Oh My My My, a high school musical fanfic

A/N: Just a shortish one for you guys – but I promise there'll be more to come soon! This is my first song-fic and even though I'm sure this song has already been used, I hope you enjoy! :D

Disclaimer: Ridiculously, I own nothing. Stupid technicality.

Oh My My My

She said, I was seven and you were nine,

I looked at you like the stars that shined

In the sky; the pretty lights

And our daddies used to joke about the two of us,

Growing up and falling love

And our mamas smiled and rolled their eyes

And said "oh my, my, my"

"Happy birthday, Troy!"

Gabriella dashed through the front door as soon as it had been opened and into the living room where Troy and Chad were currently shooting zombies on the TV screen. Jumping up, Troy hastily paused the game, to which Chad protested profusely but was ignored as Troy's blue eyes focused on the petite raven haired girl wearing a pretty yet bashful smile on her face as she held a neatly wrapped present in her hands.

Biting her bottom lip, Gabriella held out the package, her cheeks a slight hue of pink. "Here you go; I hope you like it."

Troy smiled softly at her nervousness and carefully began to open to present. Inside was a box which contained a LA Lakers jersey with 'BOLTON' written above the number 14 (Troy's lucky number, or so he claimed). Troy's eyes widened in shock and his jaw dropped and he quickly tore his gaze away from the jersey to Gabriella who was staring intently at her feet, her hands wringing slightly.

"Ella! It's fantastic!"

Gabriella's head snapped up at Troy's exclamation and beamed brightly, relief etched across her face as Troy tore his t-shirt off and replaced it with his new jersey. Before she realised, Gabriella was swept up in Troy's arms as he hugged her tightly, and her blush deepened when Troy pressed a swift kiss to her cheek. "Thank you, Ella! You're the best!"

"Well, because you're nine now, I thought you'd like something more…grown up, instead of stupid zombie-shooting games," Gabriella replied brightly.

"Hey!" Chad protested, but she merely wrinkled her nose in distaste at the picture on the TV screen.

"Seriously Ella, this is the best present ever," Troy insisted and Gabriella beamed again and watched as Troy stood grinning widely in front of the mirror, turned to the side so he could see the back of the jersey.

Standing in the doorway of the living room, Jack Bolton and Antonio Montez watched as their children interacted, laughing deliriously with one another as they took turns in ruffling Chad's afro that was almost twice the size of his head.

Jack grinned and nudged Antonio, nodding towards Gabriella who has just jumped onto Troy's back, giggling. "That's my future daughter-in-law, that is."

Antonio chuckled and nodded his head, returning Jack's grin. "And I couldn't ask for a better future son-in-law."

Their laughing was ceased as they heard a 'tsk'-ing sound from behind them, and they both turned to see their wives standing there, their arms folded.

"Jack, don't try and match make the kids," Lucille scolded teasingly and Maria nodded.

"If they find out that you're already planning their wedding," she said, "they'll freak out, you know they will."

"But, Lucy, look at them!" Jack insisted. "Troy's never this comfortable around girls."

"And I've never seen Gabriella looking so confident," Antonio added, and Jack nodded in agreement.

Lucille and Maria exchanged wry smiles and rolled their eyes before walking into the kitchen to prepare lunch.

Take me back to the house in the backyard tree,

Said you'd beat me up, you were bigger than me

You never did, you never did

"Ella, give it back!"

Gabriella scuttled down the garden path towards the ladder of the tree-house, giggling madly and her curls bouncing, as she heard Troy chase after her. "Nope!"

Gripping the toy firmly under her arm, she hastily climbed the ladder into the wooden confinements of the house before darting behind the toy chest in an attempt to hide from the raging 9 year old as he emerged from the trap-door.

"I can still see you, idiot," Troy said and Gabriella peeked out from above the chest and sighed before crawling out and standing up. "Give me the toy, Gabriella."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because it's boring and you don't play with me – you're only interested in this stupid robot."

"Robo-Rob is not stupid."

"Yes it is."

"No he's not."

"Is."

"Isn't."

"It IS!" Gabriella stomped her foot.

"Gabriella, if you don't give it to me, I'll-"

"You'll what?" Gabriella interrupted, folding her arms.

Troy pondered for a moment before smirking down at her. "I'll beat you up."

Gabriella gasped before shaking her head furiously. "No you won't, you're not allowed."

"Nobody can see us so they can't tell me off," Troy retaliated, smiling smugly.

Gabriella faltered slightly. "You won't beat me up," she insisted.

"Say's who? I am a lot bigger than you, Ella – it'll be easy." He took a menacing step towards her and she immediately back up against the wall, her wide eyes slowly filling with tears. "Please don't, Troy," she whimpered and Troy froze as he saw her chin tremble and a few tears leak from her eyes. Uh oh.

"No, no, Ella, don't cry," he rushed towards her, taking her hand. "I was only joking; I would never beat you up." Troy winced as Gabriella sobbed quietly, and he pulled her into his arms and patted her back. "Please don't cry, Ella. I'm sorry; I didn't mean to scare you."

Gabriella's sobs soon subsided into sniffles as she pulled herself out Troy's embrace. "That wasn't nice, Troy."

Troy dropped his head. "I know, I'm sorry." He looked up to see Gabriella glaring at him, her face sulky and tear stained. Biting his lip, he slowly eased Robo-Rob from her hands and placed it in the toy chest before turning back to Gabriella. "What do you want to play?" He asked timidly, and she immediately brightened up, grinning widely as she dashed over towards the board games – the previous moments already forgotten.

Take me back when our world was one block wide,

I dared you to kiss me and ran when you tried,

Just two kids, you and I

Oh my, my, my, my

"Truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"Ella, you're such a wimp!"

"Shut up."

"Okay fine. Um…" Ten year old Troy trailed off on thought as he tried to come up with a question. "Oh! Taylor told me that you have a crush on somebody – who is it?" He asked slyly, grinning in triumph, and Gabriella's eyes widened before she looked down, picking at the floorboards of the tree house, a pink tint on her cheeks.

She mumbled something, and Troy rolled his eyes. "I can't hear you, Ella."

"I said: nobody," Gabriella responded, looking up in time to see Troy's face fall.

"Oh – okay." Clearing his throat at Gabriella's confused expression, Troy spoke again. "It's your turn to ask me."

"Okay. Truth or dare?"

"Dare," he said, poking his tongue out at Gabriella who rolled her eyes.

