A/N: I am so, so, so sorry for the delay. I tried to finish this for Monday but I couldn't do it. Besides, Monday was a really bad day for me. To cut a long story short, a friend of mine and me got into a fight. She said I was a liar, I was selfish and that everything's my fault. She won't listen to anything I say. She kept saying that my lies hurt her. But, she couldn't comprehend that her accusations hurt me even more.

Ironic. these past few weeks have been insane. I finally have reasons to be happy and to be proud of myself with uni and my poem and all. And now, I can't stop crying because I'm the shittest person on the planet, apparently.

So, for numerous reasons (me being a shit person, me starting uni etc.) this story is officially on hiatus. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.

Chapter 22

"Since when have you owned a motorbike?" Gabriella exclaimed. Troy was standing in front of her, next to a rather beat up Honda Shadow motorbike, looking ridiculously proud of himself.

He brought a rag out from his back pocket and wiped the seat down. "I got it when I was eighteen, before I managed to get a girl pregnant. Someone brought it to my dad and it was going to get scrapped, my dad had given up hope. But, I bought it off him for five quid and I spent years trying to fix it up." He paused, rapping the rag around his fingers. "Of course, juggling a degree, job and parental duties left this collecting dust most of the time. It was only when Andy hit puberty and he never wanted to be around me that I found time to work on it."

Gabriella opened her mouth to say something but must've thought better of it. She cocked her head to the side and frowned. "Is this my surprise? Troy, I can't drive a motorbike."

He chuckled as he tucked the rag back into his pocket. "I know. This is how we're getting to your surprise."

"Can't we take your truck?" she asked dubiously.

Troy frowned. "I thought you said that it's a death trap?"

"It is. But, Troy, come on. Look at that thing," she exclaimed, gesturing to the bike.

Troy frowned, looking incredibly hurt. It was as if he was a child being told there was no such thing as Santa Claus. "Brie," he whispered. "Don't talk about Emily that way. She can hear you."

She quirked an eyebrow. "Emily? You named your bike?"

He shrugged. "Yeah. Don't worry, I'm not cheating on you with her."

"Oh, believe me, I'm not worried," she muttered. She folded her arm and looked across at him. "So when you're on the bike, driving around town, you're...riding Emily?" Her mouth quirked up in a smile.

Troy frowned. "Weird. When I was eighteen, my friends didn't pick up on that. How did you think of it?"

Gabriella shrugged. "I blame having a brother. I blame Alejandro's presence in my life for most things."

Troy smiled. "So, back on track. Do you want your surprise or not?"

Gabriella looked unconvinced and began tying her hair up in her bandana. "This death trap is only way to get to my surprise?"

Troy shrugged. "Do you want it or not?"

Gabriella gave a relenting sigh. "Fine." She pointed a warning finger at him. "But you should know that, including the time I stood on your office chair to rescue you from Mr Eight Legs, this'll be the second time I'm risking my life for you."

Troy grinned and brought her into his arms. "Oh, Brie, trust me. It's worth it." He kissed her softly before he let go and straddled the bike. "Are you coming or not?"

Gabriella slowly straddled the bike behind Troy and wrapped her arms around his waist. "But what about helmets?" she asked, frowning.

Troy laughed as he revved the engine. "Oh, Brie, it's much more fun without them."

Without waiting for a response, he set off and navigated them both out of town, weaving in and out of cars. Gabriella's ponytail whipped around her shoulders as the wind rushed past her ears. She peered around Troy's shoulder, seeing her town turn into a blur of colours and lines. She couldn't figure out which direction Troy was heading but she assumed he was heading out of town.

She held on to him tighter, feeling adrenaline pump her blood faster through her veins. After the wonderful night they'd spent together, there was something oddly intimate about riding a motorcycle together. Watching Troy expertly weave the Shadow between lorries and cars, feeling his back pressed against her chest, made her unafraid. She was completely mesmerised by the fluid movements of his hands, making him navigate the roads and the traffic.

She watched the scenery slowly change from the cramped and busy town to the small houses and a few shops that made up Cayton village. She briefly wondered where he was taking her and what her big surprise was. But then she was back in the present, feeling the wind tug at her hair and sting her eyes, although she refused to miss even a second of the scenery passing her by.

She briefly recognised a sign welcoming them into Filey and, all too soon, Troy was slowing down as he entered the lane leading up to Filey's country park. It was a large, grassy expanse on top of the cliffs. Gabriella remembered coming here with Alyssa. Later, she came here with Alejandro or Maria and Greg, trying to keep her sobriety.

She was brought from her memories, good and bad, as she focussed on how Troy followed the lane along, finally coming to a stop on some grass, away from the other cars, caravans and families.

When she was sure that the bike was stationary, she loosened her grip on Troy's waist and all but slid from the seat of the Shadow to fall in a crumpled heap on the grass. The adrenaline rush, the excitement, the fear all had her limbs turning to jelly and she lacked the ability to support her body into a vertical position. From her place on the floor, she watched Troy turn off the engine and kick the bike stand into place before he climbed down to sit next to her, smiling in amusement.

"Pretty crazy, huh?" he asked, grinning down at her.

She couldn't help the giggle escape her lips and she had to cover her face with her hands to hide her rosy cheeks. She didn't know why she was blushing but she honestly didn't care. She moved her hands from her face and smiled at Troy. "You're telling me. That was insane. Why don't you do it everyday?"

He shrugged. "Oh, I don't know. I have a garage to run, a moody adult son and a girlfriend to contend with. Pretending to be a boy racer is hardly one of my priorities."

She frowned. "I'm glad your girlfriend made your list of priorities."

Troy chuckled as he began shredding blades of grass in his lap. "Besides, Emily's temperamental. She throws a tantrum when you ride her too far."

"I certainly hope you're not insinuating a similarity with me," she joked, quirking an eyebrow as she got into a sitting position.

Troy leaned over to kiss her. "Never," he whispered.

Gabriella looked around them. "So where's my surprise?"

Troy consulted his watch. "It'll be here in about ten minutes, maybe?"

Gabriella paused. "Okay then."

"You sound disappointed," he observed.

She shrugged. "I want to know what it is. Will I like it?"

Troy nodded slowly. "You'll love it, I promise." He paused and reached for her hand. "Tell me about Addie."

Gabriella frowned. "You're kidding, right?" She lowered her voice to a whisper. "We make love last night, you bring me here and you want to talk about my sister?"

He shrugged. "The only thing you've told me about her is that she's a medic in the navy. Tell me about her."

She sighed but relented. "Well, she's three years younger than me. She's my best friend. I mean, all three of us, me, Addie and Alex, are close. But I've never been able to cry on Alex's shoulder. That's only because, despite how he's a doctor, he lacks the Florence Nightingale gene. When he helped me with my addiction, he just wanted me to get better. I mean, he listened when I talked but he never said anything back. He didn't know how.

"But Addie? She's a woman so she gets it all. I mean, she can't relate to me losing Alyssa or my divorce or my addiction but she knew when to talk and when to shut the hell up. It's a talent which the Y chromosome evidently lacks," she teased.

Troy chuckled. "That is a talent reserved for men."

"I mean, we fight. When we were teenagers, there were daily arguments about how she borrowed my CD without asking or how I'd worn her shirt without permission. But, through everything, she's one of the few people who still see Gabriella and not a depressed drunk. Which is a miracle in itself, really," she whispered.

"Every day, I wake up, praying that I'm not going to hear her name on the news because I know that the hope of seeing her again keeps me sober. I know I relapsed a few weeks ago, but now, sitting here with you, I'm glad that I'm sober. I don't want her to come home to see me drunk." She paused, looking down at her hands. "I really miss her, Troy. Sometimes, I just wish she was here so we can both curl up on my couch in our pyjamas, watch chick flicks and eat ice cream together like we did when we were teenagers."

"Pick me up at six thirty, hermana," a voice called from behind her.

Gabriella froze, her eyes slowly moving up to meet Troy's. His eyes were twinkling in the sunlight. She was afraid to turn around for fear that she had, somehow, imagined it. Addie was still in Afghanistan or Iraq, somewhere in the Far East; Gabriella never knew exactly where her sister was. They had one address for mail and then the people there forwarded it on to where Addie really was. She couldn't be in Scarborough, right? Gabriella counted down the days on her calendar to when Addie was returning. There were still eleven days left.

Still, embracing a surge of optimistic hope, Gabriella slowly turned around, squinting against the sun. Although she was silhouetted against the morning sun, the figure standing four or five feet away was unmistakably Adela Dalia Montez. A small suitcase was resting at her feet, she was attired in her camouflage uniform and her hair was tied up in a bun, a few stray hairs had escaped after her obvious long journey.

Gabriella felt tears leak from her eyes as she scrambled to her feet and launched herself at her sister. They held each other tightly, crying into the other's shoulders. "What the hell are you doing here?" Gabriella asked as they pulled back. "I thought you were still out there for a week?"

"Remember when I gave you all the date of me coming home months ago? I lied," Addie murmured. "I wanted to surprise you all."

"But," Gabriella started as she turned to face Troy as he stood up. "How could you possibly know?"

"She phoned you when you were in the shower," Troy explained, shrugging.

"Yes, I phoned to see if my older sister would pick me up from the airport but Troy suggested that we surprise you," she murmured with a smile. "By the way, Mr Mechanic isn't that bad, is he?"

Gabriella turned to Troy with a soft smile. "This was your idea?"

Troy shrugged. "Well, after last night, I didn't think it was very fair for us to just stroll into work like nothing happened. So, I saw an opportunity and I took it. Thankfully, your sister was willing to play along." He shot a grateful smile in Addie's direction.

Gabriella stood on her tiptoes to kiss him softly as she wrapped her arms around him. "I love you, Troy."

Troy ran his hands up and down her back. "I love you, too, Brie."

"By the way," Addie murmured as Gabriella turned to her, "I want the details of last night."

Gabriella leaned forward and whispered in her sister's ear, "Ayer por la noche fue increible." (A/N: Last night was amazing)

Troy's face dropped and he stepped forward. "Brie, what did you say? Addie, tell me what she said."

Addie quirked an eyebrow. "Wow. You really don't speak a word of Spanish? Mierda. You'll find it hard in our family."

"I know," Troy exclaimed. "I just want to know what she said."

Gabriella giggled and shook her head. "It wasn't anything bad, I promise." She turned to Addie. "Do Mum and Dad know you're home?"

Addie shook her head. "I'm on my way there, now. Is Alex at work today?"

Gabriella shrugged. "I don't think so but I can't say I have a schedule of his shifts taped to my calendar."

Addie laughed. "We both know he'll run out of that hospital when he hears I'm home."

Gabriella frowned. "Addie, how did you get here?"

"I came on the train. And then, Ross gave me a lift here," she explained nonchalantly, gesturing to a blue Ford Fiesta behind her.

"Who's Ross?" Gabriella asked.

"I went to school with him years ago. I can't say we were ever friends but we were in the same area and started talking when we had two seconds to rest and, well, we're what many people would assume to be a couple," she muttered quietly, a light pink gracing her cheeks.

"You're kidding!" Gabriella exclaimed in disbelief.

Addie shrugged. "I really like him and as he had the same leave as me, I thought he could meet everybody, you know?"

Gabriella smiled softly. "I never thought I'd live to see the day where I'm in love with my boss and you may be settling down."

"Gabi, we're nothing serious, we're just going out," Addie protested.

Gabriella pointed a warning finger. "It's a step in the right direction."

After a convoy journey with Troy and Gabriella on the bike and Addie and Ross following in the Fiesta, the Montez house was a hive of activity. Maria kept bustling about whilst crying with joy, making sure that not a hair on Addie's head was damaged in the least, Greg was eyeing Ross in uncertainty though it was obvious that as long as Addie was safe, in that moment, he'd agree she could date anyone she wanted. As for Troy, he was sat on the couch, getting to know Ross. Well, he didn't have many choices of things to do considering Gabriella had deserted him as soon as they were over the threshold.

Gabriella. Well, she was attempting to get a hold of Alejandro. She was stood in the kitchen doorway, watching her family in amusement, all the while wanting to throttle Alejandro. She hung up the phone again and tried his home phone again. Her dear older brother only had three phone numbers: the hospital, home and his mobile. She'd tried the home phone first but had only heard the incessant ringing before being greeted by the answering machine. Then, she'd tried the hospital, only to be informed that he wasn't on duty at that moment. She'd tried his mobile only for her to hear his voicemail message. Perhaps she should've been worried. But in that moment, she wanted to kill Alejandro for not being contactable in a moment he should've been jumping for joy.

Redialling his home number, she twisted the phone cord around her finger. After a few rings, someone picked up and she heard "Hello?" greet her. She recognised the voice as Sarah, her sister-in-law.

"Hey, Sarah," Gabriella greeted. She rolled her eyes as, upon recognising the voice, Katie began ranting about something or other Alejandro had done to upset her and how he was attempting, and failing, to make it up to her.

After a few minutes of complaints about her brother, the ever-present impatient gene which ran in all of the Montez's reared its ugly head. "Sarah, is Alex there?" she exclaimed, rubbing her eyes. She didn't mean to snap, how was Sarah supposed know that Addie was home? Even Gabriella hadn't known her sister was returning today. But, she couldn't stand to just make small talk when she wanted to tell the whole world that her sister was safe.

After a moment's hesitation, Sarah whispered, "Sure. One sec."

There was silence, rustling, and then she heard his voice. "Gabi, what the hell is it? What did you say to Sarah?"

Gabriella jumped up and down on the spot when she heard her brother's voice. "Alejandro Tiburcio Montez, there is an amazing surprise waiting for you at Mum and Dad's. You better get your ass down here, pronto."

Alejandro sighed. "Gabi, I'm not in the mood. I annoyed Sarah and I promised to take Stefani and Daniel for a picnic."

"I don't care," Gabriella protested, a frown creasing her forehead. She stepped out of the way as Maria squeezed past her. "You know when we were teenagers and I'd put you in a headlock if you didn't do what I wanted? I will walk to your house, get you in that headlock and drag you back here if I have to."

Gabriella watched Troy quirk an eyebrow at Greg, muttering something about 'so violent'. She turned back to the conversation with Alejandro.

She heard him sigh. "But what about Sarah and the kids? They're all geared up for a picnic."

"Bring them over," she explained, much calmer than anything else she'd said in the short conversation.

Alejandro sighed again. "You're really stubborn, do you know that?"

"Hey, you've put up with me my entire life. You can't hate me that much. Now hurry!" she exclaimed. A moment later, she heard the telltale beep that told him he'd hung up. She replaced the phone on the hook and went to sit down next to Troy in the living room. "That complete and utter hijo de puta (A/N: son of a bitch)." She looked at troy as he wrapped an arm around her. "That's son of a bitch in Spanish."

Addie laughed. "what did our loving brother do this time? Or not do?"

"He hung up on me," she exclaimed.

"What does that mean?" Troy asked.

"Well," she began slowly, "he's either ignoring me which means he's beyond an idiot or he's coming over here to shut me up."

"That's what he's doing," Greg muttered. "He's been doing it ever since she," he pointed at Gabriella, "was born."

Gabriella laughed to herself. "You get used to my family," she promised Troy.

They all spent the next couple of minutes laughing and joking, getting to know each other. The atmosphere was light and enjoyable, all enjoying the company they had. Until, that is, the front door slammed open, then tell-tale sign of Alejandro's arrival.

"Okay," he yelled in the hallway, making his way to the lounge. "What's this surprise my darling younger sister has for me?" He appeared in the doorway and his face softened when he saw Addie.

She stood up, still dressed in her uniform and she shrugged. "Surprise, hermano," she murmured. (A/N: brother)

Alejandro immediately embraced his youngest sister, sending an apologetic smile to Gabriella.

After introductions were shared between Alejandro's family, Troy and Ross, Gabriella slipped outside to her parents' back garden. The early afternoon air was clear, the sun was shining down and there was a light ocean breeze. She leant against the back fencing, looking up at the clouds. She recalled how she spent many days in the same spot as a teenager, wishing she could leave. And now, at almost forty, she'd never left. She smiled to herself at the irony.

She felt two arms wrap around her from behind and a moment later, Troy planted a kiss on her cheek. "What's wrong?" he murmured.

She shook her head. "Nothing."

"Then why aren't you inside?" he asked quietly.

"It was kind of crazy in there, I guess. I just needed some air," she muttered.

Troy sighed softly. "Addie's cool, you know."

She smiled to herself. "I do." She paused. "Thank you."

"Brie, don't thank me," he exclaimed.

She twisted out of his arms to face her. "Troy, I'm serious. And don't argue with me." She sighed and held his hands, stepping closer to him. "What you did today...You don't know how much it means to me. Don't tell me that it's nothing because it's not. It's everything. I'm sure you've guessed that I've slept with other men since I divorced my husband and not one of them did something like this. I mean, I know it was just a coincidence that you answered the phone and not me but you made it a surprise and it-"

She had been cut off by Troy who had took his face in his capable hands and kissed her. He pulled back and smiled. "Listen. Just enjoy this. Spend time with your sister. Besides, I'm not going to give you the day off every time we make love."

She rolled her eyes. "Damn. You ruined my plan," she joked.

Gabriella turned her head when she heard a throat clearing. She smiled at Addie. "Hey."

Addie waved slightly and stepped forward. "Am I interrupting something?"

"Absolutely not," Troy replied as he stepped away from Gabriella. "I'll leave you two alone."

"Troy," Gabriella started.

"Hey," he murmured. "I can have you to myself any time I want. I know for a fact that Addie only has a limited time here. Use it wisely, okay?" He dropped a kiss to her lips before he went back inside.

Addie stepped up beside Gabriella. "He seems really amazing."

Gabriella smiled and nodded. "He is."

"What happened? I thought he hated you?" Addie exclaimed.

Gabriella shrugged. "I think he did, too. But, when someone learns your secrets that are like mine, I think they find it hard to hate you."

Addie paused for a moment. "Is he good in bed?"

Gabriella laughed and nodded. "He's amazing, as a matter of fact."

"I'm glad you found him," Addie whispered.

Gabriella smiled. "Me too."

Addie suddenly hugged her older sister. "I missed you so much, Gabi."

Gabriella nodded against Addie's shoulder. "I missed you, too." She pulled back and laughed quietly. "You're staying safe, aren't you?"

Addie laughed. "Of course I am. Remember that bomb the other week? That was miles away. But I know you all too well and knew you'd be running around like headless chickens so I phoned you. Then, I had to get to work. There were so many casualties, you know?"

Gabriella nodded slowly. "I miss you when you're gone. I needed you here, Addie."

Addie sighed. "Gabi, haven't you learnt anything about what we share? When I'm out there, I don't care if anything happens to me."

"Don't talk like that," Gabriella muttered.

"Gabi," her sister replied sternly. "I know the dangers of my job, I'm not stupid. But, I know that if I got hurt, or worse, killed, I know that all of you, Mum, Dad, Alex and you, are always going to love me and carry me in your hearts. Do you get that?" Addie whispered.

Gabriella gave a small smile. "Let's hope it doesn't come down to that. But, sometimes, I just want you here with me." She paused, her eyes turning glossy. "Addie, if I tell you something, do you promise not to tell Mum, Dad or Alex?"

Addie shrugged uncertainly. "I guess. It's been a long time since you said those words. I think the last time you said that was when I caught you smoking in your bedroom."

Gabriella laughed. "I'm serious, though." She looked down at her hands. "A couple of weeks ago, when it was Alyssa's birthday, I relapsed. I couldn't take it, so I got drunk. I don't even remember what happened that night. All I know is that I woke up in Troy's flat because he was nice enough to let me sleep it off, no questions asked. But, I guess I told him the answer, anyway."

Addie hugged her sister again. "It's in the past." He pulled back and wiped her sister's tears. "When I go back out, I'm not going to worry about that anymore and you shouldn't either. I know that no matter what happens here, Troy's going to look after you."

Gabriella looked over to the kitchen window to see Troy and Greg laughing together. "I know," she whispered.