"Em, you okay?"

Emma looked up from putting the cookies from on the tray to onto a plate in the kitchen. Manny looked at her worriedly, but not TOO worried, because that would be implying that she didn't think Emma was ok. But she should be, because Sean's return shouldn't shake her up so much anymore. Because that would mean something.

"I'm fine, Manny."

Manny chewed her cheek and nodded. 'Sure', she thought.

The door opened and Josh came in, looking like he had something to ask Emma and he locked eyes with Manny. Manny took the hint and quickly stole a cookie before walking out.

Emma turned her head, wondering where she was going until she noticed Josh now only in the room.

"Hey.." he leaned in next to her and leaned against the counter. He stole a cookie too. After a bite, he pretended to ask casually, "Whose that guy out there?"

Emma's fast pace cookie moving turned into a slower pace. Her heart raced a bit and she paused before replying, "Just an old friend. He's close with Snake."

Josh was quiet for a moment. Emma turned with the plate of cookies and took a deep breath. She just didn't want to get into it right now. She would tell Josh another time about Sean. She went to turn to go back to the party until he asked, "Did you guys ever date?"

Emma stopped in her tracks and tightened her jaw before she turned, gazing around as she thought for an answer. ."Like, a long time ago."

He looked up and bellowed a small laugh, then tried to take that in. He knew there was something there. The way that guy looked at him was as if Josh was the guest in this house. He didn't like that look from coming from her ex.

"Why doesn't he go somewhere else for the holidays?"

"He doesn't have anybody else.."

Emma looked down. Josh then tried to stay calm as he asked another question, "Why'd you break up?"

"We broke up years ago."

"Why?" he pressed.

Emma nearly pouted, "Josh!... Ugh, because he went into the army!"

"Wow," Josh said bitterly, "A solider. Can't beat that." he snickered, "So you're saying that's why you broke up? But he still comes here? Not only that but he is far more part of the family than I am and I'm your fiance!"

The silence was deadly.

Josh gazed into Emma's eyes angrily, "He still looks at you as if you're his. Snake seems to just love him also so that's just great!"

Emma put the plate down, knowing this was getting Josh angry. Josh barely ever got angry. "Snake likes you! Also, my mom loves you." She didn't know what to say about the other part.

"Emma, I don't like him."

Emma choked on her next words. What did he want her to do? Kick Sean out? He hadn't done anything. "You don't know him."

"I don't want to. This is the first Christmas with both of our familys and your ex is here, lurking around for god knows why and you're fine with it. Do you know how that makes me feel?"

Emma swallowed hard. Well, when he explained it like that. If only he understood! .. .oh, but then that wouldn't be good.

"Josh it's Christmas Eve. I can't tell him to leave."

"Well, does he know you're engaged?"

"Yes." Emma was 90% sure Snake had told him. Or Jay did.

Josh seemed frustrated before he huffed, "I got to go."

"JOSH!" she followed him out the kitchen door and through the party. He stopped at the front door to grab his coat and she tried not to make a scene so said quietly, "Can we just go upstairs and talk?"

"No. I have to leave." Josh said.

Emma looked up at him like he was crazy. He was just going to leave without talking this through?! He always went for walks to clear his head, he never stuck around to deal with the problems.

He still looked mad at her but muttered, "I'll be back in an hour." with that, he left.

Emma took a step out the door to stand on the porch, watching him storm away in the snow. She hugged herself from the cold weather. Her lights were lit up on her house too. She watched as his car backed out and drove off down the street.

She heard someone else exit the house and step onto the porch with her. Sean. "Where's he going?"

Emma looked up and tried to count to 10, staying calm. "To... Get more egg nog." she lied lamely.

"He seemed pretty angry about no egg nog.." Sean joked and leaned on the porch railing.

"Butt out, Sean." Emma said a little childishly, finally narrowing her eyes at him and he just cracked a small smile but his eyes gazed down her body. She swallowed, wishing he wouldn't do that.

"Nice ring."

Emma heart stopped. "Thanks."

Sean's eyes were hard on it for a few moments. Emma took the time to remember their last Christmas together, and she hated remembering it...it was a painful memory.

FLASHBACK:

It was late in the afternoon when Emma was helping her Mom decorate for the Christmas party for tonight. Snake and her mom were doing last minute shopping and dropping Jack off at Grandma's.

Emma was procrastinating from getting ready for the party, still wearing her casual jean shorts that showed off her long tanned legs and a white tank top. . She was putting up the mistletoe near the kitchen doorway when her door creaked open.

"Don't you know to lock the door?" A deep familiar smooth voice asked her.

