Chapter 6- With all my love

"Morning beautiful."

"Hi handsome." I giggled. Through the curtains of our room a fall rain had let itself be known with the gentle pitter patters of raindrops as they hit our bedroom windows. Under the covers of our bed we lay spooned together tightly with Troy's arms wrapped tight around my mid-section. In the other room Kelsi had once again agreed to stay the night not because we asked her to, but because she asked if she could and as always we wholeheartedly agreed since she was the aunt of our babies. It was now Sunday morning and we had no intentions as of yet to rise out of bed as comfortable as we were. "What time is it?"

"Eight thirteen."

"Too early…" I muttered. "Go back to sleep."

"Wish I could. Stomach won't allow me to." he chuckled lightly against my neck.

"Well go eat then sweetie. Just let me sleep."

"Alright. Sleep tight babe."

"I will."


"Troy?"

"Oh, morning Kelsi." he said smiling at the petite teenager as she tried to straighten her tousled hair. "Sleep alright?"

"I slept great. Why are you up so early?"

"Jeez, first Gabriella asks me that and then you? Are you two sure you're not related?"

"No, we're not. But we might as well should be as close as we are."

"No doubting that fact. But if you have to know, I'm up because I got hungry."

"And let me guess…Gabriella told you to come eat so she could go back to sleep."

"Very good! I give you an 'A' for this course!"

"Yay! My first grade in family life." she laughed. "Thanks Mr. B."

"That's Bolton to you young lady. Don't make me drop you a grade."

"You wouldn't!"

"Oh but I would." he smirked setting a plate full of pancakes in front of her. "Eat up before they get cold."

"Thanks Troy. When is Gabriella's next doctors appointment?"

"Two weeks Friday. We should hopefully be able to know what we're having at that one since it'll be our twelve week checkup. At least then we can prepare the other room better."

"Can I help with that?"

"Might as well. I don't think I'd be able to stop you otherwise. My mother already volunteered to help and I know there isn't any way I'm going to stop that train."

"She'd run you over if you did." Kelsi giggled between bites of her pancakes.

"Her and my dad. But I don't think he'll be involved in the project as much as mom for obvious reasons."

"Why do you say that?"

"Let's just say that dad has never been much of a handyman. I've picked up on a few things here and there so I'm a bit more capable of handling things than him. Perhaps that's why I took those woodshop courses back in high school."

"Cheated a bit, didn't you?"

"Me? Cheat? Never!" he laughed. "Just took advantage of a good opportunity."

"Good save Troy. Mind if I use the shower?"

"Not at all. Go for it. I'll be in the living room watching sportscenter if you need anything."


I woke up around ten thirty well rested but quite nauseous thinking that the babies had decided to hit me again with another double dose of it. I would have rather done that several times than to have had several of the very long morning sickness bouts that they had thrown at me. But alas I had what I did so groggily I rolled myself out of bed, put on my slippers and robe and headed towards the living room where Troy was lazily relaxing while Kelsi was in the dining room doing what I was guessing was either homework or stuff from the play that I had been helping work on. 'Was' being the operative word of course. Lazily I waved hello to her as she smiled and waved back as I continued into the living room, plopped down onto the sofa next to troy and lay down until my head rested on his right leg. "Morning babe."

"Morning." I moaned quietly.

"Not feeling well?"

"Not particularly."

"Nauseous again?"

"Just slightly."

"I see. Hey Kelsi, can you make some hot chocolate for Gabi please?"

"Sure. I'm on it." she nodded in reply getting up from the dining room and going into the kitchen.

"Thanks Kelsi! You sleep alright babe?"

"Yeah but I'm not quite one with the world yet."

"You will be soon enough. Hungry at all?"

"Please sweetie. Just mentioning food makes me want to throw up right now."

"I won't push the issue then."

"Here we go Gabs. Drink up now before it gets cold." Kelsi said smiling as I sat up.

"Thank Kels. It smells great. Just what the doctor ordered."

"Hmm…perhaps I should become a doctor then. Then I could take care of people like you."

"Aren't you thinking of Juliard though? New York has always been your dream."

"I do have other options Gabs. Music is my passion but helping others has always been the other. Even you know that."

"Yeah, I know. I'm thinking of teaching myself. Perhaps either science or maybe Spanish perhaps."

"Math would be a good area of study as well knowing you."

"That it would. What do you think babe?"

"Whatever suits your fancy sweetheart. Just make sure it's something you want to do, not what you think you want to do."

"I realize that Troy. I know I've got options all over the place and pre-law was also an idea of mine, but I think working with other kids may be a better option for me."

"Why do you say that?"

"That's easy babe. Easier hours, more time for my family and kids…"

"I already see your point. I think it'd be great for you then. I can already see you teaching our kids when they get old enough."

"Oh yes. I can already hear them complaining about how mom or dad won't go easy on them."

"Haven't I heard that out of you about me several times already?"

"Gabriella! You didn't!" Kelsi laughed. "I mean come on! You tried to ask your husband who is also your teacher to go easy on you?"

"Can't say I didn't try." I giggled sipping my drink. "Mmm…this is good. Thanks Kelsi."

"Anytime. But still sis, I'm shocked!"

"Sorry." I laughed. "But he never gave in. In fact, I think he went harder on me."

"That I did dear. But hey, it'll help you out in the long run."

"Whatever." I smirked. So, you watching sports all day again?"

"Same as every Sunday."

"In that case I'll just hang with Kelsi here. Perhaps I can help her go over some things downstairs concerning the play."

"That'd be cool! Is that alright Troy?"

"Go for it." he laughed. "Just stay out of trouble, alright?"

"Us? Stay out of trouble?" I laughed. "Never."


Na na na na
Na na na na yeah
You are the music in me


You know the words Once Upon A Time
Make you listen.
There's a reason

When you dream there's a chance you'll find
A little laughter or a happy ever after…

"Sounds like another hit in the making Kelsi."

"Oh, this? Yeah. It's something I've been working on for a while now."

"And this is all you've got?"

"At the moment yes. Great minds need time to come up with the perfect songs sis."

"Don't let me stop you." I giggled. "Besides, if I did I'm sure our little ones might get a little upset with me."

"They wouldn't be the only one." she said smirking at me.

"You trying to intimidate me sis?"

"Not sure. Is it working?"

"You're asking a woman with raging hormones that? That's dangerous territory Kelsi."

"In that case how about we get back to work with you helping me with the play."

"Much better."


Around mid afternoon after hanging out in the family room in what we had now affectionately called the 'band area', me and Kelsi decided a quick snack was in order just to keep us energized. As for me though, I think our little ones were thinking of a full meal as I was absolutely starving. Plus after the multipule bathroom runs I think I had toned up my legs quite a bit. Who would have thought that having babies developing inside of you would do that? I mean, who needs a stair climber when I can just go up and down the stairs from the family room all day? But something in the back of my mind made me think that we should have a bathroom installed down there sometime as for some reasons the previous owners never did. Not that it was a design flaw or anything, but I was beginning to seriously think it was becoming more of a necessity. "What do you want Kelsi?"

"I'm thinking a bowl of popcorn is good for me. What are you going to dive into?"

