A/N: Okay, so that's the Grand Finale! I can't thank you enough for reading my story and taking your time to review it. It made me really happy to know people were enjoying Troy and Gabriella's life.
Ah, I feel sad lol but we still have FEEL IT … So, I'd like to invite you all to my new story, cause I don't know If I'll be able to go on without my fav readers hahaha
Anyway, just a nice thing that happened and I thought you guys would like to know… My friend, "the real" Gabriella and her "real Troy" read the story a few times (I sent her the whole story yesterday and believe me, she loved the happy ending)… Well, the thing is, they decided to try again now that they are adults and they have a date after Christmas! Isn't it incredible? I mean, they love each other so much and are such a great couple… they deserve to be together ;0)
Soundtrack: Here are the songs I used in the story, in case anyone wants to download it.
Ch 15: In a Manner Of Speaking – Martin L Gore Ch 21: Over My Head – The Fray Ch 24: Crash and Burn – Savage Garden Ch 25: Learning to Breathe – Switchfoot Ch 26: Tiger Lily – Matchbook Romance Ch 28: The Way You Look Tonight – Rod Stewart Ch 28: Someone Like You - Van Morrison Ch 29: Amazing - Janelle and... Do I need to mention the London Bridge? ha!
Disclaimer: You already know by now I don't own HSM, right? =]
Chapter 29;
Epilogue
It was Christmas Eve and Troy was not happy to be spending it in a hospital in Albuquerque. Of course he knew it was necessary, but yet it wasn't planned. But he couldn't actually remember when he really planned something in his life. Falling in love with a girl that was supposed to be his sister wasn't planned, nor being a photographer or millionaire.
Things in his life just seemed to happen for no reason, maybe just because it was his destiny. Not that Troy Bolton believed in destiny, it was not something he could say "Ah, I believe it"… he just had to get used to it, because somehow, destiny would be the only word to explain all the things that happened in his life till the present day.
He stood up, attracting all eyes in the corridor and sighed deeply. Sharpay looked at him sympathetically and smiled. Zeke grinned at him. Mae seemed lost in her own world. Chad and Taylor were talking about something in a low voice. Lucas was sleeping in Marina's arms and John and Jack Bolton were talking about cars. Cars. Was it even important right now?
Everybody seemed to have a different reaction at the moment, all of them completely relaxed, but Troy had reasons for not being calm at all. As he wandered back and forth in the hospital corridor Troy couldn't help but think about his life with Gabriella. They had been married for two years now and they couldn't be happier. It was never difficult to adapt to the other because they always lived together. Nothing they would do surprised the other in a bad way because they already knew each other so well.
Troy and Gabriella had been through everything together: childhood, adolescence and now they were starting to live their adulthood together as well. They were best friends before anything. They cared for the other so much they would die to see the each other happy. They couldn't even imagine being apart for more than a day.
Even though it could sound like a movie, Troy and Gabriella had the perfect life. She was a journalist and was working for the New York Times like she always wanted. Troy was a photographer and was soon to graduate from NYU. He had a small studio in Manhattan and was beginning to enter the photographic world with his beautiful pictures.
But everything changed seven months before the present day when Gabriella told Troy she was pregnant. Troy never thought he could be so happy and so nervous at the same time. He felt insecure, he didn't know how to take care of a baby, but his Ella told him he would be a great daddy. Everything she would tell him he would believe, it was simple like that.
Troy knew he was too young to be a father, after all he was only 24, but apparently the best things in life happened for no reason. Gabriella was brought to him when he was still young and now their baby too. Deep inside, he knew he could work this out as long as he had Ella with him.
He sighed again. They had taken her to the operation room for an hour now and Troy had no control of his emotions anymore. He was nervous, sick, happy, worried… everything at the same time. He felt like he could explode anytime now. The baby was early, last time he saw Gabriella she was in so much pain and the stupid doctors didn't let him get in the room with her. He closed his eyes and leaned against the hospital wall, scared to death something could happen to his family.
A family. Now they were a little family, just the three of them. It was going to be the baby, Ella and Troy… forever.
He heard everybody standing up and snapped out of his trance. He locked eyes with the doctor in front of him, feeling the palms of his hands completely wet with sweat, "Are they okay?" he gulped nervously, "My wife and my baby?"
The doctor smiled at him. "Everything's fine now, congratulations daddy"
Troy sighed in relief and grinned. He turned his head to the side and everybody was smiling and hugging. "Can I see them?"
"Of course. Follow me, Mr. Bolton"
He nodded, looking back just once to receive an encouraging smile from his mom and dad. Troy followed the doctor down the corridor and into the maternity center. He was already breathlessly and he had to tell himself he was alright several times before getting inside Gabriella's room.
As soon as he walked further in the room, he was able to see the girl of his dreams sitting in the bed with what seemed to be a small bundle in her arms. She looked up and Troy smiled as he saw her eyes red and teary and a huge grin on her face.
