Logan smiled as he listened to Honor chatter excitedly. After greeting him with a fierce hug at the airport, Honor had talked the whole way out of the building and into the car.

"Jeez Hon, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you're more excited about seeing Rory than you were about seeing me," Logan teased good-naturedly. Josh chuckled from the backseat as Honor pouted.

"We're both happy to be here, Logan. It will be good to spend time with you guys out of Hartford's eyesight. As for Honor being excited about seeing Rory, she hasn't stopped talking about it all week. I felt like I was in bed with a hyperactive puppy, I'm pretty sure she kicked me a few times," Josh joined in the ribbing.

"Well excuse me for being relieved to not be the odd one out anymore when the three of us have dinner. Also, I want to spend some one-on-one time with Rory, we need sister-in-law bonding time this week," Honor said as Logan signalled and turned onto their street. Honor's attention snapped from her brother and husband to look out the window, taking in the houses. "Which one is yours?" she asked excitedly. Logan chuckled and gestured.

"We're coming up to it right now," he said, signalling and turning into their driveway. Honor clapped her hands and wiggled in her seat.

"Logan! This is gorgeous! Isn't this gorgeous Josh? I can't wait to see the inside!" Honor exclaimed. Logan parked the car and hit the garage door button at the same time.

"Well let's go see it then. Leave your bags for now, we can get them later," he said, opening the carport door and leading Honor and Josh into the house. "Rory? We're here!" he called. There was no answer except for distraught sobs coming from the living room. The excited smile slid off of Honor's face to be replaced with a look of worry, echoed on the faces of the two men. Fear and concern warred on Logan's face as he stood still. Another anguished wail snapped him out of it, a hand of ice freezing his heart as he ran into the room, Honor and Josh right behind.

Logan skidded to a stop as he took in the scene: Rory's laptop balancing precariously on her lap, the broken mug on the floor, and Rory herself. His fiancée's shoulders shook violently as she wept into her hands, which were doing little to muffle her distressed sobs. Moving carefully so he wouldn't startle her, Logan gingerly sat on the couch and Rory's cries decreased in volume slightly. Logan took that as a sign she knew it was him and moved closer, setting her laptop on the coffee table and wrapping Rory in his arms as she returned the gesture, resting her head against his chest the best she could.

"Rory, what is it, what's wrong?" Logan asked worriedly. Rory sniffled and tried to speak, only to break down once more. Her hands found his shoulders and gripped them tightly as she cried harder. Logan rubbed her back and rocked them back and forth, pleading with Rory to tell him what was wrong as Honor and Josh hovered uncertainly in the background. They wanted to help but didn't want to overwhelm Rory more than she already was.

Eventually, Rory began to calm down as her tears slowed to a stop. She took some deep breaths and lifted her face from Logan's soaked shirt, taking in his worried face and damp-looking eyes. A movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention and she turned to see Honor and Josh, who watched her in concern. She chuckled weakly as she let Logan help her to her feet, her fiancé carefully guiding them both around the mess on the floor.

"This wasn't how I was expecting to welcome you guys," she said hoarsely. Honor unfroze at Rory's words and rushed over to hug her. As the two women embraced, Honor murmuring comforting words into Rory's ear, Josh followed Logan to the kitchen and helped him bring back some paper towels, the garbage can and a broom. After they'd cleaned up the mess, Logan went back into the kitchen, took the pitcher of iced tea out of the fridge and placed it and some glasses on a tray. He carried everything into the living room and set it down on the coffee table next to Rory's open laptop. It wasn't until they all had their drinks that any of them spoke again.

"Rory, what has you so upset? Did something come up in counselling today?" Logan asked. Rory nodded and took a few sips of her iced tea, relishing the welcome coldness soothing her aching throat.

"That's part of it. When I decided to check my email this afternoon, there were messages from Paris and Lane. Paris' was good, but Lane's was what upset me," she said. Logan, Honor and Josh looked at each other in bafflement.

