One-Shot Drabble:

Building Character

Author Note: To all of my faithful Troypay fans… I apologize. The story just would not get out of my head. I promise to return to your regularly scheduled Troypay fictions as soon as possible.

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"No."

"But Mom!"

"I said no! Do not test me child or a whole world of hurt is coming your way!"

Fifteen-year-old Jennifer Bolton was in 'that phase'. Otherwise known as "adolescence", that phase was enough to drive most parents completely batty. Jennifer's parents, Troy and Gabriella, had had several joking conversations over the past month or so about how much she would go for on the black market.

"Mom, everyone else is doing it!"

Gabi rolled her eyes and turned to face her eldest daughter. "Because that's totally worked for you in the past."

Jennifer let out an over dramatic sigh and stomped up to her room, screaming something about how much she hated her mother and how she just would never understand. All stuff that Gabi had heard before.

"What does she want now?" Troy asked, entering the kitchen and heading to the sink. Before walking in on the pleasant and familiar scene, he had been trying to fix the lawnmower for about the twelfth time.

"To try out for that show."

"The dancing one?"

Gabi nodded. "NBC is trying to resurrect the old American Bandstand type thing. There's an open casting call for the main dancers next week."

"Maybe it wouldn't be the worst thing ever," Troy offered.

"What?" Gabi screeched. "Troy Alexander! You can't be serious!"

"Why not? Give her a shot. It's just missing one day of school."

"I can't believe that I'm hearing this."

"You are the one who let her watch Hairspray every day while you were pregnant with Seth."

"I cannot help if it in my over hormoned pregnant state I thought that Link Larkin looked like you."

"And you completely manipulated our children to fit your … needs!" He winked.

She whipped him with the towel she was using to dry the dishes.

"But seriously? You say to let her do it?"

He shrugged. "We have to tell her no a lot with all of her hair brained schemes. This one is fairly harmless and it might turn out to be positive."

"Positive in what way?"

"Gabi, let's be serious, she's never danced outside of her bedroom. She's not going to make it."

Gabi turned to face her husband. "So you are setting our daughter up to fail."

"Exactly," he smiled smugly. "It builds character. She needs to learn that failure is an option sometimes, but that should never discourage you from trying. Jennifer has trouble doing things that she thinks she's not going to be fabulous at."

"But she thinks she's going to be fabulous at this," Gabi argued.

"I know, but think of all the magic parental conversations that we can have after she finds out that she doesn't get on the show!" Troy exclaimed. "She gets what she wants, so she thinks that she wins. We get what we want – which is a slightly more mature kid."

"You're incorrigible."

"And you love me."

"Occasionally," she admitted, giving him the kiss he was looking for.

"Jennifer!" Troy bellowed a few seconds later.

"I'm not speaking to either one of you!" came the call back from upstairs.

Troy rolled his eyes. Their next door neighbor was a youth pastor at a church down the street and JonMark continually assured them that Jennifer's behavior was normal and that they were handling it the best that they knew how. Sure didn't feel like it most days.

"Not an option," Gabi yelled. "Get down here. Now."

"This seriously cannot be the healthiest way to interact with our kid," Troy muttered.

"Any other suggestions, Captain?"

Troy opened his mouth to respond, but they were interrupted by the creaking of the stairs.

"What?"

I love her, I love her, I love her was the mantra in Troy's mind as he tried answered. "What are you doing right now?"

"I was talking to Adam online before you summoned me downstairs."

Awesome. Our favorite person.

"Well, I was wondering if you had a few minutes to go shopping."

Her façade cracked for a moment before she quickly recovered and went back to her normal self. "I guess I could spare a few moments, why?"

"Because if you're going to audition for that show tomorrow, you probably shouldn't wear those holey sweats that you trounce around the house in."

It took a moment for Jennifer to process that and then her mouth gaped. "Seriously?!"

Troy nodded and looked at Gabi. Gabi rolled her eyes slightly and then smiled broadly.

Jennifer shrieked and threw herself into her father's arms. There was the appropriate amount of celebrating before Jennifer ran back upstairs to collect her bag. Troy grabbed his keys and his wallet, telling Gabi that he would take her, thinking that if this was all his idea anyway, he should take the rabid female to the mall and let Gabi finish cleaning the kitchen.

"I'll drive," Jennifer offered as she came stomping down the stairs.

"Yeah, sure you will. In six months when you get your permit," Troy replied.

"Daaaaaaad," she whined.

"One victory at a time, kiddo."

"Fiiine."

"Besides," he said with a smile in his voice. "Who needs to drive if you can dance?"

"Hardy har har, Dad."

As they made their way out to the garage, Gabi went back to scrubbing the oven.

Oh the joys of parenthood.