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While they were waiting for Rory and Logan to meet them at China Palace, Richard and Emily had asked Lorelai for a moment alone, leaving Luke, Christopher and Lane to make awkward small talk amongst themselves. Lorelai had no choice but to leave the table and follow her parents to a quiet secluded area.
"What's so important?" she asked once they were out of anyone's earshot. She was met with two disapproving looks.
"Really, Lorelai? You can't think of why we asked you to come and talk to us away from the table? What on earth possessed you to speak to Rory in such a way?" Emily questioned. Lorelai shrugged.
"Don't shrug, Lorelai. You know exactly why you told Rory she didn't earn her degree, and I don't think it was because you felt like she truly didn't earn it. When she was up on that stage you were cheering for her, but when she told us she and Logan were engaged, all of that went out the window didn't it?" Richard asked his voice equal parts embarrassment and barely suppressed anger. Lorelai snapped.
"Exactly, she and Logan are engaged! They're engaged and you helped him plan the proposal to take my daughter away from me! This was never supposed to happen, she wasn't supposed to meet that boy, if she'd gone to Harvard as we'd planned for years she wouldn't have met him! I have always been there for her; I have always been the only person she needed and it would have stayed that way if you two hadn't insisted on the Friday night dinners when she started Chilton! Why didn't you just give me the money without the strings attached?" Lorelai exploded. The pain on both her parents' faces was evident, but Emily managed to speak.
"We insisted on the Friday night dinners because we wanted to know our only grandchild, and you took the first fifteen years of her life away from us! As for the money for Chilton, you should be able to understand that you can't get something for anything in this world. As for Rory and Logan never meeting, well, that may have happened if she had gone to Harvard but then again it might not have. I believe that if two people are meant to be, the fates have a way of bringing them together. Now, we have a lunch planned for Rory to celebrate her accomplishments, so if you don't think you can act like the adult you say you are and at least pretend to be happy for Rory, then you don't have to take part. Richard, let's go back to the table," Emily said. The two of them walked away, leaving Lorelai alone. How could her parents say that she didn't deserve to be at her daughter's graduation lunch? How could her mother say Rory and Logan were soulmates? No, she wouldn't leave. She had to talk to Rory, try and get her to see sense. With that, Lorelai squared her shoulders and walked back to the table and took her seat next to Chris.
Rory was quiet on the drive to the restaurant. Logan took his eyes off the road for a second to look at their joined hands on the console and then at her. Rory had rested her head against the window and was looking at the scenery as they drove. Logan bit his lip as he turned his attention back to the road in front of him, he knew Rory was upset about what Lorelai had said, understandably so. The thing that bothered him the most was that he couldn't think of a single thing to say to make Rory feel better. Logan let go of Rory's hand and flipped his blinker on to turn into the China Palace parking lot. He quickly found a parking spot and put the car in park before shutting the car off. Rory sighed as she turned to face him.
"Are you ready for this?" Logan asked. Rory made a non-committal sound as she unbuckled her seatbelt.
"As ready as I'll ever be. Did you text the boys and Honor to let them know about tonight?" Logan nodded, he and Rory had decided to celebrate at The Rich Man's Shoe with their friends and he had invited Honor and Josh to join in the fun.
"Yeah, I texted them while you were in the bathroom. Did you let Paris and Lucy and Olivia know?" he asked.
"Yup. And Rosemary and Juliet and Steph. They said they'll meet us there at 6:30 so we'll have time to go home and relax for a while after this," Rory replied as they got out of the car. Logan placed a hand on the small of her back as they walked towards the restaurant.
As they were shown to the table where Rory's family and Luke and Lane were waiting for them, Rory stiffened when she saw Lorelai sitting next to her father. There were two empty seats between Emily and Lane, and Logan and Rory headed for those. Logan pulled Rory's chair out for her, making Lorelai roll her eyes, before pushing it and taking the seat next to her. There was an awkward moment of silence before Richard cleared his throat and picked up his glass.
