The next morning, after Logan discreetly left Rory's hotel room, Rory met the crew in the lobby.  Everyone was waiting to see if she needed their assistance before they went to tour Nashville.  Rory accepted the notes and photos the others had dug up for her the night before.  Then she made everyone very happy when she said she would be fine on her own.  Even Peggy seemed relieved Rory wouldn't need help.  Rory was glad everyone seemed preoccupied.  She was concerned with someone seeing her with Logan, but she also really wanted to use his assets.

So when the group took off for their adventures of the day, Rory headed over to Logan's hotel to make use of his resources.  Logan met her outside the hotel as they had planned.  As they walked into the lobby towards the conference room dedicated to HPC, Rory looked around in amazement.  "This is certainly a bit more upscale than my hotel," she commented as she looked at the marble floor and gleaming chandeliers. 

"This is one of Finn's family hotels,"  Logan told her.

"Really?  I knew his family had a bunch of hotels, but...wow.  I miss him.  Did I tell you Peggy and I  were thinking of trying to get the gang together when we are in New York?"  Rory asked. 

"Let me make some calls.  We can definitely get everyone together.  We can have a reunion,"  Logan said as they walked into HPC headquarters.  It was a large room converted into a makeshift newsroom.  It was fully equipped with anything and everything Rory would need. 

She looked around like a kid in a candy store and said, "I don't believe this.  You guys set this all up everywhere?"

Logan just shrugged.  "Use whatever you like.  Do you want me to leave you alone?  Or do you want company in here?  I have some work to do.  I could use a desk across the room and not be in your way."

"Yes, please, stay.  It will be like the rare old times that you came into the Yale newsroom,"  Rory said.   He laughed and kissed her.  Then he went to the other side of the room to answer emails.

A couple hours later, they were both engrossed in their work when the door opened.

Mitchum Huntzberger walked in.

He looked around the room, saw Logan, then focused on Rory.  "Well, hello Rory.  Are you on our payroll now?"

"Mitchum, hello, nice to see you.  No, I am not working for you.  Logan was just nice enough to allow me to use your office here for a little while today,"  Rory said carefully.

"Dad, what are you doing here?" Logan asked as he crossed the room.

"I decided to fly in, catch this debate, see how everything is going firsthand.  I'm not checking up on you, don't get all bent out of shape.  I am taking things much easier nowadays.  I just miss it.  I wanted to get in on some of the action, then I'll be gone again," Mitchum said.

Rory was very quiet.  She really didn't know what to expect.  She knew Mitchum had mellowed  after the heart attack.  But she also still vividly remember the hot headed, blunt man she had interned for years ago.

"So, Rory, what are you working on?  I hear you are working with Hugo Grey.  He's got a cute little operation going, not too bad.  You had a nice article a little while ago for him, didn't you?"  Mitchum said. 

"Yes, thank you.  That piece was well received.  I am actually working on a story from an interview I had yesterday with Jill Biden,"  Rory said.

"Really?  How'd you manage that?  She doesn't give many interviews,"  Mitchum said impressed.

Rory once again told the story of the impromptu interview and how she smoothed over Peggy's attack.

"Nicely done. So, it turns out I was right!  I love it when that happens.  Lucky for me, it happened quite often in my career,"  Mitchum said winking in his usual pompous manner.

"I'm sorry, sir.  I am not sure what you mean,"  Rory said.

"Back when you interned for me, I told you that you didn't have the killer instincts," Mitchum said.

"Dad! That's enough.  Didn't you just hear her?  She got the interview!  You were wrong.  Now, you and I should go get coffee or something and let Rory work,"  Logan jumped in.

"Calm down, Logan.  It wasn't an insult.  I said Rory didn't have the killer, go get 'em instincts.  She wouldn't chase after Biden like her friend did. But I never said she wasn't talented and an exceptional writer.  In fact, I believe I said she had an uncanny ability to read people's needs and predict them.  Those are rare qualities in this business.  Obviously she found a way to use them,"  Mitchum explained.

Rory swallowed and said, "If I didn't know any better, I would say that was almost a compliment."

"Yeah it was," Mitchum said simply. Then he turned to Logan.  "Now, Logan, what are you doing to get this story for HPC?"  Mitchum asked.

Logan looked mad again, "Nothing!  It is Rory's story.  I am just letting her use some equipment and look up some facts."

"Shortsighted, son. This isn't a huge story, news-wise.  But it is a good interest piece to be released a perfect time.  It will get a lot of air time once everyone else picks it up.  Hugo doesn't have the power to promote this or make it big.  We do.  We should be able to make it worth everyone's while to come to an agreement on this."

Logan got a thoughtful expression and turned to Rory, "He's right.  How do you think Hugo would feel about letting HPC in on this? Maybe a temporary partnership or something?"

"Still thinking too small, son.  Small papers are going under every day.  No one is surviving in this economy.  HPC should buy him.  Oh, we'll let him run it and pretty much keep it like it is, but it will be a subsidiary of us, with all our perks and potential.  It will be his own paper under a safety net.  And we get all his talent," he said glancing at Rory.  "Think of all the papers we saved and brought into the big time.  Rory?  Remember the Stamford Eagle Gazette?  That's exactly what we would do here.  Get the man in here.  Let's talk,"  Mitchum demanded.