Disclaimer: I only own the story that I'm applying to the characters that I don't own from the TV show that I also don't own.

AN: Ok this is my first fanfic. I have a lot more of this story written out and so updates will be soon. This chapter just had to get things set up so it will get better. R&R please!

Rory's car pulls up outside her house. Lorelai and Luke come running out to her.

"Rory!!!" Lorelai screams enthusiastically. They hug.

"Hey mom! Hey Luke" Rory and Luke hug. Rory struggles to pull her suitcases out of her trunk.

"Hey Rory...here let me help you with that," Luke offers. He begins to help her unload her belongings.

Rory smiles. "Thanks!"

"Ok we have to hurry. You shower and change. You have a party waiting." Lorelai begins pulling Rory inside "But..." Rory motions to her car that is still being unpacked by Luke. Lorelai flashes Luke her most charming smile. "Don't worry he's go it, come on."

"Yeah don't worry about me," Luke mumbles sarcastically.

Lorelai and Rory giggle and start chatting as they head inside.

---------------

Everyone is celebrating at Lorelai and Sookie's inn. It's very crowded and loud. Lorelai, Luke and Rory enter.

"Wow" Rory said obviously impressed.

"I know," Lorelai smiled. "It started with a list of just close friends and then all of a sudden your second cousins twice removed were being added."

Emily and Richard walk up.

"Grandma! Grandpa!" Rory kisses them both on the cheek.

"Lorelai. Luke." Emily greets.

"Hi Mom, hi Dad. Excuse me for a minute I'm going to go check on Sookie."

Luke, suddenly abandoned, begins to panic. "Yeah. I'm. umm.I'm going to. um. Jackson!!" He waves to Jackson and walks away.

Emily stares after him. "Your mother has the strangest friends."

"I can't believe how many people are here," Rory says trying to bring the conversation back to safe territory.

Richard smiles. "Well I'm sure it's because they're all as proud of you as we are. Graduating from Yale was enough, but valedictorian is remarkable. We have something very special for you later."

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Lorelai is walking through the crowd but someone steps in front of her.

"Christopher!"

"Hey Lorelai"

"Wow, you made it, and on time!" She smiles at him proudly.

"Heh, yep, getting good in my old age. So, where's Rory?" He glances around the room.

"I left her with Richard and Emily not long ago... where's Sherry?" Lorelai asks not really caring about the answer.

"Georgia wasn't feeling too good so they're up in the room."

Lorelai nods, "Ah... well."

Luke walks over, "Nice abandoning me with your parents."

Lorelai's face lights up seeing Luke. "Hey I left you with my buffer."

"Rory was no help with my escaping."

Christopher, who had been watching this exchange, finally speaks. "Luke, right?" He extends his hand.

Luke nods and shakes it. "Christopher," he says in greeting.

This was followed by a moment of uncomfortable silence. Suddenly a loud crash is heard from the kitchen. "LOR?!" Sookie's voice calls out.

"Uh oh..." Lorelai runs off to find out what happened, once again abandoning Luke, this time with Christopher.

"Well, I should." Luke starts.

Christopher interrupts him. "I've been wanting to thank you."

Luke stares at him in confusion. Christopher continues difficultly, "I wanted to thank you for all that you do for them, for doing the things that I should have been around to do. Thank you for being a father to Rory when I couldn't do it."

Luke, taken off guard, simply nods. Watching Lorelai reemerge from the kitchen, Christopher adds one more thing. "You know, you're a very lucky man."

His eyes widen, once he realizes that Christopher is referring to how close he and Lorelai have become. He opens his mouth to protest and say there is nothing going on between them, but Christopher just smiles knowingly and walks away.

----------

Rory has settled in by the appetizers with Lane.

"I can't believe that your mom has warmed up to Dave that much."

Lane looks like she is going to burst with happiness. " I know! I guess she is realizing how happy I am."

Before Rory can reply, Dean, his wife, and two "mini-Deans" walk up. Rory, surprised, greets them. "Oh, hey, I didn't know you were here."

"Yeah, we just stopped in. We're on our way up to visit her parents so we can't stay." Lindsay smiles.

Rory's attention turns toward the kids. "Wow they look exactly like you."

Dean smiles. "Yeah... well anyway we just wanted to say congratulations. We had better get going though."

"Okay well it was nice seeing you guys." Rory smiles until they walk away.

Lane, with and evil expression says, "Hey, can you imaging if you stayed with him? Those could be your little Dean clones."

Rory pretends to gag. "Well if I ever had any doubts before I know now that us breaking up was a very good thing. That's just sick. I'd be surrounded by little bag boys."

Rory scans the crowd. Her thoughts appear to be elsewhere. "This is all too much, I think I'm going to go for a walk."

Lane looks worriedly at the expression on Rory's face. "Um, want me to come with you?"

Rory puts on a fake smile and shakes her head. "Nah I just want to get some fresh air and think. I guess I'm just a little overwhelmed."

Rory makes her way out the door. Being back in Starshollow always felt strange. After Jess had left nothing seemed to change. It was almost as if he was never there. Sometimes she had to look through her books to find the ones he made notes for her in just to prove to herself that it hadn't all been a dream. She meant what she had said to him at graduation. She did love him. He was always in the back of her thoughts. Every time she read a book she wondered what Jess would think as he read it. It was like a part of him stayed behind and continued with her in her mind.