"Lane is your best friend, right? We met her the night we went to the pub," Honor said. Rory nodded.

"Yeah, that's her. She didn't personally do anything to upset me, if anything she's doing everything she can not to," she said, setting her glass on the table and picking up her laptop. Rory inhaled and exhaled deeply and started to read:

Dear Rory,

I hope you're doing well and have had a chance to enjoy some of that California sunshine! I miss you lots and can't wait to see you in August. That being said, I know it's only fair to warn you because I don't want you blindsided. I thought about calling but decided emailing would be better. That way, you can have some time to process.

Things haven't gotten better in Stars Hollow since you left. If anything, they've gotten much worse. Luke, Zach and I are still getting the cold shoulder from the town, and it's gotten to the point that business is suffering at the diner. Zach and I had Luke over for dinner the other night, and he said that while it's tough, he has a plan. He mentioned asking your grandparents for some advice, and I know that he went to visit them a few days ago. I think he wants something concrete before he says anything further.

That isn't the only reason things have gotten worse though. After Theresa's arrest, the police started coming around to get statements from the townspeople. Not the police in Stars Hollow, but in Hartford. They were here every day for a week talking to the townspeople, and – Oh God, this is hard to write, almost everyone here has turned against you and is supporting Theresa. Babette, Patty, Taylor and Kirk all lied to the police about what happened, and I don't know how many more.

Surprisingly though, Lindsay isn't one of them. She came to the diner and told the police the truth about that day and she's been speaking up for you along with Luke, Zach and I.

This wasn't easy to write, but like I said earlier, I didn't want you to be caught off-guard. I know I gave you a lot to think about, so process and write back or call when you're ready.

Say hi to Logan for me.

Love you and miss you,

Lane.

"Who's Theresa? Why was she arrested?" Honor asked. She'd made signs of wanting to ask questions while Rory had been reading, but Josh had squeezed her knee and she'd subsided. Rory sighed deeply and told them everything she'd told Logan and her grandparents when she had returned to her grandparents' home drenched in soda.

"So, let me see if I get this. Lindsay's ex-husband cheated on her with you, misled the both of you, lied to her about the affair, and then Theresa assaulted you before you could tell Lindsay the truth?" Josh said. Rory and Logan nodded.

"That's it in a nutshell. I know my mom's not happy about our engagement, but I never thought almost everyone in Stars Hollow would turn on me like this," Rory admitted. She'd felt drained when she came home this afternoon, but now she felt numb. She couldn't say what her emotions were because it was as though they had been sucked into a void, leaving nothing but an empty shell behind. Logan took her hand.

"They're the ones who will pay for it in the end. Especially if they've lied to the police," he said. Rory nodded.

"I know. It's obstruction of justice," she said wearily. She paused for a few seconds. "If you guys don't mind, I'm going to go take a bath," she said. The other three nodded and Rory managed a small smile before she left the room.

Upstairs, she chose some lounge shorts and a long-sleeved Henley and headed into the bathroom. After plugging the tub and turning on the tap, Rory lit a few candles of incense before pouring a capful of lavender bubble bath into the warm water and sitting on the edge of the tub, resting her head in her hands. She didn't know what to think, or how she was supposed to feel.

She'd always thought of the people of Stars Hollow as her family, but now. . . Rory mechanically undressed and shut off the tap before climbing into the tub. As she leaned back and submerged her body in the bubbles, she closed her eyes and focused on the meditation techniques she'd learned before moving on to the ones Sasha had taught her to work through the moments when her anxiety was high. Breathing deeply, Rory focused on using her senses. She could feel the warm water wrapping around her like a soft blanket, the wall of the tub against her back. She could smell the lavender scent rising from the bubbles and the candles burning. Opening her eyes, she saw the bubbles covering her body save for her feet, which she had propped on the opposite end, the burgundy nail polish she'd painted her toes with visible. She could dimly hear the voices of Logan, Honor and Josh through the closed door of the bathroom.

