A/N High School Musical Settings and Characters all belong to Kenny Ortega and Disney. Any original characters and this story are copyright © 2011-2018 to Hopelessromanticgurl, all rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author.

A/N Camp Rock Settings and Characters all belong to Matthew Diamond and the Disney. Any original characters and this story are copyright © 2011-2018 to Hopelessromanticgurl, all rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author.

The one bad thing about having fun? It makes time go by too fast. Before anyone knew it the four hours were up and Jack walked into the room with Lucille, Shane, and Troy.

"I'm sorry guys, but if I don't follow the rules I could lose custody of the girls."

"It's ok, we understand," Steve said with a sigh. He had finally gotten Gabriella out of her shell. He knew the second he left she'd go right back inside it.

"It's ok; we should be getting home anyway," Connie said gently.

"Take us with you," Mitchie said clinging to her mother tightly.

"We would if we could sweetie you know that," Connie said.

"No," Gabriella whimpered curling up on her father's lap. "When will I see you again?"

"Tomorrow when you come home from school we will be here again," Steve said.

"No, stay please." Gabriella whimpered.

"Baby we have to leave. I'm sorry, but we love you."

"No…"

Everyone sighed. Shane went over and took Mitchie from Connie.

"I'm right here. It's ok. You'll see them again tomorrow." Shane told her.

"Make them stay Shane." Mitchie whimpered.

"Baby, if they stay they could get in trouble. It could get them in trouble with the courts. You don't want that do you?"

"No," Mitchie answered.

"Then they have to leave." Shane sighed.

"Will you stay Shane?"

He looked at Jack and Lucille, and they nodded.

"Of course I'll stay here."

Mitchie nodded softly. "Can I give them a hug goodbye?"

Shane let her go. She hugged her parents tightly. "I love you." She told them before pulling away and running back into Shane's arms. She buried her face in his chest. He rubbed her back and kissed the top of her head.

"It's ok." He gently led her out of the room knowing it would be too hard to watch them walk out the front door.

Everyone looked to Gabriella. She was attached to Steve like a koala cub clung to their mothers.

"You have to let go, Baby," Connie said gently rubbing her back.

Gabriella whimpered and held on tighter.

Steve sighed and rubbed her back. "I'll see you again tomorrow."

Gabriella whimpered once more.

"If she holds on any tighter her fingers will be creating holes in my shirt." Steve sighed.

"Troy you might have to just…" Connie started.

Troy sighed but nodded. He knew what he had to do, but it didn't make it any easier.

He walked over to Gabriella and knelt down by her and rubbing her back. "Hey, you know what, I just remembered we have to practice for that new scene tomorrow. It's all about our prom. Kelsi gave us the music. We need to practice. Let's go practice outside."

Gabriella didn't move.

Troy sighed. "Ok, we can practice later. But I may have forgotten to do my math homework…I could use some help. Will you come help me."

She whimpered and held even tighter to Steve.

"Gabriella, come on, You need to let them go. The longer they stay here, the more trouble they could get into." Jack said.

Gabriella let a soft cry escape her lips and then she whimpered and shook her head.

Connie and Steve stood up hoping Gabriella would let them go. Instead, she clung to Steve even tighter.

Her legs wrapped around his waist and her arms around his neck. Steve let her go, but she still hung on to him.

Steve couldn't help but chuckle. "She's like a monkey."

"Ok, Monkey, time to get down," Connie said in a teasing voice.

"No." She whimpered.

Jack walked over to them. "I'm sorry." He said.

They both nodded. "We know. We are too."

With that, Jack grabbed Gabriella around the waist and tried to pull her off. She screamed.

"NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! LET ME GO!" She did everything in her power to hold on as tight as she could, but it was no use. Jack was a lot stronger than she was.

It didn't take him long to get her off Steve and set her on the ground, but keeping his arms around her trapping her there.

"DADDY!" She screamed as she started to cry again. "NO! DADDY!" She tried to break free from Jack, but he was just too strong.

Steve gave her a last kiss on the head and walked out the door, letting the tears fall as soon as the door closed behind him.

As soon as the door closed, Gabriella lost it.

