A/N: Since Sweethearts was such a big hit, I decided to continue it and start this one. It's going to take place three years in the future when they're graduating college.
Disclaimer: I don't own and/or am affiliated with any of the characters, the movie, music, etc.
All I am, all I'll be
Everything in this world
All that I'll ever need
Is in your eyes
Shining at me
When you smile I can feel
All my passion unfolding
"I love you so much it hurts. I don't want to wake up another day without you in my arms. Will you marry me, right here, right now?"
"Troy . . .I . . . I don't know."
And then without a second thought, Gabriella turned on her heel and ran in the opposite direction. She tore through the streets of Paris, weaving in and out of street vendors and tourists. She ran as fast as she could, blocking out the pain in her chest and the tears pouring down her face until she finally couldn't take it anymore. Collapsing onto the cobblestone sidewalks, she buried her face in her dress and just cried. She cried for leaving Troy standing there without an answer, she cried for her mother who had no idea that her daughter might be getting married today and she cried most of all, for the incredible feeling in her heart that was telling her to say 'yes.'
When Gabriella regained composure, took several deep breaths and smoothed out the wrinkles in her dress she began leisurely walking up and down the art district in the West End. Sadly, she had only ventured here once before on a Saturday when she got out of class earlier and had not been back since. She did love all of the colors and vibrancy of the square and the eccentricities of the people.
"Mom, come on, just get the dress." Gabriella was standing in front of a dessert shop nibbling on an ice cream cone when she heard a voice that resembled her friend Sharpay's, but this one was much bossier, if that was even possible.
"Julianne you aren't even engaged yet! What's the sense in buying a wedding dress?" An older woman, who Gabriella assumed was the girl's mother, came rushing out the door seconds later.
"I might as well be engaged. You know that Alex is going to propose any day now. Besides, I'll be the only one with a dress from Paris!" The girl whined.
"Honey, if you want a dress from Paris we'll get you something from Vera Wang, not a cheap little run down boutique in the West End." Out of the corner of her eye, Gabriella noticed the girl shrug her shoulders and agree, obviously much more satisfied with the idea of a more expensive dress.
After finishing her ice cream, Gabriella decided to walk into the boutique to just look around and possibly find the dress that the previous girl was so found of. When she walked inside a rather frazzled looking old woman was sitting on the ground, curled up into a ball crying. She had a yellow tape measure tangled around her neck and there was a giant pin cushion sitting on the floor next to her.
"Excuse me." Gabriella said, approaching the woman. "Are you alright?" The old woman looked up with her old, grey eyes and smiled.
"Oh yes, dear, I'm fine. I'm just a little frazzled is all." Offering her hand, Gabriella helped the woman onto her feet and then bent over to collect the misguided sewing materials.
"Those dreadful, rich women came in here with their noses high in the air." Wiping her face with the apron tied around her face, the shop owner began to collect herself and regain composure. "They made me run all around here trying to measure that and hem this. And then they didn't even buy anything!"
Before more tears could come out of the ladies eyes, Gabriella set the pin cushion on the counter and smiled. "Well, I'd like to buy . . .this hat." It was the closest item within reach and when she looked down at the price tag, her smile quickly disappeared. Who paid four hundred dollars for a hat?
"Oh no no no, you have such a pretty face. Ugly people wear hats, after all." The lady pried the item out of Gabriella's hand and tossed it to the side. "But thank you so much for offering, I'm fine really. Would you like a glass of tea?"
Gabriella looked back at the hat and laughed before accepting the ladies invitation and following her into the back room. It was a small, dark room with very little lighting and tons of knick-knacks scattered about. There was a round table sitting in the middle with two iron chairs and a tattered looking table cloth.
"I hope you like sugar in your tea." The lady said while handing Gabriella a cup. "I'm so sorry about that little scene; I hope it didn't ruin your day."
Gabriella laughed. "No, believe me; nothing could make this day any worse."
"Oh? How is that?" The lady held the cup to the brim of her lips and smiled, waiting on an explanation. But Gabriella frowned and felt tears brimming in the corners of her eyes.
"Would you like the short version or the long version?" The shopkeeper looked up towards the antique clock on the wall and than back to Gabriella.
"We have all day."
