Hi...Wow, I am SO SORRY for keeping you all waiting. I deeply apologize for making everyone wait a whole summer just for this story. Thank you to everyone who reviewed and reminded me about my story :) I'm glad that you all still remember it and this site! Is it me or does it seem like FanFiction isn't as popular or active anymore? Hm, anyways, here's the story. Hope it's worth a summer's wait :)

Looking out the window, cars softly passed by, wind rattle against the trees, and the New Mexico morning sun had just risen. The morning looked so soft, so mysterious and bright. It looked so lovely, they could feel the warmth even from the car. Even at 6:24 AM, they had managed to be awake, especially after a night like that.

Gabriella placed her temple on the cold car window, being able to have a smooth angle of the landscape around them. She pulled her knees up to her chest, still wearing her bridesmaid gown. She sighed a bit.

"What's wrong?" Troy asked, glancing over at her for a quick second and quickly turning his attention back to the road.

Gabriella shook her head. "Nothing." She mumbled, slowly closing her eyes. "Mmm." She said, softly.

"Oh, okay." He said, with a nod.

"Well," Gabriella said. "…I don't know. I mean, what happens when we get back? What am I supposed to say? What're you supposed to say? We didn't tell anyone…" she kept looking for other reasons, but clearly couldn't find any.

Troy glanced at her quickly and smiled. "Relax, didn't you want this? I mean, when you said yes, you were aware all of this crap would come along with it, right?" he said, smiling.

Gabriella laughed. "Yeah, yeah, I know." She giggled. "Who knew that they had one of those 24 Hour Chapels in Santa Fe?" she said, with a soft smile.

Troy laughed. "It was pretty random." He said. He had one hand on the wheel and inched his other hand toward Gabriella's.

She turned to him a little surprised, but when she saw his face, her face softened and her lips curled into a smile. She gently took his hand, with their fingers intertwined. She smiled to herself. She could still feel the tingles she got when she touched his hand, just like she did when they first met.

"How long's the ride back?"

Troy shrugged slightly and checked the clock on the radio. "Um…about twenty minutes, it's not that bad of a drive."

Gabriella nodded. "So…what happens when we get back? I'm sorry, but I keep thinking about it…I kinda left Isabelle and we left without telling anyone…" Gabriella shrugged and continued to stare out the car window. "I don't know, I feel bad."

"Don't." Troy said, simply, kissing Gabriella's hand gently.

Gabriella smiled brightly, feeling chills run down her spin.

"Your mom definitely took care of her, probably drowning her in sour gummy worms, chocolate covered raisins, and much more." He said, as Gabriella laughed.

"Yeah, yeah…" she said with a smile. Suddenly Troy's phone began to light up and ring in her purse. She reached for it and checked the number on the phone. She quickly pressed ignore and put her phone back into her purse.

"Who was it?"

"My mom." Gabriella said with a shrug. "She tried calling you again."

"Voicemail…again!" Clara cried, sighing and she shut her phone. She shook her head in disbelief. "I think this is about the twentieth time we've called Troy." She said, sitting on the couch.

Sharpay closed her eyes. "I'm not stressing out…stressing out will hurt the baby…" she said, touching her stomach and inhaling deeply. "I will not stress out. She's probably perfectly fine…"

Zeke nodded. "Yeah, she's probably fine. Let's call Gabby." He said, dialing his number. Zeke put the phone to his ear. He waited patiently for Gabby to pick up as Clara and Sharpay looked up at him eagerly. "It's dead and her voicemail box is full."

"Probably from us leaving all those voicemails last night…" Sharpay said.

Clara knit her eyebrows and shook her head, throwing her hands in front of them. "Oh, no, no, no." she said, shaking her head once again. "It's been hours."

"I last saw them at the reception." Sharpay said. "So I don't know what happened. They're adults, Clara, so I think that they're being responsible and mature about whatever happened."

"We'll see…" she said, skeptical.

"Grandma," Isabelle said, skipping toward Clara. "Where's Mama?" she said, as she put her hands on the couch's arm. Her feet shuffled impatiently.

Clara smiled sweetly. "Well, Mama's…out getting groceries…" she said, with a smile. "She'll be back…soon, hopefully…" she said, with an awkward chuckle.

"W-What about Uncle Troy?" She said, tapping her tiny fingers against the couch.

