AN: Here it is kids, the end of an era. Enjoy.

"Cold, cold, cold, cold!" Lorelai muttered as she trudged down the stairs, in pajamas and a hat, zipping up a hoodie for extra warmth. "Icy feet, stupid frozen-tundra house!" She made her way over to the front window, looking out through the broken pane of glass. "Ugh," she replied frustratedly as she grabbed a throw blanket and wrapped it around her shoulders before heading for the kitchen, stopping briefly to turn the thermostat up on the way. "Okay, here's the question for today, kids," she began to rant to Rory's bedroom door. "What the hell are the Eskimos thinking? I mean, yes, the hoods are cute, but it's always cold. Always! Plus, you have to eat fish for breakfast and you have to eat whales and then polar bears and penguins and Santa Claus... " She turned on the coffee maker and opened up the cabinet taking down a box of Pop-Tarts, unwrapping a pair and sticking them in the toaster. She headed back towards Rory's room. Okay, coffee's on, Pop-Tarts are pop-tarting!" she began knocking on her daughter's door.

The door opened. "Why is it so cold in here?" Rory grumbled as she pulled her sweater tightly around her.

"I broke that stupid window trying to lock it last night." Lorelai gestured lazily towards the front of the house.

"Well, get it fixed, woman."

"I left Luke a message just now. He'll do it," Lorelai assured her, putting her arm around her daughter and leading her back across the kitchen.

"Before or after the re-enactment of Alive?" Rory asked, unconvinced.

"Hopefully before."

"I hope so, because I'd really prefer if my boyfriend didn't die of hypothermia while here and I didn't warn him he was going to need his Moncler ski jacket in our living room."

"He'll fix it."

"Okay, but if he doesn't you realize Logan will have to sleep in my room tonight," Rory informed her mother with a pointed look as she poured herself a cup of coffee. Not that that would be the worst outcome in the world, but she would still prefer Logan got a better impression of her home.

"It will get fixed!" Lorelai replied more emphatically.

"Why don't you call a guy?" Rory suggested.

"What guy?" Loreali asked, pulling a couple of chairs out from the table and setting them next to the oven.

"A window fixing guy."

"Ah, Luke always gets mad when I pay someone to do something that he could do for free. And then he lectures me about it every time I see him and it's annoying," she said as she turned on the broiler and opened the door to the oven, taking a seat in front of it. "'Oh, you paid him how much to fix the window?'" She said, impersonating Luke, "'What, you couldn't just find someone to steal your purse that day? Hey, while you're at it I've got an idea, why don't you go down to a Versa-teller and let them charge you five bucks to take your own money out of the bank? Or buy some tickets at Ticketmaster and wind up paying more in service charges than it would cost you to see the band? Oh, here's a great fifty buck mark up on a bottle of wine that it would have cost you ten dollars in the supermarket you're missing!'"

Rory removed the Pop-Tarts from the toaster and handed one to her mother before taking a seat next to the open oven door. "Oh my God, Luke is annoying."

The women took a moment to sip their coffee and take a bite of their Pop-Tarts as they huddled next to the warmth of the kitchen appliance. "So…" Lorelai finally started, looking knowingly at her daughter.

"What?"

"Just wondering what you're thinking about." Lorelai asked cautiously.

"I'm thinking about nothing."

"Nothing wouldn't happen to wear a leather jacket and be able to pull off an extremely convincing 'Adriaaaaan!' would it?"

"No, it wouldn't," Rory insisted. There was a brief pause. "You think he froze to death?" she finally asked.

"No, He wasn't sleeping here.

"Right." She hated that she worried. She hated that a part of her wished he had frozen to death. She shouldn't care about Jess Mariano at all anymore. She had… "Oh crap!"

"What?"

"Logan!"

"What about him"

"He's coming here! I'm supposed to meet him at Luke's for lunch. What if Jess is still around?"

"So?" Lorelai asked.

"SO?!" Rory asked? "What do you mean 'so'? Logan…Jess…" But Rory realized she couldn't fully explain her sudden trepidation. Her mother didn't know the full extent of what had happened between her and Jess at that party last year. She knew that Jess and Dean had had a fight. And that the fight had been over her. But she didn't know that Rory and Jess had almost…And she didn't know that Jess had yelled at her and humiliated her when she'd put a stop to it. But Logan did know. And if he saw Jess there was no telling what he would do.

