"Ace, for god's sake, you look fine." Logan said for what seemed the thousandth time that morning.

"Logan, the dean of admissions doesn't want 'fine'." Rory called from inside the closet, where she was picking out her outfit for the twelfth time. "Besides, this outfit is all wrong. I mean, a red halter top? What am I, a hooker?"

Logan sighed. "What was wrong with the outfit before that? It looked good, too."

"I had on blue pants and a white button-down shirt. That was awful!"

"Your mom helped you pick out something last night."

"Yes, a black blazer, pants, and boots and a pink ruffled v-neck. All wrong! Completely and horribly wrong!"

"You've been in there for two hours!"

"It has not been two hours!"

"It's been two hours! I've kept count of everything this morning. You woke me up and 5:30 am, and since it is now 9:30 you have been up four hours. Your meeting is in Hartford and at 11:15. You've had five cups of coffee, and changed six times. And that doesn't count when you almost tried on five outfits and rejected them before actually putting them on."

Rory walked out of the closet, her arm crossed. "Do you want me to go back to Yale or not?"

He stood up and gently took her arms. "Of course I want you to go back to Yale. If that's what you want, that's what I want. But you have got to calm down. Otherwise you'll work yourself into a panic and when you get there you won't be able to think straight."

She sighed. "You're right."

Logan smiled. "Now go get dressed or you'll be late."

Ten minutes later, Rory appeared. "Wow, Ace. You look hot."

She smiled sheepishly and glanced down at the outfit she and her mom had picked out the night before. "Thanks."

He leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips. "Go get 'em, Ace. Call me when you're leaving."

"What are you doing today?"

"I'm having a meeting with my father." He said wearily.

"Why?" Rory asked confusedly.

"He supposedly wants to talk to me about coming to work for him but with some sort of arrangement where things go in my favor."

"Hm"

"I promise I won't make any sort of final decision without you."

She smiled. "Okay. And Logan?"

"Yeah, Ace?"

"You really think I can do this? Get back in and go through another two years of college? I mean, the first four were hard enough."

Logan looked bewildered. "Of course I do. You're the strongest, most independent, most intelligent person I know. If you want to do this, Rory, you can do it."

Rory kissed him on the lips. "Thank-you." She said softly.

"I love you, Ace."

"I love you too."

"Now go get back in college."

-RL-

Rory timidly walked up to the secretary's desk in the admissions building. "Hi. I'm here for a two o'clock appointment with Roger Jacobs? I'm Rory Gilmore."

The secretary continued typing at her computer.

Thinking the woman was hard of hearing, she spoke up. "HI! I'M RORY GILMORE! I'M HERE FOR A TWO O'CLOCK APPOINTMENT WITH ROGER JACOBS!"

The lady looked up, clearly annoyed. "I heard you the first time. I may be old, sis, but I'm not deaf."

Rory immediately went scarlet. "Sorry." She mumbled.

The woman sighed. "Have a seat."

Nodding, Rory sat down on a near by couch. Her cell phone vibrated and she realized she had received a text message.

-U CAN DO IT!! GD LUK. LUV, MOM-

Rory smiled and closed her phone. The secretary answered her desk phone and then looked over at Rory. "Go on in." she said nodding her head to a door on her right.

"Thank-you." Rory opened the door to a huge office. A large wooden desk sat behind a large window. Glancing around Rory saw three book cases, pictures of multiple children, and a huge globe. Roger Jacobs stood up and smiled warmly. He looked to be in his fifties or late forties from what Rory could tell. His brown hair was beginning to gray, and his eyes were a bright green, like the tie he was wearing.

"Rory Gilmore, I presume?" he said shaking her hand.

"Yes, sir."

"I'm Roger Jacobs. Have a seat." He said gesturing to a few leather chairs in front of his desk. Rory obliged. "So, Ms. Gilmore, I hear you're here to possibly return to Yale after…." He looked in a file folder he had on his desk. "Ah, four years. Did you miss us that much?" he chuckled.

"Actually, no. And please call me Rory." she said.

"Alright then, Rory, tell me why you want to come back."

She took a deep breath. "Well, Mr. Jacobs, I graduated from Yale last year with my Bachelors Degree. And since then a lot has happened."

"Like what?"

"Well, I got engaged."

"Did you?" he grinned. "Well congratulations! That's wonderful! I hope he's a good man."

"Thank-you. And he's an amazing man. Someone I'm ready to spend my life with."

"Is he the reason you want to return to Yale? So you can support him?"

Rory chuckled. "Um, I don't think that will be a problem, but no. I know for a fact that I want to work in journalism. But at this moment, I'm not ready for a real job just yet. And I think that not only could this time at Yale help me prepare for that, but it will expand my job opportunities so much more."

