NOTE: I have changed the title! This was formerly called… 'Keeping it Together'… credit to -DuHsoHaRDCOrE-HaRDCOrE X3- for help with the name change!

Hi everyone! This is a new story I've started… tell me what you think in a review! Also I'm going away for a few days and won't be able to update so be sure to review so that I'll have inspiration to continue when I get back… :)

Disclaimer: I do not own HSM or any of the HSM characters that might be featured in this story.

Chapter 1: Living Separate Lives

It was a sunny day in Albuquerque and Gabriella couldn't help but smile as she looked out the window to see a cloudless sky… 'What a good day to start the rest of my life!' Gabriella graduated from university about a month ago and she could now be considered a fully licensed doctor... Today was to be her first day of work at a doctor's practice.

Gabriella had done well at school, earning several offers from high paying, prestigious practices all the way to California, even before she'd graduated… She would have been paid a bundle and she would be employed to help all… of course the word 'all' can be used very loosely in this scenario as it really denoted only those who could afford their outstanding fees. Gabriella was still naïve about the reality of the real world… she was still of the noble opinion that all doctors who entered the profession, did so with the main agenda of helping and healing the sick… and was in fact slightly offended that anyone believed she could be swayed from her motive by money.

In some ways she feared that taking such a job would cause her to eventually lose sight of why she'd joined the profession in the first place… and for these reasons, Gabriella turned down all the offers and took a job as a temporary replacement at a practice situated in Albuquerque… It wasn't a secured job… it was only temporary at the moment, but she'd always loved it here… she'd spent some of her best teenage memories in this town… and besides her mother still lived here.

Gabriella smiled slightly to herself, sipping a hot coffee and continuing to look out the window… there were a lot of memories in this town… a lot of memories with him… 'I wonder what he's doing now or where he is now… Does he still think of me… or am I just a distant memory…? She sighed quietly to herself… it had been 5 years since they'd last seen or heard from each other, and their split hadn't been on friendly terms. She wondered where he was, what he was doing… she thought about him all the time… 'I wonder if he thinks of me…' Gabriella shook her head immediately at this thought, 'Don't be ridiculous! It's been 5 years… why would he still think of you the way you think of him? … it's not like you were anything really special… you are just…'

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"Gabriella…" was the faint mumble that escaped Troy's lips as his eyes slowly opened to a blurry reality, that same day. He sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes and squinting as his room slowly came into focus.

He'd been dreaming about Gabriella… again. He almost always did. He thought he was over her … no he was sure he was over her… 'How could I not be? It has been five years…' he looked over at a picture of the two of them, young and happy, that he kept beside his bed, 'it doesn't feel that long though, it still feels fresh… but then again, what can I do if she visits my dreams almost every night!'. They were good dreams too, that's what made it all the harder... Dreams about them happy together, laughing and smiling. Sometimes there would be kids, other times it would just be the two of them, apparently living in happy bliss…

Last night it had been a dream of what looked like a wedding night… it looked like it could be their wedding night… and Troy couldn't help grinning at what had happened in that one! He blushed at the very thought of it… and shook his head trying to snap himself out of it.

'Stop it Troy! Get yourself together man! It's over between you two… so just let it go!" Troy shook his head, knowing his brain was right… but then again, he'd already known that for some time and yet he still had these dreams…

Troy looked over at his digital clock radio. The time read 6:03am. Shaking his head one more time, in a vain effort to push Gabriella's image from his mind, Troy got up and pulled on a pair of track pants, a hooded jumper and some trainers. He grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator on his way out and shutting the door behind him, he went off on his morning jog.

Troy jogged on and on, not taking in any of the houses or people or dogs or anything, that he passed… his mind was still on Gabriella… 'I've got to stop thinking about her! It's getting a little bit creepy… I mean it has been five years… why can't I let her go? I have to let her go! I can't keep doing this, I can't keep thinking about her… it's not healthy and I know it…' Troy shook his head again, trying to clear his thoughts, but it just wasn't working, '… besides Troy, you've got Abbey now… you should be thinking of her! She's all that matters to you, remember?' Troy smiled as he thought of Abbey… his Abbey… how could he allow himself to be so caught up in memories of Gabriella, when he had Abbey to occupy all his time?

Troy soon found himself, back home where he started… he looked down at his watch and was surprised to find it was already 7:22am… 'Oh wow! Is it that time already? I better go in and wake up Abbey… I'm sure she'll still be asleep…'

Troy tread softly through the house and up the stairs, slipping gently into the bedroom where Abbey lay still asleep. He walked across to the bed, smiling as he looked down at her, sleeping peacefully. Despite whatever circumstances that may have brought them together, he loved her with all his heart and he had already decided that he always would… all he really wanted was to make her happy.

He sat down gently on the edge of the bed, still watching her… he never liked to wake her up, she looked so peaceful in her sleep… like an angel. He brought up a hand and gently moved a stray hair away from her face, smiling quietly to himself as she wiggled slightly in her sleep.

He leaned over and placed a gently kiss on her forehead, whispering gently, "Abbey… Abigail… it's time to wake up sweetheart."

He watched her as she started to stir, opening her eyes and yawning as she turned to look at him… a smile spread across her face as she recognized his features…

"Oh… good morning Daddy, did I sleep very late today?"

Hey! What did you think? I hope you liked it… tell me if you did in a review!