Lifetimes with You

by MineAlone

A bit of a long one-shot. "I…uh…I can't kiss Gabriella." Troy said. "Why the hell not? You've been close to kissing her all night." The guy laughed. "Troy," Gabriella's soft voice cut through the awkwardness. She wasn't sure what made her say the next two words, but she said them nonetheless. "It's okay." And she moved toward him.

I own nothing but the originality of the story. Along with many other things, proofreading isn't one of my strengths. Be warned.

"I love you," Troy was kissing down her body. Currently his lips were worshipping her swollen breasts. She moaned in both delight and agony.

"Mmmhh. Troy, careful. They're sore."

"Sorry, baby," he mumbled as his lips continued downward. Gabriella couldn't help but roll her eyes at the insincerity in his voice. That is, until he peeked up at her with a soft grin, "I'll massage them better if you want."

She nodded happily, ignoring the blush that crept to her cheeks. Six years of making love to the same man, and she still went red like a school girl.

"I love it when you do that," Troy growled lightly in her ear as they maneuvered themselves on the bed. Gabriella sat between his opened legs, feeling the press of his arousal into her back.

"Do what?" she nearly didn't register that he had spoken, too hungry for the feel of his magical hands on her tender area.

"When you blush," he kissed one of her warm cheeks, "it's like you're still eighteen, and I'm touching you for the first time. My beautiful Gabriella, you've been shy your whole life. I'm glad to see that years with me haven't turned you into a naughty girl."

"I can be naughty," she panted as his hands made contact with her chest. She lifted her arms to reach back and wrap them around Troy's neck. Her slender fingers played with his hair as he stroked her aching flesh.

"Oh believe me. I know you can." He kissed her again as his hands held her. Her breasts were certainly heavier in his hands than they had been before. He could see why they were so sore. She'd gained at least a cup size during this pregnancy, and she still had three months to go. Her new body was causing all sorts of problems. He couldn't go ten seconds without wanting to rip her clothes off. She had stopped by his office for a quick lunch break, and he had been in a state of erection for what seemed like hours all because of the way her clothes now cradled and accentuated her delectable curves. Before this, Troy had been one hundred percent attracted to Gabriella. He had trouble keeping his hands off of her on a normal day. Now it was like the universe was testing him, completely proving that he could not function as a civilized human being while his Gabriella was oh-so swollen and touchable.

"I can't get enough of you. You're gonna kill me, Gabriella," he was kissing her neck as he rubbed himself against her soft backside.

"You did this to me," she teased. "It's all your fault I'm in this state, so you deserve it." She turned around and crawled onto his lap, pushing him to lay back in the process. Slowly, she joined their bodies, a welcome relief for them both. Their lips joined as they savored the quiet hours of morning.

I love yous were exchanged as love was made, and as Gabriella cuddle next to Troy – in the afterglow of amazing sex – she couldn't help but marvel at the tenderness Troy demonstrated during their love making. It had been rushed and passionate in the early years, largely due to the fact that they only had mere hours, and sometimes minutes, before being caught. It had taken weeks for them to realize that they could slow down and relish one another once they moved in together. Just as Gabriella was getting warm and comfortable, wrapped up in Troy's doting arms, the doorbell rang.

"So much for having hours to enjoy our Saturday," she pouted.

Troy kissed her forehead, "We'll just ignore it." And they did so – for about two minutes.

"Troy," she sighed before rolling out of bed, "it's not going to stop. I'll answer it." She pulled on a big red jersey and her black underwear as Troy watched her with fondness.

"How is it that I am lucky enough to share a life with the most beautiful girl in the world?"

Gabriella shrugged and teased, "I was tired of looking for someone better."

"Hey!"

She giggled and dashed out of the bedroom door. "Coming! I'm coming!" her voice was just loud enough for Troy to hear her sing-song manner, but not loud enough for whomever was at the door to hear her.

Without looking to see who was at the door, Gabriella swung it open.

"Mom? Daddy?" She stood in shock.

"Hi, darling," her mother leaned forward to kiss her cheek, and Gabriella was terrified that she smelled of sex. She tried to smooth down her curls. They were always difficult to tame, and she knew they were crazy right now. She also realized that the jersey she was wearing was fine to wear when telling a stranger to leave, but maybe not so fine for entertaining her parents. Self-consciously, her hands moved to the hem, tugging it just a bit. The effort for naught.

"Hi. What are the two of you doing here?" Before either parent could answer, Gabriella heard Troy's voice yelling to her.

"Gabriella, tell whoever it is to leave! I'm not done ravishing you! And as much as I like you in my jersey, I like you much better out of it."

Gabriella's brown eyes widened and her mouth gaped, "Uhh, Mom, Daddy, come in. I'll be right back." She didn't direct them into the home, she turned and dashed back to the bedroom she shared with Troy.

Mr. and Mrs. Bolton sat down. Their faces were typical of massive shock. Jack grasped his wife's hand, "Sarah, they're having sex." It was a simple statement devoid of emotion.

"That's not all." Sarah squeezed his hand. "She's pregnant."

Xxx

"It's okay, darling. I know you're sad. It's okay to be sad." Sarah Bolton rocked the two-year old in her arms, cooing sweet things as best she could. "We love you so much, little one. We'll take good care of you." Sarah began to cry as well. "We won't try to replace them. We'll tell you all about your mama and daddy. We miss them too, Gabriella. We'll take care of you, though. You have a big brother now. He'll help us look after you." Gabriella didn't seem interested in anything that Sarah was saying. She was whimpering now, about to fall asleep from exhausting herself. Troy, however, was interested in everything his mother was saying.