He leaned on his arms and looked her in the eye for a minute. "Do you think you can do this?"

She nodded. "I know I can do this."

"Are you smart?"

"Um, I've gotten straight A's-"

"Not school smart, street smart."

"I'm sorry?" Now she was confused.

"Do you think you'll do well in life? Make the right choices; end up where you want to be in twenty years?"

Rory paused for a short minute before saying firmly, "Yes."

He rubbed his chin.. "Alright. I'm assuming since you're engaged you won't be needing a dorm, correct?"

Her eyes widened. "You mean, I'm in?"

Roger nodded. "Congratulations, Ms. Gilmore. You've convinced me. You start this fall."

Rory jumped up. "Thank-you! Thank-you so much, Mr. Jacobs! Oh, I promise you won't regret it! I'll make it worth your while!"

"I know you will." He said grinning. "Oh, and Rory? Two things."

"Yes, sir?"

"I was serious about the dorm question. I need to let the advisors know when they assign the fall semester's dorms."

"Oh! Right! No, I won't need a dorm."

"Good, good."

"What was that second thing?"

"Ah, yes. Who's the lucky man?"

Rory smiled sheepishly and mumbled something.

"Really? You're marrying smoking nut butter? How wonderful." He joked. "Could you speak up a bit?"

"Logan Huntzberger"

His eyes grew wide. "My, my; you are certainly have good luck, don't you?"

She nodded. "I really do."

-RL-

Meanwhile, Logan was in a private meeting with his father.

Mitchum paced behind his desk as Logan sat in a chair in front of it, next to his mother. Why she was here, he had no idea. But the less he argued, the quicker he could get out of here and call Rory.

"Logan, I think you know why your mother and I have called you here today." Mitchum began.

"Actually, Dad, I-"

"It's because we need to discuss your evolvement with company. You know I'm not one to kiss ass, Logan, but we need you. All of the replacements I've hired couldn't tell the difference between a good newspaper and the latest issue of Vogue if they were hit with it by a semi truck. Your mother and I have decided that if we want you to return to this paper we're going to have to make some sacrifices."

Logan stared.

Shira sighed. "Well, what do you want? Name it and we can start to discuss."

"Just like that?"

"Of course, just like that. Time is money, Logan, and money is something I don't want to loose."

"Okay. Um, well, first of all you have to start being nice to Rory."

"Fine." Shira said.

"No, real nice, mother. Not fake society nice."

"But Logan, she's so-"

"I can walk out the door right now, you know. I could get a job at McDonalds."

Shira gasped. "You wouldn't."

"I would."

"The shame it would bring to this family, Logan, is unimaginable!"

"That's exactly why I'd do it." He paused. "I wonder if I could learn to make a McFlurry."

"Fine, fine! Well be nice to Rory! Just don't- don't talk about doing something like that again."

"And I want no more business trips."

"That's not possible." Mitchum said firmly.

"Okay, no more than one every two months, no longer than three days or Rory can come with me."

"…..Fine."

"I want to stay here. Hartford is close to friends and to Rory's family. We stay here unless we choose to move otherwise. We meaning Rory and I, not you and mom."

"…..Alright."

"No more long hours. I start at a certain time and leave at a certain time. No more long meetings until midnight. And I want all major holidays off, and more than three days if it's Christmas, Thanksgiving, or mine or Rory's birthday."

"……..Fine."

"And-"

"Good god Logan, how many damn demands do you have?" Mitchum finally spat.

Logan put his pinkie and thumb apart and held his hand to his ear like a phone. "Yes, I'd like to apply as the number one McFlurry maker-"

"Alright! You can have your stupid holidays off."

"Not too many society things. Rory and I are not a society couple. We're us."

"Fine."

"One last thing."

"What?"

"Family comes first. No matter what the circumstances may be."

Mitchum sighed as he and Shira silently talked with their eyes. Finally he said, "Fine."

"Alright. Have your lawyer here draw up a contract and I'll be right back." Logan said standing up and walking outside. He went to his phonebook and hit the number at the top of the list. Ace.

"Logan, it got it! I'm in!" she said without even bothering with hello.

"You are? I knew you could do it, Ace! I'm so proud of you!"

"Thanks! The guy was great!"

"Did you show off your smarts?"

"Kind of. I'll tell you all about it later."

"Promise not to leave anything out."

"I promise. Where are you?" Logan quickly explained about his meeting with his father and his demands.

"Does that sounds okay to you?"

"That sounds perfect."

"Good. He's drawing up a contract now. Hey, where are you?"

