Troy stepped happily out of his car and in front of the shop that morning, so excited to see her he didn't even make a coffee run.

He jogged up the concrete stairs opening the door, Gabriella turned to him and before she knew what was happening, he swiftly grabbed her bringing her to his chest, kissing her dramatically. She giggled against his lips at his haste.

"Hello there." She greeted amused before kissing him again.

"Do you know what day it is Ella?"

"Uh, Saturday?" She guessed pretending to be oblivious.

" It is the twenty fourth of December." He said answering his own rhetorical question smiling brightly. "It's Christmas Eve." He said excitedly and Gabriella giggled at him.

"I know." She said smiling. She could only imagine how excited he'd be tomorrow morning. "I thought I was the Christmas fanatic." She teased, he chuckled kissing her again before hopping on the counter while she leaned on the mahogany wood looking up at him.

"So, when do you want to start moving your stuff into my place?" He asked and Gabriella's smile faltered ever so slightly and her position straightened.

"Oh, uh, your place?"

"You remember me asking you to live with me right?" He asked and she laughed again.

"Of course I remember, it's just we didn't really talk about…where, we'd be moving." She replied and Troy looked at her slightly confused before hopping off the counter.

"I'm sorry I just assumed.."

"No, I know." She murmured looking down at the old flooring playing with the sleeve to her sweater.

"I just thought since mine was bigger.."

"I know, and it makes sense, moving into your place." She said, bending down and picking up a box before walking around the desk. He sighed before following her, grabbing her waist making her stop walking.

"Ella, tell me what's bothering you. Do you not want to move into my apartment?"

"Baby, that's not it." She sighed setting down the box wrapping her arms around his waist. "I'll move where ever you want me to. I just want to be with you."

"I don't want to make you move somewhere you don't want to be."

"I just…I can't imagine leaving this place. I've lived here for four years, I love it here."

"I know you do, believe me, but it won't fit both of us. It's too small to have two people living here."

"Your right." She said sadly.

"So I guess we'll just have to renovate." He said and Gabriella looked up at him shocked.

"What?"

"Well you have all that space next to your store. If we tear out this wall," He said gesturing to a wall. "we'll not only be able to make your shop a lot bigger but the apartment."

"Your not joking." She uttered, shocked as she stared at his serious expression.

"I want to give you what you want Ella." He said with the same serious look. Gabriella felt her heart melt, she looked at him before hugging him tightly which caught him off guard. He smiled after a while and wrapped his arms around her.

"Thank you." She whispered.

Gabriella snuggled into Troy as she sat in between his legs on Taylor and Chad's couch, with Sharpay and Zeke sitting across from them and Taylor sitting in a chair with her feet up.

"Hey Tay check it out." Chad said with amusement laced in his voice as he walked down the stairs. Everyone's head turned to him as he came in with a white stick in his hand. "I took a pregnancy test." He said laughing and Taylor's jaw dropped while everyone looked at him like he was crazy.

"Chad those things are expensive."

"Like you need it." He said indicating to her slightly swollen stomach. Taylor rolled her eyes while everyone just laughed.

"So what are the results?" Troy asked jokingly.

"Negative." He said with fake relief. "I really couldn't handle getting pregnant right now." He said pretending to tear up. Everyone burst out laughing.

The Christmas tree twinkled with white lights and red and gold decorations. All of the presents were placed under the tree covered in colourful Christmas wrapping paper. Everyone brought their presents over, deciding to stay the night, so they could all celebrate Christmas morning together. They just finished an incredible Christmas dinner made by Zeke and Gabriella, although Chad did do the cranberry sauce which he was proud of, and were now enjoying each others company in the living room.

Their tradition was that everyone could open one present on Christmas Eve, and save the rest for morning. So they were all sitting around the tree figuring out which one to open.

"Okay, since its Troy's first Christmas with us, he gets to go first." Taylor said and Gabriella tilted her head back to look at him and smiled.

"Okay which one am I opening?"

"Anyone." Chad said, before Gabriella quickly added.

"Yeah, but not that one." She said pointing to a present and Troy laughed slightly. "You have to save that one until Christmas morning."

"Okay."

