I hear that there have been some issues accessing the latest chapter or possibly every chapter once I have updated. I'm sorry if people are having trouble with that unfortunately there isn't much I can do about it so please keep checking back if you can't access the chapter right away :) I am in the same boat as you regarding fanfiction site hiccups, there is nothing I can do to 'fix it' I'm afraid.

Thank you for being patient and coming back :)

CHAPTER 10

"Mom, there's something I have to ask you…"

Gabi looked at her son who was sitting at the table as she placed his breakfast before him- cereal today and fruit salad in the table centre with yoghurt.

"Why do I not like the sound of this?" She wondered.

"Well…" he began. "It's because I want to cut short my break."

"Jared," she gave him a look through half-eyes.

"No, I mean it," he assured. "I really need to catch up on the studying I haven't been doing while I've been here…busy…and well, if I go back now I'll have three days to do all my homework."

"Jared, if this is some badly veiled attempt to suggest Troy and I should spend the next three days together then I'm not amused or impressed…"

"It's not!" He laughed. "Troy can come with me, if he wants to…"

"Come with you where?" Troy came into the kitchen in a tee top and long shorts; running his fingers through his already untidy hair.

"Back to campus. I'm going back to do the studying I've been avoiding." Jared explained.

Troy looked from his friend to Gabi, then came over to her to greet her.

"Hi, by the way," he smiled softly, sort of standing by her awkwardly until she looked up and then he wasn't sure what to do so once she had said 'Hi' back, he moved over to the table to sit with Jared.

"So, do you want to?" Jared asked nonchalantly, eating his cereal still.

"Come back early?" Troy frowned. "Uh…"

"Mom said it was okay if you wanted to stay on…" Jared offered.

"Jared!" Gabi exasperated.

"What? You're gonna kick my friend out?" He challenged.

"No…but…"

Jared looked up innocently chewing as he waited for her argument.

"I think you should stay, too," she offered.

"Well, you want me to do well, don't you?" He appealed.

"Of course I do…"

"Then I need to go back. Tomorrow."

She sighed and came over with hers and Troy's bowls.

"Fine, okay," she agreed eventually. "I'll miss you, though."

"I know," he grinned. "I'll be back, don't worry…"

She looked to Troy, not wanting to ask him whether he was going, too for fear of his answer. If he asked to stay she worried that Jared might have won his little war over getting her and Troy alone.

"Will you be going back too?" She asked lightly.

Jared looked between them eagerly, finally settling his gaze on Troy. Troy smirked, knowing his friend would hear his answer.

"I'd quite like to stay a bit longer, actually," he admitted.

"I knew you would," Jared grinned beside him and Troy turned to give him an amused look.

"Is that okay with you?" Troy checked.

Jared nodded. "Fine, fine…"

Troy looked to Gabi under almost-shy lashes. "Is it ok with you?" He asked next.

Jared swept his gaze over to his mom and watched her blush.

"Of course, you're always welcome here…"

Jared looked back to Troy.

"Okay, good. That's that decided…"

"Can we decide what we're doing today?" Gabi asked the two men.

"Well, if this is Jared's last day, you two should have some mother-son bonding time," Troy suggested.

"Good idea, mom," Jared agreed.

"Alright," Gabi nodded. "I'd like that. Your choice, Jared," she added as she took the empty bowls to the sink to wash them up.

"X box!" He yelled teasingly and Gabi twisted.

"Why don't we go and see a film at the old picture house, then have some late lunch/early dinner?" She suggested.

Jared shrugged. "Or that…"

She smiled as she went to get ready.

/

It was gone midnight by the time Gabi and Jared got home. After early dinner he'd taken her dancing in town and the house was dark and quiet when they came in, signaling Troy's already sleeping status.

Tomorrow, Gabi would be saying goodbye to her son and would be alone with her new beau. The feeling filled her with both fear and excitement.

Would things be the same between them now they had exchanged emotional confessions? Would sex be the same? Would he still want to have sex, now? Maybe if they were starting over they'd do things the old fashioned way and date a little first…

Gabi looked forward to both scenarios- dating and spending the night with Troy. Something she hadn't done for four weeks now and could finally admit to herself she wanted.