Rory glanced out the cab window. Her car was in the shop. "Um, fifth and park avenue."

"You're near the building I'm in. Have the cab drop you off here. We can go in, I'll sign the contract and then I'll take you dinner to celebrate."

She sighed. "Oh, alright.. You pressured me into it."

He chuckled. "The word pressure never exists when a Gilmore Girl could possibly be eating."

A few minutes later Rory's cab dropped her off at Logan's building and the two grabbed hands went inside.

"Rory! What a lovely surprise!" Shira said seeing her and smiling tightly. "We didn't know you'd be joining us!"

"Well, neither did I, until a few minutes ago." Rory said returning the gesture.

"Would you like a drink?"

"Oh, no thank-you. Logan and I are about to go out to celebrate."

"Oh, and what for?"

"Rory is going back to Yale." Logan supplied as he carefully read through the fresh contract on Mitchum's desk. "She's getting her Masters Degree and she just talked to the dean of admissions, she's been accepted."

Shira smiled tightly again. "Isn't that lovely? I'm sure you'll do very well."

"Thank-you. I'm definitely going to try."

"Ah, but we all know Rory Gilmore doesn't try. She does. Isn't that right, Mitchum?"

Mitchum looked up from his desk. "What was that? Yes, yes, whatever you want, dear."

She leaned over to Rory. "I'm terribly sorry. He just gets so focused, you understand." She chuckled airily. "That's Mitchum, always work, work, work!"

Rory nodded.

Finally, Logan stood up from his chair and turned to Rory. "It looks fine to me, Ace. Anything you'd like to add?"

Rory quickly went over and read the contract. "Looks good." She finally announced

Shira, Mitchum, Logan, the lawyers, and even Rory for good measure, signed the contracts.

Mitchum stood up. "There. Now, I've already thought about this and I need you to start at the Hartford Weekly News as soon as possible. So tomorrow-"

"Monday" his son corrected.

"It's Thursday, Logan." He said with a stern look.

"I'll start Monday, Dad." Logan said matching his tone.

Mitchum never dropped his gaze, nor did he blink. All he said was," Eight o'clock not a second past. Your office is on the second floor. Your sectary's desk is right outside. I'm assuming you know how to run a newspaper so I'll leave it to you there. I'll be by every couple of weeks to see how you're doing. Don't make me sorry."

"Nice seeing you too. Rory, you ready?" She nodded slipped her hand through his. He finally tore his gaze from his father and turned to her. "Let's go celebrate." As the couple walked out of the office and down the hall Shira and Mitchum could still hear the rest of their conversation.

"Do you think we should invite Colin and Finn?"

"Do you really think you'd get to hear about my interview that way?"

"Should we invite them to get a drink afterwards?"

"Are you asking for me or for you?"

"Are you questioning my people skills?"

"Are you aware that made no sense?"

"Are you aware I don't care?"

"Are we playing the 'speak in questions only' game?"

"Am I winning?" They heard a faint chuckle and then the ding of the elevator.

Shira turned to her husband. "Mitchum. Mitchum! For god's sake pay attention to me for a split second. The damn papers will still be there in a minute."

He snapped his head up. "What?"

"Did you see that?"

"What? The way my son conned me into a contract so he can have whatever the hell he wants? Yes, I was there, Shira."

"Not that. Them. Did you see them?"

"What the hell are you talking about? Of course I saw them, I'm not blind!"

"For the love of god, did you see the way they looked at each other?! Dammit, Mitchum! They couldn't keep their eyes off each other." She looked thoughtful. "And they looked almost, like they were floating or something. Maybe they really are in love."

Mitchum snarled. "Have you lost your mind? What the hell is wrong with you, Shira? Love? It's not even real! It's not possible to fall in love! They're just……. drunk. That was probably it. I'll bet Logan filled his flask strong today and that's why."

She nodded. "It just looked so…. Oh, what am I saying?"

"You're saying she's a fine girl and he deserves her. And that they deserve to be happy together."

He paused for a minute, and finally burst out laughing. Shira joined in, half-heartedly.

"I almost believed myself!" he cackled. "Did you hear me? 'They deserve to be happy.' HA! My ass!"

"Yes, good one dear." She said distractedly. "That's very eccentric." But in the back of her mind she couldn't help but think she saw a small gleam in their eyes…… But, that was preposterous. It couldn't happen, not with them…… Could it?

-RL-

A/N: Hope you liked this chapter! Sorry it took so long, I've been REALLY sick these past few days. 104 fever! I could barely move. But I'm better now, so I hope you liked it! No reviews, no chapters! So hit the pretty button!