Sean Cameron was in his Buffalo New York, rundown apartment, asleep in his double sized bed. Alone.

His bedroom window was slightly open, with his lights off, and he was snoring away. The view outside his apartment showed that he was in an upper complex of some mechanic shop, one he actually worked in. He lived on the street many other shops, bakeries and other small business' were located on.

It was also snowing. A lot.

Being a mechanic, the age of 24, and alone in this city could be exhausting and rough, but Sean could handle it. He had always been that tough and independent. Living just above his work had made him into a workaholic though and a bit of an alcoholic too. Just a bit.

Not that he noticed yet though.

As he was sleeping, a dream clouded his mind. Perhaps not a dream, but a nightmare, and maybe not a nightmare but an actual flashback, play by play, of his past..

DREAM/FLASHBACK..

Sean was 17, back in his last year of highschool, partying with his best friends, Jay Hogart and Spinner Gavin. The party was at Holly J Sinclaires house, one of the most popular girls in school yet neither of the guys ever spoken to her. But you didn't throw a party without wanting these three there. It wasn't a party without them.

To say they never had the best reputations was an understatement of the year; yet, it didn't stop girls from lining up, wanting to know them. Jay could fool them, tell them he wanted to change, wanted to be good, and they'd fall for it. But Sean never abused his looks for the easy lay or date.. He liked to keep to himself mostly, but the girls came to him, craved to fix the 'misunderstood bad boy' they thought he was.. Some thought they were magicians and that they could just fix him. Like Ellie.

"Merry Christmas, baby." Ellie said, popping over Seans shoulder as he held his shot that Jay was pouring him.

The party has Christmas decoration everywhere. Some would say Holly J had this huge party every year around Christmas because her family was never home to spend it with her. The rich didnt always get everything if you know what I mean. . And some would say only the misfits and lonely kids who were in the same boat came. It was like their own little Christmas.

Jay wore his classic black hat with his over sized XL wind breaker jacket, as Sean wore his signature grey hoody, wife beater, jeans and tuke. His perfectly shaped thick eyebrows furrowed as he noticed his redheaded girlfriend sneak up on him

Sean looked over his shoulder with a snicker. "It's Decemeber 23rd." he then eyed her weirdly, "Thought you weren't coming tonight and had plans with Ashley and her family?"

Jay sneered under his breath as he now filled up his shot, "Clearly her plans changed."

The party was getting crowded. Ellie kept her chin on Sean's shoulder while standing behind him, her arms around his buff shoulders. She gave Jay an annoyed look and hate filled her emerald green eyes.

"Yes Jay, sue me for wanting to spend the Holiday here with my boyfriend."

"Whatever." Jay simply had more interest in taking his shot and motioned for Sean to take his. Sean cleared his throat awkwardly but did so, and felt Ellie's arms slip off of him as Alex, Jay's girl friend, came over.

"Me and Amy wanna go to the other party downtown." Alex informed him.

Jay, like the true gentlemen he was, grabbed another shot. "Go then."

Alex scoffed and snapped, slapping his arm. "Come with us!"

"Hey," Jay lifted his hands in defense, then pointed to Sean, "This is me and Cams tradition. We crash other peoples Christmas parties, since our parents are 'too busy' to throw their own, and then we do our annual turkey sandwiches at the convenience store by 2, and then steal wine from my Dad's cellar by 4, drinking the rest of the day away." he turned back to Alex. "You can't break tradition!"

Alex had to laugh, and Sean chuckled too. Ellie rolled her eyes.

"Fine.. I'm going to grab another drink." Alex said and left again.

The guys turned back to another as Spinner came on over, opening his mouth and showing his tongue, "Lo-ok!"

Sean cringed in disgust at the tongue piercing Spinner had just got done. At a party. By some other drunk teenager. "Doesn't look good man." Sean laid down his advice.

"Yeah that shit looks infected." Jay said.

Spinner frowned and waved them off. He looked around as something caught his eye, and Jays too, who groaned at the back of his throat. This caused Sean to look as well.

"What I'd do to get a piece of her..." Jay drifted off.

Manny Santos was giggling and talking to her friends. Craig Mannings was behind her, dancing slightly up against her. She would seem into it at one moment, then completely ignore him for her friends the next. She was the hottest, but least popular girl in school. Like Jay and the rest of them, she had a bad reputation. Some would say she was the 'school slut', but she's had half the guys Paige Michealchuck or any other cheerleader at school has had. They were just jealous that Craig Mannings, the most popular guy in school, was smitten over her. Lots of guys were smitten over her though..