What would scare Troy? What would he not want to do? An eight year-old Gabriella thought silently before something popped into her head, and she smirked sneakily. He'll never do it.

"Okay, I dare you to kiss me," she declared, frowning when Troy rolled his eyes.

"Ella, I kiss you all the time."

"Not properly," she returned. "Not on the lips."

"Oh," Troy looked lost for a moment before shrugging his shoulders and leaning forward, towards Gabriella who squeaked suddenly and scrambled onto her feet. Troy looked bewildered and he too stood up. "What's wrong?"

"You were going to kiss me!" Gabriella seemed appalled, and Troy only continued to look more confused.

"You dared me to!"

"Yes but I didn't think you'd actually do it!" Gabriella looked flustered and eyed Troy closely as he laughed.

"Ella, you know I always do my dares," he said a little smugly. "And I'm not stopping now." He reached towards Gabriella who yelped as she backed away.

"Ew, don't!" She whined as Troy came closer. She watched through scrunched eyes as Troy merely shrugged and halted, dropping his hand. Sighing in relief, Gabriella straightened herself out and moved to pass Troy but as she did so, she felt a hand on he arm whirling her around and before she could protest, Troy pecked her lips quickly before releasing her.

"Ha!"

"Ew! Troy!"

Well I was sixteen when suddenly,

I wasn't that little girl you used to see,

But your eyes still shined, like pretty lights

Sniffling within the confines of Troy's arms, Gabriella clung to his torso, her head buried deeply into the crook of his neck, her tears slowly soaking the material of his t-shirt.

"Ella, I'll be back at Thanksgiving," Troy murmured into her hair as he gently stroked her back, gripping her a little tighter as she let out a whimper.

Gabriella had known this day was going to come; she'd glared at the circled date on her calendar for months. Troy was leaving for University; Berkeley University to be exact. Berkeley University in California, over a thousand miles away, to be even more exact.

"Please don't go," she whispered against the hot skin of his neck, and Troy sighed before pulling her out of his grasp so that he could look at her.

"Ella, I have to go," he insisted and Gabriella let out a sob. "But I'll back in a few weeks for Thanksgiving."

"But that's over two months away!" She wailed, clutching his wrists as they framed her face. "Troy, please s-stay."

"Gabriella, I can't – you know I can't." Searching the depths of Gabriella's eyes, Troy could see that there was something more. "Ella, what's the matter? Why do you want me to stay so badly? I thought you'd be glad to be rid of me for a while," he attempted to joke, trying to lighten the situation but only to get a tortured gasp in return.

"Never, Troy," she whispered, tears streaming down her face at a rapid pace. "I just…d-don't want you to f-forget about me."

Troy's eyes widened in shock, his expression incredulous. "Ella, I could never forget about you." He pulled her trembling frame towards his, enveloping her in his arms; shocked that she would even think that.

"B-but there's going to be college girls everywhere – and they're gonna w-want you and they're older and-"

"Okay, stop right there," Troy interrupted, his voice hard. "What the hell are you on about?"

Gabriella stiffened in his embrace before mumbling something against his neck.

"What was that?" Troy pulled her away from him again, his heart breaking at the sight of her looking so lost.

"I-I don't want you to fall in love with anyone." Gabriella's voice was so quiet and Troy leant in closer to her.

"Why not?" He asked but Gabriella just shook her head. "You have to tell me, Ella." She shook her head again, and Troy let out an exasperated sigh. "Ella. Tell me."

"No."

"Gabriella, please. Just tell me-"

"Because it's meant to be me you fall in love with!"

Gabriella gasped and clapped her hands to her mouth, her eyes wide. Troy froze, his face a mixture of confusion and shock. He stared at Gabriella who was looking anywhere but him, her eyes still leaking tears that were slowly dripping onto the ground.

Troy opened his mouth to respond but was stopped at the sound of the front door opening and both Troy and Gabriella's head snapped up to see Jack and Lucille exiting the house, carrying suitcases and boxes.

"Troy, sweetie, we have to leave now," his mom called over to where the two teenagers were standing at the hood of Troy's truck, and Troy nodded his head, focusing his gaze back on Gabriella who was wiping at her eyes.

"Ella-"

"No, Troy." Her smile was forced. "It's fine."

"But-"

"You have to go."

Troy sighed and made his way over towards his dad's SUV, Gabriella trailing behind slowly, trying to avoid the inevitable. Opening the front door, he turned back to Gabriella who was sniffling again, her eyes glistening. He sighed and ran his hand down her arm before interlocking their fingers before bringing their entwined hands up to his mouth so he could press a tender kiss on Gabriella's hand.

Gabriella's chin trembled at the motion and she launched herself into Troy's arms, her head burying deeply in his neck and Troy too dug his face deep into her curls, his own eyes stinging at the unshed tears.

"I'll miss you," he murmured against her head and Gabriella pulled away.

"I'll miss you, too," she replied. "So much."

Reaching up, Gabriella shakily kissed Troy's cheek and pressed another to his jaw before stepping backwards and finally allowing Troy to reluctantly get into the car and she watched silently as the car drove away.

Wrapping her arms around herself tightly, Gabriella knew that the following two months were going to be torturous.

Two months later – Thanksgiving.

He couldn't get there quick enough.

Not even bothering to take his bags inside, Troy leapt from the car and began racing down the street, his heart racing at the mere thought of being reunited with her. Feet pounding against the pavement, his mind cast back over the many long phone calls, the pages-long emails, the every-hour texts – and he tried to decipher at what point during those two months he had fallen in love with Gabriella. He was pretty sure that it had been long before the months of absence, but it was only during his time away that he properly realised. And he was furious with himself. Gabriella had been right. It was her he was meant to fall in love with. And he had; but why had it taken him so long to realise? How could he have been so goddamn oblivious?

The fierce pace of his feet lessened slightly as he barged his way through the back gate and into her garden, not paying attention to the harsh 'bang' of the gate against the house and the effect it would have on the sleeping neighbours.

Almost desperately, Troy climbed the tree knowing that Gabriella would still be asleep but that didn't matter, he'd wait for her to wake up. Hopping over the balcony, his suspicions were confirmed as he peered through the glass of the balcony doors to see Gabriella curled up in bed, her face serene and calm and so beautiful.

