A Forced Reunion

A/N: Thanks for all the great reviews! I'm glad you all liked the way I did the last chapter. I'm dedicating this chapter to Jayne07 for all her help with something so thank you so much because I really appreciated the effort. If you haven't already heard the HSM2 soundtrack, it's awesome. I got mine yesterday. I have an important A/N at the bottom so please read. Anyway please R&R! Thanks!

Disclaimer: I own nothing of HSM apart from the soundtrack, DVD and now HSM2 soundtrack!

Dedicated to: Jayne07

Chapter 17 – I can't be here anymore

A week later and Gabriella was heading back to New York but thankfully Troy and the others were going back with her. Everyone was doing slightly better now as they got used to it but it was still hard. Gabriella had even started working part time again at a hospital in Albuquerque for now until she returned to New York.

Gabriella walked back into their apartment back in New York shakily. As soon as she stepped in, fresh tears came and Gabriella tried to hold back her sobs. Everything around reminded her so much of Ryan. His clothes still all over the chairs and scripts he had been looking at still over the table. His scent still lingering around the place. Everything was in the exact same place as it was before they left the two times they had headed home. Gabriella felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist as she leaned against their chest sighing.

"He promised that when he got better he was going to audition for some new plays and he was going to take me with him." Gabriella spoke as Troy tightened his grip around her. Gabriella looked back and saw all the others looking around while Zeke supported a very weak and fragile looking Sharpay who was still struggling to come to terms Ryan wasn't around. It seemed to everyone the two who had taken Ryan's death the hardest was Gabriella and Sharpay because they were the two closest to Ryan. They were doing better each week that went by but they still had a lot of down days where the two would lock themselves away from everyone else. Gabriella noticed Ryan's picture album on the table that he had been looking at the day he told Gabriella what the doctors had told him. Gabriella carefully picked it up and took it over to Sharpay. "He always looked at this whenever he felt like giving up. Even when he went for the treatment it was always with him." Gabriella explained as Sharpay took it tearfully looking at all the pictures from the two of them growing up to the school plays they were in to all the pictures of the gang before it just stopped after their graduation photo's.

"Time ran out now just like time ran out on all of us being together forever then and supporting each other's decisions." Sharpay sadly said as she held her hand over the picture of the two of them at 18 years olds just after graduation the two hugging.

"Is everyone up to starting on Ryan's room?" Gabriella asked as they all Gabriella walked towards Ryan's room and the others nodded and followed.

Stepping into the room, Gabriella felt her stomach churn at the thought that only a few months ago Ryan was in this room dying and the two of them were alone but happy enough carrying on alone. Thinking back, Gabriella couldn't begin to imagine how they had managed because she had become so dependent on Troy and the others.

"I think it might be easier for us all to take a certain part of the room." Taylor suggested as Gabriella nodded.

"Taylor you and Chad take the closet, Jason, you and Kelsi take his desk with all his bits and pieces, Sharpay, you and Zeke take all his draws, warning I have no idea what is in those draws because I only went through them once and lets just say it was a typical guys draw just think Troy's when we were younger." Sharpay laughed knowing what she was on about as Troy looked at the two.

"Did you two go through my draws?" Troy asked as Gabriella looked up at him innocently.

"Us? Do such a thing? Never." Troy shook his head. "We got bored the one day when we were waiting for you to get back from practise with your dad so we thought it would be interesting to see what a teenage boy hid." Gabriella grinned.

"Trust me it was funny to see Gabriella's face when she read some of the articles in the magazines you hid. She was horrified in case you had the same thoughts about her. I remember she called Ryan to ask him about whether you had ever talked about anything like that about her when you had your guy time." Gabriella shook her head as she wrapped her arms around Troy.

"I think only you two would do something like that." Troy concluded as everyone laughed and agreed.

"Ok enough embarrassing secrets lets start working on this room. Troy you and I will take the bedside table and everything underneath. Well you will do under the bed." Troy rolled his eyes as they started on their selected areas.

Everyone was going through Ryan's stuff to help Gabriella to sort it all out. Many laughs and tears were being shared whenever they found anything they remembered. Gabriella had been telling most stories from the past few years if they found something interesting and wanted to know.

"What do you think?" Everyone looked towards the closet to see Chad standing there with one of Ryan's many famous pink hats balanced on his bushy hair. "Does it suit me?" All the guys shook their heads while the girls rolled their eyes.

"I never knew you were that way inclined Chad but a piece of advice, pink not your colour." Jason told him as everyone burst out laughing while Chad playfully glared.

