Disclaimer: Amy Sherman-Palladino is the owner of the playground, but I am playing in her sandbox!

A/N: All of the sudden this story just came back to me! Yay! And more Finn/Rory plot is being set up. So, there we go…. Progression. Anyway, enjoy the story, I just literally wrote most of this very late (instead of packing, shame on me). So… read it.

Chapter 6: La Cienega Just Smiled

How'd I end up feeling so bad
For such a little girl
And I hold you close in the back of my mind
Feels so good but damn it makes me hurt
And I'm too scared to know to how I feel about you now
La Cienega just smiles..."see ya around"

-Ryan Adams

"Finn is a little peculiar."

"That's the nicest thing anyone has ever said about him," Rory replied to her mother.

"I talked to him again last night. It was a very Less Than Zero conversation," Lorelai said.

Rory rolled her eyes. "That's not very nice. Or true. "

"I'm just trying to do the mom thing, Rory. You know, being concerned about you being a million miles away and all that."

"Yes, a million miles away."

"Going to Californiaaaaa," Lorelai sang.

Rory heard Miss Patty say something in the background in regards to Lorelai's loud singing. "Where are you?"

"Doose's, of course."

"Of course. Tell everyone I say hi."

Lorelai cleared her throat and Rory could hear something being moved. "Stars Hollow citizens, my dear daughter would like you to know that she has navigated the world in a large, wooden ship and has claimed land in the name of our King Taylor."

"Lorelai, I am not a king," was Taylor's exasperated reply.

"He's tried," Ms. Patty added.

"Yes, well, unfortunately this is still a democratic country," Taylor sighed.

"At least pretend you're upset about it," Babette shot back.

The rest of the argument that was ensuing in Doose's market was muffled and Lorelai came back on the phone. "See what happens when you leave us? Anarchy ensues."

"The town must have been destroyed when I went to college then."

"It was. Every time you visit it's just a very elaborate set decoration and some good hair and makeup people."

"So the Stars Hollow I've come back to visit is just smoke and mirrors? How very Lost of all of you."

"We do this all for you, you know."

"Lucky me."

"I mean, since the town was destroyed in the great riots, we need new land, which is why I'm so happy you've gone out on this fact finding mission for us."

"That's me, one half the historic Gilmore and Finn expedition."

Lorelai frowned. "You can't use your last name and his first name. That's not very symmetrical."

Rory laughed. "Finn is his last name."

"Now you tell me? No wonder my background check came back inconclusive."

"You did not have a background check done on him!"

"If you count trying to ask Emily Gilmore about her social life as having a background check done on him, then yes."

"I can't even imagine what that conversation went like."

"'Oh, Lorelai, I can't even imagine why you would think that I would know about some plebian with only one name to go on. Honestly, you're interrupting my virgin sacrifice,'" Lorelai said in a high pitched mocking tone of her mother's voice.

"Something in that strikes me as untrue, but I can't quite put my finger on what it might be," Rory replied sarcastically.

"You're right, she didn't use my name."

Finn suddenly shot up in bed, eyes wide. "I heard the word virgin."

"Mom, I gotta go. Sleeping Beauty is awake and I think disoriented."

"Logan knows that you two are sharing a room, right? We're not about to have another Dean-Jess debacle?"

"Mom!" Rory practically screeched. "That is so ridiculous."

"I had to make sure. Go be Prince Charming. Platonically, of course." Lorelai paused. "Miss you, kid."

Rory smiled. "Miss you too, mom. I'll call you tonight."

"I'll wait by the phone all night."

Rory snapped her phone shut. "Mornin, Sam."

"Mornin, Ralph."

"Sleep okay?"

"I had a weird dream about circular trains. It's too hard to explain. But I saved a group of kindergarteners from a hard life of drug dealing. Where's my medal?" Finn swung his legs out of bed and stretched, his abs going taut and Rory most definitely was not staring at them.

"I'm getting it engraved. It'll be ready by the time you get out of the shower."

"Stop thinking about me in the shower."

"What?" Rory yelped. "I'm not thinking about you in the shower!"

Finn smiled bemusedly at her. "I was teasing. You don't need to get so defensive, Gilmore." He patted her on the head as he passed by on his way to the bathroom.

She stared at him as he shut the door, and then flopped down on the bed. She needed to talk to Logan. This was getting too out of hand. She dialed the familiar number, but it went straight to voicemail. "Hey, Logan, I was just thinking about you. Oh, jeez, I just realized that it's working hours, you're probably in a meeting. I'm actually glad your phone was off, that awful ringtone you have for me would go off and you'd have to fumble to turn the ringer off and then everyone would stare at you and I'm rambling. Anyway, call me back. I'll talk to you later."

"So this is the desert." Finn held his hands out wide and gestured broadly to the landscape around them.

