Thea was honestly not surprised when Sherry took off for Paris, because she put her life on hold for two years and decided to take it.

Thea honestly wasn't surprised, because Christopher was never around for Sherry because he was always busy working.

Deadbeats were always going to be deadbeats.

Thea was sure that she would've split on Christopher too, although she would've taken Gigi with her.

At least, that's what Francine told her, when she explained the situation.

Sookie was also pregnant, which was a good thing, although Jackson declared that it's his turn to name this one, since Sookie and Sage named Cory.

Sage wasn't sure how to feel about it, but he was glad that Cory wasn't going to be raised as an only child, but the age difference was going to be really weird for him.

While Rory was doing a piece on the party culture of college, Anthony told her that a piece about illegally downloading music was boring, Rory ran into a woman wearing a gorilla mask, which led her to the Life and Death Brigade, some secret society. Rory got Logan to agree to take her and Thea on as pledges.

At least, that's what Rory recounted to her while they stood in the hallway wearing blindfolds.

Thea wanted no part of the secret society/club thing, but Rory didn't want to put up with Logan alone, which was she was also wearing a blindfold and being forced into this thing with Rory.

"Hey, Ace, Heart, are you both ready?" asked Logan.

Thea was sure that Ace went for Rory, because Ace Reporter and all, but what the hell was up with 'Heart?' that was a gross nickname.

"No," Thea replied.

"Well," started Rory.

Logan pulled Thea along, supposedly leading Rory too, towards somewhere.

They were stopped somewhere, and it sounded like Logan opened the door to a van or SUV.

"You in first, Heart," Logan told Thea, pushing her to get in the SUV, "Watch your head."

"Don't call me that," Thea replied, trying to hit Logan with her crossbody bag.

"Ow!" replied Rory.

"Sorry," Thea said, getting in the SUV. 

She had to keep a hold of her skirt, to avoid flashing anyone her underwear.

She sat against the door and judging from her getting hit with a purse, Rory was in the middle.

"Hit it!" said Logan, closing the door.

Thea was putting the seatbelt on.

"Ah! Not so loud!" said Finn.

Thea almost groaned because really?

"You're very auditorily sensitive today," a girl said.

"Oh, and your voice helps," Finn replied.

"Are the blindfolds secure?" asked Colin.

"As secure as Finn's fake accent," Thea retorted.

"My accent's not fake," Finn said, sounding offended.

"And great job on the blindfolds, Logan," Colin said.

"We recognized your voices, Colin," Rory said.

"Could everyone keep it down, please?" asked Finn.

"Can we remove the blindfolds now?" asked Rory.

"We're also hiding our destination," Logan said.

"We had to leave at this ungodly hour," Finn replied.

"It's four in the afternoon," Rory pointed out.

"He's got a thing about the sun," Logan said.

"It's too bright," Finn replied.

"Irish people do love their drinking," Thea replied.

"I'll have you know, I'm Australian," Finn said.

"Didn't ask," Thea replied.

"So how come you're not wearing your gorilla masks?" asked Rory.

"They can see," Colin replied.

"I can tell because your voices aren't muffled," Rory replied.

"She's sharp," the woman said.

"Who's the girl?" asked Rory.

"I've been told we've met," the girl said. "I've no memory of it."

"Oh, Gorilla Girl," Rory replied.

"Oh, well, isn't that a pretty nickname," the woman said.

"Then what is your name, so she won't refer to you as that?" asked Thea.

"Stephanie," the woman replied.

"Oh, by way, this thing's overnight," Logan said.

"Overnight?" asked Rory.

"Didn't I mention that before?" asked Logan.

Thea muttered, "The sun may be bright, but you're clearly not."

Stephanie laughed, "I like you. You're hilariously mean."

"Must've slipped your mind," Rory added.

"That doesn't screw up anything for you both, does it?" asked Logan.

Thea said, "Yes."

"No," said Rory, speaking at the same time as Thea.

"Yes and no?" asked Logan.

"Nope," replied Rory.

"Yes," Thea replied.

"What were you plans?" asked Logan.

"Getting laid," Thea said.