"You're not still…I mean, I know seeing him threw you for a loop and all, but you don't still have feelings for Jess, do you?"

"What? No!" And that was the truth—mostly. She suspected a part of her would always care about Jess. For as much pain as he put her through, she'd seen the man beneath the surface. The smart, funny, kind person behind the walls he'd erected to protect himself. With her, he'd lowered those walls a little. But not enough. He was just too damaged. She hoped someday he'd heal enough to be able to be in a healthy relationship, but it wouldn't be with her. Maybe if they'd met at another time…But too much had happened between them. And she'd moved on.

Lorelai gave her a dubious look, but apparently decided not to pursue it…"Hey, did anyone ever think that maybe Sylvia Plath wasn't crazy, she was just cold?"

Maybe he was gone already. Rory thought hopefully as she walked down Main Street. Luke had said Jess was only in town to reclaim his stolen car—which apparently had been stolen by Luke. He'd probably gotten it fixed first thing and left town as quickly as possible. After all, Jess was a pro at running away.

Rory opened the door to Westins, pulling off her gloves as she approached the counter. "Hi, I'd like a large coffee and a cherry danish, please," she ordered. She just needed a little comfort food, and a lot of coffee, then she could go confirm that Jess had breezed out of town as quickly as he'd breezed into it. The barista handed her an empty cup and she went to the side of the counter to fill it. She stopped suddenly as she rounded the corner.

He looked up from his book, at almost the exact moment she spotted him. They stared wordlessly for a split second before Jess stood up.

"I'm leaving," he proclaimed as he grabbed his book and bolted out the door.

Yep, Jess was still a pro at running away. But apparently, not a driving away. This was not going to be good.

Rory paced back and forth in the living room, her winter jacket still on. What was she going to do? She couldn't let Logan run into Jess. It was bad enough that she had to be in the same town as him. Stars Hollow was not big enough for both men.

She stopped her stride across the room and stared blankly at the broken window for a minute. Her mother had ineffectively patched the defect with cellophane wrap. It looked ridiculous. It was embarrassing. She was very rarely embarrassed of her upbringing. Her mother had given up everything for her. And she'd never let her go without what she needed, no matter the cost to her pocketbook or her pride. Rory shouldn't be embarrassed about a broken window. Except that there was cellophane wrap where there should be glass—and it was taped in place with Barbie Band-Aids.

So Rory had a choice to make. Let Logan see Jess, or let him see the Band-Aids.

She took her cellphone out of her back pocket and flipped it open, hitting her speed dial. "Hey, Logan…can you meet me at the house instead of the Diner?" she asked.

"Holly crap, it's freezing in here," Logan exclaimed as he walked into the Gilmore house.

"You don't say?" Rory replied as she led him into the living room.

"No, seriously, I think it's actually colder in here, than it is outside. Are you trying to cryogenically freeze yourself? Is it some anti-aging thing? I know they say Eskimos live forever, but I think that's the omega 3 fatty acids in their diet and not just that their body is literally frozen in time."

"You've been spending too much time with me. That was truly a Gilmore worthy rant."

"Ranting generates heat. I need to do something to keep warm." Logan rubbed his glove-clad hands together.

"I can think of better ways to generate heat."

"Okay, now you've been spending too much time with me." He gave her an approving nod.

Rory chuckled. "Mom broke the window last night." She gestured to the Barbie Band-Aid adorned window. This wasn't as bad as she'd been expecting. Sure, Logan was poking fun, but just in his usual, annoyingly charming way. She should have known he wouldn't judge her for it. Jess on the other hand would have mocked them mercilessly. But Logan wasn't Jess. Why was she letting him get in her head like that?

"And you thought instead of lunch at Luke's we could hang out at the Ice Hotel, do Vodka shots, and make ice sculptures?"

"Actually, I thought someone needed to stick around and wait for the window repair guy." The window repair guy she'd called behind her mother's back. She'd listen to Luke rant and even pay for it out of her own meager savings if it meant keeping Logan away from Jess for the afternoon.

"Where's your Mom?" he asked.

"She had errands to run."

