Winter break started off like this:

Thea was in her cooking class, listening to a guy and a girl arguing about something. She was sure that they broke up, and the teacher was trying to tell them to knock it off and to go back to cooking.

The girl had taken an oven mitt, opened the oven and took out the rack, which had to be hot because they were using the oven. She yelled, "Say that to my face you fucking coward!" She stepped forward like she was going to hit her ex with it.

Then she put the rack back and took off the oven mitt.

"Carla!" called the guy that apparently Carla was arguing with.

Carla turned to glare and got a face-full of microwave.

The teacher finally sent them both out, especially with Carla's nose bleeding all over the place, but Thea was sure that it wasn't broken.

In hindsight, Thea realized she probably shouldn't have worn a white lacey looking dress that day.

After class ended, Thea went into the hallway and towards the Contraband Guy, who was still selling 'contraband food'.

"I want a soda," Thea said, handing some money to the guy, who disappeared inside the janitor's closet. She remembered how he had seen her upset over the whole Coach Rivers thing.

Aiden, Sage, Georgia, Lane, and Liberty finally joined her.

"Before you hear it from anyone else, I have to tell you about what happened in my cooking class," Thea said and recounted what happened.

After she was finished, Liberty asked, "So, he threw a microwave at her?"

"Yeah," Thea said.

"Just making sure I heard right," Liberty stated.

"It's the Scissors Incident all over again," Georgia muttered.

"But not as horror movie like," Sage added.

"Or the start to someone's super villain origin story," Lane added.

Aiden said, "And they didn't get expelled but Microwave Boy and Oven Rack Girl does?"

Thea shrugged, "I know."

The Contraband Guy finally opens the closet door, he was in there for a few minutes and hands Thea her soda and the change. He asked, "Whose Microwave Boy and Oven Rack Girl?"

Thea recounted the story and the bell rang for lunch.

She didn't have to go to Chemistry Class since Mr. Conn had given her a book for Christmas. Apparently his wife had given birth and he took some time off to help her tend to his newborn daughter.

Thea had been surprised, because she didn't know Mr. Conn's wife was pregnant or that he had a wife, but then again, they mostly discussed books and archery, so she guessed it made sense that she didn't know his personal life. So once everyone was filing out, Mr. Conn had called her to stay behind and gave her a book to read as a Christmas present and told her that he named his newborn daughter, Theodosia, and firmly stated that no, he didn't name his daughter after Thea; it was just that Mr. Conn really liked the name.

"Oh yeah, the Stars Hollow Christmas pageant preparations are today," Lane stated, spotting a poster on the wall.

Thea groaned, "And my mom is making me go to that because she's trying to make Rory jealous enough to make her apologize for being out all night with 'Narcolepsy Boy'."

Lane grimaced, "That's awful."

"It's what she used to do when Rory and I were younger and they had their spats," Thea said with an eye roll.

"That's so fucked up," Sage said.

Thea wasn't happy when she got dragged down to the preparations. There were things that she could be doing with her time, but she was stuck here, looking through a trunk with old pageant crap with Rory. Every time she heard the word pageant, she thought of the book The Best Christmas Pageant Ever which they had to read in middle school and then they watched the movie.

Of course, the doll that they were supposed to use ended up losing an arm. 

"Um, Taylor," Rory said to the cardigan wearing man. "The baby Jesus is missing an arm again."

Thea waved the naked baby doll at Taylor, who said, "What?"

Rory said, "We were just getting it out of the trunk and—"

Taylor took the doll from Thea, saying, "Let me see that." He looked at the hole, "Oh for Pete's sake!" To everyone he addressed, "Okay! Listen up! The arm is missing! I repeat, the arm is missing!"

"Maybe we should get a new baby Jesus," Thea said. "Perhaps one that's a boy."

"It's a doll," Taylor said. "No one can tell."

"It has a bow right there," Thea stated, pointing. "And its limbs and head are different colors compared to its torso."

"This has been the baby Jesus in every Christmas pageant since 1965," Taylor said. "Were you here in 1965?"

"No," Thea stated with an eye roll.

"Don't roll your eyes at me, young lady," Taylor snapped, handing the doll to Thea. "Find the arm."