"DADDY! DADDY! DADDY!" she sobbed hysterically. "DADDY! DADDY PLEASE! PLEASE COME BACK! PLEASE, I NEED YOU! PLEASE I'M BEGGING YOU PLEASE!"

Jack released her and the second she did, she made a break for the door. Maybe she could stop them before they got too far.

But she made it outside just in time to see the car pull out of the driveway.

"NO! STOP! WAIT FOR ME!" She screamed as she started to run after the car.

Inside the car, both Connie and Steve saw Gabriella chasing their car.

"We can't stop." Connie choked out "It will only make it worse for all of us."

"I know." Steve choked out. "I know."

Forcing himself, he continued to drive. Until Gabriella was out of sight.

Gabriella continued to run until she couldn't run anymore. She sunk to her knees gasping for air. "DADDY!" She screamed with every last ounce of breath she had.

Troy came running in and gasped at the sight of her hyperventilating and sobbing hysterically on the ground in her "protective stance." He ran over to her and pulled her into his arms rocking her back and forth.

"DADDY!" she screamed again barely taking the time to breathe.

"Shhh Gabriella shhh you need to breathe!" Troy order sternly.

"DADDY! DADDY! PLLLEEEASSE!" Gabriella cried.

Gabriella continued to cry and scream until she was physically and mentally exhausted.

Troy put his hand under the back of her shirt and gently scratch her back as he whispered soothing words to her. Finally, she went limb against him. She had worn herself out. All her screaming and fighting had come to an end.

Troy carefully stood and lifted Gabriella into his arms and made his way back to the house.

He made it back to the house and sighed. Jack and Lucille came over. "Is she ok?"

Troy just shook his head. "She's never going to recover from this. It's going to be the same thing tomorrow when they have to leave. I know Ashley thinks she is helping, but this is slowly just torturing Gabriella."

"We can tell Connie and Steve not to come," Jack said.

"No. We can't. That will torture Gabriella worse." Troy sighed. "Until this whole thing is settled it's a lose – lose situation."

With that Troy took Gabriella to his bedroom.

Jack and Lucille shared a look and sighed. They both knew Troy was right. But they had no idea how to stop it.

At school the next day Troy had never seen Gabriella or Mitchie so shut down and withdrawn. They barely spoke to anyone, not even each other. They went through their day almost like robots.

It had taken Troy almost an hour to get Gabriella to practice with him in the musical and the only reason she agreed to do it was because she didn't want Sharpay to be his partner.

After rehearsal, Gabriella was even more shut down than before. Not being able to take it anymore Troy took Gabriella up to the roof to talk. He sat down with her on the bench,

"Please talk to me," he begged. "Let me know what you're thinking."

Gabriella remained silent.

"You can scream at me if you want to, or you can cry, you can even hit me if it helps. Just please don't shut me out."

Gabriella inhaled and exhaled a deep breath. "It's stupid, Troy."

"Nothing you say is ever stupid," Troy told her. "Please," he begged once more. He rubbed her back, and she leaned into him and sighed. "Do you know how in that prom night song the boys sing that the fathers are staring them down?"

"Yeah."

"Well…I was just thinking….I don't know if my dad is going to be here with me to stare you down."

"Are you kidding? That's why you're upset?"

Gabriella quickly sat up with tears in her eyes. "I told you it was stupid!"

"No, no, no, no!" Troy said quickly. "That's not what I meant. Gabriella, you do realize my dad is going to stare me down with enough force for them both. He loves you like a daughter already, and he'd had no problem staring me down right before prom."

Gabriella couldn't help but giggle. "Really?"

"I promise. My dad has always made sure I was respectful and polite to any woman I met. He always made sure I knew how to treat a lady the right way. So there is no doubt in my mind that my father will stare me down right before Prom to ensure I take care of you. To be honest, I think I'd be more scared of him than Steve."

Gabriella giggled.

"My mom is going to be taking a bunch of pictures, and I think she mentioned a few videos, so your parents won't miss anything."

"Ok." Gabriella nodded.

"Please don't shut down on me again."

Gabriella sighed and looked to the floor. "It's just not fair. Why do my parents keep getting taking away from me? It seems like every time I leave the house I come home to no parents."

