A/N: Here we are, everyone. The final chapter. I do apologize for the amount of time it took for me to finish this story. Between just not having the inspiration for it to working almost every day last year, it has been a journey. But, here it is. This one is a long one (an apology for taking so long). I want to thank each and every one of you who have continued to support this story.

Musical inspiration for this chapter: With You by Aly and A.J. Echoes of You by Marianas Trench featuring Roger Joseph Manning Jr.

Beside You

Chapter 10

How did they end up here?

Troy walked, slowly, down the hospital hallway. He knew that once he reached the end, he would be forced to face the awaiting faces of family and friends. There was nothing for him to tell them; nothing that described anything good coming out of the next few hours. So, he kept his pace slow and attempted to come up with the right words that wouldn't strike fear in their hearts. Not unlike how he was feeling now. Closing his eyes, he could still see Gabriella's tear-stained face as she fell into unconsciousness. He still didn't know what happened. His questions had fallen on deaf ears before he was pushed out of the room.

Reaching the waiting room, he watched as familiar pairs of eyes landed on him; all waiting on news of Gabriella and the baby. But he had none. There was no news to tell. He caught sight of Sharpay, her light brown gaze seeming to know that something was wrong. She stood and crossed over to him. The minute her hand made contact with his arm, he broke down. She pulled his head down to her shoulder and let him cry; running her fingers through his hair. His arms came up and wrapped around her. He held on tight to the woman who, while also being his wife's best friend, had become like a sister to him. No one spoke a word.

How did it end up this way?

Twelve Hours Before

"Do you really have to go?" Gabriella asked, fingers softly stroking her swollen belly.

"Yes. I really have to go," Troy responded, smirking as he buttoned his shirt in front of the mirror. From this angle, he could see Gabriella in all her glory and it took every ounce of willpower not to climb back into bed and ravage his very pregnant wife. They had already indulged in morning sex – he awoke that morning to Gabriella's hand stroking him to full attention before she climbed on top of him – and he was already running late.

She pouted. "Can't you call in sick or something?"

"Babe, if I called in sick for every time you were horny, I would never make money." He wrapped his tie around his neck before starting to go through the motions of tying it.

"But I'm pregnant," she whined.

Chuckling, he walked back to the bed and leaned over. He pecked her on the lips before whispering, "And I'm late."

"You would really deny a pregnant woman?"

"I would, because if I don't then I'll never make it to work, and then I'll get fired, and then we'll be broke. I can't have my unborn son living on the streets."

"Chad would never fire you," she mumbled. Sighing, she rolled her eyes. "Fine! You can go to work."

"Thank you."

"But I expect you to make up for it later."

He kissed again, this time open-mouthed with plenty of tongue. His hand reached out and grabbed one of her exposed breasts. "I most definitely will."

Winking, he stood up straight and grabbed his blazer off the hanger. "Why are you dressed so snazzy, anyway?"

"Special event at the bar."

"Oh."

"Alright, Babe. Gotta go." He went back to the bed, putting one knee into the mattress. "I'll see you later." She nodded, and he gave her a peck on the cheek before moving down to kiss her stomach. "Don't give Mommy a hard time today, kid. Okay?"

"Ow. He heard you."

"Kicking you again?"

"Yep," she answered, her voice strained. "This kid's going to be a soccer star."

Kissing her lips, he brushed his nose against hers. "Not if I have anything to say about it." He pecked her lips once more. "Bye."

"Bye."

When he left, Gabriella made herself comfortable – well, as comfortable as you can be with a stomach the size of a beach ball – and drifted back to sleep. She was awoken sometime later to the sound of her phone ringing. She whipped her head around, looking for the offending object. It taunted her from the bedside table and she had to stretch to reach it.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Babe. Did I wake you?" Sharpay asked, sounding concerned.

"Kinda. What time is it?"

"11:30."

"Seriously?" Pulling her phone away, she glanced at the time and it read 11:31 am. "Fuck." She winced and groaned.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, Junior just doesn't like it when I curse."

Sharpay laughed. "Sounds like someone's gonna give you hell."

