Several hours later, Rory had passed the stage of being hurt.  She was fuming mad.  Thoughts of bridesmaids, Claudia, and Logan-the-Playboy kept running through her mind.  She practiced what she would say to him the whole flight to California.  She planned to really lay into him.  All that while he needed time to trust her, to make sure she was really invested in this relationship and wouldn't run again, felt like a joke.  She felt like a fool for trying so hard to prove her dedication to him.  In her enraged state, she was convinced Logan was still involved with Claudia.

Muttering a thank you to the flight attendant, she stepped off Hep Alien's jet and walked directly to a car that was waiting for her.  She made a mental note to thank Lane.  At Rory's outburst,  Lane had immediately begun making phone calls and arrangements for Rory.  She even told Rory not to worry, that she would stop and talk to Lorelai in person on her way home.  She promised not to tell Lorelai any of the events, just that Rory was heading to California to see Logan.  Lane said she would give Lorelai the impression that Rory just wanted to surprise visit him, which was sort of the truth.   Rory sighed, grateful to have Lane on her side.

The drive to the Palo Alto house seemed to take days.  Rory didn't see any of the scenery this time.  Her eyes were focused on the road ahead of them.  Normally she would make idle chat with a driver.  On this trip, she was silent.  Luckily, the driver seemed to sense her need for quiet.  After a couple attempts at conversation, he lapsed into his own silence and simply drove.  After checking with Rory, he had switched on a local news program.  Rory didn't care and barely heard the conversation coming from the speakers.

Finally the car pulled up to the house.  Rory tipped the driver very well and thanked him.  She didn't have any luggage, so she just waved him on his way.

Rory couldn't tell if Logan was home.  His car wasn't out front.  But he could have parked in the garage as he sometimes did.  During their stay at the house months ago, Logan had made her keys to all the doors and the garage.  She pulled out her key ring and inserted the proper key in the lock.  She refrained from immediately beginning her tirade when she heard Logan was on the phone.  She quietly closed the door and stood listening.

"That's great, Claud!  I knew they would love you.  You deserve the job!"... "Yes, I really do think you'll do great!"...  "Oh, no.  What do you mean?  How did you miss the plane?"...Logan laughed..."You have to watch yourself.  You know two is your limit!"...  "Yes, yes, I'll make due without you.  It would have been better if you were here, but I will manage,"...  "Ok, yeah, I'll call you later.  Bye."

Rory stood by the door.  That confirmed it.  Claudia was supposed to come out to California and meet up with Logan!

She crept into the living room to see Logan sitting on the couch with his feet propped on the coffee table.  His lap top was on his lap and seemed to have his full attention.  He didn't notice Rory.  She stomped one foot down hard and yelled, "Just what the hell do you think you are doing, Huntzberger?"

Logan jumped and nearly dropped the computer.  He blinked at Rory and said, "Ace? What are you doing here?"

"Don't you ACE me!  Who were you expecting? CLAUD?"  Rory screamed at him.

"What?  Claud?"  Logan stammered.

"Don't play dumb with me!  I know there is talking! And there is an arm around her with the talking!"  Rory spit out at him.  "What I don't know is when all this talking is taking place since you told me you hadn't seen or spoken to Claud in a while,"  Rory glared at him.

Logan set the computer aside and stood.  He took a couple hesitant steps toward Rory.  She held up a hand and warned him not to come any closer.

"Rory, slow down.  I can explain all this,"  Logan said nervous of Rory's angry responses.

"Oh, I am just sure you can!  You always have an explanation!  I JUST talked to Claudia, Logan!  She said she talked to you THIS MORNING!"  Rory screamed. 

"Yes, I did talk to her this morning," Logan said calmly.  "When I told you I hadn't talked to her in a while, I hadn't talked to her in a week or so.  I know I gave you the impression it had been longer.  I'm sorry, but I had reasons.  And she called me this morning on my way to the airport."

"Reasons?  You have your reasons?  What are those reasons, Logan?  So she could keep you company here while I was back in Stars Hollow?  Did you want me to think you had nothing to do with her so I didn't suspect anything?"  Rory demanded.

"No!  Of course not!"  Logan said frustrated. 

"So, that wasn't her on the phone?  You won't 'make due' without her?"  Rory said with tears in her eyes.  "What the hell, Logan?"

"This is what I get for marrying a damn reporter," Logan mumbled as he walked out of the room and toward the bedroom.

"Are you walking away from me?  Logan!  Are you really walking out in the middle of this discussion?"  Rory asked in disbelief as she followed him down the hall peppering him with questions.

When she walked into the bedroom, she found Logan throwing his suitcase on the bed.  She stared at him, "Going somewhere?"

He glanced at her before yanking the zipper of the case open.  He pulled the flap wide and dug inside the inside pouch of the suitcase.  His hand grabbed something and he turned towards Rory.

Rory looked at him with confused anger.  She waited for him to speak and explain all this.

Instead, Logan dropped to a knee.  He opened his hand to reveal a small jewelry box.  He opened it for Rory and said, "Will you marry me again?"

