A/N: Thanks for all reviews. Actually, I'm floored by how many hits this story has gotten. I realize that just because someone clicked on it they didn't necessarily read it all the way, but still.

I hope that this chapter makes up for the very long delay. Sorry about that. Enjoy

Standard disclaimer applies.

Every morning Lorelai would wake up with a muscular arm wrapped around her waist and wonder where exactly she was. And then she would remember. Christopher was there.

She felt like she'd stumbled into a strange dream world. At six o'clock he would gently force her out of bed and towards the bathroom, laughing as she mumbled incoherent curses at him and brewing coffee with the small coffeepot he'd brought her for Christmas. While she was showering, he would make up the bed and watch television until she was ready for work. If there was one thing she disliked about working at the inn, it was that holidays were usually the busiest, so she rarely got a break.

But in the evening she would come home and find him sitting in the one armchair with Rory and a book on his lap, listening patiently as she read to him. He would smile, kiss her, ask her how her day had been, have coffee ready. Lorelai often thought that she'd imagined it all.

Mia noticed that something was different. "You look happy, dear," she'd said a few days after Christopher's arrival.

"I am, Mia," Lorelai had answered dreamily.

And she was.

More importantly, Rory was happy. Euphoric, actually. She had always been a serious little girl, but with her father near she smiled more often and giggled uncontrollably at his jokes. At night the three of them would sit on the floor and play, all of them together. Or Rory would read her parents a bedtime story.

And when she said, "Good night, Daddy," and he said, "See you in the morning, Princess," she smiled with the face of an angel.

That time of day was Lorelai's favorite. He would tuck Rory in, kiss her cheek, and then take his side of Lorelai's bed. She would snuggle in the crook of his arm, her cheek on his chest, and they would talk. About anything, really. Neither of them cared what they talked about, as long as they talked to each other. One night they renewed their old argument about Metallica versus Offspring. Another night they spun rosy, gilded dreams about what the future held for them: a thriving internet business for him, a successful inn for her, and Harvard for Rory. But usually, just lying there together was enough for the both of them.

When Rory's Christmas holidays ended, Christopher insisted on walking with them to school.

"I want to meet the teacher," he'd said. "I should, shouldn't I?"

Lorelai read in this his desire to stay for a while. She agreed enthusiastically.

"Welcome back, Rory!" Mrs. Donnell greeted her with a big smile. "Did you have a good Christmas?"

"Uh-huh!" Rory exclaimed. "Look who came! My daddy!" She swung on Christopher's arm, and he smiled at the teacher.

Mrs. Donnell raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Well, that's wonderful!"

"Mrs. Donnell, this is Christopher Hayden," Lorelai said, a blush rising in her cheeks. "He's Rory's father."

"It's nice to meet you," the teacher said politely, scrutinizing him closely.

"Likewise. Rory's told me a lot about your class."

"She's an extremely lovable girl, and an unusually bright one. We're glad to have her here."

Christopher grinned proudly. Behind them, a little girl called out their daughter's name happily.

"Lane!" Rory squealed. "Lane, this is my daddy!"

Mrs. Kim, who had walked in with her daughter, narrowed her eyes and glared at the young man standing next to Lorelai. Christopher squirmed slightly, scratching the back of his neck uneasily.

"I have not met you before," she said briskly.

"N-no," he answered.

Mrs. Kim glowered at him suspiciously a moment before turning on her heel and marching from the classroom. Christopher leaned in to Lorelai. "That lady's scary."

Lorelai grinned, kissed Rory goodbye, and they strolled out into the brisk January morning. The sun glittered on the snow that had fallen the night before, and the cold air stung Lorelai's throat slightly as she took a deep breath, linking her arm with Christopher's.

"It's so gorgeous out here," she sighed.

"We don't get much snow out in San Jose. I kind of miss it."

"I don't think I could live anywhere that didn't have snow," Lorelai mused.

"Really? What about all the dangerous roads and stuff?"

"I don't drive at the moment, so it doesn't matter. You know how I feel about snow. It's magical."

Christopher huffed. "Yeah."

Lorelai eyed him. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing, I just…I kind of hoped you and Rory would move out to California with me. It's gorgeous and sunny, and my job's working out really well so far."

"Oh, Chris." Lorelai withdrew her arm and looked at the ground. "I can't do that; you know I can't. I got a promotion at the inn not too long ago, and Rory's just started school."

"They have schools in San Jose, you know. Probably inns, too."

"I can't, Christopher. Rory would be heartbroken if we left Mia and Tyler and Lane and Jason…"

"Yeah, Rory told me about Jason," Christopher interrupted. "Glad you feel comfortable seeing other guys."

"Oh, you can't be serious." Lorelai pushed open the door of the potting shed and threw her coat on the bed. "You are not jealous of Jason."

"Of course I'm not. I'm just worried about Rory. Did you even think about how this would affect her, or are you that selfish?"

"I can't believe this. How can you say that? Everything I do is for Rory, Chris. I'm the one who dropped out of high school to take care of her. I'm the one who has made a life for us out here. You picked up and left for California without even thinking about how devastated she would be." Lorelai pushed her hair out of her eyes. "Jason is a nice, thoughtful, mature guy who happened to ask me out. And yes, I did think of Rory. Did she seem traumatized to you?"

"That's not the point. What about me, Lore? I'm Rory's father. Did you think about that?"

"Are you honestly telling me that you haven't dated a single girl since you moved out to California?"

He said nothing.

Lorelai sighed. "Please, Christopher, don't do this. You're here; let's just enjoy it."

Christopher smiled, the smile that had the power to melt her knees. "I'm sorry, Lore. It's just that I love you both so much, and I've missed you like crazy. Forgive me?"

"Of course," she smiled back, laying one hand on his cheek.

Gently he pulled her into his arms and kissed her, reminding her of the primary reason they were standing in a potting shed after dropping a five-year-old off at kindergarten.

Then she remembered: the five-year-old was off at kindergarten.

"I have to get up, Chris," Lorelai said, laughing. "Our fridge is practically empty."

Christopher grunted, tightening his arms around her. "I need to lose some weight anyway."

"Well, Rory doesn't. Come on, let me get up."

"Fine, fine." He rolled away from her and she sat up, scanning the floor for discarded articles of clothing.

"Anything you want from the store? I've got some extra cash today so I can splurge a little."

"A Jag would be nice."

"Funny."

"I'm good, Lore. Honest. Couldn't be better."

Lorelai grinned. "I completely concur."

"As long as you come back, and fast, I'll have everything I need."

She leaned back against the headboard and reached out to smooth his hair from his forehead. He smiled up at her, looking as happy and glow-y as she felt inside. She wondered if she had the same gooey smile on her face, the same sparkle in her eyes.

"I love you," she whispered.

"Back atcha," he answered with a grin, kissing her fingertips lightly. She leaned down to give him a lingering kiss, and then hopped up out of the bed, struggling with her shoes before opening the pottery shed door. Before she walked out, she looked back at Christopher sitting in the bed, blew him a kiss, and waltzed out into the cold sunshine, feeling that life could simply get no better.