On their way up they drove along the fenced off property that ran beside the road, to see if anyone or anything had been in or under, or just broke the fence. They found the tire tracks running beside the fence for a long while, Gabby knew who they were from. Jack. He never broke the fence once, and there were no footprints so he didn't go in. but she knew he was checking out every part of the property he could. Gabby just sat in disbelief at how he could still come after his family like this when it would take so little to put him in jail for the rest of his life.
"Gabby, your dad has problems. thank god you guys have amazing security right"
"yeah I know, he's a little crazy and unpredictable, but I don't think he's going to do THAT much, he's just trying to scare us into coming back, so its best we don't tell anyone about what we saw today okay?... now lets get to that lake!"
"Okay I'm right behind you!"
They raced off to the water, even when in the back of Gabby's mind she knew he could be near, when she was with Troy, she just didn't care. She was so much at ease with him around, everything just else just seemed so unimportant. They got to the shimmering lake, with the most beautiful natural waterfall you had ever seen; it was about 25 feet tall. With lots of green growth around the rocks, we were in the thick wooded areas right now, it was beautiful. Troy pulled out 3 blankets to put down on the rock so it wouldn't be so hard, then grabbed Gabby from behind and pulled her into the water!
"TROY!"
"Ha-ha it's nice isn't it"
"yeah I guess, ha-ha"
for a minute they were silent, just staring at each other in this ultimate oasis that surrounded them. He kissed her softly a few times, and said "I love you"
"Troy… I love you to"
it wasn't Gabby's first time, and it wasn't Troy's, but their first time together, Gabby was a little bit reluctant, and scared. But eventually she decided on her own, she wanted to be with Troy more than anything, like maybe the slate would be wiped clean, and he would be her true first. He kissed from her forehead down to her neck and shoulders, then pulled her under the water and kissed her hard. He carried her out of the water and laid her down on the blankets they brought. Even though they didn't have a lot of clothing to take off, he took his time undressing her, like she was a carefully wrapped present. And she was. This was nothing like her fathers brutal "lessons". Gabby for the first time felt real, true love, not just family love. But soul mate, physical, make you smile and glow at the thought kind of love. They stayed there for a long time before Gabby's cell went off.
"Hello?"
"Gabby, where are you?"
"Taylor? What are you doing on the phone? Can you give the phone to mommy Taylor?"
"Mommy's not answering me!"
"Where is everyone? Where's Martha??"
"Gabby daddy came over"
"I'm coming!"
As soon as she could they raced back to the ranch and the house, dad's truck in the driveway. "Troy go get help, there's a neighbor down the road about 15 minutes, take my phone and call 911 on your way"
"Gabby I'm not leaving you"
"go now, trust me I know how to deal with him, I promise you if you stay he will kill you just go!!! Please!!!!!"
He kissed her hard and fast and rode off on the 4wheeler. Gabby grabbed her shot gun and headed in the house, she saw Taylor running around still in her little pink nightgown, with a bruise streaked across her face, "where is he???? Where's daddy Taylor!?!?!? where is he?" Taylor just pointed to Gabby's room, Gabby walked towards it as she cocked the gun and held the trigger, she peaked around the corner and saw him passed right out on her bed, and she quickly moved back to Taylor "where is everyone else? I need you to take me there now!"
Taylor walked to the basement where she saw all the kids huddled in a corner, as they saw her they ran over, mom was beneath them, they were hiding her, after dad had beaten her again to within inches of her life.
Gabby quickly motioned for them to be quiet. "dad is asleep, you guys need to stay here, and call 911, right now, here's the phone Zeke", just then they all screamed as their father raced down the stairs and fell halfway down. THUMP, right on top of Gabby, she struggled and squirmed to get herself loose from beneath him, finally she sprung out with shot gun in hand, she swiveled around to face him loading the gun again, with a loud click he knew she was serious.
"What's this all about Gabby?" he screams and slurs a little bit from all the alcohol.
