The One - Gilmore Girls

Chapter 5

"Well it took you long enough Gilmore!" Paris exclaimed as she pulled Rory and then Lorelai in for hugs.

"Paris, it's so good to see you," Rory replied and then hugged Stephanie as well. "It's been too long, really, I've missed you both so much."

"Alright that's enough, lets get to our table and get properly drunk so we can enjoy the night away from our kids," Paris started, while Stephanie added, "hear, hear! I told Colin I intend to feel awful in morning."

With that, they were led to their table and started with margaritas for all. They were waiting for their drinks and chatting when suddenly Stephanie reached into her bag, "I almost forgot ladies, I put together bags of all of your favorites, let me know if I missed any," while handing over large bags of cosmetics to each of the women.

They all thanked Steph as their drinks came and they ordered their meals. Then they continued their talks.

"Alright, declaration!" Paris began, "no talking about our kids tonight. I love them dearly, but this night is about letting loose and we can't if we start talking about them and missing them!"

"Agreed!" Stephanie, Rory, and Lorelai chimed in.

"So do you two have any wild high school party stories for us?" Stephanie look and Rory and Paris questioning.

"Oh my god where do I start! The time that we almost got puffed, or when I stole Paris's almost boyfriend, or when Paris announced on camera that she lost her virginity, or the classic Madeline and Louise story of The Bangles concert?" Rory quickly began.

But Paris butt in "no, no, no, when I invented the greatest high school accessory in history and your grandpa told Headmaster Charleston that we were robbed of the crown...that was before we were friends even," looking at Rory warmly. "I am so thankful that didn't last, because you would never have saved me from becoming Hot-Plate Harriet."

The reminiscing moved onto the college years. There was talk of jumping off the scaffolding, Paris and Doyle's short lived belly-dancing career, and Paris running shoeless through Stars Hollow while drunk on Miss Patty's Founders Day punch. Stephanie begged us to get her some so she could try it, but Lorelai assured her that they were saving her from a world of hurt the day after. Many of the college stories were careful to leave out the person responsible for some of Rory's more wild times...until they didn't.

"Oh my god Rory remember when your grandpa convinced Logan that your families were making wedding arrangements after his prank in Professor Bell's class?" Paris started in, "I thought Logan would never speak to you again after that!"

"You have no idea! I was in the pub when the guys came in, and they all looked as if their lives had flashed before their eyes," Stephanie continued through her laughter, "Colin kept saying 'damnit Logan I deserve to be the best man, I've put up with you longer' while Finn repeated over and over 'it's the end of an era' and poor Logan just stared off into space and said 'Welcome to the family???' I thought I was going to have to haul them all to the hospital!"

Rory chuckled but didn't say much during that particular memory. She was looking around, trying to avoid the eyes of the three women when something, make that someone, caught her eye. Logan was sitting across the restaurant at a table with a perfectly styled blonde woman. He looked deep in conversation with her, and Rory prayed that he wouldn't see them, but at that moment Stephanie had started in about the night Rory saw her in the gorilla mask and Lorelai exclaimed "oh my god, finally someone else thinks King Kong should is a woman too!" and then banged her hand on the table.

Logan looked up to see none other than Rory staring right back into his eyes. She was too far away for him to read her face, but he had a pretty good idea the stunned look on his face would match hers. He tried to ignore her but his incredibly dull date hadn't been making it any easier. He kept sneaking glances to their table and saw the waiter bring them several rounds of fresh drinks and enough food to feed Rory and Lorelai a few times over. By the time he was ready to go, he could tell that Rory was a bit tipsy already. He knew that she had seen him, and it would be rude now if he didn't say hello.

He approached their table with the dull blonde trailing behind. "Ladies! It's good to see you! Are you enjoying your evening?"

Stephanie nodded, Paris glared, Lorelai looked away, but Rory looked him right in the eye with no expression on her face, "of course we are, and you?"

"Very nice, it's hard not to in such a wonderful restaurant."

"Logan could I speak to you for a moment, if your date doesn't mind?"

"Of course, Petra would you wait for me by the door?" He replied as he led Rory to a dark corner.

Rory followed him. Ever since she had spotted him she had been trying to push her feelings down. She had been keeping up with the drinks and was tipsy enough to almost ignore him, but when he walked up to their table with the model blonde trailing behind, she couldn't hold back anymore. She wasn't sure why she was so mad but there would be no holding back.

They came to a secluded corner and before Logan could say anything Rory started in "where the hell is our son Logan? It is your weekend right? I didn't just imagine you picking him up yesterday? Do I even want to know what you did with him while you came out to try and get laid?"

Logan just stared for a moment before responding. Finally he replied "seriously Rory? I'm not here to get laid. My mother has been bothering me for months about going out with that idiot of a woman and insisted tonight that she wanted to watch Ricky and hadn't seen him forever when she just happened to show up at the house. I was cornered so I said yes with the hopes that I could get her off my back for awhile."

"Whatever Logan, but next time tell me when you can't be bothered to spend time with our son." She replied and then stormed back to her table. She was still seething but at the same time she didn't know why she had yelled at Logan. She had never doubted his devotion to their son, so what the hell was driving her to be so damn mad about seeing him with that toothpick?