A/N: This is the summary/first chapter of my new story. It's the sequel to Their Broken Road. Well, technically it's not a sequel, it's now a triolgy. Anyway, please read & review!

Disclaimer: I own nothing except this storyline, Connor, Ava, and Mrs. Bolton's first name.

Summary:

After another alarming attack on the U.S., Troy immediately signs up for the army, leaving Gabriella, their five year old son, Connor, and their baby daughter, Ava, behind. Soon, the alarming danger becomes too much for Gabriella to bear after a fateful call from the army informing her that Troy is a prisoner of war. Her worry turns to anguish after learning of a brutal slaying of a group of 12 POWs. She again hears from the army that they changed Troy's status from POW to missing. After a year and a half with no news, and two children to support, Gabriella starts to slowly begin to lose hope that her husband will come home. Several months pass after the end of the war and Gabriella, still waiting for news, accepts that Troy wouldn't be coming home. She moves back to Albuquerque with her children and soon meets a man named Jeremy. They start dating. He's good to her and her children, but she still feels as if she can't let go of Troy. Even after Jeremy proposes after a year of dating, she still feels an attachment to Troy that she can't explain. Then—unexpectedly—Troy, a weary and broken soldier, travels back to Albuquerque. His first stop is Gabriella's doorstep. How will she react? Will he be able to win her back?

Where the Brave Go

"Connor Jonathan Bolton! You will miss the bus if you do not come downstairs at this minute!" Gabriella Bolton yelled from the foot of her staircase at her son. He was upstairs busily brushing his teeth in his bathroom. He was going through an independency phase where he had to do everything for himself and to his liking.

At that moment, Connor Bolton rushed downstairs and grabbed his book bag from the hall closet and his carefully packed lunch from his mother. He blew her a kiss and said a quick, "Bye Mommy!" as he hurried outside to get on his kindergarten bus. This was Connor's third week of kindergarten, but he still had not gotten in the routine of getting up early. He was a late riser, like his father, Troy.

Gabriella watched Connor's bus leave and then turned her attention to her crying 6-month old daughter, Ava Caroline Bolton, who was laying on the living room floor on a soft pink blanket her grandmother had made her. Baby Ava was named after Gabriella's grandmother, Ava Maria, and Troy's mother, Caroline (Cara for short). Her daughter was a handful, but she was grateful everyday for having such a beautiful and healthy child. She was glad that Ava wasn't as restless and tiring as Connor was when he was born.

Gabriella carefully picked her wailing daughter up from the floor and went to the couch to sit down to give Ava her morning feeding. As Gabriella was getting Ava situated, Troy jogged down the stairs and into the living room. Gabriella looked up from Ava and smiled at her husband of 6 years. He was wearing a pair of tan slacks and a short-sleeved dress shirt that showed off his tanned arms. He bent down and kissed his wife and his daughter and smiled, "Good morning. How are my two favorite girls?"

Gabriella grinned back as she motioned to Ava who was sucking away at her feeding, "I'm fine, but Miss Ava is a little bit cranky this morning."

Troy chuckled. "I guess it's feeding time again, isn't it?"

Gabriella rolled her eyes. Troy frequently teased her about breast-feeding their daughter. He affectionally referred to it as "feeding time at the zoo" because Ava was always crying for more milk after her feedings, like animals often do. She couldn't wait until Ava would start taking regular formula. She was getting tired of both breast-feeding and using the breast pump every day.

Gabriella chose to not respond and changed the subject, "What time do you have to be at work?"

Troy looked at his watch and said, "I'll have to leave in about 30 minutes, so I'll have to make breakfast quick."

Gabriella sighed. She hated forcing Ava off in the middle of her feedings, but she wanted to eat breakfast with Troy. It was just about the only time in the day they really got to spend together. Gabriella made Ava stop, but she soon started throwing a fit. Gabriella positioned her daughter upwards and placed a burping rag over her shoulder. She let Ava burp out some milk and then stood up to grab a bottle that she had in the refrigerator. She quickly put it into the boiling water she had out and let it set for a bit while Gabriella continued burping Ava.

