So I know I said I would end up putting this chapter up New Year's Eve after I wrote chapter 26, but I didn't get a chance to. In my free time I've spent the last two and a half days reading over the whole story I have and attempting to write a chapter. I did start chapter 26 yesterday, but I wasn't able to finish it. I know it's going to end up being one of the chapters in this story I put up even though I'm not crazy about it. But luckily, chapter 4 is nothing like that and i'm pretty happy with how it turned out. So enjoy everyone!
Disclaimer: I do not own HSM or 16 and Pregnant

Chapter Four

Before today I wouldn't have thought twice about my dad. I've always just taken them as they came and figured if I put up with it enough I could stay there until I graduated high school. But I don't want to wait until I graduate from high school to leave. I want to get out of there now. And there's only one place I can go. I can't go to Gabriella and burden her with this; I know I'd be a burden because if I change my mind about the baby then I can't have both of us barge in on Gabriella's and her mom's lives. Quite frankly, I don't want to burden Chad and his family either. He doesn't have the obligation I do for this child. He can choose to walk out and have nothing to do with us; act like we never happened. Like nothing ever happened. But whatever decision I'd make, I have to live with it for the rest of my life. Regardless of what I want now, I can't make a decision without consulting Chad. His answer today would dictate what I do for the rest of my life.

Taylor walked up to Chad's house. Just judging from the outside it was much bigger than hers; it had a porch and a larger yard. There was a nice picket fence around the sides protecting the backyard. Both Chad's house and Taylor's were two stories, but while Taylor's was long in length Chad's was wide in width. Taylor's house had enough to fit three people; it had a master bedroom and a smaller bedroom but Chad's house had three bedrooms in addition to the master bedroom, along with a spare room she'd never seen before. It was probably a storage room; they had an attic but it was more of a family room.

A house like Chad's would be perfect to raise a baby. It had plenty of space, clean rooms and most of all a close family that loved each other. Maybe telling Chad wouldn't be so bad. Statistics could be miscalculated; Chad could be one of those guys who'd be excited to have a baby and want it living with him. Maybe they really could work something out. Taylor liked to think it was possible. But she knew what she read; the chances of Chad wanting to be there was slim to none. But if she didn't tell him, that wouldn't help her decide what to do about the baby. Even worse, the longer she waited to tell Chad something this big the more likely he'd be to never trust her again. Taylor could already be risking this relationship for waiting weeks to tell him; it'd be even worse if she'd lost a friendship with him, too. It was a scary thought. But there was nothing else she could do about it. Gabriella was right; Chad was the dad and he deserved to know. Taylor lightly rubbed flat stomach and took a deep breath. She walked up the porch and hesitantly knocked on the door. Chad answered the door within seconds.

"Hey Tay," he smiled at her.

"Hi Chad," she responded while he let her in. She made certain to keep to herself as she walked past him. As he closed the door Chad took notice of Taylor's action and securely wrapped his arms around her. Taylor let out a sigh of relief and relaxed against his chest. "Thanks for letting me come here."

"It's no problem. You're always welcome here," he promised. "You had another fight with your dad?"

Yeah, a fight. That's what it was.

"Kind of," she half-lied.

Chad snuck a kiss onto her cheek. Taylor smiled and placed her hand over his. She wanted this moment to last as long as it could, knowing how soon Chad would know the truth. Chad went on to suggest, "How about we go relax in my room?"

His room. Full of silence and privacy. It could be the perfect place to tell him.

"Is…anyone else home?" she wondered.

"Just us," he answered.

It certainly sounded like the perfect time. She'd better do it while she still had the chance.

"Ok," she nodded.

Chad noticed a difference in her voice. "Is everything ok?"

"No, everything's fine. It's just…" Taylor paused to think of the right wording. "I need to tell you something."

"What is it?" he asked.

Taylor could already sense the worry in his voice. He had no idea what to expect, did he? Was he expecting bad news? Did he think he was going to break up with her? There was no way he could have a clue. Taylor bit her lower lip and wiggled out of Chad's grasp. She headed up to Chad's room with him following. Upon entering his room she sat at the edge of his bed and wrapped her arms around herself. She rubbed her arms as she attempted to figure out exactly how to tell him.

Chad closed the door behind him and sat next to Taylor. "Tay, what's up?"

"Not much, what's up with you?" she asked. Taylor was more nervous than she thought. So much so she was resorting to biting her nails. Chad took notice and gently grabbed her hand.

"Tay, talk to me," he said softly. He looked at her concerned for a minute, and then let out a breath. "What your friends said, you know, about you being anorexic…it's not true is it?"

"What?" Taylor gasped. She pulled her hand away. "How could you think something like that?"

"I don't know, you said you had something to tell me," he replied. "And you said it last week."

"Yeah, and I said it was something personal," she added.

"Anorexia sure is personal," he retorted.

"Do you seriously think I'm so insecure about my body that I would force myself to purge?" she questioned.

