The Life & Times of Christiana Hayden

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters other than Christiana and possibly some others along the way. There will also probably be some songs used in this story that also do not belong to me.

Thank you to everyone who added and reviewed this story! I noticed that there were some concerns about Lorelai's decision to leave Christi behind and Christi's desire to put her family's needs before her own. I know that Lorelai would never leave behind her child, no matter what the circumstances, but there was a lot going on and she was very young, dealing with legalistic things that she wasn't sure about. Also, further along in the story, you will get more answers on Christi's dedication to her family.

I hope that you continue to read and review! :) and I apologize for the long wait between updates, but I had to get through finals and Christmas! I hope this chapter is worth the wait! R&R, please!


Sister, Sister

Christi sighed to herself as she pulled into a parking spot at Luke's Diner in Stars Hollow, Connecticut. She had found out that her mother had married a local diner owner from her grandmother. She looked up the address and printed out a map, but she was terrible at reading maps and wasn't even legal to drive; she did anyways.

Her grandparents had given her a black Jaguar XJ8 as an early birthday present. She wouldn't be sixteen for a few weeks, but they let her drive in town. However, she knew that if they were to find out she had taken it out of town, she would probably be grounded until the new year.

She knew that she would be meeting Rory in two days at a dinner with both sets of grandparents, but she also knew that could be very overwhelming to someone who had never met Straub and Francine Hayden and barely knew Richard and Emily Gilmore. Of course, showing up out of the blue would probably be overwhelming too, but she had already made the drive.

She took a deep breath before getting out of her car and walking into the diner. The bell ringing above the door scared her a little. She was surprised to find the diner empty except for a man in a flannel shirt and a backwards baseball hat behind the counter.

His head shot towards her, "Rory? Shouldn't you be in school?"

"Um," she started uneasily.

He shook his head, "You're not Rory. You must be Christiana."

"Yeah," she nodded, "no one calls me Christiana unless I'm in trouble or at school. You can call me Christi. I'm guessing you're my step-father."

He nodded before walking around the counter and offering her his hand, "Luke Danes."

"Christi Hayden," she shook his hand, "but I'm guessing you already knew that."

Luke nodded, "Your mother told me about you."

"My mother," Christi breathed out, crossing her arms over her chest, "I'm guessing you think it's okay that she left me."

"No," he shook his head, also crossing his arms, "it actually almost ended our relationship. But once she explained her side of it…I understand, but no, I don't agree with it."

"She was young," Luke went on after Christi rolled her green eyes, "she was only seventeen and didn't understand all the legal terms being thrown at her. She regrets it, Christi. When she first told me, she was broken. I've never seen her that way and I've known her a long time."

"I understand where you're coming from, Luke," she told him plainly, "and honestly, I understand that she regrets her decision, but she's not seventeen anymore. She's had more than enough time to contact me."

"Honestly," Christi sighed, "had she reached out to me just before this, I probably would've been more forgiving because at least she would've made the effort. But she just stumbled in on me."

"You could at least give her a chance."

Christi shrugged, "She could've given me a chance. But I don't want to argue about that now because I'm certain there will be more than enough arguing Friday. Where can I find Rory?"

Like couldn't help by smile a little, "You talk like an adult. You and Rory should get along great."

"I hope to," Christi smiled hopefully, "is she still in school?"

Luke nodded, "She gets out at 3:30," he told her, "she usually comes by after school for coffee. You wanna have a seat?" He motioned at the counter, "I can make you something, if you're hungry."

Christi nodded before making her way to a stool and sitting down, "How's your coffee?"

"I don't drink it," he told her once he was back behind the bar, "but according to Lorelai and Rory it's life-changing."

"I need something life-changing," she told him playfully, "so, I'll take the biggest one you have."

Luke grabbed a mug and filled it with coffee, "Here ya go."

"You have any creamer?" she asked.

He nodded and slid her a bowl full of creamer cups. He was shocked when she emptied out four into her coffee, but was even more surprised when she leaned over and grabbed the sugar canister and dumped a great amount in there as well.

"That'll kill you, ya know?"

Christi shrugged, "Might as well die happy."

Luke shook his head playfully, "You want anything to eat?"

"I actually haven't eaten today," she pondered out loud, "I'll have a cheeseburger and onion rings. Ooh! Or do you have chili cheese fries because that sounds wonderful!"

Luke rolled his eyes playfully, "You definitely eat like them. I'll get this ready for you. Coffee is right there if you need more."