Logan looked contemplative for a moment. "Long errands?" he asked.

"I don't know, why?" she asked.

"I was just thinking about some of those alternative ways to generate heat," he replied with a sly grin.

"Logan!" she fake-gasped.

He rocked back on his heals, his expression smug.

She'd thought he was just joking but it was suddenly very clear that he was, in fact, serious. She looked around anxiously, her heart beating faster in her chest. "What if the window guy shows up? Or Mom comes home?" she replied in a hushed tone.

Logan shrugged, his sexy smirk still firmly in place. "That's half the fun."

They were definitely generating heat. And Rory's room was warmer than the living room. Her clothes were starting to feel unbearably stifling as Logan hovered above her, his tongue exploring the depths of her mouth.

His hands made their way to the hem of her sweater and dipped below, expecting to find warm skin but instead coming into contact with the silky material of her camisole.

Why had she put on so many clothes that morning? It hadn't really been that cold had it? She couldn't remember.

He took his mouth away from hers and kissed over her jaw down to her neck, only to be hindered yet again by more fabric. He groaned, his head dropping in frustration.

"I would like to state, for the record, that I am not a fan of turtlenecks."

"I like this sweater," Rory replied.

He grabbed the hem and pulled it off of her. "More than you like this?" he asked as he bent down and started laving her neck with his tongue.

She moaned. "Okay, no more turtlenecks," she agreed.

His hands continued to wander, pushing her cami up to explore her warm flesh. She wrapped a leg around him, thrusting upwards to rub against his building pleasure. "Fuck, Ace."

Her fingers ran through his hair, pulling his mouth back down to hers. Her hips rocked back and forth as their hands continued to paw frantically at one another.

And then, suddenly, she stopped. "What was that?" she asked.

"What was what" Logan asked, his brain in a fog.

"I heard something."

"Was it a hallelujah chorus, because I have been told I…"

Rory rolled her eyes before cutting him off. "It was a…thud."

"A thud?" Logan asked.

"Yes, a thud."

Logan didn't move as he listened to the silence. "I don't hear anything."

Rory wriggled out from underneath him and Logan rolled over, flopping onto her bed in defeat.

"It's probably the window guy," Logan replied disappointedly, you should go check.

"No," Rory shook her head as she pulled her sweater back on and finger combed her hair. It came from behind the house. You need to come with me."

Logan sighed and followed as Rory got up off the bed. "I'm sure it's fine. It's the middle of the day. Who would break in?" he asked, although he had to admit he felt a twinge of trepidation. This was Rory's house. The place where she lived when school was out. Was she safe here?

They made their way out through the kitchen to the back porch. Logan made sure to go before her. He took a few steps before he saw him. A visibly drunk man in a flannel was brushing dirt and leaves off of his clothes. Logan stuck his arm out to stop Rory's forward motion, his heart beating faster in his chest as he saw the man grab ahold of the branch of a giant elm tree and struggle to pull himself up. "Shh," Logan said, urging Rory backward.

Rory just laughed. "Down, Cujo," she instructed her boyfriend. "What are you doing, Luke?" she called over Logan's shoulder to the flannel man.

Luke? Logan breathed a sigh of relief. It was just Luke. But why was he attempting to scale a tree in their backyard while drunk?

"Rory!" Luke said, losing his balance and falling to the ground again.

Rory ran out to check on him. "Are you okay?" she asked, helping him up from the ground. She winced when she caught the smell of his breath.

"I'm here to fix your window," he slurred.

"The window's in the front of the house, Luke, on the ground floor. Also, I called a window guy." She started guiding Luke towards the door.

"Why would you do that? Those guys charge an arm and a leg."

"And you almost lost an arm and a leg trying to climb our tree."

"I promised I would fix your window so I'm here to fix your window."

"And you thought entering through the front door was too easy?"

"I knocked, no one answered."

"Oh," Rory cringed and looked guiltily at Logan. "We uh, we didn't hear you."

"So I climbed your tree. And then I fell out of your tree. I landed flat on my back. I felt like Kirk."

"You are not like Kirk," Rory assured him as she led him to the kitchen table and had him take a seat.

"It's cold in here."

"Yes, it is."

"Who's he?" Luke gestured to Logan.

"Luke, this is my boyfriend, Logan. Logan, this is Luke."

