An Answered Wish
Disclaimer : I own nothing
"You can shed tears that she is gone,
or you can smile because she has lived.
You can close your eyes and pray that she'll come back,
or you can open your eyes and see all she's left.
Your heart can be empty because you can't see her,
or you can be full of the love you shared.
You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday,
or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday.
You can remember her only that she is gone,
or you can cherish her memory and let it live on.
You can cry and close your mind,
be empty and turn your back.
Or you can do what she'd want:
smile, open your eyes, love and go on."
It was a busy Christmas morning in the Bolton's household, the house was alive with the smell of turkey the sound of jolly music, children's sequels of delight and adults laughter and chatter but for a 76-year-old Troy Bolton he simply sat silently in his armchair watching the scene around him.
Troy watched his four children Thomas, Kelly, Annie and Harry who were now fully grown adults tend to their children his grandchildren and great grandchildren helping them open there present, he watched them kiss, touch and play with there family's their wives and husbands this brought a sadden smile to Troy's face.
He looked to the his left where an empty chair sits and sighed and he feels once again that pain in his heart, Troy would give anything to have her sitting by his side to reach over and feel the warmth of her soft hand to hold it in his, to hear her laugh and to smell her sweet perfume again but that was all just memory now and Troy knew no matter how hard he wished she wasn't coming back.
He sighed and looked out of the window snow was heavily falling onto the ground it reminded him of the day that everything changed.
Flashback
It was a cold wintry day snow was falling heavily outside but inside it was warm and snug, the smell of pancakes wafted through the air and in the kitchen stood a 36 yr old Troy Bolton singing very out of tune to the radio.
A 15 year old Thomas had been woken by his dad's awful singing and was not happy, he stormed into the kitchen and heavily turned of the radio.
"Dad stop I just cant take it anymore please I will do anything just stop singing!!" Tom stressed.
Troy burst out laughing and turned round to meet his teenage sons red and tired face.
"well good morning to you to, I'm making pancakes your brother and sisters are watching cartoons in the living room you can go join them if you want there nearly done" Troy said flipping his pancake.
"Cant I just go back to bed dad? I don't wanna watch stupid cartoons at freaking 9 am on a Saturday morning!"
"Language Tomas! And no you cant I need your help today mum's not feeling to good again and I need you to help me around the house okay so go and get everyone seated at the table"
Tom sighed and walked out of the room sulky deliberate dragging his feet.
Troy smiled and carried on making his special pancakes that Gabriella loved hoping to make her feel better,
After everyone was seated Troy started to severe his pancakes as he sat down and looked over the table and smiled at his family.
He looked at his beautiful 10 year old daughter Kelly taking small nibbles out of her pancakes she was a vision of Troy, crystal blue eyes cheeky grin and very good at basketball.
Next his eyes landed his little baby girl 6yr old Annie she had managed to get more of her food on her face rather than in her mouth, now she was Gabriella all over she has chocolate brown eyes, and tanned skin and big heart with lots of love and a lot of intelligence.
Next up was his youngest boy 2yr old Harry who was sitting in his high chair, he was a big ball of cuteness, big chubby cheeks, big blue eyes and the most adorable giggle. Troy and Gabriella have had many discussions on which he looked like more one day her looked more like Gabi next day he looked like Troy.
Last up his eyes finally landed on his oldest Thomas who was sitting at the head of the table usually where Gabriella would sit. Now once again he was Troy all over, he was in to basketball, he had Troy's charms, Troy's smile and his affect on women but from Gabi he had her heart and Troy knew he was deep down really mommy's boy.
Troy sat there a thought for a moment never in all his dreams did he think he would end up here, he granted himself very lucky, he had a beautiful and healthy family and gorgeous wife who he has been with since they were sixteen and now 17 years later they were happily married and surrounded by there family friends and love.
As troy sat there his thoughts remained on his wife these last couple of months she had been ill on and off, but not being one to cause a fuss she never went to the Doctor's. This morning Gabriella had woken up with a high temperature and feeling sick, Troy had told her to take a long shower and he would bring her up breakfast.
