Picking up the pieces.
I own none of this, all rights go to the right people in charge.
a massive thank you to my Beta/Co writer kmay07. I couldn't have done this without you.
Also a massive thank you to all the many people who favourited, followed and reviewed each chapter of this story. each one put a smile on my face and lit a fire under me to get the next chapters out to you quicker.
Chapter 4: Logan and Odette talk.
Whilst Rory was making up with Emily, Logan was flying home to see Odette. His meeting with his father went well. He was climbing up the proverbial ladder and was actually excited about the potential advancement opportunities that his dad was offering him. However, as it always seemed was the case in his life, when one area was thriving another was on the verge of falling apart and his meeting with Rory really had really him on edge. . He had been working so hard these last couple of months to make things right with Odette and for the first time in a long time was starting to feel like he was going to be able to move on with his life, really get over Rory and maybe even fall in love with someone who was able to give him their full heart something he never quite felt he got from Rory. It may have taken him a decade but he finally had come to terms with the fact that while he and Rory loved each other and that love would probably never fully die, they were just not meant to be. They were not each other's great love and it was time they both stopped trying to shove each other in that box. Now with the latest development what was starting to feel like his soap opera of a life he was worried that all the progress he had made with Odette would be lost and he would be back to square one; and despite all he had done to deserve her leaving him for good he prayed to every deity he could think of that she wouldn't because he didn't think he could stand to lose her. One thing was for sure though he needed to talk to Odette about the news that Rory had dropped on him and the sooner the better. He couldn't and wouldn't make a decision on what to do without hearing her thoughts first. Not only that but in making good on his promise to be a better partner he refused to keep this secret from her.
After what felt like an eternity Logan finally saw his car was pulling up to his flat. He quickly got out of the car, handed the driver a healthy tip, grabbed his bag and headed inside to hopefully find Odette. She had decided to take a trip to France to see her mother and sister while Logan was in the states. As luck would have it she had returned first and had started unpacking from her trip.
"Hello Beautiful." He says kissing her cheek before placing his suitcase down.
"Bon jour" Odette responds "I missed you, how was your trip?" It was no secret that their relationship had been rocky over the past year and whilst neither of them had been brave enough to say out loud that Rory was the problem, they both knew that was the case. Odette knew that Logan had been seeing Rory at his penthouse whilst she was making the slow transition from living in France to living full time in London over the past year. She chose to ignore it, however she was not totally naïve, she understood that their family's "dynastic plan" wasn't what Logan had wanted for his life and if she was honest with herself it wasn't exactly what she had pictured for herself either. She had come to terms with it though and was hoping that in time Loan would as well. Then suddenly ten weeks ago it seemed as though her prayers would be answered. Logan came home from a "business" trip sat with her and told her everything. At the end of a very long conversation that ended up lasting two full days he promised that she was his priority now going forward. No matter what he did in the past he vowed to be a better person, a better partner to her in the future. He told her that he couldn't wait to be married and he wanted to start focusing on her and their relationship which made Odette really happy. All she wanted was to be happily married to Logan and have their own little family and after their conversation, Odette finally felt like she might actually get it. She would be lying if she said she wasn't nervous about the whole situation though, was he just saying these things to appease her, or did he really mean them? She chose in the moment to give him the benefit of the doubt wipe the slate clean of his past indiscretions, she did have a few conditions in doing so though, the first and most important being they had to find a new home. If they were going to move forward they both deserved a completely fresh start in a home they could create together. A home that was free of any memories of Rory Gilmore. He quickly agreed and thanks to the Huntzburger name, their ability to pay any amount of cash needed and Logan's natural charm just two weeks later they found themselves getting settled into to their new flat. He had been such a better fiancé after he sat with her and bared his vulnerable side and she was so thankful for the turn of events that had brought them to where they were.
"Hey O," Logan says apprehensively. "Can we talk? I need have some news to tell you and above all I really need your advice and opinion on something love."
"Yes, of course. Shall I make us some tea?" Odette asks.
"That would be great. Thank you." Logan replies before sitting down on the couch and loosening his tie. A few minutes later Odette brings the tea through. She smiles as she sits down opposite him.
"You look stressed love. Are you ok; did something happen in your meeting with Mitchum?" Odette asks.
Logan loved that in such a short time they were becoming so in tune and Odette was already starting to be able to read his subtle cues so well. "I am not sure if I am ok yet to be honest. Things with Mitchum went surprisingly well but that is not what I need to talk to you about." he replied. "Whilst I was in Hartford, I got a phone call from Rory." Logan paused to take a sip of tea and she could tell he was contemplating how to continue the conversation.
Odette began to panic, she saw her dreams shattering before her eyes; she knew she had to be strong she couldn't and wouldn't let him see her cry or breakdown. While on the surface she appeared to be strong willed and unshakeable what no one knew was Odette harbouring a deep secret that she had yet even been able to tell Logan. When she was young she was hurt, not just physically but emotionally, by someone who she should have been able to rely on, someone who should have protected her not broke her. Throughout her adolescence she was constantly told that she was worthless, and useless, and that no one was ever going to truly love someone like her. Whilst the physical marks, the bruises and cuts and scars faded with time, the mental impact was still there. Still haunting her when she least expected it. She still heard a little voice in the back of her mind repeatedly asking why Logan gave her the time of day, how he could love her when she was so broken. That is part of the reason she looked the other way when she discovered Logan's affair with Rory. In a way she thought she deserved what was happening, it was what she was told to expect basically her whole life. So she let it happen, and she stayed with him believing she would never find anything better than what she had with Logan and she had come to terms with the fact that her abuser was right all along and this would be her life. But then the world shifted after that weekend that Logan had made his vow to be a better partner and for the first time maybe ever she foolishly let herself open her heart and believe him, believe that just maybe she would actually be able to be happy, really and truly happy. She was scared that the next words out of Logan's mouth would shatter the new picture of the life she could lead that was slowly building in her mind and she prayed she could be strong, no matter what Logan said next. "Oh, and what did she want?" Odette heard herself asking, she was trying to remain calm but her voice betrayed her it was clear by the shakiness of her words that she was very concerned about the answer to her question.
