So, this is my take on the current theme 'it never rains but it pours' for the ZAAngels write off! I really hope you enjoy reading it, because I've really enjoyed writing it! It's really sparked my love for oneshots again and I'm pretty excited about it!
I wish everyone else taking part in the ZAAngels write off good luck!
~TG~
Gabriella Montez was completely exhausted. Her alarm had woken her at four am and as soon as she had heard it she had jumped from her bed. For the three brief hours that she had been asleep, she had slept in the clothes she would wear for the day, knowing that time would be scarce once she returned into the land of the waking.
The excitement within her was bursting to get out, rushing through her veins like a caged wild animal angry for release.
She had been away for three months. For eighty four long days she had been kept from her family by her work. There was no denying, it was a job that she loved and one that not many other people in the world could say that they had; but when it kept her away from the people she loved the most, it was incredibly difficult to maintain.
Twenty three year old Gabriella graduated college with a degree in Dance and Performance Studies from UC Berkeley. When she graduated, she was quickly recruited to one of California's most prestigious dance companies and swiftly moved up the career ladder to become one of the top headhunters in the company.
It was searching out new talent in New York City that had kept her from her comfortable home in San Francisco.
The first leg of her journey from New York to Austin, Texas had been unremarkable. Despite being a little late and seeming much longer than it in fact was, it passed without major drama.
Gabriella was a seasoned traveler; she had travelled the world many times and had never once missed a flight. She had no reason to believe that today would be any different.
Arriving in the hot Austin climate, she knew she would be pushed for time. With just an hour to make her connection, she had been frustrated when the less than helpful check in agent had informed her that she must recheck her bags on her arrival in Texas.
As she stood at the baggage carrousel, she grew more and more anxious.
'What's taking so long?' She whispered to herself, pacing around the carrousel wondering how her bag could be taking so long to get off the plane.
Ten minutes passed.
Fifteen minutes passed.
Twenty minutes passed.
Until finally, her bag sailed down the shoot and made its way onto the carrousel. Grabbing it furiously, she ran as fast as she could to the elevator, pushing the buttons madly as if the elevator would know she was in a hurry and would come quicker.
As she turned the corner into the departures hall, a horrific sight met her eyes. Hundreds and hundreds of people were lined up, waiting to drop their bags for the very same airline that she too would be travelling on.
She was never going to make this flight, her gut told her sternly, but she pushed the thought to the back of her mind and desperately sought out somebody who looked like they worked for South West Airline.
"Excuse me; I have a flight connecting to San Francisco in twenty minutes. Can you please help me?" Gabriella begged, her tone frantic and desperate as the check in agent looked at her solemnly.
The lady sighed, her long blonde hair swishing over her shoulder as she moved around the desk to stand next to Gabriella. She took hold of Gabriella's paperwork and looked at it closely as if she were studying it for an exam that would determine her fate.
"I'm sorry Miss, that just isn't going to be possible." She spoke sternly, making Gabriella feel as though she had committed a terrible crime in not showing up within the allotted time.
Without any words Gabriella burst into tears, mumbling incoherent words though her sobs and she tried to figure out in her mind what she was possibly going to do.
"I can have a look at another airline and see if there is another flight for you?" The agent asked, turning on her shiny navy blue heels and returning to her pedestal behind the desk.
Gabriella wiped her face furiously, exhaustion and emotion had completely overcome her and she didn't care how silly she looked stood at the check-in desk, crying like somebody had died.
"You can get on an American Airlines flight that leaves at six pm, but you will have to buy a new ticket." The agent informed her, slightly bemused about what to do with the crying girl leaning on her desk for support. She was used to people getting angry, but she was not used to the emotion that was being displayed in front of her.
This brought about a new waves of tears for Gabriella, the thought of spending more on top of her already expensive flights was something she did not want to do. Her sobs continued as she tried to explain her case to the lady, she knew she wasn't getting across any information but she couldn't hold the tears that ran furiously down her cheeks.
"Are you going to be alright Miss?" The lady asked, growing concerned for Gabriella's welfare as the tears refused to stop.
Gabriella looked up at the lady, her smudged makeup making her look like a painted panda that had got wet in the rain, and her eyes so swollen she could barely see in front of her.
"NO! I'm not going to be okay, I've been up since 4am, I'm completely exhausted and I haven't seen my family for three months. All I want to do is to go home and you're telling me that I can't do that!" Gabriella managed to hold her tears just long enough for her words to become clear, allowing the blonde check-in agent to discover her troubles.
The lady sighed, tapping away on her keyboard with her long red nails once again, searching for an answer that would hopefully settle the years of the young girl stood before her.
