It's here. It's finally here: the last chapter of the first story I've ever written. I was going to wait and publish this on May 23, my one year anniversary as a fanfictionista, but I couldn't wait. I've had this written for the longest time…. I can't believe I've been working on this story for this long! It's seems like just yesterday I stumbled on this site.

The last chapter is a stepping stone for the sequel, but I won't reveal too much of the plot for that. I hope you like it as much as I did writing it. It ties up some loose ends and gives a peak into Rory and Logan's married life since I know some of you reviewers were interested in that.

I cannot thank you enough for your continued loyalty to this story throughout the year and your incredibly kind comments. I've enjoyed reading them and the passion some of you have shown in your comments has been inspiring and overwhelming (remember when you thought Logan cheated on Rory with Bobby? I thought my inbox was going to burst!)

I thank-you for all the funny, honest, constructive, and touching reviews! Hope this last chapter does not disappoint. Enjoy!

Love and laughter,

Gilmoregirl19

Disclaimer: I do not own GG.

PS: As you might of guessed by the frequent updates recently I'm on a little break from school. The rest of May/beginning of June will be busy for me. I'll try to update at least one story once a week, but I can't promise anything!

A bright smile crept over Rory's face and she let out a loud satisfied sigh. She looked away from her computer screen and met her baby's big chocolate colored eyes staring back at her. Rory's sudden excitement was completely wasted on little Lottie. She was simply relaxing comfortably in the baby rocker Rory positioned on the corner of the desk. Lottie spent most of her mornings like this, watching her mom drink pots of coffee, sighing and typing.

'Mommy is finally finished!" she squealed elatedly as she ran her hand through Lottie's soft, curly brown hair, before freeing her child of the colorful straps that secured her position in the rocker. She picked her up, hugged her tightly and breathed in that delicious baby scent.

"It's done!" She smiled as she walked out of her office, spinning Lottie around through the hallways of her grand New York penthouse.

Lottie gurgled happily, waving her chubby arms around excitedly. Rory let herself fall back on the couch in the living room, holding her baby securely against her chest. She beamed, caught up in her excitement, as she absentmindedly stroked the soft brown baby hairs on her daughters head.

She couldn't believe Lottie had just turned one. Time was moving fast, though everyone had made sure that little Lottie's first birthday was unforgettable. Lorelai organized a fabulous Stars Hallow blowout, complete with games, party hats and ice-cream cake. Rory and Logan were both relieved that there would not be a 'birth reenactment', much to Kirk's disappointment.

Shira tried to redeem herself for missing the birth by throwing a society party, but was upstaged when Emily took over the party planning duties. And of course, she and Logan celebrated their daughter's first birthday together. It was a quiet celebration with cup-cakes and a trip to the zoo, with Logan documenting every step with his trusty camcorder.

She always knew that Logan would be a great father. His doubts of following in his father's footsteps were unnecessary. Rory practically had to push him to return to HPG. It wasn't that he did not want to go, but he was concerned about leaving her home alone to care for the baby. The first few weeks he called every hour on the hour to simply check in and hear Lottie's gurgling over the phone - that's how dedicated he was.

He balanced his work schedule perfectly; he always made sure he was home for dinner and met with his girls for lunch once a week. Occasionally, he'd had an evening function to attend but Rory didn't mind. She loved being a mom, but being his plus-one gave her a chance to get dressed up and spend a night on the town. Lorelai jumped at every opportunity to baby-sit so it never really was a problem.

Rory pressed a gentle kiss on top of Lottie's head.

"You are perfect," she whispered as she glanced around her apartment peacefully. She never would have imagined her life like this two years ago, when she received the call from 'Old York', as she was sitting in the middle of traffic on that hot and sticky day in Missouri. Six months ago they moved out of Rory's small apartment to a grand penthouse on the Upper East Side. Logan had wanted to move. The new apartment was closer to the HPG offices and he hinted about needing extra rooms for the future.

Granted, she loved her new house, but that wasn't important to her. She found it important that she, Logan and Lottie had managed to become a tight little unit that filled the house with love and warmth making it their home. She found Logan irresistible as he hinted towards the future and she cherished the moments the three of them spent together. She also loved that he hadn't lost his touch when it came to dramatic over-the-top gestures.

