Chapter 14:

The color drained from Gabriella's face instantly. She had a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach as she sat down on her bed.

"Okay, I'm listening," she replied. Rosa laughed.

"Don't sound so nervous Mija, this is wonderful news! They caught Ian!" Gabriella let out a squeal of delight, and began to bounce up and down on her bed like a small child.

"Really? When, where, how?" she demanded.

"They posted a plainclothes officer outside our place, and he's really sweet too. I think you'd like him."

"Mamí, personal life later, facts now!"

"Okay, okay, gosh. Anyway, apparently Ian's a blockhead-"

"I could have told you that."

"And he tried to come back to our place. Officer Weller caught the bastard, and the rest is history. You and Troy get to come home!" Gabriella squealed again.

"I'm going to go tell him right now! Taye Diggs and Idina Menzel are over for dinner tonight, so he's outside with Adam and Taye playing basketball." Rosa chuckled.

"Jack will be happy to know that Troy kept in shape. Have Adam call me at some point, it doesn't matter how late."

"Okay, I will. Adios Mamí."

"Adios Mija." Gabriella hung up her phone, and bound down the stairs.

"Whoa, slow down Gabi!" Cybelle exclaimed as Gabriella came rushing into the kitchen. "Where's the fire?"

"No fire, just a call from my Mom. They caught him!" Cybelle gave Gabriella a huge hug.

"That's great honey! I guess you're finally going home! Does Troy know yet?" Gabriella shook her head. Cybelle shoved her towards the backdoor. "Go tell him now, and tell the guys that dinner's almost done." Gabriella nodded, and skipped out the door. Idina smiled.

"What was that all about?"

"Things were crazy for Gabriella at home, so Rosa sent her here. Troy wouldn't leave her, so he came too. We didn't know when they'd be able to go home, but I guess now they're leaving." Cybelle looked at Gabriella who had a huge smile plastered across her face. "I haven't seen her smile like that in a long time. Things have been really rough for her this past year." Idina looked at the young woman outside. She wished she could have offered her some support while they were together, but she didn't know that Gabriella was going through such a rough time.

"Troy!" Gabriella announced. The three men stopped playing basketball. "My Mom called; we're going home!" In a flash, Troy had Gabriella in his arms. He spun her around, and kissed her passionately.

"No joke?" he asked. Gabriella whacked his arm playfully.

"Would I joke about this?"

"No, sorry, I'm used to Chad and his sick jokes." Gabriella gave him a quick kiss on the lips.

"I'm in a good mood, so I'll forgive you just this once." Taye looked at Adam with a confused look on his face.

"It's a long story, but Gabriella and Troy have been here for a month, and haven't been able to go home the entire time," explained Adam. Taye nodded. He didn't want to press the matter.

Gabriella and Troy were in the best moods ever all evening. Monty and Lennon were upset that they were leaving, but Gabriella assured them that they'd be back for two weeks in the summer. Gabriella was packing up some of her stuff when she felt Troy wrap his arms around her.

"Can you believe it?" he whispered in her ear. She shook her head.

"No, I can't believe we're finally going home. We'll get to see our friends again!"

"Yeah, but we won't get to spend as much time together, and we'll have to go back to school."

"Troy, it's the middle of May, we'll only have to go to school for three more weeks, I think you can survive."

"Who said that I couldn't survive school? It's the not being with you so much that'll get me." Gabriella spun around, and snaked her arms around Troy's neck.

"You can still come over after school to hang out until my Mom gets home, and I can still go to your house. We'll still see each other everyday, just not all day everyday." Troy kissed the top of her head.

"Still, I want to spend some time with you tonight." Gabriella glanced over at her closed door. She knew that Adam and Cybelle would be downstairs for a while, but what if one of the boys came into her room for something? "Don't worry, it won't be making out, it'll be more like spending time together."

"Oh darn, I was looking forward to making out some."

