I'll Be Home For Christmas

by: LunarEclipse360

A/N: so I managed to get this out to you, but it's a page shorter than the last three. Anyway, I'm in a hurry. Going to my aunt's house. Merry Christmas, everyone!

Chapter 4

As the pair continued traveling down the interstate, it didn't take them long that a couple of miles meant a couple of long miles. They realized it when they noticed it was taking them forever to get where they wanted to go. Gabriella commented that it was like driving to the far end of Long Island; once you left Nassau county, the exits were all spaced out at long intervals. But, they found that didn't care as much. They passed the time spent recalling moments from their childhood that might have scarred them for life.

"I have the ultimate, ultimate bad childhood experience," he said, "and there's no way you can top it."

"Depends on what it is."

"When I was seven, I walked in on my parents having sex."

She cringed and looked at him. "I'm sorry that you had to see that," she apologized, turning back to the road.

He laughed. "So am I. I couldn't sleep for weeks. Have you ever watched That 70's Show?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Ever seen that episode when Eric walked in on his parents doing it?" She nodded. "Well, I was like him except worse because I was only seven at the time. It scarred me without me even realizing it. I still get grossed out just thinking about it."

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, when I was ten, my sister decided to tell me every gory detail about how making babies worked."

Unable to stop himself, Troy went into a fit of laughter. "You're kidding?"

"I am so serious. My sister is six years older than me, so she was sixteen at the time and, out of spite for something I did to her make-up kit, she went into explicit details about the act of sex. At the time, my mother was dating this guy and I was so horrified by what Rachel, my sister, had told me that I told my mother that I didn't want her doing that with her boyfriend. My mother was so angry with my sister that she grounded her for months."

"Karma at it's very best."

Gabriella grinned and nodded. "You have any siblings?"

"No," he answered with a shake of his head. "Only child, and proud of it."

"You didn't get lonely as a child?"

He shook his head. "Not really. My best friend filled the spot of sibling for me. He and I were basically inseparable since Pre-school."

Smiling, she glanced at him. "Well, at least you didn't have to worry about sibling rivalry. My sister and I were constantly annoying each other. I know that my mom was happy when Rachel finally went away to college. No more listening to her daughter bicker over nothing."

"Sounds like fun."

"It was, actually," she said, a small smile on her face as she reminisced about all of the arguments she and her sister used to get into.

There was this gleam in her eyes, one that made her chocolate irises sparkle and caught his attention without even trying. He found it hard to look away from her. He didn't even realize that he had been staring at her until she spoke up about it. Smirking, he responded with a quick 'nothing' and looked out the window.

"Hey," he said, noticing something falling from the sky. "It's snowing."

"What?" Her voice went higher than normal as she paid more attention to the snowflakes falling outside the windows. "It…it can't snow. Not now."

Turning to the woman beside him, he noticed the frightened look on her face. He became increasingly concerned about her sudden change of behavior. "Gabriella, what's wrong?"

"I-I can't drive in this; I just can't."

"Then pull over and we'll switch."

She shook her head. "I-I…"

"Gabriella," he said, placing his hand over hers on the steering wheel, "just take a deep breath, put on the hazard lights and pull over to the side of the road." Nodding, she quickly turned on the hazard lights and moved to the side of the highway before coming to a complete stop. "Now, we'll switch."

"Troy," she said, stopping him from exiting the car. He looked at her and she met his gaze. "I can't move."

"Alright, just…just stay put, I'll come around and help you."

Quickly, he climbed out of the car and rushed to the driver's side. When he opened the door, he noticed that she seemed to be hyperventilating. He knelt down to her level and grasped her hand. At the sudden contact, she snapped out of her daze and looked at him. Seeing the panic in her eyes, he knew that there was no way she was getting out of the car unless he carried her. He grabbed her legs and wrapped his other arm around her back, lifting her from the seat and into the cool night air. He closed the door with his hip and carried her to the other side, setting her down into the passenger's seat and strapping her in. Once he had her door closed, he ran back to the driver's side and climbed in. Putting on his seatbelt, he put the car in drive and started down the highway. He glanced over at Gabriella to see how she was and she still seemed a bit frightened. Reaching over, he grabbed her hand and held it tight. Seeming to come out of her daze, her eyes snapped to their joined hands before looking at him and smiling in gratitude. He smiled back and turned his attention to driving through the storm.

::

It took Troy a bit longer to get to the motel than he wanted to, but he did not want to run the risk of sliding off the road. So he took his time, all the while making sure that Gabriella was okay. She seemed to have improved a bit, though he wondered if it had anything to do with his reassuring hand that was laced with hers the entire drive. When they pulled up to an empty parking space within the motel's lot, Troy turned off the engine and turned his head to the woman beside him. Her gaze was focused outside the window as she stared at the falling frozen water. He looked down at his hand that was now encased between both of hers. He squeezed the one he was holding to capture her attention and she turned towards him, her brown eyes silently questioning him.

