Summary: Troy & Gabriella are both 23 and married. They have a 3-year-old daughter. Troy got the chance to become a Lakers player and leaves Gabriella and his daughter behind. He hasn't seen his daughter since she was born. It's Christmas and he finally realizes where he needs to be.

A/N: Just a one shot I thought of. Please Read and Review. Thanks:)

Disclaimer: Don't own HSM or anything apart from Ella, James and the plot.

Come home – One Shot

Gabriella Bolton walked into her daughter's room to see her sleeping peacefully. Troy and Gabriella had gotten married 4 years ago and now had a 3-year-old daughter. Ella Bolton looked just like her father except she had her mother's hair. Gabriella let a tear fall down her face as she sat down in the rocking chair in her room watching her daughter sleep. She remembered the day she found out she was pregnant.

Flashback 3 years earlier.

Gabriella walked out of the bathroom with a huge smile on her face. Troy was on the phone to someone. She couldn't wait to tell him she was pregnant with their child. She hung back watching a huge grin appear on his face as he talked to the other person. He hung up and looked up at Gabriella. He ran over to her and spun her around.

"I love you Mrs Bolton. I have just received the best news ever." He excitedly told her.

"I've got some great news for you to. Why don't you go first." She said as they sat back down.

"You know how I have always wanted to play basketball professionally?" she nodded as he continued, "that was Bob Johnson (A/N: made him up) the LA Lakers want me to join their team. Isn't that great. I mean I would have to travel a lot and we would have to move up there but it's great isn't it?" he grinned as he told her. She just smiled not knowing if she should tell him her news. She could see how excited he was and knew how much this meant to him and her news could change that. She decided to go for it and just tell him.

"Troy there is something I need to tell you," she took a deep breath, "I'm pregnant." She managed to get out. She saw his face instantly pale now thinking she had made the wrong choice to tell him.

"What? How? When?" he asked as he tried to take in what she had just said.

"Do you really want me to answer that?" he shook his head no.

"I need to think." He said as he stood up and walked out of their apartment. Gabriella just burst into tears not knowing what was going to happen.

An hour later Troy still wasn't home and Gabriella was worried. She called her mom and asked her to come over. When her mom arrived she told her everything.

"I have no idea what to do." Gabriella sobbed as her mother hugged her. She felt so sorry for her daughter who was so confused and scared.

"Gabi, I'm sure everything will be fine between you and Troy." Ms Montez tried to reassure her. They heard the door unlock and Troy came in.

"Hey." He said softly.

"Hi." Gabriella replied as she lifted her head off her mother's shoulder.

"Well I'm going to leave you two to talk. Call me if you need me." She stood up kissing Gabriella's forehead before walking out.

Troy slowly walked over to where Gabriella was sitting not saying a word until he sat down.

"I don't think I'm ready for us to have a baby just yet." He said as Gabriella looked up at him in surprise.

"What do you mean you're not ready? Troy I'm pregnant." She told him still in shock from what he said.

"Gabi, I have my whole future ahead of me and I don't want to be tied down and committed to having to raise a daughter. I want to be able to go out and have fun and just be me for a little while longer. I also think we might have got married a bit to soon. I can't be committed like I use to be," He explained as she let more tears fall. She felt hurt and scared at what was happening.

"I hate you. I can't believe your saying this. If that's how you feel then we're through." She yelled as she ran to their bedroom and packed her bags. She walked back out towards the front door driving straight to her mom's house. That had been the last time they spoke.

End Flashback

The tears were now flowing freely down her face as she looked at her left hand. She was still wearing her wedding rings, as they never actually got divorced. She hadn't spoke to Troy at all. She knew he knew she had had their daughter because his parents stayed in touch with her and were always round offering to help out with Ella. Gabriella looked out the window to see it snowing lightly. Her mom, her step – dad James, who had married her mom 2 years ago and Jack and Lisa Bolton had spent Christmas Eve at her house finalizing arrangements of what time they would all be getting together. They had started the arrangement after Troy left where each year they would all spend Christmas day together so that they could be with Ella. Gabriella always hoped that one-day Troy would come back to them. Ella knew who her daddy was because Gabriella had always shown her pictures of him and whenever he was on TV doing an interview she would shout "daddy!" at the TV. Gabriella fell asleep in the rocking chair as she watched her daughter sleep and thinking about Troy.

