Baby for Sale

Disclaimer: I only own this plot. I do not own High School Musical.

Previously on Baby for Sale...

"Everyone ... we have an announcement to make", Troy starts. "We've discussed it and we now know what we want to do with Cecil's money."

Epilogue

It is a beautiful spring day; the sun is shining and the temperature is pleasant. Upon the front of the large Vanderbilt mansion is a banner proclaiming "5th Anniversary --- The Cecil Amherst Vanderbilt Family Home". The grounds in front of the large manor house are covered with people, an odd combination of children and elderly people. There is entertainment everywhere. There are juggling clowns, balloon animals, face painting, concession stands with food and drinks. There is also a long line of small children waiting for a chance to ride a pony. It combines the best elements of a circus and a public street party.

Troy and Sharpay are above the crowds in a stone deck that overlooks the large lawn. Sharpay's hair is longer, reaching almost to her waist, and it's styled casually in a single braid that is hanging down over her right shoulder. She is wearing a bright pink halter dress which accents her slim waist and very stylish Jimmy Choo t-strap leather sandals on her petite feet. Troy looks laid back in beige cargo shorts and a striped button-down dress shirt with the sleeves rolled half way up his muscular arms.

"I can't believe we did it, Troy", Sharpay says with pride.

"Yeah, things are really starting to work out", Troy replies as he wraps an arm around his wife. "I can't believe it's been five years since we opened this place."

Just then a small boy of about six comes running up the stairs to his parents. His little legs are carrying him as fast as they can.

"Mommy! Mommy!", the small blond haired boy yells as he crashes into Sharpay.

"Whoa, there buddy. Slow down now. You don't want to hurt Mommy, do you?", Troy admonishes his son, but his voice lacks any real conviction.

Sharpay recovers quickly and kneels down to her son's level. "What's up, CJ? Are you being a good boy for Grandma and Grandpa?"

"Oh yes, Mommy, I've beeeen verrry good", he says with a twinkle in his eye.

"Huh, uhh", she nods with obvious disbelief in her eyes. "So what did you need, sweetie?"

"Take me to ride the ponies ... please", he adds as an afterthought.

"Grandma and Grandpa can take you over, CJ", Troy interjects. "Mommy and Daddy need to wait for a new guest who should be here soon."

"Daaadddy, they're no fun. Grandma's off doing girly things with Claire and Grandpa's skunkin' Uncle Chad on the basketball court in the back. Nobody's paying attention to me no more." CJ add a little foot stomp at the end of his sentence to further indicate his displeasure.

"Anymore, CJ", Sharpay corrects automatically. "And baby, you know that's not true. They love you both very much."

Claire is CJ's younger sister and at almost three years old, she's the image of Sharpay with her golden locks and soulful brown eyes. When people see the four of them together, it always prompts someone to comment that they have both cloned themselves. CJ inherited the Vanderbilt blue eyes and although his hair is a sun-streaked blond, like so many children, it has already started to darken.

"That's right buddy. Claire and Grandma need that girly time --- it's just a fact of life, son. And Grandpa soooo needs to skunk Chad --- that's a fact of life, too."

"Hey, look who I see now", Sharpay exclaims as she points over to the stairs. "It's Ryan and Jake. And they look like they are so really to jump on a horse."

"It's a pony, Mom", CJ corrects indulgently. Then he scoots off towards the two newcomers. "Uncle Ryan! Jake! Let's go ride the ponies!"

"Yeah!!!", shouts Jake. Although only twelve hours apart in age, the two boys are still very different in size. Jake or Jacob Ryan Edwards is at least five inches shorter than CJ and pencil thin. He's healthy, but no one's sure he will ever catch up to his potential height. Being born a full two months early, he's lucky to be alive and everyday Ryan and Cynthia count as a blessing to have him. When they decided to adopt little Jake, they wanted to give him a real home and so they created that real home by marrying each other. And to everyone's shock and dismay, have never been happier. Ryan and Cynthia are devoted to each other and to their son.

"Is that okay with you, Ryan?", Sharpay asks.

"Sure, no prob. We were headed over there anyway." He assures him and the two boys and Ryan take off running across the lawn towards the ponies.

Sharpay leans against the railings and lets out a long sigh. As they look out at the carnival happening on that once well manicured lawn, now it becomes evident that the pairings of people are not coincidental. For each child there is at least one older person with them. That's the philosophy of the Vanderbilt Family Home. It's a combination retirement home and orphanage for the elderly and the young who have no one else to turn to. The children learn from the combined wisdom of their adopted "Grandparents" and the older people learn to be young again.

"I think Cecil would have been happy with this", Sharpay says with a satisfied smile.

"Well, if it doesn't work out, there's always my method of filling up those thirty-four bedrooms", Troy says as he wiggles his eyebrows.

