I don't own anything.

A/N: I just want to thank gingerhorsesnaps, xo-ChaylorGGQueen-xo, googoogrl007, melako17, baby2ludaris, Tracie2004 ,sciencefreak2007, angelgrillz, and bluecasey95. I just want to say thank you for reviewing. On a side note I am think about combining the next two chapters because my chapter Seven I believe is a little to weak to stand alone by itself so next week there's going to be a double posting of this story. Please excuse any grammar errors that may be in the story I am in quite a hurry today.Well, I hope you enjoy this chapter and please remember to review.

Baby S

Chapter Six

The party was actually going quite well; as soon as they entered the Danforth's backyard Sharpay and Gabriella had pulled Taylor aside and took her over to the patio allowing the men to hang out by the grill where Zeke was currently cooking their dinner. The group had agreed years ago that Zeke would cook at their gatherings; so far no one had any objections. Taylor sat down in the middle of both Sharpay and Gabriella. "So what have you been doing since you left?" Sharpay asked only to be elbowed by Gabriella who sent her look as if saying don't ask her that. "What I just wanna know what our friend has been doing since she left."

"I've basically been a stay at home mother…taking care of my son." She mumbled not really wanting to talk about her past. Gabriella saw her facial expression and quickly cut off Sharpay's next words.

"So how do you like being back in New Mexico."

"And being around Troy." Sharpay added ignoring the look from Gabriella that immediately came her way as soon as the words left her mouth. "What, you know you wanna ask her."

"Gabby, its okay." Taylor murmured as she looked at her friend for a moment before answering their questions. "Yes I do like being back in New Mexico but I'm more worried about Lucas liking it here…and Troy, well it's nice seeing him again."

"Nice seeing him again…Tay this is the man you love. You two have been given another chance are you seriously going to let this chance pass you both by." Sharpay said with a shake of her head. It was no secret among the group that Sharpay was one of the biggest supporters of Troy and Taylor. She had been rooting for them to be together since day one.

"Sharpay it isn't that easy okay." Taylor said thinking about Jason and his reactions. Only she knew how he was and she wasn't going to piss him off because if she did who knew what he would do. He never liked the fact that she had dated Troy…after all he was slightly racist. Shaking her head she looked up at Sharpay and said. "It's not easy at all I have to look after Lucas okay."

"I'm sure he'd be happy if his mother was happy."

"I am."

"Liar," Sharpay said with a shake of her head. "You and Troy were-." She was cut off by Taylor waving her hand to cut off her words. Leaning back on her chair Taylor glanced out into the backyard watching as her son talked to Sharpay niece Olivia.

"So what's going on with Olivia?"

"Her mother is having problems and she sent Olivia here to live with us for the rest of the year." Sharpay explained as she glanced across the way at her niece and Taylor's son talking. "Hmm, looks like somebody is hitting it off." Taylor followed her glaze and smiled.

"I'm glad maybe she can be his first friend."

"Looks like they want to be more than friends." Sharpay said knowingly. "And just to let you know your son better not hurt Olivia or…" she trailed off as Taylor turned to look at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh no…my son would never hurt anybody…so you better know that if your niece hurts my son…" she trailed off in the same fashion that Sharpay had earlier. The two women looked at one another and laughed as Gabriella just shook her head at their antics.

"You two are straight crazy." She mumbled as she turned and saw her toddler C.J. walking towards her with a small basketball that his father had given him tucked under his arm.

"Momma, I hungry." The little boy said as he pulled himself up on his tiptoes so he could look at his mother. Gabriella smiled and hoisted her son into her arms.

"Alright sweetie let's go see if Uncle Zeke has something ready for you." She said marching over to the Zeke who was currently talking to Chad, leaving Sharpay and Taylor to quietly talk among themselves. Coming over she kissed Chad on the lips and then kissed Zeke on the cheek. Almost immediately they could hear Sharpay call out.

"Gabby you better stop kissing my man." Zeke chuckled at his wife's antics and just shook his head for a moment before sighing.

