CHAPTER TWO: Time Gone By

"Logan. What are you doing here?"

He didn't even notice that Rory was surrounded by her family until Lorelai whispers, "We'll give you two a minute" before ushering away whoever else had been standing with Rory away to give them privacy.

"I saw the announcement in the paper. I had to be here, pay my respects. He was a good man, your grandfather."

"Well, thank you."

The former lovers stand together uncomfortably as Logan places his hands in suit-pant pockets, while Rory looks down and analyses her polished black shoes.

"So how are you? How are you doing?"

"Good... Good, thanks. Yourself? How have you been?" Rory says, replying as succinctly as possible. Her closed body language and mannerisms reveal so much more about how she is feeling to Logan than her words do.

"Yeah, I'm well too."

After nine years, there is so much that can be said and so many questions that could be asked. However, before Rory and Logan have the chance to even begin to dive into the dozens of small talk options regarding work, personal life and family, they are interrupted by the little girl that had been sitting with Luke during the funeral. She has to be Rory's much younger sister.

As she comes over, the smaller girl gives Logan a wary once-over and she shifts shyly to be as close to Rory's side as she can be.

"Who's this?" Logan says with a smile at the little girl. Her most noticeable feature is the same blinding blue eyes as both Lorelai and Rory.

Logan considers himself as being good with kids. His niece and nephew absolutely adore him. Yet, looking at the younger girl in front of him, he can sense her slight fear, her unfamiliarity of him.

"This is Elleigh" Rory says, rubbing the little girls arm as she wraps an arm around her smaller shoulder. The child nods to confirm her name as she is introduced.

"Hello Elleigh, it's a pleasure to meet you. My name's Logan Huntzberger" Logan smiles, locking eyes with the younger girl as he holds his hand out to her.

Rory can't help but note that the man before her, her former lover is as charming as ever. He is warm enough to make a good impression on Elleigh as any shyness she has quickly dissolves when she moves away from the security of Rory just a little to reach out and shake Logan's hand, the two exchanging a pleasant smile.

"Hi" Elleigh responds as the handshake draws to a close.

Now that there is a gap in the conversation, two pairs of blue eyes lock when Elleigh looks up to Rory, relaying the message that she'd been sent to give.

"Everyone's leaving now."

Rory nods at the message, before looking to Logan and immediately beginning to scurry off with Elle at the first opportunity she is given to flee.

"We've got to go. It was good seeing you again, Logan."

"It was good seeing you too, Ace" Logan responds, a little sadly. However, he might as well be speaking to himself under his breath for the fact that Rory has rushed off too quickly to hear him speak.

Watching the two girls walk off and hurry back to where the rest of the Gilmore-Danes clan is waiting, before Logan too walks off in the opposite direction, not knowing whether it'll be another nine years before he lays eyes on her again.

#

After the funeral, Emily was dropped home and ensured that she was okay... Well as okay as she can be after spending the day burying her husband of fifty years.

As proud as ever, the Gilmore matriarch had insisted that she was perfectly fine and that there was nothing more that she needed other than a good drink and an even better nights rest.

Since the Gilmore-Danes' have just returned home Elleigh had already raced ahead inside with Luke and the promise of a hot chocolate and pop tarts - Luke found solace in the idea of forcing the child to eat a salad tomorrow. Wisely, the male of the household had sensed that the mother and daughter needed some time together after the weight of the day that they've been through.

This left Lorelai and Rory to hang behind, approaching the home slower as they walked and talked.

"I still can't believe it. I still can't believe we're never going to see Grandpa again. It doesn't feel any more real. It doesn't make any more sense" Rory sighs sadly. She had managed to remain composed all day. Just now, though, she is revealing much more about how she's feeling than she had all day.

"I know kiddo. I know" Lorelai responds, the typically bubbly woman sounding drawn, exhausted.

The mother slings her arm around her adult daughter's arms protectively, comfortingly as they walk up the steps in synchronization, taking a seat on the outdoor swing together.

To try and move the conversation away from the somber, emotional note that it has hit, Lorelai changes the subject, finally having the chance to ask her daughter about what she has been dying to ask since it happened.

"So... What about Logan? What an appearance, hey? I saw him speaking with you and Elle."

"Yeah... It was brief, thankfully. I assume that one of you sent her over to tell me that you were leaving."

Lorelai nods at her daughter's response. She knows that considering the fact that Rory is giving her nothing but emotionless facts means that there is in fact a deeper meaning hidden within her words.

"How did you feel about that? Did you say anything?"

"Of course I didn't say anything. How could I? It just felt awfully strange though... I mean, he saw her, mom. They looked right at each other. They met; they shook hands without either of them really knowing who the other one is."

Lorelai gives her daughter a sad smile, before enveloping her in a form of hug, an arm around Rory's shoulders.

"Oh hon... It's not easy, I know. Did seeing him change things at all?"

"No. It was nice that he made the effort to come to the funeral, but it has to stay this way. It's too late to go back now..."

Wow. Wow. WOW! So, I posted this story the day before I went away and I have been away for just over two weeks. I came home yesterday to find 21 reviews and 134 followers for this story. That is INSANE! Thank you all SO much for reading this story and supporting it. That has been an incredible boost for me to keep going with this story. I hope you will all love the ride we go on with our favourite characters.

Also, since I left the day after the G.G. revival was released, I haven't had a chance to watch it yet, so please don't add any spoilers in the reviews just yet! :D

Next chapter: We properly meet Elleigh and get to know a little more about her and her life.