In need of some Troyella fluff? This one could do it for you! In the last chapter Jack informed Troy and Lucille that there were jobs available in Albuquerque for both T & G. Jack also told them that he was retiring, and he told Troy that a certain house, two streets over, was for sale. That's where this one picks up!

Hope you enjoy. I'm in almost complete Zanessa withdrawals. So please, if you hear or see ANYTHING about them, toss me a pm or e-mail or something. Or even just send me a note to chat about them! I miss them! :( Hope they're enjoying their Canadian Chaos, even if I can't seem to. ha ha! :D

KTZLF! -adc

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Troy took a deep breath as he turned his key in the lock of their apartment door. He had tried to play out the scenario in his head on the way home. How could he tell Gabriella that the pieces were falling into place for them to move back home?

He wanted to make it special, but there was no time. Two key factors in this move were going to be in their living room tomorrow night.

Even with classes finished and being at the top of her class, as expected, Gabriella Bolton was still stressing, because now she needed a job. Add to that stress the fact that her own mother and her parents-in-law were coming to see her graduate. She couldn't turn them down. Maria Montez had invested her life in Gabriella's future. Jack and Lucille Bolton had donated ten years of their own lives, as well as their son to the young woman.

Both of the young Bolton's were a little surprised at their reactions when Troy got home that day. He found his wife sitting with her legs tucked under her on the couch wearing one of his t-shirts.

He smiled at her as she batted her eyelashes in his direction, but wouldn't meet his eyes. "Did you relax today like I told you to?" He asked as though she were one of his students.

Gabriella shook her head. "I don't have any leads on a job and mom's going to be here by noon tomorrow. What do you think?"

Troy walked toward her and stopped right in front of her at the couch. "I think," he began, "that you think way too much. And, I think that you need to stop worrying about a job for just a little bit, because I guarantee that one is going to drop into your lap very soon."

Gabriella finally looked up at him and met her husband's gaze. "You guarantee it?" She questioned.

"Yep." Troy answered with a completely straight face.

She took a deep breath and released it as she continued sitting on the couch. Troy was amused to see her sitting like this. But he still didn't question her. Even with him telling her to stop thinking, the look on her face was deep in thought.

Finally she spoke to him. "Well, then, if I don't need to worry about that, then I'll move on to our company that will be here tomorrow." She held her hand up before Troy could speak. "And you're going to tell me that there's nothing more that we can do on that subject so I should stop worrying about it too, right?"

She looked up at him and smiled her beautiful smile that gave her cheeks the perfect roundness which absolutely completed her flawless face in Troy's opinion. He nodded.

"Okay, then I need some help, a distraction of some sort, to take my mind off my worries." And with that she stood up next to Troy and removed the shirt she was wearing.

Troy's eyes widened, then glazed over when he realized that she was wearing nothing underneath.

Gabriella backed up just a step to see his face. She hadn't been this forward with a lovemaking request in several months. Her teeth grazed over her bottom lip as she tried to anticipate her husband's reaction.

Troy breathed heavily through his nose as he looked over his wife's body. "And here I thought maybe you wanted to play a game of Monopoly or something." He quirked with a strained voice.

Gabriella reached for his hand and placed it on her cheek. "No games Troy. Right now, I just want to be with you. " Her voice wasn't pleading but she got her point across.

Troy carried his naked wife toward their bedroom. He barely remembered the information he needed to discuss with her. Right now he needed to make love to Gabriella. But one other topic ran through his mind.

He allowed Gabriella to undress him and poised himself beside her on the bed. She reached into the bedside table and pulled a condom from the familiar stash. Troy took the packet from her and held it in the air for just a second.

"When we move back to Albuquerque these things go out the window. When we're home, we just let nature take its course. No condoms, no birth control, just us. That's when we start our family." Troy looked again into her beautiful eyes.

Those eyes held questions after his little speech but she wasn't going to argue with her husband. "We've already waited five years…I need a job…and we have no idea when we'll get back home. I don't know if I can wait that long. That's just too much to think about right now."

Troy stopped talking for a moment and bent down to spread kisses all across her face, arms and chest. "Sorry, just trying to distract you. Is it working yet?" he lifted his head and smiled as Gabriella's delighted moans began to fill the room.

She reached for the foil between his fingertips and lifted her face to press a hot kiss to his lips. "Perfectly." She purred against his ear. "Now just stop talking."

He allowed her to take the condom from the packet and skillfully cover him with it. "Trust me Baby." He whispered into her ear as they each prepared themselves for the rush of their bodies. "We'll be home sooner than you think."

