Rory was sitting at the apartment over the diner lost in her own thoughts Friday evening. It had been a little over 24 hours since her first doctor's appointment, and she had begun to relish the thought that there was a tiny little life growing inside her body. She had begun to feel a peace, despite all of the current unknowns she was facing.

The sudden sound of her phone ringing caught her off guard, and she answered without glancing at the screen.

"Hello?" she said absentmindedly.

"Hey, Ace," came a familiar voice, snapping her out of her daydreaming.

"Oh, Logan. Hi. Sorry, I was kind of lost in my own little world there. Are you okay?"

"I'm good, Ace. Listen, I really need to talk with you. Can we grab dinner tonight?"

"Umm...where are you?"

Logan laughed and started over. "I'm sorry, Ace. I'm in New York City right now. I guess I should have started there first, right?"

He was in New York? What was he doing there? Was everything okay?

"Ace, are you there? You've been quiet for a good minute," Logan asked sounding worried.

"Yeah, I'm sorry. I'm just surprised is all. Yeah, dinner tonight would be fine. I actually need to talk to you," she finally answered.

"Sure thing, Ace. Just promise me that I can go first?"

"Umm..sure. You can go first."

"Alright, I'll pick you up at 7:00. Sound good?"

Relieved to have dinner plans with Rory, Logan turned to his next task. He was slightly less excited by this one, but he knew that it was important. He knew that Lorelai was important to Rory, and he wanted to get things off on the right foot this time. He scrolled through his contacts and hit the call button.

"Lorelai Danes," she answered with a giggle.

"Lorelai, Logan Huntzberger. I hear congratulations are in order. Listen, I hope that this isn't a bad time, but I needed to borrow a couple minutes of your time."

Lorelai couldn't help but take in a sharp breath at hearing Logan's voice on the other end of the line. She wanted so badly to try to fix things for he and Rory, but stopped herself. They had to figure this out on their own if it was going to be figured out at all.

"Logan, thank you for the congratulations. I'm a little surprised you called just for that."

"I didn't, actually. Lorelai, I need to talk to you about Rory."

"Oh God, is everything okay? She hasn't been hurt or…" Lorelai's voice trailed off, thinking about her unborn grandchild.

"No, no. I mean, I don't know. I haven't talked to her."

"Hmm...you haven't talked to her? I may be a patient woman, Logan, but surely you didn't call just to tell me that you haven't talked to Rory?"

Logan cleared his throat before he began. "Lorelai, I love your daughter. I fell in love with her while we were at Yale, and I've never stopped loving her."

"Ouch, kiddo. I'd say that it sucks to be you, then, seeing how you're about to be a married man."

"About that," Logan quickly continued. ""I can't do it, Lorelai. I love Ace. She's the one for me."

"Sounds like you have a problem then, Logan." Lorelai noticed tears in the corners of her eyes as she said those words, but she wasn't going to make this easy on him. He needed to know what it was like to fight for what he wanted in life.

"I did have a problem," he said, emphasizing the word "did". "Lorelai, I broke off my engagement to Odette. I need you to understand that it was a business deal that my father made. I didn't love her; I didn't want to spend my life with her. We were simply friends, and she didn't want the arranged marriage anymore than I did. She is on her way back to Paris."

Lorelai sat quietly for a moment, surprised at this news. "Logan, if you think it's going to be that easy, I'm afraid you're only fooling yourself. I know how high society functions. You're a pawn in your father's business, and that's not going to change. I can't have Rory subjected to that. That's why I left all those years ago."

"And she won't be, Lorelai. I can promise you that."

"How can you promise me that, Logan? You know that your father will still pull his stunts. You can't break my baby girl's heart again. You just can't."

Lorelai was certain that she heard Logan choking back tears as he answered her. "I won't break her heart, and neither will my father. I sold my stake in the family business and resigned. I'm not living his life anymore."

Lorelai was so surprised that she had to sit down for a minute before she responded. "You're walking away from it all? Why?"

"Because I have to, for me. I don't want what my parents what for me. Rory helped me to realize that I can make my own way in life, that I don't need the Huntzberger name in order to be successful. She taught me what's really important, and that's all that matters to me now. She's important to me, Lorelai. I need you to understand that."