Clara smiled awkwardly. "He went with Mama, they'll be back. Why don't you…um, go eat those gummies I bought for you? They're in the kitchen."

Isabelle's face lit up and a smile crept up. "Okay!" she said, scurrying off into the kitchen.

"Do you think they're together?" Sharpay said, turning to Clara, as she slumped onto the couch.

Clara shrugged and put her elbow against her knee. She let out a deep sigh. "No, she's with Josh, isn't she?"

Sharpay shook her head. "No, I meant, like, is Gabriella with Troy right now?"

"I don't know. I'm hoping, because I know Troy would protect her with his life. He's also been the one to care for her, all the time." Clara said, smiling warmly just thinking about Troy's love for her daughter. "He really loves her."

Sharpay nodded in agreement. "Way more than Josh will ever love her." She said, with a scoff.

"I know I've never met the guy, but what does Gabby see in him? He's gotta be something if she chose him over Troy. Gabby's crazy for Troy." Zeke said, with a nod.

Sharpay nodded in agreement. "I know, right? I don't know. I don't think Gabriella even knows herself."

Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Everyone stood still, all their eyes growing wide with wonder. Clara quickly whipped her head toward Sharpay. She jumped up and ran over to the door with Sharpay and Zeke right behind her. Clara unlocked the door and whipped it open. Suddenly, a frown came to her face.

"Oh."

Taylor and Chad's face fell into confusion and awkwardness.

"Um…bad timing?" Chad said, with a shrug as he looked at them all with an awkward smile.

Sharpay shook her head and broke into a soft smile. "No, sorry. We thought you were Troy and Gabby." She said, stepping back to let the newlyweds into the house.

Taylor nodded as herself and Chad walked into Clara's home. "Oh, where are they by the way? I've tried to call Gabby, since we're leaving in a few hours."

"Yeah, I've been trying to call Troy up too."

Zeke shrugged. "I don't know, man. We've been trying to call them for a while now, but we're hoping they're together."

"When did you last see them?" Taylor asked, as the whole party shifted into the living room. "I haven't seen them…since the middle of the reception, when they were dancing."

Sharpay's dark eyes grew big. "You don't think they…?" she said, narrowing them in question as she looked to Taylor.

Taylor's mouth dropped a little as she begin to wonder about all the possible things that could have happened within the two last night. She knit her eyebrows and looked suspicious. "I don't know…maybe they could have…"

"Don't even," Clara said, with a sigh.

Chad shook his head. "Nah, guys." He said, putting his arm around his wife. "You know Gabby, she wouldn't do anything crazy or stupid. And Troy would listen to her about that."

"True," Sharpay mumbled.

"But, you never know when it comes to Troy." Zeke said with a nod. "He's full of surprises…"

"True," Taylor flatly said, with a worried look across her face.

Suddenly, the sound of a car pulling up into the driveway filled the ears. Everyone stood up straight, alerted with the sudden noise. They all looked at each other with their eyes large with curiosity, worry, anxiety, and suspicion. From inside, they could see a tall man with a mop of chestnut hair driving the car and a woman in the passenger side with short dark curls. They were both dressed in formal attire.

"Ay Dios Mio," Clara said amongst all the silence. "It's them. What were they thinking, running off like that?" she said, marching toward the door.

Taylor, Sharpay, Chad, and Zeke all followed Clara's angry lead toward the foyer. They were all whispering amongst themselves and shaking their heads.

"Is it me…or can I see the steam coming out of Mama Montez's ears?" Sharpay whispered behind her hand to Taylor.

Taylor squinted her eyes at the back of Clara's frame. "You're right…I kind of can, creepy."

"Gabriella's so dead."

Clara reached the door, grabbed the knob, and whipped the door open revealing Gabriella and Troy with surprised looks on their face. Gabriella had been digging in her purse and Troy had his hand on Gabriella's waist. Clara's face relaxed when she saw the both of them. In relief, she threw her arms around them.

Gabriella smiled awkwardly as she gently hugged her mother back. "Hi…" Gabriella turned her head to Troy and Troy just smiled awkwardly at her. She looked at her mother with uncertainty and then back at the gang behind her mother.

When Clara finally released them, her face came into a stern manner. "Gabby, what do you think you were doing at this hour? Did you know we were all worried for the both of you?"