With that Troy buried himself inside of her. This was a distraction he would gladly provide for his wife…anytime she requested.

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Troy grazed one fingertip down his wife's bare arm as he propped himself up on his right elbow and watched her. When she shivered at his touch he moved closer to her and snaked his left arm around her pulling the covers up over her shoulder.

"Distracted much?" He smiled as he kissed her ear and she shivered again.

Gabriella finally rolled over and looked up into his eyes. "I was…" she smiled back at him.

"So which part of your worries have already come back to you? I did the best I could you know." Troy glanced at the clock on the bedside table near Gabriella. He puckered his lips and gave a thoughtful nod as his eyes made their way back to her face. "Two hours. I did darn well, if I do say so myself."

Gabriella snorted as she smacked his arm and then pulled it from her abdomen to just underneath her breasts. "I think that clock is fast." She laughed at the look on his face. Troy pouted because she didn't simply agree with him and applaud his efforts.

"Well, better the clock than me I suppose." He finally conceded and began tickling his wife's stomach.

She tried to return the punishment but quickly realized that Troy was still too strong for her to out maneuver. When he had her arms pinned to the bed with one naked leg holding down both of hers she gave one last helpless laugh and looked into his sparkling eyes. "Uncle?" she pleaded.

"Admit that my powers of distraction are quite impressive and I'll let you go." He grinned at her and bent down to place a kiss just under her ear. He looked back into her eyes just in time to see the playful look disappear from her face.

"I'm always…impressed…when you make love to me Troy. But don't ever let me go, please?"

Troy quickly removed his leg from hers, let go of her wrists and put his hands on her face. "You know I'll never let you go. Gabriella, you know that by now, don't you?" His face mirrored her serious look.

She nodded with her face still firmly held by his hands. She put her own hands over his and held them there. "I'm just scared Troy. School has been such a part of my life. I worked to get to Stanford, then went to Stanford, and then grad school. And you've come with me, you've followed me…you've changed your plans, for me."

Troy began to stroke her cheeks with his thumbs. "Because I love you. Brie, ever since you walked into East High my life changed. I changed my college plans, yes. But it wasn't just for you, it was for me too. I wouldn't have made it at U of A knowing that you were a thousand miles away and I couldn't get to you quickly. I told you the night I brought you home for the show, I'm not going to be another 'goodbye' in your life. I'm here to stay. Remember?"

Again she nodded. "But now you've got a good job, one that you enjoy. And school's done for me. Now I have to find a job and it's probably not going to happen here…maybe not even in Colorado. I can't pull you away from this job when we're both depending on your income."

At that revelation Troy placed a kiss on her forehead and released her face from his grasp. He sighed, sat up fully and looked around the bed and the floor. Gabriella didn't offer another word. She knew there was something he needed to say so she just watched him.

He finally leaned off the side of the bed and pulled two articles of clothing off the floor. "Here, put this on." He ordered gently as he handed her his shirt that she had so meticulously taken off him earlier. Troy, in turn, pulled on his boxers.

Once they were semi clothed he pulled her into a sitting position. He moved himself toward the foot of the bed and stretched his legs in front of him. When he leaned back on his elbows he sighed again. After a moment he sat up straighter and looked back at Gabriella.

"Ok. Here's the thing…" he started.

Gabriella's eyes widened with fear. "Troy?"

"Now just wait. Don't give me the scared look. There's nothing to be scared about, just listen to me for a few minutes, ok?" He waited for her reply.

Her eyes still held a touch of fear as she looked at him. "Ok." She answered softly.

"Well, first off, you're right on a couple of things you said there. You need a job. And the one you're going to get is not going to be in Colorado." Troy's voice was more confident than he expected. "The one you're going to get is in Albuquerque. And I'm not going to follow you there."

Gabriella was now confused and the fear returned to her with his last sentence. "What?" she gasped.

Troy moved closer to her and put his index finger over her lips. "I'm not going to follow you there because we're going back home together."

Her confused eyes stared at him in disbelief. "Troy? What the hell are you talking about?"

"Will you just listen to me?" he requested politely.

She shook her head a little but pressed her lips together to keep from saying anything else.

"Tomorrow, you're going to get a call from Jeanette McKessie. She's going to tell you to call the District Attorney's office in Albuquerque about an entry-level attorney's position that's open there. And, she's going to tell you that the job is yours IF you want it."

Gabriella's eyes opened wide. Her mouth followed suit. "How? Why would Tay's mom…? How do you know this? I've been searching the New Mexico law websites for weeks. There's nothing listed for Albuquerque…nothing. It's the first place I look."