Rory stared at the large emerald cut diamond flanked by two rectangular diamond baguettes on either side of the main stone.  She could only a manage a quiet, "What?"

Logan's face broke into a slight smile.  He rose to his feet and took Rory's hand.  He led her to the bed where they both sat on the edge.  He offered Rory the ring again.  Rory took the ring out of his hand and examined it.  It was stunning and obviously very expensive.  She turned it completely around looking at every detail.  The inside of the band caught her eye.  It was engraved with the words, "I'll jump with you every time, Ace".  Her breath caught in her throat and her gaze rose to meet his.

"Rather than fight with you in the living room, I wanted to show you,"  he said holding her hand.  "Do you remember the night Claudia showed up here with all the gifts for you?"

"Yes, of course," Rory said quietly.

"Remember how she gave me a ration of crap over your ring and how you deserved much nicer?" Logan asked.  At Rory's nod, he said, "She ended up calling me later the day she left saying she set up an appointment with the most exclusive jeweler here.  I stopped in before I went to work that day."  He paused and looked sheepish, "Rory, I had no idea what I was looking for or what to buy.  I would have called Honor, but she was all the way back home.  Claudia has great taste and knows this stuff.  I called her from the jeweler panicking.  She met me there."

"So she helped pick out the ring?  That's why you have been talking to her?"  Rory asked.

"Well, not just pick out, but yes,"  Logan said.  At Rory's confused look, he said, "I didn't know your size.  She made me go through your jewelry box with this weird stick measuring thing and report back the size.  But I did it on an old ring.  You made a comment that ring is too small now.  So I had to do it again with one I saw you wear."

"You had it sized twice?"  Rory asked.

"No.  Claudia did,"  Logan said.  "And then there was the engraving.  She insisted it would be more meaningful if it was engraved.  And she wouldn't let them just put 'I love you' or something like that.  She made me really think of something special,"  Logan said.  "I am kind of glad she insisted on that.  I kind of like this."

"Alright, so maybe she isn't the evil husband stealer I pegged her for.  But why was she coming here?"  Rory asked.

"She was coming here to meet her new boyfriend for the weekend.  He's a Hollywood director.  She seems quite taken with him,"  Logan smiled.  Then he said, "I asked if she could go with me to possibly have the diamond baguettes switched with blue sapphires. She suggested it a while ago when I picked the engraving quote.  After thinking about it, I really liked the idea. I love you in blue.  And it would match the engraving.  You were wearing that blue trimmed dress when you said, 'You jump, I jump, Jack'.  She told me they could show me what it would look like."

"Wow...so, I flew across country to ruin a really good surprise?"  Rory asked with a laugh.

"Yup.  You did,"  Logan laughed.  "I never want to get rid of these rings we have now from our Vegas wedding, but after seeing other ones, I had to agree with Claudia.  You deserve something spectacular and special, not something we picked out discount in minutes."  He grinned and said, "Plus, I think we got scammed.  These things are pretty cheap.  Look at this."  He took off his ring and showed her.  It was not circular anymore.  Now it was more of a bumpy oval with one flat side.  "I didn't tell you it got tangled in Dancer's tutu.  It really took a beating."

Rory laughed and slipped off her own ring to show him the odd shape of hers.  She said, "Yeah, mine hasn't held up great either."  She rubbed her finger and said, "It kind of itches sometimes too."

"Oh man, I thought that was only me!"  Logan said rubbing his ring finger. "I was thinking we can get a really nice, framed photo at this upcoming wedding and maybe have these rings set into the frame.  That would give them the permanent respect they deserve, but save our fingers."

"I love that idea,"  Rory said smiling at him.  Then her gaze lowered and she said softly, "I'm sorry I doubted you again."

"Ace, I wasn't mad last time and I am not mad this time.  I don't blame you.  I gave you reason.  I am kind of happy you rushed out here, even though up until a few minutes ago it was to kill me," Logan said with a smile.

"I don't think I would have killed you.  If you remember, I was arrested once.  I did not care for being a cell, don't really want to repeat that," Rory quipped. "But I will admit to being pretty angry."

"Yes, I got that impression with the 'Just what the hell do you think your doing, Huntzberger?'" Logan laughed.  "Still angry?"

Rory was still holding the new ring.  She kept reading the inscription.  She looked up at him and said, "No, not angry anymore.  Feeling pretty lucky now."

"Good.  Me too," he said kissing her.  "Are you hungry?  If you want to change, I know a great restaurant we can go to."

Rory laughed, "Change?  I have nothing to change into!  I didn't even bring a clean pair of underwear!"

"Hmmm...guess we'll have to think of something to do that doesn't involve underwear then..." he said with his trademark grin.  He gently pushed her back on the bed and covered her body with his own.  He kissed her deeply and gruffly said, "I think I have a few ideas."

A/N-- I am updating a day early this week.  I will be preoccupied with family holiday things tomorrow and wanted to make sure I got this up.  Hope you all like Logan's explanation of things!