Impossible perfection
Third and final in the trilogy, follows Heartbreak and Can you forgive? I'd recommend reading them before this.
It is very different to its prequels; it is set eight years after the end of can you forgive? I'm guessing most of you know what that means.
Disclaimer: I do not own High school Musical, if I did writing this would be a waste of time and I would have way better things to do.
Ok completely off topic: We're putting Christmas decorations up, YAY!
Eighteen-year-old Isobel Travers glanced at the picture that had flashed up on the screen of her cell, she knew she had to answer it to avoid a lecture from her parents, whom were obviously the actual reason she was receiving the call.
"What is it Evan?" She asked as she answered the call.
"You were meant to be home hours ago, where are you?" Her nineteen-year-old stepbrother quizzed in reply.
"I was with Michael, where else would I be, and don't over-exaggerate, I'm only half an hour late, tell Mom and Dad to stop freaking out over nothing," She sighed.
"You know why they're freaking Bel," He pointed out, she gave a half-smile at the use of her nickname, people had been calling her Bel for nine long years, and it was one of the few things she liked being called.
"I know," She agreed, "But they can't keep us locked up forever because of what happened eight years ago."
"Bel…" He tried.
"Look, I'll be quicker if I get off the phone," She decided, "Bye."
She hung up, slightly resentful towards Evan for interrupting her thoughts by calling.
Michael Warner, the latest in a long line, another cheating jerk, not that Evan had to know that. Her stepbrother was somewhat protective of both her and Carly, being the only brother she and her sisters had must make him feel partially responsible for them.
She knew she needed to get her mind off of her dysfunctional family and disastrous love-life, so she decided to think about the only thing she could, Carly's seventeenth birthday, it was still a month away, but it was the only thing in her immediate life that hadn't turned into a complete train wreck, she couldn't talk to her mother about it, there really was only one person she could go to, and that would have to wait until tomorrow.
"Excuse me," A young boy of around nine blocked her path.
"What?" She asked, shifting her annoyance to the small figure, wasn't it a bit late for a child of his age to be out anyway.
"Are you Isobel Montez?" He asked her.
"Depends who's asking," She snapped in reply, checking her watch.
"I'm Charlie, Charlie Montez, your brother," The boy told her.
She looked up, vaguely remembering the small infant of a boy she had seen with her father's mistress when she was a child herself.
"You may be a blood relation or whatever, but I only have one brother, Evan Travers is my brother, you are just my biological father's son, besides, I'm not Isobel Montez, I used to be, but that changed six years ago, I'm Isobel Travers now," She spoke harshly.
"Dad wants to see you," Charlie told her, sounding like he believed he was doing her a favour.
It was then she noticed the man walking up behind the boy, she'd remember him from anywhere, she hadn't seen his face since she was nine, and didn't particularly want to now.
"Bella Bear," He sighed.
"My name is Isobel," She stated, " Not Bella bear, now if you'll excuse me, my dad is very strict on curfews."
"I'm your dad, sweetie," Kevin tried telling her.
"I think I know who my own dad is," She shot back as she pushed past the pair of them.
He grabbed her arm as she tried to walk away, she turned to face him, "I'll scream," she told him, "You know I will, and if I do people will think you assaulted me, and you'll go right back to prison, where you belong." She pulled her arm from his grip and continued walking.
She knew he wouldn't follow her, because her last words would have taught him, Isobel Travers was strong, she was strong because she had to be, she was strong because it was the one thing that protected her from mental and physical pain she had endured throughout her life, she was bullied at school after her father was sent to prison, but that didn't bother her, Allie and Lucy had proved to be true friends during those times, even Lola had been nicer towards her, but considering that Lola's uncle had re-married her mother she didn't have much choice.
Ten minutes later she unlocked the front door, said goodnight to her parents and went up to her room like nothing had happened, she could give her mother at least one more night of peace before worrying her of her father's return.
She walked into her room, the one that used to belong to her elder sister before she moved out; she knew that her sister probably knew about Kevin's release from prison, the victim was always informed after all, but she'd never thought that he'd try coming near them again, and now he had made contact, her sister had to be warned.
She checked the time, eleven, her sister would be asleep by now, that much was obvious, but there was always one other person she could count on, one other person who would definitely still be awake.