"Gabriella is my sister now, Mommy?" he was sitting beside his mother on the sofa, his small hand patting Gabriella's foot.

"She is. Gabriella is our newest family member, and we will show her how much we love her."

"She's sad, Mommy. Why is she so sad? I like our family. It's a happy family."

"Well, my sweet, Gabriella misses her mommy and daddy." She bit back her own tears.

"When are Aunt Lena and Uncle Toni going to come get her?"

"They aren't coming to get her, baby. They died. They are in heaven now, so Gabriella is going to live with us. She's your little sister."

Troy started crying, "I don't want Aunt Lena and Uncle Toni to be in heaven, and I don't want Gabriella to be my sister."

Xxx

"Troy!" Gabriella did not hesitate to smack him in the face with a nearby pillow. "Get up! Put some clothes on!"

"What?! What's going on?!" he fought to untangle his legs from the blankets on their bed.

"Mom and Dad are here, and thanks to you they know we were having sex!"

"Shit! Shit shit shit!"

"Shit is right! They WERE NOT supposed to find out this way. This is so bad, Troy. So. Bad." She was panicking. She was pacing the room, tugging at her curls.

"Hey. Hey," he cooed. "Stress isn't good for you or the baby. Just sit down."

She did as he asked, and he kissed her, "It's fine. We're going to be fine. We knew we'd have to tell them sooner or later. It just so happens that it's sooner than we anticipated, and later than it probably should be." He was sitting beside her on the foot of the bed. He kissed her again. "We'll figure this out."

Gabriella nodded, rubbing her stomach, "You're right." She smiled, "When did you become the rational one?"

"Too much time with you, I suppose." He teased back before walking to their bedroom door and yelling into the living room, "Mom, Dad, make yourselves comfortable. There's coffee in the kitchen. Gabriella and I will come talk to you after we've showered and dressed."

Then he turned to Gabriella. His face was stone serious, "Gabriella, please tell me that you are going to shower with me, because if I don't get to touch you properly before we talk to them, I'm going to touch you inappropriately in front of them."

Gabriella laughed at how serious he was, and walked to the bathroom without acknowledging his question. He heard the shower start, and took that as his answer until he saw her, sans jersey and underwear, standing in the doorframe of their bathroom, "You better hurry. The water will get cold and Mom and Dad are waiting."

It didn't take any more convincing.

Xxx

She certainly didn't look like the shy, gentle sister he knew and loved. This was a side of Gabriella he had never seen before. She wore high-waisted short shorts and a fitted crop top in cream. It was hard to tell where her shirt ended and her smooth skin began. As usual she looked beautiful. She took his breath away. However, this time, Troy felt something else, something he thought he'd buried.

"How do I look? Am I college party ready?" Her demure voice brought him back to reality. The vixen in front of him was still his Gabriella. She was still his shy, nerdy, soft-spoken sister. She smiled up at him and played with a lock of dark hair.

"You look amazing, Gabriella. In fact, you look too amazing. I'm going to have to guard you all night." he joked.

"What does that mean?" she sounded scared. "Will guys take advantage of me because I'm dressed like this?" then she became both defensive and panicked. "You know, I should be able to dress in any way that I want without fear of some jerk thinking I'm a sex object. I shouldn't have to be scared that someone will hurt me because I'm showing skin, which isn't sexy at all! Everyone has skin!"

Troy wanted to disagree. He wanted to tell her that he'd never seen skin so sexy on anyone, but he thought it best to address her concerns. Her frightened face spurred Troy to wrap her up in his embrace. "Of course not. No one will hurt you, and you should be able to wear what you want." His lips found her forehead as he peppered her with reassuring kisses. "I know all these guys. They are good guys. They would never hurt you. I promise."

Gabriella looked up at him with all the trust in the world, "Okay."

Without a second thought, Troy grabbed her hand and grinned at Gabriella, "Let's go have some fun."

Xxx

Guys had never been interested in her before, so Gabriella was feeling a bit out of her element. Men were talking to her. Not only were they talking, they were flirting; and as nice as it was to feel desired, she just wanted to sit down. She just wanted to be with Troy. He was easy to talk to. These guys were not. She didn't like the affection they were trying to show her.

Currently she was speaking to a tall redhead. He had curious green eyes and freckles across his cheeks. His hand was caressing Gabriella's upper arm as he explained that he was an accounting major. Ever the quiet one, Gabriella sipped patiently on her drink and nodded at the appropriate times. Finally, she moved out of his grasp.

"Thank you for the drink," she held up her solo cup, "and thank you for spending time with me. I think I should go find Troy now."

The redheaded guy chuckled easily, "Figures you'd be interested in Bolton. All the girls are."

"I'm sorry. I don't –"

He cut her off with a flippant gesture, "It's cool. Really, there's no need to say more. You're a nice girl Gabriella, and Troy's a nice guy. I hope he likes you too."

"I don't think you understand," she began earnestly, "I'm Troy's –" but she was cut off again.

This time it was by another guy, however. "Hey, Brie," Troy bent down to kiss Gabriella's forehead, "I've been looking for you. Having fun? I see you've met Brody." Troy smiled widely and wrapped an arm around Gabriella as he greeted Brody.

"Well," Brody laughed, turning his attention to Gabriella, "I guess Troy does like you."

