Thank you to everyone who read or reviewed the last chapter. So far, I have kept my promise to keep the updates coming. The last couple of chapters were B list character heavy so I could wrap up their plots and move onto the big show. I think many of you will be happy with this chapter.
Chapter 42: What One Will Do for Ones Children
It was Monday and Chad was just happy that spring was starting to return to Albuquerque, just in time for midterms and spring break. Their original plan for an international getaway was on hold for the immediate future for Olivia and Isaac's sake. There was too much to do with the babies and the insanity that has become his life. The only thing Chad was looking forward to next week was catching up on his sleep. Now all he had to do was survived midterms and things would be okay.
Normally, he wouldn't be worried. In high school he could sleep through half of his classes and still get straight A's, in his actual high school classes anyway. In college classes, he actually had to apply himself a little. This semester a few of his classes such as Women's Studies and Acting were out of his comfort zone. It definitely did not help that he missed too many classes due to family drama and teenage parenthood. Right now, Chad seriously wished that he didn't miss classes to go to DC for the inauguration because he needed those days now. (That regret is mostly fueled by the fact that his mom probably got pregnant during that trip and her subsequently walking in on him and Sharpay doing certain 'things'.)
Physics oddly enough is the easiest, if he was actually rested enough to pay attention. He blames that on 2 AM feedings. It probably helped that he is reviewing all the material with Kim in between her many trips to the bathroom after class. Apparently, Ms. Bolton is one of those that experiences morning sickness later in her pregnancy. Troy so owes him for dealing with his very nauseous girlfriend and her crazy cravings. The intense teasing that Troy suffered when Chad picked him, Gabriella, and Alex up for the baby coming out party was not nearly enough. (It felt strange that Gabriella joined in on the teasing too. He assumed that was a sign that things were getting better between the two.)
Calculus was just as easy, despite sleep deprivation, because he was doing review work with several of his friends. He was also trying to help Sharpay with her economics homework (during the Twins naptime). They couldn't exactly use the same reward system as last semester because they were surrounded by babies, but they managed. Although, things were slightly better with his mom during the last few days, he doubted that he could talk her into babysitting so he and Sharpay could 'study' privately. They now have a nanny for during the school day, but everything else is there responsibility.
Organic chemistry was also going well but that is probably because he has been doing most of his studying for the class around doctors and nurses usually in the cafeteria at AMC or by Tiffany's bedside. At least they give him tips between reminiscing about how much they hated the class. Chad has discovered that hospitals (and rehabilitation centers) can be very conducive to studying. One of Tiffany's doctors, who happen to be the husband of her favorite professor, was trying to convince Chad to switch to premed. Considering the amount of research he has been doing on reproductive health issues and brain injuries, that seems slightly more interesting than computer science presently. Of course, Chad wasn't really thinking about anything beyond getting through the next few weeks or the next diaper change for that matter.
Women's studies and Intro to Acting were the difficult classes this semester and that was before parenthood. This is what Chad chooses to complain about during today's visit with Tiffany. He tried to see her at least once a week now that she was moved into the rehabilitation center. The last week he spent a lot of time here while Sharpay was auditioning the kiddies for the new play. It was quiet and the babies are with Sharpay sitting in a stroller most likely napping as she terrorized teenagers. (She doesn't believe in having kids raised by the nanny even if they have one.)
Two weeks ago, he stopped by to tell Tiffany what he remembered about the baby coming out party. During the 5 minutes, he walked out to get a soda, Kerri stopped by for a heart to heart with her cousin. Chad was going to join her before he realized that Kerri needed that time. So maybe he listened to everything from the safety of the nurses' station, it's not his fault his fiancée was rubbing off on him.
He learned several things such as the fact that Kerri's mom was never around and that Kerri broke up with Jimmy. At least it wasn't a dramatic explosion of a breakup but it was still a breakup. He was trying to make things better by letting Kerri's stay over at the condo as much as possible by essentially convincing her to move in. Although, the most important thing he learned last week was the unconscious were great listeners.
"I have no idea why I let my girlfriend talk me into taking either of those fucking classes. If my perfect GPA goes to hell, it will be her fault." Chad practically screamed at Tiffany's perfectly still body. Like Kerri, Chad actually found talking to Tiffany much more cathartic than talking to his therapist. At least Tiffany doesn't make snide comments or try to get more out of Chad by asking silly questions.
"There are many reasons why I despise Women's Studies; the number one reason involves the mystery hat of random assignments. I hate that thing. I don't know who got screwed over more for midterms me or Sharpay. Every student has to write a five page research paper on the subject pulled a randomly out of the hat of perpetual torment, relating to a major issue affecting women today. My research topic is domestic violence. Sharpay got sexual assault." Chad sped out bitterly. He honestly wonders if he can take pictures of Tiffany's body and get an easy A. It would be best if he just wrote about the whole thing instead.
