Just a Dream
Warning: you will cry! I did, when I wrote it…
This a songfic written with the song Just a Dream by Carrie Underwood.
After high school had ended Troy Bolton had joined the army, while Gabriella Montez was attending college. They had been together for three years, when Troy had decided to join the army, and Gabriella had supported him, only because it was his dream to follow the footsteps of his grandfather. Secretly Gabriella hated it, she feared that they would send him to war, and then she would be left alone at home fearing for his life – fearing that now it was Troy, who they had killed, when the news told about an American soldier, who was killed.
And one day the day that Gabriella feared the most came. Troy had been chosen to go to war in Iraq. He had told Gabriella and they had had a long talk about it, and she had cried her eyes out. Every time she had stopped crying the tears once again started streaming down her face… just the thought of Troy being in Iraq… in war… it killed her inside. What if he was the next soldier killed?
"Babe," Troy said as he saw Gabriella sitting looking out the window with a blank look.
Gabriella got pulled out of her own thoughts, "yes honey?"
"Are you okay?" he asked as he sat down beside her and took her hand.
"It's just…" she sighed, "they said on the news today that two American soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb."
"Oh honey," Troy said and pulled her close to him.
"Why do you have to leave for war?" Gabriella cried as tears again started streaming down her cheeks.
"I have to, it's my job," Troy sighed, "I know you don't like it, and I don't like it either," he admitted.
"But…" Gabriella sighed and looked him in the eyes, "what about us?"
"There is still us, even when I'm in Iraq," Troy said and kissed her top of the head, "I'm always with you, right here," he pointed to her heart, "as long as you love me, I will be right here with you, even when I'm on the other side of the earth fighting."
Gabriella sobbed, "but I don't want you to leave!"
Tears started forming in Troy's eyes, "babe, I know, I know. But I have to, I'm sorry!"
Gabriella nodded and cuddled up to him, "I love you!" she said.
"I love you too," Troy said and kissed her forehead.
"Do you promise you will get home again?" Gabriella asked.
"I will do anything I can to come home to you, my princess, you know that," Troy said tilting her head up to look her in the eyes.
"Good," Gabriella said and leaned up to kiss him.
The days went by. Papers were signed and Troy wrote his testament, just in case. It was a part of the procedure, when the soldiers were going to war. They even had to plan their own funeral, just in case, so that the ones left behind should not concentrated about that if the most terrible thing should happen. Everything was done and ready, only one thing was not done, and Troy was planning on getting it done before he had to leave.
On a night out Troy looked at Gabriella, "can I have one wish fulfilled before I leave?" he asked.
Gabriella looked down trying to hide her tears and then she took a deep breath and looked up at him, "of course you can, honey!"
Troy went down on one knee and pulled out a ring, "Gabriella Anne Montez, will you marry me?"
"Yes, yes, yes!" Gabriella exclaimed, "of course I will marry you!" she said and sat down in front of him and kissed him.
Troy got the ring out of the box and slipped it onto Gabriella's finger, "thank you," he whispered and kissed her softly.
A few days after Gabriella and Troy got married with only their closest friends and the nearest family as witnesses.
"My man, my soldier, my hero," Gabriella said as she held her speech, "soon you will be leaving for a war, I know you want to make your grandfather proud, and I bet he is proud of you, because I am!" Gabriella whipped away the tears from her cheek, "I know it's hard for you to know that I don't really want you to leave, but on the other hand you know I support you through it all. And no matter how far away you are, you will always be right here in my heart," she placed her hand over her heart. "And no matter what happens we will always be together, because we belong together." Gabriella looked at Troy, "Troy Bolton, I love you with all of my heart, and no matter what happens you will always be right here with me in my heart."
Tears were streaming down everyone's cheeks and Gabriella and Troy met in a soft kiss, before Troy started his speech.
"Gabriella Anne Montez Bolton," he chuckled lightly, "Because that will be your name now," he smiled, "my wife, my princess, my best friend, my everything." He took her hand, "when we first met we were singing "The start of something new" and it became the start of something new – it became the start of our life together. And I'm truly thankful for that night." He took a deep breath, "I asked you if I could get one dream fulfilled before I left for Iraq, and this was my dream – to make you my wife. Because you are the love of my life – you're the one that own my heart and soul. And even if I was not going to Iraq I would still make you my wife, I hope you know that, because no matter where this life takes me, or takes you, I hope we will be together, because I would not want to imagine my life without you!" He smiled as tears started forming in Gabriella's eyes, "I love you, Gabriella Anne Montez Bolton. No matter the distance you will be right here with me," he placed a hand on his chest, "and you will be my first thought in the morning, and you will be my last thought in the evening, because I hate being away from you, and no matter where life takes us, remember just look to your heart, and I'm right there, just as you are right here in mine."
Gabriella and Troy once again met in a sweet soft kiss. The wedding night went by and soon it was the day that Gabriella feared the most.