Troy quirked an eyebrow as he looked between the two. When his eyes rested on Gabriella's he spoke, his voice husky and sincere, "I love Gabriella."

"I think she loves you too, man," Brody's lopsided grin was enough to make Gabriella dislodge herself from Troy and hug him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned against his chest.

"Thanks for being so nice to me," she looked up at his sparkly green eyes and was reassured that Troy wasn't the only nice guy in the world.

"Always. Have a good night, Gabriella. You too, Troy," and with that Brody walked away.

Once Gabriella was tucked safely underneath his arm again Troy spoke, "What was that about?"

"Nothing. He was just really sweet to me. I like him."

"Enough to date him?"

She shook her head with a gentle reflection on her face, "No, just enough to be his friend. Let's sit down."

They found a vacant love seat to occupy. Gabriella tucked her knees beneath herself and leaned into Troy, "Alcohol makes me sleepy."

"Should I be worried that my under-aged sister is consuming alcohol?"

"Just three cups, and we've been here four hours."

"Have you drank before?"

"Nope."

"Then you are going to feel those three cups in the morning." She could feel the low rumble of his laugh as she laid against his chest.

"How come you didn't tell them I'm your sister?"

"Was I supposed to?"

"No, I just thought you would have. When you told them I was coming didn't they ask who I was?"

"Yeah," he smiled, "I just told them they'd find out when you got here."

Her fingers danced against the design on his shirt, "I'm glad you didn't. People always act weird when you tell them I'm your sister. You're a major cock block, you know?" She scrunched her face up in thought, "except I'm a girl so you're a major vagina block." She giggled at the expression on his face.

"Please don't say cock and vagina anymore."

"Oh, c'mon, those are perfectly normal words. Now if I had said – "

He placed his hand quickly over her mouth. "Gabriella, seriously?" The question was light with humor.

"Yo!" Troy and Gabriella both looked up. "We're throwing it back to middle school and playing spin the bottle. You two in?"

Forgetting her comment about being sleepy, Gabriella jumped up. "Please, Troy! I've never played."

"I guess we're in," he laughed, standing to follow the guy to where the game was set up.

"I'm so excited," Gabriella bounced next to Troy. "Everyone should get to play spin the bottle at least once. I mean, if they want to play."

"And you want to play?"

"Yes," she enthused.

Xxx

The game had been going for at least ten minutes, and Gabriella was yet to be kissed. However, the girl sitting adjacent to her had been kissed four times. Life wasn't fair.

Gabriella leaned closer to Troy – even he'd been kissed once already, "This isn't fair," they ducked their heads together so that Gabriella could pout quietly.

Troy tried to hide the smile on his face by kissing her forehead, "You'll get a chance."

"No, I won't. Everyone is getting tired of the game. I'm going to go home unkissed. What's the point of a college party if I can't even kiss anyone?"

Troy wondered if she'd ever kissed anyone at all. He brushed his lips against her ear, "Why would you want to kiss any of these guys anyway." When she looked up at him he made a disgusted face, quirking the corner of his lip.

"Who says I want to kiss a guy?" At this, Troy shoved her arm playfully before bringing her back to sit closely."

"Better kiss her before Bolton does," an unfamiliar voice jolted them out of their banter, and when they looked down, the bottle was pointed directly at Gabriella.

Her eyes went wide. She looked up to see Brody smiling at her, but before he made a move to kiss her, he looked at Troy.

"I don't have to kiss her. I don't wanna step on anyone's toes."

"Troy doesn't mind, do you, Wildcat?" Her brown eyes implored.

Fighting every fiber in his body that told him that he should let the green eyed monster consume him, he really couldn't deny Gabriella anything. Even if what she wanted to do was play a stupid game, and kiss a stupid boy. What kind of stupid name was 'Brody' anyway? Hiding the animosity he was feeling, Troy shrugged casually, offering Gabriella a small smile.

He didn't really have any reason to not want Gabriella to kiss Brody. So maybe he was being a bit overprotective. That was normal. Brothers were always protective of their sisters, especially little sisters. He was just being protective, right?

Brody and Gabriella moved across the circle. As Troy watched, he noticed that Gabriella's hand was shaking, and she kept her eyes open the entire time Brody kissed her.

Definitely her first kiss.

When she moved back to sit closely to Troy, she was blushing and playing with the hem of her crop top.

Troy took her hand in his, lacing their fingers, "You did fine," he whispered so that only she could hear.

She responded with a squeeze of his fingers, before she stood, "I'm going to the restroom, I'll be right back, though." She told everyone.

When she returned to the game, a very attractive girl was sitting beside Troy. Gabriella hid the frown on her face. She didn't really want to sit by anyone else. She knew Troy best.

When the girl looked up, she feigned innocence, "You don't mind, do you, Gabriella? I kept feeling this breeze from my spot, so I decided to move."

Troy went to stand, to give Gabriella his seat, "Here, Brie, you can sit here."

"No," she touched his arm. "It's all right. I don't mind. We'll be leaving soon anyway." She sat down in the spot the girl had vacated. In retrospect, she wasn't surprised that the girl had moved. The girl had been flirting with Troy all night.

"Your turn, Bolton." Troy grabbed the bottle and gave it a careless spin, and Gabriella couldn't help but think about how sweet it was that he was playing this silly game because she'd asked him.

When the bottle stopped, it was pointing at Gabriella. The flush on Troy's face told her that he was thinking the same thing she was thinking: We can't kiss. That was partially the reason they had sat beside one another.

