What should've been

Launch Party

November 2011

"Ace!" Logan gently shook Rory, who was breathing heavily and sweating "Ace, wake up!"

Rory sat up, breathing heavily. She looked at the clock, it was 4am.

"I'm sorry. Go back to sleep" Rory rubbed her face

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah" Rory took a deep breath "just a nightmare. I'm sorry I woke you"

"Don't apologize" Logan put his hand on her shoulder "I just wanna make sure you're ok"

"I'm fine"

"This is the 5th time in less than 2 weeks. What's going on?"

"I don't know" Rory put her head in her hands

"Rory, please talk to me"

Rory took a deep breath "It used to just be that every once in a while, I would have a dream about the accident. Now it's all the time" Rory was looking down as she spoke

Logan grabbed Rory's hand

"And I know that it's gonna happen but I still can't stop it" Rory started tearing up "and I'm scared to go to sleep because I know that when I do-" Rory stopped talking

"Come here" Logan wrapped his arms around her and kissed her head. Rory laid her head on Logan's shoulder.

"I'm sorry. This isn't fair to you. Lena just started sleeping through the night. You just got your sleep back and now I'm waking you up every other-"

"Stop" Logan interrupted her. "Don't do that" He wiped tears out of her eyes "I wanna help you, but I need you to tell me how"

"I don't know"

"Do you wanna talk to someone?"

"Like a therapist?" Rory furrowed her eyebrows

"Maybe. If it'll help you"

Rory didn't say anything

"Look, you don't have to decide right away. Do you wanna talk about keep talking about it, now?"

Rory shook her head

"Do you wanna go back to sleep?"

Rory nodded

Logan and Rory laid back down and Logan wrapped his arms around her and held her close

"You know I'm here for you, no matter what, right?"

Rory nodded

"I love you" Logan kissed her cheek

"I love you, too"

==================================

The next morning Logan was upstairs, changing Lena and Rory was in the kitchen, making breakfast.

The phone rang

"Hello?" Rory put the phone to her ear "ok. Sounds good" ...... "see you tonight".... "Alright, bye" Rory hung up

"Who was that?" Logan asked, walking into the kitchen carrying Lena

"Quinn. She wants me there an hour early to take pictures with the poster and sign books before people start showing up"

"So what time do we need to leave?"

"5 at the latest. And Ruby will be at a quarter to"

"Ok"

"Don't do that"

"Do what?"

"Look at me like that?"