Troy awoke the next morning, his arms wrapped around Lily. He wanted to forgive her and just forget everything that had happened between the two of them and be happy with her and Tori, just like the two of them had planned years ago when they had planned on having children and living together like they had planned. They had wanted to get married and have children and be happy forever. But it wasn't easy like that. The longer he was awake, the sting of her keeping Tori from him was setting in and he knew he couldn't just forgive her like he should. He had pride just as thick as she did and it wasn't going anywhere.

Pulling his arm from her waist, he sat up, keeping the blanket covers around her and pulled himself from her body. She stirred beside him and he looked down at her. She remained asleep, and he was grateful she hadn't woken up to find him holding her. She couldn't know that he still loved her. It was better this way. He decided he'd get ready to go and then go wake Tori. They had breakfast in the lobby restaurant, their interaction pretty much the same as the day before. Tori and Troy paid most of their attention to each other, with Troy only briefly including Gabriella from time to time, just so that Tori would talk to her mother. He had to respect her so Tori would. The thing was, it was easier for him than he cared to admit, and he was doing his best to show his daughter that he loved her mother.

They took an early afternoon flight home and Tori wanted to go shopping. Agreeing, they headed toward downtown LA. The world was going to know about her sooner rather than later, and they weren't going to hide it. They had hidden out in the beach house when they had gotten back together, only because of the way they had left Sharpay and Julian. But there was no reason to hide Troy, and Troy wanted both Tori and Gabriella to know that.

They parked in front of the sports store and Troy ran around his SUV opening both Gabriella's door and Tori's, taking both of their hands. True to fashion, paparazzi swarmed Gabriella.

"Ella, Ella, who's the kid?"

"Troy, you and Ella thinking about tying the knot anytime soon?"

"Hey, kid! Kid! How do you know Ella Leigh?"

Troy wrapped his arm around Gabriella's shoulders as Tori took "center stage" in front of them, taking to the lime light quite naturally.

Troy turned his head slightly toward Gabriella, whispering down into her ear, "A natural. Just like her mama."

Gabriella kept her patented smile she usually displayed for paparazzi and fans. She was proud of her daughter, but she knew this was just for show.

"She's my mama!" Tori told them, not even breaking a sweat in front of all the flashing camera lenses and questioning men.

"Your mama?"

"Ella Leigh's your mom?"

"Ella es tu mama?"

"¿Que?"

Some of the paparazzi were already stepping away, making calls to their benefactors, people who would pay big bucks for this information. These pictures would be all over magazines all over the nation and the world by the morning. They'd be all over the internet in a few minutes. This was only the beginning. Troy walked over with Gabriella, stepping between his daughter and the flashing lights to lead them into the store.

Troy and Tori headed off toward the balls and Gabriella decided she needed to call Taylor. Taylor should know about Tori before she sees it all over the television and internet, even if it was over the phone. Taylor didn't really understand, but she said they would talk about it when they brought her niece over to meet her. Gabriella told her she would and slid her phone back in her purse. It was only right. Troy was mad at her. Her best friend was mad at her. All because she kept Tori from everyone. But no one understood. And Troy wouldn't understand. He didn't want to understand. He was mad that she had kept this from him and he was never going to forgive her for this. Taylor would. She may give her the silent treatment for all of five seconds until she saw Tori walk in the door and then she'd be over it. But Troy...

Troy came over with Tori up on his shoulders. "Ready to go, Mama?" he asked, looking down at her.

Gabriella looked up at both of them, pulling her purse over her arm. He hadn't called her anything but Gabriella or Mama... anything but Lily since the night they had fought. She knew he had been serious about this, but not having been called Lily in this long by him, it was starting to weigh her down. She wrapped her arms around her breasts, breathing in deeply.

"Sí, vamanos."

Troy looked up at Troi, arching his eyebrow at her. "Tell me you understand Spanish, Tor."

Tori giggled. "Sí, Daddy," she nodded. "She said 'let's go.'"

Troy shook his head and looked down at Gabriella again who swallowed hard and walked past them out of the door, not saying anything more. Tori leaned over her father's head, looking down over him. "Did I do something, Daddy?"

