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:
What? Finn? I cannot for the life of me come up with any sort of reasonable explanation for this. Finn – who has been known to leave the country just to avoid parental confrontations like the one that I'm sure is about to follow - is in my dad's office. Alone. I finally look at my dad and he is still pointing to the chair next to the one Finn is sitting in. I collapse into the chair and stare at Finn before finally managing to blurt out, "Wha...?"
"Logan, I'm glad you're here," my dad begins, ignoring my question - if you can even call it that - completely. Mr. Morgan and I were just discussing some interesting information that he has learned. It appears that Martin Dubois has not been honest with us. I'm sure you know that Finn here has been working a great deal out of the Morgan's hotel in Paris. He overheard some of Noveaux Media Dubois's top executives discussing pending lawsuits against NMD in the hotel bar a while back. Apparently almost the entire NMD electronic platform we are about to acquire was ripped off from various small developers. They are joining together to sue for copyright infringement, trademark violation, intellectual property theft…you name it. Finn brought this to my attention, and legal has just confirmed it."
I am processing this information, as Finn sits uncharacteristically quietly beside me when something clicks. "Wait, when I came in for our last…um… meeting you told Charles to call you when he heard back from legal. Have you known about this since then? That was nearly two months ago!"
Mitchum, as always, seems oblivious to my mounting outrage. He was going to let me go through with the wedding to Odette when his precious merger may not have even gone through! "Yes." He replies, solemnly. "I couldn't act on it until we received confirmation. The lawyers representing these software developers are at a firm based out of Dublin, and Finn was good enough to volunteer to go and meet with them. I couldn't have word get back to Martin that anyone from HPG was snooping around. But Finn was able to convince one of the lawyers to turn over a copy of the claim they are preparing and we've had the HPG legal team go over it thoroughly. The claim has merit. Martin was not eager to merge with HPG to grow his company, he was hoping to hook into someone with deep pockets to take the loss for him when this claim was filed and undoubtedly won."
My mind is racing, but dad just steamrolls on completely unperturbed. "That's why his board wouldn't approve the merger without the marriage – they wanted to be certain HPG would pay whatever settlement or judgment was reached. I may have fought it at a corporate level, they couldn't be sure, but they wagered that I would want to deal with it quietly if it involved family. You'll need to break off the engagement of course. I tried to delay our employment contract negotiations for as long as possible to try to time everything so that your move to New York could coincide with the end of your engagement but Collin turned out to be very driven." If i'm not mistaken he says this with a hint of suprised respect for Collin. "I suspect things may get slightly messy, now that you've moved Odette here to the U.S. with you. That's unfortunate, but it has to be done. I'm calling off the deal - Dubois is going to regret this!"
Again I am at a loss for words. I turn to Finn. "You knew?" I can't hide the hurt in my voice. One of my best friends, and he took this information to my father instead of me?
"Mate, I didn't want to errr…" he glances quickly at my dad, then back at me, "…get your hopes up. I knew you weren't too keen on the dynastic plan… I mean, the arranged marriage… um the engagement that is. I knew if the merger was called off then the engagement would be too, but I needed more evidence." He starts to squirm under my steady gaze. "Look on the bright side, you can be single again!"
"I don't want to be single" I say sharply, and watch both Finn and my dad's eyes bulge.
"Logan, you will end the engagement immediately" my father orders, and I almost laugh. This entire farce of an engagement was his idea to begin with, not mine! I debate making him agonize a bit more, but I'm so stunned by all of this information that I just don't have it in me.
"Dad, relax. I called off the engagement last week. Odette did not move to New York with me." There I said it. The moment of truth. I wait for Mitchum's rage, sure that he will find some fault in my actions. After all, he may want me to end things with Odette now, but last week I did not know that.
"Excellent. A clean break. We will need to discuss this NMD mess further, but I need to sit down with legal first. I suppose there is no need for us to meet tomorrow now, but we will proceed with interviews on Monday as planned. In the mean time, do you need a key to the family condo here in New York until you find a place of your own?" What? That's it? This meeting could not be going any more different than I expected.
