Hello, yall! I posted this chapter last night, but the only review I got was from a guest reader who questioned all the crazy Chinese symbols. I didn't know what she was talking about, so adcgordon confirmed this craziness for me. Thank you, both of you, for pointing this out to me. I don't speak Chinese, so I don't know where they came from! Crazy FanFiction... Anyway, here's a (hopefully!) corrected chapter 26 for yall's reading pleasure! Enjoy! :-)

Chapter 26: Deja New

The rest of May and first part of June sped by for the young couple. Gabriella's graduation ceremony and the subsequent celebration came and went, as did the official acceptances from Emory University and the University of Georgia. The big white envelopes from both schools came on the same day and the two opened them at the same time, knowing what was inside. It only took minutes for them to pull out their calendars for the decision to be made: the following week, they would make the trip to Georgia to look for apartments- they had decided that with the hour and a half, almost two hour distance, it would be best for them to have separate apartments- and in the middle of July, the moves would be finalized.

However, the week after their initial trip to Georgia, an unexpected wrench was thrown into their plans in the form of a simple phone call.

That June afternoon, Gabriella returned to the apartment after work and noticed the blinking green dot on the answering machine. She crossed the room and kicked off her heels before heading to the kitchen to pour herself a glass of wine and hit the laybutton on the machine as she passed it.

"So glad this day is over...she murmured to herself as she reached into the cabinet for a glass.

"Yes, this message is for Gabriella Montez. Miss Montez, this is Leyla Edwards calling from the Burton Law Firm in Charleston, SC. Mr. Burton is an alum of the Stanford Law School and he saw your name and picture in the most recent issue of their quarterly newsletter. Apparently, your stellar GPA caught his attention and he would like to bring you to Charleston- all expenses paid- to discuss with you the possibility of a position with our firm...

Upon hearing those words, Gabriella froze in the middle of her task of uncorking the new bottle.

"Whaaaaaat? She put the corkscrew down and walked the few feet back to the table where the machine sat. She stood in front of it and stared, as if she were looking directly at the person on the other end, as Leyla continued with her message. When the woman's voice stopped, Gabriella slowly turned and walked back into the kitchen in a daze to finally pour her glass of Pinot Noir.

"Oh, dear," she said as she took her first sip- which was actually more of a gulp- and got lost in her thoughts. After a few blank moments, she remembered her dinner date with her mom and looked at the clock on the microwave. She picked up her glass and walked into her room to quickly change her clothes, before grabbing her keys and rushing out of the apartment, leaving her half-drunk glass of wine on the kitchen counter.

TGFTGFTGFTGFTGFTGFTGF

As Gabriella rambled on about her day and why she was on glass number three of wine since she arrived at Maria's house, it suddenly occurred to her that her mom hadn't said much since they sat down.

"...and then they asked me where I kept the monkeys' cage at night and how long did it take me to help them kick their dirty smoking habit and teach them to turn flips whenever they felt the urge to light up instead... She changed tactics mid-story in hopes of getting her mom's attention, to no avail.

"Mom?she asked, waving her hand in front of Maria's face and finally gaining her mother's attention.

"Hmmm? Maria raised her eyebrows, turning her full attention on her daughter.

"You've been kind of spacy since I got here.

"No, I haven't,Maria quickly denied the accusation.

"Really? So you found my story about the frog eating hippopotamus entertaining?"

"Quite entertaining!Maria told her with a chuckle.

"Mom, I never said a word about a hippo. Is everything okay? Gabriella took in the faraway look on Maria's face and the way she held her chin in her hand, studying her daughter.

"What are you hiding?Maria blurted out.

"What?Gabriella asked, shocked yet again at the fact that her mom could see right through her.

"You're hiding something."

"What are you talking about? No, I'm not,Gabriella argued.

"Honey, I know you,Maria told her.

"You're right. Gabriella conceded, knowing she couldn't hide the message from the Burton Law Firm forever. She picked up her glass and took a sip, gaining courage from the deep red liquid before telling her mom about the potential job offer that she received on the answering machine that afternoon. Once she finished rattling off her mental pro-con list in true Gabriella fashion, Maria wasn't smiling.

"So? What do you think, Mom? I know it's across the country, but it could potentially be a great opportunity."

Maria said nothing. She sat stoic, without a nod, head shake... nothing.

"What?Gabriella asked slowly, not sure if she wanted to hear the answer or not.

"What about your decision to attend graduate school at Emory? Maria tested the water before diving in.

"Well, I don't have this job, yet. If it doesn't pan out I would still attend Emory. If it does..." Gabriella's voice faded slightly as she tried to read her mother nearly agitated yet hurt face.

"What does Troy think about this? Maria got her answer when Gabriella looked down at the table. She exhaled deeply before continuing with a question she already had the answer to. "He doesn't know about this yet does he?"

"I just got the message today. I haven't had a chance to-she began tentatively.

"No," Maria interrupted, shaking her head vigorously. Don't you dare sit there and make excuses. You could have called me to reschedule this dinner and stayed home to talk to him. I won't buy that excuse this time, Gabriella. You say you love him, and that he matters more than anyone else in your life. Is that true? After what you've been through... what you've put him through, is that true?"