"Well, I'd like to propose a toast. First off, to Rory. You've faced obstacles and trials, but in the end, you achieved your goal. We are so proud of you and so honoured to be a part of your life. And secondly, congratulations to you and Logan on your engagement. May the two of you have a long and happy life together," he said. Rory blinked back tears at her grandfather's words as they all toasted and drank from their glasses. Once their food orders had been placed, Emily turned to her granddaughter.
"Now, Rory, tell us about how Logan proposed. I want to hear every detail," Emily said. On Logan's other side Lane nodded.
"Yeah, I want to hear this too," she said. Rory laughed and launched into the story. She described everything from what had happened after Rory and Logan had left Emily and Richard's house right up to the moment in the library.
"And Richard, you were the one to suggest the library for the proposal? How did you come up with that?" Luke asked as their food arrived. Richard briefly explained about the painting of Rory he had in his office.
"Who knew that the painting would be an inspiration for a proposal?" Chris said as they all started eating.
"Certainly not me. Rory, Logan, you must allow us to throw you an engagement party before you move to Palo Alto!" Emily exclaimed. Logan and Rory looked at each other with raised eyebrows.
"Grandma, we're moving at the end of next week. There's not nearly enough time to plan an engagement party. We would need to hire a caterer and find a venue and plan the guest list. We can't plan all that in less than a week," Rory tried to protest.
"Nonsense! We can host the party at our house, can't we Richard?" Emily asked. Richard swallowed a bite of food before nodding.
"Absolutely we can! Your grandmother has a list of caterers we've hired in the past on her desk at home. We can start phoning around this afternoon when we go home and find out who's available," Richard said. Before Rory could speak, Lorelai jumped in.
"Yeah, kid, your grandma has probably had a caterer on standby since you and Logan became official," she said. Rory's eyes narrowed.
"And that's a bad thing? If that's true, Mother, it shows that Grandma is supportive of this relationship and she believes that Logan and I can make it work," she said in a level voice. Rory spoke calmly, but her hands were shaking with the effort of keeping her temper under control. She'd had just about enough of Lorelai's digs at her and Logan and of her passive-aggressiveness. Lorelai pouted as Rory turned her attention back to Emily.
"Are you sure we can plan an engagement party in the next week?" Rory asked her. Emily nodded.
"Of course, we can, Rory! If you and Logan can put together a list of your friends for the party for me in the next couple of days, we'll be all set," Emily said as the lunch dishes were cleared away and their dessert was brought. Rory looked at Lane and then at Logan.
"Well, I definitely want Lane and Luke there. And Lane's husband Zach," Rory said. Emily nodded and turned her attention to Logan.
"Logan who would you like to invite?" she asked. Logan swallowed a bite of his dessert before he answered.
"Finn, Colin, and Robert. If it's all right with you Emily, Rory and I could put together the list when we go home this afternoon and bring it to your house when we're back in Hartford? We have to be out of the apartment the day after tomorrow so we could bring the list over then?" he suggested.
"That sounds fine. In the meantime, I'll start drafting the engagement announcement. Oh, this is so exciting! My granddaughter is getting married!" Emily exclaimed. Rory's eyes widened as she looked at Logan, who looked back at her with a panicked expression. Before Emily could go into full-blown wedding planning mode, Rory spoke.
"Um, Grandma? Would you mind waiting to release the engagement announcement? We haven't told Logan's family yet," she said. Emily looked at her in surprise before turning to Logan.
"Is that another reason you didn't say anything regarding your engagement last night at the party?" she asked. Logan nodded and shuddered; he could only imagine the uproar that would have caused.
"I would rather my parents hear about the engagement from me and not through the Hartford gossip chain," he said. Emily, Richard, Luke, Chris, Lane and even Lorelai all nodded in understanding. The table was quiet as they finished their dessert and paid the bill. Lane walked out with Rory and Logan while the elder Gilmores, Lorelai, Chris, and Luke followed behind.
"Lane, we're going to celebrate with some friends and Logan's sister and brother-in-law tonight at the Rich Man's Shoe. Can you stay and come with us?" Rory asked, she wanted to celebrate her engagement with her oldest friend.