And she had Jared to thank for that…

/

"My son! Leaving home!" Gabi dramatically beseeched as she grabbed Jared for a hug.

"Mom I hate to tell you this, but I already left home…" Jared smirked and hugged her back anyway. "And I'm only gone until summer break…"

"When you father will want to see you," she pointed out sadly; not used to having to share her child.

"Well, he'll be lucky if I want to see him," Jared murmured and she smiled at his support.

"He's still your father," she said gently to show she had no qualms about him visiting Cal.

"Doesn't mean I have to like that fact or acknowledge it anymore," Jared lifted a brow.

Gabi looked at him, hoping he might change his mind. Cal may have been a misguided man and a poor husband, but he'd always been a good dad. Otherwise he and Gabi wouldn't have lasted the twenty years they did.

"Okay, that's all of it," Troy dumped the last two of Jared's bags in the boot of the waiting taxi.

Gabi looked over to him and smiled sadly; watching her son go and hug his friend.

"See you in a few days," Jared said.

"Yep," Troy agreed as he pulled away.

"Look after my mom," Jared spoke quietly so Gabi wouldn't hear, his smile evident.

Troy blinked and pressed his lips together chidingly. "Alright, man, I will."

"Good. See you soon, dude…"

Troy nodded and stuck his hands in his pockets as Jared hugged Gabi one last time.

"Don't push him away any more, mom," he murmured in her ear, making her straighten tensely in his embrace. "He needs lots of love…"

Gabi pulled away and gazed at her son, surprised by his words. She slipped a glance over to Troy, noticing that vulnerable look of his- the one she had seen glimpses of the night they had first been together and it touched her heart knowing he felt so strongly that it scared him- because she felt that same way- but it also strengthened her resolve to spend the next two days assuring him and indulging in their chemistry.

"Okay," she said to Jared when he appeared to be hovering for a response.

He nodded and got into the taxi, waving all the way down the drive until he was out of sight and Gabi couldn't help it, she wiped away the tears on her cheeks as she tried to remind herself she had done this countless times and there really was no need to be so upset…

"Hey," Troy noticed her tears and came over, encompassing her into a bear-hug. "It's okay…"

"I don't even know why I'm crying!" She admitted, mid-sob. "He's grown up now and I've waved him off countless times…"

"Well, you still miss him," Troy reasoned. "No matter how many times he has to leave…"

She nodded, composing herself.

"This wasn't the start to our time together that I planned," she joked with a forced smile.

"Well, sometimes not planning things works out better," he allowed sweetly, moving back her hair with gentle fingers.

"If you give me some time to freshen up, I'm sure we can you know…pick up where we left off…" she ventured.

"You know what?" He smiled, all boyish and handsome. "I'd really love it if we could just mooch around the super market, get some fresh bread for lunch, maybe some ingredients for dinner and just…well…hang out," he posed.

She looked up. Was he serious? He was thinking about shopping with her? Not sex? Should she be touched or insulted? She wasn't sure…

"And when we get back…maybe we can catch an afternoon nap," Troy murmured in her ear as he leaned toward her; his tone insinuating exactly what he expected that nap to entail.

Well, okay, that made her feel better. She was still desired, then. Just not right now…not surprising with her tears and emotional outburst.

She looked up, into those warm, twinkly blue eyes and she found herself smiling.

"Sounds perfect."

/

Gabi had seen at least four of the townspeople that she knew while she and Troy had toured the supermarket, hand in hand.

She hadn't even tried to hide their status; nor did she care what the people there thought; it was time for her to step up to the mark and show Troy she had meant what she said about moving past this ridiculous obsession she had with hiding them and being ashamed.

What was so shameful about falling in love? She'd had twenty years of a loveless marriage and she deserved some positives right now; so the glances at their joined hands and knowing smiles didn't bother her. She didn't let them.

Gabi had at one point lost track of her hunky new man and gone looking for him; only to find him sweetly explaining to old Mrs. Everton the difference between sweet pickled onions and plain pickled onions and Gabi had to admit, Mrs. Everton didn't look much like she cared about onions at all while he engaged her with his intense blue eyes and shyly talked to her with gentle tones.

