Julian had set up a table for him and Gabriella at the restaurant not far from here, knowing that they could eat dinner and dance like she had asked before getting into shower. Once he was done, he let her get ready and he got dressed. He wore a simple silk shirt and black pants. Walking up to the bathroom door, he knocked lightly as he fixed the button on his shirt that had come undone.

"Ella, my beautiful girl. I'm ready to go if you are. The restaurant isn't far from here. We can walk."

Gabriella came out, wearing a black cocktail dress, her hair pulled up in a messy but classy ponytail at the back of her head, some curly locks hanging down from it and framing her face. She had her makeup done up to compliment the getup and black pumps. She was going to dance, at least until she couldn't dance anymore. Smiling at him, she turned around so he could admire her outfit.

"What do you think?"

Julian slapped a hand against his chest, smiling brightly. "Oh, be still my beating heart! You're the most beautiful woman on God's green earth!" He leaned in, kissing her cheek. "Just perfect, my love. Perfect."

She blushed softly, taking his hand. "Come. I want to dance." She led him out of the hut and waited for him to lead the way to the restaurant. "Did I like to dance before? I feel like it's just bursting out of me."

"You loved to dance!" Julian said, smiling as he lead her up to the boardwalk. "All the time. I swear anytime even a little faint of music played you were shaking those sexy hips of yours. You love singing and dancing, performing in general, it's why your a famous actress. It's why it is your career, because you love it so much and you're the best at it."

Gabriella looked up at him as they walked, her hand in his still. She didn't have their fingers laced like earlier because it just didn't seem right. "But if I love it so much, why am I retiring?"

"Because, you love me, you loved the idea of our family, even if it scared you. That's what you wanted. You loved it more than your acting and the whole life." He frowned slightly. "You loved me more than the fame and bright lights... and the lonely nights.."

She stopped, turning to stand in front of him and lifting a hand to his face. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I don't remember. I'm sorry I am not remembering. But I believe you. And I'm really sorry that my not remembering is hurting you as much as I can clearly see it is. I am so sorry."

Julian lifted his hands to her face, holding them in place, letting her look directly at him. "Don't be sorry. It's not your fault. I'm just glad you're here, alive, with me." He leaned in, kissing her softly before slowly pulling back. "Was that okay?"

Gabriella bit her lip. His kiss didn't taste or even feel like Troy's kiss... Something was missing. That spark she felt with Troy's kis was missing. But she was sure that's how she always felt, even if she supposedly had decided that they shouldn't be together. She licked her lips, slowly nodding.

"Yes, Julian." She gave him a soft smile. "People in love kiss, don't they?"

He nodded, curling his fingers more in her hair, kissing her deeper, letting his tongue massage against hers. Moaning every so slightly, he looped an arm around her waist and tugged her body against his.

Gabriella closed her eyes and let her arms wrap around his waist, kissing him in return. She didn't feel what she had ever felt when she kissed Troy, but she couldn't keep feeling like this. She couldn't keep comparing him to Troy. It wasn't fair to him. If she was going to be with Julian, she was going to be with Julian. Pulling back, she felt a little lightheaded.

"Oh! If I'm going to dance the night away, can't be doing much of that. Making me lightheaded."

Julian let a finger brush across her lips, smiling. "Well, you make a good point there." Nodding, he took her hand again and lead her down the boardwalk. "You sit here," he said, pulling her seat out and sitting down across from her when they got to the restaurant. Julian ordered the best wine they had to offer and smiled across the table. "Anything you in the mood for?"

Gabriella shook her head, thankfully it wasn't feeling so fuzzy anymore. "You order. I'll like anything you order," she told him, looking around. Loving the music that was playing, just letting it all soak in.

He ordered both of them the lemon chicken dinner with steamed vegetables and stood, pushing his chair in. "That dance, Miss Montez?" he asked, holding his hand out to her and smiling.

Gabriella slid her hand into his and let him lead her out onto the dance floor. It was a slow song playing. She was actually looking forward to an upbeat song, but she was sure he just wanted to hold her close first. She didn't have to deny him that. Stepping into his arms, she wrapped hers around him and smiled up at him. Closing her eyes, she laid her head on his chest. For a moment, she could believe that she was in Troy's arms, but that faded quickly when his heart didn't beat the same way Troy's did. She pushed away her disappointment and focused on where she was and what she was doing.

Julian slowly moved with her to the music, smiling as they swayed. "God, I missed you... more than I can ever explain."

She couldn't return his words. She only knew one person she was missing and she was trying hard not to miss him. "I really love this place, Julian. Not this place," she said, looking around before looking back at him. "I mean Hawaii. I know you've got a job... responsibilities back in California that you need to get back to, but... is there any way we can stay here? Like, never go back."

Julian tried to hide a smile, but it was impossible. "I was actually wondering if you'd be okay with that... I was going to ask you after dinner. I have a private jet, I can make the ride back and forth. I would love that. Would you really love to stay here forever? Because there is nothing I want more!"

Gabriella had to forget the life I had in California. She'd already forgotten most of her life, and she could easily forget these last few weeks. She had to move on.