"If it wasn't for the fact that Penelope got stuck with abusive relationships and Zeke ended up with cheating, I would think this was one big conspiracy on the part of my evil professor. This isn't the first time that the evil hat has done wrong in that class but this is the first time that the paper has been so involved." He then spent a few minutes talking to Tiffany about the research that he has done. He was surprised how many of the same web sites he used for information about sexual assault could be used.
He doesn't tell her about the very honest conversation that he has with his mother the day before. Using his assignment as a means to actually talk to her again, he asked her if Charles ever hit her. (He cannot even think of Charles Danforth as his father anymore. Actually, he thinks of Jack as his father but he was still furious at him.)
Apparently, Charles did a lot of nasty things to his mother during the course of their marriage but hitting her was not one of them. He cheated on her with various girls who were barely old enough to buy cigarettes but he did not hit his wife. He also refused to do anything in the house at all. Chad is not surprise by this because he was the one who kept their house in order post divorce.
That was the first real conversation he has had with his mother in close to almost a month after fainting when he heard about the pregnancy. As soon as he regained consciousness that night, Chad was furious enough to cause a shouting match at the Bolton house, though, he wasn't sure why.
The major point of irritation mentioned over and over again was 'you got my mom pregnant before you divorced Troy's mom'. He didn't say it in that whiny of a voice but Sharpay argued otherwise. Considering what he did to Taylor last year he was being a hypocrite with that point, but he didn't care.
Was he mad about losing his only child status? Technically, he is no longer an only child, but for all intensive purposes, he considered Isaac and Olivia his children. He has changed enough diapers to make that so. Maybe he's upset about that but that doesn't make sense. He was furious with his father when he found out about the Tiffany situation, but this was different. Charles got Tiffany pregnant because he was reckless. Jack and his mother were the victims of defective condoms and drug Interactions. He really can't be that upset because both parties were extremely cautious. It was not their fault that they purchased counterfeit condoms. If it was not for Sharpay's slightly damaged uterus, they would probably be just as fucked. (Chad really wants to forget about the recent visits to the specialist that confirmed that if he and Sharpay want to have biological kids there going to need fertility treatments and a miracle.)
"After a few weeks, I am still upset about the situation but I do not understand why. Sharpay has dragged me to therapy numerous times but little progress has been made." His favorite mental health professional suggested that Chad was angry because he was worried about having to share his mother's love and attention with a new baby, stepfather, and Troy. Chad does not believe her because even though he's pissed at Jack he still would rather have him as his father. Maybe he'll talk to Tiffany about it later.
"We probably could have got a change of assignment if we asked but for the first time in her life, Sharpay refuses to accept special treatment." Chad laughs at that. The fact that Sharpay was not taking advantage of being Sharpay Evans seems very strange. She has always manipulated things. Maybe Sharpay was actually growing up.
"The other hard class this semester is Intro to Acting. Even though I have been in one school play, I assume that this would be an easy class. Okay, I actually signed up for this class because Sharpay gave me a BJ. However, I actually like getting up in front of a group of people and not having to be myself. I just can't stand my acting partners and they are my friends, sometimes. I can't deal with the inner personal drama. I already have enough family drama, I don't need anything else." That was the understatement of the year.
"The midterm would not be so bad except I have to do a scene with my fiancée's ex boyfriend, the girl that he is chasing after, and the girl he completely screwed over. I am the youngest one in the room and I am the only one not being a whiny brat. I'm just glad Penelope and Zeke are mostly on speaking terms." Penelope somehow talked Zeke into helping her with the play by being her tutor regarding East High culture. Apparently, Zeke saw helping Penelope as penance. Chad was the only one who knew that Sharpay was having Penelope do most of the work on the play to help her forget about Richard's upcoming trial and testifying.
"Things with Zeke and Amanda are still as insane as ever. We cannot get through a rehearsal without extreme amounts of screaming or throwing things. Zeke is now upset that despite choosing Marc over his best friend, Amanda has decided to go out with Chris from our drama class." Chad puts his head in his hands as he told Tiffany that.
"I was honestly hoping that things would be better after Zeke stood up to Jason, but that's not happening. It does not help that Amanda is in complete run away mode, which explains her trying to date a guy that she really doesn't like." He told Tiffany about the entire baby party a couple weeks ago. Chad still could not believe that Zeke refused to bail Jason C out. Unfortunately, that meant he called Chad but that was another story. He was just sober enough at that point to ask his lawyer to take care of it the next morning. He really did not remember much about the party because everybody kept spiking his drink to prevent him from freaking out. It didn't help. Sharpay, Amanda, Kim, and several others kept giving him caffeine free coke laced with Jack Daniel's. Instead of avoiding a blowup, he ends up spilling the news about both his mothers and Kim's pregnancies. At that moment, Charles decided to crash the party. It took two security guards to get him off of Jack. Not good.
