September 29th, 2010: 12:24 PM

Gabriella waited impatiently outside.

"Troy, hurry... " She wiped her tears away. "Three to four hours my ass... "

She felt a hand on her back.

"Troy?" She turned quickly and sighed. "Oh, hi dad."

"Hi sweetheart... " Vincente` sighed. "I think you need to sit."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, you just seem really agitated." Vincente` waved to the bench. "Take a seat."

"I'm fine." She said, shaking. "Really... "

He grabbed one of her hands. "Sit, or else I'll make you sit. You're shaking and crying, you need to rest."

Gabriella reluctantly sat. Her dad sat beside her. She became very antsy and was jiggling her leg.

"Now listen Gabriella, your mother and I have been talking about you and Troy."

"What about Troy and I?"

"Well... " Vincente` rubbed his head and closed his eyes. "I just... We don't think that you two should stay together, for Griffin's sake."

Gabriella sat silent. It was like her mouth was frozen. The snowflakes falling from the sky didn't help, because all she was wearing was a pair of jeans and a light t-shirt.

"We don't want Griffin getting hurt again. He's small enough right now that if he doesn't see Troy again, he won't remember him." Vincente` looked at her. "Are you okay?"

Gabriella sniffed and nodded. She wiped her eyes. "I know dad, please just don't put any more pressure on me that's already there." She tucked her hair behind her ears.

"We love you, Gabriella, and we love Griffin. We want only the best for you two."

"I know." She leaned back and sobbed.

"Don't cry Gabriella." Her dad wrapped an arm around her and pulled her into his arms. "I don't want to make you upset... "

"I was already upset... " She covered her face with her hand and took a deep breath. "I just don't know what to do."

"If you love Griffin, you'll know that what I'm saying is right."

"I do love Griffin, dad. He's the most important thing in my life." She broke away from her dad and looked at the ground, entwining her fingers together. "But I love Troy too... He's my rock, dad. He's the man I love and the man I want to spend the rest of my life with. I love him too much... " Gabriella shook her head. "I just can't do it... "

"But you love Griffin more, and you have to do what's right- "

"I am doing what's right! In my heart, this is the right thing to do, whether it breaks Griffin's heart or not, dad!"

"You can't keep breaking his heart, Gabriella!"

"It's worth it in the long run! Dad, he'll be home after he's done with college football! He'll be home every day! Griffin and I can move in with him, and he'll be able to be with us!"

"Right now, it isn't right! You have to think about Griffin and not about yourself!"

Gabriella sighed. "I just need... I need... " She squeezed her hair. "Time."

"Well, you have from now until Troy shows up." Vincente` stood up and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Hurry up and come back inside. I don't want you to get sick from being out here."

Gabriella looked at her fingers. "Yeah... "

"I'll be with Griffin in his room, with your mom."

"Alright."

He looked at Gabriella, in deep thought. He sighed and then turned, going back inside the hospital.

...

Gabriella huddled herself against the cold bench. Her clothes were beginning to get wet from the snow. Her breath was cold, and it came out as a white mist. Her eyes were dry and felt cracked. Her throat was dry and became rough. Her lips were dry and became cracked.

But she waited for Troy.

She wouldn't give up hope. She was convinced he was coming.

Besides, his son was in the hospital. His son is supposed to be more important than college.

Probably not.

As a tear fell down Gabriella's cheek, her flesh immediatly sucked the moisture in before the tear dripped off of her face.

She needed water.

But she didn't want any.

She stood to her feet, rubbed her arms, and began to slowly walk back and forth, trying to restore some blood flow and get warm. She just didn't want to miss Troy if he came.

"Gabriella?"

She froze.

"Gabriella, is that you?"

Gabriella turned 180 degrees. Her body shook hard.

"T-Troy?" She stuttered.

"Oh my god, Gabriella!"

"TROY!" Gabriella sprinted across the pavement. As she approached Troy, he happily picked her up and spun her around in his arms, burying his head into her shoulder.

"Baby girl, oh my sweet girl... " Troy held her tightly, not bothering to let go.

"I missed you so much... " Gabriella sobbed into his coat. "Three months... "

"I'm so sorry baby, I feel horrible about not being able to come and see you." He pulled his head away to look at her. "God Gabriella, are you cold?" He touched her face. "You're pale and really cold-skinned."

She nodded. "I'm okay though... Now that you're here."

"Here... " He unzipped his coat and took it off, putting it around her shoulders. "Better?"

"But what about you?"

"Oh, I'll be fine. I can stand a little cold weather."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah." He smiled a little. "I'm sorry about being so late. Hurricane winds aren't very easy to overcome with a tiny plane. But anyway, what's going on with Griffin?"

Gabriella sighed. "His body is attacking weak spots, which is the Spina Bifida spot."

"What happened?"

"The place where the Spina Bifida was is hurting really bad. He's just in a lot of bad pain. The hospital wants to keep him for four days for observation."

Troy wrapped his arm around her shoulder and started towards the entrance of the hospital. He looked at the ground. "I feel horrible... "

Gabriella opened the door for him. "Well, I can't blame you or anything, because you're in college, but I can't do this by myself. I may have did it for myself for the first two years, but my mom and dad won't help me because they want me to do it. And plus, I'm at school half of the day."

"I honestly don't know what to do, Gabriella... I don't know if my dean will let me take a while off because of Griffin's injury, because they don't they I should have a son at my age."

"That's what everyone tells me." Gabriella gave him back his coat. "And I should have never put you through this. It wasn't right of me to not be on birth control."

