by iyesh
Epilogue

"How's the sex going?"

That question definitely worked more effectively than what her coffee had been doing -waking her up and failing miserably- and she swore she nearly spitted out the sizzling liquid swimming in her mouth.

"Meredith!" she exclaimed- she should've known better, that when it came to Meredith; the subject was either- medical or sex. And in this early Tuesday morning, it's the second topic, considering that Sharpay did not share the same passion about the first with her friend. "That wasn't polite" She facted to the girl who seemed to be busy flipping a patient's chart back and forth.

She waved her hand. "Don't be such a prude. We all know you're not one."

"If he's not any good as he used to, it's rubbish." A masculine sound came up between the two women, leaning in to give Meredith a peck then restrained himself as he saw Dr. McKenzie deadly staring at them behind Sharpay's and Meredith's backs.

"Good morning to you too, Derek." Sharpay greeted waiting to be returned with one of his charming smiles.

The mystery of Derek Shepherd's hair - even this middle of a busy day, his hair looked better than Sharpay's best hair day. It's one of those things that keeps Meredith is happy about too.

"Shepherd, OR 2; code blue—we need you." Dr. McKenzie ordered him out as she stood up to her 'no public affection under her watch' code. The twinkle in her eyes luring away the wrinkles she had; hiding the years dealing with sick people that had taken its toll on her. Dr. McKenzie had seemed stricter after she got back from the exchange. She probably had heard everything she needs to hear about Derek and Meredith back from Seattle. "The artery just burst."

Sharpay winced. "That doesn't sound pleasant."

"Wanna scrub in?" Derek Shepherd flashed one of his famous dreamy smiles.

"Maybe later" Meredith informed as Derek ran quickly for the elevator before his patient actually die. "You haven't answered the question…" She turned to Sharpay, crushing her rising hopes that Meredith was distrated and had decided to let the matter go.

"I wouldn't know. I'm not even sleeping in the same room as him, not even in the same floor. We have a kid in the house." She admitted frustratedly at that question, "Now how in the world I would know?" She cleared her point.

"My God" Meredith stopped their stroll in front of the stairs beside the receptionist. She took her hand off the baluster and rested it on her hips. "Almost 2 months in the same house as him, and you haven't slept together…" Sharpay spent 9 years without sex with him; she clearly had some self control. "All this anticipation, it'll better be worth it. How could you stand it? Both of you practically ooze sexual tension whenever the two of you laid eyes on each other. Like you're undressing each other with your eyes."

"I'm not someone who gets wasted then wake up naked to a man I evidently do not know, Mer…" She pointed the fact that she wasn't anything like Meredith—though her bad habit was done with her on and off fling with Derek, "Not even a kiss goodnight." Sharpay announced in pride. "I didn't even want to live with him if his mother hadn't forced me to move with him—I figured it would be good for Aud too. I really want to take things slow."

"I know that I like his hair and it was fate." She defended, slipping her pen inside her pocket.

"Yeah, what's with the other drunken strangers you slept with that hadn't turned out to be your boss?"

But Meredith ignored her and shifted to the topic back in hand. "You're really trying to work this out… I'm proud, 2 months without falling of the wagon… That's-" Meredith started to walk up the stairs. Sharpay had the feeling she was about to praise her self control but instead she declared, "…unbearable."

"I am trying to work things out with him. And sex would just blur everything. We'll get caught up in the moment and forget the real important issues." Sharpay paused a little, as if she was hesitating to tell what she had in mind, "Although, we sort'a did it the day we made up in his dad's car, the one when you and Derek looked oh-so-fabulous with Larry King" Sharpay added hoping to distract Meredith by the last part.

But like the other times, Meredith didn't miss it. "And you said you didn't know if he was as good in bed as he used to!" Meredith let out a frustrated statement—followed by a look from Sharpay, "Okay, I know I said 'bed', and cars doesn't count; but sex is sex" Meredith used air quotes with her free hand while one clutching the patients' chart, "And it was his father's car for god's sake! I know you must be happy that you just made up; but I don't think his dad would be pleased to step in his old car oozing sex smell."