"A full salad with all the fixings with garlic toast on the side, a nice glass of milk and maybe perhaps just a tad bit of ice cream afterwards."

"Boy, you are hungry." she giggled. "But why are you bringing out the leftover chicken from last night?"

"That's easy Kels. I'm going to chop some of it to put on top of my salad."

"Oh, a grilled chicken salad! Got enough for two?"

"More than enough. Troy makes sure of that."

"He does the grocery shopping?"

"Mostly. I tag along whenever I can though he is a very independent person when it comes to that chore for some reason."

"But he always gets what you want huh?"

"Yep. Even when my midnight cravings hit he's out in a hurry to keep me happy. I hate doing that to him but alas, it's a part of my pregnancy."

"What was the weirdest one?"

"I one time chased him out of the house to get me a chicken bacon ranch hoagie with, believe it or not, deep fried pickles covered in ketchup, mustard, and relish."

"Eww…that's nasty considering how much I hate mustard."

"It was good to me for some reason. But to make it up to him I let him sleep in late. He didn't wake up until almost noon after that run."

"Wow, that is late."

"Yeah, but he said it was worth it to keep me happy."

"One question though; how did he find something like that at that time of night?"

"I don't know, but he did. Never underestimate the persistence of a determined man and his pregnant wife."

"If I'm like that when I get pregnant, I am so spoiling my husband after I give birth to my child."

"Maybe I'll do that myself just to make him feel all the efforts are worth it."

"He'll know it is when he's holding three little babies in his arms."

"I'll be feeling the same way…"


"Night guys!"

"Night!" me and Troy yelled. Kelsi's mom had just arrived to pick her up and our day of fun had sadly had to come to an end due to school on Monday morning. That reminded me that I was starting the home schooling program on Monday as well though at least I got to sleep in late everyday compared to the normal students. I knew there was an upside to it. "Well, all is quiet once again."

"You ready to start tomorrow Mrs. Bolton?"

"As ready as you are Mr. Bolton. It may take some getting used to, but I think we can handle it."

"Like I said before, with your brains and my brawns, we can accomplish anything."

"Hey, use your mind before muscle mister. I do prefer having both though."

"And yet you do have both! What a coincidence!"

"Okay you nut." I giggled. "Go work on your class plans for the week. I've got some studying to do myself."

"Yes ma'am! I shall obey!" and like he was playing a butler, he once again bowed to me before swishing off into the little alcove off the dining room where our computer desk was and got to work. There was a about six foot tall bookcase we had just around the corner from that where we kept our books. Not that we had many, but most of his were still some old textbooks from college with his class planners being on the third shelf from the top. My books were on the bottom three shelves which for obvious reasons I was more than happy about. But instead I grabbed my laptop from our room, fired it up waiting for the wireless connection Troy had set up for me for easy access to what I wanted to do and for the rest of the evening we did what we had to do to prepare for a whole new week.


East High. What had suddenly grew into a school where in just a couple of months the signs of the status quo had appeared suddenly reared up it's head as the students out in front got out of the way as a small group of people made it's way to the front doors. They were the people who had been feared yet loved the most as they had set the whole world apart the moment they stepped in the doors the first day of their freshman year. And in that first week they had almost taken control of the school and by the second week had it eating out of the palms of their hands. Sophmores feared them. Juniors despised them. And seniors though having rank and superiority over them, bowed down to their presence knowing that anyone even trying to mess or deal with them would face a certain wrath that no one could predict. Their followers were everywhere at that time but now in their senior year, they stood alone but remained just as powerful. Zeke Baylor, Sharpay Evans, Ryan Evans, Chad Danforth, Taylor McKessie, Jason Cross, Kelsi Nielson, Martha Cox and Shannon Asmundson, the newest member of the crew. Ten strong and all smiling finally glad to be reunited the way they should have been. Sure, Gabriella wasn't in the pack and the whole school 'knew' why, but only they, the one group who always defied the odds, knew of the true story and nodded when they walked past Troy in the hallway next to the gym recognizing that though they may have been in control of the school, he in turn was in charge of making sure they passed the one certain class though not required at their grade, could still leave an ugly mark on their records if they failed. They weren't afraid though. No, far from that. They were full of the confidence that they had once lost and all the other students recognized that. So much in fact that students in the hallways made room for them as they went by. Yeah, things were back to normal for them at least. But would the school itself once again be able handle the switchover? Only time could tell.


"How's the studying going dear?"

"Oh it's going mom." I giggled to Lucille. "The classroom though seems a lot homier and not as crowded."

"Hmm…that is a different change. Oh, plus you get snacks throughout the day! Let's see the schools do that for you!"

"Wow! They would never do that! Regular school is for the birds! This is the way to go!"

"That's my girl." Lucille giggled. "Here, made some cookies for you. My special double chocolate chip ones."

"Ooh! I love it when you make these!"

"Don't forget the traditional glass of milk to go with it." she replied smiling setting the glass down on the table in front of me.

"Have I told you lately that I love you?"

"Love you too sweetie." she smiled kissing my forehead. "Now get back to work. I don't need my son yelling at me because you haven't done your work."

"Yes mom." I giggled. And for most of the morning and part of the afternoon, I worked through the online part of my classes with the paper part of it I'm sure will start being brought home from Troy later on. Didn't matter though. I was well on my way to the success I was planning on becoming in the future and the whole becoming a teacher idea was starting to sound more and more like the dream I had really wanted after all.


"Boy, I'm loving this."

"Loving what Shannon?" Kelsi asked.

"Look at everyone around us. As soon as they see us they get out of the way. What's up with that?"

"It's just a part of who we are. Been that way since elementary school when me and Gabriella moved here. Not sure why but when you get the superstars, jocks, and well, nerds mixed into the same group, people take notice. We're still not sure why we click so well together, but we do. We're a pretty tight knit family just so you know."

"Family? You guys?"

"Listen Shannon, I know of who you are and some of the tactics you use to get your friends. But I would listen close if I were you; don't mess with us. We may be some of the nicest people around here, but we will not hesitate and are not afraid of protecting each other when it comes down to it. So if you really value your friendship with us, I highly suggest you watch yourself."

"You think you scare me little person?"

"You should be scared." Jason said as he and the others surrounded the two. Kelsi smiled and stood off to the side and took her spot next to Taylor. "We mean business when it comes to each other."

"You all think you can intimidate me? You have got to be kidding me."

"We're not here to intimidate you Shannon." Taylor stated. "Just letting you know of the reality of your situation. We're all familiar with how you work and believe me, we ourselves have been watching you from the sidelines."

"You…you have?"

"You think you're the only one who has this school wired?" Chad scoffed while smiling. "Girl, you have no idea what you've gotten yourself into. We know who your boyfriend is and are on quite good terms with him. But how would he feel if he knew just how bad his girlfriend is?"

"You wouldn't…"

"Oh, we would if it came down to it. And when it comes to Gabriella, we'll protect her the most. She's the leader of our pack and someone you better treasure if you truly cherish your friendship."

"You guys…can't do this! It's not supposed to be like this! I always get my way!"

"Not this time." Sharpay smirked. "Everyone in this group knows of my antics and though I'm sad to admit to my ways, they still accept who I am as a person. Plus…" she continued taking Zeke's hand in hers. "I found someone who accepted me as I am and I'm sure as hell going to try to change for the better."

