Ready for Anything?

Chapter 21

Finn's POV

Rory walked me out to my car after our morning together. I was grateful that we'd gotten the opportunity to try to get on the same page for our plan going forward with things. Now I needed to head to Colin's to talk with him before driving back to Boston.

"Thank you again for coming here, Finn, and for...well, for being here. I feel a lot better knowing that you're in this with me," Rory said quietly as we were standing at my car.

"Of course, love. Like I said, I'm just sorry that it took me so long to get myself together, but you won't have to worry about that again. I'd better head off to Colin's, but I'll talk with you this week, and then I'll see you for your appointment a week from Monday if not before. Maybe we could have dinner after the appointment?" I asked.

"Yeah, that would be really nice. It would be nice to get to spend time with you after I see the doctor," she answered with a smile.

"Well, perhaps we'll make it a standing date after all of your appointments then?" I asked hopefully. It would be wonderful to get to spend some time with her other than during appointments, and I needed to do everything possible to show her that I could be trusted.

"I would like that," she replied quietly.

"Good. I'll talk to you soon, kitten, yeah?" I asked as I got in my car.

"Yeah. Call me to let me know you got home okay?"

"Of course. I'll talk to you tonight. Bye, Ror," I replied, pulling her in for a hug.

"Bye, Finn." She whispered, hugging me back. I didn't want to let her go, but I knew if I didn't, I never would.

"Take care of you both, and we'll talk soon, okay?" I asked, pulling away and getting into my car.

She nodded and just waved slightly as I backed out of the driveway, before she turned to head back into the house.

* * *

I pulled up in front of Colin and Stephanie's house and took a moment to pull myself together. Despite our close friendship, this conversation wasn't going to be easy, but I needed someone I could talk to, and I knew Colin wouldn't let me continue dodging him. After gathering my wits I finally got out of my car and walked to the front door. Just as I raised my hand to ring the bell, Colin opened the door with a serious look on his face. I'd seen that look many times - that look meant that he was in no mood to shoot the breeze; he wanted answers.

"What, were you standing at the window watching for me, Mate?" I asked with a chuckle, trying to interject some humor in the situation.

"Come in, Finn. I suspect we have a lot to talk about," Colin said firmly.

We walked into his living room and he made us each a scotch before he joined me in sitting down.

"Before we talk... where's your lovely wife? This sort of needs to be between just you and I for now..." I said.

"Steph's out having a girls night with some of the wives from my office... Finn, do I even want to know where you've been the last two weeks? Let me guess...off with your harem? In the hospital for alcohol poisoning...? What was it this time?"

"Nah, Colin. It's nothing quite like that," I assured him.

"So then it's nothing serious?" he asked.

"No, it actually is quite serious, but nothing like what you mentioned," I answered evasively.

"What exactly is that supposed to mean, man?" he asked, frustration evident in his voice.

"Look, there are several things that I need to tell you, but first I need your assurances that nothing I tell you goes beyond you and me, not even with Stephanie. I'll explain why later, although I think it will be pretty bloody obvious," I began explaining.

"Shit, you're serious, aren't you? Alright, you have my attention, and I won't breathe a word of it to anyone - Steph included," he assured me.

I rubbed my hands over my face and sighed.

"There's no easy way to tell you this, Mate. About a month before New Hampshire, Rory and I spent one night together. I don't want to go into details of how or why it happened right now out of respect for her, but I will say that what happened between us wasn't planned."

I saw Colin begin to open his mouth to speak and held up my hand to quiet him.

"Just...let me get this all out, okay? Then you can have your turn. You know how I feel about her - I'm crazy about that woman. When she started calling me before the wedding I stupidly assumed that she was calling to tell me that it was a mistake and to ask for my help in getting Logan back, but I couldn't have been more wrong. That day she showed up in my office and told me that she was pregnant and I assumed it was Logan's? It wasn't, or isn't. The baby is mine - Rory and I are expecting. She's almost thirteen weeks along," I finished, and I nodded to him when he raised his eyebrow at me.

"So you've been with her the last two weeks?" he asked.

"No, I haven't," I admitted reluctantly. "I called and told Logan about the pregnancy, still thinking it was his, and he called me back after he talked to her and told me that the baby belonged to some guy she was with a month prior to our last hurrah in New Hampshire. Things finally clicked in my head and I...I kind of dropped off the face of the earth. I was so upset with myself for the way I had treated Rory and I was really hurting over wanting to be with her so badly but not being able to. I basically spent two weeks drinking and avoiding reality."

"Wow," Colin whispered in response. "So you and Rory haven't talked?"

"No, we have talked. I showed up in Stars Hollow last night, and she and I got some things out in the open. I apologized for the way I handled things, and we spent some time together. I let her know that I'm going to be here for her and our baby all the way."

"You're going to be a dad," Colin said, realization dawning on him.

"I am, mate. And we'll tell the gang that we're expecting, but I don't want it to get back to Logan quite yet; I feel like I owe it to him to have a conversation in person."

"He's going to be upset. You know that, right? No matter that he's married and putting everything into his relationship with Odette, he's going to be pissed that you slept with Rory," Colin told me seriously.

I took a deep breath and nodded understandingly. "I know, mate. And part of me feels absolutely awful for what I did. Believe it or not, I actually tried really hard to make sure something like that never happened - but I slipped up. We both had a moment of weakness, and I can't honestly say I regret that one bit. No, it may not be ideal, but I do love her, Mate" I whispered.

Colin nodded and refilled our glasses. "Yes, but be that as it may, Finn, he's still going to kick your ass" he said before taking a drink.