"I think I know that." Sharpay informed – she had enjoyed the doctor's friendship for some time now so the prospect of her leaving is too depressing to think about. "So… When are you going back to Seattle?" Sharpay asked—she didn't want to say goodbye too fast; but it would be nice to throw a little surprise farewell party before they got back to their own lives in Seattle

"Well, Dr. McKenzie has gone back here. Derek and I would be staying here for 2 more weeks, tops" Meredith informed. "I hope I can stay longer."

"Sure… Derek's wife not here to glare down both of your backs here." Sharpay said; receiving a deadly glare from Meredith, "Jesting! I'm gonna miss you—probably I would fly all the way to Seattle if I had cancer." Sharpay smiled, "Would be better if both of you can stay though."

"Don't joke with cancer" Meredith scolded. Sharpay would've probably known that already but she was never in the pressure of taking out someone's malignant tumor or anything like that — so, she didn't comment, "And we can't stay here. Apparently Derek owns a $2 million hand, my Chief would literally have a cardiac arrest if he moved to another hospital." She just indirectly said that Derek was the best neuron/spinal surgeon across the country which Sharpay was well aware of. "Aud would be back from school soon." Meredith glanced on her watch.

"I'm not picking her up from school today, Troy is." Sharpay watched her steps even closer.

"Kathleen hasn't come back from her sick niece?" Meredith asked, and Sharpay shook her head, "So why are you here?"

"Well…" Sharpay tugged her black shawl over her shoulders to keep her warm, "I haven't been feeling well lately. It's probably not big, just a few case of vomiting and nausea. It's been happening for almost a week or so; that's why I haven't been in work." She admitted, "Troy called Derek earlier today to book me an appointment. I'll just probably get some supplements. You don't have do a check up on me or anything."

"There's nothing wrong with that. He's concerned." Meredith gave the patient's chart to the nurse behind the desk and started to stroll to the other direction towards the big bridge that connected to the other wing of the hospital.

Like a magician pulling a bunny out of thin air Sharpay quickly two tickets. "Yeah… Also to give you guys tickets to this week's big game."

"I'll see if I can keep my shifts in schedule for that." Meredith smiled widely as she shoved the tickets into the pocket of her coat. "So… When was your last period?"

"Why you ask?" Sharpay's eyebrows mashed together; one minute they were talking about her sex life and now she's stepping into personal boundaries – it wasn't as if Sharpay was uncomfortable discussing things with her friend, who is of course a doctor, it was just that it kind of caught her off.

"Because…" Meredith drew a long breath before finally stopped walking once again and faced her. "I'm thinking that you might be pregnant."

/

"Oh hey" Derek quickly greeted the little blonde releasing her father's grip to run towards him; ready to envelop him in a big hug—and once was caught, he picked up the girl, twirled for her delight and asked "How was school?"

"Kids are mean. I'd rather be here." Aud frowned as she wrapped into Derek more. "Aul's friends are nice though—the ones who are not at the basketball team. They say I'm just like her, just kind of, different." She quickly turned her frown upside down and her blue eyes gleamed in twinkle, "You washes after you touched blood and all that stuffs right?" she made sure before clinging to him again

"We use gloves, honey. Hey Troy" Derek cocked his head at him as if he just noticed him being there.

"So, how's Sharpay?" Troy snuck both of his hands into the pockets of his jeans then flashed a smile to his daughter once she caught his gaze.

"Meredith ran some tests and apparently she's fine but you're going to be ecstatic to hear the news." At the sound of Derek's delight in his tone, Troy felt rejoiced that she was fine.

"What news?"

Before Derek could tip out any hints to Troy—Meredith came out of nowhere to plant a chaste kiss on Derek before he could spill anything. She knows that he would not spill the fact that she is pregnant for that is not his responsibility to do so since Troy has not been officially her husband but he might as well and Derek might to something just as stupid.

"That she's extremely well." Meredith clung to Derek's arm and curled her fingers onto the material of his coat to keep him from giving anything away. "Hey are you excited your dad's going to be bring home another trophy?" Meredith tried to make the girl feel a little better- she knew that kids could get envious easily by the kind of parents she has and the media that was still rounded on them; and in results, be mean to the girl despite going to a private school where all parents are just as opulent as hers.

