A little after five that evening, everyone returned back from work or school in Betty's case. As soon as Alice had stepped through her front door, she was checking on Emma, who was sat in the living room watching some TV to try pass the time.

After Emma had reassured her sister that everything including herself was absoloutely fine, she went to join them through into the kitchen, where Alice was starting on making some dinner and Hal was making them some coffee.

Betty had hurried upstairs to her room, leaving the adults to mingle downstairs to talk, or start more disagreements in Alice's case.

"How was work?" Emma thought she'd ask out of politeness.

"Busy." Hal answered on behalf of them both, as Alice ran round the kitchen preparing their dinner.

"Really? In such a quiet town like this?" She asked them with raised brows, although she knew this town could be far from quiet at times.

"What do you mean a quiet town like this?" Alice responded back, in disbelief at her sisters remark, "there's always something going on to report."

"Something scandalous I'm guessing.." Emma said, trying to dodge the bullet about the whole Jason Blossom missing persons report.

"Of course, otherwise things would be boring, right, Hal?" Alice seeked help from her husband.

"Right." He nodded awkwardly, clearly knowing all of them were trying to stay away from a number of subjects.

Jason Blossom clearly being one of them. The others were forbidden in the Cooper home now. Emma knew though. Of course she did. But she knew Alice wouldn't want Betty to know or Hal to be reminded.

"So I got a job today.." Emma announced to them, slightly nervous for their reaction.

"You did?" Hal asked in surprise.

"Where?" Alice quizzed.

"With your old friend from next door," Emma answered in a half joking tone, as she looked between them both, "working at Andrews Constructions."

"Really?" Hal couldn't quite believe this news.

Emma didn't seem the type to be on a building side if she was anything like Alice was.

"No! No way!" Alice shook her head, not having this happen under her watch, "absoloutely not!"

"What?" Emma couldn't believe her sisters reaction, it was like going back through time and her forbidding her to go to a high school party, "it's just a job.."

"With Fred Andrews!" Alice pointed out, almost like Fred was the worst person in the world.

"So?" She couldn't get what the problem was, Fred was someone her sister had grown up, what was the big deal, "What's the problem with that?"

"No sister of mine is working on a construction site with Fred Andrews." Alice told her.

"I don't think you really have a choice, Alice.." Hal tried to make Alice back dow, it was clear Emma had made her mind up.

"She is not working with Fred Andrews!" She said again, ignoring her husband.

"What's wrong with it?" Emma asked, clearly not pleased with how her sister was taking this.

It was her life and she hadn't come back here to be ordered around again.

"You deserve better than him," Alice first reasoned with her, before she continued, "we could give you better down at the newspaper."

"Journalism really isn't a thing.." Emma folded her arms.

"Is working on a dirty building site with pigs really your thing?" Alice said dryly.

"Alice," Emma breathed, trying to keep her own anger at bay, "it's just a job. Only temporarly. I just want to pay my way whilst I'm here and keep myself busy."

"You don't need a job with Fred Andrews to keep busy." Her older sister pointed out once more.

"Alice.." She ran her hands over her face in distress, Emma was not in the mood to fight over this.

"Please," Hal stepped forward, laying one hand on his wife, "just stop this."

"Alright, fine," Alice said giving into the two of them, knowing Emma wasn't going to back down, she never did, just like she didn't either, no wonder they were sisters, "but if it doesn't suit you, then don't say I didnt tell you so.."

Alice began to take off her oven gloves and set the timer on the stove, before heading towards the kitchen door to leave, "Whatever.." Emma murmered under her breath, as her sister walked out, leaving Hal and her alone.

He handed her over a freshly made coffee, that was still steaming and Emma took it from him, trying to calm herself down from the heated debate over some stupid job.

"She never changes, does she?" Emma commented with a light sigh.

"Nope." Hal answered.

"Same old Alice." She said as she blew on her coffee.

After a couple of moments silence, Hal then broke it and asked her something that didn't go down so well, "Why come all this way out of the blue?"

"What?" Emma was confused.

Although she had made Alice swear not to tell anyone her real reasons for coming back to town, Emma at least thought her sister would have made Hal aware of another reason.

Because right now, she didn't expect to be intergated.

"You heard me.." Hal wasn't in the mood for messing, now Alice wasn't around, he could say his piece about Emma's return, "why?"

"Uh," Emma was still reeling from her sisters put downs of her job, now her brother in law was coming at her, she was ready for the fight, "is that an accusation?"