"Uh, you have a girlfriend." Ellie remarked to Jay snidely, then glanced and raised an eyebrow at Sean to warn him silently not to look at her. She too hated Manny Santos.

Sean wasn't looking at her though. No way.

It was the blonde. Her friend.

...Emma Nelson.

"Fine. You get Manny, I get her friend." Spinner told Jay, guys completely ignoring Ellie and now all looking at the blonde with Manny. "Who is she? New girl?"

"She's hot." Jay agreed. But his eyes were glued back to Manny. The girl swayed her hips so smoothly and slowly. Confidentially.

"No man, she's been around." Sean answered, and looked in a trance.

Emma was a junior, while they were seniors. She kept to herself mostly, and didn't care to be popular, yet got noticed everywhere she went because she was gorgeous. And being one of the smartest girls in school helped a lot too..

There she stood in yellow tank top and a tight little skirt, and a white cardigan over her tank top. Her hair was blonde, and it always made her hazel warm eyes pop. She had a tanned natural glow as if it was summer, and finished her look with fashionable black highknee boots.

Girls like her were suppose to be the most popular, dating the most popular guy or school Quarter back...but she was different. She wasn't a living cliche.

Some freshmen from school ran by the three, but knocked Ellie's drink out of her hand and onto her shirt. "You jerk!" she snapped and scoffed, looking down and then at Sean for help. His back was still turned, he and his friends looking and talking about God knows what. "Ugh!" she stormed off to go dry her shirt. "Swell boyfriend you are." she muttered under her breath, shoving past some people.

Meanwhile, Jay and Spinner eyed Emma and Sean got lost in her too, his blue eyes scanning over the tall, model like figure of hers. So hour glass. Legs for days.. plump pink lips..

She stood under that cheesy mistletoe before the entrance of the kitchen and that slimeball Jimmy Brookes (Also a senior) was trying to get a cheap kiss out of her, laughing and pretending it was all a joke. Even as she leaned away from the kiss with a small laugh, you could see he still wanted it as he stuck around and tried to get her a drink.

"Sean!" Ellie yelled, storming back and shirt still a mess, "Will you drive me home?"

Sean snapped out of it, turning from what he and the guys were staring at to go over what she asked and then sighs, sharing a look with Jay. He could always drop Ellie off, then come back..

"Sure." he nodded, and she led him out happily.

((**))

As Sean drove Ellie back to her house and parked just outside her well decorated family home, she turned to him while undoing her seat belt.

"Don't tell me you're really spending the day with Jay tomorrow." she said.

Sean peaked at Ellie's front door, seeing her mother come out and notice them, waving slightly as snow began to fall. He glanced back at Ellie, gazing her up and down, and noticed her little 'rebel' look with the leather jacket, peirced nose and ears, were a spoiled girls cry for help.

How long had they been dating and he JUST realised this? When he had met her, he thought they'd have things in common. She seemed cool, and she was attractive, as well as rebellious too. But it seemed she was from a well off home, with a caring mother, and her rants about understanding him and his troubles were a complete lie.

Sean shrugged with a nod, looking out the windshield, "I crash at Jays and we sleep in, then I make it just in time for dinner at home for 6pm." he rolls his eyes, "Then our cousins and other dysfunctional family come over and we pretend to want to spend time together while Dad gets hammered, and everyone sends another back hand comments all night and my mom, who doesn't smoke, smokes a pack of cigerettes in the basement."

"So you're not coming to my familys dinner?" Ellie asked skeptically, "Sean, you said you'd come!"

Sean clenched his jaw. He didnt do Christmas well anymore nor 'parents', and parents didn't like him. His own barely even paid attention to him.

"El-"

"I'm tired of you going all half-ass with me. Are we dating or not?"

Sean swallowed and thought about it. Well, they sure as hell have sex every Friday for a year now. Well, it depended on how Ellie felt. And most times it was missionary position, and it was over within minutes.

He sighed, "El, I told you.. it's not my thing."

"Meeting my parents, aren't your thing?" before Sean could open his mouth, she opened the door, the cold air whipping inside, "Whatever. Have a good night, Sean."

"Don't-" the door slammed and Sean huffed, "slam the door." he mutters.

He watched as Ellie ran back to her front door, her mother trying to say hello and give her a hug. Ellie just walked by, ignoring her, and disappearing into the house. He frowned, and started up the car, driving home.

Screw the party.. He was going home.

(((*))

Sean dug his car keys into his pocket, jogging up his porch, careful of the ice in his driveway. His house was nice, in a good suburbia neighborhood.