Rory stared at Lorelai for a moment and Thea looked through the trunk with Taylor watching, lurking and looming over her.

Taylor asked, "Well?"

"I can't find it in here," Thea said. "I looked three times."

"Look again for a fourth time," Taylor told her.

Thea glared at him again and looked again.

"Taylor, come quickly," Miss Patty said to Taylor. "Our 'before' Mary is about to become an 'after'. Who else in town is knocked up?"

Thea's first thought was, Not Mr. Conn's wife, that's for damn sure.

After the preparations was done, Thea put on her blue coat while Lorelai walked in between her and Rory. Lorelai asked Thea, "Find the arm?"

"No," Thea said. "I looked everywhere."

Lorelai spoke in a sour tone, "Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas."

Thea chose to break off from the two to go Georgia's house.

Annette drove Liberty, Georgia, and Thea to the Westfarms, a mall in Hartford to go Christmas present shopping.

Sure they could've stayed in Stars Hollow, but they didn't have really anything nice that she wanted to give her friends and boyfriends. Also, something to give her grandparents.

Aiden was going to visit his dad in Wisconsin during break, so Thea wanted to get him something nice to remember her by, which was silly because how could he forget her?

Unless he finds some girl to pass the time with, but Aiden wasn't like that.

Georgia was going to visit her dad as well, because of his visitation rights and she seemed excited for it. Of course she would, unlike Thea's dad; at least Georgia's dad was existed in her life.

So, Thea was trying to figure out what to give her friends. And her grandparents.

They walked together inside the mall while Thea fiddled with the string on her bag, which Georgia had gotten her for her birthday.

"We meet at the food court in one hour or less," Annette told the girls.

Thea nodded and this time messed with the sleeves of her black-and-white striped sweater. 

They split up in different directions in search of the perfect gift to give.

It took a couple of minutes but Thea found some cameras that she was sure Aiden would like, but she didn't want to get him an expensive gift and end up getting Sage and their friends something cheap because it seemed unfair.

She looked at one camera and decided to get it for Aiden. She can cross Aiden off her list.

1. A̶i̶d̶e̶n̶
2. Sage
3. Georgia
4. Liberty
5. Annette
6. Fran
7. Marjorie
8. Luke
9. Sookie

Who else was she missing besides her friends?

Oh, yeah.

5. Richard
6. Emily
7. Rory
8. Lorelai

She could get the last four people something cheap because they'll most likely get her something cheap that she'll be able to throw away and not feel remorse for.

For Richard, she found some book, for Emily, Thea got her a necklace, for Rory, Thea got her a silver dangling bracelet, and for Lorelai, Thea got her a cheap sweater.

5. R̶i̶c̶h̶a̶r̶d̶
6. E̶m̶i̶l̶y̶
7. R̶o̶r̶y̶
8. L̶o̶r̶e̶l̶a̶i̶

There. Now Thea can focus on the people who really mattered.

She looked around a bit longer and went into a crafts store. She knew Sage wanted a hobby, besides helping his mom at the Inn. So, she looked around. She couldn't see Sage doing anything like knitting or whatever. She got a beginner's kit for Sage. It had some winter pattern for it. 

She'll find something better for him. Maybe she'll take up cross stitch instead.

She got a bracelet making kit for Liberty. She tried to figure out what to get Luke, a hat or a flannel shirt? She settled on a nice flannel and hoped that he didn't have the same one. She can cross Sage, Liberty, and Luke off her list.

2. S̶a̶g̶e̶
4. L̶i̶b̶e̶r̶t̶y̶
8. L̶u̶k̶e̶

She went into a jewelry shop to look around. She found a layered leather wristband to give to Sage along with the cross stitch kit. 

She also found three friends necklaces that she had to look at.

She also had to get them, making sure the chocolate one was for herself. After that, she had to get gifts for Georgia, Annette, Fran, and Marjorie.

She got Sookie, Fran, and Marjorie some quilts. She considered some cookbooks but that seemed a little rude, in her opinion. She can cross them off her list.

6. F̶r̶a̶n̶
7. M̶a̶r̶j̶o̶r̶i̶e̶
9. S̶o̶o̶k̶i̶e̶

Now she just had Georgia and Annette. She wasn't sure what to get them. Georgia was her best friend and Annette was practically a mother to Thea and she didn't know what to give them. It was funny how that turned out.

