A/N: I liked this chapter. I cried a little, but maybe I'm still missing Pippin (my former dog if you didn't know...) anyway...enjoy
Don't own HSM or 'there you'll be' by Faith Hill
Chapter 23 – There you'll be
Troy drummed his fingers impatiently against his knee as he glanced at the speedometer desperately as it slowly reached a hundred. The siren and lights were blaring from Officer Gray's police car and Troy let out a groan of frustration at the lack of speed – well, in his opinion.
"You okay, there?" Officer Gray asked, weaving skilfully between the few cars which were on the roads.
Troy twisted his head from facing the window to look at the policeman who was driving the car. "Can't you go any faster?" He asked, trying to keep the demanding tone from his voice.
"Troy, I can't just go from zero to two hundred in two seconds." Officer Gray retorted. "This is the old model. Albuquerque police station doesn't have much money."
Troy let his head roll to face the window. He had explained his theory to both Sharpay and Officer Gray before the young police officer had radioed Officer Dalton and explained the situation. He ha agreed to allow Officer Gray and Troy to travel to his suggested location, as long as Sharpay stayed at the house in case Gabriella returned – and if Devon woke up for any reason. Their friends and Gabriella's parents were still searching in case Troy was wrong.
"So, what's the deal with you and Gabriella?" Officer Gray asked casually.
Troy turned his head in surprise. "What?"
"What's the deal with you and Gabriella?" He spoke slowly, as if addressing a child.
"She's my best friend…" Troy shrugged slightly. He wasn't lying. He did still think of her as his best friend first, he just loved her more than he loved Chad. And he also kissed her and made love to her…
"Just your best friend?" Officer Gray asked quietly.
"What do you mean?" Troy replied with his own question.
"Well, you just seem a little more…ummm…determination – I think that's a good word – to find her. I just wondered why." He explained his question.
Troy sighed. "I just need her so much. She's the only thing I've got left…since my parents died. I know I've got Big D and Maria but she's something different. Something special."
Officer Gray nodded. "And?"
Troy sighed. "You figured it out?"
"That you're more than friends?" Officer Gray asked like he was guessing.
Troy let out another groan and rubbed his eyes tiredly. "You guessed?"
Officer Gray shrugged as he passed a sign which he was sure was familiar to Troy. "Well, it was the look in your eyes when you said that you had an idea of where she is."
"Am I that obvious?" Troy muttered.
Officer Gray tapped his fingers on the steering wheel in thought. "I wouldn't say obvious. But, it's clear that your feelings stretched further than friends. Besides we found the prom banner in her room."
"Well, we're together." Troy muttered. "I'm in love with her. I'd fly to the moon and back if it meant she was okay."
Officer Gray smiled slightly. "How close am I?"
"Just keep driving. It's pretty self-explanatory." Troy explained.
"How's your ankle now?" He asked, glancing down at the foot well where Troy's feet were resting.
"It's okay, I guess." Troy muttered. "I don't care right now."
Officer Gray smiled in amusement. "Want your girl back?"
Troy sighed and turned back to the black sky through his window. "More than anything." He whispered.
* * *
A silence had filled the car since their last conversation and Troy's temple was pressed against the cold glass of the window. His thoughts, surprisingly, turned to Devon and Maria. He knew that Devon was trying to be strong but Troy could see the fear plainly in his eyes. And Maria. He sighed at the thought of his girlfriend's mother. The look on her face when he told her she was gone…
"Troy? Calm down. Even if she's not here, we'll find her." Officer Gray assured him.
"How many other families have you said that to?" Troy muttered.
Officer Gray stiffened in his seat and stayed silent.
"And how many times was it right?" Troy whispered.
"More than the times it was wrong!" Officer Gray exclaimed, obviously getting frustrated at Troy's dwindling determination.
Troy closed his eyes and reached blindly to turn the radio on. He groaned at the song which started playing and tears were already rolling down his cheeks, leaving salty tracks in their wake. "Damn it!"
Officer Gray jumped and sighed. "Will you relax? You will be no use to anyone if you keep getting this stressed out."
"Stressed out?" Troy asked quietly. "She's all I've got. And I love her." He whispered as a whimper – he would never let anyone but Officer Gray and Gabriella know about it – escaped.
