A Forced Reunion

A/N: Hey thanks for all the awesome reviews! I'm sorry it's taken so long to update but if you've read 'Kyle Bolton' or 'Accepting Change' then you will know I'm in a sling and can't really write that quick. Please R&R!

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot and OC's.


Chapter 9 – The Set Up

Gabriella awoke the next morning feeling someone lying next to her with their arms around her. Turning she smiled seeing Troy next to her. She moved herself closer to him as he stirred, his blue eyes meeting her brown ones as a smile appeared on his face.

"Good morning." Troy whispered giving her a kiss on the lips.

"Good morning. I'm sorry about last night and the whole breakdown." Troy shook his head.

"You needed someone to let everything out too and I'm just glad you let me be there for you. Finally ready to accept more help?" Troy asked.

"I think so. I can't do anything well on my own anymore because I'm being too affected by everything now." Troy held her closer as she sighed into his chest. The two just lay there in silence before Troy groaned as his doorbell went.

"If that is Sharpay again I think I will ban her from coming here." Gabriella smiled as she walked downstairs while Troy trailed behind only to find herself being dragged out the door as soon as she opened it by Sharpay.

"Sharpay let go." Gabriella saw Sharpay's scared face and knew instantly it was something to do with Ryan. Troy ran back upstairs to change and grab Gabriella some clothes for Gabriella since Sharpay had just dragged her away.

Gabriella allowed Sharpay to pull her quickly towards Ryan's room.

"Something's wrong with Ryan!" Sharpay told her as Gabriella hurried into Ryan's room where Zeke was. Ryan was having a huge coughing fit and looked absolutely awful. Of course to Gabriella she was use to seeing him look like this but to Sharpay and Zeke he probably looked like he was dying there and then because they wouldn't have seen him like it before. He looked worse than the day he collapsed. Gabriella walked over and sat next to him till the coughs subsided.

"Gabi what the hell is wrong with him?!" Sharpay asked worriedly as Ryan weakly smiled at Gabriella. She instantly knew he was having a very bad day from his complexion.

"Sharpay he is fine. He is just having a really bad day but this is what he is like most of the time back home." Gabriella explained as Sharpay let out a sigh of relief.

"Ryan do you need anything? Drink? Food?" Sharpay asked kindly.

"A drink would be good." Ryan smiled. He knew Sharpay wanted to be there for him and he couldn't turn her away.

"You really want to kill us off in the process don't you? I've never been as scared as to what I was when Sharpay said something was wrong. I think even more so than the other night. Do you think you can give it a rest now for a few days giving us scares?" Gabriella asked smiling.

"You know I can't do that because that would make things too easy for you and since when have I ever been easy to look after?" Gabriella's smile dropped when she heard how weak his voice was.

"I guess you're right. Without you my life would be boring." Gabriella noticed Ryan's eyes drooping and him trying to force himself to stay awake. "Sleep and I'll go tell the others to leave you alone for a while." Gabriella kissed him on the cheek before walking out the room and closing the door seeing as Ryan was already asleep. Walking back downstairs Gabriella noticed Troy and all the others from the gang were there.

"Is he really ok Gabs? I want the truth?" Sharpay asked as Gabriella sighed and nodded sitting down next to Troy.

"He seems to be getting weaker everyday at a faster rate than I imagined. He's really sick at the minute." Gabriella stated as Troy wrapped her in a hug much to the amusement of all the others who were all thinking about Ryan's plan but not knowing the pairs secret. "I think if he carries on the way he does the time might come even quicker." Gabriella admitted as tears rolled from her eyes as did tears from Sharpay and the other girls. Even the guy's eyes watered. "I have to go make some phone calls." Everyone nodded as Gabriella left the room.

"How can she do that?" Kelsi asked. "I mean just still be strong after everything. She's been having to deal with this over the past few years, watching Ryan deteriorate but yet she still gets up and goes on with life. If I were her I would have given up a long time ago." Kelsi explained.

"I don't think she is coping anymore." Troy told them.

"What do you mean by that? Has she said something to you?" Taylor asked as Troy nodded.

"Last night when she came back she just broke down and this morning she told me she was finally ready to accept help because she can't cope anymore." Troy explained sadly. Sharpay bit her lip. She couldn't even begin to think what this must have been like for Gabriella who has been with his for so long. She had only known a few days and knew she wasn't handling the news well but how Gabriella had lasted this long amazed Sharpay.

"I'll be back in a few minutes." Sharpay excused herself and disappeared upstairs as the others talked about what they could do to make Ryan happy for a while.

Sharpay stopped outside Ryan's door where she could hear Gabriella and Ryan talking.

"What did they say?"Ryan asked.

"When we get back they want to admit you for some more tests because they don't like what's happening. They think you are too weak to be out and about." Gabriella explained.

"I will be ok for a while yet won't I Gabs?" Gabriella could hear the fear in Ryan's voice that she had never heard before.

"I don't know Ryan but I promise I will be by your side all the way till the end because I'm not going anywhere no matter what." Gabriella leaned down and hugged Ryan as the two just lay there. Sharpay watched on heartbroken at the thought of her brother getting weaker and the fact that their relationship was nowhere near as strong as it could have been if they hadn't have had that stupid argument all those years ago.

A few days later (3 days before Ryan and Gabriella go back home)

"Hey Gabs?" Ryan called as Gabriella appeared. Ryan was on one of his better days where he felt stronger.