Logan surprised her with her own room in their new apartment. All of her books were lined up against the wall, with a comfy looking lounge chair in the corner and he had given her a giant desk, complete with its own coffee machine, and a computer. And, for this, Rory loved him more than the day they wed. He knew how much she loved being the supportive wife and hands-on mother, but he also knew she needed something for herself.

"Hey, Ace," he said casually, leaning in the doorway, cradling a six-month Lottie in his arms. She stopped her typing and looked over her shoulder, smiling as she saw how adorable Logan and Lottie looked together. "Ness and I are going to the park, do you want to come?"

"She's not that tiny anymore, babe," Rory said with a small smile as she remembered how Logan's nickname for their daughter came about. In the days after she was born, Logan couldn't get over the tininess of her physique and affectionately dubbed her Ness.

Logan simply shrugged and brushed Lottie's cheek softly. "So, what about the park?" he inquired.

Rory stole a glance at her computer, she happened to have hit a really good groove. "Why don't you two make it a date?"

He smirked at her, before focusing his gaze on the baby. "Mommy is very secretive, isn't she, Nessy? She won't tell us what's going on between her and the computer…"

Rory bit her lip subconsciously. Logan was right. She spent a lot of time on her computer, but she always answered vaguely as to what she was doing. It wasn't as if she did not want him to know, or that she was insecure about her writing abilities, it was just that this was something completely different. She wasn't even sure she liked it herself, but it was Mitchum who told her to keep going, based on the first draft and some scribbles she submitted to him on the USB-stick months ago, saying that her writing capabilities were much, much better than her journalistic capabilities. She knew she ought to take offence in his comment, but didn't, since journalism really wasn't her dream anymore.

Maybe it was time she told Logan. She had told Lottie, though she knew her secret was safe with her. She needed some feedback and though Lottie cooed and gurgled enthusiastically when Rory tested a paragraph or sentence on her, she wasn't much help when it came to critique her work. She needed someone with a writer's perspective.

"I was kidding, Ace," Logan said lightly as he brushed his thumb over her cheek, dragging her from her thoughts and back to the real world.

"I know," she nodded, running a hand through her hair. "Uh, so… uh," she stammered.

"Yes?" Logan looked at her with a curious look.

She shot him a soft smile and inhaled deeply. She hadn't expected to be nervous, but then again she had kept this from him for quite a while and she was putting herself out there. She knew Logan would be honest and while she appreciated that, she didn't know if she wanted to deal with a possible blow to her ego. His questioning look met her slightly worried gaze and she took another deep breath.

"I'm writing a book," she blurted out, missing the smile that appeared on his face instantly, "Mitchum knows. I gave him some writing samples on a USB-stick when I negotiated your contract and then I stopped writing when Lottie was born but then you gave me this room and Mitchum really liked the story so I started writing again and Lottie really likes it but I don't know… no one else knows…" she paused as she cast her gaze to the ground, "Maybe it's just really stupid…."

"Hey," Logan said warmly, "It's not stupid, Ace." He held out his hand, waiting for her to take it.

She grabbed it and he pulled her closer, wrapping her in a hug. She looked up at him and met his understanding eyes, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

She felt him sigh. "I knew," he whispered in her hair.

"You knew?" she pulled back, confusion written all over her face. "Mitchum told you?"

He shook his head. "I know you, Ace," he responded with a smirk. "I guess I didn't know exactly what you were writing, but I suspected," he relented somewhat as he saw her eyes go wide.

"Why didn't you say anything?" she asked quietly.

"Because, I figured you'd tell me when you were ready," he answered simply.

She leaned in and brushed her lips over his. "You don't think it's stupid?"

"No!" he exclaimed in a surprised tone. "I think it's amazing. I'm so proud of you, Ace."

She leaned in again, encircling him and her daughter in a hug. Logan smiled as he kissed the top of his wife's head softly. The family of three stayed like this for a few moments before Lottie broke out in a sudden fit of giggles.

"Someone's happy," Rory laughed as she broke the embrace and gently squeezed Lottie's foot. "Let's go to the park, little one."

