A/N: New Story. I kinda like this one as it has another POV in it. Not just your happy family fic, I hope it shows that some things aren't always perfect in the Bolton household (:
Disclaimer: I don't own High School Musical, that belongs to Disney and if I owned Troy or Gabriella they'd have done a whole lot more kissing in 7 months of their relationship.
A Princess No More
My Daddy says I'm special, he says I'm his little pwincess. But today I don't feel like no pwincess, and my Daddy's not here so he can't tell me I am. Beary who is my bestest friend in the whole wide world is the only one who knows why I don't feel like no pwincess. My Mommy always looks after me, but now she has no time for me, 'cause they have their other little pwincess. She's all they want now, I'm not special anymore now, so it's just me and Beary. Beary tells me that he woves me and I tell him that I wove him 'cause I do, more than Mommy and Daddy wove me now. Me and Beary have been together all day, and I ain't seen no one 'cause they all care 'bout their other pwincess now. Usually my Daddy tells me 'bout the pwincesses before my eyes shut, but the day before today, he no told me nothing, him and Mommy were looking after her instead. My Mommy and Daddy don't love me no more.
"Where's Bella?" Troy asked Gabriella who was sat on the sofa with their newborn baby daughter Poppy. She had been born the day before, and today was the first day in her new home.
"I think she's taking a nap upstairs" She replied, also curious as to her daughter's whereabouts.
"I'll go see if I can find her" Troy said, he had hardly seen Bella all day, and with the surprise party earlier for Poppy he felt almost guilty for the lack of attention he had given to Bella that day. He and Gabriella were both only children, so they struggled to understand what it must be like to share your parents with someone, and having never considered this, neither of them could have begun to understand the confusion and separation Bella was experiencing. He walked into Bella's room, and found her on her bed, snuggled up with Beary her favourite cuddly toy that she just wouldn't be without. She lay on her pink sleeping beauty bedspread with her body facing the wall. Bella had started using her big girl bed about 3 weeks ago, and she was still getting used to it.
"Bella, would you like to come downstairs to see Poppy?" Troy knelt down by her bed and spoke quietly to the little girl. Bella quickly shook her head no, why on earth would she want to meet the person that was taking her Mommy and Daddy away?
"Are you sure? Mommy and Daddy really want you to come and see her, everybody's left now, and Nana has gone home too" Troy spoke of Gabriella's mom, who had looked after Bella the previous night. Bella remained silent and still, and Troy decided that she just wanted to be left alone. "Okay sweetie, I'll leave you alone" Troy left her room and quickly walked back downstairs to find Gabriella nursing Poppy, both of them were tired after the strenuous day. He sat down next to Gabriella and sat in silence, deep in thought, he was already worried about Bella, and after the one-sided conversation they had just had his worry had only escalated.
"Where's Bella babe?" Gabriella asked him.
"She's upstairs on her bed. I'm worried about her Gabby, we haven't seen her all day and she didn't want to be down here when everyone was here before. I mean have you even seen her just a little bit interested in Poppy. She was all happy during the pregnancy, but she just seems so withdrawn since we came home"
"I'm sure she's just tired, but after we've all had dinner as a family, I'll have a bath with her and try and find out if anything's wrong, okay?" Gabriella kissed him chastely before returning her attention to Poppy, who had now finished nursing.
"I'll burp her if you want, then put her down for a while" Troy offered holding his hands out for the baby.
"Thanks babe, I'll go start dinner now"
Gabriella walked up the stairs and into Bella's room to find her still lying on her bed with Beary tucked safely into her side. Gabriella was unsure of what to do, something was obviously wrong but Bella was refusing to talk to anyone – apart from Beary that was. "Bella, come on sweetie, dinners ready" Gabriella reached down to lift Bella onto her hip, so that she could take her downstairs to eat but Bella rolled off her bed and stood up. "No Mommy. I walk" Gabriella followed Bella out of the room, and watched her struggle to climb down the stairs.
"There's my Princess Bella, did Nana choose that dress for you this morning?" Troy tried to make conversation with his daughter; it was proving harder than he first thought, as Bella seemed to remain mute. "Okay sweetie, well Mommy made your favourite pasta so try and eat as much as you can. You've got to be a big strong girl" He carried on as he placed the food in front of his daughter, and then served himself and Gabriella before they sat down at the table with Bella. Poppy was sleeping in her bassinette in the kitchen, although she was due for another feed in about an hour. Belle was trying to eat her pasta as quick as she possibly could, so that she wouldn't have to be near Poppy for very long, after all she was keeping her from her Mommy and Daddy, because of her speed, she now had sauce all around her mouth and some had started to go onto her dress.
"Bellaaaaa. Look at that mess you're creating, I think somebody needs a bath. When you're finished I'll take you upstairs for your bath and then Daddy will read you a story before bed." Bella smiled half-heartedly, maybe things would return to normal.
"Okay Mommy" She replied quietly. She returned back to trying to eat her pasta whilst Troy and Gabriella continued to speak about the night. "Troy, I've done 3 bottles for Poppy okay, so if she starts crying whilst Bella's having her bath do not come and get me, I don't want Bella to feel like she's second best to her, I think that's why she's been upset today. I mean think about it, we come home and everything is about Poppy, and we haven't even seen Bella for nearly 2 days. I … I just think that we should try and make things as normal for her as possible, and try and help her settle down with another baby in the house." Gabriella explained.
"I knew there was a reason I married you, oh wise one" Troy kissed her on the lips, and agreed that he wouldn't disturb Gabriella and Bella, until Gabriella came back downstairs after their bath.
