AN: Ok, i want to start by apologizing profusely for the enormous delay on this chapter! SORRY! I've just had loads going on, and i know this is a short one but i figured i would just get this one out and hopefully get my next one out within the next week, also it seemed to end in quite a rounded place:)
Anyway, as usual a MASSIVE thank you to everyone who favourited and alerted me and an especially big thank you to those of you that reviewed it! you're what keeps me writing! so thank you to: AddictedToGilmoreGirls, Curley-Q, JJsMommy27, Keep It Lowkey, red lightening, Rori Potter, Puppieluvabby, Smithi123 and Serendipity10! You guys are amazing:D
Also, apologies that theres not a lot of Rogan interaction in this one! Just had to get this bit done!
Chapter 5 – Engaged...getting...married!
After his conversation with Steph he came back down into the apartment and he and Rory decided this was the perfect place for them. They didn't need to look at another place, this was it. It was just what they were looking for and so much more! They even signed the contracts that day so no one else would get there first, they could officially move in on Monday!
While Logan was chatting to Steph, Rory also got a call, from one Miss Emily Gilmore. After hearing of Rory's whereabouts and her reasons for it she insisted they both come to dinner this Friday as they wouldn't be seeing her nearly as much once she had moved to the city. So here they were, standing in the very spot Rory stood every Friday night for years - on the Gilmore's doorstep.
"Oh my god, I just had a thought, wasn't your town's goodbye party tonight!" Logan asked, panicked.
"Oh no, it was postponed until tomorrow for various reasons" She responded.
"Oh right. So, you ready?" he asked, raising his hand to the doorbell.
"Ready as I'll ever be" She replied with a sigh. While they were waiting for the maid to answer the door she said. "Anyway, it won't be bad, they love you! It's kind of freaky how much" she mused.
He just chuckled as the door was answered by maid - a new one of course.
Just as they finished handing their coats to the woman, Emily appeared. "Rory! Logan!" She said in a pleasant voice as she gave Rory a hug and Logan gave her a polite kiss on the cheek. "Come in, come in!"
They followed her through to the living room where Richard was standing. "Ahh, hello!"
"Hi grandpa" Rory said, giving the man a hug.
"Richard" Logan said with a smile as he shook the elder Gilmore's hand.
"Can I get you two a drink?"
After making their preferred drinks they were all situated comfortably on the sofa's before Emily started the polite chit chat.
"So, where abouts it this apartment of yours in New York?"
"It's in a great location actually! It's in a lovely building near the top of 5th Avenue, right opposite central park." Logan answered, smiling, as he thought of their new home.
"Oh, that sounds marvellous!"
"It is" Rory nodded. "As soon as we saw it we fell in love with it and knew it was the place for us"
Logan's phone began to ring and he looked down to see who was calling him and sighed as he saw the name of the same man that had tried to ring him about 20 times today. He had ignored every call so far and with another sigh, decided that he should probably take this.
"Sorry everyone, will you please excuse me? I need to take this" He politely excused himself as he left Rory to tell the older couple all about their new apartment while he stepped outside onto the patio, closing the door behind him and answering his phone.
"Hello" He answered in a monotone, unenthusiastic voice.
"Logan, son! How are you?" Came the nonchalant voice of Mitchum Huntzberger. Why is he acting so normal? Like nothing happened? Logan thought to himself.
"Fine." He answered flatly.
"Good, good. I've been trying to get hold of you all day"
"Well, I've been busy" Logan said, lamely.
"I see"
"What do you want?"
"Are you in New York on Monday?"
"Err, yes" Why did he want to know that?
"Good. Hang on Logan..." Logan could hear Mitchum talking to someone in the background but wasn't sure who. "Look, I've got to go, but meet me in the main New York offices at 10am on Monday; I need to talk to you"
"What. Why?" Logan began, but in the end decided it was probably best to just agree, so with a sigh, he replied "fine"
"Have a good weekend; I'll see you Monday Morning"
And with that, he hung up. This was so weird. Logan couldn't understand why he was acting so normal. He was obviously up to something. He couldn't really be bothered with his father anymore. He took a seat on a stone bench just round the corner and thought for a while.
While listening to her grandparents tell her about one of their friends' homes in the city, Rory had been watching Logan through the glass patio doors behind her grandparents. He had been talking on the phone with a look of confusion and slight aggravation on his face; she wondered who he was talking to. When he finished his phone call he disappeared around the corner.
"That sounds lovely" She politely acknowledged her grandmother. "Um, sorry, would you excuse me for a minute? I need to quickly have a word with Logan, I'll be back"
"Oh, of course" Emily obliged, slightly confused as she watched Rory disappear through the glass doors and around the corner.
He was so deep in thought that he didn't hear her coming and was surprised when he turned to see her sitting on the bench next to him.
