Chapter 16:

Twenty minutes later, Gabriella came rushing down the stairs. She heard the voices of all her friends sitting around in the family room talking, and the sound of Rent still playing in the background.

"God woman, it took you long enough!" Zeke exclaimed when he saw Gabriella come in the room.

"Shut it Zeke. Do you want to try and go find something in my room? It looks like a bomb went off in my closet," she replied.

"Wait, you're room's a mess?" Sharpay asked.

"I'll say," Adam commented, earning him a whack from Gabriella.

"It's about time! You're room's always perfect, it's nauseating!" Sharpay continued. Gabriella stuck out her tongue.

"Say we go out front for a little while? We have that old basketball hoop and all," she suggested. The guys (including Ryan and Adam) all jumped at the idea of playing basketball, and hightailed it out front.

"Some things never change," Taylor commented as she and the other girls followed their boyfriends and Adam. Monty was now awake, but a little dazed and shy about all the new people being around.

The guys got the basketball out of the Montez garage, and quickly split up into two teams. The girls had grabbed Gabriella's laptop from next to the front door, and set it up with a blanket on the front lawn. Gabriella immediately began to search the web for video clips of the Rent performance so she could show her friends. After being out front for about fifteen minutes, Adam's cell phone began to ring. He had left it next to the laptop so it wouldn't fall out of his pocket and break.

"Hey Adam! Your phone's ringing!" Gabriella announced without looking up from her computer.

"Would it even cross your mind to answer it?" Adam shot back as he called a time out. An evil smile flashed across Gabriella's face. "No wait, scratch that. I know what you'd do."

"And what's that?" Adam stopped. "Exactly. I'll tell you what I'd do. If it was someone I knew, like your wife, or something, I'd start up an extensive conversation and use up all your minutes. If it wasn't someone I knew, I'd still start up an extensive conversation, and use up all your minutes." Adam rolled his eyes as he answered his phone.

"Hello?" The girls only heard one side of the conversation. "Oh, it's you. I'm kidding, I'm kidding, don't have a cow…no pun intended." Adam laughed. "Yeah, we got here safely. Until Monday. I was going to take the boys to see Wilson and Kate, but I changed my mind. Yeah, she's right here." Adam turned to Gabriella. "Weren't you supposed to call someone when you got here? I've known her for too long, and she sometimes wears green makeup just for kicks?" Gabriella stood up.

"Crap! Is that who's on the phone?"

"Yeah! Who did you think it was? Cybele?" Gabriella nodded. "if I talked to my wife like that…" Adam shuddered. "Here, talk, don't use up my minutes!" Gabriella took the cell phone.

"Oop!" she exclaimed. She heard Idina laugh.

"It's okay. I can't believe you had to go to school! Cybele told me, and only for two hours!"

"I know, that's why I didn't call you. Adam took us to school, I came home, saw my Mom before she had to go to work against her wishes, and then I fell asleep on the couch. Lennon woke me up about half an hour ago. So, we're here safely."

"That's good. You remember how we were talking before Taye and I left Adam's the other day, you said that if we were ever down in New Mexico, and that mi casa es su casa bit?"

"Yeah…"

"Well, what exit is your place?" Gabriella let out a squeal.

"No way! You're down here?" Adam let out a groan, and took a foul shot. He missed.

"Sorry to spring this on you. I'm touring the country and visiting all my friends. I got tired of being home alone all week and being in Toronto. There's nothing for me there."

"Yes there is, you're married to something there."

"I am? Oh yeah. Okay, tell me what exit you are, so I can stop by tomorrow."

"Stop by tonight. I want you to meet my psycho friends and everything! Please?"

"Fine, tell me so I don't pass it." Gabriella gave Idina quick directions to her house.

"Got it?"

"Yes. I'll see you in about twenty minutes then?"

"Yep, see you then." Gabriella hung up the phone, and tossed it down on the blanket. "See? I didn't use up all your minutes!" she exclaimed. Adam rolled his eyes.

"Right now, minutes are the least of my worries. The two women in my life that make my life a living nightmare are about to be together…again. You guys have this eerie bond that makes my life miserable."

