Chapter 4 –
Troy knocked on the door of Gabriella's house, Jason and Kelsi standing behind him. "Guys, will you shut up about it?"
"No." Kelsi said cheekily. "What has this woman done to you?"
Troy shrugged. "Honestly? I don't know."
"What happened to 'I don't want to cramp my style'?" Jason asked, slinging his arm around Kelsi's shoulders.
Troy stepped onto Jason's foot forcefully, resulting in Jason letting out a shriek that was just a little too high pitched. "She is my employee and I am worried about her daughter."
Kelsi rolled her eyes, snuggling into Jason's side. "Troy, no matter how hard you try, you can't lie to me or Jase. We've known you for too long."
"It's the truth." He defended.
"Troy." Kelsi said in a warning voice.
"Okay, I like her a little." He sighed. "But, only a little."
"Sure." Jason muttered. "Why did we have to come?"
"You didn't." Troy turned around to face his best friends. "You invited yourselves."
"Well, I want to see how you act around this Gabriella." Kelsi smirked.
"Why are you so cheeky to me?" Troy exclaimed.
Kelsi broke from Jason's arm and hugged Troy tightly, catching him momentarily off guard. "You're my big brother." She whispered. She pulled back and grinned. "And I want to make sure I approve of my future possible sister."
Troy rolled his eyes and turned back to the door as it opened. "Hey, I just brought Allie a… Chad? Chad Danforth?" He exclaimed, grinning brightly.
The African-American grinned back and hugged Troy tightly. "Troy Bolton!" He pulled back looked at Kelsi and Jason. "Hey, Jase, Kels."
"What are you doing here?" Troy asked as they all entered the house.
"I'm here with Tay and Justin, helping Brie with Allie." He explained. "What about you?"
"Same thing." He said, laughing slightly. "I saw last season. Way to go, Dude."
Chad nodded. "I can't believe you're Brie's boss."
He shrugged. "Hey, basketball can't be my life anymore so... Anyway, where's Gabriella?"
"Right here." A voice said through a yawn.
Everyone looked to the bottom of the stairs to see Gabriella wrapped up in a light blue dressing gown. Troy smiled softly and stepped forward. "Hey, Gabby. Um, this is Jason and Kelsi. My best friends. They're getting married." He explained.
Gabriella yawned once again. "This is-"
"Chad. I know. I went to college with him." Troy interrupted.
"You didn't tell me." She whined. "Did you know Jason and Kelsi too?" She asked Chad.
He nodded. "Yeah. Tay does, too." He said apologetically.
Gabriella cringed when a loud "Mama!" rang through the house.
"I'll be back." She sighed.
Troy grabbed her hand and pulled her back. "You go and make yourself some coffee. Wake up a bit. I'll see to Allie." He promised.
"No because she's really cranky because she didn't sleep and- What's that?" She asked, pointing to a box Troy was grasping in his other hand.
Troy glanced down at it and blushed. He held it up for her to see it. "I got it yesterday after I left. It seemed like the kind of thing Allie would like."
Gabriella took it off of him and smiled at the fairy doll enclosed in the box. "She wanted that for Christmas but it didn't come out until next week!" She exclaimed, taking the box from him.
He shrugged. "I'm Troy Bolton. I know people. Besides, I think I should go and make sure she's okay. You get some coffee." He took the box from her and started running up the stairs.
"Troy!" Gabriella called.
He turned around at the top of the stairs to face her. "Yeah?"
She turned to Chad, Jason and Kelsi with a glare which could only be used by a mother. They hurriedly pushed each other out of the way to get to the lounge. She turned back to Troy and smiled gently. "She hasn't stopped talking about you."
Troy chuckled. "She likes me?"
She nodded. "Yeah. I think you won her over with ice cream."
"Yeah I've heard that can work on little girls." He chuckled before turning around and going over to enter Allie's room. He pushed the door open and grinned at her surprised face. "Hey, Chocolate Baby." He sat down on the side of her bed and hid the box behind his back.