"Hi" she said.
"Hi"
"Who was it?"
"Mitchum" he said in a less than thrilled voice.
"Reeeeally" She asked, intrigued.
"Yeah. It was really weird. He's been ringing me all day and I've been ignoring him but I decided I should probably answer him eventually, so I did and he was acting so normal, as if nothing had happened! I mean, this is the first time I've spoken to him since I left HPG 5 months ago. He's tried contacting me a couple of times but I've ignored it, then today he just rings me up like nothing ever happened."
"That is weird" She agreed. "What did he want?"
"Oh yeah, he wanted me to meet him at the office in New York on Monday morning, I have no idea why. I better go to find out. He'll probably just attack me, tell me I'm a failure and that I'll never make it on my own and try and force me to come back to HPG. Well that's not happening, there's no way I'm going back! In fact, that's probably why he was being so nice and normal today, he wants me to walk in there with my guard down so he can pounce on me when I'm not expecting it and shanghai me into coming back to HPG"
Rory gave him a sympathetic smile and put her hand on his knee. "I'm sorry"
He chuckled lightly "its ok" They sat in a comfortable silence for a moment, just enjoying each other's company on the warm summer night as they looked out onto the moonlit garden before them before Logan said "We should probably get back inside"
"We don't have to you know, I mean if you don't want to stay for dinner we don't have to"
"Don't be silly!" He reassured her.
"Are you sure?"
"Of course." He smiled, standing up and putting his hand on the small of Rory's back as he lead her back into the Gilmores house.
The rest of the evening was fairly uneventful. They chatted about this and that and discussed the latest news, talked about the project Logan was beginning with his new job; all the normal topics of conversation. They went back to Stars Hollow after dinner for the town's party the following day.
It was now early evening on Saturday, Rory was wandering in and out of her room, finishing getting ready while Logan and Lorelai sat at the kitchen table. It was absolutely chucking it down with rain, the large droplets of water pounded against the windows and cascaded down; it was positively miserable outside!
"It's horrible outside" Rory said in a glum tone. "What are they going to do? I thought they were throwing the party outside?"
"They were going to" Lorelai replied in an equally depressed voice. "It wasn't going to be a huge thing anyway I don't think, I suppose It'll be at Miss Patty's"
"That's the dance studio?" Logan clarified.
"That's correct" Lorelai answered him.
"Thank kind of sucks" Rory said, standing in her doorway. The others nodded before she asked "Is Max coming?"
"Yeah, but he's been helping his sister move house all afternoon so he said he'd meet us there because he'll be a bit late" Lorelai told her.
She nodded. "We may as well get going then?"
"Yeah let's go" Logan said, standing up and grabbing his coat.
They all headed out of the house and made a run to the Jeep after deciding to drive because it was chucking it down with rain. Once comfortably seated in the Jeep they set off and Rory said "I wander if anything crazy will happen"
Lorelai was quick to respond, "Please, this is Stars Hollow! I'm sure we'll get the regular dose of crazy with a touch of loony and big 'ole helping of insanity! It wouldn't be are ludicrous yet loveable town without it!"
She laughed "True, true. And if Kirk's coming then we're guaranteed some form of bizarre entertainment"
A comfortable silence fell upon them before Rory had a thought. "It's going to be weird moving to New York and not living here anymore"
"What do you mean? You've lived away for the last four years!" Lorelai reminded her.
"Well yeah I know but that was different. I know I did technically live away from home but it was just temporary, this was still my actual home. This is the place I'd go in summer breaks and stuff. It's just going to be weird having a place that is my actual home like all the time, you know?"
Glancing at Rory Lorelai said "Aww yeah sweets, but you can always come and visit anytime you w-"
"WOW..." Rory and Logan both said at the same time, interrupting Lorelai. She looked ahead and was equally shocked at the incredible party assembled before them. There was an enormous shelter made from what looked like rain coats and tents. The party was much bigger than they expected. Whoever put this together must have worked so hard.
Rory just sat there, looking on at the gathering in front over her. There was a large sign saying 'Bon Voyage' and below were the people that had been her family for the last 16 years, clapping and cheering. They really are something else! She thought to herself. She had tears in her eyes as she noticed Zack and Jackson coming towards the car with umbrellas.
Her, Lorelai and Logan are led under the enormous shelter and everyone's clapping and cheering and they've all got a look in their eye that says 'We're so proud of you'. Each and every one of them has played a role in Rory's life, whether it be big or small, they all had an impact.
Logan leans in to Lorelai and says "Wow, they really love that girl"
She gives him a smile "Yeah, they sure do"
Kirk then approaches Rory holding a sash saying 'Rory – Bon Voyage!'
"Rory, in my official capacity as town sash presenter, I would like to present you with this sash, which I also happened to make in my official capacity as town sash maker."
