Finding Home

Chapter 17

A/N: I apologize that this chapter is a short one; it just seemed to naturally break here.

Rory and Lorelai returned from the spa to find Finn relaxing in the room waiting for them.

"Did you ladies enjoy the spa?" he asked as Rory sat down next to him and cuddled into his side.

"It was the best.  I don't know if I've ever felt this relaxed," Rory beamed as she leaned up for a chaste kiss.

"It was wonderful, Finn.  Thank you so much," Lorelai added.

"I thought we might relax here in the suite tonight if that's okay with you ladies?"

"That would be amazing!" Rory answered quickly.

" I thought you might think so," Finn replied.  "Chinese and pizza will be here in twenty minutes, junk food and coffee are in the kitchen, and we can stream movies from Netflix."

"Oh, you are good, Aussie," Lorelai said with an appreciative grin.

"He's the best!" Rory added.  "Come on, Mom, let's get the snacks ready!"

Rory and Lorelai went in the kitchen and stared in awe as they took in the food sitting on the counter.  Finn had gotten popcorn, Red Vines, Mallomars, M&Ms, Skittles and Pop-Tarts for the movie night.

"Wow, kiddo.  If you don't keep him around I may have to steal him," Lorelai teased.

"First of all, you're married to Luke, and I don't think he'd like for you to keep another man around," Rory retorted.  "And second of all, he's my boyfriend, thank you very much.  I'm not sharing with you or anyone else."

"Ooh, you're possessive and you have a dreamy look on your face," Lorelai jabbed at her daughter.

"Is that a problem?"

"Nope, it's great," Lorelai assured her.

The pair got the snacks ready and returned to the living room just as Finn answered the door to collect the pizza and Chinese food.  They all settled on the couch and talked animatedly over dinner before turning their attention to the television.

"What shall we watch tonight, ladies?" Finn asked.

"Ooh, let me pick!" Lorelai exclaimed.

Finn handed the remote to Lorelai and sat back on the couch next to Rory who was quickly snuggling into his side.  Lorelai took great joy in scrolling through the movies and finally settled on the titles for the evening and pressed play.  Finn laughed as he listened to Rory and Lorelai mock and quote the movies.  The mother-daughter pair was beyond amusing to him with their witty banter and constant joking as they inhaled the junk food that was laid out on the coffee table in front of them.  Before long, Rory had laid down on the couch with her head in his lap and her feet in her mom's lap.  Finn unconsciously stroked her hair as they watched the movies and she slowly drifted off to sleep.

"She's out," came Lorelai's voice.

"She's been stressed and tired these last few days, between work and Logan's antics this week," Finn answered.

"Thank you for being here with her, Finn.  I can't tell you how much better it feels for me to know that she has someone who watches out for her like you do and takes such good care of her."

"I wouldn't want to be anywhere else, Lorelai.  Taking care of her feels like the most natural thing in the world," Finn replied with a slight blush.

"You're crazy about her," Lorelai stated simply.

Finn watched her for a moment before replying.  "Yeah, I am."

"Well, I happen to know for certain that she's crazy about you, too.  I probably shouldn't tell you this, but I've never seen her like this with any of her other boyfriends.  You make her very happy and also more peaceful and calm.  Those two words aren't often used to describe my daughter."

"Well, she makes me very happy as well, Lorelai."

"Good, I'm glad.  For what it's worth, you have the Lorelai Victoria Gilmore stamp of approval.  I'm not even going to give you the hurt-her-and-I-hurt-you speech, because I don't think it's necessary.  I can tell by the way you look at her that you would never hurt her intentionally."

"You're right, I wouldn't," Finn answered quietly.  "Now, I'm going to go put her in bed.  Which side of your bed would you like her on?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Finn.  Put her on whichever side of YOUR bed that you'd like her on."

"Are you sure?" 

"I'm positive.  I'm one of the cool moms, Finn.  You two sleep well and I'll see you tomorrow morning."

Finn smiled and bid Lorelai goodnight before taking Rory in his arms to carry her to bed, and he exhaled a happy sigh as she cuddled further into him and wrapped her arms around his neck when he picked her up.  He gently laid her in bed before crawling into his own side of the bed.  He chuckled to himself as he realized that somehow, after less than two weeks of dating, he and Rory had their own sides of the bed and their own routines.  While he had certainly changed since college, this level of familiarity and commitment at this point in a relationship would still have made him feel uncomfortable with any other woman, but with Rory it simply made him feel like things were just as they should be.  He turned off the light and rolled over to go to sleep with a smile on his face as Rory sought him out even in her sleep, scooting across the bed until she was laying pressed up against him.  Yes, it was official.  Finn Morgan was a goner.