"They've apparently been doing some rearranging, some job shuffling, and some people have left the office. I don't know why. I'm telling you all I know. And what I know is that Mrs. McKessie will be calling you before Maria gets here tomorrow. She's got the contact name at the D.A.'s office and has already given you a stellar recommendation. The job is yours if you want it Brie." With that Troy stopped talking.

They sat there in silence for a few minutes, Gabriella attempting to let this information pry its way into her brain. She wanted to go back to Albuquerque. It was home. It had been home to her ever since Troy climbed the trellis and appeared on her balcony soon after she arrived at East High. That was the night she knew she loved him.

She missed Jack and Lucille. She missed Jeanette and her other friend's parents. And, she knew, some of their high school friends were still in Albuquerque. No, life wouldn't be the same, but it was a chance to go home.

"But, Wildcat, what about you? You've got a good group of students and a good team here. You'd have to start your job search again. You would be following me again. I can't ask you to do that." She searched his eyes for any hint of disappointment. "You'd be willing to do that for us to go back home?"

Troy slowly blinked his eyes at her. Each time she glimpsed the shining blue irises it seemed like his smile was growing. There was no disappointment hidden in those eyes.

"First off, you are my wife Mrs. Bolton. I would follow you anywhere. And, I would expect you to follow me if it ever came to that. Would you?" he had never asked her that question before.

Without hesitation she answered. "Of course. I trust you and I love you. I've been willing to follow you since before I went to Stanford. You know that. I was willing to go to U of A with you and skip Stanford…you wouldn't let me. Don't you remember?"

Troy smiled. "Ok. Now that that's settled, back to our other conversation." He took another deep breath and grabbed Gabriella's hands to hold them in his lap. "There's an opening for a p.e. teacher and basketball coach in Albuquerque…or at least there will be when this school year finishes."

He had kept his eyes on their linked hands as he spoke the words. This part of the conversation was a little more emotional than he expected.

Gabriella couldn't coax him to look up at her so she just asked the simple question. "Where at?"

Troy finally looked up at her and cleared the lump from his throat before opening his eyes to reveal the light sheen of teardrops in them. "At East High." He paused, "Dad's retiring."

Gabriella could see the sadness in his eyes. But at the same time she was ready to scream. She bounced a little on their bed as she moved her body to wrap her arms around her husband. Gabriella let her hands run through Troy's hair and kissed the top of his head as she pulled it to her chest.

They held each other tight for just a minute before Gabriella pulled herself from his grasp. "You can be a Wildcat again! Wait, how long have you known this? When did Jack decide to retire? He never even mentioned retiring when we saw them at Christmas and Lucille hasn't said anything either. Have you all been planning this?"

Troy sat back up and shook his head. "No, Baby, this is as much of a surprise to me as it is to you. Dad called me today before I got out of school. Apparently he's got a buddy at the D.A.'s office and Jeanette's been keeping an eye on you. They want you back home Brie. And Dad said when he found that out, he decided that retirement would be perfect, right about now."

They looked at each other again. Troy didn't know what else to say and Gabriella sat in complete shock. They watched each other for any signs or signals to know what each of them was thinking.

After a few minutes Gabriella raised her eyebrows, licked her tongue across her lips and then pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and smiled somewhat innocently.

She placed her hand on Troy's thigh and started caressing the strong muscle and pulling gently at the hairs on his skin. "I know it's not a done deal, neither job is…but I kinda feel like celebrating."

Troy quickly switched positions and wrapped his wife in his arms again from behind her back. He tickled her ear just a bit with his nose before whispering to her. "I can't promise you another two hours, but if you're talking about getting distracted again…I'm all for it!"

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When Troy stepped out of the shower Friday morning he knew his wife was awake and out of the bedroom already. He could smell the bacon cooking in the kitchen. He knew she had slept quite well last night but figured she wouldn't heed his advice to 'sleep in' on this particular morning. So he pulled on his Friday attire and wandered out of their bedroom.

He wrapped his arms around Gabriella and let his chin rest on her neck as he looked over her shoulder at the breakfast she was cooking. "I hope you have time to eat. I fixed plenty of pancakes and bacon." She commented and turned to give him a kiss.

He met her lips and smiled. "So is this what you consider sleeping in?"

She held up a filled plate and waited for him to take it before fixing one for herself. They both sat down at the table and Gabriella watched as her husband doused his pancakes with maple syrup.

