Previously…

"HANSON!" Alex screamed as soon as she saw him and threw her arms around her family lawyer. Hanson laughed happily and hugged her back before hugging Gabriella. He shook Jason's hand and nodded at Shane and Nate like he always did.

"What are you doing here?" Gabriella asked. Hanson felt the smile slide off his face and took a deep breath before handing each of them different colored envelopes. The next thing Hanson said totally blew them off. Gabriella felt her legs wobble as she traced over the familiar handwriting. It was her mom's. She turned to her sister and saw that Alex had recognized the handwriting on the envelope too.

"These were written at the start of the year. By your parents."

Through the Ups and Downs

That night, neither of the Russo sisters or the Grey brothers could get some sleep. They were too occupied with their parent's letter. Similar questions kept running through their heads. Why had their parents written the letters? Was it because they knew they were going to die? What were they thinking when they wrote the letters? The only way to find out was to open them.

Ironically, none of them had opened the letters the moment they received them. Nate had received his letter with his hands shaking, Shane had snatched his away from the family lawyer, Jason had smiled at Hanson thankfully and both Gabriella and Alex had given him watery smiles before taking theirs. They each, with the exception of Shane, had thanked him for delivering the letters before silently going back to the room, none of them uttering a single word.

Gabriella traced her fingers over her mother's handwriting and hugged the envelope closer to her, knowing her mother had been the last person to have touched it before Hanson had retrieved the letters. Looking over to make sure Kelsi was asleep, Gabriella turned on her night light and opened the envelope with her hands shaking, unable to resist any longer.

My Dear Gabriella,

Since you're reading this, I would first like to say that I'm so sorry. I'm sorry I won't be there for you when you graduate high school. I'm sorry I won't be there for you when you get your first date, your first kiss and your first boyfriend. I'm sorry I won't be there for you when you graduate from college and start your own career. I'm sorry I won't be there for your wedding, the birth of your first child and so many other events in your life that I am going to miss.

Angel, you're probably wondering why I'm writing this letter. I'll tell you why. Fourteen years ago, I lost two of my best friends from college. Jack and Lucille Bolton. You're probably wondering why you never heard of them before. Well, I never talked them because it hurt. It hurt to talk about them because there was so much that we were all supposed to do together and so many things we never would.

They had a son and a daughter. Troy Alexander Bolton and Michelle Torres Bolton. He was only four years old and she was one. Michelle is Troy's half-sister. Jack and Lucille passed away in a shooting accident, Gabriella. They were at the wrong place at the wrong time. Jack had been shot once and was about to be shot the second time but Lucille tried saving him. The bullet hit her instead. They both didn't make it.

Seeing their bodies was horrible, Angel. But seeing young Troy, looking so lost, so traumatised by what he had witnessed was worse. Yes, Gabriella, he had been with them. He had witnessed his parent's murder. He had seen what many four-year-olds should never see. I remember how he looked at the funeral. He was so lost, so grieved but he stood by his sister's pram and glared at anyone whom he didn't know who came near them. He made sure no one touched her but him.

For a four-year-old, it was impressive. He and his sister were then sent to with a relative. I didn't see them for a little while. Angel, the point of this letter is that if I die tomorrow, I just want you to know that you are never alone. You have a step-father who treats you like his own daughter. A godmother and a godfather who loves you almost as much as I do. Three boys who are unofficially your protectors. And a sister who cares about you so much that she'd fall sick just to help you.

You're probably still wondering about what had happened to the Boltons. A few months after they had been sent to live with their only living relative who loved them and cared for them, their grandmother died of heart attack. They were supposed to live with their aunt next but she didn't want to have anything to do with them. She was convinced that they were jinxed. And so, they were sent to live in an orphanage.

I tried getting custody of them, Angel, I swear I did, but I couldn't. I was not a relative, not a godmother or any form of a legal guardian for them. I check on them every week to make sure they're okay. They're still at the orphanage, Angel. And apparently, they're pranksters, just like their parents. From what I've heard from my good friend, Cameron Matsui, they make sure that they never get adopted because it would mean their separation.

And they're one of the reasons why you would be in the Breaking Free Orphanage in case you have no legal guardians. I write this letter every year, Gabriella. It changes each year and it becomes so much harder than the last. Because year, my hands shake even harder than before. Each year, my eyes get teary just thinking about leaving you. Each year, I love you and your sister even more than before.

