THANK YOUUUUUUUUUUUUU

I have been so miserable this week I had a massive allergic reaction to a wasp sting and then a migraine You never fail to cheer me up.

CHAPTER 12

Gabi ran as fast as she could back to the park.

She couldn't see Troy anywhere and she panicked slightly at the thought of what could have happened to him.

Even the memory of his body, lying there, not moving, filled her with fear. What if he was really hurt? What if Aidan had found him and taken him off somewhere?

She'd had her own nightmare to deal with, fighting off both Jason and Chad but she wasn't going to let either of them hurt her, or Troy. She just had to get to Troy.

Her lungs burning with her exertion, her feet bare and sore from having no shoes, her skates taken from her by Chad. She sighed and began a slower walk towards Troy's house.

She was tired, she was aching from where they had held her and she was a total mess, but she had to know he was ok. He just had to be ok.

She knocked on the Bolton's door, praying against all odds that he was here and everything was going to be fine.

"Oh, Gabriella…" Lucy said, startled at her appearance.

"Is he here Mrs. Montez? Please tell me he's here?" Gabi demanded straight off.

"He's here" She confirmed and she saw him then, on the sofa as she looked past Lucy and into the living room.

She burst into tears at the sight of him and Lucy stepped back from the door, supporting her inside where she collapsed to her knees on their carpet.

"Gabriella, what on earth happened? Troy's dad is out looking for you…" She frowned as she gently stroked the small girl's shoulders.

"There was a fight…Oh god; I thought he was hurt, I really thought they had hurt him!" She cried and Lucy tried to help her up, not quite sure what to do with the sobbing girl.

"I'm going to call John and then I'm going to call the police." Lucy stated as Gabi sniffled and sat on the edge of the sofa, wincing as she took in the deep bruise on Troy's cheek, his face set so perfectly in his unconsciousness.

Trembling, she reached out and touched his forehead, tracing his eyebrows, his lips.

"We should get you cleaned up." Lucy murmured as she came into find Gabi lying against her son's chest, still sobbing, seemingly needing his arms to comfort her.

"Is he…?" She asked fearfully, her brown eyes wide.

"He's going to be ok. The doctor checked on him, he has concussion is all." Lucy assured her, taking the small, frightened girl up stairs to run her a bath.

"I don't have many clothes that would fit you, you're so tiny." Lucy smiled gently. "But here's some of Troy's sweatpants and t-shirt."

Gabi nodded, feeling like she was in a dream. An actual dream. Had all of that just really happened?

Had Chad really just knocked Troy out and grabbed her, intending to rape her?

Had she really fought back on both boys, injuring them –possibly permanently she thought with a smile as she remembered grabbing Chad's genitals and not holding back on the damage she exacted?

It all seemed like a crazy nightmare. And here she was, bathing in Troy's house, with his mum downstairs, welcoming her into her home.

Clean, hugging herself in Troy's comfy clothes, the pants loose on her hips, she padded back down to the living room. A waft of cooking smell hit her and she smiled, thinking how much it reminded her of being home, with her mom.

She quickly dialled her home number, biting her nail as she sureptously watched Troy, still sleeping.

"Mom, it's Gabi." She said quickly.

"Oh my child!" Julia said with relief. "John just told me what was happening and that Lucy has called the police, I'm coming back with him now." She assured.

Gabi closed her eyes, painfully.

"Well, okay…" She said, the phone going dead as she stared at it. A movement in the corner of her eye brought her attention back to Troy.

He twitched his arm, rubbing his eye tiredly. Her breath caught in her throat as she watched him, but she didn't want to crowd him too soon.

"Mom?" He called out huskily, fidgeting on the sofa.

"I'm here." Gabi said, slowly walking over, her face painted with concern.

"Oh my…Gabi!" He exclaimed, and then winced, touching his head.

She covered her mouth with her hand, pausing a few feet away from him.

"Oh, you're still hurt." She warned quickly. "I'll just stay here." She suggested.

"No you damn well won't…" He muttered crossly, his blue eyes reaching hers, confused, but still intense.

"You have concussion…" She offered, too afraid to move.

"Come here…" He begged, holding up his arm, then dropping it as it became too much.

"I can't." She argued.

"Come here, Gabi." He asked again, this time reaching for her leg and almost touching her.

She stepped forward, aching to touch him, to hold him, not knowing if she should or if it might make him worse.

His hand curled around her calf, his thumb brushing her skin as she hesitated.

"I want to hold my girl." He stated very slowly, his voice raw.

She couldn't deny him, she closed the gap, sitting on the sofa, threading her arms around his neck and holding onto him tightly, trying to stop the racking sobs that were breaking free.

"Oh my beautiful girl, what did they do to you?" He wondered, stroking her hair, holding her the best he could. He brought her against his chest, cradling her, not knowing what to do other than hold her because he had never seen her so torn- so hurt.

"I was so afraid, I thought you were hurt, really hurt!" She said, pulling back, laying her hands on his chest.

"I'm okay, I'm tough." He tried to smile, wincing again.