"Of course not."

"So why would you even suggest it?"

"Well I don't know what else it could be!"

"Why don't you try asking me instead of jumping to conclusions?"

"Ok, fine. Taylor what is it you wanna tell me?"

"I don't know, maybe that I'm pregnant you lunkhead!"

As soon as the statement left her mouth, Taylor's eyes widened. That was not how she wanted it to come out. Did she seriously just yell it to him? Over an argument? Taylor didn't even know what was making her sicker, the way she just told Chad that she was pregnant with his baby or the morning sickness. She barely had time to study Chad's expression. Sure she saw the typical reaction; wide eyed and jaw dropped. There wasn't too much else she could decipher aside from shock. Before she could get another word out, let alone give him a chance to talk she covered her mouth and ran to the garbage can, emptying out the contents of her stomach.

There was a silence from Chad. He was still in shock from the news, only able to watch his girlfriend in disbelief. There were no thoughts going on in his mind. All he could do was replay it over and over again: "I'm pregnant you lunkhead." The sentence was embedding itself into his brain. How was he supposed to respond to that? His mind slowly cleared and as it sunk in completely Chad was able to pay attention to the scene in front of him. There was his loving girlfriend, the one he'd gotten so close to and cared for so much, who was throwing up in his garbage. For a week her friends had accused her of being anorexic when she was really throwing up because she was pregnant. And it was because of him. Because not once, but twice, he was too stupid to use protection. What could he do? Sit back and watch her suffer?

Taylor was shocked moments later to feel his hands on her back, one gently rubbing her and the other moving hair away from her face. It made her feel better for the moment but she doubted it would last. It almost made her wish she could keep throwing up, just to keep him near her. But soon there was nothing left. Taylor emptied everything and slowly sat up. She rubbed her mouth and ran her fingers through her hair. She could still feel Chad's fingers caress her back but she knew it wouldn't last too much longer.

"You ok?" he asked softly, barely audible. He must have still been absorbing the news.

Taylor nodded. She wasn't particularly in the mood to say anything.

Chad tilted his head. "Tay, look at me?"

She shook her head. She didn't want to see his reaction.

Chad sighed. He helped her up and brought her to his bed. He sat down next to her and took her hand in his but she pulled it away. Chad reached over and held onto it, giving it a squeeze. It was the kind of gesture that was supposed to make Taylor feel better. It was normally the kind of thing Chad did that made her feel secured and loved. But she kept her back to him; she didn't so much as to want to glance at him. Chad let out another sigh, knowing that the next thing he said could make it or break it for him. For them.

"What are we gonna do?"

Taylor blinked, wondering if she misheard him. She cocked her head slightly, but still wouldn't meet his gaze. "What?"

Chad held his breath, under the impression he'd messed up already. He let out a deep breath before asking again. "What are we gonna do?"

So she had heard him right. He asked what they're going to do. Not her. Them. It took her a moment to digest his question before slowly turning to face him. Taylor was relieved to hear his response, knowing it wasn't a be-all-end-all. Chad was visibly nervous but he sounded calmer than he looked. He wasn't jumping to any conclusions, overreacting or jumping down her throat. He wasn't blaming her or telling her what to do. He asked what they were going to do. Taylor thought she had her answer; she thought especially after hearing Chad's reaction she was sure she'd know what to do. But after what happened with her father, actually sitting in front of Chad and hearing him, suddenly she wasn't so sure.

"I don't know," she whispered.

Chad contemplated his next question. "What are the options?"

Taylor shrugged her shoulders. "Adoption. Parenting. Abortion."

"Which are you thinking?" he asked.

Taylor opened her mouth, but nothing came out right away. She was about to say abortion. It was the quickest way out of it; it was the easiest way to get out of the situation. But it was also the hardest. Abortion would get rid of the baby but it would take a lot of courage to go through with it; and once she did it there'd be no taking it back. It also took a strong person to go through an adoption; no one wanted to give their child away but sometimes it was for the best. Taylor could never imagine doing that, no matter how hard it would be to raise it on her own. As for parenting, it could be the hardest or the most rewarding thing in the world. There would be jobs and juggling a baby with school, not to mention the worries about always having food on the table or a roof over their heads but then there would also be cute little hugs and someone there to love you no matter what and all the adorable things they do. And who wouldn't want to watch their son or daughter grow up?

"I don't know," she admitted quietly. "I mean, I thought I did. But…I'm not so sure…."

"Do you know what you don't wanna do?" he wondered.

"Adoption," she answered instantly. "I know it's selfish, but I don't want someone else raising my child. I can't carry someone around for nine months and develop a bond with it, only to give it away in the end. All that bonding would be for nothing."

"So…" Chad seemed hesitant to ask his next question, "…aborting it, or keeping it?"

Taylor shook her head and stood up. "I don't know. I thought about abortion. A lot, actually. But the more I think about it…" She trailed off before letting out a sigh. "I don't know."