Troy, however, was busy preparing two plates from the skillet that Gabriella had made scrambled eggs and bacon in. As Troy was finishing, Gabriella tested the bottle on the inside of her palm; it was warm. She then repositioned her daughter and started feeding her the bottle. She quickly finished it and started to settle down. When she was finished with the bottle, Gabriella handed Ava and the rag over to Troy to burp her. Troy put the rag over his shoulder and positioned his daughter. Troy smiled at Gabriella and started to gently pat Ava's back. Gabriella looked in awe of Troy's amazing talent of calming Ava down. Ava would usually squirm when Gabriella burped her, but when her daddy burped her, she would be still. Ava was such a daddy's girl. She had plenty of Troy's features, such as his soft blue eyes and his prominent nose; but she was also a strong willed and stubborn little girl. When she wanted to do something, she wouldn't take no for an answer—just like her father.

Connor, however, was the complete opposite of Ava. He was an easy going and bright child. He had light brown hair and eyes that were brown like Gabriella's. Connor was quite the athlete too. He had been practicing basketball with his grandpa Jack ever since the family moved back to Albuquerque. He had also joined a team at the YMCA that Troy helped coach.

Gabriella quickly ate her breakfast and took Ava so that Troy could eat his also. They were following a strict routine that helped Gabriella and Troy care for their children. The art of their relationship was cooperation. They would take turns getting up in the night to tend to Ava, changing diapers, feeding her, etc. They also worked out a routine that was much like their routine in college. Troy would work at his 9 to 5 job and come home to eat dinner, and on even numbered days, Gabriella would leave after dinner to go to work at the hospital as an ER nurse. Since Gabriella and Troy were both only 23 years old, they were not paid as highly as some of their other coworkers due to their lack of experience, so they needed Gabriella to go back to work a month after she had Ava. They struggled to pay many bills that they had, including the mortgage for their 4 bedroom and 2 bathroom home that they bought on an impulse. Their house was the one thing that they were very pleased with. Their house was spacious, but it was cozy enough to make into their first home.

As Troy was finishing up, Gabriella placed Ava on her blanket and surrounded her with throw pillows so she wouldn't roll over. She then turned to Troy and started helping to clean the dishes. They quickly finished and Troy leaned in and kissed his wife.

"I'll see you at 5:30, Gabi. Love you," he said as he grabbed his keys and walked towards the door to the connecting garage.

"Bye Troy. I love you, too," Gabriella responded as she watched Troy walk out the door. She was now alone with Ava. She then turned to her daughter and smiled. Gabriella picked her up and walked over towards the CD rack and grabbed a CD Ryan made with his Broadway cast for Troy and her. That's right. Ryan was now a Broadway performer. He had a part in the musical, Rent, as a thug and also as a homeless man. Even though Ryan wasn't grabbing starring roles, he was still doing pretty well for himself. He has been with his current girlfriend, Jessica, for about two years. She was also a performer. Sharpay, who was working at East High as the drama teacher, told Gabriella that he was thinking about proposing to her. She smiled at the thought. She always hoped Ryan would find a girl one day.

Gabriella turned her attention to the CD player and put in Ryan's track. Ava seemed to like listening to this CD, so she would play it every so often instead of Ava's Dora the Explorer or Barney CD's.

Gabriella then settled Ava back on her blanket and watched her daughter squirm to the music. She smiled at how much Ava seemed to like the music. She might turn out to love music as much as her daddy and me, Gabriella thought.

Gabriella watched her daughter for a few minutes longer and then got up to turn it to a different track. She then stood up to get a load of finished laundry that she had to fold. When she came back, she grabbed the remote control and turned it to the 10 o'clock news. Gabriella gasped out at what she saw.

Flashing on the news was footage and captions exclaiming the U.S. Capitol Building was bombed. Gabriella cried out in anguish as she watched footage replaying over and over of several bombs blasting the building from the inside out.

Gabriella rushed over to her daughter and picked her up, hoping to shield her from any harm. "This cannot be happening! Not again."

A/N: I'm not very pleased with this chapter, but trust me; it will get better. I promise. Review!