Disclaimer: I don't own the movie or the characters.

Okay, I am really sorry I took so long finishing this story off, this will be the last chapter. I hope you all enjoy it! It takes place the next morning after the last chapter. Thanks for reading and again, I'm sorry for the LONG wait. Happy reading!

The first thing she saw upon opening her eyes was a fluffy white pillow. She could hear moving around in the room and assumed it was Anna getting ready for class. She started to groan due to the thought of having class just before she realized class was over forever. Smiling at that thought, she closed her eyes again, waiting for sleep to sweep her away once more.

"So he called you this morning? Did he tell you what happened?" Anna's voice was heard. Why couldn't Anna have this conversation with whoever she was talking to somewhere else? Somewhere where there wasn't someone trying to sleep?

'Maybe she's paying me back for last night' Gabriella thought. Gabriella rolled onto her side to face Anna and tell her to quiet down when she saw Taylor's back. Taylor was standing in the bathroom doorway talking to Anna who was huddled close to the sink putting on mascara. Gabriella let a puzzled look cross her face, she had assumed Anna was on the phone. Glancing at the clock, Gabriella saw it was 9:02am. Why was Taylor here this early when there was no reason to be up this early? 'Class is over' Gabriella thought to herself. Before Gabriella could speak up she heard Taylor answer Anna's question.

"I just got off the phone with him and came right over…." Taylor's shaky voice trailed off. Gabriella suddenly felt like a horrible best friend. Apparently Taylor's latest "boyfriend" had broken up with her and Gabriella didn't even know she was dating someone. Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, she stood up and made her way over to the two girls. "I just don't know how I'm gonna tell Gabi…" Taylor choked out. Coming to an abrupt stop, Gabriella frowned.

'Wait a minute, why is she worried about telling me? Maybe she knows I don't like how she swings from guy to guy?' Gabriella silently questioned before deciding she should just ask them. "Guys…what's going on?". Just then Taylor whipped around to face Gabriella as Anna looked up from her position at the mirror before sharing a worried glance with Taylor and putting her make-up down and walking to stand beside Taylor who was now standing in front of Gabriella. 'Okay this is odd, why are they being so weird?' Gabriella wondered.

"Gabriella, why don't you sit down" Anna said as Taylor nodded her head. That's when Gabriella realized Taylor's eyes were red, meaning she'd been crying. Gabriella thought that odd, since she never cried over any of the guys she'd dated since Chad because she never loved any of them. Gabriella felt the back of her legs hit the bed and realized they'd backed her up to her bed. She sat down, watching as Taylor crouched down in front of her and Anna stood to the side of them, seeming like she wanted to be anywhere else at the moment.

"Ga…." Taylor started before looking down and shutting her eyes tight. That's when Gabriella started to worry. Something must have been really wrong for Taylor to be acting this way. Taylor's brown eyes looked up once more and locked on hers. Gabriella noted the look of concern as Taylor spoke once more. "Gabi, Chad called me this morning. He had some news on Troy…" Taylor stopped, scanning Gabriella's face for a reaction. That's when Gabriella's stomach dropped, she knew what Taylor was going to say, so she said it for her.

"Troy is getting married isn't he?" Gabriella asked in a small voice as Anna sighed. Gabriella guessed that meant yes just before Taylor spoke again.

"Gabriella listen to me…" Taylor started. This made Gabriella nervous, Taylor only called her "Gabriella" when she was really serious, any other time it was always 'Gabi'. "Troy was in a car accident. He was hit by a drunk driver" Taylor whispered through unshed tears, trying to stay strong for her best friend. Gabriella felt her heart break, Troy had gotten hurt. She should be there with him now. That's when Gabriella realized she had to go to the hospital, she had to see him. Maybe she could even tell him she still loved him. Wait a minute, why was Taylor trying not to cry? Gabriella suddenly realized her friend holding back sobs. Fear spread through her body.

"H….he's okay r-right?" Gabriella's whisper broke the silence. That's when Taylor's tears were seen streaming down her face. 'Oh no, he must really be hurt' Gabriella thought. "Taylor tell me!" Gabriella demanded. She hadn't seen him in forever but she still felt like his girlfriend, she had to know or she would burst.

