Zac took Vanessa's hand and led her to the bedroom door. With a deep breath they both opened the door and headed downstairs to face Starla and David. Vanessa still suspected that their sleeping arrangement had been discovered and she could feel the heat moving up her neck and face as they descended the stairs to the kitchen. Zac hadn't even thought of that possibility. His mind was still on their engagement, and the pending funeral arrangements that had to be made.

As they quietly made their way to the kitchen table they could see Starla at the stove, lost in her own world of thoughts. David was at the table, still perusing the morning paper. He was the first to notice them making their way into the room.

"Your mom's making scrambled eggs. I hope you're hungry." David glanced up at them over the paper.

"Can I offer to help her?" Vanessa's face was still flushed, worrying that they were both in for a parental lecture. But she also knew that her future in-laws had other concerns on their minds at the moment as well.

David tried not to smile at both of them. He didn't know if Starla's assumptions were correct or not. But he did see the ring on Vanessa's hand. "You're certainly welcome to try but you may be in for a 'Star-lecture'." David then looked at his son who stopped in his tracks at that last word.

Vanessa looked at Zac and quietly asked, "Do I dare ask what that is?" Her eyes suddenly had a look of fear in them.

Zac hadn't had a 'Star-lecture' since he had been caught with a Playboy magazine in his room at age fourteen. His mother had been stern with him about her displeasure at the situation. She had given him one chance for a good explanation; had given him time to think about that explanation; and came back with David once he had gotten home from work to hear the explanation. In those three hours between being caught and his father's homecoming, young Zac had realized that there wasn't a good explanation for it. And that's what he had told his parents when they came back to his room. His father had promptly taken the magazine and disposed of it. The infraction hadn't been mentioned again.

"I'm guessing your worry has some foundation to it." Zac whispered into Vanessa's ear. Her eyes held steady as she felt the redness heat her cheeks and forehead again. She refused to look at David or Zac.

Vanessa chose to take a seat beside Zac at the table, instead of helping Starla in the kitchen. She figured if they were in for a lecture, they should get it together, not separately. After all, they were engaged now. And, she wanted to see how Zac reacted to the parental pressures. Unlike the Hudgens' household, it didn't seem that the Efron's ran into this situation too often.

Starla soon brought a steaming dish of scrambled eggs and toast to the table. She only looked at her husband as she started speaking. "David, would you mind getting the plates and silverware for us? Vanessa, would you like orange juice or coffee, or maybe tea to drink sweetheart? Zac, what would you like…besides your fiancée?"

They both froze. Neither Zac nor Vanessa could look at each other but they both struggled to take a breath. It was somewhat obvious what Starla was alluding to. Zac grasped Vanessa's hand on top of the table.

David let out a muffled cough, trying to cover the laugh that was buried inside of him. He knew his wife too well to know that she wouldn't and couldn't give the kids one of her 'Star-lectures'. She was too thrilled at their engagement and knew that she had already successfully embarrassed them far enough.

"Nothing to say? Then I assume there isn't a good explanation for what I witnessed in your bedroom when we came home to check on you a little while ago." Starla was trying hard not to smile at them. But she noticed that neither her son nor his fiancée would look at her.

Finally Zac looked up. "What exactly did you 'witness' mom? Because unless we were having sex in our sleep, I think there's been a misunderstanding." Vanessa gasped and smacked Zac on the arm.

Starla finally smiled, allowing David to let out his deep-seeded laughter. Vanessa could feel her face still burning from embarrassment as Zac wrapped her in his arms. "I'm sorry Baby, I'm sorry." He placed a warm hand on her cheek and she realized that Zac too had been blushing.

Starla got up from her chair and came around to embrace both of them. "I'm sorry too Vanessa." She kissed Vanessa's cheek. "You didn't deserve that. I was hoping my son would come downstairs alone this time so that I could interrogate him. I apologize for putting you in the middle of an Efron moment."

Vanessa cleared her throat. "Well, I guess maybe I should get used to that. And I'll consider this my 'welcome to the family' then, huh?" she said shyly. She knew their family was open and topics flowed freely here. So she decided to try her hand at the openness.

"By the way Zac, I'm still waiting for an answer from you on that last comment." Vanessa playfully punched him on the arm again.

"What?! Ouch!" Zac rubbed his arm and raised his eyebrows at her.

"Well if your mom saw what I think she saw…I don't know how we ended up like that, so it must've been your fault." She winked at Zac and gave him a quick but firm kiss on the lips.

Now it was Starla's turn to blush a little, although she was enjoying the playful banter between the two. After all the tears and seriousness at the hospital yesterday, it was a relief to see them in this light again.

"Okay you two," Starla smiled, "you can hash out those details later. It's not something your father and I need to mediate! However, I do need details on one thing." Her voice lowered to a near-tearful level. "The ring looks beautiful on you Vanessa. How did my son propose?"