"I love you too." With that, Gabriella flopped down on the blanket.

"Who's coming?" Taylor asked. She didn't get why Adam was so upset about this unknown visitor.

"Promise you won't like freak out and all…okay?" replied Gabriella.

"We promise," Sharpay said, holding up the girl scouts sign. "Besides, I didn't freak out when I saw who you were staying with."

"That's because your brother and your boyfriend were with you!" Bri interjected. Sharpay shrugged. That was true.

"Okay, Idina Menzel is about twenty minutes away. She got tired of being home alone in New York and being in Toronto."

"No way!" Kelsi exclaimed. "How is that you get all the luck?"

"Sure I'm lucky. After all the crap I've been through, I'm lucky." Kelsi gave Gabriella a hug.

"I'm sorry. You know what I mean though! You get to miss school, stay in New York, and meet all these famous people!" Gabriella shrugged.

"I've never really seen Adam as being famous. I've known him forever. When people are like, 'Adam Pascal is so hot' or something-"

"Like we were," Taylor said.

"Yeah, like you guys were, I was thinking to myself, it's Adam, no big deal. I've known him since I was born. He's like a brother to me."

"Brother, not Father?" Bri inquired.

"Yeah, right. You've seen how we treat each other. Not exactly a Father-Daughter relationship. He's like a brother or something to me. It's hard to explain." Gabriella turned her attention back to her laptop. She began to dig through her collection of music stored on the machine to find a song to listen to.

Twenty-five minutes later, a red Jaguar pulled up outside Gabriella's house. The second Idina got out of the car, Lennon and Monty ran up to her.

"Hey!" she exclaimed as she scooped the two small boys up in her arms. "How are my boys doing?"

"What are you doing here?" Lennon asked rather bluntly. Idina's face fell.

"Oh, I see I'm wanted here. I got bored being home alone, so I came to visit you and Gabi. Is that alright with you?" Lennon stopped to think.

"I guess so." Idina kissed his cheek.

"Good answer. And how are you Monty?"

"I tired," the toddler replied before wiggling free of Idina's grip. The actress put Lennon on the ground and went over to Gabriella.

"Hello stranger," Gabriella said as she stood up and gave Idina a hug. "Glad to see that you didn't get lost."

"Yeah, well, that GPS system in the car might have helped a little."

"Just a little?"

"Yeah, just a little. So, are these all your friends that you told me about?" Gabriella nodded.

"Yeah, these are all my friends." The two sat down, and introductions were quickly made.

Gabriella lay down on her stomach on top of the shirt she had discarded. She was in a bikini top, and pair of cut-offs. Monty came over to her, and lay down on her back. After a few minutes, he began to trace the scars on her back.

"How did you get these?" he asked as he continued to trace them. The girls all exchanged looks. Idina knew something was up, but didn't want to press the matter…it wasn't her place.

"I fell sweetie," Gabriella replied rather smoothly. Monty accepted the answer, and kept doing what he was doing. "So you got bored in Toronto?" she asked Idina.

"Basically. All I was doing was sitting around when I was there. You're lucky that Taye was in town the other day, he's normally not. Tracie was up from Philly for something, so we all went out to lunch that day that we were at Adam's for dinner. I left with Tracie, spent a few days with her, flew out here, and leave in two days to go see Wilson and his girlfriend in L.A. for a few days. Then I get home in time for Taye to come home next Friday."

"Busy, busy." Idina talked with Gabriella and her friends, and felt like a teenager again.

After watching Adam get his butt kicked in basketball for nearly an hour, they all decided to go out back and use the Montez's new pool. Gabriella sat on the edge of the pool with her legs in the water. Troy was leaning up against her legs, talking to his girlfriend.

"So you glad to be back?" he asked. The phone ringing in the kitchen caught Gabriella's attention.

"Hold that thought," she said before scrambling to her feet. As Gabriella bolted into the kitchen, she slid on the tile floor.

"Carefully Gabi! The floor's slippery when wet!" Adam announced. Gabriella stuck her tongue out, and answered the phone.

"Hello?" she asked sweetly.

"Is Rosa there?" a man asked.