"No…." I say slowly. "I've just put an offer in on a condo on the Upper East Side… quick closing. I should be hearing back from the realtor any time now. I've got a place to stay for now."
My father just nods. "Good, you're on it. No point wasting time. It looks like you've got the weekend free then. You know, you should call that Gilmore girl, see what she's up to. I hear that she is living in the area again. She was good for you Logan." I nearly fall off my chair. Out of the corner of my eye I can see Finn smiling.
"What! You were always so against us being together!" I can't help but retort.
"Nonsense. You know that I approved of her influence on you. She made you more focused, more driven. I was happy to see you together in London. Obviously you still know how to contact her, don't you?" I was wrong. Apparently this meeting could go even more differently than I expected.
"I… I'm staying with her at a friend's house right now." I try to gauge my father's reaction to this, but his face has not changed. He's looking at me expectantly. "We're…together." Still nothing. "We actually are buying the condo together." Finally he nods.
"Excellent." He says. Excellent? Excellent!? That's it? "I have another meeting boys, I have to be off. Thank you for bringing this to me Finn, I'll talk to you later. Logan, I'll see you Monday at 9:00am". And with that Mitchum stand up and walks out of his office. I turn slowly to look at Finn and find him studying his feet, avoiding my gaze.
"How about that drink Finn, I think we'll need to talk sooner rather than later."
The Hangman's Noose is the perfect combination of an old English pub and a modern New York cocktail lounge, with tufted leather benches, several exposed brick walls, copper pipes and crystal chandeliers. It's got a great vibe, and I think absently to myself as Finn and I stroll to a corner booth that it's just around the corner from the condo Ace and I hope to buy.
We sit opposite each other but remain silent. Finally Finn breaks the silence. "Listen, Mate. I get that you're pissed, but you have to understand! It was obvious that you've been miserable since reporter girl ended things in New Hampshire. It was just the week after New Hampshire that I overheard those tools in Paris… we had to do something, and you weren't even talking to us!" Us?
"Us? Who else knew? Collin? Robert?" I ask, wavering between anger that my friends kept this from me and gratitude that they went to such lengths to try to make me happy.
"Shit." He sighs. "He's going to kill me. Um, just me and Collin. I only told him last week though, one of the lawyers acting for the programmers went to law school with Collin so I needed him to help me persuade the bloke to hand over the claim."
The waiter stops by our booth and we both order a drink. I'm silent another minute after she leaves our table, then sigh myself. "I get why you kept it from me I guess." He looks relieved. Our drinks arrive. "So what is it that you needed my help with? And why at a bar?"
At this he laughs and for the first time since I walked into my dad's office Finn looks relaxed. He glances at his phone and replies, "Drink up and I'll show you".
Rory's POV:
When Logan leaves I decide to have a bubble bath. Wait, didn't I read somewhere that hot baths are bad for pregnant women I think to myself, but I can't remember. Lane complained non-stop about baby brain when she was pregnant with the twins and I laughed it off. But now that all my worrying about telling Logan that I'm pregnant is gone I'm noticing how true it is. It seems like the simplest things are slipping my mind.
As I slide into the oh-so-unsatisfying but safe for baby luke-warm bubble bath, my phone pings. It's a text from Finn. "Love, can you make it into New York City today? I'm sorry for the short notice, but I really need your help with something! Pack a bag, you can stay at my place tonight." Well that sounds ominous. What kind of help could Finn need that requires an overnight stay? Curiosity peaked, I quickly reply, "I think that could be arranged. What time? And where do you want to meet?"
I'm out of the bath and dressed by the time my phone beeps again. Finn's reply is short and frustratingly not very enlightening. It simply reads "Great. My place at 2:00. I may be running late, the concierge will let you in". Another text follows immediately after with an address. I yawn and glance at the clock – perfect. Time for a power nap, the I'll make my way to Finn's. That should keep my mind off of Logan's meeting with Mitchum. Logan. I'll have to remember to text him later to let him know that I'm going to Finn's place. I'll pack a bag for Logan too, he can meet me at Finn's after his meeting and we can break our news to Finn.
