The Plural of Pro-Con List?

A/N: It's set late in season 6. Logan has proposed, although more privately than on the show, and allowed her some time to make her pro-con list. This story starts 3 days after his proposal.

PART ONE

Dear Ms Gilmore,

We regret to inform you that you were not one of the 4 Reston Fellowship receivers for the summer of 2007. The number of incredible applicants was overwhelming this year.

However, we at the Times do recognize quality when we see it, and your submission was top-notch. In addition you expressed in your essay a strong desire for overseas work. Not many applicants want to venture too far abroad. As you are aware, the New York Times has a global edition of our newspaper, the International Herald Tribune, which focuses more on international issues. We have offices around the world, and are looking for fresh talent, and young people who are willing to step out of their comfort zone.

It is for this reason that we are offering you a 6-month internship at the International Herald Tribune's Prague bureau. It is not a paying job, although the Tribune does cover living expenses.

If you are interested, and we very much hope that you are, please contact my assistant at the following contact information.

Thank you again for your application, and we hope to see you in our offices soon.

Sincerely,

Simon Bracewell

Vice-President, International Division, New York Times

My hand begins to shake and the letter flutters to the floor of my and Paris' apartment. My trembling hands covered my mouth, trying to hold the shock inside. Fate certainly was a mischievous woman. Just that morning, I had scheduled a phone interview with the editor-in-chief of the San Francisco Chronicle for the following day, and was planning to tell Logan over a home-cooked lunch that the "pro" side of my list had won out. Hands down. That I want to marry him. And now this.

So in true Gilmore fashion, I run. Well, drive. I was halfway to Stars Hollow when I had to pull over to the side of the road, breathe, and let my thoughts have free reign. Prague! I had loved Prague the summer I'd backpacked around Europe with my mom. It was my favorite of all the cities that we'd visited. I'd adored the hundreds of spires that stretched as far as my eyes could see from the castle. I'd loved how when we ventured off the beaten path, the tiny streets revealed what the city must have looked in the time of Rudolf II. I'd been fascinated by the way the rain made the Old Town look like it hadn't changed in 500 years. And I'd never ever wanted to leave Charles Bridge at sunset, although Lorelai did eventually manage to pull me towards yet another cute, old, dilapidated café, after allowing me enough time to take several pictures as the sky changed from day to night.

I pull my notebook out of my messenger bag, steady it against the steering wheel, then fish around in the bag for a chewed-up pen. I take a deep breath, underline the heading with studious fastidiousness, and start scribbling notes.

Prague PROS

World-renowned Int'l Herald Tribune (read all over world!)

Foot in door for NY Times eventually?

Chance to see if I'm really cut out to be an int'l correspondent?

Paid living expenses

Fabulous on résumé

Not a Huntzberger paper!

My favorite European city, by far

Prague CONS

Leaving Logan, mom for six months!

Long-distance engagement (is that a pro?)

No safety nets (salary, full-time job, family)

I don't speak Czech

Looks like my decision is made for me. Sighing, I put my pen back in my bag, resist the overwhelming urge to run to my mom, and drive back to New Haven.

PART TWO

I fight with the zillion locks on the apartment door, juggling my bag plus 2 bags of takeout. Looking down, I see Logan's shoes in the entrance, so I know he's already home. "I know, I know! I promised you a home-cooked lunch, but something really huge came up, and I didn't manage! I'm sorry, I'll make it up to you tonight!" I ramble in one long breath.

Silence. I'd expected the usual Gilmore (and now Logan!) response, "Dirty!" but there was nothing.

"Logan?"

Silence.

"Marco?"

"Who's Marco, Ace?" he jokes, although I could hear that his voice is strained.

Taking in his appearance, I'm surprised to find his eyes wide, and his hair looking like he'd run his hands through it a fair few times. That was something he only did when he was nervous or upset.

"Baby, what's wrong? Logan?" I drop the bags and walk over to him, putting my hand on his cheek the way he loved.

He still won't speak. Instead, he holds up his hand, clutched tightly around a piece of paper.

"Oh, no, Logan! Come here!" Realization dawns on me. How could I have let him find out like that? Why didn't I pick up the letter after it fell? I pull him into a tight hug, holding him for a long time. Then I take his hand and lead him to the lumpy sofa, sitting us both down.

"When were you going to tell me?" he asks hoarsely.

