I DON'T OWN ANYTHING!
Just then a man burst into the room. Gabriella screamed. Jack pulled Gabriella behind him.
"Who are you?"
"Names Greg Montez. That person behind you is my daughter," the figure said.
"You're the monster that abused her."
"That little brat has said too much. Give her to me and I'll punish her."
"I'm not giving you anything."
He wrapped his arms around Gabriella holding her behind him and walked backwards to his desk. He grabbed his phone and pressed a button.
"Hello yes this is coach Bolton will you please tell the principal that Greg Montez on the grounds and to call the cops right away thank you. Any second now you will be put behind bars where you belong you monster."
"Right next to your parents I assume."
"Shut up. I don't know how you know that but that is none of your business."
Just then the principal came in and grabbed Greg. "Let's go the police are waiting," he said and left.
Jack turned to Gabriella who was in shock. She was staring blankly ahead and the only movement she made was her body shaking. He pressed another button on his phone and said "Troy Bolton to the gym office" and hung the phone up. Less than a second later Troy came running into the room. When he saw Gabriella he ran right over to her.
"Brie hey Gabriella look at me its Troy."
Gabriella made no movement.
"Brie please it's ok you're safe."
She blinked but didn't say anything.
"Brie if you can hear me can you nod your head or squeeze my hand?"
Gabriella nodded her head.
"Ok sweetie let's get that lip checked out."
Gabriella shook her head.
"I think we should get her home," Jack said.
Gabriella nodded.
"Can you wrap your arms around my neck," Troy asked?
Gabriella wrapped her arms around Troy's neck and clung to his shirt.
Troy held her tightly and followed his father out of the school and into his car. Troy rubbed Gabriella's back and whispered soothing things into her ear as her father drove them home. Gabriella whimpered the whole time. She was shaking and terrified of what was to come. Her face stayed buried in Troy's chest until they reached the house. Troy kept her in his arms as he climbed out of the car. He brought her inside and sat down on the couch. Jack went to call Lucille. Troy looked down at Gabriella who had her face buried.
"Brie can you look at me," he asked softly.
She slowly looked up at him.
"Hey it's ok now. You're safe at home and no one is going to hurt you."
While he spoke he looked at her lip, knowing she wouldn't let him if he had asked. It was swollen and covered in dried blood.
"How does your lip feel?"
She didn't answer.
"Can I put some ice on it and clean the blood away?"
She shrugged her shoulders. Troy took her and stood up. He went into the kitchen and set her down on the counter. She whimpered when he walked away.
"I'm coming right back."
He went into the freezer and grabbed a small ice pack. He closed the freezer and grabbed a dish towel from the shelf, wrapped the towel around the ice and went over to Gabriella.
"I'm going to put this on your lip if it hurts let me know and I'll stop right away ok?"
She gave a small nod. He slowly touched the ice to her lip. She pulled away at cold but let Troy put it back on.
"Good girl."
He carried back to the couch and sat down with her on his lap. She rested her head on his shoulder as he held the ice on her lip. He kept whispering soothing things into her ear and rubbed her back. After a little while Troy pulled the ice back and her lip and it looked a lot better.
He giggled a little when he saw her licking the melting water from the ice off her upper lip.
"Thirsty?"
She nodded. He picked her back up and brought her into the kitchen and set her down on the counter. She didn't whimper when he walked away. He grabbed water bottles from the fridge and gave her one. She smiled thankfully at him and took a few sips. She wiped wetness from her mouth but whimpered.
"What Brie?"
He pulled her hand down and looked closer at her lip. A small cut was on her lip. From a ring her father was wearing.
"Aww looks like you got a tiny cut. It will heal just be careful."
Gabriella nodded but made no signs of speaking. Troy sighed.
"Please say something."
She shook her head and looked down at her feet. Troy knew she wasn't going to speak and there was only one way to communicate with her when she got this quiet. He opened his arms to her and said "Come here."
She wrapped her arms around his neck and kept her face buried in his shoulder. He carried her bridal style into his room and set her down on the bed.
She whimpered again when he walked away. He didn't respond to her whimper and grabbed her notepad off the desk and a pan and set it on her lap.
"Please talk to me Brie let me in."
Sighing Gabriella took the pen and wrote two words down. Those two words broke Troy's heart.
Hold me
Troy sat down next to Gabriella and pulled her onto his lap holding as tight as he could without hurting her. He rubbed her back and whispered soothing things in her ear.
