Sugar and Spice: Everything Changes

By Misha

Disclaimer- Not Mine. I'm just borrowing them for a while and I'm not making any money off this, so please don't sue me.

Author's Notes- "Sugar and Spice" was the first part of Christa's journey, this is the second part. It'll cover the basic plot lines of the second season, with some twists and turns, as well as the events of Christa's own life away from Connecticut. This picks up about a few days after the end of "Sugar and Spice". As always I put my own spin on episodes and change timelines a bit to better suit my purposes. This one will focus less on life in Stars Hollow, because it's Christa's story and for this particular arc of her story, she's away from Connecticut. I try to keep the behavior appropriate to teenagers and draw on my own first hand experiences. In my experience, teenagers drink, have sex and make questionable decisions and Christa does all of those things. I waited until I had over 25,000 words of this story written to make the decision to post it, so there should be regular updates. I'm still working on "Sugar and Spice: The More Things Change", but I discovered the need to go back and establish what happened during this particular year of Christa's life, hence my decision to write this story.

Rating- PG-13

Spoilers- Mostly Season 2, but small ones for anything up to Season 5.

Summery- After an interlude in Connecticut, it's time for Christa to go back to living with her father, but can things go back to the way they were or will she learn that everything always changes?

Chapter One: Reunited

"Hey stranger." Christopher greeted his daughter as he held out his arms for her.

"Dad!" Christa cried, throwing herself at him.

Christopher hugged her tight, realizing how much he'd missed her these last four months. For over fifteen years, they'd been a set. Being a single father had been hard at times, but not as hard as being away from his little girl.

Deep down, he'd thought he'd enjoy his freedom, but he'd hated it. Christa was more than his responsibility: she was the center of his world. She was the best thing he'd ever done and without her around, his life had felt empty and incomplete. It wasn't something he'd expected.

He'd offered to take Christa to help Lorelai out and because he felt obligated. The whole time he'd worried that he'd screw it up, something he still worried about, but also that he might resent Christa someday. However, that had never happened. Being apart from her had shown him that as clear as day.

So, he was excited to see her and excited that to resume their normal routine. Though, he was a little hurt that Christa had put off moving to Boston with him until August. She'd told him that she wanted the summer with her friends and with Rory and it gave him time to get settled. He knew it was normal for her to want to spend time with her friends, but she'd never minded moving before and he'd hoped she'd be eager for their next chapter.

"You've grown," he accused after a moment, releasing her from the hug.

Christa laughed. "Only mouthier."

Christopher grinned. "I'd expect nothing less. Did you have a good drive?"

Christa had driven down to Boston to meet him and they were going to look at apartments. He wanted her input, since it was going to be her home.

"I did." Christa told him and then she paused, something obviously on her mind. "Dad…"

"Yeah?" Christopher asked, suddenly worried that Christa was going to tell him she wanted to stay in Connecticut.

"Mom's engaged." She said instead. "Well, she's not engaged yet, but she's been asked and I'm pretty sure she's going to say yes."

The news caught Christopher off-guard. Even though he'd always known this day would come, the words were still like a blow. Or more like the slamming of a door. "That's great." He said finally. "Good guy?"

Christa gave him a look, obviously assessing his reaction. "Yeah. He's really nice. He teaches at Chilton actually and he's everyone's favorite teacher."

Christopher raised an eyebrow, because that part was unexpected. "Your mom and your teacher, huh? Is that awkward?"

Christa shrugged. "It was for Rory. I missed the worst of the gossip. Besides, you know me, that sort of stuff doesn't bother me and anyway, Mr. Medina is pretty cool, for a teacher, so least Mom has good taste."

"Well, I'm happy for her," Christopher said after a moment and it was mostly true. There was some regret that he and Lorelai had missed their shot, but it wasn't like he'd been wasting away pining for her and Lorelai's news made what he had to tell Christa, a little easier.

"I'm seeing someone too," he mentioned casually, "her name is Sherri and she's actually the one who recommended me for this new job. It's not serious yet, but I like her a lot and I want you to meet her."

He omitted the fact that the only reason the relationship wasn't serious yet was because of Christa. He might not be the most responsible parent, but he valued her too much to jump into anything that affected her. Sherri had wanted him and Christa to just move into her place, but he'd vetoed that.

While Sherri was easy-going about the fact that he had two kids, one of whom he had full custody of, and was actually excited about the idea of an instant family, he knew that wasn't fair to Christa. Instead, he'd give her time to get to know Sherri and they'd go from there. He had been staying with Sherri for the last few days and would continue to do so until he found his own place, but he'd gotten a hotel for the weekend. He wanted Christa to know that he wasn't rushing her into anything. Though, he really hoped that she liked Sherri.

"Cool." Christa said with a shrug. "Sounds fine to me."

Christopher laughed, wondering why he'd worried about her reaction. "That's my girl." Nothing ever phased Christa. Rory was so big on lists and schedules and wanting things to go a certain way, but Christa just went with the flow. She accepted life as it was and adapted, it was one of the things that Christopher loved most about his daughter.

"How bad has it been living with your grandparents?" He asked after a moment, thinking about how well Christa adapted to change. She'd never complained to him about her living arrangement, but he'd grown up in that house, so he knew it had to have been awful. Of course, his relationship with his parents and Christa's relationship were very different things. After a bad start when she'd first come to live with him, his parents had come around and lavished affection on her.

Christa shrugged. "It was fine. Mostly, they like to buy me things and take me places and show me off."

"And you hate that." Christopher teased. Why didn't it surprise him that his parents had decided to buy Christa's affections? That was pretty much their go-to.

