A Different Path

by: skyz

Disclaimer: I don't own Chad or Sharpay. Or even High School Musical 1&2. Don't sue, please.

"This damn team will be the death of me!"

Chad Danforth laughed shaking his head as he slid a bottle of beer to a waiting customer.

"'Cept Bert this team isn't that old. It's practically a baby. Besides it's an expansion team so it's almost like it doesn't count. Remember the Bobcat's of Charlotte? Didn't count until they made the playoffs."

Bert glared at the large TV screen above him as if by his anger alone the New Mexico Rattlers would emerge from half time a completely different team.

"Shame you couldn't be out there showin' 'em how it's done," Bert mused taking a sip from his Bourbon.

Chad shrugged as he turned slightly to take another order.

"Well they don't need me. They need a miracle," Chad muttered turning fully away to grab a bottle and a shot glass.

"That's the truth. A miracle. That coach isn't worth the money they're spendin' on him. That's for sure. Oughta go in on a hometown boy. Try and get Troy Bolton to come back home to coach. He'd come. I know it."

Chad turned back to Bert with a chuckle.

"That'd be nice wouldn't it? But we don't have the money to offer Troy, now do we? The team is growing and learning as they go and it's going to be uphill."

Bert nodded enthusiastically well onto his way to being sloshed.

Glancing at his watch Chad reached out and swiped Bert's empty glass.

"It's twelve already, Bert. You gotta get up early, remember? I'll call you a cab, huh?"

Not waiting for Bert to reply he turned and snagged the cordless and ordered a Yellow Cab. Idly his eyes swept the dwindling crowd.

It had been a busy night starting out. With the new NBA team downtown Albuquerque had been revitalized. And being a home town star of sorts his bar had benefited quite a bit. So most game days his bar was packed and when the team eventually started losing people trickled in and out.

But overall the night had been a success. Mostly now the place was filled with his regulars, like Bert, and they usually stayed until last call.

His waitress Sandy settled down onto an empty bar stool and waved him over.

"Bert it'll be ten minutes," he told Bert who nodded before going back to glaring at the TV.

"What's up?" he asked Sandy as he reached her.

"Wondering if I can get out of here early, boss? I've got my Economics paper to get to."

"That's what slacking off gets you, Sandy. Waiting until the last minute, tsk, tsk," he murmured with a sly grin.

"Like you were any better," she said mockingly.

He gave a sheepish grin.

"True. Sure. We're good here. I'll see you tomorrow."

Grinning, Sandy hopped off the stool.

"And look you won't be lacking for eye candy," Sandy said jerking her head towards the just opened door.

He turned to look but was called back down the bar.

"Get outta here, slacker," he told her as he went back to work.

He watched the woman enter from the corner of his eye as he passed a customer a shot of tequila. Once done he turned his attention to her fully. Admiring the snug fit of her jeans and the way her plain black t-shirt accentuated all the right places.

His staring was completely blatant but he couldn't help it.

She took a seat at the end of the bar and he made his way over to her.

In a time old tradition he wiped the bar with a blue towel waiting for her to order. Watching her all the while.

Her blonde locks were swept back into a haphazard bun at the back of her head. Leaving her almost delicate face open to perusal. Her eyes were wide and brown and outlined in kohl. He noticed also that her face was almost bare of make up.

He thought she looked gorgeous.

He polished the same spot again and again. Just when he was about to open his mouth, she spoke.

"Bud Light," she requested.

Haughty would be what he'd describe her voice as. No doubt one of those women who'd grown up with the proverbial silver spoon hanging from their mouths.

"Living dangerously?" he couldn't help the sarcastic tone. He'd expected her to order the house Chardonnay. And by house he was being kind. He kept a few bottles in the back and they were rarely opened. He didn't run a place where people came to drink wine.

She gave him an eloquent look that seemed to say many things and absolutely nothing.

She smiled slightly.

"Absolutely," she said tilting her head to the side slightly and studying him.

"Way to live on the edge," he muttered laughing a little under his breath. "Give me a sec," he told her and headed for the back.

He could feel her eyes on him all the way into storage area.

