With Tears:

Troy glanced down at his finger intertwined with his wife. Her small delicate, soft hands in his coarse, rough hands. Two people so very different that just fit together, like their hands. Troy pulled her hand to his lips. Sitting here looking at her, she didn't look like the woman he knew since high school. She had a baggage wrapped her head and her normally tan skin was pale. What started out as a great night turned into something completely different.

Flashback:

Troy glanced over at his wife. They had just left Zeke's Bakery from their weekly get together with the old gang from high school. Gabriella or Gabi smiled at her husband. He kept his eyes on the road but they held hands, resting their hands on his thigh. Troy lifted her hand and gently kissed the back of her hand.

"I love you so much."

"I love you too baby. Always and forever?"

"Always and Forever." Troy took a quick look at Gabi as they went through the green light. Light poured in the window. "GABI!" Glass could be heard braking, screams were heard, and then there was blackness

End of Flashback:

A drunk driver had struck Gabi's side of the car. The screams, coming from both, still rung in Troy's ears. The police got the guy and the Dr said she didn't feel much. She wasn't dead, just lost somewhere in her mind. Troy stayed with her everyday, only moving to shower, change, use the bathroom, and eat something. Friends and family came and went but Troy never left. He would talk to Gabi for hours about what they would do when she woke up. Troy was pulled from his thoughts when there was a knock on the door. Troy lifted his eyes from Gabi's to see Sharpay and Chad at the door.

"Hey you guys. Come on in."

"Any change?" Chad asked as they walked into the room.

"Not much. She squeezed my hand last night but they said it could be just a muscle spasm."

"How are you holding up sweetie?"

"Okay." Troy said shrugging his shoulders

Chad said, "Why don't you come walk with me?"

"But Gabi…"

"Will be just fine. I'll stay right by her side. You go, get some fresh air."

"Alright." Troy leaned down and kissed Gabi's head. "I love you baby. I'll be right back; I'm gonna go take a quick walk with Chad. Sharpay's gonna be right here with you incase anything happens." Troy kissed her lips and leaves the room

Sharpay takes over Troy's spot "Hey buddy."

Once Troy and Chad were outside Chad said, "Let it out."

"What?"

"You've been in the hospital for a month now. Every time we come in, you have this expressionless face on. Troy we're all here for you, just let it out. I know you well enough to know you're keeping something inside."

"I'm fine."

"Really?"

Troy sits on the pavement "I don't know anymore." He looked up at Chad with his eyes shinning.

Chad sits next to him "What do you mean?"

"I would be the first one to say that she is gonna open her eyes. Chad it's been a month, a month, the Dr's say the longer she stays like this the less likely it is for her to wake up. It's my damn fault that she's in there."

"How do you figure that one out?"

"Maybe if we would have left earlier like she wanted to none of this would have happened. She doesn't deserve to be in there, she was going to finish her PhD this month. She wanted to cure cancer, that's what she wanted, and now she might not get the chance."

"This is not fault. The drunk driver ran a red light is the one at fault. Your not to be blamed for this, Gabi wouldn't if she was wake. Gabi's a fighter, that's one thing I know for damn sure about her. She won't give up her life, not this way."

"How do you know?"

"Cause…you aren't in heaven and the girl follows you anywhere."

Meanwhile up stairs Sharpay held Gabi's hand "You really need to wake up. Troy's a complete mess and none of us knows what to do without our support system. You're the person we run to when there's something wrong. You are the bravest woman I know. You stood up to me when I was still the Ice Queen, remember Lava Springs? You changed me; you changed everyone for the better with your big heart. We need you and so does Troy. Don't ever think I'm giving up on you, because I'm not. You're a fighter Gabriella Elizabeth Bolton so fight your way back to us. Fight your way back to your husband." Sharpay wiped her tears away as the door opened. Sharpay saw Chad then Troy. "You okay?"

"Yeah. Chad and me had a nice talk."

"Good." Sharpay hugs Troy "Make sure you eat something and call your parents and Miss Montez. They're worried about you too." Sharpay pulled away and said "I'll come by later."

"Okay." When Sharpay left Troy took back his seat.

Chad said, "Kelsi said she'd drop by later. John's gonna watch the baby."

"How is she?"

"Good." Chad said, "I gotta go. I'll see you later tonight when I drop by."

"Okay." When Chad left Troy picked up Gabi's hand "I love you baby." he gently kissed each of her fingertips.

There was a knock on the door. When it opened, a Dr appeared "Mr. Bolton?"

"Yeah."

The Dr came in and said, "Hi, I'm Dr. Jones."

"Nice to meet you Dr. Jones."

"Please call me Abby. I'm here to discuss you wife."

"Why? Is something wrong?"

"Have you ever though of taking her off life support?"