"It looks different during the day," Rory commented, taking in the scenery. "I was expecting more camels. Or maybe vultures circling around bones, possibly singing about friendship."

"Utah isn't the Sahara, love."

"Thanks for the geography update."

"That's me, your walking atlas."

Rory looked out at the sprawling desert in front of her. They'd stopped at a lookout point on the 15 South after almost three hours of driving. The wind was blowing slightly, and there was a family taking a photo against the backdrop. She had to admit, it was pretty gorgeous. But then again, most of Utah was. The whole state was practically national park.

"What is it like traveling all the time?" Rory asked one they'd gotten back into the car. She was sitting shotgun and Finn had on a pair of Dolce & Gabbana sunglasses.

He smiled slightly and turned down the radio. "Your grandparents are Gilmores, darling. They half own a house in the south of France. And you're telling me that you haven't traveled with them?"

"I backpacked across Europe with my mom after high school. And I went back the summer after with my grandmother."

"And you're asking me about traveling?"

Rory rolled her eyes. "I've been to Europe twice. You were born in Australia and Logan told me that you've been to six of the seven continents."

"What's your dream vacation, love?"

"Traveling the coast of Vietnam. Visiting the beaches in Thailand. Exploring the palaces of the Raj in India." She leaned back against the seat and smiled. "What's your dream vacation?"

"I've never done the Endless Summer," he admitted.

Rory laughed. "That I wouldn't have guessed. I figured you, Logan and Colin would have taken off some time during sophomore year to travel around the world looking for the perfect wave."

It was Finn's turn to laugh. "Can you imagine Colin – the man who travels with his own iron – staying in huts in remote villages on the African coast?"

"And that's your dream vacation?"

"Don't let my sunglasses fool you, I'm not all about my products. I would love to canoe the Amazon and sleep in tents." He smirked. "I grew up privileged. I went to Johannesburg and Vienna and Rio de Janeiro. But I always wanted to see what was beyond the four star hotels and swanky bars."

"That's surprising, actually."

"Why? From what I've heard, you and your mother don't share differing opinions."

Rory opened her mouth, but then shut it again. It was true. "I guess after Chilton and Yale and –"

" – Logan," Finn finished for her. "It's a fair assumption."

The next hour was silent until Finn stopped to get gas. Rory hopped out to pee (and get an ice cream bar, but Finn didn't need to know that) and Finn was leaning against the car when his phone started vibrating in his pocket.

"Hello, beautiful," he chirped into the receiver.

"I'm fucking divorcing him!" Stephanie screeched back into the phone.

Finn rubbed his temple. "What did he do this time?"

"He's such an ass. He brought home another fucking girl from the bar. Said it was a present for me, because we'd been throwing around the idea of a threesome."

"And you didn't invite me?"

"Fine, take his side! Fuck you, Finn." And she hung up with a frustrated scream.

Finn stared at his phone as he slowly closed it, holding it as though Stephanie might jump out of the screen and strangle him. The pump finished and he shook himself out of his daze. Steph was a weird bird, that was for sure.

"Did you just get a very manic call from Stephanie too?" Rory asked as she approached the car. "She just asked what it would take for me to kill you and leave you in Death Valley."

"She's such a sweet girl, wouldn't you say?"

"What did you say to her to get her so upset?"

Finn laughed. "She's crazy. She thought I was taking Tristan's side in a fight they had. I hadn't said a word either way."

"Oh, Finn. For a playboy, you certainly know nothing about women," Rory said, shaking her head. "By not saying anything either way, you just took Tristan's side."

He blinked at her. "That's insane. That is the way a crazy person thinks, you know." He climbed in the car. "No ice cream for me? After all I've done for you!" He cried dramatically.

"Like annoying Stephanie so much that I get a screechy phone call from her demanding that your blood flows like the Colorado River?"

"That was too specific."

"That was actually a direct quote. I'd watch out."

Beep. "Mate, it's Finn. Just a heads up, your adorable girlfriend is incredibly persuasive, and we are no longer stopping in Vegas (despite my literal tears, a heart of stone she has!) and are driving straight through to LA. Just wanted to give you a chance to wrap things up. Turn on your phone, dick."

Beep. "Hi, Logan! Finn and I just passed through Vegas, surprisingly not hitting too much traffic. Your phone has been off all day, but we're going to come pick you up at your office for dinner. I'm going to see you in four hours!"

Finn insisted Rory drive once they hit the California border on the 15 so he could light up a joint. She had crinkled her nose and almost cried when they passed a cop.

"Rory, relax. They don't particularly care here. And plus, if I cannot follow in the footsteps of the greatest man to make it alive down this particular stretch of road, there is basically no point in living." He smirked and held it out to her. "Want some?"

"What is this, a bad 1980s PSA? You already know I don't smoke," she yelled at him.

