A/N: Here's another HSM one shot. It's a future fic, and it works for both movies. Um, well it's based off a single line from the first movie…I'm sure you could guess what line from the title. Enjoy! R&R! Thanks! –Mac

Disclaimer: I don't own.

Someday You Guys Might Thank Me For This

It was a beautiful day: the sun was shining; the blue sky was crystal clear marred only by a few fluffy white clouds. The perfect weather had caused the park to become full and alive by early afternoon. It was one of those days that one didn't want to be indoors unless they absolutely had to. That had driven many people that lived in the neighborhood to the small park. There was an older couple feeding a group of birds, around their feet, from an old bag of Wonder bread. There were the Newlyweds, which had just moved into the neighborhood a few days before, walking hand in hand around the paved pathways. Every child under double digits was running around the playground: on the slide, on the swings, on the monkey bars, in a sandbox shovels and buckets. Their parents watched diligently from the outskirts.

Only one child could hold his eyes though. She had her mother's complexion and dark, chocolate curls, and to her mother's delight: our father's eyes. She skipped around the playground, her two best friends in tow. The three girls lived on the same street, and though young they knew it wasn't a coincidence. Their parents had been friends since forever—at six years old only increments in minutes, hours and days didn't qualify as forever. The young girl and her two friends came to the park every Sunday with her father sometimes her mother would come along. Sometimes her friends' parents too. That day, it was just her father and he watched from where he stood under a nearby tree.

Troy watched as his six-year-old daughter stopped and waved enthusiastically in his direction. He raised a hand and waved back. Priscilla Bolton, his daughter. Six years and it was still hard for him to believe how lucky he was to have that little girl in his life. They were right when they said parenthood changed you, Troy knew it. His daughter wasn't the only bright spot in his life. He had a good job with flexible hours (so that he could spend enough time with his loving family). He had close friends that he had kept up with since high school (four of which lived on the same street as him). He had a beautiful wife…

"There you are."

The voice washed over him from somewhere to his right, sounding melodic to his ears. Troy looked down to find his petite wife by his side, a small, happy smile playing across her lips. He put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her against his side, offering a bright smile. He pressed a soft kiss to her hair. She sighed and leaned against him.

"Gabby, I was just thinking about you."

"Hmm, aren't you always?" Gabriella laughed. "I turn my back for a second to talk to Taylor and you disappear with all the kids."

"I always bring them to the park on Sunday, I couldn't disappoint Cilla," Troy responded, "Besides they were getting impatient."

Gabriella and Troy turned their gazes back toward the children. Cecillia Danforth and Megan Cross were urging Priscilla across the playground toward the swings. Chad and Taylor's daughter Cecillia was a year older than Priscilla and Megan. Megan, Kelsi and Jason's second child, was only a week older than Priscilla. The proximity of the three couples was enough to ensure that the three girls were destined to be the best of friends.

When the six friends decided to stay in Albuquerque—while Sharpay flitted off to New York City with Zeke close behind, Ryan took a year off to travel the world before joining them in the Big Apple, and Martha took the road toward California—they knew they would have to stick together. They bought their houses on the same street, when their part of the neighborhood was a new addition. It was only logical for all of them. The houses were the cheapest real estate on the market at the time, and it was an added benefit that their friends were only a minute away.

They shared everything with each other. They had gone through the trials of buying a new home, finding a stable job, and handling married life. They had entered parenthood together. They had shared their greatest and worst memories with each other. They helped Chad and Taylor through their marriage troubles and almost separation. When Kelsi suffered a miscarriage with her first pregnancy, they gathered to support her. Then when Gabriella's mother got sick, they were there to help her along. They offered sympathy and comfort when she ultimately passed on. They shared the shouldered burdens, pain, and tears. And they were there when Troy got the promotion, which he was working toward, with the considerable pay raise. When Jason sold his first script, they were there with champagne for the celebratory party. When Chad got a job at their old high school—taking Troy's dad's job as the basketball coach as well as the position of baseball coach—they vowed to be at every game to cheer him on. They had been there to see ever new addition to each family enter the world. They shared the smiles, laughter, and rejoice.

They had gone through a lot, but they had survived it together. Just look at them now. They were settled down, each with a beautiful family and wonderful lives. Standing with his wife in his arms, watching his daughter play with a happy smile on her face, Troy couldn't feel luckier.

Gabriella took notice when Troy tightened his hold on her, "Something wrong, Troy?"

Troy looked down into her concerned eyes and smiled, "No, nothing wrong. Everything's perfect. I was just thinking about some things."

Gabriella settled back against him before she responded, "What kind of things?"

"Things like how lucky I am to have you and Cilla." Troy answered, "All the things we've been through the last few years, all the things that brought us here today."

"All the things that brought us to this point in our lives…" Gabriella sighed, "A little bit of fate…"

"…And a splash of destiny." Troy finished.

When Troy thought about the things that had brought him to that moment, he had to attribute most of them to things that happened during high school. His last two years at East High was when everything came together for him. It was during their senior year that Troy decided that Gabriella was the only one for him, that one day he would marry her. The summer prior to that, at Lava Springs, had been trying for their relationship, but they came out stronger. Gabriella was able to uphold a certainty that Troy would never give into Sharpay's attempts to steal him. Which would continue for a few more months despite her ties to Zeke and Troy's commitment to Gabriella.

Since the day Gabriella had arrived at East High, every happy memory Troy had was tied to her in some way. Her presence had given him his first taste of true love and he vowed to never let it go. Not for anything. Their participation in the Winter Musical, the Lava Springs talent show, and all their other moments were just icing on the cake. They already had each other, being able to share happy times with each other was just an added benefit.

But as they said, it all came down to fate and destiny. It came down to one, chance meeting. New Year's Eve, still so clear in their memories even after all those years. One song of karaoke had set the course of the rest of their lives. One night, that if it hadn't happened they wouldn't be where they were. They couldn't imagine their futures without each other and Cilla, but it was a very real reality that if that fateful night hadn't happened they may have never really found each other. Through the memory, a single sentence rang in Troy's ears:

Someday you guys might thank me for this.

Troy could barely grasp the memory of the guy that had spoken to them. The guy that had randomly chosen them to take the stage. Troy couldn't remember his face; he could barely remember the guy's voice. He just remembered the words he had said to them. They hadn't meant much in the moment. Troy surprised himself by even remembering. Yet now, those few words meant so much.

Troy looked down at his petite little wife, and feeling his eyes on her Gabriella looked up at him with a smile. Troy pressed a short, chaste kiss onto her upturned lips, and hugged her close. They looked up in time to see the three young girls running toward them, little Priscilla leading the way.

"Daddy! Mommy!" Priscilla called out breathlessly as she skidded to a halt in front of them.

Troy kneeled down so that he was almost at her level, "What is it Cilla?"

"Can we go home now?" Priscilla asked, an adorable pout set into her features. "We want to play inside now."

"Okay darling." Troy responded, smiling at his little girl. "Let's go."

"Piggyback?" Priscilla grinned.

"Get on up." Troy nodded and helped her up onto his shoulders.

Gabriella took hold of Cecillia and Megan's hands, and the group of them headed off toward their houses. Troy felt as happy as ever. He had to admit that he owed all this, ever aspect of his life good and bad, to a nameless, faceless stranger. Though he would probably never see the man again, and wouldn't know him if he did, Troy had two words for him:

Thank you.