"No," He was quick to cover his tracks, before he said, "just curious, why do you care now?"

"I've always cared, Hal," She reminded him, slightly offended he thought she hadn't, "I've just been busy."

"But why come back now, Emma?" Hal questioned again.

"Because my family needs me." Emma answered.

They did. Alice needed her sister by her side as much as Emma needed hers. It was only about time they hung around again.

"Do they?" He wasn't so sure she was being truthfully honest, Hal had the impression she needed something more, "we're manging fine."

"Look, I know you hate me and we've never seen eye to eye," Emma began, wanting him to just back off, he had never been so spiteful to her, "but I'm going to be here for my family, whether you like it or not."

Giving him one last look, Emma brushed past him and stormed out of the kitchen, her breathing heavy as her anger tried to subside from two very heated debates in the past ten minutes.

She had never thought her sister would be so unwilling to see her get back on her feet nor did she ever think Hal would be so cold so soon.

Heading on upstairs to retreat to her room until dinner, Emma could hear raised voices coming from upstairs, the sounds of her older sister and her neice also now in their own heated argument over something.

As Emma reached the top of the stairs, she could hear the two more clearly and work out what they were rowing about,

"What is that?" Alice questioned her daughter irritratedly.

"I made the cheerleading squad." Betty answered, causing Emma to smile from around the corner of where Betty's room was.

"Cheryl Blossoms cheerleading squad?" Alice roared in complete anger that her daughter had agreed to something like this, "after what Jason did to Polly?"

So Cheryl was Jason Blossom's sister. That now made sense as to why Alice was so angry.

"No, I'm sorry," Alice continued on, not finished having her say on this matter, making Emma feel for poor Betty right now, "I won't allow it. Take that off right now."

Emma couldn't let Alice ruin another girls dreams tonight, it had been her not so long ago, when Alice had tried to stop Emma from doing everything she wanted to on the wrong side of the tracks, and now she was back here Alice had started doing the same.

So it was only in her right as Betty's aunt, that she stood up for the girl and made things a bit easier for her.

Coming through into Betty's room, that had the door slightly adjar, the two Cooper women turned to look at their desk, as Betty was telling her Mom, "No!"

"What did you say to me?" Alice wasn't happy with this new found attitude, it reminded her of a certain sister.

Emma looked over at Betty who was stood in the Riverdale High cheerleading uniform, it made her beam slightly to see her niece wearing the outfit, knowing how amazing it felt to put on one on.

"Oh c'mon, Alice," Emma found herself saying, as she looked over at her sister, "relax. She look's cute,"

Betty found her smile growing as she listened to her aunt continue on, whilst her Mom's grew more angry, "You know, Betty, I was a cheerleader for the River Vixens."

"You were?" Betty smiled excitedly.

"Yep," Emma nodded in confirmation, as Alice huffed under her breath, "I was a flyer. High and proud."

"Don't encourage it!" Alice quickly snapped, not appreciating her sister making this worse.

"Oh stop, Alice," Emma tried to get her older sister to back off a little, "she's happy. You know you're just jealous because you were never one..."

Emma couldn't help but smirk over at her sister, who quickly folded her arms in defence and said, "That's not the reason," Alice tried to reason with them, "I just don't want her doing this."

"I do everything for everyone," Betty began to say, now Emma really was feeling for her, "everything to be perfect. The perfect daughter, the perfect sister, the perfect student...can't I do this one thing just for me?"

The blonde teenager went to walk out of her bedroom and pass Emma who was still hovering near the door with her coffee, when Alice quickly called her back and stopped her from going further, "Wait.."

"Get out of my way." Betty tried to move past her Mom.

"Where are you going?" Alice wasn't going to let her just leave like this.

"To buy a dress," Betty answered her Mom, "because guess what? I'm also going to the dance with Archie. And Veronica."

"Wait," Alice also wasn't happen with this new found information either, "Hermonie Lodges daughter?"

Emma felt her chest tighten upon hearing the name, she nearly almost let go of her coffee in absoloute shock, but hearing her niece speak up, quickly brought her back to reality and out of her own fears.

"She's actually really nice. And trying to be a good person" Betty defended her new friend.

"You think so?" Alice wasn't buying it, and Emma had to admit she wasn't so sure either, "you think she's going to be your friend? Let me tell you something. Girls like Cheryl and Veronica Lodge, they don't girls like us."

"I don't want to hear it, Mom," Betty was tired of this and just wanted to go, "It's happening. I'm going."

