Epilogue: That Christmas, in the mountains of Colorado

"My lips…two blushing pilgrims ready stand to smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss."

"Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand, too, which mannerly devotion shows in this. For saints have hands that pilgrims hands do touch and palm to palm is holy palmers kiss."

"Have not saints lips and holy palmers too?" Troy asked, trying to lean in to kiss Sharpay.

She easily avoided his move, continuing with the lines. "Ay, pilgrim lips that they must use in prayer."

He furrowed his brow and tried to kiss her again. "Well, then, come on, baby. Let's make out, already," he said in a low, fake voice.

She put her hands on her hips. "Troy! That's not how it goes and you know it!"

He sighed heavily before continuing. "Oh, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do. They pray. Grant thou lest faith turn to despair."

She smiled wide at him. "Saints do not move though grant for prayers sake."

Troy groaned, losing character again. "Pay, I really don't remember it."

She just looked at him with her eyebrows raised, waiting for him to continue.

He furrowed his brow in concentration, trying to remember the lines that he never had to recite before this. He smiled wide when he remembered them.

"Then move not while my prayer's effect I take. Thus, from my lips by thine, my sin is purged."

He leaned in to kiss her softly.

She pulled back after a moment, smiling. "Then, have my lips the sin that they have took."

Troy wiggled his eyebrows a bit. "Sin from my lips? Oh, trespass sweetly urged! Give me my sin again!" He picked her up, wrapping her legs around him, and kissed her deeply and passionately. They stood that way for what felt like forever until they finally had to stop to breathe. He carried her over to the bed, laying on top of her and kissing her breathless again.

"You kiss by the book," she breathed against his lips.

He laughed at that. "What book is that?? Playboy?"

She untangled herself from him and hit him in the arm playfully. His cell phone started to ring.

He laughed louder and kissed her forehead, getting up and going over to his phone to answer it.

"Hello? Yeah, Mom….We'll be right down…Okay, thanks. Bye."

Sharpay got up from the bed, straightening herself up. She went over to him, her eyebrows raised. He looked back at her.

"Mom says it's dinner time."

She nodded and went to the nearby table, going to grab her purse.

"Pay, wait. Before we go," he said, following her and stopping her by putting his hands on her arms gently.

She smiled up at him lovingly.

He smiled back and let out a soft sigh. "Pay, you have changed my life. You've made me so happy and you've helped me to see things more clearly than I ever have before. When we were just friends, I never realized that everything I wanted was standing right in front of me. You hit me like a ton of bricks, Sharpay Evans. I didn't expect to fall in love with you. I never saw any of this coming."

She looked up at him with her brow furrowed, looking a little confused.

He continued, still smiling. "But I'm so glad that I'm standing here, now, with you. I can't imagine myself being happier any other way. I'm not going to let you get away ever again."

"Aw, Hoops. You don't have to worry about that. I'm not planning on going anywhere."

He dropped his hands from her arms and pulled one hand back up, bringing it to the back of his neck to rub it softly.

She laughed softly at him, reaching up to grab it from his neck. "Stop that, Hoops. You don't have to be…nervous…" she trailed off a bit, realization hitting her slowly.

He held onto her hand, her left hand, and got onto one knee. With his free hand, he pulled a ring box out of his pocket. He released her hand so that he could open it and show her the diamond engagement ring that was inside. She gasped softly, covering her mouth with her right hand.

"Oh, Troy…"

He smiled at her. "Sharpay Evans. You are the love of my life. I cannot live without you. Will you marry me?"

Tears filled her eyes and she nodded quickly as she watched him take the ring out of the box and put it on her finger. He stood now and pulled her close. He hugged her for a long moment before looking at her face, worried.

"Are those happy tears?" he asked fearfully.

She laughed softly now and wiped her face, nodding. "Yes. Yes, happy tears. I'm so happy, Troy."

She pulled him in for a passionate kiss and, for the first time since he left high school, Troy finally felt that everything was right in his world.

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So that's the end! I hope you guys enjoyed it! I really loved writing it. I have a couple of ideas running through my head that could work for a sequel or an entirely different story. I haven't really decided, yet. I can tell you that my next piece will probably have something to do with babies. Please let me know what you thought of the story and if you have any good ideas for another one! Thanks again to all of my faithful readers! -EB