"You're kidding right?" Troy cried through the phone, hurrying down the hallway to his truck, his phone glued to his ear.

"No, she actually swore at me, Troy. I don't know what to do." Maria replied, her voice desperate.

Troy threw open the door of his truck and got it started, pulling out of the parking lot in ten seconds flat.

"Is she in her room?"

"Yes, I can hear her stomping around upstairs."

"Can I go up and see her?" Troy asked, getting a sudden idea.

"Of course, Troy. Just climb the tree outside her window like you always do." Maria said.

Troy blinked a few times and focussed on the road. She knew about their late night meetings? Wow, he was definitely going to have to find a new way in.

"Uh…okay." He said after a moment of thought. Maria smiled a bit, knowing she had caught him off guard.

"And Troy?"

"Yeah?" He asked, pulling onto the now familiar street.

"Good luck."

"Thanks Maria, and don't worry. I'll get her to open up and spill. I'm not letting her go without a fight."

"Thanks Troy. I don't know what she'd do without you." Maria said, waving through the window as she saw Troy pulled up in front of the house. Troy sighed and climbed out of the truck, waving back to Maria.

"I don't know what I'd do without her either." He admitted. "Alright I'm going to give this a try. I'll do my best, Maria."

"I know you can do it Troy, thanks."

They hung up and Troy slipped into the backyard. He climbed the tree with practiced ease and hopped effortlessly onto the balcony, seeing that Gabriella was in the middle of the room, tears running down her cheeks as she seemed to be talking to someone. She stumbled backwards as if she had been pushed and fell heavily to the floor. Troy opened the balcony door and started towards her, stopping as she looked at him with terror filled eyes.

"Brie?"

"No! Get away from me!" She cried, throwing her hands up in front of her face. "I did what you said! I broke up with him! Just don't hurt him or my mom!"

Troy knelt down a few feet from her and gave her his most honest expression, struggling to understand what was wrong.

"Who told you to do what?" He asked, gently. Gabriella's tears hitched in her throat and she began to crawl towards him, slowly.

Troy froze in place, not wanting to scare her. When Gabriella was about half a foot away from him she stopped and he listened to her ragged breathing, wondering what was going on in her head at the moment.

"Your eyes…they're blue."

She paused and smiled a bit as he cocked an eyebrow.

"What colour would they be otherwise?" He asked, his eyes twinkling.

"Tell me something. Tell me something about me that only you would know." Gabriella whispered, her mind whirling as she tried to make sure it really was Troy.

Troy sighed, thinking hard, then he smiled.

"I love the way your nose scrunches up when you laugh, I love the way your eyes sparkle when you laugh…you could be the most beautiful girl in the universe, in just a baggy t-shirt and jeans." Troy stopped there as Gabriella smiled and shyly reached out to touch his cheek.

"It is you…you're Troy." She murmured, as if trying to make herself believe it. She reached up and brushed a bit of his dark blond hair out of his eyes. Troy closed his eyes at her touch and Gabriella moved closer to him, her eyes hesitant, but determined.

Troy opened his eyes again to see that she was directly in front of him now, and he very slowly and carefully reached out to stroke her cheek. She flinched a bit but a small smile crept across her face. Troy smiled back and she took a deep breath before making a decision.

"Troy I need to tell you something but you need to not laugh at me. It sounds really stupid."

"I'm sure it doesn't, Gabi." Troy assured her. "But I won't."

Gabriella looked around her with frightened eyes and then launched into her story, telling him everything that had happened since the first appearance of Vampire Troy, a few weeks ago, up until right before Troy had burst through her balcony doors after she had fallen. By the end of it, Gabriella was crying again and without a second thought she launched herself into Troy's arms, sobbing.

"Make it stop, Troy. Please make it stop."

Troy's heart broke at the helplessness in her voice and he hugged the girl before him in the tightest embrace he could offer without hurting her. She pressed her face into the crook of his neck, a soft whimper escaping her throat. Troy crooned in her ear, trying to process everything he had heard, but still comfort her.

"I got'cha babe, no one's going to hurt you anymore, okay?" He said, pressing a kiss into her hair. Gabriella sniffed and nodded, clinging tightly to him.

"Troy?"

"Yes, beautiful?"

"A-about today…I'm sorry for what happened, and I was wondering if you wanted we could ignore what I had to do and just pretend that it never happened and maybe just keep dating, but if you don't want to then I completely understand, I know I haven't been the best girlfriend lately and-!"

Troy's chuckle cut her off. She looked up at him with confused eyes.

"Gabriella, I don't see that as a break up. You didn't want to break up with me, so to me, it never happened. Mmkay?"

"Really?!" Gabriella cried, a smile touching her face. Troy nodded and she gasped, hugging him again with so much force that it caused him to lose his balance and he toppled over, bringing her with him. Troy burst out laughing as Gabriella blushed, apologizing over and over.

Troy just grinned and cut her off with a gentle kiss, full of love and commitment. He watched her expression carefully, wondering if he had pushed it too far, but her grin assured him that he hadn't. She giggled and sat up, Troy sitting up too. She returned his kiss and smiled a bit as she crawled onto his lap, his arms immediately circling around her waist to keep her there. She broke the kiss a few minutes later and leaned her forehead against his, while running her fingers through his silky hair.

"So what do you think we can do to stop this…Vampire Troy person from coming?" Troy ventured to ask, stroking her back to make sure she remembered that he was there for her. Gabriella bit her lip and changed positions so she was sitting sideways on Troy's lap, her head resting on his shoulder.

"I'm not sure. I've tried everything I can think of." She replied, her brow furrowing in concern. Troy planted a kiss on her forehead and sighed.

"Well we'll figure out something together, okay?" Troy promised. Gabriella nodded and then gently pulled herself from Troy's grip to pace back and forth.

"Say goodbye to Troy, he's dead thanks to you."

Gabriella whipped around to see Vampire Troy standing just beyond Troy, holding a knife to him. Troy smiled at her, oblivious to her sudden terror.

"You alright?" He asked, his eyes starting to cloud over with worry.

"Troy…c'mere." She choked out. Troy got up and hurried to her side, putting his hands on her shoulders.

"What is it? What's wrong?"

Gabriella jumped in alarm as she took note that as soon as Troy touched her Vampire Troy disappeared, but not in the threatening way, just…was no longer there.

"Brie?"

Gabriella grinned and kissed Troy quickly, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"Troy! I think I know how to fix this…"

AN: Okay one more chapter after this and it's finished! Wow, that's crazy eh? It's come so far since I started it! I really hope you guys are enjoying reading it, it's a lot of fun to write, even if it's not the happiest fanfic in the world! R&R people! Pweeeeeese? It makes me happical :)