She had walked up and gently claimed him by gripping his bicep; laying her head there, then telling Mrs. Everton how he was a 'god-send' and 'priceless' to which the older lady agreed. He had been a little baffled at her sudden praise, even a bit awkward; but his proud smile had been worth it; Gabi considered.

She came into the house carrying the two lightest sacks of groceries while Troy carried the other four in his capable arms behind her and they rested the sacks on the counter, ready to unpack.

"Wow, we bought the shop," Troy mused.

Gabi flicked him a look. "Whose fault is that?"

He grinned. "Yours?"

She swiped him and he scooped her into his arms, smiling at her.

"Did I tell you how amazing you look?"

"I'm wearing the same jeans and jumper I had on this morning," she dismissed.

"Well, you look beautiful," he charmed.

She smiled back, resting her hands on his chest. "Thank you."

His eyes flicked between hers, then down to her mouth and she didn't stop the kiss that he intended to share with her, in fact she welcomed it. Her hands moved up to cup his neck and bring him closer as they finally enjoyed what they knew made them special with no interruptions from anyone or anything- a sure feeling of bliss in knowing that.

Troy tightened his arms as he deepened the kiss with his tongue, moaning as she stretched against him; her breasts pressing into his chest; her thighs pressing to his. He could take her right now if he was that guy; but he wasn't and he ran his hands down her back to cup her behind and bring her closer to his body; his groin already aching in pre-emption as to what would happen.

Gabi let out a breathy sigh as she broke their kiss upon the feel of his roaming hands and she let hers follow suit, dragging down his chest to tug the hem of his top upwards, baring his torso to her; a sight that always had her stunned.

He was magnificent, amazing. She might never get used to it, but she enjoyed it, oh yes, she took her time, too. Her hands learned him, every muscle, every crevice, every inch. He wouldn't go untouched, she was determined of that.

Troy turned them, pressing her against the counter as their passion quickly rose and their lips attached again, sucking deep, lingering kisses from each other as their bodies writhed in unison. Gabi stripped off her own jumper and shivered as Troy's hands worked up her curves- something she wasn't sure she would ever get to feel again.

There was no alcohol now, no flirting, no soft lights. Just him and her; in broad daylight; wanting and needing each other more than ever.

"Troy," she gasped his name as he kissed down her chest; finding her bra catch and releasing it and letting his lips trail over her sensitive skin with unleashed need; no hesitation now, no second thoughts.

He grasped her gently and lifted her up to sit on the counter, suckling the already hard tip of her breast once she was settled.

"You are so beautiful," he whispered, attending to her other breast as she wrapped her thighs around his waist to draw him closer, clawing at his shoulders and ruining his hair.

She unbuttoned her jeans, rasping down the fly, then smirked as he paused her and lifted her up, back to her feet where he could run his hands down her back and over her backside, shedding her jeans in such a sensuous, erotic way, Gabi felt her insides tighten with excited premonition. He was going to fill her, soon. His heat was going to plunge inside her quivering intimacy and finally; finally they would join again just as they both had been aching for.

But first she had to move him on from kissing her; again. So she leaned back to unbutton and unzip his own jeans; her fingers brushing lightly against the hard ridge that already formed under the material.

His hand caught her wrist. "Don't make me come again," he whispered, though his lips curved to signal his joke.

"I'll try not to," she promised wryly as she pushed off his trousers and stepped up to rub against his body; both of them now naked except their underwear.

"Gabi," Troy groaned; lifting her back against his body and for one moment, not sure where to aim for.

She clung to him. "Use the counter," she assured breathily.

"I-" He began to argue. He respected her and loved her so much; surely her room would be more appropriate? But it was a long way to go and he was already teetering on the edge of his control. His nearly painfully swollen manhood and his quick breaths signaled how his need couldn't wait much longer; but he wanted to make this special for them both.

"Troy," she brought him from his conscientious day-dream, her panties on the end of her toes where she flung them away somewhere and he almost turned to watch except she grasped him for another long kiss; a hard, passionate kiss that almost ruined them both before they'd even got to join.

"Gabi…" He said again, her hands on his cheeks, his claiming her thighs.

"Take your boxers off," she instructed, that vixen from their first night returning to enjoy this moment and worry about nothing else, even if Troy did- silently.