Her moment of inspiration was fleeting, though she was relieved she had told Logan. Right now, her priority was to be in the park with her husband and daughter. She'd write tonight, when Lottie woke her up at four in the morning for a feeding. It was when her best ideas struck anyway; sitting with Lottie, who gently sucked her bottle, looking up at Rory with her chocolate brown eyes.

Rory couldn't wipe the goofy grin off her face as she reminisced about telling Logan she was writing a book. He had been nothing but supportive during the whole process and listened patiently as she bounced different ideas around and picked his literary brain. He would be so proud!

She didn't dare think of what Mitchum would say. She hoped he would find it up to HPG's quality to publish, but she quickly pushed that thought to the back of her mind. She had finished her novel and that was all that mattered. She let out another happy sigh and glanced at the clock – it was only two o'clock in the afternoon. She contemplated calling Logan with her good news, but decided it would be better to tell him personally later this afternoon.

"How 'bout the park, Miss Lottie?" she asked her daughter happily. Lottie clapped her chubby baby hands together and squealed in delight.

"Well, don't you two look smug," Logan laughed as he entered the living room from a long day of work. Rory was sitting on the floor with Lottie, playing with her blocks.

"Was Droopy Hat a no-show at the park?" he asked, amusement lacing his tone as he continued with his after work ritual, which consisted of loosening his tie, kicking off his shoes and fixing himself a tasty libation.

Droopy Hat referred to a little boy, about the same age as Lottie, who always seemed to be at the park whenever Rory and Lottie visited. Lottie was always a perfect angle, where as the little boy cried relentlessly as his nanny pushed him on the swings. His nanny also saw the need to dress him in a gray hat with flaps over the ears, even in the middle of summer, which inspired the nickname Rory had given him. Every day that Droopy Hat didn't show was considered a good day.

"No," Rory shook her head and Lottie followed her mother's lead. "He was there, unfortunately. And he has a new nanny," she added as an afterthought.

Logan scrunched up his nose. He would hate leaving Lot with a nanny all day. "That's a shame," he called out from the kitchen, "but maybe this one will have a better choice in head gear."

Rory let out a small laugh and she looked up as she heard her husband re-enter the living room. Her eyes followed him as she nonchalantly made his way over to them. This was one of her favorite times of the day. She loved to see him unwind when he came home after a stressful day at work.

His hair never quite as perfect as when he left in the morning, his shirt slightly wrinkled, the top buttons popped open, exposing the tiniest bit of his perfect chest and his tie casually slung around his neck. To her, this was his best look. Then he would continue his ritual. After kissing her, he'd get Lottie and become completely wrapped up in the world of his one year old girl.

Rory would then quietly sneak off to the kitchen to prepare dinner – which still consisted of take-out, or leftovers of when Logan cooked in the weekend - as Logan would put Lottie down for a nap, before the pair would share a meal together.

"Thanks," she said taking her wine glass from him and placing it on the coffee table. "I feel bad for Droopy Hat, though."

Logan hummed in agreement as he sat on the ground next to Rory, placing his scotch glass next to hers on the coffee table. "Yeah," he said softly, before leaning in and kissing her.

She practically smiled into his kiss, before deepening it. It was a kind of kiss that typically only took place out of Lottie's eyesight.

"Did a new coffee cart open up near the park?" Logan asked, as he pulled back from the kiss, intrigued by his wife's elated behavior.

"No," she laughed, "but they had a new blend. Lottie likes it."

Logan quickly stole a glance at his daughter. She looked normal, happily concentrating on stacking the blocks high as possible.

"She didn't taste," Rory sighed with an eye roll as she caught the look Logan was giving their daughter. Rory couldn't help that Lottie was absolutely besotted with her mother's signature drink. Every morning her chubby arms would flare around, desperately reaching for Rory's coffee cup.

"I let her smell it though," she added as an afterthought. "She liked it."

"Ace," he scolded gently, but she cut him off with a kiss. "So, I need to tell you something."

"Okay," Logan nodded, matching her excited behavior. He grabbed Lottie, pulling her onto his lap. For a brief moment he thought she was going to tell him he was pregnant, but he quickly realized that this was not a possibility since he saw the newly opened box of tampons in their bathroom this morning. "What's up?" he asked, noting that he felt a pang of disappointment.