"You guys…no way! This was supposed to be my year! My chance to be in charge! What happened?!"

"Easy Shannon. We let you in because Gabriella did." Kelsi replied confidently. "Now, just how much do you value your friendship with us?"

"Well…"

"Think carefully about this Shannon. This day could either lead to your downfall or into a whole new way of life with us."

"You guys really are that tough, aren't you?"

"You bet we are."

"Fine." she smiled. "As much as I treasure who I am, there's no way I'm going to let the most powerful group of students down. So you can continue to count me in. Besides, can't let the ice princess have all the fun."

"You can have all the fun you want." Sharpay giggled. "Besides, I think it's time for me to settle down a bit. Especially with the goodies that my man here makes me."

"I heard he was quite the good cook."

"Forget the cooking! You ought to taste his baking!"

"I'll do that sometime. Can we go now? I'm a tad bit shaken up from this little interrogation."

"Like I said before," Taylor replied. "We're just stating how it is."

"Yeah yeah, I got you. All of you. Now can we get to class? The lunch bell just rang and I really can't afford to be late."

"Let's go everyone." Ryan said smiling. "Today is the start of a new chapter in the life of the Wildcats. Let's make it a good one."


"Gabriella! Visitors!!"

"Who?" I asked coming out of the kitchen. "Sharpay! Zeke! Shannon! What brings you three here?"

"For one, dropping off some goodies for the soon to be expecting mother…" Sharpay said smiling. "plus setting one thing straight."

"What thing?"

"Someone here hasn't been completely honest with you."

"Who?"

"Me." Shannon said shyly looking down at the floor. "It's me."

"What's going on Shannon?"

"Can we talk?"

"Sure. Come on. We can all talk in the living room."

"Shannon, what's going on here?"

"I've…well…been deceiving you a bit."

"How so?"

"I…didn't make friends with you just for the sake of friendship. There was just a tad bit more to it than that."

"Do explain."

"I wanted it for the popularity. Always seeing how everyone around you guys respected you, talked to you, and even just getting out of your way when you walked through the hallways was impressive. You all had everything under control and that's what I wanted."

"Wanted? Shannon, that isn't something we wanted. It's something we earned by being honest about who we are."

"You were?"

"Of course. I love you as a friend Shannon, I really do. But you have to understand that when it comes to great power, with it comes great responsibility. That is how our group is based. But we don't use our powers to hurt others. We use it to help those in need. Granted I may not have the best record in that, but when it comes down to it, I am always there as someone to talk to or as a shoulder to cry on. The rest of us are always out there otherwise doing the same thing. So all in all, we earned the respect we have throughout the school. Sure, we may have our small group of followers doing the dirty work behind the scenes, but we in no way endorse or support what they do. They just do it for the sake of saying that they're our 'friends' when they really aren't."

"They sound like obsessed fans."

"They pretty much are unfortunately. But in any case, we're always out there taking care of the people who need us most. Not the other way around."

"Sounds like I have a lot to learn."

"That you do…but…" I continued on taking her hands in mine. "if you're willing to join that cause, you'll be more than welcome to join our family."

"Really?"

"Really Shannon. But you have to be willing to make that change. To always be there to help others in need. To be honest with yourself and those around you. To always be a true Wildcat."

"You had me at Wildcat Gabi."

"Good. Just don't go back on this. If you do you know it'll only lead your eventual downfall later in life."

"I know. Kelsi warned me of that earlier today already."

"She's a sharp girl. She may be the quiet one, but she's always watching what's going on around her."

"Your information specialist the way it sounds."

"Yes and my very dear sister for life. So just make sure all of you take care of each other. Do that and I'll continue to be happy knowing that the school is staying in one piece."

"Deal Gabi. Thank you."

"No problem." I said hugging her. "Now all of you get out of here and get home. I'm sure you all have homework to do." and with that and a couple more hugs I watched my friends leave and with a bit more confidence built into myself, went back to what I had to do in order to keep my life in the perfect order that it was in now.


Tuesday morning. The air of confidence in the group of Wildcats was almost a hundred fold as they strutted their way into the school happy, smiling, holding hands or hugging each other and even Kelsi, the shyest one of the group, finally got the muster to shut up her chatty boyfriend by laying a passionate kiss onto his lips. That in response got the group howling and clapping as they confirmed their relationship in front of their friends for the first time. Sure, they all knew Ryan and Kelsi were dating, but had yet to show any PDA to prove it. Well that kiss from what Ryan said was one of the biggest chart toppers he had ever received. Kelsi herself was even amazed at the power she had put into it. Didn't take long for the rest of the school to notice the change either.

Shannon after the talk she had with Gabriella the night before decided that she would make the effort to change for her newly found group of friends. Knowing she was messing with a powerful force that was to be reckoned with was not what she wanted. So to earn the respect that the others had earned was what she wanted also. She would soon learn though how good earning that respect would really feel.

The whole Sharpay and Zeke controversy also took the school by storm as news of the ice princess settling down didn't settle well with some of her past boyfriends. Uncertain of how things would turn out with them together though she took an air of confidence in herself and took the very first step forward towards her first actual steady relationship. Zeke being the gentleman he always was there for that first step and the many after that when the news came out and with each one they made together, Sharpay's eyes seemed to glow brighter, her confidence soared, and her heart began to feel things though strange, left her calm and happy. And for the record, that now meant that everyone in the group was dating one or the other in a steady relationship. And how often is it that you see that?


"Bobby! Stop!" Shannon laughed. "I can't stand it when you tickle my ribs!"

"Looks like we have a new golden couple." Chad snickered.

"Aww…but I was going to pin that on Sharpay and Zeke baby!" Taylor frowned. "They're so cute together."

"Babe, I don't do cute."

"Yet I find you irresistibly cute." she giggled pinching his cheeks.

"So not funny Taylor."

"The rest of us think it is." Martha smirked snuggling up next to Jason. "Looks like things are back to normal again."

"I still owe you guys a ton for letting me in like you have." Shannon said smiling. "I knew it took a lot."

"I owe you guys big time too." Bobby stated. "I've always hated that stuck up cheerleading group she hung out with."

"You and me both." Sharpay stated. "I've always been at wits end with them."

"Me included?" Shannon then said smirking. "Me and you have always been at war with each other."

"Down ladies." Kelsi said smiling. "This is supposed to be a new chapter for us. Let's not start it off fighting amongst each other. Enough bad blood has been spilled already."

"My point exactly." said Ryan. "Time to clean up the mess and start anew stronger that what we were before. Think we can do that guys?"

"What do you think Chad?" Taylor asked. He looked at his friends and teammates who nodded knowing what it was he had to do. It was once again time for the battle cry. Standing up, he looked around the cafeteria to the others who recognized what was going on and nodded back. "Hit it baby."

"WHAT TEAM?!"

"WILDCATS!"

"WHAT TEAM?!"

"WILDCATS!"

"WILDCATS! GET YOUR HEAD IN THE GAME!!!" and as Bobby and Shannon looked at each other yelling the most famous words in East High, Bobby could notice the cloudiness and sadness that was in her eyes begin to disappear as the bright clear eyes and true smile of the girl he fell in love with during their freshman year began to return to their rightful place.


