Author's Note & Disclaimer: Yay, finally finished editing another chapter. This one had a missing piece, so I had to write it last night. Hopefully, I'm capturing the characters well. Again, if the line sounds familiar, it's probably in the original show. I just might have rearranged things a bit.

Chapter 17

Rory stepped off the elevator to the Stanford Eagle-Gazette on Monday of the following week. Rory had spent hours previously trying to look the part of a serious journalist and had spent the entire train ride to the office trying to calm her nerves.

"Can I help you?" said the front desk clerk, a red-haired woman with a smoker's voice.

"I was just trying to figure out if I'm in the right place," Rory answered, swearing that she could detect the nervousness in her own voice.

"Were you hoping to be in some sort of newspaper office?"

"Yes, I was. I'm Rory Gilmore. I'm an intern." Rory slowly approached the desk, so she was not yelling at the lady. "Mitchum, Mr. Huntzberger hired me, for nothing, of course. 'Cause an intern makes nothing and they're happy to do it. I'm new."

"Here's a temporary ID. Sometime today, stop by and see Al Carson." The receptionist handed her a lanyard with a card on it. "He'll take a picture and get you a permanent one."

"I've never had a picture ID before. I'll take very good care of it. Is there a fine if you lose it?"

"No fine."

"Well, I still won't lose it. I promise."

"Okay, you need to go talk to Harry. He deals with interns." The lady pointed vaguely into the main office space while picking up the phone. "Good morning, Eagle-Gazette. Please hold."

Rory tried to get more information but clearly, the woman was done answering her. She walked over to the cubicles and wondered who Harry was. "Harry?"

One guy looked at her before turning back.

"Harry?" Rory called out again, a little louder.

"Who called Harry?" A middle-aged man responded.

"I did! I called Harry!" Rory said as she ran towards the guy excitedly. "Hi! I'm Rory Gilmore. I'm an intern. I have ID. And -"

The man rolled his eyes as he spoke, " Okay, this is basically the newsroom, reporters, support staff. Over there is the composing room where we go paste-up. It's called paste-up because it used to be done with -"

"-Scissors and paste," said Rory, feeling compelled to answer.

"Right, but now we do it on a Mac. In that cabinet are all our back issues. '95 to present are on CD-ROM, earlier on microfiche. If you use the microfiche reader, make sure you turn it off because the bulb is too hot and melts the stuff. "

"I sure wish I had a pencil." Rory breathed.

As they walked and Harry talked, he gestured to areas. "This is Tom Firth's desk. He writes "Firth Things First" on the op-ed. That's Ed Rose. Circulation, advertising. In the case of fire, stairs are that way."

They entered the kitchenette, and Harry continued. "This is the kitchen. Coffee, stale donuts. If you finish a pot, you make a new one."

"Harry!" Someone called.

"Be right back." Harry said to Rory.

As the area was abandoned, Rory filled a coffee cup and did a quick selfie with her by a water cooler on her flip phone.

From the office space, there were several people announcing that "Huntzberger's here."

Rory went to find Harry, but he found her first. "Huntzberger's here."

"Where?"

"I think he's one of those guys there." Across the office, there was a cluster of businessmen in suits with Mitchum Huntzberger in the centre.

"Yeah. In the middle, striped tie."

Harry looked at Rory quizzically, "You know Huntzberger?"

"Yes."

"Really? What's he like?" Harry suddenly asked.

"Um," Rory said as she tried to remember the research, she did on him. "Episcopalian, second of four children. Oldest boy and hates peas."

A shorter, stockier man next to Huntzberger was introducing the staff with obvious nervousness. Harry, Rory and the others looked on and moved closer because it seemed that Mitchum was getting ready to say a few words.

"Okay, lot of people, lot of names. And I promise I'll learn some of them." After Mitchum said this, the crowd laughed uneasily. "We'll talk more about this at the general meeting, but I want you people to understand that the Huntzberger Publishing Group isn't going to change what you do. We're going to help you do what you do better."

Another wave of murmured agreements was heard around the room.

"All right, I want all the department heads gathered in the conference room in 10 minutes. Someone make some coffee. Rory?"

"Yes, sir?" Rory automatically responded.

"You ready to shadow me?"

"Yes, sir."

"Let's go."

Rory turned to set down her coffee and immediately turned back and the crew of suits were gone as if they had not previously been there a second ago. She asked Harry, "Did you see where they went?"

Harry just shrugged.

