Rory nervously corrected the collar of her white blouse with her gloved hand as she waited in the huge terminal with a refundable ticket hidden in her purse. She picked at her sleek-lined and square-shouldered jacket, and smoothed the fabric of a simple A-line skirt that fell below her knee. She let her eyes fall on a pair of white shoes with solid square heels that covered her feet, and bit her painted lip anxiously. She was currently wearing a very particular Forty's outfit, and had completed the look with a brimmed hat and a vintage hairstyle. The sophisticated waves and ringlets had taken some time to finish, but when she was finally satisfied she had with an approving smile watched her own reflection in the mirror and silently agreed with her mother's earnest words. It was impeccable, and Rory had at that moment felt a wave of confidence and excitement.



As Rory now stood waiting for the plane to arrive, she felt the confidence slowly being replaced by anxiety and harsh uncertainty. She could sense the staring eyes from the surrounding crowd burning holes in her back, and she wondered if she not indeed looked ridiculous. Rory's uneasy thoughts hammered in her head, and made her question her own good judgment. She fingered on her beige jacket and asked herself in silence if this in fact had been a dreadful idea. What if Logan wouldn't get it? Did he even remember that day from so long ago? She couldn't help but visualize a confused Logan stopping at a distance with apparent incomprehension in his eyes, and she suddenly felt paralyzed by a sudden doubt. If he didn't remember, he would undeniably find her dress-up both silly and bizarre. She shook her head to clear her thoughts. Nothing to do about it now, she thought to herself and briskly brought a hand to her hair to yet again make sure everything was just perfect. She then averted her eyes to the tablet suspended from the ceiling and saw that the plane from SFO had just landed. She took a calming lungful of air and closed her eyes to the busy hall - momentarily lost in thoughts.

Rory could feel her heart pounding out of her chest as she was standing at a distance when the gate finally opened. She took a deep, calming lungful of air and watch the steady stream of people that scattered with hurried motions and significant steps. A few indecisive individuals lingered by the gate, and Rory frowned in frustration as they blocked her view. She had waited in what felt as forever for the well-known shape to appear, and just as the torrent of figures seemed to be endless it slowly began to lighten. When the gate finally revealed its sole remaining figure, it was with slow steps and with his head firmly bowed over an item in his hands that he emerged. Rory watched with affection as she saw him stop his lingering steps some 20 feet away, and continuing to type at the blackberry in his hands. As he with a swift glance watched his surroundings he froze his eyes were suddenly seized by a strikingly blue color. As Rory held his gaze, she took some eager steps forward and raised her hand in a somewhat embarrassed greeting.

Logan instantly recovered from his motionless state, and his face fell into an infectious smile that spoke of trouble yet to come. Rory felt a wave of relief, and knew in that instance that her anxiety and worrying had all been so pointless. Logan was here, right in front of her; and closing in with a forceful pace. Without any words he cupped her face in his hands and placed a passionate kiss on her mouth. They then stood intertwined for a great length of time and Rory, enraptured by his arms, could feel her restlessness melting away into a blissful oblivion. As they drew back he kept his silence as he stood watching her. Rory could see his deep feeling clearly revealed on his shifting face, and gripped hold of his hand.

"A franc for your thoughts" she said in a soft voice.

"I was just wondering…" he began hesitantly.

"Yes?" Rory urged him to continue with a smile.

"Nothing" he shook his head "Just… Why I'm so lucky."

"What do you mean?" asked with an innocent voice "I just came to pick you up."

He shook his head and gave her a knowing smile "Rory, You look beautiful! I mean you did all this for me. I don't know how to fully convey just how much this means, but…"

"You remember?" she asked softly.

"I remember" he said, and gave her a smile. He then sighed and continued in a chuckling voice "This is so much better than a stupid rocket."

"Hey! Don't you dare badmouth my love-rocket!"

"It's just that… this is so amazing, Rory. I mean, were did get that costume - and how did you even get in here? The security is –well you know."

"I have my ways."

"Letters of transit?"

"We said no questions."

He smiled at that comment, extended his hand and raised her chin with his thumb. He then leaned closer and spoke in a voice that was soft and full of fondness;

"…Here's looking at you, Ace."

This was rewarded by a moment of stunned silence, before Rory suddenly gave an excited cry, and threw her arms around his neck.