"It's about moving on with our lives! So we don't have to live in fear of a pathetic drunk like you! You bastard! You hit your children, beat your wife, and rapped your daughter! For 5 years! You disgusting pig! rot in hell!" she pulled the trigger just as he shifted and made a jump for the stairs, Gabby had the best shot in the county, maybe even the state, so she still clipped his leg, but he got out and away. As she heard the springs screaming up the street she grabbed Taylor and Martha from her mother and ran up the stairs, he was long gone. But the police did bring them all in for a statement and they started their search. Gabby had a live in nurse come to the house to take care of momma, she couldn't trust the public care system to keep her safe, Gabby knew that this wouldn't be the last time they saw him, but she also knew he wouldn't take over their lives. The kids would continue going to school in the fall, and they would all live relatively normal lives. They had to; the whole point of this escape was so they could be normal. She knew she wouldn't run, she wouldn't just give in and let him win… Troy started coming over a lot more lately, usually spending the night, he helped her a lot with the kids and work around the ranch, they still kept that close eye, but Martha hadn't screamed or whaled and cried since that day… until today.

As Martha cried and screamed away, Gabby checked everything that could possibly be wrong with her, her temperature was fine, her diaper was clean, she had just been fed but Gabby tried again and nothing worked. Gabby looked at all the cameras and she saw it, his truck. Parked off the west end of the property. He was sitting there crying? Suddenly he reached for something, his cell phone? All the sudden Gabby's phone went off, and she heard through his sobs "Gabby, I want to see my kids, my wife. I want to see my family, I want to try and be better, I want you be a family again"
"stop it Jack. I can't let you do this, I bet you have a whiskey bottle right beside you" (Gabby saw it on the camera)
"your right. I do… but I want to stop all this, I want to stop drinking and I want to be the father I never was"
Gabby knew about his failure in the farm since they left him, she thought right away he just wanted in on the money train and Gabby wouldn't allow this.
"I'm sorry but until you can really convince me you're this person you say you are, your not coming anywhere nears my family. I truly believe you can change, I just don't think you will. Jack, what I'm going to tell you now can really affect your life, is you listening?"
"Of coarse I am"
"Every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future. Now I want you to think about that. go to church on Sundays, stop drinking, and go to anger management classes and maybe some therapy, I really think you should change, you have a beautiful amazing and wonderful family, and you have beaten all of them down to the point where they still jump at 6 when you would normally walk in the door. They turn off the TV. And look around, then realize their at home, not prison"
"I know what I did was wrong, Gabby i want my family back!"
"Prove it, mail me the papers of completion from AA and anger management in 6 months"
"that's to long; please Gabby just let me come by"
"no Jack, love is patient, love is kind, and when love is far, the heart has no boundaries. You can wait"
"please...."
"Bye Jack"
Gabby hung up the phone and didn't know what to think of this confession Jack just made. She decided not to think that much about it; she had too much to worry about already with school starting in less than a month, and lots of work to be done with moving the heard to another part of the property. But first, she would take the kids to a water park today! The closest one was an hour and a half drive so they left at 11. She and Troy drove in one truck with Martha, Taylor, and Sharpay. Mom took Zeke, Ryan, and Taylor. They got there, and it was huge! The kids had never been to an amusement park or anything like that to they had an amazing day. Troy and Gabby mostly stayed in the splash pools with Martha and Taylor, finally Zeke took Taylor and mom took Martha. Troy and Gabby went off to find a quiet spot of their own. For the first time in almost week they made love behind the eating area on a picnic table that was farther back in the brush of trees. Gabby loved being with Troy, he was amazing. Not only in "bed" but he just all around cared about her and loved her. And never hesitated to show her just how much he loved her. He took his time kissing every part of her body, he was slow and gentle and in no hurry to get to himself. She loved that about him. after they were finished they cleaned off in the wave pool and went off to the rides, they all met up at 5 and went for dinner at Francesco's in little Britain, the town the water park was in. that summer Gabby came to a conclusion, she wanted to take everyone on a long trip to either Florida, for Walt Disney land! Or to Mexico. She decided on Florida and waited for the kids to be older to go to Mexico. She started her planning that night on the internet and made the arrangements for next week.