"It's not your fault... I should have known to use protection in the first place. I thought about it, but I just didn't want to ruin the moment or anything."

Gabriella pressed the button to the elevator. "We both made a huge mistake that we'll never be able to change. We just have to make the best of it." Gabriella kissed his cheek.

"I guess we do." Troy took one of her hands. "Griffin needs his parents. Both of us."

Gabriella nodded. "He needs us both there for him."

Troy stepped into the elevator with her. "That's why I'm thinking about transfering colleges to one that's down here."

She looked at the floor, guilty.

She didn't want to demolish his chances of having a successful future.

...

Gabriella clutched the handle of Griffin's door. "You ready to see one happy little boy?"

"I sure am." Troy rubbed his hands together and smiled.

"Alright." Gabriella pushed the handle down and and opened the door.

He walked in after her.

As they approached his bed, they noticed that he was fast asleep.

Troy was grinning, really big. "He got bigger Gabriella!"

She smiled touched his cheek. "He is really growing up fast, right before my eyes. It seems like just yesterday he was my little chubby blue-eyed angel that was crawling around all over the floor. I really miss those days."

Troy became sullen. "I wish I would have been there- "

"You know why I broke up with you, and it was a good reason to." Gabriella didn't bother to look at him. "So don't go blaming it on me. You made that mess."

"Sorry... I just... I fucked up really bad."

"You sure did."

"But I love you and Griffin, and I would never, ever do anything to hurt you guys ever again." He moved a strand of hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear. "I love you too much to let you guys go again."

Gabriella crossed her arms and stared at Griffin.

"I need you." He kissed her head and wrapped his arm around her. "I don't want to live the rest of my life without you."

She couldn't resist anymore. She fell into his arms, hugging him, feeling his warmth through his shirt. His body was still the same, muscular and strong, sturdy and supportive, loving and comforting... He was still Troy, and although he wasn't the Troy she used to know, he was still the same person. Troy Alexander Bolton.

And she did love him.

...

An hour passed slowly. It was 1:37 in the morning, and still dragging on slowly.

Gabriella sat quietly beside Griffin's bed, holding one of his delicate hands. Her other arm was supporting her head as she stared off into space. She was extremely tired, but held up for Griffin. She wouldn't sleep until he was out of the hospital and safe.

Troy was perched on the edge of the chair beside her. His elbows were on his knees, his hands were laced together and in front of him, and he stared at the wall to the left of Griffin. He, also, was tired, but wasn't planning on going to sleep without Gabriella. He didn't want her to stay up all night, so he finally spoke up.

"Hey baby?" He sat up and leaned back in his chair, cracking his back.

"What's wrong?" She fought to keep her eyes open, and let go of Griffin's hand to stretch.

"Nothing beautiful." He yawned. "Why don't you get some rest? I'm right here with him. I'm not going anywhere until he's safe and out of the hospital."

"I'm fine babe." She rubbed her forehead.

"No, you're not. You're exhausted." He rubbed her back for her a little. "Go home and go to sleep. I'll be right here when you come in the morning."

"No Troy, I'm staying right here." She put her face in her hands. "I'll be fine. I just need a little coffee, which I'm going to go get when I feel like getting up."

Troy sighed. "Well, if you won't go home and go to sleep, then go to sleep here."

"Where am I going to sleep?" She giggled a little.

"Right here." He patted the chair.

"No- "

"Please Gabriella, I know you're overwhelmed. If you go to sleep, you'll feel better when you wake up."

"But I don't wanna go to sleep."

"You need to go to sleep."

She sighed.

"Here... " Troy stood up and reclined his chair. It was fairly large, and could probably fit two people. He grabbed a pillow and blanket from the cabinet, and placed them on the chair. "Go ahead."

Gabriella stood up. "Only if you sleep too."

Troy chuckled and lifted the blanket up. "Alright, alright. Just get under the blanket and I'll go turn off the lamp."

She gladly snuggled under the blanket and smiled. "God, I love you so much."

"I love you too." He turned the lamp off and made his way to the recliner. He jumped in beside her and pulled the blanket over both of them. With one arm, he held her body protectively.

"Goodnight my angel." He kissed the back of her head.

"Night night." She kissed his hand.

As Gabriella was just about to fall asleep, she suddenly felt something that alarmed her. She jumped up with her eyes wide. "Damn Troy, what's going on with you?"

He was laughing. "I don't know!"

She shivered. "Are you craving sex or something?" She smacked his arm. "Well, stop craving it because you're not getting no piece of ass out of me! I'm not getting pregnant again!"

He buried his head into the pillow, laughing hysterically. "I can't help it! I haven't had sex for a good nine or ten months!"

She flashed a nasty look at him. "With who might I ask?"

"Nobody." He grinned. "Just go back to sleep. It stopped."

"No Troy, I wanna know who it was!"

He sighed. "Haylie."

"Haylie Kayne." Gabriella growled. "That bitch... "

"Don't worry about it baby. She's gone."

"But you still love her."

"Nope." Troy ran his fingers through his hair. "I never did love her."

"Really?" Gabriella crossed her arms. "Then why did you have sex with her, or should I say, make love?"

He scratched his head. "It was sex, not love. I never did like her. The only reason I ever got with her is because I was heartbroken from you."

Gabriella sighed. "I know... "

"Let's talk about this some other time, okay?"

"You still got a boner?"

He laughed. "No. Just come on." He opened his arms. She gladly climbed into them.

"You know I love you, right Brie?" Troy kissed her cheek and stroked her hair.

She grabbed one of his hands. "I love you too."

And slowly, they both fell asleep.