A/N: No, I am, in fact, not dead... I'm really sorry about my neglect of this story, but I have been crazy busy with my exam and now that it's finally over I can breathe again (if any of you should be wondering, I did quite well... Not that I like to brag or anything, just saying...). So, I think it's about high time I paid this story some attention.
As always, your lovely reviews are just that: lovely! I can't thank your enough for your kind words and encouragement. It truly means the world to me that you take the time to leave a review and it definitely makes me want to write more, so keep 'em coming and I'll do the same with the updates!

A dinner and a show

"You look fuzzy" Rory complained, as she adjusted her own web cam.

"Bad connection" Finn said with a shrug.

"Where are you?"

Finn turned and looked at his surroundings. "Pretty much the outback."

"You're kidding?" He shook his head. "You're not. Why?"

"Well, after a week of nonstop fighting with my parents, I decided I needed a break."

"You went camping?" Rory had to bite her lip so she wouldn't laugh.

"No, this is a very manly survival trip out in the Australian outback."

"You've brought your computer! And I can see the delivery pizza behind you!"

"Still, it's very manly and rural! There are dangerous animals out here; snakes, spiders… Dingoes!"

"Yes you should be careful around those babysnatchers."

"So, what's up, love?"

"I kinda have a request."

"As long as it doesn't involve me taking over some kind of family company, I'm sure we'll be able to reach an agreement."

"I want you to meet my family."

"Your family" he repeated.

"Yeah. My mom and my grandparents. I know you'll be back at campus on Wednesday, so I was thinking maybe you could join me for Friday night dinner?"

"Are you sure? Maybe I could just take over a family company instead?"

"Finn…. This is important to me. I want you to meet them."

"Oh love, I've met them! And that didn't exactly go over too well, in case you forgot?"

She had, actually, but now she remembered the party where Finn had emptied her grandfather's entire bar and then written a very naughty "poem" on the wall with permanent marker. And of course he had signed it too. "Right. Well, I'm sure it won't be too bad. Just, don't recite any poems, especially ones you've written yourself."

"You're killing the art, love" he said and lit up a cigarette.

"Seriously" she asked in regards to the cigarette.

"Much like Logan's dear mom, I'm a stress smoker."

"Charming. So you'll do it?"

"I don't know, love. I'm not sure it would be healthy for our relationship. Not to mention my own actual health!"

"Please Finn."

He rolled his eyes. "Fine! But I'm not wearing a tux!"

Rory smiled. "Thank you, thank you, thank you."

"Love, the connection really is quite awful, I'll call you in a couple of days, yeah?"

"Sounds good. Give my regards to the dingoes!"

"Emily, why are you lurking in the window sill?"

Emily almost jumped when Richard appeared behind her. "I am not lurking. I'm merely… observing."

"And what are you observing" he asked and walked over to the bar to make sure they had everything to make drinks.

"Rory is bringing her new boyfriend."

"Yes, I am aware."

"Well, I just wanted to have a look at him…"

"I believe that is lurking" Richard pointed out. "Why are you so eager to see him?"

"Honestly Richard, I can't believe you're not! She broke up with Logan to be with this boy, is it wrong for me to ensure he is worthy of her."

"Certainly not" Richard said and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "But I have a feeling this boy is just a phase. I talked to Mitchum yesterday; apparently Logan is doing all he can to win her back. And she hasn't introduced this new boy to Lorelai either."

That made Emily smile. She only wanted the best for her granddaughter and she felt like the best was Logan. "Oh the girls are here" she said, as the old jeep rolled into the driveway. "And they have company."

Richard leaned over Emily to look out into the driveway, where Lorelai had just parked the jeep and another car rolled up beside it. "Well, whoever he is, he certainly travels in style. That's an Aston Martin" Richard noted.

"Outback Jack is following us" Lorelai snickered, as she noticed an expensive looking car follow the jeep.

"Please don't call him that" Rory muttered, feeling her cheeks warming up. She had been having some serious doubts about this night now that it was here.

"Why?"

"Because it embarrasses me!"

"So?"

"Just be nice tonight, please? I think this is really hard for Finn."

Lorelai snorted. "It should be, I saw that poem. If he does even half of those things to you…"

"Mom!"