"Well…..there is no easy way to say this, she told me that she is pregnant O. With my baby, a product of that last outing before we called it off for good." Logan says. Odette opened her mouth to speak but Logan quickly continues "I love you Odette. You, not Rory. I want to be with you, and I am going to be with you if you will still have me. Rory and I are over as a couple that has not changed. In fact this may have proven that fact to me even more so. When we were sitting there, yes I did take a meeting with her to discuss everything, we went to a restaurant and were never alone I swear to you O, but the first thing I thought about when she told me was you. How this would affect you, what this would do to you, to us. And I told her that. I told her you were my main priority now and that I had to talk to you before I made any decisions especially life changing decisions like this." he rambled, "I know after everything I have put you through I don't deserve anything more than for you to pack up your things and walk out that door, but please O, please say that you believe me. Please say you will stay. I know this is another obstacle we have to overcome but I know we can do it together." Odette bit her lip in nervousness. Of all the scenarios that were running through her head this was certainly not one of them. She would have almost been willing to bet her entire trust fund that he was going to say he was leaving her that Rory had called and begged for him to come back. Instead he was choosing her and she couldn't stop the feeling of relief that washed over her. He was right; as long as they were in it together they would be fine.
After what felt like hours, but in reality was just minutes Logan spoke again, "Odette, darling, please say something. I know this is a lot of news, to take in, but let me in on what's going on in your head. Please." He said softly.
"How do you know the baby is yours? How do you she's not just saying you are the father because of your name and status?" Odette asked, it was the first thing that came to mind. She knew she was probably just grasping at straws, but he couldn't deny that it happened all the time, jilted ex-lover wrongfully claims paternity of a child for their own selfish gain.
"Because I know Rory. And I believe her, if she says this baby is mine. Besides she turned down my proposal all those years ago to avoid being tied to my name and status so I don't think she would want to tie herself or her child to them now without good reason." Logan answered.
"Ok, I trust you Logan and if you trust her I will do the same. So what do you want to do?" Odette asks softy believing in her fiancé.
"I want to make you happy." He replies. "I refuse to make a decision that will upset you. I promised you that you were my future and I mean it" he says determinedly. Odette nodded and her mind calmed down slightly. She sat back in her seat letting her mind wander, the first thing she needed to decide is if could she handle helping to raise someone else's child? As quickly as the thought entered her mind so did the answer, she knew that without a doubt i that this baby was a part of Logan and that fact alone meant she would love it as if it was her own and give it everything it needed just like she would a baby of her own.
"Logan, as long as I have you I will be happy. Now, let's talk about how you are feeling." she stated, moving to sit next to him. She takes his hand in her own. "I love you Logan. I'm going to stick by you and support you no matter what you choose. So let's talk about the options, do you know what you want to do?"
"Well, Rory gave me two choices and two weeks to make a decision" he informs her.
"Ok, what are our choices?" Odette asks.
"She said either I am all in, we sign up to co-parenting, where I get visitation and I build a relationship with the child, no I am sorry, we build a relationship because if I choose this option clearly I'm doing it with you by my side." He says. "Or I don't get anything at all. No visits, pictures, absolutely no contact of any kind. It is basically an all or nothing deal. Her dad was in and out of her life and she doesn't want that for her own child." Logan explains briefly. "My main issue though is not her father, it's my father, you know how he is going to react to this sort of news. I have worked so hard to get where I am and finally earn his respect. I fear that this could be the final straw and I will be cut out of the family and the business. I don't know if I can do that to us Odette. There is so much money at stake and I have jumped through so many ridiculous hoops that he placed in my path just to get to this level of the business. Just to get what he claims is my 'birth right as Huntzburger ' to. I feel like I've worked too hard to give it all up now. I just don't know if this is the best time for me to bring a baby into the fold, and if I am being honest I don't know if that is something I want to really do right now either."
Odette's face hardens slightly. "If you didn't want a child Logan, you should have been a little more careful! You should have used protection!" Odette snaps. "You know what, when it comes down to it, it is really not anyone's decision to make but yours, I won't force you to decide one way on the other but I want you to think about a few things. There is going to be a baby in this world that is half of you Logan; that has half of your DNA, are you going to be ok going living with yourself if you just walk away from that baby and never know anything about it? Ten years from now are you going to be able to live with knowing that there is a child walking around this world that you helped create but no nothing about all because you were afraid of what your FATHER would say?" Odette sighs this was not how she pictured this discussion going; she just couldn't believe they he could be this stupid.
"I don't know what to do!" Logan whined. "I need more time to think about this I guess." He said.
"Either way I will support you, I will stand behind you and be there for you, but you need to do what's best for everyone. Not just what is easiest for you." Odette said as she stood and gathered the abandoned tea set and carried it back into the kitchen finishing the conversation. She wasn't sure what decision her fiancé was going to make, and she meant it when she said she would support him either way, but she knew in her heart which decision she was hoping he would end on.