"Yes," Gabriella responded without a second's hesitation.

"Then you leave this house right now and you go talk to him.

"But Mom-"

"Eh!" Maria held her hand up to stop Gabriella's protest. "Go" ,she instructed with a simple point in the direction of the door.

"Are you angry?" Gabriella asked in a timid voice.

"Only because of the way you're treating him. I know you aren't selfish, Mija. But talking to Troy should have been your first priority after hearing that message. You're still punishing him because he hasn't proposed to you. He does not deserve that, Gabriella. If he means that much to you, then- at this point in your lives- this kind of decision is one that you both need to be making together."

"Mama, I'm blown away by this offer. I', still in a daze and trying to wrap my own head around it. I haven't told him because I know what he'll say. He'll tell me to take the job because it's a great opportunity for me. I'm not punishing him. I just... this time I don't need his support and encouragement if that's not how he really feels. I need him to stand up to me and tell me he doesn't want me to take the job, if that's the case. I need him to want to be my life, not just my support crew. Yes, I want to marry him and we talked about that and I understand why he's waiting. But I need him to understand that having him with me- just having him- is a great opportunity, too, for both of us."

Maria held both of her daughter's hands in her own, forcing her to listen. "Then tell him that, honey. Exactly what you've told me, Mija, tell Troy. And make him listen. Use that Montez backbone and those attorney skills that you've been blessed with and make him listen to you." She squeezed Gabriella's hands in hopes that her point was fully hitting home.

"Will you tell me what you think? About the job offer, I mean?" Gabriella asked. Maria took one look at her daughter and no longer saw the young girl who became an adult a lot sooner than she was ready to admit. In her place, she saw the seven year old who was giggling as she stood on her daddy's feet as they danced across the living room. Maria gave a soft smile as she looked Gabriella in her eyes.

"When you come back here, with Troy, and tell me what the two of you have decided, then I'll give you my opinion."

"Thank you," she said, as she stood and leaned across the table, giving Maria a hug. The two walked to the foyer and Gabriella took a few deep breaths as she picked up her purse. "Ok," she said, as she turned to face her mom. "It's Montez versus Bolton."

"Go," Maria said as she held her daughter at arms-length and gave her a supportive smile. "Get that case underway," she said with a wink, causing Gabriella to roll her eyes. "But use your heart in this case, Sweetheart. Listen to it and to Troy, too," Maria added with a gentle but firm look.

"Bye, Mom."

TGFTGFTGFTGFTGFTGFTGF

When she returned to the apartment complex and pulled her car into a parking spot, she sat there in the beauty of the dusk evening for a few moments, collecting her thoughts before grabbing her purse and escaping the comfort of her car. At the top of the steps she stood in front of the door, slid her key into the lock, took a deep breath and released it slowly, then turned the key. Gabriella gently pushed the door open and spotted Troy sitting on the sofa- a plate of half-eaten dinner and a bottle of water in front of him on the coffee table- and the television on. She recognized the sounds of a baseball game and paused to look at the screen long enough to notice that the San Francisco Giants were playing host to the Atlanta Braves.

"Hi,she greeted him, leaning down to give him a kiss to the cheek as she ran her hand through his hair, taking in the look in his eyes as she stood back up to her full height. It was a look she had never seen before and she was hesitant to ask her next question, but knew she needed to. "What's going on?"

"Not much," he said as he took a sip of his water. She couldn't help but notice that his response was very one syllable and monotone and knew that he used that tone when he was trying to keep calm and not overreact about a situation. She gave a small nod and walked into the kitchen to get a water for herself. As she leaned into the refrigerator, her glass of wine from earlier caught her eye. Odd, she thought to herself. Troy would usually pour what I didn't drink back in the bottle instead of leaving it out. She closed the door and froze when she heard his voice again, with her back still to the living room. "There's a message on the machine for you."

"Oh," was the only sound she could force out after a long shock-filled pause as she walked over to the machine. She placed her finger on the play button and before she could push down on it, he stopped her.

"Next time you want to hide something like that from me, make sure you rewind it so the light will stop blinking. That way I won't think it's a new message and won't have to hear it myself."

Gabriella took a deep breath and swallowed, forcing herself to keep calm, before answering, his clipped tone catching her off guard. "I wasn't trying to hide that from you, Troy," she finally responded softly.

"Weren't you?" Gabriella turned around to face him and could tell just by looking into his eyes that he was hurt. "If you weren't trying to hide it, why didn't you call your mom to reschedule and stay here to talk to me about it?" The fact that he was still speaking monotone didn't go unnoticed by her, either.

"That's exactly what she said," she pointed out, lifting one shoulder in a half shrug.

"Your mom and I are a lot alike, I guess."

Gabriella let out a deep sigh and took her finger off the button on the machine. Who was she kidding? She didn't need to hear the message again; she knew what it said and she knew he knew what it said. She came to sit next to him on the couch and drew her feet up under her as she turned to face him.

"Okay. Let's talk about it," she said.

"What do you want to talk about?"