"Are you okay with staying here, or do you want to go into the front office with me?"

"Um," she started, biting her lip, "I think I'll go with you."

He nodded and gave her hand one last squeeze before, slowly, removing his. Quickly, he exited his car and watched as she followed; hugging her jacket close to her body as the wind picked up. He went to meet her around the front of the car and ushered her towards the door of the office, knowing it would be warmer inside. There was a man reading a magazine when they walked in, his head only lifting when he heard the door close. He smiled at them and stood up straight.

"Good evening. How may I help you?"

"I would like to rent a room for the night," Troy said.

"Just one?" Gabriella questioned, looking into his eyes.

His eyes widened, realizing the implication of just getting one room. "Oh, um…if you want your own, I could get two."

"Troy, I told you, you don't have to pay for me. I have money, you know."

"I know, I just…" He scratched the back of his neck; a nervous habit of his. "I was just being nice, but if you want to pay for your own room, go right ahead."

She frowned slightly, not liking the tone in his voice. "Troy…"

"Can I just get a room?" Troy asked the guy, cutting her off from whatever it was she was about to say. The man, after looking between the pair in front of him, nodded. Troy stepped around Gabriella and went to pay for his room. "Thank you," he said after being handed his room key.

"What about you, sweetheart; you going to get a room?" the man asked Gabriella, who was still staring at Troy's back. She snapped out of it when the employee spoke to her and looked at him.

"Oh, um, yeah, I guess so." She stepped up to the desk and pulled out her wallet to pay for her own room. She side-glanced at Troy and opened her mouth to say something to him, but he walked away before she could get a chance.

Troy walked out back into raging snow storm and went to his car. He opened the trunk and pulled out both his and Gabriella's suitcase. When she appeared at his side minutes later, he handed it to her and walked off. He knew that he had no reason to be angry with her, but he was. He couldn't even tell you what it was about the situation that made him so upset. He just knew that the best thing was to get inside his hotel room and just cool off. Once he had done that, he would apologize to her for acting the way he was. Stopping at the door, he placed the key into the lock, but waited until he saw Gabriella go inside her own room. She didn't look at him as she went into her room, but he could tell that she was upset and when she slammed her door, he knew he was right. Sighing, he opened his door and went inside, turning on the lights and dropping his bag to the floor.

He had to make the best of this night because they wouldn't be stopping at another motel. There was just no time. Slipping off his sneakers, he took off his coat and hung it on the back of the chair in the small seating area of the room. In need of a shower, he headed to the bathroom and started the water.

::

Like a weight had been lifted off his shoulder, Troy felt ten times better when he stepped out of the shower. Walking back into the main area, he went for his suitcase to search for pajama pants and a shirt to put on for the few hours that he was going to spend in the hotel room. As he was getting ready to change, a knock came at the door. He quickly put on his pants and walked to the door as he placed the shirt over his head. When he opened the door, he was slightly surprised to find Gabriella on the other side. His blue eyes expressed curiosity, but her brown ones were too busy gazing at his naked torso as her cheeks began to turn a scarlet color. He realized his half-nakedness and quickly finished putting on his shirt; knocking her out of her trance.

"You need something?" he asked, not meaning for it to come out as harsh as it did and he regretted it when he saw her finch.

"I just…I'm sorry," she said, looking into his eyes. "I know that you've just been trying to be nice to me and I should be grateful, I just…"

He sighed. "It's okay, Gabriella. I shouldn't have acted the way I did. I, honestly, don't know why I acted that way."

She bit her lip and fidgeted with her fingers. "D-Do you mind if I come in?"

"No, not at all." He stepped aside and allowed her entry. She walked through the door and he closed it behind her.

"You're lucky."

"How so?" he asked, wondering what she meant.

"You have only one bed."

"He gave you a room with two?" She nodded. "That makes no sense."

"I, honestly, do care because it's a bed, but…I would have liked to have a queen sized bed to stretch out on."

"Wanna switch rooms?"

She shook her head. "No, I couldn't do that to you."

He grinned. "Believe me, Gabriella, it makes no difference to me what size the bed is. If you want to stretch out on this one, be my guest and I'll take your two twin beds."

"I can't. I'd feel bad."

Shrugging, he walked over to the bed and made himself comfortable on it. "If you say so." He noticed that she was staring longingly at the large bed. He smirked and patted the space beside him. "Come. Sit. Stay a while."

Nodding absentmindedly, she took a seat at the edge of the bed. "How long do you think the storm's going to last?"

His smirk slipped off his face as he stared at the side of her face. "I don't know, but I don't think it'll get any better since we're basically chasing behind the first one and in the middle of the second one."

She groaned and he sat up, remembering her freak out from earlier. "What was that earlier, by the way?"

