Rescue Me

A One-Shot for fun

"Yeah, just like that."

And then before she knew it there was a door shutting in her face, and she was forced to watch him walk away again. Out of her life again, just like her graduation, just like his failed Costa Rican adventure, just like the pub on the night of the biggest blow-up they had ever had. It must be nice to be the one that gets to walk away, you don't have to see the carnage you leave behind. She got in the back of the Uber, trying to ignore the cost and just focus that this was the right move to make. This exit was needed, it was right, wasn't it? But, if it was so right, then why was she standing there with tears in her eyes that wouldn't fall because she didn't want her driver to see exactly how bad she was broken hearted. If it was so right, why had he said, "It wasn't enough." Or that it was the dynastic plan, or any other subtle hints that he dropped. Why was it that not only was he the only one leaving but he was the one always putting these decisions on her?

Rory sat in the back of the black Ford Fiesta as she took in the New Hampshire landscape, she tried to stop crying, tried to stop thinking about every word, every touch, every look they had the night before. She squeezed her eyes shut to try to rid herself of the memories but the second her eyes closed she saw him leaning against a tree in her home town, she saw him walk confidently towards her with a hat extended, and then she watched the confidence shatter if only for a moment as he handed her the hat. Asking if she'd indulge them one last time.

He knew she wouldn't say no, she never could, it's how she had ended up here. In the back of a car crying for the millionth time over a boy that hadn't been hers for years, for longer than he was hers to begin with. But, she was always his, even when she wasn't consciously his, and she had gotten over him, it took one kiss in Hamburg for him to consume her again. It took one kiss for her to feel alive again and to fall into them again, except they weren't them. They weren't a couple and neither one of them had asked for it, the closest discussion they ever had was when Rory suggested Vegas. She remembered the moment she brought it up too.

Flashback

"Why don't we make this a Vegas type thing?" Rory spoke for the first time since their breakfast had arrived, it was nearing noon in Hamburg. She had blown off a panel for this, but it was well worth it.

"Damn, I knew my skills in bed were that good, but they're so good you want to run to Vegas and get married?"

He said it with a smirk, the same playfulness in his tone as always but if she really thought about it, there was a hint of seriousness there. She should've said yes, she should have told him that hell, let's go to Vegas, let's run away, let's live in the moment. Something she hadn't done for years, not without him. But instead she gave him a smirk right back and explained what she meant. And every time she thought of that first goodbye at the Hamburg airport she remembered just how hard it was to walk away from them again, and it got harder and harder each time.

This time was proving almost unbearable as she started to fully sob in the back seat, the fall foliage around her turning into a blur as her eyes became consumed with more tears than she knew possible. She opened her phone to try to find Logan's number, but she just couldn't bring herself to hit send. She couldn't stop the dynastic plan, she couldn't run back to him and ask for a second chance, she had ruined this the minute she said Vegas, actually she ruined it the second she said no all those years ago. As they continued down the road, after realizing only 20 minutes had passed since she had last seen him she realized all of her mistakes and the tidal wave of pure anger at herself hit her like a brick.

RLRLRL

Logan walked out of the Inn and caught up with his friends, Finn was still complaining about walking until he saw Logan join their group. Colin put his hand on his shoulder and gave him a sympathetic smile, Robert handed him a flask and Finn glared at him. Logan stood there confused by the reaction of Finn's while he drank a few to many drinks from Robert's flask. The confusion was only made worse when they arrived at the diner and Colin tried to make small talk and Finn refused to cooperate. Finn never shut up, it was the best and worst trait of his. He could make most situations unawkward because he was so outgoing, but now he was withdrawn, and angry. An emotion Logan had never really seen on his best friend of too many years to count.

"Guys, you didn't have to say goodbye to her—" Logan started, and he meant it too. They didn't have to say goodbye to her, they didn't have to suffer because Logan couldn't convince her to stay with him, to tell him to throw it all overboard and run away with her. She couldn't do it when he had to leave for London the first time and these were much bigger stakes than they were on the night of his graduation. This wasn't just making his dad mad, this was bringing down a merger, a merger that could benefit a slightly floundering company on Odette's side.

"Don't talk about her." Finn snapped, and Logan, Colin, and Robert's head all snapped to stare at him. Finn doesn't snap, he's usually to drunk to piece together a sentence that isn't slurred together, let alone have a bark to his words.

"Excuse me?!" Logan was getting just as mad as Finn was. Didn't he understand that he had his heartbroken a mere 10 minutes ago.

"Don't talk about her. You threw her away, you let her make herself a mistress, you walked away again. So, don't talk about her." Colin and Robert threw their hands up in surrender as they watched this play out.

"I can talk about her however I damn well please. I'm sorry but you don't know what went on last night, or this morning, or for the past three years. You don't get to pass judgement on what happened between us. I lost the love of my life this morning so don't act like you get to sit here and be mad at me when you still get to have contact with her, I may not have much moral high ground on you, but I do have the emotional upper hand here and this sucks, and I'm hurting. But sure, if you want to pretend like I'm the big bad wolf, like I'm the one who didn't put us in this situation, in this Vegas box, then be my guest. But do it away from me, because today is hard enough as it is without one of my best friends rubbing it in my face that I lost her again."

"You didn't lose her, you didn't fight for her. You could have had her, but no, you let your father push you into these awful corners and you don't fight back. Not only do you let your father do this, but you're turning into him." Finn spat and with those final words two things happened, one Robert slid the flask over to Colin, and two, Logan's eyes turned a level of dark that he hadn't had since he had first heard of the dynastic plan.

"I'm not like him Finn." His whole body was tense and on edge, but his voice was low, no screaming, no hurt, but like he was fighting to control it.

"How many times have we watched you take a call from her and slip out before Odette catches you? How many times have we watched as you end up working terrible hours just to avoid going home, because if you go home you have to face the awful decisions you've made. How many times Logan? And now you want to tell us we can still be friends with her? How? How do we look the girl in the eyes and explain that our buddy, the man she loves wasn't strong enough or brave enough to fight for her?"

"She didn't fight for me either! Need I remind you? Hell, just last night she asked if I was going to marry Odette. She had her opportunity to stop me and she didn't, she had many times this morning to say anything, or over the past three years and she didn't budge. She suggested no-strings again, she was the one constantly reminding me that we were in Vegas and that I meant nothing. Don't lay all the cards down at my feet and pretend that it was all on me. I would have given her everything, I know that, and you know that, so I don't know where the hell this is coming from."

"What was your answer?" Finn's voice had been laced with anger for so much of this conversation that his tone and softness of the question shocked Logan.

"What?"

"When she asked you if you were going to marry Odette, what did you say to her?" The edge was back, but the anger was still at bay.

"I said it was the dynastic plan." Logan mumbled out, god he hated that answer. Next to him Robert and Colin groaned and threw their heads onto the table.

Finn scoffed. "Of course, you did Logan. Bloody fucking of course. God, you know she wasn't going to try to blow up your world, she wasn't going to try to rock the boat. Why couldn't you have said anything last night Logan?"

Just as Logan was about to answer the door to the diner opened and Robert and Colin drew in a breath and Colin spoke. "Speak of the devil."

Logan and Finn whipped their head to the front door and there Rory stood with puffy eyes and ragged breath. Finn finally smiled for the first time that morning. "Did you get off the plane love?"

Rory ignored his reference as she strode up to Logan. "You always walk away, always. I can list all the times but what good is it going to do? You walk away, and I'm left with the carnage and the heartbreak and it's devastating. But, you're also the one who comes back before I do, and usually with a grand gesture to boot. So, I guess it's my turn." She grabbed the flask that was sitting in the middle of the table and the cup of coffee next to it and emptied both of them before slamming them down on the diner table.

"Damn, go reporter girl."

"Shh, love is talking."

"I need you to rescue me Logan. I have people in my life who set ideas in my head, I have people in my life who push me to make a change I may need to do at the time, and I have people who support me unconditionally. And don't get me wrong, all of those people are great and wonderful and so much more than I could have ever hoped for, especially considering the population of the town I grew up in. But see, there's only one person who is all of those things for me, and that's you! Logan, god, it's you and I love you and I'm so tired of not being able to say it to you for years because I've needed to say it to you, I've needed to tell you that for so long. All those late phone calls, all those times I fell asleep in your arms, I needed you to know that I love you so much. That when things get bad there's a reason I always call you first and foremost. Or when I have a great moment in my life you're the one I immediately call, sometimes forgetting about the time difference. But that doesn't ever stop me because I just want you to tell me you're proud of me and that you knew I could do it.

Now, I know that you have this bullshit dynastic plan Logan but fuck it all. I'm finally asking you to not go to London. Like I should've done that night of your graduation, like I should have every time I left you at an airport. And last but not least, I'm asking for a new Vegas, I'm asking for the Vegas you talked about when I first had this stupid idea. I'm asking you to run away and marry me Logan."

The four boys sat there watching as she ranted and raved but it wasn't until that final sentence that everyone's jaw dropped, and you could hear a pin drop. Even the waitress who had come over to refill their coffees was hooked at this point. Once a few more minutes ticked by and there was still a deafening silence Rory realized what has happening.

"Oh—oh- I get it, I mean I don't blame you. I said no all those years ago. I deserve this right? I'm sorry, I thought we were more than we were, but I guess not. Have a great life Logan." She sat the hat down on the table but as she went to take her arm away she felt Logan grab her wrist and he pulled her down to kiss her.

"So, which one of the lost boys should I make my best man?"