Recap
"You don't have to die. You can tell me what you know, and I can give you your little men here. Or I can let you help me find the cave, and just get rid of the extra baggage here." Casmir said, pointing to Troy, Tyler, Alex and Sam.
"No!" Gabriella shouted. "It's your choice my dear." Casmir said with an evil smile.
"Don't do it Gabriella!" Troy shouted to her anxiously. Tears started welling up in Gabriella's eyes. She looked into Troy's eyes. His were pleading. Gabriella sank to the floor. Casmir started laughing. Gabriella shook her head in her knees.
What am I going to do?
End Recap
Gabriella sat there in complete despair. What could she do? She was no CIA agent. She was only the wife of one.
While lost in her thoughts, Gabriella reached her hand inside her pocket. Her heart started beating faster when she felt what was in it.
The Dinger. She could use it to do something, but what? An idea came to her just as her thoughts were interrupted when Jasper Casmir shouted at her.
"I'm quite ready for your decision now, Mrs. Bolton!" he said angrily. Gabriella jumped to her feet, leaving her hands in her pockets. She had to stall while she sent out her message, and so Troy, Alex, Tyler and Sam could be ready.
"I think I've come to a conclusion." Gabriella said. She pushed her button 3 times, then 2. Troy, Tyler, Sam and Alex all looked up at her, feeling the message she was sending. Gabriella didn't look at them, in case Casmir noticed.
"So, what have you decided dear girl?" Casmir sneered at her. Gabriella pushed her button once. She stared Casmir down. She pushed the button once more.
"This is what I've decided." Gabriella pushed the button a last time. All at once, Troy, Tyler, Sam and Alex hit their captor in some sort of way to get released and prepared to take the fight that would follow. Gabriella quickly pulled out her gun. Casmir just stood their in shock at what had just happened. Once he regained his composure, he spotted Gabriella, who was busy taking out another man.
Gabriella looked up and saw Casmir coming toward her. She looked around for Troy, but found him busy with two men of his own. So she started running. As soon as she did, Casmir ran after her. Gabriella ran out of the room/cave that the rest of the fighting happening and tried to find a place she could hide. She found a huge stalagmite that could conceal three of her, so she quickly got behind it. A few seconds later, Casmir came running in. He stopped and listened.
"I know you're in here. You can't hide from me." He said in a creepy voice that made Gabriella shiver.
She could hear his footsteps echoing in the cave, they were getting closer, and closer. She felt as if her heart were going to burst out of her chest. What was she going to do?
She then remembered she was holding a gun. Gabriella laughed at herself, but then quickly frowned. She didn't want to shoot anyone, let alone kill anyone. The footsteps seemed as if they were right behind her. Gabriella peeked around the corner and she almost gasped when she saw Jasper Casmir standing two feet from her, back toward her.
She had to do it. It was for the safety of her, the cave and the others. She pointed her gun at his shoulder instead of his chest (her conscience was still nagging her) and pulled the trigger. Her aim was perfect and it hit him square in the shoulder. He fell to the ground and lay motionless. Gabriella lowered her hand, but jerked her head up to see Troy, Tyler, Sam and Alex all running in.
They looked terrible. Tyler and Sam both had black eyes, Alex had cuts on his face, and Troy's lip was bleeding, along with all of his cuts and bruises.
Gabriella jumped out of her hiding spot. "Troy, Alex, Sam, Tyler! Over here!" she said running to them, tripping and falling along the way. Alex, Sam and Tyler all gave her a hug and kissed her cheek and then they walked over to the shot down Casmir. When Troy reached Gabriella he crushed her to him, kissing her cheeks, eyes, and nose and then ended with her mouth.
"Gabriella I was so scared! I….." Troy was interrupted when at least a dozen policemen came running in. The tour guide they had met at the entrance was with them.
"I told you there was something fishy going on." The tour guide said proudly. Gabriella rolled her eyes then reluctantly eased herself out of Troy's warm arms. They all walked over to the policeman and explained the whole ordeal. They took away all of Jasper Casmir's men as well as him. Troy, Gabriella, Tyler, Sam and Alex all walked out of the cave in silence. They had decided, since Casmir was no more a threat, and the fact that they were all exhausted, that they would return the next day and finish their cave exploration.
By 10:00 pm, they were walking through the hotel doors and getting their keys of their rooms. Troy and Gabriella were silent the whole way to their room. Gabriella unlocked the door and walked in and as she was unbuttoning her jacket; she was suddenly in Troy's arms. His lips crashed down on hers. She felt him holding onto her for dear life. Gabriella hinted he was still in worry mode, and kissed him back. Troy lifted her off the floor slightly, and Gabriella's hands went automatically to his smooth, sandy hair.
