Thankyou for all the amazing reviews – they put a smile on my face :D hsmjesseluvva19 glad I got you to press the review button hehe. Hairspray60 – I love all your theories to what's wrong with Gabriella! We'll just have to wait and see if any of them are right -whistles innocently-

So without further ado, here is chapter three of Amazing Grace. Thanks to my buddy Mandy for her help with the American-isms – it's hard sometimes being Aussie trying to figure out what American's call different things hehe!


Chapter 3

"I'm fine Troy, stop worrying!" Gabriella mumbled tiredly as he helped her up her front steps.

"Gabs, how can I help it?" Troy replied, unlocking the front door for her and placing her bags down as he walked her through to the kitchen and sat her on a chair. "I'm your boyfriend, it's my job."

"I'm sorry," Gabriella said, reaching out her hand for his. "I just...I don't want you to stress yourself out over me."

Troy took her hand. "I would stress much less if you would let me take you to a doctor!"

"Who needs a doctor?" a third voice entered the conversation.

"Hi Maria. Gabs does," Troy replied.

"Hi Troy. What's the matter Gabi?"

"Hi Mom," Gabriella said softly.

"Hey sweetheart," Maria Montez greeted her daughter with a kiss on the forehead. "Gabi, you feel a little warm," she said, straightening up.

Troy nodded in agreement. "She has been off colour for a couple of days, and look at her back."

Maria frowned. "Gabriella honey, lean forward."

Gabriella moved forward on her chair, her body aching with fatigue.

Maria carefully pulled the back of Gabriella's top up and frowned, leaning in to take a closer look at the rash.

"Hmm," she said finally. "How long have you had this Gabi?

"I don't know, Mom," Gabriella replied quietly.

"I think it might just be a heat rash or maybe some sort of allergy, but I'll keep an eye on it anyway. I do want to take your temperature, though," Maria told her.

Troy sat down next to Gabriella as her mother went upstairs to the bathroom cabinet. He leaned over and kissed her forehead. She was definitely warm.

"Will you listen to my song for the presentation later on?" Gabriella asked distantly.

"Brie, I think you need..."

"Troy..." Gabriella looked sideways at him and he nodded.

"Of course I will. You know how much I love listening to you sing."

Gabriella nodded. "Thankyou," she said softly, squeezing his hand.

"Ok, my girl – let's see what's going on," Maria fiddled with the therMometer, slipping it under Gabriella's arm.

A few minutes later it beeped and Gabriella pulled it out, passing it to her Mom.

"38.1 Celsius," Maria announced. "A low grade fever, but nothing to worry about just yet. I don't think an early night would hurt though, Gabi – you have been working yourself far too hard lately."

"Yes Mom," Gabriella whispered. "But can Troy stay with me until I fall sleep?"

"That's up to Troy," Maria replied. "But he knows he's more than welcome." Troy grinned.

Gabriella looked at her boyfriend. "Troy?"

Troy squeezed her hand gently. "There's no place in the world I'd rather be."

HSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSM

The next morning Troy was rushing around packing his bag for school, when his phone rang. Digging around in his pocket, he pulled it out and flipped it open.

"Hello?"

"Hi Troy, it's Maria," came the voice down the line.

"Oh – hi Maria," Troy replied. "I'm just about to leave to come and pick Gabi up. Is she ready?"

"That's what I was calling about, actually," Troy frowned slightly. "Gabi's woken up with the flu, and I'm going to keep her home from school today."

"Is she ok?" Troy asked.

Maria smiled inwardly at the young man's concern for her daughter.

"She will be," she replied. "After some of her Mom's magic chicken noodle soup, and a good restful day in bed."

"She's going to hate that," Troy grinned, knowing Gabriella all too well.

"Well she's staying there if I have to tie her down," Maria joked.

"Ok," Troy laughed. "Give her a cuddle from me, and tell her to get some rest and I'll come and see her after school if she is up to it."

"I will. Bye Troy."

"Bye, thanks for the call," Troy closed his phone and sighed. It was going to be a long day at school without his Gabriella there to brighten it.

HSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSM

The final bell for the day couldn't come quick enough for Troy. When it finally echoed across the school, Troy was the first one out the door, through the gates, and sprinting off towards Gabriella's house.