It was like watching a bat closing its wings to sleep, the way she wrapped her arms around herself in a protective stance. Clearly, something was wrong. He moved up beside her and rubbed her back, trying to provide as much comfort to the brunette as possible. Taking her hand, he laced his fingers through hers and stroked the back of it with the pad of his thumb. She turned to him, her brown eyes full of sorrow as she locked gazes with him.

"It's better to tell than to keep it locked up," he said, smiling softly.

Closing her eyes, she sighed and started recalling the reason why she freaked out earlier. "My mom…died in a car accident when I was fifteen." She opened her eyes and looked at him. "It was after one of my dance recitals. It was snowing and the roads were icy, but because of all the snow, it hid the ice from plain view. My mother didn't see the black ice and we skidded off the road and into a tree. She died instantly. I was lucky enough to get out with just a concussion and a broken arm, but…I've been afraid of driving during a snow storm since."

"So when you said you were visiting your mom, you meant…?"

She nodded. "Her grave. I hadn't always lived in New York. I actually live in California for a while and it was while I lived there that it happened. My mother had rented a cabin for us to spend Christmas in at Lake Tahoe and we were heading there after my recital when it happened."

He wasn't sure what came over him, but he was unable from stopping himself from kissing her forehead. It just felt like the right thing to do. When he pulled back, he found her smiling at him, her brown eyes expressing thanks. He smiled back and reached up to wipe her tears away; tears that she hadn't even realized had fallen. Truly thankful, she leant her head against his shoulder and he wrapped his arm around her. They sat there in silence for what seemed like forever. He looked down at the woman leaning on his shoulder and found her sound asleep. Smiling, he, carefully, lifted her onto the bed and laid her down. He moved her hair from her face before reaching into her pocket to retrieve her room key.

Silently, he left the room and returned with her things. After setting them down next to his own, he walked back to the bed and laid down beside the sleeping woman. Knowing that the wouldn't be able to sleep long, he took out his phone and set the alarm for five hours later. He placed it on the bedside table and turned off the light. His blue eyes shone in the darkness as he stared at Gabriella and he continued to do so until he slipped into a dreamless sleep.

::

His eyes opened of their own volition for some unknown reason and he found himself sprawled out on his back, staring at the dark ceiling above. Reaching over to the bedside table, he grabbed his phone and checked the time. He had another ten minutes before the alarm went off. Figuring he wasn't going to go back to sleep, he went to get up to get himself ready, but found something warm and heavy lying on his chest. Confused, he gazed into the darkness and faintly made out the outline of the top of Gabriella's head. His breath hitched as he realized her close proximity; the feeling of her head and hand resting just above his heart. He silently hoped that his fast beating heart wouldn't wake her. In all honesty, he didn't want to wake her, but he knew he needed to get up. Staring down at the beautiful brunette, he removed pieces of hair from her face and traced his finger along her cheek. She stirred at the feather light touch, but didn't wake.

"Gabriella," he whispered, trying to wake her, but she only responded by burying her face into his shirt. "I'll let you sleep if you move onto the pillow."

She groaned and slid off of him. He chuckled and stood, walking over to his suitcase to get clean change of clothes. He, then, retreated to the bathroom and allowed the brunette to sleep for a little while longer. Taking a quick shower, he wasn't expecting Gabriella to be awake, albeit only slightly, and staring at his phone when he walked out the bathroom.

"Something wrong?" he asked.

"The phone woke me up. I went to turn it off when I realized that…it's not my phone. And I'm not in my room."

"You're right, that's my phone and you're in my room."

"Why am I in your room?"

He grinned. "You fell asleep here."

"I did?" she asked, her eyes widening and he nodded. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to."

"It's no problem. I actually didn't mind it."

"I should probably go change." She got up, ready to head for her own room, when she noticed her things on the floor next to his. "You went to get my stuff."

He nodded. "I didn't want to leave them in there without someone to watch over them."

Turning her head to him, she smiled. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he answered, smiling in return. "You better go get changed."

Nodding, she walked to her bags to retrieve clean clothing and slipped into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. When she came out a few minutes later, Troy was seated on the bed, staring at the floor. He lifted his head when he heard the door open and smiled at her. He stood as she neared closer to him.

"You ready to go?"

"Yeah, just let me put this stuff back in my bag," she said, referring to the toiletries in her hands.

After she placed everything back into her suitcase, she zipped it up and turned to Troy who held out her jacket for her to take. "You sure this is heavy enough?" he asked.

"Probably not, but for now, it's all I have. Besides, we're going to be in the car, so I won't be outside for long."

"If you say so. Alright, how about you go return the keys while I put this stuff in the trunk." She nodded and opened the door, allowing him to leave first. It didn't take long for him to load the bags in the back of the car nor did it take long for her to return the room keys to the front desk. They were ready to head back on the road within minutes. "Still want me to drive?"

"Yeah. I'm just…not comfortable driving right now."

He completely understood her hesitation. Without saying another word, he climbed into the driver's seat and looked over at Gabriella. "Ready?"

"Let's go."