Disclaimer: I may have my own ideas about how I want their story to carry on, but sadly I do not own Gilmore Girls or these characters. If you're reading this, you too are a fan and know this already.
Logan's POV
"I guess nobody's home" Rory says, a bit unnecessarily. We've been through Paris' house twice looking for any sign of warm bodies, but without any luck. Or is this lucky? I have not been looking forward to a run in with Paris, and it seems I've been granted a reprieve, however brief. We make our way to the guest room on the third floor that Rory refers to as "her room" so she can dig through her boxes stored there to find a change of clothes.
"Nooooo!" Rory cries barely a moment after we've walked into the room.
"What's wrong?" I ask her, alarmed. "Are you okay?"
"I need to text Paris to let her know that I am here. I learned the hard way that having unannounced guests in her house when she gets home is not the type of surprise she likes." And the plan is to surprise her with my presence? I look at Rory expectantly.
"So what's the problem? Text her." I reply.
"I left my phone in my purse down at the front door! It's like a million miles from here!" She looks up at me with her bambi eyes and a big pout and I have to laugh. I lean forward and kiss her pouty lips gently.
"Relax, Ace. I'll grab your purse, just wait here." She sighs happily and lies down on the bed.
"Well… okay. If you insist."
I can't help but smile as I jog down the admittedly numerous stairs to the front door. It's so nice to be together again. I've missed our bantering. Rory's purse isn't at the front door, but I see it on the floor in the front living room. I'm walking over to it when I hear the front door open and I freeze. Shit! That must be Paris. I don't know whether to turn around and face Paris or try to hide. It's dark down here, maybe she won't see me. Fight or flight, fight or flight! Before I can make up my mind I hear bags hit the ground and the unmistakable voice of Paris yelling "Intruder!"
Next thing I know my face is hitting the hardwood floor and my right arm is twisted painfully behind my back.
"Parifff" I manage to get out, my voice muffled with the weight of this tiny angry woman on my back. I hear the sound of someone running down the stairs and I'm equal parts relieved that Rory is coming and mortified that she's about to see me pinned to the ground by her Krav Maga loving former roommate.
"Paris!" I hear Rory yell a she reaches the bottom of the stairs. "Paris, it's Logan! Let him go!" I feel the pressure on my shoulder released and Paris gets off of me. I roll over slowly onto my back.
"Oh I know who it is." Paris replies easily, walking over to the blue-grey chair and sitting down. What? "A blonde man in an expensive jacket in my living room the evening I'm expecting you back from London? I'm not stupid Rory."
"It's nice to see you too Paris" I say sarcastically, climbing to my feet and making my way over to stand beside Rory. I wipe my throbbing lip and I notice it is bleeding.
"So, Huntberger. Long time no see. I see the apple didn't fall too far from the proverbial tree… how's your fiancé?" she asks. Oh. I guess that explains the warm welcome.
"A pleasure, as always Paris. It's a long story, but I don't have a fiancé anymore." Rory grabs my hand and squeezes it.
Paris looks at me sharply. "So, are you two back together?" she asks.
"Yes" Rory replies confidently.
"Is it serious this time?" Straight to the point, that's the Paris we all know and love.
Before I can say anything, Rory blurts out "My obstetrician thinks so". Wait… isn't that the baby doctor?
"WHAT!" Paris booms. Yep, definitely the baby doctor.
"Way to rip the band-aid off Ace!" I mutter and she looks at me sheepishly before dragging me by the hand to the couch across from Paris and we sit down. Rory tells Paris an abbreviated version of the events that lead us to her house today and when she is finished we sit in silence for a moment.
"You should get Huntzberger some ice for his face Rory" Paris suddenly says. My face is throbbing, I could probably use the ice but I do not want to be left alone with Paris."
"I'll grab it" I interject quickly, but Paris is shaking her head.
"No, I don't need you rooting around my house. Rory knows where to find it." She looks at Rory, waiting for her to get up. "Come on Rory, what good is he to you without his pretty face". With one more glance back at me Rory gets up and walks out of the room.
Paris waits until Rory is out of the room and then turns to me. "She doesn't need you Logan. So if this is some misguided attempt to be noble, to do the right thing, you can stop right here. I don't want Rory to get hurt. She is one of the best people I know and I have watched her pine over you since that stunt you pulled back at Yale. She does not deserve to get hurt by you again! She can do this without you!" Even I am surprised by her vehemence.
"It wasn't a stunt Paris, I asked her to marry me! I wanted to be together forever, is that so terrible?" She remains stone-faced. "I ended things with Odette before I even knew that Rory was pregnant, before I even knew if I still had a chance with Rory, doesn't that count for anything?" Her face softens a little, but she remains silent. I feel an overwhelming need to make Paris see the truth. If I can win her over, the rest of Rory's friends will be easy. "Paris this is the right thing to do – not because we're going to have a baby or because this is what society tells us we should do. It's the right thing for us, because we love each other and want to be together. Because we're happiest when we're together. I'm not going to hurt her."
I can see her thinking, before she suddenly says, "You can't be like your dad, Logan."