She understood why Gabriella was so upset, if she hadn't seen her family for that amount of time, she was sure that she too would be reacting with such emotion.
"I can get you on another South West flight, but it doesn't leave until seven thirty, would you like me to rebook you?" The lady asked, watching as Gabriella took a deep breath and rubbed her face, clearing the smudged makeup from her face with her sleeve to make herself appear more presentable to those around her.
Gabriella surveyed the choices in her mind before making her reply, she could either wait four more hours or she could pay hundreds of dollars to only have to wait three hours. She wished that she had magic slippers like Dorothy, clicking her heels together and returning home sounded like the perfect solution to all of her problems but she knew that would never be an option.
She took a deep breath.
"I don't really have much choice do I?" She replied to the lady, understanding that her reply was somewhat rude but exhaustion had zapped any manners from her body and replaced it with the energy that was keeping her awake through such a desperate time.
Stiffly, the woman handed Gabriella her new boarding pass and a new tag for her suitcase. Gabriella grasped hold of the items tightly, quickly moving away from the desk and finding a quiet spot away from the crowds.
Slowly she sank to the floor, allowing her suitcase to fall to the floor as she leant her head back against the cold hard wall. The tears that had once dried up began to run freely down her cheeks. All she wanted was her family, a warm bath and to sleep in her very own bed.
She opened her hand luggage and fished out her cell phone, it took her several minutes to find it amongst the rubbish she seemed to have packed.
'Why did I pack so much junk in this bag?" Gabriella swore at herself as she finally grasped her cell phone, pulling it out of the bag swiftly and a number she knew by heart.
The wait was agonizing, in reality it was only seconds but it felt like hours until the phone was answered. The stress that was rushing through her body was making her dizzy, the crowds that were milling around her blurred as the phone was finally answered.
"Baby, is everything okay? Shouldn't you be on the plane by now?" The calming male voice spoke softly in the end of the life, filling Gabriella's ears like a breeze on a warm summer's day.
The sound of his voice forced more tears from her tired eyes, she knew she was being dramatic but she couldn't stop the emotion from spilling from her exhausted body.
"Everything went so wrong; I don't know what to do!" Gabriella sobbed into the phone; rubbing her eyes furiously and not caring how much of her makeup was running down her cheeks.
All she wanted was to be in his arms, to be snuggled up in bed with him and to know that she didn't have to leave again.
The voice on the other end of the line sighed, he couldn't deny that he was worried but he was sure that nothing too serious was happening on the other end. It wasn't an untold secret that Gabriella became somewhat over emotional when she was stressed and tired.
"Beautiful, what's happened?" The man asked calmly, speaking slowly, hoping to sooth the troubles that were evidently swimming around the body of the girl on the other end of the line.
Gabriella took a deep breath, she knew she had to be rational and calm herself down so that she could speak. What would be the use in speaking, if all that came out were incoherent sobs?
"My first flight was delayed, they made me recheck my bags and now I've missed the connection! I'm stuck here in Austin for ages and my new flight won't leave until seven thirty!" Gabriella's voice was shaky, but she was proud that the words had even come out at all.
As she listened back to what she had said, she realized how ridiculous it sounded. The exhaustion had spoken over her judgement but she knew that she couldn't help herself. This was who she was; all her life she had been the same, stressing over simple things, and that was never going to change.
"Gabriella, everything is fine! I'll be at the airport when your flight lands, you're coming home Baby, that's all that matters. We can't wait to see you!" His words forced a new sense of realization into her body. She had been away for three months, twelve long weeks, what was a few more hours if it meant she would be home?
She smiled for the first time it what seemed like hours, the tears finally dried and she took a deep positive breath.
"You're right! I've missed you so much! I'll see you at ten thirty." Gabriella spoke happily, her emotions making a complete U-turn as she imagined how amazing it would feel to be home.
She remembered the smells of home, the sounds of home, how their soft brand new carpet felt underneath the delicate skin of her bare feet. It would be amazing to be home, and if waiting a few more hours would being her home; it couldn't possibly be the end of the world.
"That's my girl! We'll be waiting for you at the airport at ten thirty. I love you Gabriella." He soothed, smiling to himself knowing that his words had successfully calmed her down. He knew from experience that it usually worked; he had learnt over the years and was pleased he finally found the key to calming her through her stress fueled breakdowns.
Thankfully Gabriella's job wasn't too stressful; she was working doing something she loved. Hard work never seemed like hard work, it was always fun. She knew how lucky she was to have her job; a top job doing something she was passionate about wasn't a blessing many people received.
"I love you too, Troy." She replied simply, listing as he chuckled and hung up the phone.