"And what if she doesn't want to be with you, Logan?"

"Then I will wait patiently. I will give her the space that she needs and I will be waiting if she ever changes her mind."

"Well, kiddo. It looks like you and I aren't so different after all then, are we? I never thought I would see the day that limo boy would leave it all behind for the chance at happiness."

"I'm not sure I ever saw it coming either, but I know now that there's nothing I've ever wanted more."

"Well then," Lorelai began while wiping away a tear, "go get her, Huntzberger. She's in Stars Hollow, either at my house or the apartment over the diner. Luke and I won't be home until Sunday."

"Does this mean that you're giving me your blessing to go get my girl?" Logan said smiling.

"Yeah, I guess I am. But Logan? Why did you need to talk to me first?"

"I just...I needed you to know my intentions. I know how important you are to Ace, and I needed things to be good between the two of us first. I want to do this right this time."

"And what exactly is "this", Logan? I mean, a mom just has to ask!" she said with a small laugh.

"Good question. All I know is that I'm going to tell the woman I love that she's the only one for me. I'll take whatever she'll give me right now, whether that be friendship or marriage vows. I don't want to push her for more than she wants."

"That sounds like a good plan. But Logan?"

"Yes?"

"Push a little, okay? And make sure that there are some strings this time. And for the love of God, no marriage vows without me there to witness them!"

Logan was nervous as he drove to Stars Hollow to see Ace, but it was definitely a good nervous. He was excited to tell her about the changes in his life, and he couldn't help but hope that she would be excited about those changes as well. His conversation with Lorelai had gone well, actually much better than he had hoped. They seemed to have finally understood each other.

As he pulled into the driveway of her childhood house, he couldn't help but notice the curious eyes watching him from next door.

Going to the front door, he took a deep breath and reached out to knock on the door just as Ace opened the door. His breath caught as he he saw how beautiful she looked. It almost looked like she was glowing.

"Wow, Ace. I don't know what you've been doing, but whatever it is, I would say that it agrees with you. You look radiant."

"Thank you," she said blushing. "Come on in, Logan."

Stepping inside the house, he couldn't help but think about the last time that he had been here with her, before he had asked her to marry him so many years ago.

"So, hi there. Are you in town for long?" she asked hopefully.

"Ah, not so fast, Ace. Just dispensing with the pleasantries all together? You've been raised better," he said with a laugh.

"You're right. I just...I didn't know the protocol here. I guess I'm just a little surprised to hear from you. So, what's the plan, Huntzberger?"

"Well, I actually thought we could stay in for dinner," he said with a smile. "I stopped at Luke's and brought burgers and fries. Sound good?" He moved the bag from behind his back to show her the food.

"You...you brought Luke's?" she said with her obvious confusion showing.

"I did. I thought a bit of privacy might be in order," he answered, still not giving anything away.

"Oh no, mister. There will be no monkey business here. That's how this whole -" she stopped herself quickly, blushing.

"This whole what, Ace?" he asked.

"Nothing, I was just thinking out loud," she answered. He could swear that she wasn't saying something, but he too was holding his cards close, so he let it go.

"Ah, as much as I enjoy money business with you, that actually isn't why I'm here, Ace. Now, I insist that you let me feed you before we talk."

Dinner had been nice, but Rory still was confused as to what had brought Logan here. Every time she had started to ask he had directed her attention back to dinner with a sly smile. Finally, not able to contain her curiosity any longer, she sat down opposite him on the couch.

"So, as nice as dinner was, I'm becoming more and more curious as to what you wanted to talk to me about," she began.

"You've always been curious, haven't you, Ace?" he said as he laughed.

"Well, wouldn't you be curious if I had shown up in London asking to have dinner and talk with you?" Rory asked.

"You're right, Ace. I wanted to let you know about some changes in my life, and there's no one I would rather celebrate with than you," he said with a spark in his eyes.