"There are way too many things rolling around in my head right now to sleep. And I wanted to make sure I caught you before you left this morning…just to make sure I had heard things correctly last night…in between the distractions and celebrations." She let a quirky smile form on her face as Troy grinned from ear to ear and took another bite.

"Exactly what part of last night do we need to go over again?" he asked with eyebrows wiggling.

"Being that you need to leave in 20 minutes and apparently the clock is quicker than you…" she matched his smiling face.

Troy reached across the table and took her hand in his. "That's supposed to be a good thing, for both of us, isn't it?" he laughed. "So seriously what are you thinking about?"

Gabriella released his hand and nibbled on a strip of bacon. "What's Jeanette's connection to the D.A.'s office back home? She's in the law division at U of A. So how does she know they want me for a job?"

"Well, I'm sure she can explain it better…but apparently a former co-worker of hers is now at the D.A.'s office and asked her to recommend somebody for the open position. Instead of picking one of the students at U of A, she recommended you." Troy smiled at his wife knowing that she was blushing.

"Why? How does she know what I'm doing? Why does she know what I'm doing?" the questions finally began flowing from her. Troy just stared. Curiosity was one of the things he really loved about his wife. Her inquisitive nature sometimes frustrated him, but it had also led them to some of the most pleasurable times in their young married lives.

"Why…don't you ask Jeanette when she calls? I don't have the answers for you. I can only guess that Taylor's trying to keep track of you and Jeanette has figured that it would be easier for her to simply keep up with you than trying to blow off Tay's questions." Troy answered point blank.

Gabriella cocked her head and thought about his answer for a moment. She nodded slowly. "You're probably right. Although Taylor knows what I'm doing."

"Okay…so maybe Taylor's been telling Jeanette what you're up to." Troy stopped eating to shake his head a moment. "I think you'd better talk to both of the McKessie women and they can probably straighten this out for you."

They both ate a few more bites before more questions emerged from Mrs. Bolton. "So what about you at East High? Do you want to go back there Wildcat? It'll be a lot different now. You'll have to be the adult. You can't go running up to the rooftop garden to get away from everything."

"Maybe not. But I bet I can still get a key and take you up there from time to time." He smirked at her.

"Just keep a blanket and pillows stashed in your office and I'll join you on the rooftop anytime Wildcat. Anytime." Gabriella responded to her husband as she reached across the table and rubbed her finger across his knuckles.

Troy's playful look softened at his wife's gentle, content tone. He thought momentarily about the third part of this equation. The house for sale on Sycamore. His heartbeat quickened but he kept the words from forming. In just a week school would be done.

He had already decided that they would take the following week and go back to Albuquerque for formal interviews, and to 'search' for a place to live. That's when he would surprise her with the house. Jack would help him with that surprise. The two Bolton men would talk to the real estate agent together, via phone, this weekend while Jack was visiting.

"Wildcat? Troy?" Gabriella's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. When she had his attention again she continued. "What were you thinking about? Wait, forget I asked that, we were talking about the rooftop. Albuquerque…home…" she just let her thoughts run out loud. "Can we really go home?"

Troy got up and took his plate to the sink. He came back to the table and knelt down beside Gabriella. She turned to face him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Can we?"

Troy wrapped his arms around her back and leaned his forehead against hers. "We can. And, I want to if you want to." He watched her eyes brighten as she nodded her head against his.

They shared a kiss there at the table, and another as Gabriella walked him to the door. Troy turned and placed a short kiss on her cheek before leaving. "Now, if you'll just try to relax and think about graduating, please? Talk to Jeanette, then take Maria out to lunch and tell her what's going on. I'll be home by 6. Remember, I'm picking up Mom and Dad from the airport after school and bringing them back here. Don't cook dinner. We'll stop and get something on the way home. Mom insists. She doesn't want you lifting a finger this weekend, got it?"

Gabriella smiled. "Fine, fine. Then I'm going back to bed until the phone rings." She turned her back to walk away from her husband and he simply groaned. She looked over her shoulder and saw his longing eyes. She blew a kiss in his direction as Troy pouted, turned and walked out the door.

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"Mama!" Gabriella opened the door and nearly jumped into Maria's arms.

"Oh my Baby Girl!" The older woman dropped her bag and wrapped her arms around her daughter. "Congratulations Mija. Graduation number three, your law degree. It's good to see your dreams come true!"

Gabriella grabbed her mom's suitcase and led her into the house. Maria would be staying with them this weekend while Troy's parents grabbed a room at the hotel down the street. Gabriella quickly moved the bag just inside the door, took her mom by the hand and led her to the couch.

