Chapter Twenty-Three

"Troy, it's your turn to get up with Destiny." Gabriella nudged her husband awake. Destiny was cry like she was in pain.

"What time is it?" Troy asked, throwing back the covers.

Gabriella reached for her cell phone. She was surprised it was still charged. "Five-thirty." She replied. She snuggled under the covers and closed her eyes.

"Damn, the fire's dieing." Troy said. He gently shook Jason awake. "It's your turn to get the firewood."

Jason gave Kelsi a kiss on her cheek, bundled up and headed outside. Troy changed Destiny's sorry excuse for a diaper. They had found some cloth and pins. It felt like they were living in the 1800's or something.

"Will this be enough?" Jason asked, carrying three huge logs in.

"They should last until it get lighter outside." Troy replied. He rocked Destiny back to sleep. She cooed and was soon fast asleep. He set her in the dresser drawer and went back to bed himself.

- - - - - - -

"That's not fair." Sharpay protested. The boys decided to have a snowball fight against the girls. Each side had built their wall to hide behind. Ryan had decided to stay out of the game. Someone needed to cook lunch and watch Destiny. Not to mention they would easily outnumber the girls.

Troy decided to sneak out when the girls weren't looking. He went all around the cabin to the girls' side. "Got you." He shouted. He threw a snowball at Gabriella.

"That's cheating." She said, getting up and dusting herself off.

"I know, but you still love me." He smiled.

Gabriella smiled back and pulled him close. "Yes, I do love you." She then pressed her lips against his.

"What is this?" A voice they hadn't heard in days asked.

Troy and Gabriella broke apart. Their parents were standing there with Christina and her parents.

- - - - - - -

Luckily enough we found this cabin." Troy finished explaining. Once the parents found them, Troy and the others explained their past few days over lunch.

"We never use this cabin anymore." Christina's mother stated. "It was given to me by my parents. We used to love to go camping but not anymore."

"We love it here." Gabriella said. She took a sip of their freshly melted snow.

"Yeah, if it wasn't for this cabin, we might not be sitting here having this conversation." Kelsi agreed.

Christina's dad turned to his wife and then to Jack. "If the kids' like it so much, we can give it to you."

"Please?" The nine young adults pleaded.

"That is very generous, but we really don't have the money." Jack replied.

"You don't have to pay. We feel really bad about what Christina did and since you didn't press charges, it's the least we can do. We don't use it anyway." Christina's mom stated.

"That would be very nice of you, thank you, we appreciate it." Patricia Bolton stated.

Just then, Destiny started to cry. The whole time the parents had been there, she had been sleeping peacefully in her make-shift crib. They forgot to mention her. The parents got a strange look on their faces.

Gabriella went over to the fire, bent down and picked Destiny up. "Mom, Mr. and Mrs. Bolton, everyone else, we would like you to meet Destiny Lee Bolton."

Mrs. Montez fainted.

- - - - - -

"Mom, are you alright?" Gabriella asked, dapping her mother's forehead with some cool water. Troy cradled Destiny in his arms.

"I didn't even know you were pregnant." Mrs. Montez said when she came to.

"I wasn't." Gabriella protested. She waited until everyone was seated and she told them about her and Troy finding her out in the snow.

"Who would do such a thing?" Mrs. Evans asked, appalled.

"We don't know." Jason said.

"She won't go to any one else but Troy and Gabriella." Kelsi added.

"She goes to Jason and Kelsi too but that's it." Troy argued.

"Very little." Jason stated. "But he's right. If Troy and Gabriella aren't here, then they'll go to us."

"We want to keep her, though. Ours or not." Gabriella said boldly.

"First things first. Let's get home. You all need to get back to school. We'll call the cops and see what they can do about Destiny. If we're allowed to keep her, then we will." Patricia Bolton agreed.

"So we made out with a cabin and a baby all in a few days." Chad joked.

Taylor slapped him. "Behave." She warned.

"We can all be aunts and uncles." Zeke said.

"We can each teach her things we know." Ryan added.

"I can teach her about fashion." Sharpay said.

"And she'll definitely sing." Troy said.

"And play the piano." Kelsi added.

"You're counting your chickens before they're hatched." Mrs. Baylor warned. She led the group to the vehicles outside.