Missing Pieces

Saturday night found Rory grading papers and watching Emma play and Finn heading over to visit with Colin and Steph.  He'd decided to go ahead and talk to them now about Emma and to ask their opinion on whether or not he should say anything to Logan about Rory suddenly being back in their lives.

"Finn, come on in," Steph greeted him warmly at the door.

"You look lovely as always, Steph," Finn returned with a kiss on her cheek.  "And there's my little guy!  How are you, Nathan?" Finn asked as Nathan flew across the room.

"Finn!" Nathan exclaimed as he pulled Finn into the floor and put dinosaurs in front of him to play with. 

Finn began playing dinosaurs with Nathan as Colin brought drinks in for the adults.

"We're always happy to have you, man, but it seemed like you coming over tonight was pretty important.  What's going on?" Colin asked when he sat Finn's drink down on the coffee table next to him.

"Yeah, I wanted to talk to you guys before Saturday.  I had breakfast with Rory this morning..." Finn trailed off, trying to decide how to approach the conversation.

"Is there something going on there?" Steph asked suddenly.

"Not what you're thinking, but there is something going on with her," Finn replied awkwardly.  "What I couldn't tell you guys yet when I mentioned running into her at the zoo was that she had her 4-year old daughter with her." 

"Wow, I had no idea Gilmore had a daughter," Colin replied after a moment.  "Is she married?"

"No, she's single, mate.  This all ties into why none of us have heard from her for the last five years.  She agreed to come Saturday, and she'll bring Emma, but she wanted me to talk to you guys first.  It seems Emma was a product of that last goodbye in New Hampshire."

The room was eerily silent as they processed information.  Finn watched the emotions that played across Steph and Colin's faces.

"You mean Huntz has a daughter with Rory and he never told us?" Colin finally asked.

"Yeah, he does.  Rory agreeing to let you guys know about Emma's father makes five of us total, outside of Rory and Logan, who know who Emma's dad is.  She doesn't really want to discuss it; that's why she's stayed away."

"How did you find out?" Steph asked.

"You'll see when you meet Emma," Finn chuckled.  "Between the timeline and her blonde hair and features, it doesn't take a genius to realize who her father is."

"Why hasn't he said anything to us?" Colin asked angrily.  "We're his best friends; surely fathering a child is on the list of things we should know."

"That's a question for Huntz, but my bet is that he knew that we wouldn't be happy with how he handled the situation," Finn answered.

"What do you mean?" Colin asked.

"He terminated his parental rights and has never met his daughter," Finn answered quietly.

"How in the world did he get himself here?" Colin wondered.  "I always thought that he and Reporter Girl were going to make it.  I don't understand how any father could not want to know their kid," Colin continued as he looked at his son and his wife's pregnant belly.

"I don't understand it either, mate.  Rory said that he told her that it was too much of a mess and a scandal.  He bought the two of them a house in Hartford and sends checks to support Emma, but otherwise has no involvement at all.  Rory's been raising her on her own.  It sounds like she has her mom and stepdad by her side and an ex-boyfriend-turned-friend.  I told her that we all would have been there this entire time if we'd known."