Did he mention that Mr. Evans invited several of his business associates including Mr. Kim to celebrate the social coming out of his 'grandchildren'? Chad was shocked that Troy was still talking to him after spilling everything to a very angry father. Mr. Kim waited just long enough for the police to leave before he attacked Troy for getting his little girl pregnant, again. At that point, Mr. Evans escorted Chad to one of the rooms upstairs to sleep it off.
He didn't get to because Tiffany's mom showed up with her lawyers. For reasons unknown, she was suing for custody of the babies. His mom managed to secure an emergency ruling to keep the babies with him and Sharpay but there would be another hearing right after spring break was over. They were currently in battle mode preparing for an extreme custody fight. All the time with the lawyers was another reason why Chad was worried about having enough time to study this semester. He really didn't need another thing to distract him.
Actually maybe the drama with Zeke and Amanda was a good thing. It gave him something to laugh at.
"The entire fiasco reminded me of when Sharpay tried to date someone else last September because she was trying not to think about the feelings that were starting to develop between the two of us. Amanda's date Friday was a complete disaster. Though Amanda refuses to admit that she talked about Zeke the entire date. I know she did. Chris told me. Her date ended the exact same way but Amanda will not tell anyone that, especially Zeke. I only know because she called me to pick her up." He said with another sigh.
"Do you think people can change?" Chad asked Tiffany from nowhere.
"I know Sharpay is not the person that I thought she was in high school but I think that has more to do it with the fact that the person I saw in high school was not real. I know that Amanda likes Zeke and I know that he likes her too. I'm worried that he is going to do what he did last time. Amanda is my friend and I don't want to see her get hurt. Charles never changed. If he did, you probably wouldn't be in a coma right now." He joked but it fell flat.
"Penelope and I are so tired of the fighting between the two, that we are considering doing another scene just to force the two to kiss and makeup literally. The thing is, I don't know if I want to encourage the relationship. I don't want to see my friends get hurt. Honestly, I just want the games to end." Chad said with a roll of his eyes.
"You probably don't want to hear more about the stupid things people do in college. I could read you a chapter from my organic chemistry book but you probably already heard all the information. I went through a lot of your old textbooks the other day when I helped pack up your stuff. We decided it was better to move everything over to the condo since we have more room."
Actually, the real reason why they packed everything out was it was unanimously decided after what Chad over heard last week that Kerri would move in with him and Sharpay for a little while. Of course, no one knew why Chad was so insistent on it.
"Even though I have lots of classes to study for, I have been flipping through your books. I find a lot of the premed stuff interesting, although I never really thought about it before. I have to meet with my adviser to discuss classes for next semester soon. I'm not even sure I'm going to be at this school next semester. It probably will be better if we stick around for a little while."
The custody issues may make it all a moot point. They may be stuck here for a while if the judge orders it. If it means keeping Olivier and Isaac safe, Chad would be willing to give up his Ivy League education.
"Actually, I'm not even sure what I'm going to be majoring in next semester." He told Tiffany honestly.
"The only reason why I started out in computer science was I like video games and computer classes seemed easy. I made that decision at a time when I hated myself for being smart. I don't feel that way now Steve Jobs is my secret idol. I want to create the next big thing I'm just not sure what that will be." He said with a half smile. Chad enjoyed being known for his mental skills now. He didn't feel shame anymore about being gifted. Some of the coolest people in the world were nerds. Life would be miserable without Facebook, Windows, and the iPod.
"I have recently discovered that I like science beyond computers. I like doing research and discovering things. Medical research is interesting, although, I don't think I want to be a doctor. That is more your thing." He said almost sadly knowing that her dream of becoming a doctor probably wasn't going to happen now if she ever woke up.
"I guess I should probably mention this to my advisor." He said quickly before deciding to change the subject. If Tiffany could really hear him, he doubted she wanted to hear him whine about what he should change his major to.
"My academic life is completely insane but things at home are good." Chad said redirecting the conversation. "Sharpay and I have successfully 'christened' every room in the apartment." Chad said smirking. "Sex is much more fun in the shower when it's actually your shower and you don't have to worry about your best friend's girlfriend walking in on you." Chad joked remembering a particular humiliating answer that involving Kim walking in on them because she needed to pee.
"Things with mom are to a complicated as I mentioned earlier. I know your cousin told you that I'm getting a new brother sister next fall thanks to a couple of morons who decided to make a quick buck with counterfeit condoms. Seriously what type of person makes counterfeit condoms?" Chad angrily asked his unconscious—actually Chad wasn't sure what Tiffany was to him. She was family that was for sure. Beyond that, it was complicated.
