NOTE: Whoops! I forgot to publish this chapter. Please forgive this oversight.

Eight Years

July 2017

Stars Hollow, West Hartford

Logan went out on his run, setting out towards the town square, down the access road to the pond and then towards the Dragonfly, looping then back towards the apartment. As hard as he ran, he could not shake the feeling of foreboding.

When he arrived back at the apartment, he realized he was not ready to face Rory so he jumped into his car and started to drive, soon finding himself in a shopping center in West Hartford. He got out and settled into the nearest café with an iced coffee, texting Rory that he would be home in time to put Hayden to bed.

Logan sat at the cafe for a little over an hour contemplating his situation, Try as he might he could not wipe the image of Rory and Jess together from his mind. Seeing them together was a glass of ice water in the face because for the first time the very real possibility of he and Rory never getting back together really sank in. It was not only that but the realization that his relationship with Odette or any other woman for that matter would have never worked because he was still holding on to Rory. He also realized how damaging that could be to him and in order to move on, he had to let really let go. "But it wasn't just Rory, " He heard himself say aloud. He had to admit, putting all the blame on his feeling for Rory was not fair; he made other mistakes as well. He thought about his years after Rory turned down his proposal. He thought about how he worked to be independent of his family, and how shocked his friends were when he rejoined HMG. He thought about the assumptions that were made of him business wise when he rejoined the firm. Although he had never had a strong desire to be Chairperson of HGM, people treated him and worked as if he was the heir apparent. He thought about how excited and elated his parents were when he started dating and eventually proposed to Odette, and how their relationship and wedding tailored to fit family expectations. He went lock-step back into family expectation mode and he didn't even realize it; he was living the life mapped out for him. He wasn't living deliberately.

Rory was his crutch, he analyzed. Unlike other women, Rory did not care for the trappings of Huntzberger life. She was different. She was the anchor; someone he could tether himself to while he explored who he truly was, Without her, he went back to the old routine. Was it about Rory or was it really about me? Logan asked himself. Did he really love Rory, or was he just in love idea of life with Rory?

Logan shook his head, to break the thought from his brain. At this point, Logan thought to himself, why and how does not matter. Right now Hayden and I are all that matters. It was with that thought he went to work.

He called his assistant, asking him to coordinate with the doorman of his building to let workers into his apartment. He then stopped by a baby store, where he ordered a portable crib, playmats, and all the other accouterments needed for a small baby. Next, he stopped by a computer store where he purchased a new router and laptop. Shopping expedition completed, Logan headed back to Stars Hollow with a new found determination.

Before heading back to the apartment, Logan went to Luke's. Having used the apartment above the diner as an office, Logan wanted to thank Luke by upgrading his computer and wifi network. He started by upgrading his ancient router, giving Luke wider coverage and better control of who had access to is wifi. He also got Luke a laptop to replace the ancient desktop. He was in the middle of setting up the computer when Luke walked into the apartment.

"Hey, sorry I didn't mean to interrupt., Luke said.

"No problem, I was just...setting up your thank you gift." Logan replied.

"Thank you? Thank you for what?"

"For letting me use your office this past couple of months."

Luke waved Logan off, "No need to thank me, it's was no problem. It's what you do, it's what you do for family."

Logan huffed ironically at Luke's words, "Well nevertheless, I want to thank you. Not only for letting me use the office but with all your help with Hayden. We would be lost without you."

"Well again, it's what family does."

"Yea, well."

"What's going on Logan?"

"What do you mean?"

'I don't know. You seem so formal, like well never see each other again. I mean you only going to New York for a couple of days right?"

"Well, yes but once Rory and I get back to reality, who knows how much I will see you. Our custody arrangement does not leave me enough room for extended visits to Stars Hollow."

"What you won't come to Star Hollow with Rory and the baby."

"It would be awkward seeing that we are not together."

Taking a beat or two to fully absorb Logan's statement, Luke sat down at the kitchen table, "Eight years."

"What?"

"Eight years. Did you ever hear the story of how Lorelai and I met?"

"No," Logan replied confused.

"It was during a rather busy lunch rush at the diner. I was taking a customer order when this crazed woman barges into the diner in a caffeine frenzy demanding coffee. I told her to wait her turn."

"I can imagine Lorelai did not take that well." Logan said with a slight laugh.

"No, she didn't. She started following me around, talking nonsense a mile a minute, just being utterly annoying. Finally, I told her 'sit down, shut-up, I'll get you your coffee.' She sat down and but that only fueled her mania, asking me over and over again was my birthday. Finally told her just to shut her up. She then immediately went to the horoscope section of the newspaper, wrote something down, tore it out and gave it to me."

"What did the note say?"