"Gabi, he…" Taylor's voice started shaking "…he didn't make it". Gabriella felt her whole world crumble and her whole body went numb. The words Taylor just spoke kept repeating in her head. When she realized that meant she would never see him again, never be with him again, she broke down in sobs. She hadn't sobbed that hard since she said goodbye last time. Only last time she knew she would be with him again…this time she never would. She vaguely felt arms wrap around her as she cried, she heard voices but she didn't know what they were saying. She was lost in memories of the boy she would spend the rest of her life longing for. She had so many different thoughts running through her head.

'They are wrong!'

'Why didn't you fight to keep him? Why did you let him go?!'

'You should have been there!'

'He's gone. Forever.'

The last one caused her to cry even harder. She had to see him, she'd never felt something so strongly in her life…she HAD to see him. Jumping up from the bed, she walked over to the closet and began grabbing random clothes and throwing them towards her bed. When she finally stopped tossing clothes, she turned around to see Taylor and Anna looking at her with looks of pity and sadness. Not caring, she grabbed her suitcase and threw it on the bed, shoving the clothes she'd just thrown from her closet in there. She felt someone grab her from behind and try to get her to sit down. She shook them off and reached down to grab another pair of jeans and put them in her suitcase. "Gabriella, what are you doing?!" Anna's worried voice reached her ears. Turning around she saw Taylor standing with her head in her hands crying and Anna standing behind her with a tearful gaze. She turned back around, ignoring the both of them and continued randomly throwing things in her suitcase. She didn't care what went in there at this point, she'd worry about that later. Right now she needed Troy. Suddenly her legs gave out and she dropped to her knees shoving her face to the ground.

"Oh God! I….w-want Troy! Please, s-somebody tell m-me this is a joke! P-Please! I ne…need T-troy! Gabriella sobbed. She felt two pairs of arms, one rubbing her back soothingly and the other wrapping her in a hug. She looked up to find Taylor was the one hugging her.

"I have to see him" Gabriella's horse voice answered, causing Taylor to look at her. She looked behind her to see Anna crying now too, before turning back to Taylor.

"Okay" Taylor said. "But let me help you pack, and then I'll pack a bag and come with you. We have to get a flight out to Albuquerque and everything and you aren't thinking clearly enough to handle all of this on your own. Gabriella nodded weakly before burying her head in her hands again.

-On the plane-

How was she gonna do this? Face this whole, ugly, truth and face all of their old friends as well as Troy's parents? Would they hate her now? What if they didn't want her there? She and Troy had went to different colleges because she wanted to go into the medical field, but she ended up majoring in education! To teach Calculus! It all seemed like it wasn't even worth it now, all the years of painfully being apart were for nothing. Deep down, she knew she still picked the best college for her major, even if it was different than she originally thought. Goodbye, how was she going to say goodbye to Troy forever? Gabriella turned to Taylor with wide eyes "I can't do it, Tay. I can't" she choked out just before closing her eyes and laying her head against the back of her seat. She was so tired of crying, so tired of being sad all the time. She always thought that someway, somehow it would all be okay after college. Just like they had promised. But now, that would never happen. She heard her best friend's voice cut into her thoughts.

"You said the same thing the first time we ever flew to college. And I remember thinking it would never get any worse than that day. Boy was I wrong" she whispered the last part. "Just remember I am here for you, okay? Just like I always have been, when you can't go just lean on me and I'll help you okay?" Taylor said feeling pity seeing Gabriella's tears. She hated to see her have to go through this, it just didn't seem fair. But when was life fair?

"Taylor, you are the best friend I could ever ask for", Gabriella cried. Then they heard the announcement telling them it was almost time to land and for everyone to buckle up and get ready. Sighing, Gabriella decided she should just get used to the tears, because they would be here for a while now.

