Gabriella put the last dime into the payphone, "Alright, come here Eliot," she said as she listened for the ringing on the other line. Her hands were shaking. Her breath was short as she tried to relax with no success. On the third ring he answered.

"Hello,"

At the sound of his voice she stopped breathing altogether. Memories of that voice sent chills down her spine as well as caused her skin to tingle. Every touch, pull, grab, slap, punch, cut and threat came flooding back and she gripped the phone with extra force as she tried with all her might not to just slam it down on the receiver.

"Gabriella?"

Her name coming over the line made her body jerk.

"Sweetheart, is that you?"

"You're son wants to talk to you," she said dryly hating that her voice was shaky.

"And I want to talk to you."

"Eliot," Gabriella held out the phone and covered the mouth piece, "Remember you cannot tell daddy where we are, okay baby?"

"Ok," Eliot took the phone from her and held it to his ear. "Hey daddy," the excitement in his voice almost made her heart break into a thousand pieces.

Gabriella quietly stood by the payphone listening to Eliot tell his father all about his new teacher. Fear rattled through her as she watched Eliot's innocent features. He was too young to understand. Eliot worshipped his father and this separation had to be hard on him. But it had to be done. She couldn't leave him behind. It wasn't an option.

Gabriella looked out into the deserted parking lot her mind lost in thoughts as she tried to silently contain her anxiety. She listened to the one sided conversation between her husband and son. Carefully monitoring Eliot's answers and at the same time convincing him he had his privacy. After three minutes she bent down besides Eliot. "That's enough, we gotta go baby."

"Daddy wants to talk to you about Nana."

Gabriella nodded and took the receiver, she motioned for Eliot to step aside and without hesitation she hung up the phone. Severing all contract.

"He said it was important," Eliot's eyes widen.

"I bet he did," Gabriella responded as she took his hand. "Come on, we got to get you to school."

Eliot followed behind her dragging behind a little. They were only four steps away when the phone booth began to ring.

"Come on," Gabriella said in a rushed tone. Her heart jack hammered and her skin crawled as she raced them both towards the car. Even though they were two hours away from town she still didn't want to take her chances. Michael wasn't going to give up, not after Nana passing.

Gabriella had begged her to leave her out of the will, to not bring her into it at all. But the older woman was stubborn.

"I can't let you do this. Michael should have the estate, not me."

"Michael? Seriously? I may be old, but I'm not blind and stupid. Michael is my only grandson and I love him. But I know his flaws. He drinks too much. He stays out too late doing God knows what. He gambles to excess. I've had to bail him out way too many times." She paused to take a breather. Tightening her fragile grip on Gabriella's hand as they sat quietly in the confines of her hospital room while Michael went take Eliot to soccer practice.

Nana went on weakly as she smiled, "You're like a granddaughter to me. Your coming into my family was my grandson's greatest gift to me."

"Please, I…"

"Don't interrupt. What I am about to say is very important to me. I'm about to ask you to make a promise to a dying woman… a promise you have to keep."

Gabriella nodded hesitantly.

After a moment of hesitation and stillness from either of them the old woman spoke again. "You have to leave him. If you don't Eliot will only grow up with anger in his heart. Michael will never stop hurting you and you're much too smart to let him."

Gabriella shook her head and began to deny it, "I don't know what-"

"Hush," Nana said shifting so her other hand could rest on top of Gabriella's, "You're not clumsy. You're not shy, and in the rare moments he's not around you look like a prisoner who gets their rare taste of freedom."

"You know about that?"

"Yes, my dear, I know about that and more. I know about the other women. You've made a valiant effort to shield me from my grandson's vices. But there's no need for that. I know that you're considering divorce."

Gabriella's eyes widen with surprise. "Well, I…"

"There's no need for explanation." Nana paused briefly to examine Gabriella reaction and braced herself for what she was about to say. "When Michael gets back I plan to tell him about the will. He will receive a generous monthly check from the trust I set up for him. I intend to tell him that the estate will be your property and yours alone."

"Nana, you cannot do this."

"I damn well can and did."

"Michael will fight me in court for the estate, you know he will."

