AN: We'll we're rounding some sort of corner here. With this chapter we're passing the half-way mark. I feel as though the story is finally knitting itself together.

Disclaimer: I own Theo, Nate, some of the friends they invite and their parents. That's it, that's all I have…and my name of course.

The people Nate and Theo had invited for dinner were finally gathered around the table. They were at a local Chinese restaurant called Coconut Palms which they used to eat at on weekends home from Chilton. Theo ticked them off in her head; Rory and Logan, Louise and Rupert, Lisa, Tristan, Paris, Harry and Wills. They had ordered the banquet which was about to be brought out. It had been a fortnight since the very nearly disastrous charity ball. Lizzie's date with Michael had gone perfectly and she'd had her first kiss under the fluorescent hospital lights. Mrs. Winters had organised for a hairdresser to the stars to make Lily and brand new red wig and she was beside herself. The night had been a success 100 times over. She hoped tonight would be too. Nate squeezed her hand before he began.

"Well, we've managed to successfully organise our first evening out all together since he start of senior year. And for a very good reason, we wanted you to be the first to know outside our family's, after all, you guys have been more like family to us than our families at times." Rory's eyes widened and butterflies swarmed in her stomach as she took in Theo's coy smile. Nate pushed on. "Last night I proposed to Theo, and she said yes" A collective gasp ran around the table before the girls started squealing, causing an uproar in the restaurant. Louise grabbed for her hand where a huge 3ct. Princess cut diamond sat in a simple platinum setting.

"Oh my God, now that is a ring!"

Nate pulled out her chair for her at he best table Saffron had to offer, it was the premier restaurant in Hartford. They had had their dinner and danced, now it was time.

"Theo, you know I love you right?" She laughed.

"What sort of a question is that? Of course I know idiot"

"Right, very eloquent" She laughed again and so did he, before he slipped off his chair and on to one knee as The Goo Goo Dolls' "Iris" started playing.

"Oh my God Nate"

"Shhh…Theodora Katerina Adams…will you marry me?" The other diners had turned to look as well as the staff who had known about this. He produced a scarlet leather box and opened to reveal the biggest solitaire diamond she'd ever seen. Tears came to her eyes and she didn't know where they were from. She threw her arms around his neck.

"Oh my God! Of course I will! Yes!" He stood up, picking her up cavalier style and spinning her around as the other diners and the staff burst into applause. A waitress arrived with a giant cake declaring 'CONGRATULATIONS NATE & THEO' which they shared with the other diners as she slipped her ring on.

"What was the proposal like?" Rory asked excitedly, knowing though that as it was Nate it would have been classic and romantic.

"Oh it was beautiful, I'll tell you all about…" Louise jumped in then.

"You know it's funny, when we were younger you always said you'd only marry someone who gave you a pearl and diamond engagement ring" Theo's smile dropped.

"Well Nate gave me pearls for our anniversary" She replied somewhat snappishly.

"Well that was tactless" Lisa hissed to her. Paris was more brusque.

"Coming from you Louise, who promised, when she was twelve, that she wouldn't have sex with anybody until thy serenaded her with Slide without having to be asked" Louise laughed.

"Well that song was playing when I first had sex"

"Uh huh"

Rory kept her eyes trained on Theo all night. Some might call her crazy, but Theo wasn't anywhere near her idea of a blushing, deliriously happy bride-to-be.

The dinner was a wonderful success and Nate drove Theo home. He was leaving for New York at five a.m. to interview for an internship in the fall. She was sitting in her arm chair, still in summer dress from that night, staring into space when she heard a familiar tap on the door of her balcony. As if in a trance she crossed to it and opened the door. Tristan stood on the balcony with a bottle of champagne and two glasses. There was an old ladder attached to the side of the house to lead to the widows walk that ran by her room, but how the hell he made it up that with a bottle and two glasses she didn't know.

"How did you know I'd be here? It's my engagement night"

"You're hear aren't you?"

"You don't give up do you?" He brandished the two glasses with a cheeky smile. She lets him in with a smile and they sit on the armchairs in her suite while he pours them a glass each.

"Are you happy?" He asks.

"Yes" He takes a deep breath, ready to accept things.

"Well then, to you Ms. Adams, the changer of lives"

"To you Mr. DuGrey, a surprising constant in my life" He raised and eyebrow.

"To us then, to all of us, the hope of a generation" They clinked their glasses.

They proceeded to get riotously drunk on the ridiculously expensive champagne, talking about old times, telling tall stories that maybe never happened, and certainly didn't the way they were telling them. Katherine heard the commotion when she was on her way to bed. She assumed it was Nate. She had cried all night when Theo had told them. She knocked on the door but there was no response. Slowly she opened it and peeked in. She was greeted by the sight of Theo and Tristan, still dressed in best, drunk as lords on the armchairs.

"Wow, this is just like old times" She commented as she walked in. They had been laughing but stopped when se walked in, they shot her guilty looks. She raised her arms in self-defense.

"Hey, you're both almost legal, I don't care" They laughed again but Theo was calming down. She checked her watch.

"Oh it's getting late, we should call it a night" Tristan nodded.

"I'll see you soon"
"Okay" He left with Katherine.

Katherine made her way to she and Jackson's bedroom. He was asleep but he woke up when she climbed in.

"How's our bride to be?"

"Oh Jackson"

"Come on Katherine, we had this last night"

"I know but they are so wrong together. Is it wrong for me to wish he'd do something to break her heart and finish all this?"
"Probably, but I understand" He put his arm around her and she laid her head on his chest. "She's a big girl now Katherine, and she's always been independent. That suited us fine until she made a choice we weren't so fond of. But you can't choose your child's life"

"I know, I know. I just hate this"

"Shhh"

Rory sat on the couch in her grandparent's parlor next to Logan. Emily was lapping up details of Theo and Nate's engagement.

"I've always like Nathan" She was saying. Richard however was preoccupied with his evening paper.

"Now I suppose we're just waiting for the announcement from you two" Emily rabbited on. Rory inwardly cringed. Her grandparent's didn't seem to understand that she and Logan weren't like that. Logan squeezed her knee.

"Well you never know Mrs. Gilmore" Emily beemed while Rory stared at him in shock.

"What did you mean by that?" She asked later, when they were alone on the balcony. Logan laughed.

"Have to keep the grand-parentals happy" He told her.

"But you didn't mean anything by it?" She asked, trying to keep her voice commanding rather than hopeful. No, they just weren't like that. He shrugged.

"Who knows? Maybe one day we will get married and have a million children" Rory looked at him in shock and he laughed, slipping his arm around her shoulder. "Come on Ace, you know me, I'm not like that, we're not like that…you didn't think I was serious did you?" She blushed furiously and was glad it was dark.

"No, of course not, we're not like that"

"Good" He replied as he turned to face her, slipping his arms around her waist underneath the light jacket she was wearing and pulling her towards him. He kissed her neck gently and she shivered, slipping her arms around his neck.

They stumbled into her bedroom, trying to be quiet so no-one in the house came to investigate. Rory closed the door and turned in Logan's arms. He smirked at her and she blushed again as his hands found the hem of her skirt, sliding underneath it. She moaned. He trailed soft kisses up her neck until finally he crushed his lips against hers, pushing her back until her back hit the door. She moaned when his hands moved up inside her skirt, trailing softly across the soft flesh of her thighs.

"You're on fire" He whispered against her lips. She blushed and pulled him closer.

"We're so much better like this Ace" He whispered huskily and she blushed again.

AN: There we go, hope you like it. I'm trying to put a lot more Rory in the story. Stay tuned for Chapter 10 and the real Engagement Party! Oh, and review! Please?