"C.J. wants something to eat." He asked

"Yea, Unc Zeke." The little boy said from Gabriella's hip, he smiled and ruffled the little boy's curly hair before pointing to a tray beside the grill.

"Yo, Chad fix your son and wife something to eat." Chad nodded and pulled Gabriella and C.J. over to the tray and fixed them both a plate of food.

"Hey I hope we are too late." Ryan Evans said as he and his wife walked over to the back gate and opened the door; Sharpay got up and immediately went over to him and embraced him in a tight hug.

"You aren't late at all, look whose here…its Taylor and her son Lucas." Ryan smiled and immediately walked over to Taylor pulling her into a tight hug. Taylor smiled and hugged him back.

"Hey Tay it's been awhile." He said as he stepped back and looked her over. "Now where is your son." He asked, his eyes were soon on tall teenager that was currently talking to his sister's niece Olivia. "Oh is that him."

"Yeah, that's my son Lucas." Ryan looked over at him for a few moments before glancing back at Taylor and shaking his head.

"Motherhood has agreed with you."

"Ry…aren't you going to-." Ryan stepped back and wrapped his arm around the blonde's waist, before pointing at Taylor and smiling.

"Taylor this is my wife Emily, and Emily this is an old friend of mine named Taylor…" he trailed off not knowing what to say about her last name. Smiling Taylor extended her hand and shook Emily's.

"McKessie…my name is Taylor McKessie."

"Well Taylor it's nice to meet you." She said with a smile as Ryan went over to go greet his brother-in-law, Chad and Troy, while Emily headed inside to go use the restroom.

Troy, Chad and Zeke were all around the grill just talking when Ryan walked up and greeted them. "Man, Troy how you doing?" Ryan asked wiggling his eyebrows at the man, who just took a sip of his drink and shook his head.

"I am doing just fine."

"So you and Taylor made up." Ryan asked not knowing what to think since he knew of the history between Taylor and Troy. Troy looked over at Taylor catching her eye briefly even though she broke the contact by looking away. He sighed and looked at her for a moment before returning his glaze to Ryan and shaking his head.

"No, we aren't together."

"Damn, man I thought for sure as soon as she got back here and you heard about her divorce you'd be all over there trying to make her feel better." Chad said softly keeping his voice low. Troy shrugged his shoulders and looked over at Lucas who was still talking to Olivia.

"Well, I don't think her son likes me very much."

"Are you kidding me, you're Troy Bolton the ex-Sacramento King and a NBA legend…just a shame you retired after eleven years."

"Isn't that enough time…I mean come on you only retired this year." He pointed out to Chad who just shrugged and took another sip of his beer. Zeke eyed him for a moment before turning over the steaks.

"I'm guessing Gabby's driving back."

"Yeah man we already having this worked out I drive us here and she drives us back." Chad said as if he should have known better. Troy rolled his eyes and just shook his head at his friend.

"So are you even going to try and pursue something with Taylor I mean we all know you want too?" Zeke said flipping some hamburgers. Troy looked down at his shoes and shrugged his shoulder.

"Um, Taylor and I have a lot of things we need to discuss, before we even think about going out." Zeke and Ryan nodded their heads in agreement before Chad looked at Troy in shock and shook his head.

"No all you and Taylor need to discuss is when and where you two will start going out again." He said smiling as Troy sent him a glare. "What!"

Lucas and Olivia walked over to a picnic table away from practically everyone else, settling down beside the petite mocha skinned girl he handed her, her soda and smiled. "So this is going to be your first semester at East Middle." Olivia nodded her head shyly and looked at Lucas for a moment.

"Yeah, so you're going to be on the basketball team." Shrugging his shoulders he trailed his finger along the top of his soda can.

"Yeah, I'll be playing with the team for the rest of the season."

"Are you good? My uncle Zeke, Chad and Troy played together when they were in highschool…did you know that Chad and Troy played in the NBA." Lucas' jaw dropped opened in shock. He immediately closed his mouth and looked over at Troy and Chad.

"They were in the NBA."

"Yeah, my Uncle could have gone to the NBA as well but he started his own line of upscale restaurants."