"I'm sorry; she's at work right now."

"Is this Gabriella?"

"Yes…"

"This is Sam; I'm the plain clothes officer that was watching over your Mom while you were gone. Do you know when your Mom will be back?"

"She got called into work tonight."

"On the day that you come home?"

"I know, but she didn't have a choice. Do you want me to tell her that you called?"
"If you don't mind. Do you know what time she'll be back?"

"After midnight. I'll leave her a note or something to tell her though."

"Thanks. It was nice talking to you, and welcome home." Gabriella blushed. She liked Sam, he was nice.

"Thanks. Bye." Gabriella hung up the phone, and rushed back outside to where all her friends were talking and having a good time.

"Who was on the phone?" Adam asked. Gabriella got into the pool, and leaned up against the wall by where Adam was sitting.

"Someone for my Mom. I'll have to tell her when she gets home later tonight." Gabriella's mind was still set on East Coast Time. Around ten PM, she curled up against Troy on one of the pool chairs, and dozed off. The gang and Idina took this as a hint that they should get going. Troy gently nudged his girlfriend.

"Come on, Gabi. Everyone's gone. It's time to get up." Gabriella groaned, and sat up.

"They all left?" she asked. Troy got up, and began to guide her inside. They were the only ones left outside. Adam had taken the boys inside to go to bed. they were sleeping on an inflatable mattress in Gabriella's room.

"Yeah, Idina said that you guys should go shopping or something tomorrow. Call her when you finally decide to join the living race tomorrow." Gabriella scowled. When she and Troy got inside, she gave him a quick kiss.

"Okay, I will. I love you."

"I love you too." Gabriella watched as Troy opened the front door. "oh, and I borrowed your car keys. They're back in your purse."

"I'm way too tired to got there right now. I'll see you later. Bye." Troy waved as he walked down the street.

"Bye." Sighing, Gabriella went upstairs to get changed.

Gabriella grabbed her pajamas off the pile of clothes in her room. She had been in such a rush to pack that it looked like her closet had blown up, and then when she topped that with her clothes from her suitcase, and Monty and Lennon's stuff; it wasn't a very pretty sight. A tapping noise on the door leading to her deck caught Gabriella's attention. Standing outside was Troy. Smiling, Gabriella slipped outside quietly so she wouldn't wake up Lennon and Monty.

"I thought you left," she whispered as she snaked her arms around Troy's neck. Troy wrapped his arms around Gabriella's small waist, and kissed her forehead.

"Well, since I'm wanted so badly, I guess I'll leave." When Troy tried to break free of Gabriella's grip, she only held on tighter.

"No, no, no, that's okay. I was a little startled that you're still here, that's all. What can I do for you, Mr. Bolton?"

"Well, there are two things. Sharpay and Taylor came up with what we're doing for the talent show next year, and I told them that I'd tell you." Gabriella listened intently. "There's some bonus track at the end of the Rent movie soundtrack that they really like." Gabriella nodded. She knew what they were talking about. "Love Heals or something like that. They really want to do that next year."

"Sounds like fun. Maybe we'll have more time to practice next year. You said that there were two things you wanted to talk about."

"I'm getting there. God woman, have some patience!" Gabriella smiled, and kissed Troy's cheek.

"Sorry. Please continue."

"Okay, you never told me if you're glad that you're home." Gabriella kissed Troy's lips tenderly.

"Yeah, I'm glad to be home."

A lone figure watched from the guest bedroom next to Gabriella's room. He didn't want to break up such a cute couple by enforcing a curfew that he hadn't been told about. Adam watched Troy and Gabriella for another minutes or so. They shared a kiss, and Troy climbed down the tree next to the deck, and stole away in the darkness. Gabriella's lucky to have such a good boyfriend by her side, Adam thought as he climbed into bed. Troy passed the test; Adam liked him, and didn't mind someone dating what he thought of as his daughter.

The End

A/N: Sequel news: the sequel will be called He's Back, and will be written…eventually. It's not who you think it is though. Amuse me with your guesses about who you think is back! Thanks for all the WONDERFUL reviews through this whole story!

Tina101