wDid you guys notice that instead of Part III Chapter 2 in the last chapter I put Part III Chapter 7. Yeah, that's how it was. Alrighty people, I love you guys so much and I love this story but I deserve a break. I'm going on vacation in a week and I won't be back until the end of August so until then, this is probably the second –to-last update.

So how ya'll doing? Doing good? It's great to be writing here in Fanfiction. I just reached a full century of reviews! Oh yeah! Thanks guys so much!

Disclaimer: I shall persevere someday but for now, I don't own High School Musical.

After Thanksgiving weekend, I watched all of Troy's relatives leave one by one until only the main Boltons were left over. Jessie and her small family left three days after that weekend. My mother left for her house still in front of that Planned Parenthood clinic while I, with permission from my mother, stayed with Troy at his house. In the middle of a weekday after that loud Thanksgiving weekend, the house would be ghostly quiet. Jack and Lucille would go off to East High , our old high school, for their respective jobs. Rachel would go off to high school as well and Troy and I would be left at home with nothing to do.

I remember that Monday morning as soon as Rachel caught the bus to school, Troy came up behind me standing near in the kitchen while I was still at the door.

"So" he said

"So" I replied, walking toward him slowly.

"I guess we're alone" he told me.

"I guess we are" I admit and immediately I laugh. Troy took a long stride forward and wraps me in his arms, kissing me on the lips.

Troy and I would do whatever we wanted on weekdays. Sometimes we would go out shopping and other times we stayed at home and lounged around lazily. And every day, I got fatter and fatter, filling up my stomach with a healthy amount of baby. We started going to our regular OB/GYN appointments, too. Of course, my mother was the doctor so it would never be too much trouble.

Like this, a full month passed us by and December came around the corner. My birthday whizzed past and I turned a whopping 28 years old. The air got colder and the Holiday season came excitingly close.

Today it's just a week before Christmas and our first guest is going to arrive. Jessie. The door bell rings when I come out of my day dream. I leap up, knowing who it is.

"Jessie!"I squeal when the door opens and she's there with a huge smile on her face. Everyone at home rushes up behind me. They all take turns hugging as I place myself beside Troy again. It's just about time for lunch as Jessie, Ricky and Tyler enter the living room and get comfortable. Jack and Lucille head off into the kitchen as they work together to make lunch while Troy and I sit next to each other and watch the whole scene take place.

Jessie helps three year old Tyler take his coat off and then helps Ricky out of his as well. She picks her son up and then smiles up at her husband. Her eyes are so bright when she looked up at him and they sparkled with passion. 'We're home' I see her mouth to Ricky and nods happily. His hands linger on her waist as he leans down and gives her a small kiss on the lips.

Troy and I are looking at the same thing I know that we're thinking the same as well. "Do you think that we'll be as happy as them, Troy?" I ask. The question of our marriage as been hovering in the air around not only Troy and I but everyone. People have been suggesting the idea without even using the words 'wedding', 'marriage' or 'family'.

I can feel Troy's eyes on me while he thinks of something to answer. "I think we'll be better" he whispers in my ear. Troy puts his nose in my hair and takes a deep breath in.

That night I realize why Troy said that we'll be a better family than them. We could hear Jessie and Ricky arguing in the next bedroom. Troy and I lay in our room together silently while we listen to their bicker. I usually sleep on the left side of the bed but Troy brings me into his chest so we both fit right into the middle.

"I'm so worried about her" I tell Troy.

"Don't be" he replies. "Jessie's a really strong girl"

I turn over so that I can face him. "When we get married, I don't want us to have a choice" Troy looks at me confusingly. "Even if we have an argument or two, let's not have it affect us" I say. "Divorce is not a choice"

Troy nods agreeing with me completely. "When do you want to get married, Ella?" he asks. I exhale. So much is going on right now; I don't know when I want to get married.

"Maybe after the baby?" I slowly suggest, knowing that he would disagree.

"Why so far away?" I don't answer immediately this time. I look up at the ceiling and shake my head.

"Never mind" I say. I'm just being silly" I start to turn back over to my left but Troy stops me.

"Hey, baby" he calls. "Come on. It's important to me. Why don't you want to get married sooner?"

I sigh heavily and put the effort to turn back over again. "Troy, you won't love me just because of this baby, will you?" He makes a face, almost like he was appalled by what I was saying.

"Ella, of course not. The fact that you're having my baby is just another reason I love you. Why would you think that?"

I feel tears rise in my eyes as he says that. First, I think that he's mad at me but then I realize, he's just surprised I would think that. Either way, I go on the guilt trip anyway.