"Well, thank you." Rory replied, used to Kirk's random obligations.
"Kneel before me." Rory looks at him like he's crazy. "All right, could you at least bow your head a little bit?" She obliges and has the sash draped over her.
"Wow. That's quite a sash!" Lorelai comments.
"I got the material from one of mother's nighties." Kirk informs them.
"Ew!" Logan exclaims, looking disgusted.
Their attention was drawn to the Stage where Taylor announced. "May I have your attention, please? I'd like to welcome you all to this Bon Voyage party in honour of one of Stars Hollow's favourite daughters, Ms. Rory Gilmore!"
"As most of you know I've known Rory practically all her life, she is certainly a fine young woman, and I think she is ready on this glorious spring day, pregnant with pride and anticipation, preparing to birth you from our collective womb, fully gestated and nourished. And so we breathe deep, and, with these last, painful contractions, we push you out into the world, spank your bottom, and wipe the amniotic fluid from your eyes as you issue your first independent breath."
Rory looked over at Logan who looked as if he was about to burst into fits of laughter, he always did find Taylor funny. He caught her eye and she gave him a smile, as he returned it she heard Taylor say "Rory, would you like to say a few words?"
She made her way through the crowd and up on the stage in front of her beloved town members. "Thank you, Taylor, for that very unique tribute. Um... I love this place. I...I just loved growing up here, and I love all of you. And thank you so much for doing all of this. It's amazing. I just - it's so - oh, I'm on the verge of gushing, so I'm just gonna stop myself here. I don't want to gush, except another thing - to my mom, who is just everything to me and everything I am and who I'm gonna miss so much."
Lorelai nodded at her daughter as a single tear slid down her cheek.
Rory continued after blinking her own tears out of her eyes. "And, one last thing - to Logan. I know a lot of you don't really know him, but I really hope you do get to know him. Although I'm going to miss this place so much, I'm also so excited to be able to enter the next chapter of my life with him. Logan, I love you, you are just... amazing, and I really don't know what I'd do without you" She trailed off as she finally let a tear escape.
Logan looked up at her and in that moment realized that she was the best thing that ever happened to him. He himself even had to fight back the overwhelming urge to tear up.
Rory walked off stage as everyone cheered, looking a little teary eyed themselves. Rory ran into her mother's arms and gave her an enormous hug. After that she went to Logan who had the biggest goofy smile on his face.
"I love you so much" she said, her voice cracking.
"I love you too" he said, staring intensely into her eyes. "Come here!" he said before pulling her into a big hug then leaning back and planting a kiss on her lips then smiled and then another kiss.
Lorelai stood there and looked at her daughter and in that moment could tell that Rory had found the one for her. She wandered why her daughter had already found the one for her when here she was, still searching. Her thoughts were interrupted but the sound of a car pulling up behind her. She turned around to See Max getting out of the car.
Is he the one for me? She couldn't think of a response to the question she asked herself, before reading too far into it, she shook her head and strode over to the man.
"Mmm, new wheels, very nice! ...Shiny." Lorelai said, admiring his new car.
"Well I thought it was about time to update it, wouldn't want a car that cramped my style" he said, joking.
She laughed. "Hi" then leaned in to give him a kiss.
"Hi" He smiled. "So, this is quite a party" he mused as they wandered over to the party to get out of the rain.
"Yeah, I can't believe they did all this"
"Ugh, I left my phone in my car; I'll be back in a minute"
She nodded. As he walked away Sookie came over to her.
"Hey" Sookie said.
"Hey!"
"It's beautiful, isn't it? Sookie said, looking around.
"It's so beautiful. I can't believe you pulled it off."
"What? No, I just did all the baking. This was all Luke" Sookie told her.
"What?"
"He made me promise not to tell you, but I don't care. This is all Luke. He did all of it. He's the one that came to me and said, "Let's do the party," and then he planned the secret town meeting, everything."
"Really?" Lorelai couldn't believe it, well really, she could; after all, it was Luke.
"Yeah. I mean last night when we thought it was gonna rain and we'd have to cancel the party, he went around and collected everybody's tarps and tents and raincoats. I don't know how he did it. He must have stayed up all night doing this. Can you believe that?"
"No..." She said, her voice breaking at the thought of how much Luke had done. "I'll be back."
She looked around, trying to find Luke. It was getting dark now and the rain was easing off. Her thoughts were interrupted by Max.
"Hey, shall I go get us a drink?"
"Sure" She said, not really paying attention having just spotted Luke outside the diner carrying something. "See you in a minute"
Lorelai strode towards Luke, crossing the road and was soon enough standing in front of him.
"Hey" She said in a soft voice.
"Hey."
