Title: Such Sweet Sorrow
Author: EllaKnight22
Disclaimer: I own nothing!
Rating: T
Pairing: Troyella!!!
Summary: Gabriella breaks down crying on an abandoned rooftop and is joined by a young man. They reminisce together as they try to make sense of the cruel hand fate has dealt them. What's their story? What is going on in the building below? Who is the young man? Story told through flashbacks which are in italics. Mix of Angst/Tragedy/Romance/Fluff.

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The last little specks of amber light illuminated the misty November clouds as a cold breeze began to swirl around the city. An abandoned rooftop stood still as day gave way to night and the orange glow slowly began to fade. The stillness of the evening was broken as a heavy door was pushed open revealing a small figure. The woman let the door fall behind her as she shakily moved over to the edge of the roof, steadying herself on a railing.

With one hand holding her up and the other clutching her face she finally let go of her control and allowed the tears to fall forcefully from her brown eyes. Dark curls across her face were soaked in her tears as cries escaped her throat. Gabriella was broken.

She had kept it together for so long, she had to, it was her job. She had to be strong for everyone around her, for the people who relied upon her. But here, now, on her own, in the quiet of the rooftop she could let go. She could give into the sorrow that was crushing her from the inside and allow it to wash over her and take hold of her completely. It gave her the release she needed and she almost welcomed it.

It had been his eyes that finally got to her, splitting her heart in two. The way he looked at her longingly, pleading with her to understand and apologizing at the same time. He didn't need to say anything, even if he could it would have been irrelevant. She knew what he was trying to tell her. After all these years together words were not needed.

Gabi lowered herself onto the cold floor and wrapped her shawl around her tightly as sobs continued to shake her body. She just couldn't face him anymore, she couldn't face the reality of what was happening. She closed her eyes and let her mind wander to a different time, a different place...

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April, 2017

...Gabi lay on the bed smiling contentedly, skimming her magazine as she flicked from page to page. It was 12.30am but she was too restless to sleep.

"What do you think of the name 'Isabella'?" she cheerfully asked her husband of almost 4 years without taking her eyes off the page. The still form of Troy beside her didn't respond. Impatiently she turned to him rolling her eyes, "Troy" she said a little louder.

The sleeping figure still failed to respond. Gabi placed the magazine on the bed beside her and rolled over closer to her husband. "Troy!" she said loudly in his ear.

The once sleeping man awoke with a jerk and sleepily turned around to look at the person who had awoken him. "What is it?" he groggily replied.

She giggled at him through his haze. "What do you think of the name Isabella?" she repeated. Troy closed his eyes and groaned as he buried his head in his pillow.

Gabi ignored his blatant disinterest in the topic and carried on. "Do you like it?" she queried.

Troy, realizing he would have to make some response to appease his wife mumbled an "mmhmm" in approval before focusing on returning to his sleep.

"Or how about 'Ava', do you like that?" she asked as she returned to her magazine. Troy was not listening but he made the same "mmhmm" response as before.

Gabi smiled and piped up again "How about 'Grace'?" she gushed. Troy mumbled again. This time Gabriella noticed that he wasn't really listening.

She put the magazine down again and turned to face him. "How about 'Gertrude'?" she asked mischievously, trying to sound serious.

"mmhmm" Troy responded again.

"Troy!" she said loudly. Troy stirred once more and took a deep breath "I love it...now can you please go to sleep?" he begged.

Gabriella stared at her tired husband, his hair was tousled and he was clutching the pillow even closer to his head, his ocean blue eyes shut tightly, willing himself back to sleep. She smiled at the sight before her. Slowly she leaned in and gently kissed him on the lips. Troy instantly relaxed under her touch and opened his eyes as she pulled away. He watched as Gabi lay there on her side with her hand propping up her head smiling lovingly at him.

A quizzical look came across his face. "Gertrude??" he asked in disbelief.

Gabi giggled and nodded her head "Oh yeah" she said jokingly.

Troy smiled and leaned in as he slowly kissed her on the lips. The kiss grew after a few seconds and he brought his hand up to rest on her hip as she ran a hand through his messy hair. Eventually they pulled apart and Gabi scooted closer to him, resting her head on his chest as he held her.

