SO- Oxford Part 1

"Tomorrow, huh?" Henry asked as he and Charlotte walked down the New York streets. He was holding her close, not willing to let her go, especially since they would be with their friends all night tonight and around her parents tomorrow at the air strip.

"Yep, tomorrow." Her voice cracked a bit as she said it. "Do you regret it?"

"Regret it?"

"You know, telling me you love me at my graduation party, us committing, only for me to leave tomorrow?" She didn't want to ask but she had wondered, she didn't regret being with him, she didn't regret the past summer, but it didn't make today hurt any less, and sometimes she regretted that she didn't save herself that pain.

He sighed and groaned a bit as he decided to answer. "I don't regret being with you, I don't regret loving you. I regret the fact I want to tell you not to go, I regret that I gave up on so many months without you because I was stubborn, I regret the fact that no matter how much I love you tonight is our last night together." His heart broke as he said it, knowing that this wasn't how he wanted this to happen and when she looked up at him, with her dark brown eyes filled with tears and a questioning look he couldn't help but feel awful. "Lee, about a month ago I was at a jewelry store picking out a beautiful promise ring, had it in my hand, and when I went to hand it back to the sales woman to wrap it up so I could give it to you, the words couldn't come out. Instead I walked away from it. Not because I don't want to be your boyfriend anymore but because I can't hold you back while you're gone. I can't allow myself to be the reason you stay in from a party because you feel you have to check in with me. It's not just long distance like New Haven to New York, it's the big leagues. We could make it, I'm sure we could if we stayed together. But how much of that time is going to be voicemails, or text messages, or emails? How much is going to be ignoring the world around us just to check in with each other? That's not fair to either of us."

"So, let me get this straight, we're supposed to be having a party tonight to say goodbye to me and you decided to break up with me?!" She screeched as they stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, just a few minutes from their destination.

"It's not like I want to Lee! But what am I supposed to do?"

"You were the one that believed in us, you were the one that told me you loved me, you chased me down first! How are you ending this right now?! How are you doing this to me, to us?"

"It's for you!" Henry pleaded as he tried to wrap his arms around her.

"Oh, fuck you, stop using me as an excuse, you want your wide-open space to stick your head under any girl's skirt you see."

"Hey! That's not fair! It's not like I don't want to be with you Charlotte! Plus, it's not like you would know if I cheated anyway!" Oh god, oh god, oh god, that is not what I meant to say, that is not how this was supposed to go, why did I say that? Who took out my fucking filter? Her eyes have now developed that lethal look and I'm pretty sure I've completely ruined everything.

Charlotte's hold on the last shred of sanity and reason for this conversation left as he said that, and the next thing she knew she was laughing so deeply it hurt. "I'm sorry, it's not like I would know?" She had tears streaming down her face and she didn't know if it was from sadness or the laughing. "That's the parting words you want to leave me with?" She glared at him as she finally stopped the laughing and the crying. "Goodbye Henry Dugrey." And with that she stormed down the few blocks to where the party was.

The moment she walked in the door Rory spotted her. "Charlie, what's wrong?"

"It's just really weird that I'm leaving here tomorrow." She answered with a false smile and a lie that came way to easily. She was thankful the excuse of missing everyone worked so well today. She would need it. However, Rory wasn't buying it.

"So, no Henry tonight?" She felt Charlotte slightly shudder next to her. "We can wallow tonight, just us girls okay?" Charlotte let a few tears through as Rory squeezed her into a hug.

"LOVE! LOVE JR!" They heard Finn before they saw him, and Rory leaned into Charlotte.

"Good luck kiddo and try to enjoy the party as much as possible." And with that Rory made her way over to Logan.

"Hey you!" She gave him a small kiss on his cheek. He wrapped his arms around her and brought her in front of him.

"Hey babe, this party is great, do you just have a knack for British themed parties? At least this one doesn't include a wig."

"Oh my god, that was one time I wore a wig."

"In public." He huskily whispered into her ear and which point she slapped his chest and went to push him away, but he held her tighter.

"Listen, I need to head out for a bit, but I'll be back in time for the cake, okay?"

"Um, yeah, but is everything okay?" He asked her as started swaying her to the music that was playing.

"Yeah, just look around and see who is excluded from the guest list tonight." She watched as he glanced around the room before finally finding Charlie.

"Wow, the super glue connecting them finally wore off?" He asked with a semi-joking tone.

"Yes, well apparently the glue wasn't as super as we originally thought. Anyway, I'm going to go pick up wallowing supplies and set it all up for whenever we get home. Just watch our girl, okay?" When Logan nodded she buried herself in his arms one more time for support, clutching on to him as he ran his hand through her hair.

"I'll hold down the fort here, you just do whatever you need to."

