CHAPTER 23: Big Fish, Little Pond

A few weeks pass by and Logan continued settling into Stars Hollow, adjusting to the change of pace of the small town from the big city he was used to, while learning lessons the hard way.

He hasn't learnt not to succumb to and see through Miss Patty's damsel-in-distress act ("Ah! Logan dear, would you be able to use those rugged muscles of yours to help me move a few boxes?"), which results in him being cornered in a room with her, every time.

He hasn't learnt to curb his habit of overpaying for everything that is already overpriced.

And, worst of all, he made the mistake of actually ordering pancakes from Al's Pancake World.

Beyond that, Logan was warming up to Stars Hollow and Stars Hollow was warming up to Logan Huntzberger.

#

One day, after walking Elleigh into school, Logan decides to head to Luke's to try and get some work done as a change of scenery from his study at home.

After walking Elleigh to the school, giving her a hug goodbye and reminding her that she isn't allowed anymore Houdini stunts to pull off another Nancy Drew adventure, Logan heads straight for the small town diner, iPad in tow. When he arrives at the establishment, there are only a few tables being used with the rest free for him to take his pick of. He seems to have just missed the morning rush.

Glancing around the diner, Logan notes that Kirk's sitting on one side as he always seems to be, so the blonde man opts for the other side of the room, taking one of the tables closest to the kitchen that has a view straight out the window and onto the street outside. He likes Kirk, however quirky he may be, but the last time he had caught Logan when he was trying to work, he had inundated him with questions and queries before Kirk tried to sell himself as if he was in a job interview for a job that wasn't even being offered.

"Morning Luke" Logan says as he takes a seat at the table he's selected and begins getting himself set up to work, greeting the gruff owner of the establishment from where he's wiping down the counter of the diner.

To identify the owner of the voice that has just spoken to him, Luke quickly looks up from the bench that he is cleaning on autopilot mode, just uttering one word in response to acknowledge the greeting. "Logan."

After a couple minutes and after cleaning a few other surfaces, Luke approaches the table where Logan is tapping away furiously on his iPad.

"Coffee?" Luke asks firstly, pouring out a cup for the younger man at the first sign of his nod. "Did you want anything to eat?"

"A Caesar salad would be great, thanks" Logan says, briefly looking up from his iPad to glance up at the diner owner who is taking his order.

After scrawling the order down, Luke speaks up once again before leaving Logan's table.

"How are the girls?"

"Good… I've just come from dropping Elleigh off at school."

Not only did it somewhat surprise him that Luke is trying to make conversation, but Logan is surprised by Luke's further interest.

"How is that, uh, all going?"

"How's it going with Elle, you mean? It's going good so far. It's taken a lot of time and work, but I have loved getting to know her. I'm just trying to make up for all the lost time."

Before Luke has a chance to respond to what Logan has just said regarding his own question, Logan continues speaking after making a realization of his own.

"You know what its like, don't you?" Logan asks, making the connection between himself and the older diner owner.

Luke's face scrunches up a little in confusion. "I know what what's like?"

"Finding out that you have a daughter… Knowing what it's like to have so much to catch up on and learn about your little girl… That hollow feeling when you think about everything that you've already missed in their life so far."

Luke nods somberly. He knows exactly what the new father means. He knows exactly what it's like to feel that way.

"Look… I know it's pretty pathetic effort, but if it's any consolation, a couple of times over the years I did try and encourage her to tell you. I tried to get her to see it from your perspective; to understand what it's like being on the other side of the secret that she kept. But, at the end of the day, it was always Rory's choice."

Luke doesn't look Logan directly in the eye as he speaks. No, that would be too much.

Logan, however, looks at the older man earnestly, giving him a small smile of appreciation.

"... It was nothing, really. I mean, look, it didn't even work."

"Thank you, Luke. I mean that. Thank you."

"It was nothing…But, look, breakfast's on the house."

After the last few words, Luke briefly reciprocates Logan's smile with a small one of his own before he quickly hurries off and scrambles away. He feels like he'd overdone the conversation that had unintentionally blossomed into a deep-and-meaningful; consequently committing himself to an overly bromantic-moment.

However, the exchange had only reflected the fact that Luke always had a fondness for Logan. Not that he'd ever admit it, not even to Lorelai, but he does a have a soft spot for the Huntzberger heir.

That weekend at Martha's Vineyard had been a real turning point. He'd seen Logan's kindness, his generosity and the effort that he'd put forward to bond with him… And, in exchange for Logan's effort all those years ago, he had gained Luke's respect.

#

Later that day and on his way to pick up Elleigh from school just hours after dropping her off, Logan has a quick stop to make first; stopping at the same place he'd be taking his daughter later on in the day. When Rory opens the other side of the door that Logan has just knocked at, she is nothing short of surprised to find him standing outside of her door.

Today is Rory's rostered-day-off that she is entitled to once every fortnight.

"Hey... What are you doing here?"

"I'm just on my way to the school to pick Elle up, but there's something that I wanted to run past you, an idea I had. You don't have to give to me an answer straight away, but I just wanted to mention it while Elle's not around. You see, with moving, I've had to go through a lot of old stuff from my place. Last week I came across something and I would like to give it to Elleigh... As long as it's okay with you."