In the airport everyone was saying their goodbyes to their loved ones. Troy had said goodbye to his parents and Gabriella's parents the night before, and he had talked to them on the phone in the morning. And in the airport his and Gabriella's friends had arrived to tell him goodbye. Everyone was crying. Chad, Zeke, Ryan, Sharpay, Taylor and Kelsi, they were all crying, but they all promised Troy to take care of Gabriella and not let her sit by herself at home and wait for him to come home.
"Babe," Troy said as he took Gabriella's hand, "I love you!"
"I love you too," Gabriella said with tears streaming down her face, "so much!"
Troy bit his lip, "I hate seeing you like this, and know that it's my fault that you are crying," he said and cupped her face with his hands.
"I'm sorry," Gabriella whispered.
Troy kissed her softly, "no, I'm sorry!"
Gabriella nodded, "promise me, you will come home to me!"
"I will, honey," he said, knowing he could not even promise her that, but if that made her feel better, then he would tell her anything.
"Thank you!" she cried and hugged him tightly.
"Take this," Troy said and pulled out a necklace from his pocket and gave her, "it's for you to keep with you to remember that I'm always with you, right here," he said.
"Can you help me put it on?" Gabriella asked.
"Of course," he said and helped her put it on.
"Thank you, babe," Gabriella said and looked him in the eyes.
"I have to go now," Troy sighed as they called out for his division.
Gabriella nodded and once again the tears streamed down her face, "I love you!" she said, "promise me to write me and keep yourself safe."
"I will, honey, I will," Troy assured her, "I love you so much!" he said and hugged her tightly and kissed her softly one last time. "For now, bye, my princess."
"For now, bye, my hero," Gabriella said as the tears streamed down her face and she kissed Troy softly for the last time before he walked away to board the airplane.
Chad grabbed Gabriella as she fell to the floor crying. "Hey, Gabster," he said and pulled her into a hug, "It's going to be okay, he will come home in eight months."
Gabriella just cried as her and Troy's friends stood around her.
"We should get her out of here," Taylor whispered.
"Yeah," Chad said and lifted Gabriella up in bridal style, "let's get out of here."
They arrived home to Taylor and Chad's place and Gabriella stayed there for some time so that she did not have to be alone the first couple of days.
"Remember Gabby," Taylor said as she drove Gabriella to her and Troy's apartment, "you can always call us, no matter what time it is or what it is about, okay?"
Gabriella nodded, "thanks Tay, thank you for everything!"
"Anytime girl," she said, "should I go with you in?"
"No, it's okay," Gabriella said, "I'll be okay."
"Okay, but call me or Chad if you need anything, okay?" Taylor said and hugged Gabriella tightly.
"Thanks," Gabriella said as she pulled back and started to walk to the door.
"Hello, mrs. Bolton," the gatekeeper greeted her.
"Hi," she said and looked down as she entered the door and went to their apartment. She sighed as she stood in front of the door, the names on the door had been changed; she was now officially Gabriella Anne Montez Bolton. She smiled to herself and took a picture of it with her phone.
Gabriella entered the apartment, she had got a message from Troy that they had arrived safely to Iraq, and everything was fine, but they had to hand in their phones for safety reasons, so he would write letters for her and call her from the camp, when he got the chance.
Time went by and Gabriella and Troy wrote letters for each other, every letter was a sign that both of them were still a live. Every letter was filled with love and filled with tears. When Gabriella was writing the tears were streaming down her face. She could hear Troy read his letters for her, and it pained her that he was that far away.
Every night Gabriella went to bed in one of Troy's shirts, she even slept in his side of the bed, just to have his scent close to her. Because it made her feel safe. Tears streamed down her face as she looked at the picture beside their bed, she really missed him.
Days and months went by, nothing happened. Everything was fine. Gabriella had started to accept the fact that Troy was out, and she believed that nothing new was good news.
At night Gabriella went to bed, dreaming about how Troy would come home, how he would notice that she was pregnant with their first child. If everything went as planned he would be home before she would have the baby, and everything would be fine.
One day when Chad arrived with a man from the army. And then it hit Gabriella… he was gone. He had become one of the soldiers that died in the war. Tears started streaming down her face as she saw Chad and the officer.
Chad rushed to her and hugged her, "I'm sorry, Gabriella."
The officer and Chad took Gabriella to the living room and Chad called everyone to come to the apartment. Everyone came rushing and soon they were all in the living room.
The officer told them everything that had happened and he told them about the procedure from now on. He read Troy's testament and he last wills. The funeral was planned and the army would handle it all, they just had to be there.
Gabriella felt empty inside as she was handed the letter that Troy had written to her before he left… the last letter, just in case he would not come back home.
Dear Gabriella,
If you ever read this letter, then know that I am truly sorry for leaving you!
Because if you get this letter it means that I am gone, and I will not be there
to protect you. And there is nothing I rather will than be by you side!
Gabriella, I love you! And I know you hate to see me go, but know that I
Did this, because I felt I had to. I can never explain it good enough for
You to understand, I know, and to be honest, sometimes I doubt this
Decision too, but I have to go.
I hope that by the time you get this letter we are married, because that
Is my biggest wish – to make you my wife. I know we might not get to
Have children, and I know it is one of your dreams, so please Gabby,
If you read this, it is hard, but please move on, get a new man, so that
Your dreams will come true – because I want you to be happy!
