Hey all…..Ok, I know it's been a long time but I'm really blocked please enjoy this chpt… it doesn't really move the plot much but oh well
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Gabriella and Troy spent the next few hours changing for the picnic; Gabriella took so long because she wanted to make a good impression on the Boltons. Troy took so long because he took every opportunity to grab Gabriella, and pull her into his arms. Gabriella in turn half-heartedly fought off his advances.
She giggled as she broke off a kiss, " Troy" she reached up and rubbed off her lip gloss from his bottom lip, "We're going to be so late."
Troy kept his arms around her looking down at her flushed face he grinned, " I'm not ready to let you go just yet… Who needs a stupid picnic?"
Gabriella danced away, "I am not" her voice turning stern as she turned to face where he still was leaning against the bathroom wall, "Going to make a bad impression on your family"
Troy ran a hand through his hair and follower her out of the bathroom, "They'll love you Crabby Gabby." He added to himself, I think I already do
Gabriella waved him off and quickly ran to her closet grinning when she was sure she was out of his sight.
Gabriella emerged from the house, dressed in a her favorite light brown Ugg boots, a knee length dark jean skirt and a simple yellow t-shirt… She made she she wore very little make-up just a touch of mascara and gloss, and her curls were pulled into a loose side ponytail. She turned and called into the house, "TROY, come on"
She leaned against the railing of Troy's stoop and looked down at her watch… She looked up again when Troy slipped out the door, he was in a pair of well worn nikes, light jeans and a navy sweater, he had a light stubble on his chin and a cow-lick…
Gabriella clucked , "You're not going like that are you?"
Troy turned and locked the door, " My family is pretty low key."
Troy offered his arm and they made their way down the stairs, he could feel Gabriella shake as they walked, "You'll be fine Gabriella"
He cast a side-ways glance at her, her face was pale but she nodded in agreement and muttered "I'll be fine."
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As they approached the park Troy waved when he saw his family, Gabriella felt her old nerves bubble, There seemed like there was hundreds of people, about ten tables had been dragged together in a make-shift circle and men women and children of all ages were expertly moving from table to table laughing, hugging and talking…. The children were chasing each other, playing kiddie style baseball and generally pestering there parents….. Gabriella gulped as Troy dragged her along behind him, Troy turned back and smiled at her pale face he pulled her to him and kissed her cheek, "You'll be fine I promise."
Just then a small high pitched voice rose up from the group, "Uncle Troy!"
Gabriella looked past Troy at the small blond girl that ran up; the skinned knee-ed blue eyed girl immediately latched herself on Troy's leg, "What did you bring me"
Troy laughed and released Gabriella's hand to un-latch the girl from him, "Holly….. you spoiled brat, isn't see me gift enough?"
He turned back, "Gabriella this is my niece Holly, Holly this is my friend Gabriella"
Gabriella tried to relaxed and weakly smiled, "Hi"
The little girl nodded in return…. Then it seemed the rest of the children in the group discovered there Uncle, Cousin, or friend had arrived and running towards them. Gabriella took a step backwards but Troy just seemed to brace himself for the impact…
About 15 kids seemed to attach themselves to him all talking at once they began to drag him to the family…. "Mom Uncle Troy is here" A boy called as he walked slowly towards them….
He stopped and shook the kids off him, wandering over to where his mother sat an elegent looking women even in jeans and light blue t-shirt her graying light brown hair cut into a fashionable bob… a swaddled baby on her lap… "Troy" she beamed
Troy leaned down and kissed her cheek, "Hi Mom… Yes I know I know we're FINALLY here"
Mrs. Bolton looked behind him, "We?" she paused, "Is that Gabriella way over there?"
Troy turned Gabriella stood frozen about 5 feet away from the farthest table, in all the excitement Troy forgot she was still getting used to this kind of environment…
He muttered "Shoot" and turned back to his mom, "do you think I could borrow?" he paused looked down at the baby on his mom's lap totally unaware whose baby she was holding, "It's your cousin April's son Alex, and be careful"
Troy and his mother eased the baby up into his arms and once settled he made his way back to Gabriella, he stopped in front of her, "It's hard to make a good impression from way over here" he teased. Gabriella weakly smiled again, "I'm just no good at this kind of thing"
Troy nodded, "You just need to relax a little, here" Before Gabriella really knew what was happening Troy was setting a sleeping baby in her arms, Gabriella gasped, "Troy I can't"
Troy grinned, "You can, you'll be fine… I've got to go catch up with my cousin Scott… Just relax" with that he jogged away. Gabriella smiled down at the baby in her arms, his weight seemed to instantly relax her and when she looked up a older women at the head of one of the tables motioned for her to come closer, Gabriella gulped again and started towards the group behind Troy….
The kids had ran towards Troy as he came back to the tables and he laughed as he danced around them saying, "Go get Gabriella and we'll all play a game…" The kids looked behind him at the women with a baby in her arms who had paused at the anxious staring, they all immediately began laughed and screaming and running at her….
Gabriella gasped and instinctively gripped the baby to her rolling her body to protect him as a group of unruly Bolton kids attacked her, "Come play with us Gabby" Gabriella shielded the baby until someone jogged up behind her a deep male voice said, "Kids, Kids give the newbie some space"
The kids released her and began walking back to the tables, one girl called, "Ok Grandpa"
Gabriella turned and her eyes widened in surprise, she now knew exactly what Troy would look like in about 20 years, there was a man, tanned, slightly taller then Troy, with a few extra wrinkles around his eyes and silver hair… His light blue eyes gleamed at her, this man was practically Troy's twin "Hi there… I'm TL Bolton… Troy's father" Gabriella nodded and mumbled "Gabriella"
TL smiled again, his wife had told him Troy was bringing a "special friend" and he knew this had to be her, he remembered his wife saying that from Troy's description the girl had a hard life, seemed extremely shy at first, but was very smart and had an amazing heart…. He nodded to the baby who the girl was still instinctively protecting; he was sure she probably didn't even realize she was doing it and that alone endeared her to him "Who have you got there?"
Gabriella looked down at the baby who was still safely asleep in her arms she smiled, "I'm not exactly sure…"
TL took a step to her, "We'll how bout we get him back to his mom huh"
Gabriella nodded and let TL take the baby as she followed him to the tables… after Gabriella spent awhile making some talk with some of the ladies in Troy's family, she briefly met Troy's mom before a niece pulled her away, Troy came up to her and grasped her hand "You still ok?"
Gabriella squeezed back glad she had seemed to find a friend in Troy's father, "I think so"
But Troy could see she was still nervous so he pulled to a group of nearby trees, "I want you to meet someone" Gabriella nodded and followed, "I'm not sure I can meet any more Boltons" she laughed as she walked behind him… Troy returned the laugh as they approached a young woman who appeared to be reading in the shade of an oak tree, she was sitting on what looked like an old horse blanket and wearing torn jeans, some obscure band t-shirt and her dark auburn hair was pulled up in a loose bun….
"Liddy" Troy spoke…. And the girl turned her light green gaze up at them through a pair of black plastic frames, she flipped the book over and stood, "Troy" She beamed and hugged him "So your mom finally got you out to one of these things huh" she smirked as she placed her hands on her hips, "Who's this?" she turned her gaze to Gabriella who blushed..
Troy smiled, "Yes Liddy… this is my friend Gabriella, SHE was actually the one who dragged me here" Gabriella nodded… and Troy spoke again, "Gabriella this is my cousin Liddy"
Gabriella surprised herself, "You're reading Pride and Prejudice?"
The teenage glance back down to the book, "Yah….first time, You've read it?"
Gabriella found herself grinned, "Probably once a year since I was 17"
Liddy grinned back, "what was that 2 months ago?"
The two laughed and Troy took a step back amazed but not surprised that the two women seemed to immediately become friends, Liddy sat back on the blanket and motioned for Gabriella to sit with her, Gabriella sat and asked, "What do you think so far?"
Troy left Gabriella with Liddy and made his way back to the tables where the men were talking finance and politics and the women were gossiping, unfortunately for Troy it was about him….
Troy sat with his mother and cousins, "So… let me have it"
His cousin Anya spoke, "She's great Troy… a little shy at first but really sweet…"
His mother nodded in agreement, "I can definitely see why you care about her, and after your father saw her protecting that baby he seems quite taken with her himself"
His father was passing by and casually said, "If I weren't married and a few years younger you'd be in trouble son" he laughed…
Troy smiled this girl, His Gabriella seemed to be the first girl his entire family seemed to like…
His mother leaned towards him and spoke quietly, "Have you told her about her mother yet?"
Troy muttered, "No mom… not yet"
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A few hours later Troy was ready to head home and wandered back to where he left Gabriella and Liddy… To his surprise there were about 10 kids now sharing the blanket with the women, he had wondered where the posse of kids had gone to….His face lit up as he released Gabriella and Liddy were acting out a scene from a Disney movie, Gabriella was speaking in a hideous Caribbean accent, "Oh Ariel life under the sea is better then any-ting de got up dhere…" Troy had to cover his mouth to keep from laughing out loud…Liddy spoke, "But Sebastian … I want Legs, I want adventure"
He watched from behind them until they got to the very end where Ariel emerged from the sea with legs, Troy ran up and grabbed his cousin and swung her around much to the delight of the kids, "Oh Ariel" he grinned, "Now we can be together"
The kids cheered and Gabriella refused to meet Troy's teasing gaze as she felt the heat from his hand as the three of them took a bow….
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Gabriella and Troy had said there goodbyes to his family and were making there way home,
"So?" he asked her, "Did you have fun?"
Gabriella smiled, "You know I did, Liddy was great and the rest of your family was really nice"
Troy squeezed her hand again he knew his family had loved her as much as did… "Now Ariel I say we go to da home and have us a little adventure all our own…ya man"
Gabriella glared at his impression of her but smiled as he pulled her in for a kiss "Dat sounds good to me…"
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OK…. I know that was a little fluffy next chpt will be back to normal hopefully…Hope you're all still with me! Again Plot line is not completely my own.