She smiled brightly; Troy was the glue that kept her life together, the center of the world that he skillfully ensured would always keep turning.
Gabriella had met Troy Bolton in sophomore year of high school. Their story was far from epic, Gabriella had always wondered what they would tell their grandchildren about how they met. It was a very average story, but the love that it led to was anything but average.
They had sat next to each other in AP History, a subject that neither had enjoyed. It was during a project about the American civil war, the third project that they had completed together, that Troy finally plucked up the courage to ask her to homecoming the following month.
It was at the East High homecoming dance, that Troy and Gabriella finally shared their first kiss. It was romantic, gentle and sparked emotion within them that neither had experienced before. It was unlike any kiss Gabriella had had before; her toes had curled inside her beautiful golden shoes as Troy's soft lips caressed hers.
It was from that moment on that Troy and Gabriella became East High's golden couple. They did everything together, spending as little time apart as possible and making the most of the childhood they knew wouldn't last forever. The two remaining years of High School had been incredible; they had worked together, vacationed together, and spent endless afternoons laying in Troy's back yard just talking.
Life was perfect until college applications rolled around, the point in life where Troy and Gabriella had to acknowledge that their happily ever after may not come true.
Gabriella had always known what she wanted and where she wanted to be; behind Troy, dance was the second biggest part of her life, and she had always wanted to persue it. Troy on the other hand, had no idea where he wanted his life to go. He had never had a focus on life that defined him, and without that he realized that his decisions would be hard to make.
Troy had been searching for his answers at college open days right across the country, from California all the way to Maine. But, after months of stress, worry and tears, applications were finally submitted.
When it was time to write acceptance letters, Troy and Gabriella agreed that they wouldn't talk about it. They agreed that they would make their decisions alone, only discussing their decisions when the letters had been mailed and there was no going back. Both were afraid, they didn't want their decisions to be based on their relationship; they knew the decision had to be for themselves.
Gabriella had never believed in fate, she was convinced she had total control of her life, but as Troy revealed the decision he had made, she reevaluated everything she thought she knew about life.
UC Berkeley was been her dream college and being with Troy was her dream life; suddenly, it appeared, she would be having her cake and eating it too.
She would be attending UC Berkeley in the fall, persuing her dream of dancing. Troy would also be attending UC Berkeley in the fall, persuing his new found passion for forensic science.
Fate seemed to have been on their side, with thousands of potential colleges to choose from and no discussion on their choices, they had chosen the very same college.
Life from then on had been blissful; they rented a small apartment within cycling distance from UC Berkeley and grew closer and closer as the years went by.
It was in junior year of college, five years after their first kiss at homecoming, that Troy finally proposed.
It was on a secluded beach in San Francisco, under the sparkling silver stars as a warm breeze filled the air, that Troy bent down on one knee and took Gabriella's left hand in his right. He whispered how much he loved her, producing a speech that would bring tears to the eyes of the few people surrounding them on the quiet beach.
Gabriella had quickly accepted his proposal, leaping into his arms as happy tears fell from her eyes and giggles exploded from her chest. Happiness didn't describe how they felt at that moment and they knew that the best was yet to come.
~TG~
"Right, come on Gabriella, that's enough!" Gabriella said to herself sternly, as she took a deep breath, pulling herself together for one last time and hauling herself up off the check in lounge floor.
Stuffing her passport, boarding pass and cell phone into her hand luggage, she rearranged her clothes until they were comfortable and set out towards the check in desk, pulling her large suitcase behind her.
As she stood in line, she was sure people were looking at her like she was crazy. With a face that must have looked like she'd just rolled out of bed, having forgotten to take off her make up the night before, it was no wonder people were frowning curiously in her direction.
Discretely, she tried to wipe her eyes with the sleeve of her soft sweater, knowing she had to be somewhat presentable when she stood in front of the check in agent. Feeling satisfied with her efforts, and finally being next in line, she took another deep breath and corrected her previously slouched posture.
"Good evening, may I see your passport and boarding pass please?" The agent asked politely, smiling as she looked up from her computer. Gabriella returned the smile, why couldn't this agent have been on the other desk? She was polite, helpful and nothing like the somewhat woman she had met previously.
Perhaps luck would finally be on their side; she had checked in, cleared security and found her gate…what else could possibly go wrong? She shook her head, with the incredible stress finally behind her, she was sure that everything to follow would be perfectly smooth.
As she boarded the plane that would finally take her home, she pulled out her cell phone once again and sent Troy a message informing him that she had finally boarded.
This was it, twelve long weeks away from home and in just three hours, she would finally be in the arms of her family. She quickly settled herself down into the not so comfortable seat; putting on her iPod and closing her eyes, hoping to catch up on at least a couple of hours of the sleep she had missed the previous night.
