A/N – Sorry for the delay.


Torn Apart – Chapter 3


''Did you bake the cookies I told you to?'' a four year old Emily asked her grandmother when they parked the car.

''Of course, dear. Take your pack, Sophie,'' Lucille said when it dropped to the ground.

''Why couldn't mom and dad take us with them?'' Emily asked her grandfather.

Oh, how much Jack loved Emily. The girl was always so full of guestions and kept making up more if the answer she got didn't satisfy her enough. Her hair was just like her mother's – long and black – except it wasn't as curled. Usually she wore bright colours – except when she was 'depressed'. That was the most recent word she had discovered. Emily was going to be just like her mother – intelligent and beautiful.

Sophie was more like her father. She was a year younger that her sister and still he could beat her when they ran from tree to tree. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that Troy used to take her to his basketball practice when she was a baby – nobody really knew. She had brown hair like her father did and she also had her dad's sparkling blue eyes.

''I think mom and dad just wanted to enjoy a night out. And you're still going to see them on TV so you have nothing to worry about.''

''But it's not the same.''

''Indeed, it's not.''

Jack took girl's packs and went inside. Lucille sat on the porch and looked at the girls playing.

At the same time Sophie found a football near the front yard's pushes and started to kick it around. Soon Emily followed her and tried to steal it from her.

Sophie wasn't quite happy about it and started to kick it further away from both of them.

That's how it ended up in the middle of the street.

''Sophie!'' Lucille yelled from the door. ''Didn't I tell you not to do that?''

''Yeah,'' Sophie said, ashamed.

''Don't worry, granma, I'll get it,'' Emily said and before she knew it she was in the street.

Just when she reached the ball there was a sound of tires screeching the asphalt.

At that exact moment Lucille hoped she would've closed her eyes and plugged her ears.

She wouldn't have seen Emily's bruised body on the ground.

She wouldn't have seen the pool of blood that was already under the little girl's head.

She wouldn't have seen Sophie start to run towards Emily – a sister's reaction to protect the other one.

She wouldn't have heard her own scream.


Lucille stared at Troy who had fallen asleep from the exhaustion and at Gabriella who was softly stroking his hair.

She was secretly proud of them both. They could've started to kick and scream and throw things around but instead they were the exact opposite.

But that didn't mean that they were dealing with the situation. They still had the hardest task to do.

Lucille felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned her head and found her husband looking at her.

Jack nodded his head towards the quiet couple and whispered, ''They okay?''

''As okay as they can be. The doctor is coming again soon so it's good for them to calm down a bit.''

Jack took Lucille by the arms and pulled her to her feet. ''Come on, let's leave them alone for awhile.''

Lucille nodded her head in silent agreement and followed her husband out of the waiting room.

The door made a quiet clicking sound when Jack closed it behind himself.


Troy had always been there for her.

When she had given birth to their two daughters he had held her hand the whole time.

Whenever she wasn't feeling well he was always saying soothing words and stroking her hair.

So that's what Gabriella was doing now.

Suddenly Troy started to murmur in his sleep and turn around on the couch. Gabriella could see sweat on his forehead and tears of agony starting to roll down his cheeks.

This was exactly why Gabriella didn't want to sleep. There would've been only one girl in her dreams and she didn't want to see her in that place.

''Troy, honey?'' Gabriella tried to wake him up.

No response.

Gabriella did the thing she always did whenever Troy wasn't waking up.

She pinched him.

Troy bolted upright, breathing hard and wiping his face. He looked at her with completely lost eyes and Gabriella's heart skipped a beat.

Troy layed slowly back down, taking a deep breath. Gabriella continued to play with his hair and for awhile they were both completely quiet.

''I don't want to be here,'' Troy whispered in a broken voice.

''I don't either.''

''But we have to, right?''

''Yeah...''

Troy sat up and put his arms around her and kissed her on the cheek.

''I'm so glad you're here.''

''I'm glad you're here too,'' Gabriella said, leaning her head on his shoulder. She closed her eyes and listened to Troy's calm breathing.

Soon she forgot her earlier decision and fell asleep.