"Hello, Sir," Logan held out a hand to shake.

Luke just glared at him. "I'm watching you. You're very blurry," Luke's head swayed back and forth, "but I'm watching you." Luke took two fingers and motioned back and forth from his face to Logan, almost poking his eye out as he did so. Logan cringed. Even falling-down-drunk, Luke was intimidating. And Logan didn't get intimidated easily. Put him in a room with supreme court justices and Nobel laureates and he was fine. Put him in a room with his girlfriend's Mom's drunk friend and he was suddenly nervous?

Rory got a water out of the refrigerator and handed it to Luke.

Luke ignored the water and stood up.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm going to fix the window." He stumbled towards the living room. Logan strode forward to stop him.

"I told you, I have someone coming to take care of it," Rory reminded him, placing the water down on the table.

"But I made a promise and I'm the reliable guy who helps everybody out whether they like it or not." Luke mumbled.

"What?"

"Oh, yeah, Nothing I can do about it, just the way I am. It is my big problem. Didn't know it was my big problem until today, but now I know. It is my big problem."

"Did something happen?

"Nothing happened," Luke shrugged. "Nothing except I found out what a big, dumb, idiot guy I am. Just an imposing, judgmental know-it-all who blows around yelling and complaining and screwing up everybody else's life."

"You don't…"

Luke cut her off to continue his rant. "I'm dumb. Yeah, not like Jess. Jess is smart. You know, he doesn't care about anybody else's life. He just takes care of himself."

Logan immediately felt his blood pressure rise at the mere mention of the name. He looked over at Rory who had suddenly gone very stiff and was staring intently at the floor. He looked back and forth between Luke and Rory. "What about Jess?"

"He informed me that I am nothing but an unwelcome burden to everyone around me," Luke informed them.

Rory shuffled her feet nervously and chewed at her lip. She didn't seem at all surprised to hear her ex-boyfriend had apparently gotten into some sort of fight with Luke.

"I thought Jess took off," he asked his girlfriend pointedly.

Rory didn't lift her gaze. "He kind of came back into town last night."

Logan nodded his head, trying to remain calm. "So we've spent all afternoon in your freezing cold house instead of in town having lunch at Luke's climate controlled Diner because…"

"Because we had to wait for the window guy," Rory insisted finally looking up.

"Except, apparently, Luke was supposed to be fixing the window," Logan pointed angrily.

"Right," Luke said, suddenly remembering why he was there. "Has anyone seen Burt?"

"Burt?" Logan asked, momentarily distracted.

"His toolbox."

"He named his toolbox Burt?"

"Mom did."

At that moment the front door opened and Lorelai walked in. "Hey, what's going on?" she asked, taking in the scene before her and sensing the tension.

"Nothing," Rory insisted.

"I'm here to fix your window," Luke said.

"Oh, good…" Rory made eye contact with her mother, telepathically imparting the knowledge that it wasn't good.

"Is…everything okay?" Lorelai asked.

"Umm, well, I think Luke and Jess might have gotten into a fight…" Rory replied cautiously. Lorelai looked silently between Logan and Rory. The meaning of the look was clear to Logan—Lorelai knew Jess was is town and she knew he wasn't supposed to know.

"Oh, no, it wasn't a fight," Luke shook his head. "I'm not a fighter, I'm a fixer. I fix people who don't want to be fixed, is all."

Lorelai sighed and turned her attention back to Luke. "Oh Luke, what happened today?"

Logan cleared his throat as Luke started to drunkenly rant again. "Can we…" Logan nodded his head towards Rory's room. It was taking a lot of strength to keep his cool right now.

"Umm, Logan and I are going to…go…talk…" Rory gulped nervously. Lorelai gave her daughter a pitying look before turning her attention back to Luke.

A death knell rang in Rory's head as she and Logan made their way back towards her bedroom. Logan was angry, that much was clear. Not that she was surprised. This was exactly why she didn't want him to know…

"You lied to me," Logan ground out as soon as the bedroom door was closed behind them.

"No, I didn't lie. I did not lie!" she insisted. "I just…didn't tell you."

"You lied about why you changed our lunch plans," Logan reminded her.

"What? You think I broke the window on purpose so I'd have an excuse to avoid my ex-boyfriend?"

