The next morning Gabriella stretched out on the bed letting her muscles relax back into the softness of the mattress. Looking down to the foot the bed smiled as lady lay there sleeping soundly. Gabriella sat up and let her mind wonder to last night. She'd never done anything like that before and the memory made her cheeks burn. Now what was going to happen? What did this mean for nights to come? What about her deal with Anthony? Her bare feet touched the fabricated rug and she smiled warmly as she wiggled her toes into the strands of green.

In her t-shirt and shorts she walked into the kitchen and paused at the sight of Troy standing by the sink with his coffee mug and Chad sitting at the table. Feeling a little exposed she crossed her arms over her chest and smiled at both men. "Good morning," she said with a pause, the room was full of tension. Chad looked up at her and then back down with a sigh.

Gabriella turned to look at Troy, "What's going on?"

Troy rinsed his cup. "I don't know, why don't you tell me?" he said placing the mug back in the rack of dishes to dry.

Gabriella looked down to see lady who had followed her out of bed take a seat beside her. Her tail stopped wagging as if she too knew something was up. "What do you mean?" she looked back at Chad, what was he doing here?

Troy turned to her picking up the newspaper from the table and unfolding it so she could see the full front page. Her heart literally stop beating for one beat and her body went ice cold as she looked at the image of her and Anthony from last night when he had been whispering in her ear. The headline read 'Is the honey moon over?'

"Troy I can explain," she said not really sure how she was going to or how much trouble she just caused.

"Wonderful," Troy said picking up his grey jacket. "Explain it to him, I'm running late for work and thanks to you a meeting about damage control."

"Hold on just wait a minute?" Gabriella said pulling her arms down and almost stomping her foot.

"Sorry, dear." He said coldly. "No time."

Gabriella watched him leave and then turned to Chad who was watching her with a small frown. "Why were you talking to Anthony?" Chad asked.

"He was talking to me," Gabriella crossed her arms again the echo of dear ringing in her head.

"About?"

Gabriella looked at the picture, the blush on her cheeks their closeness how his smile almost seemed like a smirk. He planted it, she knew it. This was his little way of tell her she still belonged to him. "Well at first he was flirting a little, then he we started talking about Troy?" Gabriella let out a sigh, not all a lie. "I don't get it, What is it between them?"

"Troy walked in on him and his fiancée in his bed?" Chad said causally reaching for his own coffee mug.

"Oh," Gabriella felt like she had been hit with a truck. "That explains a lot."

"Are you interested in him?" Chad asked placing the mug down.

"No," Gabriella said honestly now looking at the picture, "I'm not offering sex to anyone."

Chad nodded and let out a sigh, "Troy told me about you're sexual status," Chad looked at her and bit his lip. "I don't know what you might think is going to happen or what you're hoping for but just, please be discreet when you do find a sexual interest." Chad said avoiding her eyes. "If you need a hotel room, or a cover story," his voice drifted. "Just let me know."

Gabriella felt tears stinging her eyes as she nodded and then looked back at the paper. She felt filthy, like something that belonged in the trash. She couldn't get away from it. She was stuck in this rotting infestation that was her life.

"its fine," Chad said taking the paper and folding it up. "Troy will fix it, don't let it bug you."

"How?" Gabriella said looking at the newspaper, she felt so embarrassed, not as embarrassed as Troy must have felt, but that only made her feel worst.

"I don't know but you have to get showered and dress, you're going to the hospital today." Chad got up from the table, "Do you remember what you have to say?"

Gabriella nodded slowly, she'd forgotten about the make a wish foundation today, with all the excitement from yesterday it didn't cross her mind until now. "I'll go get dressed." Leaving the kitchen she made her way to the bedroom, lady close behind.

The door flew open as he walked into the office, to say he was fuming mad was an understatement he was downright pissed. The room was quite with the faint sound of people murmuring as he passed, which wasn't lifting his mood. The phones weren't ringing and people seemed to be at a standstill.

Troy let out a breath while he was buying her a puppy she was flirting with Anthony. He had a campaign to run and he was letting her destroy it by getting caught in front of a camera. Troy let out a low grunt. He needed to take back control of the situation. He was running for election not her, not Chad not his board.

"Good morning Mr. Bolton." His new receptionist smiled at him, she was blond with a busting cleavage and tight top. She had green eyes that looked up at him with a smile. Nothing like the smile in Gabriella's eyes, her eyes were dark and meaningful.

"Staff meeting now," Troy demanded.

"Whatever you say Mr. Bolton," her voice was smooth, not at all like the comforting sounds that seem to come from Gabriella with no effort.

Troy's eyes paused and his eyes lingered on the girl, she smiled back at him. Trouble. "You're fired."

"What?" She jerked as he continued to make his way to his office. He wasn't in the mood, not one bit.

