Last Time

Gabriella woke suddenly when she could hear gentle thuds. She looked at the clock…6pm. Jack was cuddled into her chest sound asleep, the thuds continued.

Thud…thud…thud…whatever it was…it was on the stairs. He heart was beating faster…thud…Troy…thud….she needed him….thud. She gulped as the noise continue…thud…she walked to the foot of the stairs. She looked at about halfway up…and there he was…


"OH MY GOD WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Gabriella cried out as she watched Troy slip down each step while trying not to let a large box fall on top of him.

"No…son…of…mine…is sleeping…on…the floor!" he said in between his attempts to push the box, which contained a crib, up the stairs. Gabriella ran to him and pushed with all her might. Troy managed to get up with Gabriella helping with the box and together they pushed it up stairs.

"I got everything else up…it's just this that wouldn't move." Troy told his wife.

"Everything else?" she asked curiously.

He wrapped his arms around her waist. His mood seemed to have changed again. Gabriella decided that she needed to make the most of it and wrapped her arms around his neck, allowing him to move his face and body closer to hers. "Well we need a nursery don't we?" he said smiling. Gabriella smiled back and kissed him. Then she pulled away and looked at him seriously.

"Troy why did you storm out?" she asked trying not to let her tears fall.

He sighed before pulling a card out of his pocket. It was crumpled but still recognizable.

"It's from Jenny…she hasn't stopped sending stuff like this and it's starting to get annoying now." Troy passed her the card and allowed her to read.

Dear Troy,

marriage is a prison
from which there's no escape
there is no door
windows are covered by drapes

marriage is a hell
living with a devil for all eternity
nothing but darkness
cannot find quiet serenity

marriage steals your life
takes away your soul
kills your spirit
buries you in a deep dark hole

marriage is Gods curse
its worse than living
compared to this thing called marriage
death is more forgiving

Call me,

Love Jenny xxx

Gabriella looked at Troy hoping that he could explain.

"She'd been trying to make me get a divorce on the grounds of you being presumed dead. She's been doing it for the last eight months." Gabriella threw the note on the ground and walked to Troy, she took his hands in her own.

"And my baby's still here?" she asked him.

"Baby's still here," he smiled. It was the first time that she had ever said anything like that to him and it meant a lot. He abandoned putting the nursery together tonight and followed his wife downstairs. She promised to let him feed Jack and while he did that, she ordered them a takeaway so they could spend the night together catching up and bonding as a family of three.

Gabriella quickly got used to being with Troy again and he lowly began to give her more freedom. But he was till too clingy for Gabriella's liking and it was still getting to her. It was now Wednesday and they had almost been back together for a week. Every day when they work up they could have sworn that they were both dreaming when they saw the person laid next to them. That day Gabriella took Jack for a walk around the park in the new pram that Troy had bought the previous day. Troy was going to meet her on the bench near the duck pond. He was going to get some gas in Gabriella's car and then get some hot chocolate before meeting his wife.

Gabriella was perched on the bench, watching her sun suck on his fingers while drifting off to sleep.

"Gabriella!" she heard her name be called from the left. She turned and aw Troy coming towards her carrying bags and drinks that were about to fall. She ran to help him. She pulled the drinks off him and took a couple of the bags before giving the tray and a kiss back to him.

"Has he settled?" Troy asked. He had taken to fatherhood very quickly and was always asking about his son, making sure that he was ok.

"Yeah he's about to fall asleep." Gabriella replied.

"Where is he?" Troy asked. He was quite concerned because he was sure that he had seen the pram a moment ago.

"What do you mean?" Gabriella laughed. "He's right …" Gabriella turned to point at her son…but he was nowhere to be seen. Jack was gone. "Jack? JACK!!" Gabriella began to cry and shout as she ran towards where her son was sat moments before. Troy dropped everything and followed her. She collapsed to the floor in floods of tears. Troy did the same as they held each other on the floor. Several people came over to see if they were all right. But they couldn't speak. Jack was the only thing that had made Gabriella keep going the last ten months. Troy had just got his first and only son and now he was gone. And they had no idea where to start to look for him.


