Disclaimer: As usual I only own my own original characters! This is for the song 'To Where You Are' by Josh Groban.
To Where You Are
It was a crisp winters morning in Alberqerque. Troy Bolton was stood on his front porch looking up at the sky.
"Hey man how you holding up?" Came the voice of his best friend, Chad Danforth.
"Hey" he replied not looking at him. "I'm ok thanks"
"Troy, we've been like brothers for as long as I can remember I know your not ok. Talk to me man" Chad said standing beside his friend. He looked from where Troy was looking in the sky to his face and saw a lone tear slip down his cheek.
"She's gone Chad" Troy whispered, Chad barely heard it but he knew what he said.
Chad just looked at his friend who still hadn't stopped looking at the sky. Then suddenly Troy had more tears following the single tear that fell mere seconds ago.
"What am I going to do Chad? She was the love of my life, my soul mate, my best friend and now she's gone" Troy said giving Chad a man hug.
Suddenly a cry was heard coming from inside the house. Troy walked inside and upstairs to the room the crying was coming from.
"Hey princess, daddy's here. Don't cry, shhhh daddy's here" Troy said soothingly to his 1 week old daughter, Ella Louise Bolton. "Come on baby girl let's go see grandma Montez"
Troy walked down the stairs and into the kitchen. As soon as he walked through the door the room fell silent and its occupants stared at him.
"Troy, dear how are you?" Maria Montez asked her son-in-law.
"I'm doing my best for Ella" he smiled sadly at her. "She needs me to be strong" he said with his eyes filling up with fresh new tears. "Mom will you hold her please?" he asked his mother, Lucille Bolton who immediately took her grandaughter from her sons arms.
Troy walked out of the room and sat on the front porch swing.
"Brie, I need you, especially today, I can't do this without you baby" he said letting his tears fall.
"She's here Troy, she's never going to leave you" Troy whipped his head around to see Maria stood there.
"I just miss her so much Maria, I sometimes feel like I can't breath because she's not here with me. I can't raise Ella on my own I need her here to tell me what to do, I can't mess up, I need to make her proud" Troy said breaking down whilst hugging his wife's mother.
"I miss her too Troy and she will be proud of you. Look at me" she said pulling out of the hug. "Your going to make mistakes Troy, every parent does, but even with those mistakes she'll be looking down on you and she'll be proud because your not giving up, and you'll always have me, Your parents, Chad, Sharpay and the rest of your friends" Maria said hugging him again.
"Thanks Maria, I'm sorry for breaking down it's hurting you just as much"
"Nonesense Troy, we both need each other today" she smiled at him.
"Troy?" He turned his head to see his father, Jack Bolton stood there with Ella in his arms.
"Yeah dad?"
"She's here"
Troy just nodded his head and stood up. He walked up to his father and took Ella from his arms.
"Come on baby girl, let's go see moma" he kissed the top of her head and held her as close as humanly possible.
He walked down his front porch steps and to end of the garden path. There she was. Gabriella, his Gabriella, his wife, Ella's mommy. He walked to the car and touched the window.
"Hey baby, how are you? I miss you, no, we miss you" he corrected himself looking at their daughter.
"Mr Bolton?" the driver asked.
"Yes?"
"We must set off now"
"Ok" Troy replied smiling weakly and turning to see his family and Chad stood there.
"You ready man?" Chad asked coming over to him.
"As ready as I'll ever be" and with that everyone got into the cars and drove off.
Ten minutes passed and the cars arrived. Troy climbed out and took his daughter in his arms. He looked up at the church, it looked beautiful, so old fashioned and ancient looking, just what Gabriella would of liked. He smiled at the thought when suddenly he heard crying. He looked ahead and saw Taylor and Sharpay hugging Chad and Zeke.
"Hey guys"
"OMG! Troy" Sharpay ran up to him and hugged him.
"Shar watch Ella" he chuckled.
"Oh sorry I cant get used to having a new member of the gang" she smiled weakly.
"Don't worry about it" he smiled hugging the gang.
"How you holding up?" Ryan asked.
"I'm doing ok" he smiled "Ella's pulling me through" he said kissing her head.
"Gabs would be proud" Taylor said to him smiling.
"Thanks Tay thats all I want." he looked up at the sky for like the 100th time that day then back at the gang "come on let's go inside"
Once everyone was inside and in their seats the preist spoke.
"We are here today to say goodbye to Gabriella Anne Bolton" as soon as he said this you heard sobs from the congregation. "Gabriella was a loving daughter, wife, friend and for the time she was able to be, she was a loving mother aswell" he took a breath then started again. "Gabriella's husband Troy, is going to say a few words"
Maria went to take Ella from him but he shook his head and stood up. He walked towards the altar and stood there holding Ella in his arms.
"Hey everyone, first of all I'd like to say thank you for coming to say farewell to my beautiful wife Gabriella" he said taking a breath to hold back his tears.