"I finished my book!" His disappointment about the non-pregnancy vanished instantly as he face broke out in a huge, proud smile.

"Oh, Ace," he kissed her, "Really?"

She nibbled on her bottom lip subconsciously as she nodded conformingly. "All six hundred and thirty seven pages!"

He kissed her again; he was beyond impressed. 'That's amazing!"

She pressed a soft kiss on his cheek. "I couldn't have done it without you."

The two of them let themselves get caught up in the moment of Rory's achievement, but having a one-year old quickly put both of them back with both feet solidly on the ground.

Logan noticed Lottie's block getting dangerously close to the corner of her eye and he did not feel like a trip to the emergency room just yet. He swiftly removed the potentially blinding object from her hand, kissed the top of her head lightly and started talking to her like he always did at the end of the day.

This was Rory's cue to start warming up left-over's. "After I put her down, we'll celebrate," Logan told her with a wink, as he watched her leave the room.

"Ace," Logan practically yelled as he entered the kitchen with a wailing Lot in tow. "Ness won't stop crying!"

Rory and Logan had been blessed with an easygoing baby; however, once every so often little Lottie would rebel against her nap times. She grabbed the baby from Logan, gently hugging her against her chest. She patted Lot's back and whispered soothing words, but nothing seemed to help.

"Maybe she's hungry?" Logan suggested, holding his hand on her forehead to make sure she wasn't running a fever.

"She just ate," Rory replied, "And she doesn't need to be changed…"

"Maybe she doesn't want to be alone," Logan suggested and took the baby back from Rory.

"Could be," she answered.

She, Logan and Lottie made their way back to the nursery and the crying had subsided somewhat. However, as soon as Logan put her down she immediately started on round two.

Rory grabbed Lottie's favorite stuffed animal in hopes of calming her daughter down, but it didn't work. Logan continuously stroked her hair, but this only seemed to agitate the tiny tot more.

"This isn't working!" Logan yelled laughing, as he retracted his hand.

The pair looked at each other for a few moments, both waiting for an idea to strike.

"Oh, I know," Rory suggested suddenly. She walked to the dresser in the corner of the room and pulled out a tattered notebook from the bottom drawer.

"What's that?" Logan questioned as Rory calmly sat down in the rocking chair next to the crib.

"My early morning musings," Rory laughed and Logan shot her a confused look. "I wrote parts of my novel after Lottie's 4 am feed," she explained as he made his way over to her. He rested his hand on her shoulder as he took in page after page of perfect penmanship.

"Wow," he sighed impressed. Rory looked up at him and shot him a soft smile. "I would read it back to her, to hear how it sounded…"

"Did she like it?"

"It usually put her to sleep." A small laugh escaped them both. "

By all means, Ace, give it a try."

"Ssh, Lottie," she said lightly, "Mommy's here." She ran her hand over the crinkled pages of her notebook, quickly gazing over the words she had written over the course of the last few months and started.

"October 14, 2010

As I write this date on the top right hand corner of my leather bound journal I can't help marvel about how far I've come. I suppose that if I had not kept these journals I would have gone insane. Don't get me wrong, I've always been a little crazy-in-a-good-way. I get that from my Mom, but I would have gone off-the-wall-mental had it not been for my pen and these journals."

Lottie's crying let up almost instantly. "It's working, Ace," Logan smiled proudly as she continued to read.

"But then again, who wouldn't have? The speed in which my life went from borderline Oprah special ("Campaign Trails: Spring Break for the Serious Crowd?) to over-the-top clichéd Lifetime Movie was unimaginable. And all of this without my beloved coffee, the first love of my life, my savior. Except, of course, during the Nine Months of Hell, by which I mean pregnancy. It turned out that pregnant women cannot drink caffeine. The husband made me give it up, but I replaced my coffee addiction with soda. I guess, in retrospect, I really should not have, but before you start to protest – the baby turned out perfectly fine."

She paused, expecting Logan to make a wise crack about the coffee, but he didn't. Like Lottie, he found Rory's narrative tone soothing.