-The day of Troy's funeral-

The past couple of days had passed in a blur for Gabriella. She had so many hugs and words of sympathy from people she didn't even remember now. She had been over to Troy's parents house where they were receiving people, she had sat with Taylor the whole time, while everyone watched her with looks of sadness as she cried. She had cried pretty much non-stop ever since she found out Troy died. That word made her stomach turn every time she even thought it. She couldn't bring herself to say it. Even though she was at Troy's parents' house, she still hadn't seen them. Truth be known she didn't think she could, she couldn't look at them and be strong like everyone else. Maybe that's why they hadn't come to her either? She had seen the gang, and hugged Chad immediately when she saw him. They shared tears and that was the one thing she could remember that she was thinking clearly for. All the others blurred together, but she'd never forget his words and how the broke her heart all over again. She told him she felt weird about being here after all this time of them breaking up and he had told her Troy loved her up until he died, he'd never forgotten about her and he had never dated since her. Thinking of that made her sick, he had always loved her too. And now they would never get to be together. Just then a voice cut through the fog of her mind, and she realized where she was. Sitting at the church where Troy's funeral would be held. Oh God. She was never going to make it. She looked a few rows ahead of her and saw Troy's parents huddled together crying. Lucille seemed inconsolable while Jack seemed to be holding himself together a little bit better, probably for his wife. Chad was sitting beside Taylor who was on her right with her arm wrapped tightly around him as he cried. Her mom was on her left with a hand wrapped around Gabriella. She glanced behind her to see the rest of the gang sitting there, all crying. They were all sitting in the family section, because they all were pretty much family. She and Troy had brought them all together. Then it hit home. He wasn't there with them, and he should be. She went to stand up before she felt an arm grab her and pull her to them. Looking over she saw Chad's red eyes looking at her pleadingly. "Gabriella you are the only other person who was close enough to him to understand how I feel right now, please don't make me do this alone" he broke down and Gabriella did the same. They hugged each other, unaware of the other crying eyes of their friends and her mom watching them. Soon after that the service started. The preacher spoke, but Gabriella didn't hear him. She was lost in a time long ago, when Troy's arms surrounded her and his head rested on her shoulder, a time she would never see again. Suddenly everyone stood up. Taken a-back, Gabriella looked around realizing the family was the only ones standing. That meant the service was over and everyone was waiting for the family to walk by his casket to see him for the last time before doing the same and proceeding to the cemetery. How had she spaced out for the whole service? Gabriella stood on shaky legs. She looked over to see Chad leaning on Taylor for support, and the same with all the other old high school couples from her friends. She didn't know if anyone was still together or married to someone else or what and she didn't care at the moment. She stood in place for a minute with Chad and Taylor, who were letting the other friends get in the line to Troy's casket first. After the rest of them were in line, Gabriella fell in last. After a while of waiting and then line getting shorter, she looked to the side to see the gang was staying at the side door of the church where the family had exited and then looked in front of her to see Taylor saying her goodbyes to Troy. Then Taylor moved away crying and Chad stepped up.

'Oh God, this is it. I can't do it! Oh God!' Gabriella panicked. Then Chad stepped away from the casket, moving away from it to give Gabriella privacy but staying close enough incase she needed him. For the first time in a long time, she was standing there looking at her Troy. He looked so cold and lifeless. People always say the dead just look like they're sleeping, but that wasn't true. She couldn't see his fluttering eyelids, or his mouth twitching. She didn't see his chest rise and fall with each breath. She felt hot tears roll down her face as she leaned closer, wishing she could see those gorgeous blue eyes that would haunt her dreams forever one last time. She wanted to hold him so bad, she wanted him to hold her back, but she knew it wouldn't happen. Leaning down to kiss his forehead she heard sobs throughout the room. There were so many people watching her and she didn't care, all that mattered was him and the excruciating task of saying goodbye. Goodbye. She let her mind wonder back to some of the last words he'd said to her while they were still a couple.

"I can't wait until we graduate college" he said, earning a laugh from her. "Until then…." his eyes softened once more "…I'm gonna miss you, Gabi".

If only he had known. Looking at his face, she tried to memorize each detail so she could always remember. She didn't want to try to picture him years from now and not be able to remember him. "You promised me we would be together after we both graduated college" Gabriella sobbed. "You can't leave me, please!" Gabriella laid her head down on his lifeless chest and cried into it for the last time in her life. Everything was happening so fast, she couldn't even comprehend the depth of it all. Picking her head back up, she laid her hand on his cheek, rubbing her thumb against it before leaning in close to his face. "I l-love you, w-wildcat" she choked out. "Y…you b-better s-save me a….a seat up there o-okay?" she finished off, not realizing everyone in the room was sobbing with her at the sad sight. She leaned down and kissed his lips softly one last time, before falling into Chad's comforting embrace and walking with the rest of the gang out the door and to the cars. The ride to the cemetery was a short and silent one. Before Gabriella knew it, they were stepping out and walking over to crowd around the casket. She was so numb and the tears just kept on coming, she didn't think she even had any left but she was continually proved wrong. Looking up she saw Lucille and Jack standing in each other's embrace, both of their eyes on her and the rest of the gang and her mom approaching with her. Lucille held out her hands to Gabriella, signaling she wanted her to stand with her and Jack. Gabriella walked over to them and was immediately engulfed in a hug by Lucille. Both women started sobbing, each understanding the other's hurt. "I c-can't b-believe he's g-gone" Gabriella said through her sobs. Lucille just cried harder in response and mumbled something not being able to believe any of it. The preacher started off praying, then spoke some more. Each word was lost to Gabriella's ears because the only thing she could concentrate on right now was the fact that she couldn't even breath because she was crying so hard. The service ended soon, and everyone walked up to the casket, giving him one last send off before leaving, going back to their lives and forgetting all about him. How was she going to do that? She couldn't live with out him, she couldn't forget him! She walked up to the casket and laid her head down and cried. "No! T-troy please! W-wake up! I n-need you! No! Noooo!!!" she cried. She heard a voice calling out to her, it sounded like Taylor but she was too distraught to care. But it was persistent.