Christi waited until he was in the kitchen before she pulled out her worn copy of Peter Pan. She had read it a dozen times and loved it more with each reading. She often dreamed that she could fly away to Neverland.

"Peter Pan?" Luke's voice startled her, reminding her that she was in the real world.

Christi's cheeks flushed a little, "I know it's a little immature, but I've been obsessed since I was little. I've probably watched every version of the movie a hundred times."

He slid her plate over to her before leaning down on the bar, "You like to read?"

Christi nodded, "I like to escape into the different worlds."

She was surprised that she said that out loud and she was surprised when she realized that her guard wasn't up; she was always guarded. But there was something about Luke that made her comfortable.

"Is Neverland your favorite escape?" He questioned.

"Probably," she nodded, "I also really enjoy Wonderland and Hogwarts."

"Speaking of reading," Luke started, "shouldn't you be in school?"

"Would you believe me if I said we had an early release today?" She sent him a playful shrug with a cheeky smile.

Luke laughed a little as he shook his head, "Not a chance."

"Okay, well, I had early release today," she giggled before taking a bite of her burger, "holy shit! That is amazing! Seriously, that's the best burger I've ever had."

"Do you get a lot of burgers where you come from?"

"When I sneak them in or when I'm fending for myself when Granna and Pops are out of town," she told him.

"Do they go out of town a lot?"

"Pops does more traveling," she answered, "Granna usually stays back with me, but they take a couple trips a year where I either stay with Grandma and Grandpa or friends."

Luke nodded, but didn't say anything.

"My grandparents aren't terrible people," Christi defended with no reasoning, "they're just socialites and that can be misinterpreted as snotty or non-caring. But all four of them have taken great care of me."

"I don't think they're terrible people," he countered, "I've never met your dad's parents and have only seen the Gilmore's a handful of times. They're a little high class for me, but I don't think they're terrible."

"I just don't know what she's told you…"

"Ya know, your mom isn't a terrible person either," Luke offered.

"She isn't my mom," Christi frowned, "she just gave birth to me."

"You know, for someone who is so against judging people based on their past, you certainly are very judgmental toward Lorelai."

"You try being abandoned by both of your parents and see how you feel about it."

"Try having your daughter taken away by pocketed lawyers and find her when she's a teen only to find out that she hates you."

"I don't hate her," she countered matter of factually, "I'm just angry. And I think I have every right to be."

"Look, from what I've been told, the Gilmore's are much more affectionate with you and less controlling with you," Luke sighed, "Your mother doesn't know that side of them, so, she has reason to be angry too."

"Luke," her voice cracked, "I have seen the cold side of my grandparents and I can imagine that growing with that side being more prominent, it was difficult."

"But you're talking to a girl with no parents," a tear slipped down her cheek, "I think I would rather have cold, distant parents than none at all."

Luke's heart broke for the young girl before him. He wasn't typically one to have drawn out conversations, but he just felt that was what Christi needed.

The sight before him now was a total contradiction to the girl who had walked into his diner. When Christi first came in, she was cool and collected; she was a better conversationalist than most adults that he knew. However, now, she looked like a child who just watched her parents walk away.

"Do you ever see Christopher?"

Christi shook her head, "I get a post card for Christmas and my birthday. He came in for Christmas last year. That's the last time I saw him and it wasn't," she shook her head, "Well, it wasn't good."

"Can I level with you for a second?"

She nodded and he went on, "I know that you're upset with Lorelai, but I'm asking you to give her a chance. I mean, wouldn't one parent be better than none?"

Christi went to answer, but the door being flung open interrupted her.

"Coffee!" Lorelai demanded dramatically before throwing herself down on a stool a few feet away from Christi.

"It has been…"

Lorelai stopped abruptly when she saw her daughter sitting at the bar, "Christiana?"

"Christi," Luke clarified with a smirk, "she's only Christiana when she's in trouble."

Christi laughed a little, but went back to eating her food.

"What are you doing here? Do your grandparents know you're here? How did you get here?" Lorelai rattled off, "Why aren't you in school? You should be in school."

"I came to see Rory," Christi answered simply, "no. I drove and I took off early today."

"You're going to see Rory Friday night," Lorelai reminded her, "I'm not really the one to talk here, but you shouldn't be skipping school."

"I've had perfect attendance since kindergarten," Christi told her, "and even with taking off early, I'll still have perfect attendance."

"I just wanted to meet my sister somewhere where she's comfortable," Christi explained, "you of all people should know how overwhelming being in a room with the Gilmore's and the Hayden's can be."

