Troy's mind was on Gabriella's murder.

He gripped the steering wheel as he waited at the red stoplight.

Gabriella's appearance was magic. Pure magic. But she was murdered.

His other hand held Gabriella's in a tight grip. He squeezed it and looked over at her, fear spread across his face.

"You alright?" She looked over at him. "We don't have to go the park, Troy."

He looked deep into her big chocolate irises that swirled with the blank white of her actual eye. The innocence that haunted her beautiful, angelic face made Troy crazy for her. She had a light about her, something that wasn't there before. She seemed different somehow. Maybe a little softer around the edges, or maybe even because he was used to seeing her stomach hanging out, and now it was as flat and toned as could be.

Or maybe it was because she was dead.

He shivered.

"Babe?" She jiggled his hand a little and looked up at the stoplight, which was now green. "Troy?"

He continued to stare at her like she was the goddess of Earth, the person who controlled his every movement, the beautiful girl whom he had passed every day at school, and sent butterflies fluttering around in his stomach. He couldn't believe he was in the presence of the girl he had fallen head over heels for, the girl that spawned his son, the one he really, truly fell in love with. He loved her more than life itself. He would do anything to find her in heaven. He would kill himself if he didn't have Talon.

But he wouldn't be with Gabriella…

"Troy!" Gabriella waved her hand in front of her face. "Troy, it's a green light!"

He didn't break his gaze.

"TROY!"

A car horn blared behind him, and he snapped out of his trance and stepped on the gas, wheeling them forward with a massive amount of acceleration. He held the wheel with his eyes wide, staring at the road as he finally began to slow down.

"What's going on? Why were you staring at me?" She was a little concerned.

"I just… " He shook his head and sighed, turning off the road. He turned the car off, leaned against the steering wheel, and set his face in his hands. "I can't stop thinking about- "

"My murder… " She sighed.

She watched as the same salt water dripped from his eyes as she had seen the day she watched him cry over their dead son. The way he tried to be strong for her didn't help. They thought their son was dead. But alas, he was alive and strong, waiting for his mommy and daddy to come for him.

And Gabriella died that day…

And she watched him from heaven as he cried some more, wanting to be with him so badly.

The pain from her death never did leave his body. He always boxed it up inside of him and waited for the right moment when he was alone to cry half-heartedly. And then his daddy senses kicked in and he was there for Talon.

She never wanted to see him suffer.

She never wanted to cause him pain.

His vision went black.

…..

Crickets chirped their love songs to one another.

Love birds sang their beautiful melodies, saluting the daylight as the sun dropped beyond the autumn trees. The wavy clouds surrounded by baby blue sky turned into shimmering stars and a black night.

Gabriella sat in the passenger seat of the car. She cried softly and waited as Troy sat in the seat, completely knocked out. His breath still rose and fell, but she became scared that he would never wake up.

What would she do?

Signs of life started to emerge from Troy. His eyes flickered and he groaned a little.

"Troy?" She leaned over the seat and grabbed his hand.

He looked directly up at her without saying a word.

"Are you okay?" She said softly.

"Yeah… " He finally croaked a word.

"Do you want some water or something?" She ran her fingers through his hair.

"No… " He coughed a little. "Just stay close to me… "

She ran her fingers through his hair and bent down, placing a warm kiss on his chilled forehead. He shivered a little. "I'm right here."

A few minutes of silence passed before the sky in front of them turned a little red as the sun slowly began rising.

"Gabi, I don't want you to leave… Please stay here with me."

"I wish it was that easy." Tears dripped from her face as she watched his slow movements. She noticed the tiny puffs of air leaving his mouth as he slowly inhaled and exhaled. "Are you cold?"

"A little."

She turned the key in the ignition and listened as the car rumbled to a start. She blasted the heat.

"Can we go home now?" Troy sat up a little and rubbed his eyes.

"Home… " Gabriella looked down at her fingers, playing with her bracelet. "Home is with my horse and my two dogs."

"Home is where the lions roar." He began remembering a certain poem that he heard right before he met Gabriella. The poem that he hadn't remembered until exactly then.

"Home is where the eagles soar." She looked out at the beautiful sunrise, watching the birds fly across the setting sun. She knew the same exact poem.

"Home is where you'll always be." Troy gave her hand a little squeeze.

"Home is where the angels sing." Gabriella smiled a little out of the corner of her mouth.

"Home is the dawn's break." He stared with her at the sunrise.

"Home is the end of fate." She looked into the clouds.

"Home is where you'll find me." He kissed her hands as his eyes began to water.

"Home is where I'll love thee." She rested her head on his shoulder.

Ironically, both knew the poem.

But, that wasn't the end.

"Home is my golden guide." The golden sun rose until the air. Troy kissed Gabriella's head.

"Home is my molten pride." She said directly after him as the flares of the sun lashed out towards the Earth in anger. The sun was more vivid than ever and both Troy and Gabriella could both see every detail of it without blinding their eyes. It was magical. Nobody could look at the sun without going blind.

"Home loves the saddest man." A homeless man appeared walking along the street in front of them, skinny, depressed, and unsatisfied with life.

"Home grows to make amends." She felt comfortable as her body began to numb. Their fingers began to entwine.

"Home is our beautiful song." The birds began chirping a beautiful tune that Gabriella had loved when she was alive, and missed very much.

"Home is where our souls will walk along." Their bodies molded together as they watched the sun, without pain in their eyes. Her lit body became dim.

"Home is what we have to choose." Troy's eyes poured tears. He knew he was losing her.

"Home is where I'll find you." She whispered.

A trail of wind whisked past him. He found himself clutching nothing but air.

And the sunset rose lonely in Troy's heart as he drove down the Boulevard of Broken Dreams.