"Still loose schedule," Logan said. "Good."

"We like our schedules loose, like our women," Finn said.

"Clever," Colin said.

"With your stunning personalities, it's hard to imagine why you're single," Thea retorted.

Stephanie laughed.

"My god, it's early," Finn said.

The SUV parked and the doors opened.

"This mountain air has revivified me," yelled Finn.

"Make sure he doesn't run off a cliff," Logan said.

"Stephanie, it's your turn," Colin said.

"Finn! You slow down!" yelled Stephanie, presumably running after Finn.

Logan asked, "You both okay?"

"I smell trees," Rory said.

"The hungover Irish vampire said 'the mountain air'," Thea said.

"Australian," Logan corrected.

"I didn't ask," Thea replied.

"Here, hold this lantern," Logan said, handing a lantern to Thea, then taking her arm, so he can lead them to wherever they're supposed to be.

"So, the firing squad is just up ahead?" asked Rory.

"Yup, and there's a line. Damn," Logan said.

"Seriously, Logan, is the blindfold coming off, or am I and Thea Patty Hearst-ing it the whole trip?" asked Rory.

"I'd prefer to be Elowen, because at least it's not a kidnapping," Thea said.

"It's coming off," Logan said. "It's coming off right now." He pulled the blindfolds off.

There was a camp full of white tents, candles and lanterns, and turn-of-the-century furniture.

"Oh, my," Rory said.

"Damn," was all Thea could say.

Logan led them to somewhere, "Is this what you expected?"

"No, not at all what I expected," Rory said.

"Not really," Thea said.

Logan said, "Let me guess what you were thinking: sleeping bag, flashlights, keg, three boxes of stale Triscuits, half eaten bag of Oreos, some Doritos, and a bong."

"That may be exactly what I pictured," Rory said.

"Not really," Thea said.

"You can apologize later," Logan said. He opened a tent, "This is for you two."

"Ours?" asked Rory.

"Not much closet space, but the view's decent," Logan said.

"It's cozy," Rory said, as she walked in and claimed the cot on the left.

"Let us know when we can start taking off our clothes to dance naked around a fire before the High Priest and Priestess," Thea told Logan.

"You must be fun at parties," Logan told her. "Such a shame I never see you at them. The festivities start in half an hour." He closed the tent.

Rory was busy talking on her phone.

Thea sat on her cot, irritated that she was stuck here overnight.

Rory was now holding a notepad and asked Thea, "So far, how would you rate your experience?"

"I give it two out of five stars. He forgot to mention we're stuck here overnight," Thea told her.

When it was time for the 'festivities' Logan forgot that there was a dress code because they were clearly out of place compared to what others were wearing.

Rory went up to some people, "Hey. Rory Gilmore. Um, this is quite a soiree. Are all the Life and Death Brigade gatherings this elaborate?" They ignored her.

Thea thought it was rude. She followed Rory, who went over to a group of guys.
One guy said, "How about bland balking at political or social stands?"

Another guy said, "Ridiculous. Total stand-still for all in his vicinity. What do you say?"

One guy said, "I concur totally."

"Crazy construct if you think for a bit," one other guy said.

"Dubious logic if you ask this thoughtful guy," one guy said.

Rory and Thea went to the group, "Hello, everybody."

One guy said, "My God."

One guy said, "Shocking."

"Silly girls. Not adjusting to this proud point of ours," one guy said.

"Sad, this diminishing vision," one guy said.

Rory asked, "Excuse me?"

"Full count is six, I say?" one guy said.

"Six, no doubt," another said. "Ay, again I concur."

"Point in fact, you two daft girls, to catch on would prompt our congratulations," one guy said.

"It's a game?" asked Rory.

"At which you totally fail," one guy said.

"You want for instruction?" asked one guy.

"Apparently," Rory said.

"Said gap 'twixt 'd' and 'f' shall not slip from lips in any word this group allows," one guy explained.

Rory said, "Said gap 'twixt 'd' and 'f' ... you're not using the letter 'e'?"

"Said this thing our group did banish," one guy said.