Where the heck did, they go? Rory wondered as she started off in the presumed right and only direction they could have gone.

When Rory finally caught up, Mitchum was still talking shop with the short, stocky man who was hanging on his every word.

"I'm saying it's these little costs that had you dropping your Hartford correspondent. How much are you paying for syndicated features? You run 'Dear Abby' and 'Ann Landers' and 'Ask Vicki.' How many different ways do the people in this community need to hear 'Honey, he ain't gonna change. Dump his ass'?"

Rory chose to wear heels on this day because it was cute black pumps that showed sophistication and went with her dress. As she jogged after the sea of business ties, Rory cursed this choice. While not taking her eyes off of them, for fear they would vanish again, she ripped the pair off her feet.

The suits dispersed again, Rory tried to think of something to say to Mr. Huntzberger about his four-minute-mile that he ran at Yale, but he was whisked off to a meeting about advertising and Rory was literally shut out of, door in the face shut out.

This will all be worth it in the end. This is just a one-off. Maybe I will have to be quicker next time, Rory reasoned.

The idea crossed her mind to call Logan to see if he had any idea how to break the idea with Mitchum and impress him, but she quickly shook that notion out of her head.

ooo

"I'm pretty sure I've just won the 'spaz of the year' award." Rory recapped to Marty on the phone later that day as she rode the train back. "I believe it will be on the front page of the Gazette tomorrow."

"I'm sure it's not that bad," Marty told her comfortingly.

"I don't know what I'm supposed to do. I know where anybody is. I couldn't walk in my shoes. I got a run in my pantyhose. I ran into a file cabinet."

"Then you should probably slow down."

"I didn't even know if I was supposed to go to lunch when everybody went to lunch, so I just stood in the break room for, like, 45 minutes. And then I ate an Altoid. "

"It's the first day. It'll get better."

"Mr. Huntzberger must think I'm an idiot."

"I'm sure he doesn't."

"I need something to say to him, other than, 'Yes, the bleeding stopped. Thanks.' How do people do this?"

"I'm sure, Rory, you're doing fine. It's still only your first day."

"I know, but I feel so inept."

"Well, don't. Mitchum was right. He must have seen something in you to offer you this internship. Don't sell yourself short like this. Give it time."

"Thanks, Marty. I really appreciate the cheerleading."

"I'll do my pom-pom routine later. " Marty joked, and Rory's mood immediately lifted as she let out a soft chuckle at the mental imagery.

ooo

Another Friday night dinner and Rory and the elder grandparents were sitting around the table at their house. Richard and Emily were asking Rory question after question about her new internship.

"Do you get to work on the articles? Do let us know which ones we should read because what we've read so far in the Daily News is excellent." Her grandfather stated, bursting with pride.

"Is Logan working in the office with you? He is such an accomplished young man. He's probably going to follow in his father's footsteps, you know." Her grandmother interjected while looking at Rory expectantly.

"Um, I guess. No, he's not there." Rory said once she realized her grandmother was watching her.

"Oh, I thought for sure Mitchum have his son around to learn the ropes. Never mind that, I guess he'll probably stop by later on." Emily finished her thought. "Rory, have you talked to Logan yet?"

Rory forked one of the broccoli florets on her plate. "Hmm? About what?" She asked in confusion.

"About your openness to courtship. Remember?" Her grandmother continued.

"Ummm…"

"Rory! You must have a direct conversation with the young man. College boys are not known for their understanding of subtlety, so it's good to be direct and clear with them." Emily instructed. "Let him know as soon as possible before some other girl puts her claws in him. Believe me, it will be harder to get his attention, then."

As her grandmother was narrowing in on the Logan talk, her grandfather on the other end of the table, was just quietly chewing and focusing on his plate.

"Okay, Grandma," Rory said, hoping this line of conversation was at its end, but boy, was she wrong.

She was sure that this was not the time to bring up that she was seeing Marty, so she kept her eyes down. However, Emily was still talking.

"-Cape Cod is nice this time of year. Perhaps, you should drop hints to Logan to take you up to one of their properties in Martha's Vineyard. It would be nice to get to know him away from the office too."

"Uh, Emily?" Richard piped up. "Can we please change the subject?"

"What? I'm just trying to give some guidance to our granddaughter, who is just exploring the world of eligible suitors."

"Yes, but… " was all Richard managed to get out before her grandmother interrupted.

