The Fighter

A/N: Song-fic based on Keith Urban's The Fighter. Takes place during "Bridesmaid Revisited". There is dialogue from one scene in the episode. Lyrics are in bold. Enjoy. What pairing would you like to see?

Pairing: Rory/ ?

I couldn't believe it. Logan had let me walk into Honor's wedding, knowing that her entire bridal party was made up of women that he'd slept with over Thanksgiving break. When the bridal party had gone to line up, I just couldn't bring myself to move from where I was. I wasn't sure how much time had passed when I looked up and saw Logan standing in front of me. "Here you are." Logan said.

I nodded. "Here I am." I said.

"I was looking all over for you. I didn't see you when I was walking down the aisle. Looked for you during the ceremony. Where were you?" He asked me.

I looked down at the floor. "Here." I said, never looking up at him.

"Here? You missed the wedding?" He asked me.

"I'll apologize to Honor later." I said.

"Forget Honor. What's going on?" He asked. When I didn't say anything, he spoke again. "Rory."

I finally looked up at him. "You didn't say a word. You just let me walk into a room full of girls that you'd had sex with. Oh, no, wait. I'm sorry. You only had sex with two of them. One you just 'fooled around with', whatever that means. She spared me the parameters of the fooling around. You want to fill me in?" I ranted.

"Rory…" Logan tried to say but I cut him off.

"You know what? Never mind. I've got a good imagination. I can figure it out." I said, standing up.

"Okay, look." He said, but I cut him off again.

"I can't believe it, you didn't just cheat on me, you really cheated on me." I said, picking up my bag.

"I didn't cheat on you." Logan said.

"Oh so you didn't sleep with…" I said trailing off.

"No, I did, but we were broken up." He replied.

I shook my head. "No, you were broken up, not me. I thought that we were just taking some time." I said.

"Apart, not seeing each other." Logan said, trying to justify what he'd done.

"Yes, taking some time, not seeing each other for a while. That doesn't mean 'broken up'." I clarified.

"Oh, come on." Logan said.

"No! When…To break up, you have to tell the other person. You can't just decide that you're broken off and then just go off and…God! I can't believe I fell for all your stupid tricks, the coffee cart and going to my mother. You went to my mother. Why would you bother going through that? You had plenty of backup. What do you need me for?" I said.

"Because I love you."

"No. Don't." I said trying to stop him.

"Rory, I didn't cheat on you. I didn't lie to you." He said.

"You didn't tell me." I said.

"Of course not. Why would I want you to be hurt and upset and angry?" He asked me.

"Blondie, dizzy…I love the cover, pretending all those girls were worthless idiots." I said. I really needed to get out of here.

"They are worthless idiots, shooting their mouths off in front of you like that." Logan said, starting to pace a little.

"It's not their fault." I whispered.

"It is their fault. They love doing crap like this, causing trouble." Logan said.

"We were only apart for like two seconds, and you managed to sleep with every one of your sister's friends. How did you even do that? I mean, did you work them in shifts? Were there charts, signals, b-12 shots?" I asked sarcastically, but slightly bitter at the same time.

Logan sighed. "I was depressed. I was lonely. I was upset. I've known these girls forever. It was just companionship, okay? It meant nothing." Logan defended.

I glared at him. "Don't be at the apartment between 10 and 1 tomorrow so I can get my stuff." I said before I walked out and called for a cab.

When I finally arrived at Rich Man's Shoe, I was definitely ready for a drink. I walked in and sat at the bar and ordered a martini from the bartender.

By the time that I was on my third drink, I noticed that someone had sat down beside me. I glanced at the person out of the corner of my eye. I mentally rolled my eyes. "Did he send you?" I asked.

"No. Has no idea that I'm even here. He did call me though. Said you guys had a fight at Honor's wedding." He said.

I know he hurt you

Made you scared of love, too scared to love

He didn't deserve you

'Cause you're precious heart is a precious heart

He didn't know what he had and I thank God, oh

And it's gonna take just a little time

But you're gonna see that I was born to love you

"Did he tell you what the fight was about?" I asked.

"No. Just said that you left upset and that your moving out of the apartment tomorrow. Asked if I'd be around in case you needed any help." He said.

I just nodded. "During Thanksgiving when we had that fight about my ex, he slept with Honor's entire bridal party." I said downing the rest of my martini. I flagged the bartender down and asked for a couple shots of tequila.

"I'm sorry." He said and I scoffed. "What I am." He defended.

"Your loyal to Logan. You'll be by his side no matter what." I said. "Whether or not he's in the wrong, you'll be by his side."

"No. Not when he's wrong. Rory, he doesn't deserve you. You deserve so much better than him." He said, causing me to look at him for the first time since he'd sat down.

"What are you saying?" I asked.

"I'm saying that you deserve someone that will put you and your feelings first. Someone that won't lie and cheat on you. Someone that can bring a smile to your face every second of every day." He said. He always had a way of saying the sweetest things to me when we were alone.

I downed one of my shots. "And you don't think that Logan is that person?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"No. I don't." He said.

"Then who is?" I asked, downing another shot.

"I don't know. But I know it's not him." He said. I nodded.

Keith Urban's The Fighter started playing over the speakers and I looked at him. "Dance with me?" I asked as I downed my last shot.