Reaching into his pocket, he retrieved the key Gabriella had given him years ago and unlocked the door before slipping into the room as quietly as possible. He moved over towards the bed and crouched down beside it, peering closely at the slumbering girl. God, he'd missed her.

As gently as he could, he lifted the soft, slender hand that was curled around the duvet up to his mouth and pressed tiny kisses against her knuckles before stroking it softly with his thumb.

"Ella," he whispered, leaning down so that his nose was softly grazing her cheek. "Ella, wake up."

Gabriella shifted slightly, murmuring something indecipherable before her eyes fluttered open. It took her a moment or two to come to before she noticed –

"Oh my god!"

She shot up, nearly bashing heads with Troy, and squealed before lunging forward and wrapping her arms around his neck as he laughed.

"Hey pretty girl," he murmured as she pulled back and framed his face with her hands.

"Troy," she breathed. "What are you doing here?! Your flight isn't until this afternoon."

"Well," Troy countered. "I couldn't spend another minute without seeing my best friend so I booked a much earlier flight."

Gabriella squealed again before she finally became aware of just how early it was.

"6:45am?!"

"I told you it was early…" Troy looked a bit guilty and immediately Gabriella softened, pulling her duvet back and scooting over.

"You look exhausted; come here," she said, gesturing to the empty space beside her and Troy nodded before kicking off his shoes and climbing in next to her, stretching and yawning widely. Grinning lazily at Gabriella's muffled giggles; he rolled onto his side so that he was facing her and lifted an arm so that it was curled around her hip. Gabriella murmured and shuffled closer to him causing Troy to roll onto his back slightly which she took advantage of by resting her head against his shoulder, her arm latching tightly around his waist.

"I really missed you, Troy," Gabriella whispered against his chest.

"God Ella, I miss you so much," Troy responded, pressing soft kisses against her temple before sighing in contentment.

He knew he had to tell her; it'd been eating away at him for the past two months – he had to tell her that he loved her. He'd wanted to tell as her as soon as he had finally come to his senses but had continuously put it off, thinking that he would wait for the perfect moment. Only, a hundred of perfect moments had presented themselves, yet Troy hadn't been able to form the words, and claimed silently that it wasn't something that should be done over the phone or by email. He wanted to see her reaction; he wanted to be able to hold her while he said it.

"So, anything interesting happen whilst I've been away?" He asked sleepily against her head, his left thumb tracing soft circles on the exposed skin of her hip.

"Mhmm, nothing." Gabriella mumbled in response. "Only that I missed you, and wanted you here every minute of every day."

"Really?"

"It may sound cheesy, Bolton – but it's true."

Troy chuckled lightly. "Well, I wished that I was here every minute of every day, too."

Gabriella made a soft sound of disbelief. "I find that hard to believe – it sounded like you were having an awesome time."

"I was, but it would've been better with you there."

Gabriella snuggled closer. "I kinda wished I was there too. Albuquerque sucks when you're not in it, you know."

Troy laughed again. "And California blows without you there."

Gabriella giggled lightly. "So tell me, Bolton – anything interesting happen in California?"

Troy faltered slightly before letting out a deep breath. Here it goes. "Well, I…fell in love, for starters." No going back now, man. Troy held his breath as he felt Gabriella's petite body stiffen within his arms.

"Oh." Her voice was small, and Troy could detect the tears laced behind it. He rolled his eyes, expecting this reaction, and he slowly eased away from her before rolling her onto her back so that he was hovering over her.

"But I think that you and I can both guess who she is," he declared as he lowered his grinning face to hers and kissed away the few tears that had leaked from her eyes. Pulling back from her, he watched as Gabriella just stared, her eyes unfocused.

"Ella?"

Gabriella blinked once, twice, three times before her lips slowly spread out into a wide smile, her cheeks painted the lightest of pinks.

"I think I can guess…" she murmured before dropping her gaze to Troy's grinning lips and back again to his shining eyes, asking a silent question.

Troy answered the unvoiced request by leaning down and ever so gently, pressing his lips against hers, immediately tumbling into the most incredible feeling. Her warm, soft lips stroked gently against his, and although it only lasted a few seconds, it was bliss. The warmth reached all the way inside and filled him with the most exhilarating sensation. Lifting his gaze to search hers, Troy was relieved to detect nothing but elation and love shining within the depths of her eyes.

Grinning lazily, Troy pressed one more soft kiss against Gabriella's lips before settling down beside her, his head facing hers, their noses brushing ever so slightly. Gabriella's closed eyes fluttered open, and she smiled radiantly, bringing a small hand up to rest against his cheek, stroking her fingers softly against his skin.

"Thank you, Troy," she whispered. "That was perfect."

Troy smiled, gently kissing her finger tips as they traced his lips. "Be mine?" He murmured softly, his warm breath washing over Gabriella's pretty features.

"Of course," came her soft response. "Always."

And our daddies used to joke about the two us,

They never believed we'd really fall in love

And our mamas smiled and rolled their eyes

And said "oh, my, my, my"

Sitting at the table in the Montez back garden, Jack Bolton watched the two teenagers snuggled together in the hammock, whispering and laughing together, their faces etched with happiness as they swung gently backwards and forwards.

Gabriella's legs were draped over Troy's, her head resting on his shoulder as both his arms were wound tightly around her body, shielding her from the slight chill in the night air. Every now and then he'd press a small kiss into Gabriella's hair and whisper something in her ear that would make her giggle.

"It's a pretty picture, isn't it?"

Jack turned his head to see Antonio Montez sliding into the vacant seat next to him, his eyes also trained on Troy and Gabriella, a smile gracing his features.

"It sure is," Jack replied, grinning at Antonio. "Who'd of thought it, hey?" He said, shaking his head. "I mean, sure we joked about it when they were kids, but never did I actually think this would happen."

"I know what you mean, buddy," Antonio responded as he watched his daughter throw her head back and laugh deliriously at something her boyfriend had said. "But it's so good to see them like this. Gabriella's never been so happy."

"Same goes with Troy," Jack said, turning to his friend again and the two of them clinked their beer bottles together in a silent toast.

At the other end of the table, Lucille and Maria sat sipping at their coffees, their expressions exactly the same. Maria rolled her eyes jokingly and her best friend laughed softly, her own heart swelling as she gazed at the two love-sick teenagers.

Take me back to the creek-beds we turned up,

2AM riding in your truck,

And all I need, is you next to me

Pulling into the gas station, Troy glanced over at his sleeping girlfriend and smiled softly at the serene expression on her face, her head resting against the window pane of the truck.

