Gabriella sat in the back seat, Troy's head in her lap. Charlie held a tight grip on the steering wheel as the beautiful brunette in the backseat gave him directions to the apartment that she and Troy shared.

"Uh.." Charlie started, "I think that we should uh...talk?" it came out like a question, Gabriella looked at him, before she could open her mouth, Sam appeared and was jabbering quickly, "about what? How I kicked that guy's ass?"

Charlie bit his inner cheek, "No..go away."

"I'm in the car, I can't go anywhere." Gabriella said, Charlie gulped, he needed to be more careful with his secret, "no not you..just we should talk about...things."

Gabriella bit her lip, "look I'm sorry for what I did back there, I..I thought you were Troy."

Charlie looked at her, sighed, running a hand through his hair, but of course keeping an eye on the road. he wasen't gonna make that mistake again of having a car accident. "I..I really don't know what to say Brie-"

She bit her lip, "Troy is the only guy who can call me that!" he gulped, "Sorry I didn't know, i thought it was a nickname of yours from everyone.."

She sighed, "I'm sorry alright.. the apartment is around this block." Charlie nodded pulling around the corner.

He pulled into a parking lot for an apartment complex, it was dark but he could make out the features of it; and it was nicer than his house back home. Gabriella sighed, "you can call me Gabi. Everyone else does, only Troy calls me Brie." Charlie nodded without emotion on his face, looking for a place to park, when he spotted one he was going toward it, that is until he saw two bright truck headlights coming toward the car the three were in. His eyes widened and suddenly, he was back in that station wagon with Sam...his grip tighten, and he couldn't control what he came out of his mouth when he quickly whipped the car around, "Sam!"

Gabriella held on to Troy tightly, "Wh-What's happening?" Charlie shut his eyes tightly, trying to calm himself, but he couldn't stop the sob that came from "Sam...I'm sorry...Sam..." he sobbed, leaning his head on the steering wheel. Gabriella stared at him. Watching him shake, something must have happened, "Charlie..." she whispered, reaching out a hand; he flinched away when she touched his shoulder.

"Charlie-" she said, he shook his head; not saying anything but just staring straight ahead. He wasn't looking at the dumpster-albeit, the one he drove into when he whipped around. He was looking at the road passing him from the windsheild as the station wagon flipped over, rolling several times before it landed on its roof with Sam's laboured breathing. Then came the sound of the fire department cutting the driver's door and window so they could get in to get the two brothers out, how he held on to Sam, making promises that he swore he'd keep no matter what.

"Charlie?" Gabriella's voice penetrated his memories, but he didn't respond, he was already so deep in them. He could feel the shrapnel of glass in his leg, how he had that slight limp when he walked; he felt the shock of the paramedic using the pads to bring him back to life. Then the coldness that swept over him when he looked over to see his brother unmoving, not breathing; and no-one answering his questions.

"Charlie...are you okay?" Gabriella had shaken his shoulder, causing the memories to fade once again to the back of his mind. "Y-y...come on let's get him inside, where's your apartment?"

Gabriella bit her lip, "Up on the 3rd floor." he nodded, getting Troy out of the car and carrying him up the steps. When Gabriella unlocked the door, Charlie looked at her, "where do I uhh."

She sighed, "Just lay him on the couch.. he should wake up pretty soon." Charlie sighed stuffing his hands in his pockets, "Then I should be going-"

"Are you a lost brother?" he looked at her raising a brow, "excuse me?"

She bit her lip, "a lost brother.. I mean, if you haven't noticed, you and Troy look alike." He shrugged, "Not that I know of.."

She sighed, "whens your birthday and the year?"

Charlie looked at her, "I don't see why that question is important-" Gabriella sighed, "just answer the question, it's simple-" "

No it's not." Gabriella looked at him strangly, stepping closer, "what do you mean?" Charlie shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I don't have time-"

"It's a question."

"No, it's an invasion of privacy." Gabriella sighed, 'I'm just curious...you and Troy do look a lot a like. Identical."

Charlie looked at her blankly, "look I'm sorry, but I have-had a brother okay...I don't need your questions." Gabriella caught his slip of the tongue and the attempt to cover it up, but she didn't say anything to push him. Instead she nodded, biting her lip, "Fine...good night then and thank you."

She slammed the door in his face, Charlie sighed looking over at sam, "What happened?" Charlie sighed, "she hates me..."

Sam followed him to his car, "why do you care?"

"I don't-"

"Yes you do, cause you wouldn't of done any of this for her." Charlie sighed, "Look, I cant be with the girl, she has a boyfriend-"

"who is possibly our long lost brother." Charlie sighed, "His not a long lost brother sam, mom would of told us."

Sam sighed looking down at his feet, "why don't you stop living in the past charlie.." he sighed, "Cause the past, nothing bad happened in the past-"

"Yeah, but I am dead and gone, I'm ruining your life, I need to go to the light now.."

Charlie turned toward him, "Don't."

"Charlie-"

"No, Sam, we got this thing wired...okay, you don't have to worry about crossing over." Sam sighed, but then smiled, immediately lifting the mood of the moment, "Hey, that girl is smokin."

Charlie chuckled, beginning to walk back to campus (since he had no car). "Why are you even talking that? You're 11."

Sam chuckled, "Exactly!" he crowed, floating in circles again. "Charlie, you want to work on fast balls tomorrow?"

"Yeah sure, after school at sunset." Sam nodded, "Totally, I'm gonna attend class with you."

Charlie stopped, staring at his brother, "what would you do in a biology class, Sam?" Sam chuckled, waggling his brows like an evil villain. "Everything, Charlie. Everything."

HSMCSCHSMCSC

Troy's eyes opened, his head pounding like hammers. "Brie.." he called out. she walked over sitting down beside him. taking a cold wash cloth and wiping it on his forehead. "B-Brie.. what happened?"

She sighed, "You passed out.. Charlie brought us home-"

"Charlie!" he growled. Gabriella sighed, "Troy, just leave it.. leave it okay.."

He sighed, "I'm sorry for the way I've been acting lately Brie..I just.. I get a little crazy and overprotective sometimes, cause I'm so crazy about you, and inlove with you, and don't ever want to lose you."

Gabriella had tears in her eyes, "Troy-" he sighed sitting up, taking her hand, as she stood up, and kneeling down, "Marry me.." her heart speeded up, and she covered her mouth to stop sobbing. he smiled, "I..I don't know what to say.." she said.

Troy smiled, kissing the back of her hand, "Say 'yes'." Gabriella giggled, "Brie, I know I don't have a ring ...but we can go this weekend to the jewelry store and pick out a big diamond-" Gabriella got down her knees, pressing her lips to his in a heated passionate kiss and tangling her fingers through his hair. He wrapped her in his arms, making her lean back on to the wooden floor, he pulled away after 10 minutes had passed, leaning his forehead against hers.

"What was that-"

She giggled giddily, "that"-peck-"was my"-peck-"answer to your question."