"Right guys when you finish Tommy and Annie please can you put all your dirty stuff in the dish washer and wipe the table I am just going to go and take your mum's breakfast to her okay?"
Troy didn't get an answer he only got a groan for his two oldest children.
As Troy walked up into his room her heard a Gabriella in the bathroom, Troy placed her breakfast on the bedside table and wondered over to the bathroom.
"Gabi babe are you okay?" as Troy walked into the bathroom he was meet with a very worried looking Gabriella sitting on the edge of the bathtub.
"Honey what's wrong"? Troy rushed over to her side his eyes searching over her body to see any indication that she was hurt he found nothing.
"Troy I… I found a… a lump… a lump on my breast"End of flashback
Troy's eyes turned back from the window that memory still stung his heart. His eyes traveled up to a family picture that was hanging over the fireplace it was the last one they had taken before… before… well. Troy looked and his eyes settled on his wife she looked breathtaking even though she had lost a lot of weight and was pale she still had a big bright smile on her face.
Troy wished he knew back then that that picture would one of the last times he spent with her outside the hosiptal if he knew he would of hugged her and never let her go.
Troy felt a lump rise in his throat he looked back over at his children, his children who for so long had been his rock.
Flashback
"Breast Cancer? Are … are you sure I mean there has to be another reason it just can't be"?
"Mr. Bolton we have run a number of tests and the results are all very clear"
Troy looked over to his wife he caught her eyes, and it all of a sudden it was like Troy had been slapped in the face he could see how pale and weak she was, he could see the dark marks under her eyes, it was like now that he could see the cancer running through Gabriella veins slowly taking her away from him.
Troy's eyes turned back to the Doctor's and all he saw in them was sympathy.
"wh…what to we do now then"? Troy whispered out.
"Now we start have to operate and remove the breast and admittedly start a stronger course of Chemotherapy and put you hopefully you Mrs. Bolton into remission" the doctor said smiling at Gabriella.
And form there on his life was completely different.
Troy watched as his love of his life fight for her life, he watched as she lost her hair, he watch her get weaker and them sometime he watched her get stronger but through it all she smiled and laughed mostly for the children but Troy knew behind her eyes she was fighting pain but never did Gabriella let that show through. Troy sometime wondered where did she learn to be so strong.
End of flashback
"Dad… hello?" Troy was taken from his memory and looked over to who was calling him.
Troy eyes meet his youngest sons.
"Sorry was lost in my own world" Troy laughed as he looked around the room to see the faces of his children looking back at him.
Thomas cleared his throat and smiled.
"I was saying are you not gonna open your presents all the ones that are left are for you" Troy looked down to the tree and was meet with a small pile of presents.
"Yeah of course I am, pass them over here" Troy grinned and slowly all the memories and the pain disappeared and he joined back into the Christmas spirit.
Three hours later a very stuffed Troy Bolton sat at the head of the table talking and laughing with his family. They turkey dinner was all scoffed up, the wine slowly getting lower and lower in its bottle.
Troy cleared his throat and stood up as fast as his 76 yr old body would let him resting his hand on the table to settle himself.
"I just wanted to say that this was a very lovely meal, well done my beautiful daughters and daughters in-law, also that I am very grateful to be standing her today to be sharing this moment with all of you". Troy paused for a moment then carried on
"I am so very proud off you all, to see all that you have accomplished to meet my grandchildren and my great grandchildren to able to share your lives with you, and I know that your mum would be very proud of you and I know that if she could she would give anything to be here and I know right now she is looking down on us and smiling." "And I just wanted you to know that, to know that she does care even though she is not here today."
" oh daddy we know that" Annie came over to Troy and gave him a big cuddle.
"Mum would be very proud of you to dad" Kelly said while coming over to give him a hug to.
"As much as this moment is special how about we all go and watch a good old Christmas movie and cheer ourselves up in the lounge, how about one of mum's favorites?" Harry said breaking the silence making everyone laugh.