It took a while, but she settled on getting Georgia a green army jacket that looked nice and got Annette a matching one but it was blue.

It took only fifty minutes and she hurried to the food court with her bags. At least she wasn't the only one with a lot of bags. Georgia and Liberty had plenty. 

Annette had done her shopping a while ago.

Thea handed Liberty the strawberry cupcake necklace and gave Georgia the vanilla one. They both seemed to love the necklaces.

And seeing how happy they were made Thea happy.

Georgia hosted a mini Christmas party at Aiden's house, because of the fact that she and Aiden were going away during the holidays, so it seemed fitting for them to celebrate together. 

So, they watched a bunch of Christmas movies together, drinking hot chocolate and eating gingerbread men that Sookie had made for them for that occasion.

Aiden had made sugar cookies, which were from a ready mix.

So, things were pretty okay, until Georgia, Liberty, and Sage took off, leaving Aiden and Thea to clean up.

She gave Aiden the camera she had gotten him and he kissed her.

They eventually cleaned up the mess.

It turned out that Emily 'uninvited' Lorelai to the Christmas party and Thea wished Emily could uninvite her.

So, she was waiting for Rory to finish taping up her present to give to Emily and Richard.

Rory said, "I wish you'd change your mind."

"It's not my mind that needs to be changed," Lorelai replied. She was sitting on the couch.

"I don't think she meant it," Rory retorted.

"Oh, she meant it," Lorelai countered.

"Well, maybe she thinks she meant it at the time, but I bet she won't mean it later when we show up there without you," Rory replied.

Lorelai said, "And without a map to follow that reasoning, I say, 'Take a hat. It's cold outside.'"

"You just wanna hold a grudge," Rory told Lorelai.

"Yes, it burns more calories," Lorelai replied.

"That's not true," Rory said.

"Yes, it is," Lorelai stated. "How do you think your grandma got those legs of hers? She's not exactly a stairmaster gal."

"Mom," Rory said.

"Never saw her on the running track," Lorelai continued.

"Okay," Rory said.

"I don't remember the country club organizing a tae-bo class," Lorelai added.

"Fine, forget it," Rory replied. "Should I put your name on Grandma's present?"

"Yes," Lorelai said. "Sign it: The Inn Keeper Formally Known as her Daughter."

Rory seemed to have been fed up with Lorelai, "You know what I think?" She went to go put her coat on.

"What?" asked Lorelai.

"I think you're acting a little immature," Rory pointed out.

Thea fiddled with the sleeves of her blue coat and thought, Acting?

"I'm not acting," Lorelai said. 

"Well, what about the apple tarts?" asked Rory. "Toy wait all year for those apple tarts."

Lorelai stated, "I can live without the apple tarts."

Rory pointed out, "You've made up songs after eating five of them with lyrics that contradict that last statement."

Lorelai picked up the keys and held them up, "Oh, you know what? You have to go. You're late."

"You really won't come?" asked Rory. 

Lorelai said, "What, I'm sorry, is somebody speaking? Couldn't be Rory, she's already half way to Hartford."

Rory seemed sad while taking the keys from Lorelai, "Fine, I'm going."

Lorelai said, "Drive carefully. Watch out for ice." Thea opened the front door and stepped outside, "And bring me back one of those—"

Rory closed the door so Thea didn't hear what Lorelai wanted, although she knew that Lorelai wanted one of those apple tarts.

Rory rang the doorbell and Emily opened the door.

"Hi Grandma," Rory said.

"Rory, Thea, come in," Emily said. "You both look lovely."

Emily acknowledged Thea, so she can't complain when Emily focused on the favorite grandchild.

"This is from me and Mom," Rory said, handing the gift over.

"Well, aren't you thoughtful?" Emily said, "I'll just put it under the tree."

"You know, Mom actually picked it out," Rory added, just to get Lorelai back in Emily's good graces.

Emily asked, "Rory, do you know Holland Prescott?"

"I met her last year," Rory said.

Thea put her measly two presents under the tree, which would probably be forgotten about 'til New Years' Day. 

"Holland, look who's here," Emily said.

"Hello Rory and Thea," Holland greeted. 

