A/N: Okay, dear readers. Here's the latest random text "What if…" conversation that occurred between Anna and myself! We were thinking one day "How does Vanessa stand it in that big house all alone at night?" and this is what came from it.

Thanks for all of your notes, encouragements and reviews on our first installment. Hope you enjoy this one as well. You know the drill… read, review, pm, etc. We thrive on it all!

And by all means, KTZLF! True Love Always Finds Its Way!
-cnc & adc

It was this time of night that got to her the most. Not fear, but uneasiness. Vanessa Hudgens lived all alone in a big house. An extremely big house. A huge house, to be more precise. She didn't normally mind living alone… until the dark came and all the noises outside were magnified. It wasn't until she locked all the doors downstairs- the front, the back, the French doors off the media room, the door leading to the garage- set the alarm code, and made her way upstairs that the quietness surrounded her and started to get to her.

It had gotten to her more over the past month. Lately, whenever she picked up her precious toy poodle and made her way upstairs and into her bedroom, her nerves were on edge and her senses heightened.

As she walked into her bedroom and shut the door, she made her way over to the bedside table and opened the drawer, as she did every night. Spotting the small black tazer that her dad gave her when she began the adventure of living on her own, she let out a sigh of relief and shut the drawer. She placed Shadow on top of the down comforter that was spread across her massive bed and watched as the small black ball of fur scurried over to the pillow that rested on the left side of the bed and started to make herself comfortable. Vanessa placed her hands on her hip before addressing the dog.

"You know you're going to have to move soon, right? That's our deal. I don't mind you snuggling into his pillow, but I get it when we go to sleep." Shadow merely raised her chin in the air in defiance before turning around and showing her backside to Vanessa, then made herself comfortable.

Vanessa let out a scoff. "Fine, then! Be a diva! Just remember who controls your food, okay?" Shadow lifted her head off the pillow with understanding and walked in Vanessa's direction, looking up at her with big dark eyes. Vanessa then held her hand out and allowed Shadow to lick it- the dog's sign of conceding. "That's what I thought," she said to the pup.

After the interaction with her beloved pet, Vanessa walked into the bathroom to begin her "getting ready for bed" ritual. As she rubbed the moisturizer into her skin, her cell phone that was sitting on the counter next to her towel started to sound with the ring tone that was specified for her father, her protector, her Papa Bear. Vanessa rolled her eyes- knowing what the conversation would consist of. She answered the phone as she walked back into the bedroom.

"Hey, Daddy."

"How'd you know it was me?" came the gruff voice from the other end of the phone. Greg Hudgens prided himself on the fact that he could still be a gruff grizzly bear- as Zac sometimes told him- after all these years, despite the fact that his daughters knew exactly which layers to peel back to make the softie appear.

"Um, first of all because your number showed up on the caller id of my phone. Secondly, the ring tone gave you away. And last, it's 9:30."

"What does that fact that it's 9:30 have to do with anything?" Her father was no doubt confused by the link the time had with his phone call this particular evening.

"Dad, you've called me between 9:15 and 9:45 every night for the past two weeks ever since I got back from Las Vegas with the girls."

"I have?"

"You have," she told him with a nod, even though she knew he couldn't see her through the phone. "You've had a different reason every night, but you have. So, what's tonight's reason for calling?"

"I just wanted to check on you, Nessa."

"Dad…" she said as she wandered into the bedroom pulled back the covers of her bed. She noticed that Shadow had taken up residence on the coveted pillow once again.

"Your doors are all locked, right? The alarm is set?"

Vanessa smiled at her father's concern. "Yes, Dad. I've done all that."

"Where's your taser?" he continued.

Vanessa released a silent sigh before answering. "In my drawer, where it always is." She snuggled down under her covers before asking the question that had popped into her mind. "Why are you so concerned about all that? You never called to check on me this much before I left for Hawaii."

Greg Hudgens took a deep breath and released it before answering his oldest daughter's question. He worked his jaw as he tried to work out in his mind the best way to give the answer that he knew would probably get her upset. He decided to finally just come right out and say it - like a band aid being ripped off.

