Soldier
Summary: He was the rock, the foundation, for so many things. The only problem is that Sean Cameron's temper always explodes before he has the chance to think about the consequences. This time, he has more to worry about than himself, but it's too late. When he and a group of loyal Wasaga Beach kids get in over their heads, Emma and her friends want to help... but can they?
Author's Note: Yep, another one. I just can't keep my mind from wandering! This fanfiction is loosely based on Eminem's "Like Toy Soldiers." There is a lot of pre-Toronto history for Sean in this, and I'm aware that it may be confusing at first, but don't lose faith in me! I think this has the potential to be a decent fic, if I can get around/over/under/some other preposition the speed bumps. Oh, yeah, and I haven't quite figured out a way for Emma to help yet, but she's infamous for interfering, so there has to be something. I'm trying to bridge the gap between Wasaga-Sean and Degrassi-Sean.
Disclaimer: And for once I remember to add one... Degrassi: The Next Generation belongs to CTV, The-N, Alliance Atlantis, Epitome Pictures, and maybe other people I don't know about, but they aren't me. "Like Toy Soldiers," the song used throughout the fanfiction, was written by Eminem. It can be found on the album Encore, which was produced by Dr. Dre. I'm sure it also has something to do with Scott Storch, too, but nothing to do with moi.
Now, without further ado, I am pleased to present to you our feature presentation... Soldier.
-X-
Chapter One- Midnight Visits
I'm supposed to be the soldier who never blows his composure
Even though I hold the weight of the whole world on my shoulders
I am never supposed to show it, my crew ain't supposed to know it
Emma Nelson bid her friends farewell two houses down from her own, right before that old alley way between Widow Baker's and that ancient, rundown apartment building on Degrassi Street. You know the alley I'm talking about, right? The one you have to go through Newman's Convenience Store to get on, because a really tall fence blocks it off before Taylor Avenue.
Emma hated that alley, because it had always given her the creeps. She hadn't taken it since that summer before Grade 7, the night she'd gone to meet Jordan. She shivered in unease as she surveyed the moon, or lack thereof. It was cold and pitch black in Toronto tonight, and Emma didn't like it.
"Hey, Em, you going to be alright, walking home alone?" Craig asked, noticing her skittish behavior.
"Yeah, we'll take you the rest of the way if you want," Paige suggested, and Emma shrugged.
"Jesus, it's two houses, Greenpeace!" Jay exclaimed in irritation. Spinner chuckled, but fell silent as Paige glared at him.
"Seriously, Cause Girl. Get some," Alex threw in, leaning in to Jay. Emma hesitated for a fraction of a second, then declined.
"Jay's right, as much as it pains me to say. It's only two houses down. Anyway, you all would make way too much noise, and I was never supposed to be out to begin with," She pointed out. "Thanks, though."
"Okay. I'll call you later!" Paige called as she made her way down the street with the other four. Emma sighed and rolled her eyes, glancing cautiously in the other direction, at her house. They're right, Em. It's only two houses, no biggie. You can be so stupid sometimes.
Shaking her head, she took a deep breathe and set off past those crappy apartments behind Newman's. As she passed by the alley, she slightly quickened her pace, chastising her weak nerves. She was so intent on getting away from the area that she completely missed the pair of arms that reached out of the darkness and fastened around her waist, pulling her into the alley and covering her mouth.
"Do not scream," A low, gravelly voice whispered in her ear. Emma felt her terror drain from her body as she instantly recognized that voice. She jerked away from her 'attacker' and punched him in the arm, hard.
"Ow!" A teenage guy with wavy, dirty blonde hair muttered, glaring at her with light, at-the-moment green eyes. "Nice to see you, too, Emma."
"What are you doing? And here? And why?" She interrogated in a rush. The guy shrugged his broad shoulders, frowning. "So, what? You drive two hours to your old neighborhood, to see the people that you haven't contacted since you left six months ago, and make me think I was being attacked and cause me to nearly go into cardiac arrest!" She babbled, then finished by calmly adding, "For no reason at all?"
"No," He answered sarcastically.
"Oh, will you quit being all cryptic, Sean? It gets old after a few years," She complained grumpily. He glanced at her, amused, and she glared back at him.
"I'm sorry I scared you, and that I haven't called or written," He apologized, slipping his hands into the pockets of his baggy jeans.
She sighed, then nodded. "Come on, we'll go to my place."
"So what have you been up to?" He asked as they turned the corner and stepped onto the sidewalk. She shrugged, pushing a wisp of light blonde hair out of her eyes. A sudden, strong gust of wind prompted her to pull her lavender coat tighter around her body and quicken her speed.