It had been a long day. The two of them had driven to Santa Fe for the weekend, determined to make the most of the last few days before Troy had to return to California to start his second year of university. They'd shopped, eaten, watched two movies at the cinema and wandered around parks before resigning to their hotel room to spend blissful and passionate nights with one another.

It was 2:03 in the morning, and there was only another half an hour or so before they arrive home in Albuquerque. What had thought to be a relatively short journey had turned into 5 hours of travel time due to an accident on Highway 68, and extreme traffic blockages following. Troy hadn't been all that bothered as it was more time he could spend with Gabriella but he knew that she was tired and achy and wanted to go home and sleep.

Reaching over, Troy gently stroked Gabriella's arm in attempts to rouse her from her slumber. She murmured softly before shifting, her head lifting from the window and turning towards Troy's.

"Hey sleepy head," he murmured, smiling softly at Gabriella's deliciously sleepy expression, her soft chocolate eyes blinking dazedly as she gathered her bearings.

Yawning, Gabriella rubbed her eyes before finally focusing her gaze on her boyfriend. "Why have we stopped?" She asked, her voice husky from sleep and Troy laughed lightly as he watched her eyes quickly fall shut again.

"I need the loo but we're almost home." His reply was hushed and he leant towards Gabriella, nuzzling his nose against her cheek. "You still with me?"

"Mhmm," Gabriella murmured and Troy laughed again, pressing a kiss to her cheek.

"I'll be right back – do you want anything to eat?"

He waited for a moment as Gabriella's sleepy eyes fluttered open, her lips lifting in a small smile. "No, thanks," she whispered. "I'm fine."

"You sure? It's been hours since we ate." Troy grasped her hand to run his thumb lightly over her knuckles. Gabriella's eyes fluttered closed again and Troy felt a light surge of guilt as he realised just how tired she was. He sat for moment just watching as her breathing slowly evened out, admiring her beautiful serene face, the way her lips always curved into a smile even though she was sleeping. Lifting her hand to his lips, Troy pressed a small kiss to her knuckles before slowly easing back and shifting over to the door. He jumped down from the truck and carefully, shut the door before making his way towards the small building.

The slamming of the door jolted Gabriella from her doze and she blinked sleepily for a moment before her gaze followed her boyfriend as he walked briskly to the shop. She smiled softly as she watched him, her mind filling with the idyllic memories of the past couple of days. She was so lucky, she thought; so lucky to have such an admiring and loving boyfriend who cared for her like she was the only thing in his world.

When her friend, Taylor, had first found out about their relationship, she'd been wary, pointing out the fact that Troy was two years older than Gabriella but Gabriella had merely brushed that comment away with a shrug and a radiant smile. "It doesn't matter, Tay," she'd said. "Troy loves me, and that's enough."

And she was right. Age didn't matter especially since the two were so close, and always had been. When they're together, they forget the age gap, as insubstantial as it is – it simply doesn't matter to them. As cheesy as it sounded, Gabriella knew that as long as she had him, her life was perfect – and something as stupid as an age gap wouldn't change that.

Take me back to the time we had our very first fight,

The slamming of doors 'stead of kissing goodnight,

You stayed outside, 'til the morning light,

Oh my, my, my, my

"Troy, will you just let it go!"

18 year-old Gabriella stormed through the front door to her house, fuming mad as she heard her boyfriend curse lightly before following her.

"Ella, he felt you up!"

"No he didn't!"

"He grabbed your ass!" Troy reiterated. "You can't tell me that was an accident."

"He gave me a hug, Troy." Gabriella whirled around to face him, her normally soft chocolate eyes a dark piercing black. "He did not grab my ass." As Troy opened his mouth, Gabriella groaned before stomping into the kitchen, Troy right behind her.

"Gabriella, I was there – I saw it." Troy folded his arms as he leant against the work top, raising an eyebrow at his glaring girlfriend, daring her to doubt him.

"Fine maybe he did, but it meant nothing! Eric's been going through a rough time, with his parents splitting up – even you know that." Gabriella huffed, rolling her eyes irritably as Troy scoffed.

"Yeah, I'm sure he was broken up inside when he gave your ass a squeeze," he drawled sarcastically.

Gabriella threw her head back in frustration. "Why are making such a big deal out of this, Troy?" She asked testily, mirroring his image by folding her arms across her chest. "Why?"

"Making a big deal? How am I supposed to act when a guy who I know wants to get my girlfriend into bed, grabs her ass, trying to make to make it look all cute and innocent by hugging her?"

Gabriella flushed furiously, her eyes narrowing dangerously. "He does not want to get me into bed!"

"Ella, I used to be on the team with him. Before you and I were dating, he made his interest for you rather obvious to the rest of us."

"That was two years ago, Troy!"

Troy scoffed again, shaking his head. "Gabriella, trust me – two years means nothing to that guy. Especially when he knows that I'm at university, unable to see what he gets up to."

Gabriella frowned. "And what makes you think I'll allow him to 'get up to' anything?" She asked, her voice a little hard.

"Well, you didn't seem to mind the ass-groping," Troy replied, a little coolly.

Gabriella raised an eyebrow, wary at the tone of Troy's voice. "Meaning?"

"Meaning," Troy said, "what am I meant to think when I'm at Uni knowing my girlfriend doesn't really mind being groped by some guy?"

His words had Gabriella faltering, her cold façade instantly replaced with a hurt expression. Troy cursed himself silently as he saw her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

"I can't believe you don't trust me," she whispered finally.

"No, Ella, I didn't-"

"Troy, I would never cheat on you or allow anything like that to happen," she said, her voice timorous and shaky, a complete contrast to her previous persona. "How could you think that?"

"Ella, listen-"

"Just go home, Troy." Gabriella turned away from him and began making her way towards the stairs, not looking back, not caring, as she ascended the steps. The slam of her door echoed through the silent house and Troy winced, mentally berating himself for being such an asshole.

In the confines of her room, Gabriella climbed into her bed, her tears leaking heavily from her eyes and she curled up in a ball, her heart aching as Troy's words whirled around in her head. Lying next to her was the bear Troy had given her for her 10th birthday, and she picked it up, looking at it angrily before throwing it to the other side of the room where it bounced off the wood of her wardrobe.