"Because you had someone else to check on you before. I didn't have to worry about you being alone as much as I do now."

"Daddy -" she started.

"Vanessa, I can't help it. I'm going to worry about you."

"Dad, I'm 22 now -"

"-and single-"

Vanessa couldn't help the smile that worked itself onto her face as she listened to her father's words. He's not going to understand, she thought to herself.

"Dad, I'm not single. Zac's just not here. This is no different than when he's been on the road before. It just may be a little longer that we're apart over the next few months. I actually thought you'd be happy that I'm focusing on the career path for a while."

Vanessa heard her father's sigh through the phone. "Yeah, well, you might have a point there. I do like that idea. But I'm not thrilled with the idea of other men being in your life. Just when I finally get the boy trained, too…"

"Dad, be honest with me. Did you really have to do that much training?" she asked as she rolled her eyes. "He always was a gentleman from the beginning and he wooed you as much as he did me. You just don't want to admit it." She reached her hand up and grabbed one of her curls, twirling it around her finger as she continued the conversation with her sometimes over protective father.

"I'm not talking about being a gentleman, Nessa."

"Then what are you talking about?" she challenged him as Shadow came and nestled herself into Vanessa's side. Vanessa reached a hand out and gently began to stroke Shadow's head between her ears while she listened to her father's words.

"I'm talking about making sure he was good enough."

Vanessa listened as her father's voice softened at his admission. She swore that she heard his voice choke up, too. She allowed her own voice to take on a more gentle tone as well, as their conversation turned serious. "He's always been good enough for me, Daddy. You know that. And he always will be. You're just afraid he's gonna take me away from you."

On the other end of the line- twelve minutes physically away from his daughter- Greg Hudgens remained silent. As he struggled with his emotions, he reached his hand out to grasp onto his wife's as she sat down on the couch beside him.

"I nailed it, didn't I?" he heard his daughter- his Baby V- ask him. Still he said nothing.

"Daddy?"

Greg cleared his throat, ridding it of the lump that had appeared, before speaking once more. "When will he be back in town?"

Vanessa grinned to herself as she heard her father's question. "I'll take that as you agreeing with me for once, thank you!"

"I never disagreed with you, Baby V. I just-" he said, before pausing to take a breath.

"Just what? Hate to admit when you're wrong? I know you better than you know yourself, Old Man! Don't forget it!" Vanessa picked on her father during this rare moment of vulnerability for him.

"Good to know I still have your respect Baby girl!" Greg paused as a thought came to mind. "See, this is why I like Zac so much. At least he respects me!" he told her as he winked in his wife's direction; Gina was shaking her head at her husband's antics.

"I respect you too Daddy, and I love you." Vanessa told him with a giggle. "Thanks for calling to check on me. I'll see you in a few minutes."

"Wh- What do you mean?" Greg stammered.

"Daddy, I know you drive past my house every night. I've seen you do so on many occasions within the past couple of weeks."

"Van, I don't drive past your house at night."

"Then whose car do I see driving past my house at approximately 10:00 pm every evening? Hmmm?" she asked. She couldn't help the thought that the tables were now turned. There were times when she and Stella were just little girls that their mom busted them on a secret many, many times. And now she had busted her own father on his secret.

"Vanessa, Baby, I think you know who it is. He still cares, Baby Girl."

"Dad, Zac's not even in town right now. We are still in touch you know. He's still in Arroyo Grande with his family. That's your car going by, not his."

Greg paused, considering his next choice of words. "It's not my choice. It wasn't my idea."

"What do you mean?" Vanessa asked with her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

Greg allowed a small sly smile to ply at his lips before speaking again. "The young man pays a nice mileage fee. Plus it gives me a good excuse to check on you without you realizing. Well, until now…"

Vanessa hit the mattress beside her, causing Shadow to lift her head and stare at her owner.

"Are you serious?" she asked, not sure what to think of this new bit of news her father just shared with her.

"He sure is." Greg knew that he probably just got Zac in trouble with his daughter at his latest revelation. But somewhere deep down he also had the feeling that this bit of news could also serve good in their somewhat severed relationship.

