and it's still not enough. I'm struggling to keep up with my classes, and my roommates are driving me insane, and you just…treat everything like it's some big joke. Is making me mad fun to you, Logan? Because I don't think it's very funny. Or do you really just hate me that much?"

"Hey, I don't hate you," Logan insisted, folding up his newspaper and putting it down in his lap.

"Then why does every conversation I have with you either make me feel incredibly awkward, or make me want to throttle you?"

He stood up slowly, being careful to look at her directly.

"Have you ever noticed that you're very quick to jump to conclusions about me?" he asked her calmly. But he didn't give her a chance to respond. "You have this whole opinion formulated about me already, based on a few observed actions and a couple of comments here or there. I won't deny the fact that I don't really do relationships, or that I'm what one would probably call an underachiever when it comes to studying. But you don't know everything about me. Think about that while you're studying."

Logan walked away, leaving her completely stunned in his wake.