Christmas Fanfiction - ONESHOT!

Troy and Gabriella Bolton had been through a lot together. They had met in high school and had been together ever since. They had had their first child accidentally at the age of sixteen and the second at eighteen. They married when they were twenty and had had two more children after that. Eric was their first-born and was now twenty years old. Their second son was now seventeen and was called Aaron. At the age of twenty-one they had a daughter who was now fifteen. She was called Alethea, or just plain Ally to her friends and family. That was supposed to be their completed family but they then were blessed with their fourth child who was another boy. They had him when they were twenty-nine and he was now six years old. He was called Jonathan.

Troy and Gabriella had been happily married and they had never spent any time apart. That was until about ten years ago. Eric was ten, Aaron was seven and Alethea was five. Troy was working for a huge publishing company and he was quickly working his way up the corporate ladder. One day Troy had come home with some news. He had gotten the promotion that he had been waiting for. Unfortunately that meant that Troy had to be away from home during the week. Troy's job was going to be taking him To New York; he would leave Albuquerque on a Monday afternoon and return on Friday night. Gabriella didn't like the thought of them being apart but it did mean that they would be able to afford things like long family holidays and a nice family home. After about eighteen months of Troy only being home at the weekend, something happened. Troy started staying in New York for two weeks at a time and then come home on a Saturday and would then go back on the Sunday. Gabriella hated it but anytime she tried to question Troy he would snap at her and it would end up being a big argument about how Troy was working his butt off for his family and Gabriella didn't appreciate it. The wouldn't make up until next time Troy came home and even then there would be an atmosphere in the house.

This went on for a long time, and every now and then Troy would stay away for three or four weeks. Gabriella had given up on arguing because it just caused more trouble and her children didn't need to listen to their parents argue constantly. Six years ago Gabriella had fallen pregnant with Jonathan and she hoped this would finally bring Troy back to the family. And for a while it did. She gave birth in the November and Troy was home from mid November until the middle of January. It had been the best Christmas that they had had in a long time. By the time Jonathan was eight months old it started again. But this time it was worse. Gabriella had no idea when Troy would actually call or come home. Sometimes he would come home after two weeks and other times it would be two months. Gabriella gave up trying to do anything.

By the time Jonathan was two years old she found out what was happen. He was seeing someone in the city. Gabriella had found texts on his phone on one of the rare occasions that he was home. She was called Amber. There was even pictures. She was at least ten years younger than Troy and Gabriella and had bleached blonde hair and an extremely large chest. Gabriella couldn't stop crying when she found out. They had been high school sweethearts and now everything was going down the drain. But her children kept her going. For example, Troy would come home and she would wash some of his shirts that he brought back, they would have lipstick marks around the collar. Eric was the one that helped her get through it. He would find her sat just staring into space and crying. Gabriella didn't know what she would do without her kids. She had tried several times to pluck up the courage and leave Troy but every time something stopped her. She couldn't do and even though he was never there she still needed him.

Now it was the 20th of December. Troy had hardly been around to see Jonathan grow up and he was too young to understand why his daddy was never around. He had never missed Christmas but he had called Gabriella and said he had to work, saying that he would be staying with a 'friend' over Christmas. He even hung up before Gabriella could protest. This was one of the worst Christmases ever and Gabriella just wanted it to be over with. Today they were going to put all the decorations up and then wrap presents for their aunts, uncles and grandparents. It was what they did every year. Eric had Jonathan on his shoulder and they were trying to put the star on top of the tree without knocking it over. The phone rang and Alethea ran to answer it, hoping it was her boyfriend.

"Hello?"

"Hey Ally! How's my favorite little girl?" Troy asked happily down the phone.

"Ohh, hello, and FYI I'm not a little girl anymore and sometimes I doubt that I am actually yours." Troy was about to shout at her for being rude when her heard Aaron's voice over the phone instead.

"Have a good Christmas dad, and don't worry we're already interviewing for your replacement." Troy was speechless. His son had never spoken to him like that before. Then Eric started.

"Hey dad."

"Finally someone being good. So what's new son?" Troy asked.

