Finding Home

Chapter 12

Logan slammed his study door and sat down heavily in his chair when he arrived home.  He took out his bottle of scotch and poured himself a double as he thought about what his life had become.  He'd had it all with Rory.  She had kept him in check, brought out the best in him, always believed in him.  And then he had gone and screwed it up epically.  He had pushed her out of his mind and focused solely on work and moving on, and that was easier when she was in an unknown location and completely out of his life, but now that she was tangentially back in his life through her relationship with one of his best friends it was remarkably harder.

He sighed as he opened his desk drawer and pulled out the pictures he had stashed in there so long ago and hadn't taken out in over a year.  His London going away party.  The jump off of the scaffolding at the LDB event.  Events at the Gilmores' home.  Christmas in London.  Seeing her with him in all of those memories brought back the pain of losing her.  He'd tried to mask the pain for a while with obscene amounts of booze and women, but both had made him even more painfully aware of her absence.  Finally he had thrown himself headfirst into his work after returning to HPG just a few short months later.  He had made work priority one and scarcely had a social life outside of work for months until his mother set him up with Stacey, and finally tired of fighting he had agreed to the date. 

Stacey was a nice girl, but she lacked in the qualities that really mattered to Logan.  He reached in another drawer and set out the engagement ring he had purchased for Stacey just yesterday, and he was suddenly struck by what his life had become.  Somewhere along the way, he had begun to turn into his father.  Here he was working insane hours, practically married to his job, and considering marrying a woman who would no doubt end up just like his mother.  His life was on a precipice, and he realized with startling clarity that he had some major decisions to make regarding who he wanted to become in the future.

He clicked over to his work files to see where the Obama campaign reporters were now and knew what he had to do.

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Rory sighed as she kicked off her shoes and dropped heavily onto the bed in her hotel room in Detroit.  They had just checked in, and she was exhausted.  She opened her messenger bag and dialed her boyfriend.

"Kitten!" came Finn's excited voice.

"Hey, Finn!  How was your afternoon?" Rory asked as she relaxed at the sound of his voice.

"It was fine.  I went for a long run and I'm just relaxing at home now.  You sound tired."

"I really am.  There's something about being on that bus that is exhausting, not to mention dealing with Emily today," Rory chuckled.

"I can only imagine, love," Finn said with a laugh.  "All checked in, I assume?"

"Yep, I just got in my room.  I must say, it's missing a certain Aussie," Rory mused.

"And my apartment is missing a certain blue-eyed brunette," Finn said softly.  "But we will get to spend this weekend together, so it's not all bad, right?"

"No, I'm definitely looking forward to this weekend."

"You seriously sound like you're about to fall asleep, darling.  I'll let you get to bed."

"You're right, I am.  I just wanted to talk to you," came Rory's sleepy reply.

"Call me when you get up in the morning and we'll talk then as well.  And really, you can call me anytime.  If I'm in a meeting I'll have my phone on silent, but otherwise I'm completely accessible to you, love."

"You're the best, Finn.  Sleep well."

"You too, love.  And hey, hop on Facebook when you get a chance," Finn replied.  "Talk with you in the morning."