Gabriella sat in her vanity chair looking at the image in mirror. Her hair was cut, blow dried and every strand in the perfect place. Four days ago she woke up in hospital bed alone, no signs of anyone. No signs of Troy. Her father was persistent that tonight she'd make an appearance a charity dinner. Told her it would be good if people saw her up and bout as if nothing had happened at all. Standing up her ball gown drifted to the floor and all around her. The door opened and her father walked in. "I told you, you'd look stunning, your date is here. He's a very well known movie star, someone with a better image, more suitable to our new image."

Gabriella nodded no feeling left inside her to care or protest. Her world went back into the same routine. Her father held up his hands. "Hold on your scar is showing." He said reaching around her to the vanity. "We want these pictures on the front page, remember to smile."

Gabriella bit her lip as she let her father cover the scar on her forehead. He was wearing a tux. "Now if everything get to be too much let me know and we'll get you back home."

Gabriella nodded again. With that they left and Gabriella was silent the entire way there. Her heart in her chest beating steady as she watched things pass by in the window, her father and her date talked about sports and movies. Gabriella shifted in her seat.

"Don't wrinkle the dress dear," Her father said as he winked at her.

When it was time to get out of the car Gabriella followed suit along the runway of photographers and people waving signs and flowers. Microphones were pushed in her face, flashes were everywhere she turned. Once inside Gabriella sighed in relief that the worst was over. They mingled she mostly nodded and smiled. Her father did the talking and Gabriella looked into the crowd, lost, alone, and heartbroken.

A hand took hold of hers and Gabriella turned to see Chad's face. Her smile faded and she mentally kicked herself. "I'm sorry."

"Think you can sneak away," he whispered.

Gabriella nodded and turned back to her father and date. "I'm going to use the little girl's room." it was almost as if she'd said nothing, no one even looked in her direction. Gabriella shrugged her shoulders and turned to follow Chad. Sharpay was seated at a table off to the side and her face lit up at the sight of her best friend. The girls hugged and Gabriella held her like a life line.

"Oh my god, I almost died not knowing if you were alright," Sharpay leaned back and looked Gabriella over. "Not a scar on you,"

"There are scars," Gabriella said looking around the room. "Trust me,"

They both sat down and Sharpay lifted her hand to flash a shining diamond ring. "Well I thought you might like some good news."

Gabriella smiled and looked back at Chad who chuckled. "When is the wedding?"

"I don't yet I was hoping to talk it over with my maid of honor," she said looking at Gabriella with a smile.

Gabriella smiled and went to accept but she stopped midway. "I can't"

"Why not?" Sharpay said in a low voice.

"My father wants me to change my image, become less attached to my old life" Gabriella said placing quotes around old life.

"Fuck him, he isn't you, he's just a manger."

Gabriella was silent, "I can't, he's my father."

"So you'll give up on friendship and true love because your father tells you to?" Sharpay said with a concerned expression. "Where is the girl from last week, the one who was taking charge, getting down to living her own life."

"She was kidnapped and used as a play toy for five hours." Gabriella said in a harsh tone.

"Gabriella that wasn't your fault none of that was, you had no control over that situation, but you do have control over what you do now."

Gabriella looked down at the table cloth. "He fired Troy."

"He's staying in a hotel room with Zeke. They had to wrap up the case." Chad said leaning forward. "I think he's going back to the army to finish his tour." He opened his phone and made a call.

Gabriella took a deep breath. "I miss him."

"I'm sure he misses you, when he brought you to the ER that night he wouldn't let anyone but a doctor get near you, he put a gun to your father's head to find you, and in the process he popped all his stitches." Sharpay took Gabriella by the hands. "A man doesn't do all that because it's his job; he does it for the woman he loves."

Chad leaned and hung up his phone. "Zeke said he's on his way to the airport, he just left."

Gabriella shook her head. "Maybe it's better this way?" she said looking over at Sharpay.

"Do you love him or not?" Sharpay said in a more aggressive tone."He brought you back to life when you were at your worst he save you in more ways than one. You can't let all of that go to waste just to fall back into the same spiral of your father's commands."

"Ella." her father voice barked and Gabriella jerk as she looked up at him. "I told you to stay away from her. She's nothing but a pregnant has been, she the very reason all this has happened."

Gabriella looked at Sharpay who rolled her eyes and stood quite.

"They don't know what's best for you." He took hold of her arm and pulled Gabriella from the seat.

Gabriella pulled back stood up on her own. "Fuck you."

People around them went quite and her father eyes went wide. "Ella."

"My name is Gabriella, and you're fired."