"I just got it this morning, Logan, after you'd left. I needed a little time to digest it first."

"And?" he sounds so dejected, I don't have the right words. I don't have any words. So I go over to my bag, pull out the list, and hand it to him.

He takes it silently, but ends up reading parts out loud. "You're right, it is a fabulous chance." "World-renowned, absolutely." "There are a lot more pros than cons on this list, Rory." "Long distance engagement? Does this mean you're saying yes? Does this mean that you're leaving? Does this.."

I cut him off by shoving another piece of paper into his hand.

Marrying Logan PROS

I love him with all my heart.

I want to grow old with him.

I want my children to be his children.

I want to wake up to him every morning for the rest of my life.

He loves me unconditionally.

The fights between Colin and Finn over who gets to be best man will be entertaining.

Marrying Logan CONS

I want to succeed based on what I do, not my name.

His family hates me. Except Honor ;)

California? Is there snow there?

He looks up at me, his warm eyes glistening with tears, his lip trembling. "I need you to say it, Ace."

"Yes, I want to marry you. Of course I do." He picks me up and spins in a circle, as we both smile at my choice of words. "But we have a lot to discuss."

I can see in his face that he knows it's not as simple as it sounds. I keep my arms wrapped around his waist, to steady myself. Touching him keeps me grounded. Okay, well sometimes, touching him sends me into the stratosphere, but this is different. I take a deep breath, and wonder idly how many deep breaths have I taken today.

"Logan, I want to do both. And I think that I can. But I need you on my side. For all of it."

"What do you mean?"

"I want this internship in Prague, I really do. But before I got this letter, I had called the Chronicle and set up a phone interview for tomorrow. Thanks for putting in a good word, by the way. They were really nice."

He opens his mouth, but I gently place my index finger on his lips. I need to get all of this out.

"I also really really want the rest of my life with you. Here's what I've come up with. Let me finish, then you can give your rebuttal. Okay, so we are engaged, but we get married next summer. I go to Prague for 6 months, and it's your turn to support me as I did for you while you were in London. I need to take advantage of this opportunity, and you know it. Without your family jet, it might be harder to arrange visits, but you and me, we can do anything we put our minds to. You get settled in your new job, and in that amazing house you told me about. You don't forget to water the avocado tree. I come back, hopefully to a job in San Francisco, and to a home with a loving fiancé. I marry you, become Rory Huntzberger, and we live happily ever after. Well, what do you say?"

I can see that he's been struggling to keep quiet this whole time, but nothing prepares me for the giggling. The Logan Huntzberger is giggling uncontrollably. Tears are streaming down his face, literally.

However, that's not a valid opinion. I bite my lip, wondering what he'll say. "Two minutes for your rebuttal, Huntzberger."

"Ace, you are one in a million, you know that? You've planned out the entire next year for both of us, and I don't have a single point to refute. You want to follow your dreams, marry me, and have my children. How on earth could I not want any of that?" He kisses me soundly, to the point where I forget my name. Then he whispers, "Rory Huntzberger" and I can feel him grinning like a madman into my neck. Just as I tilt my head for another kiss, he pulls away.

"But of all your points, you forgot something pretty important, Ror."

"My mom, your parents? They'll just have to deal."

"More important that them. C'mon Ace, use that giant brain of yours. And your mother's penchant for knowing where presents are hidden." His smile is ridiculously broad at this point, his dimples mocking me, and my mouth drops, forming a perfect 'O'. I can't believe I forgot about my ring! With all the analyzing and planning, it completely slipped my mind. When he proposed, he did it without a ring. Just holding me as we left our favourite greasy spoon.

I look around the small apartment, skipping over the smelly crafts corner. He wouldn't leave it in the living room where Paris and/or Doyle could find it. I run to the doorway to our room, and cast my eyes everywhere. My gaze alights on my favourite picture of us, our landing after we jumped at the LDB event, framed on my dresser. I look sideways at him, catch his eye, and go directly to the picture. There's a small blue box behind it. Ha! I knew it! I pick it up, and turn again to the doorway to catch his reaction. But he's not there. He's moved to one knee on my so-needs-to-be-vacuumed carpet, and holds out his hand for the box. He takes out the ring. then holds out his hand for mine.

As he slips the ring on my finger, we both smile and whisper, "You jump, I jump, Jack."