Rory's mind goes blank trying to picture or at least imagine anything which Logan could be alluding to right now, with no clear idea of what he is actually talking about. So, out of curiosity, she encourages him to stop prefacing and just get to the point and tell her what it is.

"I came across the engagement ring... Well, I guess it wasn't really an engagement ring since we never actually got engaged, but it was just the ring I proposed to you with. Anyway, I found it in my stuff and I just liked the idea of giving it to Elle, if you're comfortable with that. You know, see if someone can get some use out of it."

He attempts to be light-hearted and he attempts to force a chuckle with his last comment. But, Rory knows him better than that. She can see straight through him. He never recovered from and he never got over the failed proposal that Rory turned down all those years ago. She can tell that it still cuts him deep.

"You kept it?" is the first thing that Rory utters when she finally speaks up, nipping at her own lip and not really answering the question that Logan had presented to her.

In response, he just nods and she continues to ponder his proposition. Rory's lips pout and purse a little, thoughtfully, before a small smile erupts over her face.

"I think that giving it to Elle's a really beautiful idea, Logan. I'd like that. It feels... right."

Logan returns the smile, nodding gratefully at her for warming to his idea; granting him permission to give their daughter the ring that was meant to be hers.

"I can't wrap my head around the fact that Elle was there that night, too. Sure, neither of us might have known it, but she was still there too..."

Rory and Logan share the sweet sadness of the moment. Thinking about the fact that their precious daughter was there in secret on the night that their relationship began to spiral is bittersweet. It presents all the 'what ifs' of if her existence had of been known that night... Would Rory's answer have been the same? Would they have stayed together? Would it have steered them towards a wedding, instead? Would they be happily married today?

Both Logan and Rory are thinking about it and thinking of the potentials of what could have been, but neither of them dares to say it.

Instead, in the silence, they just share a sad smile, both of them feeling the bitter-sweetness of the moment before Logan speaks up.

"Well... Thanks, Ace... Speaking of our girl, I'd better head off now or I'll be late to get her."

#

After collecting the excitable little blonde girl from school, rather than taking Elleigh straight home to her mother's house, she and Logan made a detour and decided to hang out at his home for a few hours before taking her back to Rory.

Having received the permission from the girl's mother -his ex-girlfriend- just this afternoon, Logan can't wait to give Elle the ring that had and was supposed to have such a big meaning in his life, yet fell short of that. Now, that particular ring and everything that it stands for has the opportunity to find sentimental meaning in another, very different way.

As the father and daughter duo walk into Logan's home, Elle drops her bag to the ground, letting it fly to wherever it ends up. It's becoming clearer and clearer that she is growing more comfortable not only at Logan's home but also with Logan all the time. Logan, in short, is delighted.

After offering her a snack, Logan tells her that he has something for her; something important to give her. The two of them make their way outside as Logan directs them to his outdoor setting lounge, where they each take a seat beside one another.

"Elle, I found something when I was packing my stuff up to move. Your mom and I had a chat about it today and we'd really like for you to have it."

Elle looks at Logan a little apprehensively, warily, wondering what on earth it could be and why he had spoken to her mother about it, too.

"-I know that you know that your mom and I broke up all those years ago because I wanted something that she didn't want, and that's fine. That doesn't matter now, but it does mean that I still have this, and now we want you to have it."

Logan pulls the box out from his pocket, holding out the same blue, velvet box that he had opened a decade ago, presenting it to his daughter this time.

As Elle looks at the ring, her face lights up as she looks at the ring. Watching the little girl in front of him is a moment of déjà vu for Logan, reminding him of the smile of the first girl who had seen the ring, reminding him of her mother's smile, but, without the look of doubt that had followed it...

"Wow... It's a beautiful ring, dad. Are you sure I should have it?"

Watching her smile, the way her face lights up and stays that way is beautiful for him.

"Of course I'm sure. In fact, it would mean a lot to me for you to have it instead... Besides, I'm more of a pearls man, myself."

Elle rolls her eyes at the dad joke, but the grin stays on her lips, the smile glowing in her eyes.

"May I?" Logan asks politely as he pulls the ring out of from where it's tucked safely into its home of velvet. Elleigh nods enthusiastically in answer to his question.

"It might be a bit big..." Logan warns as Elle holds her right hand out to him. Slipping the item of jewellery onto his daughter's middle finger, the ring just fits and it just holds. Just. Thankfully Rory has petite fingers.

Looking at her ring, what was supposed to be her mother's ring, Elle smiles happily, adoring the piece of jewellery before she throws her arms around her father in gratitude for the gift and the gesture.

Logan never got the special moment that he had been hoping for when he was inspired to buy that ring and ask Rory the question that went along with that ring. No, he never got that moment. But, instead, he got a different moment with their daughter.

"Thanks dad."

Logan smiles, holding his daughter in his arms. He finally feels like he's made peace with the past and the events that had transpired as a result of his failed proposal.

By giving the ring to their daughter, Logan feels like he's righting a wrong. It feels like making peace with the ending of a story that can't be re-written. It's not changing the past and it's not changing the ending, but rather, it's giving the past a happier ending.

... It just feels right.

Thank you so much to everyone who read & reviewed the last chapter. I'm so sorry that this one wasn't up sooner!

Next chapter: What truths and feelings will be revealed as Logan & Rory have a family night with Elle?