"I have this feeling that those defective condoms were probably what Charles got last April. I have not seen the bastard formally known as my father since the party. That was weeks ago. That would be a good thing except he missed his next hearing last week. I have no idea how he even made bail again. As long as he stays the hell out of Albuquerque, I really don't care where he is." Chad said with pure venom.
"Anyway back to the new baby." Chad said as he took a deep breath to calm himself down and push all thoughts of the sperm donor out of his mind. "I will admit that I'm not happy. You heard about what happened at the baby party and the fainting. At least, I'm not anywhere near as insane as Lucy with my reaction. She is sending my mom death threats despite the restraining order. She's back in jail for the moment that everyone, especially Sharpay's father is being paranoid about the whole situation. Currently we all have bodyguards following us around. My bodyguard's name is Jose; he is sitting outside with the nurses." Personally, he didn't want such protection but Sharpay, Kim, Mr. Evans and his mom of overruled him. Everyone was worried about Charles and Lucy doing something stupid.
"I realize that there are some good parts to my mom being pregnant. Olivia and Isaac will have a playmate. Sharpay will have another baby to spoil rotten. She loves shopping for baby things little too much. Considering there is a good chance we will never get to do that without the use of a gestational carrier or in Vitro, its best for me to let her get it out of her system now. Sharpay is a little depressed about the fact that she has 'uterus issues' and planning for the babies my mom and Kim are carrying is the only thing that is cheering her up." That was an understatement but he and Sharpay have agreed not to address the fertility issues until they actually wanted to start having a family.
"Despite the good stuff I'm not happy. Okay, I fainted from the shock and according to Sharpay I am behaving worse than Alex. He doesn't know about the new baby yet but Sharpay's sure that he will react better than I am. My fiancé and my therapists believe I'm angry about the whole thing because I don't want to share my mom's attention way of other people." Okay so maybe in the past he freaked out every time Troy paid more attention to someone else, but he was getting better. He's not jealous of Kim the way he was jealous of Gabriella.
"That is so not true. I mean when I was little I have this fantasy of my mom running away with her best friend to start a new family. Even subconsciously, I've always known that my mom and Jack had a connection that they did not have with their respective spouses. Although, I wanted that to happen mostly because I really did want Troy to be my brother and even then I knew Lucy was a bad person." Chad paused for a moment deciding how to break into the next part of the conversation.
"My happy family fantasy did not include kids closer in age to my children than me. Of course, as you know biological children may not be in the cards. That is okay because I have learned from Charles that blood means nothing. I really do love Olivier and Isaac and not just because they are my biological brother and sister. Do not take this as a sign that I don't want you to wake up because I really do, but I'm starting to think of Olivia and Isaac as mine. If you don't wake up, just know that there are two people in the world that love your babies more than anything else." Chad said as he wrapped his fingers around Tiffany's to give her hand a squeeze.
"I will fight with every fiber in my being to keep them safe from everything including your mom or I guess I should say stepmom." Chad said with shaky breath as he proceeded to give Tiffany an update on the very complicated custody situation.
Caroline Sanchez soon to be Bolton knew the law. Her father was a cop and her mother was a paralegal. Caroline spent a decade as a lawyer in addition to her time as a paralegal and a social worker. Her two areas of specialty are civil rights and family law. Most lawyers didn't have two specializations but most lawyers didn't have her life.
Both specializations came in handy in the last month. Helping to improve diversity practices at Evans worldwide between bouts of nausea was definitely helped by her time in DC working at the nonprofit. Her background in that area was how she got the job in the first place (nepotism aside).
She was originally planning to keep her pregnancy quiet for the first few months until things were more stable and Lucy signed the damn papers. (Being pregnant by a technically married man would give her subordinates many reasons to disrespect her.) She knew she couldn't be fired for being pregnant; it was just her irrational fear taking over again.
Unfortunately, her son was dating her boss' daughter and it was always harder to keep secrets from family. She blames herself for suggesting that Jack give Chad alcohol laced Coca-Cola to get him to mellow out at the baby shower for Olivia and Isaac. She was hoping to avoid the screaming that occurred after Chad regained consciousness the night he found out about the pregnancy. Instead, the alcohol probably resulted in such an encounter because unlike his father Chad has a low alcohol tolerance. Unfortunately, Vince and half the board of directors were present for the entire thing including Mr. Kim. Really she couldn't be angry at Chad because Vince probably would've found out eventually by other means, like crazy Lucy crashing the party an hour later or Jack and Troy's colorful arguing.
