Kids

by: skyz

Disclaimer: I don't own them so don't sue.

A/N: The prompt was bastard and I thought this was an interesting way to bring about a proposal.

8.

"I have to talk to you," Sharpay said as she charged into his study and closed the door behind her.

"Okay," he told her absently as his focus remained on the basketball game playing out on his television screen.

He heard Sharpay's impatient sigh and with a resigned sigh of his own he put the T.V. on mute and swiveled around to face her.

She stood leaning back against the closed door with her arms crossed over chest. The look she was giving him was one he knew quite well. She was about to tell him something that had upset her and she would expect him to fix it.

"What's going on?" he asked as he glanced down to study his fingernails.

"Chad..." The warning was clear.

He glanced back up and kept his gaze on her.

"What?" he asked guiltily. Sometimes she brought up the stupidest things and expected him to understand what she meant or wanted. Most times he was able to help her but sometimes he was left floundering.

He'd never completely understand her.

"Turn the T.V. off," she told him quietly.

"It's muted."

"You'll be distracted. Off. Now."

"I swear I won't be distracted."

She continued to stare at him and he abruptly turned off the television with a grimace.

"Now that I have your undivided attention... Coop came home very upset today. She wouldn't talk to me about it at all."

Chad frowned at this. That wasn't like their daughter at all. She was a chatter box if there ever was one. Most of the time they couldn't get her to shut up even when they put her to bed. She talked about anything and everything.

"She seemed fine when I came home. What happened?"

He assumed Sharpay had taken care of it because by the time he'd come home his daughter had seemed fine.

"The Branson boy. That little fool called her a bastard."

"A bastard?" he shook his head with a fierce frown. That little troublesome boy was barely eight years old and all he did was cause trouble.

"Yes!" Sharpay exclaimed as she clenched her hands into fists. "Can you believe that? At recess apparently. She wouldn't play four square with him. He got mad and said that everyone knew she was a bastard. They had to call Bryce in to calm her down."

Anger at that stupid Branson kid made him clench his teeth and he inhaled deeply. That boy was nothing but trouble always messing with Cooper. He'd thought maybe the boy had a crush on his daughter by the way he'd pull on her hair and chase her around. Even if he did like her a kid like that he wouldn't have around his daughter.

He was glad that his eldest daughter Bryce had been on hand to help her little sister out.

"Did you...?" he began angrily.

"Of course."

"His parents..." he muttered darkly.

"Thoroughly chewed out. I mean who let's their children go around cursing like that? Even if it's technically true no one should bring it up."

"Our kids aren't bastards," he protested.

"We're not married, Chad. Anyway...that's actually what I wanted to talk to you about."

"Marriage?"

He was actually rather shocked that she'd brought it up. They hadn't spoken about marriage in years. Actually not since they'd found out Sharpay was pregnant their senior year of high school. Sharpay had declined his hurried proposal and that had been the end of that.

"Yes. I had a talk with Bryce and Coop and well...they sort of want this to happen."

"Why would they care?"

She gave him another look that clearly said he was being an idiot by asking such a question.

"Well how would you feel if people went around calling you a bastard, Chad? Bryce said she's heard comments like that before but never mentioned it. Our children are being traumatized. I certainly don't need some certificate to understand how I feel about you."

"But they do. You think they're traumatized?" he asked tentatively.

She shook her head smiling slightly.

"I'm sure I'm over dramatizing it but the fact remains Coop wanted to know why we weren't married and I didn't have a good answer for her. Bryce said she wanted to plan the wedding. They are excited about the prospect."

"Excited?"

"Are you a parrot now? Repeating my every word?"

She was laughing at him.

He sent her a mild glare.

"This is sudden," he tried to explain. He'd put the thought of marriage out of his mind a long time ago. It wasn't like they weren't committed to each other because they were. Sharpay had told him when she'd declined his marriage proposal that if they were meant to be then they'd stay together without the til death do us part rubbish.

"I'd say it's been twelve years in the making," she retorted.

"Well now that we're getting married--"

"Oh no. You haven't asked me yet. And be prepared. The girls are intent on getting you alone. They want to help you plan the way you're going to ask me."

Chad rubbed his chin and got to his feet.

"And here I thought this would be another boring Tuesday. Come to find out I'm engaged or on the way to being engaged and our children are going to plan our wedding. Do they get to pick out the ring too?" he asked in mock annoyance.

She watched him with a smirk as he walked towards her.

"Hey," he greeted her softly while resting his hands on her hips.

"Hey yourself."

"So...I'm not eighteen any more."

"No," she shook her head in agreement.

"And you're not pregnant. Right?" He glanced down quickly at her stomach.

They still had time to try for a boy, he thought excitedly.

She captured his chin in her hand and lifted his face back up.

"No. I'm not. And if you knock me up before we're married then I don't know what I'll do. But I do know my father will surely get the shotgun out this time."

"Not the shotgun," he chuckled. "You know that this just can't be because our kids want it. It'd help if we both...wanted it."

She threaded her fingers through his short curls.

"I'm sure you'll find some way to convince me..." she murmured leaning forward to press kisses across his jaw.

"You gonna marry me? I'll buy you a big house. Five bedrooms, three full baths. Big backyard. Gated community. Take you around town in my big fancy car. I'll give you all the babies you want. Don't have to lift a finger. I'll take care of you forever. All you have to say is yes."

He watched her as she pursed her lips and regarded him through laughing eyes.

"Yeah... You definitely need help with the structure of your...proposal."

"No doubt crayons will be involved," he muttered leaning forward and kissing her.

"No doubt," she agreed through a smile against his lips.

"And glitter..." he groaned in defeat.

Her laughter was her only response.