RLRL

An hour and a half later Rory was entering the restaurant they had rented out for the evening when she heard Finn's voice break through the crowd. "So, there I was stark naked." She couldn't help but roll her eyes as she saw her husband, and the rest of the gang sitting in a booth in the back like it was a typical day at Yale, except with their wives instead of some dates and now their kids around the booths as well.

"Does he ever start a story in a different way?" She heard her mom's voice next to her and she couldn't help but smile.

"I haven't heard one, no. You eventually get used to it." She thanked the waiter as he brought a round of champagne to her and Lorelai when her gaze fell on to Conrad who was standing behind Ophelia who was sitting at the table with Finn and the rest of them with her hands on her ears. Conrad was rubbing her shoulders and laughing at the story Finn was telling. She felt a lump in her throat while she watched it.

"How are you doing with all of that babe?" Lorelai asked while gesturing towards the two teens.

"About as well as I can, he's seemed to open up a bit to Logan in the last few weeks which is great. And thankfully things at work have calmed down so I have more time to process all of it. Doesn't change the fact that I'm completely wigged about it all. But they seem to have a rhythm to the two of them. He cares about her and loves her and she's including him in decisions. I guess, thank goodness for the fact that they've been friends since before they were born practically, it helps."

"There's just no easy way to deal with it. I get it. And, how are you handling that?" She gestured towards Charlie in an Oxford hoodie sitting in between Finn and Logan, she had her head on her dad's shoulders and every few minutes you'd see a tear fall down her face.

"My incredibly brilliant, intelligent, beautiful daughter is leaving me tomorrow and going to a place where she'll thrive and take the world by storm. I'm a wreck." Rory laughed a little to herself. "I hate it mom. I hate it. I can't let her leave, but on the other hand I helped her pack her bags, I have Primed so much to our apartment in London, so we have it all there when we move her that I'm pretty sure her trust fund is depleted." Lorelai gave her a pointed look causing Rory to chuckle.

"Ah yes, the poor Rockefeller's, tell me, how is the London apartment?" She deadpanned to her daughter.

"Sorry." Rory couldn't help but want to roll her eyes at the fact that money could still be an issue between her and her mom. She could kind of understand her mom's initial distrust of Logan's financial assets and even though her mom now loved Logan and had for years she still held a bitter taste in her mouth over any kind of money topic.

"I noticed the Velcro wasn't attached tonight."

"Dumped her, on their way to the party." Rory took another drink before continuing. "He was on my porch step when I went home with all the wallow supplies. They were walking, she asked if he regretted saying he loved her, he decided that was the time to say he regretted that tonight was going to be the last night together, saying he didn't want to hold her back at college. She countered that he just wanted free reign to sleep with whomever. His dumb ass decided to say that it's not like anyone would tell her if he cheated."

"Wow, what a horribly dumb thing to say. And he told you all of this?"

"Yep, just sat in my movie room as I was getting things ready with his head in his hands muttering about how stupid he was. I asked if he wanted to come here and try to talk to her, he said he didn't have the right to mess with her night or her leaving any more than he did."

"Do you believe that he thinks it was a mistake?"

"I think he knows it was a mistake, but I don't think she's ready to listen, nor should she. She can go over there and enjoy the freedom for a bit."

"Rory! There you are! Do you remember that time Logan lost at strip poker?" Finn's voice carried over the crowd.

"I need to go cut him off. I'll be back."

RLRLRL

That night the four of them walked into their house with Conrad heading straight up to his room. "Don't forget, we have to be at the airstrip at 9 A.M." Logan called up to him as Conrad made his way up the stairs.

"Don't forget I'm still not behind this completely bullshit idea of yours." Conrad called back causing Logan to grumble behind him as he turned to face Rory and Charlotte.

"You two heading to watch movies?" When they both nodded Logan spoke again. "Okay, well the reminder about the time applies to you guys as well, and remember, I will kick you out of the plane if you call yourself," He pointed to Charlotte, "Mrs. Kravinski once throughout the plane ride." Rory let out a laugh. "Oh, don't act like you're exactly innocent Mrs. Cusack." Rory smiled.

"Well, it does have a better ring than Huntzberger." She winked at him as she kissed him. "But, you're much hotter."

"Yeah, yeah, goodnight you two." He told them as he walked up the stairs towards their room. With that the two girls made their way into the home theater where sure enough there was enough supplies to properly wallow, including the ice cream Rory pulled out of the freezer that they had in there for emergency ice cream moments. However, one thing that was out of place was a letter sitting on the food spread with one word in messy handwriting. Lee.

Rory turned to Charlotte, "Do you want to be left alone babe?" She watched as Charlotte took a deep breath and shook her head as she tried to talk, when no words came out, she cleared her throat again.

"No, right now I want to spend the evening watching cheesy romance movies with my mom and forget that tomorrow I have to get on a plane."