"It's going to storm." She predicted, looking up at the heavy snow clouds blocking the moon. He nodded, and together they watched the first few snowflakes drift to the ground. "Let's go." She suggested, and they jogged the rest of the way.
Sean started for the door, and Emma grabbed his arm. "Hold it, Cameron. We have to take a... 'shortcut.'"
He raised a brow as she pulled him to the side of the house and pushed the window open with the toe of her heels. "Emma Nelson, sneaking out? I expected better of you."
She rolled her eyes. "Oh, hush. Follow me."
She climbed easily through the small space, than plopped on her bed. Sean followed, then shut and locked the window. "It's cold in here."
"I don't lock it while I'm out," She explained. "But, uh... What's going on?"
He shrugged. "Just... felt like a visit."
"At one in the morning? Come on, Sean, I'm smarter than that," She pointed out.
"If that's what you want to think..." He said with a doubtful expression.
"Hey!"
"Hi," He nodded.
"Quit it. What's up?" She inquired, seriously.
"I... I don't know. I- I just... things aren't going too well," He struggled to find the right words.
"With your parents?" Emma asked timidly. Sean didn't like to be rushed.
"No... no, things are great with Mom and Pop, even though they are very annoying at times," He commented.
"They're parents, it's what they do," Emma explained.
Sean chuckled. "Guess so. No, it's a friend thing."
Emma waited for him to elaborate, and she wasn't disappointed. "I... you know I didn't get along with... people like Tyler back then. Well, Tyler had his group, and I had mine. People I'd known since... birth, for the most part. Luke O'Brien, Benny Knight , Roman Jackson, and Tyson Hill. And Shayni," He added as an afterthought. "Shayni's my cousin."
"I've never heard you talk about them before," Emma said.
"I know. It never came up," He excused. Emma had never thought about his old friends. Sean was too interesting to not have friends, people were drawn to him. The thought had crossed her mind once or twice, but she'd never asked.
"See... this guy, Will Tomas, he and I never got along. It started in like, grade one, when we realized that our parents didn't get along. We felt like we shouldn't either, I guess. He's a rich kid... leader of his group and everything. And his friends, they aren't just loyal to him, they worship him. It's like they can't even make their own decisions!" He exclaimed, agitated.
"Will's got it bad for Shayni, okay?" He continued. "And she wants no part of him. He's always been jealous, because Shay and I talk all the time and she has this... thing... with Luke. So, Luke's fair game to Will's buddies. Not too long after I got back, a couple of guys were on Luke's case. Shayni jumped in... she speaks before she thinks. She got into it with this guy that was probably twice her size, and I jumped in. I wasn't about to let that bastard anywhere near her... But Will took that as a sign that he could start things up again."
"It's gotten out of hand," He admitted after a moment. "I can't say anything to the rest of them, because they're stubborn as hell."
Emma snickered, and he shot her an indignant glare. "What? I didn't say anything."
"Hush," He said, rolling his eyes. "Benny got jumped a couple of days ago. He's the nerdy kid that wants to be tough, I guess. Wears glasses and stuff. If Tyson and Rome hadn't been looking out for him..."
"So these people... they're like, actually dangerous?" Emma questioned, alarmed.
"I- I guess, yeah," Sean confirmed. "I mean, I doubt Will would ever send anyone to do anything serious. But those dumbasses he hangs around with are retarded. They don't care that Will doesn't want things to escalate, they'll just... do. All for him, too."
"Oh..." Emma said, at a loss. She didn't know what to say.
"'m sorry, Em. I just... wanted to talk. To someone I trust," He added.
She smiled. "It's fine. I'm sure everything will work out. Can't you just... call a truce or something?"
He grinned, amused by her naivety. "I wish. Like I said, my friends are stubborn, they'll think I've lost faith in them. And even if I did... Will would probably go for it. He's a sissy-ass mama's boy that can't do shit without one of his followers or his superiors to help him, but he has sense. It's his people, and the people he works for-"
"What people he works for?" Emma interrupted.
Sean looked guilty. "Hmm? Oh... uh... Burger King."
"Cameron!" She scolded.
"I'm... only going by what I've heard. Just people that don't want their top sellers to be harmed," He explained vaguely.
"Oh..." Emma repeated. "Sean... be careful."
"I will be. Don't worry," He assured her.
"I can't not worry," She declared.
He laughed a little, then began to speak. He was interrupted by a knock on the window. Emma stood and hurried over, forcing the heavy glass up.
"Um... do I know you?"
-X-
End of Chapter One! YAY! I'm actually pleased with how this one turned out, I think. Hopefully you are too. And what better way to say that you are than with a review!
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