AN: YAYYYY! I LOVE THIS CHAPTER. And I KNOW you all will to. And because I'm so nice and shit, I decided to post it after only a DAY. THAT'S how excited I am.

So yeah... you're all gonna want more after this one but maybe I'll make you wait a few extra days. Or maybe not. With me, you never really know. I could wait a week, I could wait a day, whatever. But I just want you to know that, excluding this chapter, there are 3 chapters left and an epilogue.

Title: With You
Rating: T
Author: MadiWillow
Summary: Troy is married with a small daughter. Gabriella is married and pregnant. They didn't keep in touch after school following a nasty break-up, but everyone knows that true love never dies.
Genre: Drama/Romance
Chapter: Chapter 9

To Gabriella's immense surprise, the next few months seemed to fly by. Her divorce was finalized within a week and Gabriella never saw Nathaniel again, to her great pleasure. Troy was very supportive of her, and helped her get through the days where she felt too depressed to do anything. She knew that divorcing Nathaniel was the best decision she could have made, but it still hurt to think that he may have never loved her. Troy was able to help her get through it, telling her things like "He's a fool for giving you up" and "You're better off without him", things that made her wish even more that they could be together. However, she pushed those thoughts away and forced herself to only think of Troy as a friend.

She spent her days lounging around the house with Jackson, Lauren, and Troy, and, occasionally, Devon. In three months, Gabriella had only seen Devon a handful of times, but each them she did they became better friends. Gabriella's feelings for Troy hated for her to admit it, but Devon was a very nice woman and she could see why Troy had married her. He always looked at her with such love in his eyes that Gabriella felt like she had to look away; like she was looking in on a private matter.

The first time Devon had a day off, the five of them went out to lunch. It turned out to be disastrous, to say the least. Lauren had started to, inexplicably, scream loudly in the middle of the meal, which had in turn caused Jackson to start crying as well. After many complaints from other restaurant guests the group had retreated back to the Bolton house.

On the days when Devon was working, Gabriella and Troy would either go for a walk with Lauren and Jackson or stay at home. Despite it being summer, it still could get very cold in Buffalo, so on many days they couldn't leave due to the weather.

Troy and Devon (whenever she was home) were also a huge help to Gabriella in caring for Jackson, especially at night. A lot of times they would get up with her to feed him – with a formula bottle – or change his diaper, something which Gabriella was eternally thankful for. She had protested at first, telling them that they didn't need to help her, but as all the missed hours of sleep added up and Gabriella started to pass out in the middle of meals, she started feeling grateful.

She and Troy had not shared any romantic interactions since the night Jackson was born, something that Gabriella was both glad and bereaved about. She was happy that she was no longer in a position where she felt uncomfortable, but she also did like Troy (as much as she tried to deny it) and she sometimes thought that maybe he didn't like her like that; that he'd only kissed her that night to maybe refresh his memory, and in that moment he'd realized that he didn't love her.

Watching Jackson grow from a tiny, scrunched faced baby to a bouncing, cheerful three-month-old was amazing to witness. His skin was no longer red, but light brown, like hers, and he opened his eyes more. He sometimes would smile for split seconds, although Devon ruined Gabriella's excitement by telling her that babies don't know how to control their movements, and that smiling at such a young age doesn't necessarily mean they're happy.

Lauren was also completely taken with Jackson. Whenever she saw Jackson, she would cry happily, "Baby! Baby!" She'd even learned Gabriella's name – she called her "Gab".

Gabriella had formed a special bond with Lauren. She almost thought of her as her own daughter, especially since Gabriella was with her more than Devon was. Sure, when Devon came home, Lauren would run at her and scream, "Mommy! Mommy!", but she did the same thing when Gabriella would wake up in the morning.

Troy had also grown very close to Jackson, acting somewhat like a father figure towards him. He found so much pleasure in playing with him. He would play with his hands and legs, play Peek-a-boo with him, blow raspberries on his stomach, tickle him – all things Gabriella had always wished Nathaniel would do.

