DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

We drove in near silence to Gabriella's sister's, the only words spoken were the directions she murmured to me as she stared out the window. She seemed to have a lot on her mind and it made me concerned. Did it have to do with us? Was she doubting any of this? Would I have someone to come back to in a couple weeks when I had practically forced when I would have more time off?

I glanced around, noting our surroundings. "This isn't very far from John's place," I commented as I pulled up in front of Lisa's house.

"I wouldn't know," she said softly. Something was definitely wrong.

"Hey…" I reached out and touched her lightly on the arm, stopping her from getting out of the car. "Gabi…what's wrong?" She had been fine when I had left her earlier in her room at the hospital to finish up getting ready to leave. But when I came back, something was different.

She sat back in the seat and sighed as she looked at me. "I…don't know," she admitted. "And it's not that anything's wrong, it's that…" It relieved me when she said nothing was wrong, but I was afraid she was going to start up a topic that I wasn't quite ready to talk about, especially in our current situation. When I came back in a few weeks…

I silenced her with my lips as she let out a trembling sigh against me. I took advantage of her reaction and deepened the kiss, teasing her with my teeth and tongue until I had her whimpering, her hands buried in my hair. It had been too long since we had had contact like that. I pulled back from her slightly, reluctantly, smiling at her.

"It's that…what?" I asked.

"Huh? Um…oh, hell, I don't know." She shook her head as I opened my car door. "you don't fight fair."

"All's fair in…" I stopped suddenly as I realized what I was about to say. "Let's get you inside."

The guest room was all ready for Gabriella when we got inside. Lisa's husband Mark took Gabriella's bags and welcomed me into their home.

Lisa led Gabriella in to what would be her bedroom for the next couple of weeks to get her settled in while I stayed in the living room with Mark, he questioning me about my job.

When the girls walked back into the room, Mark looked back over at Gabriella. "Dr. Craig promised us he'd stop in to check on you." I hesitated a moment at that as I brought my drink to my lips, but quickly recovered, hopefully before anyone noticed. John used to be a good friend of mine, but when it came to Gabriella, I just wanted him to stay away. He was always a player back in college, jumping from girl to girl. And since Vegas, it seemed as if he'd had his eyes set on Gabriella as his next target. But she was my girl and he wasn't going to lay a hand on her.

"That isn't necessary," Gabriella replied with a smile. It made me a feel a little better hearing her say that.

"But of course it is!" her sister insisted. "He's genuinely concerned, and I just want some reassurance that you're doing fine."

"You realize he's just trying to get in my pants, right?" I choked back a laugh at that, knowing it was true, but also knowing slightly how her sister was. I covered my laugh with a cough as Mark's brow furrowed at Gabriella's comment. Gabriella smiled, getting exactly the reaction I know she hoped for.

"Oh, pish posh," Lisa said with a wave of her hand. I raised one eyebrow at Gabriella and mouthed "pish posh" to her, wondering kind of words those were.

"Just the same, I think we should insure your sister's well being while in our home."

Mark and Lisa were discussing back and forth the importance of Dr. Craig's physical examination, or lack thereof, of Gabriella while Gabriella and I walked out to the back yard. Gabriella stood staring up at the sky when I walked up behind her, circling her waist with my arms. I pulled her close, gently, and buried my face in her hair, inhaling her scent of jasmine deeply before leaving a soft kiss on her head and resting my chin there.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"I think I'm going to have to remind myself over and over that they're family," she admitted. "But other than that, I'm wonderful. How about you?" I smiled.

"Peaceful," I said, placing another kiss on her head. "Like all is…almost right in the world."

"Just almost?"

"Almost," I repeated, snuggling into her. She winced. "I'm sorry," I said, stepping back and turning her around by her shoulders.

"I'm okay," she said. "I'm just not a hundred percent yet."

"Hence the almost," I explained. I smiled at her, tucking a curl behind her ear. "And Ryan's still in the hospital for now, and…I have to play some shows to make up for the cancellations, thank you contractual obligations."

"Now?" she asked.