"And Logan is a nice young man, who would be perfect for Rory here. He comes from a good family and is the heir to the Huntzberger family." Her grandmother persisted in stating.

The conversation continued, talking about the Huntzbergers and their various assets and their vacation recommendations. Rory was more than thrilled when dinner ended, as she was meeting her mother in the driveway for a ride back to Stars Hollow where her car was being serviced by Gypsy after it started making a noise. Her mother agreed to drive her to Friday night dinners, while she went shopping in Hartford.

When Lorelai pulled up, she must have seen something on Rory's face because immediately she asked, "Was dinner really that bad? How come? They like you. You are not me."

Rory sighed. "Yeah, but I'm like the token daughter they never had as they are trying to marry me off to the heir of Huntzberger."

"What? What do you mean?"

"I mean, Cliff's notes of dinner boiled down to how lucky I am that I work with Mitchum Huntzberger, and then Grandma started asking if Logan was in the office, that I should let him know my availability, and how college boys need to be spoon-fed attraction, Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and the really pushing into marriage and kids territory." Rory recapped in as few words as possible.

Lorelai got out of the Jeep and burst into the Gilmore residence without so much as a knock. Rory awkwardly followed as she was unsure what was going to happen next. Rory stopped short in the hallway as she was unsure what her mother was going to say and remained out of view. The elder Gilmores were found in the sitting room. Her grandfather with the newspaper in his hand and her grandmother sipping on some clear liquid. The Gilmore couple were both astonished to see their daughter.

"What? Lorelai, what is the meaning of this?" Emily asked, taken aback to see her daughter in their house. Lorelai put a hand on her mother's forehead.

"Nothing. Just on those National Geographic shows people are so sweaty after a mating ritual, but you two are powder dry." Lorelai said quickly and calmly as she retreated to a safer distance.

"What on earth are you talking about?" Emily inquired, still unsure what this was all about.

"Rory's still just a kid, and she's still figuring things out, and she doesn't need you dropping all these heavy-handed hints about weddings and babies and Cape Cod."

"You should be thrilled by this match, Lorelai," Emily said, finally clueing in as to why her daughter was making a scene.

"Well, I'm not thrilled," Lorelai stated.

"You're not?" asked Emily with a raised eyebrow.

"No, I'm annoyed at you, that's why. Putting all this pressure on her. She's in her early 20s, for God's sake."

Emily did not approve of taking the Lord's name in vain in their house therefore she made a face reflecting so but did not say anything to it. Instead, she rebutted with, "You're letting your own personal tastes cloud your judgement of this, and this boy. He's perfect for Rory, and you don't see it."

"This is not about my personal taste," Lorelai commented, defensively.

"You're uncomfortable around people like Logan. He's not your type. That's well-documented." Emily stated matter-of-factly.

"Oh, that was a nice, not-so-subtle dig at Luke," Lorelai said even more defensive over her choice.

"Luke?" Emily repeated in the form of a question.

"Who said anything about Luke?" questioned Richard, trying to follow his daughter's and his wife's exchange.

"You're very sensitive tonight." Emily continued.

"I'm not sensitive. It's just you're busy marrying Rory off to a boy that wasn't even nice to her." Lorelai expressed loudly to her parents, desperately trying to be heard.

"Who wasn't nice to her?" asked Richard, baffled.

"Logan Huntzberger." Lorelai expressed loudly. "She went to a party, and he basically told her to ditch her boyfriend and Logan all but assaulted her, by Rory's account."

"Boyfriend, what boyfriend?" Emily seemed to have caught that detail by surprise.

"I didn't -" Lorelai had realized that she had just outed her daughter's relationship.

Rory had heard enough from where she was and entered the room. "Mom, I think it's time to go."

"Rory, what boyfriend?" Her grandmother's tone turned harsh, as she asked this question directly to Rory.

"Umm...,"Rory choked out.

"Are we just going to gloss over that Logan treated Rory, here, like trash?" Lorelai said as she was quickly regaining her voice.

"Mom, I think you've said enough," Rory begged, trying to pull her mom from the house.

"Rory, answer the question. Are you seeing someone?" Emily asked in a commanding tone.

"Umm, yeah," Rory answered in a small voice.

"Well, that's excellent, we must meet him." Richard tried to be the voice of reason in the entire conversation.

"You've met him, Grandpa," Rory said simply.

"Oh?" Richard asked.

"It's Marty," Rory said as if they were supposed to remember.