"Well, unfortunately, I can't stay, I have to get home and do a few things for Mama. But maybe Zach and I can drive up tonight and the four of us can head to the pub together? What time are you meeting everyone?" Lane asked.
"We told everyone 6:30," Rory replied. Lane nodded.
"I'll talk to Zach when I get home and then I'll send you a text," she said. Rory nodded and hugged Lane tightly.
"Thank you so much for coming today, Lane. It means a lot to me that I got to celebrate one of the most important days of my life with you," she said. Lane squeezed her back before she let her go and surprised Logan with a hug.
"Thanks for making this happen, Logan," she said as she released him. Logan nodded. By this time the whole group was standing outside and Rory had hugged Luke while Lane was hugging Logan.
"Of course. I'm so glad it worked out that both you and Luke were able to come and I hope you and Zach can join us tonight," Logan said. Lane nodded. After the group said their goodbyes and Rory promised to visit her grandparents when she was back in Stars Hollow, they parted ways.
As Rory and Logan reached her car and she unlocked it, Logan noted she looked much happier than she had when they'd arrived at the restaurant.
"Hey, Ace? What do you say we go get that ice cream we didn't get to have last night?" he suggested. Rory nodded enthusiastically, the dessert portions at the restaurant had been small.
"Sounds great! We can go get ice cream and then go home and make that list for Grandma?" she said. Logan nodded as they got into the car. Lorelai watched as her daughter and Logan drove away. She would talk to Rory when the latter came home in a couple of days. She would get Rory to see sense then. With that thought, Lorelai got into her Jeep and started the drive back to Stars Hollow.
After a stop at Baskin Robbins, where they both picked one of the sundaes, Rory and Logan headed back to their apartment. Rory found a notebook and a pen she hadn't packed yet and the two of them settled down at the kitchen counter.
"Okay, so at the restaurant, you said you wanted to invite Finn, Colin, and Robert. Honor and Josh are a must. Steph, Rosemary and Juliet will all be getting an invite, is there anyone else you want to invite? Anyone from the Life and Death Brigade days?" Rory asked Logan as she jotted down the names. Logan shook his head and took a bite of his sundae.
"Hugo, Nick, Philip, and Bobbi and other than that, I can't think of anyone else. How about you? Other than Luke, and Lane and Zach?" Logan asked.
"Well, Paris and Doyle, Lucy and Olivia for sure. Oh, and Madeline and Louise. I told you about them, right?" Rory asked. Logan nodded as he recalled the stories Rory had told him after she'd become friends with Paris, Madeline and Louise.
"You did tell me about them, and you also told me the story of how you, Paris, Madeline and Louise all got drunk in Florida on spring break your freshman year of college," Logan replied. Rory shook her head as she started to laugh. That had been a whole new experience for her, but she couldn't deny how much fun she and Paris had had. They'd kept in touch with Madeline and Louise after that. Rory was broken out of her memories by her phone buzzing. She glanced at the caller ID before answering.
"Hey Paris," she said. She could hear rustling noises in the background.
"Rory, hey! You'll never guess who I just talked to," Paris said as she discarded another rejected top for that night. Rory leaned back in her seat.
"Was it Madeline and Louise?" she asked. Paris held up a top to herself and examined it in the mirror.
"Yeah, it was! Are you psychic or something? I told them about you and Logan getting engaged and they're both super excited for you. They're in New York right now," Paris said. Rory looked over at Logan, who mouthed "invite them to come tonight, the more the merrier."
"Well, I'm not psychic, but Logan and I were just talking about Madeline and Louise and when we met up with them in Florida over spring break freshman year, remember? I'll text them with an invite to join us tonight," Rory said.
"Sounds good. Hey is this thing casual or semi-formal? We are celebrating your engagement," Paris said.
"I think casual, I'm just going to wear a nice top and a skirt or shorts I think," Rory said.
"Sounds good, see you at 6:30!" said Paris.
"See you then," Rory said before she and Paris hung up. Rory quickly sent a text to Madeline and Louise inviting them to join the group that evening and had responses back within seconds. Rory looked over the list one more time to make sure all the names she and Logan had discussed were included before ripping the piece of paper out of the notebook and folding it.