"You know what, Troy. The message."

For the first time since she got home, Troy turned to look at her and with one glance was able to take in the stress that the message must have caused her. He sighed and turned off the television and turned his body so he, too, was facing her and reached out to take her small hand in his, linking their fingers together. He then reached up with his other hand and pushed a stray curl behind her ear, offering what support he could with that one gesture.

"I'm listening," he assured her.

Gabriella took a deep breath before she started. "Don't tell me it's a great opportunity, Troy," she said softly as she looked into his eyes, trying to read what was being conveyed beyond the blue. "I already know that. I'm not stupid."

"I didn't say you were and I never would say that," he told her with an emphatic shake of his head as he fought to keep his voice level. "What do you want me to say?"

"I want you to look beyond what's good for me. Tell me what's in your heart. I don't care- for now- what your head says. I know what your head says. I want to know the first thing that you thought - with your heart - when you heard that message. You are a factor in my decision. I won't make this decision without you. This affects us, together. So, please, be honest with me. Tell me what your first thought was when you heard that message."

"I didn't think, Gabriella," he told her honestly. "I couldn't think because my heart dropped to my stomach and my head started pounding. When I could think again, all that came to my mind was that I can't let you go... not again. The last few months have been pure hell. You are not just my best friend, not just my girlfriend and lover. You are the love of my life and I'll be damned if I'm gonna let you go again."

Gabriella smiled to herself as she took in the way he had just bared his soul with her. She reached up to run her fingers through his tousled hair again.

"Do you mean that?" she asked.

"My heart wants to," he assured her.

"And that's what I want to know. What does your heart want? For our future, Troy, what does your heart want?"

"To marry you, have a family with you, and make our lives together," he told her without hesitation.

"You know that's what I want too, right?" she asked, as she ran her thumb over his knuckles, keeping a tight grip on his hand. When Troy silently nodded while keeping his eyes locked to hers, she continued. "I know... you want what's best for me and you've been saying that you want us to be on a strong path for our careers. I want that, too. But more than that, I want us to be on a strong path for us. The past couple of months I've realized that, Troy. You are what's best for me. I need you with me and I need to be with you. Because I know that if we're together then we'll figure out the rest of it... together."

Troy bit his lip to try and hide his emotions. "Do you know how much it means to hear you say that?"

Gabriella chuckled under her breath to try and help him ward off the heartfelt feelings that were pressing to come out. "What, that we're all in this together?" she questioned as she swiped a couple of drops from beneath Troy's eyes.

Troy's rolling eyes and matching chuckle brought smiles to both their faces. He shook his head and placed his hand against her cheek. "No. Just me and you together this time, making this decision together."

Gabriella's eyelids closed softly over her dark eyes for just a moment as she practically reveled in the feel of his hand on her skin. "Together," she whispered before opening her eyes to his now more content and excited appearance.

"Then here's my idea," he started. "We go to Charleston- together- for this trip. Yours is paid for- the message said so. I'll come up with mine somehow. But we go and check it out together. We make this decision together. Your job, but our future. What are your thoughts about that?"

"My initial thought?" she confirmed, receiving a nod in response. "What about a job for you?"

"There you go, always thinking of others first," he joked. "Don't worry about that; I can find something. Therapists can be in almost any area- schools, hospitals, private practices... There's a medical college there, right?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Then I'll get my Masters there. I've told you, location really doesn't matter as long as I'm close to you. I've been saying I want to do that, anyway, right? Point is, I'm sure there are plenty of opportunities for me there. I can find something. But let's take it one step at a time. If the outcome of this job interview determines where we live, then I should probably be there, too, and we can check out Charleston together,he said, emphasizing his point yet again. If the area isn't for us for some reason- or even if you meet this Mr. Burton and just don't click-, then there's nothing that says you have to take the job if one is offered."

Gabriella took in his excitement and pursed her lips. She released a deep, contemplative sigh as she processed everything he just said. "Worst case scenario, I get interview experience and we get a partially paid for vacation to a city that neither of us have ever seen," she said, adding her two cents to the conversation.

"Exactly. We can even incorporate it into our trip to Atlanta. Visit both places- job interview and visit the schools- and keep all of our options open," he pointed out. Gabriella grinned as she watched the wheels continue to spin in his head, enjoying the sparkle in his eyes that reminded her so much of the picture that Lucille kept hanging in the foyer of the Bolton home of a six year old Troy who was missing his two front teeth.

"There's nothing that says we have to start school in August," Troy continued. "This kind of decision may take the whole summer and we won't know definitely what we're doing until September or later. If that's the case, we defer enrollment for a year and start next fall." He stopped for just a moment to give her a grin of his own as he watched the way her eyes sparkled. He was sure it matched his own. "So... what do you think?"

After another deep breath to steady her nerves, Gabriella nodded. "I say let's do it. I'll call Mr. Burton's office tomorrow and get everything set up. Nothing ventured and all that, right?"

"A fresh start," Troy told her as he wrapped his arms around her and rested his forehead against hers. "Just you and me," he told her with a wink, before leaning in to seal the deal with a kiss.