For a few moments, the room was silent and Gabriella pondered telling the old lady about her troubles. Before she could stop herself though, her mouth opened, tears fell and soon she was pouring her heart out to a dress shop keeper that she had never met before in her life. "It all started when my mom's job relocated her to Albuquerque. You see we used to move a lot and you can imagine that I was defiantly not excited to move again . . ."
In my world, before you
I lived outside my emotions
Didn't know where I was going
'Till that day I found you
How you opened my life
To a new paradise
In a world torn by change
Still with all of my heart
'Till my dying day
"Hello?"
"Hey Chad! What's up man?" Troy Bolton pulled the receiver of the telephone closer to his ear and smiled.
"Troy, do you know that it's four thirty in the morning over here? What the hell is going on?" Chad grumbled and Troy's heart sunk. He had completely forgotten about the nine hour difference.
"Oh, I'm sorry Chad. You can go back to sleep. I'll call you when I get—"
"Will you shut up? I'm up now, just tell me what's wrong?" Troy could just imagine Chad sitting up in bed and shuffling around his dresser for his glasses. He loved that he could call his best friend of almost eighteen years and talk at four in the morning.
"Well, nothings wrong exactly . . . except I think I blew it with Gabriella."
"You did what?" Chad yelled so loud that Troy had to pull the ear piece away. "Leave it to you to go over seas and mess things up. How did you ruin things?"
"I asked her to marry me."
Chad was quite for a long time but then erupted in a loud, boisterous laugh. "Well, I don't think you ruined things seeing as you've already done that."
"No, I mean, I didn't propose to her. I asked her to marry me . . . today . . . in Paris."
Chad laughed again and Troy became gradually more frustrated. "Dude, it doesn't matter if you ask her in North Carolina or Paris. You two are already engaged."
"Chad shut up!" He screamed, which drew lots of attention from the guests sitting in the lobby of the hotel. "I asked her to marry me today. As in, get married today in some church in Paris and be husband and wife."
Everyone in the lobby was staring diligently at Troy as if it was a television show playing in front of them. He blushed and waited for his friend to speak, turning his back towards the crowd. "Hello?"
"Did you do it? How was it? Dude was she . . . you know . . . good?"
"Chad shut up! No we didn't get married, she ran off. And remind me again how that last question is any of your business!"
"Why did she run off?"
". . . Because I'm a moron and was stupid to think we should get married here in Paris. I don't even know how you would get married here. And I'm being selfish trying to take her big day away from her that she's been playing for so long. I was just being dumb."
Chad laughed lightly, but then returned to seriousness. "Troy you aren't dumb; you just love Gabriella and can't wait to be with her. I'm sure that the fact that we have a huge game Friday and you're bummed she won't be there has a lot to do with it too. You want to get some action before the action starts."
"Chad, I swear, if you ever talk about my sex life again . . ." But then Troy remembered the dozen or so people that were watching him in the background. "Listen, I'll let you go back to sleep. I'll probably be on the first flight home tomorrow seeing as Gabriella wants nothing to do with me."
"Troy, I'm pretty sure Gabriella would marry you in the middle of the jungle if you asked her. Now, I am going back to bed because you are insane if you thought I was going to stay up and talk like girls with you for much longer."
Troy laughed for the first time that day. Leave it to Chad to bring humor into the situation. "Listen, man, you'll be my best man no matter what . . . you know that right?"
"Yeah dude, I know. Call me if you go through with it, but preferably not right as you're about to do the dirty. I wouldn't want to be the one thing you have on your mind while . . ."
"Dammit Chad!" Troy screamed. "You are totally going to ruin that for me? You know that?"
"Night Troy." Chad yawned.
"It's not nighttime here."
"Yeah, but it is here." And then the Chad hung up and the operator came on telling Troy how much he owed for his phone call. When he turned around, the dozen or so people that were sitting in the audience before he called Chad had multiplied greatly. Every person was hanging onto Troy's every word, silent and waiting to here what he had to say.
"What?" Troy asked to the onlookers.
"What are you going to do?" One lady asked, speaking for the whole group. Troy ran a hand through his hair, sighed and then slumped down onto the floor.
"I have no idea."