"Sure, no pressure." Troy grinned and dimples dented his cheeks—his grin quickly soften as he spotted Sharpay a few feet away from them.

Sharpay's head felt dizzy once again. She caught his eyes; at least now she knew why—she wasn't sure if she was going to tell him now. When they had promised to try making it work before actually plunging in a real serious marriage all over again- she didn't want to zoom even more media on them; not with a pregnancy news that is.

The instant she told him she was pregnant, he would insist to marry her. Because it was the right thing to do since he would feel duty bound to take care of another of his child being carried and because he thinks they were ready for it. However she wasn't.

She felt for a second she was about to tumble back from her reeling head as her mind tried to wrap around the fact there is another kid developing inside of her. She had just lost one and now granted with another. What if she can't take care of this one right? She felt as if she was going to faint before Troy put a hand on her back, drawing small circles, "Are you okay?" he whispered silently- not wanting Aud to worry about her mother as he was already doing now.

Sharpay nodded and shut her eyes real tight for a second—trying to gain composure. Maybe it was bad to stay up late at night trying to get back in track for work since missing it wouldn't help her keeping it; especially after Troy had yelled to the vice president of the store by the phone when she told she couldn't afford Sharpay taking a few one-too-long-sick leave.

All Troy allowed her to do was simple soccer mom works, and not even the hard exhausting works —like baking or help her do her science project or bake muffins to bring to class— until she felt better, that was how long she's capable of taking it. It's not like they needed her to work; Troy's income with contracts he had signed with advertisements and the Lakers had probably topped any A-List actor's paychecks. But she just felt so restless without anything else to do in the house. Not with their housekeeper and gardener doing all the work, leaving nothing for her.

While Troy guided Sharpay to have a seat and studied her pale face, Meredith knew that Troy was ready to be a dad of another child. Derek shot Meredith a concerned look but Meredith ran her tests and the problem was just that she was carrying a being in her womb. And she was just getting used to paparazzi's blinding shutters following everywhere they went and pounding shouted questions.

"Sharpay's fine. She's just stressful because of work, media you both get after coming back from Albuquerque." Meredith had agreed to help Sharpay keeping the news of her pregnancy away from Troy until she decided to tell him herself. She knew he had freaked out about her being unwell and she didn't want to distract him for the game she figured the news could wait until he brought victory to the Lakers and it would give her more time preparing herself for Troy's reaction.

Troy knew it didn't explain all the symptoms but he didn't want to make Aud worried about anything and Meredith said she's just fine – her blood tests told that everything's fine.

"One more thing I think Mer forgot to mention—" Meredith quickly pinched Derek's arm to again shut him up and flashed a grin to the couple—she felt bad about Troy worrying too much but he knew that doctors wouldn't purposely left anything important out if there was really something wrong.

"To just keep an eye on her" She covered Derek's unfinished sentence—she hadn't gotten the time to tell Derek that Sharpay didn't want to tell Troy until after the game this weekend.

"I told you I could take a cab today" Sharpay sat straight on the waiting bench. If Troy was already this over-protective when she was just feeling a little sick; wonder how he would be if he knew she was pregnant, he would drive her nuts.

"Hospital's just a few blocks away from the school" Troy helped Sharpay up to her feet—it was a good thing she wore flats today and carried with her an over-sized black glasses- not wanting to give media much sight on how pale her complexion was.

"How's my little girl doing?" Sharpay opened her arms to let the blonde girl wrapped her arms around her and Derek hesitated if she could handle Aud's weight; which made her tumble a little, but managed to balance before anyone could help her

"Are you okay?" Her little girl asked as she glued her forehead to her mother making Sharpay moved up to kiss her nose. "You don't seem okay."

"I am okay… It's just stress, honey. It'll shake off. You're getting so big for me to hold you now." Troy, concerned took Aud off her mother's grip and placed her back down to her feet. It's a good thing that Aud is beginning to be such a Daddy's girl and could be tangled off from Sharpay's back easier. Sharpay didn't mind really, she realized that she wanted to catch up all the lost years.

Aud grabbed his Dad's hand and walked towards the front door with Meredith and Derek tagging along. And when they could spot the blinding flashing lights from the glass door, Sharpay snuck her hand into Troy's arms.

