Hey all! Sorry it's been almost a week again but yet again I've had a rollercoaster week! Thanks to all your thoughts and prayers my interview went awesomely and I GOT MY DREAM JOB!!!! Can anyone give me a YEEEAHYUUUH!

OK just quickly – there were alot of questions in reviews last chapter:

Hmjesseluvva19 – an EKG is also known as an ECG and stands for Electrocardiogram. It is a test on the function of the heart. A PET scan shows up 'hot spots' in the body – which show red on the scan – identifying likely spots of active cancer. It is a very effective scan. Chemo causes you to lose your hair because it attacks the rapid-growth cells in the body. Cancer cells are rapid growth cells, but so are hair cells – but chemo cannot differentiate between healthy rapid growth cells and cancerous ones. So it kills them all. This means the cells in the hair follicles die and your hair falls out. Cancer spreads throughout the body in a few different ways sometimes through the blood, sometimes through the bone marrow or spinal fluid or through the lymphatic system – microscopic cancer cells can 'escape' from a tumor or mass of cancer cells and travel through the blood stream or lymph system and begin to grow in other places. Dr's trace cancer through simple blood tests which show a 'marker' of cancer activity in the body, and also what amounts of different types of cells you have in your body. Some cancers can cause these levels to rise or fall. They also monitor it using scans such as MRI's, X-ray's and PET scans. Hope that answered your questions!

Jess and Em – Yep ;) Subtle appearance lol. And it is really true now! And Jess congrats on being the 700th reviewer!!! Hehehe.

Cara – Don't worry – the story is finishing soon and I'm not planning on taking that path hehe. I'm sorry that you had to, though :( I know how hard it is to walk.

Hi and welcome to my new readers and well done for making it through all the chapters! 6 more and an epilogue to go after this one. But now I am starting my new proper job as well as doing uni and 2 casual jobs, I will probably continue to update about once a week like I have been. Sorry about that.

Anyway, that's the mammoth A/N – here is the story! In celebration of everything slash because I got sick of the boring numbers, I went through during the week and named all my chapters haha.Thanks for all the reviews – I passed the 700 mark!! YAHOOO!!!


Chapter 34

"Ok Gabi, it's through your nose now, you're going to feel it in the back of your throat – I need you to sip the juice and keep swallowing."

Gabriella shuddered as she felt the thin plastic tube slither down into the back of her throat. She raised the plastic cup of apple juice to her lips with tears in her eyes, and began to take small, steady sips. Trying her hardest not to cough and gag, Gabriella continued to gulp, the nurse praising her for her cooperation.

Just when Gabriella thought she couldn't hold back the gagging any longer, the nurse stopped moving the tube.

"There we go – it's in. I just have to check that it's in the right spot, and I'll tape it down."

Maria kept a watchful eye as the nurse inserted a syringe into the end of the tube and drew the plunger. When a whoosh of yellowy liquid came from the tube and into the syringe, she sighed with relief – the NG tube was in place. As the nurse busied herself with the tape, Maria used her thumbs to dry the tears on her daughter's face.

"It's all over baby, you did so well," she leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "I'm very proud of you."

As she pushed Gabriella along in a wheelchair a little while later, Maria suddenly remembered something.

"Oh hey – I have something for you!"

"Really?" Gabriella asked raspily, her throat scratchy from the tube being re-inserted.

"Yeah...well, I can't take the credit," she admitted. "Troy gave me something to give you from all your friends earlier in the week and you were so sick, I completely forgot!"

Gabriella was intrigued now, eager to find out what this present was as they finally reached her room. Maria helped her out of the wheelchair and onto the comfortable chair near the window, before rummaging through their belongings for the colourful gift bag.

"Here you go," she said as she found it under a blanket and handed it to Gabriella.

"Oh my goodness!" Gabriella exclaimed as she opened the bag and pulled out a white signature bear covered in messages. The bear had a red and white ribbon around its neck, which had had heart shaped tag hanging from it that read 'Gabriella'.