"Gabriella! Gabriella!!" Taylor's voice called out to her. Suddenly she opened her eyes to find Taylor and Anna leaning over her bed with worried looks. Gabriella shot up from the bed, nearly knocking them both over in the process, checking the room and seeing everything was the same as it was the night she finished working on her speech. It was all a dream. Troy was okay, there was no accident, he was fine! She suddenly began yelling with joy and hugging Taylor. "What's wrong? Gabi, are you okay?" Taylor confusedly asked. Gabriella then proceeded to tell Taylor and Anna about her dream. When she finished they both were nearly in tears, but Gabriella didn't have time to notice. She shot up and grabbed her suitcase and began packing. And unlike her dream, this time she was taking notice of what she was packing. "Where are you going?" Taylor questioned. Gabriella gave her an 'are you kidding me' look before answering.

"I'm going to see Troy, I have to. I have to get him back. I love him and I don't care how far we've drifted apart or what he thinks, I have to try and I have to do it now! I…" Taylor cut her off.

"I'm going with you!" Taylor smiled before rushing out of the room to pack her things. Gabriella smiled happily and looked over at Anna who was laughing and grabbing her suitcase.

"I'm coming too then! You guys can't leave me behind!" Anna said to Gabriella, who was searching for her cell phone to call and get plane tickets for three to Albuquerque.

-At The University of Albuquerque-

Gabriella ran fast, with Taylor hot on her heels calling after her to wait up and slow down. Gabriella was too focused on getting to Troy though. Once they arrived at the airport, Taylor called Chad, who told Taylor he and Troy were in the U of A gym meeting up with their teammates for the last time. Before he could ask why, Taylor had hung up on him and she, Gabriella, and Anna were racing to the college. That's where they were now, after just getting out of the taxi Gabriella had started running towards the gym, which she had no idea how to get to. And Taylor and Anna were running behind her, all three girls carrying suitcases. They finally caught up with Gabriella when she stopped running, looking at them with wide, nervous eyes. "What am I doing? I'm just showing up out of the blue! What am I gonna say?! Troy, I had a bad dream that you died and woke up in a blind panic and came rushing to find you! He's either gonna laugh at me or pretend he doesn't know me!" Gabriella started rambling, causing Anna and Taylor to laugh.

"He won't laugh. From what Chad says on the phone, he's never dated anyone since you. And Chad says he's still in love with you" Taylor smiled getting a look from Gabriella that said 'and you're just now telling me this!'. "But first, we need to find out where the gym is and see if we can leave our bags at the main office or something" Taylor said just before the three went in search of the main office.