Troy smiled mischievously as he began to kiss Gabriella passionately. They tumbled onto her bed, lips still locked. Only when their brains were screaming for oxygen did they stop. Gabriella rested her head on Troy's bare chest, and closed her eyes. Troy gently ran his fingertips up and down her arm, sending shivers down her spine.

"So I take it you're excited to go home?" he asked her after several minutes of simply enjoying each other's company. Gabriella nodded as she wrapped her arm a little tighter around Troy's waist.

"Yeah, I get to see my Mom again, and our friends. They've been really worried about us. I feel bad for just leaving."

"We should have done things differently, and told them. If God forbid, something like this happens again, we'll know."

"Don't talk like that Troy! Something like this isn't going to happen again!" Troy gently scratched her back.

"Sorry. Really, I am sorry. I know that this has been stressful for you, and now you can finally go home." Gabriella snuggled closer to her boyfriend.

"I love you, Troy," she whispered. Troy smiled, and wrapped his arms around her.

"I love you too baby." He kissed her head, and they simply enjoyed each other's company until they fell asleep.

When Adam and Cybelle went upstairs about an hour later, they found Gabriella's door open slightly, which they found odd. Cybelle quietly opened the door, and found Troy and Gabriella curled up on the bed together, asleep. Adam immediately rushed off to get something from the master bedroom, while Cybelle covered up the teenagers with the comforter folded at the end of the bed. a minute or so later, Adam returned with his camera in hand.

"Adam!" hissed Cybelle. "What are you doing?"

"What? Can't I get one picture of them?" Cybelle shook her head.

"Why do you need a picture of them asleep?"
"One, because they look so happy, and two, to use as blackmail against Gabriella." Cybelle snorted.

"Blackmail? Against Gabriella Montez, one of the sweetest girls ever?"

"She's nice to you. Come on, one picture, two tops. Please?" Adam gave his wife a pleading look, causing her to cave. He took two quick pictures, and once he was satisfied, he went to tell his sons goodnight before going to sleep himself.

Gabriella boarded the plane, fingers entwined with Troy's. They weren't flying alone though. Adam was taking the boys out west to see Rosa, and do a little more sightseeing, because their last trip was cut short. Troy took the window seat, Gabriella sat next to him, Lennon on the end, and Adam and Monty sat in front of them. Gabriella almost immediately rested her head on Troy's shoulder, and tried to fall asleep. She didn't get any sleep the night before, and had been up late the night before that packing. She was beyond dead tired. The flight was pretty uneventful. Lennon watched movies and played games on Gabriella's laptop for half the plane ride, and then was forced to give it to his brother by who else, Adam. Troy and Adam talked in quiet voices in hopes that Gabriella would eventually fall asleep, though she never truly did. She figured that she must have at least dozed off for a few minutes, because Troy was soon waking her up because they were landing. The group got off the plane, got their bags at the baggage claim, and got into the rental car.

Adam had strict directions from Rosa and the Boltons to take the teenagers straight to school. Due to the time difference, it was lunchtime at school when the couple got there.

"Wait, I want to do something," Gabriella said as they all stood in the doorway to the lunchroom.

"Can't it wait?" Troy practically whined.

"No, it can't. it'll take a minute, so you can wait." She pulled out her cell phone, dialed star 69, and a very familiar number.

Taylor's cell phone began to ring in her purse. She swore under her breath as she pulled it out. She knew that it was one of her friends prank calling her even though they were sitting directly across from her, but she wanted to find out who. When she got to her phone, there wasn't a number flashing across the screen. She pulled her sweater, rather the sweater Gabriella had loaned her ages ago and she never gave back, tighter around her, and answered her phone.

"Hello?" Taylor expected to hear Sharpay or Chad laughing, and a click, but she didn't.

"What are you doing wearing my sweater?"

A/N: About one more chapter left! Hopes for a sequel at this point: 75 percent chance.

Tina101