Lorelai turned the car and drove into the elder Gilmore's driveway, closely followed by Finn's car. They all got out at the same time and Rory suddenly looked like her eyes might pop out of her head. "What happened?"

Finn made a face and awkwardly patted his bandaged forehead. "I um… had an accident." He tilted his head a little. "That required stitches."

Lorelai sized up her daughter's new boyfriend. Well, new was probably not the correct term. They had been together for some time now, apparently, although Lorelai had never been properly introduced to him. He was taller than Logan and leaner built, she figured, with dark unruly hair and even though he was wearing a designer suit (which he had chosen to match with a pink tie) and driving an expensive car, he looked more like someone who would hang out on the beach all day.

"What did you do" Rory almost growled. She was experiencing some serious flashbacks to the time she had brought Jess for Friday night dinner.

Finn was looking more and more embarrassed by the minute, as he shuffled his feat like a small boy who had been caught doing something naughty. "I bodyslammed some cliffs when I went surfing this Monday."

"Oh my god, are you okay" Lorelai asked.

"Yeah, just got some nasty cuts, is all." He gave Rory a crooked smile. "Sorry." She just rolled her eyes. "I'm Finn, by the way" he said, offering Lorelai his hand.

"I gathered. I'm the mother of this usually very mellow tempered specimen."

"Are you all just going to stand out there all night" Emily's frosty tone interrupted them and they all jumped in surprise. "Sorry mom" Lorelai muttered and they all hurried inside.

"Dear lord, what happened to you" Emily asked the tall boy standing behind Rory, looking somewhat sheepish.

"Hit my head" he said.

"Grandma, this is my boyfriend Finn" Rory introduced. "Finn, these are my grandparents, Emily and Richard."

"I believe we have met" Emily said and gave Finn the patented Emily stare. "How's your poetry these days?"

Finn gave his feet another look and Lorelai took pity on him. "You look good mom, have you had some work done?"

"Excuse me?"

They all walked to the sofas and sat down.

"Drink, Finn" Richard asked.

He was about to reply with a "scotch please", but one look from Rory made him change his mind. "I'll just have some water, thank you." He smiled a little. "I'll be driving home later."

"That is some car you have out there" Richard commented, handing him a glass of water and gave the girls their usual beverage of choice. "How does a young man such as yourself come to own an Aston Martin."

"Would you believe me if I told you I won it in a poker game" Finn said. Lorelai laughed, but Rory shook her head, indicating it wasn't a joke.

"So mom, are we just having drinks tonight" Lorelai asked.

"No, we're waiting for our last guest" Emily said.

Lorelai and Rory both looked around. "Who are we missing?" Before Emily could answer, the doorbell rang again and then Christopher entered.

"Christopher, so glad you could join us" Emily almost cooed and got up to greet him.

Lorelai and Rory wore matching looks of shock, while Finn just looked confused. He had no idea who this Christopher was.

"Dad" Rory said in a small tone and got up to greet him again. The word dad made Finn choke in his water. He was pretty sure he hadn't agreed to meet the dad as well.

"Hey Lor" Christopher said and gave her a hug.

"Chris. What a surprise" Lorelai said and gave her mother a look.

"Well, I only felt it was right to have Christopher here as well when we're meeting Rory's boyfriend."

Christopher looked around the room and noticed a rather perplexed looking Finn. "I guess that's you."

"Me?"

"The boyfriend."

"Right…" Finn gave Rory a nervous look. "That would be me, yes."

"Is he always…." Lorelai whispered.

"I swear, usually he's able to form sentences" Rory whispered back.

"You okay" Christopher asked with a look at the bandage.

"Yeah, hit some rocks with my head."

"Yeah? Why?"

"My surfboard made a run for it."

Christopher laughed. "Is that your car outside?"

"Yeah" Finn said and sat down again, as Richard handed Christopher a drink.

"Nice! That's a Vanquish, isn't it?"

"So Chris, how've you been" Lorelai interrupted.

"Fine, you?"

"Oh fine…" She was just about to fly into one of her rants when the maid announced that the dinner was ready and they all got up to follow her.

"So Finn, what is it that you do" Emily asked over the salad.

He gave Rory a sideways glance. She hadn't told them they went to school together?

"Finn goes to Yale, like me" Rory said.