"We don't even know if it's a girl yet" Troy pointed out.

Gabi shook her head "It's a girl" she responded resolutely.

Troy placed his other hand lovingly over her almost flat stomach and looked down at his wife who was smiling at him.

"You know I'm right" she told him teasingly.

Troy planted a kiss on her forehead and whispered in her ear "You're always right" he replied jokingly.

She turned around and kissed him passionately on the lips, her hands softly caressing his bare chest. Troy's hands fell to the sides of her hips and he gently guided her round so she was lying on her back. Their lips parted and he planted a trail of soft kisses down her neck. She quivered under his touch and arched her head back to give him more room. As he returned to her lips she weaved her arms around his neck and ran her nails along his skin sending shivers down his spine. Their tongues dueled longingly as the passion between them grew.

Suddenly Gabriella pulled back and caught her breath, staring him in the eyes. "I'm tired now, let's go to sleep" she said in a serious voice, teasing him relentlessly.

Troy's eyes went wide as she rolled over out from under him and began to get off the bed. A smile began to play on his lips. "Oh you did not just do that..." he said, pretending to reprimand her.

She giggled as he reached out and swung his arm around her waist pulling her back down and tickling her.

"Troy!" she squeaked as she tried to catch her breath. Grabbing a pillow she swatted him but it was useless.

"Mommy! Daddy!" a voice called out from the doorway. Troy and Gabi stopped play fighting and turned their attention to the 3 year old who had just entered their room.

Gabi pulled herself into a sitting position on the bed as Troy reached his hands out to pick the little boy up. He ran over to Troy and was lifted onto the bed.

"What's wrong sweetie? Did you have a bad dream again?" Gabi asked her son as he launched himself into her arms and clung onto her. She stroked the back of his head softly as she held him.

"Yeah...monsters!" he cried, burying his tear soaked face into her chest.

"Hey, it's ok little guy, do you want daddy to come make sure there's no monsters in your room?" Troy asked the little boy.

The toddler nodded his head and reached for Troy. Gabi quickly kissed him on the forehead before Troy lifted him up. "Night night, Zac" Gabriella called as she watched Troy carry their son down the hallway...

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…"Aren't you cold?" a voice called from the heavy door jolting her out of her reverie. Gabi sighed and hugged her knees closer to her chest, not bothering to respond. The young man closed the door behind him and slowly walked over to the shivering form sitting in the corner of the rooftop.

"They're all looking for you" he told her solemnly as he leaned on the railing and looked out at the horizon, the last trace of sunlight glowing like burning embers in the sky.

"I'm sorry" was all she could say, not much above a whisper.

The young man had tired eyes, it looked like he had been crying but Gabi didn't notice this.

"I just don't think I'm ready to go back down, not yet" she told him honestly.

There was a long pause. "Me neither" he finally responded.

Gabi looked up and locked eyes with the male, registering the pain in his eyes before motioning for him to come closer. He welcomed the invitation and sat down beside Gabi who hugged him tightly.

"What are you thinking about?" he queried after clearing the lump from his throat.

Gabi looked distant and smiled "…the good times" she responded.

"Tell me?" he requested.

Gabi smiled and reached for his hand, clasping it with her own before letting her mind take her back to a happier time…

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December, 2009

…Gabriella sat in her room with a book open in front of her. Her eyes glanced over to her phone and then back to her book, then back to the phone and back to the book. It was impossible to concentrate on her work. She looked over to her clock - It was 6pm and the last day of term so classes were finished for Christmas break. Most students were busy packing up their things and beginning to head home for the holidays but Gabi wasn't flying back to Albuquerque for another two days.

Gabriella was a second year student at Harvard University. It was a big step moving so far away but it was also an opportunity she couldn't turn down. Her mother's company had transferred her to New York but both had agreed to spend Christmas in Albuquerque with the Boltons.

The most difficult part of Gabriella's life so far had been leaving Troy. He had gotten a scholarship to UCLA and although neither of them wanted to live so far apart they couldn't turn the offers down. Troy's scholarship meant the world to him, especially one at UCLA. It had been his dream. They vowed to keep in contact religiously and meet up at Christmas and summer vacations. It hadn't been easy but they were determined to make it work. Not a day went by without a phone call or a txt message being exchanged - Except today. Today was different. And today was meant to be special.