I'm still slightly uncomfortable with the idea of having a driver, but I decide to call Frank to drive me to Finn's instead of calling a cab. I see him pull up in front of Paris's house and quickly head out to meet him. After a quick hello Frank grabs the bags I've packed and places them in the truck before opening climbing into the car behind the wheel. I give him Finn's address and he smiles at me in the rearview mirror as he pulls out into the street.
"So, you got the condo?" he asks, making casual conversation.
"Oh, we haven't heard back from the real estate agent yet" I reply absentmindedly. I miss Frank's puzzled look as I gaze out the window, trying to think of what Finn could possibly be up to. I am snapped out of my daze when we come to a stop in front of…. in front of the building where Logan and I are going to live! Hopefully. I look quizzically at Frank who has turned to look at me over his shoulder. He is grinning openly now.
Gah! Baby brain indeed! Finn gave me his address hours ago and I didn't even notice that he is living in same building as our dream condo! I climb out of the car, hastily thanking Frank and make my way into the beautiful, familiar lobby. I walk over to the concierge.
"Hi, um… George" I say, reading his nametag. "My name is Rory Gilmore, my friend Finn Morgan said that you would be letting me into his apartment to wait for him."
"Ah, pleased to meet you Ms. Gilmore. Yes, Mr. Morgan has left me with instructions to provide you with the elevator access code to his floor and a spare key for his condo. Here you are." He hands me a key, and gestures for me to follow him to the bank of elevators tucked behind the elegant marble wall. "Mr. Morgan is renting unit 1001 – that's unit 1 on the 10th floor. Once you press the button for the 10th floor, you will need to input the access code. It is 3466.
I step into the elevator and follow George's instructions. I step out of the elevator and unlike the penthouse level which houses only two condos, the landing outside the elevator on the 10th floor extends to a hallway in both directions. I quickly count the doors and note that this level must contain 6 units. I follow the sign to the end of the hallway to my left and find a sleek black door with the polished silver number "1001" on it. I slide the key into the deadbolt and step inside. The finishings of the condo are similar to those found in the penthouse, but the décor leans more towards a modern esthetic than the penthouse's blend of modern and traditional that appealed to both Logan and me. I glance out the floor to ceiling windows of the living room and note that Finn looks out onto the East River as well. I send Finn a quick text to let him know that I'm at his place and start to wander.
I'm on Finn's balcony when I hear the door to the condo open. It's only been about fifteen minutes since I texted Finn and I'm surprised he's made it back so soon from wherever he was. That boy is not known for his punctuality.
"Honey, I'm home" calls a thick Australian accent. I smile and step back into the living room. As I walk through the door I see Logan and I pause for a moment, my pregnancy brain working hard to process what I'm seeing. Shouldn't Logan be meeting with Mitchum right now?
Logan is looking at me with an amused smirk, but at Finn's last remark he turns quickly back to Finn and asks, "Wait did you say home?" before I have the chance to say anything.
Finn nods, but seems puzzled that that is the first question he's being asked. "Yes, I'm leasing the flat right now, just moved in this week. I like it though, might have to take a page out of Collin's book - get over my commitment issues and just buy it."
Logan smirk turns into a genuine grin at this news. "We just put in an offer to buy one of the penthouses in this building!" He looks as me excitedly. "Hear anything from the realtor yet Ace?"
"I…. what? No" I say, my mind trying desperately to catch up. I look over at Finn who has his back to me and has just finished pouring himself a drink at the wetbar in the living room. Turnign my gaze back to Logan I ask, "What is going on? You told Finn about us, about the baby?"
Finn spits out his drink and spins to face me. "Baby? Love, you're having a baby?" Oops.