Troy sighed heavily, ruffling his hair uneasily before walking out of the kitchen to follow his girlfriend, only to stop outside her closed bedroom door. The hand on the doorknob hesitated as Gabriella's muffled sobs filtered through the wood, and Troy stepped back, knowing that it was best to leave her be for now. His back slid down the wall until he was slumped on the floor, right out side the room, his head resting in his hands.

And he waited.

Gabriella's eyes fluttered open suddenly and she sat up, confused as she took in her surroundings. Her room was dark; the only light source was the pale glow of the moon as it filtered through the glass of her balcony doors. Glancing at her clock, she was shocked to see that it was just after midnight. Had she really been asleep that long?

Rubbing her sore eyes, Gabriella threw her duvet back and slipped out of bed. She flicked on her bedside lamp before making her way over to the tall chest of drawers. Opening one drawer, she pulled out a pair of boxers and a pale blue t-shirt, both items of clothing belonging to her boyfriend. As she stripped down, Gabriella tried to keep Troy from her mind, but as she pulled his t-shirt over her head, she became enveloped in his comforting scent, and almost immediately her heart ached, longing for him.

Her eyes scrunched closed tightly to prevent the tears that were welling up at bay, and she took a deep breath. She was still angry at Troy; of course she was. How could he not trust her? Did he honestly think that she'd cheat on him? But despite the anger she felt, she also knew that she wanted him here with her now so that he could hold her and make everything better. He was her mender-of-broken-things, after all. Glancing over at her nightstand in search of her cell phone so that she could ring him and ask him to come over, she frowned as she remembered that she'd left it in the kitchen. Sighing again, she crossed the room and opened the door only to trip over a pair of legs right outside the doorway.

Gabriella gasped quietly as she took in Troy's uncomfortably positioned sleeping body before a small smile worked its way onto her lips as she realised that he'd been there all night, waiting for her to come out. Heart fluttering, Gabriella carefully eased herself into Troy's lap, her tiny fingers immediately coming up to brush away the hair that dangled across his eyes.

The action must've woken Troy because Gabriella felt his body stiffen, and she watched as his eyes fluttered open only to immediately focus on hers. His arms lifted to wind around her body and he pulled her closer.

"I'm sorry, Ella," he murmured against her temple, his eyes closing again as he inhaled her perfect scent.

"I'm still mad at you," she whispered back but accepted the kisses Troy pressed against her skin.

"I know – and I'm sorry I'm such an asshole."

"I'm sorry you're an asshole too," Gabriella murmured back, a small wry smile forming on her lips. Troy caught her chin and turned her head gently so that she was looking at him.

"I do trust you, Ella," he whispered sincerely. "I was just shitty because I really hate that guy but I never doubted you. And I won't, not ever."

Gabriella nodded her head, leaning her forehead against his own. "I know, Troy – just don't ever get mad or jealous again, okay? This was our first fight, and it sucked majorly."

"I know – I really am sorry, babe; I never meant to hurt you." Troy squeezed her tighter and Gabriella leant in to press a chaste kiss against his lips.

"I know, Troy. I forgive you."

"Good," Troy smiled before kissing her sweetly. As he pulled back he grinned. "Do you think we could go to bed now? My butt is so sore and I can't feel my legs."

Gabriella giggled as she climbed out of his lap, and reached down to help him up. Just as she stepped into her room, Gabriella felt a hand on her wrist and she was suddenly spun around to come face to face with Troy.

"Love you, Ella," he murmured softly, his azure eyes twinkling.

"I love you too, Wildcat."

A few years had gone and come around,

We were sitting at our favourite spot in town,

And you looked at me,

Got down on one knee…

Playing with the hem of her skirt, a 20 year old Gabriella sat on the stone bench in the quiet park, waiting for her boyfriend. She hadn't seen him in a grand total of eight days, due to the fact that she'd been away with her lecture-class for a 'field-trip' which had involved her doing nothing but making notes, for a solid eight days straight. To say that it had sucked would be a major understatement, and Gabriella was glad to be back in San Francisco.

She'd arrived back home no less than an hour ago, and as soon as she'd dumped her bags, Gabriella had rang Troy, more or less demanding that he meet her. To her surprise, Troy had sounded rather flustered – something Gabriella had easily picked up on – but he had agreed none the less, telling her to meet him in 'their spot' at 2:30.

Their spot was a tiny little area in the park which was close to where they lived. It was a small circular clearing surrounded by bushes and trees, with two stone benches sitting in the middle. Troy had surprised Gabriella with this little place after she'd first moved out to California to live with him whilst she attended Stanford University, claiming that this was their new hideaway now that they could no longer use the rooftop garden at East High. Gabriella had cried delightedly in response, her heart flaring at the thought of Troy going to all sorts of trouble trying to find a new secret place for them.

And so, that's where she was now, glancing at her watch in slight desperation as she realised that Troy was almost ten minutes late. Sighing huffily, Gabriella pulled out her phone to shoot a text to Troy, demanding to know his whereabouts but halted as two hands suddenly gripped her from behind and lifted her up. Gabriella knew better than to scream and she giggled as she felt herself being turned so that her legs were draping over one arm of the male who'd just picked her up, and the other gripping her waist. Sitting bridal-style, Gabriella locked her arms around Troy's neck, her laughing eyes locking with his twinkling ones.

"Hey good-looking," she greeted softly.

"Hey gorgeous," came his response coupled with a wink and Gabriella pressed her smiling lips against his, kissing him lingeringly and sweetly. Pulling back, Troy grinned softly at her before sitting down on the bench without relinquishing his grasp on her small body, and he carefully positioned her so that she wouldn't feel the small velvet box that was currently sitting in his pocket after being shoved in there moments after being purchased only thirty minutes earlier.

Unsuspecting, Gabriella happily snuggled into his chest, her legs locking around his waist as her arms wound around his neck, her fingers gently combing through his hair.

"How was San Jose?" Troy asked as he ran his hands gently up and down her back.

"It sucked," Gabriella replied truthfully.

"Really? How come?"

"It was so boring!" She exclaimed, her tone bordering on whiney. "My professors are such liars – they said it'd be a fun yet educational experience; not a mind numbingly boring trip that made you bash your head against a brick wall."

Troy laughed gently, squeezing her tightly. "That sucks, babe – but at least you're home now, right?"

Gabriella smiled softly in response, burying her face into the crook of his neck. "Mhmm. I missed you," she murmured.