As they sat down Maria quickly noted her daughter's excitement, and there was the tell-tale sign that something was up…Gabi was biting her bottom lip.

"Briella? Spill it. There's more than graduation going on here this weekend isn't there?" Before Gabriella could even nod her head Maria continued with widening eyes. "Are you pregnant?"

Gabriella clutched at the loose t-shirt she was wearing and looked down at her wedding band and engagement rings. "What? No! Mama, no. Sorry, no grandkids yet. Troy wants to wait till we can get back to Albuquerque before we start working on that."

"You're planning to go back to Albuquerque? You mean for a visit, or moving there?" Maria stopped to take a breath. The excitement was more than she expected upon arriving at her kids' house.

Gabriella stopped too. "Let's back up a minute. I have a job offer."

Maria's eyes grew and her mouth dropped open. "Already? I knew you were good Briella, but I didn't think an offer would come this quickly. Is it somewhere you've worked here in Colorado?"

Gabriella shook her head. "No. It's in New Mexico, actually, in Albuquerque."

Maria looked just a bit concerned. "Is that what you want Briella? Do you want to move back to Troy's hometown?"

"OUR hometown Mama. Albuquerque is my hometown too. That's the only place that I've lived over the past 20 years that I can truly call home. No offense. I'm always at home with you. But you know what I mean?" Gabriella looked directly into her mother's eyes.

"It's where you met and fell in love with Troy."

"And where I found a way to fit in and make friends and made a difference in their lives. When we go back to visit now I can still feel that. I love Jack and Lucille and I want to be closer to them. That's not just for Troy, that's for me too." Gabriella continued.

"So what kind of job will take you back home?" Maria acknowledged the information that her daughter had just shared.

"It's an attorney's position, in the District Attorney's office. Taylor's mom recommended me for it." Gabriella's chat with Jeanette had gone amazingly well. They talked about the job in depth. Jeanette told Gabriella what the job would entail and who she would be working with and the types of cases she would work on. And, following their conversation, Gabriella had called the D.A.'s office and set up an interview.

Maria smiled at her daughter. "Can I tell you something?"

Gabriella nodded. "Of course, anything."

"Jeanette McKessie and I have been e-mailing back and forth since you started grad school. Apparently she and Taylor's dad have been keeping in close contact with Jack and Lucille ever since you and Troy got married and moved to Colorado." Maria smiled at her daughter's surprised face. "Jeanette is hoping that having you and Troy back home will help her get Taylor to realize that New Mexico isn't such a bad place…and get her back home too."

Gabriella nodded her head. "So this is all a set up then? I figured the job offer for Troy wasn't all Jack's idea."

Now Maria's eyes widened. "What job offer for Troy?"

Gabriella laughed. "It's ok Mom. You don't have to cover for Jack or Lucille. When did they tell you that Jack was retiring?"

Maria scooted back on the couch and reached for Gabriella's hand. "Jack's giving up his job…for Troy?"

Gabriella stopped laughing when she realized that this wasn't an initial part of the parental conspiracy. "You really didn't know?"

Maria shook her head. "No. Jeanette and I…we just thought that if there was any kind of job that would suit you…well, we knew Troy would be able to find a teaching job. He's good, he's personable, he's got a knack with high school kids. And he can teach a wide range of subjects. So we knew a job would open for him. But Jack's never mentioned retiring. When did you find out?"

Gabriella thought for a moment about the wonderful night that she and Troy had shared thanks to Jack's news. "Last night." She sucked in a short breath as their bedroom frolicking flashed back through her mind. She quickly worked to cover the blush that crept up her cheeks. "Uh, Troy said Jack called him at school yesterday to tell him about the D.A.'s job, and about the retirement."

The two women sat for just a few minutes before Maria moved to embrace her daughter. "So, you're going home to Albuquerque." She released Gabriella and looked at her beautiful face. "Who knows…maybe I can join you there as well." Maria smiled.

Gabriella's face brightened even more. "Admit it Mom. Jack and Lucille and Troy…they made it home for both of us."

Maria smiled and nodded yet again. "One step at a time Briella…but let's go home."

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The five family members crowded around Troy and Gabriella's dining room table for dinner that evening. The baked chicken was more than inviting and Gabriella had almost kept her morning promise to her husband.

"I didn't cook dinner." Was all she said to him as she took the red velvet cake out off the kitchen counter. "Mom needed to rest when she got here and I wasn't going to leave her alone. So, while she was resting I baked."