I scoff. "I've spent my entire life determined not to end up like Mitchum, Paris. I'm not my dad Paris, Rory's it for me and always has been. You know that's the truth."
"I'm not talking about you dad's affinity to chase everything in a skirt, though Lord knows you did your best impression of him before you met Rory. And when you cheated on her over Thanksgiving back at Yale." I'm about to interrupt, to tell her that I never cheated on Rory, but she silences me with a look. "I actually believe you when you say that Rory is it for you. And I've spent enough time watching Rory pretend she was over you to know that she feels the same way. But whoring around is not the only way that you can hurt her. My family is like yours Logan, I get it. I come from society, I was raised by my nanny. My parents may have fled the country when I was at Yale but I was on my own long before then. It was ridiculous how much I tried to win their approval, as if that would make them love me enough to just be there. But they never were. Rory is not going to leave your kid to be raised by a nanny while she plays the perfect society wife, Logan. And you need to be man enough to step up as a real dad or just stay away completely. Rory may just be getting back on her feet career wise, but she is going to be an amazing mom. She had Lorelai, and that was enough. If you're not all in, Rory will be enough for this baby but it is going to tear her apart if you tell her you're all in now and then change your mind later."
And there it is. As difficult as Paris can make our lives, she really does love Rory. I can't fault her for that. "Paris I am all in. I swore to myself when I was 10 years old that I would never have an heir, just a child. I almost broke that promise by allowing my dad to arrange a marriage for me. I will not make that mistake again. I will be at every football game, every piano recital, every school play. This isn't a temporary arrangement for me Paris. Nothing will change my mind."
She studies me for a moment and then nods once in acceptance.
Rory's POV
I walk as quickly as I can into the kitchen and look in the freezer for an icepack. Paris made her opinion about me and Logan very clear to me months ago at her office, so I don't want to leave her alone with Logan for too long. God knows what she will say! I run down to the utility room in the basement when I can't find an icepack in the kitchen. When Doyle finished his man cave in the basement he insisted that it was to far to go upstairs for snacks and drinks so they put a fridge downstairs too. Honestly, you would think that people as opposed to stairs as Paris and Doyle are would have found a nice bungalow to live in. With no icepack in the basement fridge I head back to the kitchen and go with Plan B – frozen peas. I wrap them in a tea towel and head back to the living room.
The atmosphere is very serious, and Paris nods quietly at Logan as I walk into the room. She turns to me but continues to speak to Logan. "You know, I told her months ago that you two should be together."
"What?!" I can't believe her! I sit down beside Logan and gently press the peas to Logan's face. His lip is swelling already. He flinches - I don't know if it's in pain or just from the cold - and take the bag of peas from me. "You did not! You told me that I was setting myself up to be hurt and that I should be smart enough to know my arrangement with Logan would never work!"
She nods along with what I am saying. "Exactly. I knew that you two could never see each other casually. I saw how well that worked out for you the first time. I was trying to get you to pull your head out of your ass, to suck up your pride and admit that you were still in love with boy wonder over here before he married someone else because you were too foolish to go after what you wanted!" I stare at her, stunned. I am at a total loss for words.
"Really?" I finally manage to stutter. "So you're in favour of this? Of us?" A meaningful look seems to pass between Paris and Logan … I make a note to ask him what they talked about while I was out of the room.
"The heart wants what the heart wants Rory. Whether that's a pretty blonde trust-fund kid or a man who trades in his journalistic integrity and starts writing Michael Bay movies." I actually think Paris is blushing.
Wait. "Are you and Doyle back together?" I ask. She IS blushing!
"Not yet…but we're talking. I told him I would give his new career a chance. I think the honeymoon period's worn off for him now – Bay asked him to rewrite the entire movie with no dialogue, just explosions and sex scenes. I mean, really? What are you writing, mime porn? I think he's going to be a bit more discerning in the jobs he takes. He said writing an article for your paper actually reminded him how much he missed writing things with depth. He flew out to L.A. yesterday to wrap up this project for good but he'll be back in a few days and we're going to talk more then. We just miss each other, you know?"
Logan and I glance at each other.
Without breaking eye contact with Logan I reply, "Yeah. I know exactly what you mean. I'm really happy for you guys Paris."
Logan and I head back upstairs after our conversation with Paris. It's only 9:30 but I am exhausted. It's 2:30 a.m. London time, and between the time change and the pregnancy I am having a hard time keeping my eyes awake. I curl up in bed beside Logan after I finish brushing my teeth.
"That went pretty well, all things considered" he says, seriously and I snort.
"Really? I guess so." I lightly touch his fat lip. I can't believe Paris tackled him, but he's right. It could have been worse.
"I heard back from the realtor while you were brushing your teeth" he tells me. "She emailed me some listing to look over before we meet up with her, to get an idea of what we like and what we don't like. Maybe we can narrow it down tomorrow morning and then try to see some places with her in the afternoon?"
"Mmmhmmm" I manage, drifting off. I'm so tired. Logan chuckles softly but I'm too tired to respond.
"Go to sleep, Ace. I love you." I hear as I drift off.