"Gabriella! Dinner is ready!"

"Coming! Ooh, what smells good?"

"Made my home made baked macaroni and cheese with mixed vegetables on the side."

"Sound delicious."

"It should. I just wonder where Troy is? It's not like him to be running this late."

"True. Even practice doesn't run this long."

"Well I'm sure he'll call soon with some excuse."

"He always does." I giggled heading towards the dining room to set the table. "But as usual he always finds a way to make up for it."

"Even as a teenager he did that. Just where did I go wrong with him?"

"He's perfect mom. So quit picking on my husband."

"Ha ha." she scoffed playfully at me. It was then that the phone rang and I ran to it thinking it would be my lover on the other line. But when the caller id said 'Presbyterian Hospital', I got a bit confused. "Bolton residence. Gabriella speaking."

"Is this Mrs. Bolton?"

"Speaking."

"This is doctor Charles Hasgrove from the emergency department. Your husband and an acqaintance of his arrived here about an hour ago from an accident…"

"Oh my god! An accident?!" Okay, now my heart was racing and literally pounding into my ribcage. "Is he alright?"

"He and Mr. Danforth are fine. I'll fill you in on the details when you arrive but both of them will need assistance getting home."

"Alright. We'll be right there. Just tell Troy and Chad not to move an inch."

"We will. You know of our location correct?"

"Yes, I know where you're at. Just let them know we're on our way and that I love them both dearly."

"We'll let them know."

"Thank you. Bye." I said hanging up. "LUCILLE!!"

"What dear?" she asked coming into the living room.

"Leave the food! Troy and Chad got into an accident!"

"Oh dear! Where are they at?"

"Presbyterian Hospital."

"Alright. Let's get moving."

"I'm driving!" I yelled snagging my jacket out of the entryway closet. "And no arguments!"

"No arguments here dear. Let's go."


We arrived about fifteen minutes later with me breaking about every speed limit and local traffic law I think there was in order to get to my husband and friend. Another accident just wasn't what Troy needed for sure and for Chad, if it did anything to hamper his basketball dreams, I knew for sure he was going to flip. But to me, that would have to be the last thing on his mind. Looking at Lucille on occasion as I drove I could easily see the storm clouds brewing in her eyes as the last accident her son had been in stole the one thing away that he had been working so hard for. But he was able to attain his second dream and so far has loved every second of it. Seeing how happy he was teaching just made it that much easier for me to actually choose the same for myself. Just knowing that I was able to help a child, young adult, or teen move forward somehow in life just by teaching them what they needed to succeed was very enticing. But I quickly shoved that thought into the back of my mind as we both jumped out of my Jeep and locked it with the remote before racing into the emergency room department. "Can I help you ma'am?"

"Yes. I'm here for Troy Bolton. I'm his wife Gabriella Bolton and this is his mother Lucille."

"Very well. Just wait in the waiting room over there and I'll page Dr. Hasgrove and let him know you're here."

"Thank you." I sighed worriedly walking away. "Jeez, I'm so worried mom."

"I know sweetheart. We'll just hang on and hope it's nothing too serious."


We waited for what felt like an eternity which only ended up being about thirty minutes. I wasn't about to complain as I'm sure the doctor was busy handling two guys of which I knew could be a handful when agitated enough. Mrs. Danforth and Taylor joined us about ten minutes after we had first arrived terrified and freaked out themselves so I felt a bit more comfortable knowing I was in the same boat as them. Luckily we were able to make small talk amongst each other until the doctor finally made his appearance. I could tell he was experienced just by looking at him. About six foot, combed over grey hair that was actually styled quite nicely, passionate and considerate eyes and an average staure for a man of his age. "Bolton and Danforth?"

"That's us." Emily Danforth, Chad's mother said standing up as the rest of us did. "I'm Mrs. Danforth."

"Nice to meet you ma'am. Are you Mrs. Gabriella Bolton?"

"Yes I am sir. How are they?"

"In rough shape but not enough so that they won't quit hitting on some of our nurses just so they can get out of here faster." he chuckled. "But we do get that a lot for some reason. Chad is the one who was driving his vehicle when the two were hit and he did end up taking the worst of the hit. A lot of cuts and bruises, left arm fractured, left leg broken in three different spots and his right ankle was unfortunately severly sprained."

"Is he going to be okay in the future to play basketball?" Taylor then asked worryingly. "It's always been his dream to play professionally someday."

"Right now it's hard to tell. Injuries like that sometimes heal completely, but in other instances they never really fully recover at all."

"He's not going to like that."

"What about Troy?" Lucille asked.

"Are you his mother?"

"Yes."

"Well, he did end up unfortunately end up irritating the past knee injury he's been recovering from. He also ended up with his fair share of cuts and bruises as well and both of them also did receive a pretty bad case of whiplash. Mr. Bolton's knee will have to be braced for a while limiting his moving around for a while. They're not ready to leave as of yet but as soon as they are we'll let you know."

"Thank you doctor." I sighed.

"Anytime ladies. Just relax here for now and I'll try to keep them under control." and with one last gentle smile he turned and left leaving us a little less worried about their health but a little more worried about their hormones.


"Gabriella?"

"Oh, hey Mrs. Danforth." I said smiling over by the soda machines.

"You doing alright?"

"Worried sick. It's been another hour now and we still haven't heard anything."

"I just hope they're able to keep Chad in line. He's always been a sucker for cute girls."

"I should know. Taylor is constanly on him about that."

"Don't I know it." she laughed lightly picking her soda out the soda machine. "Listen, Chad has informed me of your situation and not to worry, I wholeheartedly support the both of you."

"Thank you Emily. That means a lot to me."

"You're welcome dearie. He's also informed me of what your mother has done to you and I've already gave her my two cents worth of advice and let's just say that she wasn't too happy with me."

"I believe it. She refuses to talk to me right now. Lucille and Jack on the other hand have been great to us and I think tonight is going to make things a little bit stronger between the all of us."

"Hey, us married ladies and mothers have to stick together girlfriend, get what I mean?"

"Totally." I laughed as we high fived each other. "You rock Emily."

"Boy, try getting my son to admit that. Just doing that is just about impossible."

"Ah, but he knows you do. He just won't admit to it. Remember, I know how the teenage mind works."

"Gotcha. Let's get back to the others. I'm sure they're getting anxious without us."

"Alright."


When we got back to Lucille and Taylor, they had informed us that there was still no news on when our boys were ready to leave yet. Jack had joined us shortly after the doctor had first left us and had yet to leave Lucille's side. I went and graciously got our drinks just to so I could calm our nerves a bit. We were all about half done with them when the doctor came back smiling. "Okay everyone, you can go visit them now. They'll be ready to go home shortly. I'm sure our nurses will be happy for that because I can tell by their faces that they're a bit agitated with them."

"Thank you doc." Jack chuckled. "That sounds like my boy."

"Dad!" I laughed smacking him. "Don't tell me you raised him to be like that!"

"Like father like son." he replied back jokingly. I just rolled my eyes and smiled. I should have known that nothing I could do would change the way those two related to each other.

