The One - Gilmore Girls

Chapter 12

Rory Gilmore had had her fair share of hangovers. College life with Logan, Colin, and Finn had made sure of that. However, in the last 6 years? There were hardly any...and definitely none on this scale. Brunch and about a gallon of coffee had helped some. Spending time with Paris and Stephanie was great, but it was time to get home.

Lorelai drove since Rory wasn't feeling that good yet. "Honey, how do you feel about last night?"

"I feel like I underestimated the age of my body," Rory replied, avoiding what her mom really meant.

"Ror, seriously, what happened with Logan?"

She sighed, "mom, I overreacted at the restaurant and flipped out on him, and then he decided to throw it back in my face by picking up a girl at the club."

"Are you sure that's what he was doing?"

"You're defending him??" Rory was shocked. "What else would he be doing mom? He had to have known we were going to be there and why would he waste a night with Ricky if he wasn't trying to get back at me?"

"Maybe he wanted to see if you would fight again?"

"You're crazy mom. I can't believe I was going to apologize to him! I thought he had grown up, but I guess he is still just the immature kid that he always was." Rory was done trying to figure Logan out. He wouldn't ever change.

"Don't be so sure honey," Lorelai said just barely loud enough to hear.

The rest of the trip was silent. Both women were lost in thought. Rory was still fuming about Logan. How could he still get me so worked up? He just as infuriating as ever and still only thinks about himself most of the time. Hard to believe he even has time for Ricky with his full social calendar!

When they got back to Hartford, Rory thanked her mom for coming this weekend and driving home and then decided that a nap might finally calm her aching head. She put her bag in her room and then laid down on the bed.

That is how Logan found her when he brought Ricky home. He rang the doorbell a few times, but, after getting no answer, he pulled out his key. She had given it to him in case he ever needed anything for Ricky when she wasn't around, but this was the first time he had ever used it. When he saw her sleeping he told Ricky to go unpack while he woke up Rory.

When he entered her room, he couldn't help but stare for a few minutes. It had been some time since he had had the chance to watch her sleep. He missed that aspect of their relationship a lot. It was one of the few times that Rory wasn't guarded around him these days. She thought he didn't notice, but he knew, he just a hadn't thought he had the right to chip through those barriers anymore.

She was absolutely beautiful. The only thing he wanted to see more were those bright blue eyes. She could hypnotize the moon with them. She also never quite knew what power she held over him with them.

Logan heard Ricky coming down the hall and met him at the door. "You know what buddy? Let's let your mom sleep a little bit longer. We'll go downstairs and make supper."

Ricky snorted, "Good luck, I bet mom hasn't been grocery shopping!"

Logan looked in the cabinets and fridge and saw that he was right, so they went to the grocery store and got groceries. When they got home she was still asleep, so he got started on supper. Stephanie's words kept running through my mind. She's a single mother, little things, no grand gestures. It wasn't easy, he loved going big when it came to Rory. It was the easiest way to show how much he loves her. Surely grocery shopping and making supper weren't grand, but helpful.

Just as Logan was dishing up a bowl of spaghetti for Ricky and himself, Rory came walking out. "Thanks for the note, I was a little startled when I heard noises," she said as she rubbed her eyes.

Logan chuckled, he had put a note on her nightstand that said they were home so don't freak out about the noises. He watched her walk up to the bar and breath in the aroma. He knew she loved spaghetti, but he hoped it wouldn't result in fighting like it always did at Friday night dinners.

Even twenty years after they first met, Rory was still beautiful. For the last several years, Logan had buried those thoughts and feelings, but after Saturday night, he was done. It took all of his self control not to grab her and shake her then kiss her like crazy. "Good, I was hoping you would see it before you came out here with a blunt object to beat me to a pulp."

With a smile, she answered, "I probably would have stopped when I realized it was you. Thanks for this. I can't believe I slept so long."

"Hey no problem, I'm no stranger to a rough day after. Here, sit down and eat, it'll help." He handed her a bowl and winked, then followed her to the table. "I'll get going after I eat if that's ok?"

She nodded but didn't answer. The rest of the meal was mostly spent talking with Ricky about the twins and his pirate island that he built.

Logan was getting ready to leave and then saw the bag of coffee he had left next to his jacket. "Our office switched coffee, and I thought of you, it's really good. Try it." He handed it to her, leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. "See you on Friday." Then he was gone.

Rory was confused. After last night, she fully expected quite a bit of coldness between the two of them. Instead, Logan was friendly. What on earth was going on? The question continues to run through her mind the rest of the night. Only it magnified when she saw the groceries in the fridge and cupboards, and when she used her new coffee to ready the coffee maker for the next day.

When she got to her classroom the next morning, there was a box waiting on her desk. She opened it to find a note that said, "New coffee = new mug. Have a great week."

She knew it had to be from Logan. It was a large stainless steel mug that was painted white, with umbrellas in different colors all over it. She was touched and reminded of their jump. Her Monday was off to a good start.