Betty went to walk out of the room again, when Emma quickly put her hand out and took hold of nieces wrist to try stop her, "I'll go with her," She suggested, "shopping this is. I'll go with you, Betty,"

Alice turned to look at her sister unsurely, not knowing whether this was a good idea, because Emma had only been encouarging things since she had got here, "that way you, Alice, can know that she is safe hands and Betty can still shop for her dress, whilst having some quality time with her favourite aunt."

Betty turned back towards her Mom with hopeful eyes, "Please, Mom. Please."

Alice glanced between her sister and her daughter, not wanting to give into either of them, they had both been driving her crazy since she had got in for work, but Alice wanted Emma to feel welcome and bond with her daughter.

And this would be the perfect opportunity.

"Ok, fine." Alice gave into the two of them, as Betty and Emma looked over at each other in truimph.

The two of them headed into town and did a bit of late night shopping. It had been a long time since Emma had been able to walk the streets alone and at night.

She had been cooped up indoors for the past ten days or so, either travelling or moving from hotel room to hotel room. It felt nice to be able to walk and not have a care in the world.

To not be afraid of your own shadow or wonder who might catch you. But here in Riverdale, it was easy to just feel like you were free for a moment, you never got that in New York.

"So tell me," Betty turned to her slightly as they walked down the high street, a couple of bags in her hands, "how was college?"

"It was good," Emma answered her, she had enjoyed it and it was the time of her life, "yeah. Are you planning on going?"

"I hope so!" The teenager smiled at her, "I want to do writing."

"Just like your Mom and Dad, hey?" She smiled back.

"Well yeah," Betty laughed lightly, "but better.."

Emma couldn't help but laugh at this slight dig at her sister and her sisters husband, as they turned a corner "You'll like college."

"I'm sure you enjoyed it, getting away from my Mom." Betty joked, although it was a fair point.

"It was nice not having anyone rule your every move, yes." She agreed with her.

"How was living in New York? My friend Veronica used to live there before coming here after the summer." Betty then said, causing Emma to feel her stomach drop slightly at the name drop.

"Uh, yeah," She coughed awkwardly, not wanting to have to discuss her life in New York, "it's a great place to live."

"Is it as big as everyone says?" She asked interestedly.

"Yeah, but even in the biggest places, things can seem pretty small." Emma answered her honestly.

"We never got to visit. I would love to come visit you in New York when you go back." Betty suggested.

"Uh yeah, maybe," She forced a smile on her lips, knowing that it was never going to be an option, "so this dance, I hear you're going with Archie, huh?"

"Uh yeah," Her niece answered shyly, a light flush of colour flooding her cheeks, "we're going together."

"As in a date?" Emma teased, but really wanted to know if her niece had a crush.

"Nooo," Betty was quick to clear that one up, but Emma could tell there was more to it, "just friends..as always.."

"You sound disapointed?" She picked up on that one too.

"I'm not, I just," Betty was feeling unsure whether to be truthfull, since word could get back to her Mom, but she wanted to trust Emma, "Archie's been my best friend since we were kids. Sometimes I feel more for him than ever before. But I'm just not sure if he feels the same.."

"Well, maybe at this dance you could ask him?" Emma suggested with raised brows.

"I don't know.." The teenager laughed nervously.

"There's no harm in it, right?" She tried to ease her nerves.

"I guess not." Betty shrugged, before her eyes caught something in the window of a store.

Emma followed her gaze over to the shop window and saw a pink dress hanging on one of the mannequins on the window display, "Betty," She breathed, knowing the girl had her eye on it, "you should go in and get it."

Betty turned to her auntie and nodded excitedly, ready to take her hand and whisk her inside with her, when Emma felt her phone vibrate in her bag and also beep loudly.

"Oh." Betty stopped just before the entrance to the shop and waited for her aunt.

Slowly pulling out her cell phone, Emma realised it wasn't that that phone what had gone off and it had been her other one, the one she had been hiding away from everyone.

"Uh, you go on in and I'll catch you up," Emma told her niece, as she pretended to look down at her phone, "I need to take this."

Betty did as she was told and headed inside the store, immediately going over to the pink dress and hunting for her size, whilst Emma turned away from view and took out her other phone.

'The money is ready.'

Emma glanced up from the text, feeling an uneasy feeling wash over her as she quickly slipped it back away and went back to going inside the store, trying to push away the anxiety she felt once she met with Betty.

Little reminders like that, were enough to make her remember why she was really here. Whilst it was to get away from New York and support her sister, it was also to do one last job she had to get done.

