Weeell, I think I'm too distraught about the rapidly approaching end of this story (slash, I'm too tired coz it's 1.30am Monday here) to write a decent authors note, so all I will say is:

Congratulations Cara - Good Luck Em – Thanks Jess and HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!

Thanks for all the amazing reviews! You are all made of awesome. My goal of 1000 reviews is in sight. 3 chapters and an epilogue to go!

Charli xox


Chapter 37

"I just want to be there with you," Troy sighed, before coughing loudly.

"I know you do, Troy - and hey – I want to be there for you too right now! I just want to tuck you into bed and make you soup! But we can't see each other for a few more days at least. You know we can't risk it with my immune system so low," Gabriella replied quietly.

Troy sneezed three times. "I know. I know – it's just hard. I want to hold your hand tomorrow and tell you everything's going to be fine. Instead I'm stuck in bed."

Troy had been sick with the flu for three days now, and in that time he had not been allowed to see Gabriella – while he was sneezing and coughing, she was at risk of infection. Even though she had been off chemo for a little over a month and had finished radiation therapy two weeks earlier, her immune system would take a lot longer to recover. Until Troy was no longer infectious, they had to make do with talking on the phone.

The reason Troy was especially bummed about all this was that tomorrow was Gabriella's huge day of testing at the hospital – she would be having all the same tests she had had prior to commencing radiation. When the results came back in a few days time, Gabriella would know what the future held for her. If the results were good, she would continue to have regular blood tests as well as checkups with her oncologist and scans every three months for the first year, every six months for the second year and once a year after that. When she was 5 years out of treatment, she would be given the 'all clear'. If the results were not good, they would once again be thrown into turmoil.

"You just concentrate on getting better so I can see you again. I'll be fine tomorrow – Mom will be right by my side, and I'll even take my Troy teddy with me if it makes you feel better."

"Okaaaay," Troy sighed miserably.

Gabriella laughed. "Cheer up, Charlie. It's not the end of the world!"

"Yes it is!" Troy groaned dramatically. "I miss you!"

Gabriella laughed again. "I miss you too but there's nothing we can do about it. Now go and get some rest, ok? Or I'll send your Mom up there to kick your butt."

"Ok, ok I'm going!" Troy replied. "Good luck tomorrow – call me as soon as you get home and tell me how everything went, ok?"

"Of course I will. Oh hey – before you go, guess what Mom and I noticed this morning?"

"What?"

"My hair is starting to come in! You can hardly notice it at the moment, it's just like really fine fuzz over my head – but it's definitely there!"

"Oh Gabi, that's great!" Troy said with a sneeze.

"I know!" Gabriella grinned to herself, running her hand over her head. "Mom said it should start to grow pretty fast now. I wonder if it will grow back the same or straight – Savannah had straight hair before and hers has grown back darker and curly!"

"Well you'll look beautiful no matter how it grows," Troy told her, and Gabriella heard him yawn before coughing a little.

"Go to sleep now, baby. I'll call you tomorrow night when I get home."

"Okay," he yawned again. "Good luck tomorrow. I love you."

"I love you too, Troy. Bye."

HSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSM

The next day dragged on for both Troy and Gabriella. Troy was stuck at home in bed feeling lousy as well as worrying about Gabriella, and Gabriella had what seemed like a million and one tests performed – it was absolutely gruelling.

Maria parked their van in the hospital car park at 6.45am – After having bloods taken in the clinic and a quick stop at Dr Zamitt's office, Gabriella's first appointment was an MRI at 7.30am.

As she walked in step with her mother towards the elevators in the lobby, Gabriella found herself reaching for Maria's hand – her Troy bear clutched in the other. As their fingers curled together, Maria looked sideways at her daughter.

"You alright, honey?"

"Yeah..." Gabriella whispered.

"Ok," Maria replied, knowing not to push the matter any further. She just held Gabriella's hand as they made their way towards Oncology.

"Gaaaabriella Montez – good to see you my dear! You're looking wonderful." Dr Zamitt smiled as he spotted them coming up the corridor.