There was a small pause; she didn't really know how to express how she was feeling. She decided just to go with a simple "Thank you." It may have been simple but it was coated with emotion.
"Oh, it's...no big deal." He tried to brush it off.
"Luke." Lorelai said, barely above a whisper.
"I just... like to see you happy." She looked deep into his eyes and saw so much emotion.
"I got you some punch, I didn't really know what you wanted so I just took a guess, I hope that's ok" Max said, effectively ruining the moment.
It took Lorelai a moment to gather her thoughts and bring herself back to the present. "Oh, right, um... yeah that's fine."
"Kirk just burst his eardrum using the megaphone, you should come over; it's hilarious!"
She forced a chuckle. "Ok, um, I guess I'll see you later Luke..."
He just nodded, putting a hand up as a wave while Lorelai and Max walked back over to the party. Lorelai turned around and gave Luke a look; she now knew why she couldn't answer the question about whether Max was the one for her.
A couple of hours later when the party was pretty much over and most people had gone home; Max and Lorelai were wandering along the street lamp lit streets in silence. Lorelai's mind was on overdrive, thinking and processing everything, but ultimately she knew she didn't have to think at all, she knew what she wanted and what she had to do in order to get that. So without further ado, she took a deep breath and said.
"Max... I can't do this." She finally said, standing still.
"What? Walk? I can get the car if you want?"
"No, us. I can't do this." She said, gesturing between them. "I thought I could, I thought I could push my past behind me and be happy with you but it's not as simple as that. I know people often say this but I actually mean it; it's not you, it's me."
He just stood there; he didn't really know what to say. Looking over his shoulder in front of her she could see Luke outside the dinner.
"There's... someone that I know is the one for me" She said in a low voice, still staring at Luke. "You're incredible and there are so many women that would be so lucky to be with you but, I... I'm just not that woman. I'm sorry for doing this to you, I thought I could get over him... but I can't." She said in a voice just above a whisper, dripping with so much emotion, on the verge of tears.
"I hope you can understand" she said, looking up at him, almost pleading with her eyes.
"I don't really know what to say Lorelai. I guess I understand..."
"Max, I'd just like to end this with no hard feeling"
He nodded. "Ok" he gestured in the direction of his car "I'm gunna go..."
She just nodded.
As he was walking away he turned back and said "Goodbye Lorelai Gilmore"
"Goodbye Max Medina" she said in a voice virtually inaudible.
There she stood, alone in the street as she gazed on at the man of her dreams. This was it, she wasn't' going to put it off any longer! And with that she marched purposefully across the town square and towards Luke. She stood directly in front of him when she realized she hadn't planned what she was going to say.
"I just broke up with Max" She blurted out without really thinking.
"Oh... really? I... I'm sorry" He said, rather unconvincingly.
A short moment of silence overtook them, both lost in their own thoughts when Lorelai said "Luke... How do you do it?" He looked confused. "How do you continuously manage to surprise me and make my dreams come true?"
"Like I said before... I just... like to see you happy"
"I love you so much" she said after a short pause, her voice breaking.
"Marry me." He said without a second thought.
"Wha-"
"Marry me." He repeated.
"Am I the only one getting a slight sense of déjà vu here, only with reversed roles?"
He just chuckled.
"Yes." She said decisively.
"What..."
"Yes, I'll marry you."
"Don't you wanna think about i-"
"No."
"And your sur-"
"Yes."
Without another word he stepped forward, cupped her cheeks and kissed her forcefully on the lips. She stumbled back and kissed him, god she'd missed that.
Once she pulled back she was grinning from ear to ear. "I have to go"
"Wha...?"
"Just... this is good, this is really good. I just... have to go." She walked up to him and kissed him again, gave him a smile and said "See you later!" With that she ran, literally ran down the street as fast as her legs would carry her.
And there he was left standing, looking at the woman of his dreams run down the street, her arms flailing around all over the place, the one he'd loved for 21 years, since the day he'd met her.
Rory walked out of her bedroom into the kitchen and took the cup of coffee Logan had just poured for her.
"Thank you!" She said, cupping the hot beverage in her hands.
"You're welcome" He said, pouring his own cup before joining her at the table. "That was some party"
"Yeah, I know, I can't believe they did all that for me"
"They really love you"
"Yeah" she said, blushing.
"It must have been nice growing up here"
"It was, I mean these guys were my family, you know?"
They were interrupted by the sound of the door opening and an out of breath Lorelai running into the kitchen panting.
"'Engaged... getting... married!" She managed to get out between gasps for air while collapsing against the kitchen counter.
Hope you liked it! Please please please review! It'll speed up the next chapter and i love feedback of all kinds! good, bad i don't mind:D
Also, a big thank you to JulieSue and Smithi123 for helping with ideas etc. for this chapter, you're always a big help:D