Once again Troy was settled back in his chair surrounded by his family, watching miracle on 34th Street one of Gabriella fav Christmas movie.
Troy looked at his youngest Harry he was only 4 when Gabriella passed and Troy knew that he didn't remember much about his mum and he knew that it upset Harry not really having a memory like all his older sisters and brother had.
Flashback
"I'm very sorry to say this but the tests aren't good, the cancer has spread, and its spread quite a lot, a large part of your kidneys has been affected slowly you are losing your kidney function and as we feared it has entered into your blood system." The doctor said.
Troy felt like he couldn't breath, he was seated next to Gabriella and the grip she had on his hand tighten.
"What… what can we do more chemotherapy, a blood transfusion a…" The Doctor cut off Gabriella.
"I'm very sorry Mrs. Bolton your body Is just not responding to the Chemotherapy, unless and unless the donor is a perfect match and comes up with the next week, the chances that you are going to beat this are very low, I'm very sorry" the Doctor said with her eyes slightly cast down.
"What do you mean you can't just give up and say oh we have not got anything else to offer you can't do this!!" Troy shouted as tears leaked form his eyes.
"Troy…TROY STOP" Gabriella shouted as best she could.
"Baby look at me, Troy it's gonna be okay" Gabriella grabbed Troy's arm and tried to calm him down.
Troy looked over Gabriella and suddenly it was like his legs turned to jelly and he clasped into the chair next to Gabriella hospital bed, Troy felt like he couldn't breath.
"ho…how long?" Gabriella stuttered her eyes never leaving Troy's.
"With the way your kidney's are progressing and…" the doctor cleared her throat " I would say the most two weeks.
Silence filled the room then a sob broke out through Troy's body.
"Please Doctor you have to do something, I'm begging you please… I just can't…!" Troy cried
"I'm very sorry Mrs. And Mrs. Bolton, We often recommend that you go home we can prescribe drugs to deal with the pain and…"
"Wait a minute you are not suggesting I take my wife home to die are you?" Troy chocked out
"Mr. Bolton its…" The Doctor was once again cut off by Troy
"NO, NO, NO I won't do it, I cant do that" Troy gasped trying to get his head around the whole situation.
"Doctor can I have some alone time with my husband please" Gabriella breathed out slowly.
"Sure Gabriella we will be back in a couple of hours to check on you" The Doctor walked out with the two nurses who had been with Gabriella since the day she was diagnosed.
There was about 5 minutes silence before Gabriella started to speak.
"Troy… Troy look at me, Troy baby come here" Gabriella opened up here arms best she could with all the wires around her, wires that were keeping her alive.
Troy stood and looked at Gabriella and it finally hit home for him, he Troy Bolton was going to lose his love of his life and at that moment Troy broke he rushed over to Gabriella side and into her open arms and they both broke down crying. Troy hugged her thin frail body never wanting to let go.
End of flashback
Troy knew what he had to do. He got up out of his chair and grabbed his walking stick to steady himself and slowly started to walk to his coat closet.
"Hey dad where you going the movies not over yet?" Harry said causing all of the other people in the room to cast their eyes in Troy's direction.
"I'm just popping out for a bit, need to visit someone" Troy said trying to put his coat on.
"Dad are you mad? Have you seen the weather, you cant go out there at least wait until the snow stops" Annie jumped up out of her seat trying to stop her dad.
"I'm gonna be fine, don't you worry about me I wont be long okay" Troy smiled and carried on.
"Okay dad at least let me come with yeah?" Annie said grabbing her coat.
"No sweetheart, you carry on watching the film, I'm a big boy remember" Troy smiled his cheeky grin and walked out of the front door leaving the Bolton children giving each other weird confused looks.
Flashback
It has been 8 days since Gabriella had been given the news about her cancer after two years battling her time was closing.
Troy would not leave Gabriella side unless he absolutely had to, Gabriella had to force him to go home and shower, the children had been able to see her everyday but at this moment Troy's parents were looking after them.
Troy knew that she was fighting very hard and he knew that every second of everyday she was getting weaker.