"Come here Boo" she whispered to him, to avoid waking the baby up, "Your daughter wants to meet you"
Troy held his breath and flinched, "I-Is it a girl?" he felt his heart flip inside his chest and Gabriella nodded quietly, looking down at the baby in her arms again.
He stepped closer to them and sat right beside Gabriella, staring at the rosy baby that was sleeping peacefully in her arms. Troy Bolton was completely hypnotized by his baby girl. His daughter opened her eyes for a second and Troy smirked. He couldn't believe he helped making this precious little person that was in Ella's arms now. Their daughter was half Gabriella, half him, 100 percent their love and he felt honored to be the one in that situation right now, Christmas Eve, with his Ella, with their baby, experiencing so much love and happiness.
"God, she's beautiful"
Gabriella sighed tiredly and rested her head on Troy's shoulder. He placed a sweet and gentle kiss on her forehead, "That's the best present you could ever give me, Ella" he then stroked his babygirl cheek, his tears already rolling down his face and kissed the baby's forehead as well.
Troy wiped his tears away and happily accepted the baby from Gabriella's arms when she offered, carefully grabbing his little princess and making her comfortable in his large arms. She seemed so tiny next to him, so dependent.
He rested his back against the big hospital bed and the baby moaned softly in her sleep, "she looks like an angel" Gabriella concluded, snuggling into Troy, feeling her whole body sore. "Do we have a name for her yet?"
He shrugged. "I uhm" he examined his little baby's face. "I don't know" he murmured and Gabriella giggled, "It's okay, we can wait till tomorrow"
Troy chuckled quietly and stared at his wife, more in love than ever. "You amaze me so much" he leaned down to place a sweet kiss on her lips, "I never imagined we would have such a precious little thing like her someday"
Gabriella smiled and closed her eyes, feeling sleepy; "You were the one that said we'd give gorgeous grandchildren to mom and dad someday" she finished and let out a big yawn.
"Rest a bit, love" he wrapped one arm around her body and she moaned softly, snuggling more into him. Troy held his two girls securely in his arms, feeling the luckiest guy in the whole world.
"Baby?" Gabriella struggled to speak properly, yawning again, "I have a name for the baby" she mumbled, opening her eyes for a second before shutting them again.
"Yes Ella?"
"Ever Natalie Laise Bolton" she pronounced the name clearly and gave him a half smile, "Ever for the time we will be together, Natalie—"
He interrupted her and added softly, "I remember the book, born on Christmas day"
She smiled, nodding slightly and continued, "Laise…" she sighed and yawned again, "I bet your mom would like it"
Troy smiled and nodded his head even though Gabriella was already fast asleep and couldn't see him. A tiny smile appeared on his face as his daughter whimpered quietly before yawning like her mother. "Welcome to the world, Eve Bolton"
Troy walked inside their luxury apartment in New York City, loads of bags with presents under his arms and a huge teddy bear for his little girl. He placed the gifts under the tree and gazed to his watch, 5.30PM. Their family would arrive in an hour for the Christmas dinner and still no sign of Gabriella and Eve ready. He sighed, knowing he'd probably had to tell Ella what time was already and she would freak out to finish everything in time.
He took of his shirt and dressed out of his shoes, crawling to his room, calling for Gabriella. Suddenly, a small person ran clumsy out of the bathroom. She was completely naked, hugging a plastic yellow duck against her chest. Troy couldn't help but laugh as his 12 months old daughter hid under the living room table.
He crawled under the table and scooped up the baby, standing up with the little girl in his arms. Eve Bolton firmly attached to his neck and giggled to her daddy, "Dada"
"Hey naked baby" he placed a sweet kiss on the girl's forehead, "Running away from mama again, huh?"
Troy tickled the baby's side a little earning a soft giggle from her. "Ah, there she is" Gabriella sighed in relief, running her hands through her hair and stepping closer to them with a pink towel in her arms. "Eve, you can't run away from mama"
"And I thought she was going to be a water baby" Troy smirked and examined his wife of 3 years. Gabriella looked really hot with her wet dress clung to her body and her hair in a messy bun. "Having a hard time to bath her again, eh?"
Gabriella tilted her head to the side, "I already gave her a bath, but you know your daughter loves to walk naked around the house. Everytime I try to put a dress on her, she takes it off in no time"
Troy laughed and wrapped an arm around Gabriella's waist, bringing her closer to him and nuzzling her neck, "Hmm I missed you"
She brushed his hair out of his eyes and pecked him slowly on the lips, "I missed you too baby"
"Me baby" Eve protested and Gabriella giggled, wrapping the towel around her little body and getting the girl from her daddy's arms, "Daddy is my baby too, sweetie"
"Ha, she's a naked and jealous baby" he joked, kissing Eve's cheek, "Sometimes you look just like your mummy"
"Hey!" Gabriella hit him playfully on the chest, "Keep dreaming, eh"
Troy chuckled and grabbed the baby from his wife's arms again. "Let daddy dress you" he looked at his wife, "I'm gonna show you how a professional works, Ella"
"Yeah, yeah" she said sarcastically as they walked away from her, "Eve, sweetie?"