Logan pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. He'd only visited Stars Hollow on two short occasions, but after seeing Rory's heartbreak, he was certain he never wanted to visit again. Well, no, that wasn't true. A part of him didn't want to return, but the other part wanted to storm Stars Hollow and give the townspeople, including Lorelai, a piece of his mind. Honor and Josh looked at each other, neither of them knew what to say. Logan broke the silence.

"When Rory and I got engaged, I never envisioned this. I didn't think the people she's known her whole life would turn their backs on her because of a lie her mother told, and then add their lies. Now all we need is Mom, Dad and Grandpa to join in," he said, the pain in his voice taking a hard right into bitter anger. Honor got up from the ottoman and walked over to sit beside him. Logan leaned into her as she wrapped her arms around him, rubbing a comforting hand over his back.

Honor's heart broke at the pain Logan was in. When she'd fallen in love with Josh, his family had welcomed her with open arms right away. Over the three years of their relationship and later their engagement and marriage, Honor had felt more at home in Josh's family than she ever had with her parents and grandfather. She'd secretly wished and hoped with her heart that Logan would find the same thing she had.

Fate, however, seemed to have different ideas for Logan. While Honor knew he had the unconditional love of Rory and her grandparents, she was filled with anger that Lorelai hadn't made any steps towards accepting Logan into their family and that her parents and grandfather were doing the same to Rory. She wasn't sure where Mitchum stood, but Elias and Shira had been clear about their disapproval of Rory from the get-go. It wasn't fair that both families were against Rory and Logan, except for her, Josh, and Richard and Emily.

Honor was broken out of her thoughts by Logan leaning back slightly. "Did they tell you I went to see them before we moved?" he asked. Honor and Josh shook their heads. "I went there to get some answers about why they left our engagement party," he said, before telling them about the conversation that followed and concluded with his threat about what would happen should the senior Huntzbergers not accept his marriage to Rory.

"Honestly, I don't blame you, Logan. If they can't accept you guys, then they don't deserve to know your kids," Josh said. Honor made a sound of agreement.

"It just means that Auntie Honor and Uncle Josh will get to spoil them more!" she said, grinning at her brother. Logan smiled back as he stood.

"I'm just going to go check on Rory, I'll be right back," he said. After he was gone, Honor got up and started to look around the living room. The house wasn't the Huntzberger mansion, it was better, in Honor's honest opinion. There were framed photos of Rory and Logan dotting every surface, with classy, tasteful furniture and cozy-looking throw blankets over the back of the couches and armchairs.

Here, you didn't have to worry about tiptoeing through the house like it was a museum or library or about breaking a priceless artifact. This was a proper family home that was warm and inviting. This was what Honor and Logan had been missing, and longed for, their whole childhood.

Turning back to her husband, Honor grinned. "I might ask Rory for some decorating tips; we've been wanting to redo the living room for a while," she said. Josh chuckled. His wife had been avoiding her mother's attempts to decorate their home, and he knew that by the end of their trip, Honor would be walking away with a notebook of ideas from Rory.

Logan carefully made his way upstairs and down the hallway to their bedroom. He pushed open the door and peeked into the room. A strong scent of lavender wafted towards him from the bathroom. Opening the door all the way, he started towards it when he glanced over to their bed. Rory was curled up, fast asleep as she hugged his pillow. Logan smiled and tiptoed over to her. Picking up the blue blanket at the foot of the bed, he unfolded it before covering his sleeping fiancée. He leaned down and gently brushed some of Rory's hair back, placing a soft kiss on her cheek.

"I've got you, Ace. Whatever happens, I'm here. We won't let them win," he said, repeating his promise. Rory hummed and shifted in her sleep. After checking one more time to make sure she was comfortable, Logan left the bedroom and returned to Honor and Josh.

"Is Rory okay?" Honor asked. Logan nodded and retook his seat on the couch.

"She's sleeping, I didn't want to wake her," he explained. Honor and Josh nodded.

"Is there anything else we should know? Has there been a court date set?" Josh asked, slipping into lawyer mode. Logan rubbed a hand over his face.