Despite the overall pleasurable atmosphere, as the weeks went on, Devon's long absences started to irritate Troy. On the morning's when she wasn't there, he was always upset and quiet before seemingly cheering up as the day went on. It worried Gabriella, and she wanted to tell Troy that he should talk to her about taking some time off, but she wasn't sure if it was her place to give relationship advice. After all, she wasn't very lucky in that field.

Some nights, when Gabriella would walk by their room to check on Lauren and Jackson in the playroom, or to go downstairs, she could hear them fighting. She never hung around long enough to hear about what, but it worried her. She didn't want them going through a divorce like she had to.

On most days, however, she, Troy, Lauren, and Jackson had fun with each other. They ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner together every night, they watched TV together, and Gabriella would help out putting Lauren to bed. She loved living with them, and was sad that one day she would have to get a job and move out, leaving that glorious life behind.

However, things changed suddenly one night in late August. Gabriella had just finished putting Lauren to bed as Troy was making dinner for Devon, who had come home for the night. She and Gabriella had greeted each other happily before the latter retreated, and she was bringing Jackson down so she, Devon, and Troy could chat while Jackson nursed.

Gabriella was just about to turn into the kitchen entry way when Devon said something that caused her to stop in her tracks.

"Troy... we need to talk."

"Sure Devon. What is it?"

Gabriella could tell from the tone of Devon's voice that a serious conversation was about a place. Troy, however, didn't seem to notice as he answered so lightly. Holding Jackson tightly in her arms, Gabriella debated on whether she should feed Jackson upstairs and leave them to some privacy or eavesdrop. Her mind was telling her to leave, however her body rejected and stayed rooted at the spot. Jackson remained happily sucking on his pacifier, oblivious to the situation.

"Troy... this..." Devon sighed, and tried again. "This isn't working out."

"What isn't?"

"Us. Our marriage."

Gabriella's mouth fell open in shock, and she figured that Troy's did too. Sure, they'd been fighting a lot, but Gabriella never thought that divorce would come out of it. Clearly, neither did Troy. There was a silence, before Troy croaked, "You-you mean-"

"I want to file for divorce," Devon clarified, her voice stronger.

"But... why?"

"I thought I already made myself clear," said Devon coolly.

Troy accused, "No. You said our marriage wasn't working. Why?"

Devon clucked her tongue impatiently. "Haven't you noticed that I've been unhappy?"

"How could I? You're always at work."

"And that wasn't your first clue?"

There was another pause. Gabriella wished her feet would move – she didn't want to witness this – but they were cemented into the hard-wood floor.

"So... you started working more because of me?"

"In a way..."

"What the hell does that mean?" he asked angrily.

"I haven't really been at work as much as you think I am."

Gabriella closed her eyes in horror. Troy's going through what I went through...

"W-what-"

"You know Jerry, my partner?"

"Yes." Pause. "Are you sleeping with that bastard?!"

"I was unhappy, Troy!" exclaimed Devon passionately. "Jerry makes me happy. He makes me feel like... a woman!"

Troy snorted in disgust. "Like a woman? Because getting pregnant didn't?"

"That's all you wanted me for," Devon accused nastily. "You wanted someone to bear your child."

"I... you..." sputtered Troy, so affronted that he couldn't even speak properly. "That's preposterous! Are you insane?"

"Oh, so now I'm insane?" cried Devon hysterically. "Is that what you're saying?"

"Devon, calm down!" demanded Troy. "Lauren's asleep."

There was an awkward pause. "Speaking of Lauren..."

"I hope you don't think I'm letting you have custody of her," snarled Troy.

"Good," said Devon, making Gabriella gasp softly. Luckily, it went undetected.

"G-good?" he stammered.

"I'm signing away custody of her to you."

"WHAT?" yelped Troy.

"Isn't that what you want?" asked Devon quietly.

Troy stuttered. "Well – yes – of course – but why-?"

"I don't want to be her mother anymore," Devon explained, her voice monotonous.

"And what made you come to that decision?"

"I just don't want to."

"Devon," said Troy impatiently, his voice shaking. "Signing away custody of your daughter is not just an overnight decision. I don't understand. You practically raised your brothers, so surely it's not-"

"You're right, I did raise my brothers," Devon interrupted. "And no, it wasn't too hard. But I saw how they treated my parents when they got older. They were nasty to them; malicious. I don't want Lauren to grow up to hate me like that, so I might as well quit while I'm ahead."