Three days ago she had been put on an oxygen tank help her breath, she had so many wires connected to her but Troy knew that they were making her time on earth that little bit longer.
Gabriella was sleeping more than she was awake and Troy knew that not matter how hard he prayed or wished no miracle was going to happen and soon too soon for Troy liking.
"Troy" Gabriella small voice filled her hospital room.
"Yeah babe" Troy whispered coming to her side and stroking her face.
Gabriella eyes filled with tears as she looked into Troy's.
"I love you… so much and I don't want you… you to be alone, I mean after I'm gone, and…"
"shh shh Baby don't say goodbye yet, not yet its too soon" Troy started to cry.
"Troy look at me, I'm just like a machine I have so many wires attached to me and I I… I don't want to… well to go like this I want to be able to…" Gabriella had to stop for a minute to try and catch her breath then continued.
"I want to be able to hug my children without them being scared by the wires and I just don't want to this anymore please Troy"
"What do you want me to do Hun I will do anything for you, you name it" Troy smiled through his tears.
"I want to see our children Troy" Troy nodded. "But I want them to see me without all this" Gabriella said breathlessly while pointing to all her wires.
" I don't want to be connected to anything nothing just you, our babies and me" Gabriella closed her eyes for a moment.
Troy was silent watching her before he stared to speak.
"Gabi I cant do that, these machines are keeping you, you here…" cut off by Gabriella.
"Troy…please…" grabbing his hand and bringing in to her lips.
Troy sighed and kissed her forehead letting go of her hands and walked to go and see the doctor.
An hour later
Gabriella was sitting up in her hospital bed with nothing attached to her, no wires, no machines, Troy out to get the children. Gabriella was patiently waiting for her family to come back.
The hospital door opened and in piled the Bolton family, Thomas, Kelly, Annie, Harry and Troy.
"Mum!" all of Gabriella's children screamed jumping onto her bed.
"Hello my beautiful babies, how you've been, oh I've missed you sooooo much" Gabriella began to cry how was she going to leave them.
For the next couple of hours the hospital room was filled with laughter, Troy watched Gabriella and didn't know where she got her strength from Troy could tell that the afternoon had taken its toll on her about an hour earlier she had to be put back on oxygen much to her displeasure. Troy had arranged for his dad to pick the children up at 5.
"Alright kids time to say goodbye granddad is going to be here soon" Troy clapped his hands getting all their things together.
Gabriella gave Harry and big kiss and Annie her eyes started to fill with tears.
"Mummy loves you both very much, you look after yourself and remember I am very proud of you" Gabriella whispered the last part.
Troy stood by the door watching his heart breaking even more.
Troy had told the older children the news about their mother. Kelly clasped into her mums arms and sobbed
"You are going to be fine, look at me honey I am never going to leave you I promise you look up and I'll be, I love you so much sweetie so proud." Gabriella cried along with Kelly not wanting to let go it was about 20 minutes before Annie let go.
Annie walked over to Harry and picked him up and cuddled into Troy's side and began to cry again.
"I'm going to go and meet my dad he is in the lobby, Thomas you meet me there okay" Troy cleared his throat and took his youngest children out of the room.
"Tom" Gabriella sighed
Thomas sobbed into Gabi's arm and the crying started over again.
"I love you so much Tom, and you look after yourself and can I ask you something?"
Tom never lifted his head off his mum's shoulder but Gabi could feel him nod against his shoulder.
" I need you to look after you dad for me, can you promise me that? I know you are going to get all your dreams and I want you to know that I will always be here maybe not in person but I'm here" Gabriella started to sooth him by rubbing up and down his back.
"I love you sweetheart and I want you not to blame anyone for this not anyone." It was about 40 minutes before he lifted his head off her shoulder and looked her in the eyes.
"I love you mum, so much" Gabriella smiled and kissed his forehead.
"Your dad will be waiting" with that Thomas gave Gabriella a finale long hug and then walked out the room.
A little while later Troy entered back into the hospital room, Gabriella gaze meet Troy's and they could both feel the ache in their heart. Troy could see Gabriella was taking slow deep breaths and he could see she could barley keep her eyes open.
