Beside You
by: LunarEclipse360
A/N: So, this chapter is shorter than all the rest. But that's mainly because I really wanted to get this out to you. Weeks of distractions accounted for me spending so much time trying to finish this. First it was writer's block, then it was a week of feeling ill, more writer's block and then a vacation to Walt Disney World. I tried to finish it before I went, but I couldn't. Anyway, here you go. It's not my best chapter, but it's something.
Chapter 6
Fear etched her face as they awaited the arrival of one Vance Evans. He knew that in that head of hers, her nerves were causing the voices to put doubt into her heart. Doubt that this man that she saw as a second father would reject her like her real father had. How could she ever believe such a thing? Troy had only met the man once before and he knew that the Evans patriarch saw Gabriella as a daughter. He loved her like he loved his own. He would never reject her. Reaching for her hand, he grasped it; causing her attention to be drawn to the contact before lifting to find his gaze. Pure panic shone brightly in her brown optics and he wanted nothing more than to remove it. His hand cupped her cheek and she leant into his touch; eyes drawing shut. His thumb grazed her skin trying to provide as much comfort as he could. Her name fell from his lips in a soft whisper; she glanced at him through half-lids. Nervous terror still flitted across her face. In an attempt to make her forget everything, he kissed her; their mouths meeting in a gentle embrace. When they pulled back just seconds later, there was a sense of relief on her features. But that only lasted for half a minute. Her nerves returned when the door to the large office opened and in walked the man they'd been waiting for. She stood and he followed; interlocking their fingers to provide her some support. He felt her squeeze his hand in gratitude and he grinned.
"Gabriella," Vance stated; a smile on his face. "What a nice surprise this is." He stepped closer and hugged her. She returned it, but her hand never let go of Troy's. He knew that if she did, she might lose whatever confidence she had. Vance turned to Troy and shook his hand in greeting. "So what brings you two here?" he asked, motioning for them to sit.
She waited until she was seated before she opened her mouth to speak. "Well, there's something that I need to tell you; something important." He nodded; his way of telling her to continue. Gabriella bit her lip. "I'm pregnant."
His eyes went wide with shock before his face eased into a look of happiness. "Congratulations, sweetheart. How far along are you?"
"Five weeks. But, there's a problem."
Concern flooded his features. "What kind of problem?"
"I won't be able to finish school."
He sighed in relief; thinking it was something more serious. "Gabriella, school will still be there after you have the baby. But, for now, your growing family is your main priority; so don't worry about anything else."
"But what about our deal? You said…"
"I know what I said, but did you really think that I would allow my future granddaughter to sleep on the streets?" he asked, disdain in his voice. "Come now, what do you take me for; a heartless man? I thought you knew me better."
Smiling, she felt her entire body relax as a giant weight was lifted off of her shoulder. "Thank you."
"There's no need to thank me, Gabriella. You're just as much my daughter as Sharpay is." And it was true. Despite not being blood related, he loved her like he was her own. It amazed Troy that a man that held no blood ties to this woman could care for her so much. Jorge didn't know for sure that Gabriella wasn't his, but he treated her like trash. Vance knew that Gabriella wasn't his and, yet, he treated her like a princess. Sometimes blood wasn't thicker than water.
The door to the office opened, interrupting them, and in stepped Sharpay Evans. "Daddy, I…" Her sentence ceased when she spotted her best friend. "Hi, Gabi," she said; small smile on her face.
"Hello." The clipped tone in which Gabriella responded with was not lost on the others. Vance looked between his two girls in confusion, while Sharpay looked guilty and Troy looked upset. He knew that his wife was angry at her best friend for telling Chad about her pregnancy, but he had hoped that she would forgive her. It seemed that didn't happen.
"We should go." She stood; Troy followed. Gabriella didn't speak a word as she passed Sharpay on the way out. Blue met caramel as Troy apologized, silently, for the brunette's behavior. Sharpay shook her head; not blaming him for the way Gabriella was acting.
"I'll talk to her," he whispered when he reached her side. She smiled in gratitude before a soft 'thank you' escaped her lips. He nodded, touched her arm and left.
::
Back against the headboard, legs crossed in front of him, Troy watched Gabriella flitter back and forth between their bedroom and the bathroom. It had been hours since they'd told Vance of her impending pregnancy and Troy had yet to speak to her about the cold shoulder she'd given Sharpay. He knew he had to, but he didn't know where to start. The two of them had been friends long before Troy had even walked into her life. He didn't understand how Gabriella could be mad at the woman for acting in her best interest. Of course, then again, Gabriella believed that she was acting in his best interest when she decided to wait to tell him about being pregnant; which made her even more of a hypocrite in his eyes. How could she be angry at Sharpay for doing something she thought was the right thing when Gabriella had done the same? Feeling the bed sag, he brought his mind back to the present and watched his wife move to straddle his legs; a question in her eyes.