"No, I keep hoping she gonna wake up. She's got people here who need her."

"I know this is hard."

Troy jumped up. "The hell you do. That is the love of my life lying in the bed, dying, and there isn't a damn thing I can do. So don't tell me you know how I feel cause you don't."

"I'm very sorry Mr. Bolton but these matters need to be discussed."

"No they don't. Get out."

"Mr. Bolton."

"LEAVE!" When the Dr left. Troy sat down and grabbed her hand "I promise I'll never let you go." Troy kissed her head "Always and forever remember that? We promised each other forever." Troy was like that till Kelsi knocked on the door.

She came in and said "Hey."

"Hey."

"How are you holding up? Chad told me about the talk that you two had."

"Better. He stopped short of beating it into my head that it wasn't my fault."

"It's not. I hope you know that Troy."

"I do…now."

"Good."

"How's the baby doing?"

"Great. Jason was so scared he slept on the floor in the room with her the first night."

"That's Jason for ya."

"Yup. Listen I know a great way to cheer you up."

"How?"

"You stay right there." Kelsi walked out into the hallway.

Troy leaned down to Gabi "We have the weirdest friends."

"I heard that Mr. Bolton." Kelsi said walked back in.

"I know." About 5 minutes of sitting there talking Troy heard feet. "I know that sound." He leaned over t Gabi and said, "Guess who."

The door burst up and Troy heard "DADDY!"

Troy picked the little girl up. "Hey baby."

"Mommy." She pointed at Gabi

"Mommy is sleeping."

Just then Jason comes in "Sorry she just took off."

"It's okay." Troy put his daughter in his lap and said "How are you feeling Sophia?"

"Okay." Sophia shrugged her tiny shoulders.

"Your wrist still hurt?" When she nodded Troy said, "I'm so sorry baby."

Flashback:

Gabi smiled as she watched her husband lifted their sleeping three year old. "She's dead to the world."

"Just like you when you sleep."

"Shush." Gabi turned to everyone else. "I'll call you guys later."

Gabi heads out to the car. Troy said, "She's all ready to go."

"Good."

The couple climbed into their car and started home. Troy glanced over at his wife and she smiled at her husband. He kept his eyes on the road but they held hands, resting their hands on his thigh. Troy lifted her hand and gently kissed the back of her hand.

"I love you so much."

"I love you too baby. Always and forever?"

"Always and Forever." Troy took a quick look at Gabi as they went through the green light. Light poured in the window. "GABI!"

"SOPHIA!" Glass was heard breaking, screams were heard, and then there was blackness

End of Flashback:

"Daddy when is mommy gonna wake up?"

Troy got a sudden lump in his throat. He took a deep breath before saying "Soon. She's gonna wake up very soon."

"Good cause I don't want her to miss my birthday."

"Yes it is and your gonna be?"

"This many." Sophia held up four fingers.

"Good. Were you good for Aunt Kelsi and Uncle Jason?"

"Yup. When I would wake crying for you and mommy, Aunt Kelsi would sing me to sleep."

"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you baby. You know I love you very much, right?"

"Yes." Sophia said smiling

Troy said "Good." They heard coughing "What was that?"

Jason said, "Oh my god Troy look."

Troy looks to where Jason was pointing to see Gabi moving "Get a Dr." He placed Sophia in a chair. "Baby you stay right there." Troy took Gabi's hands. "Come on baby. Open your eyes, I know you can. Me and Sophia are right here. We need you to open your eyes, open your for us." Gabi's eyes flutter open and when she tried to talk, Troy said, "Don't talk, you have a tube down your throat."

Dr Jones came in. "Excuse me. You all need to leave."

"Wait." Troy started to protest

"Come on Troy." Jason said

Troy lifted Sophia up. "Yeah." They waited out in the waiting room for an hour. Then Dr. Jones came out "Is she okay?"

"She's fine. Other then the physical deformities that will heal over time."

"Thank god."
"It's truly a miracle that she came out of her coma. We weren't expecting her to."

"People pull out of comas all the time."

"Not when their car was smashed in. Mr. Bolton she had sever internal bleeding, there are still test to run but for now you can see her."

"Thank you." Troy turned to Kelsi and Jason "Can you call everyone and tell them the news. Me and Sophia are gonna go in and see Gabi."

"Go ahead. Go see your wife." Jason said

Kelsi said, "Give her a hug and kiss for me."

"I will." Troy picked up Sophia and headed into Gabi's room

Gabi smiled and said, "Hey."

"Baby." Troy kissed her all over her face. "I thought I lost you."

"Shh…none of that matters now. I want to be happy."

"Okay."

Sophia said, "Mommy, mommy."

Troy lifted her a little higher "Be careful."