Actually, Mr. Evans was okay with the entire thing. He even mentioned that the company was considering allowing new mothers and fathers to bring their children to work for the first 18 months after hearing how cost effective it was for another company. Okay, Vince is really happy that Sharpay was not the one that was pregnant. He may treat Olivia and Isaac like his grandkids but that doesn't mean he actually wants biological grandkids any time soon, even if it is highly unlikely that he will live long enough to see them. (Vince has no idea that said grandchildren will most likely have to come from Ryan. Caroline does not think it is her place to tell him. Sharpay will tell her father when she is ready.)
Caroline's background in family law was coming into play mostly in her personal life. Fortunately, for both Jack and Vince Evans she knew every good divorce attorney license to practice in the state of New Mexico. Both men needed it. She wasn't sure who had the crazier future ex-wife, Lucy who follows her across the country and sends out thinly veiled death threats or Darby who has psychologically tortured her children by any means necessary.
If there is one thing Caroline knows it is abuse and she easily recognizes it in Sharpay Evans. It was obvious by the way the young girl pushed everyone away. Caroline never believed Sharpay's excuses for constantly being covered in cuts and bruises. There is also the fact that when Darby's bother shows up for parent teacher meeting, she always looked at her a daughter with pure disdain when she assumes no one was looking.
Compared to everything else, the situation with Lucy was surprisingly simple. After showing up to the baby party and threatening to kick Caroline in the stomach until she had a miscarriage, in front of two lawyers and a judge, her bail was promptly revoked. Lucy's lawyers were trying to reverse that decision, claiming that the incident was triggered by Lucy being off her medication. Apparently, what Jack thought was Lucy's daily vitamin was really a cocktail of various anti depressants and anti psychotics that Lucy has been taking since her college days. Jack had no idea.
Because of threatening violence, along with other dangerous behavior, Jack could now divorce Lucy even though she refuses to sign the papers. With any luck, Jack will be free of Lucy before Caroline goes into labor. She really hopes so. Her mom was not happy about the situation at all and the divorce may pacify her. Actually, Mr. Kim was handling Kim's pregnancy better her mother was handling her pregnancy .
The situation with the soon to be former Mrs. Evans was much worse. Darby was currently sleeping her way through every 20 to 30 year old in the state as she spread vicious lies about her family to anyone that will listen. Even though Vincent could easily make public the fact that Darby beat the hell out of her daughter for years, he wouldn't do it for Sharpay's sake even if the allegations were already showing up from time to time. Apparently, others besides Caroline were suspicious that Sharpay was being abused when she was a child.
The real point of contention in Evans vs. Evans, was the trust fund for Sharpay and Ryan. Even without the shares of the Evans Corporation the fund was worth $34,670,000. Despite being offered half of his stock in the company and the country club, Darby refuses to relinquish control over the fund. Under normal circumstances, this wouldn't be a problem barring some unexpected catastrophe such as getting run over by a car during his morning jog.
Unfortunately, these are not the usual circumstances because Vince Evans was dying; stage three, heart failure. The stress of finding out that your wife of over two decades was sleeping around with half the city along with terrorizing your two children was not doing him any favors. To keep investors from panicking, the precarious state of his health was a closely guarded secret only known to three people outside of his medical team.
The move of operations to New York was just a cover so it would be easier for him to receive necessary medical treatment. Being sick was the real reason he stepped down from the Board of Governors at A of U. The stress was too much for him. The incident with Chad and the NCAA was a good excuse for leaving that no one would question. Vince was also using Sharpay having custody of Olivia and Isaac as an explanation of why he was spending less time at work. The truth was things have progressed to the point where Vince is a candidate for a heart transplant.
Neither Sharpay nor Ryan really knew what was going on. Mr. Kim who was being groomed as Vince's successor has known from the beginning. Caroline was the third person who was brought into his confidence mere weeks ago after she accepted the job offer. She was suspicious before then because she picked up on signs such as how eagerly Vince was willing to go with her plans to make sure Chad and Sharpay were ready for the real world. He was putting things in order such as buying Sharpay a condo and Ryan a townhouse. Even her hiring was part of his preparations for the future. All of this was an obvious sign that he was sure he would not be here much longer.
Unfortunately, Darby was the third person that knew how sick her soon to be former husband really was. That is why she was holding on so hard to her control of the trust. Caroline knows that the woman would make both her children miserable as soon as she had the chance. That could be the only logical explanation as to why Darby was helping Tiffany's moms legal team with trying to get custody of Olivia and Isaac. She knew that Sharpay losing her children would hurt her more than anything else.
According to Vince, Darby and the former Mrs. Jackson were old country club friends. According to the private investigator, Darby was feeding the other legal team anything that could be used against Chad and Sharpay. The possible instability of Sharpay's finances and Mr. Evans' health would most likely be brought up at the hearing in April.