"What would you need to avoid him?"

"What?"

"You're over him, right?," Logan shrugged with feigned indifference. "So why does it matter if you run into him?"

"If you remember correctly, the last time the subject of Jess came up, you threatened to kill him."

"If you remember correctly, I'd just found out he'd tried to date rape you," He bit back, his voice rising in anger.

"Shh," Rory admonished, glancing over her shoulder at the closed door. The last thing she needed was for Lorelai or Luke to hear that. "That's not what happened."

"Oh really?"

"Yes, really. He never tried to force himself on me. He was upset and he…But he never forced himself."

"Why are you defending him?"

"What?"

"Why are you defending him. After everything he did to you. Why are you defending him? Do you still have feelings for him?"

"What? No!"

"Then why did you try to hide the fact that he was back and why are you defending him?"

"Logan," Rory said, her voice suddenly soft. "Jess is…a messed up guy who did a lot of messed up things. And he hurt me. I know that, and I have no interest in being with him. This isn't about him…"

Logan scoffed. "Well than, what is it about, Rory? Because I have been nothing but patient with you. I never pressured you. Jess pressured you to sleep with him. Dean pressured you to say 'I love you,' but not me." He shook his head. "You ran away! You ran away and I forgave you and I said it was alright and I waited. And you said you were getting there but that was six weeks ago, Rory. Six weeks! And you are no fucking closer. So I can't help but wonder, when you lie to me about your ex, if it really is about him."

"Logan, no. I…" She trailed off as she felt the tears building up behind her eyes. She reached out to touch him but he brushed her off.

"I can't," he shook his head slowly.

"Can't what?" she choked out. It was getting harder to breath.

He inhaled deeply, his eyes squeezing shut for a moment. "Apologize to Richard and Emily for me," he said calmly.

"Apologize for what?"

"Just…just tell them I wasn't feeling well or something." He took a few steps backwards towards the door.

"What…Logan? Where…you're not…" her words were incoherent as the panic flooded over her. She lurched forwards towards him, willing the words he wanted to hear to come out of her mouth but they didn't. The only sound she could make was a sob.

His hand went up to stop her motion towards him. "I just…I just need a little time to think, Rory," he told her. "I just…need time." Rory watched as he walked out the door before she crumbled to the floor in tears.

"Gone, the rest of the night. And we're stuck there with the bowling pins. God! So boring." Lorelai chattered on about their evening but Rory could barely hear a word she was saying. She wasn't even sure how she'd made it through her grandparent's stupid event. Or how she'd let Lorelai convince her to go to the Firelight Festival when all she wanted was to curl up in a ball and cry. The Firelight Festival was like some karmic carnival designed to mock her inability to love. A beacon for her break-ups. Was she broken up? She didn't even know. He said he'd needed time. Time was good, right? It meant there was still a chance.

"How much time do you think is enough time?" she asked out loud to her mother. She looked down at her watch. "It's been five hours. Is that enough time? Should I call him?"

"Rory," Her mother replied sympathetically.

"Grandma and Grandpa were mad."

"Your grandparents will get over it. And even if they don't, they have to pretend that they are because it's the polite society thing to do."

"They had to pretend one of Grandpa's sport coats was Marjorie's fake husband who got fake sick and had to leave."

"Don't worry, they'll blame that on me and my lack of a plus one because I don't have a boyfriend."

"Yes you do, and he was there."

"Yes, but they don't know that. You on the other hand have a boyfriend they love."

"We don't know that."

"That they love Logan?"

"That I still have a boyfriend," she sulked.

"He didn't break up with you. You two fought. It happens. You'll make up."

"Am I just…incapable of love?" Rory asked sadly.

"What? Kid, no! You have so much love in your heart."

"Then why can't I say it? I mean, Dean said it to me and I couldn't say it back. And then finally I did but did I really? I left him for a guy that treated me and everyone I care about like crap. So what kind of love is that? And now Logan—he's come so far, Mom. He's a good man and he loves me so why can't I just love him back? Why can't I say it?"

"You'll say it when you're ready?"

"And when will that be?"

"It'll be—when you're ready. And you'll just know. You won't have to think about it or analyze it. It'll just be there, like a fact. Like two plus two equals four. One minute you're questioning everything and the next—it's all clear and shiny and real.

