A/N: I promise that the next chapter will be lighter and less emotional. Thank you for the reviews!
"Do we have to go in?" he asked her yet again as she straightened his tie. It had been two weeks since he was released from the hospital, and in keeping with her promise to Mitchum, they were standing in front of the Huntzberger mansion waiting to ring the doorbell.
"Yes, we have to go in," she replied in a mocking tone. "It'll all go smoothly and things are going to be okay, and then we can go home and watch a movie. It's dinner, not the end of the world." She hated being the rational one, reminding her of Friday Night Dinners at the Gilmore house with her mother, always having to be the adult in the situation. Instead of waiting for a response, she rung the doorbell and he looked at her with a mixture of annoyance and adoration.
A maid answered the door, ushering them in and taking their coats. They could hear conversation from further in, and she looked at Logan. There was fear in his eyes as he slowly made his way through the halls, her hand firmly in his as he lead her. The house wasn't as daunting or as beautiful as it was the first time she'd been there. She'd learned to not let the riches distract her, to mesmerize her. His family didn't care that she could recognize the painting in the foyer or tell them the plots of over half the books in their library.
"Logan," Shira's voice called out as they walked into the parlor. He let go of her hand momentarily as his mother embraced him. She wondered if Shira had hugged either of her children on a regular basis, or if it was saved for certain occasions. "Have a seat." He took Rory's hand again, leading her to the couch as they both sat down. Mitchum handed both of them club sodas.
"I hear congratulations are in order," Elias said bluntly. "I guess Logan has decided to make this girl part of the family."
"Yes I have, granddad. I love her, she loves me, and I want to spend the rest of my life with her." His thumb drew circles on the back of her hand as she squeezed his gently.
"And she said yes, I presume," Shira chimed in. "Did you say yes because of what he thinks of as love, or did you say yes because you know he's dying and just want to cash in on the fact." Rory shouldn't have been shocked, but she was.
"Shira, father, that is enough," Mitchum finally said. "They are happy. I know we've all had our differences in the past, but we need to accept this decision as it is and to not question it. We've spent so many years pushing Logan into the business or into relationships that were based solely on image, straining our relationship with him to the point we've lost sight of his own happiness. He deserves to be happy for as long as he has left."
"Dad," Logan said softly, looking between the three eldest Huntzbergers. She could tell Mitchum had taken her advice, but she wasn't sure what Shira or Elias' reactions would be. Both were in shock at what Mitchum had just said. Rather than saying anything, Elias just huffed and Shira stepped outside for what they all knew was a stress smoke. Mitchum just nodded at the two.
The rest of the dinner was relatively calm. Elias and Shira didn't say anything - something Rory assumed was a first. However, Mitchum asked so many questions and she could see Logan's demeanor change from tense to relaxed. He had asked how school for Rory was going, if they'd set a date for the wedding, how Logan was feeling. Then came the question neither was prepared for.
"Are you thinking about having children?" Rory looked at Logan, his facial expression changing yet again, this time into confusion.
"We hadn't really talked about it," Rory responded. "I'm still in school and Logan just got done with treatment." Mitchum just nodded, returning to the simpler questions and not drilling them for any more personal information. Throughout the dinner, she saw Logan glancing over at her and gently squeezing her hand.
"Thank you for the dinner, it was wonderful," Rory said as Mitchum lead them to the front door.
"Any time. And I do mean any time, Logan," he said, directing his statement towards his son. The two shook hands before parting, leaving Logan and Rory walking out to the car. He got in the driver's side and she in the passenger's side. He sat there a moment before starting the car and heading back to New Haven.
Half way back, he spoke. "Do you want kids, Rory?" His voice wasn't soft like it usually was, and she couldn't tell what was wrong.
"Pull over, Logan," she told hi. He obliged, parking the car on the side of the road before turning to her. "Is this because of what he asked?"
"I want to know if you want kids." He was evading her question, and she knew he would continue to. She hadn't really thought about it, but a part of her always knew to an extent she wanted kids. The problem was that they were messy and painful and loud, but as she looked at Logan, she knew that she wanted kids with him. She wanted a little Logan running around.
"Yes, I do. But I also know it may not happen." He nodded. "Do you want kids, Logan?" She knew it was a loaded question.
"I never saw myself having kids willingly. There were a couple scares when I was in high school, and it scared the crap out of me. I was always told having kids was just for continuing the name and producing an heir. Now, I see having kids with you and it doesn't scare me as much and it doesn't seem like an obligation. But I don't us to have a baby and then for me to leave you to raise it alone." She took his hand, kissing the back of it.
"How about we go home, put this conversation off a little longer. We can always watch those movies we were talking about earlier today." He smiled, kissing her softly before pulling back on the road. Their hands remained entwined.
She didn't understand why Mitchum would bring this up. He knew of the situation. Even if they wanted kids it may not happen because of the chemo and the radiation. Even if they wanted kids, neither of them wanted to leave them without a father. She looked over at Logan, and she could see a baby boy with her eyes and his hair. She could see a smile on the little boy's face, a mirror image of Logan's smirk. As much as she didn't want to let her mind dwell on the subject, the seed was already planted in her head and heart. She didn't know if she could deal with the idea of raising a child without Logan.
They arrived back home, walking up to the apartment. He went straight to the bathroom while she changed into one of his Yale shirts and a pair of her sweats. While she waited for the shower to turn off, she grabbed a blanket and laid it on the couch before going to make the popcorn. The movies had already been sat out before they left for Hartford.
She took the popcorn out of the microwave when she heard the shower shut off and the bathroom door open. He made his way over to the bedroom, pulling on a pair of sweats of his own and a grey t-shirt. They both sat on the couch, her curling into him as he turned on the first of the three movies. Mean Girls came first, followed by The Notebook, concluded with Pride and Prejudice.
They mocked Mean Girls in its entirety. Halfway through The Notebook she felt his eyes on her again. She kept facing the television, knowing that if he wanted to talk, he'd say something. Softly, he kissed her jaw, trailing down to her neck and shoulder. Rather than continuing, he let his forehead rest on her shoulder. She brought the opposite arm up, combing her fingers through his hair. She still didn't know what he was thinking, but she had a faint idea of the sadness he felt.