Comfort and Joy
"She's perfect." Jack Bolton told his son as they looked into the nursery at the hospital.
"Yes she is." Troy Bolton agreed as a nurse carried out the newest member of the Bolton family out.
Here she is, Mr. Bolton." the nurse announced placing the baby in Troy's arms.
"Thank you." Troy replied cradling his daughter.
Twenty two year old Troy Bolton was a starter for the L.A. Lakers. He married his high school sweetheart right after graduating from high school. Soon after, the couple moved to California to attend school. Halfway through their college career, Troy was drafted into the NBA. He promised his wife that he would continue to go to school during the offseason.
"Here we are!" Troy announced as he walked into his wife's hospital room.
Gabriella Bolton sat up in her bed with a smile on her face. Her eyes sparkled with the love for her family. After high school, she and Troy attended UCLA. After Troy was drafted, Gabriella continued her education and graduated with a degree in education. Troy had been in the front row cheering for his wife as she accepted her diploma. That evening, after private celebrations between the two of them, Gabriella whispered to her husband that she was pregnant. The look on his face mirrored the one he had on when she agreed to marry him.
Because of Troy's status in the NBA, paparazzi and press surrounded the couple wherever they were. The rumors of the pregnancy surrounded them but were never confirmed by the two of them. They finally had to release a statement when pictures of them on the beach were released. Gabriella's bump had been clearly visible as she and Troy enjoyed their settings.
After seven months of long waiting, Gabriella's water broke, right in the middle of one of Troy's games. The press surrounded her as she and her in-laws tried to leave the Staples Center. Half of the stadiums security had to escort her safely outside just as Troy pulled up. Gabriella was in labor for forty eight hours. Throughout the whole thing, several photographers had been caught trying to sneak in to get pictures of the couple. And now, after the long wait, Annabelle Michelle Bolton had finally arrived.
"She's so beautiful." Gabriella stated cradling Annabelle in her arms.
"Yes she is." Troy agreed sitting down on the edge of the bed. "Anna looks just like you."
"But most importantly, she has your eyes."
"Annabelle Michelle Bolton, December 2nd, 2012."
"Looks like we got an early Christmas gift. The best gift ever."
For the entire day, the new parents marveled at their new daughter. In the early evening, a nurse gave Gabriella a sedative to help her sleep. Troy was then asked to visit the children's ward. Coach and Mrs. Bolton had gone back to Troy and Gabriella's mansion to get some rest. A nurse had taken Annabelle back to the nursery. Or so the parents thought.
"Just give me a moment and we'll go home." the nurse told the newborn. "And then we'll call Daddy to tell him that you've arrived."
An hour later, Troy was making his way to the nursery to watch over Annabelle some more. When he got there, her bassinette was empty. At first he thought she was getting changed or being fed. After awhile, when she still hadn't returned, Troy began to get slightly anxious.
"Excuse me?" he asked a nurse. "Where's Annabelle Bolton?"
"I'll go see if they're feeding her."
"Thank you."
"Mr. Bolton, are you sure your daughter's not with your wife?" the nurse asked coming back a few minutes later.
"My wife is sound asleep. Where's my daughter?"
"I don't know."
Within minutes, the hospital was put into a lockdown. The police was called and after searching every square inch of the hospital, an Amber alert was issued. All the while, Gabriella was still sleeping peacfully unaware that her child had been stolen. Troy was in the stairwell closes to his wife's hospital room. he was letting all his anger out by either yelling, kicking the stair rail or punching the wall.
"Mr. Bolton?" a nurse asked. "Your wife is awake."
"Thank you." Troy stated.
He walked into a bathroom to put some water on his face to compose himself before going into tell his wife that their daughter had been kidnapped. How would Gabriella handle this? After a few minutes, Troy walked into Gabriella's hospital room. Gabriella smiled up at him as he entered.
"Where's Annabelle?" she asked. "Go get her, I want to hold her."
"Gabby..." Troy started.
"What's the matter?"
"Last night somebody took her."
"No." Gabriella stated shaking her head. "Don't joke like that. Go get her!"
"Gabby, I'm not joking."
"Where's my baby?" Gabriella demanded tearfully. "Someone's taken my baby!"
Gabriella struggled to get out of bed and pushed Troy away with a force that surprised the both of them. Despite just giving birth the day before, she rushed down the hall ignoring the pain that shot through her body with each step she took. The sight that greeted her at the nursery window was police officers dusting the bassinette that once cradled her daughter. Gabriella saw the scene and knew the relaity was true. She punched the wall before sliding to the floor in tears. Troy knelt down beside her and wrapped his arms around his wife. The two sat on the floor trying to comfort the other one.