He shrugged. "Your loss. What do you think of California?"

"I know California is a lot of desert, and I guess I should have expected that, but this is more desert than I expected, to be honest."

"It gets better. Well, more irrigated. Hey, take this next exit and turn left, please."

"Manners? Where are you taking me?" She gasped dramatically. "Who are you?"

"I'm taking you to literally the greatest place on earth."

"Literally?" she teased.

"Yes, woman, literally!" Finn pointed frantically to the fast food restaurant on their left and indicated for her to park. He jumped out at an inhumane speed and was bouncing on the balls of his feet waiting for her to get out.

"In-N-Out?" she asked, following him into the rather crowded restaurant.

"Just sit. I'm putting the infamous Gilmore metabolism to the penultimate test, love."

Rory cocked her head inquisitively, but he just motioned for her to sit. She took in her surroundings; nearly every table was full with people happily eating huge burgers. To be fair, the whole place smelled amazing and she could feel her stomach start to make hungry noises as she waited for Finn to return. The menu was small, very kitschy 50s drive up style.

After what felt like thirty minutes later but in reality was closer to half that time, Finn returned with a huge tray of food that he deposited in front of her with a huge grin on his face. "Welcome to California, love. And the best burger on the planet."

Rory looked wide-eyed at the food in front of her. There were two burgers. One with two patties, melted cheese, lettuce, tomato, grilled onions, and a mysterious sauce. Finn put that one in front of her. The one he took had at least four patties and even more toppings, but the sauce looked way messier. There were also two orders of fries with melted cheese, onion, and more of that sauce. And there was a chocolate milkshake in front of her.

And then she took a bite of the burger. "Oh my god. I've died. And gone to heaven. Heaven is a burger joint! I knew it! Mom bet me it was a place where we could watch actors and directors have Heart of Darkness style meltdowns for our mocking pleasure, but I told her heaven was where the perfect burger existed. And I've found it. Or rather, you've shown it to me. As a Gilmore, this is tantamount to you saving my life, I hope you know."

Finn just laughed and took a sip of his drink. "And one day, you will be called upon to do a mysterious favor in return."

"What do you have?"

"A 4x4, animal style."

"What's animal style?"

"The sauce that they put on our fries."

"You can get that put on your burger as well? I didn't see that on the menu."

He winked at her. "That's because it's on the secret menu. Now eat up. This isn't the only In-N-Out we'll be going to, I promise."

LA was, in a word, confusing. Finn drove them into the city, taking five interchanges in at least as many minutes, navigating them around the 8pm traffic on the 405 as they headed past the seemingly endless skyscrapers and high rises.

"People don't interact as much here as in New York," Finn had warned her. "Everyone stays in their cars."

"Nobody walks in LA," she had muttered back, much to Finn's delight. He had started singing as loudly as he could until she turned up a mariachi station to drown him out.

But driving through LA was a wholly different from what she had imagined. For one, everyone drove like crazy people. Finn was zipping in and out of lanes, going 90 mph at some parts, and he was one of the safer drivers on the road she felt. But when she stole glances at him, he was totally comfortable. He had a relaxed smile on his face and looked very much at him. Which she supposed he was, if he had stayed here so often as a teenager. He probably learned to drive on these streets.

"The hotel I'm staying at is a few blocks away from Huntz's apartment in Santa Monica, but he works in Westlake. Did you want to go to the hotel first or to see him at work first?" Finn questioned.

Rory smiled and ducked her head slightly. "Would it be totally girly of me if I wanted to go see him at work?"

"You sure, doll?" Finn prodded, discreetly checking his phone. No new messages from Logan. He didn't know if that was a good or bad thing.

She nodded emphatically. "That is a hundred percent where I wish to go. Onwards!"

Finn couldn't help but laugh at her enthusiasm. "You've really missed that arse, haven't you?"

"Well, haven't you?" she replied.

He watched as she rolled down the window, then rolled it back up with a crinkle of her nose ("smog is a real thing!"). "Sure," he finally answered. "I guess I have."

Rory looked up at the building in front of her as its gleaming glass loomed over her. Finn had parked over a block away, and she was glad she had taken that sweater he'd suggested. It was a little chilly, for the middle of summer.

Finn nudged her in the ribs. "You've seen taller in New York," he teased.

"I know! But this is LA. The City of Angels. This is the city that has inspired and haunted so many great artists."

"Do you want a moment with the building, or shall we go inside and find your illustrious beau?" Finn didn't wait for an answer, but grabbed her by the wrist and gently led her in. She lingered in the back while he flirted with the receptionist.

"She says Logan is up in his office," he reported to her.

She grinned and squeezed his hand in the elevator as the car rose to his floor. "I'm excited. And nervous."

Finn didn't reply as he looked at his phone one last time. No new messages. Ready or not, he thought as the doors opened.