"We do not want to lose this," she said as she slipped it into her purse. Logan nodded in agreement as he finished the last of his sundae. "I guess we better find some clothes for tonight," Rory said as she stood up.
"Yeah. So, you said Paris had a positive response to our engagement?" Logan asked as the two of them headed towards the closet.
"Yeah, she did, she gave me this big hug and everything and she actually offered to stick around for when we told grandma and grandpa and Mom and Dad," Rory explained. Logan loosened his tie and slid his arms out of his suit jacket.
"How come she didn't?" he asked. Rory briefly explained what she had told Paris before Logan and her family had approached. Logan nodded in understanding, after seeing Lorelai's explosive reaction and her digs towards him and Rory last night and this morning, he doubted Paris' presence would have made a difference.
"Have you thought about what you're going to do when we go home? Packing wise?" Logan asked as the two of them walked into the living room, Logan in a blue t-shirt and jeans and Rory in a dark purple top and black shorts.
"Well, I'll probably leave most of my stuff packed. The stuff from here I'm bringing with me to Palo Alto and then I'll have to go through my stuff at my mom's house and figure out what to keep and what to donate, and what to store. What about you?" Rory asked as they settled down on the couch. Logan sighed.
"Well, I'll probably stay at my parents' house while we're getting ready to move, and I'll figure out something for storage, I guess," Logan answered. Rory rubbed small circles on his hand. She knew her mother's bad reaction to their news wouldn't be the last, and she had a feeling the Huntzbergers would have a similar, if not worse, response. Rory jumped as her phone rang. She looked at the screen and saw Lane's name flashing and quickly answered.
"Hey Lane! Did you and Luke make it back to Stars Hollow okay?" Rory asked.
"Yeah, we did. I talked to Zach and the two of us are coming tonight but we'll have to leave a little early to pick up the twins from Mama's," Lane said.
"Well, that's great! I'm so glad you guys can come!" Rory exclaimed as she gave Logan a thumbs up, who smiled at her in return.
"Me too! There's another reason I'm calling though," Lane said. Something about her tone caused Rory to sit up straighter. A bad feeling started to grow in her stomach.
"Why do I get the sense I'm not going to like what the reason is?" Rory asked. Lane sighed.
"Probably because you're not. After we came back to Stars Hollow, I went to the diner with Luke because I had to pick some stuff up. Lorelai made it back to Stars Hollow before we did somehow," the bad feeling in Rory's stomach grew as she listened to Lane, "And when we got to the diner everyone was looking daggers at us. Taylor was livid that Luke and I got invited to your graduation and he and the rest of the town did not, and Babette and Miss Patty were mourning the fact Logan didn't try to get extra tickets for them, Kirk was Kirk, and your mom told them about your engagement," Lane finished. The bad feeling in Rory's stomach had erupted into full-fledged anger.
"Do I even want to know what the town's reaction was to my engagement?" she asked. Logan gave her a questioning look.
"Well, I actually left before anything was said about that, but I'm sure you will hear about what the town has to say about that when you come home in a couple of days. I just wanted to warn you and also give you a chance to prepare for the onslaught of questions and opinions you are undoubtedly going to get when you come home," Lane said. Rory sighed and rubbed a hand over her forehead.
"Thanks, Lane," she said.
"You're welcome, Rory. Are you mad?" Lane asked uncertainly, she wasn't sure if she and Zach would still be welcome at dinner after the bombshell she'd just dropped on Rory.
"Not at you. We'll see you in a couple of hours?" Rory said. After Lane confirmed she and Zach would be there the two girls ended the phone call. Rory set her phone on the coffee table and picked up one of the cushions on the couch. Logan watched her in confusion as she held the cushion to her face and jumped when she screamed into it.
"Rory, what happened?" he asked. Rory looked up from the cushion and Logan had to stop himself from jumping off the couch. Rory's cheeks were rosy with anger and her eyes had gone a dark stormy blue.
