The Newest Gilmore

Chapter 10: A toast to hope

At 3 in the morning Celia woke crying. She gulped in shuddering breaths and hugged herself. What she had seen had been horrible, but now she couldn't even remember what it had been, as often happens with dreams. It just left her with a horrible cold feeling that everything in the world had fangs and claws. She went with her instinct: "Mommy!"

Logan was a light sleeper, at least when he was sober. At 3 in the morning he heard a sound and suddenly he was awake. Celia was calling, but Rory was still fast asleep. Should he wake her? He decided to let her sleep, he could just check on Celie, and if she still wanted Rory then he would wake her.He made his way downstairs quietly and knocked on her door.

"Hey, are you okay?" He asked her from the doorway.

"Where's mommy?""She is still asleep," he answered.

"Oh,"she said, disappointed. 

Logan sat on her bed. "What's wrong?"

Celia sighed, and rubbed the last remaining tears from her eyes."I had a bad dream, but it's all better now." She pulled covers up and turned over. As much as she loved Logan, some things she wanted her mommy for. 

Logan stood, a tad disconcerted, and then smiled, realizing Rory had done the exact same thing years before. She always called her mom when she had a bad dream, they discussed what it could mean and ate ice-cream together over the phone. As hard as he tried, he knew he would never be a Gilmore girl. 

He leaned over his daughter and kissed her forehead, he didn't see it, but Celia's lips twitched. 

"Do you want to sleep with your mom and I? The bed is nice and warm?""You slept with mommy?" Celia asked incredulously, but happily.

"NO! Well, yes, I suppose, but...well yeah," Logan sputtered, realizing she probably hadn't meant the common connotation.

Celia laughed. "Can I?"

"Of course!" Logan smiled.

He wrapped her in the fuzzy brown blanket she had been hugging, and carried her up the stairs. Celia was holding onto him bear style, and with a giggle whispered in his ear: " I love you daddy."

Logan nearly had a heart attack. But instead of going into cardiac arrest, he whispered it back:"I love you too little girl."

He set her down next to Rory's side of the bed and crashed into his own. He watched his daughter snuggle next to her mother, who woke slightly, and made room for her. If only they could stay like this forever. 

The three of them fell back asleep with smiles on their faces, and hope on their minds.
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Finn hung up the phone, and turned to face Colin and Robert. Shock was written all over their faces, from the agape mouths, to their surprised eyes. No, surprise wasn't the word. They were angry. Colin went over to the bar, poured himself a scotch and downed it.

"So Finn, got anything to tell us?" Robert asked sarcastically.

Finn swallowed. He doubted the boys would let this go easily."You're uncles?" He offered.

Oh the looks they gave him!

"Here," he sighed, and he pulled a hidden picture of Celie out of his wallet.

His friends took the picture and sank into the blue faux fur couch behind them(the result of a few bottles of Jack Daniels).

"She looks just like them," Colin murmured, for once at a loss for a wisecrack.

"She is just like them," Finn agreed. 

"And you didn't tell us because....?" Robert asked,"You know we would have done anything for Mother, and Logan."

Finn sighed. "Rory asked me not to say anything. And ALL of us thought Logan was going to marry Odette. He just kept delaying and delaying the wedding, and it just didn't seem right to force them back together. We all saw Logan after Rory turned him down, and you guys should have seen her after Logan went back to daddy dearest."

"We would have if you had said something!" Robert snapped.

"He was different. He was weak. They were hurting each other, and then, in these past two years when I started to recognize my best mate again I considered telling him. But I'd been hiding his daughter for 3 years already. I was her Uncle Finn," he chuckled," I was scared he would hate me. That you guys would hate me. It was wrong, I know. But I did what I thought would spare everybody. And myself."

Colin and Robert looked at each other. Was it just them or did Finn sound...ashamed?

Colin cleared his throat."Of course we'll forgive you. But if you ever hide ANYTHING like this again you can bet we will make sure you never have a drop of this sweet nectar again! We have several Private Investigators more than willing to follow you to the ends of the earth to make sure you will never touch such heavenly fruits again. " He informed him, holding up his bottle of scotch.

"Nor this ambrosia!" Robert added, holding up his cigar.

Finn chuckled at his friends, grateful they could even partially forgive him.

"Good. Because today we find ourselves with a project on our hands, possibly the most important project the Life and Death Brigade has ever taken on." He smiled mischievously.

Colin laughed. "Sounds like just the job for us," he said with a wink.

"In Omnia Paratus!" Robert saluted.

Finn grinned. "Here's step one....."

Hi! I am sorry this one is shorter. I am writing from my cousin's house, so I don't quite have as much time as I would like to write. What did you guys think of Finn's explanation? I try to get in my character's heads, but I have to admit that those guys make it pretty hard for me! As always, I love constructive criticism, comments on what you liked, what didn't. Honestly, just thanks so much for reading. I was looking at my story statistics earlier today and it said I had a readership in Australia, the UK, and France. I actually screamed aloud, and now all my cousin's think I am crazy;) Stay safe!