"Well, go ahead, then," the guy on Troy's other side slapped him on the back.

"I…uh…I can't kiss Gabriella."

"Why the hell not? You've been close to kissing her all night." The guy laughed.

"Troy," Gabriella's soft voice cut through the awkwardness. She wasn't sure what made her say the next two words, but she said them nonetheless. "It's okay." And she moved toward him.

"You sure?" he asked, his voice low and gentle.

"As long as it's not too weird for you. It's just a silly game." They spoke quietly, focusing completely on one another.

"Okay." He brushed a few curls behind her ear, and leaned in. His breath fanned out against her face, "Relax, Brie. And close your eyes."

She did as told, and Troy kissed her. A small, soft kiss where he forced himself to forget that Gabriella was – for all intents and purposes – his sister. Right now, she was just a girl. A beautiful girl with warm skin. A girl with an infectious laugh and amazing intellect. A girl with unimaginably soft lips. A girl he loved so very deeply.

When he pulled away, Gabriella opened her eyes slowly, like she was coming back from a dream.

Xxx

The pair had made it halfway back to Troy's apartment when it started to rain. They hadn't mentioned the kiss, but Troy had taken Gabriella's hand without hesitation when she'd slid her fingers against his.

In an effort to wait out the rain they had ducked beneath a store awning, thinking the weather would pass. It had been twenty minutes, and the rain was now in such a down pour that they could not see more than half a foot in front of them.

"I say we run for it," Troy suggested. "We'll be stuck here all night if we don't."

"But we can't see anything. How will we even make it back?"

"I know the way, Brie. Just hold my hand and run. Okay?" He held out his hand for her to take. Once she clutched it he entwined their fingers and smiled broadly at her.

"Think of it as an adventure," he laughed and Gabriella began to smile.

"Okay, but if I get pneumonia I'm telling Mom and Dad that it's all your fault." She joked as she took her shoes off, bracing herself for the run. "Where do I put these?"

"Leave them," Troy suggested, "You don't really need them anyway."

She looked at the black pumps in her hands.

"Adventure, Gabriella," he reminded.

"I do have more black heels at home, and these do pinch my toes," she reasoned before dropping them in favor of lacing her fingers with Troy's once again.

"On the count of three?"

Gabriella nodded

"One...two...three...GO!" They counted together before dashing into the rain.

Gabriella felt like they had been running hours by the time Troy finally pulled her in the direction of his apartment complex. Safely out of the rain he dug in his pocket for the key before they both stumbled inside.

As soon as they were safely enveloped in the warmth of Troy's apartment they burst into laughter. They looked every bit like drowned rats. Gabriella's pretty curls lay flat against her head, and Troy's t-shirt had become transparent.

Still laughing, he went to retrieve two towels. He returned to see Gabriella in the process of peeling off her shorts.

He became transfixed by the sight. They had yet to turn on the overhead lights, so the light spilling from the table lamp cast her in a sultry glow. He wouldn't admit it, but something deep inside ached to feel the skin of her legs, thighs, really, any skin that was Gabriella's. She looked up, not realizing he had been there previously.

"They're starting to itch," she explained shyly and rubbed her hips to symbolize what she was saying.

Troy didn't respond. He shook himself from the sight of Gabriella in her panties and brought her a towel. He turned his back to her as he began to dry his hair, then he moved down hall, removing his wet clothes and tossing them into a laundry basket. When he was stripped to his boxers, he heard Gabriella calling for him.

"Troy, will you help me?" her voice sounded muffled.

He walked into the living room, but she wasn't there. She had gone to his room – the room she was sharing.

"I'm stuck," she explained shyly. As soon as Troy turned on the light, he wished he hadn't. Her wet shirt perfectly outlined an area of her body that he knew he shouldn't be staring at.

"My necklace is stuck in my hair," Gabriella turned around on the bed, leaving enough room that Troy could sit down behind her.

With gentle hands he began to untangle her hair from the necklace.

Gabriella was glad that she sat facing away from Troy, because her face was burning. She could feel the heat radiating from Troy's exposed chest, and all she wanted to do was turn around and tell him that she didn't want things to be weird. That she didn't want him to hate her for telling him to kiss her. That it was all her fault for wanting to play the stupid game in the first place.

"Brie, hey," he turned her around, and it wasn't until she was facing him that she realized she was crying.

"What's the matter?"

"I'm so sorry, Troy. It's all my fault. I shouldn't have made you do it. Now things are weird, and you hate me."

"What would make you think that? I could never hate you." His hands landed on her exposed thighs as he told her this. "You're freezing. Let's change. We'll talk about this when we're done. Okay?"

She nodded.

When they were both dry, they climbed into bed. Lying in bed with Troy had never been as tense as it was right now. They had shared a bed tons of times. Their parents used to buy one hotel room with double full-sized beds so they could save money on vacation. They were used to sharing, so when Troy explained that if she came to visit she'd either have to use the couch or share with him, she wasn't fazed. Now she was an internal nervous wreck.

They lay facing one another.

"Hey."

"Hey."

Her breath hitched when she felt Troy drape his arm across her waist. She closed her eyes and fought the feeling she'd kept buried for three years.

What was wrong with her? Of the billions of people in the world, she was having these feelings for Troy. He was her brother for God's sake.

"Gabriella," he murmured, bringing her out of her self-inflicted chastisement.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I shouldn't have made you kiss me. I've ruined everything."