"The way you changed that line… Wow! I mean – wow!" she giggled a bit later, whilst still holding on to her grip.

"Well, Ace - You asked me to never call you kiddo again…" he chuckled with a guilty grin and locked her tighter in his arms.

"Yeah, that's right! I did" she began in a warm, smiling tone "It's just that –it was so dorky, Logan!"

This was met by a laugh, and she met his gaze while continuing in a steady voice; "I can see that my work is finally finished. I'm truly proud of you."

He laughed and shook his head "I'm finally a dork, is that what you're saying? Ace, I don't know how to react to that."

"Just accept it. You must have known this day would come sooner or later… that's what hanging with me will do to you. "

"That is absolutely true" he said with a smile, and landed a kiss on her lips. "You know that's actually fine" he then told her with a badly pretended seriousness "I heard through the grapevine that dorky is actually the new cool."

"Through the grapevine; at the water-cooler?" Rory asked with an equally bad attempt at sounding solemn.

"Yes" Logan admitted with a nod "I guess I heard it at the water-cooler."

"Ah" Rory smiled in delight "A workplace rumor! How exciting!"

"Yeah, good old-fashion in-group favoritism at play" Logan smiled in agreement and continued in a serious voice "I have to admit, though, that I'm actually really glad to be able to be part of it. I mean, right now - it's where everything happens! – It's the one place where one should be" he gave her a hesitant look "Am I making any sense at all?"

"Well yeah!" Rory exclaimed "You're making totally sense. I mean, it may not be my area if expertise, or anything, but I know some things" she gave him a content grin "I did do some googling, while you were away…"

"Of course you did" Logan interjected in a laughing tone "and how many results came up?"

"With the combined keywords of 'dork' and 'Silicon Valley'? Oh, only a couple of millions" Rory answered with a shrug.

"Aha!" Logan grinned and shook his head in amazement.

"So, you sense a theme here?" Rory smiled.

"Yeah" Logan said "Caught up on that pretty quickly, Ace."

"Anyway, I just wanted to say that I am so glad!" she said while holding his eyes locked with a serious look "I'm so happy you're here, and I am so glad that you've been accepted into the sacred kingdom of Dorks. I'm so proud of you!"

Logan chuckled in amusement and rewarded her with a long and passionate kiss. He then held her tight and expressed in a low voice just how much he'd missed her.

Rory kept her eyes closed and her head leaned against his shoulder. She was fully enveloped by the feeling of closeness and felt his heart beat in sync with her own. She breathed in his smell and reluctantly let him free. She gave him a hard good look and squinted at him.

"You look different somehow" she said with a tilt of her head.

"I do?" he asked "is it the Californian sun-kissed skin?"

"It might be" Rory said in a thoughtful frame of mind. She felt as that wasn't really it, but in that moment she couldn't put her finger on the shift. Instead she hugged him, holding him tight yet again. She had missed his smell, and she had missed the feel of his frame. She suddenly remembered the last time she had held him just like that; at their longsome goodbye at the metal detectors. She closed her eyes and thought of how much that had happened since then. Maybe the one that had changed wasn't him, but herself, she suddenly though. She opened her eyes and raised her head. Logan watched her as she frowned while watching the ceiling.

"What's with the face, Ace?" Logan asked her.

"Do you hear chirping?" she asked in confusion.

He stood in silence and suddenly smiled "Yeah" he said "what is that?"

"I guess it's - birds" Rory said in a surprised tone, meeting his eyes "you think they live in here?"

"Wouldn't surprise me" Logan answered, and let his cynical gaze linger on the worn-down interior of the historic building.

"It's really named to worst airport in the world?" Rory asked, while watching their sad surrounding. It gave the clear impression that the cleaning crew must have given up in despair long ago, and Rory suddenly felt a rushed urge to leave the building.

"Perhaps…" she started hesitantly.

"…We should get out while we still can" Logan agreed.

With watchful eyes prepared for the danger in shape of angry birds ready to attack they moved towards the exit. With hurried steps and enveloped by the echoing sound of two pair of solid square heels meeting granite, they held on to each other's hands. As they felt the connection from where they were linked, they simultaneously started to smile. They smiled because they felt as if they would never let the other one go, and that the rest of their lives would be spent just like this. They smile because they had sensed the uncertain future, and then decided to face it together.

They smiled because they had with certainty seen the remains of their days.





THE END