For a split second she was afraid some man had broken into the house. She whipped her head around quickly. Her fear turned into joy when she saw who it was. She smiled so wide her cheeks hurt and Sean laughed at her, catching her in his arms when she came to hug him. He hugged her tightly in his arms.

"Did you just get home?" Emma asked, pulling away.

He sighed almost sadly when they had to pull away. "Yea.."

Emma nodded, and cleared her throat a bit stepped a little away from him to give him space. She forgot they were just friends now. 'Be cool', she reminded herself. She had just dumped Kelly, so you think she'd be thinking about that, but Sean was always more important.

"I missed you." He admitted and smiled at her cocky grin like she knew he would. He had missed her though, it was almost agonizing. He had missed her more than he had missed any of his 'friends' or being at home. The thought was a bit scary too him. She was after all his ex now. He could never come to grips with that since they broke up. But, he couldn't be selfish and make her wait. He didn't know how long he'd be in the army for.

She looked fine. Better than fine. Maybe him being gone was good for her. She didn't look overwhelmed or unhappy. Infact, she looked more beautiful than ever. It was hard to look away. She still smelled faintly like vanilla, a scent that was secretly driving him crazy.

Long after midnight the two ran out of things to talk about. The party was going on but as usual Emma and Sean stuck together like glue the whole time and seemed to shut the party out. Even Manny and Jay let them be as they smiled over on the couch sharing desert.

"I never know which I like more," Sean admitted, holding a plate with a small piece of cake on it that Emma dug her fork into. "Your moms cooking, or Snakes." he dug his fork into it too.

"Well, this is from the Bakery up the street so I won't tell them that it was neither of their cooking." Emma teased. She now wore a strapless fitted white dress. When she got changed and came downstairs, Sean had a hard time not grabbing her right there and dragging her into some room. She was such a woman now. The curves, the breasts- as piggish as that was, but it hugged so nice and tightly around her upper body. It stopped just midway around her thighs.

Sean chuckled.

After the party, Sean helped Emma clean up. Her parents had went to bed, Snake was a little drunk too, too much spiked egg nog. He kept trying to convince Sean of another round of cards but Spike finally took him to bed when everyone went home.

Emma threw out the last beer bottle she saw lying around the house. She walked over to the kitchen where Sean was, dumping the last dish into the washing machine. He grabbed a towel and whipped his hands, turning towards her. He watched her bend a little to throw out the bottle in the recycling bin and he smiled faintly to the labels on all the garbage pails. She was still his little environmentalist.

When they were done, they both weren't tired, so hung out down stairs in her room. it wasn't weird. Hell, Sean use to LIVE here. She just laid on her bed while listening to all his stories while he sat on a chair right next to her bed, his feet up too.

"So you like it?" Emma asked, laying on her side, her arm extended up to lean her head on it. She held a small glass or wine and he just downed his beer.

Sean thought over the question. "I feel more contributing to society."

Emma's smile made his heart warm. He suddenly got up and crawled onto the bed next to her. For a moment, it was fine, normal even, until Emma reminded herself they weren't together and he came too close to comfort. They laid side to side now, Sean facing her and staring down at her.

"You know, you're still beautiful as ever." he looked down between their bodies, wanting to close the space between them. Would that be not okay though?

Emma gazed into his blue eyes and playfully noted, "You know I'm still not your girlfriend anymore?"

He locked eyes with her again. "I think you miss it. Us."

Emma wanted to laugh in disbelief and at his blunt words. I guess living away in the army helped him get over bottling his feelings. "By me, do you mean...you?" she taunted.

He smirked playfully "Probably."

"Reverse psychology, hmm?"

He enjoyed her humor but had quickly changed the subject, "Are you still with that guy?"

"Kelly?" Emma laughed a little, "No." she then eyed him harder. He had no right to ask these questions!

"Good." with that, he captured her lips within his, kissing her tenderly. As the feel of her missed sweet lips, he then started kissing her hungrily. He had been wanting to do it since he got home. Out of three years of not being selfish, for fighting for his country, just this one night he wanted her to himself again. Was that too much to ask? It was after all Christmas.

She moaned a little into the kiss, making him kiss her deeper and she kissed him back before pulling away breathlessly. She tried not to show how badly it overwhelmed her whole body and heart by just a kiss.

"That wasn't an invitation to kiss me." she said in a mere whisper.

He opened his eyes and stared back at her, breathless himself. "You kissed me back, Em."

Emma shut her mouth and swallowed, guilt in her eyes. She got up and tried to shake off the feeling. "I'm going to go change for bed."

"Emma." he tried to call her back.

"I'll be back."

...TO BE CONTINUED.