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Vanessa put her head on Zac's shoulder as he wrapped both arms around her. She grasped his arm again, revealing the engagement ring on her finger to Starla and David. As Starla started serving breakfast to them Zac and Vanessa recounted the simple but romantic proposal that had come as a surprise to both of them in the early hours of the morning.

Starla was entranced by her son's romantic abilities. She was mesmerized by the glow on Vanessa's face as she looked again at the ring, Amanda's ring. "Grandpa's going to be thrilled you know." Starla took Zac's hand in hers.

"Well, he's the one who told me it was time to propose. And he gave me the words to say. Geez, without Grandma's ring and Grandpa's words…" Zac grinned a little and then looked at Vanessa, "who knows how long it would've taken me to ask you." Their smiles lingered for a moment as they just stared at one another. Zac broke the gaze as the reality of this day started coming back to him.

"Mom, did you say that there's an appointment with the funeral director? When is that?" Zac turned back to see Starla gazing at him and Vanessa.

"It's this afternoon sweetheart." Starla answered. "Give me a minute to just bask in your happiness again, would you?" Tears started forming in Starla's eyes as she soaked in the looks of contentment on her children's faces. Yes, Vanessa was already one of her children. She couldn't help but think, 'If Zac hadn't asked her to marry him we may have made the arrangements for them!' She blinked back her tears and smiled at them one more time. "Grandma couldn't have planned a better surprise. She was a hopeless romantic!"

"And that's one of her wonderful traits that we need to convey to everyone." David interrupted. It was now almost ten o'clock and he had just answered a knock at the door. "Vanessa there's a package for you here. Looks like it's from your mom." David looked a bit curious, but then he turned to Starla. "Greg and Gina also sent this tray of pastries and fruit. There's a sympathy card in here for you and your dad."

"How thoughtful of them." Starla sent a gracious look Vanessa's way." Vanessa, please tell them how much we appreciate this. We'll take the tray to dad's house. I know there will be people in and out of there over the next few days. This will really be helpful to have. What's in the package?"

"Oh, these are our dress clothes, for the funeral service. I called mom from the hospital yesterday and asked her to send them to us." Vanessa opened the box to find two suitbags containing her dress and shoes and Zac's suit. "Zac, take your suit upstairs and check it out. Make sure mom and Ashley found the right one. I just want to make sure." There were also two cards in the box, one to Zac and one to Dylan. Vanessa knew her mom wanted to let them all know that she was thinking of their family. She realized that Gina and Greg didn't know about her engagement. She didn't want to tell them over the phone, but she knew that she and Zac wouldn't be home for several more days. It'll just have to wait, and then I'll have to make it up to them somehow. She thought.

"I'm just going to take my clothes and hang them up too and make sure Zac has everything he needs." She glanced back at Starla and David who were still sitting at the kitchen table finishing their juice and coffee.

"If you need anything we can run to the store this afternoon or tomorrow." Starla offered. Vanessa nodded to her and headed up the stairs.

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In Zac's room he was sitting on his bed reading the card that Gina and Greg had sent to him. "It's really nice of them to be thinking of us and offering their prayers. They must know this is really hard on our family." Zac sighed. "And look," he smiled softly, "Gina wrote 'we love you' before their names."

Vanessa sat down by him and hugged his shoulders. "They do love you Zac. My family just isn't as good at showing our feelings as yours is. Dad would shoot me for saying this, but he is starting to think of you as part of our family too. He told me that on the phone yesterday, but I wasn't supposed to tell you."

"So am I supposed to call him 'Dad' when we get back home, or still be scared of him?" Zac leaned on Vanessa.

"Maybe a little of both would be good. And certainly go light on the sex references when you're around him. That might not go over as well with him as it did with your parents!" Vanessa smiled at him and got up to open her bag.

Zac just watched as she pulled out a simple black knee-length dress and a pair of black heels. A folded piece of paper fell from the bag. He bent to pick it up glancing at the handwriting as the paper unfolded in his hand. He caught a glimpse of the words 'come home' written on the paper as he handed it to Vanessa. "Hey, I think this is meant for you." He said.

Vanessa opened the note and smiled. Baby V, we know this is hard for you right now, but be strong for Zac and his family. We know they appreciate you being there and your dad and I both know that you need to be with Zac right now. Don't get too far away from him, let him know you're by his side through this sad time. Call us anytime you need to. Do you want us to come up for the service? We can do that if you want us to. If not then we'll see you when you come home. –Love, Mom & Dad.

Zac just watched his fiancée as she read the note from her mom. Did Gina want Vanessa to come home? Surely she wouldn't ask V to do that, not when she knows that Zac needs her beside him.

"Hey, um, do they want you to come home?" Zac started fiddling with the dress shoes he had just pulled out of the suitbag.

"No, just the opposite really." Vanessa answered him and handed him the note. "Here, read for yourself. Mom and Dad know where I need to be right now. And I'm here." Vanessa just looked over Zac's shoulder as he read the note and let out a sigh of relief. "You don't think she would've actually sent our clothes if she was going to try and make me come home, do you?" Vanessa brushed some hair out of Zac's eyes as she spoke to him. "Even Dad knows that I need to be here right now. I told you Zac, they do love you and accept you and they know that I need to be here with you and your family right now."

"Yeah, I get it." Zac smiled a little as he wrapped his arms around Vanessa's waist and leaned his head against her stomach. She placed one arm around his neck and then ran her fingers through his hair. She felt Zac take a deep breath as she held him there for a minute. "You okay?" She asked quietly. "Yeah," he pulled away from her grasp. "We gotta get ready to go to Grandpa's. I'm gonna go shower unless you want to get in first." Zac let go of her waist and stood up from the bed. "Nah, you go ahead," Vanessa answered. "Just leave me some hot water, please." Zac smiled and kissed her cheek before heading across the hall into the bathroom.

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Vanessa stayed behind to get her own clothes together and to make up the bed and tidy the room a bit. Starla popped her head in the door as V was pulling the covers over the pillows. "Hey Vanessa," Starla smiled. "Do you and Zac want to ride to Grandpa's house with me and David, or come over on your own? We don't mind waiting on you both, but didn't know if you guys wanted a little more time alone together."

Vanessa bit on her lip. She knew they couldn't put off going to Zac's grandfather's house, and getting back into the planning for Amanda's service. Zac needed to be involved with that, and so did she. She straightened the covers a little more and then looked up at Starla. "What if we follow you guys over there? That way if we need to go somewhere we don't have to take your car. Would that be okay?"

"Sure sweetie, that's fine," Starla said. Then she asked again. "Are you sure you and Zac don't need a little more time?" She walked in and reached for Vanessa's left hand, to look at the ring on her finger.

Vanessa blushed. "Oh, oh, no, we're fine, really!" She answered with a little edge in her voice. "Starla…" she looked at her fiance's mom and felt her face get even hotter. "Nothing happened between me and Zac last night." Then she felt Starla lift up the ring on her finger. "You can't say 'nothing' my dear." Starla smiled gently.

Vanessa was lost for words. How was she supposed to convey to her future mother-in-law that nothing happened in bed between her and Zac, when Starla had caught them sleeping naked on one another? "Um, well…" what was the word David always used? "Can I just say there was no 'frolicking' and leave it at that?"

Starla had to laugh. She saw the embarrassment on Vanessa's face and didn't want to push. This wasn't the time for that. "I'll accept that." She smiled. "David and I will just wait for you two downstairs then and you can follow us over to Grandpa's."

"Sounds like a plan," Vanessa smiled. Zac walked back into the room dressed, and running a towel through his wet hair.

"Hey, it's all yours." He walked toward the bed and reached down to get some socks out of the suitcase on the floor. "Everything okay?" He looked curiously at his mom and fiancée.

"Yep, all good." Vanessa smiled and kissed his cheek. "I'll just be a few minutes." She headed across the hall to get dressed.

Zac looked up again at his mom as he sat on the bed getting his socks on. "What's up mom?" He could tell she wanted to ask something.

"Not the best time for this conversation, I know. But Zac, protect her. Do you understand what I mean?" Starla's look turned from curious to serious to motherly as her son stood up in front of her.

Zac caught her meaning. He put his hands on her shoulders and looked into his mother's eyes. "Believe me mom, that's all I want to do. I'm going to be blunt here but maybe it'll get us on the same page. There was NO sex in this room last night. And there never has been. Vanessa and I are NOT taking that step right now, our emotions are both so raw, I won't let that happen. When we get to that point I will protect her as much as I possibly can. However, I will guarantee that that door will be locked the next few nights that we are here though. Because she's staying with me, here, and I'd rather not have you or Dad, or Dylan walking in on us again." His face was slightly red as he talked so directly to his mom.

"Now," Zac continued feeling stronger, "we have other matters to deal with and worry about that are WAY more important than this today, right?"

"You are right," his mom answered but continued looking into her son's beautiful blue eyes. "I love you Zachary, and Vanessa too. Don't ever forget that!"

"I promise." Zac said with a small smile. "Love you too mom. We'll be down in a few minutes."

Vanessa quickly turned and went into the bathroom before Starla could leave the bedroom. She had forgotten her hairdryer in the bedroom. Before she could get back in, she heard the mother/son conversation that had begun. V had listened, smiled and then felt more love and contentment for both Zac and his mom.

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