I just realised the scene breaks in my last chapter didn't translate so it may have sounded a bit weird lol.

And there was a part missing where it somehow got deleted so he did go to his room and then come back out.

Anyway hopefully this one is better!

p.s. I rated it M for the adult content but it's not one of my more 'sexy' stories. I never get the rating right lol :/

Chapter 10

"I think I should leave."

"Gabi, I think its best I go…"

"I promised this wouldn't happen again and it did…"

Troy sighed as he practised his speech, his two suitcases packed and ready by the door, his worried pacing pausing as the front door swung open to reveal his tiny charge, her hair loose and her body covered by a short, empire line dress that reached her knees.

"You're leaving?" Her hurt look hit him square in the chest and left him breathless.

"I thought that's what you might want…"

She met his gaze, her brown eyes wide with fear. "No, that's not what I want…is it what you want?"

"Of course not," he sighed, wondering how he had got this so wrong as he pinched the bridge of his nose and knocked his specs up for a moment.

"Then can we try again?" She pleaded, guilt painted on her face. "I'm sorry about last night, my hormones are shot," she lied carefully. "I didn't mean to end the night like that."

He flicked his eyes over her face as he thought about how she had meant to end the night and then he let his practical side kick in.

"I promise, no more kissing." He stated and she frowned.

"Really? No more?"

"Isn't that what you want?" He asked confusedly.

When she looked at him, he knew exactly what she wanted because it was printed all over her face and all of the hours of hard work he had put in before to fight this thing were wasted as he walked over to her and very gently touched her face.

"Do you know what you're doing to me?" He whispered, thumbing her cheek, kissing her forehead gently like he had before.

"I want it all, Troy. I want you as my nanny and I want to kiss you, too." She admitted.

Her words were an aphrodisiac as he lost his last reserve of control and bent down to kiss her mouth, their previous night barely forgotten as he curled her into his arms and cradled her head with his hand.

"I think we can manage that," he panted in agreement, flicking his eyes between hers, his lenses smudged by their kiss.

She nodded, lost for words, gripping his arms for support. "I think I need to lay down now…"

"Oh sure," he cleared his throat. "Of course." He stepped back and watched her wander dazedly to her room, wiping a hand over his sweaty upper lip as he caught his breath.

"Ugh, ice-cream…" He heard a muffled call before a thundering of feet and the tell-tale sound of puking as her morning sickness came back with a vengeance.

He cleaned her up and took her back to bed, tucking her up with gentle care.

"Is little bump okay?" He asked sweetly.

Gabi nodded before she closed her eyes and gave up her body to sleep; smiling softly as she felt his fingers turn to brush her forehead.

"Still feverish," he pressed his lips together, hoping her sickness would be over soon.

"Is this what you woke me up for?" Gabi grizzled as they parked outside Sharpay's sprawling home, ready for the baby shower she had organised.

She had put on her best dress- the only thing that was clean and still fit her- a purple shift that had darts below the bust to accompany her bulge, but the material protected against the growth of her breasts, shooting her large, swollen mounds over the formal neckline.

She'd had to tie her hair back, it was driving her insane and it now sat atop her head in what appeared to be a messy but chic bun, tendrils down her face, when in reality, she had thrown it up and hoped for the best.

Her tiny swollen feet were enclosed by gladiator flats and she tugged on Troy's hoodie as she shivered in the breeze, not caring if it went with her outfit or not.

"Ready?" Troy checked, lifting his gift bag from the rear seat of the truck.

"What's that?"

"My baby shower gift," he smiled bemusedly.

"You got me a gift?"

He shrugged. "I was invited to the shower; I thought I had to…"

She paused and blinked, thinking how incredibly sweet he was. "That's very kind of you, but you didn't have to."

"Too late." He smiled.

They both looked up as Sharpay squealed from her front porch way, signalling them both inside and Troy looked down to her, protectively putting his hand to her shoulder as they walked, giving them a connection as they met the blonde from the hospital.

"Hi," Troy smiled sheepishly.

"Hi, gorgeous." Sharpay beamed. "Are you coming to the shower?"

Troy looked down to Gabi with a fixed smile. "Yeah, Gabi told me you knew all about it."

"Oh! Well silly me, must have forgotten!" Sharpay rolled her eyes and coached Gabi into the living room where a group of women sat, ready to launch.

"HAPPY BABY SHOWER!" They chorused, rising from their seats to throw confetti over the petite girl, leaving her bemused and surprised.

"Hi everyone!" She smiled, and then made a bee-line for one familiar shape. "Hi, mom."

Marcia Montez hugged her daughter and smiled warmly. "I missed you, baby."

"I'm not a baby anymore." Gabi smiled at her. "I'm having one!"

"I'm sorry I couldn't fly down before." She apologised.

"Its okay, you're here now."

"So where's this fabulous nanny Sharpay told me so much about?" Marcia looked around and at that moment, Troy ventured shyly into the room, a man completely intimidated by the number of women he was facing and rightly so as they all cooed over him and got up touch, like he was some kind of giant teddy-bear. He was just too cute for his own good, Gabi mused.

"Troy!" She called him over and he followed her voice with flushed cheeks, smiling tightly as he came.

"Hey, thanks for rescuing me…"

"Troy, this is my mom. Mom, this is Troy." Gabi introduced the pair.

"You're the nanny?" Marcia questioned.

"I am," he nodded, meeting her gaze.

"I hear you're doing a good job. Gabriella certainly seems well looked-after," she commented.

He looked down on her and couldn't help smiling as he cupped her arm around her shoulders to reach. "She's an amazing woman, Mrs. Montez. You should be proud."

Marcia's eyes twinkled as she picked up the unspoken bond between them but she waited until Troy had been dragged off by man-hungry guests before she spoke.