"I didn't know you understood that," Lorelai pondered.

"Lorelai," Christi sighed, "trust me when I say that I completely understand my grandparents' coldness and detachment. They're socialites; that's how they're bred. But they have always been there for me and supported me even when they didn't understand."

"What do you mean?"

"I've been in ballet and tap since I was three," Christi told her, "Well, last year, I decided I wanted to be in jazz. They weren't thrilled about it, but they take me to every class and they are more than excited about my recital."

"Rory tried dance," Lorelai snorted, "it was a very humorous three lessons. Do you enjoy it?"

Christi nodded, "I love it," she grinned, "I love music. Ballet isn't my favorite. I appreciate it, but it's not my favorite."

"I'm sorry," Lorelai blinked with confusion, "I'm still trying to process how you dance. Christopher and I are incredibly uncoordinated."

"He used to dance with me," Christi smiled sadly, "it was the whole cliché daughter standing on her dad's feet thing, but that…well, it doesn't happen anymore."

"Christi, I hope you know how sorry I am," Lorelai frowned, "and whether you believe it or not…I've thought about you everyday."

"It's not that I don't believe it, Lorelai," Christi sighed, "It's that all you did was think about me."

"Do you think you could ever forgive me?"

Christi shrugged, "Well, someone told me that one parent is better than no parents."

Luke rolled his eyes playfully, making Christi laugh a little.

Lorelai looked between them curiously, "How long have you two been talking?"

"Long enough for her to eat a cheeseburger and a mountain of chili cheese fries," Luke told her, "but she eats like you and Rory, so, not long."

"Ya know, Francine used to have this cook," Lorelai started.

"Sasha?" Christi smiled a little, "She's gotten too old to work," she explained, "but she taught her daughter everything she knew, but she's not quite as good."

"I loved Sasha's cinnamon rolls," Lorelai smiled.

"Ooh, I will say that Lydia makes better cinnamon rolls," Christi smiled brightly, "I could have her make you some."

"I would like that," Lorelai grinned.

"There's my girl," Lorelai greeted cheekily a few minutes later.

"Hey, Mom," Rory walked in and gasped when her twin spun around to face her, "Christiana?"

"Christi," Christi, Lorelai and Luke told her in unison.

"I'm sorry to barge in on you," Christi started, "I just didn't want our first meeting to be overshadowed by our grandparents."

"You may wanna move this reunion to the apartment or the house," Luke told them, "it's about to get busy and I don't think the girls need to be questioned any further."

Lorelai nodded, "If you want, we can go upstairs to Luke's old apartment or we can go to our house."

"I would like to see where you live," Christi told them, "if that's okay?"

"Of course," Lorelai smiled, "I would love that."

Lorelai turned to her husband, "Coffee and danishes to-go?"

Luke rolled his eyes playfully before pouring coffee into three to-go cups.

"Would you like a little coffee with your cream and sugar?" Rory snickered a little as she watched her sister fix her coffee.

"It counteracts the bitterness in my soul," Christi smirked before putting her lid on her cup.

She took a sip and smiled, "Perfect!"

Lorelai grabbed some danishes before kissing her husband quickly and guiding her girls out the door, "We can walk from here."

"Will my car be okay here?" Christi bit her lip nervously.

"Oh, I forgot you drove," Lorelai thought aloud, "wait, how do you drive?"

"I'm not supposed to drive out of town," Christi told her meekly, "Granna and Pops gave me my birthday present early."

"Where do your grandparents think you are?"

Christi shrugged, "They're in Maine, so, they probably assume that I'm just getting out of school and will be heading to Grandma and Grandpa's."

"My parents will be looking for you?" Lorelai questioned.

Christi nodded before Lorelai went on, "I will have to call them. It's part of the Mom Code."

Christi nodded, "I understand. You ready to go?"

The girls got in Christi's car and Christi backed out of her parking spot. Lorelai gave her directions to what she adoringly called the Crap Shack.

Christi smiled a little when she pulled into see a two-story blue house with a wrap around porch and a double front door.

"This seems cozy," Christi grinned as they all exited her vehicle, "I love it."

Lorelai and Rory guided her in and instantly began the grand tour. Downstairs was the living room, kitchen, a bathroom and Josh's room. Upstairs was Lorelai and Luke's room, another bathroom and Rory's room.

"Harvard?" Christi was clearly shocked as she ran her fingers over the Harvard University memorabilia hung in Rory's room.