Then she could be gone for good if she was lucky and had a good enough escape plan.

It could all be over with.

Once the two women returned later that day, Betty grabbed a quick bite of dinner and went to go eat upstairs, wanting to finish off her homework for the day, giving the adults a chance to her their dinner together around the table.

It had felt like a very long time since Emma had sat around a big table and saw her family staring back at her. She was used to big coporate meetings in the city with her former business partners, drinking champagne and eating canapays.

But in front of her was a glass of sparkling water and a delicious homecooked meal made by her sister, something Emma had been craving since her flight earlier that day.

"This is amazing, Alice!" Emma remarked as she eyed the meal now on her plate.

"Well, as I said earlier, we want to make you feel at home." Alice smiled over at her, before looking at Hal with the same look.

"Alice has been planning meals all week for you." Hal teased his wife, although it was all true.

"Alice, you didn't have to do that," Emma laughed playfully, as she laid her napkin down onto her lap and began to tuck into her food, "as I said, I'm your sister, we're family."

"And as your sister, it's my duty that I ask you how it really went with my daughter on your little shopping trip?" Alice asked her with raised brows.

"It went fine," Her younger sister answered her, just like she had when they had first come in, "Betty found her dress just like we said."

"Was she ok? Did she say anything about Polly or Jason?" Alice then quizzed her, clearly worried about the sensitive subject.

"No," Emma said honestly, with a shake to her head, "she didn't mention either of them. She was more interested about my life in New York."

"As am I, Emma.." Hal interrupted the two sisters, with another bitter remark towards Emma, yet this time it was in front of Alice.

Alice turned to her husband with a glare, as Emma swallowed her mouthful of food harshly and went to go pick her glass up, "What do you want to know now?"

"Ahh, I don't know, maybe what you got up to," Hal began to make suggestions, his tone still harsh, "maybe who you ended up living with, how you managed to survive.."

"Hal.." Alice warned from opposite him.

"No, it's fine, Alice," Emma assured her sister, knowing she could very much handle men like Hal Cooper, she had before and could do it again, "if you must know, Hal.."

"Emma, don't.." Alice was warning her sister this time.

"What?" She frowned back at her in confusion.

Did Alice seriosuly think Emma would blab about the whole reason she was really back in Riverdale?

Absoloutely not!

Emma wasn't that stupid. She didn't even like Alice knowing parts of it.

"So you know the real reason why she is here, Alice?" Hal then asked his wife curiously.

"Don't answer him, Alice.." Emma was now the one taking lead and stopping her sister from having her say this time.

"Why not? Are you not here for your family like you said?" He went on with his integration, "or are you actually here for a real reason?"

Emma and Alice narrowed their eyes at each other warningly, neither of them wanting to come forward with the truth, Emma would kick off if Alice did, and Alice didn't want her sister to admit to anything she didn't want to,

"From what I can gather, Emma is broke out of her arse and wants our money," Hal suggested harshly, causing Emma to glare at him offended, "the whole reason she is here is to steal our money so she can go back to living the high life and forget we even excisted."

"That's enough!" Emma spat at him, as she pushed her napkin off her lap and stood up.

"Emma," Her sister quickly stood up with her worriedly, going to reach her hand out to stop her sister from leaving, but Emma snatched it away, "Hal, please, stop this.."

"Is that not what's going on here, Emma?" Hal folded his arms smugly, thinking he had broken her mask and revealed the truth.

But he could have not been further from it.

"Think what you want, Hal," Emma grumbled back at him, before pushing her chair in and going to leave, "I'm not going to stand here and listen to it."

Quickly hurrying out of the dining room and heading towards the door, Emma ignored Alice's calls for her to come back, that was until she caught up with her and stood in front of the door.

"Where are you going?" Alice asked her worriedly.

She was pissed inside right now. Angry at her husband for not keeping his mouth shut and anrgy at Emma for storming out like some spoilt teenager. It was pathetic and she was already tired of them not getting on.

"Out." Emma answered bluntly.

"Emma, please," Her older sister begged once more, avoiding Hal's watchful eyes from the table in the dining area, "come on. If you just tell Hal the truth.."

"No!" The younger quickly snapped back, thinking she was crazy for even suggesting such a think, "no way! I'm not telling anyone,"

Alice went to protest and make her rethink it, but Emma quickly beat her to it with a threat, "I swear if you tell him or anyone else for that matter, I will not be held responsible for what I'll do."

"Fine," Alice held her hands up in defeat, before stepping back slightly, "I won't. Please just come sit back down."