"My mother is what happened," she said before recounting her conversation with Lane to Logan. Logan could only listen in disbelief as Rory ranted. "As if her saying what she did after the ceremony and at lunch wasn't enough, she takes your sweet gesture of inviting Lane and Luke to be part of my graduation day and somehow spins it into something terrible! You knew how sad I was I couldn't get an extra ticket for Luke to come, and not only did you try and get him one but you went to the effort of trying to get one for Lane as well! Why did this have to happen today?! Why?! Why did she do this?" Rory's voice dropped to a whisper before the last word and she buried her face into the pillow again. Logan leaned forward and gently tugged the pillow out of her arms and set it on the floor before drawing her into his arms.
Rory clung to his shoulders and trembled as she tried to keep the tears back, she'd done enough crying for one day. As she had the previous night, she listened to Logan's heartbeat to calm herself. Gradually she felt her breathing return to normal and she looked up at Logan.
"Logan, promise me. Promise me that when we have kids, you won't let me do to them what my mother does to me whenever I choose to do something that she doesn't want or is against her wishes. Please," she pleaded. Logan's heart broke as he looked at the woman in his arms. He leaned in and gently pressed a kiss to Rory's lips.
"I don't need to promise that because I already know you won't be like that. You're your own person, Rory, you're not your mother. You'll never be like her," Logan said. Rory looked at him, searching his eyes and his face before she nodded.
"Okay. Maybe we should lay down for a little while, have a power nap before tonight?" she suggested. Logan nodded and reached for the throw blanket that lay over the back of the couch before covering them both. Rory yawned and snuggled deeper into him.
A buzzing woke Rory sometime later. Sleepy and disoriented, she looked around and saw her cellphone on the coffee table. She yawned and reached for it before answering.
"Hello?" she asked.
"Hey Rory, it's Lane. Sorry did I wake you?" Lane asked.
"Yeah, it's okay though. What's up?"
"Zach and I just arrived in New Haven, should we meet you guys at your apartment and we can all go to the pub together?" Lane asked. Rory looked at the clock on the wall and her eyes widened when she saw it was five after six. "Rory?" Lane's voice came over the line.
"Yeah, yeah I'm here. Sure, that sounds good, I gave you directions, right?" Rory asked as she shook Logan.
"I have the paper on my lap as we speak. See you soon!" Lane said before ending the call. Rory put her phone on the coffee table and shook Logan's shoulder.
"Logan, wake up! We have to-oh!" Rory squeaked as Logan pulled her down onto his chest and wrapped his arms around her.
"No, Ace, five more minutes. I'm so comfy and you're so warm," he said. Rory sighed in exasperation.
"Logan, we have to get up! Lane and Zach are almost here!" she said. Logan's eyes opened and he looked at her.
"Lane and Zach?"
"Yeah, they're coming from Stars Hollow because we invited them to celebrate our engagement with us and the gang tonight. It's after six already!" Rory said. Logan glanced over at the clock and his eyes widened when he saw how late it was. He sat up, forgetting Rory was on top of him, and she let out a yelp as the both of them toppled off the couch and onto the floor.
"Oof!" Rory grunted as she landed on the floor and Logan landed on top of her.
"Sorry, Rory! Are you okay?" Logan asked as he finally untangled both of them from the blanket. He threw it on the couch before standing up and helping Rory to her feet.
"I'm fine. Lucky we still have that rug there or it would have hurt way more," Rory replied before scurrying into the bathroom. She pulled her hair into a high ponytail and touched up her mascara and blush before walking back out. Logan had put on his leather jacket and he helped Rory slide her arms into a dark denim jean jacket. As Logan grabbed the keys, there was a knock on the door. Rory hurried over to answer it and pulled it open to reveal Lane and Zach on the other side.
"Hey, you're here!" she said excitedly. She hugged Lane while Zach and Logan shook hands.
"How was the drive?" Logan asked as he and Rory stepped out into the hallway. He locked the door behind them before the four of them set off down the hallway.
"It was good, there wasn't too much traffic. So how does it feel being engaged?" Zach asked. Rory and Logan looked at each other.
"It feels great. As though a missing puzzle piece has fallen into place," Rory answered. Logan nodded in agreement.