Thea was acknowledged so she was free to do whatever she wanted 'til dinner time. It was a good thing she brought her bag with her, storing a book and her Walkman in there so she can read and listen to music in peace.

It was one perk of being ignored.

Some woman named Gigi said, "Emily, you've out done yourself yet again."

A man named Alan said, "Yes, I can't imagine the hours you spent slaving over a hot stove."

"You're teasing me, Alan," Emily said.

"It's delicious Emily," Alan replied.

Emily replied, "A compliment for my chef is a compliment for me, thank you Alan."

Thea decided that before it was time to leave, she'll thane the chef for the food. She wondered if she'll have enough time to call Sage to come pick her up and get her out of this rich-person circus.

"I, for, one, would like to know where Henry is at this hour," Richard said. "Probably gallivanting around London like a bull out to stud."

Emily didn't approve of the dinner table talk, "Richard, please."

Richard replied, "Well how is he supposed to negotiate the contract tomorrow morning if he's been out at all hours with some cheap tramp."

"Knowing Henry, she wasn't cheap," Alan retorted.

Emily really didn't approve, "This is wildly inappropriate dinner conversation especially in front of two young ladies."

Thea's mind automatically went to the threesome on her birthday and how she slept with Aiden the night before he took off for Wisconsin. 

Richard was messing with his tie, "Is it unbearable hot in here?"

"Richard, don't loosen your tie at the table," Emily chided him.

Holland asked, "So what are your plans for the Christmas holidays, Rory and Thea?"

"I'll probably just be hanging out with my mom," Rory said.

Holland looked at Thea, who replied, "Probably hang out with my friends and go to work at the bakery."

Holland nodded. 

Gigi said, "It's such a shame your mom couldn't come, she's always such a kick."

"Lorelai wasn't feeling well so I suggested she stay home," Emily told her.

"It is hot in here, I'm going to lower the thermostat," Richard said, getting up and leaving.

"Poor thing, what's wrong with her?" asked Holland. 

"She has a touch of the flu," Emily explained. She called out, "Richard! Forget the thermostat!"

Gigi said, "I thought you said she was working?"

"Well, she was supposed to work but then she caught the flu so one way or another she couldn't have made it," Emily told her.

To Rory, Gigi said, "Tell her we missed her."

"I will," Rory said.

Emily called out, "Richard!" He still hadn't returned. "For heaven sake." She got up to go get him. "Richard!"

Long story short, Richard ended up getting rushed to the hospital so Rory went to find a payphone to call Lorelai to get her ass up there to Hartford.

Emily was badgering the receptionist and Thea sat in the most uncomfortable chair ever, wishing she could call Georgia and Aiden to tell them what happened, but she didn't want to ruin their vacations.

 Emily said, "But why can't I see him?"

"They're running some tests," the receptionist said.

"Well I would like to meet this doctor who's testing him," Emily said.

"You will," the nurse said.

"Some strange man is working on my husband," Emily stated. "I have a right to meet this person."

"You will," the nurse said. 

"And I want to see the room you're going to put him in," Emily added.

"You will," the nurse repeated.

Emily said, "And stop saying 'you will.' Put a proper sentence together for God's sake."

"Ma'am, please wait here," the nurse said and went through some doors.

Rory went to Emily, "Did you find out anything?"

"Please!" replied Emily. "They run this place like the CIA." A man went up to her. "Joshua, thank God! This place is infuriating."

"It's all rgiht, I'm here," Joshua said. "I'm going to check on him right now. Have you filled out the forms yet?"

"I don't care about the forms," Emily replied. "I want to see my husband."

Joshua spoke to Rory, "Is she being obstinate?"

"Very," Rory retorted.

"Let me see what's going on and then we'll take it from there," Joshua said and went through the doors.

"And there he goes, through the doors," Emily said.

"Maybe I should call Mom again," Rory said.

"Never mind, I'm sure she's very busy," Emily told her.

Thea said, "She's not made from stone. She'll be here. She'll find a way to be here." She knew Lorelai would army-crawl through hell for family, maybe not for Thea, but for Lorelai's family. She knew that if it was Emily in there instead, Lorelai would be there.

Rory nodded, "Yeah. She'll—"

"Rory, Thea, go get your Grandfather a paper," Emily instructed.