Rory sighed. "I'm gonna head home."

"All by yourself?"

"I just want to wallow."

"You're not going to wallow because you're not broken up. Now come on, let's get some food. I'm starving."

"We just came from dinner," Rory replied dully.

"Well the possibly beef and some sort of cream sauce did nothing to curb my appetite so I still need food. Should we start with burgers or do a cart-to-cart attack?"

Rory just shrugged.

"Come on, Mama's hungry. You get the burgers, I'll hit the carts..."

"Fine," Rory agreed half heartedly.

Rory shuffled towards the takeout line for the Burger Barn. She couldn't imagine eating anything at that moment but sometimes it was easier to just agree with Lorelai.

She'd only been in line for a minute before she felt a presence and looked up. An anger lit deep in her gut; the most of anything she'd been able to feel all night.

"I'm leaving," she told Jess and before she knew what she was doing she was running away from him.

"Rory, wait! Stop!" he called chasing after her. As though he hadn't been the one running away from her just hours earlier. Like he hadn't been running away all year. And she didn't care—she didn't. Except that if it weren't for him, Logan would be there with her right now and so he wasn't going to be the one who got to walk away from her after all the carnage he'd caused.

"No, you don't get to walk away!"

"Hold on!"

"My town! I leave!" It was ridiculous and petty. She knew that. She knew she was acting like an immature child but she was so angry she couldn't even stand to look at him.

"I just wanna-where are you going?" He continued to follow after her.

She swerved erratically through the streets of the town square. "None of your business!"

"We look like idiots."

"I don't care!"

"Stop running!"

"Stop following!"

"Oh, come on!"

"Go away, I'm leaving!"

"Rory, stop!"

"Why?

"Because I wanna talk to you." He finally caught up to her, cutting in front. She stopped running.

"About what? What do you want to talk to me about?"

"When did you learn to run like that?" he panted.

"You know, I have actually thought about this moment. After you left. After everything that happened we almost had a second chance and then…" She trailed off, not able to articulate what happened that night at the party. "But you were clearly upset and I thought maybe…maybe we could still work it out. But then you just took off, no note, no call, nothing. And I thought about it. What would Jess say to me I ever saw him again? And time went by and not a word, nothing, so he couldn't possibly have a good excuse for that, right? And I shouldn't care anymore. I shouldn't. I don't—except for sheer curiosity. And right now I am really hating my unquenchable thirst for knowledge."

"Could we sit down?

"No. You wanted to talk, so talk. What do you have to say to me?"

Jess paused for a second, letting out a nervous breath.

"I love you."

"I love Logan!" It came out just like that. And she knew it was true.

"What?" Jess gaped, his mouth open.

"We got back together. He came back. He fought for me. He stuck around. He loves me…and I love him."

"That asshat? He's going to hurt you."

"Maybe, but never on purpose. Never like you did. And I'll hurt him too sometimes. And that kills me—the thought of hurting him. The thought of being hurt. But I can handle it because I love him, and he's there. Which is more than I could ever say for you. So go; get in your car and leave. It's what you do best."

Jess looked at her wistfully for a moment. And then, without a word, he left.

Rory turned, ready to head back to find her mother but instead of her mother, not five feet away from her, his face completely expressionless, was Logan.

He'd driven for hours. Going nowhere. Just…driving. He'd wound up by the shore at one point and he'd pulled over getting out and making his way onto the beach. The wind had whipped furiously around, making the already bitter cold air almost unbearable. And yet, the pain of the impending frost bite was a welcome relief compared to the pain in his heart.

He'd just—walked away. He'd promised her. He told her he'd never leave her. He said he wouldn't be like Dean who left just because she couldn't tell him what he wanted to hear. Like Jess who ran away when he couldn't get what he wanted out of her. Like her father who'd walked away from her for another daughter. Like the man he used to be who left her for a chance at freedom. But he hadn't been free. Choosing that trip over her had been the worst mistake of his life.

And here he was, walking away again.

And he knew that made him just as bad as all the other men in her life who were supposed to love her. But it was just too painful. He'd tried. He'd tried to ignore the pain and it just wound up blowing up in both their faces. So what was he supposed to do?

