Pavement

by: Nicole Lopez


A/N: I'm testing to see if anyone's interested in this story. If you are, I'll post more. If not, I'll keep writing it anyway ... btw not reviewing is like saying you don't want more.

Summary: Fastfoward fourteen years into the future. Gabriela Montez threw away her entire future, college, a career and everything to be with Troy and take care of his children. Now on just her second child with Troy, the 31 year-old housewife looks back on her life and must decide between staying with Troy or moving onto a life where she can find the happiness she's always wanted. Also featuring Gabriela's cousin Alex Russo.


Troyela Fourteen years later…

Gabriela looked down at her stomach. It was getting big, really big and it wouldn't be long until the media picked up on it and started driving her crazy about it, just like they did with the rumors of Troy's infidelity.

More than one baby had come out of his supposed "dog-like" nature, but Gabriela ignored it because the two of them had made a promise to be together and to marry each other and to love one another. Gabriela was still in the stages of getting the actual wedding together, but when she did she knew it would be beautiful.

"Are you ready or not?" Her cousin yelled from their downstairs mansion. Gabriela hobbled out of the chair that she had been sitting in. She had forgotten how difficult it was to even walk now that she was pregnant.

"Give me a second." She yelled back, taking her time to walk down the steps.

"Where are the little brats?" Alexandria Russo asked, smacking on her gum obnoxiously. They were actually the same age, but Alex had this youthfulness that Gabriela had lost. Being a mother to three would do that to you.

"Jason should be around, Lena is in her room, and Troy Jr. is sleeping … who am I kidding, Russo? I don't know."

"You sit here. I'll find them." She urged Gabriela, the chains on her clothing jingling loudly as she rushed up the stairs. "Alright you little boogers … time to go!" She yelled, rounding up the crew as Gabriela took a look around the house.

Even from the limited view that she had from sitting she could see that her mansion was a mess. Jason had dumped his school books in the living room and Troy Jr. left his toys in the middle of the floor, again.

Gabriela forced herself back to her feet and started to clean up the house. Troy would be coming home tonight and would be able to spend a whole day with the family and she definitely wanted some alone time without the kids around.

Being an NBA star was hard enough on their relationship so hard that Gabriella didn't see him more than three times a month, but she loved him enough to endure the distance. She loved him enough to care for Jason, Lena, and Tatiana as her own and not question how they came to be…

She grunted, struggling to pick up Jason's bookbag which was way heavier than any 6th grader's bag should be. Gabriela placed it in the front closet for now. For now, that would work.

"Gabi … what are you up to now?" Alex wondered with a trail of kids following her. Jason was right behind her, Troy Jr. was in her arms even though he was five years old already and Lena had her arms around Alex's hip.

Everyone was quiet and content, which was the power that Alex naturally seemed to have over them. It was almost like magic and if Gabriela wasn't so used to it by now, she would be a little jealous.

"Thanks Russo. We're all going to grandma's house for the day." Gabriella explained to the kids. Jason made a face at her, Lena ignored her and Troy clung to Alex even more tightly.

As Alex drove the car, Gabriela felt a sense of relief. This would never happen normally because she always had to chauffeur the kids around. Now, she would drop them off at their grandmother's and everything would be alright.


**

"Ms. Bolton … the kids are here." Gabriela stated over the phone. They were already parked outside of the house, but she called first anyway.

"The kids … what do you mean? I'm on my way out."

"No. There must be some kind of misunderstanding." Gabriela began. "You see today Russo and I have to make some plans for the wedding … you know cake tasting, finalizing the registry, deciding on a dress…"

"Oh, Alexandria is there?" Ms. Bolton's voice became softer. "Tell her I say hi."

"You're on speaker." Gabriela responded.

"Hi grandma!" Alex yelled back in her normal enthusiastic way.

"Hello sweetheart. You didn't tell me you'd be in town…" The two started off on their own conversation, as they normally did with Gabriela was around. Ms. Bolton had still not taken to the idea of her Troy marrying Gabriela.

It wasn't that anything was wrong with Gabriela per say, but between her Colombian background and her brief work as a Victoria's Secret model, she was far from what Ms. Bolton pictured as the perfect daughter-in-law. She was very dependent on Troy and Ms. Bolton didn't like that … at all.

"Can you please watch them for the day? They're really looking forward to seeing you." Gabriela interrupted, irritated. She looked at the time and motioned, to Alex that it was getting late.

"I really have--"

"Grandma, they're looking forward to seeing you." Alex interjected charmingly as she muttered a few indistinguishable words under her breath and Ms. Bolton agreed to take the children.

"Thank God." Gabriela mumbled once the children were safely in the house. "I thought she was going to make me look like an idiot. She can be such a bitch. Can you imagine if I had to take the whole family cake-testing?" She said to Russo, failing to notice that Jason had returned to the car to get something that he had forgotten.

She realized that they weren't alone when she heard the trunk of the door slam and looked to Alex for advice.

"Don't worry about it Gabi, I'm here now."

"And Thank God for that Russo."

**


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