"Really? Do you know Logan, Rory's ex-boyfriend" Emily asked. "Logan Huntzberger?"

Lorelai snorted into her salad at Emily's tone. "Yeah, he's actually a friend of mine" Finn said, catching on where Emily was going with this; she obviously didn't like that Rory and Logan had broken up. He wondered if she would feel the same way if she knew Logan had pretty much slept with the entire female population at his sister's wedding, the sister excluded.

"Oh. How nice. Logan is going to take over his father's company when he graduates, I believe" Emily noted, ignoring her daughter's loud snorts.

"Yes, so I've heard" Finn said.

"Will you be taking over something when you graduate" Richard asked.

"Dad" Lorelai said appalled. "Don't answer that."

"What? I just want to know if this boy, who is obviously making a play for my granddaughter, has any future options."

"Seriously, don't answer that" Lorelai said in a stern tone. "That's none of your business, dad!"

"I don't think it's an unreasonable request to know if he will be able to support Rory" Emily chimed in.

"Emily, I'm sure he'll be fine" Christopher interjected. "He drives an Aston Martin!"

"I don't need to be supported" Rory spoke up.

"He says he won it in a poker game. If that's his means of support, then I have doubts about his future" Emily said in a stern tone.

"Richard, I heard from McKinley that you were trying to land Bruce Morgan as I client" Christopher threw out there as a way to distract everyone from Finn's future.

"Yes, I have been trying to get in touch with him for some time now. Ever since he fired Cullan. His American branch would be quite the catch."

"He's a tough nail, I've heard" Christopher mentioned. "It's not going to be easy to make him an offer he'll accept."

"Who is this Morgan person" Lorelai asked.

"He's a very wealthy business man who owns, among other things a rather large chain of hotels and restaurants around the world. Mostly Europe, but he has a very lucrative American branch and he recently fired his insurance company."

"Word is he's also a bit of a dick" Christopher added.

Rory noted Finn looking even more uneasy now. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah… If you want, sir" Finn said to Richard, "I'll give him your number in the morning,"

"Excuse me?" All eyes turned to Finn.

"Bruce Morgan, if you'd like. I can't make any promises though, my father prefers to go his own ways."

"Your father?" Richard looked like his eyes might fall out their sockets. "Bruce Morgan is your father?"

"Yes sir."

"Well, why didn't you just say so? Oh this is marvellous, I would be delighted if you'd give him my number, feel free to make the call right away."

"Richard, we're having dinner" Emily chided.

"I'll give him a call in the morning, I promise" Finn said.

"Although I guess I might just make you a proposition as well, as I am sure you'll be next in line to take over the reins." Richard smiled at his own fortune.

"Dad, you did not just offer to make Rory's boyfriend a proposition" Lorelai said with a fake gasp.

"Lorelai" Emily warned.

Finn gave Rory a look. He had tried to work up the courage to tell her earlier that week, but he hadn't really found the right time to ask her to move into an off campus flat with him, as he would be staying in the country for at least another year and wanted something of his own. Also, he was really sick of waking up to the sight of Colin walking around naked in his sleep. "Actually. I won't be taking over the company, my sister will."

"Is that so? Why?" The disappointment was just as clear as the previous excitement had been.

"I'm currently pre-med and I plan to pursue that. My parents have been, well, less than supportive in my choices so far, but we have reached a deal and my sister is hard at work on her degree in corporative law, so she'll be a great asset to the company."

"Your parents doesn't support pre-med? Wow" Christopher said. "My dad would have bought me an island if I had ever shown that kind of ambition. Sorry about the dick comment."

"It's fine, my father can be quite…" Finn wrinkled his brows, searching for a word that didn't sound so much like "fucktard". "Abrasive at times. He takes pride in it, I believe."

Emily was still trying to find a grimace that would fit the situation. "Well, pre-med is a very fine choice" she finally managed to get out.

"It really is" Lorelai chimed in, feeling bad for this poor boy, who apparently shared her knack of disappointing parents. "So, Rory tells me you're a surfer" she said, trying to turn the conversation to something a little lighter than disapproving fathers and insurance companies.

"Yeah, growing up in Sydney…" He shrugged a little. "Not surfing was never an option."

"Are you good" Christopher asked.