A short time later the four of them had arrived at the pub. Logan checked his phone.
"Finn says they've got a table for us. You ready for this?" Rory, Lane, and Zach nodded and the four of them walked into the pub. There was an explosion of cheering as they walked in.
"Oh my gosh!" Rory gasped as she saw their friends. Paris, Doyle, Madeline, Louise, Honor and Josh were standing with a banner that read "Congratulations Rory and Logan!" while Finn, Colin, Robert, Juliet, Steph and Rosemary, Lucy and Olivia were cheering and holding trays of champagne. Rory looked over at Logan, who looked as awestruck and overwhelmed as she felt.
"Wow!" he said.
"Wow is right!" Rory said as their friends set down the banner and trays of champagne and made their way towards them.
"Well don't just stand there, we've got a party to kick off!" Finn exclaimed. Logan was quickly surrounded by the men and greeted with slaps on the back and handshakes while the women crowded around Rory to get a look at the ring. Honor was the first to hug her.
"I get a sister!" she squealed. Rory laughed as she hugged Honor back. Honor pulled back with tears in her eyes. "I'm-I'm so happy Logan found you, Rory. There isn't anyone else I would rather have my baby brother be with," she said.
"Thanks, Honor," Rory said as she accepted a tissue from Lane to wipe her eyes with. Lane offered one to Honor as well, who accepted it gratefully. Madeline and Louise were the next to hug Rory. As Louise hugged Rory, Madeline took Rory's hand and examined the ring.
"This is the most stunning ring I've ever seen. He did all right, didn't he?" she asked. Rory nodded.
"Logan has impeccable taste when picking out jewelry, wouldn't you agree Honor?" she asked. Honor nodded as they made their way to the table with the champagne.
"He does, even when we were kids, he had an eye for jewelry. I remember he bought me a bracelet by Harry Winston for my 18th birthday," Honor said as they all picked up a glass. By this time the group of men had joined them and picked up their own glasses.
"Well, love, are you going to tell us how Huntz here proposed?" Finn asked. There was a chorus of agreement.
"Yeah, tell us! I've been waiting to hear this story since this morning! Ever since Rory told us you surprised her with a carriage ride of the campus, Logan!" Lucy said. Logan chuckled as Colin clapped him on the back.
"You old-fashioned romantic you!" he said, which brought a round of laughter to the group. Rory giggled before launching into the story for the second time that day.
"You always did love your books, Rory. It's so sweet your grandpa helped plan the proposal," Louise said as they all sat down at the table. Finn, Colin, and Robert had arranged for finger foods to be brought out, fitting the casual theme of the evening. They all talked and laughed as they ate and drank. As she watched her best friend since childhood, Lane thought she had never seen Rory look more relaxed and confident than she did at that moment. She was broken out of her thoughts by Madeline.
"We'll have to do something fabulous for your bachelorette, Rory!" she exclaimed. The other girls nodded in agreement.
"Maybe go to a spa and get pampered during the day and then go for a nice dinner and then go clubbing?" Olivia suggested. Rory nodded.
"That sounds good, just a nice weekend with the girls," she said. Honor took a sip of her wine.
"So, Rory, I know how close you and your mom are. She must be really excited about your engagement," she said. Logan choked on his scotch and looked worriedly at Rory, who had paled slightly.
"Um, no, not really, actually. She didn't have a very good reaction when we told her and my dad and grandparents today," she said. The lighthearted, playful atmosphere that had been in the room since they'd arrived was gone and had been replaced by a tense silence. Rory wiped her mouth with a napkin before getting to her feet. "I'm, um, I'm going to use the ladies' room, excuse me," she said before walking away from the table. The rest of the table watched her go worriedly before Josh turned to Logan.
"Logan, what happened when you guys told Rory's family?" he asked. Logan took a long, bracing drink of scotch before he briefly recounted the events of that day to the rest of the group, with Lane jumping in about what had happened in Stars Hollow that afternoon. By the end of the explanation, the other members in the party were sitting in disbelief and anger. Honor was the first to speak.
"Logan, I'm so sorry," she said. Logan shook his head.
