[A/N] alright kids, this is chap 19 your pre-final! If you haven't been reviewing I suggest you do it now… only one more after this so, take the time, please?

And I am really gonna try and stick to my original muse for the final 2 chaps, I feel like I owe 'the inspiration' and ya'll that much!

Chapter 19: 'We Were Meant to Be'

"It's like catching lighting, the chances of finding someone like you…"

"Let it rain, let it pour what we have is worth fighting for."

"You know I believe that we were meant to be…"

'Can I Have This Dance?' from HSM 3.

Today was the beginning of the homestretch for Troy and Gabriella. Tomorrow was Thursday; both would be meeting with Kelsi at different times to prepare for the party. On Friday, Troy would be picking up Gabriella's present and his suit. And she would be wrapping Troy's present, getting her nails done, and picking up her dress. And then the big party would be happening on Saturday, when all of their friends and family would pack into the East High Theater and wish them a happy anniversary. Sunday Troy's parents had already agreed to watch the babies, so Troy and Gabi would have Saturday night and Sunday to themselves to act like the 'newlyweds' Andrea knew they would be.

So far everything had been coming along nicely… with the exception of Gabriella not being able to sleep. Troy tried talking to her about it, but Gabi was being her old cryptic self and told him to figure it out. But how could he figure out why his wife was staying up all hours of the night staring at their sleeping 6 month old triplets? He was worried, very, but knew when she was ready it would come out.

And that came sooner than either anticipated. At about 2 am on Thursday morning Troy shuffled to the bathroom, and something happened that neither of them would ever forget…

"Whoa! Hey can I use it…?" Troy mumbled sleepily as he opened and the door and found Gabriella sitting on the floor.

"Yeah…" Gabriella let silent tears slip down her cheeks. Troy dropped to his knees next to her.

"What's wrong babe?" he asked pulling Gabi into a tight embrace.

"We can't have anymore, can we?" Troy knew what Gabriella was asking, and it broke his heart at how upset she was.

"Ohh, darlin'…I wish I knew how to answer that, but, I don't." Troy held tightly onto his crying wife.

"What if I can't?! Will you stay with me? Don't you want more Troy?!" Gabriella let angry and broken tears fall and stain her white silk nightgown.

"I love you Brie! And I don't really give a damn if we never have anymore kids! We've got three babies right now, and I will be perfectly fine if they'll be all we'll ever have! I love you with all my heart… I loved you before the kids, and I'm gonna love you long after they're gone too." Troy looked deeply into those brown eyes that made him question everything he'd known about life every single time he looked into them.

"It was negative…" Gabriella sighed out sharply as more tears fell and Troy pulled her tighter to his side.

"You thought we gonna have another one?" Troy asked surprised, but also trying to not be excited.

"Yeah, I was late… but the test was negative and I had my period, so." Gabriella explained sadly as Troy dried her eyes with his thumbs. She really wished they could just have another baby, but fate, of course rarely works in anyone's favor.

"Its okay baby… we're going to okay. Trust me, it'll all work out. I know it will…" Troy kissed Gabi sweetly as they held each other close… and they stayed like that.

"…And they lived happily ever after. The end." Gabriella was reading a fairytale book to Capri when Troy walked in.

"And who's that handsome man over there? Is that daddy?! Huh, is that your daddy?" Gabriella asked Capri as she got all excited to see her daddy.

"Dada! Dada!" Capri babbled as Troy walked over to sit on the couch with his girls.

"Hi princess!" Troy exclaimed as he took the little girl from her mom.

"Yeah, she's Daddy's Princess…" Gabriella giggled watching her daughter and husband interact together.

"And you're Daddy's Queen…" Troy smiled as he leaned over to kiss his wife.

"Hmm, thank you. I appreciate being called someone's 'Queen'." Gabriella smiled as Troy lingered over her face.

"I love you Mrs. Bolton…" Troy chuckled, placing Capri down in her bouncy seat.

"Ooh, I love you too Mr. Bolton…" Gabriella giggled seductively while pulling Troy on top of her, now that his hands were free.

They began to make out like a couple of 13 year olds, giggling, blushing, and letting hands and hearts roam. They kept at it for about an hour, that's when Capri decided to her parents she needed a diaper change. Her light whimpering got their attention, sadly, she interrupted at the wrong moment. She had 'perfect' timing, just like her Uncle Chad.

"Do you feel better young lady?!" Gabriella cooed at Capri as she was snapping up her jumper.

"Whoa little man! Leave the doggie alone!" Troy picked Christian up from where he was about to attack their dog Bea.

"And that is why we left Bea with your parents when we moved…" Gabriella giggled as she placed a sleepy Capri into her crib.