Chad rubbed the back of his head. He looked down and then back at Taylor. He walked over to her and took her hand in his again. "Come with me," he said leading her out of his room. He took her across the hall and a door to the left. "I haven't been in here in a long time. My parents never like showing it to anyone." He opened the door and slowly led her in before turning on the light.

Taylor was shocked to find the contents of the room. This was the only room in the Danforth household she hadn't seen. It was dusty and there was some pastel colored dry paint peeling off the walls. Everything was covered in dust or cobwebs. The couch looked like it had barely been sat on. There wasn't a clean spot on the dresser or table. There were old toys that didn't look like they'd ever been played with. But the most shocking thing he to be the rusting crib in the corner or the room. Taylor took a few minutes to look around the room and take in her surroundings before looking back to Chad.

"What is…?"

"This was supposed to be the nursery for my baby brother. Or sister. We were a week away from finding out," he explained. He paused for a minute. He led Taylor over to the couch and they sat down. "The fetus, or whatever it's called I guess, we found out something was wrong with it. I don't remember what, but it wasn't good. My mom decided to get it aborted so it wouldn't have to be born suffering at all. It wasn't exactly a happy time for my family. But it brought us closer together. I mean, my dad still travels for his job a lot and all, but my brother got way more protective of me and my sister. Mom calls us more often to ask how we're doing when we go out and we're not so secretive with her. And my sister and I, well she doesn't remember it much, but before then we used to fight all the time. Now we're really close. Since then, I never wanna deal with an abortion again. I mean, if it's for the sake of the mom or baby I get it, cause sometimes a choice has to be made. And for anyone strong enough to go through it, like my mom was, I got a lot of respect for them. But me…. It was bad enough sorta dealing with it. I don't wanna go through it."

Taylor looked down. "I'm sorry, Chad," she said not sure what else to say.

"It's fine. I don't need pity for it or anything," he replied. "I just wanted you to know where I stood. That's all. I mean, if you wanna go through with it…. But I'd just rather you reconsider, you know?"

Taylor nodded. She couldn't imagine going through what Chad did. It sounded like a traumatizing experience. But in the wake of it, it was a blessing in disguise. She couldn't put Chad through it again. Come to think of it, it gave her a reason not to go through with it.

"I understand," she said.

"Does it help at all?" he wondered.

Taylor sighed. "I wish it did. But we don't have the resources to raise a baby right now. We need to graduate high school. We have to go to college so we can do what we want to do. And to juggle school, jobs and a baby…how are we supposed to handle that? A baby isn't anything like school, Chad. It doesn't come with a manual. There's no logical equation to take care of it, no way of knowing what it wants. It's all…instincts. It's impossible to think anything through. We just act on what we think is best and if we don't do anything then it's pretty much over. If we do the slightest thing wrong then police can get involved. And if we can't do it on our own we'd have to go on welfare. Or live on the streets. No baby deserves any of that."

"But we have a place to stay," Chad said. "Your house and mine."

"With my dad and I? My house is hardly ideal for a baby," Taylor answered.

"So we can set up the nursery. Make it all new," Chad suggested.

"What are you saying?" she asked. She made it obvious that she was unsure and that she was uncomfortable.

Chad caught onto her discomfort. "I mean it's your choice, Tay. I can't make you decide. But if you decide to keep it, you're always welcome here. The baby can always have a home here."

There it was. Her choice. Not their choice. Her choice. Suddenly she felt even worse about telling him. It was a mistake coming here. She should have known better. She shook her head and got up, "I should go."

"Tay, wait," Chad tried to stop her but Taylor was already out of the room. Chad got up and followed her. "Tay, c'mon…"

Taylor turned to him and shook her head. "There's nothing left to say, Chad. You made your point perfectly clear."

"So you know I'm here, right?" he asked.

Taylor looked at him confused. When did he mention that part? "What?"

"You know that I'm here, right?" he repeated.

A bit of a corny ending, I know. I couldn't figure out the right point to end it at but I just wanted Chad to get the point across that he's not running away, so hopefully that came through. I wish I could say i remembered what i was thinking when creating Chad's family's backstory but I really can't. I think it was just an idea I had that fell into place or something. I wish I could figure out what else to say about this chapter, but I really can't. But like I said, I now have 26 chapters written and unlike chapter 26 I actually have an idea of what to write for chapter 27. So, I'm still sick, still looking for a job and still trying to sell artwork which also means making more artwork. So I think the current plan is to focus on this story, since a decent portion of it is already written (though I'm still trying to figure out how far it should go). I do have the unseen HSM scenes I want to continue as well as Princess and the Frog, so for anyone still waiting on those I appreciate your patience. I do hope that this year I will write more updates than last, and it will be a better year for writing. So I will shut up now and let you all move on. But before you go I would just like to wish everyone a Happy New Year and hope that 2013 isn't as unlucky as it sounds and will bring you lots of happiness and awesomeness! :)