"Caffeine and writing have always been consistent in my life, as has New York City. I'm a City Girl and no other city I visited during my brief career came close to the vibrancy the City possesses. Okay, I'll admit it – I'm a coffee addict and a New Yorkoholic. I'm addicted. Without sounding too corny, the City is just so magical.

One night, in particular, was magical. (Okay, so, maybe that was a little corny.)"

Over the year, she had learned that this was Lottie's favorite part of her tale, and she had fallen into a habit with her daughter when she reached this part. She stopped briefly as she realized that she had never let Logan read what would turn out to be the first chapter of her novel. He nodded at her encouragingly. He wanted to hear more.

"Okay, Lot," she whispered, "Remember that Mommy is Ellie and Daddy is Noah. You are such a lucky girl to have your parents love story written down," she stuck her finger through the rails of the crib and felt a slight blush creep over her cheeks. She may have taken liberties with the exact recap of events, but she was always careful to keep the romance as close to the truth as possible. She always felt compelled to tell Lottie this.

She liked Logan being there, listening to her read, but she felt slightly embarrassed having him observing her ritual. He squeezed her shoulder gently and she effortlessly read the rest of the chapter.

"It was the night of my first (and last) industry soiree. It was the night I saw the love of my life again. We'll call him Noah. He is the guy that started all of this. The journal-writing, I mean, in college. Though, I suppose he is responsible (at least partially) for the pregnancy, too.

Ah, the memories. Anyway, I hadn't seen Noah for two years. However, I knew he was working in the Industry (how could he not!), so there was a good chance that he was going to be there. Now, years later, I can admit that the mere thought of his presence there freaked me out, but that night I pretended to be a confident young woman. Screw it, what if he turned out to be there? I didn't care.

But, just in case, I made sure I looked incredible. My legs long and lean in black satin heels, my body sweet yet sexy in a strapless gray dress and my hair done up in a side bun with a black satin bow, adding a touch of sass.

It didn't matter, no matter how confident I pretended I was, or how good I knew I looked, nothing could have prepared me for what happened when I saw his electric blue eyes. It felt like the magic moment in a romantic comedy, though "When Noah met Ella" was drastically different, as I was drawn to him like a moth to a flame.

Hm.

Okay, maybe not like that, since moths DIE when they go to the flame. I knew I wasn't going to die. At least, not physically.

In any case, the attraction was mutual. Still, it would a lie to say I wasn't filled with doubt. How exactly does the conversation go between the couple that broke-up fresh out of college due to a rejected proposal and immediately split ways?

We ended up ditching the party and getting coffee (had you expected anything else?). I needed that coffee, probably more that night than in the previous two years for two reasons.

The first being I was talking to Noah for the first time in two years and he was looking at me with those electric eyes of his. The second being I had consumed three flutes of champagne prior to meeting Noah and they had begun to take effect.

So, Noah and I spent a few hours catching up and somehow the conversation carried us out of the coffee house, into the brisk New York Night and into a bar, where I ordered a shot and the mood changed.

Mixing emotions with liquor proved to be a dangerous combination and lust and anger quickly filled the air. Finally, I broke the tension and kissed him. Noah's lips immediately responded to mine, as he had kissed me many times before. This kiss was so powerful, so full of promise and hope.

I knew I was drunk that night in New York. It didn't matter. I knew then that this was the night that would kick start the rest of my life, and I thank my lucky stars that I had these journals with me every step of the way.

Reflectively Yours,

Ell. "

The nursery was silent. Rory's method worked, little Lottie was fast asleep. She carefully closed her notebook and put it back in its rightful place. Logan whispered his goodnight's to his daughter, as did Rory, before he grabbed her hand and lead her out of the room.

"That was amazing, Ace," he complimented her and pulled her in for a passionate kiss.

"Oh, it's just…" she tried to wave his compliments away humbly but he wasn't having it. He kissed her once more and it quickly deepened. The couple made their way down the hallway, stopping every once in a while to steal a quick kiss or toss an offending piece of clothing to the side. They stumbled into their bedroom and let themselves fall on the bed as he showered her with loving kisses.

They had shared many nights in New York, London, Lumley Castle, Stars Hallow and Hartford since that night of the soiree and yet, tonight, it was just as spectacular as their first New York Night.

-THE END -