The next day, the juniors were sitting in homeroom and chatting to their friends before the teacher arrived. The team was talking about an upcoming game when Chad interrupted the conversation. "Hoops, isn't that your mom?" They watched as Lucille went over to Gabriella and spoke quietly to her before they both walked out of the room. "Why was your mom talking to the new chick?"

He shrugged slightly making up a lie on the spot. "Her parents are family friends, I have no idea what it'd be about though."

A few moments later, he got a message from Lucille: It's just you and your dad coming home after school. Lilly was feeling sick this morning and wanted Gabriella but Jakie's at school. Have a good day, I love you

He quickly responded. Ok Mom, love you too

Gabriella was busy talking to her friends when she felt a tap on the shoulder. She turned around to be faced with Lucille. "Sorry Gabriella, but Lilly was feeling sick today and I didn't want to send her to school but she's been asking for you. Do you have a busy day today?"

She shook her head. "No I can come home if you want?"

"I think she'd feel more comfortable that way, thanks Gabriella."

"No it's fine." She packed up her belongings and said goodbye to her friends before walking out of the room. "Where is she?"

"She came with me to drop Jakie off to school because she wanted to see you but she's waiting with Jack at the moment while I came and found you. Also I tried to get her to eat this morning but she wasn't really having it so if you could convince her into having something, it would be really helpful."

Gabriella nodded, following the woman to Jack's office and found her sister slumped in one of the chairs with her head in her hands against the desk. Jack stood beside her trying to comfort her but with no avail. She went over to the little girl and rubbed her back. "Are you ok Baby?"

Lilliana looked up and immediately hugged her sister, the older girl lifting her up into her arms. She wrapped her arms and legs around her sister as she held her and whimpered "Bria."

The junior felt her forehead and cheeks. "You're a little warm." Feeling the girl bury her head into the crook of her neck, she turned to the parents. "She was tossing a bit last night but she said she felt ok." She turned her attention back to her sister. "Let's get you home huh?" Lucille drove the two girls back home and Gabriella laid her down on the lounge. "I'll be right back." She went and grabbed a wash cloth, soaking it in cool water and wringing it out before heading back to her sister and placing it on her forehead. "Hopefully that'll help with your temperature, what doesn't feel good Livie? Does your stomach hurt"

"No it's just my head."

"Ok, have you eaten yet?" The girl shook her head. "Alright, I'm gonna ask Lucille to make you some toast and I want you to eat that for me, it'll help you feel a little better." She called out to Lucille and asked her to make some toast and bring some Nurofen out for Lilliana. While they waited, Gabriella had her sister's head in her lap as she threaded her fingers through her hair in hopes to soothe the young girl. When the mother came out, Gabriella took the plate of food and medicine. "Thank you Lucille."

Lilliana slowly ate the piece of toast before taking the nurofen before resting her head back in Gabriella's lap. The teen grabbed a pillow from beside her, placing it under her sister's head before rubbing the girl's back. "You didn't get much sleep last night Baby, how about you take a bit of a nap and we'll see if that helps you feel better?" Lilliana nodded and drifted off to sleep at the feeling of her big sister's fingers playing with her hair.

Later that afternoon when Lilliana woke, she was in much higher spirits, feeling much better. She was sitting with Gabriella on the lounge when Troy walked through the door. He zoned in on Gabriella and approached her. "You know you almost cost me at school today when Mom came in. I had to make up a lie 'cause they were wondering why she was talking to you."

She looked at him confused. "I'm sorry but I don't see how that's my fault."

"Yeah well now they think we're family friends, I cannot believe that they get to think that I'd even put up with you."

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Sorry to inconvenience you and ruin your image Bolton."

He glared at her for her attitude snapping. "Well why are you here? No one wants you here. Why don't you just disappear and go back to your real parents. Oh that's right, you don't have any anymore."

Gabriella gasped, tears filling her eyes before she got up and ran to her room. Lilliana glared at her older brother. "Stop being mean to Bria." She yelled before running after her sister.

Troy sighed before looking up to find his mother staring at him, making him groan. She shook her head at him. "You shouldn't have said that Troy, I know you've been short with her and probably tormenting her a bit but you've gone too far this time."

"What, how was I supposed to know that she'd react like that. Her parents kidnapped my sister."

Lucille sighed and shook her head. "Troy sit down." The woman took the place beside her son on the lounge. "Those people who took Lilly weren't Gabriella's parents. She was kidnapped too when she was around the same age Lilly was."

"Oh I didn't know."

"I know that Bud but the reason she reacted so badly was because her parents passed away. Your father and I were sitting there when they told her that her parents had died in a car accident some time last year."

"Oh my god and all this time, I've been treating her like crap and she's done nothing wrong, she's been in the same position as Lilly." He stood up. "I've gotta go apologise."

"You blamed her, didn't you?"

The boy nodded. "I shouldn't have but I had been." He went upstairs and knocked on the door to Gabriella and Lilliana's room. It opened and Lilliana glared at him. "Lil, can I talk to Gabriella for a minute?"

"No, you're mean every time you talk to her and you made her cry."

He knelt down to her level. "I know I have and I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make her cry and I promise that I won't be mean to her anymore, I just want to tell her I'm sorry." The girl looked at him skeptically before leaving the room. Troy shut the door behind him and sat on the edge of the bed as she faced the wall. "I'm sorry Gabriella, I took it too far and I'm sorry for how I've been treating you. I didn't realise that the people who took you and Lilly weren't your parents and I shouldn't have said what I said. I've been blaming you for something that wasn't even your fault and I was wrong to do that, all because it made it easier for me so that I didn't need to feel guilty."

By this time, Gabriella had turned to face him, looking at him curiously. "What do you mean?"

He sighed before explaining. "I've been treating you terribly because I tricked myself into believing that you were somehow at fault for what happened to Lilly. I blamed you so that I didn't have to blame myself... The day that Lilly was taken, her, Jakie and I were all outside. Lilly and I were drawing with chalk out on the driveway and Jakie was playing in the garage with some toy cars. Mom was at work and Dad was in the kitchen for a few minutes making lunch. Jakie called out to show me something and I turned my back for five seconds to watch but when I turned around, Lilly was gone, I-I didn't know what to do, I was supposed to be watching her but she was kidnapped and it was my fault." He rested his hand on her ankle, getting his emotions under control. "When you walked in with Lilly, it was easier to place the blame on you for her being stolen than to actually admit that I was the reason she was kidnapped."

"Troy, you were only a kid, you couldn't have known that was going to happen."

He shook his head. "That's not relevant right now, the point is, I'm sorry for taking my issues out on you and I'm really sorry for how I've been treating you."

"I wanna say that it's ok but it's not, some of the things you said and did, did hurt me Troy. But I can't imagine how hard it must've been to have that weight on you so I'm willing to forgive you for both our sakes as well as my - I mean our sister?"

He chuckled lightly at her hesitance on what to refer to Lilliana as. "How about we just say our sister?" She nodded and he gently pulled her into a hug. "I promise I'll make it up to you for everything I've done. What do you say, friends?"

She nodded. "Friends."