"Well, clearly" Finn said, gesturing to his bandaged forehead, "I could be better, but I have spent some time with the pipe waves in Hawaii and I can hold my own."
"I always wanted to learn how to surf" Richard suddenly said. "What" he asked, when they all stared at him. "It looks like it's very amusing."

"It is. If you're in Sydney one day I'd be happy to give you a lesson" Finn said with a smirk.

"Richard, I don't think that's a very good idea. Think about your heart."

"Surfing is actually very good for you" Christopher said. "Have you taught Rory?"

"Sadly, Rory seems to be under the impression that surfing might be dangerous. Can't imagine why."

The rest of the dinner went by a lot easier, now that Emily and Richard knew that Finn was a trustfund child as well. He still wasn't Logan, but he would do. Lorelai made a run for it almost as soon as she had emptied her cup of coffee.

"So…. We have a very busy day tomorrow" she said and yawned demonstratively.

"Is that so" Emily asked with a raised eyebrow that told Lorelai she had been caught.

"Yeah, we want to show Finn around in Stars Hollow" Rory said with a smile.

Christopher laughed at that. "Oh you'll be a hit, I bet! What with the accent and all…"

"Yeah we'll have to fight of Babette and Miss Patty with sticks" Lorelai said. "You should stay… That is, if you don't have to get back to Boston?"

"No, I'm free. And you know how I love Al's Pancakehouse."

"Great" Rory smiled.

"Yeah…. Great" Finn said, albeit a lot less enthusiastically. He wasn't really looking forward to a weekend with both Rory's parents and the crazy residents of Stars Hollow.

"And that concludes our tour" Lorelai summarized, as they entered the kitchen again. She had just finished a tour of the house with Finn trailing dutifully behind her.

"You can sleep on the couch, if that's ok?"

He quickly nodded. "It's fine."

"Okay, I'll have Rory find some sheets for you and stuff like that. So just make yourself at home and… This is weird, right?"

"So weird" he agreed. "But it means a lot to Rory that I get along with you, so…" He made a face. "I love sleeping on couches."

"You're a horrible liar, but I appreciate the effort" Lorelai said. She still wasn't sure if she truly liked this boy that had complete swept her daughter of her feet. He was sarcastic and brooding, but also a lot more easygoing than Logan had ever been and he truly did put a smile on Rory's face. And that was important.

Lorelai woke up in the early hours of the morning, hearing a strange noise. She knew it couldn't be Rory or Christopher, who could both sleep through a small nuclear war and usually needed help waking up in the morning.

Lorelai slowly walked down the stairs, listening for any signs of an intruder, but was somewhat put to ease when she heard a couple of swearwords exclaimed in an accent. The kitchen door was open and she trotted through the kitchen to find out exactly what Finn was doing… She looked at the clock… at five thirty in the morning.

"Hello."

"Oh shit" Finn hissed and toppled of the small table he had been sitting on, obviously smoking.

"You're smoking!"

"Yes…" He looked at the now discarded cigarette. "Sorry, it's a horrible habit, I know…"

"You're pre-med and you're smoking?" Lorelai had to smile at that.

"Yeah well…." He shrugged and Lorelai suddenly noticed he wasn't wearing a shirt.

"And you have a tattoo…."

"Yeah…" He sat down again. "Guess I'm not exactly what you had in mind when you pictured the perfect boyfriend for your daughter."

"Well no… Not exactly" Lorelai said, closing the kitchen door behind her and leaning on the rail opposite him. "I just…" Lorelai made a face. "She's growing up, I get that, but you're a trustfund baby and you drive an Aston Martin that you won in a poker game and you smoke and have a tattoo…"

"I have five, actually…"

"Oh gods…" She took a deep breath. "Why are you up?"

"Still on Sydney time. It always takes about a week to get used to it."

"Listen, I'm really sorry about the things we said about your father, I'm sure…"

"I've heard it all and worse before, so don't apologise. My dad likes having a rep for being a hard ass, makes him feel all macho."

"I know what it's like, having all these expectations thrust upon you… Sorry."

He half smirked. "Don't be, I got my way in the end. Had to threaten to move to Russia and become a male escort, but…"

"Really? That worked?"