The baby looked back as soon as she heard her mom's voice, "Make sure you give a hard time to daddy as well, alright?"
The baby giggled and Troy rolled his eyes, "I have a good way to deal with Eve" he told his little girl and looked back to wink at Gabriella, "She just can't resist my charm, just like her mummy"
Damn it. He was so right. "I hate when you're cocky Troy Bolton"
Troy smirked. "I know you love me, Gabriella Bolton" he joked and she bit her lip to avoid smiling. "But don't worry, I love you too" he walked back to her and gave Ella a kiss on the lips, "And I'm gonna show you later exactly how much I love you"
Gabriella giggled, "You better"
Four hours later the whole family was gathered in the living room waiting for the presents. Ella was sitting in front of the Christmas tree with Eve in her lap. Lucas sat down at his sister's side, watching Troy walk to the living room as well.
"Can I go first?" Lucas asked anxiously and Troy narrowed his eyes at him playfully before laughing, "Alright, go ahead"
"Awesome" he jumped of the floor and bent down in front of the tree. Troy rolled his eyes and sat on Gabriella's side on the floor, Eve throwing herself at her daddy the exact second he sat down.
Gabriella looked at Troy and smiled. He was such a good father and husband, she was completely right when she chose him for her, when destiny chose him for her. He gazed at her with the corner of her eyes and smirked, "What?"
"Nothing" she pulled his face closer and kissed him on the lips, "I love you so much"
"I love you too, beautiful" he replied, pecking her on the lips again and smiling, "Everyday more and more"
"So, I just bought a present for Eve" Lucas said contently and crouched in front of Troy and the baby.
Troy and Gabriella looked down at their daughter that was happily sucking her thumb while she studied Lucas with her big brown eyes, "I bought it for her with my own money"
"Oh you did sweetie?" Gabriella smiled at him and he nodded proudly, "It's a bunny bear"
"Oh no, I'm having a déjà vu here" Marina joked and looked at Mae that was laughing too now. "What?" Troy and Gabriella asked together, both of them confused.
"Nothing" the two women replied and Troy shrugged. Lucas opened the box and grabbed the bunny bear and gave it to Eve. The baby grinned and started eating the bunny's ears.
"Merry Christmas, Eve" he gave her a kiss on the cheek and smiled, "I love you"
Gabriella's eyes widened and she looked at Troy, who had the same expression. Mae laughed harder and added, "You can't be jealous now, Troy. You acted the same with Gabriella"
"It's just brotherly love, baby" his wife told him, trying to convince herself. "They're just babies"
"Yeah, when you and Troy became inseparable you were just babies too" Jack mocked them and Marina smiled at him. Eve crawled to Lucas and gave him a hug. The little boy grinned and looked at Gabriella, "I'm going to buy her a bear every Christmas and when Eve gets older, I'll give her jewelry" he stroked the baby's hair and continued, "I heard on TV that's what girls like"
Troy cleared his throat and Gabriella couldn't help but laugh at her husband's reaction, "It's just brotherly love, baby" she reminded him again.
"Mm hmm" he agreed sarcastically, "So much for the brotherly love, huh"
"And when we're older" Lucas kept talking but stopped to think about it. "Around 20 years old, I'm gonna marry Eve" Lucas finished his speech, grabbing the little girl's hand in his and smiling at her, "We're gonna be together for the rest of our lives and play all day long, Eve"
The baby giggled and Troy shook his head, wrapping an arm around Gabriella waist, bringing her closer and whispering in her ear, "Make sure I won't forget this when he turns 15."
She rolled her eyes and hit him on the chest playfully, "Are you regretting something eh?"
He shook his head again and whispered against her lips, "Never" he stroked her cheek, "I love you forever" she smiled and he added playfully "And I always told you I'd marry you when we got older"
"Yeah, yeah" Gabriella giggled and pecked him on the lips, "I'm happy you keep your promises then, Booboo"
"Yes" Troy smiled proudly and used her own theory from a few years earlier, "It's our destiny to be together" she giggled again and he stroked her cheek, "And you remember what you told me when we started going out?"
"Hmm?" she asked in a whisper, lost in their own little world again.
Troy smirked, knowing they would be together for the rest of their lives, "Destiny is the inevitable"
"That means…" Gabriella grinned, "I'm gonna be stuck with you for a loooong time"
He raised his eyebrows, smiling playfully at her, "That sounds fun, right?"
~ No matter where or how far you wander
For a thousand years or longer
I will always be there for you
Right here with you ~