He swallowed, following her order and revealing his arousal to her; in all its painfully stiff glory.

She swallowed too, not sure if he could handle much more foreplay so she quickly took a condom from her abandoned jeans pocket and held it up.

"You better put this on," she offered.

He did, and then he looked deep into her eyes before leaning her back and touching her between her thighs; a gentle and tender experiment that drove her insane for his skill.

She let out a cry as his teasing fingers finally dipped into her; finding her slick and ready for his entry.

"Gabi," he whispered, bringing her up to kiss her lips, his fingers working inside her.

"Don't…please Tr-"

Her begged requested came too late because he pressed his thumb to her little nub and thumbed her nipple until she shuddered with overwhelming pleasure to release the intensity of it all; something she did with awed eyes and a shaking body.

"I need you," she murmured, her brown eyes deep and dazed with lust.

He smiled almost in a grimace of wry agreement. "I know the feeling," he murmured, kissing her again with a deep tonguing need.

She cried out as he thrust into her; his need very evident in the way he took her, so completely and utterly claiming her for his own.

Oh, god, it was exquisite. Like her skin was peeling from her body in blissful shedding; like the stars had come from the sky and fallen upon her skin…like the sun had burst and rained upon them with it's hot, burning shafts of fire.

She cried his name, took him deeper still as she wrapped her legs again around him and drew him closer, leaning back in his arms to allow him the pleasure.

She heard him moaning, heard him muttering things- though she couldn't tell what- and she felt every strike he made into her with his heat; hard and demanding and she gave him everything in return- her heart and soul completely.

"I love you," she murmured as he filled her for the final time; releasing his seed into his condom with shuddering blissful release as she again hit her peak and shook with him; pleasured and stunned at their union.

It was like nothing she had ever experienced before…definitely not with Cal and even her first time with Troy hadn't been this intense. She folded her arms around his shoulders and held on tight, stroking his hair.

"Oh man…oh god…" Troy was murmuring as he came-to, also not entirely sure what had just happened.

Where was he? Why was he naked? Who was this exquisite beauty in his arms, intimately joined with him, still? Oh yes, still. He had just made love to her, again. Gabi. And it had been amazing…beyond amazing, even. It had been epic. But they were on the kitchen counter. That couldn't be comfortable for her…

"It's okay, Troy," Gabi soothed and he stepped back to withdraw from her gently, then he slid his arms under her thighs and around her back.

"I'm taking you to bed where you belong," he husked, meaning somewhere softer and more respectable than her counter, but Gabi curled into him and damn near mewled at his words, assuming he was referring to her as some kind of sex-kitten. The thing that ached him the most was that she seemed to like it. He smiled softly at her affectionate caress.

Once he had laid her down, he went about cleaning himself up before he lay beside her, unashamedly naked and ready to hold her until she couldn't stand it any more.

He felt her kiss against his jaw; her body settling against his.

"You were amazing," she murmured as she lazily reclined beside him.

"No, you were," he assured. "Are," he amended. "I'm not even sure what happened there…"

She smiled and snuggled closer, rubbing his chest.

"I know…it was rather…enjoyable," she picked a word.

He blew out a breath of agreement, stroking her hair and her arm with light touches.

"You think you ever felt this way before?" He asked, just curious really. Was what they had strong enough to survive, he wondered? Or was this average for sexual intimacy? He really hoped not, he couldn't imagine letting go with anyone else that way- the way he just had with Gabi.

Gabi's reply was soft and strong. "Hell no," she mused of his question. She had never felt like this before. Never, ever.

His hand cupped her shoulder and rubbed it.

"Does it scare you?"

She rubbed her cheek against his chest, hugging him with her arm.

"Not as much as it did." She admitted.

Troy kissed her hair. "Then we'll keep doing it until it doesn't scare you at all."

She giggled at his teasing remark; curling into him as he tightened both his arms around her.

"I love you, Gabi," he told her then.

She smiled and hugged him return. "I love you, too."

/

Gabi was making Troy a special breakfast of sweet waffles and eggs on the side the next morning, when a sudden thought hit her. It wasn't something she had really considered before, wasn't something that had crossed her mind but on hearing Troy's admission of his feelings last night, suddenly it seemed prudent to ask.