"I like the presents," Christa admitted, "having my own car is pretty awesome. As for the rest? It's ok. The parties and events are boring, but my friends usually get dragged as well, so it's not too bad." She smiled at him. "Honestly, Dad, it hasn't been that bad. Mostly they let me do my own thing."

Christopher knew that that would be the most important thing for Christa. After all, she was used to a lot of personal freedom. Maybe too much. It had been pointed out to him that he might have been too relaxed with Christa and that teenage girls needed structure and boundaries, things he'd never been good at providing. Still, Christa was a good kid and Christopher trusted her.

"I'm glad you fared better in that house than I ever did." Christopher said lightly, glad for Christa's sake that his parents had apparently mellowed. Or maybe they had simply learnt from their mistakes.

"It wasn't home though," Christa assured him, "living with Straub and Francine was fine, but I'm so happy that I'll be living with you again. I've really missed you."

"I missed you too." Christopher told her sincerely. He knew he wasn't most people's idea of parents of the year, and he'd failed a lot where Rory was concerned, but he'd done his best for Christa. He looked at her now, his smiling, sarcastic, brilliant girl and realized that whatever else could be said about him, he'd raised one heck of a kid.

"Sherri, this is Christa; Christa, this is Sherri." Christopher introduced after they arrived at the restaurant.

Christa's first impressions of her father's new girlfriend was that she was very blonde and very perky. The blonde wasn't a problem (though her recent experiences with Paris, Louise and Stephanie made her associate blonde with bitchiness), but the perkiness could be. Christa wasn't a big fan of perky.

"Oh, finally, finally, finally!" Sherri exclaimed, jumping up to greet them. "I am so beyond thrilled, I can't even express it. All Christopher does is talk about you and I just couldn't wait to meet this amazing person."

"It's nice to meet you too." Christa said, exchanging a glance with her father, who looked slightly pleading. Christa knew he wanted her to give Sherri a chance, so for his sake, she'd do her best to get past the perkiness.

Just then Sherri wrapped her arms around Christa in a spontaneous hug. "We're going to be the best of friends! I just know it!"

Great. She was a hugger.

"I can't wait." Christa said, slowly detangling herself from the hug.

Sherri beamed and then took her seat again. Christopher sat across from her, with Christa sitting next to her dad.

"So what do you do, Sherri?" Christa asked politely.

"I'm the East Coast sales rep for L'Oreal Cosmetics." Sherri told her. "Which means I have a great make-up stash that you're welcome to raid."

Ok, that was a point in her favor, Christa conceded.

Before she could say anything, the waitress came to take their order. Sherri ordered a water and a salad, Christopher ordered a cheeseburger and a Coke, but with a side salad instead of fries. Christa frowned, that was new. She resolved to ask later and ordered a burger of her own, but with a milkshake and a double order of fries.

"How can you eat like that?" Sherri asked once the waitress was gone. "Don't you worry about your weight?"

"Christa's like her mother, she can eat her weight in junk food and still stay slim." Christopher said with a fond smile. "If Lorelai could bottle her secret, she'd be a millionaire."

Christa saw a shadow pass Sherri's face at the mention of Lorelai and wondered if her dad's new girlfriend had a problem with the mother of his children. But all Sherri said was, "how lucky! I have to watch what I eat because one chocolate bar means an extra several hours at the gym."

"You look great," Christa told her, knowing it was expected, "and I love your clothes."

Sherri was very stylish and her food issues weren't uncommon. Growing up in high society, Christa was used to the pressure women felt to be thin. After all, look at Juliet who hadn't eaten a full meal since before puberty.

"Thank you!" Sherri told her. "I love clothes. I went to private school just like you and I hated wearing the same thing every day and it gave me a deep appreciation for fashion."

"The uniforms suck." Christa agreed, warming to Sherri. "I'm so glad that school's out this week and I get three months without a uniform." Then it meant a new school and a new uniform, but one thing Christa had realized after three private schools; the uniforms were always ugly.

"What are your plans for your summer vacation?" Sherri asked. "Your dad told me that you wanted to stay in Connecticut until August, but I was hoping to change your mind. We could have so much fun this summer. I love the beach."

"I do too." Christa told her. "I'm actually spending two weeks in Martha's Vineyard in July. Straub and Francine will be staying with some friends of theirs and I'm tagging along."

"Willingly?" Christopher asked, making a face. "I used to make excuses to not have to vacation with my parents."

"They're staying with my friend Logan's family," Christa explained, "and a lot of my other friends will also be there." Robert, Stephanie and a couple other of their friends also had family homes at the Vineyard and the rest of their friends had been invited to stay at one place or another over for the first weeks of July.

"Logan, huh?" Christopher asked. "You talk about him a lot. Is he more than a friend?"

"No." Christa told him dismissively. "He's probably my best friend, but nothing else. I know Logan through Colin." She'd mentioned Colin to her father, including the fact that they went out sometimes but that it wasn't serious.

Christopher accepted her words with a nod, but Sherri frowned. "Is it wise to let Christa go away with a bunch of boys?" She asked Christopher. She turned towards Christa, "I mean, you seem like a smart girl, and I'm sure you wouldn't do anything stupid but you have to be careful."

"My parents will be there," Christopher told Sherri, "plus I assume it won't be all boys?"

"No," Christa told him, "there will be some girls as well. My friend," she choked a bit on the word, "Stephanie's dad has a house not far from Logan's and I know that some of the girls will be staying with her. Plus I'll be sharing a room with Logan's sister."

"That sounds like fun," Sherri agreed, "we just want to make sure you're safe, that's all."

Christa's eyes narrowed at the use of the word 'we' and the little suggestions Sherri was making and she hoped this wasn't a sign of things to come. She was fine with her dad having a girlfriend, but she didn't need another mother.