Lucille and Maria watched the short encounter. Their two children hadn't changed at all since they left Albuquerque together after high school graduation. Troy and Gabriella's love for each other could be seen in every look and touch between them. Their relationship had grown over the past decade but the love was certainly still there and stronger than ever. Even a conversation about baking proved that.

Troy leaned in and kissed his wife on the lips unconcerned that their parents were watching them. "I love you, you know that?" he asked her simply.

Gabriella nodded. "And I love you too. So, will you please get the plates and I think there are some plastic forks in the cabinet. While we have dessert maybe we can talk about my graduation present."

Troy sucked in a breath and quickly looked away from his wife. He turned his back and reached up into the cabinet seemingly just getting the plates she had requested. "Um…what, uh, gift was that?"

Two thoughts quickly entered Troy's head. One – she knew about the house being for sale. Or two – she had asked him for a specific gift and he hadn't heard her request. Either way he was screwed, and he knew it.

Gabriella put the cake down and wrapped her arms around her husband's waist and leaned her head against his back between his shoulder blades. "Well, going home of course." She answered him as though it was the most obvious answer in the world.

"Mom and Luce and Coach are all in on this. It's probably the best present you could give me. Even without the job. The more I've thought about this today Troy, the more I want it. I'm ready to go back home." She squeezed him just a little tighter and felt him release his breath.

Troy brought the plates off the shelf and put them on the counter before he turned and returned his wife's embrace. "Whew." He covered. "I thought maybe you were ready to discuss our 'night before graduation' routine."

Gabriella jerked back from his arms just enough to smack her husband on his chest. "Troy!" she scolded in a near whisper.

He laughed with relief now realizing the 'gift' she was referring to. "C'mon, looking at the stars from the tree house, or from the rooftop of our first apartment building. Tonight's gonna be just a little tricky, with Maria staying with us, but I have a plan…" he grinned at Gabriella's shocked face.

"Stop!" she blushed and shoved the plates back into his hands.

Jack heard his daughter-in-law's near growl at his son and wandered toward them. "Can I help with anything?"

Gabriella rolled her eyes at him and glanced at Troy as she picked up the cake. Behind her rosy cheeks she grumbled. "Remind your son what manners are."

Troy laughed and passed the plates to his grinning father. "Don't ask Dad. I'll make it up to her later, promise."

Jack shook his head, "I don't want to know. Especially if there's a tree house involved, I don't want to know."

Troy stopped in his tracks, five forks in his hand. Jack tossed him a simple, knowing look then turned to place the plates on the table.

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"So Gabriella, when is your interview at the D.A.'s office?" Lucille started the conversation.

Gabriella smiled widely. "A week from Tuesday." She looked toward Troy. "Troy's last day of school is this Thursday. I kinda figured we'd just take it easy on Friday, get packed and then leave out on Saturday morning. We shouldn't have a problem getting a hotel room for a few nights."

"Hotel room?" Jack spoke up quickly. "Why aren't you staying with us?"

"Oh, it's just short notice. I didn't want to …" Gabriella attempted to answer.

"Nonsense!" Lucille immediately jumped in. "When you're in town you stay with us. Until you find a place of your own."

Troy and Jack both crammed bites of cake into their mouths as they looked at each other. None of the women could decipher the men's looks so they just ignored them.

"School is still in session at home, right?" Maria asked Jack and Lucille. "So Troy, when will you be able to talk to the superintendent or Principal Matsui."

Jack didn't even let Troy have a chance to answer. "They'll make time for him, whenever he gets to town."

"Dad." Troy interjected. "I actually talked to them today." He looked directly at Gabriella. "And just to prove that we are still on the same wavelength…" he gestured between himself and his wife, "I am talking to them a week from Tuesday as well."

Gabriella beamed, as did Lucille and Maria. Jack held his excitement but couldn't hide the smile on his face.

"Coach," Gabriella turned to her father-in-law "How are they taking your retirement announcement? They have to be shocked."

Jack smiled toward her. "I've been grumbling for the past five years. Ever since Darbus retired I haven't had anyone to pick on. I've threatened to retire for the past two years. This year I'm just following through on that threat."

Lucille patted her husband on the back. "And when he gets on my nerves at home I'll be sending him to you, so just be prepared." They all laughed.

Jack put his head on his wife's shoulder but gave his best pouting-puppy look to his daughter-in-law. "So can I suggest finding a house with several bedrooms, or at least a sleeper sofa? Or maybe even just a hammock out back?"

Gabriella laughed and Troy took her into his arms. He smiled at his dad knowing exactly what Jack was referring to. The house the Bolton men had in mind would fit that request perfectly.