Vanessa stayed silent as she felt the tears fill her eyes- again.

"Nessa? Baby Girl, are you still there?"

Greg heard his daughter sniffle before she spoke again. "I am an adult now." She said less than convincingly. "You both need to realize that." Greg could hear the shaking voice that was beginning to sound down the line. "Um, I've gotta go. I have another call I've got to make before it gets too late."

"You're going to rat me out, aren't you?" Greg joked, trying to cheer up his daughter.

Vanessa quickly swiped a hand under her eyes. When she spoke again, her voice was soft. "Don't worry, Dad. You won't get in trouble. I just need to call him and talk to him about this."

"Remember he's only doing this because he still cares."

If there was one thing Greg Hudgens knew it was that Zac Efron still loved his daughter and that she still loved him. He just hoped that these two crazy young adults would figure everything out and find their way back to each other. It may have taken him a while to admit this to his wife- much less to himself- but he was more than ready to give Zac his blessing when he finally came to ask for his daughter's hand. If there was anyone else in her life, he would probably hesitate. But not with Zac.

"Oh, man," she said with a sigh. "I'm in love with a dork and he's got my father on his side. See? This is yet another reason we need a little time apart."

"Vanessa! I can't believe I'm saying this, but I disagree with you for a number of reasons." Greg said, turning on his gruff side once again.

"I'm kidding, Dad! You know I am. I miss him. I'm still calling him… but you need to call him, too. Tell him next time he's in town he should stop by instead of just driving by. I'll always keep his pillow on my bed."

Greg rolled his eyes and sent up a silent prayer as he hung up the phone.

After ending the call with her father, Vanessa then dialed the all too familiar number. She had every intention of expressing her appreciation for his concern, but letting him know that it wasn't needed. Instead, she was somewhat caught off guard when his voice mail answered.

"Hey, Zac, it's me." At the sound of her Daddy's name, Shadow lifted her head and allowed her ears to perk up. She tilted her head just a bit as she listened to what Vanessa had to say into the phone. "I just talked to Dad and found out-" she paused as her throat tightened with the all too familiar emotions. "You know what? Never mind. Just give me a call when you can."

When it became clear that her Daddy was not there physically- again- Shadow lowered her head onto the pillow and closed her eyes once more. Vanessa picked up the most recent picture in the red frame from her bedside table of her and Zac. It had been taken over his Thanksgiving trip to Hawaii to visit her- just days before the news broke all over the internet of their break. With a frustrated sigh, Vanessa then set the frame back on the bedside table and turned to look at the pillow lying beside her on the bed. The bundle of dark fur that was curled onto the linen didn't raise her head but opened her eyes when her owner tugged on the item.

"Shadow, come on. Mommy needs Daddy's pillow right now. I know you miss him too. He will be back. I promise you he will, ok?" she tugged again on the pillowcase.

Vanessa shifted her body and pulled the pillow until Shadow stood and moved off of it. She quickly wrapped her arms around it and buried her face into it, inhaling deeply. You'd think that having someone sleep on a pillow for almost two and a half years, it would take longer than almost three weeks for their scent to begin fading. Unfortunately for Vanessa, that was not the case with Zac's pillow.

Still she could smell a hint of his aroma. So she pulled the softness as close to her body as she could. She let the edge of the case rub again her neck and jaw imagining Zac was nuzzling against her. And then she felt the movement around her stomach. A dark furry creature was pushing her way between the pillow and the person…much like she often pushed herself between Zac and Vanessa.

Shadow turned several times in the confined space, let a breath slip through her nose and then lay down, cuddled between the warmth of her human mom and the slight remaining smell of the man she knew as Daddy. Vanessa continued clutching the pillow and smiled a sad twist at the little animal as she pet her head in comfort.

The last conscience thought that ran through her mind as she drifted off to sleep was more complex than she wanted it to be. But as the tears dripped silently from her eyes, it was running over and over with no stop button.

I need his pillow to smell like him. How long will it be, Shadow, before Daddy's drive-by's end and he's here with us again?

SCENARIOS: CONVERSATIONS Chapter 2