Hi everyone! I have not forgotten you or the story. I have, however, moved again, this time by myself, as my husband is deployed. Exciting times! My office is so much nicer now, and writing is more enjoyable. I still have work to do on my dissertation, so I wanted to get the next chapter up. Decided it would be smarter to split it up as late November has a lot happening. As always I don't own GG, but I do like this better than "no". Hope you are all doing great.

Early November 2007

Rory is sitting in the hotel room she shares with MK in Des Moines. Staring at her computer screen with fingers poised over the keyboard. She glances at her phone, desperate for a distraction, well, a call from Logan. They have not been able to connect for three days. The past week has been a whirlwind. Meeting Michael and Jeff from the New York Times, then off to South Carolina, back to Iowa, and now preparing talking points for Obama for the Meet the Press interview with Tim Russert on Sunday morning. Her mind keeps spinning on her conversation with Lane about family. Rory also thinks back about her mother's snide comments about Logan. She had really started to think her Mom was coming around to the relationship. They weren't rushing into marriage; Logan was no longer working for HPG but was really demonstrating his strong work ethic. After hanging up from the crazy Paris call, Lorelai made snarky remarks about them all being too young and unprepared for a real relationship. While the comments were being made about Paris, the tone and approach were clearly inclusive of Logan and Rory – that they couldn't handle the idea of a baby because they all had everything too easy. Rory had wanted to remind her that it was Lorelai who had grown up with the money, had everything handed to her, and still managed to work hard and make her way. Rory was stewing in her thoughts; why couldn't Lorelai see the parallels between her and Logan?

The door closes, and the sound of MaryK's voice saying hello breaks through. "Hey, Rory! How are you doing?" she walks over to the laptop, looks at the screen, and then at Rory's hands. "Um, are you doing a keyboard meditation or something?"

Rory looks up, "huh?"

A smile breaks across her friend's face, "Your hands, they are hovering like something vital needs to be written, but the screen is blank." Taking a second look at Rory, "Penny for your thoughts?"

Rory puts her hands in her lap after looking at them and the screen, "Oh, yeah, I um, I was kind of thinking about what my Mom said after Paris called with her wild pregnancy, STD panic attack. I realized that my Mom and Logan have much more in common with not being comfortable with their families and wanting to prove they can make it on their own. My mom just can't see it, and I don't know; it just seems like she should see how hard he is working. I mean, we don't even have time to talk every day. I miss him." Rory sort of pouts.

MK has made herself comfortable on her bed and pulled out her own laptop, listening to Rory. She had heard about the Paris story but not the comments that Lorelai had made afterward, but given previous conversations, she knew what Rory was talking about with her mother. Rory looks over her shoulder at her roommate and friend, "Hey, no advice; I mean, normally, this is where you help me see the big picture, and I can get back to writing."

"Rory, I can't really relate. I mean, I love Logan. I think he is great, a bit too liberal for my taste, but it works for you two." The two laugh, "You and your Mom were oddly close while you were growing up, but after the story you told about when you took a semester off from Yale, it seems like you and your Mom look at the world through different lenses. That is ok. At least you don't hate each other like Lorelai does with your grandparents."

Rory corrects her on the hate part, "Well, they don't hate each other…"

"Ok, so hate is too strong, but that is a weird relationship. If I were you, I'd focus on the talking points for Obama; he asked you to do the first draft – everyone thought that would go to Ezra. You still have 12 days before you head back to Connecticut for Thanksgiving. You said that Logan will be coming east, and you will have 5 days together. Maybe during that time, you can have Logan and your Mom in the same room, and he can tell her about his job. Or you can do what the rest of us do and just not worry about it. It sounds like Logan has given up on his parents accepting you."

Rory nods, "Yup, definitely not interested in making Eva accept me; oddly, though, it sounds like the Dark Lord might be turning from the dark side. Maybe Anakin lives. Yeah, I do need to focus on this draft for Obama. I actually do have stuff written; I used the notes I had gathered for the Times article as my starting point. Want to hear what I have so far?"

MK pats the bed, and Rory sits next to her as they read over the materials.

"Rory, this is good, really good. I think Obama will be thrilled he asked you for your help."

Richard is sitting at his desk and dials the phone, "Hello, this is Richard Gilmore. I am calling to speak with Christopher Hayden. Yes, I can wait."

"Hello, Richard, what may I do for you?" Chris' voice comes over the line.

"Well, Chris, honestly, I need to talk to you about Rory's inheritance. She turned 23 last month, and one of her funds has matured, and she controls it."

"I didn't know she had been given the account information yet." Chris replied, pulling open a document on his computer, "I have not given her the card to the one on my end. I was thinking that would happen at Thanksgiving."

"Ah," Richard intoned, "yes, my thoughts exactly. She doesn't have the card yet because I have not taken her to the bank for the authorization paperwork to be signed for her signature. Emily and I gave her enough money at graduation, and honestly, we thought she would be in New York and take her to dinner and make a day of it, but instead, she was somewhere in Iowa without cell service."