"Maybe…" Troy offered, "we can look around at houses on Sunday and Monday to see what's available."

Gabriella smiled at their parents as she leaned into her husband's arms and intentionally let herself get lost in the thought of house-hunting. "Maybe." She answered as she pressed herself against him.

Troy smiled and kissed the top of her head. He and Gabriella both saw the wink that Jack sent to Troy. Lucille saw it too and realized again where her son's charm was born.

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Troy gathered the dessert plates and moved them into the dishwasher. When he returned to the table he nudged Jack's arm and directed him into the living room. The women watched them leave but continued their conversations.

Troy grabbed a beer for both of them and switched on the tv just for added noise.

"So." The younger Bolton started once they were settled on the couch. Jack looked curiously at his son.

"I assume you brought the real estate lady's card with you so I can call her?" Troy continued.

Jack chuckled quietly. "You underestimate me Son."

Troy watched as Jack pulled not only a business card, but also a key chain from his pants pocket. Jack placed them in Troy's open palm. "I asked her to take down the sign in the front yard, but she doesn't want to do that until papers are signed, or a loan is secured."

Troy looked at his dad and quickly moved across the couch to give him a stronger hug than Jack had even dreamed of. "Before you leave on Sunday I can give you a check. I'll talk to this lady on Monday and we can fax paperwork back and forth. That's legal, right?" Jack could feel his son's growing excitement.

"Troy, slow down. You know your mom and I will help you however we can. Are you sure that you can secure a loan? I know with both of you working you can swing the payments but are you sure you can get the loan?" Jack looked seriously at his son.

Troy nodded. "We started looking into loans before we decided to lease this place. With the money that Maria set aside for Brie from her dad's life insurance policy, along with gifts we got for the wedding, and what we've saved…we shouldn't have a problem putting down a chunk of money and that will help us with the loan too."

Jack nodded back at his son. "Troy, you know it's not gonna be easy, right? There's a lot of stuff that both of you will need to do to get this house, or any house."

Troy stopped him there. "Not any house Dad. It's gotta be this house. That's why this whole scenario is just playing out like this. That house has been pure magic since Gabriella and Maria moved into it. Now we've just gotta put that magic right back where it belongs!"

Jack shook his head. "Okay, it's comments like that that remind me that you minored in theater in college. Cut the drama Troy. We'll make this work." He smiled at the smirk on his son's face.

They sat staring at the tv for a few minutes before Jack spoke again. "Ok, tell me what you think about this plan."

Troy looked at him with a curious smile on his face. "Go for it."

"So you and Gabi go for a drive on Sunday afternoon just to look at houses and you happen to drive down Sycamore. You pull up in front of her old house and there's the 'for sale' sign in the front yard. But, it's got a 'sold' sign on it already. While she's kinda sad in the passenger seat you pull out the key and inform her that you've bought it." Jack waited for Troy's response.

"Wow. Mrs. Darbus would be proud of you! Would you like to write the script for me too for that little show?" Troy prodded his father.

Jack smacked his leg and then pushed his shoulder playfully. The sounds brought all three women out of the kitchen. Troy shot a look back at his father. Before Gabriella made her way into his lap he gave Jack the final scene of that little play. "You and mom CANNOT be anywhere near that house cause once we're in…I doubt we'll be coming back out anytime soon."

They smiled matching devious grins as Gabriella wrapped her arms around Troy's neck and Lucille came to stand by Jack. Maria looked lovingly at the four of them. "And a new adventure begins for the Boltons…"

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As Gabriella closed the door behind Jack and Lucille later in the evening she turned to find her husband and her mother in a hush-hush conversation in the dining room. "What are you two up to?" She asked a little nervously.

Maria smiled at her. "Troy was just telling me to make myself at home because he needs to take you out for a little pre-graduation treat to make sure you aren't too nervous about tomorrow."

Gabriella's eyes grew wide as she turned to look at her husband.

Maria continued. "I assure you I'll be fine here by myself. Not like it's my first time here you know." She placed her hand softly against Troy's back and looked at her daughter. "Curfew is two hours prior to graduation time tomorrow. I sure hope that'll work for you." Maria raised her eyebrows as Gabriella felt her face nearly burning. Still, the younger woman didn't try to offer any excuses or explanations.

"Thanks Maria." Troy smiled.

Maria headed toward the spare bedroom. Troy picked up his keys and took his wife's hand. "Trust me?"