Troy put his suit case down on his desk and hung his coat out stepping back out he looked around as people gathered around with notebooks. The receptionist was getting her things together and he pointed at a woman standing by the printer. "I want a male receptionist hired and in that chair by tomorrow afternoon."

The woman nodded and began scribbling something on her pad.

"Let's take another look map from the campaign I want make sure all our bases are covered, I don't care if it's a for sure vote I want it to be a vote we can already count on the board." Raising a finger her pointed to a different person who had todays paper tucked under his arm, "Find the camera who shot that photo I want him in my office by 4."

"Yes sir," the man pencil began to move furiously.

"Starting today we're going to have a few changes around here." Troy looked around at more people who gathered. "I want details on the bus, we're going to have to accommodate my wife," He said looking for volunteers.

"I'm on it," shouted a man from the back. Troy nodded in approval.

"A general is just as good or just as bad as the troops under his command make him." Troy lifted a hand and pointed upward. "I want to lay down the ground work; I want people to know that I'm running. I want all our main focus from this moment forward to be about the people we can help. Winning isn't everything, but wanting to win is." Troy took a step further into the circle. "I want each and every one of you to come up with a list of people, places anything you can think of that needs our help and put that list right on you wall because that is the reason we're doing this. The significance of a man is not in what he attains but in what he longs to attain." Troy was silent for a moment as he looked around at his team, everyone smiling and looking at him in pride or excitement.

"This," he said pulling the newspaper from under the arm of the man, "Is distractions, this is the work of gossip, rumors and lies. This is nothing but child's play." Troy ripped the paper in half and let it fall to the floor. "The secret of success in life is for a man to be ready for his opportunity when it comes. This is our opportunity and I believe we are already ready to be successful!"

Every began clapping there were cheers and Troy smiled as he felt a jolt of pride and energy swarm through him, he wasn't going to let a simple brunette destroy what he'd been working towards. He wasn't going to just shut down because he was married, or because the board was telling him what was best. Troy walked back into his office and opened his brief case sorting through it for files. Anthony wanted a friendly competition, well Troy was happy to oblige.

Gabriella sat at a craft table with a little girl names Kimmy and a boy named Evan, they were making Halloween mask for the Halloween parade. She smiled as Kimmy held up her creation in all its purple glitter glory. "That is very pretty," Gabriella said with a smile looking back at her own. She started out making a simple cat face but she began adding to it here and there and now wasn't so sure what it was anymore.

"I'm going to wear mine all day," Evan said in a low voice. He was making a Spiderman mask.

"That, is awesome." Gabriella said leaning in and dabbing his nose with her pointer finger. They shared giggles and her eyes wonder over to Lady who was in the mist of three child all rubbing her belly. She smiled as the puppy wagged her tail and made soft sighs of pleasure. Gabriella let out a relaxed sigh she'd finished the hospital board meeting upstairs about the fundraiser for make a wish foundation, not quite ready to go home to an empty house and mope she decided to come down to the child's ward.

"Gabi look at my mask," A little girl came up to her in a yellow night gown, most of the children where live in hospital patients. They were diagnosed with things from cancer to bed rest from a broken arm.

"That is really pretty," Gabriella said pulling the little girl up into her lap.

"I'm going to be tinker bell," her small voice made Gabriella smile as she gave her a soft squeeze.

Just then Chad poked his head into the room, "Gabriella, we need to go, Troy wants you in his office,"

Gabriella's eye brow raised "For what?" was she to be punished now? Was this the call into the principal's office?

"Beats me, but we have to go," Chad waved for her to hurry up and she let out a sigh.

"Wonderful, women call all this way and we still have to cater to a man's beck and call." She muttered as she waved good bye to all the kids. "Come on lady, let's go see daddy," she patted her leg and the puppy came running.

Troy sat at his desk looking at the man who sat across from him, he was wearing an old suit and tie. A five o'clock on his face. "Yeah I took the picture so what?"

Troy shrugged, "Just curious?"

The let out a sigh and rolled his eyes, "Look it was a public function, I seen the shot and I took it," the man coughed into his sleeve, "dang cold season."

Troy remained quiet then looked down at the photo again. "See I'd believe you if this didn't look so posed." Troy said rising a brow "As if you were watching and waiting for a cue." Dropping the photo to his desk he looked back up at the man. The guy shifted and the clock on the wall continued to tick in the quiet. "Well?" Troy offered.

"Alright," the guy rolled his eyes and tossed his hands up. "Hill paid me to take the shot, paid me double to send to the papers with the story."

Troy smirked as he leaned back in his chair, "Tell you what, you work for me and we'll forget the whole thing?" Troy leaned to the left in his chair and shrugged his shoulders.

"What do you mean?" The man leaned forward.

"It's simple really," Troy said standing up. "You work for me, take pictures of the campaign, I'll give you all my stories first. In exchange I forget about suing you for emotional damage, slander, and harassment?" The man was silent and Troy picked up the phone, "Do we have a deal or not?"

"Deal." The man reached out his hand and Troy took it.

"Wise man," Troy released his hand and let out a sigh, "On record, Gabriella will be joining me on my campaign tour." Troy said with a smile. "We're starting in her home town and working our way up."

"I'll tell my boss," the guy got up and nodded.

"Thanks for coming by today," Troy watched as the man left leaving his door open to reveal Gabriella standing behind it with lady in her arms. Troy placed a hand in his pocket and slowly walked towards her with a smile on his lips. It was good to see her, he couldn't lie about that. Her dark curls framed her face and she wore a tan suit with a green under shirt. The attire made her look older, made her look plainer. He didn't like it.

"You rang?" she said the sound of sarcasm dripped from her voice.

"Is that any way to greet your husband?" he asked in a low voice, people passing by were staring, some smiling others just curious.

"I hate you," she muttered under her breath as she reached up and placed a kiss on his cheek.

Before she could pull away he hooked an arm around her and pulled her in for a lip lock that made on lookers blush. Lady bark and wagged her tail between them as if telling everyone to look at her happy family.

Once he broke the kiss she pulled away and held lady a little higher. "Does my being here have a point?" she said in a low tone.

"Why don't we continue this in my office," he said in a normal tone

"Thank you," she walked past him and she heard the door shut behind him.

"It's come to my attention that leaving you alone while I campaign might not be the best idea?" he said walking past her. Now he was different, Gabriella felt a bit of disappointment at the return of Mr. PW. "Have a seat dear," he said coming around his desk and taking his own seat.

Gabriella cringed as the sound of that word leaving his lips. "You know I hate the name dear,"

"You knew I didn't want you flirting with Anthony," Troy held up the paper, "I think we're even."

Gabriella let lady down on the floor, "Gee did it take you all day to come up with that one?" she asked hopping Lady would shit on the carpet.

"We're going on the campaign tour together staring with Albuquerque, New Mexico" He said shifting document back into their rightful piles and folders.

"My home town?" she said in a lower voice.

"Yup, already called your parents their excited and we're going to have a party." Troy said looking back up at her. He was surprised to see she'd gone still, that the light in her eyes dimmed and she wouldn't meet his eye. "I at least thought you would be happy about seeing your family."

Gabriella didn't say a word.

"Gabriella?" he couldn't help but be a little concerned.

"I don't like lying to my family," she said finally meeting his glaze, "the wedding was a blur and I couldn't even make it through the reception." Gabriella went quiet again, "I agreed to this because I didn't want to have to go back home, so I wouldn't be a disappointment."

Troy shifted he felt guilt seeping into him, he should have asked before making this decision, there weren't really married. It made sense when he thought about it, the other day when she had been asleep with a tear stained face she would have just gotten off the phone with her mother. Troy looked down at the newspaper, this was a living arrangement and he was acting as if they were actually involved. "Shit, I'm sorry," Troy let out a breath and rubbed his hand through his hair, "I shouldn't have brought your family into this."

"It's alright," Gabriella let out a sigh, "I brought them into this," she shrugged, "I just didn't sign up for this election?" she said in low voice.

Troy bit his lip and tried not to notice the tears that were treading her brown eyes. "You agreed to be a senator's wife not a president's wife."

Gabriella looked away from him and let out a breath, she was trying to pull herself together.

Troy got up from his seat and walked around his desk to rest against it, "Maybe we should quit while we're ahead?" Troy said picking up a pen and twirling it in his fingers. "We could get a divorce?" he didn't realize how much he didn't want that until after he said it. He didn't want a divorce, he wanted to be married, and he liked Gabriella. She was different, being around her made him feel different.

"No,"

Relief flooded him, "Why not?" might she feel the same way.

"Because then this all would have been for nothing and I'll be in the same spot I was when I got here." Gabriella looked at him and her lips quivered. "I just can't." Her inside shook, Anthony would expose her, her family would disowner her, he would hate her, the last thought hit hard and she couldn't help the one tear fall down her face. If they didn't give her the death sentence she was sure the look on his face would kill whatever was left inside of her.

Not the answer he was hoping for. Troy nodded and bit his lip again. "Well I'm sorry, I don't know what to do,"

"We'll go," Gabriella said getting up from the seat and patting her leg, "Come on Lady."

"We don't have too," Troy said feeling like shit.

Gabriella rolled her eyes, "Please if I know my mother she's already invited the entire neighborhood and has already started cooking."

"Gabriella?" he said when she was half way to the door.

Gabriella turned around and scooped Lady off the floor, "Yes?" she said scratching lady behind the ear.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking." Troy said resting his hands on the desk.

"It's alright," Gabriella paused and then turned back to him, "Maybe you should walk me out so it doesn't seem like anything's wrong?" she said motioning to the outer office.

"Right," he said pushing himself off the desk.