"A parent's worse nightmare. Hello everyone, I'm Billy Bush." he introduced. "In what should be the happiest moment of their lives, NBA superstar, Troy Bolton and his wife, Gabriella, are going throught what every parent fears the most.
A video of Gabriella and Troy kissing each other after one of his games a few weeks ago. Anyone could tell that Gabriella did not care that her husband was covered in sweat from playing. Troy's hand was resting on her large baby bump.
"Only twenty-four hours old and Baby Annabelle Bolton had been kidnapped." Billy narrated.
"We've issued an Amber Alert for one Annabelle Michelle Bolton." the offiver in charge of the case announced at a press conference. "Troy Bolton and his wife were the first to be ruled out as suspects. We do believe that their daughter was taken by someone who is on this hospital's staff. We will soon be releasing a picture of the infant to the media. If anyone has any information, we ask that you contact the LAPD."
"Anabelle Bolton has dark hair, blue eyes and natural tanned skin. Our thoughts and prayers are with Troy and Gabriella Bolton. We hope for a safe and quick return of their young daughter.
Troy turned the TV off. His parents had returned to the hospital after being questioned by the plice. They were both siiting on the couch in their daughter-in-law's hospital room. Gabriella was in her bed facing the window. Tears were streaming down her face.
"Do you want anything?" Troy asked her gently.
"I want my baby." Gabriella cried softly.
"We'll get her back."
"How Troy?" Gabriella demanded sitting up. "We don't know who took her! The police don't know who took her! The longer she's gone, the less hope there is that we'll ever see her again! What did we do that deserves this kind of punishment! I want my baby in my arms! I don't know if she's scared, cold or hungry! Why would someone kidnap her!"
Gabriella then broke down sobbing once again. Troy wrapped her in his arms trying to comfort her. Mrs. Bolton was weeping quietly into her hands. Coach Bolton had a blank look on his face, showing no emotion.
Meanwhile, a small baby was crying in a crib. A nurse knelt down and picked her up. The baby and her ''mother'' looked nothing alike. The woman dialed a familiar phone number.
"Hi Honey!" she exclaimed happily.
"Hey Barbara!" the man's voice replied. "How's my lovely wife doing?"
"Wonderful! I had the baby!" Barbara exclaimed to her husband. "A little girl, Sarah Rachel is finally here!"
"I'm catching the next flight home!"
"I can't wait to see you!"
"I can't wait to see you both."
"Daddy's coming home." Barbara told the baby in her arms. "And then our family will be together.
"I think we should have another press conference." the chief of police told Troy.
"And you think that'll help?" Troy asked.
"We want your wife to make a statment."
"No, no way."
"Mr. Bolton, we fell that if your wife makes a public plea, the kidnapper might feel sympathy and could return your daughter."
"I don't know if Gabriella's up to it."
"I'll do it." Gabriella announced as she slowly walked into the room.
"Are you sure?" Troy asked his wife gently.
"I want Annabelle back so much and if this might help, then it's no question."
"I'll set everything up." the officer stated.
An hour later, Gabriella slowly eased into a wheel chair. Troy pushed her down to the hospital's lobby. Cameras flashed as they appeared in front of the press. Troy wheeled Gabriella up to a microphone.
"I have a message for the person who took Annabelle." Gabriella announced. "Please return her. She needs to be with us, her parents, her family. I'm before you, not as a celebrity's wife, but as a mother. All I want is for my baby to be back with me. I'm begging you, please, bring her home. We want her with us. We love her so much."
Two days later, Gabriella was released from the hospital. Troy had made sure that the police had all of their contact numbers. He had taken a leave of absence from the team in order to be at Gabriella's side. The whole team had gotten together and offered a $250,000 cash reward for information that would lead to where the kidnapper and Annabelle were. Gabriella was looking at her Christmas tree when she heard Troy approach her.
"If we just keep our faith and hope alive, we'll have Annabelle back home with us for Christmas." he told her comfortly wrapping his arms around her.
"I want her back, Troy." Gabriella whispered tearfully. "I want her in my arms.
Natasha Anderson opened her apartment door to go get her mail in the lobby. She smiled as seeing her neighbors with their young baby. She then frowned trying to remember ever seeing Barbara pregnant. And yet the baby didn't look anything like her parents, but still so familiar. Natasha opened her mail bpx and pulled her mail out. On top was that week's issue of 'People Magazine'. On the cover was a picture of Troy and Gabriella Bolton with their daughter. Now Natasha knew where she had seen Greg and Barbara's child. She was the baby that was pictured all over the place. They had kidnapped their child. Natasha raced back to her apartment to call the police.