"Oh, how sweet!" Maria gushed. "You're a lucky girl, Gabi."

"Don't I know it," Gabriella murmured with a smile as she turned the bear over and over in her hands, reading the messages, laughing at some, grinning at others.

The top of its head was covered in neat handwriting Gabriella recognised as Taylors.

Dear Gabi,

What can I say, sister? So many times over the past 7 or 8 months we never thought this day would come – but now it's here and that is such a huge achievement. We're so proud of you, Gabi – you really are an inspiration to us all. The end is in sight – keep battling on! Love you, girl!

Love Tay xx

Troy's message was written across the bear's chest – right over its heart.

My beautiful Gabriella,

You did it! It's been a long, anxious and hard road but I never once doubted that you would make it this far. You are my life, my light, my everything. You are my hero. I love you to the ends of the earth and back.

Love always, Troy xxx

Messages from Kelsi, Jason, Zeke, Ryan and Sharpay adorned the arms, legs and back of the bear – Sharpay's containing a 'PS' under the signature on her message that read 'keep this somewhere safe - my autograph will be worth a lot of money when I'm a huge Broadway star...'

"I can't find one from Chad..." Gabriella said to herself with a frown, searching the bear again. She was soon laughing uncontrollably, however, when she turned it upside down and spotted the scrawl across its bottom.

CHAD WAS REAR!!!

Haha...rear...get it...? Like 'here'...but on the rear...haha...

So anyway...CONGRATS GABSTER! NO MORE CHEMO! We love you...like a sister!

"Aaah, someone sounds happy," Dr Zamitt smiled.

Gabriella nodded with a smile. "Yeah. Yeah, I am."

"Well that's very good to hear," the doctor smiled back.

"Dr Zamitt, have you heard anything regarding Gabriella's test results?" Maria asked, unable to hide the hint of apprehension in her voice.

"Actually that's why I am here," he explained. Both Maria and Gabriella froze. "The last of the results will be back in the next half hour – we are just waiting on the PET results, which are probably the most important ones. I haven't looked at any of them yet – I wanted to wait until I had everything so I could get the whole picture. So ones the PET report is in I will look over everything and I will be here as soon as possible to give you the news. I know it is a very anxious time for you both."

Maria and Gabriella nodded. The PET scan would show up any 'hot spots' in Gabriella's body that would be indicative of active cancer. It was the most effective way to identify active cancer cells that even an MRI would miss. "We've been trying to think positively but it is still frightening to think about what it would mean for Gabi and for us as a family if the chemo hasn't worked. We have just been reminding ourselves that it cleared her marrow and she hasn't shown any cancer-related symptoms whilst on treatment, so...fingers crossed, huh?"

Dr Zamitt nodded. "She's a strong girl, our Gabi," he winked at her. "I have no doubt she will cope with whatever verdict these tests deliver. Now Gabi, I'm just going to give you a quick check up and then I will come back later with your results, ok?"

"Mmhm," Gabriella replied.

"So, how have you been feeling in yourself?" Dr Zamitt asked as he helped Gabriella from the chair up onto her bed so he could look at her properly.

"A lot better than a week ago," she answered. "A little nauseous here and there, and still tiring very easily but that's nothing new. The aches in my legs have gone and so has my headache."

"Very good," Dr Zamitt nodded. He listened to her chest and her back, checked out her throat and mouth, and tested her reflexes before scribbling in his notes and closing his folder. "Well, I am very happy with your recovery from the chemo, especially after how bad you felt last week and how strong that dose was. Now, I'm going to go and chase up medical imaging about those last results we're waiting on, and I will be back sometime within the next couple of hours.

The next 90-odd minutes felt like they passed by at a snail's pace for Gabriella and Maria. But – just when they thought they would go insane with trepidation, Dr Zamitt returned – with a big smile on his face.

Gabriella felt flutters of nervousness in her stomach as she tried not to get her hopes up too high, despite the smile on her Oncologist's face.

