Work Text:
Rory Gilmore was looking at the children playing a short distance from where she sat on a park bench. It was a sunny day and, surprisingly, warm, or as warm as it could get in Seattle during autumn. She waved at her son who was going down the slide and earned herself a charming smile from him.
It was always a bittersweet moment for her when he smiled like that, because it reminded her of his father all the time. In her opinion, it was unfair that he looked so much like him. Fate truly played a game on her. Her mom overheard her grandma say to her grandpa once, “Picture a baby with his blond hair and her blue eyes”. Well, her grandma got what she wished for. Riley Gilmore looked just like Logan Huntzberger, only with bright blue eyes.
Logan Huntzberger was her son’s father, but he didn’t know. She would be surprised if he even knew she had a son. Rory never wished for everything to be this way. She wanted to tell Logan about the baby when she found out she was pregnant. However, only days before she decided to tell him the truth, she read in one of HPG’s numerous publications that he was to have a Christmas wedding with his French heiress fiancée, Odette. Rory did not have it in her to ruin his life. Imagine what a big scandal it would have been if people found out just a month before the wedding that Logan was going to have a baby with a woman who was not his fiancée. So, she decided to keep their baby a secret from him. And she ran, she ran away from Stars Hollow and her family, deciding to raise the baby on her own, just like her mother did.
Nevertheless, she didn’t completely cut off her family from her life. There were constant phone calls to her mom, and even her grandma called her a few times. They pleaded for her to come back, but she had made up her mind. She explained her condition to her father and convinced him to lend her some money so she could relocate to a small town in Northern California. She found work in a local newspaper there and continued to write her book in a tidy little apartment that she rented.
She wouldn’t have survived on her writer’s wages alone, but Christopher proved to be very generous, sending her monthly allowances. He insisted that she not pay him back a single cent, which was hard for Rory to accept, so she vowed to pay her dad everything she owed him if she made it big as an author, which he reluctantly agreed to.
So, her pregnancy progressed smoothly, just as well as she made progress on her book. A month before she was due to give birth, her local publisher gave her the good news that her book was ready for printing. Rory felt so accomplished during that time. It was then that she truly realised how strong she was as a person. She could make it in the real world, and raise her baby in the process. Five hundred copies were released during the first printing, but the demand for her book became considerable that two more printings were commissioned within the space of a month. After that, Rory decided to postpone the next printing as she was about to give birth.
Her boy was born on the 4th of July in 2017, a healthy boy who came into this world with a good, strong cry. Present during his birth were his grandparents, Lorelai and Christopher, and Luke and his great-grandmother Emily. Lorelai stayed with Rory after the baby’s birth until her daughter got her bearings as a new mother. At the end of her month-long visit, she begged Rory to come home again, saying that she could by that time, because Logan never suspected anything about the baby.
“How do you know, Mom?” Rory asked.
“Because he would have come barging into the hospital when you went into labor had he known, wouldn’t he?”
“Yeah, maybe you’re right, but I just can’t yet. Thank you, though, for always offering to let me come back home. Maybe in a year or two we will, but right now, this is home for me and the baby.”
Mother and daughter then said goodbye to each other, a little sad that they had to part again, but also contented to know that no matter what the distance between them, their bond and love were as strong as ever.
After her son’s birth, the demand for her book continued to rise, so much so that her original publisher could not keep up with printing all the additional copies. That was how her book got co-published with a bigger company, which also meant that it was now available throughout the entire United States. When it was published nationwide, Gilmore Girls became an overnight sensation. Never in a million years could Rory have imagined that the reception to her book would be so overwhelming. She couldn’t believe how lucky she was. Her baby must be her good luck charm.
When the baby was almost a year old, mother and son started traveling around the country for book signings. Rory, however, avoided television or radio interviews and also kept away from big cities. She had a constant fear of Logan finding out about them, yet, sometimes at night, when her son had gone to sleep, she would wonder whether he got a copy of her book and read it, and perhaps, thought of her, too. She certainly thought about him more since she had their baby; he reminded her of Logan so much.
Because of the success she attained, she was able to pay off what she owed her father in a year. He accepted the money, but told her that he was going to use it to open a trust fund for his grandson. Rory finally accepted defeat during that point. There was no arguing with her father.