"It's all right Brie. You're safe. I'm here and I'm going to protect you."
Gabriella clung to Troy as tight as she could. She kept her face buried in his chest. She was petrified that her father was still out there. She thought he was in jail and couldn't hurt her. If he was still out there he could come and take her away at any given time and beat her...or worse. At the thought Gabriella whimpered and clung to Troy tighter.
"Shhhhh Brie it's all right. You're safe."
Gabriella grabbed her notepad and wrote
Troy he can't find me. If he finds me he will do terrible things to me. He will hurt me worse than he ever has before he can't find me Troy he can't find me.
"Brie no one is going to find you. The cops came to the school and took his away. He won't get out and he won't find you. Gabriella you are very safe here I promise."
Gabriella only clung to Troy tighter. Troy just rubbed her back and whispered soothing things in her ear. Then Jack walked in.
"I spoke to Lucille she is on her way home. I need to get back to the school will you two be ok by yourselves?"
"Yeah dad we will be fine. I'll take care of Gabriella until mom gets home."
"Gabriella are you ok with that?"
Gabriella nodded and clung even tighter to Troy.
"I think right now all she wants is me," Troy told his father"
Jack nodded and left. Troy gave Gabriella a soft kiss on the head and asked "Would you like to go into the living room and watch some TV?"
She shook her head and wrote I want to stay here with you.
He just smiled and leaned back on the bed bringing his feet up. He moved Gabriella so she sideways on him. She laid her head on his shoulder. Troy just rubbed her back and softly said soothing words into her ear. As time went by she relaxed a little. She still clung to Troy but her body wasn't as tense and she wasn't shaking at bad.
Before they knew it they heard the door open. Gabriella tensed and started shaking again.
"It's all right Brie it's just my mom."
Lucille walked into the room a second later.
"How is she?"
"Shaken up."
Lucille went over to Gabriella and put a hand on her shoulder.
"Would you like to talk sweet heart?"
Gabriella whimpered and pulled away from her hand and buried her face in Troy chest clinging tighter to him.
Lucille sighed. "Has she spoken?"
"No. She wrote a little bit but she hasn't said anything."
"Well she is letting you hold her and touch her so she isn't totally shut down."
"She just wants to cuddle and have me hold her and soothe her."
"That's normal. She wants to feel safe and in your arms hearing your voice is how she feels safe."
"Why me?"
"She trusts you Troy. We are very lucky she trusts you so much otherwise we would have a hard time getting through to her."
Troy nodded his head and kissed Gabriella on hers,
Lucille smiled as Gabriella cuddled closer to Troy.
"Are you cold Brie?"
Gabriella nodded cuddling closer to Troy trying to get warm. Lucille smiled and went to the closet and grabbed a blanket from the closet and put it over Gabriella.
"Better?"
Gabriella nodded.
Thank you Lucille.
"You're welcome," Lucille said. "I'm going to make some lunch you two can just hang here."
Lucille left the room.
"You feeling better Brie?"
She nodded and wrote I'm sorry I was so shut down just seeing my dad again it…I don't know how to explain I was just scared.
"You don't have to explain anything Brie. You're ok and you're safe that's all that matters."
They continued to sit in silence till Lucille called them for lunch. After they ate they watched a movie in the living room. Troy held Gabriella all night keeping her safe.
Around two in the morning Jack woke up to notice Lucille was not in bed. He got up and went into the living to see Lucille sitting on the couch with a cup of tea.
"You know I may not be a doctor but I know you need sleep."
"I can't sleep too much is running through my head."
"Well why don't you talk about them," Jack said sitting next to her.
"What do you think about us fostering Gabriella?"
"I thought we were."
"NO she is just staying here. If for some reason child serves should show up they can take Gabriella away from us because we don't legally own her. If we foster her then they can only take her away if they feel she is unsafe here."
"I love the idea. I have grown to love Gabriella as my own and I can tell you right now Troy loves Gabriella and I don't mean like a sister and I see the way you bond with her. She is the daughter we never had."
"Now all we have to do is talk to Gabriella and see how she feels about it."
"Ok but that we can do in the morning now you need to come with me and go to bed. Doctors orders."
"Well then "Doctor" I guess I have to listen."
The two of them went to bed.
Next chapter they ask Gabriella. What will she say? I know they should adopt her but then Troy and Gabriella can't get together because she would legally be his sister.
