Title: Borrowing Thoughts
By: dragoneye
Rating: K+
Written Because: A sequel was necessary.

Summary: "Children?" was a lovely cliffhanger, and Charlotte is such a player, that a sequel was called in to satisfy the reviewers.

Disclaimer: I do not own The Princess Diaries.

OoOoO

While lying in bed that night, listening to the sound of Shades brushing his teeth in the bathroom, Charlotte thought. She had never really considered about it before, but Shades had mentioned it earlier, and now the idea wouldn't leave her alone. Did she want children?

Her lover slipped into bed next to her, bringing with him the familiar scent of cologne and mint. She snuggled close to him, inhaling his smell, his t-shirt soft against her nose.

"Char?" he said suddenly, his voice dissonant against the soft ticking of the overhead fan. "I've been thinking. Do you—I mean, not if—well, only if—because—oh, damn it."

Charlotte pulled away and took his face in her hands, trying to calm him a bit. "What is it?"

"Why do you recognize me by my cologne as opposed to my embrace?"

Aside from the fact that he actually sounded halfway intelligent just then, Charlotte was surprised that he knew. Knew that she knew his scent before she knew his arms. "Oh, Shades… it's just… um… oh dear…"

He sat up abruptly, crossing his arms and refusing to look at her. "Tell me."

"Well, Shades, you see, it's just that… I'm such a player, you know, hugs are all the same to me…" She bit back a smile at his incredulous face.

"Wait—player—you? No way… you said I was the first…"

But then she couldn't control herself any longer and dissolved into giggles. Shades stared at her, obviously bewildered, but then started chuckling himself. Soon she was in his arms, kissing his cares away, until he pulled back once again. "Charlotte?"

"What?" she said, not the least bit annoyed. She had wanted a nice make-out session and sleep, but it was not to be.

"What I said earlier, about kids… did you… we never really finished the conversation…"

Charlotte remembered all too well, for Queen Mia had walked in then with mail to be sent out and a meeting to attend, and Charlotte was once more relegated to actually doing her job. She was actually rather glad for the distraction, because the subject of children was a touchy one.

"Char, the thing is, I don't know if I would be a good dad. I know you'd be a great mom, but I don't know about me. And I don't know if I want kids, either. Because they'd take time away from what little time we have together already. And I like time with you. Char, I don't know…"

And if he thought she knew, he had another thing coming. "Shades, I think it's a bit early to think about kids. Or late, actually, because we're rather old…"

"Not that old."

"Not too old, but old, yes. I barely have time for you; how could I find time for a child? Besides, we're not even married yet. Maybe when we are and things settle down a bit, maybe then we'll think about it, but not now."

He nodded. "Ok."

"Is that all you have to say on the matter?"

"Yeah, pretty much," he replied, and then he kissed her. And his kisses made the world fade away so that Charlotte could focus on him and only him—well, his cologne, too.

THE END

Yeah, short, but oh well. Review and you get… um… a kiss that makes the world fade away? Sure.

Oh, and "Shades-fantasy-ploy" nonsensical story that's only there because the author wanted to write a sappy Char/Shades moment. Because she had the idea in her head and wrote the romantic part, but it couldn't just hang out there by itself, so she had to come up with some ploy. A plotline to get to the romantic part. The plotline is pathetic and barely counts as a plotline. Yup. Basically just an excuse for writing sappy stuff.