"Yeah ... right!", she scoffs.

"But you are sooo sexy when you're pregnant", he coos into her ear as his hand reaches up and caresses her bare back.

"You liar!"

"No, it's the true", he declares and then continues in a more serious tone. "I just love your body when you're carrying my babies, Shar. You grow in all the right places and you feel so nice and squeezable."

"Squeezable? I'm not sure how to take that one and now I'm not so sure I'm going to tell you my news", she says in a huff.

"You know, CJ may look like me, but he acts just like you. ... Or maybe it's you who act just like him. I'm surprised you didn't stomp your foot."

"Do you want to hear my news or not?"

"Okay, I'm sorry, babe. What's up?"

"Well... It looks like it's your lucky day because in about seven months I'm going to be extremely squeezable." She finishes and then, smiles up at him coyly.

"You mean...", she nods. "That's fantastic." Troy reaches over and cradles her still flat stomach in his large hand. "Wonder what this one will look like?"

"I'm betting on a combo baby this time --- a little of me and a little of you."

He bends his head down and captures her lips in a heated kiss which is cut short by the sound of a car pulling up. They reluctantly pull away and walk down the stairs to meet the car.

Cynthia Edwards née Vanderbilt exits the large Lincoln Towncar and turns to help a small frail woman out. Troy and Sharpay approach the car and give Cynthia a hand.

"Hello, Mrs. Mendelson. I'm Sharpay Bolton and this is my husband, Troy. We run the Family Home and we are so happy you chose to come here."

"I didn't have much choice, now did I?", replies a grouchy, ragged voice. "They were going to throw me out on the street. Ungrateful kids. You raise them, care for them; and then, when they don't need you anymore, they toss your ass out." She is suddenly wracked with a bout of deep, ragged coughs.

Troy steps up to help the old lady. "Well, Mrs. Mendelson, please believe me. We want you and we know you'll be very happy here."

"Yeah, right", Mrs. Mendelson scoffs.

"I'll just walk you in to the house and we'll find your room, okay?"

"Like I've got a choice", Mrs. Mendelson replies in a voice very much like Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh.

After they leave, Sharpay turns to Cynthia, as they are both watching Troy and the old lady slowly make their way towards the mansion.

"Have you decide who you'll pair her with?"

"Oh yeah", Cynthia says slowly. "I think she'll be perfect for Glory."

"Glory?! Are you crazy? She'll eat that old lady alive."

Glory is a fourteen year old, streetwise orphan who ran away from her last foster home. She's only been at the home for three weeks and she's resisted any interact with the rest of the residents.

"Have I missed one yet?", Cynthia asks with a wry smile.

Sharpay starts to say something but stops. Cynthia does have an uncanny ability to place the right grandparent with the right child. Plus she uses her connections from her old life to help some of the more difficult cases, like former gang members and kids with troubled pasts. Her plastic surgeon will remove gang tattoos pro bono and her therapist will even offer therapy sessions at extremely discounted rates. Yes, Cynthia is an extremely valuable asset to the Family Home. Ryan, too, does his part. He organizes the annual talent show which is an outrageous hit every year.

"I'm sure you're right and they'll get along famously, Cyn"

"You know ... Mrs. Mendelson ask me if you were my daughter", Cynthia tells Sharpay.

"And you didn't bite her head off?"

"Actually ... no, I didn't. In fact for the first time ever, I felt a twinge of regret when I had to tell her you weren't."

"We've come along way these past six years, Cyn."

"Absolutely, Sharpay. And to think it all started with this insane scheme of my ex-husband."

"And the fact that I look enough like you to be your ... slightly younger sister."

The two women share a deep hug as the sound of a small marching band starts its performance around the fountain on the great lawn.

The End

Here's what I have to say about that...

Well, that's it. Sorry if some of you think it's a bit rushed. I swear you can't please everyone. If I'm not droning, I'm rushing. Oh well.

I realized that I never gave Ryan a last name, since he's not Ryan Evans in this story. So I picked Edwards since it starts with an E.

Thanks to all of my faithful reviewers.

Here's a summary for my next story. I don't have a title yet. Set in the fall after HSM2. Troy, Gabriella (who are dating), Ryan and Sharpay are camping. Why? I'm still working on that one. Anyway, they run into this psychotic killer. I think that always happens when teenagers go camping. He's a big game hunter who wants more challenging prey. He picks Troy and Sharpay and they have to get from point A to point B in 24 hours or he'll kill Ryan and Gabriella. Will they make it? Will the mad man kill them or will they kill each other?

And the best part, no one gets pregnant.

Oh, and I've been getting all these requests to continue my Why story. I find it really depressing, but I think I now have an ending for it (in my head, anyway). I'll see if I can work up my nerve to work on it.

Peace out, j