Chris is still looking at his computer, "I had a similar plan. Richard, we have not discussed the totals in the accounts. I have four for her, the first three are 23, 24, and then 25, with the fourth one being hers at 30, and then she will inherit half of my estate, splitting with Gigi. The first three were set up for her as post-college living, with them getting progressively larger as she adapts to the new way, hmm, I guess, for lack of a better word, a new way of life. I didn't anticipate her finding love in the social set."

Richard leans back, "Seems we were thinking along the same lines, Chris. I had it every two years for three years, and then Emily and I changed our wills, and she will receive everything upon our passing, except a million that will go to Lorelai. I know she has not really planned her retirement, and I do want her to be able to stop working at some point."

"Richard, I think we should set her up with a financial advisor and ensure she has a financial lawyer to ensure she is never taken advantage of. I don't think that either she or Logan will request a prenup, but I had my accounts set up so only she could access them, so even if they were not to make it she can't have that taken away. Honestly, I set this up when she was with that Dean fellow. I had no faith that he would ever take care of her."

Richard laughed, "I did the same thing. She can withdraw and put money into a mutual account, but it can't be joint unless she adds a child. All right then, I will arrange for a financial advisor and lawyer to meet with us on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. I'll call Rory and tell her that we have an important appointment. Chris, just so I can give the information to the advisors, what are your sums?"

Chris pulled his screen closer, "ok, for her 23rd - it is $2.5 million, and then each one doubles after that, making 24 $5 million, and 25 is at around $10 million. The one when she turns 30 is $25 million now, but I am sure it will have grown by then; I have it invested in an aggressive growth portfolio. Richard, I am curious: just how generous are you and Emily being?"

Richard pulls off his glasses, "Between Trix and I we established each of the funds with $5 million, but they are balanced differently. The most stable one is now over $7 and the first one she will get. The rest are a bit more aggressive, although I am thinking I should pull some more into bonds for a while. The market has been a bit too bullish recently, and what goes up must come down. I have a feeling Mama Bear is going to pounce soon. You might want to move some of your money too, Chris. We had that swell at the start of October. Did you notice that on the 9th? It was a beautiful day; almost three-quarters of my portfolio hit their all-time highs, and now they are just barely holding on. I have started to sell and move to bonds and precious metals. Thinking we will have about two years with the end of this war, excessive debt, and people getting mortgages they can't afford. You see that in the insurance business, suddenly, people are trying to figure out how to reduce their premiums – telltale signs, my boy."

"Hey, Ace," Logan's voice is tired but excited as he settles back into a chair on the porch in the back.

"Logan, oh, my god, it is so good to hear your voice. I mean, four days is just too long to go without talking. I can't wait to see you at Thanksgiving. It is all planned, right? You are still able to come, right? Are we both staying at Honor's house? It will be so much fun. Oh, do you think Honor is showing yet? Do you know the exact due date for the baby? Do they know the sex? Will your mom be there? Is your Dad coming? I still can't believe what your Mom did, but at least we know where she stands. My Mom is making snarky remarks again about us; ugh, I wish she would stop. You know that MaryK and I figured out that you and my Mom have more in common than she wants to admit, both coming from wealth, with expectations, and both wanting to prove you can do it on your own. She would have embraced you more if you had gotten pregnant at 16 and run away from home, but I'm glad you didn't get pregnant because we probably wouldn't have met. Oh, Logan, I am writing the talking points for the Meet the Press interview for Obama with Tim Russert. The guys from the New York Times liked the overview of their background; they liked it so much I am getting mentioned in the article. He is getting a lot more press lately. I am doing a big caucus piece for Hugo. Oh, and I, and after Thanksgiving, oh, my god, I haven't told you this yet, but I do think I texted it to you. The Oprah interview is set up for December 8. I can't believe that I am going to interview Oprah. We will do an in-depth piece on why she supports Obama, and Hugo said I could use it for the AP wire. I have to get more stories on the AP Logan; I read that more than 2 million newspapers closed or were sold off to private equity firms. Logan, that is really concerning. I mean I appreciate the shift toward more being online, but private equity firms should not be buying newspapers and closing down the local news source. That is bad for people really knowing what is going on. I worry about misinformation taking over in the future. Oh, Logan, I have missed you so much, and we have so much to talk about." Rory flopped on her bed and listened expectantly for Logan to respond.

"That was a lot, Ace, even for you, that was a lot. Let me see; I have not spoken with Honor, so I don't know if she is showing yet. I would think so since the baby is due at the end of December, and it is November, so let's go with a resounding yes; she must be showing. Yes, we are staying with Honor. I believe we will be seeing my Dad. I thought we were going to Stars Hollow for Thanksgiving day itself and having a separate celebration with Honor and Josh afterward." Logan raises his hand to accept a glass from Margaret. He inhales, Macallan, smells like she opened the 18-year-old bottle he has, after taking a sip he inhales to continue responding. "Congratulations on Oprah, drafting the talking points for Meet the Press and being mentioned in the Times. I look forward to reading your piece on the Iowa Caucus process. Hmm, let me see, what else was packed in there? Oh, I agree that your Mom and I both don't like the limitations and expectations placed on us by our families, but I really do think that is where the similarities end, particularly given I can't get pregnant, so thinking we are in the clear there." He chuckles at the last part, and Rory laughs, too.