"What's going through that head of yours?" she asked, running her hand through his hair.
"Different things," he answered, "mostly you."
She smiled and he reached up; brushing his fingers along her jawline. He held her chin between his thumb and forefinger before leaning up and touching his lips to hers. The kiss, soft and innocent, was unlike any of their previous ones and it made her a bit uneasy. "Alright, what's wrong?" She sat back on his thighs; awaiting his answer.
He sighed and placed his hands on her knees. The touch sent a shiver up her spine, but she kept her resolve. "I want you to forgive Sharpay."
"Troy…I can't." She removed herself from his lap and started towards the door.
"So, what; I can forgive you, but you can't forgive her?" he asked, standing along with her.
She stopped, but didn't turn towards him. "It's different."
"No, it's not. It's the same situation and you know it." Gabriella wrapped her arms around herself. "She did what she thought was best for you, just like you did what you thought was best for me. You can't say that that's not the same." He stepped up behind her and kissed her exposed shoulder. "She's your best friend, Gabriella; your sister. How can you possibly stay mad at her for wanting you to be okay?"
Sighing, she knew he was right. Sharpay's intentions held no ill will; only concern. If it had been the Sharpay she met in middle school, then Gabriella might have thought that she only did it out of spite, but the blonde wasn't the same person she had been back then. They had become as close as sisters. Secrets were shared and kept between them; secrets that no one else knew. Gabriella was wrong to continue to hold a grudge against her.
"You're right," she spoke, turning to face him. "You're always right."
He shook his head. "Not always."
"Thank you."
Kissing her forehead in response, he wrapped his arms around her body and pulled her close. She rested her hands on his chest, lightly, and closed her eyes. If there was anything about their relationship she couldn't live without, it would be this. These little moments they had where no words were needed. Don't get her wrong, she thought the sex was nice—more than nice; it was amazing—and she doubted she could live without that either, but this was different. It was just little touches and tiny kisses. Not enough to set her body on fire, but enough to convey how much he loved her. She knew from experience that meaningless sex could be mind-blowing, but it compared not to those small kisses on the forehead or cheek that could jumpstart your heart; or the long embraces that made you feel loved and wanted. It felt like an eternity had passed before he pulled away from her and took her hand in his. He led her back to their bed and waited until she settled between the sheets before turning out the lights. He took his place next to her and felt her snuggle up against him. With her head tucked under his chin and one hand resting on his chest, she drifted off to sleep within seconds. Listening to her shallow breathing, Troy smiled and threw an arm over her waist before following her into the land of dreams.
::
Sharpay sat on the beach; nervous. Earlier that morning, Gabriella had called and said that they needed to talk. There was no way of discerning whether or not that was a good thing, but the blonde agreed anyway. She'd known that her best friend would be mad at her for what she did; she accepted that the minute she decided to tell Chad. But she hadn't expected this level of angry. The way that Gabriella had given her the cold shoulder that day in her father's office made her realize how hurt the brunette really was. Part of her hated herself for betraying her best friend, but the other didn't regret it. Sharpay had been sick with worry over Gabriella's well-being. She knew that she hadn't been getting much sleep because of all the nightmares (guilt is what Sharpay knew the cause to be) that plagued her almost every night. Was it wrong of her to want her best friend to be okay?
"Hi."
Too lost in thought, the blonde hadn't heard the soft footfalls of her closest friend until she'd spoken. She turned her head and looked up at Gabriella; taking a moment before responding meekly. "Hi."
Sighing, Gabriella took a seat beside Sharpay. "Shar, I…"
"I'm sorry," she interrupted. "I shouldn't have gone behind your back and told Chad, but you have to understand I felt like I had no choice. I was so worried about you and I didn't know what else to do. But I need you to know that I don't regret it. If that means you don't want to be friends anymore, I understand, but I don't regret what I did; I can't regret what I did. You can hate me if you want to, but…"
"I don't hate you." The words tumbled out of Gabriella's mouth, startling the blonde.
"You… You don't?" She shook her head. "Why?"