"Cool." He mumbled as he nodded his head in agreement. "I can't believe we have ex-NBA stars coaching us."

"Yeah, that's why competition at East Middle and East High is so out of this world everybody wants to be apart of the team."

"Well, you know I like to play basketball so what about you want to do you like to do." He asked looking at her for a moment. She blushed and looked down at her hands he could tell he was making her nervous, reaching out he lifted her chin and looked directly into her eyes. "What do you like to do?"

"I don't know."

"Oh come on…I know there has to be something." She looked up at him smirking for a moment before shaking her head.

"You know what; you're really mature for your age."

"Stop evading the question." He said laughing; she giggled and shrugged her shoulders, before answering him.

"I um…I play the violin," she looked at him for a moment noticing how quiet he was. "I know I know you must think I'm a nerd." Lucas smiled down at her and shook his head in disagreement.

"I don't think you're a nerd…if anyone's the nerd here it has to be me. All I do is study and play basketball my GPA is well over 3.0."

"Well all I do is play violin and study my GPA has been a 4.0 since I entered middle school." They both looked at one another and laughed; he smiled at her and just shook his head.

"Why are we fighting about who's the bigger nerd?"

"I don't know." She said shyly tucking her head again, Lucas thought the whole thing was cute. Smiling he leaned forward and whispered.

"Would you be upset if I told you were beautiful?" He smiled as Olivia blushed.

"Only if you wouldn't be upset if I called you handsome."

"How would you like to go out with me sometime." He asked, Olivia looked up at him beaming. She nodded her head and smiled for a moment not believing that this was happening. She had never had someone like Lucas even spare her a passing glance and now he was asking basically asking her out.

"Where would we go?"

"Anywhere you want too." He stated smoothly laying on the charm; she blushed and looked at him for a moment. They moment was cut short by the sharp voice of Sharpay as she walked over.

"Stop spitting game at my niece." Olivia gasped in horror as she looked over Lucas' shoulder at her aunt Sharpay who was smiling at the two teens. Once she saw the look of fear in Lucas' eyes she broke down laughing. "Just playing you two I think it's cute."

"Auntie Shar, you are so mean."

"Just kidding with you too and you know I-."

"Sharpay, honey leave them alone." Shouted Zeke from the grill, when Lucas and Olivia looked up to give him a 'thank you' smile Lucas saw his mother and Troy giggling in the corner. Olivia followed his glaze and looked at Troy talking to Lucas' mother.

"What you don't like them being together." Olivia asked looking at Lucas who immediately turned his head away from the sight of his mother and Troy.

"No that's not it…I guess I just don't want her to be hurt again…my father hurt her and I just don't want that to happen to her again." He said softly.

Lucas climbed out of Troy's car and walked inside, while Taylor and Troy sat in the front seat, unbuckling their seat belts Troy looked at Taylor and smiled. "I hope you had fun today."

"I did it was just like old times." He nodded his head and tapped his fingers on the steering wheel while looking at her for a moment.

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself…remember you can call me at anytime, my cell phone number has never changed." He said softly as he looked at her for a moment. "I really want to take you out somewhere so we can talk."

"Troy, we really don't-."

"Taylor you said earlier that we need to talk and I want to talk to you. I still love you and I don't want to wonder about this …about us…we need to talk to this." Taylor sighed and glanced at the house she could tell that Lucas was watching from the window.

"Troy, can I please get settled here…and then maybe I will call you and we can talk, okay but right now I really just want to settle in here and get Lucas settled in as well." Troy his head in agreement and sighed.

"I understand, Taylor but tell me this? Is there still a chance for us?" Is there a way you and me can ever get back together." He asked, Taylor reached up subconsciously and touched the locket that he had given her so long ago. When she felt the golden chain between her finger tips the answer became quite clear.

"Yes…Troy there is a chance for us." With that said she got out of the car, and entered the house knowing that Troy was watching her. Troy sat in the car for a few minutes a bright smile on his face as he thought about what Taylor had just told him. As he drove home he could hardly keep the smile off his face.