You know, he couldn't lie and say it was always bad. It use to be good. Really good.

Then the drinking happened.

But they were lucky. Since his Dad lost his job with the government, his mom got the job she always wanted as a nurse and got really good pay and Dad didn't stop getting his unemployment cheques. They made it work. Even if Dad did spend it on booze.

Sean didn't even make it to the door before it bursted open and his father charged out. He was as icy as the icicles frozen on the roof.

Again. He wasn't always like this.

"Your mother said to be home by midnight!" he tried to charge up at Sean while an older woman ran out of the house and tried to run in the middle, "Its fucking 2am!"

"Roger it's fine! Stop it!" she cried, pushing on his chest but was firmly between the conflict when they tried to stand nose to nose.

"Where've you been you little shit?!"

"Leave him alone!" His mother, Linda, begged. Sean got easily tempered and easily yanked his fathers hand off of him when he tried to grab his arm roughly.

Roger tended to forget Sean was growing up, and getting much more stronger than him, even if he was a lot taller. Seans father was an old military man, but tall and slim where Sean was muscular, and got his anger issue from his Dad, and could fight well. But Sean was a softy for his mom and she always begged him not to fight his father back.

It only made him madder.

"Get off me," snapped Sean, ready to grab his father himself, but held himself back. He was 17 fucking years old for crying out loud, not a 12 year old boy. Why was his Dad waiting up for him like some kid?!

"Out of my way, Linda!" Roger yelled at his wife. He was about to grab her and push her to the side when he was startled for a moment when Sean grabbed him with such force, and pushed him back and almost off his feet until Roger was right up against the brick wall with a thud. Sean had one hand around his throat, and the other against his chest to hold his father still against the wall.

END OF FLASHBACK.

Back in Buffalo, in his bed, Seans eyes fluttered open from the constant ringing by his bed side, waking up from his 'dream of the past'. He groaned, and sat up, rubbing his eyes and in his boxers.

Sean was all grown up now, 24, and still looking good. Drop dead gorgeous even. He had grown his hair out a little, and worked out twice a day now, leaving him ripped, lean and earth shattering sexy.

Still even wore those classic wifebeaters still.

He snapped his phone from his night table, "what?" he muttered into it, answering it. He glanced at the clock and rolled his eyes, "2am, really asshole?"

It was silent before his brothers voice finally replied, "Its me, Sean. Tracker."

Sean froze, and blinked, waking up a little more. He hadn't heart from Tracker since last year, around the same time as now. He rubbed his forehead and furrowed his eyebrows, "Tracker, whats up? Why are you calling?"

A long sigh was heard, making Sean tense. "You gotta come home this Christmas Sean. Moms- Moms sick Sean. Its Cancer.."

Sean's blood ran cold.

(((*))))

Ofcourse, of fucking course, this was the only way his brother and Family could force Sean back to town. He was all packed, and ready to go back home. He left almost 6 years ago, and had only visited a few times since, thankfully, never being on Christmas and having to see everyone.

One year after leaving, Seans aunt, who was Sean's father's sister, had gotten into a car accident. It was a rough time, since she had Seans 13 year old cousin KC whom she left behind, and so Linda decided to take KC in. Supposedly his father had 'cleaned up' for KC but Sean would never take that seriously nor give the bastard a millionth chance and checked in on KC every time he visited. But its been almost two years since back at all.

In all honesty? Sean hated the last time he visited more than the other times and that could of been why he had never returned since. He had walked in, seeing Tracker now home for good from the army, and KC, sitting in the family room, watching tv with their father. Watching the big Blue Jay's game together.

It was like KC had replaced him , which Sean knew was awful to think and didnt hate KC for it, but infact his father. It was like his father was using KC as his second do over as a father.

Why couldn't Roger sober up for Sean though? His own kid. And when Sean had reveled himself, his father would try to small talk, and pretended to care for what Sean was up to.

Now, he had to deal with this for two whole weeks.

This was going to be hell. It was only December 13th, and Sean promised he'd stay til and for Christmas. Luckily Tony, his boss, was giving him this leave of absence from work because of his moms situation.

Cancer. Tracker said it was breast cancer.

Merry fuckin' Christmas, right?

/I'll be home for Christmas
You can count on me
Please have snow and mistletoe
And presents by the tree

Christmas eve will find me
Where the love light gleams
I'll be home for Christmas
If only in my dreams/

/Author note: Reviews guys! They keep me updating! Seans about to go home, will Emma still be there? Yikes, what about Ellie? Or even Jay?! I love Christmas fics. Hehe.