After a year of living from city-to-city, writing freelance for minor newspapers and going to her book signings, Rory decided it was time to settle down in one place. She decided on Seattle instead of Stars Hollow, still not ready to go back to the East Coast. Her family accepted her decision, although regretfully. But, on a happier note, they still got to see a lot of her and her son during their constant visits to her new home.
Rory found contentment living in Seattle with her son, but she knew it was too good to last. Imagine her alarm when in the spring of the present year, she read in the very newspaper she wrote some feature articles for that Logan Huntzberger was getting a divorce from his wife of over two years. She never updated herself with what went on in his life, deciding to focus solely on her son. She learned that Logan did not have a child with Odette, which she thought odd, since Mitchum Huntzberger was obsessed with having heirs, particularly of the male persuasion, and would have pressured Logan to have a child at once after his marriage. How ironic that the Huntzbergers did not know that an heir existed in the form of her son, if they would have him.
She tried to keep the article from her mind, saying to herself that it didn’t matter whether Logan was single or not. She didn’t really need him in her life now, she convinced herself. But when she looked at her son, she always felt guilty that she was denying him his father. The boy was now constantly asking about his dad, and Rory did not have the heart to dismiss his questions. She ended up giving him a framed picture of his father to put on his bedside table and told Riley stories about Logan and their time together, and not without fondness. When she told him about the rocket, one of the few keepsakes of Logan that she kept with her, the boy asked reverently whether he can play with it. She couldn’t say ‘no’ to him, and so the rocket became his favourite toy and ended up with Logan’s picture on his bedside table.
One day, around a week after Riley’s third birthday, he asked her when he can meet his father. It broke Rory’s heart. On that same day, she decided it was time to face her past. She was going to tell Logan about their boy.
But how would she inform him of their son? She wasn’t sure. Her mind totally blanked when confronted with this topic. In the end, she made an elaborate plan of making the confession. She was going to do it in writing, in the guise of a book. She decided to write a sequel to Gilmore Girls, this time, focusing on Logan, the boy she could never quit. In it, she would reveal the existence of their son. She was going to send a copy of the story to his London office for his approval. That would be how she was going to tell him. It was so crazy, but that was her plan, and she did not want to entertain others, even simpler ones.
That was how, three months after starting her new book, she found herself sitting on a park bench, editing a chapter of her new story, and watching her son play.
They were taking advantage of the fine weather, Rory proofreading the latest chapter from her new book, a work-in-progress which was proving difficult to write, although she was more than halfway done with it. She was so engrossed with the task at hand and at keeping an eye out for her son that she did not notice someone was watching her. She grabbed her takeaway coffee cup and was surprised it was already empty. She stood up, made sure her son was still on the playground, and walked to the bin to throw her empty cup, her eyes not leaving the page she was reading.
“Stop, look,” someone called out.
“I didn’t know the bin was this close,” Rory muttered to herself as she threw the cup into the trash bin that she almost knocked over, not looking at the speaker. She wasn’t ready to face this blast from her past, in fact, she had a feeling that she would never be ready to face him in whatever scenario after all this time, after everything she concealed from him.
“You’re always so absorbed with anything you read that you fail to notice your surroundings, Ace. How have you been?”
The man gave her a smirk, his hands in his pockets. Her heart went into overdrive, various emotions wreaking havoc with her state of mind. He still called her by the special pet name he christened her with in the early days of their acquaintance. It had been so long since they last saw each other, and she needed to tell him so many things, needed to tell him about their son. She always knew deep down that she would, but not this way. She had her plan, and she had been working on that plan, but it seemed Logan always found a way to thwart her course of action.
They both took a seat on the bench, barely a foot apart. The short distance between them gave Rory butterflies in her stomach.
“As well as I could be, I suppose. How about you, Huntzberger?” she replied casually, trying to hide her anxiety. Why was she so nervous? Was she still in love with him?
“Well, my divorce got finalised two months ago. My dad finally set me free from his dynastic plan. Can you imagine Mitchum Huntzberger admitting defeat?”
“No, I can’t. It must have been a great victory on your part,” she answered, keeping up with their banter.
“The celebrations lasted two weeks, Ace. It was the first time in years that I got a holiday from work. The boys and I went back to Costa Rica, parachutes were involved. Luckily, there was no accident this time.”
“You shouldn’t have, Logan!” she scolded him, still concerned for his well-being.
