Thank you once again for your wonderful comments. And there is one chapter left after this…but you may be right about a continuation so keep checking! ;)

Chapter 10

"Seventeen hours, six minutes, eleven seconds…" Troy said softly, cradling his hand against his chest where the ache throbbed from missing Gabi.

"I'll be home before you know it." She smiled into the phone.

"I have so much to show you- all my dances…" He enthused.

"I know and I learnt how to make pancakes so I'm gonna make them for you when you stay over…" She said excitedly.

"You think your mom will be up for that?" He frowned.

"I'll talk her into it. Three weeks apart. She's got to let us have one night together." She reasoned.

"I can't wait to hold you in my arms." He sighed, closing his eyes as he lay on his sofa.

His mom brushed his feet off the arm of the sofa and he sat up, not realising she was home and over-listening his conversation.

"Oh, hi mom." He said distractedly.

Gabi screeched on the phone.

"Oh my god did she hear you?" She asked.

"Hi Troy. Nice to see you doing something other than lounging around." Lucy said and went through to the kitchen.

"I think she might of." He said, chuckling.

"I think I might come again, see my dad a bit more." Gabi said then, thinking aloud.

"Aw, hey. You trying to get away from me?" He asked forlornly.

"No. But I had fun here; I'd like to see him again." She added.

"You sound like you had fun. It's weird, I can feel it in your voice, you seem so relaxed." He said.

"That picture I sent you, that's what I have looked like the entire time I have been here. I haven't worn make up in dayyys." She drew it out.

"I think that's the most beautiful you have ever been." He considered. "Oh and in that bikini…" He arched his brow, hearing her giggle.

"I've had your Wildcats top on so much; I swear it's worn out." She mused.

"I like it. I like that you wear me." He said cutely, just as his mom brushed back through the door, sending him a look that told him to get off the sofa and quit talking mush with his girlfriend.

"Hi mom." He said again, grinning inanely as Gabi screamed again.

"Again?"

"I know she picks all the wrong moments…" He thought aloud.

"She is so gonna hate me." She decided.

"Because…" He led.

"Because she knows I'm the girl that broke her son." She said knowingly.

"Knock knock." Came a soft voice at her door and she smiled at her dad.

"One second, dad." She said and Troy laughed this time.

"Jeez, we really ought to say goodbye." He mused.

"Okay, goodbye boyfriend, until tomorrow." She said softly.

"Goodbye, beautiful. I love you." He added, ending the call.

Gabi called her dad into her room where he looked around, all her belongings packed.

"You got it all?" He checked.

"Most of it." She shrugged. "I'd figure I'd leave some stuff here for next time…" She smiled.

"Next time?" He lifted his brows, barely daring to hope.

"Well if you'll have me…" She broached.

He knelt before her where she sat on the edge of her bed, reaching up to hug her.

"Any time. You can come anytime." He promised. "And I want you to call…" he added as she pulled away and smiled.

"I will." She promised.

"I want to know all the latest on Troy and that basketball thingy you two do." He said.

She laughed. "I'll call you, dad." She assured.

"I'm gonna miss you, baby girl, all over again." He said sadly.

She nodded, feeling tears threaten.

"Me too, daddy." She said softly, hugging him again, wiping her tears away.

He licked his lips and swallowed, standing up.

"Okay," he said, his voice shaky, rubbing his hands together. "I have one more thing to show you before you go home…" He said and held out his hand and she took it, letting him lead her out to his back garden.

It was all bricked over and a pole adorned the centre.

"For your skating, if you ever need somewhere new to go." He explained and bit his lip.

"Its perfect, dad" She smiled, running in and digging her boots from the bottom of the bag to try out the new space, instantly getting lost in the feeling of whirling around, her hair wild behind her.

"I'm gonna miss you." Daniel said quietly to himself, leaning on the doorjamb and folding his arms.

--

Gabi looked out on the horizon, her knees caught underneath her arms as she sat with her dad on her last night in Indianapolis.

"You probably think I'm just being awkward about you and Troy." Daniel husked next to her.

"No, I think you're just being my dad." She said, facing him, tipping her head onto her shoulder as she did so.

"I'd just like to think my daughter is taken care of…" He hedged, not directly alluding to the attack, but clearly intimating he was worried.

"That's what you and mom are for." She pointed out gently.

"I'm sorry I never got to be there for your 16th. Heck, for any of it, but especially that one."

"You didn't miss much." She arched a brow. "It was at our old house before we moved to Albuquerque. My friend Dawn snuck in some alcohol and I was sick all night. Then I got grounded for a month." She sighed.

"A whole month, huh?" He mused.

"As if I didn't suffer enough." She rolled her eyes.

"Do you drink alcohol now?" He pursed his lips nervously, not sure if she would answer.

"No."

"Does Troy ever?" He asked.

"No."

He nodded. "That's good."

"He's a basketball player, he eats real well and works out a lot." She explained.

"Of course he does." He said, realising the dedication it took to be an athlete.

"Dad?"

"Mm?"

"What were you like as a teenager?" She asked innocently.

"A lot like you. I played some sports and I'd always be out cruising, chasing the girls…" He chuckled to himself at the memories.

"Eww." She screwed up her nose. "Do you…do you miss mom sometimes?" She wondered.

That's where his heart began to ache and he frowned with the burden of it.

"Yeah, yeah I do." He admitted softly.

"Are you happy, dad? Do you think maybe you should meet someone? A lady I mean…" She elaborated, softly hinting at the subject she had been eager to broach for days now.

He glanced his eyes toward her, once again surprised at her maturity.

"It crossed my mind. But you know, now is not the right time. I just got my baby girl back." He added.

"I hope you do meet someone, soon." She added. "Someone like Henri." She dropped unsubtly.

He allowed a knowing nod of his head to acknowledge her insight into a part of his life he hadn't even explored himself.

"I love you, Gabriella. I'm so proud of you." He smiled.

"Apart from the boys part…" She teased, elbowing him.

"Even that part. I'm proud of it all." He insisted.

"Well you know, you get to meet him tomorrow…" She led, rolling her lips together nervously.

"I can't wait." He stated.

"Please don't be horrible." She begged.

"Hey! I give everyone a fair chance." He assured.

"Dad…"

"I mean it. You have nothing to worry about."

"Dad, promise me," she said again, begging.

"Okay, look, he's sleeping with my daughter, I'm not gonna make any promises. I'll try." He bargained.

"Okay."

"But if he's a jump-start, don't blame me if I go all parental on you…" He joked and Gabi gave him a look.

"He's not a jump-start." She defended sulkily, her face becoming forlorn as the sun slipped behind the hill and signalled the end of the day.

The end of her summer. The end of getting to know her father again. It was true, at the start of this break she hadn't wanted to be here and she had fought with the idea of ever wanting to be here. But something had snuck up on her and lay camp in her heart and it surprised her as much as loving her dad did. It was unexpected, unwanted even. But it had happened. And somehow, she didn't want to let this feeling go.

She didn't want this to be the end.