Gabriella grabbed her cell phone from her desk and held it in her hand, staring at it, willing it to ring. She was sure he would have called her by now.

She was broken out of her trance as she heard her room door open and her roommate enter.

"Hey Gabs!" Emma said breezily as she munched on an apple.

Gabi looked at her forlornly and acknowledged her presence. Emma registered the fact that Gabi was upset and closed the door behind her. "Don't tell me, he's still not called?" she asked in disbelief.

Gabriella shook her head as tears began to fall from her eyes. Emma rushed over and enveloped her friend in a hug. "He'll call Gabi, you know he will!" she assured the brunette.

Gabi looked up at her through her tears. "No he won't, he's forgotten, he's forgotten my birthday! We've been together almost four years and he's forgotten my birthday…I knew this was going to happen! The distance thing is too much. He doesn't love me anymore!" she wailed as more tears fell.

Emma rubbed her friends back in concern. This was not good. She had never seen Gabi like this before. "Well maybe something's happened, maybe he's lost his phone or he's stuck somewhere or something…" she said, attempting to calm Gabi down but it only made it worse.

Gabriella stopped crying and sat up straight, looking at her friend with worry on her face. "You're right, what if something's happened?? What if something's happened to Troy??" she said panicking.

Emma's eyes went wide "No, no, no I'm sure he's fine!! Just, give it a little while longer before you start planning the funeral ok?" she joked.

Gabi wasn't amused. She picked up her book and pretended to read it again. Emma shuffled back to her side of the room and finished packing the remaining items into her suitcase. "You wanna grab a quick birthday hot chocolate before I leave?" she queried trying to lighten the atmosphere.

Gabi shook her head and looked back at her phone. "Sorry I'm not really in the mood" she responded sadly.

A wry smile appeared on Emma's face as she turned around hoping Gabi wouldn't notice. Emma's phone suddenly beeped from its place on the bed and she hurried to open the txt message. Gabi looked on in annoyance, wishing it was her phone that was receiving a message.

"Oh I almost forgot" Emma began slightly unconvincingly "I bumped into one of your classmates, Maddie, on my way home, she said that she missed a lecture last week and wanted to copy your notes before you left. She told me to ask you if you could pop over with them tonight" the girl immediately returned to her packing and avoided eye contact with Gabriella. If she had seen her face she would have known she was lying. Luckily for Emma, Gabi had too much on her mind to question anyone else's behavior.

"Which class?" Gabriella asked, sighing.

Emma hesitated as she made a face to the wall. "Umm, Microbiology?" she said and held her breath.

Gabi grabbed her jacket and a folder from her desk. "Ok, thanks. I won't be long. I'll be back before you leave" she miserably stated while throwing on her huge red winter jacket.

Emma breathed a sigh of relief then turned to face her friend. "Ok, but just in case you're not, have an awesome Christmas!!" she squealed excitedly while hugging Gabi.

Gabi smiled and laughed at her friends' enthusiasm. "Em, seriously, I'll be 10 minutes" she said as she walked out the door.

Gabi shuffled down the corridor and outside the building. The snow was falling lightly. She walked through the fresh snow leaving a path of footprints behind her as she headed through the wooded park. She breathed in the icy air as she strolled along. Her jacket drowned her tiny frame and she snuggled against the fur collar as she shivered.

A rustling noise from behind her brought her to attention and she stopped suddenly, turning around to find the source. The stillness of the evening remained and she could no longer hear the noise. Shrugging it off, she continued along her path. No more than 5 seconds later she heard the same rustling noise, this time it was louder. She stopped dead in her tracks again, this time a little more worried. She turned around and stared at the path behind her. No one was there. Just as she was about to turn back around two strong arms engulfed her in a warm hug from behind.

"Missed me?" a voice asked the surprised girl. Gabi's face lit up immediately and she whipped around to come face to face with Troy. "Troy!!" she squealed as she threw her arms around his neck. He laughed and picked her up, swinging her around. She hugged him tightly, not wanting to let go "It's so good to see you!!" she excitedly told him.