"Well mum sold your car and split the money between me and Aaron so we could go and buy a car each. Not that you need one anyway because you're never home." He hung up leaving Troy stood holding the phone in front of his face staring in disbelief. He couldn't believe his children had just spoken to him like that and Gabriella hadn't even stopped him. He knew she was there. It took him a few moments before calling back.

"Hello?" he sighed as he heard Gabriella's soft and gentle voice coming over the line.

"Hey Brie, it's me. Did you hear how the kids just behaved?" Troy asked.

"Actually I did. It's good to know they can stand up for themselves." Gabriella said with no emotion in her voice. There was a lump slowly rising in her throat and her anger was about to boil over when she heard his other woman say something in the background.

"Well tell them that they're grounded until next year. I don't know where they get it from." Gabriella snorted at Troy's words.

"So you're telling me to punish my children for sharing their feelings…no way Troy." Gabriella could feel the fight that was brewing but she couldn't seem to stop herself.

"Your children? Gabriella last time I checked I was their dad!" He was getting slightly frustrated with his wife's lack of respect.

"Well Troy when you learn to act like their father then you can be known as their father." Something suddenly hit Gabriella. All the pain and anger that she had felt for the last ten years suddenly exploded out of her like a volcano. "You know what Troy? You are the worst father and husband in the world and this family deserves so much better. I can't take this anymore! You have a choice Troy. Come home for Christmas or not at all. It's your family or the little slut you have on the side." Gabriella hung up the phone and then ripped the plug out of the wall.

Gabriella plastered a smile on her face and continued to wrap gifts with Alethea. The three oldest had heard what had happened but no one said anything. They all knew that she meant it and even though part of them hated the man they called dad, there was a bigger part that was crying out for him to come home.

With Troy

I tried to call Gabriella back but the line had been disconnected. I couldn't believe what she had said to me. I stopped for a moment to think about what she had said. Did she really mean it? I couldn't quite decide. Gabriella was far from dumb and she knew all about Amber, but we never spoke about it. Gabriella had never said anything like this and I had no idea whether it was something that I should be taking seriously.

"Troy are you coming over here to have a drink?" Amber said seductively. I didn't really know what to make of her. The only reason I was with her was because it meant that I had somewhere to stay for free while I was in the city. I can't even remember if I ever really liked her. She was attractive in an obvious kind of way but the closer and longer you looked the more she appeared to be something that tends to hang about on street corners of an evening.

"Actually Amber, I think I'll go to bed I'm feeling tired." I started to walk towards the bedroom; I needed some time to think.

"Well Troy, I'll join you in a moment." Amber said winking at me. That was probably one of the worst moves ever and it really wasn't working. I quickly got into the bed and pretended to be asleep. Thank god it worked. She got in and was soon asleep while I stayed up to think.

Gabriella's words kept replaying in my mind. My children's words were replaying in my mind. A huge part of had never wanted to leave them in the first place. But if I hadn't then we wouldn't have all the things that they had now. They wouldn't have cars, live in a nice house, and get everything they wanted for birthdays and Christmases, amazing holidays. But I was starting to wonder if it was all worth us not being together as a family. I had a six-year-old son who had hardly ever seen me. There was no way I wanted him to grow up not knowing me. But I really did have to work at Christmas and going home would mean that I was likely to get fired. Then what would I do?

Deep down I knew that Gabriella was right. I should really be at home right now, but I couldn't be! I had to work and sometimes everyone has to make sacrifices for their loved ones. I'm doing this for them! They have no right to have a go at me when I work my butt off for them! Eric and Aaron have cars…because of the money from my car, which I earned. Alethea has and Iphone…because I worked hard to give her one. Gabriella has a car, a house, and a family…because I gave her it. And Jonathan…well Jonathan didn't really didn't have anything from me, because I'd never really been with him long enough to know what he wanted. He never asked for anything either. Well he did ask me to come home a lot this year but he had given up about 2 months ago. I think he realized that asking doesn't do anything. I finally closed my eyes and drifted into an uncomfortable sleep, hoping that tomorrow everything will be back to normal and my ungrateful family would realize what I was doing for them.