"Okay pops. Let's just go see them so I can get him home where he belongs."


"Hey, take it easy will you?!"

"Mr. Bolton, it would go a lot easier if you would just relax a bit." the nurse sighed tiredly. "I swear if this is how you act around your wife then I feel really sorry for her."

"The sad thing is he does." I laughed walking into his room. "Really now Troy. Let the nurse do her job so you can get out of here faster."

"Fine…" he grumbled. I knew for a fact that he had always hated hospitals with a passion and just getting him to go to his physical therapy treatments was a chore on some days. But now looking at him with his left leg all braced up, bandages everywhere and several very ugly looking bruises, I kind of figured it would be a while before he was fully on the move again. Hell, even his right arm was in a sling. "Uhh…nurse, may I ask why his arm is in a sling?"

"Oh, that. Come to find out he also injured his right elbow and wrist from the impact. So his wrist is in a brace as well."

"Oh Troy." I giggled. "Now your mother will be practically living with us."

"Great…" he grumbled frustrated. I only smiled and shook my head. That's my stubborn husband for you. "As if we don't have enough on our hands already."

"That's enough baby. We'll be fine. Just relax and let the doctors finish their job so we can get you home."

"Yes dear…"


"One, two, three, and lift!" Jack groaned. He and Lucille now had the unfortunate job of lifting my husband who was confined to a wheel chair for several days just to let his knee heal up a bit. "And in. Boy son, have you been gaining weight?"

"Ha ha dad. Very funny."

"Troy, that's enough." I chided walking in the door behind them. "Just be happy you got to come home. They decided to keep Chad for the night and believe me, he put up one hell of a fight but lost due to the reasoning of his girlfriend and mother."

"I know. I could hear his screaming from down the hall." he laughed. "How does Taylor put up with him?"

"You're guess is as good as mine babe. Let's just get you to bed so we can get that weight off your leg."

"Sounds great. It's killing me right now."

"We've got it dear." Lucille said smiling. "If you're all hungry we can just reheat dinner."

"I'll get to working on that. Be nice to your mother sweetie."

"I will."


"Dinner in bed? This is nice."

"And the thing is…" I giggled getting into bed and under the covers next to him. "I'm joining you."

"Have you even eaten yet?"

"That's what this is for." his mother said smiling walking into our room and setting my tray down in front of me. "This way you two can enjoy your time together."

"Mom, you are not moving in no matter what you do to try to convince me otherwise." he laughed.

"I won't, I promise. Besides, I think your father would miss me too much."

"Ah, that he would."

"Okay you two. Enjoy your dinner. We'll be in the kitchen cleaning up."

"Bye!" I waved smiling. "Well, what do you think now babe?"

"Think they can do this on a daily basis? At least then we'd never have to get out of bed."

"I think they'd prefer not too. Plus if we don't get out of bed, we might end up stinking a bit. I do prefer my showers."

"Ah yes, that would be a problem."

"Funny baby. Now eat."


Chad finally got out of the hospital on Thursday due to the doctors pickiness for one and two, because of his mother's persistence that he stay for that extra time just to be safe. Though he objected ot the whole deal, his mother told him to either quiet down or it was going to be a months grounding. Thankfully he chose the latter for his benefit. But the whole thing had me rattled none the less. It for some reason was the same kind of accident that Troy had gotten into when he was in college that ultimately caused his now pretty much permanent knee injury. The typical drunk driver who had absolutely no reason to be out driving running a red light and aiming for the first thing that came to his or her vision. I never heard who it was that hit them, but both Troy and Chad were both looking at another good settlement out of it. More Chad than anything though as he did have the worst case scenario when it came to hospital bills, pain and suffering, a new vehicle so on and so forth. Troy on the other hand may be able to get pain and suffering plus hospital bills but that would be about the extent of things. I was more leaning towards the hospital bills as the pain and suffering could be argued against him because his injury was a previous one. But it still didn't mean he wouldn't get anything out of it.

Lucille unfortunately couldn't be around to help much lately nor Jack due to their busy work schedules which left me to fend for us. Not that I couldn't do anything though. Far from it. But considering I kind of went against orders when it came to my lifting limits helping my love move around a few times, it was well worth it. The pain in his arm and wrist quickly subsided though and he was able to move around on crutches for a short period before they would become unbearable to use of which I was when I would have to help him out a little bit. I just hoped that my doctor wouldn't find out.

Things at school from what I had heard on occasion from the others had improved quite a bit and the group was making it's name well known around campus. They even somehow acquired a new nickname for themselves. They were now named the 'Wildcats of the Round Table', kind of like King Arthur and the knights of the round table. I found it kind of cute and the others just took it in stride.

Kelsi and Shannon after hearing what happened made it a quick habit to stop by and see us and to help with anything around the house that we couldn't do. Not that it made any real difference but they helped with the odds and ends. Together the group spent more time with Chad and the constant visits were a real boost to his confidence. Especially Taylor. From the moment she had heard what happened I had never seen a girl so dedicated to her boyfriend in my life. Me and Troy excluded from that fact of course.

My mom, well, there was still no change to the way she was acting around us. She still avoided all contact. This upset me more than it did Troy and he understood that as did the others. But for gods sake, her son in law, the father of her soon to be grandchildren, was injured in an accident and yet she still had the gall to not even show up at the hospital?! That was a whole new low for even her and forgiveness was now beyond her reach. I was better off not having that conniving witch in my life. It hurt more than anything in my life for me to have to come to that conclusion, but if what happens in our lives doesn't somehow affect hers, then why should I have to worry about her? I love my mother with all of my being and always will. But I just can't handle any more rejection like that. So I had decided to just move forward with my life. It was now our time to move forward and make our futures the best that they could be.

The following Monday after a long relaxing weekend Troy was finally able to get around the house with little to no difficulty and was finally well enough to head off to work. The bruises on his arms were still there but with him wearing a long sleeved dress shirt, they would be well hidden as would most of his bandages thank goodness. The scratches on his face were pretty minimal for the most part but it didn't mean he was totally healed yet. "Take your pain meds sweetie?"

"Yes I did sexy. I have them in my briefcase so that way I can take them when needed. Anything else?"

"Yes my love. Please, be careful, okay?"

"I will Gabi, I promise. Now I best get going. Don't need to be late."

"Alright. Love you."

"Love you too." and with a quick kiss to seal our love, I waved him off as he somewhat hobbled still to his truck, hopped in and took off for the day. I closed and locked the door behind me and looked around at the somewhat empty house and just imagined it with the sounds of pitter pattering little feet running around while mommy and daddy chased them around happily. Just then the same warm feelings I felt at the pool party that one day washed over me and I smiled rubbing my stomach and the baby bump that was now starting to become a lot more prevalent. "Don't worry babies…" I giggled. "Me and daddy are going to make sure you have the best lives possible. I can guarantee it."


"Taylor, hurry up! I don't need your mother yelling at me for you being late!"

"Coming Mrs. Danforth!" she yelled back down the stairs. "Take care of yourself now afro-boy. I'll check in after school."

"See you then nerd." he chuckled between kisses. "Love you."

"Love you too." she giggled. "See you."

