Logan stood up and walked towards them, not looking happy.
"What the hell are you doing here?" he asked, ready for a fight.
"Logan we wanted to apologize." said Stephanie quickly, seeing he was in no mood to be joked with.
"We heard that you were having a party for Rory and we wanted to stop by and congratulate her and tell you that we should never have treated you that way." said Rosemary. "And we want to be friends with Rory again. We felt really bad after she yelled at us."
"Yeah we feel really bad about making fun of you at the party." added Robert.
"We really missed you. It hasn't been the same since you weren't part of the group anymore." said Steph.
"We know that nothing that happened was your fault and we should have been there for you. We realized that we weren't very good friends, plus we were drunk." said Colin.
Logan was surprised at their apology. More than that, it seemed genuine.
"We've always been best friends, we just got caught up in the scandal and we wanted to be your and Rory's friend again." said Finn. "Although if you and Rory are breaking up I would really like to take her home tonight."
Rory looked at Logan to see how he would react to the apology. She couldn't even be sure if it was genuine or yet another trick.
Suddenly Logan reached out and shook Finn's hand. "Good to have you at the party." was all he said.
Then he turned and added "But the lady is spoken for."
Grabbing Rory's arm he whispered to her "I hope its okay that they are here."
"Do you trust them?" she whispered back.
Logan nodded quickly. "Yeah, we have always been best friends, no matter what. I guess they just forgot that for a while."
"Then of course its okay. I'm glad they are here."
The both turned back to the newcomers and smiled.
They had already mingled with the crowd, drinking and talking. Most of them dropped by shortly to give Logan a hug or a handshake and some personal apology. They had seen that despite the change in finances he was still Logan Huntzberger, and was still their unofficial leader.
Rory also received many congratulations, which she returned as most of them would be graduating the next day as well.
As Hep Alien took the stage again Logan grabbed Rory's arm to dance. "Are you enjoying the party Ace?" he asked, already knowing the answer.
Rory's face was glowing as she answered "It's great. Its like everyone I love in one room. And your friends are even being nice to Marty."
"Well they better." said Logan. "Marty is a good guy."
"It seems weird, like this might be the last time that all these people will be in a room together, until maybe our reunion."
"Yeah besides graduation I guess thats true. But we'll see them around." said Logan.
"Everything is working out so well. Who would have thought that things would be like this that day you showed up on my doorstep." said Rory.
"I never thought I would feel this good again. Thanks Rory." he said, giving her a kiss.
They partied for way too long that night, into the small hours of the morning. Logan was glad to have his friends back and they were sufficiently repentant and drunk for everything to go well. Lorelai and Luke left earlier than everyone else so that they could get some sleep before the ceremony in the morning but the rest of the group stayed up late. Rory spent some time with Logan's friends but she mostly talked with Lane and Paris and occasionally with the rest of the band. She finally reconnected with Logan at the end of the night.
"Hey." she said sleepily.
"Ready to call an end to this party?" he asked.
Rory nodded. "Bed, sleep, Advil." she said.
"You heard the lady!" announced Logan out loud. "Bed sleep Advil and lots of it, because we've got a graduation tomorrow."
Everyone raised their glasses and cheered one last time before clearing out of the place to get ready for the ceremony in what seemed like such a short time.
Rory started to tidy up a little, in a hurry to get home and get some sleep.
"Hey Ace don't worry about cleaning up. Lets just get you to bed. My co workers offered to clean up before opening tomorrow. They even decorated the place. They are a really great crew."
Rory smiled. "Good because I'm falling asleep right here. How can you be so awake?"
"Years of practice."
Logan picked up Rory and carried her easily to the car, putting her in the passenger seat where she promptly fell asleep. He looked fondly at her, then, once Marty had gotten into the back seat he started the car and drove them back to the apartment. Rory had moved in right away, just driving back to Stars Hollow to get a few of her things. Marty didn't mind because although the place was small it had two bedrooms and besides there had only been about a month left on the lease as it was.
The next day Rory sat with the rest of her classmates, dressed in her cap and gown, blinking in the bright sun and listening to all the speeches. Looking out in the audience she could see an entire block of people there to cheer for her. There was her mom, her grandparents, Luke, Lane, Zach, Babbette and Morey, Miss Patty, Kirk, even Taylor was there, taking photos. Stars Hollow now had a Yale graduate, that gave them bragging rights. Rory had a feeling that she was going to end up on the front page of the Stars Hollow Gazette the next morning. She saw Dean there as well, with his arm around Lindsay. She was glad that he had made it to her graduation, and that he had apparently reconciled with Lindsay. And seeing him there with another girl Logan had felt better about him coming at all. And there, next to her mom sat Logan, looking proud and a little bit bored. Rory smiled, still trying to shake the residual tiredness and hangover. Thankfully her grandmother had insisted on bringing her stylist, so while Rory felt tired at least she looked fantastic. She turned her attention back to the speaker, listening gravely to the expected message about looking forward and doing something great with her life and all the many wonderful experiences the class had together. Although the lines were all cheesy, and used in every graduation ceremony since the beginning of time, Rory felt tears come to her eyes. Here was the end of one big chapter in her life, and the start of another.
Finally she heard the words that she had been waiting for. They were all asked to stand as their degrees were conferred on them, and then she proudly moved her tassel from one side to the other. She was officially a graduate, all that was left was to walk that stage and get her diploma. Rory took a deep breath, drinking in the moment. It was a moment that seemed like it would never happen for a while but here she was, on the giant lawn with hundreds of people around her. She smiled a little as she saw Logan in the audience furiously snapping pictures of everything having to do with her graduation.
She stood up and moved with her row to stand by the stage, moving closer and closer until the person in front of her was called. And then she heard the voice announcing "Lorelai Leigh Gilmore" and she stepped across the stage to the cheers of her friends and classmates. She shook hands with the dean and the president and received her degree, then gave a triumphant smile to all the cameras pointed at her and left the stage, returning to her seat with her classmates. She didn't look at the diploma yet, just felt it in her arms and then cheered for the rest of her friends that were graduating as well.
Finally they all stood up together and walked through the crowd to meet up with their families and friends.
Logan immediately gave Rory a huge hug. "Congratulations Ace, you are a college graduate!"
Lorelai demanded a picture of Rory and one of Rory and Logan together. Rory was lost in a whirlwind of congratulations, hugs and pictures which was a little overwhelming but flattering at the same time.
Colin and Finn joined them shortly, shaking her hand and saying hi to Logan. There seemed to be a pact to pretend that nothing had ever happened between them but that was just fine with Rory, she was just glad that they were Logan's friends again.
Then the entire party piled into cars for the party at the Gilmore mansion.