"Loud, for all to drink in!" said one guy.

"Daft girl," another boy.

Rory said, "So, no one is supposed to say the letter 'e'."

"Maybe you should stop saying it," Thea told Rory.

"My God, this woman hounds us with this thing I banish," one guy said.

"Dumbfound," one guy said.

"Um, I'll catch up with you guys later. Have fun. If that's what you're doing," Rory said and walked away.

Thea followed her, "So, no letter e." They walked around the camp, "I think I'm dropping my rating down to one star. A head's up on the word game would've been nice."

They found Stephanie and Rory said, "Hi, Stephanie."

"Oh, good, you're using e's," Stephanie said. "No champagne?"

"No, we'll have a little later," Rory said. "So, is Logan the head of the group?"

Stephanie explained, "There's no head of the group, Rory. We're an anarchy collective, we don't recognize leaders per se. Plus it's a secret. I shouldn't be talking to you and Thea." She hiccupped, "Warning sign."

Rory said, "Because the way that people act around him, Logan kind of seems..."

"Cute?" guessed Stephanie.

"No," replied Rory.

"No?" asked Stephanie.

Rory started, "Well, yes, but—"

"There's a line to get to him," Stephanie said.

Thea guessed smarminess can be overlooked with a billion-dollar bank account, if Paris was correct – and she always is.

"Oh, no, I'm not looking to get in a line, I have a boyfriend," Rory said. "I'm a reporter."

"Bet you're a good reporter. And a very good girl." Stephanie said, "Oh dear, I'm talking to you. I shouldn't be talking to you."

"Why? They would hang you as a witch for dancing with the devil in the moonlight?" asked Thea.

"I have to kill myself now," Stephan said, "Excuse me."

"Can I join you?" asked Thea.

Rory elbowed her in the ribs.

Rory and Thea sat under a tree at the camp. Logan came over to them with a plate and a lantern. He asked, "How goes it, you two pariahs?"

"I could be getting laid right about now, but here I am," Thea replied.

"Word was a bear dragged you two off," Logan said.

"I wish one did," Thea added.

Logan asked, "Are you always this combative?"

"Only to people I don't like," Thea said.

"And I just wanted a quiet place to collect my thoughts," Rory said.

"You found it," Logan told her.

Rory noticed the plate, "Thanks, we've eaten."

"Good," Logan said, sitting down, "This is for me. Sorry you're both not getting much from the group. Took a little arm-twisting to get them to agree to let you both come in the first place." He took a bite out of something on his plate.

"I don't need their cooperation," Rory said. "I've already filled two notebooks without their cooperation. Half of one without using the letter 'e', but I could use yours."

"Way too much salt on this," Logan stated.

"I mean, this is pretty incredible," Rory said, looking at the camp, "But it's just a preamble to the big stunt tomorrow, right?"

"It's Finn," Logan said. "He's Australian. They like salt."

"How do you pay for this? Are there dues, or do you chip in?" Rory asked, "Is there alumni sponsoring it? How is it organized? And what is happening tomorrow? Is it just as big, or bigger? And do people know that you're here? Park Rangers, or the landowner? Where are we? Are we still in Connecticut? And your answer cannot include the word salt."

"Okay. I think it's time to fill you in on the conditions of you two being here," Logan said.

"Okay," replied Rory.

"First, no pictures," Logan said, holding up Rory's camera.

"Hey!" exclaimed Rory.

"Aw, you'll get it back at the end of the trip," Logan said. "Second, no names."

"I'm not exactly being introduced to anyone as it is," Rory said.

"Third, no physical descriptions of any of us." Logan explained, "There are authority figures up and down Connecticut trying to nab us for things we may have done in the past. Naughty things. Things worse than your little boyfriend's drug addiction."

Thea said, "Yeah, my boyfriend's dad is a murderer and my friend's mom is a former bank robber, so..."

Rory looked at Logan and started chuckling a bit too darkly that made Logan awkwardly scoot back. "I had a conversation with a freed serial killer with a body count of sixteen men. I stood in a room with a bunch of former convicts with various crimes under their belts. Don't worry, I'll keep you anonymous."