"What's up Ryan?" Gabriella asked seeing him standing by the door. Sharpay was working today and Gabriella was staying with Ryan. Since Troy was also working Gabriella had already planned on the two of them hanging out together since he was actually up and moving which wasn't happening very often now.

"I'm going for a walk and I was wondering if in a bit you wanted to go out for dinner tonight just the two of us?" Gabriella nodded as Ryan smiled. "Great meet me at that small Italian 20 minutes away. I'll book at table for 8pm." Gabriella smiled as Ryan left with a big smirk on his face. Walking away from Sharpay's, Ryan pulled out his cell and dialled a familiar number.

"Hello?" Troy answered.

"Hey Troy it's Ryan. I was wondering if I could talk to you about something." Ryan said knowing Troy would agree.

"Yeah sure. You know I'm here if you ever need to talk." Troy answered.

"This is something I would rather do in person but I don't want anyone to see. Can you meet me later?" Ryan asked.

"Yeah ok, where?"

"We can't go to a local place because there is more chance of someone we know seeing us. How about that small Italian restaurant ?" Ryan suggested.

"Sure ok. I'll make sure I wear something a bit smart but people better get the wrong opinion the face two guys are going to be on their own at a place like that." Ryan laughed.

"Ok meet you there at 8." Troy agreed before he hung up. Ryan smiled knowing his plan was working well so far since both Troy and Gabriella were willing.

Gabriella was figured she wasn't going to be able to see Troy till the next morning since Sharpay had for some reason insisted on Gabriella getting ready there so she could help and hadn't had chance to call Troy. Ryan had gone out earlier and said he would meet Gabriella there instead of having to come back first since he wasn't far away from the place.

"You look amazing Gabs. How my brother isn't interested in you I'll never know." Gabriella rolled her eyes.

"I'll see you later Shar." Gabriella quickly walked outside when she saw her taxi pull up. Gabriella gave the driver the address as he drove off. Gabriella got to the restaurant and walked in but couldn't find Ryan anywhere and after waiting 30mins she gave up but was worried about where he was.

Troy looked at his watch and noticed it was now 8.30pm and Ryan was nowhere to be found. Troy walked out of the restaurant when he saw someone familiar walk out.

"Gabi?" Gabriella looked up and saw Troy looking at her. Smiling she walked over to him.

"What are you doing here?" Gabriella asked as she gave him a peck on the cheek.

"I'm meant to be meeting Ryan here but that was at 8pm and he never turned up." Troy explained as Troy saw a mad look come across Gabriella's face. "What?"

"I'm going to kill him. Ryan told me to meet him here at 8pm also but didn't turn up." Gabriella told him as Troy laughed when he realized what was going on and shook his head.

"We're being set up. Well if they want to play things that way then two can play that game." Gabriella gave Troy a bewildered look. "We can make them believe that their plan failed and we don't need them to try and force us together because we are already seeing people which will completely throw them off. You can tell them you're seeing some guy from New York and I'll make something up. I know you don't want them to know still so we have to just probably be careful in the way we are around each other." Troy explained in more detail. Gabriella nodded and agreed. "Well since we're already here and dressed up would you like to go back in but as my date this time?" Troy asked.

"I would love to." Troy laced their fingers together as they walked back into the restaurant.

After Troy and Gabriella finished eating, Troy drove them both back to his house.

"I had a great time tonight Troy." Gabriella told him as he opened the door for them and let them inside.

"Me too. I'm still a bit mad at Ryan for setting us up but then again I'm glad we got to spend time together just the two of us." Gabriella smiled as she and Troy stood there a few minutes before they both started to lean in. Things were getting more and more heated before they eventually retreated to Troy's room.

Gabriella lay in the bed wrapped in Troy's arm wide awake. She just couldn't sleep and she had no idea why. She questioned herself to even if it was a sign that was telling her she shouldn't do something while she had Ryan to be thinking about.

"You ok?" Troy asked startling her since she hadn't realized he was still awake.

"Yeah just have a lot of stuff going on in my mind." She explained.

"About what happened before?" Gabriella shook her head immediately.

"Definitely not about before. Just stuff with Ryan and all things happening around that situation. I just need to try and figure stuff out in my head." Troy smiled and kissed the top of her forehead knowing how strong she was being.

"Well if you ever want to talk remember I'm here and I always will be." Gabriella twisted so that she was lying on her stomach facing Troy.

"Thank you. I really mean it. It nice to know I have someone there I can turn to for whatever. I love you." Gabriella told him as he smiled.

"I love you too." Gabriella leaned down and kissed him once again before the two fell asleep.

With Ryan and the others

Ryan and the whole gang were in Sharpay's front room looking out the window trying to see if Gabriella and Troy were holding hands and kissing like they expected.

"Oh great well that plan didn't work. Ryan why didn't you stay at the restaurant with them?" Sharpay asked.

"Because I didn't think it was right. I was already setting them up and if they saw me there I didn't want to risk getting caught and making them any madder." Ryan answered.

"Well I guess we need to come up with a new plan now. We have to get them together!" Sharpay exclaimed sharply as everyone looked at her. "What? I just know they are destined like Ryan said to be together." Everyone sat round the table trying to figure out a new plan that would work in getting the couple together.


A/N: I hope you liked this. I'll try and update soon! Please Review! Thanks!