"You didn't know, Honor," he said. Honor shook her head as she got to her feet.
"Even still, I feel terrible. I'm going to go apologize to Rory and check on her," she said before walking in the direction of the washrooms. Paris looked at Logan.
"Lorelai really said that to Rory?" she asked. Logan nodded sadly. Paris shook her head. "I just, I can't believe she would sink that low and say that to her own daughter. Should we go after Honor, do you think?" It was Lane who answered.
"No, I think Honor needs the chance to talk to Rory alone. Whatever you guys need, Logan, I'm here," she said. Everyone else nodded in agreement.
"Thanks, Lane, everyone. Rory and I are going to need all the support we can get, especially when we tell my parents," he said. Finn, Colin, Robert, and Josh all winced.
"They can't be that bad," said Doyle, only to be met with five nods. Logan sighed as he launched into the story of what had happened the first time he'd brought Rory home.
Meanwhile, in the bathroom, Rory sniffled as she blotted her eyes with a tissue. She knew Honor hadn't meant anything by her comment, but it had reminded her of her mother's disapproval and all the comments she'd made in the last 24 hours. She was broken out of her thoughts by the bathroom door opening and Honor stepping inside. The two women looked at each other for a second before Honor took a tentative step forward and folded her hands in front of her.
"Rory, I'm so sorry. I-I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable and I certainly didn't mean to send you running to the bathroom on what should be a night of celebration," she said. Rory shook her head and moved to stand in front of Honor.
"I know that you didn't. Thank you for apologizing though, I appreciate it. Just promise me something?" Rory asked. Honor nodded, looking apprehensive. Rory's face crumpled.
"Just promise you'll be there for Logan and me. We-we really need you guys to be there for us, we need you on our side. Please, Honor," Rory whispered. Honor's heart broke as she stepped forward and wrapped Rory in a hug.
"Of course, Rory! Of course, we'll be there for you. Let us know when you plan to tell Mom and Dad and Grandpa and Josh and I will make it a point to be there. We still owe you for three years ago," Honor said as she rubbed Rory's back. Rory nodded as she pulled away and wiped her eyes. Honor let Rory gather herself before saying "Are you ready to head back now?"
Rory nodded and the two women left the washroom. As they sat down at the table, Rory smiled at Logan and at their friends who were looking at her worriedly.
"Everything okay?" Olivia asked. Rory nodded.
"Let's not dwell on the unpleasant stuff for tonight, you all came to celebrate with us and that's what we're going to do. And," Rory picked up her glass with the rest of the table following suit, "We couldn't have asked for a better group of people or better friends to help us celebrate one of the biggest milestones of our lives. The milestone that marks the start of our new lives together. Cheers," she said.
As they toasted, Rory knew she would have to deal with her mother soon, but she would put those feelings in a box for tonight and focus on celebrating with her fiancé and their friends.
Chapter 8! Thank you all for the amazing reviews, follows, and favourites! You guys are absolutely amazing!
Chapter 7 Reviews:
52shari: Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed the seventh chapter! The incorporation of the series into Rory's nightmare was an idea I've had since the beginning of this story. I'm glad you liked Paris' reaction to the ring and that you thought it was perfect! I think after she got over the initial shock she would be genuinely happy for Rory. Lorelai is very predictable, and I agree with everything you said! She is more hurtful than a displeased Emily. I think Lorelai has a hard time separating her life and Rory's life from each other.
GGRoganTroryCory2017AYITL: Yeah, she reacted how I expected she would in the show. You have to feel sorry for Emily, having to parent and adult her daughter who's almost forty! I'm glad you're enjoying the backbone Rory is starting to show because I'm enjoying writing it! There is definitely a huge difference between being close to your parent vs what Rory always had to do, which was parent Lorelai and balance out her mother with her responsible nature. Yes, I think if Rory would have been more of her own person and only asked Lorelai her thoughts when she truly felt she needed her opinion, things could have been very different.
Red lighting: Hopefully Richard and Emily talking to Lorelai kept her from causing too big of a scene. She is definitely holding her anger and I think she will explode, she is not the kind of person who can keep a lid on her emotions for too long. Logan was sweet, I love writing the sweet, sensitive moments between him and Rory.