"I'm sad to say my mother is not the brightest. You can pull her tail on almost anything, bless her heart. But my dad loves her, so he usually does what she tells him. It's strange, but it works, I suppose. Besides, I'm not really the corporate type. I'll let Logan have the honours."

"I don't know, he seemed pretty reluctant" Lorelai said.

"He'll give in eventually. Mitchum is a dick, but he knows Logan is a complete slacker and if he doesn't push him he'll just be like one of those Kardashians, famous for doing nothing." He picked up the cigarette. "Do you mind?"

Lorelai made a face. "Does Rory know you smoke?"

"Seeing as I usually smell like an Irish bar, it's pretty hard not to notice. She's trying to get me to quit."

"What's going on" a yawning Christopher suddenly interrupted them.

"Nothing. Why are you up" Lorelai asked, as Christopher rubbed his eyes and sat down on the small patio.

"Well, why are you up?"

"Jetlag" Finn said.

"And I heard him sneaking around" Lorelai said.

"You too? I heard when he crashed of the couch and again when he snuck out of Rory's room."

Lorelai tilted her head at Finn. "Seriously? Is it that you want me to hate you?"

Finn blushed a little. "Sorry."

"Oh hey, is that a tattoo" Christopher asked. "That looks really cool."

Finn gave Lorelai a look; he certainly hadn't expected that kind of reaction from Rory's father.

"Ignore him, he's horrible in the 'responsible parent' role" Lorelai said. "So five?"

"Five" Finn nodded. "But two of them are really really stupid and I plan to get them removed."

"Come on, Lor, give the guy a chance. Lord knows we did stupid things when we were younger" Christopher interjected.

"You don't have any kids, do you" Lorelai suddenly asked.

"Uh, not that I know of" Finn said.

"Good… And don't do drugs either" Lorelai added.

Finn opened his mouth, but shut it again. If Rory hadn't told her parents about his love of liquor, maybe he shouldn't either. He doubted it would earn him any brownie points.

"Lor, he's a med-student and he's obviously crazy about our daughter. I don't know what more you want from her boyfriend?"

"I also have a lot of money… If you were wondering?" Finn received another pointed stare from Lorelai. "But you probably weren't, so that… It's fine…."

"I get it, I really do" Lorelai said. "You're all grown up and exciting and you have an accent and tattoos and you dress funny… I get what Rory sees in you, but she's my daughter, and I need you to get that I only want the best for her."

"I get that" Finn said. "But I also know that I make her happy. And that's the most important thing, right?"

"I suppose so" Lorelai said with a small pout.

"Of course it is" Christopher said with a smile. "Hey, I'll come visit you guys in Australia, you can teach me to how to surf."

Lorelai slapped him over the head. "Don't be that dorky dad that follows his daughter around."

"Oh my god, what are you all doing up so early" Rory muttered and stepped outside. "It's like six in the morning."

"Well, Finn couldn't sleep… And then I couldn't sleep…"

"And then I couldn't sleep" Christopher finished Lorelai's sentence.

"Why are you not wearing a shirt" Rory asked with furrowed brows.

"It would appear to be because you're wearing it for him" Lorelai pointed out.

"Oh… Right" Rory said, blushing.

"Finn was just entertaining us with funny stories about his smoking and tattoos" Lorelai said with a small smirk. Rory gave Finn a panicked look.

Lorelai sighed. It would take some time, but she would get used to Finn. He was right about making Rory happy. She wasn't having emotional breakdowns every other week, like when she was with Logan, and she was as dedicated as ever to her education, which was important. She was also breaking out of her shell and trying new things. And if one of those new things just so happened to be a quirky Australian smoker with tattoos and a trustfund, Lorelai would just have to deal with it. Because he was good for Rory, no matter what his own flaws were. "Come on, I think Luke's open now. We could use some pancakes and bacon."

Another A/N: Okay, so a little short and rather pointless, but I'm currently working on something that involves Vegas, rubber ducks and wedding rings... Oh, and while I've always refused to hold a story hostage for reviews, I would just like to point out that your reviews always make me work a little faster... Just saying... So, now that I have shamelessly advocated my addiction to reviews, I'll move on and promise to do better with the updates. I have absolutely no plans for the summer (pathetic, I know), so I'll just be sitting at home writing, I think. I hope you all have an awesomely amazing summer, though.
xo Anne