So here it is (at last) the final chapter of something I should have left as a oneshot all that time ago. Sorry for ruining it by turning it into a story. Thank you so much to xoxstargazerxox for all of the reviews even after most people dumped this story, also thanks to piratez4evr and alexis for reviewing the laster chapters. And yes I do know that all of those three people only read this because they liekd my other stories and thought this'd be as good. Sorry to them that it wasn't and to everyone else that this story was such a let down, it was goign really well to begin with but I just sort of... stuffed it.

I hope you like the last chapter, I think it's a little more up to standard than most of the chapters for this, but that's not really for me to judge, is it?

Disclaimer: Don't own HSM, got it?

Better Than Ever

Gabriella stood at information counter at Terminal 4, a coffee in one hand and her ticket in the other; the lady at the desk nodded and motioned towards a seat. Troy watched Gabriella as she turned, walked slowly to the seat and sat down, her eyes fixed on the cardboard cup in her hand. They'd decided to say goodbye earlier, away from Troy's parents prying eyes and his aunt. It was supposed to make it easier. It didn't.

Gabriella sadly sipped her coffee, usually she didn't drink coffee, she found it too strong and bitter, plus it was bad for her, but right now she couldn't have cared less about any of that. She was leaving for the entire holidays, she wouldn't see the love of her life for ages, and here she was sitting across the room from him ignoring him- what was wrong with her?

Troy looked away from Gabriella when he noticed that his parents next to him were standing.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"Your aunt's plane just got here, we need to go say hello to her, you need to come too."

"I know." He muttered, standing too and following his parents to the growing crowd at Terminal 11's gate. His girlfriend's eyes fixed on his back as he disappeared around a corner. Good, that was it, done, no more thinking about Troy for the entire holidays. No missing him, no wondering what he was doing, no calling him… okay, so maybe calling was okay. Gabriella snatched her hand away from her pocket as it began to creep towards her phone; she wasn't missing him already was she?

Troy slumped into an empty seat the moment he spotted one in Terminal 11, his parents were pushing forward through the crowd a little, probably anxious to get Aunt Lauren and leave before Troy did something stupid (/inappropriate) with Gabi in front of everyone at the airport. He exhaled loudly at this thought, a dull 'if only' ringing through his head even as he pushed the idea out- that'd just make it worse.

Just as Troy thought to question exactly what 'it' was that going back to Gabi would make worse, he was brought abruptly out of his thoughts by a sharp, loud, annoying tone.

"Jack! Lucy! What a surprise to see you hear!" Aunt Lauren's voice rang mercilessly through the otherwise monotoned terminal, and Troy was somewhat happy to see that she earned a few sideways glances and startled expressions from others.

"It shouldn't be a surprise! Lauren, who else would come to pick you up?" Troy's mum shot him a look that told him he was supposed to be over there with her, welcoming his aunt, but Troy just averted his eyes and pretended not to see- he'd really rather not see his aunt anyway.

"Well, after talking to Troy earlier I thought he might come and get me, he said that he drives now, and he really used to be quite the little gentleman." Troy winced at these words, and forced himself to stand and begin weaving his way through the now thinning crowd towards his parents and aunt, forcing a big, cheesy, fake smile onto his face just before he reached them.

"Oh no, Troy actually came here before we did, he needed to drop off his girlfriend, she's going away for the holidays." Jack said, indicating towards his son as he appeared.

"Really, your girlfriend, Troy? You've grown up a lot since the last time I saw you then, haven't you?" Troy nodded stiffly in what felt like a rehearsed way as his aunt shoved her bag into his chest and continued walking next to his parents. He rolled his eyes and hoisted the bag off the ground, trying to work out what sort of person would fill up their hand luggage bag with bricks as Lauren's appeared to be. "But still a little gentleman all the same, I'm sure." Aunt Lauren's voice still managed to echo back to Troy even thought she was so far away, he rolled his eyes and slowed down even more, perfectly aware that they'd have to pass Terminal 4 to get to the exit.

Gabriella prised the lid off her coffee cup, and drained the last dregs from the bottom, definitely reminded of why she hated coffee; she could feel it whirling around in her stomach and was sure she'd throw up in the next hour. Staring disgustedly at the now empty cup, she stood and looked around for the nearest bin, spotting one over on the other side of the building, near he corner where Troy disappeared around. She paused for a minute trying to decide whether it was worth maybe seeing Troy to throw her cup in the bin, or if she should just wait until she got on the plane where one of the hostesses would take her rubbish. A definite expression came onto her face and she began to boldly walk towards the bin, why should she be scared of seeing Troy? They were a boyfriend and girlfriend who'd been going out for a little over a year; it wasn't like they hadn't been apart before. Just not for this long. Or so soon after such a close, intimate moment that they'd bother been waiting for. But still, why should she worry?