He pulled open the freezer door and grabbed the glass he'd placed there an hour or so ago and headed back out front.

"What service," she said with a smirk as he placed the frosted glass in front of her and poured her Bud Light.

"Only the best for you."

He leaned across the bar resting his weight on his forearms as he watched her take a careful sip.

"Small crowd," she observed glancing around.

"Now it is. We're losing pretty bad. People gotta get up and go to work tomorrow. Just imagine when we start winning. I'll never be free of this place."

"I'm sure your wife certainly wouldn't stand for that."

He shrugged grinning.

"I'm sure I could persuade her that the benefits out weigh the bad. Don't you think so?"

Her laugh was just throaty enough to drive him to distraction. He edged a little bit further across the bar.

"Your skills of persuasion are that good then?"

"Want a demonstration?" he asked, his voice lowering.

She leaned forward her nose brushing against his as the space between their lips rapidly decreased. He could feel the warmth of her breath ghost across his throat.

"See now what I'm sure you have in mind would be quite the show for your patrons. And I'm sure you'd enjoy it but I leave the acting for the stage. That fellow wants a drink."

She leaned back and turned away.

Sighing he glanced around finding a customer leaning up against the bar with an impatient look.

He walked down the bar.

"Sorry 'bout that. The wife was busting my chops."

The man smiled in commiseration.

"Why do you think I'm here? Nag, nag, nag."

"I heard that," Sharpay Evans-Danforth called out. "I don't nag though. I advise don't I, Chad?"

"She's the best. Not a nagging bone in her," Chad said quickly.

"I get it," the man said in a near whisper as he accepted his Miller Lite.

"So now I'm a nag?" Sharpay asked as he returned to her.

"Not my words, babe. I expected you a little sooner. Something come up?" he asked while leaning forward across the bar again.

Sharpay sighed a little and then laughed.

"I should have expected it but Aiden wanted story after story read to him. And he woke Ben up who wanted Ry to read to him, so we all stayed up together. They didn't go down for good until after ten. Then I had to do that paperwork that I should have done yesterday, but someone distracted me."

"Don't act like you didn't like my distraction. I was there remember?" He teased gently as he finally reached out and let his fingertips brush against her cheek.

She smiled warmly back at him and he marveled once again how different his life was. He had never imagined that the life he led now would make him happy, but he was happy, more than happy with everything in his life.

Their moment was broken by someone calling out that Bert's cab was outside. Chad escorted Bert outside and gave the cabbie directions.

Stepping back into the dimness of the bar he couldn't help but think back to the awkward meeting years ago that had brought him to this point.

With a busted ankle and already retired at the age of twenty-nine Chad Danforth found himself back home in Albuquerque with lots of time on his hands. Lots of time and more than enough money to cause trouble.

If he'd been younger he wouldn't have bothered to come back here. He would have gladly spent his days and nights partying around the world. Living the life he'd always dreamed of. However he was almost thirty and that held little appeal to him.

His mother was of the opinion that he was ready to settle down and was looking for a wife. She was wrong of course and he'd told her that often enough that he thought she'd been coming around to his way of thinking. He'd been wrong on that count because just last week she'd set him up on a blind date.

The fact was he felt ready to put down some roots and though he'd spent the last five years in Miami playing ball down there, it wasn't what he considered home. It seemed Albuquerque was it for him and so he'd bought a house and had been trying to fill his time.

Which had brought him to Books and Nooks where he was currently scanning the do-it-yourself section for home improvement. His house needed renovations and he wasn't opposed to doing a little manual labor. But there were so many books and none were jumping out at him.

With a frustrated growl he grabbed a couple of books and turned away while glancing around for the check out counter.

While the Book and Nooks was small in comparison to a Barnes and Noble it was big enough that he managed to get a bit turned around. It didn't help that people were stopping him to chat and for autographs.

He didn't normally mind the attention but he wasn't in the best of moods with his mother's interference in his life. Not to mention the headache his newest purchase was causing him.

Lost in his thoughts he almost slammed right into Sharpay Evans moving too fast in the too narrow aisle.

He rocked back on his heels and stopped a few inches from her.

"Whoa. Sorry about that," he muttered reaching out to clasp her elbow and steady her.