"Yeah, been a lot of baby talk recently." Rory rolls over on the bed and scoots to sit up. "I am frustrated about my Mom, though. I didn't think she would be so hard to win over, especially with you not being at HPG anymore."

"Rory, your Mom is who she is, and you guys made plans. I don't think she is as flexible as she wants to think she is, but that is her problem. I will not let you go, and I can be flexible." He puts his feet up and smirks. His mind goes to thoughts of them in the bedroom and being flexible; now he just has to get Rory there. "so, Ace, I was just thinking about being flexible, and well, I was thinking about."

"Stop there, mister. MaryK will be back very soon, and we have to keep it clean. Get out your calendar, and let's make sure we know when we are arriving, and then we can get really flexible."

After consulting calendars and taking notes, they are able to plan that they can both land on Tuesday the 20th and avoid the worst travel day of the year. Rory puts a little heart into her day planner; an extra night with Logan is just what she needs.

November 22:

Rory's eyes flutter open, and she smiles as she feels Logan's arm around her. Snuggling deeper into his embrace she can feel him tighten his arms and kiss the top of her head. Tilting her head up, their lips lock.

Sitting in bed, Logan hands Rory a glass of water, accepting it with a "Thank you."

"I've missed this Ace."

"Me too." Snuggling up to Logan as he pulls up the covers.

"Logan, I've been thinking about when the deer hit me."

"Excuse me?"

"At Chilton, well, the day I was scheduled to take my English exam. Didn't I tell you about this?"

"Nope"

"Well, I had been cramming all night for my English exam, woke up late and had to drive myself to school. I became obsessed over a fact that I couldn't remember on Shakespeare, came to a stop sign, and called Lane because I couldn't find my notes in the car."

"At least you didn't drive while on your cell, and I had no idea that Lane was a Shakespeare aficionado."

"She isn't. We had been studying together, and in my hazy state, I thought maybe I had left my notes at her place. As I was asking her, a deer came running up the road and hit the rider's side of the car, just banged right into the car."

"Were you hurt? How was the deer? That must have been scary."

"It was scary. I was not hurt, and the deer wandered off. I did try to check on it, but it was gone, so I went to school. This is turning into a longer version of the story than I intended. Anyway, after my Mom came to the school, huh, wonder how she got there? Oh, point, yes. On the drive home, I wanted to check to see if the deer was ok, so we stopped and walked around in the woods looking for the deer." Logan wrapped his arm around her as she continued on, "My mom was walking with me, and I remember her asking me if Harvard was her idea or mine. I was sure it was mine at the time, but now that I think about it. It wasn't originally mine. I had Harvard stuff around me before I could walk or talk. I mean, the Harvard sweatshirt was even a diaper on one occasion, per my Mom. I digress," Logan's face is scrunched up as he is clearly thinking about a baby-soiled sweatshirt while Rory continues. "I definitely adopted the wanting to go to Harvard as I got older, but I really didn't think there was any other option. But she also made another comment; she said she would still love me, even if I couldn't support her in her old age to a level to which she planned to become accustomed. I mean, that was a lot of pressure. But it was her follow-up that made me think she really would support anything I wanted and why her judgment now is so hard."

"What else did she say?"

"She told me she wanted me to be dancing in the woods happy. I made it clear I wanted Chilton and Harvard and the dream, but that I retained the right to change my mind, and she seemed ok with that."

"Maybe you need to remind her of that talk?"

"Maybe. I realize that my going to Chilton changed so much in our relationship. I had my first bad grade, and everything wasn't easy; I learned how to work hard. I got to know my grandparents, and I really love them. I also liked being at the club and taking a steam. I was glad not to have to wear the fussy dresses growing up, but then they felt right; being in my Grandparent's world, it fit. I wanted to travel the world just like they traveled. I wanted to read all the time, and suddenly, I had access to first editions. I like our life together, Logan. I still want to be a reporter; I want to push myself. You inspired me to be a part of the action. I talked about being the next Christiane Amanpour, but you are the one who actually reminded me that it isn't just seeing the action but being a part of it that makes her reporting what it is."

"Sounds like you have been really thinking about this lately, Ace."

"I have, I really have. I am not sure that I need to tell her this, my realizations, I mean. I just needed to have them. I needed to tell you. I want to share all of my thoughts with you."

"I'm glad; I like your thoughts." He kissed her on the head. "any more thoughts?"

"Nope, all out of thoughts."

"Hungry?"

"You betcha." Rory throws back the covers, "Oh, Logan."

"Yeah," Logan turns.

"Let's dance," She grabs him, smiling, and twirls under his arm as they head into the shower.