It wasn't like the other side needed help to sway the courts in their favor; the fact that Chad was 18 and Sharpay was 19 would make things difficult enough. Caroline was sure the fact that they were not married but merely cohabitating together will be mentioned and will be damning to the case.
She was extremely thankful that both she and Vanessa successfully talked Tiffany into a durable power of attorney and having official custody papers drawn up for Chad and Sharpay. At least Tiffany's mother or aunt couldn't pull the plug. Those custody papers were probably what kept the woman from receiving emergency custody of the twins in the first place.
Even though her son was still mad at her for reasons unknown, Caroline was going to make sure that he wouldn't lose custody of Olivia and Isaac without a fight. She promised Sharpay that. This is why she and Sharpay's father were currently in a meeting with the best child custody lawyer in the state, Caroline's old professor Marisol Vasquez. She also just became the fourth person to know how ill Vince really was.
"I'm not going to lie to you, this woman and her lawyers are vicious. I am pretty sure rumors about the real reason why Vince resigned from A of U will be part of her campaign to get her grandkids. She's probably going to use your precarious situation with Mr. Bolton as well." Marisol said bluntly.
"What do you mean by that?" Caroline questioned.
"Her lawyers will attack everybody's character including yours Caroline. They're going to try to make you look unfit. You're the one helping Chad and Sharpay the most." That was still true despite the uneasiness over the last month. Things were getting slightly better but her relationship with Chad was not what it was. She didn't mention that as Marisol continued. "Other than the fact that you're pregnant by a guy who is still technically married, you have someone actively trying to kill you. Things like that will make the judge weary."
"She's currently in jail without bail." Caroline responded.
"That can change." Marisol pointed out a truth she did not want to knowledge.
"That is why I hired bodyguards for Chad and Sharpay, as well as, Caroline." Mr. Evans shot back. "What can we do to increase the likelihood that Chad and Sharpay can retain custody of Olivia and Isaac?" Vince asked finally getting to the true purpose of this meeting.
"One would be proving why Tiffany did not want her adopted mother to have custody of her children. Were there any allegations of abuse or neglect?" Marisol asked.
"Her Cousin Kerri hinted at their being some problems with their relationship but mentioned nothing specific to me. When she talked to me and Vanessa Kim about granting custody of the children to Chad and Sharpay, in the event of her incapacitation, she was adamant about her adopted mother not being allowed anywhere near her children. She never explained why." Caroline mentioned.
"We will have to interview the family anyway. That is something we can add to the list of questions. Is there anything else?" Marisol inquired.
"Maybe the diary?" Caroline wondered aloud thinking of Tiffany's possessions that are now being stored at Sharpay's house.
"What diary?" Marisol asked was slight puzzlement.
"It was with the things of Tiffany's that Chad and Sharpay brought over to the condo. Actually, it's a collection of multiple diaries that looks like it dates back to when Tiffany was in elementary school. I didn't read what was in there but it's possible that something could be there." It was the closest they had to Tiffany's own thoughts on the situation.
"They will have to be authenticated but it might be usable considering the circumstances." Marisol said musing to herself."The most important thing we have to prove is that Chad and Sharpay can provide a stable home environment. You told me that they hired a nanny."
"She was Sharpay and Ryan's nanny until she got pregnant with her son Jimmy." Mr. Evans supplied.
"Are they going to consider outside help a good or bad thing?" Caroline asked seeing the circumstances could be used both ways before.
"It depends on the judge but, it should be seen as favorable. Both Chad and Sharpay are full-time students and I am sure the other side would be hiring help as well." Caroline wanted to snicker at that. She does not see Tiffany's mom as the type a woman who would change diapers.
"Chad and Sharpay have a good home field with everything the children need. I have been to the condo myself and considering they're two college students with Twins, I am surprised I can get through without tripping over toys or dirty diapers. Anybody that spends 5 minutes with the two, know that they love those babies very much. Age may not be too much of a problem because I'm sure the other side would be afraid that we would make it a problem because we can turn it around. Some may argue that a 19 year old is better suited to take care of small children then a woman in her fifties. Honestly, the biggest problem is going to be the fact that Chad and Sharpay are not married." Marisol said roughly.
"You have got to be kidding." Caroline mumbled under her breath. "It's 2009, the definition of family is changing."
"This is a red state. Traditional marriage is still a big deal. I mean they are already engaged, would it really be that difficult to go through the legal motions now? They could still have the big wedding later, if that is the only reason why there waiting. Being married would definitely help their chances of retaining custody." From a legal perspective, Caroline knew that what Marisol said was true but it still made her angry. Vince response was to laugh.