"LAPD."
"I think I know where you can find the Bolton baby."
Troy and Gabriella were down at the police station seeing if there were any new leads. The Chief of Police noticed that the frightened parents had not gotten any sleep at all. He was about to explain to them that not sleeping was not going to help them at all when one of his detectives rushed in.
"Sir, I think we may have found her!" he announced as Gabriella and Troy turned to him.
"How do you know?" the chief asked not wanting to get the couple's hopes up.
"We got a call saying that she was seen with the caller's neighbors."
"We've been getting dozens of calls like that."
"But this neighbor is Barbara Renolds, a nurse at the hospital where Mrs. Bolton delivered."
"We're on our way."
"Let us come!" Gabriella begged.
"I'm sorry Mrs. Bolton, it might be dangerous."
"Our daughter might be in there!"
"I'm sorry..."
"We'l stay in the police car until you give us permission." Troy bargained.
"Alright."
Several police cars sped to the address the woman had given them. Troy and Gabriella clung to one another, praying that their prayers had been answered. Two officers stayed with them, making sure they wouldn't go in.
"It's time for bed." Barbara cooed to her baby.
Greg smiled as he watched his family. Barbara carried Sarah into the nursey and began to get her ready for bed. Greg got out a book to start reading but was interrupted by a knock at the door. Greg went over to answer.
"Can I help you?" he asked the police officers.
"LAPD, we need to see your daughter."
"What for?" Greg demanded as the police officers barged in. "Wait a minute, you can't just abrge into my house! My wife just had a baby!"
"Greg, what's going on?" Barbara asked clutching Sarah to her.
"The police need to see Sarah." Greg told her.
"We believe she is Annabelle Bolton."
"No, she's my daughter! You can't have her!"
"Just let us see the birth certificate and then we'll be out of your way."
"Show them, Honey." Greg told his frozen wife. "Barb?
"I don't have one for her yet."
"Ma'am, please give me the baby."
"No, she's mine!"
"What have you done?" Greg asked.
"You were going to leave me! I thought that if we had a baby we would stay together. Greg, this is our child! We love her."
"Mrs. Renolds, will you place your daughter in her crib?"
Barbara gently placed Sarah in the crib. The chief walked up and pulled the picture out the picture Troy had given. He smiled softly.
"Hello, Annabelle." he whispered. "Tell them they may come up."
"Mr. and Mrs. Bolton may enter the apartment." a voice announced over the radio.
Gabriella and Troy were flying up the stairs in seconds. Gabriella raced into the apartment. Greg tried to block her from going any further, but Troy quickly shoved him off of her. Gabriella ran into the nursery and peered into the crib. There in front of her was Annabelle. Gabriella began to weep with happiness as she picked her up. She placed a hand on top of Annabelle's head and cried even harder. Troy approached her and wrapped his arms around her.
"Davis, escort the Boltons back to the police station."
"Yes, Chief."
"Come on, Gabs." Troy directed gently leading her away from the crib.
"You can't take her!" Barbara screamed coming towards them. "She's my baby!"
Troy quickly placed himself between Gabriella and the crazed woman. Gabriella clutched Annabelle tighter, fearful that she would be taken once again. Two officers had to retrain Barbara. Troy led Gabriella outside to the car. The couple sat close together. Gabriella held Annabelle up so that they both could see her.
"You've had quite an adventure already." Troy told Annabelle stroking her cheek softly.
"But no more, unless we're with you." Gabriella replied tearfully.
After being cleared by a doctor at the police station, Troy and Gabriella were finally able to take their baby girl home. Gabriella gently placed Anabelle into her car seat before getting in the passenger seat up front. Troy then made the overdue drive home. A few minutes later, they arrived at their gated home. Paparazzi swarmed their car the moment they pulled up. After pulling through, Troy made sure that he parked up at the front door blocking Gabriella and Annabelle from the photographers. The family walked into their home.
"Mom! Dad!" Troy called. "Come down here!"
Coach and Mrs. Bolton walked into the entry room. Mrs. Bolton began to cry with happiness at the sight of their granddaughter. They rushed over and joined in welcoming Annabelle home.
Alright, this is to make up for not updating my two main stories during the holidays. I had left my hand written form of the chapters in my dorm room and was unable to get them. Hopefully, I'll be able to update again soon.