Minutes later, Troy pulled back, holding Gabriella's face in his hands.
"I love you Gabriella. With all my heart I do." Troy said with such a warm voice, Gabriella's insides melted. She was even more touched when she saw tears rolling down Troy's bruised up face. She put a hand to his cheek and wiped away a tear that was about to cross a bad cut.
"I love you too." She said. Then she smiled at him. Troy smiled back. Gabriella wiped away her own tears and then finished taking off her jacket. She turned back to Troy.
"How about we clean you up a bit?" Gabriella said as if it was already decided. Troy smiled at her lovingly. Then he looked down at himself.
"Yeah, that might be a good idea." He said, finally realizing what a mess he was. Gabriella filled a bowl with hot water, and then grabbed a rag and a first aid kit. She had Troy sit on the bed while she cleaned his face and hands. When she was opening up the first aid kit, she dropped the Neosporin. Troy started to bend over to reach it for her, when he gasped in pain. Gabriella immediately became concerned.
"Troy, what wrong?" she said moving closer. Troy didn't even answer. He lifted his shirt off, exposing his well tanned and muscular body. But there was something else. On his right side was a big red and purple welt, or what could be a really bad bruise. There was dried blood all around it. Gabriella gasped at the horrible sight. And without warning, she started to cry. She fell onto the bedspread, face down. Troy was instantly worried, and carefully leaned down to her, as to not hurt himself. He urged her into his powerful arms. She willingly went into them.
Troy ran his hand through her hair, trying to calm her. She continued to cry on his bare shoulder, her tears running down his chest.
"Why didn't I just give Casmir the information?" she sobbed. "Then you wouldn't have been hurt."
"Gabriella, it's ok. We both know that would have been a very bad thing. You did what was right. That's what counts. In fact, you saved my life." Troy said lifting her face to his. He kissed her tenderly. Gabriella started to wrap her arms around him, but he cried in pain. Gabriella immediately pulled back.
"Lay down, so I can look at it closer." She cleaned it up and dabbed it with some antibiotics. She insisted he stay in bed, and she would order room service.
They ate dinner, and Troy soon fell asleep. Gabriella, feeling wide awake, walked into the living room and flipped through the TV channels. At around midnight, she headed back for the bed, and slipped into the covers. Within minutes she was fast asleep.
It was around 3 in the morning when Gabriella reached over to snuggle closer to Troy. Except that she didn't feel anything. Gabriella's eyes shot open to see an empty left side of the bed. She jumped out of bed and pulled her robe on. She walked out of the bedroom, and sighed in relief when she saw Troy sitting on the couch, staring at the blank TV screen. He jumped when Gabriella spoke.
"Are you trying to deprive me of my personal body warmer?" she said teasingly. But she immediately stopped when she saw Troy's tear stained face. Boy, I've never seen him cry so much.
"Troy, what's wrong?" Gabriella said sitting next to him. Troy just took her into his embrace and held tight. Gabriella felt him shake with sobs. This just made her hold him tighter, smoothing his hair with her hand.
"Troy, Troy, please talk to me. I can't help if you don't tell me what's the matter." Troy soon came in control of his emotions and pulled back, still holding Gabriella.
"I was just making sure you were real." Troy said in a husky voice.
"Why?" Gabriella asked in worry. Troy lowered his head. "I had a dream. No, it was more like a nightmare. We were back in the cave, and while I was fighting, I saw you run out of the room, with Casmir behind you, just like today. I couldn't get away to follow you. Then…. (Troy choked back a sob)….I heard a shot. I finally broke away and ran to where you had headed. Casmir was gone, and you were….. (tears started to run down Troy's face)….laying there….dead."
Troy couldn't go on any longer. Gabriella took Troy into her arms at once and started crying herself. The pain he must be going through.
"I held you and held you, trying to wake you up, but you wouldn't move." Troy said crying into her hair.
"Well, I'm right here. And I'm alive and living. And don't you doubt that." Gabriella said reassuringly into his ear. They sat there in silence, clinging to one another. After they both had stopped crying, Troy stood up and pulled Gabriella with him. They walked arm in arm toward the bedroom and climbed in bed. Gabriella snuggled close to him, taking in the wonderful scent of him.
(a/n: okay, there is that one. There will be one last chapter, so be prepared. Tell me how you liked this one. Oh, and I've already thought of an idea for another story. Not one related to this series, but still a TxG one. It will be just romance though. I'm ready for something not so intense, if you know what I mean. Please read and review)