Rory started, "But—"

"The Wall Street Journal or Baron's," interrupted Emily. "Whatever they have, he'll want something to read when he gets back to his room.

Rory nodded, "Okay, can I get you something? Maybe a coffee?"

"No dear, I'm fine," Emily said.

Thea and Rory went off in search of a newspaper. Although while Rory looked at the newspapers, Thea decided to get some hospital chicken noodle soup.

Thea was surprised to see Luke and Liberty there.

"Luke," Rory said surprised. "Liberty."

Liberty went to give Thea a one-armed hug, since Thea was holding her cup of hospital chicken noodle soup.

"I gave your mom a ride," Luke said. "We weren't on a date. Libby can agree on that"

"Yeah, I'm sure my mom is still dating her English teacher," Thea said, confused at the idea. If Mr. Medina and Lorelai broke up, Lorelai never told her. "Where did they go?"

"They went back there to see if they can find a doctor," Luke told her.

Rory asked, "Did they find out anything else about Grandpa?"

"I don't think so, but give your mom a couple of minutes back there," Luke said. "I bet she finds something out."

"Thanks for bringing her," Rory said.

Liberty pulled Thea to the side, "How are you?"

"I'm a bit concerned for him," Thea said. "And this chicken noodle soup is gross."

Liberty asked, "Really?"

Thea nodded, "I really don't want him to die, you know?"

Liberty nodded, "Yeah."

"I mean, I want to see him but I don't want to see him. He'll just pass me the comics that's in the newspaper and that'll be the end of it," Thea said. "I kind of want to go home."

"Mom!"

Thea turned to see that Rory had hugged Lorelai.

Liberty turned Thea away from the scene, "Hey, show me where this supposedly god-awful chicken noodle soup is."

Thea knew what Liberty was doing and went to show Liberty were it was.

"You know, on the way here, Lorelai said that her dad never bought her a Barbie," Liberty told Thea. "And then she said that bets my dad bought me a Barbie."

Thea asked, "Did he?"

"No, he gave me cash to buy one and told me to meet him in the baseball cards," Liberty said. "And then I would get the baseball cards and we'll go home and I'd end up dismembering my Barbie and beheading her."

Thea ended up laughing at that. 

"I think she has a crush on my dad," Liberty told her.

"Oh, yeah, it's obvious," Thea replied. "She's just in denial. I wouldn't mind us being step-sisters."

"Yeah, but I'll probably end up killing you," Liberty said. "I've seen the way you eat toast and it pisses me off. Stop eating it left, right, and middle. Just fold it in half."

"Likewise," Thea said. "I've seen how you make your cereal. Psychopaths pour the milk in first and then the cereal."

Liberty laughed, "Yeah. I know. That's why I do it. My dad looks like he developed appendicitis every time I do it and he threatens to disown me."

"Nothing pisses me off more than when I see Sage using a can opener to open a can of soda," Thea said.

"Oh god," Liberty said. "I wanted to stab him in the neck with a knife when I saw that."

Liberty brought Luke back some peppermint tea because she knew her dad well, then Luke gave Liberty some money and sent them out to go raid the vending machine.

So, they went to raid the vending machine and Thea still wasn't sure what to say when she found out that Richard was going to be okay.

She was glad that he was okay, but she had disowned them as her grandparents a while ago. She wasn't entirely made out of stone. 

She did go in and spoke to Richard, who seemed glad that she saw him and then Lorelai had Luke take her, Rory, and Liberty home.

Luke had said, "Walk fast and look ahead."

Rory went home and Thea went upstairs with Liberty since Thea didn't feel like going home.

"Ooh, let's watch the procession," Liberty said.

"It's just a rehearsal," Thea said. "It's the same every year."

"Yeah, but I like it," Liberty said.

Thea nodded and moved out of the way so they can watch the procession. "Thanks for being at the hospital."

"No problem," Liberty said. "If you ever need anything, just call me and I'll be there for you."

Thea nodded, "Thanks for being a better sister to me than my actual sister ever was."

"You're welcome and stop being sappy," Liberty told her with a grin.

Thea asked, "What kind of sappy?"

"Maple," Liberty told her.

Thea asked, "Did you just call me maple syrup?"

Liberty laughed.