-About 20 minutes later-

There it was, Gabriella could see the gym from here and it wasn't too much farther. The girls had found the main office and gotten directions to the gym and the woman at the desk had been very nice and helpful in watching their bags for them. 'She must have thought we were family of someone here. But, she probably thought us crazy too' Gabriella thought to herself. Suddenly she saw a guy come walking up beside her with another guy trailing him, both with big boxes full of…basketballs? Turning to Gabriella, Taylor, and Anna he asked them if they were going to the gym. When they replied yes, he handed them off the boxes, asking them to give them to the coach for them since they were running late for something. Gabriella took one box and Taylor took the other. Anna just walked behind them. By this time they had reached the closed gym doors, and they could hear voices from inside. Gabriella turned to Taylor, who looked just as scared to death as her, and smiled nervously before turning around and bracing the box on her hip so she could pull the door open. She waited for Taylor to grab the door behind her before she walked in farther. As she started slowly making her way to the group of guys, she began looking for Troy. They were all laughing and talking, sitting on the gym floor facing a guy Gabriella assumed was their coach and none of them noticed the three girls enter. The guys weren't paying any attention and the coach was laughing with them while writing something down on his clipboard. Looking around more, she searched for him, still not locating him. She glanced behind her to see Taylor and Anna following in a single-file line behind her before turning back around to see two guys get up to move closer to some other guys they were talking to. That's when she saw him. Sitting there in front of where the two guys had just been sitting, sat her love. She could only see him from behind but the view was still a sight for sore eyes. He was sitting leaned back on his hands with his legs stretched out in front of him, talking to Chad, who was sitting stretched out beside him. 'Oh my God' Gabriella thought, as butterflies entered her stomach. She heard his laugh, it was music to her ears and abruptly she stopped, frozen in place. Apparently, Taylor wasn't watching where she was going because Gabriella suddenly felt something collide with her from behind due to the sudden stop. As if that wasn't bad enough, Gabriella toppled forward, her knees bending slightly to balance herself as the box full of basketballs in her hand crashed to the floor. Anna's laughter rang out in the room from behind them causing Gabriella to glare over her shoulder to see Taylor looking at her sheepishly with an empty box at her feet, basketballs rolling everywhere, and Anna hunched over almost on the floor rolling with laughter. Gabriella didn't think it was funny, especially when she turned around to see Troy as well as the rest of his teammates looking on surprised, some of them chuckling with Anna and some just smiling. Sky blue met chocolate brown just before she turned on her heel ready to run just in time to see Taylor ready to do the same before Anna stopped both of them.

"If you don't get your butts over there right now, you're gonna be sorry! Because I'm not letting you leave until you do." Anna said through laughter as Gabriella looked at Taylor who looked like she was gonna pass out and run at the same time. Sighing, Gabriella turned back around and started walking over to a now standing Troy. She looked to his side to see Chad smiling.

"You know, when Tay called me this morning asking where me and Troy were gonna be, I didn't expect it to be because you two were gonna fly into town to come interrupt practice like you always do" Chad chuckled. "Very graceful by the way, Taylor" Chad teased her about running into Gabriella. She heard a laugh behind her and saw Chad walk by her. She looked back to see them talking and laughing, making her smile at the sight. Turning back around, she saw Troy's amused eyes no more than a foot in front of her.

"So, Gabi…not that I'm not thrilled to see you…but….what are you doing here? And why are you guys in pajamas?" he tried to hold back a laugh but failed.

'WHAT??!!!' Gabriella thought while looking down to see she was, in fact, still in pajama pants and a tank top. Suddenly feeling her face grow red with embarrassment she turned around to see Taylor looking the same way. In Gabriella's state of panic, neither of them had thought to change. She heard Troy laugh and turned her attention back him.

"I doesn't matter what you wear, baby. You'll always be beautiful" his eyes softened. She took one look at those soft blue eyes, and leapt into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist and burying her head in his neck and breathing him in deep. She started telling him all about the dream in a rambled mess of words, she wasn't sure if he understood her but got her answer when he replied.

"Hey, hey it's okay. I'm fine, I'm right here. And I love you too" he whispered the comforting words in her ear. Her eyes grew wide and a joyous smile grew on her face. He loved her. She pulled back and her lips met his in a passionate kiss, full of love, longing, and relief. They would be just fine now. She was finally okay again, she had her Troy back, for good this time.

-Two Years Later-

Gabriella smiled at Taylor and Chad, who were kissing tenderly. "So have you decided on when we are looking for your dress and your bridesmaid's dresses yet?" Gabriella asked Taylor, who pulled away from Chad and smiled at Gabriella.

"I think sometime this weekend if you are feeling up to it" Taylor said with a hint of concern in her voice. Gabriella smiled at her best friend before she wrapped her arms around Troy and kissed him gently.

"I think I'll be okay. The baby isn't due for another 2 weeks, and I think walking will do me good" Gabriella said as she rested her hand on top of Troy's on her rounded belly. Taylor smiled at her saying she'd give her a call later on in the week about it before going back to kissing her fiancé. Gabriella looked to her right to see her husband smirking down at her, his blue eyes sparkling. She couldn't help but smile back at him. She loved him so much and couldn't believe they had been married for over a year and were expecting their first child very soon. Troy hugged her to him and kissed her cheek, whispering in her ear.

"I love you Mrs. Bolton" he whispered. Pulling back to kiss his lips, she mumbled against them that she loved him too.