"Sure." He said as he led me to the dance floor.

What if I fall? (I won't let you fall)

What if I cry? (I'll never make you cry)

And if I get scared? (I'll hold you tighter)

When they're tryna get to you, baby, I'll be the fighter

What if I fall? (I won't let you fall)

What if I cry? (I'll never make you cry)

And if I get scared? (I'll hold you tighter)

When they're tryna get to you, baby, I'll be the fighter

As I listened to the lyrics and I danced with him, I realized that he was slowly pulling me closer. I couldn't help but look up into his eyes. "There's one thing I haven't asked and you haven't answered." I said.

"And what's that?" He asked.

"How did you know that I'd be here? And why did you come?" I asked him.

He sighed. "Because I know you. I knew that if you were upset that you were going to need a drink." He said. "And I came because I had to see for myself that you were okay." He told me.

I nodded. I didn't know what else to say.

Look in the mirror

You're beautiful, so beautiful

I'm here to remind you

You're my only one, let me be the one

To heal all the pain that he put you through

With love like you never knew

Just let me show you

"Are you going to be okay?" He asked me.

I shrugged as I let him hold me. "I honestly don't know. I know that I can't trust him anymore. I mean, if he lied to me about this…what else is he lying to me about?" I said.

He nodded. "That's a fair point." He said. He reached up with one hand and tucked some hair behind my ear. "I just hate to see you hurting. You don't deserve any of it. Your beautiful Rory. You shouldn't ever have to be sad." He said. It made my heart flutter.

What if I fall? (I won't let you fall)

What if I cry? (I'll never make you cry)

And if I get scared? (I'll hold you tighter)

When they're tryna get to you, baby, I'll be the fighter

What if I fall? (I won't let you fall)

What if I cry? (I'll never make you cry)

What if I get scared? (I'll hold you tighter)

When they're tryna get to you, baby, I'll be the fighter"

"Things haven't been right with him and I for a while." I told him.

"I know. I think he knows it too. I think that's why he reacted the way he did back at Thanksgiving." He said.

I looked at him through my eye lashes. "Would you have reacted that way?" I asked him.

He shook his head. "No, I wouldn't have." He said.

"Why?" I asked, curiously.

"Because I would have trusted you. I would have trusted in the relationship. I believe that it is possible for guys and girls to be friends." He said.

"Even if the guy and girl used to date?" I asked.

He nodded. "Yep. Look at me and Steph. We've known each other since we were kids." Colin said.

"Yeah, but you and Steph tend to sleep with each other from time to time. I don't think that really counts." I said, feeling slightly dejected. Although I didn't know why. Or maybe I did.

He stopped dancing and just stood there looking down at me. "Rory, I have to tell you something about that." He said and I nodded for him to continue. "Steph and I haven't slept with each other in over a year." He told me.

I gasped, shocked. "But…Steph would always …." I said trailing off, not really wanting to think about those conversations.

Colin grabbed my hand and pulled me off to the side, away from the dance floor and the few people that were on it.

I wanna believe that you got me, baby

I swear I do from now until the next life

I wanna love, wanna give you all my heart

He sighed. "Steph did that because after you and Logan started dating and I got to know you better, I realized that I had feelings for you and it scared me. Steph found me one night, shit faced drunk and I kept rambling on about this gorgeous, blue-eyed brunette that I had fallen for but couldn't have because she was dating my best friend. She looked at me and told me not to worry. That Logan would find some way to screw it up, like he did everything. That I just had to wait." Colin said.

He reached up and cupped the side of my face with one hand. "I'm not that special." I said.

He shook his head. "No. Don't do that. Don't put yourself down. You are everything. I know that things are messed up right now…but Rory, you mean everything to me. Please, let me prove to you…Prove to you that I can be your everything, too." He said.

His words meant everything to me. I knew why things hadn't been right with Logan. I knew that as I'd gotten to know Colin, that I had also developed feelings for him, but I knew with him being Logan's best friend that he wouldn't take it very well. Even now, there was still a chance that Logan wouldn't take it well. But the real question was, Could I open my heart up to Colin after what Logan had just put it through? "And if I fall?" I asked him.

"I'll be there to catch you." He said, with a slight smirk.

What if I fall? (I won't let you fall)

What if I cry? (oh, I'll never make you cry)

And if I get scared? (I'll hold you tighter)

When they're tryna get to you, baby, I'll be the fighter

What if I fall? (I won't let you fall)

What if I cry? (I promise I'll never make you cry)

And if I get scared? (I'll hold you tighter)

When they're tryna get to you, baby, I'll be the fighter

What if I fall?

What if I cry?

And if I get scared? (I'll hold you tighter)

When they're tryna get to you, baby, I'll be the fighter

I looked into Colin's eyes as the song finished playing. I looked for any hint that he wasn't telling me the truth. But as I looked into his eyes, the only thing that I could find was love and adoration. "I think that maybe we should get out of here." I said, quietly.

He looked hopeful. "Let's go." He said as we grabbed my stuff and made our way out of the pub and towards his car.

Relationships took work…but they had to be built on love and trust. If you didn't have that, it would never work. Maybe Logan and I were doomed from the start. Maybe Logan was meant to be my failure so that I would be willing to be open to being loved by Colin. Who knows? But I know one thing…I was willing to take the chance and find out.