"Thanks, Mer, Derek" Sharpay smiled gratefully. "See you this weekend."

"Take care of this little girl. We'll be missing you, dear…" Derek patted Aud's head then lightly pinched her cheek. She giggled.

Meredith smiled widely. "Um… Sharpay, I do think you might want to come to the hospital tomorrow" Meredith had told her earlier about checking the baby's heartbeat and made an appointment for a sonogram "Um… well, yeah…" Meredith couldn't cover when Troy and Aud gave her suspicious looks—but Derek just smirked.

Sharpay has to tell him sooner or later.

/

Troy made his way on the dark, vacant and roomy hallway to escape the kitchen as soon as he grabbed another bite of Sharpay's famous chocolate chip cookies. He had found Sharpay earlier in the day with her old apron and their flour-covered daughter in the kitchen after an exhausting day of practice.

He had almost gave in to break his promise and kiss Sharpay senselessly when Aud had told him that Sharpay and her had been baking the cookies for his big game tomorrow. Then he thought over regretting ever agreeing to taking it slow if it wasn't the only way to convince her that he was going to do whatever it takes for her to take him back.

The sight of her rumpled hair, flour covered hands and cheeks had swelled his heart.

He was utterly in love with the woman and she didn't have the slightest right of mind to acknowledge it. He realized it would get some work on making her trust him but a man could only take so much agony in waiting.

However, his steps stopped when he heard some faint sounds, looking around if anyone was to caught him stealing cookies from the pantry at midnight. He was beginning to think that the house was too big for 4 people to live in; in addition that Kathleen was still in Utah with her sick niece that now the occupancy of the house had reduced to 3 - not counting the cook who stays only in the day.

The next minute he found himself looking at Sharpay legs tangling in the weirdest angles, her face bent down the living room's toilet. He frowned. He thought that Meredith said she was just stressed out. He had had a hunch that something else was going on.

He removed one of the death grip she had to the edge of the porcelain and took her hand in his. He held the blonde locks when she bawled out another pour of bile. Sharpay's grip to his skin finally loosened and with his assistance, she got up to the sink to wash her mouth.

"Are you okay?" He made sure.

"I'm fine." She replied casually, shooting him a smile before wiping the back of her hand to her mouth—He didn't like that smile, that particular look that was giving him doubts to believe her statement—and he wanted to believe what she said. But it seemed like she was more trying convincing herself than him.

"I'm fine"

/

"Dad!"

A faint shout and the burning ray of sunlight blocked by her shut eyelids bothered her sleep. Sharpay didn't want to get up; she knew she had to; especially the fact that the today is Troy's big game. But something was keeping her to stay in bed.

The bed felt warmer than it had ever been, the sheets tangled around her feet was just the right and she was at ease. She let out a deep sigh before preparing herself to face the sunlight. She felt so comfortable that morning—it was the usual chirping birds and morning gust, but there was no single sore muscle in her today. Maybe she'd use sex as a stress reducer more often.

Wait.

Sex?

She turned to her side to find an annoyed twitch on Troy's sleeping face. She knew he was probably bothered by the noises too. Sharpay cursed herself personally for falling off the wagon with him—there goes her celibate days. She couldn't stop smiling though that she found herself naked with Troy Bolton on her side and the fact hadn't sink into her mind until a few minutes ago. Meredith would totally crack on this one.

She remembered everything about the passionate love making the other night. Slow and caring, filled with love. He didn't rush her and he had asked her plenty of times to make sure that he would not go with the task if she did not wish to. He reminded her of the promise she made him keep but she was beyond caring, she wanted to feel his love once again. The gentlest touch of his made her felt so cherished she hadn't been able to refuse as much as her mind screamed to remind her that it was not yet the time. Not when he was just seeing how horrid she was with her head bent on the toilet but that didn't seem to burn off his passion. She wondered how she could've resisted that long when he was so good beckoning her towards his bed.

Sharpay carefully removed Troy's possessive grip from the covers just above her hip and it seemed to be the one thing that disturb him the most that he jolted up. But his face turned all tender when he saw her figure on his arms. Sharpay couldn't help but to return the smile back instead of regretting that she was beginning to sleep with him again but she didn't.

