What if...?

Bittersweet

"that's amazing Rory! What is it?" There it was the question she had hoped nobody would ask yet. She knew people would be upset at her moving so far and wanted to just enjoy the celebration with her friends and family.

Rory stood there in the awkward silence with the eyes of the entire town all on her.

"Is it the New York Times?" Patty asked excitedly

"Or the Connecticut post?" Gypsy added

"Or the Wall Street journal?" Taylor chimed in

"Um...no, none of those" Rory stuttered

"Well sugar what is it?" Babette asked

Rory gave her mother a look and she just nodded slowly.

"Um...It's actually the Washington post" she announced to the room

"Your moving to Washington?" Babette asked looking sad

"Washington DC actually" she corrected with a sad look on her face

"Oh Rory don't take it the wrong way we're so happy for you. It's just that we're really gonna miss you around here" ms Patty told her wrapping an stem around her shoulder

"Well I'm gonna come visit all the time" she said looking at her mom who had tears in her eyes. "And for the record I'm really gonna miss you too"

Rory was engulfed in a giant hug but everyone in the diner. They stayed in the hug for a few moments before Lorelai spoke up "ok, ok, that's enough of that! We'll all get to say a proper goodbye to Rory in a few weeks when she actually moved, but for now let's be happy and celebrate!"

The party continued as normal after that and lane ran interference for Rory so Dean wouldn't talk to Logan. Dean had always been the jealous type and Lane didn't want a confrontation to ruin he best friends party.

==================================

"Man, I'm wiped" Logan said as he and Rory plopped down onto the couch in Lorelai and Luke's house

"I know" she agreed " it was really nice of Luke to organize that party though"

"Yeah" it was Lorelai said coming up behind them, which startled Logan

"Jeez!" Logan said exhaling and putting a hand over his chest "you scared me"

"She does that" Luke said walking in from the kitchen and he sat on the coffee chair next to Lorelai, and across from Rory and Logan.

"Really Luke, thank you so much for everything you did" Rory thanked Luke for probably the tenth time that day.

"It was no big deal" he said blushing

"Well it meant a lot" Rory said smiling at him

"Well someone had to do it" Lorelai mumbled under her breath

"Lorelai..." Luke warned "not now"

Lorelai had been the first one to vocalize what everyone else had been thinking, and what Rory was trying really hard not to focus on...her dad wasn't there. Christopher had missed her high school graduation and now her college graduation as well. He hadn't even called Rory in months, and he didn't know that she got an amazing job and that was moving.

"It's fine Luke, she's right" Rory assured Luke "it sticks that dad isn't here, that he didn't care enough to be here"

"Sweetie you know your dad cares about you" Rory said softly

"Maybe" Rory said bluntly "or maybe I'm an afterthought. He knew when I was graduating, I called him months ago and made sure, and I sent him a ticket a few weeks ago. He knew it was happening and he didn't come, he didn't even call to tell me he wasn't coming"