Title: Magic Touch

Fandom: Degrassi: TNG

Character(s): Jay Hogart, Manny Santos, Emma Nelson

Rating: G

Word Count: 813

Summary: Sometimes I wonder how I let things get so complicated.

Author's Note: Jemma fluff. I don't know why I wrote it, something new! Enjoy!

When he wrote that letter to Manny, Jay meant every single word he read back to her. He just wasn't the mushy type of guy, the type who opened up. He was hard, he was sometimes cold.

Manny brought out the best in him.

He thought back to another girl, another night. Soft blonde hair and big innocent brown eyes. She had brought something else out in him. He wouldn't admit it to anyone…not even Sean…that he could care for them both.

Manny and Emma, why couldn't they be the same woman?

Now he stared down at his mother's cherished ring. He had lost the woman because he turned his back on his "new Jay way". Well to hell with the new Jay way. It sucked ass.

He had tried so hard, too. Jay had helped Manny out with her father's car. He'd taken her to her debut, or whatever it was called. He had been the perfect gentleman.

He'd charmed her mother, her father. Maybe even her best friend again, maybe a little. He had been someone that he wasn't. Jay had often felt like he was in an itchy cotton shirt and couldn't breath.

"Fuck it." Jay got into his orange civic. He needed to chill. And he knew just the person to chill with.

~*~

She wasn't surprised, not really when Jay showed up. Manny had cried about it for hours. What had surprised her was when she accepted his offer to hang out. When she had gotten into the orange civic and allowed the former delinquent to drive her into town.

"Where are we going Jay?"

Jay didn't say anything for long moments. He let the rock music fill the car, old school rock, the kind Snake still listened to.

The girl, she's coming apart…

"I don't think it's a good idea to go back there. No reason to rehash you know?"

"It's quiet, Greenpeace. I need to think."

"So think on your own time. You broke Manny's heart, you know."

A shrug. "Like she didn't break mine a million times?" Jay turned his profile towards Emma. "She broke mine every time she tried to make me into something I wasn't. I let love blind me Greenpeace. I let her mold me into what she thought I was. I fooled myself, and I fooled her."

"What are you saying?" Emma gave him her cynical look.

Jay smirked. "Queen of Know it all doesn't know it all?"

Emma sighed, shook her head. "Jay and his special little quips. Do you have to hide behind those? Look, why are you here--with me?"

"I thought you'd understand."

Jay parked the car, letting the engine idle. He sat for long moments, looking wistful. Emma actually found herself feeling sorry for him. "I'm sorry about you and Manny." She said, finally.

Jay turned a little bit. "Are you?" he gazed Emma full in the face, able to read her.

"Yes, I am Jay. Look no matter what happened between us in the past, Manny is my best friend. I love her. I care about her." Emma seemed to be reciting this the way a religious person holds a rosary.

"Yeah." Jay nodded his head. "I know, I know. Best friends forever." He sighed, and let his head thunk onto the steering wheel. "So next year it's university huh? Big city girl?"

"Yes."

Another sigh. "I really blew it, Em. I mean…my life you know? Sometimes I wonder how I let things get so complicated."

A hand on his thigh. A small, soft hand. "Jay, things will work out. You'll move on, find something else to occupy your…passion? Life?"

Jay snickered. "Yeah. I will, I guess. I mean it's not like I don't have a rolodex full of women."

"I'm sure you do."

He turned again to look at her. "You ever think about that time at the ravine?"

"Oh god, that you even have the decency to mention that?!" Emma's eyes grew wide. "Jay, that was a mistake! A mistake that almost ruined my life!"

"Oh come on Greenpeace. Admit you liked tasting my--"

"Shut your dirty mouth now, Hogart."

Jay laughed. Maybe this is what he liked about Emma, how he could rile her up. She had more passion in anger than Manny had whenever they made out. Oh sex with Santos was hot, it was more than hot, it was on FIRE. But Emma…he wondered what that would be like.

"Wanna go to my place?" Jay asked.

"Are you going to try anything?" Emma eyed him uncertainly.

Jay grinned. "Only if you want me to."

She smacked him. "Pig. Ok…I suppose. But only for a while, ok?"

"Sure thing, Greenpeace." Jay started the car. He wondered why he was doing this, taking Emma Nelson to his apartment.

Maybe she could help him. Maybe she had the magic touch he'd been looking for.