Chapter 13:

Returning Home

June 4th, 2010

It was their last day of their honeymoon, and the couple was once again sitting on their balcony watching the sunset over the ocean.

They were leaving in about an hour to catch their flight back home.

"This has been an amazing ten days, hasn't it Gabs?" Troy asked her, taking his eyes off of the sunset to now look at her.

"Yes Troy, it really has been," she replied, now looking at him as well. "I'm almost sad to leave such a wonderful place."

"He gave her a confused look before asking, "Almost, why almost?"

"Because we get to go back home to our families and friends, who you know are going to hammer us with questions," she replied laughing.

"You're right, but that's one great thing about our families and friends, there's never a dull moment with them," he told her, laughing as well.

Troy then looked down at his watch and gasped.

"Gabi, it's 7:30, we need to get going so we don't miss our flight."

She reluctantly got up and walked into the room to get her suitcase and bag as she watched Troy do the same.

Before walking out the door, she turned and looked at the room one last time and smiled.

"We'll come back again hunny, I promise," Troy whispered kissing her forehead.

After shutting the door, Troy took her hand and laced their fingers together, walking down the hallway towards the elevator.

They checked out and got a cab, and arrived at the airport just as their plane was boarding at 8:30.

After about a three-hour ride, (I'm not sure if it's really a three hour ride from Hawaii to Albuquerque but in this story it is.) they were where they belonged, back in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

They stepped off the plane at about 11:30, and went to get their luggage.

Once they got everything, they headed to the parking lot and got into their car and drove home. It was a pretty quiet ride, for they were both very tired, and just anxious to get back and sleep in their own bed.

Once home, Troy helped his wife with her bags, and carried them up to the door, only putting them down to get his house key and unlock the door.

He once again picked up the suitcase and bag as Gabriella turned on the hallway light, but he dropped them when he looked in the living room.

"SURPRISE!" everyone shouted at once.

In their living room stood both sets of parents and their friends, Chad, Taylor, Jason, Kelsi, Zeke, Sharpay, and Ryan with a sign in the doorway saying 'Welcome Home Mr. and Mrs. Bolton!'

"Oh my gosh, what are you guys doing here?" Gabi asked still in shock, but very glad to see everyone.

"Giving you a welcome home party, duh," Sharpay answered with a very duh attitude.

"There's no cars in the driveway, where did you all park?" Troy asked, wondering how they couldn't see this coming, and how they got into their house.

"Well…" Jason started.

"We parked at your parents house Troy and then walked over," Kelsi finished.

"And before you ask how we got in, you gave us each a key, remember?" Taylor added.

"Ohh yeah," Troy and Gabi said at the same time, now receiving hugs from everyone.

"So how was Hawaii? Did you have fun? What did you do? Was it amazing? It looks like you two got some nice tans," Sarah said to them pretty fast, so it sounded all jumbled up.

Troy and Gabi now sitting on the couch just smiled and laughed at everyone.

"What did you ask mom, we didn't quite catch that, you said it all too fast," Troy asked his mother.

"She asked, how was Hawaii? Did you have fun? What did you do? Was it amazing? And it looks like you two got some nice tans," Jack answered his son.

"Ohh, it was absolutely wonderful. The water was so clear, and the sunsets were amazing," Gabi answered.

"Yeah, every night we sat on the balcony and watched the sunsets over the ocean, it was beautiful, we were almost sad to leave it all," Troy agreed with his wife.

"The only reason that you did come home was because of me right guys?" Chad asked which earned him a light hit on the back of the head from Taylor.

"You can think whatever you want to think Chad," Troy told him laughing at his best friend.

"So what else did you guys do while you were there?" Ryan finally spoke.

"We walked along the beach, did a little shopping, and just relaxed," Gabi replied smiling.

"Shopping? As in gift shopping for your friends?" Sharpay asked now paying more attention.

"Maybe," Troy said with an evil grin on his face.

"Gabi, what's that grin on your husbands face for?" Kelsi asked her.

"Way to go Troy, now they know that we bought them things," she told him giving him a slight shove, but the way he was on the coach caused him to fall to the floor making a loud 'Thump' and causing everyone to burst out laughing, especially Jack.

"Gabi that hurt," he wined.

"I'm sorry, it's not my fault you didn't have your balance when I pushed you," she replied sticking her tongue out at him.

"So what did you get us?" Zeke chimed in.

