3 Years After

Chapter 14

Logan's POV

I stood awkwardly outside of Rory's childhood home as she went inside to get Lena, our daughter. That would never get old, Lena was upset that we didn't have a Willy Wonka night, so Rory told me that we would have one at her apartment and she expected me to attend.

"Do you have everything sweetie?" Rory asked her as she hopped down the steps,

"Yes, do you promise Wonka tonight?" Lena asked,

"Yes, and...guess whose here." Rory smiled and pointed at me, that little girl's face lit up so bright,

"Hogan!" she ran across the yard into my arms, nothing could possibly beat how amazing it felt to have my little girl in my arms, I kissed the top of her head,

"Hi Lena," I smiled as I let go of her,

"Hogan are you going to Wonka with us tonight?" she asked, her bright blue eyes could have me agree to anything, just like her mother's.

"If Mom want me to."

"You're more then welcome," Rory smiled, and loaded the rest of Lena's thing into her sedan, "Did you have a good time with Butch and Nana."

"Yes, she did. Because she'll actually speak to me." Lorelai quipped,

"Lovely Mom," she sighed, "Can we be adults now?" she asked to her after putting Lena in her car seat and closing the door,

"You're the one who started this," she sighed,

"By wanting her to know her father? You know mom you're acting like-,"

"Ace." I warned, I knew where that was leading,

"Acting like who?" Lorelai asked after shooting me a dirty look,

"Like Grandma, you're acting the way she did before you took off to live with Mia. Its not your choice how I raise her, this way she has a well rounded family. She has an uncle Jess, you and Luke, she has me and now she has a dad. Worst case scenario he's around as much as Dad was, and even then he's going to be there. Right Logan?"

"Yes, of course."

"Yes, a father whose an alcoholic." Lorelai snapped, everyone went silent and you could feel the tension in the air. I knew she would go for that weak link but I thought it would take a lot more to get her there.

"What's your point?" I asked, breaking the silence, Rory's eyes flickered to me, she looked horrified and emotional,

"T-that you're an alcoholic." She repeated, seemingly thrown by my response,

"And you were a teen mom, Rory was a single mom, Luke was an absent father for a few years, Emily is a snob, and Richard is blind to anyone below a white collar position. These are all things that are true but don't necessarily define a person. You're referencing it like I'm wandering around with a tequila bottle and trying to drive Lena home. I have been sober for two years, I entered rehab three years ago slipped up a few times but I have been sober for two full years. If you want me to take a blood test, drug test whatever you want I will. But it will take a lot more than a catty comment to keep me away from Rory and my daughter." I explained where I was coming from, and kept an eye on Rory.

It was also her that I was trying to prove that I was changed, that I had my life together. I was sober, I moved back to New York and I wanted to know my daughter. Despite that I was going to need to take a paternity test before my family would acknowledge Lena and before the Gilmore's would allow me near their home for Lena's sake. Luke stepped from beside Lorlai and approached me, I fought the urge to hit the ground running, a fight with him I'd lose but as long as I could outrun him I'd be okay,

"Good on you." Luke said and held out his hand, "Maybe you're not a complete idiot."

"T-thank you." I stammered, and shook his hand, slightly terrified and relieved. He looked back at Lorelai and she simply stood there with her arms crossed, Rory rolled her eyes and got into the car,

"Things will be better in a couple days, hormones." Luke rolled his eyes and went back to Lorelai, and Rory honked at me, causing me to jump I hurried and got inside the car with her.

We arrived back to Rory's apartment and even I was shocked at the copious amounts of food and candy that were laid out on their kitchen counter. Rory was holding Lena's hand while they walked inside, she crouched down in front of her to undo her jacket,

"Okay, why don't you go put on your jammies?" she smiled as her, their smile he same, spread across their face it lit up their blue eyes,

"Will you and Hogan get in jammies?" she asked, as if this was the most natural thing in the year,

"Uh, sure. Sure we will." Rory smiled, only slightly missing a beat I flickered my eye over to her, as she hung up her coat, and Lena ran down the hall,

"Oh don't give me that look. I have a pair of track pants from when I was pregnant that should fit you."

"I think I'm offended by that comment." I laughed, trying to lighten up the situation, she waved me along and I followed her into her bedroom. Had Lena not been here and the situation been a little bit different I would be taking Rory right on this bed right now, instead, she is bent over an open drawer instead of-,

"Here," she smiled as me and handed me a pair of bottom, "They have a draw string since you're being over sensitive." She smiled and flitted away to her bathroom to put on a pair of track pants. I could help but look around her room as I changed. Several pictures of Lena, various people holding her as a baby, there is one of Jess standing next to Rory in the hospital holding Lena...holding her like she was his baby, she wasn't he had no right to be where I should in that picture,

"Are you decent?" Rory called out from behind the bathroom door,

"Yes," I laughed, it seemed so silly to me that she was worried about seeing me in my boxers when she had seen me in much less, I would normally allow my mind to travel now but we had to go watch Willy Wonka with our daughter, hardly the appropriate time for those thoughts.