Rory nodded, "That's the plan. I want to go for journalism."

"Hmm," Christi pondered, "my best friend has been aiming for Harvard since birth. Harvard is the sun of her universe."

"Do you have any plans for college?" Rory asked her new-found sister.

Christi shrugged, "Pops is dead set on me going to Princeton and Grandpa insists that I go to Yale."

"Where do you want to go?" Rory stressed, "I mean, it's your education."

Christi shrugged again, "I honestly don't know. I really want to go to Pratt for fashion design, but unless you're known in that business, it's kind of hard to get a start."

"You're into fashion?" Rory asked, "Mom sews. She's made us some great stuff."

Christi nodded, but said nothing as she looked around her sister's bedroom.

At this point, Lorelai excused herself so her daughters could talk.

She walked downstairs and dialed her mother's number as she tried to think of what to tell her.

"Hello?" Emily answered stressfully.

"Hey, Mom," Lorelai stumbled over her words, "what's wrong?"

"Chilton called us," Emily told her, "supposedly they got a call from Francine today about a doctor's appointment for Chrissy, but they knew Straub and Francine were out of town, so, they called us."

"And well, she's not at school," Emily's voice cracked, "and I don't know where she would go. Her car is missing and she isn't at home or Paris' or Tristan's."

"She's here, Mom," Lorelai told her quickly, "she's safe. She's in Rory's room."

"Oh, thank God," Emily let out a sigh of relief, "I'll have to tell your father. We will be right there."

"Mom," Lorelai sighed, "she's fine. She just wanted to talk to Rory before the big dinner Friday night."

"She shouldn't be driving that far," Emily frowned, "she doesn't have her license yet."

"I'll make sure she gets home safe," Lorelai swore.

"She shouldn't drive that far," Emily shook her head, "Richard and I will head that way after dinner. That way she can have some time with Rory and one of us can drive her car back."

"Okay," Lorelai nodded.

"She's safe?"

"She's safe."

"Okay, we will see you this evening," Emily told her daughter, "Goodbye."

Meanwhile, in Rory's room, the twins were discussing books, movies and music as they set on the bed. Although they both love reading, music and movies, they didn't love the same kinds of books, music and movies. They didn't mind though; it made for interesting conversation.

"So," Rory started uneasily, "Do you ever see Dad?"

"He came in last Christmas," Christi shrugged, "he was only in for like 12 hours and well, it was awful."

"What happened?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Christi's voice cracked.

"You can talk to me," Rory told her, "I know we don't know each other, but we are sisters. I think it would be nice if we could have real conversations other than about books and movies."

"I haven't told anyone about what happened," Christi sighed as she tried to hold back tears, "not Paris, not Tris…no one."

"What was so bad?" Rory asked, "I mean, I haven't seen Dad much, but he's always been fun to have around when he's in town. I often wish that he would come around more. Maybe even settle down here."

"Trust me," Christi frowned, "you don't want him in your life. You seem to have a good thing going here. I kind of feel bad for disturbing it."

"Christi," Rory demanded softly, "tell me what happened."

There was something so genuine in Rory's face that Christi just couldn't hold back anymore.

"Somehow," her voice cracked roughly, "somehow we got left alone after Christmas dinner and he was drinking and…"

Christi couldn't keep the tears from falling, "He started telling me about how he was supposed to have a bright future and how it was my fault that he missed out on Princeton and was now in a black hole of disappointment."

After having up with her mother and checking in on Josh, Lorelai walked upstairs to check on the girls. She was about to go in the door, but stopped when she heard Christi talking emotionally.

"He told me that he wanted to give me up," Christi started to cry, "when I was like five, he started talking to a lawyer about giving me away, but his parents threw a fit and he found out Lorelai would have to give up her rights too."

"Then he t-told me that shortly after that, I got r-really s-sick," She stammered, "pneumonia or something and I was in the hospital. He s-s-said he wished…that he wished I would've…I can't. I'm sorry."

Christi stood and started looking for her keys, "I have to g-go."

Lorelai stepped into the room and grabbed her daughter's hand. She almost gasped when Christi squeezed her hand.

"What did he tell you, Christiana?"

Christi wiped her tears with her free hand, "He said he wished I would've died."


I hope that was worth the wait and that you all had the greatest holiday season! :) I know that what Christopher said is harsh, but I need him out of the picture. Also, I know that Christi's relationship with Lorelai and Rory is moving quickly considering her first reaction to Lorelai. However, it's all a part of the story line.

Please let me know what you think!