Surely this was a dream, wasn't it? It was almost as though they were back in their old apartment in New Haven, talking comfortably on their couch. She pulled her emotions back in, though. She couldn't afford to let herself think like that when she was sitting across from Logan Huntzberger, especially not when she was carrying his child.

"Celebrate, huh? I thought the big wedding celebration was next week?"

"Funny, you should mention that, Ace. Look, I have several things to tell you, so maybe it's best if you just let me get it all out and then you can respond. Sound good?"

She just nodded at him, her mind wild with possibilities.

"Ace, you've always encouraged me to follow my dreams and to do what made me happy. You helped me become a man rather than the butt-faced miscreant that you met so many years ago in front of your suite at Yale. As my father dropped in at my office last week for an unexpected meeting, I realized a lot of things. I'm finished living my life for other people, Rory. I resigned from the family business and sold my stake in the company." He watched her eyes brighten and continued before she could interrupt him. "I'm staying in a hotel in the city until I find as place of my own. I also broke off my engagement to Odette. I'm living my life for me now, Rory."

"You're...you're not working for your dad anymore? And you're not engaged? I...wow, Logan. I don't know what to say," she finally answered.

"Rory, there's more. Do you remember our last night together in Hamburg, when you asked me for the Vegas agreement? I didn't want the Vegas agreement."

"You didn't?" Rory answered, tears beginning to form in her eyes. She had felt such resolve to tell Logan about the pregnancy, but all she could hear was his words telling her that he hadn't wanted her.

"Rory, I spent the entire two days on that yacht trying to decide how to tell you that I wanted you in my life permanently. I was ready to walk away from it all then to be with you, but when you proposed the Vegas agreement I said yes because I didn't want to push you for more than you wanted. My life is changing in every possible way, and the one thing I know for certain is that no matter what changes come in my life, I want you next to me, if you'll have me. Rory, I need you in my life. You're it for me. It's always been you. I'm ready to fight for us, Rory. I will wait as long as I need to for you. I will take it as slowly as you want. I just need you to be in my life."

"You want to be with me? Are you sure about that, Logan?"

"Rory, I've never been more certain of anything in my life," he answered, scooting across the couch and taking her hand.

He wanted her. He wanted to fight for them. It was what she had wanted more than anything, and suddenly she was sitting here across from the man who held her heart for over a decade and he was offering her exactly what she wanted.

"What do you say, Ace?" he asked, and she was certain that she saw a hint of worry in his eyes.

"Logan, I can't believe that you're sitting in front of me telling me all of this right now. I..I want that, too, but there's something you need to know," she said quietly.

"Is there...is there someone else, Rory?"

"Well, kind of," she started. Before she could continue, he cut her off.

"I'm so sorry, Rory. I feel like such a jerk. I just waltzed in here and laid it all out on the line, hoping that you felt the same way. I didn't realize that you were with someone else," he said, looking flustered. "I should leave, but I mean what I said. I'll wait, Rory. I'm sorry. You mom -" he said, stopping himself before he finished.

She tightened her grip on his hand and quickly continued. "No, Logan. It's not like that. There is no other man in my life. You've had my heart for more than ten years."

She watched as he finally exhaled and his body relaxed.

"Okay then," he said with a smile.

"Logan, do you remember that last night we had together at the inn in New Hampshire?" she asked.

His eyes lit up as he answered her. "There's no way I could forget that night. It was perfect.. Are you asking for a repeat performance, Ace?" he said with a chuckle.

"Well, that's actually not why I brought it up. That night was perfect, and I can guarantee that it's one we'll never forget," she said with a smile.

"Oh yeah? You don't think we can ever top that one, Ace?"

"Oh, I'm certain that we can, but it seems that I brought home a souvenir from that night together, Logan."

"A souvenir, huh? Stealing the guest linens? I'll have to make sure that Colin bills you for that," Logan said with a laugh.

"No, no linens for me. You know what? Stay right here and I'll show you. Okay?"

"Alright, Ace. Would you please get on with it, though? I'd really like to hear your answer to my profession of my undying love soon."

Rory ran to the kitchen and rummaged through her purse before returning to the living room. Rather than saying anything, she simply handed Logan the ultrasound picture from her appointment and watched him as realization dawned on his face.