He watched her frown at him and immediately dropped his hand back to his side. He cleared his throat feeling uncomfortable as she stared at him.

"Chad Danforth," she said at last, recognition dawning in her eyes.

He smiled a little.

"Sharpay Evans."

He couldn't help but study her. Trying to see the changes if any that had befallen her. But from the frosty look she was giving him he figured she hadn't changed that much.

She was still blonde. Still had a haughty attitude. Still seemed to have that ice princess mentality.

He got all this from her look and he knew he probably wasn't being fair judging her like this, but he couldn't imagine she'd changed all that much.

"That would be me. Well..." Sharpay glanced away at last and he relaxed slightly. She made to move by him but stubbornly he didn't move.

He wasn't even sure why he didn't move. His legs just didn't move.

"I...uh heard about your dad. I'm sorry," he told her sincerely. Watching her to see if he shouldn't have said it. Comforting was not in his forte.

But true to form Sharpay's detached expression didn't change.

She nodded silently holding his gaze for a brief moment before she lowered her eyes.

"So, have you turned into Mr. Carpenter?" she asked with polite curiosity.

He frowned in confusion.

She indicated the books in his hands.

"Oh! No. Well, yeah I guess. I just bought a house on the West Side and I think that I can do some of the renovating myself. We'll see," he managed a twist of a smile.

"I heard you bought a building on Central. What are you going to do with the building?"

"I'm thinkin' maybe a bar or something. I've been in enough of them. Come around sometime. Get yourself some free drinks," he found himself blurting out.

She looked dubious at the offer.

"Sure," sincerity was lacking as she said the word.

She shifted looking at last as uncomfortable as he felt.

Awkwardly they parted ways.

Suddenly he called out to her retreating back.

"Uh…Sharpay! You look...really good!"

And it was the truth. She looked good wearing dark blue jeans and a white button down oxford shirt, her hair falling in slight waves around her face. Stylishly preppy, he thought but it suited her.

What didn't suit her were the dark circles under eyes and the slight slump to her shoulders.

She glanced back with a startled look pausing mid-step.

"Th…thanks. You too."

He grinned at her and to his surprise she smiled back.

He hadn't seriously expected her to stop in for drinks but when she'd shown up a few weeks later he'd been pleasantly pleased. The bar was in the process of being renovated and Sharpay had been forced to wear a hard hat. She managed to look cool and collected, even cute.

She asked him to lunch looking more uncertain than he had ever remembered seeing her. Not that he'd spent much time studying her in high school. He accepted because he wasn't sure why he shouldn't.

Their lunch turned into dinner and then a night cap. And he didn't think it was such a bad idea to ask her out for the next night. And it wasn't as shocking as he thought it would be when the second date led into the third and so on.

What had been surprising had been the realization that he was in love with her. The girl who'd spent most of highschool chasing after his best friend and someone he hadn't much liked.

She was still dramatic and could be as cool as a sub-zero freezer at times when the mood struck her, but he'd found the depth he'd overlooked in high school. He learned her likes and dislikes. He learned how much she loved her brother although in school that had seemed debatable. He saw how her father's death affected her and the weight that it had put on her shoulders while helping her mother and taking care of the family businesses'. He had come to hate seeing how much she missed New York City and Broadway.

Oddly enough it wasn't just her he was learning about. He was learning more about himself the more time he spent with her. The way she made him feel was something he was not used to but he found he liked it.

At some point he had expected it to end. Some big misunderstanding would erupt and an argument would be had, and they'd be gone from each other's lives. Except it didn't happen. They argued because they were so much alike and it led to their wonderful make ups.

Of course for pride's sake they didn't say the L word for a whole year. Neither would bend.

She auditioned for a role back in New York and got it. They became a bi-coastal couple with all the trials and tribulations that entailed. Two years in and they'd settled into a sort of routine with a lot of frequent flyer miles. Two years in he figured his life was actually pretty damn decent. Two years in and Sharpay decided she didn't want to do bi-coastal any more. Ultimatum time, right? No. His bar was doing well and he had a manager that he trusted, so he decided it wouldn't be too much trouble to move to Manhattan. Or rather move in with Sharpay in Manhattan. In a city like that he knew he would find something to do.