Troy walked over to Gabriella's bed and she slowly moved over to allow him in next to her he looped his arms around her waist, and Gabriella rested her head on his chest.
Nothing was said all that could be heard was Gabi's small uneven breaths.
Troy could feel his jumper slowly getting wet and then realized Gabriella was crying.
"Troy I'm sorry I couldn't beat this, I don't want to leave you…i…don't want to leave me children" Troy could feel her small body start to shake as she started to sob.
"Oh Gabi stop this is not your fault stop babe please" Troy couldn't control his tears either and grabbed onto her body tighter.
"I love you Troy, always have always will…I, I love you" Gabriella chocked out through her tears.
"Love you to always and forever babe, always and forever" Troy slowly brought his lips down to hers and they shared a kiss full of their lifetime love.
That night at 9.21 pm Gabriella took her last breath cuddled into the arms of her one true love.
Troy sat there holding her all night long never wanting to let her go.
End of flashback
Troy Bolton slowly walked up the slight hill he was knee deep in snow and the walk was taking him longer than he has expected finally after what felt like forever Troy reached his destination.
He smiled a sigh of relief and walked over to a large marble stone that was covered in snow, Troy brought his wrinkled hand up and wiped off the snow making the gold writing underneath visible.
"Hey love just wanted to say Merry Christmas" he slowly kneeled down and continued,
"The children are all here, they made a beautiful turkey dinner and god they decorated the house never seen so many lights in my life" Troy laughed to himself.
"But I must admit not as good as your decorating skills, they didn't have the special Gabriella touch" Troy sat in silence for a moment for some stupid reason he still expected to hear Gabriella reply, but silence followed.
"God Gabriella I miss you so much, I just want to see you, to hold you, why did you have to leave me?" Troy sighed and rested his head into his hands.
For the next hour Troy sat and talked to Gabriella, which in reality was a marble gravestone even know Troy knew this he always felt a little big closer to Gabriella when he came here.
When Troy arrived at home it was latish, he got loads of questions form his children, asking him where he has been and what had taken him so long, Troy just smiled and summed in up in one simple answer
"Mum"
At around 9pm everyone started to leave Troy said goodbye to his Children as they left, he slowly walked around his house turning off all the lights making sure every door was locked.
Troy slowly made his way upstairs, he walked into his and Gabriella's room and started to change for bed. As he pulled the duvet over his body, he looked over to his nightstand where many pictures stood of him and Gabriella and their children.
Troy picked up the photo of him and Gabi on there wedding day, his eyes looked over the young couple staring back at him, he smiled and ran his finger over Gabriella's face.
Troy looked out of the window up into the wintry sky and made a wish. He placed the picture back in its place on the nightstand and sunk down in the bed sleep slowly tok over him.
The next morning Annie came round to spend some time with her dad as she walked in she was meet with an unexpected sight… nothing, she walked into the living room expecting to find her dad there but nope nothing.
"Dad you here?"… Annie waited for a reply but all she heard was silence. Annie started to panic now she looked around all the rooms downstairs nothing.
Annie raced upstairs and into her parent's bedroom, and there she was meet with the sight of her father lying in bed she knew that something was wrong.
"Dad…dad?" still no answer, Annie slowly walked over to him and slightly touched his arm she gasped and her hand flew to her mouth, tears started to fill her eyes.
Annie quickly grabbed her phone and dialed 911 and after that she called all her brothers and sister.
No one could understand, they were all saying Troy was fine yesterday and that he seemed full of health, unknown to them that this is what Troy had wished for.
The night before when Troy looked up into the Sky, he wished that he would no longer have to live without his Gabriella, that he would no longer have to suffer and his heart no longer ache and as if it was a miracle his wish was answered.
A/N: Hey guys I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Year. I've had such a busy Christmas and plus I've been out of the county on holiday also I have decided not to continue my other story 'silence' I just don't know where I am going to go with it.
So yeah please review and tell me what you think x x x