She crept out of her room and down the hall, towards her younger stepsister's room; knocking lightly she pushed open the door.
"Hey Carls," She whispered.
The sixteen-year-old turned to her from her desk in the corner of the room.
"Problem?" The girl asked, obviously reading Isobel's facial expression.
"Kevin's back," Isobel sighed.
"Kevin?" Carly asked.
"You were only eight, you won't remember much about him, and after he went to prison mom and dad didn't mention him much, but he's my biological father, he tried to kill Gab, that's why he was in prison, but he's back, and I don't know how to tell mom," Isobel explained.
"Why do you have to tell her?" Carly asked.
"He came near me, using his son to get close, so mom has to know, because Kevin Montez is like dad, he doesn't give up easily," Isobel elaborated.
"Then we tell her tomorrow," Carly stated, emphasising the we in her sentence, ever since their parents got married, Isobel and Carly had been in everything together, they were a team, and there was no breaking up the team.
Isobel nodded, "We should sleep."
Carly nodded, taking the hint as she got up from her desk, "don't worry Bel," she reassured.
Isobel smiled and went back to her own room, staring out through the glass doors and onto the balcony her sister had spent so much time on as a teenager.
"There's something up with her," Maria stated as soon as Isobel disappeared up the stairs.
"I'll go check on her," Andrew sighed, "In a while, she'll be suspicious if I go straight away."
"Do you think she remembers?" She quizzed.
"What else could it be?" He sighed, "She remembers, but I don't think that just knowing would make her that edgy."
"So you think something happened?" She questioned.
He nodded as he stood up, "Be right back."
By the time he got upstairs, Isobel was already in Carly's room, he stood by the door, careful not to cast a shadow that would give him away.
"He came near me, using his son to get close, so mom has to know, because Kevin Montez is like dad, he doesn't give up easily," Isobel's voice was clear to him.
"Then we tell her tomorrow," He heard his daughter reply.
He walked slowly back downstairs, contemplating what he'd just overheard, so Kevin Montez had decided to come back, more importantly, Kevin Montez had approached Isobel, he had no right to go near her, not anymore, he agreed to the adoption, Isobel wasn't legally her biological father's child anymore. Legally the girl wasn't even a Montez anymore.
He walked slowly into the lounge, glancing at his wife as he did, she gave him a questioning look, "Was it what we thought?"
"He spoke to her," Andrew relented, "I heard her telling Carly."
"So he came back," She sighed, "After everything he came back."
"All I'm saying is if he wants to be a part of my life he shouldn't walk up to me in the street at ten thirty in the evening, using his son to try and weaken me," Isobel complained.
"Ok," her elder sister smiled happily, clearly not paying attention
"It's not like I even…" She began, stopping as a cry erupted from the upstairs of the house.
"Bel, sweetie, could you go and get Tamsin for me?" She was asked.
"Er, sure," She answered, leaving the kitchen and heading for the stairs.
"Are you gonna listen to auntie Isobel, Tam?" She asked her niece as she picked her up.
"No," The three-year-old answered, it seemed to be her favourite word right now.
"Of course you're not," Isobel sighed as she carried the girl downstairs.
"Kirra," Tamsin proudly announced as they entered the kitchen, pointing at her younger sister.
Gabriella looked up, smiling at the child in her sister's arms, "Clever girl, that's Kirra isn't it?"
Tamsin nodded, almost hysterically as I put her down on the floor.
"What was it we were talking about Bel?" Gabriella asked her sister.
"Kevin," She sighed in frustration.
"What about him?" Her sister quizzed.
"He tried to talk to me last night," Isobel repeated what she'd tried to explain, "He used Charlie to get near me and I think he might come to you next."
The teenager knew she had her sister's attention now; the woman was glancing anxiously at her two daughters, probably now worried for their safety more than her own.
"When was this?" She asked after a few seconds.
"Yesterday night," Isobel told her truthfully.
"What did you tell him?" Gabriella continued quizzing.
"That I had to go because my dad's strict when it comes to curfew," The teen explained, "Don't worry, he doesn't know about Tamsin and Kirra, as far as I'm concerned they are none of his business and never will be, why would I tell him about them."
"You're a good kid, Bel," Her sister told her.
"Less of the kid," Isobel couldn't help but complain, despite the situation, "Tam and Kirra are the only kids here."