There was a long silence; Gabriella's heart was beating furiously. "So you're saying," Troy said, livid. "that you are giving up your daughter because you don't want to deal with her teenage hormones?"

"Troy-"

"And you think she'll LIKE you after this? When she grows up without a mother? You think that's somehow BETTER?"

Devon didn't answer. Instead, she said, "I'm gonna pack. I'll file the papers tomorrow. You can have the house. And since we don't have a pre-nup, you'll be getting half of our money." There was a hesitation. "Can I... can I say good-bye to Lauren?"

"Over my fucking dead body," Troy growled menacingly. Gabriella heard the scraping of chairs and hurriedly backed away, so she could make it look like she'd just arrived. She walked towards the kitchen entrance in time for Devon and Troy to brush past her without a side glance. They both stormed up the stairs silently and slammed their bedroom door.

Gabriella, her heart racing, sat down at the table that Troy and Devon had recently occupied. She unclasped her nursing bra, removed the pacifier from Jackson's mouth, and covered him with the blanket as he started to nurse. She was barely paying attention, however. All of her thoughts were swarming. Devon was cheating on Troy. She doesn't want Lauren anymore. She's divorcing him tomorrow. It's just going to be Troy and I. We could be like a family.

She gasped in horror at the very thought. Gabriella scolded herself for ever thinking that. We could be a family? she thought disgustedly to herself. Gabriella got divorced three months ago, Troy was being divorced now, and that was what came to her mind?

Gabriella was pulled from her thoughts when she heard movement in the doorway. She looked up and saw Devon standing there, looking angry and annoyed, but not sad. She was holding two suitcases and said to her, "Have a nice life, Gabriella," before turning on her heel and leaving the house, slamming the door with a snap behind her.

The sound of the closing door seemed to echo on forever; it just kept sounding over and over again until Gabriella realized that Jackson was done eating. She clasped her bra and fixed her shirt, throwing a white cloth over her shoulder as she burped Jackson. After a few minutes he burped and his body relaxed, showing signs of drowsiness. She cuddled him in her arms again and led him slowly upstairs, afraid of the new atmosphere in the house. It was no longer easygoing, but tense, and Gabriella detested it.

She entered Jackson's room – which had been moved out of her room and into the second guest room – and laid Jackson on his back in his crib, giving him a quick kiss. His eyes were already drooping. She turned on the baby monitor and then left, closing the door quietly behind her. She then walked down the hall and cautiously poked her head into Troy's room.

He was sitting on his bed, facing the doorway, his elbows resting on his legs. His face was cupped into his hands, and he seemed to be gripping his hair rather tightly. She knocked softly on the door frame, to make her presence known. Troy made no sign that he heard her.

She cleared her throat and stood in the threshold. "Um, well... I'm sorry."

Again, she was met with silence.

"I guess we're in the same boat now, huh?"

This time, Troy responded. "What do you mean?" he asked coolly.

"Well... you know..." Gabriella explained uncomfortably. "We were both cheated on. We're both divorced." She bit her lip nervously.

Troy was silent again. She strode over to the bed and sat down next to him, placing her hand comfortingly on his leg.

"I know how you're feeling, Troy," said Gabriella soothingly.

"No, you don't!" Troy burst out furiously. Gabriella jumped back at his tone. He roughly shoved her hand off his leg and stood up, turning his back to her and striding to the window on the opposite wall. "You have no idea, Gabriella, so don't pity me."

Gabriella was abashed. She slowly turned around to face Troy's backside and stood up. Her hands were shaking, and she wasn't sure if it was from anger or despair. "Pity?" she asked, fighting to keep her voice under control. "If that was pity, then what was it that you spoke to me in during my divorce?"

Troy didn't answer yet again, which irked Gabriella further.