"I thought maybe Aidan had got to you or that they'd come back and…" She panicked, her eyes flitting over him, making sure he truly was ok.

His large hand brushed her cheek and she turned her face into it, her tears dropping from her chin into his palm.

"What did they do? Did they hurt you? I'm gonna fucking kill them…" He warned.

She shook her head. "They didn't hurt me." She promised.

"Did they…" He paused, the words difficult to say. He swallowed, looking right into her eyes.

"Did they touch you?" He asked, not wanting to hear her answer because he knew it would kill him if they had. He was supposed to protect her! He couldn't even do that.

"No, Troy." She swore. "They picked the wrong girl to kidnap." She offered, smiling a little.

He squinted, confusedly.

"They didn't…You're ok?" He checked.

She nodded. "I fought them off. I'm ok. I don't know about Chad though…" She bit her lip, flicking her eyes to him again and he couldn't help the relieved grin that met his mouth, before he remembered that hurt.

"Oh my god! You are amazing!" He awed.

"I'm glad your safe, Troyby." She added, lifting her hand to remove his fringe from his eyes.

"Is that voices I hear?" Lucy said as she came back in, wiping her hands on a tea towel.

"Yes, mom." Troy confirmed and she beamed at him.

"You're awake then!" She said brightly, seeing Gabi lying in his arms on the sofa.

"I'm awake." He nodded.

"Are you hungry?" She asked, hesitating in the doorway.

He nodded again and Gabi sat up, moving away as he shifted up on the sofa.

"You bet." He smiled, wincing again and cursing himself.

As he stood, he grabbed his mum for a hug and Gabi smiled shyly at the scene, feeling like she was interrupting a family moment.

The door opened and John came in with Julia, who ran to Gabi and caught her up in her own hug, Gabi blushing at the show of affection.

"Gabriella what happened?" Her mom asked, taking in her child's tired face, her tear-stained cheeks. "Where are your clothes?" She asked.

"Oh, Mrs. Montez, I loaned her some of Troy's old clothes." Lucy piped up quickly. "She was a bit of a mess when she got here…" She sighed and Troy's sharp gaze went to Gabi as he sat back on the sofa, eyeing her acutely.

"It was nothing…" Gabi assured, not wanting to upset Troy.

"Her feet were bleeding where she'd been running with no shoes and her top was ripped…" Lucy carried on, taking Julia around the shoulders, leaving Gabi to duck her mom's embrace and sit next to Troy, nervously placing her hand on his knee.

"I'm fine, Troy." She re-iterated.

"They ripped your top?" He asked quietly, meeting her eyes, his blue depths broken and hurt.

He reached out his hand and covered hers with his larger one, aching inside as she flipped her hand so she could twine her fingers with his.

"When I tried to escape…I promise, they didn't touch me, okay?" She asked again.

Another knock came at the door and the police were led in, Gabi by this time tired and distraught at the evening's events.

She lay against Troy's arm as the police finished up with their parents. He shifted his arm to encompass her shoulders, pulling her close.

"Where's your necklace?" He asked, spotting it was missing from around her neck.

Gabi sighed, dropping her gaze.

"They took it." She whispered, barely able to say the words, hoping he wouldn't notice.

"They took your necklace?" He raged, sitting up, wincing again.

"It's just a thing Troy. We can get another one." She touched his knee, begging. "I don't need a necklace to tell anyone how I feel about you."

"I can't believe they took your fucking necklace…" He muttered angrily as Lucy and Julia came back over, John still with the officer.

"Are you okay?" Lucy asked.

"Not really, no." Troy said, tensing. "They stole the necklace I gave to Gabi. The one I gave her when we went steady." He bit out and Gabi shrugged at the women, feeling Troy's arm slip around her waist.

"I said we can get a new one…" Gabi offered, stroking Troy's hair at his neck to try and soothe him.

"I have just the thing!" Lucy said and vanished upstairs where Gabi frowned.

"Are you coming home tonight, Gabi?" Julia asked softly, seeing her daughter so closely bonded with her boyfriend and not wanting to part them.

Gabi looked at Troy, willing him to meet her gaze.

"It's up to you, boyfriend." She asked.

He pressed his lips together.

"I'd like Gabi to stay. Would that be ok, Mrs Montez? I just want to make sure she's okay." He added.

"Ok, I'll pick you up tomorrow, Gabi." Julia smiled and bid goodnight to the Bolton's just as Lucy came down the stairs with whatever she was looking for.

"Ok, here we go…" Lucy said and held out a small ring, a gold band which had a tiny ruby in it.

"Mom, this is your engagement ring…" Troy frowned.

"Well no, actually it's my promise ring. I don't have an engagement ring." She smiled softly. "But your father gave me this when we were in High School and if it fits, Gabi, you're quite welcome to it."

Gabi smiled and took the ring, slipping it onto her finger.

"It's beautiful Mrs. Bolton, are you sure it's okay?" She asked and Lucy nodded, touching her knee.

"Absolutely. Now let's get some dinner before we all starve…" She suggested getting up and going out to the kitchen.