"And when he does, he's getting passed off to his father."

"Listen, Babe, I was calling to see if you wanted to get lunch with me. You know, to get out of the house."

"Sure."

"Do you need me to pick you up?"

"Yes, please. Troy had to work, so he took the car today."

"Alright, then I'll see you in, say, thirty minutes?"

"Make it forty and you have a deal."

"Okay. Forty it is. See you in a bit."

"Bye."

Conversation was light between the two friends as Sharpay drove them to a destination only she knew of. When Gabriella had asked where they were going, Sharpay claimed it was nowhere special, but never gave any description or name. It left Gabriella in the dark, and she hated it. Finally, they pulled into an open parking space on the street and climbed out once the car had been turned off. Linking their arms, Sharpay led the way. Gabriella grew confused when she recognized some of the shops lining the street. Her confusion spiked when they reached the bar that Troy and Chad worked in. When she looked to Sharpay for some clarity, the blonde woman just smiled and pulled her inside.

"Surprise!"

Gabriella jumped slightly, hand instinctively going to her belly as people jumped out at her. It took a bit for her shock to wear off and for her to recognize the smiling faces around her. Lips curving upwards, she looked at Sharpay. "What is this?"

"Surprise baby shower."

Grinning brightly, she turned back to the crowd of people. Most of them were Troy's co-workers, while others were close friends. Seeing her husband walking towards her, her eyes lit up. "You knew?"

"Of course I knew," he said, kissing her. "Who do you think came up with the idea?"

"Um, excuse me? I'm pretty sure that I'm the one who came up with this," Sharpay interrupted, crossing her arms.

"Okay, but I was the one who suggested using the bar."

"Nope," Chad spoke up. "Pretty sure that was me."

Laughing, he turned back and glared at his best friend. "Seriously? You couldn't let me get credit for at least that." Chad shrugged, and Troy sighed, shifting back to Gabriella. "I helped."

Smiling, she kissed him. "Either way. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

"Alright, love birds. Break it up," came Ryan's voice as he stepped in between them, throwing his arms over their shoulders. "Let's get this baby shower started." The crowd cheered in agreement as Ryan pushed Troy and Gabriella further into the establishment.

Sitting in the specially made chair that Sharpay, Taylor, and Kelsi had put together, Gabriella watched with content as the people she called her friends and her family enjoyed themselves. She thought back to the years before Troy had walked into her life. How it had all seemed so hopeless. Seeing her life now, she was surprisingly grateful for it all. For all the experiences that brought her to these people. Grabbing her glass – filled with water – she clinked a spoon against it, catching everyone's attention as she stood.

"I just wanted to thank each and every one of you," she started after the room had quieted down, "for coming and being here with me. I know some of you I know better than others, but that doesn't mean that I'm not grateful for all of you being in my life." She felt tears begin to well up. "I honestly don't know where I would be without you. I learned a long time ago that you don't have a choice in who you share blood with, but you do have a choice in who you decide to call family. You guys are my family," She sniffled, "and I am the luckiest woman in the world to have you. Sorry about the waterworks. Seems my hormones have fallen out of balance again," she joked with a watery smile.

"We love you, too, Brie-Brie!" Taylor shouted, earning a laugh from everyone.

Gabriella giggled. "So, thank you, again. You are the greatest group of people anyone could ever ask for. Cheers."

"Cheers!"

She went to retake her seat when a sharp pain suddenly shot through her abdomen. So strong was it that her glass slipped out of her hand and crashed to the floor. It caught everyone's attention. Her hand came to rest against her stomach as another sharp pain erupted. A whimper passed through her lips.

"Babe, are you okay?" Sharpay asked, suddenly appearing at her side. She nodded. "You sure? I could get Troy if you want."

"No. No, I'm fine." She didn't want to worry Troy. Another charge of discomfort and she was grabbing Sharpay's arm, but the pain lasted longer than it had before.

"Troy!"

He was at their side instantaneously. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know."

Cupping Gabriella's face, he felt the wetness from tears on her cheeks. "Gabriella, what's wrong?"