Roganjalex: I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter. I knew I was going to include Luke in this chapter and Lane joining in was something that made me happy and also fit the story. I think Rory would want her best friend there on her graduation day.
Rosie1alex: Thank you! I'm glad you are enjoying the story! Thanks :) I thought using the AYITL storyline as a dream would be a great plot incident, but I felt bad Rory and Logan were so affected by it! It was not intended for the story to underlyingly be all about Logan, and I didn't see it that way. The story is about him and Rory finding their way post-college. As for the toxic masculinity traits, those were not meant to be a part of this story. That was unintentional but thank you for bringing that to my attention because now I can keep an eye out for them. It was not my intention to cause offence so I apologize. You're welcome, I hope you enjoyed Chapter 8!
Rori Potter: Thank you so much! I don't know if Lorelai will walk away from Rory or not. As for her issues, I guess we will have to wait and see! I hope you enjoyed Chapter 8 :)
Bseriel: Ugh! I know right! Rory is a grown woman who has had more stable relationships than her mother! I don't think Lorelai grew up mentally either, she's still stuck in the sixteen-year-old frame of mind. Yes, it is okay to be Rory's best friend but being jealous of all of Rory's other relationships is not cool.
December Jeffries2: I was the one who wrote that and it surprised me! Sometimes I'm taken aback by what the characters whisper into my ear. Well, I'm sure you are not the only one who felt that way. Yeah, Lorelai seems to find a way to hurt Rory even worse than she did at the graduation party. THANK YOU! Finally, somebody who isn't criticizing Rory for dropping out of Yale. She did need that time to regroup and to find herself again. Whether anyone realizes it or not, Rory is human too, and for people to criticize her and say "oh she's a failure because she can't take some honest feedback," is just plain wrong. She did go back to school and she did prove Mitchum wrong! She did work her ass off to get to where she wanted to be and graduate at the same time she would've had before she took time off school. A defamation of character from her own mother. I think you're right, Rory may be able to move past this eventually, but there are some things that simply cannot be forgiven, and ruining one of the most important days of your daughter's life is one of them. I'm happy that Rogan's other family and friends are excited for them. It probably was heartbreaking for Logan to not be able to get tickets for Luke and Lane. It definitely was. He would do anything to make Rory happy and it definitely hurt him not to be able to do this for her. His love for Rory is unconditional because all he wants is to see her happy, and he knows how important Luke and Lane are to her, and that's why he invited them to come and take pictures and go out to celebrate with them after because they're part of Rory's family too. Lorelai can't see it because she's blinded by her jealousy and judgment of Logan. She can't get over her selfishness because she hates that someone else can make Rory happy and has essentially taken her place as the most important person in Rory's life. That is what mothers want for their kids, to find someone who will love them and do anything for them. I think Rory's close bond with her grandparents is only going to get stronger. As for being down one parent, I guess we will have to wait and see. I don't know if there is anything Lorelai can say or do to make up for this and have the same connection with Rory, and even if there is, their relationship will never be the same.
Jumpingaces: Thank you! They are sweet :) I loved writing Luke and Lane showing up, it made me so happy!
Mvnlaredo: Lorelai is a selfish child and I don't think Rory will listen to her. She's finally stepping away from Lorelai's shadow and starting to find who she is. Aww :) I'm glad you enjoyed Logan's surprise of Luke and Lane coming for pictures, I loved writing and reading that part. Hope you enjoyed the lunch and this chapter!
Guest: I'm glad she didn't let Lorelai wreck it either. It takes a strong person to not let someone knock them down on one of the biggest days of their lives. It's sad to me her dream was the reality and I hated watching the scene where Logan proposes to her for the dialogue in the nightmare. I wish ASP would have done it differently too. I'm glad you're rooting for them because I am too. More is coming :)
That's all for now, guys! Thanks again for the reads, reviews, follows and favourites! Have a wonderful day/night/week wherever in the world you are and I will be back next week with Chapter 9. Till then, xoxoxox