Troy nodded in agreement, pressing a kiss to her temple. "I missed you too, Ella."

Pulling back, Gabriella giggled. "God we're pathetic. We can't even go eight days without pining for each other," she said teasingly. "We used to be separated for months at a time when I was back at East High and you were here."

"Yes but we weren't living with each other at that point," Troy reminded her.

A smile creased Gabriella's lips before she leant in to peck him briefly. "That's true," she replied against his lips and Troy grinned before engaging her in other kiss.

When Gabriella had first decided to go to Stanford University, she was slightly uneasy at the prospect of living by herself. She had considered looking for an apartment to rent during the three years she would be there, but her mom had pointed out that she'd be surrounded by people if she lived on campus which would probably be the more preferable idea. Gabriella had considered that point for a while until her boyfriend offered her a better alternative; a much better alternative: that she move in with him.

Troy had been living by himself for the past two years in a small apartment in San Francisco whilst he attended Berkeley and he was just starting his final year when Gabriella started her first year at Stanford. The thought of living with her had caused a thrill like no other, and when he found out that Gabriella didn't really like her possible living options, he had jumped at the opportunity and asked her to move in with him – an invitation that Gabriella had accepted in a heartbeat. The apartment was within easy distances from both Stanford and Berkeley, and was a comfortable size for the both of them to be living there.

"So, beautiful girlfriend of mine," Troy said as the gentle kisses ended, "you wanna go get some lunch? I don't know about you, but I'm starving."

Rolling her eyes, Gabriella giggled. "Baby, you're always hungry," she said impishly, giggling again as Troy merely winked in response. "But yes I'd lo-" The sudden ringing of her cell phone interrupted her and she groaned before hastily scrambling up from Troy's lap to answer her phone.

Troy watched as she sat down next to him, admiring the way she automatically reached for his hand, her fingers fiddling idly with his as she listened to whoever was on the phone.

"Yeah Tay, he's here; sitting next to me, to be precise…" She turned to him, smiling cutely. "Tay says hi," she said before refocusing her attention to her friend. Troy grinned softly at the way her nose scrunched up adorably at something Taylor said and the way she nibbled on her bottom lip as she listened intently. God she's beautiful, Troy thought as Gabriella giggled, the musical sound resonating beautifully in his ears.

Troy momentarily tore his gaze away from his girlfriend as he surreptitiously felt for the ring box in his pocket, knowing full well that he could drop to one knee right now and give Gabriella the shock of her life. Should he do just that? Or should he wait until the perfect moment? Would the perfect moment ever present itself? What if –

"Troy?"

Jumping slightly, Troy snapped his gaze up from staring at the ground to meet his girlfriend's amused yet slightly confused eyes. "Hmm?"

"You okay? You sort of spaced out," she said teasingly, her lips curling into a cute smile. Troy felt his heart surge then, the love the he felt for her overwhelming and he knew right then that he had to do it.

Leaning down he caught Gabriella's smiling lips in a deep kiss, his tongue stroking slowly against hers, his fingers coming up to frame her face, pulling her closer to him as her own hands came up to grip his forearms. Breaking the kiss moments later, Troy shifted so that he was kneeling on both knees on the floor in front her, watching as Gabriella's eyes fluttered open dazedly, her cheeks flushed as she gasped softly.

"What was that for?" She murmured delicately, her swollen lips curving into an enchanting smile as she gazed down at him, her liquid eyes entrancing him.

"Because I love you," Troy responded earnestly, and Gabriella felt her heart flutter.

"I love you too, Troy," she whispered, slightly bewildered by his sudden change of character. She watched as he took a deep breath and rubbed the back of his neck – a clear sign that he nervous about something – and she frowned slightly; something was clearly bothering him. "Troy?" She asked gently, "What's the matter?"

Troy smiled up at her, "Nothing's the matter – everything's great, actually."

"But you seem distracted by something," Gabriella hinted, her eyes searching his.

"No baby, I'm fine – but there's something I…need do," he paused slightly, not sure what to say next. Gabriella fell silent as she waited before something clicked, and her eyes widened in horror.

"You're not…breaking up with me, are you?" She asked, her tone quivering.

Troy's eyes widened also, his expression aghast. "No, no! Ella, it's nothing like that!"

Gabriella's tense body relaxed, feeling slightly silly for even thinking that and she let out a nervous giggle. "Then what is it?"

"I…" He paused again, sighing deeply. "Okay, here's the thing…you and I have known each other for over 15 years, right?"

Gabriella furrowed her brow. "Right…"

"And we've been dating for four years, almost five," Troy continued, grinning at Gabriella's confused expression.

"Okay…"

"And well, you're graduating in a few months, ready to start a new chapter in your life – and I want to be there with you, every step of the way-"

"And you will be," Gabriella interjected, her grip on his hands tightening and Troy smiled up at her, pressing a swift kiss to her knuckle.

"But…I don't just want to be your boyfriend – I want us to be something more, Ella."

"…What do you mean?" She followed his movements with curious eyes as Troy reached into his pocket, her breathing hitching suddenly as she saw the small velvet box enclosed tightly in his hand. Eyes wide and glistening with unshed tears, Gabriella watched as Troy shifted so that he was on one knee and she brought one hand up to cover her mouth as she let out a choked sob; the full reality of the moment crashing down on her as she gazed into Troy's sparkling eyes.

"I want you to marry me, Ella," Troy murmured and he opened the black box to reveal a stunningly beautiful solitaire heart shaped diamond ring nestled into the velvet cushion. Gabriella let out a squeak as she stared at Troy, her heart beating erratically in her chest, the tears in her eyes now flowing down her cheeks.

Moments of silence passed and Troy fidgeted slightly as Gabriella continued to stare at him "Ella…?" He barely had a chance to blink before she leapt at him, her petite hands framing his face as she kissed him zealously, frantically for a long moment before eventually pulling back, both of their breathing ragged. Troy chuckled lightly, nuzzling his nose against hers. "So, is that a yes?"

"In every language!" Gabriella squealed deliriously before attacking his lips once again. Troy pulled back again and gently wiped her tears away with the pads of his thumbs before gently clasping her left hand, Gabriella's fingers naturally splaying and he held his breath as he slowly slid the ring on to her finger. He heard Gabriella's breath hitch and he looked up at her, his heart swelling at the radiant smile on her lips.

"Troy, it's perfect…" She sighed in bliss before pressing her lips to his in a gentler kiss.