"Okay Bella, let's go have that bath you mucky pup" Gabriella reached down to pick her up, and was pleased when Bella willingly went into her arms without any fuss. "Do you want Mommy to come in the bath with you, or do you just want to go in by yourself?" Gabriella asked her daughter as they were walking up the stairs.
"Come in with me" Bella whispered. Gabriella smiled, she had been hoping for that answer as it meant that maybe Bella would talk to her a little more. She quickly ran the bath and added some bubbles. That would make Bella smile a bit she thought to herself. Soon the bath was ready, and Gabriella was trying to find a way to separate Bella from Beary. She seemed to be clinging on to her beloved bear more these days, well since they got home from the hospital that was.
"Bella you can't take Beary in the bath with you, he'll get wet" Gabriella tried to explain to the youngster.
"No Mommy!" Bella flat out refused.
"But you don't want Beary to get wet do you? If he does then he can't stay with you tonight because you'll have to let him dry out" Without responding Bella quickly ran into her room to safely tuck Beary in, and then ran back to her mother. They both got into the bath, and settled down in to the warm water. For Gabriella it seemed relatively cold, but much hotter and Bella wouldn't have liked it. "Mommy" Bella stretched her arms out wanting to snuggle with Gabriella in the warm water. Gabriella pulled her into her chest and stroked her hair, almost soothing her.
"What's wrong Bella?" Gabriella asked quietly. "Why are you not talking to Mommy or Daddy?" She got no reply. "Do you like Poppy?"
"No" Came the flat response. Gabriella was somewhat shocked by her answer, but after she had asked the question she almost expected it. "Why not sweetie?" She probed, hoping to find out why Bella was so down.
"Cause she's Daddy's pwincess"
"But so are you, Mommy and Daddy still love you even though you have a little sister now" Gabriella tried to convince her.
"No. Only me and Beary wove each other"
"That's not true. We love you, Poppy loves you, Nana loves you too, and Beary of course. Why do you think we don't love you anymore?"
"Cause me no see you today. You see Poppy" Bella sobbed. Gabriella hugged her closer to her body and was about to say something before a knock on the bathroom door, without even waiting for an answer the door opened much to Gabriella's annoyance. She had told Troy not to disturb her whilst taking a bath with Bella and here Troy was just barging in. "I just thought I'd bring you your towels, you left them out on the landing…" Troy started to explain, before he saw Bella's tears rolling down her cheeks. "Hey Princess, what's the matter?" Troy asked concerned for his daughter. He always hated to see her upset, so today had been particularly hard for him with Bella being so withdrawn.
"Daddy" Bella cried reaching up to Troy. All she wanted was a cuddle from her Daddy. Troy lifted her up and wrapped her in one of the towels that he had brought in, holding her close to him trying to stop her cries. "Shhhh, it's okay, Daddy's got you" Troy continued comforted his oldest daughter whilst Gabriella got out the bath and wrapped herself up in a towel. "Let's go downstairs, and Daddy will put on Ariel for you and then read you a story" Gabriella rubbed Bella's back comfortingly suggesting to Bella what would happen and almost ordering Troy to do as she said by giving him the look. Troy started to head for the stairs when he heard Poppy crying. He looked at Gabriella with wide eyes, Poppy seemed to have the worst timing and neither knew how Bella was going to react. "I'll go get her" Gabriella rushed off down the stairs into the kitchen to retrieve her from her bassinette, Troy still stood at the top of the stairs comforting his now sobbing daughter
The family of four were sat around the plasma television watching The Little Mermaid, Bella was snuggled into Troy trying to keep her eyes open to watch the movie, it was after all her favourite one. There was a comfortable silence in the room, apart from Gabriella's occasional gasps at Poppy's suckling.
"Are you alright baby?" Troy asked Gabriella.
"Yep, Poppy's just a little too hungry for her own good tonight" She replied with a grimaced smile. Bella was drinking a bottle of warm milk; her usual drink before bedtime although she was struggling to hold the bottle herself with her exhausted little body. "Daddy I done" Bella said tiredly before handing her now empty bottle to Troy.
"Mommy and Daddy love you so much Bella, so much" Troy stroked her messy hair back from her face, pulling her closer to him.
"I know Daddy"
"No Bella you don't. We love you and Poppy more than anything else in this world"
Later That Night
"Cinderella and Prince Charming lived happily ever after" Troy closed the Princess book as Bella liked to call it. Every night she would be read a story from it apart from last night when Gabriella was in hospital, and Troy realised that not having her story last night probably affected her more than he could understand. Troy looked down at Bella and noticed that her eyes were nearly closed. "Night Princess" Troy kissed her forehead "Mommy will come and see you in a minute" He switched on her nightlight, and then left the room.
Soon Gabriella walked in quietly so as not to disturb Bella if she was already fast asleep. "Night sweetie, maybe we can go to the park tomorrow. Sleep tight Princess" Gabriella kissed the dozing Bella and then walked out the room shutting the door behind her, leaving Bella snuggled up with Beary safely in her bed. They would prove to Bella that she meant just as much to them as Poppy, even if it would take a while.
I wove my Mommy and Daddy. Daddy called me his pwincess again after he read me told me about the pwincesses before my eyes shutted today. Now me and Beary have Mommy and Daddy to look after us. My Daddy even letted me watch Ariel 'cause she's my favourite pwincess and he knew that I was upset. Tomorrow my Mommy even says we can go to the park and Poppy's coming with us but I don't mind as much now cause Mommy and Daddy wove me the samed as Poppy and Poppy woves me, well that's what my Daddy tolded me when I was watching Ariel. Tonight I feeled like a pwincess again.
So what did you think? Please let me know in a review. (: