*Thank-you for the reviews on the last chapter. THey were greatly appreciated thank-you all so much!*

ROMAN's POINT OF VIEW:

"Charlie," I say as I am sitting at my desk as he is pacing outside my office waiting for me to give him my response about asking Sky to marry him.

"Yes, Pops?" he asks as he jumps in my doorway.

"Come in and shut the door," I say as I look at him. He reminds me of myself when I was younger probably around the time I was dating Jenn. The day I wanted to ask her to marry me. I hope that he doesn't carry the same behavior standards as I did but he is a good kid. He's taking good care of my daughter, I like that. She is crazy about him and he is crazy about her. It's like Jenn and Roman all over again. He walks in nervously as he shuts the door behind him. "Have a seat," I say.

"Okay, Pops," he says as he takes a seat on the chair across from me. I fold my hands together on the desk and look at him. His dark brown eyes staring back at me, his curly hair braided back as usual. "How are you?"

"I'm good," I say, "are you nervous?"

"Just a little, I really do love Sky. I love her a lot, Pops. You have no idea how much I love her."

"I do have an idea," I say in response. "I was that way with her mama. I know what it's like. I've been down that road. I know what it's like to love someone so much you would give them the world. I have been there. I am there now. I still look at Rachel the same as I did the day I started to fall in love with her. It's a beautiful and amazing feeling."

"Yeah it is," he says with a smile.

"Well, I've been talking to my wife. WE have discussed this entire thing fully over and over again. We wanted to make sure we have made the right decision when it comes to our daughter. She is everything to us. She is our world. She is very special to us and we love her with all our hearts. When I look at Sky I still see my little 8 year old girl running around in princess dresses, singing Disney songs and watching Disney movies but I realize she is growing up and she's going to be a mother by the end of July maybe the end of June depending on the baby but she will be a mother. She's not the little girl I used to know. I realize that but she will ALWAYS be my little princess. Words cannot express how much I love her and how much she means to me but I also see it in your eyes every time you talk about her how much you love her. I know she makes you happy. I know you would do anything for her. I know she is your world too. I know you see her as your world. I get that. I think you are amazing with her. You could have ran when she got pregnant and you don't even know if it's your baby or not but you didn't You have stood right by her side, filling out registries with her, taking her to doctor appointments and you've been by her side calling yourself daddy to that little baby you don't even know belongs to you. You could have walked away when the rumors about Sky started but you didn't. That shows me that you truly love my daughter and that you respect her. I like that. She deserves to be respected despite what people are saying about her. She deserves to have a true genuine love. I just want to make sure that you have my daughter's best interest at heart. Do you have her best interest at heart?"

"I always do, Pops. I want her to finish school, go to college and be the sports team manager that she wants to be or be whatever she wants. I want her to be happy and get all that she can out of life. I had my high school experience but she hasn't. I want her to go to prom and graduate. I want her to have that experience and I want her to have her college experience. I want her to have the best life she can possibly have. I want to give her the world. I want to be the man to make her happy. I want to be the man to make our child happy. I don't care if I made that child or not or some other guy. I've been here this whole time, I'm going to be here forever and I am going to be that child's father regardless. There is NOT one thing in this world that I will NOT do for Sky or our child. I will give them the life they truly deserve. I want to give them the best. I am not perfect by far but I believe I am the perfect man for Sky. I don't know what it is about her but I love her. She is kind-hearted, caring, beautiful, smart and amazing, I just love every quality about her. She is the best thing in my life and I want her to be the best thing in my life forever," he says making tears come to my eyes. The sincerity in his voice, the truth in his eyes makes me believe he is truly in this to give my daughter the best. That's all I want. Jenn said Charlie is the one and I believe he may be even if he is 5 years older than her. That's not too bad when I say it that way.

"Son," I say with a soft smile, "the words that you have just spoken about my daughter and the way you said it made me realize that YOU are the one for my daughter. I know you love her and I know you respect her. I know that you make her happy and I know she loves you. I can see it when you two look at each other. Rachel and I discussed this and our decision is if you want to ask Sky to marry you then you may but remember she is just 16 years old she still has another year of high school and she's still young. Don't rush the marriage. Don't rush into it. You have plenty of time to be married. You don't have to rush it but if you want to have this forever commitment with her that's fine with me but promise me you will at least let her get through a year or two of college before you get married. I would really like her main focus to be on college but I know she will have a baby to take care of. I just want you to take your time. If you want to marry my daughter you are more than welcome to ask her just remember she is my little girl."

"I know," he says, "thank-you, Pops," he says with a smile. "I will not disappoint you. I will give your daughter the world. I will never let her or our child want or need anything. I promise. I will love her with everything that I have in me. Thank-you."

"You're welcome," I say with a smile as we both stand up. He goes to shake my hand but I shake my head. "You're going to be family hopefully," I say, "you can hug me."

"All right," he says as he gives me a quick hug before we break it.

"Good luck," I say.

"Thanks," he says with a smile before he walks out of my office. I take a seat in my chair and let out a sigh. This is the first step in giving my daughter away but I know she will be in good hands after all; Charlie is me from the past before I lived the man whore lifestyle.

CHARLIE's POINT OF VIEW:

I walk into a jewelry store in the city of Atlanta to find that perfect ring for Sky. I'm on a limited budget to buy this ring and while I want it to be special I can't afford a big rock or something over the top. I can only get her something simple for now but when I can and I have more money I will buy her the most beautiful and extravagant ring she's ever seen but right now I need to find something small for her. I hope she likes it the same. "Hello, Sir," says the woman working in the store. "Can I help you find something?" she asks as I look around at the diamond rings.