In fact it had been so blissful she couldn't find a pang of regret anywhere.

"Mom! I can't find Dad in his…" The little blonde girl stopped in her tracks when she saw her parents on her mother's bed; only to be hidden under the rich chocolate quilt. "Find him"

Sharpay turned deep red as she fixed herself in a sitting position and took the quilt to cover all exposed skin as much as possible attempting to not let her daughter see her dad touching her in all inappropriate places. Troy cleared his throat awkwardly and gripped the quilt that covered half of his toned abdomen.

Aud then closed the door softly with a deep hot blush on her face—awkwardly trying to push away the state of undress she just found her parents in.

Sharpay let out a sigh and let her head fell to the plush pillow. She kept her gaze on the ceiling and refused to turn to Troy. She could still remember his blue eyes that get all sexy and alluring on mornings. She knew she's attached once she got lost in those eyes.

"You should get ready" Sharpay muttered; still refusing to look at him.

Troy exhaled and jumped off from bed, picking up his boxer that was scattered with other pieces of clothing they tore the night before. Troy glanced on Sharpay and caught her blushing deep red as she awfully tried to keep her sight on the nightstand.

He smiled as he thought about her still being shy that he was naked in front of her. He recalled the morning they first slept together but it was kinda of amusing that she still felt that modest after the things they had done overnight.

She'll get used to it eventually once he properly moved her to reside on his room tonight.

/

Swish

The buzzer went off and the crowd roared. Sharpay swore it was more than everything she could take on. She had been feeling kind of sick and light headed since she walked into the gym, but she didn't want to ruin Troy's big night. And she still couldn't help but flashed Troy the biggest smile she could put on when she still felt dizzy by the crowd and noises

"And that last buzzer shot signed it. Congratulations to the Lakers"

The announcer couldn't even contain his own joy. It was almost amusing how Troy kept winning game by game hands down. And he had aced this one easily—for once everyone could ignore his personal life with Sharpay more to his tricks of abilities.

Sharpay saw that Chad had ran up towards the end of the court to grasp Taylor in his hands. Kelsi was hugging Jason who seemed to be so contented with everything. Gabriella and Ryan was congratulating Zeke who was holding that model he was dating and Aud was already with his father being mockingly measured up to not be measured too different from size of the trophy.

"Are you okay?" Derek called out from the noises as she noticed Sharpay's pale complexion.

"I'm fine. It's the noise and the heat." Sharpay shook her head to try to clear her vision but things around her turned into more of a blur the noises turned louder. She rose from her seat and felt that she was enveloped to a hug.

"You did awesome" She smelled Troy's scent as she closed her eyes feeling his sticky sweat all around her but it felt nice nevertheless "Congrats you and your team" Sharpay wrapped her arms around his broad shoulder. She just loved one of these moments.

"Thanks" Troy replied and he wrapped his hands around her waist protectively. He wrapped her face in his hands and kissed her until she felt she was all lightheaded. The need for air parted them and he planted another chaste kiss before she opened her heavy lids to see Ryan who was picking Aud up to his shoulder and their friends laughing about something Ryan managed to say in the way.

"Hey, there was a fire at a restaurant we were paged to go back to the hospital." Derek announced once he stopped the faint beeping sound of his pager, separating both of them apart. "Congrats Troy" He patted Troy's back and gave Sharpay a brief hug and a peck on her cheek.

"I wished you could join us in the dinner…" Sharpay pouted—but she knew they had lives they had better to save.

"We're really sorry that we can't stay longer" Meredith hugged Troy and congratulated him and snuck her arm to Derek's, waving to Sharpay and ran towards the exit of the Staples center.

Troy was about to say something when Sharpay sensed that he had something to say about the fact she told him that she was just fine. "I'm going outside a bit to call your parents" Sharpay announced—flashing a faint smile leaving the room filled with cheering crowds.

And a frowning Troy Bolton

/

"Dr. Shepherd"

Derek Shepherd turned his head as soon as he heard a shaky calling behind his OR table. He was faced with a worried Meredith Grey right in the middle of his open brain surgery. Couldn't she tell that he was a little busy here with a guy's head cut open on the table?