"Gabriella, you are my soul mate, my best friend, the love of my life and the mother of my child. I am so proud of you, and I'm not ready to say goodbye yet" he started crying now pulling Ella closer.
"We need you, I need you, how am I going to live without you baby? Your my everything" he took another deep breath to compose himself.
"You always have been my everything, ever since we met at that ski lodge and sang together on new years eve I knew we were going to meet again and I knew we would have something special and we did. We started dating when we were 16, we got engaged at 19, then married at 20. At 24 we had a beautiful baby girl and then you left us. I know if you could have stayed you would have but it's not what fate had planned for us baby, and I'm trying my hardest to deal with that." he let a silent tear fall down his cheek.
"I've just got one more thing to do and that is sing" he chuckled "You always said you loved my voice and it could make the whole room smile, I never believed it but just incase it's true I've wrote a song for you baby and I'm going to sing it for you in front of all these people because this is one room that needs cheering up."
Troy then looked at the front row where he was sat and nodded at Kelsi who walked up to the piano. Then she played a tune. Troy pulled Ella as close as possible then started to sing.
Who can say for certain
Maybe you're still here
I feel you all around me
Your memory, so clear
Deep in the stillness
I can hear you speak
You're still an inspiration
Can it be (?)
That you are mine
Forever love
And you are watching over me from up above
Fly me up to where you are
Beyond the distant star
I wish upon tonight
To see you smile
If only for awhile to know you're there
A breath aways not far
To where you are
Are you gently sleeping
Here inside my dream
And isn't faith believing
All power can't be seen
As my heart holds you
Just one beat away
I cherish all you gave me everyday
'Cause you are my
Forever love
Watching me from up above
And I believe
That angels breathe
And that love will live on and never leave
Fly me up to where you are
Beyond the distant star
I wish upon tonight
To see you smile
If only for awhile
To know you're there
A breath aways not far
To where you are
I know you're there
A breath away not far
To where you are
When Kelsi had finished playing and Troy stopped singing he said "Gabriella, baby, I love you so much forever and always"
After the church service everyone walked outside and Gabriella was placed in her grave. Troy, Maria, his parents and the gang all through in a single red rose each. Troy then placed something in Ella's hand then let go so it would drop onto the coffin. This caused some more sobs. It was the T necklace he gave her when they were going into their senior year at East High.
Once the buriel was over everyone left to go to the wake but Troy and Ella stayed there for a little while.
"Well baby, I did it, even though I never wanted to I said goodbye" he kissed his finger and placed it on her headstone. "I better go baby, our daughter needs feeding" he chuckled. "We love you and we miss you. You'll always be in our hearts."
With that he stood up and walked away with one last look at the sky.
5 years later
"Daddy?"
"Yes Ella?" Troy asked his 5 year old daughter.
"Are we going to see moma today?"
"Yes baby girl, thats were we're going now"
"Yay!!" she clapped. "I miss moma daddy"
He smiled at her whilst pulling the car over. "I know baby girl daddy misses her to"
"Everyday?" she asked.
"Yes baby everyday"
Troy climbed out of the car and took Ella out of her seat. He placed her on ground and she ran off to see her mommy.
"Hey moma" she shouted hugging the headstone and giving it a kiss. "Daddy come and say hello to moma" This caused Troy to chuckle.
"Hey Brie, we have a very bossy daughter do you realise that" he chuckled. He bent down and kissed the headstone and then Ella's head. "We just thought we'd come and say hello baby and tell you some good news."
"Daddy can I tell moma please?" Ella pleaded showing her puppy eyes and pouting.
"Gosh, Brie she looks like you when she pulls that face" he chuckled "Go on then baby girl tell moma the news"
"Auntie Taylor had her baby moma, and guess what her name is?" Ella asked, waiting like she was going to get an answer back. "She called her Gabriella, thats like your name moma"
"See baby we still all think about you everyday." Troy sighed. "We have to go baby but we'll be back soon"
"Bye bye moma I miss you" Ella kissed the headstone again and Troy followed suit.
"Miss you baby, love you loads forever and ever"
"Yeah forever and ever moma" Ella repeated making Troy chuckle.
They walked away holding hands and Troy took a look back to read the headstone one last time.
Gabriella Anne Bolton
Aged 24, 1984 - 2008
Beloved Wife, Daughter & Mother
She has joined her father with the angels!
Taken From Us Too Soon!
"God Decided He Needed You
So From This World You Left
But You Took A Peice Of All Of Us
Our Hearts Are What You Kept" xxx
As Troy turned his back he felt a strong breeze and it was his Gabriella saying she missed him and loved him too, and she would always be with him to help with their beautiful baby girl even though she had faith in him.
Troy knew even though his beautiful Gabriella had been taken their love will always remain because they were high school sweethearts.
Troy will always remember 31st december 2006 because it was the day he met his beautiful, smart, funny and amazing wife and the mother to his child.