"I-It hurts."

"What does?"

Opening her eyes, she looked at him and he saw the tears in her eyes. "My stomach."

"Alright, let's get you to the hospital." He stood.

"No!" She followed, crying out as another jolt of pain shot through her. "I'm fine, really." Clutching her stomach, she waited for it to subside, but it refused.

"You're not. Gabriella, please." She gave in, nodding her head in agreement. "Thank you." She went to take a step when another shot of pain followed by a gush of water down her leg.

"Oh my God, I think her water just broke!"

"What? She's not due for another three weeks."

Wordlessly, Troy lifted her off her feet, supporting her legs with one arm and her back with the other. "Sharpay, I'm gonna need you to drive."

The blonde nodded and followed behind him as he carried Gabriella out to the car.

On the ride to the hospital, Gabriella began bleeding profusely, causing both her best friend and her husband to panic. They somehow made it to the hospital without running any red lights or breaking any speeding laws. Troy carried her inside, yelling for help. After that, things became kind of a blur. He barely remembers them getting her to the maternity ward. Nor does he remember them helping out of her blood-stained dress. What he does remember is a doctor explaining to both him and Gabriella that she had what is called a placental abrasion and telling them that they needed to get her to the operating room for an emergency C-section.

"Troy," She latched onto her arm as the doctor stepped out of the room. "I'm scared."

"I know. I am, too." He kissed the top of her head. "But I'll be here. I promise I'm not going anywhere."

The door opened and nurses stepped in, all going to Gabriella's bedside and proceeding to help her out of her bloodstained dress and into a hospital gown. Once she was ready to go, they wheeled her out on a mobile bed. Troy moved to follow when he was stopped by a nurse who told him that in order for him to go with her into the OR he needed to put on scrubs. Knowing that he couldn't leave her alone, he did as he was told and the nurse ushered him into the OR, where they were prepping for the C-section. He gravitated to Gabriella's side and took her hand in his. There was a screen between her upper body and her lower body, to keep what they were doing out of view. Troy kissed her cheek as they made it known that they were going to start. He pressed his forehead against hers and prayed to a God he barely believed in that everything would be okay.

Seconds turned to minutes and minutes felt like hours. Finally, he heard the doctor say that they were about to cut through the placenta and that is where things began to go downhill. He noticed the quietness and the whispers of concern between the medical staff. Where there should have been the shrill sound of a baby crying, there was silence.

"Why isn't the baby crying?" Gabriella asked, suddenly feeling light-headed.

"I don't know." He looked to the other side of the screen. "Doc, what's going on?" Before the doctor could give an answer, a loud beeping began to echo through the room. "What is that? What does that mean?"

"Shit, she's losing blood." It was a comment to the other staff in the room, not meant for Troy to hear, but hear he did. His eyes turned to Gabriella and he saw that her eyes were closed.

"Babe? Baby, wake up." He shook her, but there was no response. "Doctor, she's not waking up!"

"Nurse, get him out of here, please."

"Mr. Bolton, please come with me."

"No, I wanna stay with her," he protested as the nurse pushed him out the room. "Gabriella! Gabriella!" The door closed on him and he was left wondering what had just happened.

Which brings us back to the waiting room.

Troy sat beside Sharpay, his leg as restless as his nerves. He wasn't sure how much time had passed since he was thrown out of the operating room, but not a single doctor or nurse had come to give him the status on his wife or his son. He was ready to rip his hair out. Ready to cause a commotion if someone didn't tell him something. Standing, he began pacing the floor, unable to sit still any longer. All of this waiting was killing him. He needed to know something, anything. Stomping towards the nurse's station, he slammed his hands on the desk, startling the poor woman behind it.

"Can someone please tell me the status of my wife?"

"Name?"

"Gabriella Bolton."

She typed something into her computer. "Says here, Sir, that she's still in surgery."

"And my son?"

"Name?"

"I… We didn't get a chance to name him."

She looked at him with sympathy. "I'm sorry, Sir, but without a name, I have nothing to go by. You're just going to have to wait until the doctor comes out."