"Ummm… yes!" I squeak. Wow, I really need to stop breaking the news to people that way. First my mom, then Logan, then Paris, now Finn. I drop my gaze to the floor, not wanting to look Logan in the eye. I wouldn't want him to blurt this news out to Lane or any of my friends like that and I can't imagine he is too happy with me right now. But almost immediately I feel Logan move beside me and slip his arm around my shoulder.
"We're having a baby" he corrects. Finn is still staring at us with his mouth open.
"Why don't we sit down Finn, I suppose we have a lot to tell you" I say, taking pity on him. Without waiting for a response I move further into the living room, pulling Logan by his hand, and take a seat on the leather couch.
For the next half hour I relay to Finn the story of what has happened since I last saw him at the airport, with Logan interjecting periodically to correct me or add his own information. Finn still seems to be at a loss for words. I finish my story with the details of our offer to purchase the penthouse and Finn smiles and retrieves his drink but still says nothing.
"And then I decided to ambush my dad at his office today and, well, you know how that went" Logan adds as I curl against him on the couch, and I jerk back in surprise.
"Oh my God Logan, I forgot all about your meeting! How could I forget? I swear this baby has a direct link to my brain and is feeding on my brain cells." I can literally feel myself starting to ramble but seem to be helpless to stop it. Luckily Logan knows me well, and cuts me off with a quick, sweet kiss.
"Breath, Ace" he says. "It went….well I think. I showed up and Mitchum was already in a meeting. With Finn." What? "Turns out that Finn here overheard some information about NMD at his family's hotel in Paris and has been acting as a corporate spy for dear old dad for weeks now." Logan quickly explains the pending lawsuits to me and Mitchum's displeasure with Martin Dubois and I feel hope rising in my chest.
"So…" I say, not knowing how exactly to phrase my thoughts. I'm assuming with all this news Logan did not get the chance to tell Michum about us "Does this mean… do you think your family still wants you to marry Odette? Will they be okay with…this? Us? When you tell him I mean.." I ask timidly.
Logan smirks, "Ok with this? My dad thinks it was his idea! He ordered me to call off the engagement and when I told him I already had he proceeded to tell me that he heard you were back in this area. He said that I should call you, that you were good for me."
I stare at him for a moment, trying to process everything. "So that's it? Everything is just… fine?" He nods and his face splits into a huge, genuine smile. I can't help but do the same. Something occurs to me then.
"Wait, Finn…what are we doing here? What do you need our help with?" I almost forgot that Logan and I were not alone. Finn has been unusually quite but when I turn to face him I see that he is still smiling.
"Ahh yes Love. Follow me."
Logan's POV:
Intrigued, I follow Rory andFinn out of the room and down the hallway to a large media room with several comfy looking armchairs, a large sectional sofa and a kichenette lining the back wall.
"It was the last part of my plan." Finn is saying to Rory as we walk into the room. "It was obvious to everyone that you two belong together, but neither one of you would admit it. Once I got a copy of the claim from that lawyer in Dublin I knew I had a shot at convincing Mitchum to call off that bullshit engagement, but I still needed to get you two in a room together to talk, to figure out that you need to be together!" He looks at us as though the rest of this plan should be obvious.
"So you were going to try to get us here to watch a movie together?" I guess, and I'm amused to see that Rory looks relieved that I am just as lost as she is.
Finn rolls his eyes. "No…" he says, as if we're incredibly slow. "I disconnected that tv yesterday. I was going to lock you in here until you came to your senses!" He looks so proud of himself. "See, I even bought supplies" He walks over the kitchenette and opens a cupboard and the mini-fridge to reveal a coffee maker, tequila, poptarts, several containers of what looks to be refrigerated Chinese takeout, and a box of condoms. I see Rory blush beside me, but I can't help but laugh. Soon enough Rory is laughing too.
Finn looks slightly hurt by our laughter, and Rory leans in and kisses him on the cheek. "Thank you for caring so much Finny" I hear her say quietly and she seems genuinely touched.
I think back to last night… it seems like so long ago already… when I was thinking about how nice it was to have someone love me enough to worry for me. Apparently Rory is not the only one, I think to myself and the thought brings a warm feeling to my chest.