It was in that moment that the voice of the pilot filled the cabin, an annoying high pitched alarm sounding in the background.
No, no, no, no, this is not happening! Gabriella thought to herself as she listened to the announcement apologizing for the minor delay in departure. Gabriella had a feeling inside, a feeling that presented itself like heavy rocks falling to the bottom of her stomach.
All she wanted was to go home, was that too much to ask? Her worst fears were confirmed by the stern voice of the pilot…technical difficulties. They weren't sure how to fix it, so a technician from the airline was on his way to assess the problem. How long would that take? Gabriella wondered to herself, her stress levels once again building as she pulled out her cell phone and updated Troy on the happenings.
He did his best to reassure her; telling her everything would be okay, and that no matter what time she landed, he would be at the airport waiting. She glanced at the small clock on the top of the screen; the plane was already an hour late leaving and the exhaustion she was feeling was only getting more intense.
"Ladies and Gentleman, I am sorry to inform you that we are unable to use this aircraft. Another has been located for us, so if you could collect your belongings and make your way to a new departure gate with the cabin crew. Apologies for the inconvenience." In his defense, the captain sounded just as fed up as she was, but it didn't help her fight back the tears as she hauled her heavy bag onto her back and began to exit the plane.
She couldn't believe that this was happening to her, she had travelled around the world and taken countless numbers of flights, never once had anything like this happened. Why now? Why have every possible air travel problem, all combined into one horrible hideous day? She wondered…what could she possibly have done to deserve this?
Wordlessly; she followed the crowds to the new plane, hoping that this would be the aircraft that would finally deliver her home safe and sound.
'New plane…perhaps they can actually make this one fly!" Gabriella messaged Troy as she boarded the plane, finding her seat and settling herself down. Not caring to wait any longer she closed her eyes and fell asleep, hoping she would only awake when she was on Californian soil.
Finally her wish had been granted, three hours later she was awoken by the feel of the plane landing and a bright beautiful smile spread across her face.
Nothing and nobody else mattered, she was home and anything else that happened now was insignificant. In just a few short minutes, she would be with her family again and that's the only thing that was in her mind.
She swept through passport control; baggage claim and customs, so eager to get to the arrivals hall that she was sure her image would have been nothing more than a speeding blur.
As the sliding doors opened her eyes searched the hall frantically, seeking out the tall brown haired blue eyed man she was to spend her life with. It didn't take her long, as soon as she looked in his direction it was like the whole world disappeared.
There he was stood waiting for her behind the barrier, a huge smile on his face as he observed her beautiful yet disheveled look.
God he looked handsome, Gabriella thought to herself as she ran to the end of the barrier and around the corner to meet him.
She would have leapt right into his arms, had it not been for the sleeping boy encased in Troy's arms.
"I told you we'd be here." Troy spoke smoothly, leaning down to kiss his Gabriella for the first time in three long lonely months.
Gabriella broke down in his arms, she couldn't describe the emotions she was feeling but she was sure they ranged somewhere between indescribable happiness and being completely overwhelmed.
"Oh Toby! My baby Toby! He's got so big Troy, look at him! I've missed so much!" Gabriella babbled as she took the small boy from Troy's arms, pressing him into her chest as she breathed in his beautiful baby scent.
Tobias Bolton, otherwise known as Toby, had not been planned. He was a surprise sprung on his parents when they least expected it, none the less he was a surprise that was very much loved. Putting wedding plans on hold; Troy and Gabriella threw themselves into parenthood, loving every minute of what that meant for their relationship.
"He's been saving it all for you Babe, he hasn't even walked yet! And you didn't miss his first word; you got that one that's for sure." Troy reassured Gabriella as the exited the airport, making the short journey to the car that would take them the equally short distance back to their perfect not so little home.
Gabriella smiled to herself; this was all she had wanted all day, just to be with her family doing whatever it was they felt like doing.
"I can't believe the day I've had! I just want my bed, I don't even think I want to shower, I just want to lay down in a bed that's mine!" Gabriella exclaimed, causing Troy to chuckle as he drove the car towards their home.
If bed was what she wanted, then bed was what she would get! Troy thought to himself, smiling knowing that he would be able to give her everything she wanted in just a matter of minutes. Three months had passed incredibly slowly and if he was honest with himself; in that very moment, all he wanted to do was to snuggle up in bed with her safely in his arms.
"Well you know what they say Babe…" Troy spoke softly, chuckling as he allowed the next sentence to leave his mouth…
"It never rains but it pours."
~TG~
So there you have it! All finished! Peace out until next month's challenge or possibly my new story…depending on which comes first! Watch this space!