"So are you," Troy muttered against her lips, his own eyes closing in rapture. "I love you."

"Love you, too. So, so, so much," came Gabriella's soft reply as she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, resting her forehead against his, her eyes sparkling. Gazing into her dazzling orbs, Troy couldn't help but think that at that particular moment in time, he was possibly the happiest man in the world – and he knew for a fact that he was only ever going to get happier.

Take me back to the time when we walked down the aisle,

Our whole town came and our mamas cried,

You said "I do,"

And I did too

Fidgeting nervously as he gazed down the aisle at the big wooden doors that he prayed would open at that very moment, 24 year old Troy Bolton shifted on his feet as he stood at the alter, uncomfortable with the hundred and eleven pairs of excited eyes staring at him. Looking around in scepticism, he wondered what the heck had possessed him to allow his mother to be in charge of the invites, because looking at all of the people in the room, Troy noticed that half of the faces looking back at him were not even the slightest bit familiar. Why was, what looked like, the entire population of Albuquerque sitting in this church at his wedding?

A hand clapped down on his shoulder from behind, breaking him from his thoughts and Troy turned to his see best friend wearing an encouraging smile, his face soft and his dark eyes twinkling.

"Relax," Chad muttered, "you're making your mom worried."

Troy swept his gaze towards his mother who was sitting on the front bench, sandwiched between his dad and his almost mother-in-law, Maria Montez. Lucille was smiling softly at her son, but her searching eyes were penetrating his own, but Troy just sent her a wide smile, and her gaze softened.

"You remember your lines?" Chad snickered lightly and just as Troy turned to glare at him, music suddenly filled the room and he whipped around to face the front as the people seated in the church rose to their feet, his eyes set solely on the doors as they slowly began to open.

Troy had never really been articulate with words, especially when Gabriella was involved; he was always rendered speechless when ever she was in his presence. However, the moment his gaze had landed on that angel walking down the aisle, his heart stopped completely, his breath lodging in his lungs. There were no words to describe just how truly beautiful Gabriella was at that moment as she walked gracefully towards him, her petite arm linked through her father's as he walked proudly beside her.

The delicate material of the dress shimmered gently in the light of the church, the intricate detailing on the bodice glinting with every step she took. The full princess style skirt swept out into a cathedral length train that trailed lightly along the soft white carpet that was lining the aisle. Gabriella's glossy hair was pulled up into a sophisticated up-do with gentle strands framing the flawless features of her beautiful face with a shy smile curving her lips.

Reaching the alter, Gabriella pressed a sweet kiss to her father's cheek and passed her bouquet of pink lilies to Taylor before stepping up to stand beside Troy, her cheeks blushing at the obvious look of approval on his features; his wide eyes and a slightly parted mouth. She stifled a giggle as the Reverend cleared his throat subtly, causing Troy to blink dazedly and refocus his attention, his own cheeks flushing slightly. Leaning over, he tangled his fingers with hers and pulled her closer to him, a wide smile breaking out onto his lips as he realised that this was actually happening; that Gabriella really was about to become his wife.

The church was silent as the Reverend spoke gently as he started the ceremony, and as Troy and Gabriella spoke their heartfelt and moving vows, the two women sat on the front row who were clutching hands with one another, watched with beaming smiles as tears silently trickled down their cheeks. The two of them sat silent anticipation as Troy and Gabriella smiled elatedly as they answered the question that would bind them together forever.

"I do."

Maria Montez bit her lip in delight at the deliriously happy expression on Gabriella's glowing face as Troy slid the wedding ring onto her finger and Lucille Bolton dabbed at the corner of her eye as Troy pulled Gabriella to him, gripping her tightly as they kissed devotedly as husband and wife.

Take me home where we met so many years before,

We will rock our babies on that very front porch,

After all this time,

You and I…

Rolling over with a muffled sigh, Gabriella Bolton reached out to snuggle into the warm comforting body that had been lying beside her only for her to meet the cool material of the sheet. Leaning up so that she was resting on her forearms, she looked around the empty room with a small frown settling on her lips as she tried to work out what could have her husband out of bed at 6:00am on a Saturday morning.

Her sweeping gaze landed on the picture on the bedside table and her frown quickly turned into a smile as she gazed at the picture of the little baby girl being cradled in her arms.

Ah, that's why. Their daughter.

After almost eight months of being a married couple, Troy and Gabriella received the shock of a lifetime when they were presented with the news that Gabriella was pregnant. At first, they were unsure of what to do as they hadn't even discussed starting family, claiming that they wanted to settle into married life before taking that step, but after spending a good hour or so sitting in the doctor's office thinking about it, they had simultaneously turned to face one another, beaming in happiness – the idea of having a baby giving them a thrill like no other.

Despite their joy and delight, Gabriella's pregnancy had been difficult; her twenty-three year old body struggling to adjust to the human that was growing inside of it. The morning sickness and frequent dizziness had been the bit that, as Gabriella entered her last trimester, she had been looking forward to saying goodbye to. At around six months into the pregnancy, Gabriella's body had become accustomed to the baby meaning the last three months were calm and rather stress free.

Until Gabriella went into labour three weeks early.

Troy had returned from work to unexpectedly find Gabriella sitting in the middle of the kitchen floor, clutching her swollen belly, her face panic stricken. She'd said that she dropped something on the floor, and on bending down to pick it up, her water had broken. Her contractions had started pretty swiftly after that, thus preventing her from being able to stand up and call Troy for help. Not wasting a single moment, Troy had then swept Gabriella into his arms as well as grabbing the hospital bag that had been prepared beforehand, and darted for the car, arriving at the hospital eight minutes later – a new record that Troy would've happily celebrated over had it not been for his crying wife next to him.

From that moment on however, things had slowed down a bit. The contractions had slowly begun to grow further apart, but the two of them was quickly assured by the nurses that it was a completely normal occurrence and that they had nothing to worry about. Nine hours later, and the contractions were speeding up again, arriving much more swiftly and painfully each time and it was another two agonising hours after that before Troy and Gabriella finally welcomed their baby girl into the world.

After almost twelve hours of labour, Millie Montez was born on the 24th May, weighing at just less than 6lbs. The moment her teeny tiny body was placed into Gabriella's awaiting arms, Gabriella had started crying; the unadulterated happiness she was feeling overpowering any fatigue and achiness that were consuming her body. She and Troy had sat for hours just watching little Millie, an overwhelming sense of pride and love visible on their tired features.