"Make it quick, Meredith. I'm on the deadline of saving this man's brain in 10 minutes before the anesthesia ran out and he woke up" Meredith couldn't help but felt that he was a little over the top with his casual surgery procedure and rolled her eyes.

Meredith decided to hold back commenting on his ego for later. "There's this unidentified pregnant woman…"

Derek held his calm and figured that Meredith would possibly want some concern or that this was something really big or else she wouldn't be interrupting him in the OR now. "Tell me"

"I'm fully certain the unidentified pregnant woman who's being prepped for surgery now is Sharpay" Meredith spilled—she was sure that the unconscious woman was Sharpay—it hard to miss that when she had just been spending time with her family just an hour ago.

Derek's held his scalpel tight and momentarily wasn't sure if he heard right. He turned to look at Meredith's face which told that she was telling the utter truth - for she had the look of urgency and painful dread on it - and the only thing that got him snapped from shock was the rapid beeping sound from the monitor.

"Dr. Shepherd, he's crashing" The nurse informed rather in panic that the attending of the surgery was not fully concentrating in the open man's head.

Oh my, Derek knew too that his newly dear friend would be crashing as well if he's not there to make sure himself that she would be truly fine.

Troy would kill him.

"She's crashing"

The heart rate monitor that was connected to Sharpay's body made an awful tone—that didn't mean good. This wasn't on the script at all- they were supposed to have their happily ever whatever. Everything was starting to go so smoothly.

"I freaking know she's crashing!" Meredith snapped to one of the nurses and she nibbled more on her thumbnail as she tried to make sure on what to do. She was just an intern, she was no attending, she can not just take care of the case as much as she desperately want to seeing her friend unconsciously laid on the gurney.

Hold on a second,

She wasn't dead

Yet

"Push epidural, we're waiting on Derek" Meredith ordered as one of the nurses scrambled in the OR and injected it to one of the tubes.

"We can't wait another minute. Dr. Grey, I'm afraid you'll have to start the surgery." The other older nurse complained. Meredith had never started a surgery on her own without an attending—she was just an intern! She was a freaking intern!

As if on cue, Derek burst the door with his shoulder, his hands were washed and gloved held a few inches in front of his face, ready to go through this dread. He almost ran to the OR table to make sure that it was really Sharpay.

It was his nightmare, it really was her.

"Unidentified woman, shot twice. I'm afraid she's been losing a lot of blood. We're in the second round of epidural to keep her steady. Her heart rate kept going down. A-" Before the intern could even finished her words, Derek cut hastily.

"It's not an unidentified woman, it's Sharpay Evans!" Derek quickly shot up the room to find some sedation—he was going under the knife, right now. There was no time. He shot Meredith a look—he could tell by her look; she was too afraid to even believe that the dying woman was Sharpay and that she would be no help at all in the process.

Sharpay's eyes slowly fluttered open to see the blinding lights. She squinted from the lights then cringed at the noises then Meredith's face half covered by her scrubs.

"Mer…"

"Shush… Do not talk. Talking is the last thing you should do. What you need to do now is close your eyes and we're going to sedate you. You were shot. You're freaking shot. But you're going to be fine" Meredith tried to explain everything in a breath. "You're going to be fine."

"I didn't think anyone would come. It was dark, so dark. I waited a long time." Her dried lips moved slowly and she uttered the words so quietly that Meredith had to lean her ear down to catch what she's saying. "Tell Troy…"

"You have to be fine, Shar. Stop, you don't have to tell Troy anything"

Sharpay ignored her "Say…" But her voice was lost and her face cringed at the pain she was feeling.

"Sharpay, we couldn't have you awake. I'm going for echo to see your baby and we're going to put you under anesthesia so-" Derek cut their little conversation—but Meredith needed to know what she was about to say, she was dying—there were chances. There were chances. And Meredith was never that optimistic of a person but there were chances.

"Let her finish!"

Meredith came closer to her, trying to catch her low voice, "That I'm sorry" Meredith felt that she was about to continue but she said, "It hurts so bad, Mer" Derek clutched the scalpel on his hand even tighter—it was up to him to keep her alive. He knew the pressure. He couldn't even forgive himself if he didn't succeed in saving her. Think of Troy as his friend and Sharpay herself as the woman that had been through so much. She didn't deserve to be gone. It wouldn't be fair.