"Yeah, our kids love things that are furry and move…" Troy chuckled thinking back on the day they decided to leave Bea with his folks.

"Hmm, Caden had his little toy hammer, Chris had his fire truck, and Capri had her little pink basketball… they were all crawling over to where Bea was sleeping on the couch at our old house." Gabriella laughed as the memory replayed.

"Yeah, we were being bad parents by making out in the kitchen and not paying attention to our children trying to attack our dog!" Troy gave Gabriella a sneaky grin as she turned ten shades of red.

"We could see them clearly from where we were Troy." Gabriella tried to make the situation less embarrassing by reminding Troy of how the layout was.

"Haa! Yeah like you'd pay attention to our kids when I was on top of you, on our kitchen table… shirtless!" Troy laughed sarcastically as Gabriella tried to act all innocent.

"For the record I have the ability to pay attention to you and our kids at the same time." Gabriella crossed her arms in attempts to make a stance.

"Well, we'll have to see about that one…" Troy smiled as he placed Christian in bed with Caden.

"Are you suggesting we 'test' that theory, Mr. Bolton?" Gabriella giggled taking Troy by the hand and leading him into his old bedroom.

"Yes, that is exactly what I was suggesting Mrs. Bolton…" Troy chuckled huskily as Gabi lead him into the room and closed the door behind them.

Gabriella's breath caught in her throat as she read the return address on the envelope in her hands. It was from her birth mother, Elise. Troy was asleep, still naked and exhausted from the night before when they had 'tested' out Gabriella's theory. Andrea and Mark were having fun tearing up the flowerbed in the front yard, they'd be planting new flowers soon. Gabriella sat down at Troy's old desk in his tattered Wildcats Basketball t-shirt, and read what her damned mother had written.

"My Dear Gabriella Brielle,

I know that I am not exactly considered mother of the year, nor have I even earned the right for you to call me your mother. But I do love you and want the best for you. Troy is a wonderful man, honey. I wished I would have waited to find the right man, but if I hadn't of married Daniel you, my dear, wouldn't be here right now. God has blessed the broken road we've traveled my sweet. You are the perfect example of that. I hope and pray he'll continue to bless you and Troy, I love you Little Girl. Kiss those babies for me.

Love Mami."

Gabriella cried as she ran her hands over Elise's unique cursive handwriting. She looked over to her sleeping husband sprawled out over their bed, and cried a little harder. She was truly blessed and couldn't find the right words to describe how Troy made her feel. For the first time in almost 19 years Gabriella didn't feel anger towards Elise, she felt remorse, and regret for how she'd treated her. With shaky hands Gabriella pulled out a piece of stationary paper and began writing a letter that had been years in the making.

"Dear Elise,

I forgive you and Daniel both. Hanna was just trying to protect me from the life you and Dan lived. Can you understand that? It was just easier to hate you, especially growing up with Mami Hanna and Papa Colin. They made you out to be the devil when I was little. And in some ways they were right I guess. But I've always loved you, but on the outside I was very angry. Troy was the one who took all the anger and sorrow away. Our children are a sign of how much we care about each other, just like I'm here to tell the world you really did love my dad at one time. Thank you for understanding, I love you mom.

XO Gabriella 'Little Girl'."

Gabriella signed the letter with the nickname her mother called her from birth, 'Little Girl'. She was called that more than her name; so she knew her mother would appreciate seeing her sign it. She sighed, put the letter into an envelope, addressed and stamped it. Troy was waking up by this time, he smiled at Gabriella as she was deeply in thought and didn't notice Troy staring at her.

"What'cha thinking about?" Troy asked and Gabriella smiled at him.

"How wonderful the next few days are going to be…" Gabriella smiled as she crawled on top of Troy and joined their lips together in a meaningful kiss.

"Okay, oh Gabi I love this song." Kelsi almost cried after seeing what song Gabriella wanted to sing for Troy.

"I thought it was fitting considering everything Troy and I have gone through since meeting." Gabriella smiled as Kelsi played a few notes of the song.

"Good, Faith Hill is an excellent singer, she always picks the best songs to record. Now, let's get to it!" Kelsi exclaimed excitedly as she rubbed her four month baby bump.

Gabriella smiled happily watching Kelsi, she hoped that one day she'd get to be pregnant again. Gabi sighed and looked down at the sheet music in her hand, and thought back on what Troy had told her.

"He'll stay with me, no matter what. You stay with me…"

Well that was chap. 19, I hope you liked it. Now here's my issue, I can do a sequel for this story but ya'll have to let me know. I have a poll up asking if you want a sequel, but you HAVE TO VOTE! So, ya know what to do… and please, please, please, please REVIEW! It keeps me going when life is tough hearing from you kids! So PLEASE REVIEW!

~Cassie…