"Troy!" She said in surprise.
"Hey. How are you feeling?" He asked tenderly, stroking her cheek gently.
"A little better but my throat still hurts." She whimpered.
Troy brought the box out for her to see. "I got this for you." He said gently.
She took the box off of him and her eyes brightened immediately when she saw it. "Barbie fairy princess! Thank you, Troy."
He smiled and shifted so he was lying beside her, his arm going around her shoulders. "Is this okay?"
Allie nodded in amazement. "Thank you, Troy."
He kissed her forehead softly and stroked her hair. "It's no problem."
"Can you open it for me?" She asked innocently.
He smiled and took it from her hands. He kept his arm around her shoulders and took the doll from the box and handed it to her, discarding the box to the floor. "Is that okay?"
She smiled at him and nodded. "Yeah. Thank you so much."
He hugged her tightly and kissed her forehead again. "No problem. You try to go to sleep, okay?"
"Will you stay here?" She asked sweetly.
He nodded. "If you want me to, Chocolate Baby." He whispered.
"Is that your nickname for me?" She asked innocently.
"If you want." He said softly.
She nodded. "I like it."
Troy rested his head above hers and sighed softly. "Go to sleep, okay?"
She nodded her head which was resting comfortably under his armpit and her eyes drifted close. "Okay."
* * *
Gabriella poured some coffee into two mugs and finally turned around. "Stop staring at me!" She cried at Chad, Jason, Kelsi and Taylor.
They all jumped slightly and Taylor stuck another forkful of chicken with chocolate sauce into her mouth. "Well, you left Troy upstairs. With Allie. Alone."
Gabriella nodded, pouring milk into both cups and stirring them. "I know. But, she likes him."
"So, what are you going to do?" Kelsi asked quietly.
"About what?" Gabriella asked dumbly.
"About his crush on you." Chad said in exasperation. "Even I can see he likes you!"
"Troy doesn't like me." Gabriella protested, turning to face them. "He's my boss. It wouldn't be appropriate, professional and I'm pretty sure it's not legal."
"It is as long as the employee isn't under eighteen." Jason piped up. "What? My sister did a law degree."
Gabriella sighed. "He doesn't like me in that way."
Taylor rolled her eyes, placing the used plate onto the side. "Right. And it's not Chad's fault that I just ate chocolate and chicken."
"Hey!" Chad exclaimed. "I resent that."
Gabriella giggled slightly. "Well, I better check on them. Don't wreck my house." She said sternly, picking up both of the cups and heading upstairs. She stepped into her daughter's bedroom and nearly dropped the coffee cups in surprise. Allie was curled up around Troy, sleeping peacefully. And Troy? He was lying on his back and holding her tightly against his chest. His head was resting on the pillows and his eyes were closed with soft snores escaping his mouth.
She giggled quietly and placed the cups on the bedside table before sitting on the edge of the bed. "Troy." She whispered, nudging his shoulder.
"Hmmmm…" He mumbled, a smile gracing his handsome face. "Gabby, you're so beautiful."
Gabriella blushed and tugged on his hand. "Troy, wake up."
Troy's eyes slowly fluttered open and he smiled sleepily at Gabriella. "Hey. What's up?"
"Why were you sleeping?" She asked quietly, not wanting to wake Allie up.
He shrugged, yawning loudly. "Who knows? I told her to go to sleep and the next thing I knew, I woke up to you."
The look in his eyes made her blush even more and then she realised she was still holding his hand. She released his fingers and brushed her hand on her dressing gown. "Uh, did she like the doll?"
He nodded, resting his other hand behind his head. "Yeah. She loved it."
She smiled softly and nodded to the coffee cups. "I brought you some coffee."
He sighed gently and shook his head. "I don't think I'm going anywhere."
"Was she alright?" Gabriella asked in a concerned voice.
He chuckled softly at her worry and nodded. "She was fine. She was okay when I walked in anyway."
She nodded and reached for a coffee cup, taking a sip. "She really likes you."
"Yeah?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.
