chapter fourteen! the return of christopher
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"Hi, Dad! You came,"
Rory smiled, as Christopher pulled both girls into a tight hug. Christopher hadn't been around much since Thea and Rory's debutante ball. He'd still managed his bi-weekly phone calls with his youngest daughter but hadn't managed to find much time to drive down to Hartford as of late.
"Of course I did,"
"Sorry, I'm still getting used to it. I'm glad," Rory apologised, unwrapping herself from Christopher's arms. Unlike Thea, Chris hadn't always been very present at Rory's events whereas he was always present at Thea's shows and competitions.
"I've missed you," Thea smiled, following her sister's lead and stepping back from their father.
"Honey, um, look who Dad brought," Lorelai spoke up, gesturing to the dirty blonde that stood beside Christopher.
"This is Sherry. Sherry, this is Rory," Christopher introduced, pointing at Rory and then Thea, "And of course you know Thea."
"Thea, it's lovely to see you again," Sherry smiled, gently placing her hand on Christopher's shoulder,
"Oh, Rory, finally, finally, finally. I am so beyond thrilled, I can't tell you. All he does is talk about you. I couldn't wait to meet this amazing person."
"Well, she lives up to the hype, let me tell ya," Lorelai smiled, an anxious laugh falling from her red-painted lips.
"Is my face turning red?" Rory asked, a light blush crossing her cheeks.
"Oh, yeah, beet red," Thea laughed, she had been exactly the same when she'd met the woman just before Christmas when Sherry had spent hours complementing her and repeating everything Christopher had told her about his youngest daughter.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I put you on the spot. I've just been really looking forward to this," Sherry apologised.
"No, no, it's okay," Rory dismissed, with a soft smile.
"Um, will you excuse us for a minute?" Lorelai requested, pulling Rory back, "Rory just wanted to show me something around the corner here and we'll be right back."
"So Rory was great, huh?"
"Brilliant," Sookie smiled, "So, who said I was after Alan Ducass?"
"It's really just more of an impression than something I probably actually heard," Christopher panicked as Sookie began to interrogate him.
"But maybe someone implied that I was after him?" Sookie asked, desperate for an answer.
"Oh, Sookie?" Lorelai gently spoke, placing her hand on the girl's arm.
"Yeah?" the chef asked turning to the Gilmores.
"You know what, you are the greatest chef in the world, bar none," Lorelai smiled, moving on with the conversation, "So, um, are you guys doing anything now?"
"Not really," Christopher shrugged.
"No, we're pretty free for the rest of the day," Sherry smiled, wrapping her arm around Christopher.
"Well, why don't you come back and see our place?" Lorelai suggested, smiling at the group.
"Oh, that would be great," Sherry beamed.
"Yeah, Sherry would love that. Thanks, Lor,"
"I was hoping we'd get a chance to see where Rory and Thea live and their rooms," Sherry admitted, moving over to Thea.
"I actually live with my grandparents," Thea spoke up, confused that her father had never mentioned that to his new girlfriend.
"Oh, my room's really no big deal," Rory dismisses, picking up on Thea's anxiousness.
"Oh, and the books. I've heard all about the books. I can't wait to see the books," Sherry smiled, as the group began to move down the corridor.
"Well, let's go and see the books,"
• • • • • • •
"Hello?" Christopher calls, poking his head around the door of the Gilmore house, "You guys need some more time to clean up?"
"Come on in," Rory called, Christopher stepped into the house Thea and Sherry trailing behind him, "How'd you know we were cleaning?"
"Uh, well, when you cut us off in the parking lot and sped off doing sixty, I figured you were trying to beat us home for a reason," Christopher explained, pulling off his coat and pacing it along with Sherry's and Thea's to Rory to hang up.
"I hope we're not completely ruining your day," Sherry smiled, her eyes flitting around the Gilmore home.
"Oh no, we love company," Lorelai dismissed, leading Sherry into the living room, "Please come in."
"Your house is great," Sherry complimented, glancing around the eclectically decorated living room.
"Thanks, we like it. Have a seat," Lorelai offered, gesturing over to the sofa.
"Rory, you were wonderful in the debate today," Sherry complimented once more.
"Thanks,"
"Uh, that Paris was a little intense," Christopher admitted with a soft laugh, lowering himself onto the ottoman across from the Gilmores and Sherry.
"You'd understand if you met her parents," Thea quickly defended, she'd always hated it when people spoke ill about Paris without getting to know her.
"Ha, a little? The opposing team could bring her up on war crimes," Lorelai joked, Thea lowered her head not wanting to hear the Paris bashing.
"Yeah, her approach will come in handy when she becomes a CEO or a dictator of a country or something," Rory continued, lowering her head when she saw Thea's harsh glare.
"Mm-hmm. Well, you were very poised up there, very sure of yourself, just like your dad," Sherry nodded, pulling a hardback from the sofa and gently placing it on the coffee table.
"And your mom," Christopher added.
"Aw shucks, Pa,"
"And your uniform is darling, really. I love the blue," Sherry smiled, looking between the two girls. Thea's uniform was still in pristine condition whereas, Rory had removed her tie and undone the top buttons of her blouse, "Of course, I'm sure you look good in anything."
"Oh yeah, you should see her in chaps," Lorelai joked, Sherry not picking up on the woman's humour.
"Really?"
"No, that was just Lorelai being funny," Thea corrected, her eyebrows furrowed together at the woman's confusion.
"Oh,"
"Yeah, it comes and goes. You'll learn to notice the signs," Lorelai joked, gently brushing off the girl.
"The waves get really still, and the animals start to act funny," Christopher added, sharing a smile with Lorelai.
"You know, I went to private school too," Sherry spoke up, trying to bond with the twins once more.
"Really?" the twins asked in unison.
"Except that our colours were white and bright red. I looked hideous," Sherry shuddered, the memory of her old uniform causing her nothing but disgust.
"Oh, she's being self-deprecating. You looked cute in that outfit," Christopher smiled.
"No, no, I looked like a peppermint stick. I swear that's where my addiction to clothes comes from. Trying to make up for all the years of having to wear the same thing every day," Sherry guessed, straightening the skirt of her grey dress.
"Yeah, I can understand that," Thea agreed, brushing her hands against her plaid skirt, "I've been wearing a uniform since pre-school. Will feel weird when I get to college and I can pick what I want to wear."
"Well, we should go shopping sometime for clothes or whatever," Sherry suggested, hoping to spend some time with the two girls. Sherry and Thea had so much fun when Thea came over for a week during the winter break.
"Yeah, we should do that," Thea smiled, hoping not to upset the woman.
"Soon, okay?"
"Sure,"