Reaching the bin faster than she expected, Gabriella couldn't help peeping around the corner at the dispersing crowd around Terminal 11, where she supposed Troy had gone. She started when she found herself almost face to face with a woman who could only have been Aunt Lauren. Troy's parents looked surprised at the sudden appearance of Gabriella, but managed to cover their surprise quickly.

"Hi Gabi, just coming to say goodbye to Troy?" Gabriella shook her head quickly, startled at hearing Lucy Bolton's voice when she had barely registered her presence.

"No, just putting my rubbish in the…bin." Gabriella trailed off when she saw Troy about 10 metres behind his parents, dragging a solid-looking bag and scowling. Jack and Lucy Bolton both glanced back at their son, then at his distressed-looking girlfriend, trying to work out the best way to escape this situation.

"Oh good, a bin, I've been looking for one of these for ages." Aunt Lauren's voice cut through everyone else's thoughts as she began emptying her pockets into the bin, apparently not sensing the tenseness in the people around her. Too late, Troy looked up from his path and noticed Gabriella standing with his parents and aunt at the bin. Their eyes met and he instantly knew that he couldn't stop walking now.

Suddenly feeling a new burst of energy, Troy properly picked up the bag and moved faster towards his girlfriend, everything besides her no longer important. Lauren looked stunned as her nephew barged passed her and drew the girl near her into his arms, his lips instantly finding hers and kissing them desperately Without thinking Gabriella kissed him back and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her.

Troy's parents watched on with identical forced blank expressions on their faces as their son and his girlfriend made out with a type of desperate vigour that they really didn't want to witness. Somewhere in the back of Jack's mind came the idea to tell his son off or at least pull Lauren away, but he did nothing, still just standing, his eyes fixed on Troy.

"Is this his girlfriend?" Troy, Gabriella, Lucy and Jack all jumped at Lauren's voice, and four faces looked at hers in a 'what do you think?' way. She shrugged rudely and turned to her brother and his wife, her back to the teens whose lips instantly joined again fiercely. "You let him do this all the time?" She asked, indicting the couple behind her with a point of her thumb.

"Not all the time." Lucy managed to get out, trying to tear her eyes away from her son and his girlfriend's kiss for enough time to properly grasp Lauren's mood.

"Hmm, I doubt it." The latter sniggered, picking up her bag and continuing on her way towards the exit. Jack Bolton slowly turned to follow his sister, his wife following suit soon after, and the three walked away from Troy and Gabriella, now so wrapped up in each other that it was impossible to tell whose limbs were whose.

An electronic bell rang and an equally electronic voice echoed through the quiet airport.

"Can passengers on flight 307 to Australia please begin boarding at Terminal 4, the plane has arrived." Gabriella pulled away as the words finally reached her ears, disorientated, but sure that she had to go.

"Troy-" She started, but he cut her off.

"Don't say anything." He placed a gentle finger on her lips and she instantly stopped, shivering at his touch. "Go, I'll talk to you when you get there."

"But how will you know?"

"You'll call me." Gabriella couldn't help smiling as Troy smirked at her like what he said was obvious, which actually it was. She nodded shyly and dropped her arms from around him, letting them fall loosely to her sides. Moving back a step, she smiled fully, not really sure why she so happy, but pleased that she was; that was big burden off her shoulders.

Troy smiled back at her as she turned away and started back towards Terminal 4, speeding up to a jog when she saw that people were beginning to queue up. He watched her until she was ushered into the tunnel that led to the plane, glancing over at him and giving him one more smile before she disappeared from his view. His smile dropped as he began walking down the airport, in the vague direction of the exit. It was sad to be leaving Gabriella behind, but now they were closer than ever, and both of them knew that no matter what they went through for the next month, the other would always be there. Whether it was enduring Aunt Lauren, or enduring a month without Troy, they could both last, because they knew that when they got back thing would be better than ever.

Cheesy ending, I know, but I thought it was pretty good anyway. If you reviewed chapter 1 or 2 (and quite a few people did, I know), please can you review this last chapter, it'd be really nice to know if any of you are still reading, so I'm talking to:

Owl Emporium, threedognite, uvasoccergal628, ES-army-girl, Mars lover who has a highvoice, vanessa-anne-fan837, Radde, Therese Lemonade, iheartzac2010, TroylovesGabi and bienbonita. The reason why i didn't mention shadoom1 or Rose is cause I know both of them and I'd rather if shadoom1 didn't review and Rose... well... she's Rose, enough said.

To everyone else, thanks for reading, especially those people who i thanked at the beginning because I am so greatful to you guys for helping me to keep this story going when I didn't think it was really worth it.