"They are not waiting for the sake of a big wedding." Vince said between laughs. "If Sharpay had her way, they would have flown off to Vegas the moment Chad was legal. She doesn't really care about the large wedding."
"Then why are they still waiting? I mean we wouldn't even have to worry about the trust fund problem that you told me about if they were married. Sharpay would become sole trustee upon your death until Ryan was of age. That would seriously make things a lot easier." Vince's response to Marisol's question was to point at Caroline.
"What? I just didn't want them to rush into things." She said defensively.
"I think it's a little too late for that. They're raising kids together and nothing ties you together more than children. If they are only waiting because you're not ready to give your little boy away then you need to get over it." With that her former professor excused herself for another appointment.
"You think she's right?" Caroline asked her boss and her son's future father in law."
"Perhaps, if it was just infatuation Chad and Sharpay would have parted from each other long ago. Instead, their relationship has become stronger." She knew he had a point.
"They are so young." Caroline whispered to herself.
"I was 31 when I married Darby, yet we are still divorcing. Age does not always make for wise decisions." She laughed at that. Wasn't that the truth? She still ended up accidentally pregnant again almost 19 years after it happened the first time, again due to defective condoms. At least this time it was by a better person.
"You may have a point there." She said grudgingly as she took one last drink of her ginger ale. It was one of the few things that came out of the 'morning' sickness.
"Honestly, I just want to walk Sharpay down the aisle. If it doesn't happen soon, it's not going to happen." He said not looking at her.
"You don't know that." Caroline said emphatically.
"I don't have much time left. It would be easier to leave everything behind if I knew that Ryan and Sharpay would be okay." There was something unspoken in his words. It was more than a typical worry that most parents had.
"When are you going to tell Ryan and Sharpay?" Caroline questions.
"This summer, I want both of them to just get through this year." Vince said picking up his briefcase. I have a 4:00 PM to get to." He said as an excuse to leave.
"Go on. I already think of Sharpay as my daughter. I promise to look after her, Ryan to for that matter." She said and reassurance.
"Thank you."
The moment was broken by Caroline making a dash for the executive washroom. Apparently, the new baby enjoyed making her be sick at the worst times. Although, being ill gave her time to think about what was said. Was she being selfish or overly cautious? Chad and Sharpay were not her and Charles. They were not rushing into this blindly. Chad appreciated Sharpay not just for who she was presently but everything she could become. They have the type of relationship that would evolve overtime. They challenged each other to be more and try new things. Caroline sincerely doubted that Sharpay would be taking writing classes this semester without Chad's influence. Caroline knew there was genuine talent there after listening to the original bedtime stories that Sharpay tells to Alex and the twins whenever she gets a chance.
Caroline also knew that Sharpay was the one that got Chad to accept his intelligence in a way Caroline never could. Sharpay was also slowly trying to get Chad and Caroline to repair the rift between mother and son that occurred because of the pregnancy. She was sure Sharpay was the one that suggested Chad talk to her for his report on domestic violence. It was an opening that she would gladly take.
Maybe she was afraid that once Sharpay became Chad's wife there would not be a place for Caroline in his life anymore. She knew from personal experience that her own relationship with her parents deteriorated after her marriage to Charles. That was probably more due in part to the fact that they forced her to marry Charles in the first place.
After her new assistant brought her ginger ale and mouthwash, Caroline decided it was best to leave for the day. She didn't have any other appointments because she had no idea how long the consultation with the lawyer would actually take. She thought about going to see Jack but he was busy after school at A of U trying to provide the adult supervision for A Very High School Musical. He sent her a picture of Sharpay on stage with both babies strapped to her as she provided stage instructions. That reminded her of a scene from the film ThreeMenandaBaby. Unlike herself, having children young wasn't going to stop Sharpay from becoming the person she wanted to be.
After 30 minutes of driving and a quick stop to throw up and get more ginger ale, Caroline found herself in the parking lot of the Albuquerque rehabilitation center. Visiting Tiffany always made her feel a combination of guilt and sadness. Instead of running away after catching her husband screwing an extremely young Tiffany, she should have pulled the young girl aside and tell her about the type of man Charles really was. Maybe then, a 21 year old wouldn't be lying comatose in a rehab center with little hope of ever regaining consciousness. The only good thing to come out of the situation was she had grand babies to spoil.
Caroline was not sure why she came here except maybe to talk to one of the people responsible for the decision that she needed to make now. She knew Tiffany could not respond but she always felt better are after talking to her. It always made the guilt less overwhelming.