Did Troy ever want children?

They had spent the entire afternoon and evening in her bed- sometimes making love, sometimes just making out and sometimes talking, cuddling or just sleeping. It had been the best evening she had spent in a long time and she found it hard to keep the smile off her face, but still. She should check what Troy's plans were for his future before deciding where they wanted to go with this.

When he went back to University they could either take a break- the thought of which made her ache- or they could see each other when their schedules allowed. But to make that commitment they both had to be sure of it, sure of each other and on the same level, relationship-wise.

"Do you want kids one day?" Gabi burst into her bedroom with the tray of food she had prepared for him.

Troy- who had been lolling on the bed- sat up.

"You didn't have to make me breakfast," he argued firstly, bringing her down for a thankful kiss when she got close. "But thank you…"

"It's a mom thing," she explained. "Not to mention a wife thing."

"And now a girlfriend-thing," he added amusedly, garnering her gaze. "What?"

"Troy, before we go around telling people that we're you know…together, you should think about my question…" she posed.

He smiled, slowly as his eyes flicked down her, dressed only in his tee top and her underwear. She was curled beside him on the bed and if she hadn't made this breakfast, he'd be ignoring it in favour of tasting her…

"We told four people in the supermarket yesterday that we're dating," Troy argued. "I think it's already out that we're together…"

"Well girlfriend and boyfriend just sounds more…"

"Committed?" He offered positively.

"Fine, yes, okay. Committed," she agreed.

"Gabi, I hate to ask this but what part about cooking me breakfast made you think about having kids?" He enquired.

She sucked her lower lip.

"Just the fact you leave tomorrow." She admitted. "And I was thinking about if we're going to see each other again…"

He smiled patiently and leaned across to cup her neck, placing a tender soft kiss on her mouth.

"I can answer that now. Yes, we are." He assured.

She tilted her head. "But what about our future, Troy?"

"What about it?" He shrugged. "We'll deal with it when it comes to that…"

"That's a young-guy kind of thing to say," she observed. "And when it comes to it and you want kids and I can't have them…then what?"

He met her gaze, not sure what to say. "Then we work through it," he decided eventually.

"How on earth do we work through something like that?" She challenged.

"Compromise?" He suggested.

She smirked. "You wouldn't mind not having kids? Because I can't shift on this, Troy. I'm too old already to have any more and if I'm honest, I'm not sure I want to…"

"You're not too old to have more," he rubbed her calf soothingly. "But I understand that you don't want to."

"So?"

"So?" He peered at her with large blue eyes.

"You're twenty two and have a whole life ahead of you. You may be okay with it now but what if in ten years you feel different? I'll be an old woman by then and we could end up regretting the time we wasted together when we could have saved ourselves the heartache all along…"

"Gabi," Troy lay his tray to one side and faced her, picking up her hand and kissing the back of it. "You will not be an old woman in ten years, you'll be a very young and sexy fifty-five…and you're right. It might become an issue…it might cause some difficulty, but that doesn't mean I'm prepared to let you go…"

"Troy…"

"I mean it," he lifted her chin so that she met his eyes. "I'm not going to lose you on the basis of some 'what if' that I don't even know will happen."

"You must know, though," she argued. "If it was in your plan to have kids or not…"

"I honestly don't know," he promised. "I figured I might fall in love with the most amazing woman I ever met and maybe she can't have kids…or maybe I can't- maybe fate has it that it wasn't meant to be. What's the point in spending my whole life wanting something that I can't have? If it happened, then it was going to happen for a reason. If not, then so be it."

"You really think like that?" She wondered, surprised- and just a little bit touched.

"Yeah," he shrugged. "I'm a teacher going to school with a hundred kids every day. I think I can live if I don't get the chance to have any."

"I would think about it, because of you," she cast, suddenly.

"What?" He smiled, bemused.

"I would think about having another baby, because I love you," she repeated.

He knelt up and hugged her tightly. "I love you enough to not want anything more."

She smiled at their impasse. "Then I guess we're done on this subject."

"Does that mean we can go back to making out?" His deep voice held his smile.

She pulled back and smirked. "Not until you finish your breakfast…"

"Spoilsport," he accused softly as he reached for his tray.