A/N I DON'T OWN ANYTHING!

There was a big red mark in the shape of a hand in her cheek. Gabriella froze. What should she tell them? What would they do after they found out?

"Gabriella you need to tell us what happen." Lucille said sternly.

"Nothing. I tripped."

"Gabriella don't lie to us. Come on what happen?" Troy said.

"I tripped and fell. I hit my face on the ground."

"They why is the shape a handprint? Did someone hit you?"

"Troy just leave it alone ok. I'm fine. It's over."

"Gabriella I will not leave it. Someone hit you and I want to know who."

"Oh my gosh." Jack said suddenly.

"What?" Lucille asked.

"Think about it. Who is the one person that would hit Gabriella than scare her into not telling?"

Everyone's eyes went wide.

"Gabriella if you saw Greg you need to tell us."

"It wasn't Greg. It was nobody." Gabriella muttered the next part softly. "Plus I deserved it."

Only Troy heard. "What did you just say?"

"I said it was nobody"

"After that."

"Nothing."

"Yes you did you said you deserved it. Why would you think that?"

"Because I pushed him."

"I'm sure you had a reason."

"He hit Ginger because Ginger growled at him."

"I'm sure Ginger had a good reason."

"Look it's no big deal. This guy came over t say hi to Ginger he started saying mean stuff and Ginger growled. He hit Ginger so I pushed him and he hit me. It's over and done with. I'll never see that guy again so just forget it."

"What did he say?"

"Nothing."

"Gabriella you just said he said something mean. What did he say?"

"He didn't say anything that wasn't true."

"Ok, so what was it."

"Nothing! It was not worth repeating ok! Just forget it and leave me alone."

Gabriella got up from her chair and went into her bedroom slamming the door behind her. Ginger started to whimper. Troy got up.

"Come on let's go see Gabi."

Ginger followed Troy to Gabriella's room. He knocked on the door.

"Go away!"

"Gabriella there is someone out here looking for you." Troy said.

Gabriella opened the door and Ginger went inside. She tried to close it but Troy stopped her.

"Don't shut me out. Brie please tell me what happen."

"Nothing happen."

"Something happen otherwise you wouldn't be hiding from us."

Gabriella sighed and turned her back to Troy and went to her bed and sat down.

"Everything that happen tonight I deserved and I deserve everything that happen to me the last few months."

"Gabriella where is this coming from?"

"I've always known this I just never said it."

That's when Troy realized just what Gabriella had been doing. "You're not healing you're avoiding. You are avoiding anything that has to do with Greg and what he did to you by pretending to heal and act normal."

"I don't know what you're talking about Troy."

"Yes you do. You just don't want to agree."

Troy went inside and shut the door. He went over to Gabriella's desk and grabbed a notepad and a pen. He walked over to Gabriella and handed it to her.

"Don't say anything. Write it. Write like you used to. Trust me, open up to me."

Ok you're right. I'm avoiding Greg and everything that happen but I'm doing it for you and Lucille. If I want to heal and save you guys I have to avoid it and forget it ever happen.

"Baby that isn't healing that's avoiding. There is a big difference. Plus you can't avoid it forever. When Greg is caught you're going to have to testify and it will be even harder if you wait until then to talk about it."

"Stone said I could get out of it if I wasn't mentally sane. I can easily act catatonic if I had to."

"Gabriella that isn't healthy. Faking catatonic every time you get scared it's healthy. You need to face those fears otherwise you will be faking catatonic your whole life."

"It's easier that way."

"I know it's easier that way but it is not healthy."

"Ok. I'll stop avoiding. Now let's go get some ice cream."

Gabriella got up and went to walk away when Troy grabbed her pulled her back onto his lap.

"Hold on there Missy. Where do you think you are going?"

"To get ice cream."

"Not until we talk. Tell me what happen with that man outside. What did he say to you?"

Gabriella sighed "He said that abused victims get what they deserve that it's all my fault that everything is happening to my father right now. He also said that if a child is bad then the parents have the right to beat them."

Troy rubbed her back. "You know it isn't true right?"

Gabriella didn't respond.

"Hey," Troy said. He took her chin and made her look up at him. "Everything that man told you was a lie. You are not at fault for what is happening to Greg and you do not, DO NOT deserve the abuse that you were put through. No one deserves that."

"I feel like I do."

Gabriella burst into tears. She buried her face in Troy's chest and cried. Troy hugged her close and rubbed her back.

"It's all right baby. It's over now. Shhhhh."