Troy rested his head on her shoulder as he stroked her hair "I've missed you so much" he honestly replied as he hugged her back. The pair pulled back and smiled at each other. Troy cupped her face with his hand and caressed her cheek with his thumb. She let out a contended sigh and briefly closed her eyes. Troy stared at her face as if he was committing her features to memory. He looked between her eyes and her lips. Slowly Gabi leaned in and kissed him. It was slow at first as they each appreciated the feeling of being with each other again. After a few seconds their kiss grew passionately. Troy deepened the kiss and placed one arm in the small of her back, pulling her closer to him. When they eventually pulled away their foreheads touched and they stared into each others' eyes again smiling while catching their breath.

"I can't believe you came out here" she said, still not being able to take it in. "I would have seen you in two days anyway" she told him.

Troy smiled "I know, but I couldn't wait that long. Besides, I wanted to see you for your birthday and this way we get to spend a couple of days together without our family" he explained. Gabi smiled widely at him.

"So I'm guessing my friend doesn't need these notes?" Gabi questioned. Troy laughed as he swung his arm around her and guided her back in the direction of her dorm.

"You're smart. See that's why you're at Harvard" he teased.

"So where are we going?" she asked curiously.

"You'll see" he replied as he led her round towards the back of her building. They approached a secluded area surrounded by fir trees covered in snow. As they walked into the small clearing the trees were suddenly illuminated with fairy lights. Gabi spun around looking at the lights in wonder.

As Troy took her by the hand he noticed she had tears in her eyes. "Gabi, what's wrong?" he asked in concern. She smiled up at him lovingly. "Absolutely nothing" she said as she leaned in and slowly kissed him.

Troy pulled away and looked into her eyes. "Happy Birthday, Gabriella" he said as he pulled a small box out from his pocket, handing it to her. Gabi's eyes went wide as she fingered the box.

"It's not what you think it is" Troy quickly blurted out. "I mean, I know you said you wouldn't want to get engaged until after college...so just think of this as…a pre-engagement ring... a promise ring" he explained. Gabi opened the ring box and stared at the gold ring inside. It was engraved with the word "kuuipo". Tears slowly began to fall from Gabi's eyes and her hand which was holding the box started to shake.

"It means 'sweetheart'. And it's my promise to you. That we'll always be together" Troy said nervously. He took the ring out of the box and carefully placed it on her finger.

"I have one too" he then told her, holding up his hand to reveal a slightly different silver ring.

Gabi remained silent as more tears fell from her eyes. Her gaze was fixated on the ring Troy had placed on her finger. Troy started to become nervous. "Well, do you like it?" he hesitantly queried.

Gabi laughed weakly through her tears and looked up at Troy "I love it!" she exclaimed, putting her hand on his cheek.

Troy wrapped his arms around her and held her close. "I love you" he said.

Gabi smiled and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. "I love you too, Troy. More than you know" she confessed.

Music began to play in the background, interrupting them from their moment. Gabi looked confused.

"May I have this dance?" Troy requested, holding out his hand to her.

Gabi laughed and slipped her hand into his waiting one. "Of course" she whispered…

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…"I still can't believe you guys managed to stay together all those years. I mean you hardly saw each other." the male said, breaking the silence after Gabriella finished the story.

Gabi sighed. "It wasn't easy that's for sure. But I loved him…and he loved me. It was meant to be" she said distantly. Gabi raised her hand and stared at the rings on her fingers. She was still wearing the promise ring as well as her engagement ring and her wedding ring. "He made a promise. A promise that we would always be together." she choked out, fighting back the tears. "And now he's giving up on that" she said painfully.

"No! no it's not like that, he loves you, you know that!" the male tried to explain. He had never seen Gabriella like this before and it scared him. He awkwardly hugged her, trying to calm her down, but she was inconsolable. Her whole world was crashing down around her and there was nothing she could do about it.

The pair sat on the rooftop not knowing what to do - neither of them able to face the reality of what was going on in the building below…

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Who is Gabi talking to? Any ideas? Please leave feedback!! Tell me if it sucks and if I should continue or not! I already have the first four chapters written and the whole story is planned. Please let me know what you think!! xoxo