"Don't whine; it's unbecoming." I smiled at her, placing a soft kiss on her pouting lips. "I won't be gone long, I promise. Now that Ryan's out of the woods and now that you're okay, I need to do this."

"Will you call me?" she asked and I laughed.

"Do you really need to ask that question, Not Telling?" I teased against her lips before kissing her again. "You'll keep me sane…" I trailed a line of kisses down her neck. "…and in a decent mood…"

"Which Jackie should appreciate," she half-moaned as I nipped lightly at her neck.

"Mmm hmmm," I agreed, my hands holding her to me as I kissed her lips once more. I was careful this time as I held her, sure to not hurt her anymore. She protested for me to hold her closer, snuggling in the best she could, but I refused to hold her any tighter.

"I'm not…interrupting, am I?" John's voice caused us both to jump. Lisa was escorting him out to the back yard.

"Of course you are," I said. Lisa laughed as if I'd made the funniest joke in the world.

"Dr. Craig is here to examine Gabriella," Lisa explained.

"Gabriella was examined before she left the hospital." I glared icily at John, not about to let him touch Gabriella.

"I'm sure he…"

"Lisa, could you excuse us, please?" Gabriella interrupted her, giving her a sweet smile.

"Of course," she said begrudgingly. "I'll be inside if anyone needs anything." An awkward silence settled over the backyard as we waited for Lisa to go inside and shut the door.

"I wanted to see for myself that you were okay," John said, ignoring my glare. "And I wanted to let you know if you need anything, call me."

"I think she's just…" I stopped, feeling the squeeze Gabriella had just given my hand.

"How's Jess?" John asked me when he finally looked over at me.

"Jess is fine," Gabriella spoke up. "I talked to her before I was discharged from the hospital." I looked over at Gabriella, surprised, but she didn't look my way. She held John's gaze. "I appreciate your concern, John…but the drama's over."

"Is it?" he asked.

I could tell she didn't have a definite answer to that, so I spoke up for her. "It doesn't concern you," I said simply.

"As a friend, it does," John said. "I want you to know you can call me whenever you need anything," he said to Gabriella.

"Thank you," she said politely.

"Anytime," he said with a smile. "I'll see you around." As he walked back into the house, I tensed up knowing he couldn't be up to anything good.

"I don't like this…"

"Don't worry about any of this," she cut me off. "Just promise me when the tour dates are done…"

"I'll be right back here," I said with a smile, feeling a little better.

"Gabriella?" Lisa was calling out. "It's nearly time for supper and our daily reading."

"Reading?" Gabriella asked.

"Today's from the book of Job," she replied.

"Ah, suffering…nice," she said softly. I grinned sheepishly at her. "Oh, they're family," she mocked me. "You should be with them…family."

"I will rescue you the first chance I get." I paused for a moment thinking back to what she had told John. "You didn't tell me you spoke with Jess," I said, wondering if this was part of what had caused her mood on the way here.

"I didn't know what to say. I still don't."

"Is that why you were upset?"

"I can't really say that I'm upset," she said. "It's just…Troy, I don't understand."

"What don't you understand, Christine?" I tried to be soothing as I rubbed her arms, wondering exactly what was going through her mind, and hoping that one day I'd be able to answer all the questions she had. She shrugged slightly. "Just say it."

"Why are you here?"

"Ah," I said, finally realizing where all the uncertainty was coming from.

"Ah? That's it? Ah?"

"No that's not it…damn, woman, give me a chance to answer.," I said smiling at her.

"Troy…"

"I'm here because I want to be…Because I chose to be."

I held her gaze as we stood there for a moment in silence. One small tear slipped down her cheek. She wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me…full, lingering, deep, leaving both of us gasping slightly for air.

We were broke apart once again by Lisa's voice. "Oh come on, Gabriella…not in my back yard either." We jumped apart.

"Sorry," Gabriella muttered as we walked hand-in-hand to the back door. She stopped and grinned at Lisa. "You know…except I'm not."

Lisa tried to stifle a smile as she ushered us into her house.

They invited me to stay for dinner, so I did before heading back to my hotel to get my stuff. My flight left late that night, leaving a longing in me that had been growing since Phoenix and a woman who I was falling in love with.

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