“Oh, I did! But, I figured that adventure would be the last daring stunt I perform for the LDB. Even Finn didn’t do it with me this time. We’re getting too old for those exploits. I think I only survived because I was sober. You don’t have to worry about me jumping off a cliff anymore or anything of the sort.”
“Well, I’m glad you’ve come to your senses. How are Finn, Colin, and Robert?”
“They’re doing great. Colin’s married now, Robert’s engaged, and Finn, well, you know Finn, he’s still himself, chasing redheads wherever he can find them. It’s been so long since we last saw each other, Ace.”
“Yes, so long, but some things never change, like Finn’s fascination for redheads.”
They laughed as they looked back on their friend’s antics.
“I read your book. Gilmore Girls, I love the title.”
“Really? What did you think of it?” She was curious to know.
“It was outstanding. You portrayed yourself and your mom very well throughout the whole story. It was so interesting and engaging, very relatable to mothers and daughters, I imagine. I’m happy you wrote fondly about me in the book, but I must admit, reading about my rejected proposal to you, then our breakup, broke my heart again into a million pieces.”
“I’m sorry, Logan.” It was all she could say, shocked that he would bring that up. Him being here was dredging up strong feelings that she kept buried inside her subconscious, strong feelings towards him.
“No, don’t be. I was to blame, too. I never should have given that all-or-nothing ultimatum to you. I was a fool. I’m so sorry, Rory. Let’s change the subject now, shall we?” He cleared his throat. “Gilmore Girls was a very good read for me. I bought copies for my colleagues at work, and they loved it. I might have bragged that I knew you well and that I was in it. Congratulations, Ace! I can’t believe you made it to the New York Times’ top 15 nonfiction books!”
“Thanks, Logan. It might have been in a different circumstance, but I still landed in the New York Times, right? I’m so glad this being an author thing worked out. Now, I don’t have to worry about my finances.”
“Rory Gilmore, successful New York Times bestselling author, that sounds about right, Ace. I knew you would make it big, I never doubted it.” He paused, thoughtful, then continued, “Hey, if you ever need anything, international connections in publishing, etc., you know you can come to me, right? I’ll always be here for you.”
“Thanks for the offer, Huntzberger, but you’ll have to get in line. My mom calls me everyday to ask me if I need help with anything. My grandma and my dad have set up trust funds for my son, Riley. Did I mention I have a son?” Her heart beat so fast after this confession that she was afraid he would hear it, too. Was her response too off-topic? He only offered help regarding her work, right? Whatever! The cat’s out of the bag now! She added, “My dad even has a college fund set up for him. My son’s three! Dad goes crazy with these things, ever since he inherited money from his grandfather.”
“Well, your kid is set for life. It’s good to know you don’t have to worry about money. Your dad was always a bit wacky, but his heart is in the right place. Remember, the first time we met, he threatened to clobber me, but the next time, I think he liked me a lot.”
Both of them laughed, remembering how Christopher seemed to like Logan more than Rory did that time they had dinner together.
“What are you doing here in Seattle, business or pleasure?” she asked, continuing the small talk.
“Business, but now that you’re here, I don’t see why it can’t be for pleasure as well.” He couldn’t believe he was being so forward! He noticed her blush, so he continued, “Seriously, I’m here because HPG is going to acquire the Seattle Daily Post. It’s going to involve dull stuff, I won’t bore you with the details, but someone’s got to do the job.”
“The Daily Post, huh? I wrote a few articles for them. Well, you’ve always been a work dork, Logan.”
He laughed, then became quiet afterwards. When he spoke again, he was suddenly serious.
“So, you’ve got a son now, Ace. I’ve known it for a while. I read it in a mother’s day article you wrote in some newspaper a couple of years ago.”
At the mention of her son, Rory automatically looked for him among the children playing, spotting him in the sandbox with his favourite toy. Then she realised, Wait, what? Logan read an obscure article she did for a newspaper in New Mexico when she vacationed there one time. Well, she concluded, he must have a lot of connections since he’s in the newspaper business. Someone could have pointed out the article to him. She could not meet Logan’s eye when she replied to him.
“He means the world to me,” she stated simply.
Logan felt a twinge of pain in his heart. He tried to keep track of her even after they said goodbye for good by looking for articles with her byline from papers all over the US, but she eluded him for almost two years. That article from New Mexico was the first time he had success in finding her whereabouts. It was lucky that most of the papers had websites now, it made the searches easy, although most of the time fruitless. Looking for her articles became an obsession he could not quit. After he heard about her book signings, though, it was easier to keep up with her. She would think he was crazy if she was aware of his pastime. That was the reason why he knew she was in Seattle. He tracked down a couple of freelance articles she wrote in the Seattle Daily Post. He then convinced his father that it would be a good idea to acquire the newspaper. He was crazy. He just really needed to see her again.