When I think back
On these times
And the dreams
We left behind
I'll be glad 'cause
I was blessed to get
To have you in my life
When I look back
On these days
I'll look and see your face
You were right there for me
In my dreams
I'll always see you soar
Above the sky
In my heart
There will always be a place
For you for all my life
I'll keep a part
Of you with me
And everywhere I am
There you'll be
And everywhere I am
There you'll be
Well you showed me
How it feels
To feel the sky
Within my reach
And I always
Will remember all
The strength you
Gave to me
Your love made me
Make it through
Oh, I owe so much to you
You were right there for me
In my dreams
I'll always see you soar
Above the sky
In my heart
There will always be a place
For you for all my life
I'll keep a part
Of you with me
And everywhere I am
There you'll be
And everywhere I am
There you'll be
Troy soon realised he was singing under his breath and shook his head frantically. The last thing he needed was to think about his parents at a time like this. Although, the song did make him think about Gabriella, too. She had helped him through so much and he knew that no matter what happened – he hoped tremendously that she'd be back in his arms by the next day – she would always be with him. Somewhere…
He flipped his cell phone open and looked at the picture of himself looking at Gabriella who was smiling at the camera. Maria had taken it earlier that day – before Aidan had returned – and had therefore been almost glowing.
He shut it again and sighed. She had to be there. If she wasn't, he was clueless.
* * *
Troy took a deep breath and un-clicked his seatbelt. "I'm okay. I promise."
"I'd much rather come with you." Officer Gray pressed.
Troy shook his head. "I'll be fine. Besides, if I know her like I think I do, she won't want you there. Please don't come. I'll be back, okay?"
Officer Gray sighed, knowing there was nothing he could do. "Okay. But, more than twenty minutes and I'm coming."
Troy saluted him. "Yes Sir." He climbed out of the car and limped down the road he had gone down a million times before. He waddled – knowing Gabriella would be in hysterics if she'd seen him – down a few steps and he smiled at the sound of crashing waves and crunching sand. He scanned the beach and saw a figure sitting on the sand near the water's edge. He strode over but it soon turned into a jog – he ignored the sharp pain pulsing through his ankle – at the sight of a red '14' on the back of a familiar white jacket.
The figure jumped at the noise Troy was making and leapt to her feet to face him. "Troy?" She gasped. "Go away." She cried.
Troy stopped a few feet away and gave her a stern look. "I will not go away. Come on. We're going home."
Gabriella shook her head frantically. "No. I can't go back there. What's wrong with your foot?" She asked quietly, noticing his look of pain and his limp.
He sighed. "I fell down the stairs when I found out you were gone."
"Did you find out I was gone?" She muttered quietly.
Troy nodded. "It wasn't that hard to figure out. Your pyjamas were gone, your phone, wallet, picture of Maria, you, Devon and Cody and…your lyrics book. Besides, your balcony doors were open and they never are."
Gabriella swallowed and shuffled her feet. "How did you figure out I was here?"
"I told you I came here when I was troubled. It was a guess as much as anything." He whispered. "There's something I still don't know, though."
"Go on." She whispered.
"Why?" Troy mumbled, attempting not to sound as demanding as he felt.
"Troy, I couldn't stay there." She whispered, her voice breaking. "It was so hard."
"You could've come to me. You could've stayed at Sharpay's and Ryan's for a couple of days. Anything but this." He exclaimed.
She cowered back slightly and her bottom lip trembled slightly. "I didn't want anything but this. I needed to get away."
"What about the rest of us?" Troy demanded, not bothering to hide his anger.
"Well, Aidan doesn't care." She mumbled, fiddling with her lyrics book in her hands.
"But, there are plenty of people who do." He said softly. "Maria, Big D, Sharpay was hysterics, Gabriella. Our friends, people at school… And me. Bella, you're my everything. I love you so much and I want to help."
Gabriella turned to the ocean and sighed. "I just want to go out there into the waves and make everything disappear." She whimpered.
"What about me?" Troy asked. "Don't you think I had plenty of reasons and opportunities to make everything disappear?"
"Then why didn't you?" She screamed.