"Here Troy, open the one from me." Taylor said and he smiled. Chad who was sitting next to the tree grabbed it and passed it to him. Troy held it in front of him and Gabriella, taking the red and green tissue paper out. Gabriella gasped slightly as she peeked in the bag, her fingers holding the rim on the bag looking at what's inside. Troy laughed and slapped her hand away from his present playfully.

"You'll like it." She said and he laughed again. He pulled it out of the bag and smiled.

"I know you hate briefcases, and your backpack was falling apart so I thought.."

"Thanks Taylor, it's awesome." He said looking at the blue and black backpack.

"Your welcome."

"Troy, this could hold my make up perfectly." Gabriella joked looking in the little compartment of his new bag.

"You are not emasculating my backpack by putting your makeup in it." He replied and she giggled before kissing him quickly.

"Okay, whose next?"

"Me!" Sharpay squealed, and Chad passed her a random present.

"Oh, that ones from me." Gabriella chimed, Sharpay smiled. She quickly unwrapped it and gasped. She held the pink Prada purse in her finger tips with her eyes wide.

"Oh, my, god! Gab, this is awesome!" She shrieked and Gabriella smiled.

"I recently discovered the wonders of eBay." She said and everyone laughed .

Everyone had opened there one present that night. Chad had gotten Gabriella perfume, Taylor got a beautiful bracelet from Zeke, Chad got a game for his play station from Troy, and Zeke got a nice watch from Gabriella.

Taylor looked at the clock seeing it read 11:10.

"We should probably get to bed." She said and everyone nodded in agreement. Gabriella stood up from her position in between Troy's legs and turned to him helping him up. "You guys can take the room on the far left." Taylor said and Troy and Gabriella nodded before linking hands and walking up the stairs. She told Zeke and Sharpay where they could sleep before her and Chad went to their bedroom.

Her hand gently rubbed his stomach, a feeling he loved all too much. Her nails danced under his T-shirt and he closed his eyes, his fingertips stroking her shoulder gently.

"Troy?"

"Hmm?"

"Tell me a story."

"A story?"

"Yeah. A Christmas story." She whispered and he smiled.

"Okay." He paused making up a story in his mind. "Once upon a time, there was an elf, named Ella.-"

"An elf? I'm not an elf." She said pretending to be insulted.

"In my story, you're an elf." He said before continuing his story. She laughed slightly and cuddled further into him. "She was, the most beautiful elf, in Santa's shop. She had these eyes, that seemed to light up a room, and a smile that could make any guy-sorry, elf, fall to their knees and a small pink flower was always placed in her hair. And then there was Troy," He said and Gabriella laughed. "now, all the girl elves liked him. He was unbelievably handsome."

"Oh really?" She giggled and he nodded.

"Oh yeah, he was incredibly good looking, funny too. He had blue eyes and brown hair, tall and muscular. All the girls wanted him-because of his sexy scar." Gabriella laughed loudly at this. "But god was he ignorant." Her eyebrows furrowed. "He thought he'd seen beautiful, known what it was. But that all changed when he saw her. The beautiful little elf with the flower in her hair. From the moment he'd seen her, he knew he had to have her." He whispered, and she closed her eyes briefly, feeling her heart melt into her stomach. "Now at first, she wanted nothing to do with him." He said and Gabriella laughed. "But he was determined, and finally after months of begging and pleading she finally agreed to a date slash non date." She giggled again "They talked, and laughed…and then they kissed. A kiss that made Troy believe he could do it for the rest of his life, and he was pretty sure, or at least he hoped, she felt the same way." Gabriella leaned up and kissed him softly before whispering against his lips.

"She does." She whispered and he smiled. "Troy, why me? Why did you ever pick me?" She asked. She's been asking herself the same question over and over again. He was perfect. He really was. He was smart and handsome, incredibly funny, and hard working, romantic, and sweet, and he loved her. And she could never get her head around that.

"Because you're the most beautiful elf in the shop." He said softly and she kissed him gently again and closed her eyes before glancing at the clock that read midnight. She bit her lip and allowed her gaze to drift back at him, seeing him looking right back at her.

"Merry Christmas Troy."

Sorry again that its so short. Please review.

dani