"Well if none of you will take me serious, I'm going back into the closet to all my new hat collection." Chad turned and walked back into the walk in closet as the other shook their heads and went back to what they were doing.

"My husband is an idiot." Taylor mumbled as she sat next to Gabriella on the floor.

"Just think if it wasn't for him out lives would be all dull and you know you love him. I would be a bit worried though about his new obsession with hats, pink hats." Taylor laughed.

"Just like you should be worried about how in love you are with your husband and all his dirty fantasies." Gabriella smiled as she looked over at Troy who caught her eyes on him and smiled mouthing 'I love you' that Gabriella returned. "You two are sick." Taylor complained. "I think I'm going to go find my pink hat lover of a husband and leave the two of you going googly eyed over each other." Gabriella didn't even knowledge Taylor as she walked off being too distracted by her husband mouthing things to her.

After boxing everything up and deciding what to do with the stuff, everyone collapsed down on the chairs on the balcony. They had eaten while they carried on shifting through all the stuff.

"You guys really were doing well for yourself weren't you?" Sharpay said finally taking in how big their apartment was and the views from the balcony as they over looked Central Park.

"We just did what we had too." Gabriella leaned against Troy from her position on his lap.

"What was it like? You know the two of you living on your own? Didn't you ever feel like you got in each other's way? Like if you were dating someone and wanted to bring them back." Gabriella shook her head at Taylor.

"No not really. We knew each other so well and we weren't really dating anyone so we were happy with each other's company. We hardly had time either because we were both married to our jobs that we didn't want to do a lot either. When you know someone as well as Ryan and I did it's easy to not get in each other's way." Gabriella explained. Gabriella tried to hide her yawns with no success.

"Go to bed Gabi. We'll be fine on our own. I think we all will be going soon too." Kelsi told her. Gabriella smiled as she hugged them all goodnight and kissed Troy before retreating back to her room.

About an hour after Gabriella had gone to bed, Troy joined her quietly, wrapping his arms around her knowing she was still awake.

"Can't sleep?" Gabriella nodded.

"It's just weird you know. Being back here." Troy smiled and kissed the back of her head softly as he stroked her hair. "I can't be here anymore." Gabriella admitted as she lay next to Troy.

"What do you mean?" Troy asked as Gabriella rolled over so she was facing Troy.

"I want to leave New York for good. Everything here reminds me of Ryan and it's just too painful. Being here was about the two of us and now I don't have him anymore but I do have you." Gabriella explained.

"Well where would you go?" Troy held her close to him securely letting her know she wasn't alone and he was there for her.

"I don't know. Anywhere I can find a job or be transferred to since I have no family apart from you I can go to. Albuquerque if possible." Gabriella told him as the most obvious solution came to Troy.

"How about moving back in with me permanently? I mean it's not like I don't have the space, I would love to have company and I don't want to lose you. You are my wife after all and I guess we never thought about the whole living situation because of everything going on. If you needed you could even take time of work to help while you get over Ryan's death. I can support you. We've been practically living together anyway for the past few months so it's not like it would be anything different. You would be doing my favour coming home with me because then I know where you are and don't have to worry about if you're safe." Troy suggested as she looked at him.

"You would do that for me?" Gabriella asked shocked.

"Gabi I would do anything for you. I can't stand to see you hurting and I want to be with you and not have to worry about when I will see you so it would work for both of us." Troy explained as she smiled.

"I guess you are right that it only makes sense since I am your wife to move in with my husband. I really can't believe I didn't think about any of this when we got married. I'm so stupid I mean it's not even a small detail to forget." Gabriella scolded herself as Troy laughed.

"Stop worrying. We've sorted it now and that's all that matters. You're coming home for good." Gabriella smiled as she rested her forehead against his.

"Thank you. I love you Troy Bolton." Gabriella whispered.

"I love you too Gabriella Bolton." Troy kissed her as she snuggled closer to Troy and fell asleep as Troy just lay there and held his sleeping wife close to him.

A/N: Yeah this chapter was a nothing chapter really but I needed to just tie up this loose end before the next chapter and before the end of the story. I just want to say I know updates are coming slow at the minute with all stories but I have a lot going on in my life so please be patient because I am trying my hardest to update but I've got to be careful I'm not stressing myself out too much with them all. I know most of you are understanding but I have had a few PM's where people keep telling me to update becaue I haven't for a while even though I only updated a few days to a week before. I want people to know I am trying my hardest to keep up but my health isn't good either at the minute. Anyway I'm going to shut up (sorry for all the rambling on) now but please review! Thanks!

PS Next chapter of High School Complications co-written with kittykat0301 is up so please review! Thanks!

Luc x