She knew that her original plan would not happen as soon as Caroline saw Jose, Chad's bodyguard, sitting at the nurse's station drinking a cup of coffee. She didn't interrupt Chad's conversation with Tiffany. At least she now understood why things had been so tense between the two the last few weeks even if Chad was still in denial about that being the case. She should have known better because this was exactly how Chad behaved every time Troy got a brand new friend or a girlfriend. Maybe it was because she missed the worst of it last year when Chad had freaked out over Troy going to Berkeley, but she should have realized what was happening immediately. Chad was afraid of being left behind so he pushed everyone away before they could do the same to him. It was a defense mechanism that her son developed long ago. She is surprised that she didn't figure it out earlier.
Chad was worried that with a new baby and husband in the works she wouldn't have time for him. That was completely ridiculous, except maybe that was her fear too. She was afraid that if Chad created a new life with Sharpay he would not have time for her. Considering how many times he called her about baby related questions in the last month, even though he was supposedly mad at her, should prove to both that was not going to happen.
Caroline made her presence known after Chad told Tiffany about the most recent developments and the custody situation. That was the first time she knew how terrified Chad really was of losing Olivier and Isaac. That was when she knew she had to let Chad and Sharpay do everything possible to keep the babies.
"I didn't think you would be here." Caroline said alerting Chad to her presence.
"I could say the same for you." Chad said not looking back.
"I thought I would check on Tiffany. I didn't have any more meetings this afternoon and Jack is going to be busy with high school thespians until at least seven." She said sitting in one of the comfy couches that Sharpay added to the room.
"Zeke told me that Jack is running the rehearsals like basketball practice. I feel sorry for everyone." Chad said with a laugh.
"Everyone?" she asked with one eyebrow raised.
"Maybe not the students from West Side."
"Of course not." Things became silent again after that, only the sounds of hospital equipment could be heard. She started to feel queasy again and took a few crackers out of her purse to munch on.
"Are you having problems with morning sickness?" He asked thoughtfully. "Why do they call it morning sickness when it happens at any time? Kim ruined another pair of my shoes yesterday evening when I was helping her with her physics homework." Caroline was well aware that Kim was getting sick at all times of the day. After father and son finally stopped yelling at each other it was decided that for the rest of this semester Kim and Alex would be staying in the guest room when Troy was not in town. Troy did not want his pregnant girlfriend home alone even if his father lived next door.
"Fortunately, your brother and sister have not been responsible for ruining anyone shoes yet." She joked.
"That's good." Chad said with hands crossed over his chest.
"Just because I'm having another kid doesn't mean I love you less. You're going to be my baby even when you're married and raising your own kids even if that happens to be sometime this summer or 50 years from now." She said bluntly.
"You mean that? Wait, why did you say that? How long were you outside?" Chad asked putting his intellect to good use.
"For a little while. I came here mostly to think. But at least I finally understand why you have been so angry even if you do not believe that is the reason. You are worried that you are going to have to compete for my attention against a new baby, stepbrother and stepfather." She said walking back over to Chad.
"Maybe," he said with half a shrug. That was Chad for 'yes'.
"You shouldn't be. You do realize how ridiculous that sounds?" She asked.
"Maybe." Chad said with another shrug.
"I am always going to be there for you. Come on, we can stop for ice cream. I wonder if I can get them to fold in pickles at Cold Stone?" She said as a peace offering. Chad rarely turned down food.
"No, Tiffany asked back in December. I thought I was done with crazy pregnancy cravings for a while." Chad said with a groan. "We should go next door instead for their Heath Bar cookie." Chad said knowing that was her favorite cookie and candy bar for that matter. That was also his way of apologizing for the way he has acted for the last few weeks.
"Maybe we should check out their wedding cakes too?" She suggested as a hint.
"I may be starting to warm up to the idea of sharing a half sibling with Troy a little sooner than anticipated but I'm not ready to help you plan your wedding to Jack any time soon." Chad said a little shattered.
"I meant for you and Sharpay." She said sighing.
"Let me guess, Marisol talk to you. She mentioned that we would have a better chance if we were already married before the hearing. Is that why you changed your mind?" Chad said without revealing his emotions.
"That was not why I changed my mind. You are an adult now. As much as I want to protect you from all the bad things in the world I can't. No matter what, I will always be your mom. Just like you will always be my child. I had to remind myself of that." She said with a smile.
"So basically I need to go tell Sharpay that on top of everything else we are planning a wedding to take place as soon as possible." He suddenly had this mysterious smirk on his face.
"Pretty much." She said with a sigh.
"My fiancé has always enjoyed a challenge." He said smiling.
To be continued.
Up next, a very Chad and Sharpay wedding or at least the beginning of it. All suggestions for the wedding of the century will be considered. I also need a wedding song. The one I want to use is This Is Us by the Backstreet Boys but the song came out about five months after the chapter takes place. Therefore, I can't use that even if it is completely perfect for the couple. Anything written prior to March 2009 will be considered.