"Because of you. You told me we were best friends. You told me that you were thankful that Devon felt he could tell me about Chris. You wanted me to hold you when Chris broke your heart. I changed for you and changed back for you. I fell in love with you and you're my sole reason that I enjoy my life." Troy yelled back, tears rolling down his cheeks.
A convulsive sob escaped her mouth before she launched herself at Troy, her arms tight around his neck. "I'm sorry." She cried into his neck.
His arms immediately wrapped around her waist, afraid to let her go. "Baby, it's okay." He whispered.
"I'll never leave you again. I promise. Please don't stay mad at me." She gasped as he gently bit her ear and she clutched his silky hair between her dainty fingers.
He pulled back and brushed some curls behind her ear. "Baby, it's okay. I'm not mad. I'm just glad you're safe. Please come home. Everyone's so worried."
She slowly stepped out of his arms and looked at the ground. "Troy, everyone would ask questions."
"Yes. And you're going to have to answer them." He said gently. He stepped forward and cupped her face. "You can't keep this from Maria anymore. It's tearing you apart and I can't stand it."
She swallowed and rested her forehead against his. "You're still with me?"
"Every step of the way." He promised.
She finally nodded and embraced him again. "Okay. I'll tell her."
Troy kissed her forehead and sighed. "Promise?"
She nodded and sniffed. "I promise. But, you have to be there with me. And Devon or Aidan can't be there."
"I think I can cope with that." He gave her a teasing smile.
She released a giggle and nodded. "I'm sorry, Troy. I just didn't know what to do."
"You could've talked to me. We would've sorted something out." He said softly.
She nodded and kissed him again. "I know. But, I was confused and depressed. I didn't know what I was doing. I was moving in autopilot!"
He nodded in understanding. "So, are you going to tell me how you got here, to California?"
Gabriella sighed. "Two buses and a train. Three dreamless sleeps and about a million thoughts of you. I knew you'd hate me for it but I couldn't bring myself to stay."
Troy kissed her reassuringly again. "Shh…it's okay. Let's just get home, okay?"
Gabriella nodded and allowed him to slowly lead her back to the police car. "The police are involved." She breathed.
"This is Maria we're talking about." He muttered.
* * *
Troy felt Gabriella shift in her sleep beside him and he moved his arm around her waist. "I promise that she's fine." He assured Officer Gray. He was sat in the back seat, Gabriella sleeping on his shoulder.
Officer Gray looked in the rear view mirror and caught Troy's eyes. "You sure?" He had radioed back to Officer Dalton and the search had been called off. Everyone had returned to the house and were waiting anxiously for Gabriella to return.
Troy nodded as he slipped his hand under Gabriella's shirt and his warm hand massaged her cool stomach. "I'm positive. She just needed to escape Albuquerque for a while." He explained softly as Gabriella's nose moved against Troy's neck, making him release a silent gasp. The previous night had been replaying in his mind on the journey to California but the effects of thinking like that only truly began now that Gabriella was in his arms.
"What's your hand doing?" Officer Gray asked slowly.
Troy chuckled softly. "Not what you're thinking. I'm rubbing her tummy. It relaxes her."
"Really?" Officer Gray asked in surprise.
Troy nodded, glancing down at his girlfriend. "Really, really. She's been so stressed lately, I figured it out."
"How did you figure it out?" Officer Gray asked quietly.
"Uh…" How do you tell a police officer you're sleeping with the girl in your arms?
"I get it." Officer Gray spoke up.
Troy blushed and bowed his head. "Both of us are of age." He mumbled.
Officer Gray nodded. "I know that. So, you two aren't just best friends?"
"Well, we are going out. But, we're still best friends first." Troy said softly, kissing the top of her head.
Officer Gray smiled slightly. "Do your friends know you're this whipped?"
The young boy laughed but froze when Gabriella tightened her arm around his stomach. "Yeah, they do. Only Sharpay knows we're together, though."
"And her parents?"
"Only Maria. Devon knows, too." Troy replied. "Why are you asking this?"
Officer Gray shrugged. "I don't know. You seem to have a lot on your mind."