She nodded, nursing it in her lap. "She didn't stop talking about you. Although, I begged her to stop talking because I knew her throat would be hurting."
He smiled and nodded. "You really love her, huh?"
Gabriella stared at Allie and nodded. "She's the best thing that ever happened to me."
"Can I ask you a question?" Troy asked after a moment.
She nodded. "Of course you can."
"How did Allie happen?" He whispered.
She smiled slightly and lifted the cup to her lips, allowing the warm fluid to sooth her tiredness. She looked him in the eyes and quirked a single eyebrow.
"You're not going to tell me." He realised.
"You asked if you could ask me a question. I never said I'd answer." She replied, smirking slightly.
He smiled in amusement. "Very funny."
"I thought so."
He chuckled and took his hand from behind his head to rest it on her knee. "You know you can talk to me."
She nodded, placing her coffee on the bedside table. "I know. But, you're going to have to wait."
"Why?"
"The only guys I have in my life are my dad, Zeke and Chad." She whispered.
"If you won't answer me that question, will answer another?" He asked seriously.
She shrugged. "It depends on what it is." She whispered.
"Please don't get offended and you totally don't have to answer." He said sincerely, keeping eye contact. "Why is Zeke black and you're white? And why are you Montez and he's Baylor?" He asked quietly.
She sighed and smiled slightly. "Why do you want to know?"
"I like to know my employees." He replied.
"Or you would like to know me." She raised her eyebrows as she rested her hand on top of his – which was still resting on her knee.
Troy blushed slightly and felt Allie move beside him, forcing him to shift closer to Gabriella. "Maybe. But, will you answer my question?"
"I'm adopted. Have been since I was seven." She explained gently.
When she didn't say anymore, Troy narrowed his eyes. "What? No reason?"
She nodded. "Of course there's a reason. But, that's where I stop."
He nodded in acceptance. "That's totally cool."
"Really?" She asked unsurely.
Troy beckoned her to come closer and she shifted closer. "Come on, I don't bite. Come on."
She realised what he wanted and she lay down next to him, as close to the edge as she could get. "Why am I here?"
He raised his arm and she finally snuggled into his side, letting him wrap his arm around her shoulders. He pressed a kiss to her cheek and twirled some of her hair around his finger. "That's why. I want you to know that you and Allie are special to me."
"Why?" She whispered, rolling onto her side to face him.
He shrugged. "You hated me."
"I hate you and you like me?" She asked slowly.
He shook his head. "Well, it does sound a little strange but it's true. You didn't care that I'm rich. That's never happened to me before."
She smiled slightly and shrugged. "By the way, you're not the self-centred rich guy I thought you were."
"Good. We kind of got off to a bad start. Can we start over?" He asked softly.
"You ask a lot of questions." She smiled gently.
He shrugged. "I like to know things."
She giggled. "But, I don't want to start over."
"What?" Troy gasped.
"We wouldn't be right here if we started over." She continued.
He sighed in relief. "You mean that in a good way, right?"
Her eyes flickered from his pools of blue to his lips. "You tell me." She whispered, slowly moving closer.
Her lips were just about to touch his and a voice broke through the silence. "Surprise!"
Gabriella jumped and rolled over, off of the bed. She groaned in pain and held a hand to her forehead as she opened her eyes. "Sharpay!" She scrambled to her feet and embraced her best friend. "What are you doing here? I thought you weren't coming back until next week?"
Sharpay pulled back and frowned. "I'll ask the questions around here. Why are you in your robe and Troy Bolton in Allie's bed?"
Gabriella rolled her eyes at her friend's bluntness. "Does Zeke know you're here?"
"No. I came to see you first. You told me that Allie was sick so I guessed you'd be here." Sharpay explained and then she noticed that the little girl was stirring and she rushed to the other side of the bed. "Hey, Allie."
"Auntie Shar." She smiled sleepily.
Sharpay hugged the little girl before letting her lie back down into Troy's arms. "How are you feeling?"
"My throat hurts." She muttered.