"Okay." Sophia kissed her head "Love you mommy."

"Love you too sweetie."

Soon family was there and everyone caught Gabi up. A nurse came in "Sorry everyone but visting hours are up. Only immediate family can stay."

They all said goodbye and Gabi said "Bye…Love you all."

"We love you to Gabi." Then they left

A while later Gabi saw Sophia's eyes drop. She looked up at Troy "Why don't you take her home let her sleep in her own bed. You stay there to and get some real sleep."

"Gabi…"

"No. I'm here awake, alive, and I'll be here in the morning."

"But Gabi…"

"No I don't want to see your face till morning."

"Alright you win."

"I always do."

Troy kissed her head and her lips. Troy lifted Sophia up. "Say goodnight to mommy."

"Night mommy."
"Night baby. Love you always."

Troy smiled at her before he left the room. Gabi closed her eyes and just listen to the silence. Troy meanwhile was placing a now sleeping Sophia in the car and drove off towards the house him and Gabi bough together. When they got home Troy safely tucked his daughter into bed, kissing her head, whispering that he loved her and always will. Troy headed to his room and got changed, slipping into the, what seemed like, huge bed. It didn't feel right being in bed all by himself. He always had Gabi cuddled up to his chest, his face buried in her hair. During the night however Troy shot up in bed, a bad feeling washing over him. He called the hospital to check on Gabi and they hold him she was sleeping. Troy tried to shake the feeling but he couldn't. he stayed up the rest of the night, in Sophia's room, just watching his daughter sleep. The next morning Troy left Sophia with Kelsi and drove to the hospital

When he got to the nurse's desk he said "I'm here to see my wife Gabriella?"

"Mr. Bolton please hold on one second."

"Okay."

A minutes later Dr Jones came out. "Mr. Bolton."

"Dr. Jones."

"I'm sorry but there was a accident last night."

"What? What happened? Is Gabi alright?"

"I'm so sorry Mr. Bolton…your wife is dead."

"No."

"I'm sorry. She died peacefully in her sleep."

"She couldn't. she had a daughter and friends who need her."

"Again I'm sorry. If it's anything, she left you this." He handed him an envelope.

"Thank you." Troy walked outside and opened the letter.

Dear Troy,

If your reading this then I know I'm up in heaven watching over you and Sophia. Please don't be angry, there was nothing anyone could do. Just remember, everything happens for a reason. Us, me and you, we were destined to meet. Destined to fall in love and get married and have a baby. I just wish the road didn't end this short. You changed me whole life around and I thank you for that. There aren't enough words in the world to describe the way I feel about you. Please tell Sophia that I love her very much and I'll always be there in spirit. Don't cry for me because I don't want you to be sad. I want you to celebrate my life not mourn my death. Just know that anytime you want to see me, just close your eyes and the memory will play. Know that I tried fighting and I made my way back to you so I could give you this. I love you and I always no matter where my spirit is. Now's it's with tears that I let you and I hope you can do the same. Always watching over you.

Love, Gabriella Elizabeth Bolton.

Troy folded up the note. He titled his head back, trying not to cry. He said, "Why? Why did you have to take her now? She had a baby who needs her mother." Troy shook his head and got up and left the hospital "What am I gonna tell Sophia?" When he got to Kelsi's house he knocked on the door

Kelsi opened up "Hey Troy hows…" That's when she saw his face "What happened?"

"She's dead Kelsi…she's gone."

Kelsi "Troy I'm so sorry."

"I just came to get Sophia. Is she still awake?"

"Yeah. I'll go get her."

"Thanks." Troy waited by the front door

"DADDY!" Sophia flew into his arms. "Are we going to see Mommy?"

"No sweetie not right now. We have to go home first."

"Why?"

"I explain when we get there."

"Okay." Sophia was put down and she ran out to the car.

When they got home. Troy said, "Come here baby." Troy placed her on his lap "Me and you need to talk."

"Okay daddy."

"Listen…"

"When's mommy coming home?"

Troy tried to swallow the lump in his throat. "Honey mommy isn't coming home."

"Why?"

"She's in heaven baby."

"But I want her here."

"I know baby, I do too but she can't."

"I want my mommy."

"Sophia."

"I want my mommy." She screamed causing Troy's heart to break even more.

Troy held on to his daughter "I'm so sorry honey. Trust me she didn't want to leave."

Sophia finally broke down and cried her heart out. All while saying "Mommy" over and over again.

When she was asleep Troy took her to bed. "I love you." then he walked into his room, the room he shared with Gabi. He walked over to the window, looking at the night sky. "You may have let go Gabi but I will never let go of you. And I'll make damn sure that our daughter knows all about her mother."

The End - Hope you all like it. There will more coming soon. Please review

---SexyPunk54---