"Please don't tell your parents please!"

"Ok baby I won't. I won't. Shhhh."

Troy continued to comfort her and soothe her until she fell asleep. Ginger jumped onto the bed. Troy smiled and laid Gabriella down to cuddle with Ginger. He just smiled. Ginger would be more help to Gabriella than she realized.

The next morning everyone sat quietly at the table eating their breakfast. Troy stuck to his promise and didn't tell his parents what Gabriella had said but he knew they were worried. Finally Gabriella spoke.

"I know you guys are worried but please don't be. What happen yesterday will not happen again and what that guy said to me was not important so please just forget it happen."

"Why won't you tell us?" Jack asked.

"Because I don't want to be the one to give you the bad news."

"What?"

"Gabriella I told you everything that man said was a lie." Troy said.

"But it wasn't. Everything he said was 100% true. I don't want to be the one who tells dad."

"Does this have something to do with abuse victims?" Lucille asked.

Gabriella slowly nodded.

"Gabriella there isn't anything that man could have said that I haven't heard before. Plus I've learned to cope with my past. I was abused and there is no changing it. I also know that I was never to blame for what happen. The biggest thing I learned was that I didn't deserve it. I did nothing wrong to deserve the abuse but it happen and I know that. So there is nothing you can say that would upset me."

Gabriella sighed. "He said that abuse victims deserve everything they get and that they are at fault for whatever happens to them or the abuser."

"This man told Gabriella that everything that happen to her was her fault and that if a child was bad then the parent had the right to beat them."

"Gabriella he had no right to say that to you." Lucille said.

"Yes he did. He had every right. I was stupid and believed that I just had bad parents. Really I'm reason everything happen. I'm the reason my parents hit me, I'm the reason my father tried to kill Troy and I'm reason my mother is dead. Everything that guy said to me was true. I deserved every beating I got and it is all my fault that Greg is after me. I deserve all of this."

Gabriella got up and went to her room. Ginger followed behind her.

"Troy did she tell you what this man looks like?" Jack asked.

"No."

Everyone sighed. This man could have caused Gabriella to relapse after all the progress she had made. A little later Gabriella and Ginger came back out.

"Ginger needs to use the bathroom." She said softly.

"I'll come with you." Troy said.

They left the house and started down the street. Ginger did her business and they turned back. Gabriella saw the man from yesterday and stopped.

"Troy can we go a different way?"

"Why? This way is shorter."

"I know but can we just go a different way."

Troy then saw the man. "Is that him? He is the one who said those things to you?"

Gabriella nodded. The man started walking towards them. Gabriella hid behind Troy. Troy stood his ground. Someone upset Gabriella and he was going to give this man and piece of his mind. Ginger stood by Troy ready to defend Gabriella if needed. The man reached Troy.

"Cute dog."

He reached out to pet her but Ginger snapped at him almost biting him and growled.

"Rude dog."

"Actually she has the right to do that." Troy looked at Ginger and pet her head. "Good girl Ginger good girl."

"I could report you dog."

"Go ahead I will report you. You not only smacked this dog but you smack a young women for no reason at all. So you report the dog I'll report you and say the dog did it defend his owner."

"What are you talking about?"

"You know what I'm talking about. You told my girlfriend that she deserved to be abused and that she was at fault for everything she got. That is not ok in my books! Now you listen and listen good. You. Stay. Away. From. Gabriella. And. Ginger. If. I. Find. Out. You Were. Bugging. Them. I Will Call The Police."

"Whatever kid? Your girlfriend is a waste of space anyway. She would have been better off if her parents had just killed her when they had the chance."

Troy lost it and slapped the man across the face.

"Don't you dare every say that about Gabriella again."

The man looked shocked.

"Fine I'll leave you and your dumb dog and your useless girlfriend alone."

The man walked away. Troy smiled. It felt so good to hit that guy. He turned to Gabriella.

"Does that make you feel better?"

Gabriella nodded.

"Good. Do you believe he is lying?"

"Not fully but I'm getting there."

"Good because everything he said is a lie. I want you to believe that."

"Thanks Troy. I love you."

"I love you too."

They walked back to the house and finished their breakfast. If Troy could help her heal from that man's mental and physical abuse why couldn't he help her with mental abuse and physical abuse Greg put her through?

A/N ok guys I need your help. I need to know if you want 2 more filler chapters after this or if I should just get right to the drama. Please let me know. Thanks for everyone who voted. If you haven't voted please do so soon. Thanks again. Your input means a lot.