We've been through so much together, Gabriella, but we managed to get through them. We got through your biological father and so many other things. You were my rock, the glue that kept me together and I thank you for that. You were always the strong one, and I thank you for that. You and Alex brought me and Jerry together and I thank you for that.

He's a good man, isn't he, your step-father? And I am so glad that you got another chance of having a good father who loves and cares about you and your sister more than anything in the world. I am thankful that I got the best husband, who loved me for my imperfections. I don't know what I did to deserve him, Gabriella. I really don't.

I love you, Gabriella. So, so much. Never forget that. Never doubt it. No matter what wrong you've done, I'm still your mother and I'll always be with you. Through the ups and downs, whether you want me there or not and whether you know I'm there for you or not.

I love you, my sweet angel.

Love,
Your Mother

Tears streamed down her rosy cheeks as she traced her fingers over her mother's signature. She knew she should cry, to just let go but she couldn't. Not in the room where Kelsi could wake up at any time and see her. She turned off the night light and got out of bed, carefully tiptoeing out of the room to find a spot where she could just cry and not let anybody see her.

She walked on and on, getting further and further away from her dorm, not knowing or caring about where she was going to end up at. At the moment, she couldn't see anything. Her mind was blank and she let her feet take her where she needed to be.

She stopped as she reached an abandoned stairway and forced open the door. She blindly climbed up the stairs and sat on a bench to cry her heart out, not caring that she was on the rooftop of the orphanage. Gabriella read her mother's letter again with the help of the light emitting out of her mobile phone and finally let her tears go, crying for the loss of her mother and step-father.

The brunette jumped when she felt a pair of arms around her but relaxed when she realized that she felt safe in them, like she could trust the person even though she didn't know who it was. She didn't care who was holding her but she was glad for that person because that was what she needed. A shoulder to cry on, a friend to lean on and a person who wasn't Alex or the Grey brothers so that they wouldn't see her so vulnerable. She hugged the person closer and buried her face into his chest, enjoying how he was holding her tight.

Through the Ups and Downs

Troy was surprised at how comfortable Gabriella was, considering the fact that she probably didn't know who she was with. That little fact made his blood boil. What if it had been a creepy stalker and not him? She could have been bloody raped. But right then, that wasn't the issue.

The issue was that Gabriella was crying and he wanted to know why. He needed to know why so that he could comfort her properly and tell her that everything was going to be okay. He wanted her to feel okay so that she would shout at him for touching her. He'd prefer that than seeing her so heart-broken.

A few minutes later, her sobs ceased and Troy realised that she had fallen asleep. He watched her sleep with an affectionate smile and watched as her chest rose. He picked her up gently and was about to leave when he spotted a few pieces of paper stapled together. Putting her down on the bench, he stuffed the papers into his pyjama pocket before picking her up again and walked towards the exit of the rooftop, determined to get her a more comfortable place to sleep and smiling even bigger when she snuggled up to him.

Through the Ups and Downs

Shane awoke to the sound of Zeke's snoring and looked around. It was already morning, he knew that but he was not used to the fact that he was awake before Zeke. It had to be the first time. Looking around, his eyes finally rested on the brown envelope on his bedside table. He picked it up slowly and examined it, before tearing the envelope. He laughed happily as he saw a few pink pieces of paper stapled together. Typical. It was so like his dad to use pink to tease him.

Shane Grey was smiling when he started reading his father's letter.

Shane,

I hope the colour is manly enough for you.

Shane pictured his father grinning as he wrote the letter.

The reason I'm writing this letter is because well, your mother forced me to after she was Marie writing a similar letter like this ten years ago. The letters change every year as you grow up and different events in your life have occurred. You're all growing up. You've had your first date, your first kiss and apparently, your first slap.

Shane laughed as he pictured his father with the twinkle in his eyes, unaware of that Zeke had woken up and the presence of a young brunette.

Jokes aside, Shane. I think this letter's a good idea. In case some things do happen to me or your mother, I just want the three of you to know that your mother and I will always love. You've all wondered why you never had any relatives before and you're probably still wondering why. You'll actually find out about them in Jason's letter. It's up to him whether he wants you guys to know or not. Yes, Shane, it's that serious.

Shane groaned. Great, more secrets.

I'm sorry, Shane. In each of your letters, your mother and I have something different, yet equally important, to share with all of you. What we tell you, you can either choose to keep it to yourself or tell your brothers. It is completely up to you. And Shane, what I have to tell you is probably the most important.

