"Dad...dad...daaaaddddyyyy," three year old Haddie Victoria Gilmore-Hayden whispered, "I'm getting pissed off."
"What did you just say to me?" Christopher asked tiredly, his voice barely above a whisper. He peaked at the clock on the nightstand beside him. The evil numbers 6:00 blared back menacingly at him. Great, his one day off in 2 weeks...
"I said I am getting pissed off, I am hungry," Haddie whined as she tried to climb up onto the bed, struggling to pull herself up. Christopher closed his eyes, desperately wishing for just another hour of sleep. Haddie smiled as she successfully stood up on the mattress near Christopher's feet and promptly sat on his leg, and began poking his stomach.
"Okay, okay I'm up," Christopher said sitting up. He set Haddie on the floor, then began shuffling towards the door, "What do you want for breakfast?"
"Ice!" Haddie squealed running towards the stairs which led to the kitchen.
"Seriously?" Christopher asked walking after her tiredly.
"Yes, seriously," Haddie replied, as if her father had just asked her the most ridiculous question in the world.
Christopher picked Haddie up and carried her down the stairs into the messy kitchen.
"Hello," Gigi greeted the two while looking up from her coloring book.
"Hey kiddo, good morning," Christopher said.
"Why are you eating ice?" Gigi asked, glancing at Haddie, who was happily sitting on the floor with a big glass of ice.
"It's weird water," Haddie smiled back at her as she scooped up a handful and began sucking noisily on it.
"What do you want Gigi?" Christopher asked, as he turned the coffee pot on.
"Um...some fruit loops," Gigi said while barely breaking her concentration from her coloring.
"Good choice," Chris replied, as he grabbed a bowl for Gigi's cereal.
"Haddie!" they could all hear Lorelai shout from the top of the stairs, "Come and get dressed. You too Gigi! Your mom is going to be here in an hour and she hates it when you are late!"
"Get going," Chris said, nudging Haddie with his foot. She in return glared at him.
"That's just gross," she said staring at his foot.
"You need to go see mommy," Chris said sternly.
"Nope," Haddie replied annoyed, "I need my ice first."
"Take your ice with you, go. Now." Christopher rolled his eyes at his little girl. She knew which buttons to press to get on his nerves within a matter of minutes.
Upstairs, Lorelai had to wrestle a determined Haddie into a little blue dress that Emily had bought her. There was a DAR meeting at the Dragonfly Inn that afternoon and Haddie was spending the day with Lorelai, while Christopher enjoyed a day off to himself. Lorelai knew it was worth putting up with a pouting three year old over a pouting grandmother. Then came the battle of the hair. Lorelai and Christopher both couldn't understand why it was such a huge surprise that hair needed to be brushed every morning but Haddie would not come to terms with the situation. Bribery was a must with this child, mainly in the forms of cookies.
By seven AM, Lorelai and Haddie were in the car off to the Inn, Gigi was off with her mother and Christopher was getting some peace and quiet. Something he hadn't had in a very long time.
Haddie squealed with excitement upon seeing the Inn. The place was a castle to the little girl and she took great joy in pestering Michel.
"Hey bug!" Sookie smiled as Lorelai and Haddie buzzed into the kitchen.
"Hi dude," Haddie smiled in return.
"Did you already eat this morning goofball?" Sookie questioned.
"Are you questioning whether or not I forgot to feed my daughter this morning?" Lorelai asked, feigning offence, "If so…the answer is…aw shoot. You didn't eat did you?"
"I had the ice," Haddie shrugged.
"Ice? You fed your three year old frozen water for a meal. Way to build up proper body image!" Sookie shook her head laughing.
"Chris probably gave her a cup filled with ice. She loves it for some reason. He usually chooses not to argue with her. She's fairly feisty if you haven't noticed and he isn't really one to be noted at father of the year," Lorelai responded.
Haddie's eyes went big as Michel came around the corner. Bothering him was her favourite game.
"Oh yay, she is here," Michel scoffed.
"Meee Shell," Haddie said, causing Lorelai and Sookie to giggle at the over pronunciation of his name.
"So, what is the plan for today?" Michel asked, ignoring the small child.
"There's a couple of boxes near the front desk that need to be unpacked as soon as possible," Lorelai smiled brightly, hinting for Michel to get on it.
"Oh right, the monster…I mean your lovely mother, is here today isn't she?" Michel asked.
"Yes, Emily Gilmore in all her glory," Lorelai smiled tightly, "So you handle the boxes, and maybe Haddie can help you pack stuff around."
"Today is just fantastic," Michel said grumpily.
About an hour later Lorelai walked over to the front desk to find the two boxes still sitting there. Granted they were empty but…
"Hello?" Lorelai called out. "Where is everyone?" It is never this quite. Ever.
"HI!" Haddie exclaimed popping up out of a box that was placed in the middle of the room.
"What ARE you doing?" Lorelai laughed at her daughter.
"We're being box buddies mom!" Haddie said, as she tried to climb out of her cardboard cage.
"Wow, that seems like fun, where's Michel?" Lorelai asked, looking around the room and down the hall.
Haddie smiled evilly, as she pointed to the box the was near beside the desk.
"I'm stuck," Michel said grouchily. Lorelai could barely contain her laughter as she peered into the box. Michel's foot was by his head, and it looked like his arm was stuck under his butt.
"What were you doing?" Lorelai laughed.