When he got there, he knocked softly and waited. No one answered. Troy sighed and went around to the side of the house, letting himself in the gate, and climbing up the tree and onto Gabriella's balcony with a practiced ease.

Letting himself in the unlocked door, Troy dropped his bag onto the floor and smiled softly.

Gabriella was fast asleep, snuggled deep down in her blankets and cuddled up to her 'Troy Bear'- a teddy he had given her on closing night of 'Twinkle Town'. It was dressed in red and white basketball gear, with – coincidentally – a large '14' on the back.

Troy moved towards the bed and sat down on its edge, reaching out a hand and gently brushing a few stray curly from Gabriella's face. She stirred slightly and snuggled even deeper down into her blankets. Troy smiled and placed a soft kiss on her warm forehead.

"Troy?" a small voice came from the mass of blankets.

"It's ok, baby girl – I'm here."

"Mmm, good..." Gabriella murmured before drifting back off to sleep.

Troy sat and watched her sleep, observing the steady rise and fall of the pile of blankets as she breathed, her stable breathing occasionally interrupted by a cough or a sniffle. After a while, he heard a car pull up and a few Moments later, Gabriella's bedroom door opened quietly and her Mom poked her head in.

"Oh – hi Troy. How did you...oh wait, the famous balcony climb – I get it," Gabriella's mother smiled as she teased Troy.

Troy rubbed the back of his neck and blushed a little. "I...uh..."

"It's ok, Troy – I'm just teasing," Maria laughed. "I'm glad you're here with her," she glanced at her sleeping daughter and sighed. "She's working herself into the ground lately. She worries me sometimes, the amount of pressure she puts on herself. I'm sure once she shakes this virus she'll be right back into it."

Troy nodded. "That sounds like our Gabriella alright - never taking two seconds for herself," he glanced over at his sleeping girlfriend. "Anyway, I had better head home. Tell sleeping beauty that I will call in the morning to see how she is and if she's up to coming to school."

Maria smiled. "I will, thanks Troy."

Troy leaned over and brushed his lips gently against Gabriella's forehead. "Sleep well, beautiful," he whispered, before leaving the room quietly, closing the door behind him.

Maria stuck her head out of the kitchen as she heard Troy coming down the stairs, wiping her hands on a dish towel. She leaned against the door frame, smiling at the creased forehead of the boy in front of her.

"She'll be ok, Troy – it's just a flu bug."

Troy looked up at the sound of Maria's voice. He hadn't noticed her standing there, he had been too caught up in his thoughts.

Troy nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, I know – I just worry. She worries about school work, I worry about her, she worries about me worrying about her...vicious cycle, really," he joked.

Maria smiled warmly. "Go and get a good nights' sleep," she instructed.

"Yes, Mom," Troy saluted and laughed. "I'll call in the morning."

"Good night, Troy."

The front door closed with a 'click' and Maria returned to the kitchen, shaking her head. She thought it was so sweet that Troy was so protective of her daughter. She could see that – no matter what – Troy would always be there for Gabriella.

'Look at how he is with her when she has a simple flu,' she thought. 'Thank goodness it's nothing really serious – Troy would be a wreck!' Maria laughed to herself as she finished drying the dishes, switched off the kitchen light and made her way up to bed.

HSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSM

It was the early hours of the morning when Gabriella woke suddenly and was overcome with a wave of dizziness as she sat up, drenched in a cold sweat. She was shaking uncontrollably and was finding it hard to breathe.

"Mom?" she gasped, she was starting to panic, she didn't know what was going on. "Troy?"

Gabriella started to cry, her salty tears mingling with the beads of sweat that adorned her face. Fumbling for her phone in the darkness, she hit the call button with a shaking hand, and held the phone clumsily to her ear.

It rang a few times before a sleepy Troy answered.

"Gabs?" he said groggily.

"Help me, Troy..."

"Gabi – what's wrong?" Troy was wide awake now, feeling even more frightened as he heard his girlfriend whimper down the line.

"I'm scared, Troy – what's happening to me...?"


Dum DumDuuuuuuuuuum!!! There you have it! Cliffhanger – I know, I'm evil :D Please review!

Charli xox