"What do you mean?" Troy asked. He rubbed her back and allowed her lean on his chest once more.

"When I was a kid Maria didn't even tell me we were leaving Axel. She just said we were going to my grandma's for a sleepover. I never saw Axel again. I went to Camp Rock, and I never saw Maria again. Now, I went to school, and I came home…." Gabriella shook her head. She couldn't repeat it. It was too painful. "Everyone I love keeps getting taken away from me. How do I know you won't be next? How do I know Jade won't mess something up and when I get home later Mom and Daddy will be there?"

Troy sighed. "I'm not going anywhere." he hugged her closer to his chest. "Nobody is going to take you away from me. I promise."

"But how do I know that?"

"You've just got to trust me."

"I can't." She whispered.

Troy sighed. "You've got to trust Ashley will keep Jade in check, and your mom and dad will be at home waiting for you tonight."

"I don't trust anyone anymore. I only trust…you."

"That's good enough," Troy said kissing her head.

Gabriella sighed and didn't speak again.

Troy sighed and just held her letting her relax in his arms.

When they heard the bell ring, Gabriella sighed. "I guess we better go get to lunch."

"We can stay here if you want to," Troy said.

"No, I'm hungry. I want to eat." Gabriella pulled away from him and headed back downstairs. Troy followed close behind.

After that, it was like their talk never even happened. Gabriella was just as quiet and shutdown as ever.

They were almost finished eating when a few girls walked over to the table.

"Oh Great." Taylor groaned. "What do you three want?"

It was Sharpay, Charlotte, and Dana.

Troy instinctively pulled Gabriella into his side. She hid her face in his chest.

"We just came to talk," Charlotte said. "Dana told us everything."

"It's pretty funny isn't it, Gabriella?" Sharpay said. "You just started feel like a part of the Torres family, and now it's all being taken away from you."

"Shut up," Troy growled.

"I was thinking about being friend again. You're not Maria Montez's daughter. Dana told me not to bother." Charlotte said.

"Why would she do that?" Troy asked.

"Because Dana told me, her stay with the Torres family was temporary. Once the courts settled everything, she'll be back to living with Maria and Axel. She'll be a Montez again."

"NO!" Gabriella screamed. She looked up at them with tears in her eyes. "I'LL NEVER BE A MONTEZ AGAIN! DO YOU HEAR ME! I'M NOT GOING BACK WITH THEM! I WON'T!"

"You may not have a choice," Dana said.

"Actually, she does. She's almost 18. That's the legal age of an adult. She can decide who she wants to live with and what she wants her last name to be." Troy said. "This court case isn't going to be about who gets custody of Gabriella; it's about who has been hurting her and beating her. We all know who that is. It's not Connie and Steve."

"Whatever. I tried to warn you." Dana said. With that, she walked away.

"Don't worry, Gabriella," Sharpay said in a fake sweet voice. "When you're back with Axel and Maria, I'll make sure Troy is well rehearsed for the show."

"That's why you're doing this?" Troy asked. "Because you're mad I'm not your partner anymore in the play."

"We would have been perfect together!" Sharpay pouted.

"We wouldn't have. If Gabriella hadn't joined when she did, I would have quit." Troy said. "You would have ended up with no partner. At least now you get to partner with Zeke. He's having a great time."

"Maybe next time I'll do a one-woman show." Sharpay just said with a shrug. Then she turned and walked away. Charlotte following close behind her.

"I hate that girl," Chad growled.

"They're liars, right?" Mitchie whimpered. She really wished Shane was there with her. But he wasn't registered there.

"What do you mean?" Chad asked.

"They're not taking Gabriella away, are they?"

"No. They don't have a care. They know that. That's why they are turning the tables and blaming Connie and Steve because they are scared and they know they are going to lose." Troy said.

Mitchie just sighed. Gabriella reburied her face in Troy's chest and clung to him as tight as she could. He rubbed her back and kissed her head. He knew the only thing that was really going to help her feel better was seeing Connie and Steve again tonight after school.

Troy just really hoped the goodbyes went better this time. But he had a good feeling it wasn't going to end well at all.

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