Troy sighed, reaching up and pulling Tori off of his shoulders, turning her to set her down on the floor in front of him and taking his hand, knowing they should probably get outside to be with her to keep the paparazzi away from her.

"No, Princess, things are just a little strained between you mama and me right now."

He opened the door for them, looking out to see Gabriella waiting by the car, the paparazzi standing around her, snapping pictures. She wasn't answering their questions, just standing there looking beautiful as always.

"Because of me?" Tori asked, looking up at Troy.

"No, Ito. Not because of you."

Troy ushered the vultures away from the car, helping his family in the car before running around and getting in himself. He sat in the car and headed home. Troy knew they were going to have to make a statement, especially now after their little outting. His first game was coming up tomorrow, but he thought he'd invite Entertainment Tonight over to his house in the morning. He'd give ESPN a statement tomorrow night, and then hopefully the world would be satisfied.

The next morning, Troy and Gabriella stood in the back yard of their beach house with Mario Lopez answering a few warm up questions. Mario himself had volunteered to come out when he heard who they were interviewing on such short notice. He'd been a fan of Troy's since he began playing for the Lakers. And who wouldn't want the first interview Ella Leigh had ever given? Gabriella kept her private life private, having never granted any interviews, so anyone in their right mind would jump on this opportunity.

How long have you two been together?" Mario asked as they sat at the shaded umbrella table on the porch.

Troy looked over at Lily as he held her hand, Tori siting on his lap.

"Lily–" he turned his head back to Mario Lopez, "that's what I call her." He turned back to Lily, smiling and rubbing her hand with the pad of his thumb. "Lily and I have known each other since she moved to Albuquerque. We were neighbors and before we knew it we were best friends." He smiled brightly at her, bringing her hand up to his lips. "I'm sure I was in love with her from the moment I saw her," he winked at her, pressing his lips against her hand to kiss it gently.

Gabriella couldn't help but smile, and this smile was real, it wasn't one of her painted on, show smiles that she was used to putting on. She truly meant this smile, because she was sure he meant every word he was saying. It wasn't a show, not right now anyway.

Mario Lopez smiled at the two of them and looked to the little girl. "And what's your name?"

Tori smiled brightly. "Tori. Oh! Victoria Isabella Romero-" She looked back at Troy. "Wait, it's Bolton, right?"

Troy nodded. Even her birth certificate had Bolton on it. He was sure she'd never seen it, not even her Aunt Esme, but her name was Victoria Bolton.

Tori smiled brightly, looking back at Mario. "Victoria Isabella Bolton, but you can call me Tori."

Mario smiled. "That's a very pretty name, Tori."

Tori nodded her head, looking back at Troy with a proud smile but still speaking to Mario. "Sí, Señor."

Mario shook her head, sitting back in the chair across the table from them. "Hey, call me Mario, Tori. We're all friends here."

Tori smiled back at Troy again and then back at Mario. "Sí, Mario. I will."

Mario looked back to Troy and Gabriella. "You've got a very good little girl. You should be proud," he praised both of them, but both of them knew neither of them could take credit for it.

The camera man gave Mario a thumbs up from behind the camera telling her, "We're good to go."

Mario nodded in return. "Thank you." Turning back to the little family in front of him, he smiled and leaned back toward them. "Alright, before we get started, do any of you have any questions?" he asked them. Troy and Gabriella shook their heads and Tori raised her hand. Mario nodded her head, slightly chuckling. "Yes, Tori?"

Tori looked back at Troy and then back at Mario. "Are we really going to be on TV?"

Mario nodded, smiling brightly at her. "Yes, Tori. You really are."

Tori looked back at Tori. "Awesome! Can I call my friends and tell them later?"

Troy laughed, hugging her tightly. "Yeah, you can." He nodded to Mario. "Go ahead."