"Yes," I say, "I'm looking for an engagement ring for my girlfriend. I don't' know what kind of ring to get her. We never really discussed rings. I want to get her something special but I don't' know what."

"We have emerald cut, princess cut, oval," she says. "We have a lot of options. I can show you," she says to me. "These are our engagement rings."

I look down at the rings and while they look really pretty they aren't really in my price range. I would love to get her something so fancy but I just can't afford it right now as I am saving for our baby. I'm sure she will understand but she still deserves a lot more. "Do you have anything a little cheaper something around $900-$1,000 maybe?"

"Yes," she says with a smile. "Come here," she says taking me to smaller rings but they are just as beautiful. They aren't the bling a girl expects but they are still pretty nonetheless. "What do you think? Do you see any that you like?"

I look through the rings and there is a silver banded ring with three small diamonds on it that catches my eye. I look at the price and see that it's in my price range. "I like that one," I say pointing to it.

"That is a beautiful ring," she says with a smile. "Do you want to see it?"

"Please," I say as she gets into the case to get out the ring.

She hands it to me and I look at it closely, the diamonds are small but they sparkle in their square shape. "I like it," I say. I picture sliding the ring onto Sky's finger and picture how beautiful it will look. I feel like it is the perfect ring for her. "I like it. I think this is the one," I say.

"Are you sure?" she asks.

"I'm sure," I say with a smile. "This is the ring that I want."

"All right," she says, "It's beautiful. Your girlfriend is a lucky girl."

"No," I say with a smile. "I am the lucky one."

"What size ring do you need?"

"A size 6," I say.

"All right," she says, "I believe we do have a size 6 in this style. Let me go look and see."

"Thank-you," I say with a smile as she goes to look for a ring in Sky's size.

She comes back a few minutes later with a small blue ring box. "I found one," she says with a smile. "Let's fill out the paperwork and we can get you set up."

"All right," I say as she gives me some papers to sign and fill out. She then rings me up for it and I pay with my credit card.

"When do you plan to propose?" she asks.

"Christmas Eve," I say with a smile. "I hope my plan to propose turns out well."

"Well, good luck," she says with a smile. "What all do you have planned?"

"I want snow but I'm not sure how I can do that just yet," I say.

"Good luck we haven't had snow in Atlanta in 10 years. I'm sorry. You might want to rethink that idea."

"I don't know," I say as she hands me my receipt. "I am sure I can come up with something."

"Have a good day, Sir," she says.

"You too, Ma'am," I say with a smile before I take the ring and carry it out the doors of the jewelry store.

I groan as I see Gunner standing there waiting for me with a friend. "What are you doing buying a collar for your bitch?" he asks as I feel my blood start to boil.

"Watch your mouth, Gunner," I say.

"Did you get herpes yet?" he asks.

"From your mom," I say. "Leave, Sky alone."

"Funny better check your slut of a girlfriend. She's all over the campus and everyone knows it. She's slept with everyone. She is mangled meat pretty much," he says getting me even more upset.

"Shut up," I say. "Jealous because you weren't man enough for her?"

"Please, I'm glad I got rid of her and her bastard child. That child is never going to know its father."

"I am its father," I say, "and it's not a bastard."

"Yeah it is and its mother is a whore," he says with a laugh. "Does she have you pussy whipped or something?"

"No," I say, "she has my respect. You're a coward, Gunner plain and simple. You walked away when things got tough. You walked away when you should have been there but that's okay Sky and the baby are much better off without you."

"They're much better off without me? Yeah, I'm better off without that herpes, chlamydia giving whore. She tried to ruin my life. If you're dumb enough to shack up with that well you're just as much trash as she is."

I can't hold back my anger anymore. I'm tired of Gunner's mouth. He needs to shut up and I'm going to be the one to shut him up. I charge at him and tackle him to the ground. I start throwing punches as he punches me back. I get the upper hand as he tries to fight me back but he's not strong enough or good enough to fight me back. I punch him in the mouth that way he learns to keep his mouth shut. Fists are flying and curse words coming from both mouths. His fist meets my eye just before my fist meets his jaw. I continue to pound on him as he tries to fight back; he gets in a few good hits but nothing to faze me. His friend finally steps in and breaks it up separating Gunner from me. "Keep Sky's name out of your mouth," I say, "if I hear you put it in your mouth again I'm going to break your jaw. Do you understand?"

"Fuck you," he says. "Go home to your slut."

"Gunner," says his friend, "stop."

"I'm just telling him what his girlfriend is. He knows it's true. He knows." I get in one more good punch to his mouth as I feel my fist on his teeth. It shuts him up as I walk away as he doesn't say another word to me as he holds his mouth. He deserved every punch he got. He is the one that started all the rumors about Sky and he is the one that keeps running his mouth. It takes a big man to start talking shit about a woman even if it may be true he has no right to call her the names that he did. I will NEVER let anyone badmouth, disrespect or hurt Sky in any way. I will do everything in my power to protect her. As long as she is with me and is the mother of my child NO one and I mean NO one will hurt her verbally or physically.

*A/N: What did you think about Roman giving Charlie permission to ask Sky to marry him? Do you think she will say yes? When Charlie speaks about Sky can you tell how much he loves her? How do you think he's going to propose to her? What did you think about Charlie's and Gunner's confrontation and the things Gunner was saying about SKy? How do you feel about Charlie protecting Sky's honor and protecting her all around? Please review and thank-you for reading.