If you're asking do I love you this much
Baby I do
I'll cherish you
This much I know its true
From the depths of my soul
It's beyond my control
I've waited so long to say this to you
If you're asking do I love you this much
Baby I do
"Remember Gabriella, I'll be expecting pictures. And tell Troy that if he hurts you in anyway . . . he'll have to watch out for me!" The shopkeeper and Gabriella were walking out of the shop and into the busy streets, arms linked at the elbows and with big, beautiful smiles spread across both of their faces.
"I will, and thank you so, so very much Roxanne." Gabriella smiled before kissing her on both cheeks just as the French do. "I really cannot thank you enough."
"You are a beautiful woman, Gabriella, a magnificently beautiful woman. You also have a wonderful story that I hope you will cherish forever." Roxanne cupped her hands around Gabriella's. "God be with you both."
A tear danced out of the corner of Gabriella's eyes before she pulled away and smiled gently. "Thank you." She whispered.
Gabriella waved goodbye to her friend as she began walking towards her hotel. She swung her garment bag over her shoulder and dug through her purse for her cell phone.
"Room 423, please." Gabriella said through the line to the receptionist. "Mr. Troy Bolton."
She felt the breeze of the air and mid-afternoon sun bare down on her face as she waited for him to answer.
"Hello?" His voice was deep and sore and sounded like he had been sleeping. "Who is this?"
"Troy!"
"Gabriella?" He jumped up, becoming suddenly alert. "Gabriella what are you doing? Are you okay? I was about to send the Scotland Yard after you."
"I don't think that would be possible Troy. The Scotland Yard is in London." Giggling, she heard him smirk on the other end, obviously embarrassed from being corrected.
"Gabriella . . . I'm sorry about earlier. I don't want to pressure you into doing anything you don't want to and I know how much you want a big, fairy tale wedding."
"Yes."
"So I'm right, we should wait."
"No." Troy's heart jumped into his throat. "No, you're wrong."
"What? I'm wrong about what?"
Gabriella smiled and felt her stomach swarm with butterflies. "Are you doing anything later? Around say, eight o'clock?"
"No, probably hanging out with you… that is if you still want to be with me." Troy's voice became sad and quiet.
"Do you want to get married?"
And I do cherish you
For the rest of my life
You don't have to think twice
I will love you still
"I, Troy Alexander Bolton take you Gabriella Elizabeth Montez to be my wife. I promise to love you every day in my life, in sickness and in health. I promise to be your best friend and always a shoulder to cry on. You are my strength, my rock and my first thought every morning. You bring a smile to my face and with you, I can move mountains."
"I Gabriella Elisabeth Montez take you Troy Alexander Bolton to be my husband. I promise to love you ever day of my life, in sickness and in health. You are my best friend and you have been since the tenth grade. You are the music of my heart. Every day since I met you I have thanked God for sending you into my life."
"Do you have the rings?" For the first time that night, Troy took his eyes off of Gabriella but only to look inside the pocket of his jacket. As soon as he saw her walking towards him earlier that evening, his eyes had been glued to hers.
Gabriella looked stunning. She had on a mid-length, white dress that fit her like a glove. Her hair was full of loose curls and her happiness made her look like a glowing angel. When Troy had first seen her, he had to take deep breaths and lean on the justice of the peace for support in fear of falling over. He was truly taken away.
Now Troy pulled out two sterling silver rings and handed one to Gabriella. The priest smiled and cleared his throat signaling Troy to begin.
"I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and fidelity to you." She held out her tiny hand for Troy to slip the ring on. "They're engraved. I've been carrying them around since you said yes."
Tears streamed down Gabriella's face but she quickly wiped them away before reciting her vows and slipping the ring on Troy's finger.
"By the power invested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride." Troy took one step towards Gabriella, wrapped an arm around her face and then leaned in.
Noses touching, Gabriella whispered silently. "Wife. I'm your wife."
"I'm your husband." Troy caressed the side of her face, wiping the loose tears away.
"I love you Troy Bolton."
"I love you Gabriella Bolton, my wife." And then Troy pulled Gabriella towards him and kissed her passionately. He kissed his wife for the very first time at the foot of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. It was the fairy tale wedding that Gabriella had always dreamed of.
From the depths of my soul
It's beyond my control
I've waited so long to say this to you
If you're asking do I love you this much
Yes I do
The song is "I Do (Cherish You) by 98 Degrees. Feedback would be wonderful! Thank you so much for you patience with this chapter. The next one should be up in a couple of days!!!