"Thank you," Troy had whispered at some point in the early hours of the morning, and Gabriella's tired gaze had moved from their slumbering daughter to meet his.

"What for?"

"For being the most perfect woman in the entire world, and for giving me a daughter," he replied simply, his lips grinning softly as his gaze returned to the baby nestled in Gabriella's arms.

Gabriella had smiled softly in response, carefully lifting one hand to graze her fingers down Troy's cheek. "I love you," she whispered and Troy had then leant in to kiss her lingeringly, their noses nuzzling softly as they broke apart.

"Love you too."

That had been four and a half months ago, and the happiness they had felt that night had yet to fade. Every time Gabriella looked at or thought of their beautiful baby girl, her heart would swell and a blissful smile would break out on her lips. They had mastered the role of parents by the time they left the hospital with Millie, and were amazed at how natural everything was to them. They'd eased into a routine quickly and Troy had been slightly uneasy at the prospect of returning to work so he'd taken an official 'break' from it – allowing for the high school he worked at as a basketball coach to fill his position with a temporary coach. Gabriella had resisted the idea at first, claiming that she didn't want Troy to feel like he had to stay, but Troy had merely shushed her by saying the he refused to part with her or Millie so soon after the birth – and that had been the end of that discussion.

Throwing the duvet back, Gabriella eased herself out of bed and quickly pulled on one of Troy's warm sweatshirts over her pyjamas, the material swamping her frame, just the way she liked it. She then made her way towards the door before padding softly down the hallway of the house she knew so well.

The house had been another surprise, only this one came before the pregnancy. Shortly after their wedding, Gabriella had announced that she wanted to move out of their apartment and into a house. Troy on the other hand had known that she secretly wanted to move back to Albuquerque as that was the place she'd ever feel at home and that way she was closer to her mother, so he'd started to look around on various websites. He mentioned the idea to Gabriella's mother at one point and was shocked to find that she was thinking of selling the house, claiming that it was far too big for just one person. Troy knew that once Gabriella had found out that Maria was selling her childhood home, she would be devastated and so he acted quickly by buying the house off of Maria, knowing this was the perfect gift for Gabriella's approaching 23rd birthday.

The look of delight on Gabriella's face after she'd received her gift was something that Troy knew he would never forget; she had squealed and launched herself at him, crying into the crook of his neck. The weeks following her birthday were spent by boxing up their belongings in the San Francisco apartment before driving down from California to the town they had both grown up in. Moving back into her childhood home had been a somewhat surreal experience for Gabriella, and claimed that she wanted her old bedroom to be their room as the balcony that was still decorated with the fairy-lights, held a lot of sweet memories for them.

Pausing in the doorway of Millie's room, Gabriella peeked in only to see that the sleeping baby she had expected was not there. Biting her lip, she made her way down the stairs and into the kitchen, certain that Troy would be there feeding Millie but upon arriving in the empty room, Gabriella frowned. She moved on into the empty living room, he frown deepening ever so slightly at the continued missing presence of her husband and daughter. She stood thinking for a moment before making her way over to the front window just to check that the car was still in the driveway, meaning Troy hadn't gone out anywhere – and turning her gaze to the side, she let out a gentle sigh of relief at the sight of her husband sitting on the porch swing with a pink bundle in his arms.

Now smiling, she rushed to the front door and stepped out onto the porch, leaning against the house as she observed the sight in front of her. Troy was sitting idly on the softly swaying swing, watching Millie as she slept, a tiny fist covering her fluttering eyes while the other was clenched tightly around Troy's little finger. The look of pure love on Troy's features had Gabriella's heart swelling and she pushed herself away from the house making her way towards him as she smiled giddily.

"Morning, good-looking," she murmured gently and Troy's gaze snapped up at the sudden extra presence and he grinned softly in response as Gabriella settled next to him, her head coming to rest on his shoulder.

"Hey gorgeous," he said before pressing a kiss against her lips. Gabriella smiled serenely up at him before focusing her attention on the dozing baby, stroking a gentle finger down the soft skin of Millie's tiny cheek. "Whatcha' doing out here?" Troy asked quietly, his nose nuzzling into Gabriella's soft curls.

"I got cold," she replied just as hushed, a small teasing pout forming on her lips. Troy laughed lightly in response and Gabriella leant up to kiss him swiftly. "What about you, though? What are you two doing out here so early?" She gaze landed back on Millie, willingly unable to prevent the wide smile from breaking out on her lips.

"Someone was grumbling for attention so I thought we'd come out here for a bit while I tried to get her back to sleep," came Troy's response and Gabriella giggled softly as she watched her daughter in admiration.

"She's so cute," she sighed, her eyes sweeping over the delicate features of Millie's face; the soft wispy curls of brown hair, the cute little button nose and her tiny bow like mouth.

"She sure is," Troy responded. "A lot like her mommy."

Gabriella giggled again before carefully reaching in and scooping Millie tenderly into her arms, pulling her fragile body close to her, Millie's head tucking underneath her chin. Millie cooed softly before dozing off again and Gabriella smiled gently and pressed a soft kiss to Millie's head before snuggling into Troy's body. Troy wrapped his arms around her, pulling her tight against him, pressing his own kisses against Gabriella's soft skin.

Gazing down at them, Troy couldn't fathom just how lucky he had become. He'd met the most amazing girl at the age of seven and she'd quickly become his best friend, before becoming his girlfriend at the tender age of sixteen and at twenty-two years of age, becoming his wife, consequently making him the happiest man on the earth. By the age of twenty-five, Troy had been living in an amazing house in his childhood town, living with the most amazing woman he'd ever met who then amazed him and made him fall even more deeply in love with her by giving birth to their precious daughter.

How had he ended up so damn happy?

The musical giggle that broke his reverie had Troy looking down at the sole answer.

Gabriella Bolton was the reason his life was as perfect as it was now – and as long as he had her for the rest of time, he knew that she was the only thing, apart from their beautiful daughter, that he would ever need to be happy.

And that was that.

And I'll be eighty-seven; you'll be eighty-nine,

I'll still look at you like the stars that shine,

In the sky,

Oh my, my, my…

And it's done! It turned out to be a little longer than I expected, but hopefully it's still pretty good. I'm actually quite proud of this, despite the insanely cheesy ending – and I hope you guys like it as well :)

Review?