A/N I DON'T OWN ANYTHING!

Just then she heard her name being called. She turned and saw Lucille and Troy running towards her. She stood up and threw herself into Troy's arms clinging to him as tight as she could while stilling holding onto Ashley. Troy and Gabriella cried together finally reunited at last. Troy pulled away and let Lucille and Gabriella hug. Gabriella felt her knees giving out and gasped holding on to Lucille. Lucille grabbed her and helped her sit back down.

"Let's get you two checked out." Lucille said.

"Look at Ashley first. She's been sleeping a lot. It's not normal. They wouldn't feed her. They wouldn't feed her." Gabriella cried.

"All right baby shhh I'm sure she's fine. In order for me to do that I need to hold her is that ok?" Lucille asked.

She knew a mother that was just kidnapped and held hostage with their child wouldn't want their child out of their arms or their sight so she wanted to make sure Gabriella was ok with it first.

"I'm…I'm not a bad mother….I'll get her back right?"

"Of course sweetie. You're a wonderful mother."

Gabriella hesitantly gave Ashley to Lucille. Lucille went over to the medical bed to check her out. Troy sat next to Gabriella and pulled her into him. She clung to him still in shock and scared to death.

"You're safe baby. You're safe. It's over now." Troy soothed stroking her hair.

"I want to get out of here Troy please."

"We will baby I promise. Let's just get you checked out."

"No please Troy I want to go home please get me out of here. Get me out of here."

Even though they were outside the memories were still haunting Gabriella and they were still just as horrible.

"Baby I know you want to go home but we need to make sure you and Ashley are ok first."

"Troy we can do that at Lucille's office please I don't care where just not here."

Gabriella was hysterical. They could be inside the ambulance she didn't care as long as she didn't have to see the house.

"Ok baby, ok."

Gabriella and Troy stood. Gabriella screamed and he legs gave out from under her. Troy caught her.

"Easy baby it's ok."

He carried her bridal style over to his mom.

"How is she?" Gabriella asked.

"Weak. She'll be ok though. I've feeding through an iv which should help but she will be sleeping for a while. Now let's get you looked at."

"No" Gabriella whimpered. "Not here. Anywhere but here please."

"Ok sweetie. "Let's get into the ambulance then. They can take me to the office and we can looked at you there"

Gabriella nodded. Lucille moved Ashley into the van keeping her iv attached and then helped Gabriella and Troy in. She closed the door and knocked on the window leading to the front.

"Take us to my office please."

"Sure."

The drive started to drive. Lucille patted the bed in the middle. "Hop on sweetie." Gabriella climbed on still holding tightly to Troy's hand.

"What hurts the most right now?" Lucille asked.

"My ankle"

"Ok."

Lucille went down to her feet and took off her shoes and socks. She gasped as she saw her foot. It was black and blue and swollen pretty bad.

"Aw sweetie. Can you bend it?"

Gabriella shook her head as she sniffed back tears.

"She can't stand on it either." Troy said.

"I won't be able to tell if it's broken or not until I can x-ray it."

"Everything really hurts mom. Everything just really, really hurts."

Gabriella burst into tears.

"Oh baby shhhh, shhhh." Troy soothed stroking her hair.

Lucille got an injection out and gave it to Gabriella.

"That should help with the pain."

"I want to go home." She whimpered.

"I know baby but we need to check you out first."

"Ashley isn't hurt. I made sure they didn't hurt her."

"You did a good job sweetie. Ashley is perfectly healthy. Once we get some food in her she will be good as new."

"I tried to keep her fed."

"You did sweetie. You took good care of her."

"No." Gabriella cried as she shook her head. "They tried to take her away from me. I hurt her."

"Sweetie listen to me Ashley is going to be just fine. You are a great mother don't even doubt that."

Gabriella sighed. Finally they got to the office. Everyone went inside. Ashley was still hooked up the iv and sleeping. Lucille took Gabriella for an x-ray and then back to the room so she could finish the exam. Anywhere Lucille had touched Gabriella caused her pain and her bruises were so bad that even the lightest of touch caused her pain. She also had two broken ribs. When the x-ray came back it showed Gabriella had a broken ankle. Something else they noticed was she also broke her arm. Troy wanted to kill Carlos he had beaten Gabriella until he broke her literally. Finally Lucille was done. She put a cast on her right foot and then one on her left arms. Then she suggested a wheelchair.

"No need mom. I can get Gabriella where she needs to be." Troy said stroking her hair as she rested her head on his shoulder finally sleeping.

"That's sweet sweetie but Gabriella might need to go somewhere when you aren't around."

"I'm never going to leave her alone again mom."

"Oh baby. I know you're scared but she is fine now. Safe and sound."

"Yeah and we will keep it that way."

"Ok look you're right. I want her on bed rest for at least a month. I want you to make sure she stays in bed or anywhere she can rest ok?"

"I will."

"Jack is on his way here to pick us up. So just get some rest."

"Mom can you do me a favor?"

"Sure baby what?"

"Move Ashley into my other arm."

Lucille moved Ashley into Troy's right arm so she was laying in his arm and he had both his girls in his arms safely.

"Thanks mom."

Lucille just smiled and kissed her son. She left the room so they could be alone. Troy kissed Gabriella and Ashley holding them tightly against him. They were safe now and nothing was going to hurt them ever again.