"Bye." he laughed as she left. Taylor quickly ran out of his room, downstairs and ran out the front door of his residence with her school bags flopping around behind her. "Shit! I'm going to be late at this rate!"

"McKessie!" she heard a voice yell. She glanced left to see Troy slowing down and smiling at her. "Looks like a damsel in distress could use a lift!"

"Mr. Bolton! Thank goodness!" she said smiling running up to his truck. "You wouldn't mind helping little old me would you?"

"Not at all. Hop on in."

"Thanks." she sighed getting in and closing the door. "If it weren't for you I would have been late for sure."

"Not a problem." he smiled hitting the accelerator and pulling away from the curb. "Glad I could be of some assistance."

"Happy to be back?"

"Yes. I was getting anxious. How is Chad doing?"

"Just fine with all the support he's getting. From the way it sounds he'll be making a full recovery."

"That's what I want to hear. It's going to be tough though without the team captain being there to support his team."

"Zeke will pick up the slack, trust me. He already promised it."

"I'll hold him to his word then. Mind if I make a quick stop? Need my morning coffee."

"Gabriella didn't make any for you today?"

"She forgot, but that's alright. She knows I splurge every once in a while anyway."

"Splurge away then."


"Taylor!"

"Hey Sharpay! What's up?"

"Did I or did I not just see you arrive with Mr. Bolton?"

"You did. He saw me running down the street from Chads house and offered me a ride so I wouldn't be late."

"Good thing too! Things in the auditorium are going nuts! No one can get a thing right! I had to leave just to keep my sanity!"

"You're sane? Tell me you didn't just say that."

"Hey, I am! Just in my own special way of course."

"Whatever. Let's just go before someone burns the place down."


"No no no! Just listen for once will you?!"

"Hey, it's not my fault that she can't keep up with me!"

"You?! You can't keep up with her! You two have to coordinate your efforts better!"

"What's going on around here?!" Taylor yelled walking into the auditorium.

"Talk to Mr. Smug over here." Ryan sighed. "He's getting cocky again."

"TONY!" she yelled. The young man in question cringed and turned to look at Taylor nervously. He hated working with her because she had laid down the law the first day she worked with them and now by the looks of things was going to be no different. "Listen and listen good, you hear? The attitudes as of today will no longer be tolerated. I have heard nothing but whining and moaning out of you ever since Gabriella had to leave. I'm sorry if she was a bit more easy going than me, but enough is enough. Learn to work together or leave. Take your pic!"

"I guess I'm staying then. It's a little too late now to be running out on everyone. Especially with how far in we're into this thing."

"Good choice. Now, where are we running into the problem at?"

"The final two song and dance routines." Ryan replied. "Those two along with all the other dancers are having a horrible time coordinating with each other."

"Alright. Everyone line up! Let's run through it and see what you've got!"


"Mr. Bolton, welcome back."

"Oh, Mr. Matsui. Good to be back."

"How are you feeling?"

"A little worse for wear, but I'm surviving. Can't say as much for our team captain unfortunately."

"Yes, that is sad. I hear Mr. Baylor is going to be taking his spot temporarily."

"That is correct, but I'm still having a hard time getting the entire team to cooperate with each other. Just where am I going wrong?"

"I wish I knew Mr. Bolton. Even your father has had a heck of a time since you graduated from here. It's almost like when you left, you took your legacy with you."

"My legacy…" Troy sighed. "That's the one word I never wanted to hear."

"Why not?"

"Because that's not the thing that I wanted to leave behind. But I guess it follows me wherever I go."

"What was it that you intended to leave behind?"

"That's easy Mr. Matsui. Even you should know that answer to that."

"And what is that answer may I ask?"

"Easy. It's the one theme we lived by before I graduated. It's now or never."


"Bolton residence. Gabriella speaking."

"Hey little sis…"

"Chad! How are you doing?"

"Sore as hell." he laughed. "But otherwise surviving bored out of my mind at home."

"Wish I could visit Chad, but I have to get my classwork done first."

"Oh yeah. I forgot about that whole home schooling thing. Mom is already threating to get me a tutor to keep me caught up."

"I would if I were you. It will keep you caught up in school and you won't have to worry about having to repeat another year."

"Whoa, now that you put it that way…"

"I get it Chad. You keeping yourself occupied?"

"Oh yes. Watching TV in my room twenty four seven is a real blast."

"Let me guess…all the channels dealing with sports?"

"How'd you guess?"

"That's it. I'm telling your mother to limit you to the learning channels."

"You wouldn't!"

"Oh but I could and would if I were mean enough." I giggled. "But I won't since I love you so much."

"Back at ya Gabs. How is the home schooling thing going?"

"So far so good. Can't complain too much. Troy helps at night and taking care of everything else online is really convenient."

"I myself think I would hate it. The interaction with friends isn't there."

"That is a downside, but you guys are here enough anyway that it doesn't really matter."

"Is that an insult I'm hearing out of you Montez?"

"That's Bolton to you mister, and yes, it is."

"You're breaking my heart Gabs."

"Live with it." I laughed. "But I've got to go Chad. Can't do my school work chatting with some jock who is flirting with his teacher's wife."

"Ooh…I think I just got burned. But alright. Catch you later Gabs."

"Bye Chad." I giggled hanging up the phone. As soon as I had hung up immediately my cell went off and it was the one person that I refused to talk to. Instead I put it on ignore and set it back down. I had better things to do with my life other than to deal with my backstabbing mother.


"Come on…pick up…great…" Maria sighed closing her phone shut.

"Maria?"

"Oh, hey Kent. Need something?"

"Err…yeah. Just need you to go over the details of the Watkins case with the team."

"Watkins again? When are we going to give up defending that guy? He's lost every case he's tried filing through us."

"Well he seems to think we're the miracle workers he's been looking for. How does that figure?"

"Not sure considering he's the one getting caught with the DUI's all the time. Alright, tell everyone I'll be there in thirty minutes."

"We'll be meeting in conference room one twenty three."

"Thanks Kent." Maria said smiling. "See you in a bit."

"Umm…do you need to talk about anything?"

"No, I'm fine. Just some personal issues I have to take care of."

"Sure. See you later."

"Bye Kent."


The rest of the week went by as it normally did for us and soon another Friday came around marking our official twelve weeks pregnancy mark. I had already had plans made out for a relaxing night of just me and Troy, a warm fireplace and a romantic dinner on the living room floor to celebrate our little milestone. But this morning though while under the covers of our bed my husband had other plans after a round of romantic love making the night before. While still cuddled close spooned together, he had taken the liberty of slipping himself into me while he thought I was still asleep. What he didn't know was that I was more than aware of his presence and just enjoyed the moment until after a little bit I felt his heat fill me once again causing me to moan slightly. Who said I couldn't be a quiet lover? "Oh, so you were awake Mrs. Bolton."

"Yes I was Mr. Bolton." I said quietly turning my head to kiss him softly. "And that was the best wake up present I have ever had."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it. You ready for our twelve week checkup?"

"I'm ecstatic baby. We can hopefully find out what we're having after tonight."

"Giving us just enough time to make sure that we get just what we need for our babies."

"I can't wait until they come home with us. It'll be a day I'll remember for the rest of my life."