"Under Scorpio, it said, 'You will meet an annoying woman today. Give her coffee and she'll go away.''

Logan laughed, "And that was love."

"Maybe not love, but I was definitely smitten. I was intrigued enough by her to want to get to know her more."

"So long did it take for you to ask her out?"

"Eight years."

"Really."

"Eight years. Eight years of roller-coaster emotions, watching her get engaged to one man, date others. And even after those eight years it took as another two, along with her marrying and divorcing Christopher, to finally get together. Hell, it took us another ten to make it official."

"This is a really great story Luke, but what does this have to do with me?"

"What I am saying is that path that Lorelai and I took to being together was not a straight and easy path, but we got here because ultimately we were meant to happen. I have a feeling that this is the same case for you and Rory."

"I'm not so sure Luke. Rory knows good and well how I feel about her. She doesn't seem to be interested in commitment, at least not to me anyway."

"You really believe that?"

"She turned me down when I proposed to her at her graduation. She proposed the Vegas agreement when I was ready to give it all up for her. Now that we have a child together, she still doesn't want to make a commitment. I think it's time for me to move on."

"I don't see it that way."

"Really, what do you see?"

"Look, I love Rory dearly. Hell, I practically helped raise the kid from age ten on. I've seen her go through many ups and downs. Rory is good at many things, but you know what she is pretty awful at?"

"Team Sports?"

"Failure" Logan sat silently, digesting Luke's words.

"When it comes to goal setting, there is no one more determined than a Gilmore girl. Lorelai has it, Emily certainly has it, and from what I hear Richard's crazy mother was the same. Rory is cut from the same cloth, except for one glaring difference, she's a people pleaser. She always was aware of what other people thought of her. Sure, when it came to people in general, she could take 'em or leave 'em, but when it came to people close to her or people she admired, failure was not an option. There is no one harder on Rory Gilmore than Rory Gilmore. "

Luke paused, recalling a memory. "You know there were three times when I saw her so out of sorts that she worried me. The first time was her first year in college when she did not live up to the standard Richard set. It was so bad that it sent her back into the arms of her married ex-boyfriend. But then, she pulled herself together, go focused on herself and her life got better. The second time is when your father told her she would not be a journalist. You remember what happened then, she stole a boat, dropped out of school, and stopped talking to Lorelai. Again, it was only after she got herself together that she made the move to make up with Lorelai. And then now this, and I am not talking about the pregnancy, I'm talking about life before the pregnancy. Yes, she was working and writing some great articles, but I could tell she was struggling. I didn't say anything because well she said she was handling things that an opportunity was going to come up to make everything worth it. Little did we know that the opportunity was not a job, but a baby."

"Ok, but how do I fit into this picture."

"She's repeating the pattern. She messed up, and now she is determined to fix it on her own terms. Once she's back on her feet, she will be able to focus on other relationships."

"But that doesn't mean that the relationship she seeks will be with me."

"Why the hell not? You are a family Logan. You've been functioning like a "normal" family even before Hayden was born. Rory is just not ready to embrace it. I'm not saying that you should wait around forever; every person has a breaking point and if you feel you have to move on, then you should. But what I am saying is don't give up on her too soon. The last five years have been tough on her. She needs to know that she can handle things on her own before she can let someone else in. Rory will come around, you'll see. I know I'm right."

Logan couldn't help but smile, "Such insight. I never pegged you for being so observant."

"Hey, just because I run a diner, don't talk a mile a minute, and a curmudgeon does not mean that I am not observant. I had 22 or so years of Gilmore experience under my belt. In some ways, I know them better than they know themselves. Just don't tell them ok?"

Logan smirked, "I promise to keep your secret."

After finishing at the diner, Logan returned to the apartment. Despite the talk with Luke, Logan still felt a great amount of trepidation around Rory. By the time he arrived, it was Hayden's bedtime. Together, Logan and Rory went through the bedtime ritual, curling up on the couch reading Moonlight Over Manhattan before putting Hayden down to sleep. Afterward, Logan went about silently cleaning up and packing for their trip. By 9, it was time for Logan to go to bed. Before he turned in he made a request, "I was thinking, " Logan said, "Since we have to start getting used to the new schedule, maybe you can leave me alone overnight with the baby the second night we are in the City"

"Oh...ok" Rory said reluctantly.

"Ace, we have to make the break some time. Better to do it early. You can stay as late as you want and then come back early. We can put you up in a hotel nearby."

"Yes, you're right, but no. Let me see if I can stay with Paris and Doyle."

"Yes, that would be a good idea. Spend time with your friends. You haven't seen them since the hospital."

"Ok then. Well, good night Logan."

"Good night Rory."