"Fuck!" He pushed away from the desk and went back to join the others in the waiting room. He retook his seat beside Sharpay and pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes. He couldn't lose her, couldn't lose either of them. If he did, he'd be all alone again. He couldn't do it. Life before Gabriella was a black hole, slowly sucking the life out of him. With her, everything was bright and was getting brighter with the prospect of being a father brought into view. Now… Now it felt like the light was dimming. He stood, needing fresh air, and started for the door.

Both Chad and Sharpay watched him go. They were worried about him; knowing that if anything happened to Gabriella and the baby, he wouldn't be the same. Chad knew, from personal experience, that Troy was close to jumping off the deep end again. If the doctor didn't come back with good news, there would be no way that his best friend would be able to stay clean. That darkness was calling to him again. Chad stood and followed Troy's path to the exit. Stepping out into the cool Los Angeles air, he looked for his best friend but found him nowhere in sight.

"Shit," he cursed and began his search. He found Troy walking away from the hospital, towards an unknown destination. "Troy!" He caught up to his best friend and tried to keep him from walking any further. "Dude, where are you going?"

"I don't know. Somewhere. Anywhere that isn't here, right now."

"Gabriella needs you."

"You don't think I know that, Chad! You don't think I'm aware of that. That my wife, my entire world could die in there. I haven't stopped thinking about it since they pushed me out of the operating room. I just… I just need to get away."

Chad could see the tell-tale signs that Troy was in need of a fix. "Troy, I understand how hard this is for you, but throwing away your sobriety is not the answer."

Troy laughed sardonically. "You always did know me better than I knew myself."

"Yeah, that's why you should listen to me. Think about what Gabriella would say if she knew you wanted to get high."

"Just one hit, Chad. Just one to get me through this."

"Then one hit turns into another and then you're back to depending on it. You can't let what's going on now be the catalyst. Think of Gabriella. Think of your son. They both need you right now; need you to be strong and resist the temptation to use again."

"And what if I lose her? What if I lose them both? Then what?" Troy asked, tears now falling freely down his face. "How am I supposed to survive? How am I supposed to live without them?" Without her? It was a silent question, but the implication was there.

"You think about what she would want you to do, and you move on."

Troy shook his head. "I can't lose her, Chad. I just can't."

"I know, Buddy. I know." Suddenly, Chad's phone went off in his pocket. He answered it without looking at who it was, already knowing it was Sharpay. "Hey Shar." Silence. "What? Alright, we're on our way back now."

"What is it?"

"it's Gabriella. She's out of surgery."

Troy rushed into the hospital room with Sharpay on his heels. After the doctor had explained everything to the concerned group of people in the waiting room, he had allowed two people (Troy and Sharpay, naturally) to see Gabriella. He let them know that she hadn't awoken yet and would be in pain when she did. Sharpay burst into tears when she spotted her best friend unconscious and hooked up to machines. She wondered when she would stop seeing Gabriella in this situation. Troy wrapped an arm around her and comforted her the same way she had comforted him earlier. He let her take the seat beside Gabriella and kept watch. He wasn't sure how long it would be before Gabriella opened her beautiful brown eyes again, but he planned to be there when she did.

"Doc?" He questioned before the doctor could leave the room. "You never told me about my son."

The man smiled softly. "Your son is fine, Mr. Bolton. He's currently in the NICU, he still has some more growing to do, but you are free to see him any time you want."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." He left the room, leaving Troy and Sharpay alone.

When Gabriella finally began to awaken, Troy was fast asleep in the chair that Sharpay had occupied hours ago. She had decided to give the group an update and went to check on the baby in Troy's stead. The man refused to leave his wife's side. Her eyes opened and she smiled slightly at seeing his peaceful face. She moved slightly and groaned when the pain began shooting through her abdomen. The noise she made woke Troy out of his sleep and he jumped up at seeing Gabriella's brown eyes staring back at him.

"Gabriella," he breathed before leaning over and pressing his lips to hers. "You're okay." He kissed her again. "You're alive." And again, then pressed his forehead to hers. "I thought I almost lost you."