All your life, there's always only been the three Grey brothers. Jason Kevin Grey, Nathaniel Jerry Grey and of course you, Shane Adam Grey. I know you're wondering where this is going. But Shane, try to recall. Hadn't there been a time when your mother was gone for about a year and all we got from her was phone calls? Jason was ten, you were nine and Nate was seven. The three of you thought you were losing her.

The truth, Shane, is that your mother was pregnant. Yes… You, Shane Grey, were going to be an older brother for the second time. But destiny was against your brother being born. Your mother had a 50-50 percent chance of survival if she gave birth to the baby.

And so, she went to live at a friends' house. She wouldn't even let me take care of her. She was determined to have the baby and having me beside her would apparently slow her down. She would call you every night to assure you she'd be back but she would never talk to me. I was away from my wife, my better half and it was all that baby's fault. I'm ashamed to say, Shane, that I actually hated that baby for a while.

It was a bright afternoon when I got the news that your mother had given birth to your baby brother. I rushed to the hospital she was at, finally glad that she wanted me by her side. When I looked at your brother's face, Shane, I was so happy your mother had decided to keep him. He was so peaceful, so full of life and I felt that same pride I felt when you boys were born.

What I am about to say now may get you to hate me but I'd like you to know that I had no choice. We were having some financial difficulties then and another child would be nothing but a burden. And so, we gave Frank Bradley Grey up for adoption.

I'm sorry, Shane. Sorry that you'll have to find out this way, sorry that we can't clear things up and sorry that you probably hate us now. But Shane, please don't hate your mother. Never hate her. She was against the adoption. It was all my idea. And now, Shane, I need your help.

Since you're reading this letter, I am probably not around anymore. I want you to help me find your brother, Shane. I want you to make sure he's safe. I want you to get to know him and love him like you love your other brothers. I know I'm in no position to get you to do this but please, Shane. Find him. I know you'll tell your brothers about this.

Please remember that your mother and I love you and your brothers so very much. I am sorry we were cowards and chose to write to you instead of telling you. I'm sorry, Shane. We're sorry. Please forgive us. And please remember. Live like you're at the bottom even if you're on top.

We love you.

Dad

Shane screamed as he threw the letter to the ground before stomping out of the room, still unaware of Mitchie and Zeke. The two looked at each other in a state of shock before Mitchie tore after Shane. Zeke picked up the papers and put it on Shane's table, almost reading it but he decided against it. The letter was obviously personal and Zeke Baylor knew better than to read anything personal without permission.

Through the Ups and Downs

"Shane? Are you okay?" Mitchie asked him as she put her hand comfortingly on his shoulder. Shane turned to her, his eyes red as though he was trying to hold in his tears. Spotting the nearest boys' toilet – which was never used by the students because they preferred their dorm bathrooms – Mitchie grabbed him by his shirt gently and pulled him into the bathroom. She took some toilet paper and handed them to him to wipe away the few stray tears that he had not been able to hold in. Shane looked at her and then at the toilet paper in disgust.

"You expect me to wipe my face in toilet paper?" he asked her incredulously. Mitchie rolled her eyes and wiped his tears for him, ignoring his protests.

"You are such a girl," she laughed and threw the toilet paper into the bin. Shane glared at her playfully before the smile slid off his face and was replaced by his sad look. Mitchie sighed and lifted his chin so that she could see his pain-filled eyes. "What happened?"

Shane sighed. It was his family matter. Should he tell her? It was personal. Deciding not to tell her the entire thing, he kept his answer short. "Let's just say I found out that my parents aren't as perfect as I thought were."

"Nobody's perfect."

"Yeah, that's true but what they did was unforgivable," he gritted his teeth, as he spoke, his world wind of emotions clear to Mitchie. Mitchie took his hand and squeezed it gently as a sign of comfort. She smiled at him.

"I don't believe that. And neither do you."

Preview of next chapter…

~Scene shows Nate in a fight with Jason ~

"YOU'RE THE REASON THEY'RE GONE!" he shouted at Jason before sprinting out of the room.

~ Scene shows Shane and Mitchie leaning in ~

~ Scene shows Chad being interrogated in a room with Troy and the principal walks in ~

"Alright. We're going to make this fast and quick. Who did it?" the principal asked, looking at the boys sternly through his glasses. The two teenagers kept quiet.

"Chad, I know how important your date with Taylor is tomorrow. All I have to do is not give you permission and-"

"It was his idea! I was just helping!" Chad yelped. The principal smiled triumphantly while Troy groaned.

A/N: Please review! This chapter's got a bit of their history, huh? Anyway, please review! The next chapter should be up by next week!