“So, he’s one of those kids? You should introduce us.”
Rory panicked. How was she going to tell him the boy was his, too? Come to think of it, she didn’t have to. The boy looked so much like him that all Logan had to do was take a good look and he would know he fathered her son.
“Yeah, in a while, let him play first. It’s been weeks since we’ve seen the sun. It’s constantly cloudy here in Seattle at this time of year, we relish these rare sunny days.”
“Why Seattle of all places? Your mom must miss you so much, it’s so far from Stars Hollow. Does your husband work here?”
He was fishing for information, it was obvious, but he needed to know if she was available. Frankly, he didn’t care that he left subtlety behind. Even though she was a well-known author now, she always managed to keep what was going on in her life away from the public eye, that was why he knew so little about her apart from her having a son and living in Seattle.
Rory became a bit uncomfortable with his line of questioning, but she was thankful that he was the one opening up the subject that would lead to her confession.
“I’m a single mom, Logan, there never was a husband in the picture. It’s just me and Riley.”
“Riley,” he repeated offhandedly, hiding his happiness at finding out she was unmarried. “Does he get along well with your boyfriend? You really should make sure he does, your boy should come first.”
“I don’t have a boyfriend, Logan,” she told him, shaking her head, a small smile appearing on her lips.
“That’s brilliant, Rory,” he replied, unable to stop himself from smiling. He looked in the direction of the children. “Which one is he?”
“The one in the sandbox, with the lion hat. He’s been wearing that hat since we bought it four days ago, he rarely takes it off,” she answered with a steady voice, not betraying that her heart skipped a beat when Logan seemed excited when she said she was single.
Riley had his back to them, blocking Logan’s view of his face.
“He looks like a strapping young lad, from what I can see of him.”
“He is, and he has the sweetest temperament, although he does have his moments of mischief,” she said fondly of their son.
“Is the father involved in his life?” There he was again with his prying questions. He just couldn’t help himself.
“No, Riley hasn’t met his father yet. I gave him a picture of his dad when he started asking for him. He keeps it on his bedside table and kisses it before he goes to bed each night. I tell him stories about his father all the time. He loves him already and can’t wait to meet him someday.” Rory lowered her head, fearing Logan would become furious at her once she reveals the truth. “I have recorded hours and hours of Riley’s life on camera to show to his father someday, so that he won’t feel that he completely missed out on his son’s life. I hope he can forgive me for not telling him about the baby at once. I had my reasons, though, with hindsight, I’m not sure if I made the right decision.” She couldn’t believe she was saying all this now, but it was the truth. Maybe she should have told Logan about her pregnancy the way she intended to from the start. She was becoming more confused by the minute.
“I’m positive he’ll understand. You should introduce them soon. It’s the right thing to do. He will want to get to know his son,” he said, an overwhelming sadness in his heart. The father must be Paul, he thought, the boyfriend she kept forgetting about. Well, she could not forget him now even if she tried her hardest, how ironic.
There was another man in Rory’s life that she would always be reminded of because of their son. That man would always have a place in her heart. Logan was selfish. Even after four years, even after his marriage to Odette, he wanted to be the only man for Rory. He resolved he would try his best to win her back, and not only that, but he also wanted to get to know her son, and, maybe if all goes according to plan, he could be a father-figure to him, too.
Rory was at a loss for words. She didn’t know how to start telling Logan that Riley was his son. She noticed his silence and counted to ten, then took a deep breath. She was determined to tell him right this instant. She only hoped he wouldn’t be too angry at her.
“Will you go out to dinner with me?” he asked.
“Logan, I have to tell you something,” she said at the same time.
“You first,” he said graciously, a little embarrassed about asking her out without preamble.
“Mommy, who is that man you’re talking to?” a small voice cried out, interrupting them.