And the pressure wasn't helping…

"You hit your head on the pavement when you fall. You'll be fine." Meredith squeaked out

One of the nurses quickly injected the sedation into Sharpay, seconds after her eyes fell closed and Meredith started to panic. Derek quickly thumped his hand to her chest to keep her heart still beating.

"We're losing her" One of the younger nurses announced.

"SOMEONE CALL TROY FUCKING BOLTON!"

/

Meredith closed the door of OR 1 and was out to the dimmed hallway. Troy was sitting on the floor—his eyes were filled with gleaming tears and the tip of his nose were red. He had been crying and he seemed awfully tired. Meredith noticed that he was still in his jersey. He hadn't changed nor had he showered from the game. He must've came here in a rush once he was told that Sharpay was found by a late leaver from Staples bleeding at the side of the road.

"Troy…" Meredith bent down on his level to find him tearing his sight on the ceiling, the only way to keep his tears to stop falling. "Troy, I need to talk to you"

Troy didn't even dare to open his mouth and ask. So, Meredith sat down beside him on the floor and leaned to the wall he was supporting himself with.

Meredith's voice sounded tired and worn out. "Before she went in surgery, she told me. She said she's sorry" Meredith's breaths were shaky—as in she was about to cry; she wasn't allowed to do so in the OR when she stared on Sharpay's golden blonde that was already turning brunette of all the blood dampened.

"Why?" Troy's voice was just above a whisper and he exhaled longingly. He abruptly hit his head against the wall and stared on the ceiling again, his tears were already stinging again—all he needed to know now was whether she was okay or not.

"She… She didn't say." Meredith told him sadly.

Troy was not the least bit eased to hear that. It just made him more frustrated.

"She was shot twice Troy. I don't think that this was unintentional."

People got shot, she's going to be fine he told himself. He was going to kill that son of a bitch to shot her.

Troy didn't move. He kept his eyes glued to the ceiling of the room and felt the rage in him unravelling but he was so worn out from everything that he couldn't even bring the energy to pinch himself for he wished this was just a nightmare.

When he didn't respond, Meredith continued hesitantly to the next thing. "A baby. There's supposed to be this baby" Finally Troy's eyes were drawn to fully look at her where tears were fully brimming in them and a few finally fell to stain his already tear-stained face. "Derek kicked me out from the OR. I froze. I just froze and the baby is…"

Troy couldn't handle it anymore. He had to know now—on how's Sharpay's doing. She was supposed to be fine, she was supposed to be fine with him, they were supposed to be happy again. They've been through enough to proof that they had earned happiness.

They were supposed to get remarried. He was supposed to ask her to marry him –again and she was supposed to say yes this time. They were supposed to have kids again, yes they were supposed to.

Troy burst into the OR as quick as before Meredith could stop him—He ignored the red lamp that was turned on the top of the OR room, he ignored the fact that he wasn't in any gloves or scrub masks and was now trespassing a sterilized zone—only followed by Meredith a few moments later telling him that he shouldn't be there, to get out and he'll be kept posted on how she's doing that it was not good, he was not helping by causing a ruckus and so on - he didn't care.

"Troy, you need to get out!" Derek barked as he was concentrating on removing the bullet that was clogged to Sharpay's inside. His Sharpay. She cut open in a table, she was so pale that he barely recognized the woman. Her heart rate was still beeping unsteadily

Despite that, Troy approached to find the almost lifeless Sharpay with an oxygen mask. Her face was too pale for him to look and half of golden blonde looked a little like she had dyed it dark scarlet. It scared him to death

"Shoot another 20 epi" Derek ordered the nurses while he still pushed hard on Sharpay's chest—constantly checking her heart rate on the monitor. Shepherd looked worn out and tired—but his focus was definitely on the surgery. "Troy, leave now!"

"I'm sorry Dr. Shepherd. Are we not going overboard with the epi?" The intern refused to follow his orders—damn, Derek's mind wasn't going on properly and he knew he should get his act together.

Meredith looked on the monitor to see the echo of the baby had been turned off or was it never turned on?