"Are you two…?"

Gabi bit her lower lip. "We're thinking about it." She admitted.

"He's not like the other guys you dated…" Marcia frowned, watching him sit awkwardly while at least three women lavished him with attention and he nervously showed them a card trick.

"No, he's super-amazing." Gabi agreed. "And so very special."

"I'm pleased for you, honey. How does he feel about…" Marcia gestured to her evident mound.

"He thinks it's a girl and he calls her little bump," she recounted with softness in her eyes her mother hadn't seen before.

"Well isn't that beautiful?" Her mother asked, hugging her again, happy for her child.

"I need to pee…" Gabi excused, her bladder kicking in as she made her way to the toilet and when she came out, she gratefully rested on the sofa to be bombarded with gifts.

Toys- in every form, clothes- in every colour, gadgets, gizmo's and beauty products for 'after the birth to pamper herself' from Sharpay. Vouchers for hair, nails and pedicures, a sack full of practical things like cotton wool and baby speakers from her mom. And then there was Troy's.

She unwrapped the large box with dry lips, licking them in her nervousness and twenty pairs of eyes rested on her and she felt her skin sweat with the pressure.

"I hope she likes it," he whispered to the woman next to him, receiving an adoring stare that said she would, even though she had no clue what he had bought.

Gabi slid out a boxed-up baby-bath. Tiny and white and perfect for her child- and something no-one else had thought of. But with it, He'd also enclosed a water-proof camera and a wipe-friendly album, so she could take pictures and store them, all without worrying about splashes and spills.

She looked up to him, tears in her eyes, knowing they were just ordinary items, but finding their value so much more because they were from him.

"Thank you." She said with emotion, walking over and bending to hug him, right in front of a room full of broody women, all who aww'ed at their embrace.

"Thank you, everyone," Gabi said to everyone, regaining her balance with a helping hand from Troy who then stood to support her.

"How are you feeling?" He murmured into her ear.

She nodded. "I'm okay."

"You said that last time."

"I'm going to sit down again," she promised, waddling back to the sofa and doing as she said, holding onto his hand before he left. "Sit with me."

He nodded and sank beside her, receiving her weight onto his shoulder where he firstly jerked in surprise, then quickly encompassed her shoulders with his arm, holding her gently and brushing a kiss to her forehead, more to test her fever than anything, but every woman in the room didn't miss the tenderness between them.

"I should take you home," he husked.

"No, they did all this for me," she tucked her head into his neck. "They won't mind if I rest for a while."

"Of course not," he assured, letting his fingers train back her tendrils gently before he looked up to find a roomful of besotted stares on them. "Oh, hi," he blushed.

"You have an amazing way with her," Gabi's mother spoke first.

"Every woman is precious." He announced, repeating his mantra from his own parents.

"It's rare to find a man who thinks so," a cynical woman across the room agreed and he smiled shyly.

"It's just what I was taught."

"Your mom must be a special lady." Another agreed.

"She is. She had me, right? That's amazing in itself."

"Will you be there, when she gives birth?" Another asked.

He looked down as Gabi fidgeted and he rubbed her arm with his free hand, wrapping that across his chest to hold her closer as she frowned in her light sleep, drawing more noises from his audience.

"If she wants me to be." He answered finally.

"What happens after?" He looked up to see who had asked and found Taylor's measured gaze on his.

"I'll be around as long as she needs me." He promised.

"Despite your moving from state to state on a six-monthly basis?" She challenged.

"Tay!" Sharpay chided at her friend's invasive questions in such a crowded room.

"No, its okay," Troy nodded easily at her accusation. "You're right, I have moved around a lot. But I might have something worth staying around for now." He hedged quietly.

"Let's leave them some peace," Marcia decided. "I made hors d'oevres, do you want to come through to the kitchen and get some?" She invited the other guests.

An excitable chatter struck up at the mention of food and when they were alone again, Troy kissed Gabi's forehead again and brushed his thumb over the shell of her ear. "Sleep well, beautiful."

In the doorway, Taylor looked to Sharpay and felt guilt weigh in her tummy. "See?" The blonde asked.

"Is he as smitten as he looks?" She wondered.

"You can't make up tenderness like that." Sharpay sighed jealously.

"He came out of nowhere; we know nothing about him…"

"Maybe there's nothing to know." Sharpay cut her off. "It's obvious he's one of the nice guys- they don't tend to have skeletons lurking in their closets, Tay."

"It just seems too soon." Tay frowned worriedly.

"He's not trying to get into her pants is he?" Sharpay defended. "Look at him; he just wants to care for her. Let Gabi decide what's too soon."

Taylor nodded. "You're right, I'm just a little jealous of them, that's all."

"Yeah, me too," her friend sighed as they both watched Troy touch Gabi's tummy with the tips of his fingers.

"Hey little bump," he called to the still baby. "You okay in there?"

He smiled as he got an answering tickle, moving his hand back up to cup Gabi's arm until her two best friends came back in, brandishing a plate full of goodies for him.

"Here, before it all goes," Sharpay told him.

"Thanks," he smiled gratefully, eyeing Taylor nervously. "So, do you want to ask me anything else?" He asked upfront.

Taylor blushed and smiled tightly. "No, it's ok."

"I know how it must seem," he conceded as Sharpay gave her friend a reproachful look.

"Yeah, it does seem that way, too." Taylor agreed. "But I can see she totally trusts you. I never saw her like this." She admitted.

"Not with Jacob?" He questioned.

"He wasn't the touchy-feely type, you might say."

"Oh," he nodded.

"I'm glad she has you to help her through the birth and with everything."

"Thank you."

"Just please don't hurt her. She's our best friend."

He looked up and met her gaze with his direct blue one. "I promise."