"You haven't ruined anything."

"Yes, I have," her eyes filled with tears. "It's not normal. What's wrong with me?"

In that moment, something cracked. "Nothing's wrong with you. You're perfect, Brie. I'm the one with something wrong. I wanted to kiss you. I've wanted to kiss you for years." At the admission, he could barely meet her gaze.

The careful facade of contentment was broken. The walls they had both so carefully structured around their feelings didn't just crack and crumble, they disintegrated, leaving not nearly enough to rebuild.

Gabriella didn't think. She just did it, and he responded, holding her tighter. Lips explored as they clutched one another desperately. Gabriella's arms wrapped around his neck and her fingers relished the feeling of his wet tendrils.

Troy held her close, his hands against the bare skin of her waist, fighting the urge to slip his hands lower and feel the curves he had secretly admired. Slowly, Troy's tongue invaded Gabriella's mouth. The little gasp of pleasure she emitted made him smile against her lips as he continued the onslaught of his kisses. She tasted like sin: delicious and forbidden. He indulged in the taste, wanting more of her as his lips left her mouth and trailed down her throat.

Gabriella's hands seemed to have a mind of their own. As Troy licked and suckled at her hot skin she clutched at his shoulders. Wanting the pleasure of feeling his skin – as he had the pleasure of feeling hers – she began to claw at his shirt, coaxing him to raise his arms so that she may rid him of the fabric. As he busied himself with her neck once again she took the opportunity to run her fingers over the taut muscles of his chest. His hands easily found her hips and traveled up to the sides of her breasts. Troy watched her blush and bite her lower lip, showcasing the demure girl he knew. At this he slowed their pace.

"Hi," he caressed her cheek as he pressed his forehead to hers.

"Hi," she whispered, smiling at the exchange, so similar to the one they'd had when this began.

"What are we doing?"

"I don't know." They smiled at one another, tired of pretending the other didn't matter.

"I am so in love with you, Gabriella."

"Really? How do you know?"

"I don't know, but I've never felt this for anyone else. I've tried to hide it for so long."

"I love you too. Since I was fifteen." She elaborated.

"Eighteen."

"Same time, then," she confirmed, and she wondered what had sparked a romantic love in them three years ago. Maybe it had steadily grown. Maybe it was always there.

"This is crazy, Troy. How is it that out of the billions of people in the world we fall in love with one another?"

"Fate?" he asked, and she shrugged.

"But we're siblings – kind of. This is just going to complicate everything."

"Everything is already complicated, Brie." He leaned in to kiss her. "We're just," he paused looking for an explanation, "We're just uncomplicating our feelings, and complicating this brother-sister charade we've been stuck in."

She touched his cheek, feeling the beginnings of stubble, "What will Mom and Dad think?"

"I don't know."

She continued to stare into his blue, blue eyes, "If I'd known you in another life, if my biological parents hadn't died, I think we would have ended up here."

"I think so too."

Xxx

Thirty minutes later, Troy and Gabriella sat across from Jack and Sarah Bolton.

Sarah took her time examining them both. It was like she was looking at them with new eyes. Gabriella wore a white sundress and her dark curls fell gracefully down her back. She looked every bit the angel Sarah believed her to be. Gabriella had always been sweet and gracious. Sarah couldn't remember a time she had ever had to really reprimand her behavior growing up. If anything, she remembered having to mend Gabriella's gentle heart. Maybe it was naivety, but Gabriella had the tendency to see only the good in people; and when someone had proven that they did have bad components, it had always hurt Gabriella especially. Sarah recalled several instances of having to explain to her little girl why some people didn't think the same way Gabriella thought. She wondered how she would have a conversation with Gabriella now and still protect her heart.

Then, she noticed that Troy was holding Gabriella's hand. Maybe she wouldn't have to protect her daughter's heart. Maybe that was her son's job now. Sarah watched the way his thumb rubbed small circles onto Gabriella's hand. She watched the way her daughter's body turned into Troy's, absorbing his comfort.

Sarah looked at her children and wondered how she had missed it. How had she not realized this? Then, she vaguely remembered a look on Gabriella's face that she hadn't quite been able to read last year when they had come home for Thanksgiving.

Jack had made a joke about how the pair couldn't live together forever, about how Gabriella's husband and Troy's wife wouldn't allow it. As he'd made the joke, Sarah and Gabriella were setting the table, and Sarah had looked up with a smile at her daughter, but Gabriella's eyes didn't meet hers. Gabriella was concentrating on the table setting, a sad, conflicted look on her face. She had dismissed it as just part of her quiet, reflective daughter.

She was interrupted from her reverie by Troy's voice, "Mom, Dad, I know that this has to be a shock to you, and I don't really know what to say or where to start, but if you have any questions Gabriella and I can probably answer those."

"How long?" Jack asked.

Gabriella looked up at Troy as she answered, not able to look at either of her parents, "Six years."

Jack choked on his coffee, and Sarah felt herself begin to shake. "What?!" Jack's voice was louder than he truly anticipated, and when he saw the hurt look on Gabriella's face he calmed down. "Baby, I'm sorry." He reached out to pat her knee, "I didn't mean to yell. I'm not yelling at you. I'm just so surprised. Six years? Jesus. Where have I been for the past six years?"

The question causes a slight smirk to flash across Troy's features, "Albuquerque." He answered easily. "We waited until Gabriella moved out here."