"Stop with the silent treatment, Goddamnit!" she exploded. "You are the biggest hypocrite I have ever met in my life, Troy Bolton. What's the difference in our divorces? Please inform me as to why yours is so much more worse than mine. Why? Because I divorced Nathaniel before I found out? Do you think that makes it hurt any less, knowing that I wasn't good enough for him?" She breathed deeply. "Or are you just feeling embarrassed because I left Nathaniel but Devon left you? That you were too blind to notice that your marriage was in trouble unlike me? Is that is? Is it too much for your huge ego to handle?" She gritted her teeth at Troy's silent form. "Fine, you bastard, don't answer me," she hissed, angrier than she'd ever been in her life. "I'll be packing. Jackson and I will be gone before you wake up."

She turned on her heel and stormed out of Troy's room. Upon reaching hers, however, she didn't start packing. Instead, tears sprang to her eyes and she ambled, almost blindly, over to the foot of her bed. She collapsed against the mattress and started to sob noiselessly. She cried for reasons unbeknownst to her – was it that she had no where to go, or that Troy turned out to a two-faced asshole, or of the knowledge that they would never be together after that? She shook her head sadly, tears splashing onto the floor.

I'm so stupid, she thought to herself miserably. How could I have thought that we could be together? We broke up once for a reason – we're not meant to be. She let out a loud sob. And I had to toy with the idea and get my hopes up. I should just get used to the fact that I'll never marry again.

Gabriella was so consumed in her thoughts and emotions that she didn't hear anyone approach or enter her room. She had no idea anyone was there until Troy wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, holding her close to him. She immediately stopped crying in surprise, and hiccuped. Troy's breath was warm against her neck, and she shivered. He leaned in closer and she could vaguely hear him say to her, "I came after you this time."

Her breath caught in her throat. She put her hands on his and turned around, in time for his lips to capture hers in a passionate, romantic kiss. It was a beautiful kiss, a kiss they hadn't shared since high school – a kiss she'd only dreamt about.

They broke apart after a moment, panting, but once regaining their breath they embraced again. They stood up, their lips still attached, and Troy slowly lowered her down onto the bed. His tongue started to explore the depths of her mouth for the first time in eight years, and it was a wonderful homecoming.

In a matter of moments their clothes were on the floor, they were under the sheets, more connected than they'd ever been before. As their hips rocked back and forth and their breathing became heavier and faster, Gabriella couldn't help but think that this was where her life had been leading up to all these years; that after this, everything would be complete. This was definitely where she needed to be, at this moment.

As soon as had it started it ended, and they both lay panting, tangled in the sheets, Gabriella's head resting on Troy's chest. His arm was wrapped tightly around her. He leaned toward her, brushing some of her hair out of the way, and whispered softly, "I love you."

Gabriella breathed in deeply through her nose, loving the smell of Troy. "I love you too." She couldn't help but beam.

Troy kept his arm tightly around her shoulders as the two drifted off to sleep, only to be awoken three hours later to the sound of Jackson's high-pitched cries.

Groaning, Gabriella leaned across Troy to read the clock. 2:17. She plopped her head back onto her pillow and said, "He probably needs a diaper change."

"I'll go," said Troy quickly.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course." Troy sat up, grinning down at her. She smiled lightly back up at him, her hair fanned across the pillow. Troy couldn't resist; he leaned down and gave her a quick kiss. "I love you," he said for the second time that night.

"I know," she said playfully. Troy smirked and threw the blankets off of him, dressing himself back in his clothes before leaving the room to tend to Jackson.

Gabriella grinned at his back, and noticed just then that she was shaking from the cold. She tossed the sheets off from around her body and stood up, naked. She stared at her clothes for a moment before walking towards the mirror next to the dresser. She examined her body, critically, immediately noticing all of her flaws. Her hip bones stuck up, her knees and shoulders were bigger than normal, and her stomach was slightly pudgy. Poking it, she wondered what Troy saw in her at all.

Sighing, she slowly dressed back into her night clothes and sat down on the bed, shaking even more. What was going to happen to her and Troy now? Would they go back to just living with each other as friends (if that's what you could call them)? Would Gabriella eventually move out when she got a job and could afford an apartment? Would they... Gabriella gulped as the word 'marriage' crossed her brain.

She continued to shiver.