Sorry it took so long to update, finale exams and schools out so, you get the picture. Hopre you like this chapter, I had fun writing it. Please note the time change. At the begining of this chapter, a month has passed since the end of the last one.

The Return of His Ways

Rory smiled to herself as she gazed out the car window and the passing cars. A month had gone by. An entire month away from school, away from Dean, away from everything. Truthfully, Rory was a little regretful at having missed a month of school. She had become more like herself now that Logan was back. Rory, Logan, and the rest of the gang had toured the entire country, from Palm Beach, to the Statue of Liberty, to the Grand Canyon. Rory felt like a new person, now that she had spent a month being truly happy without the use of alcohol or drugs. She had even started dressing like she used to, in the fashionable yet schoolgirlish way.

Rory was half glad the trip was over, and half regretful. She did want to go back to her classes, to do well in them and in her life in general, so people would be proud of her, most of all Logan, though she would never admit it. Yet, she didn't want to go back in case she wasn't as strong as she thought she was. What if the moment she saw Dean, or anything like that, she caved and went back to the way things were? She wasn't sure if she could handle that.

"Ok, here's your stop gals" Colin said

"Let me help you with your stuff" Logan offered, popping the trunk of the car

"Thanks Logan" Rory said brightly

"No problem Ace" He gave her a quick peck on the cheek good-bye, "Be good Ace" he said jokingly

"See you guys later?" Stephanie called

"Yeah, we'll swing around later, it is the Gala tonight" Logan called

"What!" Rosemary shrieked, "But we missed that! That was weeks ago when we were away"

"Hey, the strings are there for pulling" Logan smirked

"Never underestimate money and names my dear, especially if they're Huntz's," Finn called as the car drove away, "We'll be here at seven!"

"Oh my god! Its already five! Only two hours to get ready!" Stephanie panicked, "Go go go!" The three girls rushed inside giggling

RLRLRLRL

"Oh… wow" was all Logan could say when he saw Rory. He had been away for a long time, but he thought he had seen Rory at her best. Clearly he hadn't. She was ravishing, and that's a word Logan had never applied to anyone before. The short, yet simple black dress, with the silky scarf/shawl draped around her shoulders, plus the strappy, skinny, high heals with the matching black purse, made her all the more gorgeous. Her hair, let loose and curling just below her shoulder, made something stir in Logan, like he wanted to reach out and stroke it. He restrained himself. That was weird, why did I want to do that? She's my best friend, and I've never been one for relationships, besides she's not looking for one now. God, stop thinking like that! Logan chided himself

" Logan?" She looked at him, "Hello? Anyone home? It's time to go" She smiled, and Logan mentally slapped himself for wanting to kiss her perfect lips

"Yeah, sure, let's go guys" He called over his shoulder to the others

The six got into the limo that Logan had called, laughing and talking.

"Hey Frank" Rory said simply when she got in

"Hello Miss Gilmore" the limo driver said, clearly pleased, "I didn't think you would remember me"

"I never forget a face, especially a friendly one" Rory said Logan stared at her. Frank had driven her to and from Stars Hollow once before, when they were in high school, because her mother had some sort of a nervous breakdown, yet Rory still remembered him, amazing. Logan slapped himself mentally again for thinking about Rory in such… romantic, terms.

They talked for the entire ride. All of them, except Logan. He just stared at Rory, wondering why he had ever let himself be dragged off to Switzerland, and away from someone he cared about so much.

Flashback

They were seven years old. Still best friends Logan's parents were taking him with them on a trip to Ireland over summer vacation, and he had yet to tell Rory.

"Rory?" he asked, coming up behind her. She was in her favorite reading spot, the nook in the willow tree by the river.

"Hi Logan!" She jumped up and hugged him, as she always did when she saw him

"Hi Rory" He said, hugging her back, "Rory, you know how I always spend the summer with you? And your family at your cottage in Canada? Well, I can't go this year"

Rory looked crestfallen, "How come?"

"Mommy and Daddy are making me come with them and Honor to Ireland, to visit my grandparents, on my mothers side. I told them I didn't want to go 'cause I wanted to stay with you, but they wouldn't let me" Logan explained

Rory thought about this for a few moments, "Your daddy never changes his mind, so there's nothing we can do"

"But you'll write me, won't you? and I'll call you as well. I'll ask mommy for the phone number and the address" Logan said excitedly

"Of course. We're bestist friends right? And bestist friends stick together, forever" Rory said

"Rory? Let's make a forever promise" Logan said, as the pair sat down on the river bank

"You mean like an oath or something?" Rory asked, excitedly

"Yeah. Let's promise that we will never leave each other. But if we our forced to,we will try to fight it, cause nothing can't separate bestist friends. We are bestist friends"

"Forever?"

"Forever"

End Flashback

"All right, we're here" Frank said

"Thanks Frank" Rory said getting out of the limo

"I'll call when we need you to pick us up" Logan informed him

As soon as they had entered the great hall, Rory turned into the social butterfly she used to be, politely saying hello to everybody, before joking to Logan about how silly their dress looked, or how funny they smelled. Logan smiled at her laughter, he hadn't heard her laugh in along time. She had smiled, on the trip, but never laughed.

