[ vier ]

"Gabi, you are Bayern Munich. And I love Bayern Munich..."

His words were lost on her. For one, she could not understand his language too well. And second, she was too far lost in her emotional pain fo understand what he meant. Instead, she shook her head. "Bayern was the same before I arrived, and it will remain the same after I'm gone." She assured him, tears streaming down her face. "I don't want to leave, but there's nothing more for me to do here. There's no one to stay for."

"Nothing more?" He questioned, his eyes with a hint of outrage. "What about the team? What about me?"

"Your friendship is one of the things I will miss most about Germany." She admitted.

"Then please stay." He begged.

Pulling her hands away from his hold, she used them to wipe her tears away. Maybe she could have saved the ranch, had she not gone so long without paying any of the bills. She was unsure if there was any way to keep her home. "The bank wants us out of here by tomorrow." She informed him.

"Stay at my house." He insisted. "And tomorrow I can call my father. He works at the bank, he can help us out of this. I promise."

"Oh Thomas," She smiled through her tears. "What would I do without you?"

He reached for her hands once more. This time, he brought them to his lips, swearing, "There is nothing I wouldn't do for you."

Gabriella's eyebrows knitted together in curiosity. Nothing I wouldn't do for you. He had been saying that to her an awful lot and each time he said it she could find a hint of guilt in his green eyes. She wondered just how far he was willing to go when he said those words to her.

-

one year later, october two thousand & nine;

Gabriella was visited by Thomas everyday and together they would head for work. They would pick up Lolita from equestrian practice after, since she was older and went to school longer. When the twenty year old German footballer arrived at the Gallegos ranch, Gabriella was there waiting for him. On this particular day, a Saturday, there was no practice for the Bayern footballers, as well as no school for Lolita. Thomas was prepared to invite them to lunch and maybe to spend the rest of the day with his two favorite girls.

His mates told him it was unhealthy to be so in love with Gabriella, the way he was. But he didn't care. He said it many times and he would continue to stand by his words; there was nothing he wouldn't do for her.

As he got out of his car, Gabriella ran towards him and jumped into his open arms. On her face was a wide smile and her eyes shone with delight. "Thomas, I just got some wonderful news!"

"Really?" He grinned.

Seeing her smile was the best feeling in the world for him. She nodded her head. "So, remember you helped me get that loan from the bank?" He nodded and she continued. "And how we used that money to hire people that could plant crops and work the land?" Again, Thomas nodded and her smile seemed to get bigger as she spoke. "Well, we just got our first crops of the year and one of the biggest companies in Germany wants to use our crops to make all kinds of snacks and other things."

His arms wrapped around her waist and he spun her around in his arms. "That's amazing. I knew you could keep the ranch alive, all on your own. You have a magic touch. Your therapies healed my injuries and now they've made this land produce crops."

When he set her back down on her feet, she nodded her head. "I thought I wouldn't be able to handle working with Bayern and here at the ranch. But your support has really helped me."

"Gabi, I'm so proud of you." He said.

Reaching up to pinch his cheek, she grinned, "I'm the one who should be proud of you, Thomas. You're only twenty years old yet you're on Bayern's first squad and you've managed to lift my spirits when all I wanted was to die."

"I would never let you die." He swore. "I could never let that happen because I love you."

Her green eyes widened at his words. But she was too in shock to say anything.

He continued with his confession before he could think to stop himself. "I have loved you from the very first moment that I saw you. But there was no way that I could ever get close to you because you were married, you were my unreachable dream. And then...when Ernesto died, I still couldn't say anything because it was too soon. But a whole year has passed now, and I can't keep quiet anymore. Gabriella, I love you."

"Th-Thomas—" She stuttered out his name.

Though he didn't let her continue because he brought his lips to hers. It was short and sweet, and everything he had been wanting since he first saw her. But it was cut far too short by Gabriella's small daughter who pushed the footballer away. "What are you doing? Get away from her!" Lolita shouted.

"Lolita!" Gabriella gasped.

"You're betraying my dad!" The little girl yelled. She was wearing her best dress and in her hands was a bouquet of beautiful flowers she had probably picked in the meadows. Throwing them onto the floor in her tantrum, she cried, "And here I thought we could visit my dad's tomb on the anniversary of his death, but you're to busy cheating on him with Thomas. Both of you are traitors!"

"Lolita," Thomas tried to reason with her. "I love your mother. Please, give me a chance."

"Don't even talk to me, you traitor!" Lolita's eyes were full of tears. "I thought you were my friend. I hate you!"

Without saying more, she turned and ran out of the room crying. Gabriella was about to follow her when Thomas grabbed her arm to stop her. "Let me talk to her. Maybe if she sees how much I actually love you, she'll understand. She has to. I can make her like me again and we can be a happy family."

Gabriella shook her head. "No, Thomas. I have to talk to her. She's my daughter."

He nodded, understanding that it was something she had to talk to her daughter about. Gabriella went in search of her daughter, hoping to help her see that after one long year of grieving, it was time to move on.

-

ooooh thomas and gabi. anyway, no long a/n tonight bc im sleepy. so enjoy the chap. thank you for reading, u fab people. 

-clary xx