Title: The Aftermath

Author: Michaelover101

Rating: M

Summery: Sequel to 'The Bombshell'. Rory and Logan are dealing with the aftermath of being married. Rogan.

Beta: Flynn

Disclaimer: Not mine... no matter how many stars I wish upon, Gilmore Girls do not belong to me.

Part 1: Tense Living Situation

Seven months. She'd been married seven months. Nothing was the same anymore, everything changed. From their friendships to their alliances. Everything was... different.

The minute the honeymoon was over, they had been thrust in the limelight, been shown off by their families and expected to love it. Well, she didn't. She hated it. She hated being the center of attention, she hated the cameras that waited for her outside of her classes or by her car. Or in front of restaurants where her mother and her would have lunch.

She hated the rumors that started whenever she had lunch with one of her male friends, or whenever Logan had lunch with his female friends. She hated the microscope they were under. She couldn't even hug her best friends good bye without a reporter saying she was having an affair.

Let alone reporters, but the Hartford society. They were in the eyes of every rich socialite in Hartford. They were the youngest married couple, with very important names in society. She was already being criticized for telling her grandmother and Shira that there was no way in hell that she was joining the DAR and that she had stayed in school even after she and Logan were married.

Being in the public eye was one thing, in private it was another matter all together. When they had gotten back from the honeymoon, things had started off fine. They had moved into the beautifully decorated home and kept their relationship friendly. But then things got tenser.

It started with Logan's father demanding he start work at the Stamford Eagle-Gazette to get the hang of things. Then the ritual dinners that they had usually shared to keep their friendship on level had become her eating in her room alone with mountains of papers she had to write and articles that Doyle had given her.

Then last month Logan graduated and took over the Stamford Eagle-Gazette almost immediately after the ceremony, leaving her to come home alone and only see him when he was telling her of some party or another that they had to attend, per request of his parents or her grandparents. They barely talked, with him in the office and her in school. And when they did, they were usually yelling at each other.

She rarely got to see her mother, only talking to her over the phone about her fast approaching wedding. She rarely got to see any other members of her family, or her friends, only seeing them at the occasional coffee cart on campus. But even then, Finn and Colin had graduated with Logan, leaving only Steph and Evie who were in a completely different majors than Rory, the same with Paris.

"Rory!" She heard, she looked over and smiled fakely at the women fast approaching.

"Hello," she greeted. She had stood in the back of the room for a reason, she thought.

"We saw you back here all by your lonesome and decided to come talk to you," the woman, who Rory recognized as Kitty Randon, a friend of her grandmother's, told her.

"Oh well, I'm fine," she told them, really wanting to be alone.

"Oh nonsense," Bitty Charleston told her. Rory sometimes couldn't believe that after so many years avoiding this scene, how she was just thrust into it. She looked around the room and spotted Logan talking to his father and a few other men. He looked over at her and she bit her lip, looking away.

"So tell us, Rory," Kitty began, "How's school?"

Like these women really cared, she thought. "It's fine. I miss my friends though."

"Oh?" Bitty asked.

"Well, Logan and his friends graduated this past month, so now that they're working, I barely get to see them," she told them.

She thought about Finn and Colin. Finn had gone back to Australia for awhile to visit his family. He was due to be back at the end of the month to take over some business or another. Then Colin had been traveling with his father, also due back at the end of the month, to take over some law offices for his father.

"Poor dear, what about your other friends?" Bitty asked.

"Oh, they're around," Rory said. "Studying and what not."

"Well, now with this summer break, maybe you can convince that husband of yours to take you somewhere fun," Kitty told her.

"That sounds like a plan," she heard Logan say behind her. "What do you think, dear?" He asked.

"Perfect," she said with a sigh.

"If you'll excuse us, ladies, I have to steal Rory away for a minute."

"Of course, take her, take her," Bitty said waving them away. Logan wrapped his arm around her waist and led her away.

"You looked trapped," he stated.

"Yep."

"You okay?"

"What does it matter, we still have to stay for two hours," she said smiling at some people who greeted her.

"Just say the word and we're out of here."

"It's fine. I think I'm just going to go find a phone and call my mom, tell her I'm not going to make it again tonight," she said.

"Rory, we can go if you want. I'll just tell my dad."

"Don't worry about it, Logan," she said as she walked away to find a private place to call her mom.

Logan watched her leave and sighed. She's been impossible lately. They couldn't even talk without ending up in a screaming match. He was trying his hardest, but lately his father had piled work on him and he hadn't been able to make it back to the house until late, where he usually found Rory sleeping at her desk in the office or in her room, asleep, surrounded by books or bridal magazines for her mother.

She hadn't been able to plan her wedding, so he assumed she was compensating by planning her mother's. Lorelai loved every minute of it.

"Logan," he turned to find his dad standing near him.

"Dad?"

"What are you doing over here? There are some men over there I want you to meet."

"Later, dad, I have to find Rory."

"She's in good hands," Mitchum told him. "This is after all her grandparents' house, now come on."

Logan gave a suffering sigh before casting on last glance at the door where she had disappeared through before following his father to meet more business associates.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Rory sat down at her grandfather's chair and crossed her legs as she picked up the phone. Cradling it between her shoulder and ear she dialed her mom's house number and played with a pen while she waited for her mother to answer.

"Lorelai Gilmore speaking."

"Is Luke nearby?"

"How'd you know?" Lorelai asked with a laugh.

"You answered the phone formally, usually Luke is involved or your mother."

Lorelai laughed. "True, so are you on your way?"

"Actually..."

"Rory!" Lorelai whined. "You promised!"

"I know," Rory said with a sigh. "I know. It's just, when I was getting ready to leave the house, Logan came in saying that we had to go to some party or another and when I tried to get out of it, he pulled out the "your grandmother said so" card and so here I am, locked in my grandparents' house with old people and my husband."

"Ah sweets."

"I'm stuck here for another two hours."

"You do know that if you told Logan that you didn't want to stay, he would bring you over here? You guys made an appearance, stayed for a while, that should keep the parental units happy for a week at least."

"I know," Rory sighed. "He's already asked, I just don't want that to happen."

"What to happen? You don't want to figure out that your sweet husband is willing to drive all the way here just so you can plan my wedding?"

"No," Rory laughed. "I don't want… I don't know how to explain."

"Well, try, I have all night."

Rory heard the door open and she looked up to find Logan with a flute of champagne. Rory sighed. "Just a sec."

"Don't…" Rory didn't hear the rest as she pulled the phone away.

"Here," he said placing the glass on the desk. "I know Lorelai can keep you on the phone for a while."

"Thanks," she whispered.

"You're welcome. Now I have to go back, I'll be back later."

"Sure."

Logan gave a nod before turning around and leaving the room. Rory eyed the glass, then put the phone back up to her ear.

"…hold! I mean come on; you don't even give me that pretty elevator music!"

"What?" Rory asked confused.

"You put me on hold."

"I said 'just a sec'."

"As in 'hold on just a sec' Hold being the key word," Lorelai told her. "You know I hate being put on hold."

"I've heard the rant."

"What's the matter, hon?"

"Things have been just weird between me and Logan lately." Rory told her mother as she leaned back on the chair.

"How? Is he not giving you pleasure like he should be?"

Rory laughed as she heard Luke grumble in the background.

"It's not that," Rory said. She and Logan hadn't even slept together in the seven months they'd been married, only kissing for the cameras and for the show they put on at these insufferable parties.

"So, you're getting pleasure?" Lorelai teased.

"No," Rory said trying to keep her mother on track. "Things are just weird."

"You keep saying that, but you're not explaining how, sweets."

"It's just…" Rory ran an hand through her hair and gave a sigh. "When we got back from the honeymoon, things were fine. Not great, mind you, but they were fine. We got used to living together and even started falling into small patterns."

"Like what?" Her mother asked.

Rory shrugged, then remembered her mother couldn't see her. "I don't know. Like in the mornings, we'd eat breakfast together. Well, it was more he'd eat toast and read the paper while I toasted pop tarts and drank my coffee."

"That's… sweet in a way."

"It was comfortable," Rory corrected. "Then we'd both go our different ways. Sometimes it involved him hanging out with Finn and Colin while I had classes and things like that. Then we'd both be back by six and have dinner together, watch TV and then I'd go study and he would continue watching TV or he'd read. I don't know," Rory repeated. "It was just…"

"Comfortable," Lorelai stated, repeating what Rory had said earlier.

"Yeah. We were cohabiting. It was more like we were roommates than a husband and wife. And I sort of liked it like that."

"So what went wrong?" Lorelai asked.

"Mitchum Huntzberger went wrong."

"Father-in-law is father dearest?"

"Somewhat," Rory said with a small laugh. "He wanted Logan to start going to the Stamford Eagle-Gazette to 'get the hang of things', which sort of ruined our flow."

"How?"

"Logan would get up early, leaving me to have breakfast by myself, and he would come to dinner late. It was just small things. It didn't bug me much. But ever since he graduated last month, things have gotten even tenser," Rory said. "We rarely talk, our friendship is non-existent and the only times we actually have civil conversations are during these stupid parties that I hate! We argue constantly and it just seems that instead of the somewhat friends we were seven months ago, we now fell into the stereotypical husband and wife role that Hartford society somewhat expects."

"Which is?"

"Happy and perfect on the outside, angry and seething on the inside."

She heard her mother sigh. "I'm sorry you're in that situation, kid."

"I know."

"But you have got to make the most of it. Talk to Logan."

"Have you not heard a word I said? We can't talk." Rory gave a frustrated groan. "We just yell."

"Well then, start lowering your voice and talk. I know this is frustrating for you."

"I feel like I rarely get to see anyone anymore," Rory said looking down at her grandfather's desk planner. "It feels like if I'm not at my desk studying, I'm at these things talking to women named Kitty and Bitty who gossip about who's boffing the pool guy."

"Well, it's summer, sweetheart. You don't have classes for three months."

"Yeah, but I was going to be working on the paper. Logan and I talked about it months ago."

"Well then, I guess you have to work it out between the both of you."