"Marty? Short of Martin, I assume, what's his last name?" Emily threw more questions at Rory.

"I don't recall meeting a Marty. Never mind, we must meet him again, officially," stated Richard.

"So, we're really done talking about Logan Huntzberger mistreating Rory? And the suspicious way Mitchum Huntzberger offered her an internship?" Lorelai asked, bluntly and irritated.

"Mom!" Rory called.

"Why on earth shouldn't have Mitchum given her a very valuable internship?" Richard questioned.

"He was buying her off," Lorelai said, exasperatedly, hoping her parents would focus on her point.

"So, the internship was like hush money?" Richard trying to make sense of what he was being told.

"Yes!" Lorelai said loudly.

"Mom!" begged Rory, trying to pull her from the sitting area toward to door again.

"There's no money. Isn't that right, Rory? It's an unpaid position." Richard looked to Rory to affirm his statement.

"It's a figure of speech," Lorelai said, getting fed up.

"Rory, you got this internship by making a contact, didn't you?" Richard Gilmore asked of Rory, barely giving her a chance to react, before returning to fight with his daughter. "in a way similar to me setting you up with Mike Armstrong to talk about your inn. Is there something wrong with that?"

"No," Lorelai stated but was cut off before she could say more.

"I concur." Richard agreed.

"There is still something wrong with this internship." Lorelai said, trying to make them understand.

"My God, you're paranoid," Emily said from the loveseat where she was nursing her drink.

At this point, Rory was just trying to follow the conversation while standing by her mother. She had to get Lorelai out of the Gilmore residence before their relationship deteriorated further.

"I am not paranoid. Tell them, Rory. Tell them what Mitchum said, when he offered it to you." Lorelai defended and looked to Rory to back her up.

All the heads looked at Rory at once, expectantly.

"He said, his son did wrong, and he thought this was necessary to do damage control on Logan's behalf," Rory said quietly.

"See?" Lorelai said pointedly.

"Mom! Can we go?" Rory pleaded.

"Gladly," Lorelai said, allowing Rory finally to pull her away.

Emily and Richard seemed stunned, and the younger Gilmores used this opportunity to get away from them.

Once they passed the threshold and firmly closed the door behind them, both mother and daughter exhaled loudly.

"I'm driving." Rory declared and held out her hand for Lorelai's keys.

"Rory..." Lorelai started presumably to apologize.

"Nope. Not enough distance yet from the door to talk." Rory interrupted.

The Gilmore girls got into the car and pulled out of the drive hastily as if putting miles between them and the house would somehow erase the entire transpired conversation.

"I can't believe you," Rory said after twenty minutes of silence. "I can't believe you told them about Marty."

"Well, they were going to find out, sooner or later." Lorelai defended weakly.

"Yeah, but you didn't need to connect the dots for them. " Rory countered.

"I'm sure it'll be fine," Lorelai said dismissively.

"Is it ever fine?" Rory who suddenly had the urge to slam the brakes, but thought better of it as they were on the highway. "Where have you been?"

Lorelai gave her a questioning look but said nothing.

"Have you not noticed that no one outside of their circle is ever good enough?" Rory asked after a few more moments of silence.

"Yeah, I've been fighting that my entire life," Lorelai responded.

"So what makes you think they are not going to treat Marty any better than they treated Dean, Jess, or Luke for that matter?" posed Rory.

"Well, Dean was not good enough, time showed that, Jess didn't do himself any favours by showing up with a black eye. But I get your point. They disrespected Luke." Lorelai started to understand what Rory was saying. "But Marty will be different. He goes to Yale with you, therefore has a bright, shiny future ahead, and as long as he shows up injury free, he'll be more welcome than I most nights. Especially after tonight."

"You sure about that? He's still not from money like Dad or Logan."

"True, I don't know but maybe you should just get it out of the way so that you and Marty can move on with your relationship. I meant technically they have met before."

"And?" Rory asked.

"You remember Marty met the grandparents at the Yale/ Harvard game last year. Dad was quite approving of him. His exact words were: 'I like that boy'." Lorelai explained.

"Oh. Right, he did. Grandpa actually said that?"

"Yeah, I told him to prove it and drop his pants, but he didn't."

"Ugh. Gross." Rory said.

As both young Gilmores chatted away for the rest of the ride, Rory decided to put a pin in the thought for now. While she still had some reservations about how Marty will be treated by the elder Gilmores, she knew if they were serious, he would have to meet them again eventually.