Everything just seemed to be going her way, even Jack had stopped coming by everyday, she thought maybe he really would change and expect Gabby to hold up her end of the bargain. She didn't know how she felt about that....

The time came, for the trip that is. They stayed at an amazing hotel; it was the castle IN THE AMUSEMENT PARK! Gabby wanted to make it so special for her family! They all truly did have the time of their lives, Troy even came along to! Gabby switched off every hour or so with her mom to take care of Martha and Taylor, the smallest of the bunch, Martha who was now almost 11 months old, and Taylor who was turning five in 3 days! the days went on, everyday the children being able to go on as many rides and games as they wanted, they had a whole 2 weeks to cover the entire park! Finally Taylor's birthday came! Her absolute favorite movie was Cinderella, so they watched it in the morning like they had for the last 3 years. The whole family woke up and crawled onto Gabby and Troy's king sized bed, and watched Cinderella, it really was cute.
Then they ordered breakfast from room service, and to Taylor's surprise Cinderella herself brought it in (a paid actress that works for the park)
"CINDERELLY!!!" Taylor screamed over and over again with pure delight.
"Hello little princess, I hear it's a very special day for you here! Today, July 12 is your birthday!" Cinderella
"yes, it is!" Taylor
"well why don't you and your family come with me for breakfast! We can eat at the royal dinning table!" (A huge table in the middle of the castle hotel, reserved for V.I.P!)
They all went down and ate with "Cinderella". The girls had never been so happy I don't think in their entire lives. Even Taylor was glowing with a smile! Cinderella asked if she could take Sharpay and Taylor for a little tour around the park, and some rides, she promised only 3-4 hours' tops. Gabby was hesitant, but it was Taylors birthday, and she promised she wouldn't let him control them… so she said yes.
just as she was walking up the stairs back to her room for some much needed relaxation, she felt a hand grab her arm lightly, and then a soft kiss after she whipped around to see who it was, Troy. "Gabby, I just wanted to tell you you're amazing, and I don't know how you do it. Honestly, what you have done, and overcome is truly amazing. You saved your family from your father while you were dealing with emotional and physical pain I can't even imagine. I love you, and I hope to spend the rest of my life with you"
by then a tear had sprung to her eye, she kissed Troy right away hopping he hadn't noticed. "I love you so much and more! Troy you don't even know… you taking me out on dates and things were just ways of getting me out of the house, well that and I really liked you, and LOVED spending time with you. When I was out with you, I wasn't scared or worried I was going to be smacked or raped or yelled at. I just felt so comfortable with you, and I've grown to love you. and now I love you more than ever, your apart of this family and I'll always hold you in my heart"
"I think that's the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me, I just love you so much Gabby, when were apart I miss you but knowing that I get to see you soon, and that feeling I get when I see you after being gone for a few days, it just makes me not so depressed when were not together. Because I know seeing you again just makes it that much easier"
"Troy! Are you trying to make me bawl my eyes out! Ha-ha honestly!" right then she jumped into his arms and wrapped her legs tightly around his waist, kissed him hard and squeezed him harder. He stumbled a little into the wall, then with a little force manages to get to their room, bumping and smacking into the walls on the way their, just laughing it off and kissing even more. This time sex just took them to a whole other place. It was rough but the most amazing sensations and pleasures either of them had ever felt. He stood before her next to the bed and she ran at him full force and knocked him on his back flat on the bed. Moving down kissing his neck and chest she peeled away his shirt, and stoped for a minute to take her own off, this time the pampering went to him! For all the times he took his sweet time getting her, she really got him this time. She peeled off his undershirt and went right for his belt. Foreplay lasted a long time today, almost 2 hours before they actually made love. Their room looked like a tornado came through, just without actually breaking anything! Both of them lay there panting and catching their breath. Troy just watched Gabby's bare chest rise and fall with every gasping breath, finally her breathing settled and he looked at her and said.......".............?