No one's POV

The 23rd of December came and went and Troy didn't call home and they didn't call him. Gabriella was past furious with him. She was at a point now where there wasn't even a word that could describe how she was feeling right now. But she managed to smile and stay happy for the sake of Jonathan. It broke the heart of Gabriella and her three eldest children when their youngest brother said he would send all his presents back to Santa if his daddy came home and played some basketball with him.

Gabriella was tempted to call Troy and tell him exactly what he was doing to the family but stopped herself every time. This time Troy had to learn the hard way, no matter what.

Gabriella sent Troy a text message on Christmas Eve morning. She told him that he had until 11.55pm to get home or it was over for good. It was 7.30pm on Christmas Eve and Gabriella's nerves were getting to her. She was sat in her dressing gown and so were Jonathan and Alethea. Eric and Aaron were apparently too old for pyjamas so they would wear basketball shorts or tracksuit bottoms with a t-shirt or wife beater. She didn't want to leave Troy but she couldn't go on like this. She was now doing something that she had never done to this extent before. She had bought some wine a couple of days ago. She always bought some bottles for Christmas and she had gotten two for Christmas Eve. She gave her three eldest a small glass each to celebrate the holiday and that used about half the bottle. She kept the other bottle and a half for herself. She slowly worked her way through the bottles. Sip after sip. She watched the clock tick away in the corner. Her heart beating faster with every single second that passed. She sent Daniel to bed and the others gradually followed, they all hugged her and wished her a Merry Christmas. But she knew it wasn't going to be.

11.54pm. He wasn't coming. Not now and not ever. Gabriella began to sob. He was gone now. Was staying with his slag in the city. She was single once again and it terrified her. She couldn't bring herself to stagger up the stairs so she fell asleep on the sofa, clinging a wine bottle close to her chest as if it were the loved one that she longed for.

Gabriella's POV

I woke up at 4am the next morning. I rubbed my eyes and picked the empty wine bottle off the floor. I went to put it in the kitchen and I felt my head pounding with every footstep. I knew I shouldn't have drunk last night. I never normally drank that much, plus I hadn't eaten all day. I was too worried about what Troy would do. But now I was numb. I felt like I had forgotten what it was like to be loved. Of course my children loved me but it's not the same type of love.

I took some painkillers and headed upstairs to bring down all of the kids presents…alone. Jonathan was still a strong believer in jolly old St. Nick so we all had to play along. Meaning Christmas day was an extremely long one for me. I couldn't stop thinking about Troy. We had been together since high school and we had a family, but he chose to leave it all for some blonde twenty something. I sighed as I began to lug the gifts down the stairs. I even brought the ones that I had bought for Troy. Not that he would ever be opening them. I had very little hope in him ever coming back to this house again. It didn't seem like he needed to.

I finally had them all down just in time to hear Jonathan dragging his brothers and sister down the stairs. The all looked at me as if to say, "You had to have another one didn't you?"

I smiled at their tired faces, "Merry Christmas guys!" I said as cheerfully as I could.

"LOOK WHAT SANTA'S BROUGHT!" Jonathan shouted as he dove head first into his pile. Everyone laughed and my three other children kissed me on the cheek and wished me a merry Christmas, even though we all knew it wasn't.

I watched the kids unwrap everything and smiled at their content faces. This was something that I always loved doing.

"Mum we got you this. It was supposed to be for you and Dad but you can always take Sharpay or someone like that." Eric passed me a small box. I opened it to reveal two tickets for a week in Paris. It included spa treatments and a personal chauffeur for a seven-night stay. "We've been saving all year for it. Jonathan picked out the box." Eric laughed slightly at his brother who was oblivious to everyone else.

"Thank you so much guys!" I pulled my children close to me. It was such an amazing gift and I didn't know what to say.

The rest of the day continued in the way it always did. My mum lived with her new husband and they celebrated Christmas with Troy's parents. Then on Boxing Day we would go over to my mums or my in-laws for a small buffet and spend the day together. So today I was left alone to salvage a Christmas meal. I kept a smile on my face all day. Alethea could see right through it and she made it clear that she was feeling the same way. She was Daddy's little girl, and she couldn't even remember the last time that she had saw him.

By 4pm we were all sat watching TV. The fire was crackling in the corner and the room was warm and cozy. I was so comfortable I almost didn't hear the click of the front door…

No one's POV

Gabriella sat up, as did everyone else in the room. They sat silently, watching and waiting. They heard the door shut and footsteps cross the hall. The French doors opened to reveal Troy Bolton in all his glory. Eric quickly grabbed his mother's arms to stop her from ripping Troy limb from limb.

"You have some nerve Bolton!" she shouted. He looked at his feet.

"Ella, please let me explain." He looked at his children's faces. So much had changed. Alethea was so much more beautiful. His boys were about an inch shorter than him and had muscles that reflected their athletic ability. His youngest was starting to not look so young. He was getting big and it scared him to see how much he had really missed out on.

Gabriella looked at Eric who nodded. "Fine…so then Troy what's it going to be this time? You had some papers to sign? You got caught up in mindless chitchat? You wanted a quickie with your secretary?" Troy winced at every excuse she said to him.

"Actually I realized that I wanted to be home but the airports were so packed that I couldn't get a flight. I managed to get one last night at 9pm."

"Well if it was at 9 then why didn't you even bother to come home and spend the day with us!" Gabriella was furious. There was no doubt that what Troy had done was unforgivable.

Troy sighed before continuing. "I had to get a flight to an airport 60 miles away. I stayed in a motel and got a taxi into Albuquerque today and I wanted to get everyone a present before I came home."

Gabriella watched his sad face. She couldn't stop her heart from melting. The kids didn't speak they just stared. Jonathan walked to his dad.

"Daddy?" he said in his sweet baby voice. Troy smiled and knelt next to his son. "WHAT DID YOU GET ME?" he asked excitedly. Troy fell backwards at the volume of the small boys voice causing everyone else to giggle slightly. Troy walked out and picked up a rather large box and brought it in.

"Now before you open it, it's for all the family ok? So no arguing or fighting over it." Troy put the box in the middle of the room and watched the four of them rip the lid off, revealing a tiny puppy sleeping soundly in a blanket.

Everyone was in awe. Troy had never done something like this before and it amazed his children so much. Jonathan picked the puppy out of box and carefully cuddled him. He was an Old English Sheepdog and was one hundred percent adorable!

"Can we call him Fred?" Jonathan asked. Everyone nodded their head, letting the youngest choose a name was something that they would have always done.

After this touching moment Gabriella's spit quickly returned.

"So is this to look after us while you're not around then?" She stated as she folded her arms across her chest.

Troy had forgotten how beautiful she really was. Her dark hair and skin blended together perfectly and her brown eyes were warm and inviting. He walked over to her and gave her a small box. She opened it to reveal a diamond tennis bracelet. "Troy I don't want fancy gifts. What's the point when I don't have a husband to take me anywhere and show them off." She said in a nasty tone. Troy took the bracelet and put it on her, despite the protests. He pushed her hair behind her ears and looked into her eyes.

"I'm not going back Ella. I quit. I love you too much to do something stupid like that." Gabriella suddenly realized he was being serious. Without warning she threw herself into his arms and he spun her around like when they were teenagers. "And hey I don't have a job but we can always go and live with the grandparents!" he said. This caused protests and giggles from all corners.

The rest of the day was the best Christmas that the Bolton family had ever had. Troy played video games with his sons and even played two on two in the cold outdoors. He also helped Alethea to bath Fred. By ten thirty all the children were in bed, leaving the parents sitting on the sofa in the living room.

"Troy…you promise this is it now? No more lying and cheating, me and you, together forever, like you promised?" Troy watched as she fingered the necklace had given her in high school. It was heart with an engraving, which read:

Troy and Ella

Together Forever

X

"I promise Ella. Just us. No one else." They smiled into a kiss.

"So are you looking forward to going to Paris for a week?" Gabriella asked seductively. They were leaving on the 3rd Of January and she couldn't wait.

"As long as I'm with you nothing else matters." They laced their fingers together and kissed again, savoring each moment.

"Merry Christmas Troy."

"Merry Christmas Ella."

So there's my Christmas story.

Hope you all like it, it's based on a true story I read in a magazine last week lol

Hope you all have an Amazing Christmas and a Brilliant New Year!

Love From

Hannah

xxxxx