Was it really supposed to be this hard? Should he let her go so she could go find someone she could give her whole heart to? Or was that just the coward's way out?

A wave crashed up, freezing water splashing over his shoes. He got back in his car and he drove some more until finally, he'd found himself driving up Peach Street towards the sounds of cheerful indistinguishable chatter, and the site of sparkly lights and happy faces.

He found a parking space and got out of the car. He buried his hands in his pockets and leaned against his Porsche, just taking in the sites before him.

This was Rory; this town, this festival. She was light in the darkness, the warm glow of a bonfire, the soulful sounds of music floating through the air. It was painful to know she didn't love him back, but being without her would be unbearable.

And so, he pushed himself up, ready to go find her and apologize. He would take however much she could give him. He owed her that. He'd promised.

He made his way through the square and all the happy people, searching for her face. And then he saw her, zig zagging through the streets at a run with Jess Mariano at her heals. He froze and watched as she stopped and turned to the other man. His heart caught in his throat as she admitted to Jess that she'd forgiven him for that night at the party. That she'd planned on giving him another chance.

He didn't want to see this, didn't want to hear it. He fought the urge to flee again. And just as he was about to lose the battle, he heard it.

"I love Logan."

The words he'd waited so long to hear. He wanted to be angry. Angry that she'd made him wait so long. Angry that she'd told Jess of all people, before she told him. But he couldn't be anything but happy. She'd said it. She loved him.

Jess walked away and Rory turned, finally seeing him. Her eyes widened fearfully. "Logan! Logan wait…" She ran to him. And he wanted to run to her but for some reason his feet didn't move.

"I don't know how much you saw…" she panted as she approached him.

"I don't care what I saw," he told her.

"I swear, he just…"

"Hey!" he interjected, the corners of his lips finally starting to turn up into a smile. "I don't care what I saw." He reached out to caress her face. "I care what I heard."

Rory paused, the fear and adrenaline buzzing through her body. Had he heard…? It was like her mother said. It just happened. As she stood there listening to Jess proclaim his so-called love, she just knew. She knew what love was, and what it wasn't. Jess didn't love her. Jess wasn't capable of love. But Logan did. And she loved him. As plain as two plus two equals four. But that? That was not how he was supposed to find out.

"Don't even think about taking it back now, Ace." He smirked.

"I don't…" she shook her head, then looked around at the town square. "Come with me?" she pleaded, grabbing his hand. He followed as she led him through town to a small building just off the main square with a sign reading "Miss Patty's." She slid open the barn door, glanced inside, and entered. He slid the door shut behind him and the sounds of the festival faded away. She spun around to face him. "I don't want to take it back…Except I kind of do…"

Logan faltered, taking a step backwards, his heart pausing in his chest. "I mean…" she quickly corrected. "I love you, Logan Huntzberger." She took a step towards him. This scared the crap out of her but it was true, so she ignored the clenching feeling in her chest and continued on. "I love you," she repeated. "But the first time you heard that…It should have been big and romantic and perfect. And it sure as hell shouldn't been to someone else." Tears were dripping out of her eyes.

Logan let out a breath and laughed. "I love you too, Ace," he responded before reaching out to pull her head down for a kiss.

"I'm sorry," she said, pulling away to wipe at her tears. "I was scared. I was so scared but I think...I think a part of me has known for a long time. And I

should have told you. I shouldn't have made you wait like that but I just..."

"I'm sorry too." He leaned his head down and rested his forehead against hers. "I'm sorry I left. I'm sorry I pushed you…I'm sorry I hurt you."

Rory sighed in relief. "I can take it," she told him. "I thought…I thought maybe I couldn't. I was so scared of being hurt."

"Me too."

"But it's okay because...because I don't need some happily ever after fairy tale. I know we'll both mess up sometimes." She smiled sanguinely. "And that's okay, as long as I have you."

His lips returned to hers, kissing her through his smile.

"You've got me, Ace. I love you."

"I love you too."

AN: 14 years. 14 freaking years ago I started this story. And even when I stopped writing, I never stopped thinking about it. It was just this big open thing waiting to be finished. And now it is. And I'm kind of sad, but also kind of relieved. Because...closure. I hope you've enjoyed Rory and Logan's journey. Please leave a review.