"I'm sorry, Troy" I apologize. "I just…I think it's the pregnancy hormones or something. I can't think straight and I keep thinking too much. I'm scared of ever letting you go again. I don't want to lose you, baby. I don't want to lose us"

Troy just smiles at me as I blabber on. He lifts my waist up and embraces me as we lean upright on the dashboard of the bed. My pregnant belly doesn't help much when either of us wants to roll on top of each other and kiss. So we both sit upright in each other's arms.

"I love you pregnant or not, Ella" Troy leans down to kiss me again and again and again. I relax into them. Suddenly, inside me there is flutter. I gasp as a one hand flies to my stomach.

"He's moving" I whisper to Troy. He smiles and puts his hand on top of mine. I clasp his hand to my stomach and close my eyes, waiting for my baby to move again. He does and Troy feels it.

"Wow" he says and I grin.

"That's our baby" I tell him. He caresses my womb.

"All ours"

The next morning, I'm the last to get up again. My mother is going to join us for the next week, staying in this house until Christmas. I get up to the baby moving again and immediately; I jolt up because I have to go to the bathroom. I carry myself to the bathroom and do my business. When I'm done, I figure it'll be easier just to get ready for the day now instead of sometime else. In our bathroom, I see a package of bath soaps and underneath a small note. I recognize his hand writing immediately.

'Because I know you love it when you smell good' it said. My heart tickled with bliss. I brush my teeth fully, avoiding doing that so hard because my gums will start to bleed otherwise and then getting for a hot shower. I use one of the scented 'calming' soaps that are in Troy's gift. When I get out of the shower I wrap a towel around me and walk to my dresser. Before I get there I see a beige knitted sweater laid out on top of the wooden dresser with another note on top of it. I pick it up when I reach the dresser.

'Because it's cold outside and you love being comfortable". I smile again as a small amount of pink rushes up to my cheeks. I pick out some inner wear from the second drawer and step into the underwear. I struggle to strap my bra together but magically, two extra fingers came out of nowhere and attach the two pieces together. I jump slightly but then a pair of lips envelopes the back of my neck and a familiar smell enters my nose as two arms wrap themselves around me.

"Troy" I breathe. He massages my neck with his mouth and I can't help but lean my head in the opposite direction to let it happen. Troy helps me put the rest of my clothes on. I grin as I pick up the sweater and he does too, exchanging a silent 'thank you' to him. He holds it up for me as I put my arms through the soft arm holes. I turn around when I'm all dressed and gently hold Troy's neck as I bounce up to kiss him.

"Ella, Ella, Ella" he says as he kisses my lips, my forehead and my cheek. After giving me one more kiss on the lips, Troy pulls me toward the bed. He sits down on it while I stand and pulls my shirt up so that just the swollen part of my bell is seen. I hold my shirt up as he gives my stomach –my baby- small kisses everywhere. I grin down at him as he showers me with golden love.

The day goes by fast. Rachel has started Winter Break and so have Jack and Lucille so everyone is at home all day. I welcome my mother into the house later that afternoon and show her to the guestroom. That sense of family is back again because everyone is home now. Later that night, it's just Troy and I after everyone have gone asleep. I stand toward the window with Troy behind me. I hold his hands in front of me and against my stomach. I can hear Troy take a deep breath in and then out. He released one hand from my grasp stuck it in his pocket and then pulled out something and then stuck a small, blue velvet box in my hand. I gasped.

"Ella" he said, turning me around. "I want this to be whatever you want it to be, baby". I breathe slowly as he took the box from my hands and got down on one knee. "But I love you so much. I'm happy around you and I'm healthier around you. I want us to be together and I really hope you do as much as I do. I don't know how much longer I have to live anymore, baby but however long it is I want to be with you. So, please, Ellie" he called me that name that he never calls me anymore. "Will you marry me?"

"Troy Bolton" I grab his attention, still standing. I put on my strict-ess voice. "How in the world is it that you manage to not tell me where you were for six years, make me promise to stay away from you, get me pregnant and at the end of the day even call me the name that I hate" he doesn't know where I'm going with this, I can tell. I settle down on my knees now as well and I put my hands on his cheek. I hover against his lips as my voice becomes thick with sobs. "But I still end up falling in love with you over and over again?" I let out a deep breath and finally kiss him deeply.

"Yes" I tell him. "Yes. Yes. Yes" I repeat over and over again. Troy slips the ring onto my finger. He holds it up to his face and kisses my palm quickly. I wrap my arms around his neck and then kiss him two times before tucking my head next to his and embracing me.

Later that night as Troy and I lay in bed again, I see ring for the first time and my heart thuds even louder in happiness than it already is. Because embedded in that golden ring are the words,

Because I Love You

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