"You're...we're…" he said as a smile spread across his face.

"Yes, Logan. I'm pregnant. You're going to be a daddy."

Logan had come to Stars Hollow expecting to be the one with all of the surprises, but his Ace had once again surprised him with the biggest news of all.

"You're going to be a daddy," she had said. Logan's face lit up with pure joy when he heard those words.

"Ace, I'm floored," he said. Standing up, he took her hands in his and pulled her into his arms. "So, about that profession of undying love…"

"Hey, Logan?"

"Yeah?"

"Did you say something about my mom a minute ago?"

"It appears I did. Look, I called her after I broke things off with Odette and talked with my father. I just...I needed her to know that I was here for the long haul and that I wouldn't hurt you again."

"So, you called her? Not the other way around?" Rory asked.

"I called her. I poured my heart out to her."

"And…?" Rory asked, searching for an answer.

"And she told me to go fight for my girl," Logan said with a smile. "Now, are you going to make me give the whole speech again before you answer me, Ace?"

"Yes, Logan! Yes! I want to have a life with you more than anything. I've been racking my brain trying to figure out how to tell you that I'm pregnant with your baby because I love you too much to ask you to walk away from your life for me, and then you showed up tonight and told me that you had chosen to walk away from the family business on your own. That is the best gift I could ever get, Logan."

Unable to contain himself any longer, he pulled his Ace closer and kissed her passionately, showing her just how badly he wanted her in his life.

They stood in each other's arms for a long moment before either of them spoke again. It was Logan who broke the silence.

"Ace? How long have you known that you were pregnant?" He needed to know what she had intended.

"I found out last Friday, actually. I had my first appointment to confirm the pregnancy yesterday. I actually tried to call you last night, but your phone went straight to your voicemail, and I couldn't bring myself to tell you over voicemail. I'm sorry."

"No, Ace. You don't have anything to be sorry for. I just..I needed to know if you were going to tell me."

Rory sighed and sat back down on the couch. "Can we sit and talk some more? Maybe it would be best to get everything out."

Logan's heart sank as he heart those words, but he slowly sat down next to her. God, he hoped that she wasn't about to break his heart again.

"Maybe it's my turn now to just talk without interruptions, Logan. Okay?"

He nodded his silent agreement, feeling a knot forming in his throat.

"There's so much to say that I hardly know where to begin, Logan. In Hamburg, I didn't want the Vegas agreement either. I know that I was the one who proposed it, but it wasn't what I wanted. I wanted to be your girl again more than anything, but I didn't feel like I had any right to ask you for that. I had turned down your proposal at graduation. It was my fault that we were in the situation that we were in. I proposed the Vegas agreement because I wanted whatever part of you that I could get. And when I found out that I was pregnant, I wanted to tell you more than anything, but I didn't want you to sacrifice your happiness for me, Logan. I knew that if I told you that I was pregnant with your child you would sacrifice whatever you had to in order to be in our lives, and I couldn't bring myself to ask you to do that. I wanted you to be happy, Logan. That's all I ever wanted."

Logan exhaled with relief before he spoke. "So, you wanted me to choose you for you and not because you asked me to or because you were pregnant?" he asked with a grin.

"Yes, I did. And Logan? Thank you. You've always been good with grand gestures, and somehow this one is grander but also more intimate than any of the previous."

"Thank you, Ace. Now, you look tired. Perhaps I should tuck you into your bed and check into the Dragonfly?" He didn't want to leave her, but she looked absolutely exhausted.

She placed her hands lightly on his cheeks and whispered, her voice full of emotion. "No, stay with me, Logan. Please?"

"Ace," he said as he eyes clouded with tears, "I'll never leave you again if that's what you want."

"That's what I want, more than anything," she answered softly.

Logan's eyes lit up with her confession.

"I've never heard more beautiful words in my life. I never want to leave you, Ace. I want to be yours until the end of time."

With tears in her eyes, Rory took Logan's hands and led him quietly to her bedroom, pushing the door closed behind them. Tonight was their night to show each other just how they felt without interruption.