"If he does, he loses that generous monthly check from his trust fund. I've already had it stipulated in the will."

"Nana, I can't accept this."

"You can and you will. But you have to promise me that you'll leave him. Promise me."

Gabriella eyes watered as she focused on the road in front of them, her station wagon driving along quietly as Eliot leaned on the passenger door and watched the scenery pass by in the window. He was so confused. So sad about not being able to see his father. Upset about leaving his toys behind. Frustrated that they only had two channels in the motel room where they were staying. He was upset now, but soon or later he'd have to come around. She was doing the right thing. She had to do this. She made a promise.

Troy sat at his desk reading over some paperwork all the while his mind wonder back to Gabriella. Back to Gabriella and her son. He Blamed this on the be-a- gentleman gene that he'd inherited from his dad-the one he wished he could get surgically removed.

Not that the gentleman gene was as dangerous as the hero instinct. He wanted to be Gabriella hero all those years ago. He wanted to save her. But he was just a kid. Now here they were 15 years later and she needed saving again and at least this time there might be something he could do about it.

Suddenly there was a knock on his door and whoever was behind it didn't wait for Troy answer before coming in. Troy smile stiffened as he looked up at his father.

"Morning,"

"You're just like your mother you know that?" Jack said with a raised brow. "You both get that little arch in your brow when you're not happy to see me."

"Dad," Troy let out a sigh, "What are you doing here?"

"Did you check up on the Paxton?"

"Yes, and I have a feeling you did as well?" Troy signed as he closed the folder he was working on and put it to the side.

"You and that girl have a history."

"Gabriella," Troy supplied as he motioned to the seat in front of him. Troy studied his father for a moment. Troy's father never really like Gabriella. Not because of her parents, though they hadn't helped but because of her rebellious nature of lack of respect for authority.

His father always use to say that the girl brought trouble on the winds behind her. Didn't matter if she meant to or not. Where ever she was trouble followed. Troy couldn't argue that he was wrong. Even now after 15 years the very fact that Gabriella running away from something that could potentially follow her into town was just evidence that nothing had changed about her over the years.

"Is that coffee I smell?"

"Yes, I just made a pot." Troy motioned to the small coffee maker set up on the filing cabinet, "Knock yourself out."

"So what are you going to do about the girl?"

Troy's lips flattened as he watched the back of his father head as he poured himself a cup of coffee. "About Gabriella." It felt weird saying her full name. It was like he was talking about a stranger. Surely he wasn't talking about Ella. At least he wasn't going to in front of his father.

"Do you know what you're problem is?" his father said turning around once his cup was filled.

Troy leaned back in his chair, "enlighten me."

"You're too involved."

Troy held his own cup to his lips, watching his dad through a trail of stream. "I haven't seen her in 15 years." He was far from involved. He was three times removed from it.

"Have you found anything in her files?" His father asked bringing his own cup up to his lips.

Troy took a sip and let it warm him up before deciding to answer his father. "Just some names to look at. Nothing you should be too concerned about. I plan on talking to her later today."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"What?"

"Talking to her?"

Troy placed his cup off to the side. "What do you suggest I do?"

"Have someone else talk to her. Take yourself out of the equation so it doesn't cost you your job."

Troy arched his brow again not giving a flying fuck this time about his father knowing what it meant. "She's married."

"Not happily."

"She has a kid."

His father came closer to the desk blowing on his coffee before taking another sip. "You two have a reputation." His father continued to study him. "Are you still interested in her?" his tone spoke volumes.

"All I'm going to do is talk to her and figure out what's going on."

"Her husband roughed her up, she took the kid and ran. It's not that complicated."

Troy tilted his head in his father's directions, "There are laws."

"I know the laws. I can recite them drunk off my ass. I thought you two bonded."

Troy got up from his chair and piled a stack of folders that didn't really need to be piled but he needed to busy himself before he lost it. "15 years dad."

A grin widen on his dad's mouth, "From what I remember you two had a close bond."

"Not that close," Troy looked up at his father, "won't be that close again. Things are different now." Troy made sure the look he shot his dad had a warning stamped all over it.