With Troy

Troy had just walked back into his apartment. It was Christmas Eve and he had just played his last game for the Lakers (A/N: have no idea about when the seasons are but I know with football over here they play Christmas eve sometimes so just go along with it :P) because he had been forced to retire because of an old injury that was getting more serious. He walked in and felt a strange feeling of emptiness. He walked straight into his bedroom and lay down. He looked down at his left hand and saw his wedding ring. He had never taken it of since Gabriella walked out on him. He felt so bad for nit trying to contact her but he knew it was for the best. He knew he was a father and had seen pictures of her that his parents had sent. Troy leaned over a pulled the pictures of his daughter and Gabriella out of the draw in the draws by his bed. She looked so much like him. I'm never going to know what her first word was or see her walking for the first time or anything like that. Argh I really screwed up when I told Gabriella all that stuff. I never really meant it; I guess I was just scared of the thought of becoming a father. Troy put the photos back on his side as he heard his cell ring. He got up and walked back into the living room to pick up his cell. He looked at the caller I.D and saw it was his dad.

(Jack … Troy)

"Hey Dad what's up?" Troy asked as he picked up the phone.

"She misses you." Jack had been trying to persuade Troy to go back to Gabriella ever since he moved.

"Dad I really don't want to talk about this." Troy told his dad as he felt a sense of being lonely as he looked around his apartment.

"We're going to Maria's (Gabi's mom) tomorrow. We are all going to wait for Gabriella and Ella to come so we can see her face when she opens all her presents." Troy felt a pang of guilt go through his heart at the thought of not being able to see his daughter get all excited about Christmas.

"I got to go dad. Tell mom I said hi and Merry Christmas." Troy hung up quickly not giving his dad a chance to say anything else. He knew what he needed to do.

Christmas Day at Maria's.

Maria and Lisa were both talking as they sat on the sofa and James and Jack on the other day. They were waiting for Gabriella and Ella to come. Just then there was a knock on the door. Jack got up to open the door. As soon as he opened the door he felt to little arms wrap around his legs.

"Grandpa!" Ella squealed as she hugged him. Jack laughed as he bent down to pick her up and pulled the door further open for Gabriella. Jack put Ella down as she ran to hug everyone else. Jack stopped Gabriella before she walked into the main room.

"He misses you both I know he does." He told her as she smiled at him.

"I know but it's not enough." She walked into the living room and greeted everyone else. They all sat down as Ella opened her presents. After she opened each present there was always a little squeal from her. They were all sat around talking and Ella playing with her new toys after the others exchanged gifts and opened them when all of a sudden the doorbell rang. Everyone had a confused look on their faces, as they weren't expecting anyone else. Jack once again got up to go answer the door.

"Who could that be?" Maria asked as the others shrugged. Suddenly Jack appeared leaning against the doorframe with a smile on his face.

"Who was at the door Jack?" Lisa asked her husband.

"One last Christmas present for Gabriella and Ella." Everyone looked at him as though he had gone mad as Gabriella picked up Ella and stood up. Jack moved further in the room as another familiar face appeared.

"DADDY!" Ella squealed as she forced herself out of her mother's arms and ran straight to her father who picked her up spinning her around. Gabriella and the mothers were still in shock. Troy slowly moved forwards with Ella still in his arms. He walked right up to Gabriella and pulled her in for a tight hug.

"I'm so sorry and I promise I will never leave you again. Either of you." He whispered in her ear as he then kissed Ella on the forehead. Gabriella smiled and wrapped her arms tightly around him before leaning up and kissing him. Troy felt someone take Ella from his arms.

"I'm not sure it's appropriate to be kissing right in front of your daughter." Jack joked as he held his Granddaughter. Everyone just laughed as Gabriella whispered in Troy's ear.

"I knew you'd come home." They both smiled as he kissed her again.