"Ok," he began. "I won't beat around the bush – I'm going to get straight to the point and put you out of your misery."

Gabriella and Maria nodded wordlessly.

"So – audiology first. Gabriella's level of high pitched hearing has decreased slightly since her initial testing prior to chemo, but that isn't a huge issue. It just means when that blonde haired friend of hers squeals, it won't hurt her ears as much as it does her other friends," he smirked. "The rest of her hearing function is perfectly fine. Kidney function is beautiful, the EKG shows her heart is functioning completely normally and her blood work is perfectly where it should be right now. Ok, so now for the biggies – you ready?"

Gabriella and Maria nodded stiffly, barely daring to breathe.

"Right. Bone Marrow - clear. Spinal Fluid – clear. MRI – clear. PET scan - absolutely, positively, beautifully, perfectly...clear!"

Maria broke down, sobbing tears of relief into her hands, which now covered her face. Gabriella stared at her doctor, scared to talk or even blink in case she had heard wrong.

"C...clear, you mean..."

Dr Zamitt nodded. "The chemo has done its job. There is still no cancer in your bone marrow, we removed your spleen at the start, so that's gone, your liver is clean and your lymph nodes are clean. There are no nodules visible anywhere else on any of the scans."

"Thank you, doctor – thank you, thank you...just...thank you," Maria clutched at Dr Zamitt's hand, tears still pouring down her face.

The corners of Gabriella's mouth twitched as an enormous smile spread quickly across her face, her eyes alight and shining as she hugged her mother.

"We did it, Mom – we did it – I did it!!! I DID IT!!!" she exclaimed loudly.

After their excitement had died down a little, Dr Zamitt explained to them what would happen now.

"We are right where we need to be at this point in the treatment protocol," he explained. "Now that chemo is behind us, we'll start radiation in around two weeks, once I'm satisfied that Gabriella's body is recovered enough from the chemo and strong enough to withstand the radiation. Even though there is no cancer visible on the scans, we still have to go ahead with radiation to 'zap' any microscopic cells that might be hiding anywhere. I'll explain more about the treatment and effects closer to the time but for now...I'll leave you two to celebrate! You can go home in the morning."

As soon as Dr Zamitt left the room, Maria scooped her daughter into a hug, clinging to her as if she would never let go.

"Oh Gabi...Oh my Gabi – my baby girl," she cried, holding her only child close. "You've done so well."

"Shh, Mom – don't cry!" Gabriella said with a slight giggle as she patted her mother on the back. "It's ok – I'm ok. I've come this far, I'm not stopping now!"

"My sweet girl...I love you so, so much."

"I love you too, Mom," Gabriella replied, feeling a little emotional herself now. "I owe you so much...through everything – you've been by my side constantly. I couldn't have gotten this far without my beautiful Mom."

Maria pulled back from their hug and kissed Gabriella on both cheeks and her forehead. "Hey," she smiled. "Don't you have a phone call you need to make?" she asked, passing her the phone.

Gabriella's face lit up as she hurriedly dialled an all too familiar phone number.

"Bolton residence, Jack speaking."

"Heya Coach!" Gabriella said brightly.

"Gabi!" Jack exclaimed. "You sound great! How are you doing?"

"Fantastic," Gabriella smiled. "I'm coming home tomorrow."

"That's wonderful news. Well Gabi, I'm glad you are feeling better, but I'm going to put Troy on now before he pees his pants," Jack said and Gabriella laughed as she heard her boyfriend – who had obviously figured out the reason for her call – protesting.

"Ok. I'll see you soon then," Gabriella smiled.

"Take care, honey. Ok, here's Troy."

"GABI!HOWAREYOU?DIDYOUGETYOURRESULTSBACK???"

Gabriella laughed. "Hey Troy. How was your day?"

"Gabi! What did Dr Zamitt say?"

"That good, huh? Don't wanna talk about it? What did Shar do this time?"

"Gabi! You're killing me here!"

"Clear."

"Gabi! Sto...wait. What did you say?"