"Yes. That's what I want. I want to be here with you. We'll get married and raise our family and be perfectly happy."

"I love you so much, and someday, you'll remember how much you love me!"

He kissed her forehead, twirling her around before dipping her back and pulling her back up, this time even closer. She was so close he could smell her. It made his body react, and he closed his eyes.

"I miss you... in bed with me..."

He had never actually had her in in his bed, but she didn't need to know that.

Gabriella's breath caught in her throat. He was holding her so close, she could feel every line of his body against hers. He was... she was sure he was turned on. What was she supposed to do about that? She pulled back from him, inhaling slowly.

"I think I need to sit down, Jules. I need a drink."

"Okay..." He stopped, raising an eyebrow. "You... you just called me Jules... that... that's what you use to always call me. It was your nickname for me..." He smiled. "I never told you that... did you... did you... remember by yourself?"

"I need..." She pulled away from him completely. "I need to use the restroom."

She turned away from him and left in search of the bathroom. Finding it, she quickly locked herself in a stall. Putting her arm up on the door, she rested her head on her arm and cried softly against it. It wasn't him she was really remembering.

"Troy," she silently sobbed.

She remembered him. Not completely. Not everything They'd ever been through, but she remembered what she felt for him. And in return, she remembered what I used to feel for Julian and why she was with him. Julian was right, she had ran away from Troy. She didn't know why, but she remembered that much. She was with Julian now. She had been settling, but that wasn't fair to any of them. She had to move on like she had been trying to, despite how she felt.

Leaving the stall, she walked over to the sink to wash her hands and dry her face. She came back out to the restaurant, smiling and sitting down across from him at the table, picking up her glass and taking a long drink.

Julian's fingers curled roughly in the table cloth, his foot bouncing in anger. He hated that even when she couldn't remember that bastard, the same exact look came to her eyes whenever they got close. She wanted him. He could feel it in his bones. When she sat down, he stood.

"You enjoy your dinner alone." He put some money down. "Use that to pay your bill. I'm not much in the mood to have dinner with you and Troy... Goodbye."

Grabbing his jacket, he walking off. He knew she wouldn't understand how he knew, but if she chased him, like he was sure she would, then he would explain how he knew.

Gabriella sat her glass down, her eyes opening wide. "What?" She stood, running after him, catching up to him only when they were outside. "Julian! What just happened in there? Why ... why are you leaving? I don't ... I don't want Troy! I'm here with you, aren't I? I left Troy, didn't I? And I'm not talking about just the other day at the hospital. I'm talking about whenever it was that I left him. I left him, alright? I remember that! I remember you, alright? I don't remember everything, but I remember being with you! I just needed a moment to breathe after remembering all that! Why are you so upset with me?!"

"Because I'm sick of being the good guy. The nice guy. I'm sick of seeing that look in your eyes. I saw it for months in the beginning of our relationship. The look that told me you missed him, wanted him! He's a dirty bastard who treated you like shit and yet you can't get over him! Even when you don't remember the rotten fucker, you still have that look! I'm sick of it!" He started to walk faster before stopping, staring down at her. "Wait... you... remembered me? What... what do you remember?" His heart thumped oddly in his chest.

She tried to push off what he said about Troy. She didn't want to think about him. She wanted to focus on Julian and where she was with him.

"I remember being with you. I remember I ran away from Troy. I can't remember why, but I remember being with you. I remember what I felt for you. I remember. Please, Jules. I want the life we planned together. Can we have that? I don't want Troy." It was a lie, but she had to make myself believe she didn't.

"Oh, Ella," he whispered, tugging her forward and kissing her hard and deep, letting his fingers tangle in her hair.

She slowly lifted her arms and wrapped them around his neck, pulling him to her. She had to make an effort here. She had to move on, and he loved her. She could feel it. He deserved her love in return. Pulling back from the kiss breathless, she was barely able to speak. "Take me home, Jules," she asked in a heavy whisper.

Julian smiled, scooping her up in hid arms and carrying off toward the hut. When they got back, he laid her back on the bed, clicked the lock and kicked his shoes off before leaning back down to kiss her again. His heart flipped. Would they actually have sex?

Gabriella grabbed his tie and pulled him closer to her. "Did you... umm..." She licked her lips, settling more on the bed. "Did you want to start working on that family?"

Her mind was racing. She couldn't believe she was about to do this, but it wasn't as though they hadn't done it before. She just wish she could remember.

"Oh, God, yes!" He couldn't believe how well this was working out. He couldn't believe it. "Yes!" He slid his hand up her skirt, rubbing her through her panties. "I want you sooo badly! I want you to have my baby! I love you! God, do I love you!"

She smiled, closing her eyes and lifting her hips to his touch. "Oh, Jules..."

Closing her eyes tightly, she did her best not to think about Troy, even though she wanted him here with her and not Julian. But that wasn't fair. She opened her eyes to look at him, to stay focused on him. Pulling his tie free, she started to undo the buttons on his shirt.