Logan stared at Rory, like he was trying to figure out if this chick was pulling his leg on the 'serial killer' bit. He settled on her pulling his leg. He asked, "What number am I on?"

"You're at number three," Thea said.

"Fourth, no identification of our location," Logan added.

"I don't know where we are," Rory said. She looked at Thea, "Do you?"

"Not a clue," replied Thea.

"Fifth," Logan started.

"You're going to run out of -ifths," Rory muttered.

"Most important condition of all," Logan said, "You two must agree not to interfere with the integrity of the event."

Rory asked, "What is the event, and how could we interfere?"

"So you both agree?" asked Logan.

"Yes, if it'll get you to leave us alone," Thea muttered.

"Yes, I agree," Rory said.

The camp started singing some kind of song.

"It's pretty," Rory said.

"It'll be a lot prettier if none of them are drunk," Thea said.

"Yeah, they're drunk," Logan replied, taking a bite of salty food.

"Well, it sounds pretty," Rory said. "I like it."

"I didn't say I didn't like it," Logan said.

A girl called, "Logan?"

"Yeah?" replied Logan.

"You coming?" asked the woman.

"I'll be right there," Logan told her. He spoke to Rory and Thea, "I'll leave the light for you, Ace and Heart. I won't need it."

"Hurry up, darling," the woman called.

"I think it'll do you some good not to have it, so you won't see who'll come into your tent and strangle you," Thea said, making a strangling motion.

Logan chuckled, "You really are fun at parties." He took off. "Here I am." He clearly was going for a threesome.

Rory asked Thea, "Will it kill you to be a little bit nicer to him?"

"Yes," Thea replied. "He's clearly taking no offense to what I'm saying."

In the morning, Rory and Thea both left the tent, going up to Logan who was wearing a tuxedo.

"Another day, another sartorial surprise," Rory said.

Thea said, "Another day I dragged my sorry ass out of bed for."

"Start getting ready yourselves," Logan told them.

Thea and Rory glanced at each other, before Thea said, "We are."

"Dressed like that?" asked Logan, looking at them.

"You didn't tell us it was an overnight thing," Thea reminded him. "You want us to fashion something out of leaves and that bear's fur?"

"Maybe some pinecones?" added Rory.

Logan explained, "Your clothing is going to interfere with the integrity of our event and you both agreed not to interfere with the integrity of our event."

"All we got was washbowl, towels, and toothbrushes," Rory said.

"Is that all you both have gotten?" Logan said, "Look again, Ace and Heart."

"Why are you calling me that?" asked Thea.

"You know why," Logan replied.

"If I had a clue, I wouldn't have asked," Thea replied.

Rory grabbed her arm and led her into the tent. They went inside the tent and looked around. There was nothing until Rory looked under the cot and pulled out a white dress box.

Thea looked under hers and took out a similar box.

Rory had a dress with a long blue scarf to go with it.

"Be careful with the scarf," Thea told her. "You don't want to Isadora Duncan yourself there." 

"Too soon," Rory told her. 

Thea opened her box taking out a white dress with what looked like floral patterns on it.

She didn't like Logan, but she had to admit that the dress was gorgeous.

After getting dressed and going out of the tent to meet Logan, Rory said, "We got your event integrity right here, mister."

"Yup," replied Logan. "I got an eye for dress sizes." He pointed, "We go this way."

They hurried through a field.

"Come on, hurry," Logan urged them.

"You try running in a floor length dress," Thea said.

"And crinoline," Rory said.

"We're late," Logan replied.

"For what?" Rory asked, "The ritual sacrifice?"

They got to the group, who were also wearing tuxes and gowns, listening to the emcee talk, "I do declare here gathered, one hundred and eighth assembly of the honorable Life and Death Brigade."

They managed to sneak in, and Finn handed them glasses of champagne. Thea wasn't happy at having to stand next to the Irish vampire.

"He's using e's," Rory said.

Logan shushed her.

"Please raise your glasses," the emcee said, holding his glass, "In Omina Paratus!"

The group said, "In Omnia Paratus!"