Logan turned to look at the boy. He was dumbfounded. For a few seconds, he couldn’t breathe. He looked as if he had seen a ghost. He was staring at a much younger version of himself, only with vivid blue eyes instead of brown. The boy must have felt the solemnity of the situation because he handed Rory his favourite toy, a rocket that Logan recognised was the one he gave her ages ago, and he removed his lion hat. Logan saw a shock of silvery-blond hair much like he had when he was younger. He looked at Rory in amazement, his eyes questioning her silently. She gave him a small guilty smile and a shrug, words escaping her. She was beginning to get teary-eyed.
“Daddy?” the boy asked, fascinated by the man before him. “Are you my daddy?”
“Yes, son, I am,” Logan responded instantly, not a doubt in his mind. He was feeling a lot of emotions, but happiness outweighed all the others. He opened his arms and his son rushed into them. He never thought he could love someone so much, seeing them for the first time. “I’m here now, I’m not ever leaving you. I love you.” Tears were falling unchecked from his eyes as he hugged his son tightly.
“I love you, too, Daddy. I’m so happy to see you.”
Logan looked at Rory again, the fleeting anger he felt at her dissipating completely when he saw her crying tears of joy at seeing him with their son for the first time. All that remained inside him were feelings of happiness and love. He pulled his son to sit on his lap, the boy smiling widely at him. He was astonished that Riley even had his smirk. The boy truly looked so much like him, the resemblance between them was uncanny.
“His full name is Richard Logan Gilmore, Riley for short. He’s three years old, his birthday is on the 4th of July. He looks just like his daddy, but he has his mommy’s blue eyes,” she said, choking back her tears. “I guess you’re going to take back that dinner invitation now, what with this bombshell that I just dropped. I’m sorry, Logan, for keeping this from you for so long. I hope you can forgive me—”
Logan shook his head. “There is nothing to forgive. He’s perfect, Ace,” he said, kissing his son. “Dinner sounds great. Will you have dinner with me, for the rest of our lives?”
Rory was astounded by his declaration and could only nod happily. She loved him, it was that simple. If she were to be honest with herself, she never really stopped loving him. He was the boy she could never quit.
Logan closed the distance between them and kissed her passionately, pouring out all the love he felt for her in that single kiss. After a few seconds, they were interrupted with giggles. They ended the kiss to look at their son.
“Are you happy, Riley? You finally met your daddy.”
“I am, Mommy, I’m so happy. He said he’s staying with us!”
“I am, son.” He smiled at the boy. To Rory, he said, “I love you, Ace.”
“I love you, too, Huntzberger,” she replied, a small laugh escaping her lips, her eyes glistening again with unshed tears. She could not believe what just happened.
“Well, you’re going to love two Huntzberger boys, Ace, if I have my way. Richard Logan Gilmore-Huntzberger, I like how it sounds,” he told her, giving her a sly smile, then a tender kiss.
She smiled into their kiss. When they parted, she said, “Logan, have mercy on your son! Don’t tell me you’re thinking about hyphenating our family names! He’ll have a hard time writing his name for the rest of his life.” Rory laughed.
“What are you saying, Ace?” Logan asked, hopeful.
“Well, if you ask nicely, maybe I might consider changing his family name to Huntzberger, just Huntzberger.”
“Really?”
“Really.” He looked so happy and gave her his most winning smile that she added, “Fine! He can be Richard Logan Huntzberger.”
“Thank you so much, Ace. You’re too kind.” He added cunningly, “Maybe, someday in the future, he won’t be the only one needing the name change.” He raised his eyebrows at her.
“Don’t push your luck, Huntzberger,” she said, looking affronted, but really overjoyed deep inside.
“It’s your call, Ace.” He was grinning from ear-to-ear.
They both knew that Rory was going to be Mrs. Huntzberger in the very near future.
“What are you talking about, Mommy, Daddy?” piped up Riley, who was sandwiched between them.
“We’ll tell you later, sweetie. For now, let’s get going, it looks about to drizzle,” Rory observed, looking up at the heavens. “Got your rocket? I have your hat in my handbag, don’t worry. Say goodbye to the sun, Riley.” To Logan, she said, “Our apartment is only two blocks from here. Will you join us for milk and cookies, and some home movies?”
“Of course, I’d love to! Let’s take my car, I’m parked over there.”
The family walked happily towards the car, Logan carrying their son with one arm and wrapping the other around Rory’s waist. She also had an arm around his waist because everything felt just like before; they could not stop touching each other. He gave her a peck on the lips from time to time and she would smile affectionately at him. They needed to catch up with each other, the three of them, and fortunately, they had their whole lives for that.