Gabriella nod. "Yes, I know but—"

"We've been worrying for you guys since…last night." Clara said, shaking her head in disbelief. "This is ridiculous." Clara sighed. "Did you not even care to think about Isabelle?" Clara said, her voice changing into a whisper.

"I did, Mom. She was the one I was—"

"Well, come inside and explain yourself." Clara said, shaking her head.

Gabriella nodded in silence as she and Troy walked past Clara and entered the foyer. The whole gang engulfed them in a big hug, glad to have them in a safe return from wherever they went.

"Yo, man, where you've been?" Chad said, patting his friend on the shoulder.

Troy smiled awkwardly. "Well, uh…you know…around."

"Gabs, you've been so worried about you!" Sharpay cried as she and Taylor released Gabby from their big hug. "Where have you been?"

Gabriella smiled. "Um…we kind of got…lost…for uh, a really long time…" she said, putting an uneasy look on her face.

"We didn't see you since last night." Taylor said, her face relaxing. "At least you're safe now."

"I was never in danger," Gabriella laughed softly.

"Well," Sharpay said, taking Gabriella's hand gently. "We just wanted to make sure and—" Sharpay suddenly cut herself off. She felt something weird on Gabriella's ring finger. In a sharp move, she pulled Gabriella's hand closer to her face, seeing a silver band around her finger. "You…"

Gabriella didn't say anything as she saw Taylor examining her face with wide eyes. Taylor gave Gabriella a suspicious look as Gabriella felt her stomach sinking in. Her two best friends stared her down intently and she had no idea how to respond or explain about any of this. She opened her mouth, but no words came out, her mind was still racing.

Sharpay's eyes dug deeper on the ring on Gabriella's finger, all these assumptions, questions, and conclusions were running through her head. Slowly glancing at Taylor, she knew she had the same reaction as well, assuming from the blank look on Taylor's face. Sharpay quickly grabbed Troy's left hand and pulled it to her view, seeing the same exact silver band.

"You didn't--"

"Holy Crap--"

"Oh dear--"

"OH MY GOD! You guys got married!"

"This is…a wonderful surprise…" Clara said, sitting on the couch, with a calm manner. "I'd be jumping up and down for joy, because I've always wanted you two together."

"Mom," Gabriella smiled. She was sitting on the couch next to Troy, who had his arm around her thin waist.

"You still have to explain to Isabelle what this all means…" Clara said, with a nod.

Gabriella nodded in response. "I think she'll understand, I mean, Troy was pretty much her father when we lived together."

Clara nodded. "Oh okay…" she said. "It's just that, someone called for you today."

"Really, who?"

Clara looked at Sharpay, Taylor, Chad, and Zeke before returning her gaze to Gabriella. She nodded to her daughter and reached over to the answering machine. She clicked the button and a familiar voice came on.

"Gabriella,"

It was Josh's voice.

Gabriella froze. She had forgotten all about him. She could feel herself growing more confused, her body going still, and her mind still trying to process this all. She began to breathe deeper and listen to the voicemail.

"Oh…" she mumbled.

"It's me Josh,"

When Troy heard his voice, he looked over at Gabriella, analyzing her reaction. She hugged her waist tighter as he felt himself growing protective over his new wife.

"I tried calling your cell phone, but it's off and the voicemail box is full. I just wanted to say that I miss you—a lot. It feels like we haven't talked in forever. And I've been doing a lot of thinking lately…I want to be with you, I really do. I'm still waiting for you…"

Gabriella and Troy both froze, remembering the promise they had made to each other that fateful day of their graduation.

"That's why, I'm, um, doing something. I'm taking a flight down to Albuquerque."

"Oh, God." Gabriella mumbled.

Her body grew tighter, she could feel herself gripping Troy's hand. She sighed as she felt herself freezing up all over again..

"We're boarding right now, so, I'll see you soon…I love you." The beep followed.

Everyone was silent.

"Oh, God, I totally forgot…this is…" Gabriella shook her head, in disbelief. "When did he leave the voicemail?"

Clara looked over at the machine. "4:13 AM."

"What time is it now?"

"7:03."

"He's here."

Uh oh, Josh is coming! We'll see what happens... Thanks for all the reviews guys, much love.

- xlovelyloserface