The next morning Gabriella stirred and opened her eyes. She looked to her left and saw Troy sleeping, then to her right and saw Ashley only with more color in her face. She looked around the room and noticed she wasn't in her bedroom. Where was she? Then she heard an evil voice laugh.

"You thought they were just sleeping didn't you?"

Gabriella looked to the door and saw Mike and Carlos. She looked back at Troy and Ashley both of them were ghost white. She knew they were both dead.

"NO!" she screamed.

"You're stuck on bed rest so now Ashley and Troy will be easy targets." Carlos laughed.

"Don't hurt them!"

"You got us put in jail Gabriella you have to pay and what better way to pay than to lose the people you love."

Mike and Carlos laughed together.

"NO!" Gabriella shot up in bed but then wrapped her arms around her ribs as pain shot through her. "OW!" She laid back down and Troy came running in.

"Shhhh sweetie you're ok, you're safe." He got by her side and sat on the bed.

"Whe-where is Ashley? Where is my baby?" Gabriella cried.

"Shhhh baby, shhh Ashley is just fine."

Just then a happy hyper five year old came bouncing into the room…literally bouncing up and down.

"MOMMY, MOMMY!"

Gabriella gave a slight giggle.

"Hi baby are you ok?"

"Yeah daddy said mean daddy and mean man are in jail so they can't get us anymore."

"They are?" Gabriella asked looking back at Troy.

"Yeah everything is going to be ok."

"What happen? Why am I in so much pain?"

"You broke your leg, your arm, and your ribs. Also you have some really bad bruising."

"It all hurts so much."

"You have to eat something before I can give you any medicine."

"What about Ashley is she fed?"

"Yep she just had some eggs."

"I feel too sick to eat."

Troy felt her forehead. "You are a little warm. You were sick before Carlos took you I'm sure taking you into that old abandon house didn't help."

Gabriella had been so worried about Ashley and herself that she had forgotten all about getting sick and going to the doctors.

"It's just a cold."

"I'm sure your just getting sick from the lack of food you had. I'm going to get you some eggs and I want you to eat at least half of what I give you ok?" Troy asked sternly.

"I'll try."

Troy left the room. Ashley climbed onto the bed.

"I'm sorry mean daddy pushed you and gave you all those boo-boos."

"As long as those boo-boos aren't on you I'm happy."
"But daddy always gave me boo-boos I'm used to it."

"You shouldn't be though. I've handle abuse longer then you sweetie. I can deal with it better."

"But it was scary."

"I know it was baby I know it was but I promise you Mike and Carlos will never get their hands on you as long as I'm alive."

"Ok mommy."

Troy came in with a plate of eggs and sat back down in his spot. Gabriella went to sit up but stopped as her ribs hurt.

"I can't sit." She said.

"It's all right."

Troy helped her and fixed her pillows so her head and neck was up but not in any way that was painful for her. The he put some eggs onto the fork and put it up to her lips. She took it and smiled as made it ways down her throat. Her first real food in almost a month if not longer. She ended up being able to eat all the eggs Troy gave her.

"Thanks Troy."

"No problem baby. Just hang on and I'll go get your pain pills."

Troy left the room again.

"Daddy makes good eggs." Ashley said.

"Yes he does. Your daddy is a good cook which is surprising because in high school he couldn't cook anything."

"Daddy can learn."

"I guess so. I do have to say though he makes the best pb&j sandwich in the world."

"I want to try one."

"When daddy comes back you can ask him to make you one for lunch ok."

"Ok."

Troy came back with a pill bottle and a glass of water. He handed Gabriella a pill and some water. Gabriella took her medicine and moved so she was laying down again.

"What time is it?"

"About ten."

"I'm still a little tired."

"That's ok get some rest."

"What are you going to do?"

"I don't know watch some tv with Ashley."

"Take me with you. I want to cuddle you."

"All right sure."

He lifted her bridal style being careful of her ribs and made his way to the stairs. He was about to head down with Ashley whimpered.

"Daddy no go!"

Troy turned to Ashley who was shaking in tears.

"Baby it's ok just hold onto the rail you'll be ok."

"No daddy hold me!"

How could he hold Gabriella and Ashley both?

"You've been down the stairs on your own before sweetie why are you so scared now?"

Gabriella closed her eyes tight as she remembered Mike pushing her down the stairs and the scared look on Ashley face when he did.

"She won't go on her own Troy you have to carry her."

"Why"
"Mike pushed me down a flight stars and she saw the whole thing. Her real mom was murderer by being pushed down the stairs. She isn't comfortable going down stairs anymore. Put me on the floor I've got an idea."

Troy lowered her to the ground. Gabriella patted her lap.

"Come here sweetie."

Ashley crawled over and got onto Gabriella's lap. "Hold on." She said.

Troy picked Gabriella back up and walked down stairs. He set the girls down on the couch.

"Better for everyone?" he asked.

Both girls nodded. Troy sat down Ashley sat on Troy's left leg. Gabriella rested her head on his right leg. He had one arm around Ashley and the other resting gently on Gabriella stomach. Everything seemed to be going ok right now but what would happen when Troy and Ashley had to return to school and work? How would Gabriella handle being alone? Would his parents stay with her? How would they fit that into their work times? How would Ashley handle being at school without Gabriella? Since the adoption Gabriella had always been the teacher there. He decided he wouldn't worry about too much. For now he would enjoy his family.

A/N next chapter Ashley and Gabriella adapt to being without each other can they handle it?