Jack Bolton seldom paid heed to warnings. "Things aren't that different."

Troy let out low breath, "Why the sudden change in heart? Why now? What about before when you told me to leave her alone?"

"Things are different. You need a wife. Your mother needs grandchildren. I need to sleep at night, instead of worrying about all the dumb ways you could get yourself shot again. This seems like a just add water solution to the problem don't you think?"

"You need to leave my office before I discharge my weapon."

Jack smirked as he shrugged his shoulders. "This use to be my office you know."

"I'm aware," Troy murmured placing his hands on his hips.

"I just think-"

"Stop thinking. It gets your ass in a crack every time."

His dad shrugged as if letting it drop. "Does she know about the house?"

"If she did she would have come in for the key by now."

"Do you think she knows about her daddy?" Jack said lifting his cup again.

Troy shrugged, "she came to Highland Meadows for a reason, I got to assume it's because she wants the house."

"So you think she wants to stick around?" his father said before taking another sip.

"She might." Troy shook his head, "I'll find out later today when I go talk to her." Troy was quiet for a moment and then tapped the desk, "Did we ever have a plan for Mr. Philips?"

Jack lowered his cup and a frown tugged at his lips, "He doesn't really have anywhere else to go. After his house burnt down the Paxton's just been his home."

"But there has to be something we can do for him?"

"Why the sudden need to take care of Mr. Philips?"

Troy shrugged an uneasy feeling coming over him as he looked down at his desk, "He not making his payments at the Paxton, if Josh gives him the boot, what are we going to do?"

"I'll pay him a visit tomorrow, bring him some of your mother's apple pie. See what's going on." Jack put his cup down and placed his hands on his hip.

"You know you don't have to do that," Troy said a little annoyed. "I'm perfectly capable of knocking on his door and checking on him myself."

"Son," Jack said taking a breath, "you know what you're problem is?"

Troy crossed his arms as he gave his father a questioning look.

"You don't know how to say thank you, or take help when it's given."

"Dad." Troy said placing his hands on his hips, "you know what you're problem is?"

Jack smiled, "I care too much?"

"You're retired."

Just then there was a knock on the door and Martha stuck her head in, "Oh Sheriff, you're here," she greeted as she held her hand out to Jack. "I would have brought in doughnuts had I known, there sitting on my desk."

"He's not the Sheriff," Troy said taking a seat in his chair.

"Do have those chocolate sugar twist things?" Jack asked warmly ignoring his son's statement.

"Of course I do, you're son doesn't really have a sweet tooth so I've always got plenty."

"Fat bodies don't catch bad guys," Troy said looking up at his father with a smirk.

"Well as my son loves to remind me, I'm retired so what the hell, bring it on."

Troy watched as Martha and Jack left his office in a frenzy over powdered doughnuts, Boston crèmes, and éclairs. Troy reached for the file he had pulled on Michael Catania and continued his reading.

The guy had a gambling problem, a drinking problem and few run ins with the cops that landed him in jail. Needless to say he was bailed out every time the very next day. Nothing ever seemed to stick at least not long enough to make a case.

Troy looked up at the clock on the wall as he thought about Gabriella with a guy like this. What had she seen in him? The money? The glitz and glam of his life style? There had to be something.

Meanwhile in front of Highland Meadows Elementary School, he watched the brunette as she dropped the little boy off at school. She was in her little diner girl uniform with the white tennis shoes laced up tight. He sat in his car quietly the radio station a distant murmur of noise as he tapped the ashes of his cigarette out into his ashtray.

His cell phone began to buzz and he let out a sigh as he reached for it from the dash board and brought it up to his ear. "Yes."

"Remember that message?"

"Already have it prepared and ready to go."

"Great," the voice on the other line snarled. "Make sure she gets it."

"You're the boss."

The man heard the click on the other line before pulling the phone away from his ear setting it back on the dashboard. His gaze returned back towards the brunette as she made her way back to her car. A rush of exhilaration swept over him. Who knew the discovery of his handiwork would be this thrilling? She'd pay attention to him now and recognize him for the important person he was. After all who the fuck did they think they were dealing with?