"Because, Shar, I should have listened to you. I should have told Troy to begin with and I didn't. You were only looking out for me and I should have realized that. How can I hate you for that? Besides, our intentions weren't that different; you and I. Although, your intentions were better suited than mine. I did what I did out of fear while you did it out of love and concern." She looked down at her hands in her lap. "And because of my fear, Troy had to find out that he's going to be a father from his best friend instead of his wife."
"Chad told me what happened; how he accidentally let it slip. He wanted me to tell you that he's sorry for that."
Gabriella shook her head. "He doesn't need to apologize. If I had just told the truth, I wouldn't have had to put Chad in that predicament. So, I don't blame him for anything. And I don't blame you, either."
"How did he react after Chad told him?"
"Upset," she responded, remembering that night. "Angry. Heartbroken."
Sharpay looked at her best friend with sympathy. "He forgave you, though. I mean, you both looked like nothing was wrong when I saw you in Daddy's office."
Bringing her gaze to the blonde beside her, Gabriella smiled. "He did. I, honestly, don't think I deserve it; but he did. And I don't think he's ever been happier."
"Have you found out the sex, yet?"
"Not yet. I have an appointment next week and I'll find out then whether or not I can find out if it's a boy or a girl."
"Well, the minute you find out, you have to tell me. I need to know what color I should shop for for my niece or nephew. I mean, if you'd still allow me to call them that."
"Of course I will. You're still my sister, aren't you?"
Pushing her hair out of her face as the ocean breeze whipped it about, Sharpay nodded and smiled. "I wouldn't want it any other way."
The two girls embraced; a sense of relief crashing through them as a weight lifted off of both of their shoulders. Despite having been mad at her before, Gabriella knew that she would have forgiven Sharpay eventually. The blonde had been there for her through the roughest times in her life. She couldn't just throw away a friendship like that. It meant throwing away the woman she was now; meant becoming the woman she used to be. Just like Troy, Sharpay was detrimental to the person that Gabriella had become and the brunette couldn't possibly imagine a life without her or the second family she'd given her.
::
They sat in the waiting area with their fingers intertwined with each other's. Silence played between them, but neither one minded. Too lost in their own thoughts to really carry on a conversation. Both were nervous; both were excited. Today was Gabriella's ultrasound appointment and she could feel the butterflies fluttering within her stomach (or that might have been the baby; she wasn't quite sure). Today, she and her husband might find out if the baby inside of her was growing healthy and if it was male or female. One hand in his and the other on the bump that had started to show over the past few days, she rested her head on his shoulder; eyes closed as she took comfort in his presence. Troy drew circles on the back of her hand and wondered when they would be called.
"Bolton?"
Both of their heads shot up as the nurse stood in the doorway with a chart in her hand. They stood, never letting go of each other, and made their way towards her. She welcomed them with a warm smile before ushering them into an empty room. She told them that the technician would be with them in a moment before she left them to wait again. Gabriella sat on the table while Troy stood beside her. He kissed her temple and she smiled. Minutes later, the technician walked in and greeted them. She set up the ultrasound machine before asking Gabriella to lie back and lift her shirt. Gabriella did as she was told; watching and waiting as the petite woman put on a pair of gloves. She, then, scooped out a glob of blue gel from a container and walked over to the brunette lying on the table.
"This is going to be a little cold," she stated before spreading the gel over Gabriella's stomach. Gabriella winced at the chill that spread through her stomach, but it didn't last long. "Now, according to your chart, you should be at least 13 weeks; is that correct?"
Gabriella thought back. "Sounds about right."
"Okay." She put some of the gel over the transducer. "Let's take a look at baby." She turned on the screen and placed the transducer on Gabriella's stomach. It was all white lines against black, but the outline of their child was as clear as day to Troy and Gabriella. "We'll, Mrs. Bolton, you are definitely 13 weeks. Your baby is exactly 7 cm; the size that an average baby is at this stage. And, so far, it looks healthy. Nothing abnormal. Let me just see if I can find the heartbeat." She shifted the transducer and the most beautiful sound that Gabriella had ever heard filled the room. Tears spilled over onto her cheeks as she listened to the sound of her baby's heart; alive and well.
She no longer listened to the voices of Troy and the technician as he asked her about finding out the sex of the baby. The only thing Gabriella could focus on was that of her child's heartbeat. Smiling, Gabriella found all of her fear of the past repeating itself fading away with each pound of her unborn baby's strong heart. She wouldn't let herself be afraid anymore; not when the future was so promising. She was brought out of her trance by her husband's hand on her shoulder. Looking up at him, she found a question of concern in his eyes, but the reassuring smile she gave him was enough to make it disappear. He kissed her lips before turning back to the grainy black and white picture of their child.