"Oh, I'm already tired" Rory laughed, after being bear hugged by one of the football players, who wasn't so bright

"You want to get a drink?" Logan asked smoothly, testing her to see how she would react

She hesitated, and he noticed, "Just one, I'm the good girl again" She smiled at him

"Ok" He said leading her over to the counter. They sat on the stools, Rory swiveling back and forth, like they used to when they were children.

"So tell me, is it true that the Great Huntz, playboy extraordinaire, has given up?" Rory asked in mock shock

"No, that's not it, I just think that I should take life a little more seriously, not just party through college"

Rory almost snorted at this, "You keep saying that, but you keep on not even believing it yourself"

"Ohhh!" A high pitched voice cooed, as a waterfall of blond hair appeared beside them, "Logie! Your back! I haven't seen you in years!"

"Um, hi" Logan said looking confused

"Hi Jewel," Rory said, giving Logan some help

"Oh, Jewel, hi" a look of recognition crossed his face, but Rory couldn't tell if he was glad to see her or not. She felt very jealous all of a sudden. Get a grip, it's Logan, you've watched him flirt with hundreds of girls, why resent it now? Rory told herself

"Logie, I thought I'd never see you again" The ditsy blond pouted

"Well, you see me" He tried to make conversation, or at least tried to make her laugh. He felt his old charm coming back. I wonder of I still got it, he thought, interested. He made small talk with her for a few minutes, seeing how she reacted to him. She giggled and batted her eyes at each comment he made. Logan didn't notice the look of disgust on Rory's face.

"Oh Jewel, aren't you dating Robert? I think I just saw him and Joanne heading out together, you might want to catch up" Rory interrupted, not trying to hide her dislike for the girl

"What? Oh, well I'll see you later Logie" Jewel said, walking away to find Robert

"That wasn't very nice, Joanne isn't even on the guest list, you know that" Logan said, turning to her

"Well, Paul told me he had to go serve the rest of the guests, so I had no one to talk to or give me drinks" Rory said, doe eyed innocent

"Paul?" Logan asked, confused

"The bartender"

"Did I take that long?" Logan laughed

"Not really, but it was so sickening that I had to do things as quickly as possible so I could block it out" Rory smiled

Logan glanced at the counter, "Rory..." He looked slyly at her, "I thought you said you were a good girl who would only have one drink"

"Well... five is only a bit more than one, and you can't really blame me, that ditz's sugary drawl, and you, don't let me start about you" Rory laughed

"What? What did I do?" Logan smiled

"Oh my god, you think you the good school boy, but man, no school boy can flirt like that"

"No, I wasn't flirting, I was being polite"

"Yeah right, you haven't lost your touch, believe me"

"Thanks for your opinion, but I really didn't mean to" Logan smiled, glad that he really hadn't lost his touch. Maybe it was time to give up the school boy thing and go back to his true self, playboy.

"Stop kidding yourself, player" She drew out the last word, teasingly

"Um, that's something I'd never thought Logan would be called again" Finn said, staring amazed, "He better have not made a move on you, or I will have to procede to beat the crap out of him"

"Call off the army Finn, I'm just teasing him, he wouldn't waste the charm her claims to be so limited on, on me, he just covered Jewel Killington with it" Rory grinned

"I keep telling her thats not true" Logan said, impishly

Finn looked at him sorrowfully, "Your in denial mate, you can't escape it, you just love girls to much" Logan playfully punched Finn in the arm

"Why did you come over here anyways?" Logan asked

"Can't I come over and talk to my good friends without being speculated? What kind of a country is this?" Finn said, to the sceptical looks of Rory and Logan, "Alright, I came to grab a drink"

"Speaking of which, Miss Gilmore here has had a couple to many" Logan said, standing up

"Logan, five is not a lot" Rory said, defensively

"Bad habits die hard" Logan said simply, pulling Rory up, "Let's find something else to do"

Rory glanced around. People at the bar, people mingling, people dancing, people making out. "Ok... Your pick" she grinned at him

"Let's just crash on the couch" Logan finally said, after observing his options. They walked towards the couch by the wall, carefully weaving in and out between the crowd

"Whew, we made it" Rory said, pretending to gasp for breath

"I didn't think we would" Logan smiled

Suddenly, without thinking, Logan leaned over and kissed her. Not on the cheek, or in a friendly sort of way, as they usually did, but a full frontal mouth to mouth connection. For a moment, she didn't pull away. Then, her eyes fluttered open and she jumped back.

"Why did you do that?" She sputtered, "You know you're the only one I can really depend on, don't do this to me"

"You told me once about your parent's first kiss, the spontaneity of it. You told me you would like to be kissed like that, by someone who just felt like kissing you so he could see what it would be like. I didn't forget, and now I'm obliging. Don't be angry at me, I really don't know what I was thinking. Just, flirting with Jewel made me remember how I used to live. Please, just forget that I ever did that" Logan pleaded

Rory stared at him for a minute. Logan couldn't tell what she was thinking, if she forgave him or not. In an instant, she crashed her lips on to his, groping, wanting, needing.

I'm a romantic, what can I say. I do know what you can say though, say nice things about me in your review! yay!