"I'm sorry."

He shook his head. "There's nothing to be sorry about, Baby. I'm just glad that you're still here with me."

"What happened?"

His smile faded. "You nearly bled out. You coded on the table twice." He took her hand in his. "You died twice."

"But I didn't die," she spoke, running her fingers over his cheek. "I'm right here."

He nodded and gave her a watery smile. "You are. You're still here."

"What about the baby? Is he okay?"

"He's fine. He's in the NICU. Sharpay went to check up on him."

"You haven't seen him yet?"

He shook his head. "No. I've been too worried about you to even think about leaving your side."

"Troy…"

"Please. I know I should've at least thought about going to see our son, but…" He took a deep breath. "When I thought I was going to lose you, I almost made a stupid mistake." She looked at him in confusion. "I almost gave in to my vice again."

"Troy…"

"But I didn't. Chad stopped me before I had a chance to even buy anything. I felt myself slipping back to that dark place, Gabriella. If I left your side and something happened while I was gone, I would've never forgiven myself. I needed to be here with you until you woke."

She grabbed his face and brought him close to her, kissing him soundly. "I love you, so much, Troy Bolton."

"And I love you, Gabriella Bolton. With every breath in my lungs and every beat of my heart."

When Gabriella was well enough to move, the nurses helped her into a wheelchair and, together, husband and wife, the new parents went to the NICU to see their son for the first time. They were unable to hold him just yet, but that didn't matter to them. As long as they knew that he was healthy, that's all they cared about.

"Have you two thought of a name for him?" the nurse asked.

Gabriella looked up at Troy. "I was thinking about Jackson Alexander Bolton."

"After my dad?"

"And my brother," she answered with a nod. "What do you think?"

He smiled and leaned down to kiss her. "I love it."

They spent a good hour in the NICU with Jackson before heading back to Gabriella's room. After helping her into the bed, the nurses left them alone. Sliding over, Gabriella patted the space next to her, wanting her husband to climb in beside her.

"I don't think the nurses will be happy if I lied down next to you."

"Who cares? I haven't slept in the same bed as my husband in days and I miss him." Grinning, he slid into the hospital bed and relished in the feel of having Gabriella flushed against him again. He would be lying if he said he didn't miss sleeping beside her, as well. "I'm sorry."

"About what?" he asked, looking down at her.

"About the fact that I don't smell too fresh."

He laughed and kissed the top of her head. "That doesn't matter to me. What does matter is that you're alive and I can still get the opportunity to live out the rest of my life with you. That I can still lie next to you and kiss you and make you breakfast and tease you about your fear of bugs and make love to you. You are my world, Gabriella. Nothing is ever going to change that. Especially now with Jackson. Just knowing that I'll get to raise that precious little boy with you is the greatest moment of my life."

"You always know the right words to say, Troy Bolton."

Smiling, he brushed his knuckles against her cheek and jawbone. "That's because you always bring out the best words in me, Gabriella Bolton." He kissed her. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

She leaned her head on his chest, letting the sound of his heartbeat lull her to sleep. He remained awake, watching her, thanking every deity he could name for allowing him this life. Though it hasn't always worked out the way he wanted it to, it brought him to her. For as long as he lived, he would continue to thank them for the family he made for himself. For the love that was bestowed upon him. For the friends that he cherished every day. For the son he would watch over and raise and instill the beliefs and values his own father instilled in him. For the woman who had waltzed into his life when it was in the midst of a spiral and made him believe that he could deserve her love. Having been through so much together, he knew there would be no one else for him in this world. She was it. This life was it for him.

"Gabriella, I know right now you can't hear me, but I need to tell you this. No matter what happens between now and the end of time, I will always be right beside you." Whether she heard him or not, she promptly snuggled closer to him and he smiled, pressing a kiss to her hairline. "I promise," he whispered before closing his eyes and following her into dreamland.

And if your heart wears thin, I will hold you up and I will hide you when it gets too much. I'll be right beside you. Nobody will break you. -Beside You by Marianas Trench