Her father straightened out. "Now hold on a minute."

"No, I want you out of my house and out of my life, you're the reason there was a stalker in the first place, none of this was ever my choice. You're the reason he got into the house and the reason he got to me." Gabriella held up a finger. "You're nothing, but asshole and arrogant prick."

"And a bad father," Sharpay added. "You want her to be as miserable as you are."

"This is between me and my daughter," Luis raises a finger to Sharpay. "Take your hippie nonsense somewhere else."

"Don't talk to my fiancé like that," Chad got up from his seat and stepped in front of the girls. "Or my new client."

"Ella," her father voice was low and he glared at her as she stood behind Chad.

Gabriella smiled as she tapped Chad on the shoulder. "How fast can you get me to that airport?"

"Cars already in back," he said motioning for her and Sharpay to go. "I got this."

The girls took off on and left Chad and her father behind.

Troy looked up at the flight times and then at his ticket. Cynthia was safely back at school, with pictures and autographs all thanks to Sharpay and Taylor. A small smile came across his lips, at least she was happy. He shifted his duffel bag on to his shoulder and walked over to the gate. Zeke and Taylor were going out tonight on their first official date. Troy decided it was time to go back, best leave now before any other reminders came around from Gabriella. Zeke was right, Troy was there for a job, and he let the job get the best of him. Gabriella was going to be fine, she was safe and probably at that big dinner thing Zeke and Taylor were attending tonight. He got in line and waited as people got check to go on the flight. His mind wondered to thoughts of Gabriella and what she was doing now. He turned off his cell phone and put it in his bag.

Gabriella pushed the doors to the airport open her hands lifting her dress as she ran past the front desk.

"Miss you need a boarding pass!" the lady from the counter picked up the phone and called security.

Her hair was fluttered around her as she weaved through people left and right making her way to the flight board. The flight to Washington, was boarding Gabriella heart thudded in her chest harder and Sharpay's voice screamed from behind her. "Gabriella he's at the gate 12!"

Gabriella turned to look in the direction Sharpay was pointing and she looked through the windows and glass walls to see that sure enough Troy was in line to board the plane. "I got to get to that gate." Gabriella seen security coming her way and she took off running, her dress shuffling around her. Slipping past people she zig zaged making it harder to follow her. Her heart was in her throat as she came to the lines of airport security. Two men came up beside her and grabbed her. Her heart fell into her shoes and they pulled her aside.

"Miss you're going to have to come with us."

Troy looked at his watch and then at the line of people before him. A woman behind him smiled. "What brought you here to LA solider?"

"Work," Troy said with a small smile. "I'm on my way back."

"How long until your home."

"Year and half," Troy said with a grim look. "Got a little girl waiting on me," he said pulling out a picture of Cynthia."

"I bet she misses her father very much,"

Troy didn't correct the woman, he didn't feel the need to discuss his life story with strangers instead he said thank you.

"I have three of my own," She said with smile. "Their waiting on me back home with my husband. Are you married?"

"No," Troy took a deep breath all dreams of happiness faded away, he needed to get his head on straight get back to work and focus on giving him and Cynthia a better life. Troy was next in line, he gave the lady his ticket and she smiled. "Have a good flight Mr. Bolton."

"Thanks." Troy made his way to the down the boarding tunnel, when a voice from behind him called him.

"Hey, G.I. Joe!"

Troy turned to see Gabriella standing with two airport guards behind her.

"You just gonna leave without saying goodbye?"

Troy let out a laugh. "Nice dress," he began to walk towards her.

"There's a fine line between love and hate you know, after all we been though," she shook her head. "Wouldn't be right for you to just leave me here, all unprotected like this."

Troy stopped and they both stared at each other in silence. Then Troy spoke, "Why are you really here?"

"Because I love you and if you get on that plane you might as well rip my heart out and take it with you."

Troy began to walk this time quicker and Gabriella took off on a run, jumping into his arms. Troy wrapped his arms around her and lifted her spinning for a moment before setting her back on the ground. "I love you too."

"Well, are you gonna kiss me or not?" she said looking up at him with a smile on her face.

"One condition."

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "There's always a condition with you."

"Marry me," he said, gasps from on lookers rumbled around them and Gabriella smiled as she looked up into his blues eyes.

"Only if you're a really good kisser." She said as she placed her hands on his chest.

Troy leaned down and placed his lips on hers, the fusions of their passions took over and Gabriella gave herself to him. A picture flashed and people all over the world witness an act of true love as the announcement of their engagement graced the cover of every magazine.

Thank you for reading.