Gabriella smiled shyly. "Thanks. I feel pretty good too."

"Good to hear! And how are you, mom?"

Maria smiled, sitting down next to Gabriella as they moved into his office and he gestured to the chairs.

"I'm good thankyou – trying to settle back into a life without chemo and radiation! Still jumping at every ache and pain, but I suppose that will be something I just have to get used to – I don't think the fear will ever completely leave."

Dr Zamitt nodded. "It's a big adjustment. Now Gabriella, how have you been feeling since radiation finished?"

"Tired," Gabriella replied. "Sometimes a little nauseous, but I've been getting stronger every day. I just have to remember to take it easy and not wear myself out."

"That's right," Dr Zamitt agreed. "Even a year from now you will still tire easily – you just have to listen to your body and know when it is telling you to rest. It is very important that you look after yourself properly."

Gabriella nodded. "I will. Between Mom, Troy, Troy's parents and all my friends...I have my own personal nursing staff!"

"Brilliant!" Dr Zamitt grinned, before closing her file. "Ok Miss Montez, I believe you have a date in MRI?"

After being delayed for around half an hour in the medical imaging waiting room, Gabriella was finally in her gown and on the table, waiting for the technician to commence the scan.

"Ok Gabi," she heard the young man's voice over the intercom. "The first time through the tunnel will take about 10 minutes, and then we'll bring you out again. The second time it'll be about 20 minutes, and the third time will be only a few minutes. You ready?"

Gabriella took a deep breath. She didn't think she'd ever be ready. She didn't know what she would do if these scans weren't clean – if she wasn't in remission. What would it mean for graduation...college...her future?

There was no way she was ready to lie perfectly still for an hour, strapped down to a hard table while a huge magnetic force whirred and clicked around her. It didn't matter what relaxing music they played or what soothing words they spoke to her over the intercom – nothing changed the fact that they were still looking for cancer.

She trembled slightly inside as a vision flashed through her head of receiving back all her different scan results with big 'X' marks across them, showing all the places cancer was residing, and angry red areas lit up all through her body on the PET scan, showing aggressive 'hot spots' of malignancy.

Was she ready?

No.

"Yes...I'm ready..."

HSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSM

"You tired baby?" Maria asked softly, stroking her daughter's head. Gabriella was lying across two seats in the waiting room of her last scan for the day – the PET scan. Her head was in her mother's lap and she was drifting in and out of a light doze.

"Mmm," came the drowsy reply. She had received the special radioactive isotope a couple of hours earlier, and had then been sent off to let it absorb. Now she was waiting to be called in for the actual scan.

"It's been a big day...not much longer now, then we can go home and let you sleep."

"Mmm..."

"Gabriella Montez?"

Gabriella yawned as she pulled herself up out of her mother's lap and shuffled sleepily after the nuclear medicine technician.

Once she was on the bed, the technician explained the procedure and Gabriella found herself zoning out at the words she had heard a thousand times by now. Her mind wandered once again to the outcome of all these tests, and yet more visions of scan films, glowing with cancer hot spots burst into her head. The voice of the technician snapped Gabriella back to reality with his final question.

"Are you ready?"

No.

"Yes...I'm ready..."

The PET scanning machine came to life and began to move over Gabriella, an illuminated image of her body appearing inch by inch on the tiny screen in the next room...

HSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSM

For Gabriella, the car ride home seemed to take hours. She was exhausted beyond belief and couldn't wait to change into her pyjamas and crawl into her own comfortable bed.

"Are you feeling ok, sweetheart?" Maria asked, glancing sideways and placing her hand on Gabriella's forehead.

"Tired," Gabriella mumbled, her eyes closed and her head resting against the cool glass of the car window.

Maria smiled softly. "Well, I put fresh sheets on your bed while you were in the shower this morning. As soon as we get home you have a nice cozy bed to relax in."

Gabriella smiled gratefully, her eyes still closed. "Thanks momma."

"No problem, baby."

By the time they finally arrived at home, Gabriella was fast asleep. Maria rubbed her leg gently in an attempt to rouse her without frightening her.