"So it started when Gabriella left for college?" Sarah asked, trying to store all the details in her mind.

"It was when she came out to visit for spring break." Troy explained. "And we just kind of kept it a secret. It wasn't supposed to be a secret for six years. We've wanted to tell you for so long, but the timing was never very good."

Gabriella spoke this time, "Every time we had planned what we'd say, how we'd tell you, something happened. Last Thanksgiving we wanted to tell you both so badly, but Daddy made a joke about husbands and wives, and my heart just kind of broke. I told Troy I couldn't do it, and he understood."

"What were you going to tell us when the baby got here?" Sarah interrupted.

Gabriella's eyes went wide, and her hand flew to her stomach. She knew she was showing, but she wasn't that big, and she had thought that her sundress would hide it."

"You are pregnant, aren't you?" Her question wasn't accusatory, but it was rhetorical.

"Yes," Gabriella answered truthfully. "I'm pregnant. How did you know?"

Sarah approached Gabriella. She sat beside her on the sofa and caressed her cheek, "Moms know, sweetheart. Moms know."

Gabriella flung her arms around her mother and began to cry, "I've wanted to tell you for so long, but I've been so scared. It's all so new, and every time something new happens, I just want to call you and ask you about it, but I know I can't and I've wanted to so badly."

"Sweetheart," Sarah cooed. "We'll start now. I can't say I understand this, and I can't say I'm happy that you've been in a relationship for six years without my knowledge, but we'll get through this. We'll make it all work."

"You're going to be parents." Jack said, running his hands down his face, processing all the information. "We're going to be grandparents."

"You'll have a grandson," Gabriella looked up at her father with a soft expression on her face."

Xxx

"Daddy, what are you doing?" Gabriella walked into the study to see her father in a writing frenzy.

"I've been thinking about the question you asked me last night."

"About the date with Kyle?" She came to sit beside her father.

"Yes, and I've really had to think about it." He scratched at his chin before running his fingers through his hair and looking at his bright-eyed teenager. "You're sixteen. This is an acceptable age to start dating, so I'm not entirely opposed."

He saw Gabriella inflate. This was the first time she'd even remotely shown interest in a boy, and Jack knew that a date was a big deal to her, but it wasn't nearly as big a deal as his only daughter was to him.

"Hang on, Gabriella. I haven't said yes. I've just said I'm not entirely opposed. I've been thinking very hard about this, about the type of person I want my only daughter to end up with. I know this isn't marriage. Dear god I don't think my heart could handle that conversation, but one day you will be getting married; and I want you to marry someone who deserves you. Someone I'll be proud to call my son-in-law. Do you understand?"

"I think so," Gabriella looked at her father, biting her lower lip in a manner that was not at all convincing.

"Sweetheart," he brought both of her hands into his own, "Our family is my whole world, and you are my shining star. If I'm going to feel comfortable with the knowledge that you are dating, I want to know you are dating someone who is a phenomenal person, so I've made a list of characteristics that I think are important. Now I know you'll have your own list, and that ultimately it's your decision, but I hope you'll look at this and really consider it before you decide to date anyone." He stood so that he could walk over to Gabriella and kiss her cheek. Then, he handed her the piece of paper he had furiously scrawled on for the past half hour.

Xxx

Gabriella did not end up going on a date. In fact, as Jack recalled, Gabriella didn't date at all in high school, and he knew it was because of his list. She had come running to him an hour later with tears streaming down her face. She threw her arms around his neck and proclaimed that she would only ever date someone who had all the qualities outlined.

But now Jack wasn't so sure. He was torn between his only daughter and his only son. Had he raised Troy to be the kind of person he would want Gabriella to be with? The love he felt for both of his children was incomprehensible. It was impossible to describe the amount of adoration he felt for both of them, but did Troy really fit the list of characteristics he'd given to Gabriella?

When they were growing up, Jack always thought that his children complimented one another. One extrovert and one introvert. They had both introduced him to the world in a unique way. He'd seen it from both sides. He remembered having to hold Troy tightly in his arms to keep him from trying something too dangerous. He remembered having to empty Gabriella from his arms in order to coax her intro trying something a little dangerous. It was stereotypical, and maybe it had a little bit to do with the way they had raised them. Gabriella had come into their lives through such brokenness that he and Sarah had been extra tender in raising her. They had always been protective of her – careful not to cause anything else in her life to break; and maybe that had inadvertently led to the neglect of Troy's emotional well-being. It was easy to say his son had turned out fine, and he had, but how differently would his life had been had he not gained a younger sister?

Again, Jack was brought to the question of whether or not he had raised Troy to be the kind of person he'd want his daughter to be with. Then again, it didn't really matter, because they had been together for six years and she was pregnant. Jack looked at her, sitting amidst Sarah and Troy. She was teary-eyed but snuggled deeply into Troy's arms. Troy was staring down at her, but she wasn't aware of his gaze. Jack noticed that Troy's blue eyes roamed the contours of Gabriella's face, sweeping down her nose to linger on her lips before falling to her chin and turn upward again toward her cheeks, eyes, and forehead.

He loved her. It was obvious. Troy loved her. Of one thing Jack was particularly sure. Troy would never hurt Gabriella. He would always take care and look out for her, and that was at the top of the list, so maybe the other characteristics fell into place from there.

Xxx

Troy, are you sure it won't bother you?" Gabriella asked for the one hundredth time.

"Jesus. Yes, Brie. I am positive that it won't bother me," he turned from viewing the television to look at her, "I wish you'd stop asking me."