The worst part was that they had to turn to their partners to feed each other champagne.

Some single guy behind Thea seemed happy to be her 'partner', but the result was just awkward and uncomfortable instead.

"Now you two might want to cover your ears," Logan told them.

"Why?" asked Rory.

There was a large gong behind them that was hit.

People cheered and started to run into the field.

"And to think some groups just go bowling," Logan told them, before following the group.

A guy in a gorilla mask started running around both Rory and Thea.

"I feel like I cheated on Anthony doing that with Logan," Rory told Thea.

"Me too," Thea replied.

"I'm glad that you also feel like you cheated on my boyfriend," Rory joked.

They started walked to the field where a game of polo was being played by the ladies, who were in some handheld cart looking things, which was being carried by the men. The ladies were leaning out the 'window' hitting a ball with mallets.

Thea honestly thought it looked fun.

She followed Rory to another side of the field but had to move out of the way as a guy, carrying a cart, came at them.

It looked like some guys were shooting a paintball gun while using a man as a target.

"Pull!" there a shot, "Pull!"

It looked like a man got hit.

"Good shot! Pure skill!" a guy said.

Rory asked, "Is this safe?"

"No," some men said in unison.

"Pull!" a shot, "Damn."

"Blame the gun," a man said.

"I would," the man.

"Maybe you just suck," Thea said. She had archery under her belt. "I bet I could shoot that man."

She shouldn't say those words, because her targets were stationery when she did archery. Rory went on to where Logan was.

Logan asked, "Where's your sister?"

"She's over there," Rory said, pointing to where a man was showing Thea how to hold the paintball gun, touching her a little too much, until she elbowed him in the gut, to get him to stop.

"Do you think that I can talk Mark into being a target?" asked Finn.

"No," Logan replied.

"Fine, I'll be a target," Finn said.

"You're always a target, Finn," Logan replied.

"In Omnia Paratus," Finn replied.

Thea was pretty sure that the guy she was shooting as a target wasn't thrilled that she ended up painting a smiley face on him. 

After she got done with that, she went over to Logan and Rory who were talking.

"According to my research, you guys always do one big thing at your gatherings," Rory said.

"Pull!" Logan said and fired the paintball gun.

"Is this it?" asked Rory.

"Does it look like it?" asked Logan.

"I'm guessing no," Rory replied.

"You answered your own question," Logan replied. "Pull!" He fired, "You'll know it when you see it."

"Good," replied Rory.

Two guys, one with a paintball smiley on his tuxedo, walked by carrying Finn on a stretcher.

"I missed the mat," Finn said.

"Again?" asked Logan.

Thea was a little concerned, "Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine," Finn said. "Don't worry about me. In Omnia!" He ended up whimpering.

Logan laughed.

Thea said, "Your friend got hurt and you're laughing?"

"He'll be fine," Logan told her. He looked at Rory, "You want a go, Ace?" He held up the paintball gun. "Heart did."

Thea said, "My name is Thea."

"No, I'm good, thanks," Rory replied.

There was a huge scaffold set up in the field. There were four people up at the top and they were holding umbrellas.

Logan came over to them.

"Hope you're both thinking up superlatives," Logan said.

"Are they planning on Mary Poppins-ing themselves down?" asked Thea, baffled.

"Yeah, that's like seven stories!" Rory said, "They'll die!"

"We're all going to die one day," Logan said.

"But those four are today," Rory said.

"Seven," Logan said.

"There's four," Thea said.

"I'm heading up," Logan said.

"Shocker," Thea replied, not surprised in the slightest.

"And Finn was supposed to do it, but few of us figured he'd make it this far, so there's two extra spaces," explained Logan.

Rory hummed and looked at the scaffold.

Thea noticed that Logan was looking between her and Rory. "Oh, god!"

"I prefer Logan, but God works too," Logan replied. "And we're not going to die. No one in the Life and Death Brigade has ever died. Old ones have."

"I am not going to jump!" replied Rory.

"We're all set," a man said.

"This is Seth," Logan said. "He's the genius behind all this."

