A/N I DON'T OWN ANYTHING!

Gabriella was just about to doze off when the door opened and Mike walked in. He grabbed Ashley from Gabriella but before he could do anything Gabriella kicked him and grabbed Ashley back.

"Don't touch her you monster."

Mike back handed her across the face. Ashley had woken up and went into corner shaking and crying.

Gabriella took all the hits and kicks from Mike that she knew were meant for Ashley. Mike gave her one last kick in the ribs before leaving. Gabriella sat up ignoring the pain. Ashley went over.

"Mommy's ok baby." Gabriella said.

Ashley hugged her crying.

"Mommy's ok sweetie. Mommy's ok."

Then Gabriella was hit with another flashback

Flashback

Gabriella was curled in a ball in the corner of her room shaking and crying as she watched her father beat her mother. Finally after the beating was over Greg left. Gabriella went over to her bloody and broken mother.

"Mommy's ok sweetie. Mommy's ok."

End Flashback

Gabriella buried her face in Ashley's hair and cried. That's how things went for a while. Mike always came in and beat Gabriella because she tried to protect Ashley she was forced to remember memories of her past and they were hardly fed. Gabriella was able to feed herself and Ashley enough so they didn't die but it still wasn't enough to be healthy. They both got skinner. One day Mike came into the bedroom and grabbed Gabriella by the hair and dragged her out of the room over to the stairs. Ashley followed behind.

"Ashley no. Go back inside baby."

"Mommy?" Ashley asked while sucking her thumb.

"Go back into the bedroom baby Mommy doesn't want you to see this."

But it was too late Mike gave a hard push and Gabriella tumbled down the stairs. Ashley was screaming and crying out for her. Mike went over and grabbed her. She screamed and cried harder. Everyone froze when Gabriella gave a blood curling scream. Her arms were wrapped around herself as she laid in a pool of blood. Ashley's eyes went wide in fear. Carlos came running.

"What did you do?" he gasped.

"Thought I'd give Ashley a little flashback moment." Mike said.

"You do realize you could kill her right? Her body is already injured from the countless beatings you gave her." Carlos laughed.

"STOP LAUGHING OW!" Gabriella screamed in tears.

"MOMMY!" Ashley screamed.

Gabriella wanted to offer words of comfort to her but she couldn't. She was in too much pain. She just burst into tears. She couldn't be strong anymore.

Carlos and Mike laughed walking away. Ashley stood at the top of the stairs shaking scared to death.

Gabriella calmed herself down for Ashley's sake and held her arms out to her.

"Come here sweetie's mommy's ok I promise."

Ashley shook her head and moved back. Gabriella dragged herself up the stairs and pulled Ashley into her arms. "It's all right baby. It's all right. I'm ok. I'm ok." Gabriella didn't know how much more she could take. The memories were overpowering her, Mike's beatings were worse than her fathers and their bodies were getting weaker as they got less and less food. She had to be strong for Ashley. She pulled herself together and got them both back into the bedroom. She went into her closet and grabbed the first aid kit. She had been patching herself back up since she was three now was no different. She cleaned herself off and gathered as much strength as she could and pulled Ashley back into her arms rocking her back and forth.

"Mommy's ok baby, everything is ok. I'm here shhh."

Ashley finally settled back down and fell asleep. Gabriella knew something had broken when she fell down those stairs but she was in too much pain to figure out what.

"Troy please hurry up and find us." She whimpered.

Just then they heard banging at the front door. "POLICE OPEN UP!"

Gabriella sighed in relief they were safe. "HELP UP HERE!" she screamed. Gabriella heard footsteps and then three cops appeared in the door way.

"Are you ok?" Cop 1 asked.

"Help Ashley first." Gabriella answered.

Cop 2 went over to Gabriella and took Ashley from her arms. Ashley whimpered.

"Let me hold her. She gets scared without me please."

"No we can't let you near this child." The cop said.

"Wha-what? Why?"

"You put her life in danger she is no longer safe with you."

"NO! LET ME HOLD HER NO!" Gabriella screamed she was not going to lose Ashley not now.

The cop holding Ashley walked away as Ashley started to cry and scream. Another cop grabbed Gabriella by the upper arm and took her out of the house. Why were they treating her like the bad guy she was the victim in all this. She screamed and cried once they got outside for Ashley. Suddenly they heard a voice yell "EVERYONE STOP!" Gabriella looked up and saw Officer Stone he had helped her a lot when she was a teen. He went over to the cop holding Ashley.

"Give me the child." He ordered.

The cop gave Ashley to Stone. Stone soothed the child. He walked over to Gabriella. "Let her arm go." The cop obeyed. Stone handed Ashley back to Gabriella. Ashley and Gabriella hugged each other tight.

"Sir she….."

"Are you guys blind?" he asked. "Do you not see the millions of bruises on Gabriella's body do you not see Ashley perfectly content and happy just being with her mother and not a scratch on her. Did it ever occur to you that Gabriella used herself as a human shield to protect her daughter from harm? I am ashamed at all of you. Go work on something else I'll handle this."

The cops walked away and Stone looked back at Gabriella who was holding Ashley tightly to her chest.

"Thank you."

"You're a good mother Gabriella. You shouldn't lose your daughter because of your past. Are two ok?"

"They wouldn't feed her. They wouldn't let her eat." Gabriella said.

"All right. You're both safe now just relax."

Stone took off his jacket and put it around Gabriella knowing she was in shock. He led them over to his car and opened the door. Gabriella sat down with her feet hanging out.

"I've got some crackers in the glove box there. It's all the food I have for now. Just stay here and rest I'll take care of you."

"Thank you Stone." Gabriella said.

Stone walked away and Gabriella got the crackers out. At least they weren't old. She and Ashley snacked on those till Stone came over to some water. Ashley drank some water and fell back to sleep. Gabriella took noticed that she was sleeping a lot which wasn't normal for a five year old and that scared her.

A/N next chapter Troy and Gabriella reunite and you will find out just how bad Gabriella's injuries are and what's wrong with Ashley…don't worry I'm not going to kill her. She isn't dying.