"Sorry," she mumbled, looking back down at the book that sat in her lap, "I just don't want to make you upset. It's your senior prom."

He turned his full attention to Gabriella, his voice was kinder now, "It won't bother me, Brie. You know I adore you. Why would I be upset that you're coming to prom with me and my friends?"

"I mean, it's just that I'm your little sister, and Mom and Daddy already said that if I go you have to bring me back at midnight, which doesn't sound like much fun for you. I don't want to spoil your fun with your friends. I'm sure Jason can find another date if you really don't want to be stuck babysitting."

"Gabriella, you might be my little sister, but we're also friends, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well, then why would I be upset that another one of my friends gets to come to prom with me? We're gonna have fun. I want you there."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"Okay." They smiled at one another.

"Wow," Jason breathed as Gabriella descended the stairs.

"Thanks," Gabriella blushed prettily before allowing Jason to slip a corsage onto her wrist, all the while ignoring her mother's incessant camera snapping.

"Troy, remember," Jack Bolton reminded his son, "you and your friends may be seniors, but your sister is just fifteen. I want you to look out for her. I expect you both back by midnight."

"I've got it, Dad. I'm activating all of my overly protective big brother instincts and channeling all of your overly protective fathering instincts. Together, I think I've got it covered," He smiled cheekily at his father before winking at Gabriella.

Gabriella shrugged her shoulders as Jason looked at her questioningly, "Home by midnight. Just call me Cinderella."

Maybe Cinderella wasn't the best name for her. At least Cinderella had enjoyed prom. It became acutely apparent to Gabriella that Jason had invited her to be his date simply to make another girl notice him. She wasn't upset, but she was disappointed. She was left sitting by herself whilst Troy and his friends had a good time. She only knew a handful of the students at prom, and they all had dates, so she didn't want to dance by herself. She slid her shoes off so that she could wiggle her toes. While she was humming along to the music she didn't notice Troy approach her.

"Please explain to me why the belle of the ball is all alone."

"My prince charming decided he'd rather have a different princess," she pointed to Jason on the dance floor with another girl.

"Tough break, kid," Troy stretched his legs out as he sat in the chair beside her.

She wrinkled her nose at being called "kid," "Where's Jenna?"

"I don't know. I dodged her in favor of rescuing my favorite princess."

Gabriella smiled and laid her head on Troy's shoulder, "Wanna dance with me?"

"Sure."

Xxx

"Mom, you really don't need to do that." Gabriella tried to take the vacuum from her mother's hands.

"She's right, Mom." Troy agreed as he slipped an arm around Gabriella's waist, "Our house keeping skills are excellent. Why don't you make dinner instead?" He grinned as Gabriella jabbed him playfully with her elbow and Jack laughed from the next room.

"Nonsense. I know that your house keeping skills are fine, but I need to do something. I've got a lot of information to process, and cleaning helps."

Gabriella shrugged, "Suit yourself. That just means we're eating leftovers, because I'm pulling the pregnancy card and going to take a nap; and I don't trust anything Troy and Dad make since that Ramen noodle fiasco my junior year of high school."

"Hey!" Troy and Jack protested in unison.

"I'll cook." Sarah agreed. "Troy, make sure Gabriella makes it all right to bed."

He lifted a brow and fought the urge to roll his eyes. There was no use telling his mother that Gabriella was capable of making it to their bedroom without an escort. Besides, he wanted some time alone with her anyway.

"Will you close the door?" Gabriella asked as they entered the bedroom. "Lock it please."

As soon as he'd done so he turned around to find an increasingly nude Gabriella. She had discarded her dress and was in the process of unclasping her bra.

"Brie?"

"Troy, please touch me. We were supposed to spend the day in bed, and apparently my body is really upset that we didn't. I'm dying."

"You certainly don't have to ask me twice." Troy made his way over to Gabriella. He helped her step out of her underwear before taking off his own clothes and kissing her. He turned her around so that her back was against his chest, and his hands began a slow descent, caressing every bit of her until she was mewling and coming undone. Then, he joined her, and they moved in sync until they both fell apart.

When Troy exited the bedroom it was obvious that his parents knew exactly what had transpired.

"Your mother was the same way when she was pregnant with you." Jack stated matter-of-factly.

"Dad, that's disgusting. I don't want to know about your sex life."

"And I don't want to know about yours, yet I just heard a good portion of it. If you think it's traumatizing for children to know their parents have sex, wait until you're a father and you're sitting in the next room as your son has sex."

Troy cringed. When had they become such an open family? Didn't normal families avoid these conversations at all costs?

Xxx

"Gabriella?" Sarah asked as they all ate dinner.

"Yes," she looked up from her plate, eyes connecting with her mother's.

"I noticed the ring on your finger."

Gabriella looked down at her left hand and blushed. Really, she shouldn't be blushing. It was perfectly acceptable for a pregnant woman to want to marry the father of her child, but she supposed this was an extenuating circumstance.

"We were thinking about some time next summer. We'll have had some time to adjust to being a parents. We were thinking it would be relatively small. Maybe we'll even just go to the courthouse before the baby is here. We've thought about that too." She looked over at Troy, hoping he'd jump into the conversation.

"Yeah, uh, Gabriella and I definitely want to get married." He turned his attention to Gabriella, caressing her cheek as he spoke, "I've wanted to marry her for years. I'd marry you today, Brie. You're my whole heart."