"Your devil spawn tricked me. There was nothing at the bottom! She tickled my legs when I was bent over. I stumbled and fell and would she help me out? Noooo," Michel said angrily. "She decided to try it for herself! Will you please help me out of the mess?"
"Fine," Lorelai said. Michel impatiently waited as Lorelai searched for a pair of scissors. Once she returned, she began cutting open the sides of the boxes. She could hear Haddie gasp.
"Mommy! You are killing Joseph" Haddie whispered loudly.
"What is a Joseph?" Michel spat.
"I am guessing the box. Little kids often name the things they are fond of," Lorelai smirked.
"I am fond of the box. It's a Michel eater!" Haddie laughed.
"I can't wait until the day I find something that eats Haddies," Michel grumbled as he dusted himself off.
That night Christopher and Lorelai sat in the living room, purposely eavesdropping on Haddie and Rory's phone call. The two had a ritual to talk about their days at least two times a week.
"Don't you wish we were that innocent?" Lorelai asked Christopher laughing, after Haddie had finished telling Rory about her new "boyfriend" Dylan, the sixteen-year old stock boy at Taylor's market. She had describe him as "a manly man who can reach everything" and that he looked "just like Harry Potter if he was American."
"I kind of wish she was a little more innocent. I thought the love obsessions didn't come until the double digit ages," Christopher sighed.
"We Gilmore girls start early," Lorelai said cheekily.
"I should've known," Christopher said shaking his head.
"Hey now," Lorelai poked him in the chest, "You started that train buddy."
The next morning Christopher left for work, and Lorelai slept in until Haddie woke up, which was thankfully at eight. They spent a quite morning watching Pippi Longstocking, until Haddie got restless, so they went for a walk around the neighbourhood.
"Hi!" Haddie shouted to a seemingly random stranger.
"What did I tell you, no talking to strangers Hadds," Lorelai said in her best mom voice.
"She isn't a stranger mummy," Haddie, being cocky, said back, "She is daddy's friend."
"What's her name?" Lorelai asked.
"Um, I think it is Julia," Haddie thought out loud, "Let's see..JULIAAAAAAA."
The woman looked at the family.
"Yep, her name is Julia," Haddie concluded.
"Hi Miss Haddie!" she said, as she walked over the them, "Who is this?"
"This is my mommy," Haddie replied smiling.
"Oh, how is that possible?" Julia asked looking somewhat afraid.
"What?" Lorelai asked, confused.
"Are you Christopher's new girlfriend?" Julia asked, confused as well.
"What are you talking about?" Lorelai asked suspiciously.
"Well, Christopher told me that Haddie and Gigi's mother passed away, shortly after Haddie was born," Julia said.
"He did, did he.." Lorelai said trying not to sound completely pissed off.
"I am guessing he completely lied, are you too still together?" Julia asked, trying to make sense of the situation.
"Yes, we have been married for almost 4 years." Lorelai said solemnly.
"I've never seen you here before," Julia said, "I'm truly sorry about all of this."
"I work, a lot, especially lately, and I'm sorry about all of this too," Lorelai said awkwardly.
That night Lorelai stayed up late, waiting until Christopher came home from work. When he opened the front door he found her sitting on the stairs by the coat closet.
"You didn't have to stay up," Christopher smiled, "I stopped by the pub."
"With who? Julia?" Lorelai asked sleepily looking up into Christopher's eyes.
"You met Julia today?" Chris said quietly looking away.
"I'm dead?" Lorelai asked.
"I-uh- I," Christopher started looking at the floor.
"Why?" Lorelai asked, "I know I'm not home a lot and I haven't been the perfect wife or girlfriend, but we have three beautiful girls, we've gone through almost 4 years of marriage, out anniversary is in 2 months, we have a house, a car together, we have a real family Christopher. Something you had wanted for so long! How could you do this to me? To Haddie? To Rory? To Gigi? Are you that selfish? Why am I dead?" Lorelai's words took off.
"I don't know," Christopher replied simply.
"Really? That's all you've got. You don't know? Do you want me to be dead?" Lorelai asked standing up and leaning against the wall.
"No, of course not, how can you ask me that?" Christopher asked raising his voice.
"How can you tell a hot young blonde women that, and expect me not to even care?" Lorelai shot back, her voice also rising.
"Look forget it, it doesn't mean anything," Chris said, making his way for the stairs.
"CHRISTOPHER!" Lorelai yelled, not realizing how loud her voice was.
"WHAT?" He yelled back forcefully.
"Do not walk away from me," Lorelai replied, "I want to know. Why are you telling women that I am dead? Are you cheating on me? Are you going to?"
"No, why, how, I can't, you know what, I thought you actually trusted me now, but I guess I was wrong," Chris said angrily.
"Don't try and make me seem like the bad guy here Chris, you can't expect me to find out you are talking to girls telling them I'm dead, and have me not even be a tad bit worried about our relationship," Lorelai said tears welling in her eyes.
"Daddy?" they could hear Haddie ask meekly, "Are you in trouble?"
They looked up to see Haddie peaking around the corner from the top of the stairs, looking as if she had been crying.
"Yes, I am," Christopher said," I'm getting a timeout, it'll be okay though. Go to sleep."
"Okay, stop your yelling please," Haddie said pursing her lips together, looking exactly like her mother.
"Okay," Lorelai and Chris said together.
"I'm going to bed," Lorelai said, jogging up the stairs, "You can stay on the couch."
"Fine," Christopher said, walking into the living room, and flopping onto his new bed.