"Richard and Emily have been keeping us up-to-date on the progress, but so far nothing has been mentioned about a court date for Theresa's sentencing. I'm hoping that it will be when we come home in August so I can be there for Rory. I – I don't want her to go through that alone. It was really bad when she came back to Richard and Emily's that day," he said, swallowing past the lump in his throat. The day that Rory had been assaulted, Logan had been furious. With Theresa, and with himself that he hadn't been there in the diner. Upon seeing his fiancée drenched in soda, Logan had never felt so helpless in his life, a feeling that had resurfaced this afternoon. With a sigh, he began telling Honor and Josh about Rory's visit to Stars Hollow.

Lane sat across from Lindsay at Weston's. Since Lindsay had sought out the police that day, a tentative friendship had formed between the two women. Lindsay either visited Lane at her home or they would meet somewhere in town for a coffee or lunch. Theresa had been released on bail, and Lindsay had been finding it hard to be around her mother, who still refused to acknowledge that she had been wrong to do what she did. Lane and Zach's house had become somewhat of a haven for Lindsay, and she was grateful Lane had been so welcoming.

The more time Lindsay spent with Lane, she found herself regretting not getting to know the other woman sooner. More than once, Lindsay had found herself wondering what it would have been like to be friends with Rory and Lane when they had all been at school together. Her friendships with her high school friends had slowly fizzled out, and Lindsay found she was enjoying Lane's company more and more. She was funny and witty, and she had started introducing Lindsay to different music genres.

"Have you heard from Rory at all?" Lindsay asked now. Lane shook her head as she sipped her iced tea.

"No, but I sent her an email earlier today. I told her about what the town was saying and to not worry about responding right away. And I told her that you've been speaking up for her too," Lane said. Lindsay smiled as she played with her straw wrapper.

"You're a good friend to her, Lane," she said. Lane grinned back at her.

"We were both outcasts in school. I don't know how I would've gotten through elementary and high school if I didn't have Rory. Our relationship changed a bit when she went to Chilton, but that was to be expected. I'm glad she branched out and made friends there, because it would have been a lonely three years for her if she hadn't met Paris, Louise and Madeline." Lindsay nodded. Those three names had come up a bit in the weeks since she and Lane had started becoming friends, and she was curious to hear more about them.

"So, Paris is the academically driven one, right?" she asked. Lane nodded as she started to laugh.

"That's one way to describe her! Another word is very intense. Paris is also very no-nonsense, and with her, what you see is what you get. She comes off as abrasive, but she's a good person and she cares about Rory. Maybe you'll get to meet her and Madeline and Louise," she said. Lindsay raised her eyebrows.

"You think Rory and I could become friends after everything?" she asked. Lane shrugged.

"That's up to you. I'm happy that we're becoming friends, Lindsay, but I'm not going to choose between you and Rory. I know you're still feeling hurt about her affair with Dean and I understand that, but don't let your mom's opinion of Rory influence yours. I know it hasn't been easy since she came home," Lane finished. Lindsay chewed her lip as she thought about what Lane had said.

She didn't expect Lane to choose between her and Rory. While she and Lane were in the beginning stages of a friendship, Rory and Lane had been friends their whole lives. If Lane could give Lindsay a second chance, then Lindsay could do the same for Rory. She opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by two familiar-sounding voices.

"I just can't believe Rory is throwing away her dreams to become a trophy wife. After everything you did for her, Lorelai, after all your sacrifices," Sookie's voice floated through the open café door. Lane and Lindsay looked at each other in panic. Lindsay had seen more than once how the townspeople were treating Lane, and Lorelai wasn't much better. A few days ago, Lindsay and Lane had been taking the boys for a walk around town when Lorelai had stopped them and proceeded to make unwelcome remarks about how Lindsay was replacing Rory as Lane's best friend. Neither of them had any desire to repeat that and they hoped against hope that Sookie and Lorelai would stay inside.

