Chasing Cars

Gabriella looked out the bedroom window and watched the sun slowly rise. She sighed as she remembered that unforgettable day.

Troy hugged Gabriella, who still held Jesse in his arms. He looked over her shoulder to see Paul pull out a revolver. He pushed Gabriella and Jesse behind him and used himself as a human shield.

Chris looked at Paul and saw him aim the revolver so he raised the gun still in his hand. At same time, Paul fired one shot and Chris fired two consecutive shots. Troy was hit high in the chest and fell to the ground. Paul was shot twice dead center in the chest.

Chris, horrified, watched Paul fall back. Larson kicked the revolver away from Paul and checked his pulse. Larson shook his head at Chris. Chris dropped the gun and walked over to Paul's lifeless body. Chris fell down to his knees, closed Paul's eyes, and then cried.

Gabriella lay Jesse back down into the car seat. Jesse was wailing. "Troy! Troy, talk to me!" Gabriella cried. Troy's eyes remained closed and a large blood stain seeped through his white t-shirt. "Somebody get some help!" Gabriella applied pressure to the wound with both of her hands.

Gabriella held Troy's hand as the paramedics worked on him in the ambulance. She couldn't help but cry as she held Troy's hand.

"Troy Bolton, gunshot wound to the chest. Approximately 30 years old. He's lost at least a pint of blood so you'll need to hand two unit of blood." Gabriella said to the first emergency room attending that ran up to the ambulance.

Gabriella was forced to wait outside the trauma room. The emergency room doctors were trying to get Troy stabilized for surgery. Gabriella never noticed the cops behind her trying to keep the press out.

Troy's heart monitor then started making a constant tone instead of beeps. "We're losing him!" A nurse cried. Another nurse then pushed a crash cart into the room and charged it to 300. A doctor grabbed the paddles and placed them on Troy's chest.

"CLEAR!" Troy's body jumped. His heart monitor beeped several times and then went flat again. "Charge to 350! CLEAR!" Troy's body jumped again. Gabriella covered her mouth to smother the sounds of her sobbing.

"Charge to 350 again! CLEAR!"

Gabriella closed her eyes as a tear ran down her cheek. She continued to watch the sun rise. Then a pair of strong but soft arm wrapped around her waist and she smiled. She could feel his lips kiss her neck.

Gabriella turned around. Troy smiled back and then he noticed that she had been crying. "Did you have the nightmare again?" Troy asked softly. Gabriella nodded. He hugged her and she hugged him back. "It's okay. I'm here."

Troy then wiped her years and cupped her face in his hands. Gabriella placed a hand over his on her cheek. Troy then leaned down and kissed her tenderly. Gabriella allowed herself to be lost in the passion and tenderness of the kiss.

"Mama." The two slowly broke apart and saw Jesse standing there at the door in his pajamas holding a stuffed wildcat from East High School. "Dada." Jesse said.

Troy pecked Gabriella's lips and winked at her. He walked over to Jesse and got down onto one knee. "Hey, how's my little wildcat? Do you know what today is?" Jesse shook his head with a big smile on his face. "Today is your birthday and you are one years old today!" Troy said. Jesse laughed and clapped his hands.

Troy held out his hands and Jesse ran into his arms. Troy kissed Jesse's head and Jesse kissed Troy's chin. Gabriella smiled as she watched her boys.

Troy fully recovered from his gunshot wound three months ago and that's when he got the courage to ask Gabriella out on the second first date, and she said yes. He made her a home cooked meal and they had a picnic in his backyard under the stars. And the paparazzi got an anonymous tip that they were having dinner at a new restaurant on the other side of town.

Gabriella and Jesse had spent the night at Troy's since the party was going to be there. Jesse jumped onto Troy's back and both of them laughed. He then got up and walked over to Gabriella with Jesse still on his back. "So…how does pancakes with bacon and eggs sound?" Troy asked.

"Sounds good." Gabriella replied, smiling. Troy gave her another quick peck on the lips and left the room to make breakfast.

Troy videotaped Gabriella helping Jesse open his presents. "This one is from Uncle Chad and Aunt Taylor." Gabriella said and Jesse clapped his hands. They opened it and in it was a little East High Wildcats basketball jersey with the number 14 on the front and Bolton on the back.

Gabriella smirked and held up the jersey to Taylor. Taylor was sitting on Chad's lap on the couch holding hands. "It was his idea." Taylor said and pointed to Chad. Everyone laughed.

Gabriella wiped the cake from Jesse's face. Troy videotaped the whole thing, laughing. Gabriella finished cleaning his face and took him out of the high chair so he could go play with the other kids.

"Hey Julie. Is Chris doing any better?" Gabriella asked, concerned.

Julie, Chris's fiancée, was average height, strawberry blonde hair, and pretty. "He's doing a lot better and the counseling is going well. I know he's sorry he couldn't be here today. His whole family, except his grandparents, has abandoned him. His dad wouldn't even let him go to the funeral." Julie said.

Gabriella nodded. "Well, tell him that we're thinking of him." Gabriella said.

"I will." Julie said and they hugged.

Gabriella said goodbye to everyone as Troy took a sleeping Jesse upstairs. Gabriella hugged five month pregnant Kelsi and then Jason before closing the door.

Gabriella plopped down on the couch, exhausted. She sighed and closed her eyes. Two soft hands then started massaging her shoulders ever so gently. "I've died and gone to heaven." Gabriella said. She opened her eyes and smiled at Troy. She opened her mouth to say something but Troy cut her off.

"Don't worry. Jesse is asleep in his room, the backyard has been cleaned up, and the dishes washed. So all you have to do is relax." Troy said and continued to massage her shoulders.

"I don't deserve you." Gabriella said and smiled.

"I'm afraid that's the other way around. It is I who doesn't deserve you." Troy said and Gabriella smiled. He leaned over and their lips met in a passionate kiss.

The End…Or is it?

Outside, hiding in the shadows, a dark figure watched Troy and Gabriella's every move with a pair of binoculars. Troy plopped down next to Gabriella and they cuddled. They leaned back, just talking. The stalker wrote this down into a notebook.

Then the stalker pulled out a wallet sized photo of Paul Curtis, smiling. "Don't worry, Paul. They'll pay. I promise that they'll pay.