When she got the buttons undone, Julian shoved the material back and lifted her up to unzip her dress. He tugged it down, tossed it aside and let his fingers trail over the slope of her breasts through her bra and down to her stomach. He smirked, kissing her flat stomach, slowly tugging her panties down.

"Mmmm, so beautiful," he mumbled, kissing the space above her clit.

Gripped at his hair, she closed her eyes tightly. She didn't know why she wanted to tell him no so badly, but she didn't want this. She didn't want to be with him. She wanted to be with Troy, but that was over. She was with Jules. She was marrying him.

"Yes, Jules."

She lifted her hips slightly, forcing herself to stop thinking about Troy.

Julian spread kisses back up her stomach, capturing her mouth in his and undoing his pants, sliding them and his boxers down. He had waited soo damn long for this and he didn't want to waste another second. He shifted, lifting her legs and wrapping them around his waist. The head of his cock teased her hole before he slowly but surely slid inside of her.

"Jesus Christ! Oh, yes! God yes!" he cried, loving the feel of her.

She was better than he had ever imagined. She was so tight, so perfect. Gabriella swallowed back at the tears threatening to fall from her eyes. This was what she wanted. She wanted to move on, and she had chosen to do it with Jules. She gripped his shoulders, pulling him tighter to her, tightening her legs around him and lifting her hips up against him.

"Jules! Jules!"

Julian moved harder, faster, kissing her shoulder by her bra strap, letting his mouth play there, his fingers curling harder in her hips as he pounded even more into her. She grabbed onto his shoulders harder, biting at her lip, almost hard enough to penetrate the skin there. This didn't feel like she was sure it was supposed to, but she wasn't going to tell him to stop.

"Yes," she gasped, holding onto him tighter.

Julian gave one last rough pump inside her when he exploded deep inside of her. "Oh, Elllllllaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" he cried, pulling out of her and collapsing onto the bed beside her, his breathing heavy.

Gabriella closed her eyes, holding back the tears that she knew were inches away. She just wanted to go to sleep the blankets around them, she and turned into his side and tired her best to go to sleep without crying herself to sleep.

"I love you," Julian whispered, kissing her shoulder and curling into her.

Closing his eyes, he fell asleep pretty quickly. Gabriella sniffled slightly, but forced herself to go to sleep as well. She wanted to be in Troy's arms, but this was where she had made her choice to be. She fell asleep, doing my best not to cry... or think about Troy.

Troy swirled the dark liquid around in his glass, staring at the computer in front of him. He had searched as much as he could to figure out where Gabriella and De Aquila had gone, but nothing showed up. He was at a loss. He had hired that private detective the day Gabriella was taken, but he wasn't working fast enough for Troy. He wanted Gabriella, now. He wanted her here with her family. With him.

He had messed up before. Being so angry for so long that he didn't allow them to be a real family, but he had gotten over the anger, and we had our shot, she was still gone. He had fucked Sharpay out of anger and she had ended up pregnant, and that was why she had left. God was surely laughing down at Troy, he thought, teaching him for being a sinner, for being so sexually active, for his gambling ways, for all the late nights binges of drinking. He was teaching him a lesson and instead of listening, Troy was sitting with half a bottle of whiskey gone and downing his next glass. He never learned. He was a miserable bastard, and...

"Daddy?"

He turned in his seat, his eyes brightening at the sight of his little girl in her princess nightgown, her hair a tangled mess on top of her head as she rubbed at her eyes.

"Yes, princess?"

She moved slowly toward her daddy, hesitant, eying the bottle of whiskey next to his laptop. She was a smart girl. She was so mature, even in her immature sleeping wear. She knew what the bottle meant. She knew what Troy's sadness looked like. She shouldn't, but Jesus Christ she did.

"Where's Ell... Mama?"

She was still getting use to calling her mama, but she was doing it even more now. Ever since the shooting. She was such an angel. Just like her mother.

"I can't really explain that, baby doll."

She crawled onto his lap, wrapping her arms loosely around her neck. "Why not? Did she... did she leave us... me again?"

Troy shook his head, smoothing her hair back on her head. "Never, no. Someone took her. A very bad man. He took her from us. I promise I'll get her back and once and for all we'll be a real family, okay?"

She hugged him tightly, her head resting on his chest. "Good, because I need to tell her I'm sorry."

Troy kissed the top of her head, letting his lips rest there. She used the same shampoo as her mom and her hair smelled just like her. It made his heart throb. "For what?" he asked, pulling back a little to look at her.

"For being a brat."

Troy raised his eyes. "You aren't a brat!"

Tori nodded sadly. "I am, daddy. But I swear I'll make it up to her."

Troy brushed a finger against her cheek. She had the face of her mother. Innocent, sweet, beautiful. She had Troy's eyes, but she had her mother's face, even her skin color.

"It's okay, princess. There's nothing to make up. Your mama will just be happy to see you again."

She smiled. "Can I sleep with you daddy? I can't sleep by myself."

Troy nodded, turning his laptop off and picking her up in his arms. He carried her up to his bedroom, the bedroom he had shared with Lily, and after brushing his teeth and changing into pajamas, he crawled in bed with his baby girl and they both fell asleep missing her mama.