Tea Parties in Boston

58 - Going in circles

AN: 1) I forgot to add to last chapter's notes that if you haven't checked out Cameron Bender's (a.k.a Tucker) pictures on IMDB. please do - he's quite handsome. 2) I know in this story I haven't done this much and I don't plan on doing it a lot more - but I will use some of the s7 and AYITL dialogue in this chapter. 3) And as you go into this chapter just keep in mind that I won't dwell on the dark stuff for very long, I promise (couple of chapters max).

Chapter 58

February 6th, 2016, Belgravia, London

"I'll see you at 8," Logan said, after kissing Rory goodbye, getting ready to leave his apartment, leaving Rory rummaging through her boxes that were neatly stocked at the back of his closet by the maid.

He was reluctant to say that, leaving yet another 'Vegas' discussion untouched, despite desperately having wanted to. That discussion had followed the 'other girl stuff' discussion, Rory barely daring to say the phrase out loud. He'd hated that too. But dinner at 8 sounded optimistic, neutral at the very least - it was what he had. It was all that Rory wanted. She'd made that very clear just seconds ago by repeating that mantra of hers.

Before he walked out, however, he noticed Rory's phone vibrating. Rory was free to use his computer just as he was to glance down at her phone whenever - they trusted each-other enough to know they had no bad intentions and they both knew better than to go snooping for things that would be uncomfortable to take in. Or maybe things like that didn't really hurt her? He would've believed that had she not minutes ago asked if he had other girl's things in his closet as if not wanting to encounter any. She hadn't even heard out his explanation on the topic - how he cared about her enough not to do that to her.

"Your phone," Logan said, picking it up just to hand it over to her to save her a few steps.

"What's it say?" Rory asked from the closet.

"Paul dinner. Don't forget!" Logan read out in a skeptical tone. Apparently he'd stumbled on a mine himself.

"Oh crap," Rory muttered, making her way to her phone hastily.

"That's a lot of exclamation points," Logan commented, there definitely being questions hidden inside that comment. Had she forgotten before? Was whatever that relationship was to her in trouble that she was afraid of upsetting him by postponing again? Clearly she had forgotten it, as her reaction confirmed. This whole train of thought was giving Logan the one thing he didn't want to have - hope - because he knew that the way down from having hope was emotionally rather rough when it concerned her.

"I forgot," Rory confirmed.

"It was all the excitement about my pants, right?" Logan tried to resort to his usual jokes, having joked around earlier about the highlight of his day being getting his drycleaning, including his favorite pair of pants.

"But... Go. Vegas," Rory instructed him, sounding very much to the point, dismissing his attempt. Attempt of what? To talk?

"Yes. Vegas," Logan exhaled dissapointedly, and walked downstairs, unable to unhear her mutter under her breath - "I've got to break up with this guy," giving Logan exactly what he'd feared - hope.

December 21st, 2022

"I sense that you speak with a certain urgency. Like you're in a hurry to move on from the memory of your late wife, to build a family with the mother of your child and, of course, your child. Move in, maybe even get married...," Logan's therapist reflected his words after Logan had spoken with frustration in his tone about being so sick of dwelling on his issues and how nothing he did seemed to help. He'd explained the grasp at straws of the idea he'd had concerning the embryos, he'd talked about donating money - how none of it seemed to make any difference. He'd even talked about how he regretted telling Rory about it, thinking it was causing her hesitance. He'd talked about how he felt even guilty about maybe wanting another kid, not feeling like he had any right to suggest that to Rory or put Em through something like that that could potentially affect her negatively - like she wasn't enough for him.