Lorelai let out a long-suffering sigh. "I know. I thought she would have come to her senses by now, but I haven't heard anything from her in a month. No emails, no phone calls, nothing. She's being sucked in deeper and I can't get her out, Sookie, she has to get herself out." Sookie nodded in agreement.

"Yup, tough love is the only thing that works. I would have loved the opportunity to cater her engagement party and her wedding, you know when she eventually got married after establishing herself as a foreign correspondent, but I guess a high-end caterer will be doing that," Sookie said. Lane clenched her fingers around her glass, she'd heard enough. Judging by the look on Lindsay's face, so had she.

Quietly, the two young women got to their feet and left the patio. A part of Lane wanted to go back and confront both Sookie and Lorelai, but she didn't have the energy or the patience to. As they crossed the street, Lane knew that the only way the townspeople would learn how wrong they had been was from Rory herself.

Rory yawned and stretched as she sleepily opened her eyes. After her bath, she had been so warm and drowsy she hadn't been able to resist laying down for a few minutes, which had turned into an hour. At some point, someone, probably Logan, had covered her with a blanket, and it slid off her legs onto the floor as she got out of bed.

Whereas before Rory had been numb, it was as though her nap had brought back all of her emotions. She could feel them crashing over her like multiple tidal waves. Sadness. Anger. Betrayal. A burning determination.

If this had happened before Rory started going to counselling, she knew she would have let her tendency to people-please overrule what she wanted. She could see so clearly how many times she had allowed the opinions of others to chip away at her self-worth and autonomy until there were only pieces left. The more counselling sessions Rory attended, the more she felt the missing pieces coming back to her. She could feel her strength of character returning, and instead of letting the waves drag her down, Rory was swimming towards the surface.

The smell of tacos filled her nostrils as she opened the bedroom door and headed downstairs to where Logan, Honor and Josh were. With each step she took, Rory felt the embers of determination and anger grow to a full-fledged fire. She had a plan, now she just needed to set it into motion.

Hello everyone! I hope you all had a great Easter! Here is Chapter 19, I can't believe we're this far into the story already, but there's more to come.

Reviews:

Debbycooke: So many people commented about the cliffhanger! I have a love-hate relationship with cliffhangers myself, so I understand the frustration. It fills my heart with happiness to hear that you love this story so much! I hope you enjoyed Chapter 19!

YaleAceBella12: More is coming!

Nicholsndimes08: Thank you so much, glad you enjoyed Chapter 18!

Red Lighting: Was the email what you were expecting?

Meggie Ray: The friendship between Lane and Lindsay came out of nowhere for me, and I must say I'm enjoying writing it. I'm glad you're loving it too. Oh, believe me, everyone who has sided with Lorelai is going to get what they deserve, Lorelai included.

Kellybras: Thank you so much for your warm welcome back!

Navywife07: Here is the next update, with more to come! Let me know your thoughts on the email :)

December Jeffries2: One of the reviews I got suggested maybe it was time for Luke to think about a franchise, so I can't take all the credit for that. I listened to what Lissa said and my brain came up with that. I'm looking forward to writing the surprise photo shoot, I just have to pick between the two locations because both of them are stunning! Ah, Rory, it broke my heart to do that, but we both know that emotions can quickly shift from positive to negative and vice versa. Was the email what you were expecting? I'm looking forward to writing about the town's realization that they should have been supporting Rory all this time, you're not the first person to tell me that!

Osland5:I'm proud of Lindsay too!

JTRF: What did you think of the email? Mia was wrong in how she chose to handle the situation, and I'm so glad I'm not the only one who feels that way. Some of the reviews I've gotten on AO3 have said the same thing.

GayleOS: What hasn't Lorelai done at this point? I'm glad you are enjoying the story!

Rori Potter: Wow, so many questions! Time will tell for everyone!

That's it for me for this week guys! Have a good one, stay safe and stay healthy. I will be back soon! Thank you all for your follows, favourites and reviews, it truly means a lot that you are all enjoying the story so much :)

Until next time, xoxo