3 Years After

Chapter 7

"Uh no. Thanks, just some tea, if you have it."

"Logan Huntzburger rejecting some hair of the dog?" I laughed,

"You know." He sighed,

"Know what?" I stared down at the tea cup I was filling with water,

"You searched me."

"Yes, I did."

"So what was that? A test?" he snapped,

"I wanted to see if it was legitimate or not, People magazine isn't exactly hard hitting news."

"Go ahead," he said as he sat down at the island,

"I'm sorry?" I asked,

"Where is the lecture?"

"I'm sure you've have enough lectures. And what am I supposed to say? You did the right thing, in my humble opinion. I suspected a bit of a substance abuse issue, more with Finn but...what happened?"

"What do you mean?"

"What happened that made you decide to go to..."

"Rehab? You can say it; I've heard you say much dirtier words." He smirked, I felt my face flush, and that was true, "Now you're shy?"

"It's different," I shrugged,

"Because you're a mom?" he said, a sudden thick air filled the room, you could cut the tension with a knife,

"You know that's not why." I said softly,

"I brought back the albums."

"You can keep them."

"You don't want your baby's album?" he cocked an eyebrow, I bit my lip and looked at my shoes; "You have copies, don't you?"

"Of course, I just put those together in case you turned up one day. I thought it was fair that you had them." I said softly, remembering our conversation from last night, "I did try to reach you Logan. I didn't get deterred from a disconnected phone, you should know better. I went to California, while I could still fly." I sighed, his green eyes locked on me, "I went to the house with the avocado tree, and imagine my surprise when a nice young man opened the door, he had moved in with his wife and step daughter a month ago, after a previous offer fell through."

"I couldn't live there Ace,"

"Why?"

"I bought it with you in mind, everything. The design, the bathroom the bedroom...I bought it because I knew you would like it. I couldn't live there without you being there." He admitted to me, "You came looking for me?" he asked, I took the pink album from his bag he left at the table; it was a sonogram from 14 weeks.

"It was after this one, I was 14 weeks," he looked at me confused, "A little more than 3 months along, I was just starting to show and I just learned that she was a girl. It seemed a lot more real, 3 months of throwing up for 4 hours a day wasn't enough. I was released from hospital and all I could think of was finding you."

"Why were you in the hospital?" he demanded, his green eyes were frantic

"Dehydration, the morning sickness I lost too many electrolytes. Since it was a young pregnancy they were worried about a miscarriage." I bit my lips as tears welled in my eyes, I had never been so scared in my life, and my body might not be able to sustain my baby. "I thought I was going to lose her." I whispered, tracing her silhouette in the picture,

"You didn't." he reminded me, I nodded and rested my face in my hands, and pulled myself together,

"Should we get to work?"

"Rory, I don't want to interview today." He replied,

"Okay, if you don't know a date you can e-mail me..."

"I want to know what you've been up to for the past 3 years."

"Let's see, gave birth, lost a lot of sleep, worked my ass off, and got a job at the times."

"No boy in between there?"

"I had a girl," I laughed, "You're being quite blunt Mr. Huntzburger." I caught onto him, where was this coming from? I tell him he has a daughter and just accepts it, I work at the times, he accepts it, "Did you have someone watch me?"

"Well Ace,"

"You had someone watch me?! That's why you believe Lena is yours, what did you see her in the hospital, just walk past a room where I had just spent 36 hours in labour?"

"I did research myself." He snapped at me,

"W-what?" I cleared my voice, feeling bad for reaming him,

"I didn't just stumble upon your apartment. I have a friend that works in the Hartford Hospital, when I found out you were okay, a few years ago I thought you had breast implants," he rubbed the back of his neck, and I flushed, "I wanted confirmation. She said you had been in but not for breast implants, she couldn't really tell me much more."

"Great to see how well our health care system is working." I grumbled, "How though? Why did you so quickly accept that she was your daughter?"

"Like I said Ace- Rory, you were always faithful, always."

"How do you know I didn't hook up with some guy after we broke up?"

"Because I know you." He smirked, "Why are you trying so hard to see why?"

"Because I don't want you to become a constant in her life, then decide something about her smile, or her eyes or something doesn't match and you refuse she's yours."

"What do you want then?" he begged me,

"I don't know! I want her to have a family, and that seems impossible now. You can't be here, you can't leave her. I can't watch you leave again." I cried,

"Ace, tell me what you want please!"

"Why didn't you fight for me?" I yelled the question that had been locked in my head for the past 3 years,

"What?"

"I told you that I couldn't marry you, you didn't say anything! Didn't offer a long engagement, long distance again or anything. Am I only allowed to compromise with you? Why didn't you fight for me?" I choked out around tears, he reached for my hand, "Tell me why."

"Because I couldn't bear to be a part from you." He whispered,

"So breaking up was better?" I whispered,

"It was permanent; I wouldn't see you then have to walk away."

"You'd rather never see me then have me and see me in person every once in a while." I demanded,

"I just. It's because-,"

"What?!" I demanded, and before I could blink Logan's lips were pressed against mine.