"Most of it, admittedly, is this girl right here. I had a million and one reasons to join my parents before I went to Albuquerque. But, I gave it a chance and here I am." He chuckled softly. "I think I might die if she leaves me."
Gabriella groaned and her eyes fluttered open. She smiled sleepily up at Troy and kissed his cheek. "When we get home, you need to shave."
Troy rolled his eyes. "Oh, yeah. No 'thank you for coming to find me, loving boyfriend of mine'. Calm down, I've literally just told Officer Gray that we're together."
"How long was I asleep?" Gabriella asked as she stretched, Troy's hand still making soothing motions on her skin.
"Not all that long. But, we're making a quick stop on the way. I want to show you something." He whispered as the car came to a stop.
"Where are we?" She asked in confusion. She held in a whimper as Troy removed his hand from her stomach.
He un-clicked his seatbelt and climbed out of the car. "My house." He whispered, swallowing. "Come on. I really want you to see something." He offered her his hand and smiled when she pressed the button on her seatbelt and slid out of the car. He shut the door behind them and started leading her up the pathway of a small white house.
"Troy?" She whispered.
"Yeah?" He replied as he dug into his pocket and brought out a key.
"Are you sure we can go in? I thought you'd sold this place?" She questioned as he unlocked the door, his hand still grasping hers.
Troy shook his head as he turned to face her. "Well, in my parents' wills, it said that it's mine but I can't use it until I'm eighteen. But, it's mine so I can still come here." He led her into the house and sighed at the familiarity of the place. "But, I want you to see something."
She followed him out to the back garden and saw a large tree at the end of the yard. Half of the yard was a basketball court and the rest was lawns and garden. "This is exactly like my yard. Kind of. My tree is there," She pointed at the ground under Troy's old bedroom balcony, "and it doesn't have a house in it."
Troy nodded. "I know." He began leading her towards the tree and looked up at it. "Do you need any help?"
"In the circumstances, I think so." She smile weakly and giggled slightly as Troy turned around. "You sure?"
Troy nodded. "Come on."
Gabriella climbed onto his back and clung to him, her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. "Why do you want to show me this?"
Troy began scrambling up the rope ladder and he shrugged slightly before he managed to lift himself – and Gabriella – onto the wooden ledge outside of the house. He allowed Gabriella to disentangle herself from him and turned to her. "Well, this is my tree house."
"You have a tree house?" She raised an eyebrow, giggling, as she backed up until she collided with the wooden wall of the house. She bit her lip as Troy mimicked their action from just before Maria found out about their relationship and placed his hands either side of her head, blocking her in.
"Maybe I do, maybe I don't." He whispered huskily.
She took a deep breath and placed a hand on his chest. "This place is so cool. Don would love it."
"He can't see this place." Troy protested while his lips lightly caressed her ear.
"Why not?" She asked quietly.
"I want this place to be for us. Whenever we need to escape, this is where we'll come. Okay?" He whispered.
Gabriella nodded as he straightened up. "Thank you for coming here to get me. It couldn't have been easy."
Troy's eyes turned glossy and he took a deep breath. "It was harder when you weren't beside me."
Gabriella nodded guiltily. "Troy?"
"Yeah?"
"If we have any children, will you build a tree house?" She asked, blushing at the thought.
"The first thing I'll do when we get a house. And there's no 'if' about it. There's got to be more Bolton men in the world." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.
She hit his chest and her laugh died off. She ducked under his arm and sighed. "Troy, you left all of your stuff up here…"
"I couldn't take it down. That stuff has been up here since we moved here. I knew the place was still mine so the stuff stayed. Bella, I couldn't do it. I couldn't take stuff from my parents' room either." He mumbled.
"I'm not leaving you again, Wildcat. I think it kind of proved what we already know." She whispered, stepping towards him.
Troy nodded. "You're stuck with me forever." He grabbed her around the waist and kissed her.
She giggled against his lips and felt him pull her closer to his body. "I think I like running away."
"Nuh-uh." He muttered. "You're not leaving my sight." He pulled back and smirked. "And since last night, that won't be a problem. Besides, no matter where I am, there you'll be. And wherever you are, I'll be there, too."
A/N: In your review, please tell me if you'd figured out that she had gone to California or not...=D