That's the indication that the outcome would be anything but good news.

Troy reached for Sharpay's cold forehead and stroked it for a second—he was afraid to say it; but he was scared of the damp blood in her golden streaks. And Sharpay's heart rate slowly slowed down

Derek exhaled tiredly as he turned his head away from the bullets clogged to her inside to Troy standing a few paces back. "Troy, you need to leave the OR" Derek warned out of breath, but Troy didn't move a muscle, "You need to get out from the OR if you want to have a chance of her coming back alive" His voice sounded stern, "Get out!"

"You fucking make sure she's fine!" With that, Troy took a last look and finally gave way when Meredith dragged and pulled him out of the room—only to be out in the empty hallway once again and slumped down to the floor once again, covering his eyes with his hands.

Meredith stared on him with dearly sympathy—but she was sure that Derek could do it. He would do anything for Sharpay. And when she had heard a sob came out from Troy's mouth, she timidly asked

"I wish I could help" She kindly offered, "I'd do anything. All you got to do is just… ask"

Troy inhaled a deep breath and removed his hands only to reveal his red nose and gleaming teary eyes. "I need you to get in there" Troy whispered as he managed. "I need you to tell me she's going to be fine."

"Okay" With that, she left—leaving Troy in the dim hallway, not forgetting to give him one last look and assured him, "She's going to be fine" Meredith sounded sure. It was either of her years of practice or that she did really have faith that she'll be fine.

There was a baby. His baby.

Suddenly he imagined a little girl; a spitting image of Sharpay, playing along with Aundrea in their almost all too vast backyard. Aundrea would be happy that she didn't have to run and tell the adults about her problem because no one either than Brianna was interested on befriending her—every so often Aud thinks that if Brie weren't Chad and Taylor's kids, she would be a loner in the school. But the baby could change that, and that she would grow up just like Aurelia—although she'd never completely replace her but at least the hole that gaped could be patched although not completely filled.

Although that image was long gone proclaimed when he saw her in that OR –bloody, fighting for her life –

All that matters was that if she is fine and he'll be satisfied.

That was everything that mattered, for him, for Aundrea. He grimaced at the thought of facing his daughter, telling about her mother's critical condition and at the same time losing her what-was-supposed-to-be her sibling. And then nightmare dawned earlier when her crisp voice cut the air.

"Dad?"

The fragile sight of Aundrea in her flannel pajamas, hair all over the place and red puffy eyes, hanging on dear life to Ryan—made their way close to him, "Daddy, what's wrong?" She timidly asked when she was on her feet, "Daddy, I was home alone" Troy quickly told Gabriella and Ryan to bring his daughter home at once before going to meet him up themselves. He was surprised that they were terrified enough by his bark of order before letting him drive all the way to the hospital in his wrecked state of condition "No one would say anything and Mommy's not…" Aud pressed her hands on Troy's cheeks. "Tell me what's going on" Her eyes were gleaming with tears. "I don't want to be left alone at home. I want to know what's going on."

Troy stayed silent. The tears were starting to form in his eyes again. He had to be strong—strong for his family.

Sharpay couldn't leave him with Aud all alone—not like Aul. She just can't – she can't leave them like that

"Troy?" Ryan's voice sleekly cut through. He looked tired but just as terrified at not knowing.

The sight of her dad on the floor, dead eyes lingered on the lamp –refusing to even look at her; it scared her. "Daddy?"

Troy embraced his daughter, choking out a sob and buried his head on her little shoulder. His hands tightly wrapped around her hair, rubbing it furiously and wept, "She's going to be fine. Your mom's is going to be fine" He tried to assure himself.

She had to be fine. Of course she had to.

"Dad?" Troy could feel Aundrea started to tremble.

"We're gonna be fine."

END

I have had this epilogue sitting for years now and I realized it was never posted - my apologies that took me a painfully long time to do so. Now, that it is I feel glad that it is finally completed. I have to thank every single person that ever reviewed because it is truly the thing that kept me going and your messages complaining for I have abandoned most of my fictions just like that. I am trying to repair that aggravation I put people through now -being too late or not- I am putting the effort. Must you know, I'm not the kind that gives away happy endings that easily (: