All Her Broken Pieces

Epilogue

I did it! I graduated. Well, I graduated again, only I finally got to walk, to get my master's diploma in front of a crowd full of my family and friends, quite possibly the loudest bunch here.

I smile to myself as I recall their crazy hooting and hollering when my name was finally called, and happiness like I'd never felt had me practically floating back to my seat and through the rest of the ceremony. Then I got to go find my guys, who met me with warm hugs, proud smiles, and kisses that likely were a little too passionate for public, but I didn't care. I was in love and my life had finally begun, so a little PDA is nothing.

Now we're in the cars, headed back to our place for my graduation party, one that Erika, Jessica, Jade and Karen had all insisted upon. I would have been happy with a quiet movie night in with my guys, but you don't say no to those girls when they have their hearts set on a celebration.

Only, when I glance out the window, we're not on our street at all, but instead I see the front car pulling into Bob's Diner. Confused, I turn to North.

"Why are we here?"

"We, uh, need to pick up the rest of the food for the party," he says without meeting my eyes, letting on immediately that for whatever reason he's not telling the truth.

"Oh, okay..." I hedge, deciding to just play along. If he's lying, there's a good enough reason that I'll find out later. I trust him.

He and the others in the car let out nearly imperceptible sighs of relief that I'm not going to push, so I hop out of the car, more than ready to find out what has them acting like a bunch of nervous nellies.

Entering the diner is strange, as I'm unused to seeing it empty of customers and the crazy day-to-day operations. It's so quiet that it makes me a little uncomfortable.

Kota comes to stand at my side. "Sweetie, would you mind grabbing some menus from the kitchen while we grab what we need?"

Even he's acting strange, and I know that he's perfectly aware we normally keep menus at the hostess stand rather than the kitchen, but again I'll let it go. "Okay..."

Glancing back at my guys once more, I head into the kitchen to see no food whatsoever on the counters, only a stack of four menus staring up at me. What are they doing?

Huffing in confusion at their strangeness, I grab the menus and walk back out to them, only to stop cold when a serious sense of deja vu nearly knocks me over.

Sitting in the same booth, in the same order, and in the same clothes as the first day I met them, Luke, Gabriel, North and Sean all stare up at me with love filled eyes as I approach the table, just as I did all those months ago. The others fill the booths on either side of this one, and I can feel my heartbeat pick up as I clutch the menus to my chest.

"Hi," I whisper when they don't say anything.

Gabriel smiles at me, the first to talk as always. "Well hello, you're still fucking gorgeous," he whispers back teasingly, repeating the very first words he ever said to me and I nearly tear up at the wonderful memory of those first few weeks with them.

Instead, I giggle, and Sean leans over to press a kiss to my lips. "No giggling, Pookie or we'll never be able to get through this."

"What is this exactly?" I think I have an idea but I'm too scared to be wrong.

"This is us reminding you of the first day we met, day I met the only girl I would ever love." North's deep rumbles with emotion, and I turn watery eyes to him.

"I could never forget, North Star. It was the best day of my life," I say, and a tear spills over when his own turn misty.

"Best day of ours too, Dream," Luke murmurs, reaching over to squeeze my hand.