"Gabi? Gabi, wake up honey – we're home," she said softly.

"Hmm?" Gabriella mumbled groggily.

"We're home, honey. Come on let's get you out of the car and you can go to bed."

Within moments they were upstairs, Gabriella was in her favourite comfortable pyjamas, and Maria was tucking her into her own comfortable bed. As she snuggled down into the blankets, her mother leaned down and kissed her on the cheek.

"Goodnight, my angel. Is there anything you need before I go downstairs?" Maria asked.

"Mmm," Gabriella murmured her reply. "Troy."

"Gabi...you know Troy can't..."

"Nnnn," she mumbled, cutting her mother off. "Need to call him."

"Okay," Maria nodded, passing Gabriella the phone. "But don't stay up for too long, alright? You're exhausted."

"I won't, I promise. Goodnight Mom. I love you."

"I love you too."

The door closed with a click behind Maria as Gabriella hit the 'call' button on her phone.

"Hey Bella," Troy answered after the third ring, punctuating his greeting with a spluttering sneeze.

"Hey Wildcat," Gabriella replied softly. "How are you feeling?"

"Like if I sdeeze ode bore tibe, by head's godda explode," Troy told her.

"You sound worse," Gabriella commented, noting his extremely stuffy nose and tight chest.

"Aaah dod't worry about be," Troy brushed off her concern. "It's just the flu, I'll be fide. Cobpared to what you've beed through...it's a walk id the park."

"I still hate knowing you're sick and I can't be there to make you better," Gabriella told him sadly.

"Dod't worry Gabi, Bother Dearest is fussing edough for twedty people."

"Good," Gabriella giggled, imagining Lucille rushing about with a thermometer and cool cloth for his forehead.

"Dow, edough about be - how'd everythidg go today?"

"Good I guess," Gabriella sighed. "It's such a long and tiring day, though – I'm glad it's over with. But the waiting now is the hardest part – laying there having all those scans today...I just kept imagining the screen lighting up with massive big spots of cancer and them having to tell me in a few days that I'm back at square one. Or worse, that they can't do anything for me anymore..." Gabriella trailed off, realising she had just expressed her biggest fear out loud.

Troy was quiet for a moment before he spoke. "Well you kdow what, baby? Dose results are godda be clear dext week, but eved if dey wered't...we'd deal. We will deal wid whaddever de doctor hadds us, add we'll deal wid it togedder? Ok? Because I lobe you add do madder what, I will always be right by your side – we're id dis fight togedder."

Gabriella nodded tearfully before she realised he couldn't see her. Even when he sounded ridiculously like a Drag version of her 57 year old AP Calculus teacher, he was still a total sweetheart. "Together forever. I love you, Troy."

"I lobe you too, Gabi. Dow, you soudd tired and I'b doped up to the eyeballs wid Sudafed so I will talk to you tobborrow, ok?"

"Ok. Goodnight, Troy."

Gabriella heard him sneeze twice before he replied."Gooddight Bella."

Gabriella pressed the call end button and set her phone down on her bedside table before switching off her lamp and wriggling down under the covers once again.

No matter how apprehensive she was about what these tests results would decide for her future, she knew that Troy was in it for the long haul – and that made all the difference.

HSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSM

Three days later, a frustrated Troy tapped his pencil impatiently against his desk. He was studying...or trying to. Instead of being focused on the life cycle of spores he was supposed to be studying for biology, his mind was a few blocks away, with a certain brown eyed beauty.

Tomorrow he would be allowed to see her for the first time in a week – it was the longest they had gone without seeing each other since they met. Coincidentally, tomorrow was also the day that would decide the rest of her life...her appointment with Dr Zamitt.

As if Gabriella had somehow sensed that her boyfriend needed her, Troy's phone suddenly buzzed beside him, and he opened the new text message.

1 more sleep till I can snuggle with my fav guy. Hint: it's not Chad :-p xx

Troy smiled to himself and moved his fingers swiftly across the keypad, before hitting the send button.

1 more sleep till we can celebrate ur freedom. Oh, and snuggle of course :-p xx

Troy sighed as he put his phone back down and resumed his pencil tapping. He had no trouble at all reassuring Gabriella that everything was going to be ok, so why couldn't he do the same for himself?

Throwing the pencil down, Troy leaned back in his chair and ran his hands through his hair with a groan, before pushing the chair out, grabbing his basketball, and jogging downstairs.

HSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSM

The following morning Maria and Gabriella picked Troy up early. Whilst the recently reunited couple rediscovered each other's mouth's – not moving from right in the middle of the entryway – their parents moved through to the kitchen where they talked in hushed tones about the day ahead.

When Troy finally detached himself from Gabriella's lips, he pulled back to look at her properly. Grinning, he lifted his hand and ran it over her head, where a soft, fine layer of dark fuzz was beginning to appear.

"You're right," he commented.

"Aren't I always?" Gabriella teased, taking his hand and leading him into the kitchen, where she was encased in a hug by Lucille.

"Good luck today, sweetheart. We'll be waiting by the phone to hear any news, okay?"

Gabriella nodded against her shoulder. "We'll let you know as soon as we have the results."

Jack patted her on the back. "Go knock 'em dead, champ."

By a quarter past nine, the three were sitting outside Dr Zamitt's office in a nervous silence. After ten minutes or so, the doctor emerged from behind the closed door.

"Gabriella," he greeted. "Hi Mom, Troy. Come in..."

Back at the Bolton's, the doorbell rang. Lucille answered it to find Jayda and Taylor McKessie on the doorstep.

"Good morning ladies – what can I do for you?"

Taylor shuffled her feet as Jayda cleared her throat. "Do you mind if we, err...wait with you guys for the news on Gabriella? We figured no matter the results are, she's going to need her friends around when she gets back."

Lucille smiled warmly. "Of course. Come in."

Ten minutes later, the doorbell rang again.

"Uhh...Hi Mrs B," Chad started. "I know Troy's not in, but Taylor mentioned her and her Mom were here so I was wondering if..."

"Come in, Chad."

Over the next half hour, more members of the Wildcat gang - and some of their parents – continued to arrive at the Bolton's house, and soon the lounge room was full of nervous teens and adults trying to make small talk, and jumping at every single sound as they waited anxiously for the telephone to ring.

HSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSM

The hospital doors swished closed behind two dazed teens and an overwhelmed parent. Gabriella didn't realise she was crying until she felt the tears on her face. She made no move to wipe them away – her arms frozen by her sides. Maria's hand covered her mouth, her own eyes filled with tears, while Troy was hit with a wave of emotion incomparable to anything he had ever felt. However he saw Gabriella's tears, and used his thumbs to brush them away before pulling her into his chest.

"It's ok, baby girl. It's ok..."

As the three pulled themselves together and continued towards the Montez's van, Troy rubbed his hand up and down Gabriella's arm before planting a kiss on the side of her head. He pulled out his cell phone and looked at Gabriella.

"Who wants to do it?" he asked.

Gabriella's breath hitched as she tried to calm her breathing to a regular rate. She shook her head. "You...I...I can't..."

Troy nodded in understanding as the trio climbed into the van and buckled their seatbelts. Once Gabriella was curled safely into his side, Troy quickly typed a carefully worded text message into his phone before selecting multiple recipients, and hitting send.

In the Bolton's living room, eight young adults and six adults jumped as fourteen cell phones buzzed simultaneously.

A gasp resonated throughout the room as fourteen pairs of eyes read exactly the same message.

Remission: What a beautiful word!


-Sets off party poppers, throws confetti and streamers, blows whistles, starts a conga line-

I hope you all enjoyed that chapter! A little short, but eh – hopefully in your happy states you'll all forgive me! So the story is heading full steam ahead towards its end...tear.

Up next: A special favour is asked – is Gabi up for the challenge?

Please take a second to hit that button and reviiiieeeewww!!

Happy Easter once again!

Charli xox

PS. I hope you could understand Troy's man-flu speak alright! Ask me for a transplation if you couldn't!