Sarah looked at her children, and she realized that as much as she loved them both, there was so much she didn't understand. There were so many what ifs and so much was unknown. How had they fallen in love with one another? They had been raised as siblings. They'd even squabbled as such, but looking at them now, she saw where the lines blurred, and she wondered if Gabriella was the kind of woman she would want Troy to marry. In another life, a life where Antonio and Elena had the opportunity to love their daughter for decades, and Gabriella was just the sweet neighbor girl, would she want her to become Troy's wife?

There was nothing not to love about Gabriella. Even in terms of the flaws she had, she was open and graceful about them. She acknowledged her shortcoming with an uncommon wisdom about personal growth, so why was Sarah questioning whether the daughter she raised was the right woman for the son she had raised?

Maybe it wasn't so much that she was questioning whether or not they would be a good match. After all, they had been together for six years. They were living together, and soon they would be having a baby. They obviously loved one another. Maybe Sarah was just questioning what life would have been like had her heart not been filled with the gentleness that was Gabriella.

Xxx

"I love you, Mom. I love you so much, but I can't help but think about what my life would have been like if my first set of parents hadn't died." She stared down at a picture of Elena and Antonio. This one was of them with baby Gabriella. They were smiling at the photographer and holding Gabriella like she was a trophy.

"Please don't misunderstand me," Gabriella said, "my life has been more than wonderful, and I've always felt so much love, but would she have known what to say when I came home crying because I was teased for being Mexican, or would she have known how to French braid my curly hair? Would she have taught me to make authentic, ethnic foods? Would he have been an overprotective father? I mean, you and Daddy let me be a part of Troy's sleepovers with Chad and Zeke. I would have been his first, maybe only, daughter, would he have even fathomed letting me have a sleepover with three boys? Would he have called me 'princess'? Would they have taken me to visit family in South America?" She was crying, but she didn't look up from the album that contained pictures of her biological parents.

"I know that researcher say that people don't have memories before the age of three, but I remember being in her arms. I remember a Spanish lullaby that I know isn't from you or Daddy. I remember how soft and warm she was, and when I smell particular smells, I remember him." Tears were dripping down her nose as she pointed to her father in the picture. "I remember the low rumble in his chest when he would hold me and speak, and how he danced me around the kitchen. I know they have to be real memories. They're fussy, but they have to be real. I remember how much they loved me, and I miss them so much, Mom. I miss what could have been."

Xxx

"Mmm," Troy buried his face into the crook of Gabriella's neck as they finally found themselves in bed. "I can't wait to grow our family."

"Slow down, Wildcat," she cooed as she ran her fingers through his hair, "one baby at a time."

"Maybe we can adopt some babies too," he looked up at her."

"I'd like that."

"Me too." They were quiet for a moment before Troy spoke again, "Loving you has always been the highlight of my life, Gabriella. From the moment Mom introduced you to me, I've loved you."

"I'm pretty sure Mom said you cried when she told you I was your new sister."

"Yeah, but that wasn't because I didn't love you. That was because I knew that you becoming my sister meant that the people you loved were gone. I am one hundred percent sure that I have loved you since the moment I met you."

"But when did you fall in love with me?"

Xxx

"Oh, Sarah, honestly, I don't understand," Troy heard his grandmother as he approached the dining room, but he was stopped abruptly by Gabriella's arm. She halted him.

Gabriella had never been one to eavesdrop, so Troy assumed that this conversation must be particularly important. He leaned against Gabriella so that he could peek into the room and listen as well.

"Mother, please stop. I have no idea why we're even having this conversation again. I'm forty-three. I'm not having another baby."

"I just don't see why you didn't do it earlier. When you two were younger Jack used to always talk about wanting to have a daughter he could spoil."

"And he has one: Gabriella."

"Dear, you know what I mean. A real daughter. I know that you both love her. Of course you do. I do too, but she's not really yours. She's not Jack's."

Gabriella's sharp inhale of breath happened exactly one second before she ran upstairs.

Later in life, Troy would recall this as the one time he had ever been unrepentantly, irrevocably, unforgivably angry at someone. He would remember the time he was eighteen and his grandparents had flown to New Mexico for his graduation. He would remember Gabriella's look of devastation, but currently he didn't think of anything but catching her.

Troy wasn't sure if his mother and grandmother had heard her, but he didn't wait to find out. He went straight to Gabriella, catching her door just before she locked it.

He pressed his way inside before locking the door behind him. He didn't speak, he just brought her into his arms.

She looked up at him, "My biggest fear has always been that I don't fit, that I'll never have a real family."

"Don't say that. You're my family."

"No, I'm not. I'm someone who was brought into your family."

"That isn't true, Gabriella. This family wouldn't mean anything without you."

"Troy, stop. It's ridiculous to even talk about this. Your grandmother is right. My parents died. End of story. Your family was just nice enough to take me. That doesn't mean I'm your sister or that Mom and Daddy are actually my parents. I'm fine. These are facts. I can't debate them or change them. They suck. They completely destroy my heart, but they are true."

He wrapped her in his arms again, not willing to ever let go. "Blood doesn't make you family, Gabriella. I don't care what facts say about it. Blood makes you related. Love makes you family, and I have never loved anyone as much as I love you. I will never love anyone as much as I love you. You're my family. You always will be…whether you like it, or believe it, or not."

And looking back, this would be the moment they fell in love with one another. The moment they became more than brother and sister, the moment their hearts entwined and they became family.