(For disclaimer, etc. - see 1)

5. Wonderful Life
Characters/Pairings: Lorelai, Richard, Emily
'Verse/Timeline: canon - Season 7
Date: December 2006

It wasn't as if it were actually Christmas yet. Almost, but not quite. Lorelai had vowed that until Rory came home, the Holidays were on hold. They would celebrate in January and it would be fine. Christopher didn't mind. Gigi thought it was amazing because effectively she could have Christmas twice. The only people who didn't seem to get it were Richard and Emily.

"Lorelai, it is quite absurd," her mother told her in no uncertain terms. "Christmas is the same day every year, it can't be moved just to suit you."

"It's not to suit me, Mom" she pointed out, taking a large sip of her Martini. "It's to suit Rory. You know, your precious granddaughter whom the sun shines out of?"

It wasn't supposed to come out quite so bitter. Lorelai was glad that Rory's grandparents loved her so much, even if she did get a little jealous every once in a while. Of course, they also loved Christopher seemingly more than they cared for their own daughter too. That was just wrong.

"I wonder if I might borrow you for a moment, Lorelai," said Richard then, getting up from his seat and beckoning his daughter to follow him.

Lorelai looked at her husband, who shrugged to let her know he had no idea what was going on. A glance at Emily proved she wasn't so sure herself. That part Lorelai liked.

"Sure, Dad, you can borrow me," she said with a smile, downing the last of her drink and placing the glass on the table as she rose to follow him. "So long as you return me in the same condition as you found me."

Richard looked momentarily lost and then he laughed lightly. "Oh, yes. Very clever."

Lorelai guessed they were headed for his study, though she had no idea why. She couldn't imagine he was about to yell at her for being rude to her mother or anything, not at this stage, though anything was possible with her parents.

"Now, I know you are quite determined that it is not really Christmas until Rory returns, a decision that I respect, in fact," said Richard as he moved behind his desk, "but I do hope that, in the circumstances, you might at least accept this gift from me. Perhaps you might even open it early, just so I can make sure you like it."

Lorelai was so confused as her father placed the smartly wrapped gift in her hands. After all, he rarely bought her anything specific himself, letting Emily do all the Christmas present shopping. Also, it felt of a very definite shape and size.

"Dad, I'm Lorelai," she told him with a look. "You might be confusing me with Rory, you know, the granddaughter. I know we look real similar but-"

"Lorelai," he silenced her with a tone only a father could possess. "Open your gift."

"Yes, sir," she said, nodding once and doing as he said, soon gasping with surprise and finding tears in her eyes when she saw what she had received. "Where did you find this?" she asked, almost speechless as she flipped open the cover of The House At Pooh Corner to see her own childish scrawl inside stating her name as the owner.

"Oh, I stumbled upon it," Richard told her, looking as awkward as he did proud. "You know, I do believe that was the very first book I bought for you. You remember?"

"I remember," she promised, sniffling a little even as she beamed at him, happy memories surfacing of sitting in his lap a million years ago, reading together.

In a second, she was flying across the room, throwing her arms around him and hugging him tight. "This is so special. Thank you, Daddy," she said softly.

"You're very welcome, Lorelai," he told her, hugging her back.