"You suck at giving advice."

"Hey!" Lorelai protested. "I'm telling you what I think you should do. I think you should tell your husband how you feel, and not your mother. Think of it this way, if it was easy to explain all this to me now, then it'll be easier the second time around."

"I don't think it works that way," she heard the door open and saw Logan walk in again. "Just a sec, mom."

"I don't like being on hold!" Lorelai yelled.

"Hum Bonanza in your head," Rory told her as she moved the phone.

"Sorry to interrupt whatever you and your mom are talking about."

"It's fine," Rory told him, looking him in his eyes. He looked tired.

"Your grandparents are looking for you."

"Right." Rory put the phone back up to her ear, hearing the slight humming of her mother. "What is that?"

"Pippi Longstockings," Lorelai replied happily.

"Right," Rory laughed. "I have to go. I promise that I will make it down there tomorrow."

"It's fine, Rory."

"No!" Rory protested. "It's not. I promised I would help, so I'm going to help. I will be there tomorrow, we'll take over Luke's."

"Okay, see you then."

"Bye mom."

"Talk to him, Rory."

"Bye." Rory hung up the phone, grabbed her glass and went over to awaiting Logan. He put a hand on the small of her back and led her out.

"Everything okay?" He asked as he closed the door to the study and led her through the groups of people.

"Yeah, everything's fine," she told him as they walked towards her grandparents.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

"You can't freeze me out forever," he told her as he turned off the car.

"Oh yeah? Watch me!" She yelled getting out of the car and slamming the door. She walked through the garage and towards the door. She looked through her purse for her set of keys as she heard him slam his own door closed and close the garage.

"You can't blame me for this!" He yelled.

"Yes, I can!" She yelled as she took her keys out and made it to the front door.

"Rory!"

"They're your parents, Logan," she yelled as she walked into the house and slammed the door in his face. She heard the door open then slam closed as she walked to the stairs, taking off her heels.

"Dammit, Rory, I am so sick of fighting! It seems like that's all we do!" Logan yelled as she started up the steps. She whirled at him.

"You know what I'm sick of, Logan? I am so sick of going to these stupid parties! I am sick of breaking promises to my mom! And I am sick of eating dinner alone!" She exploded at him as she turned back around and ran up the stairs to her room.

Logan grabbed her heels that she had left at the base of the stairs before running up the stairs after her. It wasn't his goddamned fault that his parents had announced that they had been working on an heir, and it wasn't his goddamned fault when her grandparents had wholeheartedly backed the statement up.

He made his way to the hall just as he heard her bedroom door slam shut. He winced and went up to it, tried the knob to find it locked. He gave a frustrated growl before he knocked.

"Rory, open the door," he said.

"Leave me alone, Logan."

"Dammit, Rory, open the door."

"Dammit, Logan, leave me alone," she mimicked.

"Real mature," he muttered banging his fist on the door. "Open the door."

"I think I made myself clear. I'm not opening this door."

He shook his head and walked across the hall to his room, allowing himself a moment of anger. He whirled back and threw her shoes at her door before walking into his room and slamming his own door. If she wanted to be impossible, fine. He sat on his bed and gave a low groan. This wasn't working.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Rory winced when she heard something make contact with her door, pausing monetarily in the unzipping of her dress before shaking her head and taking it off and putting on her grey sweats and blue Yale sweatshirt.

She turned down her bed and fixed her pillow before going to the bathroom, turning on the hot water on the sink and washing her face free of the make up and stress of being a Gilmore-Hayden-Huntzberger. She grabbed the towel from the hook and patted her face dry before taking the bobby pins that held her hair back out of her face. She let them clatter into the sink, and shook her hair out, massaging her skull with her fingers before going back out to her bedroom.

She bit her lip, casting a glance at her door before walking over. She hesitated slightly before opening the door slowly. She noticed Logan's door closed, the light on from the small crack at the bottom of the door. She looked down at the floor at her feet noticing her black heels lying there innocently. She bent down to grab them, noticing the small dent on the door where the heel had chipped it.

She gave a long sigh before pulling in the shoes and closing her door and locking it. She knew it wasn't his fault that their family did what they did. But so many things had piled on that night that it was so much easier being mad at him than it was yelling at her grandparents.

She threw her heels in her closet before crawling into bed and closing her eyes tightly. This wasn't working.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

AN: So what do you guys think? It's so great to be able to write the sequel now. I've had it in my head since the LDB event in The Bombshell and now being able to finally write it is so great. I never thought that I'd see this point!

I just want to thank everyone that reviewed The Bombshell for their excellent responses to the last chapter! Thank you all so much!

I want to tell you all now, that this story is going to be more... intense than TB. You have to realize that so many things have happened in the past seven months involving Rory and Logan that their very tentative friendship just crumbled. Lots of things are affecting their relationship right now and everything will show up eventually.

Also, Finn and Colin are working for their families as well. They, along with Steph and Evie, will be a big part of this story. Along with Tristan, Jess and Paris.

Now before I give the whole story away, I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter to The Aftermath.

Please review!

Kassandra