Mario smiled, nodding. "Alright." Mario turned to look at the camera, his hands on the table in front of him. "Good evening. I'm sitting here with Ella Leigh in her first public interview. Access Hollywood is thrilled to be the first to talk to her about her love life and her past. She's kept her relationships, if any, in the past hidden from public eye, up until now, but within the last month we've learned that she's come out dating NBA's youngest coach, the Lakers' Troy Bolton. But we learned last night as she and Coach Bolton took a shopping outing that they not only share a long history together, but they also share something else together as well, something that solidifies this long relationship. But many questions may be left on everyone's lips and that is why I'm sitting here with the three of them. Ella, Coach Bolton and their daughter Tori."

The camera switched from Mario to the tiny family sitting across from him at the table. "Ella, this is your first public interview where you've chosen to speak about your personal life. Why now?" he asked, the camera still focused on Gabriella, Troy and Tori.

Even though it was down to the wire, Gabriella wasn't ready for this. She'd been rehearsing this for Troy for 10 years, but she still hadn't gotten it right. Now she had to do it for the nation, for the world in syndication, and she wasn't ready for it, but she had to do it , she felt Troy squeeze her hand and for a moment she was sure it was for her, not for show. The camera couldn't see that under the table. She had to believe he still loved her. He wouldn't do anything like that for her if he didn't. She had to believe that.

"I've always wanted to keep my personal life separate from my career, but I recently attended my high school reunion and that's where Troy and I saw each other. He and I were together in high school and when we saw each other..."

She turned, smiling at him, and he finished her sentence, "We felt the same we had back then and couldn't deny it. We picked things up right where we left things off."

Mario sat silently listening to the two of them tell the story, letting Tori come into play where they wanted her to. Mario wasn't going to push the story. If he pushed the story, he wouldn't be helping any.

"But things weren't exactly smooth sailing," Gabriella said honestly.

Troy shook his head. "We were in love as we ever were, but Ella kept trying to tell me something, something about what had happened when we had broken up when we were younger, but I kept trying to tell her we were young and that it was in the past and that things happened, not to worry about it. I didn't want to worry about the past. That things happened. I should have listened to her, but I'm just as stubborn as she is."

He and Mario both laughed, Gabriella only smiled, looking down into her lap. Troy lifted her hand to his lips, kissing her fingers softly. "But what she told me was the greatest thing she could have ever told me." He looked down at his daughter sitting on his lap. "She told me we had a little girl and that we could be a happy family if I could only forgive her."

Gabriella's eyes glistened with tears. She didn't know if this was all just a show or if he was actually doing this all just for her. She couldn't tell. She wanted to believe this was for her, but she couldn't tell. Mario had more questions for the two of them. He also asked Tori a few questions. When the interview was coming to a close, Mario had one more question, and he directed it toward Troy.

"Just one more thing, now that you're a happy family and you're all going to be living together and it's all happily ever after from here out, when's the wedding?"

Gabriella's eyes widened as her mouth went dry. They hadn't talked about marriage since high school, and after this arrangement they were in now, she was sure they wouldn't ever talk about it ever again. Troy shook his head. Mario Lopez was really just like the rest of the paparazzi. All reporters were alike. He should have expected this.

"If I told you," he said, turning his head toward Lily, "then how would it ever be a surprise for her?"

Mario smiled as the camera faded back to her. "Even if the fairy tale ending is still in the making, Ella Leigh and Troy Bolton have a perfect little family and have had for years, even if they haven't known it. I'm Mario Lopez and this is Access Hollywood."

The cameraman gave him a cut sign with his hand and said, "That's a wrap," before standing and the crew stared to break up.

Mario sat forward on his seat, smiling at the three of them. "You guys have nothing to worry about. This is a beautiful story and you three told it beautifully. Especially you, Tori. You really love your parents. I'm excited for the three of you to get to know each other, and I hope you'll invite me for a follow up in a year or so. Or maybe for the wedding when it happens." He looked over to Troy as he stood. "Good luck, all of you."

When the three of them were left alone, Troy told Tori to go get ready. He was taking her to see her first game. Gabriella moved to leave and he caught her hand.

"I was thinking we could all go."

Gabriella looked down at his hand wrapped around hers and then back into his eyes. "Are you sure? I could just stay here? Maybe go over to Taylor's."

Troy shook his head. "No. We should go as a family."

Gabriella agreed and they all got ready to go to Troy's game.