"Zeke, I haven't heard you talk since we came in, I almost forgot you were here," Troy said to his friend picking himself up off the floor and sitting on the couch pulling Gabriella into his lap.

"Well everyone, you want to know what we got you?" Gabi asked them, receiving looks from everyone.

"Gabi, of course we do, must you even ask?" her mother told her.

Gabi got off of her husbands lap and walked over to the bag that had everyone's gifts in it, and then sat back down on Troy's lap.

"Well, Chad, we got you a shell necklace, Taylor we got you shell earrings, and for the baby, we got a little shirt. We're not sure if it's going to be a boy or girl, so we got one that could be worn for both," Gabi said handing the gifts to them, receiving hugs.

"Jason and Kelsi, we got you both real lays that are custom made just for each of you, and each one is your favorite color. Jason, yours is blue, and Kelsi, yours is green," Troy said putting the lays around their necks, getting hugs from each of them.

"Zeke, we got you special seasonings for all of your meals from a one of a kind restaurant that we went to, and Sharpay, we got you a skirt that you can do the hula in," Gabi said handing Zeke the seasoning, and handing Sharpay the skirt while doing her impression of the hula.

"Ryan, we got you a custom made hat, in your favorite color," Troy said handing him the orange hat.

"Mom, and Sarah we got you a Hawaiian skirt, and Jack we got you a Hawaiian shirt, and also a Hawaiian basketball," Gabi said giving the skirts and shirts to her mom and in-laws while receiving hugs from each of them.

"Thank you so much you guys, you didn't have to do all of this," Taylor exclaimed to her best friends.

"We might not have had to, but we wanted too," Troy answered; reassuring her that it was not a problem.

"Taylor, when are you due? Do you know what you're having yet?" Gabi asked, turning the table of questions around.

"I'm due September 9th, and Chad and I decided that we don't want to know what we're having, we want it to be a surprise," she told us.

"And we've decided on a wedding date, July 4th, 2010," Chad announced, smiling and putting his arm around Taylor.

"July 4th? That's in a month, how can you plan everything in one month?" Sharpay franticly asked.

Taylor looked at her and laughed, "We've decided on a small wedding, with only our immediate family and our closest friends, and we're having it at the park."

"Wow, how romantic having it in the park on the fourth of July with fireworks," Karen said.

"We've got it all planned out too. Troy, I would like you to be my best man, and Jason, Zeke and Ryan, I would like you to be groomsmen," Chad said to his friends, smiling and hoping they would agree.

"Gabi, I would like you to be my maid of honor, and Kelsi and Sharpay I would like you to be the bridesmaids," Taylor said to the girls.

"Wow, guys, we'd be honored. Thank you," everyone said together.

Turning towards Jack, Sarah and Karen Chad said, "When we say immediate family, we mean the three of you as well. Over the past three in a half years, you've become second parents to all of us, and we would be devastated if you wouldn't come to our wedding."

Smiling, Sarah replied, "Oh thank you Chad, that means a lot to the three of us, and you've become like the sons and daughters that we've always wanted. Isn't that right Jack and Karen?"

"That's right," they replied at the same time.

"Hey wait a minute, the sons you've always wanted? I'm your son, aren't I what you've always wanted? I resent that being said mother!" Troy complained causing everyone to laugh at him.

"You know what I mean Troy."

"Well it's getting late, and I'm sure that Troy and Gabriella would like to be alone in their own house, so we're gonna get going," Jason said, motioning for Kelsi to follow.

"We're right behind you Jas," Zeke agreed.

"We'll see you all tomorrow, thanks so much for coming, good-night," Gabi said hugging each person as they were walking out the door.

"Good-Night!" Troy called from the doorway.

As soon as Troy shut and locked the door, he turned towards Gabi who was lying on the couch, just about asleep.

"Come on baby, lets head up to bed, you're tired, I'm tired, and if I sit down, I know I'm not going to get back up," Troy said to his wife, picking her up and carrying her up the stairs.

"Ok Troy, whatever you say," she replied yawning, while putting her arms around his neck, and her head on his shoulder.

Once upstairs, he carefully placed her on her side of the bed, pulling back the covers and tucking her in, before going to do the same for himself.

After getting into only his boxers, he climbed into the other side of the bed, wrapping his arm around the now sleeping Gabi pulling her close, he whispered kissing her forehead, "Good-night my angel, I love you."

"Goodnight my prince, I love you too," she replied snuggling closer to him.

He kissed her once more, then he too slowly drifted off to sleep.