disclaimer: don't own it.

Chapter Ten: Last Man Standing

Three Years Ago

"Mommy!" Aurora screamed in fright as she ran into the living room (which doubled as Sharpay's bedroom) and jumped onto the pull-out bed that her mother was currently trying to sleep on.

"Yes, baby, what's wrong?"

"The tunder and lightening is scaring me!" Sharpay almost laughed at the mispronunciation of thunder and lightning, but didn't because of the scared look on her daughter's face.

"Why is it scary? It's outside; it isn't going to hurt you."

"But the tunder is loud and the lightening is…scary mama!" Aurora buried her head in her mother's chest. Sharpay held her, and carefully pried her face from her chest to look her in the eyes.

"But the thunder and lightning shouldn't be scary. Do you want to know what thunder and lightning really is?" Sharpay asked. Aurora nodded. "Whenever you see thunder and lightning, it's because the angels are bowling." Aurora looked confused.

"You see," Sharpay continued, "whenever you hear thunder, it's because the angels knocked down the pins. And whenever you see lightning, it means that an angel got a strike."

"Really?" Aurora looked awed.

"Yes baby. That's why you don't have to be afraid of it."

A flash of lightning lit up the room then, followed by a crash of thunder.

"But if you want, you can stay here tonight."

"Okay mommy. I love you," Aurora whispered before she fell back asleep.

"I love you too," Sharpay whispered back.

o.O.o.o.O.o.

It was the middle of May, and Aurora came running out to meet her mother after school.

"Mommy, guess what?" Aurora said loudly as Sharpay picked her up.

"What baby?"

"On Sunday, it's Mommy's Day! And, I made you a present! But it's gotta be a suprise!"

Sharpay smiled. She knew what the present was; the teacher had told them about it so they could get what they needed for it. But she faked awe, and smiled brightly. "Well thank you baby, I'm sure I'll love your present."

On Sunday, Aurora made sure that she woke Sharpay up bright and early; she was very excited.

"Aurora! Let me sleep," Sharpay murmured. But Aurora climbed into the bed with her, and put a present in her hands.

"Happy Mommy's Day Mommy!" She yelled, and giggled. Sharpay wiped the sleep from her eyes and sat up, pulling Aurora into her lap.

"Here, open the card, open the card!" Aurora laughed. Sharpay obliged.

The card was simple: a piece of pink construction paper folded in half, with the words 'Happy Mommy's Day' on the front in blue magic marker, and on the inside a simple note in red magic marker saying 'Happy Mother's Day! I love you! Love Aurora.' On the other side of the card there was a picture of what Sharpay assumed to be her and Aurora.

"Oh baby, that's beautiful. Thank you so much!" Sharpay kissed her head.

"No, you have to see the present too!" It was something simple, once again. A handmade foam flower photo frame, with a magnet on the back, and a picture of Sharpay and Aurora.

Sharpay looked at her daughter, who looked so much like her, hugged her tight and kissed her forehead. "I love you so much. Thank you; this is the best present I have ever gotten."

"I love you too mommy."

o.O.o.o.O.o.

Present Day

Troy knocked loudly on Sharpay's door.

She answered almost immediately.

"Troy?" She looked at him in shock. Then her eyes narrowed. "What the hell are you doing here? And don't be so loud, you'll wake Aurora."

Troy's eyes narrowed considerably. "I've never been known to wake the dead, but why don't I give it a try?"

Sharpay looked up into his eyes.

He knew? How does he know?

"What?" Sharpay asked, her voice shaking.

"I know that Aurora is dead, Sharpay. Why didn't you tell me? Why couldn't you stay if you didn't have to come back to her? What is here that's so important to you? Why couldn't you stay with me?" Troy asked the last question softly.

"Because…I can't, Troy. You don't know what it's like, to live with her shadow over me all the time. I can't move. I can't leave. I deserve this pain, because I couldn't save her."

"It wasn't your fault that she died, Sharpay. Don't blame yourself."

Sharpay looked at Troy. "How did you find out that she was dead?"

Troy knew that saying that he practically stalked her was a bad idea. "I um…I…I just…"

Sharpay suddenly looked angry. "Troy, what did you do?"

Unable to come up with a lie, he said the truth. "I followed you to her grave, waited until you left, and saw what it was."

Sharpay looked at him with a fierce look of hatred. "You what? I was assuming you asked the neighbors or something!"

"That would have been a good lie, Troy," he said to himself.

"You stalked me." Sharpay said. It wasn't a question.

"'Stalk' makes it sound so much worse than it is."

"What do you mean, worse than it is? You stalked me! You invaded my privacy, my time, my secret --"

"Your lies!" Troy interrupted. "Why didn't you just say that your daughter was dead and get it over with?"

"Because I don't want to acknowledge that she's dead! She shouldn't be dead, it's not fair, she was small, she was helpless…I want to pretend that she's alive!"

"Live in a world of actuality, Shar. Reality check: she isn't alive! It's unhealthy to obsess like this!"

"Obsess?" Sharpay said in a furiously low voice. "Obsess? Me being upset over my daughter's death is obsessive?"

"Bad word choice," Troy said to himself.

"Unless you are in my situation, do NOT judge me! You have no fucking idea how hard it is for me to live every day!" Sharpay screamed.

Troy looked at Sharpay. "This might not have happened if you hadn't run away. Why didn't you stay?"

"I was afraid!"

"Afraid of what?" Troy countered. "I would have helped you, and you know it! It wouldn't have mattered if it wasn't my child, I would have loved it so much because it was yours! Not to mention that Ryan would have helped beyond belief. Why didn't you stay?"

Sharpay just looked away. "I was afraid." She repeated.

Troy just looked at her. "You deserve so much better than this." He muttered.

"Oh yeah, I deserve better? Where exactly do I find 'better'"? Sharpay asked sarcastically.

Troy decided in that moment to do something very daring. "I'm better," he growled, as he grabbed her and pushed his lips onto hers in a breathtaking kiss.

o.O.o.o.O.o.

hehe i love making cliffies :)

i hope that everybody liked this chapter, writing Aurora is a lot of fun.

thanks for keeping with this story, and please review!!!!

-amanda