Gabriella, I am sorry for all the pain I have brought you through,
I really am! And I know I promised you to come home again, and
I am sorry I did not keep that promise.
I love you with all of my heart and soul, my princess!
always yours Troy Bolton.
Gabriella cried her heart out. What she had not told anyone was that she was now around four months pregnant with her and Troy's first child. She had become pregnant right around when he had to leave for Iraq, but she had not told him, because she knew it would distract him. She was expecting a boy – and now she was left alone to raise him. It hurt. Troy never got to know that he was to be a father.
Gabriella let the letter fall, "oh Troy," she cried.
Troy's mother sat beside her and the two of them hugged tightly.
"He will never know," Gabriella cried.
"What will he never know, sweetie?" Taylor asked softly.
Gabriella looked up at the group of people in her living room, "I'm pregnant with Troy's child." The tears streamed down her face.
Everyone looked at her, "oh," they said.
"We will be here to support you, darling," Troy's parents said quickly.
"And so will we," her own parents said.
And everyone agreed, they would be there through it all. But still it killed Gabriella to know that her little baby boy would not know his father.
A week later the funeral was planned.
It was two weeks after the day she turned eighteen
All dressed in white
Going to the church that night
She had his box of letters in the passenger seat
Sixpence in a shoe, something borrowed, something blue
Everyone was at the church as Gabriella pulled up in front of the church. The box with all of Troy's letters was in the passenger seat. Gabriella was wearing the white dress that Troy had bought for her right before he left, it was one of the things in his last will – he wanted Gabriella in white at his funeral. So she arrived in her white dress at the church, only to honor Troy. She had a veil on the top of her head to hide her face and as she entered the church she put it down.
And when the church doors opened up wide
She put her veil down
Trying to hide the tears
Oh she just couldn't believe it
She heard the trumpets from the military band
And the flowers fell out of her hand
She tried to hide her tears, but nothing helped. At the front of the church stood his coffin covered with the flag. Gabriella took a deep breath and slowly walked up to the coffin. The military band was playing the saddest song she had ever heard from the corner of the church. Gabriella's legs got week and she felt to the floor crying. Taylor and Chad rushed to her as her flowers felt out of her hands. It broke the heart of everyone in the church to see this young girl in such pain.
"It will be okay," Chad promised her as he and Taylor got Gabriella to stand on her feet again and helped her to the coffin.
Baby why'd you leave me
Why'd you have to go?
I was counting on forever, now I'll never know
I can't even breathe
It's like I'm looking from a distance
Standing in the background
Everybody's saying, he's not coming home now
This can't be happening to me
This is just a dream
Gabriella looked at the coffin in disbelief. Why did he leave her? They had promised each other forever, and she was counting on that. She could not believe it. She felt like she was just looking from a distance. It was all like a dream, a terrible dream. A heartbreaking dream. Everyone in the church whispered.
"Poor girl," a man whispered, "he is not coming home."
Another man whispered, "he is not coming home, and now she is here, how sad."
A woman whispered, "she will never really get over him not coming home."
Everyone said it… he would not come home to her.
The preacher man said let us bow our heads and pray
Lord please lift his soul, and heal this hurt
Then the congregation all stood up and sang the saddest song that she ever heard
After the service ended Gabriella stood up along with the rest of the family and friends and followed the coffin. Chad was by her side and Taylor was on her other side.
Gabriella let the tears fall as she felt how everything around her just felt a bit more sad now, when they were about to say their final goodbyes to Troy.
Then they handed her a folded up flag
And she held on to all she had left of him
Oh, and what could have been
And then the guns rang one last shot
And it felt like a bullet in her heart
They gave her the flag from the coffin, and Gabriella held onto it like it was the last thing she had left of him and everything they could have been. The tears ran down her face as the last shots of the guns rang. Now it was the final goodbye, and it felt like the guns had put a bullet to her heart.
She was slowly dying inside… how was she supposed to keep on living without Troy?
Baby why'd you leave me
Why'd you have to go?
I was counting on forever, now I'll never know
I can't even breathe
It's like I'm looking from a distance
Standing in the background
Everybody's saying, he's not coming home now
This can't be happening to me
This is just a dream
They slowly put his coffin into the ground as everyone stood there watching. Gabriella cried her heart out again. He could not leave her. He was supposed to come home safely and be with her. Gabriella looked to the sky, she felt like she saw Troy, he was telling her that he was sorry, but that she would handle it perfectly and she would be a great mother.
Gabriella placed a hand on her stomach and caressed it, "It will be okay." She said through her tears.
Chad hugged her from the side, "of course it will, he is right up there; watching over you and protecting you."
Gabriella nodded as she sat down on her knees in front of the hole where Troy's coffin had went down, "I love you, Troy Bolton," she said.
Gabriella's phone rang waking her up. She felt numb and sad, was it all a dream? Was Troy still alive? Gabriella quickly grabbed her phone by the bedside table.
"Hello?" she said.
"Hi babe," a well-known voice said.
"Thank God," Gabriella sighed, "it was all just a dream."