Gabriella was well aware of their 'night before graduation' tradition. In high school they had carried some blankets and pillows into Troy's tree house, opened the roof, looked at the stars, and made love. The nights before Troy graduated from Berkeley and she had graduated from Stanford they had carried blankets and pillows to the rooftop of their apartment building between the two schools, cuddled together, looked at the stars, and made love. Gabriella was quite sure they would continue that tradition tonight…the question was, where?

"You know I trust you." She smiled at him and chewed on her lower lip. "But where are we going?"

He smiled. "Ah, you'll just have to wait and see. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised."

Troy ushered her to the car and turned on the ignition. "Well, what d'ya know…looks like the stars are shining bright tonight. They must know you're graduating tomorrow."

Gabriella just smiled. Her body was already anticipating their next few hours together. And she was anticipating a new job, a new home, and potentially starting a family with Troy. The thoughts swirled, keeping her quiet along the short drive.

When Troy pulled into the high school parking lot she just looked at him. He found a parking spot at the side of the school, got out and came around to open the door for her.

"It's kinda funny." Troy held up a door key that Gabriella assumed would open one of the doors to the school. She linked her arm with Troy's until he pulled two blankets and two pillows along with a picnic basket from the trunk of the car.

They each took a blanket and pillow and Troy grabbed the basket. "That's a new touch." Gabi pointed to the woven item.

"Just to make sure I don't drop the champagne or grapes or cheese on the way up." Troy admitted.

"Up?" she questioned as they made their way to the door.

"Uh-huh." He answered as he unlocked the door and held it open as they both entered to a staircase.

"Like I was saying," Troy continued "It's kinda funny. One day, the first year that I was teaching here, I just started wandering around to see what kind of neat and nifty places this school had. I wondered if it had anything in common with East back home."

They paused for a second as they started up the second set of stairs. "I got to this staircase and climbed to the top. And then there's this heavy door that says Rooftop Access, Garden Club Members Only." As he spoke the words the two of them reached that very door.

Troy proceeded to punch in a security code and open the door. They walked up another few steps until the entryway opened to a beautiful garden of plants and flowers on the roof of the school.

Gabriella simply gasped. "You never told me there was a garden club, or a rooftop garden…"

"You never asked." Troy claimed as he spread one of the blankets out onto an open area. "And I figured you had one more graduation to go. I thought this would be perfect, considering where we made love the very first time."

Gabriella wandered to him, threw her arms around his neck and initiated a passionate kiss that should've thrown Troy into overdrive. He answered the kiss, but instead of plummeting to the blanket and immediately undressing her he pulled back.

"Hold that thought, for just a little while." First, he sat down on the blanket and offered her his hand to help Gabriella sit down as well. She wiped a couple of tears from her eyes as Troy opened the picnic basket and pulled a bottle of champagne and their snack items out.

"We have to stick with tradition." Troy stated as he handed a few grapes to his wife. "Hit me!" he smiled and leaned back as he stretched his legs out in front of him.

She quickly sat up on her knees and after a little sniffle she tossed a grape into the air. Troy caught it with ease. It didn't hurt that they practiced this game as often as they had the chance.

Gabriella noticed when Troy grabbed handful of grapes. "Oh no you don't Mister." She crossed the blanket and straddled his legs. "You are not hitting me with a bunch of grapes that are bound to get squished when we dance."

Troy held up a single grape and offered it to her. Gabriella opened her mouth and accepted his offer along with a kiss that allowed Troy to share the sweet fruit with her. She placed her hands on his chest and they watched each other slowly chew and swallow.

"Didn't know grapes could be that sexy." Troy admitted.

Gabriella looked down and picked up another plump purple oval. "Want another one?" she smiled.

Troy just nodded his head.

"Kiss me first, then you can share the grape with me." She held the fruit above his head.

"Tease." Troy pouted.

"Would you rather have me or the grape?" she asked as she brought her face closer to his and dropped the grape. Her hands found their place at the back of his neck playing with his hair.

"I can't believe you'd even ask me to make that choice." He leaned forward and placed his lips on hers, softly moving them together until he felt her body begin to relax.

"Are we breaking tradition?" He asked huskily as Gabriella began to kiss his cheek and jaw, dragging her soft lips slowly down his neck.

"Hmmm," she mumbled from the sweet spot she had located on his stubbled neck. "I think the stars will be there all night. And…right now I have a different dance in mind." She forced herself to sit up and waited for Troy to open his enjoying eyes.

Gabriella raised her eyebrows and left one more soft kiss on his lips. She licked her own and then asked him softly, "Mind if I take the lead?"

Troy grabbed a pillow and placed it behind his head as her fingers began to wander over his body. "Happy night before graduation Baby. I'm all yours."

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