"I know, Honey. But, your mama's making you better, isn't she?" Sharpay asked, stroking Allie's dark hair.
"And Uncle Troy, too." She piped up.
"Uncle Troy?" Sharpay raised her eyebrows at Gabriella.
"Don't give me that look. I didn't start it. It's the first time I've heard her say it." Gabriella exclaimed.
"Why did you start calling me 'Uncle'?" Troy asked, stroking Allie's arm.
"Well, there's Uncle Zeke, Uncle Chad and Uncle Ryan. I just thought that Troy was another Uncle." She explained innocently. "Was I wrong?"
"Why don't you ask Troy?" Gabriella suggested. "And your Auntie Shar can go to Lava Springs and surprise Uncle Zeke, can't you?" She asked sternly, pointing her look at Sharpay.
Sharpay winced. "Girl, I'm your best friend. Stop using that look on me."
"Go and tell Zeke you're home." Gabriella repeated.
Sharpay kissed Allie's forehead and pointed at Troy. "Take care of both of them."
Troy saluted her and smiled softly. "Consider it done." She walked over to the bedroom door and turned to face them all. "And if you ever need a babysitter for when you two want to be alone…" She trailed off suggestively.
"Sharpay!" Gabriella exclaimed.
Sharpay sighed. "I'm going." She left the room and Troy and Gabriella heard thumps as she walked down the stairs.
"I think she's in a bit of a strop." Troy commented.
"She's always like that." Gabriella said, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Allie, Sweetie, why don't you ask Troy about what you called him?"
"Troy, are you going to be my new Uncle?" Allie asked sweetly.
Troy looked from Allie to Gabriella and back again. "I'd like that. If it's okay with your mama, of course."
Gabriella leaned down to kiss his cheek. "It's more than okay." She whispered.
"Mama!" Allie whined.
Gabriella broke her gaze from Troy's to look at Allie. "Yes, mi hija?"
"I need to go potty." She whispered.
Gabriella leaned over Troy, pulled the cover back and lifted Allie up. The little girl wrapped her tiny legs around her mother's waist and Gabriella carried her out of the room. "We'll be back." She called over her shoulder.
Troy smiled softly at the ceiling and sighed. Gabriella was like no woman he'd ever met before. Not only was she beautiful – heck, that didn't even begin to describe her – but she was intelligent, witty, charming and very protective of Allie. And that turned Troy on almost as much as Gabriella's looks. And Allie. She was so sweet and innocent. Just like her mother.
They had almost kissed! Troy had only talked with Sharpay while settling the final details of the country club but right now he hated her more than his father's cooking! They had been so close! Well, he knew it couldn't have gone too far because Allie had been in the room at the time. But still… How fast is it possible to fall in love?
He thought about the time he had read The Choice by Nicholas Sparks after Kelsi had sat down and forced him to after claiming 'he had a lack of romantic ways which girls will fall for'. Travis and Gabby – coincidence or what – had fallen for each other after one weekend together and lived happily ever after. Sure, it was a book but, how far were the possibilities when it came to love?
"You okay?" A soft voice asked.
Troy rolled over to face the door in time to see Gabriella enter the room with Allie resting on her hip. "Yeah. Are you?"
She nodded. "I'm just taking Allie downstairs because she's due some medicine."
"You need some help with the ice cream part, right?" He asked knowingly as he sat up and stretched his back muscles.
She smiled innocently. "Maybe. Allie, would you be a good girl and have your medicine if Uncle Troy gives you ice cream?"
She nodded her head excitedly. "Please can I have some ice cream, Uncle Troy? My throat hurts really bad."
Troy got off of the bed and took Allie from Gabriella's arms. "If you promise me you'll take your medicine, I'll make a special super scrumptious strawberry sundae. Too bad it's not Sunday. Try saying that five times fast." He chuckled.
"Thank you, Troy." Gabriella said sincerely, kissing his cheek.
"No problem." He replied softly, revelling in the feeling of her lips on his skin. Oh yeah, he was falling for her.