Gabriella sat at the breakfast table and causally looked around the room. Chad was sitting at one of the tables in the distance reading a paper, or at least staring at one very intensely. Gabriella let out sigh as she pushed the eggs around in her plate. Anthony was meeting her here and her nerves were at an all time high from the idea that right now she was playing a big part of not only Troy campaign but Anthony demise. She smiled a small smile as she thought about how badly she wanted Troy to win. Just to see the look on Anthony's face would be worth it.

"You're looking devious this morning," his voice snickered as he pulled out his chair.

"I told him about the accident, about Jason, about the drinking.. All of it." Gabriella said placing her napkin on the table which had the flash drive in it.

"You also stole my file."

"My file." Gabriella corrected crossing her arms.

Anthony smile as she motioned for a waitress to come by and fill his coffee cup. "So, what did my dear friend say to that?" He said as the waitress filled his cup.

Gabriella waited until the waitress was gone from the table. "We're getting a divorce." Gabriella said with a small shrug. It was even harder now to think about it then had been before that night. She'd given herself to him and he completely used her. It was getting harder to think of life after all this was over. She wouldn't even be around for when Taylor had her baby, For Sharpay when she got married, or settled down, no more Troy, she wouldn't be able to go back home that was for sure. Gabriella face fell a little. No more Troy.

Anthony's grin grew, "Figures, I knew he wasn't man enough to handle someone like you," Anthony smiled. "I told you he was going to get rid of you."

"Yeah, well I'm not in the mood to stick around either." Gabriella pushed the napkin towards him. "This is over, the deal is off."

"That's fine, I should be able to sink him tonight once and for all." His arrogance was sickening, at least Troy had emotions, Anthony just seemed to be vengeful all the time.

"If you don't mind me asking?" Gabriella paused as she noticed Chad answering his phone. "What are you going to do when you don't have Troy's ideas to carry you anymore?"

"I don't need him," Anthony said with a raised brow, "I want him gone."

"You haven't had an original idea since we started this," Gabriella said with a small frown. "Cheating your way through this isn't going to do you any good, even if you do win, are you sure you could be half the man that Troy is?" Gabriella felt a pang of disgust ripple through her. She still considered him a man, a better man than Anthony, even after what he'd done.

"You slept with him," Anthony smirked, "Wasn't satisfying was it?" Anthony chuckled. "Why don't you and I get together and I'll show you how a real men make love." He said with a hungered look in his eyes.

Gabriella shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Even if you were capable of making love, I wouldn't touch you if you were the last man on earth."

Anthony took the napkin from the table. "Trust me, if I wanted Troy's sloppy seconds I wouldn't have to work hard, they come running to me eventually."

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "You make me sick." She pushed herself up and grabbed her purse.

Anthony's hand reached out and took hold of her wrist. "If you're planning something, I'd highly suggest you think about it." Anthony's smile got wider, "Troy might be able to protect you now but soon you're going to be out in the cold, alone, helpless, and no one to hear you scream."

Gabriella yanked her wrist free from him. "Leave me alone,"

"For now," he smirked. "Enjoy the debate."

Troy let the water run over him a little longer, the water splashing over his face as he closed his eyes. The image of hands ran over his body, feeling along the muscles and seams of his entire existents. Her smile, the graceful curve in her neck, her collar bone, tender and soft, the even glow of Carmel he know knew covered her entire body. Troy opened his eyes and the images were gone. The empty feeling crept in slowly.

Chad was going to be a father. Work would keep him from the baby. Taylor would have to raise the child alone. Troy closed his eyes again; she was smiling, her bare feet moving to the music. His arm around her waist, holding her closer his hands undershirt in the back seat, the murmured moans, the salty taste of her skin. Troy opened his eyes. The empty feeling was closer. Where was she going to go? What was she going to do? Would she get remarried? Would she love him? Would she trust him? Troy closed his eyes again. Whatever she chose to do it would be harder if he kept competing, she never have privacy, she'd never be able to get a moment's peace.

What about America, could he really lead them now, knowing the things he'd done? He hired his sectary to be his wife, he used her, took her virtue and tossed her away. He had gone as low as to rig Anthony's tax plan. Stooping to childish games to get ahead, he was losing his moral integrity. Who knew what he would do next?

The debate was supposed to happen later in the day, Gabriella had gone downstairs to slip the flash drive to Anthony and Chad followed distantly behind to ensure that everything went down okay. Troy turned off the water and got out of the shower wrapping a towel around him he made his way into the bedroom. Sitting on the edge of the bed he rested his face in his hands. How did he get from 6 months ago to here? He used to have everything under control. The door opened and in walked Chad who was smiling.

"The plan is set my man."

Troy nodded, and then clasped his hands together. "Do you think this is the right thing to do?"

"The best option," Chad said reaching into the mini bar fridge for a drink.

Troy smirked, "Isn't it a little too early for that?"

Chad let out a sigh as he poured the scotch into his glass, "I'm going to be a dad, you're going to be president," Chad lifted the glass and looked at it, "Just promise me if it's a girl I can secret service accompany her on her first date."

Troy let out a chuckle as he walked over to his closet and pulled out some clothes. "You're going to be heartbroken if they vote republican." Troy said disappearing into the closet.

Chad downed the drink and then shook his head wincing at the burn coursing down his throat. "The divorce papers are ready."

Troy came out from the closet in a pair of jeans and a bare chest. "That was quick."

"Not really," Chad said pouring another drink and sliding the glass towards Troy. "You just have other things on your mind." He said taking out the portfolio of paper work.

Troy nodded and came to the small table. "I guess you could say that?" before Troy could reach for the glass Chad pulled it out of his reach.

"What happened in L.A.?"

Troy grin shrank and he let out a sigh, "I was hoping you'd just let it go."

"Right," Chad tilted his head shrugging his shoulder. "I've been your best friend since our sophomore year of high school. You were my best man and I was yours in return." Chad looked at Troy and shook his head. "Why are you working so hard to be alone?"

Troy picked up the pen and look at the documents, "I know it must have been hard to keep this quite."

"Once you sign that, I can't promise I can keep it quiet any longer." Chad said motioning toward the paper.

Troy paused as he held the pen in-between his fingers. "How are you going to do it?" Troy asked looking up at Chad. "Raise a baby with your wife if you're working with me, the late night meetings, all nighters, press control, and the sudden trips to other places in the world at a moment's notice?"

Chad was quite for a moment, "Well I imagined that my family is going to always come first," Chad said with a small shrug, "And that you have 50 interns who be willing to listen to you bitch about your failed marriage and how you should have given it a chance."

Troy smirked, "She doesn't want to be married to me," he said looking down at the pen.

"Did you ask her?" Chad said raising a brow.

Troy was quite for a moment, "I hurt her. I slept with her and then told it didn't mean anything."

Chad was quite for another long moment, things began to click into place. "Did it?"

Troy reached for the glass looking into the contents of it. "No moment has ever meant more to me then that night,"

Chad watched as Troy downed the drink. Setting the glass down and wincing a bit. His blue eyes were duller, his skin tone paler, everything a love sick fool would look like. "Love is forgiving, you'd be surprised what it can overcome."

Troy bit his lip as he put the pen to paper his hand moving fluidly across the dotted line. "That so?"

Chad let out as a sign he took the papers back and closed the portfolio. "Disney didn't make all those movies about nothing," he said looking down at the page with grim expression.

"I have some calls to make," Troy said walking over to his suit case, "Best to be prepared for the worst."

Chad nodded as he made his way to the door, "I'll work on damage control from my end."