"Same here love. But alas…" he sighed slipping out of me. "I have to get up and ready for work. Wait for me until I get home?"

"Always." I smiled keeping my eyes on him as he slipped on his boxers. After he had quietly slipped out of our room and into the shower, I closed my eyes and slipped back into another peaceful slumber.


I finally awoke about eight or so with a major case of morning sickness that if I had timed it right, probably lasted about fifteen minutes until I felt my stomach burning and my muscles aching. I got cleaned up with a hot shower afterwards and after brushing my teeth, felt a lot better and a whole lot more refreshed than what I had. I slipped into my white dress that had a black belt that went around it as it's little styling cue and my pair of white ballet flats for comfort as trying to wear the sandals that actually went with the dress didn't really fare well with sore and swollen feet. Especially with their high heels. The main reason I went with the way I dressed was that I still had the ability to look cute and still fashionable at the same time. It wasn't going to be too long though when I would have to start breaking out some of the maternity clothes I had been buying on and off on the side.

The call that mom had made trying to contact me I never did return. In my heart I just couldn't find the heart to. I never told Troy about it either. I did the only thing I could do and that was to delete it off of my call history list. The way I feel about my mom still hadn't changed and it was now getting easier and easier to live without her. I'm sure my husband hated it when I would have to tell him that on occasion, but it was the honest truth and there was no way I was going to go back on it. She destroyed the very heart she had raised and I wasn't going to make it easy for her to come back into.

Lucille came over for a bit on her very rare but much needed lunch break just to check up on me and to make sure her son was doing alright. We made small talk for few minutes while we chowed down some small sandwiches and salads before she had to take off again. I was really beginning to enjoy her company when she was around and had more fun with her than I would have with my own mother. Several times we had even gone out shopping together. She refused to let anyone see me trudging around in sweatsuits as I got bigger so we had picked out a bunch of cute maternity dresses and nightgowns to keep me comfortable. Troy would just shake his head at us whenever we would come back with bags full of goodies but what could I say? We were just being women.

Our appointment was at six and Troy had arrived home enough for him to quickly change, grab a small bite to eat so he wasn't starving the entire time and get us out the door and on the road by at least twenty after. "Cutting close are we baby?"

"Very funny. Couldn't help it. Practice took longer than usual tonight."

"Not going good, is it?"

"Nah, it isn't. I think I'm just going to drop the coaching position and just stick to the physical education."

"Seriously?! I know you Troy! You never give up so easily like that."

"Well times have changed babe. Besides, I have four other things that are more important to me than basketball."

"I love you."

"Love you too."


"Hey you too! Wow Mrs. Bolton, you are absolutely glowing today!"

"Thanks Sonia." I giggled. "We're just excited to see how things are progressing along. We're hoping we'll be able to tell what we're having this time around also."

"Well just to be curious, what would you like?"

"Well, I'm thinking we're going to have all girls."

"I see. What about you Mr. Bolton?"

"Doesn't matter to me." he replied smiling. "As long as they're all healthy that's all I'm worried about."

"Well we'll determine that if we're able to tell then. This time we're going to go for the three dimensional ultrasound. So it should be rather exciting."

"Sounds like fun. Shall we get to it babe?"

"Let's go! I want to see what we're having." I replied excitedly.

"Follow me then." Sonia laughed. "We'll be in a different room this time."


"Okay, who's ready for this?" Sonia said smiling about ten minutes later. "It seems like I may have the official count."

"What is it?!" I asked excitedly.

"Well before I go too far, I do want to say that even after your little incident, that your babies look happy and healthy as does their mother."

"Yay!" I screamed. "Okay, now enough with the hesitating. What are we having?!"

"Down Mrs. Bolton." She then laughed. "Your assumptions were correct. If we're looking at things correctly, it is indeed three little girls."

"EEEEEEK!"

"Gabriella, those are my eardrums thank you very much." Troy laughed. "Okay, so you got your wish. Three girls. Now that we know that we can get the decorating and preparations going at the house."

"Congratulations you two. I'll let you get all straightened up and we'll go from there. From here on out you should become a lot more energetic and the morning sickness should be just about over."

"Thank god. I'm tired of spending half of my mornings in the bathroom."

"Well don't get so used to that Mrs. Bolton. With their organs now developing a little more rapidly, bathroom breaks are going to be a lot more common."

"I'd rather have that than the throwing up."

"Most of my patients do. I'll be right back."

"Okay." I replied as she left. "I knew it! Three little angels!"

"You got your wish babe." Troy said pulling me close to him. "Now to start the planning as I'm sure Kelsi and my mom are going to go nuts over this."

"Aren't you excited?"

"Thrilled baby. I just don't show it like you do."

"Ha ha. Just as soon as we're done here, I have a special night planned for us so don't get too cocky Bolton." he just smiled at me, kissed my forehead and said "I won't babe."


On the way home I was so excited it was ridiculous. Usually I never usually ran on pure instinct but something that told me we were going to have three little girls running around the house made things a whole lot better for me. I was of course a tad upset that Troy didn't get his little boy, but we knew we could always try for that later on in life. The three girls were going to be more than enough to handle to start so we were more than happy with what life gave us. The first person we called was Lucille and boy did she scream when she heard about the girls. She had always wanted one after Troy but they never had any luck unfortunately. So she already forewarned us that she was going to be spoiling them rotten. Kelsi said the same thing when I called and told her as well. So my gut instincts told me I had nothing to worry about in that department just as long as they didn't over do it.

After we had arrived back at the house I immediately shooed Troy downstairs to the family room so he couldn't see what I had in mind for us. He pouted at me for doing that and even though that look always had an adverse affect on me I shook it off and stood my ground. But not before he gave me a passionate kiss that knocked my shoes off. I still stood strong and got him down there before he had a chance at doing anything else.

My main theme for the night was an easy to do chicken bake. It included sour cream and cream of mushroom soup mixed together of which was then poured over four skinless chicken breasts. The topping over that was stuffing which was first made then layed over evenly on top of the soup and chicken before being placed in the oven for about thirty five minutes. On the side I made a nice batch of home made mixed steamed vegetables and salads with sparkling cider for the both of us. For desert I had a pile of strawberries with a small bowl of semi sweet heated chocolate. Out in the living room I had already lit the fireplace and got that nice and toasty before laying down a vase with a small variety of flowers in it along with all the silverware and wine glasses. "Perfect." I said smiling to myself.

"Honey, I'm hungry!"

"Just stay down there!" I laughed. "It's almost done anyway!"

"Better be! It's not nice to keep your husband starving you know!"

"You'll be happy once you see it! So stay put!"

"I hope so!" he sarcastically replied back. I just rolled my eyes and went to our room to change really quick. I wanted to look nice for this dinner since I had put so much of my heart into it for us. This was going to be a celebration of us together as a family which was the same exact dream I had always had from the first time I had ever met him.


"It's ready baby!" I yelled downstairs after I had everything set. "Meet me in the living room!"

"Living room?" he asked curiously. I said nothing as I took off towards the living room and took my spot on the living room floor on the blanket I had set out. The food was all served out and ready to go. I also lit the candles I had put on each side of the flowers to set the romantic mood. I just hoped he liked it. When he came in through the dining room entryway, I smiled at him as he did me. It wasn't one of shock or confusion, but one of contentment and happiness seeing at how gently he was actually smiling at me. With the only lights being the candles and fireplace, the mood was absolutely perfect. "Everything looks amazing babe. Especially you."