"Clear."

"Clear? As in..."

"Yup."

The next thing Gabriella heard was a clatter and what sounded like sobbing. A few seconds later a female voice could be heard, and Lucille came on the line.

"Gabriella? Sweetie, is everything alright?"

"Hi Luc. Everything is fine...what happened to Troy?" she asked, a hint of concern in her voice.

"He dropped the phone and he's...sobbing into his hands – I thought you must have given him bad news..."

"No – quite the opposite," Gabriella smiled to herself. "My scans were all clear."

"Oh honey, that's fantastic news! Congratulations!" Lucille gushed before Gabriella heard her comforting her son. "I think Troy is a little overwhelmed. Hold on sweet heart, I'll put him back on."

"Ok, thanks," Gabriella replied.

"We're so proud of you Gabi. I'll see you soon, ok? Love you."

The next voice Gabriella heard made her heart melt. Troy's words were soft and shaky as he tried to keep it together.

"I love you so freaking much Gabriella Montez."

HSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSM

The next day was Saturday, and by mid morning, Maria and Gabriella were on their way out of the hospital car park, and on the road home. As they turned into their street some time later, Gabriella frowned.

"Mom...were you expecting someone at our house?"

"Err...no..." Maria replied, hoping she sounded convincing.

"Oh...I must be imagining things..." Gabriella commented distantly as they pulled up in the driveway.

Maria just smiled to herself and quickly changed the topic. "Here we are, home at last!"

"It's good to be home," Gabriella sighed happily, moving slowly towards the front door. Maria opened it for her and held onto her arm as they walked through the doorway together. "What the..." Gabriella murmured as she looked around.

Every inch of the entryway and living room was decorated with big cut-out snowflakes, snowmen and silver tinsel. Silver and gold stars hung from the banister and trailed across the walls, and three huge gift bags sat on the low table in the living room.

Suddenly Gabriella heard a voice count. "1...2...3! SURPRISE!!!"

She covered her mouth with her hands as all her friends and some of their parents – including Lucille and Jack, and Jayda McKessie – were there, accompanied by Angela from the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Everyone was beaming as Angela made her way over to a still-shocked Gabriella and handed her an envelope.

"Welcome home, Gabi, and congratulations – I'm so happy to tell you that your wish has been granted: Make-A-Wish has organised for you – along with your Mom and Troy – to spend a week at the end of the year at Sunlight Mountain Resort in Colorado, where you will have VIP access to all the facilities, and unlimited access to all the slopes, as well as free ski and board hire. Gabriella, you will also have one on one snowboard tuition – by the end of the week you will not only be over your fear, but you'll be boarding like a pro too!"

"Oh my Goodness..." Gabriella murmured.

"That's not all," Angela told the genuinely shocked girl in front of her. "Make-A-Wish has also provided you with the latest in snow and ski fashions – snow boots, ski pants, jackets, gloves, a selection of winter hats, scarves and headbands, ski goggles, thermal socks...they are absolute goody bags there, chock-full of gorgeous clothes and accessories."

"Thank you so much," Gabriella gasped as Angela hugged her, before Maria and Troy hurried over to do the same.

There wasn't a dry eye in the room as everyone who loved Gabriella watched on while her wish came true. She looked down and read the contents of the envelope over and over, making sure it wasn't all just a dream. Suddenly – as her eyes scanned over the name of the Ski Resort for the four hundredth time – Gabriella realised something.

"Troy!" she exclaimed. "It's the Ski Resort – THE Ski Resort!"

"You mean..." Troy trailed off in disbelief as Gabriella nodded excitedly.

"It's the same place we first met!"


Woohoo! So Gabriella's scan results were clear (this doesn't mean she has the all clear yet, it just means chemo did what they wanted it to!) and her Wish has been granted – coincidently, she is going back to the place she and Troy first met!! Yay!

Next up: A magical night where cancer is the furthest thing from their thoughts.

Go on! Review!! Grazie!

Charli xox