Disclaimer: I own nothing Degrassi...
So here is the first chapter. This story will probably be longer, spanning the course of several years. Many twists and turns ahead. Hope you enjoy!
"Em? Emma? It's time to go."
Emma didn't bother to look up, nor did she make any effort to move her body. How do you move when you're numb anyway? She just continued to stare straight ahead, the dark, oak casket, now closed, looming in front of her.
Jay took a shaky breath and placed a hand on Emma's shoulder. She didn't budge. He sighed and lowered his tired body down to the hard, wooden pew. The silence of the church made Jay incredibly uncomfortable. Being here, alone, with her, was almost too much. This was not how things were meant to play out. Hadn't they both been in this same church, only months before, for a much happier reason?
"Um, they want to move him, Em," Jay whispered. "We have to go."
Emma shook her head, silent tears streaming down her cheeks. "Not yet."
"It's not up to me, Em. The director, he said they have to get on with it."
Again, almost in defiance, Emma shook her head. "I'm not ready. I can't..."
Jay turned to her, realizing now just how small and fragile she looked. It was obvious that this was more than taking a toll on her, her normally svelt body, looking thinner than usual. He placed a hand under her arm, just at her elbow, gently pulling her to her feet. Emma allowed herself to be lead out of the pew, up to the front of the church, and ending up in front of the casket.
"I don't want to say goodbye," Emma said quietly, looking up at Jay.
Jay placed an arm around Emma's shoulders, squeezing her lightly to his side. "Then don't. I'm not going to. You hear that, buddy? You'll never hear me say goodbye. I know we'll party again. And I'm gonna take care of this wife of your's too. So don't you worry, okay?"
Emma, smiling through her tears, looked up at Jay once again, seeing tears falling on his cheeks. She squeezed him back, sighing heavily. "That goes double for me. And I'll make sure Jay doesn't screw things in his life up too badly."
They exchanged a look. But, as Jay tried to turn Emma's body, to walk away from the casket, she suddenly crumpled, leaving her in a pile on the carpeted floor of the church, her body shaking with the tears and boisterous sobbing that erupted.
When Jay bent to pick her up, Emma tossed his hands away. "No! I can't do it, okay? I don't want to! I don't want to leave this place without him! I just can't!" she yelled.
Spike, having heard her daughter's screams from the lobby of the church, came running in. Jay was bent down, beside Emma, trying desperately to gather her into his arms. Spike, her face stained by her own tears, gave Jay a saddened look.
But Emma had no fight left in her and it took very little for Jay to finally gather her sobbing body into his big arms. He hoisted her up, carrying her like a small child, in his arms, out of the church.
Please read and review!