Stack the Deck
You can't always stack the deck.
I do not own the characters or universe depicted.

Rory and Logan were moving things around, making their lives better. They were stacking the deck, buying time until he was hours off and she years behind.

In a week, he would be in England and they would be done. They had prolonged the inevitable, ignoring the pain, throbbing everywhere, that told them that he would leave for a year and as soon as he did, she would be on her way to Philadelphia to see if the years had really changed it. If he was different.

Distance. Time. Four hour drive. They took turns visiting on weekends, and Jess took two weeks off for her winter break

She spent spring break in Philadelphia, gave up offers for Florida, California and Cancun from well-meaning friends

Logan called from time to time. He knew. He understood. He didn't like it, but he didn't have a say. They still loved one another, but Rory loved Jess more and Mitchum turned Logan's year into a lustrum with a signature and a phone call.

Jess knew, about the phone calls. Late night conversations over an ocean and some heartstrings. Rarely when he was around, but sometimes he'd answer his phone and Logan would call out over the lines and he couldn't stop it because it was a ghost and history. He didn't want to be Dean and Logan was already gone.

Terms end, he proposed. She said yes. Logan was happy she was happy and she was happy that he wasn't angry.

Five years to the day, she stood in a terminal and smiled at the infant in her arms, her husband got her coffee and her ex, who was never really done, came into view at the gate.

Jess had come along, begrudgingly. Logan had no one else. Honor and Josh lived a world away. Mitchum and Shira didn't care. Elias had passed, and had never been notably loving to Logan; or notably mobile in the years up to his death.

Logan slowly made his way to them as Jess came up behind them, handing Rory a coffee and holding two other. One for himself, one for Logan.

Logan approached and Jess held out the Styrofoam cup with still hands and cool gaze. Pleasant greetings and a 'thank you' from Logan. Hours from New York to Hartford. Awkward silence and crying baby.

Logan, at exit nine, pulled out a book. Jess Mariano, emblazoned on the cover. Surprised compliment and shrugging thanks. Rory smiled in the back seat, happy for the lack of blood.

They dropped Logan at his parent's house, goodbyes and a hug between former lovers.

Another lustrum plus. Seven years for a marriage that wouldn't make eight. Distraught widower dropping his daughter with one of his best friends while he went to identify her. Logan's promises to keep Anna safe and sound on deaf ears as Jess left in blindness and terror.

Ticket to Bahrain Days and days and days. War around him and stoic mind. Writing. Reading. Waiting for the call. Identify the body.

Home in a day. Deliver the news. Lorelai devastated. Luke and Chris and April. Stars Hollow. Emily and Richard. Liz and .Lily. Too tired to go on.

Logan and Anna. Smiles and giggles. Tell them. Tell them. Tell them. He did. Tears. Sad.

You can't always stack the deck.