"Mommy, where daddy?" The older of the two girls suddenly spoke up.
"He's at work angel," Gabriella answered the toddler's question.
"Why?" The child questioned.
"Because it's how he gets the money to buy you presents," The woman smiled, knowing her daughter would take this as an answer.
"She's gonna be asking him where the presents are when he gets home, you know, and he's going to have no idea what she's talking about, and she'll get upset when he doesn't have anything, so he'll have to go out again and get her something to stop her from screaming her head off." Isobel explained.
"He is getting her something, he's been in New York for a week, he gets back today, she knows that, why don't you? You should know these things about your family, Bel," Gabriella teased.
"Does he know about Kevin?" Isobel ignored her sister's teasing, knowing how protective her brother-in-law would be if he really knew.
"I didn't remind him, no," She was told, "You know what he'd have been like, he would have packed us all up and moved us to Alaska, you, Evan, Carly and our parents included."
"Why Alaska?" Isobel quizzed.
"First place I thought of," Her sister admitted, "Anyway, why not?"
"Alaska's cold," Isobel stated, "it like, snows all the time."
"So it'll be like a year-round Christmas," Came her sister's answer, "The girls will love it."
"Gabi, we're not moving to Alaska," Isobel pointed out, "Why do we always go this far using a simple example?"
"Because we have nothing better to do," She was told, "So, anything else on your mind?"
"No," The teen lied, knowing her sister would see right through it.
"I'm guessing that's code for Yes," Gabriella smiled, "Come on Bel, you can tell me, who would I possibly tell? Tamsin and Kirra, I really don't think they'll care."
Isobel smiled at her sister's example then nodded, "It's not important."
"Insanely important not important or just important not important?" She was asked.
"You do realise you just said important three times," Isobel tried to change the subject.
"Bel, just tell me," Gabriella encouraged.
Isobel sighed, knowing her sister wouldn't give up, "Michael Warner," She finally said after a while.
"Your boyfriend?" Her sister quizzed.
"Now ex-boyfriend," Isobel explained, "He cheated on me, just like all the others, how did you get so lucky, Gab?"
"Lucky!" Gabriella exclaimed, "Do you not remember Kieran?"
"But you didn't end up with him," The teen pointed out, "Your life has ended up pretty much perfect, and now you've got Tamsin and Kirra, nothing's like it was Gab, when it was just you, me and Mom, do you remember that?"
"Vaguely," Gabriella laughed, "And yes, Bel, I may have my own family now, but that doesn't mean I'll ever stop needing you, you're my baby sister, you have been for eighteen long years, and you always will be, no matter what, besides, there's still plenty of time for my perfect life to go wrong."
"Way to be optimistic," Isobel smiled, "Where's Bailey?"
"Somewhere," Her sister answered, "He's been moping ever since the Harper's moved, you named the puppy yet?"
"Not yet," Isobel replied, "I still can't believe the Harper's didn't want any of them, and they gave them all to you, and I can't believe that mom let me keep one, I mean, it was obvious you'd keep at least one, but I didn't think I'd be allowed."
"There were only five of them Bel, I was hardly going to let them all go, besides, I feel better knowing that they're all still in the family," Gabriella smiled.
"Wait, all of them?" Isobel quizzed.
"Yeah," Her sister assured, "We kept two, you have one, Alistair has one and Aunt Anita gave Tia the other one as a present."
"You still see Aunt Anita?" Isobel quizzed, surprised.
"Yep," Her sister admitted, "Dad's the one that had the fight with her, not me, he may have disowned her or whatever, but I won't, she's my aunt and Tia's my cousin, I lost them when I was a child, I have them back now, I won't lose them again, no matter what dad says."
"After what she said about me?" Isobel quizzed.
"You never were told, were you?" Gabriella asked her, "Aunt Anita didn't say that stuff, her now ex-husband did, you know she see's you as family, she has ever since she met you, you know how she was always protective of me when dad found me? She'd be the same with you if you gave her a chance, she's big on protection."
"I could say the same about someone else," Isobel pointed out as she watched a car pull onto the driveway, "Remind him, Gab, he'll want to know."
Wow, long chapter, I think that's the longest chapter I've ever written, it's longer than most of my oneshots.
Anyways, told you it was different.
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