"It's very safe," Seth said. "We did a dozen successful test drops. Every potato came through without a scratch.

"Potato?" asked Rory.

"You can't be serious," Thea said.

"You can't test using people," Logan said. "That'd be dangerous."

Thea looked at the scaffold again. It looked like there were cords being attached to the four up there, so at least they're not really jumping to their deaths, which would be stupid. Georgia would've been the first one up there. Thea could do this. She went white water rafting blindfolded once.

"Looks, thanks for the offer, but I'm here as a journalist. An observer. Journalists do not participate," Rory said.

"Actually, they do," Thea countered.

"She gets it and she's not a journalist," Logan said. "I bet you Anthony would do it. Seems like the type of guy who has a death wish."

"Leave him out of this," Rory snapped at him.

Thea looked at the scaffolding and then at Rory, "I'll go up there, if you go."

"Jumpers to their places, please!" called the emcee.

"You're scared," Logan said.

"Well, yeah," replied Rory.

"And that stops the greats?" asked Logan.

Rory said, "It's stopping this great!"

"Rory, you've been arrested twice," Thea pointed out.

"Really?" asked Logan, looking surprised at Rory for that. "So, you're adventurous after all."

"What does that mean?" asked Rory.

"You seemed a little sheltered, but apparently you got arrested – twice," Logan said.

"That was because I was associated with Anthony's family," Rory replied.

"Come on, Rory," Thea said. "Look. They have cords around them. They're not actually going to die. You need to branch out a little. Just this one little thing. I think it'll be good for you."

"Just something different," Logan replied. "Isn't this the point of being young? It's your choice, Ace. People can live a hundred years without really living for a minute. You climb up here with me and Heart, it's one less minute you haven't lived."

Thea looked at Rory, "I did this thing for you, even though you know I didn't want to. You could at least do this thing for me, even though you don't want to."

Rory knew Thea had a point, "Let's go."

"Let's go," said Logan, excited.

"But I am not a fan of ladders," Rory said.

"They scare the crap out of me, too," Logan said as they walked to the side of the scaffolding where the ladder was.

"At least it's part of the wall," Thea said. "I still want to shake a ladder when someone is standing on it just to see what happens."

Logan looked at her, "Why?"

"Just to see what happens," Thea replied.

When they got to the top, Rory looked over the edge, "High. We are very high."

"I've been higher," Logan said.

"I meant distance from the ground," Rory pointed out.

"That too," Logan replied.

Rory asked, "Have you been higher than the guy who was smoking crack in the airplane restroom?" Anthony had recounted the story of how the airplane pilot had to say over the intercom system, "Whoever is smoking crack in the restroom, grow up! You're not in high school anymore!"

Then Anthony said, "I've heard of the Mile High Club, but I didn't think they were referring to that type of high."

Logan looked at Rory and Thea.

"Florida," Rory and Thea said in unison.

"This is totally safe," Seth said, holding a band. "And it goes with your outfits. Nice." He wrapped the band around Rory's waist and then wrapped one around Thea's.

Rory pointed, "Why do they look so worried?"

"We're low on champagne," Logan said, "You two can back out, you know. No one's forcing you."

"I know," Rory said, grabbing an umbrella and passing it to Thea, before taking one for herself.

The emcee is calling up in Latin.

"You two trust me?" asked Logan.

"More than Dean, which isn't saying much," Thea muttered.

"Whose Dean?" asked Logan, confused.

"Long story," Thea said.

Rory spoke to Thea, "You jump, I jump, Jack."

"Nice reference that I don't understand," Thea said.

The crowd said, "In Omnia Paratus!"

"I really should have confirmed that those potatoes were okay," Logan said.

"If people could survive a fall from the Golden State Bridge, we can survive this," Thea said.

Rory grabbed Thea's hand, and they jumped from the scaffold.

The crowd cheered as they landed safely.

"Oh, thank god," Seth said.

"You both did good, Ace and Heart," Logan told them. He seemed proud of them, but Thea wished Georgia was there to see it, beaming with pride instead.

"Once in a lifetime experience," Rory said.

"Only if you want it to be," Logan told them.