A Different Life

forteen

Forty five minutes later, they were both seated in the suite's living room with a cup of coffee each, they had two hours before they had to leave for the airport again.

"Okay," Rory said with a deep breath, "Let's start at the beginning," reaching her hand out to shake his, "Lorelai Leigh Gilmore-Hayden the third, pleased to make your acquaintance."

"Finnegan Thomas Morgan the third, and likewise," he repeated, shaking her hand and keeping hold of it afterwards, feeling like he wanted to keep the connection with her for the length of the upcoming conversation.

"So, to start at the beginning, and with the obvious questions, my father is Christopher Hayden, yes as in those Haydens, Straub and Francine are my grandparents. For my own protection, to maintain my anonymity and to help me maintain a normal childhood and college years, there was an NDA in place until the day of my graduation, which kept my Hayden heritage from becoming common knowledge. People in society have short memories when it comes to some things. My parents were childhood sweethearts for years before they had me, and my father presented me at my debutante ball, so really I'm not sure why everyone always thought I was the pool boy's kid."

"Did Logan know, kitten? Seems like he could have saved you both a lot of hassle from his parents had they known." Finn asked, while stroking her hand with his thumb gently to show he was taking it all in.

"Logan met my dad, but I just introduced him as my dad Chris, no last name, but my dad is pretty obviously from society, and he never asked about him. I did have a clause in the NDA, that I could break it for an important relationship so that I wasn't hiding things from important partners. For some reason, even after two years, I never actually considered breaking it for Logan. I didn't want his family to suddenly be nice to me because I had a better pedigree than they thought, because realistically, even as just a Gilmore, I'm still from a respectable high society family, which wasn't enough for them. Plus, could you imagine how Logan would take it if he had found out I was richer than him, and had no obligation to take on any of the family businesses?"

Finn laughed at this, "You're right love, he wouldn't have known what to do with himself with that information."

"So, you know how myself and Logan broke up in the end, well I had been reconsidering career choices, actually thanks to Mitchum, even before that. I had added business and pre-law courses to my credits when I went back to Yale after my break. I ended up really enjoying them, and Paris made me sit the MCATs and the LSATs as part of her end of college prep. I ended up doing well in the LSATs, and combining that with my enjoyment of the pre-law courses, I applied to Harvard Law School, and got in."

"You went to Harvard Law?" Finn said in amazement.

"Yep," she said, popping the p, "and I graduated top of my class, and took over my grandfather's firm. So you are looking at the current head of the Hayden Law Group."

"That's amazing love, I'm so proud of you." Finn said, giving her a tight hug.

"In the interest of full disclosure, I am also Head of the board of Gilmore Insurance, majority owner, own property in London, York, Dublin, Galway, New York, Boston, and will eventually own a compound on the Cape."

"Rory, you know I don't care about any of that."

"I know you don't, but I might as well lay it all out there at once."

"I have one question for you," Finn interjected.

"Shoot?"

"Why did you go by Leigh Hayden when you answered your phone earlier?"

"Well, when I was going to Harvard, it was just after I declined Logan's proposal, and that was all anyone in Hartford, or Boston Society was talking about. Rory Gilmore was tightly linked to the Huntzberger name, and to be honest, I wasn't sure what the repercussions for declining Logan, from Mitchum or Logan, were going to be. So I decided a fresh start was the way to go. I wanted to go by my dad's name in Law school because it makes more sense for a Hayden to take over the Hayden Law Group.

I had been applying for journalism jobs all the way up to graduation, and each one turned me down, without as much as an interview, so I think Mitchum blacklisted me. It didn't matter by the time I got responses as I had a different plan, but it shows I was correct that I would need that plan."

Finn pulled Rory over the couch closer to him and into his embrace, "I'm proud of you, you are so strong."

"I actually, really truly, love my job and my life right now Finn, it's not even that I had to find an alternative because of the Huntzbergers, I actually think it's what I was meant to do with my life. I'm good at it, all those years living with Paris were prep for life in court," Rory laughed.

"Well love, while we are trading life stories, not sure how much you know about me. Obviously, Finn Morgan, of Morgan Hotel Group. We have hotels all over North America, Australia, New Zealand, and most of the major European cities. My dad is in his fifties and still happily working, so I am just a VP while he is still the CEO, my mum works with him, helping with marketing, and my sister actually went to culinary school and she helps with the menu planning for the hotels, she loves to cook but likes to travel too much to run her own restaurant. We aren't a normal society family, I'm under no obligation to stay with the family business, but you know I love to travel so hotel management goes hand and hand with that."

"Yes, Finn, you were made for the hospitality industry." Rory said, giving him a light peck on the cheek. As the conversation had continued they had gravitated closer to each other, so she was almost on his lap.

"Finn, I forgot to ask. Where do you live?" Rory said in a startled tone, it had just occurred to her he could have moved back to Australia after Yale.

"I live in New York most of the time, and a few months of the year I stay in Sydney. Some years four months, some only one. What about you, Kitten?"

"My main home is my apartment in New York, but I spend a lot of time in Boston as well. Those are our two main offices. But I try to just fly to Boston for the day as needed, whenever possible."

Finn reached around and pulled Rory fully onto his lap, and moved so he could look into her eyes. "So you said we had some things to discuss before we decided whether to give us a chance or not, have we covered them all, kitten?" He said, giving her cheek a light kiss.

"Just one more thing to cover, I think Finn," she said nervously, "Logan."

"Well, Kitten, as you said you know, he is married now. It's been five years, I think any bro code claims should be long expired. I actually think they expired once he cheated on you. It took all my self control back then not to punch him for treating you so badly," Finn said angrily.

"Yes, I actually know his wife, which I don't think he realises, we went to school together. I just don't want to get in the way of your friendship with him."

"Rory, we are both big boys, I'm pretty sure our friendship can handle it."

"Are you sure?" Rory asks tentatively, she wants to believe him but she's been burned before.

"Yes, now I have a question for you?" It's his turn to sound tentative. Rory just nods at him as a signal to continue. "Lorelai Leigh Gilmore-Hayden the third, will you be my girlfriend?"

"Are you sure Finn?"

"Kitten, we have pretty much been dating since we bumped into each other on the flight to London, I have no intention of repeating Huntzbergers mistake of not labeling this as soon as I can, Rory, with you I want all the strings. So what do you say?" Finn has a hold of both her hands and is looking earnestly into her eyes.

"Yes Finn, I'd love to be your girlfriend," Rory exclaims, throwing her arms around his neck and capturing his lips in a tender kiss.

A/N currently trying to decide whether there will be an M rated chapter coming up if you have a strong preference either way about it let me know via pm.