Once there he saw a whole new side of Sharpay immersed in Broadway and on Broadway he saw it all. More plays than he'd ever seen before. More musicals than he ever needed to see. And a plethora of friends Sharpay had collected over the years.

Blending their two styles in an apartment had been a bit of a task. Usually something the other did irritated and annoyed but they both had gotten used to it.

His proposal had been simple enough to plan and the only nervous moment he had was when she'd stared uncomprehendingly at the ring box. The wedding had been surprisingly small with only a select few friends and family members. The receptions that followed had been huge on both coasts.

Seven years in and she was pregnant and feeling antsy about living in the city. She missed the mountains and the desert air. She wanted to go back to Albuquerque and since he'd only moved to Manhattan to be with her he didn't complain.

Six months later came their boys. Fraternal twins. Aiden Evans Danforth and Ben Maxwell Danforth.

Having kids had been a trip. Seeing Sharpay be a mother and a good one had been rather amazing. He'd never really thought about kids but–

"Hey! Chad are you spacing out on me? Am I not scintillating company?"

Chad shook his head coming back to the present with the feel of Sharpay cupping his face in her palms.

He blinked at her.

"I'm sorry." He grimaced slightly. "Got caught up thinking."

"Yes, well I can imagine how hard that was," Sharpay mused placing a quick kiss upon his lips and sitting back.

"Ha, ha. You gonna stay until the last call?"

She nodded silently.

The time passed quickly enough with a few stragglers drifting in from the arena to pass the time with an ex-NBA player.

He called a few cabs and gave out directions when he could while keeping an eye on his wife. She'd taken a seat at a table in the back and was holding court with a few of the regulars.

With a tired sigh he locked the doors at two a.m.

"Tell me again why I do this?"

Sharpay made a humming noise in the back of her throat.

"I don't know. I think it was something about offering what no bar in town has. You. Their neighborhood basketball hero who actually knows what he's talking about. Everyone knows on game day this is the place to be. You told me that yourself, hot shot."

He smirked at her as he went about the routine of cleaning up.

For the most part she sat and watched him, but he didn't mind. She'd had just as busy a day as he had.

"Well remind me to take the next game off, 'kay?"

"Sure thing, stud," she drawled sarcastically.

"And now we're going home to a house full of people. Why did I let you talk me into throwing the boys a birthday party? They're only turning three! We're gonna have a petting zoo for God's sake. Don't get me started on that play house thing full of balls. And why did we let Ryan stay with us? You two together is really like having another pair of two year olds around," his grumbling was mostly for show and she took it as such by sticking her tongue out at him.

"Don't be a baby, Chad. Aiden likes animals so the petting zoo is for him. Ben likes those little McDonald fun house things, so the play house is for him. They only turn three once. Besides I want to enjoy myself too, hence Ryan's presence at our house."

By some unspoken accord they found their way to the middle of the room and fell into a long embrace.

"I'm tired," he whispered into the side of her neck inhaling the scent of Chanel No. 5 and the slight hint of baby powder.

Her nails scraped gently against the back of his neck.

"I know...You're getting too old for this," she whispered playfully.

"I resent that. I'm no old man," he growled taking her by surprised as he swept her up and into his arms.

She clutched his neck tightly with a cry of surprise.

"Don't pull your back, old man! A little warning next time, please," Sharpay insisted with a sniff.

He bent his head and kissed her.

"You have me in your clutches my fabulous husband, what now?" Sharpay asked throwing her head back dramatically against his chest.

He held her a little tighter and considered.

"What does Mrs. Danforth wish? It will be my command."

"To bed," she declared flinging out an arm.

"To bed? Or to bed?" he intoned nuzzling her neck.

"My God! I'm married to a horny old man. Troy Bolton come save me!"

"You dare say his name in my presence? How dare you! To bed!" He yelled stalking towards the stairs that led to the upstairs apartment.

"To sleep I say!"

"We'll see about that..." Chad swore as he charged up the stairs.

He couldn't complain about the path his life had taken because it had led to Sharpay and their family. That was something he'd never give up.