With Gary

Gary stood behind a tree five feet away from Gabriella and her son. He watched, as she not once took her eyes away from him. Robert said that this would be easy but he couldn't see how. He heard a man shout her name. That must have been the husband that Robert had told him about. He saw her run to get him. Now was his chance. He jumped from behind the tree making sure that no one saw him. He quickly glanced at the sleeping boy before grabbing the handlebars and pushing him towards the gate out of the park a quickly as he could. Not one person noticed, not even his parents. He put the baby in the car seat of Roberts's car. He jumped into the front and drove back to the motel just outside of Albuquerque. This was where it started. And soon enough it would end…my way.


With the Bolton's

Troy and Gabriella were sat in their living room that night. Close family and friends surrounded them. The police had been and taken statements from both parents. Gabriella was numb. She sat with her hands planted firmly on her knees, staring into space. Troy was doing the same thing.

Taylor grabbed Gabriella's hands, causing the Latina to look up with her teary eyes.

"We'll find him Gabriella…you've just got to stay positive." Taylor said soothingly.

"I should never have come back! It's all my fault!" Gabriella cried as she ran off upstairs. Troy sighed. Everyone took this as a sign to leave. They got up and said their goodbyes to Troy. He locked the door, turned out the light and made his way up to his wife.

He found Gabriella curled up under the covers. She was sobbing her heart out and it was obvious that she didn't care who knew, as it was so loud. Troy took off all his clothes and climbed into bed wearing nothing but his boxers. As he got in he saw his wife's naked body rise and fall in between sobs. The sight shocked him but melted his heart at the same time. He slipped in beside her and wrapped his arms around her slender waist. His presence shocked her but she allowed him to get close. She turned to face him and kissed him while tears rolled down her face. She buried her face in his chest and snuggled as close as possible before trying to settle for a restless night. Troy felt slightly aroused about her naked body pressed up against him but he knew that now wasn't the time and he rested his head on top of hers and closed his eyes. Hoping not to rouse again now for several hours.


With Gary and Robert

"For God sake shut the damn thing up!" Robert shouted as Gary tried to soothe the screaming child pining for his mummy.

"I'm trying! Just go and get us something to eat!" Gary sent Robert out as he tried to give the boy a bottle, which again he refused. All he could do was sit and rock him until he stopped crying.

Gary looked out of the dirty window. He saw houses in the distance and wondered why people loved this small town so much. It wasn't his style…he had always loved the hustle and bustle of the city. He also couldn't understand why Robert had taken Gabriella's baby. The whole point of taking her in the first place had been to get her to have a baby for him. She had done that so now why were they stealing it? None of it really made sense but he was getting paid for it so he tried to not let it bother him too much.

He was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't notice the baby fall asleep in his arms. Today was the December 24th…Christmas Eve. He didn't agree that mother and son should spend their first Christmas apart. He always had a soft spot for Gabriella and she never deserved anything like this. He was drawn from his thoughts when Robert came crashing though the door…then sirens could be heard. Getting closer and closer and closer.

"Get away from the window you idiot! Do you want us to get caught?!" Robert shouted across the room. Jack began to scream once more as the two men locked all the doors and closed all the blinds. Within minutes the police were at the door, pounding on it. Asking the two men inside to surrender and give them the baby. Jack was laid on the bed whimpering. Gary couldn't take it anymore. He made a run for the door. But he never even made it half way there. Bang. He fell to the floor. His eyes were wide open and glazed over. He had a bullet through his skull.

The door suddenly flew open and at least twenty armed officers marched in followed by detectives who had been working on the case. The dog piled on Robert, forcing him to drop the gun he had in his hand. He was quickly escorted out to a waiting van while Gary's lifeless body was analysed by forensics. A detective picked up the crying baby and held him close. Snow had begun to fall and there was a mother and father in Albuquerque who were longing to be reunited with their two month old son.


Hey guys !

Love all your positive comments! This story is not finished yet there will be a couple more chapters and an epilogue as well!

Look out for my new story: Perfect - Coming Soon!

Much Love

Hannah

xoxoxox