"Thank you." I blushed. "I had this planned for us for a while now."

"Oh really?" he replied sitting down. "What's the occasion?"

"Us mostly. Me, you, and the family we created with each other."

"A reason to celebrate indeed. Don't forget the perfect marriage we have."

"We have our little bumps in the road so I wouldn't call it perfect." I giggled sipping my drink.

"It's perfect sweetheart. I couldn't have wanted a more perfect woman to have a family with other than you."

"Same here too sweetie. To our future."

"To our future." he toasted.


"So I already have the paint scheme figured out for the nursery."

"Oh?" I replied munching on a strawberry. "What would that be?"

"Pink walls with a white chair railing. But the only thing I can't figure out is if we should use dark colored furniture or go with white to match the chair railing."

"Well how about we keep with the rustic theme sweetheart? That way we can use softer more neutral colors and the darker furniture like what we have now."

"You actually think that'll work?"

"Sure, why not? As long as I get a glider rocker in there so I can sit and rock our girls to sleep I'll be content."

"With a little floor lamp softly illuminating the room so you can read them their night time stories…"

"Or tell them how mommy and daddy met and got married…"

"Or just how much we love them…"

"Yeah, it's going to be a wonderful dream."

"It's not a dream babe. This is our reality. We're going to be the most wonderful parents in the world. We'll make sure of it."


After dinner and our dessert, Troy took over the duties under much of my protest of cleaning up and making sure the dishes were done for the night and the leftovers put away. That in the mean time gave me the chance to pull out the one last thing that I had planned for the evening. I pulled the envelope out from behind the couch pillows and placed it on the coffee table so it was in his plain view. "There, that's done."

"Well come relax with me then." I said patting the sofa cushions. He just laughed gently before coming to the sofa and sitting down where I then laid down stretched out on my side with my head resting on his right leg facing the fireplace so I could enjoy the serene feeling of our home. "There, much better."

"Comfortable?"

"Totally." I sighed pulling a blanket over me. "These are the moments I cherish being married to you."

"Well you can have as many as you'd like Gabs. Hey, what's that letter on the table?"

"Oh, that's for you."

"Is it now? I wonder who it could be from…?"

"Not sure." I replied smiling discreetly. "You'll just have to read and find out."

"I think I'll do that." he chuckled grabbing it while trying not to drop me. Once comfortable again he opened the letter and began reading as I closed my eyes and relaxed into his warmth.

Dear Troy,

This little letter I have written to you is the last thing I had planned for this evening. It is a letter full of happiness and faithfulness to the one that I care about the most and is written out of the pure love I carry for you and only you alone.

I still find it hard to believe sometimes that it was pretty much two years ago that we met and instantly became the best of friends as you moved into what is now our home together. It was at that time when we first talked that we found out how much we had in common, how you came to live so close to me even though you had for so long without me realizing it and how you allowed me to help you along when you told me of that knee injury that you had so unfortunately received. It was when you gave me that gentle smile and nod letting me know that you would let me into your life as your friend that I knew we had something special going on that only we would ever have.

It was when you had to leave and go back to college that first time afterwards that I felt a little lonely around home knowing you weren't around to chat or hang out with. I know we kept in constant contact over the phone and computer with emails and instant messages, but something in my heart wanted to hold you and tell you everything was going to be alright, that you would fully recover and play basketball like you had always wanted to. The same feeling wanted me to be with you always, to never leave your side, to never let you feel lonely in life. I wasn't sure what that feeling was and was scared to admit to myself that it was love. So I brushed it off as much as I could so I didn't let myself get hurt. Instead I let life keep me distracted just so I didn't feel those feelings. But no matter what I did, every thought turned back to you. Your gentle smile, your deep blue eyes, your tousled hair, your handsome looks and absolute charm. Before I had to chance to even think about it, at fifteen years old I had fallen in love with the one person for who for some reason had stolen my heart.

It was that one year later at sixteen when I first found out about you being home. Looking out around the neighborhood I would always look for some sort of sign that you actually were as I didn't want to intrude on your summer break from college as I was pretty certain that you had plans for fun with your friends or maybe even a trip somewhere to take in someplace you haven't seen before. So instead of doing the right thing and going to see you, I let things be with my heart aching to see you.

But that one day when I finally confessed my feelings for you, you almost broke my heart into a million pieces. Our age differences were the only thing keeping us apart and for me, I saw no reason for that. I had never been in a real relationship before and was willing to risk everything I had for what I felt for you.

I'm sure you were as confused as I was as to what you were feeling for those two weeks afterwards. But each day apart from you my heart broke into more pieces than I had cared for it to. So that's why after waiting during that time that I ran out of my house with my mom yelling after me into the rain and straight to your front door. The look of pure shock on your face when you opened the door after I rang the doorbell and banged on the door was weird, but I didn't care. I was determined to get my point across to you that I loved you no matter what the circumstances were. So when I felt you return the kiss I had initiated, I think we both realized the choice we had made after all was the right one the whole time.

It was that secret we had kept from our families when we first started dating that made our relationship all the more fun and exciting. It was the flirty emails and calls. It was the letters from you when you went back to college. It was me knowing how special I was each time you mentioned you loved me like I loved you. It was us trying to explain ourselves after our families had found out about us. It was you holding my hands once everyone approved after the long talk we had amongst each other. It was the look you gave me when you proposed and I said yes. It was the same look you gave me when we got married in California that I knew we were meant to be together forever.

But the most special thing to me is the look you gave me when I told you we were going to be parents. I didn't know how you were going to react but you were as supportive I had dreamed you would be. And that same man I still love to this day has supported me through the difficulties with my friends, my mom, and whatever else life has thrown at us. And now it is with this letter that I still promise to this day that I will always be the one who loves you the most, who will always remain at your side, and will try to be the best mother that I can to our children.

So I now end this letter knowing that with all my heart baby how much you really mean to me. And with that I also want you to know how much I actually love you and how special you really are. It's how each morning I wake up in blissful ignorance of the world around me as you have your strong arms wrapped around me keeping me safe, warm, and protected. It's how I feel when we make love to each other that you let me feel just how special I am. It's in our kisses everyday that I still feel that same strong spark that was there when we kissed for the first time. So no matter what happens baby, I will irrevocably love you Troy Bolton. You are the main reason I live to this day and always look forward to you taking me in your arms when you return from work. I just hope that after reading this letter that you feel as strongly about me as well. I love you baby.

Love,

Gabi

"I never knew you could be such a softy." Troy chuckled lightly stroking the hair of his sleeping wife and setting the letter down. "And I love you too sweetheart. More than you'll ever know…"


A/N: And another chapter for the record books! (Crowd goes wild) Thank you! Thank you! lol J/K. I want to thank those who have reviewed and those who continue to add me to their favorites lists. But I would like to see more reviews if you could please so I know what the rest of you think of this story. You know that little button that says review this chapter/Story? You know you want to push it. Come on, don't be afraid. It's calling you...