"No," Emma shook her head, going over to the door again and taking hold of the handle, "I'm going to go get some wine."

"Let me take you." Alice suggested, not wanting to let Emma out of her sight when the girl was so vunerable.

"No."

She wasn't going to have her sister mother her around whilst she was here.

"Emma, this town can be dangerous.." Her older sister warned her.

"Oh I know that, Alice," Emma scoffed, finding this all so amusing how much somethings had changed, others not so much, "are you forgetting I use to grow up here too?"

"Of course not." Alice sighed.

"I'll be fine," She slowly opened up the door, before stepping out onto the porch and into the dark nights sky, "I'll be back later,"

Alice went to interupt and talk her out of it, but after tonight, Emma did deserve that time to herself, without either of them interfearing, she had to remember Emma wasn't a teenager anymore, she was a grown adult, who had looked after herself for nearly a decade now,

"Maybe that will give you enough time to cool your douche of a husband off.."

Emma began to make her way down the steps towards the pavement, ready to begin her walk into town, wanting to soak up the fresh air, before she would buy the cheapest wine and drink away the emotions.

Alice called her name once, wanting Emma to just come back inside, or at least know that they were all their to support her, but Emma was right. Her husband had to be her priority right now and getting him to back off Emma, who was just innocent in all of this.

But was she really as innocent as she seemed?

Emma didn't know how long she had been walking, but with every step she took, the more she enjoyed being able to walk around in the quiet town, rather than the hustle and bustle of city life she was used to.

She even managed to find herself on the other side of the tracks, the side of town Emma knew very well from growing up. Emma had always had a special place in her heart for the South Side of Riverdale.

It was now even had more of a bad reputation for it, from what Emma had heard since being back and also from how much Alice seemed to shame it, although she was forgetting they both grew up on this side of town.

Their parents and families lived over here. It was their home. Emma remembered it being like pure bliss, despite the stereotypes and the few bad people that did live up to expectations, but it was everything she remembered it to be.

As she turned a corner to head down a street, she heard a few curse words coming from a truck a few yards away from where she was walking on the side walk.

The truck was parked up against the road side, the bonnet on the car was up and Emma could see the boots of whoever was stood in front of it, the curse words very much coming from them.

Smirking to herself at how much bother they seemed to be in, her inqusitive mind couldn't help but slowy come over to them, a middle aged man now coming into view, hunched over the truck, looking at the mechanics inside, trying to fix it.

Or now punching it in his case in anger that it wasn't going to be so easy to fix.

Upon hearing her own footsteps and feeling her presence, the man brought his head up and looked over at her, suddenly taken back that he was in female company and also was a woman of her kind on this side of town.

Whereas Emma completely knew he was from this side of the tracks. He was dressed in some black jeans, with those black boots, a leather jacket hung on his frame on top of a plaid shirt and a plain grey t-shirt.

A thick layer of stubble ran across his jawline and chin, his eyes were dark and striking, whilst his hair was thick and dark also, styled in an effortless pushed back kind of way.

He had a very brooding aura about him, that seemed to wrap Emma even more into sticking around this guy and seeing what was going down with him.

"You know hitting it won't do much help." Emma pointed out with the same smirk on her face, as she folded her arms and stood beside the truck on the pavement.

"Well, whatever it is I'm trying to do isn't budging it either so.." The man huffed, not finding this as amusing as she was.

"Aren't men suppose to be all knowing about cars?" She teased him.

"And aren't women taught not to talk to strangers in the street at night?" He remarked.

"Well good job I don't really conform to those sterotypes," Emma told him, before she peered over the bonnet to get a better view, the man watched her look inside his truck, before she looked back up at him, "mind if I take a look?"

"You?" He frowned slightly back at you.

Emma gave him a weird look, almost slightly offended he wasn't going to let her take her a look, after she had been so kind to even offer her assistance in the first place.

But this was his chance to take her in properly. She was a lot smaller than he was. Probably just a little shorter than the average height of a woman. But she definitely had the body of one.

Her breasts and bum were perky, but she had a small waist, and good proportions. Her lightly coloured blonde hair was in loose waves over her shoulders and just above her boobs.

The attire she was in was the most thing that confused him about this woman, other than how forward she was being in talking to him and wanting to help him with his car.

A pair of light blue cigarette pants clung to her body, whilst a white blouse and a light nude coloured jacket hung over her shoulders. A pair of nude patent court heels sat on her feet.

She almost looked like she had just finished a day at work and was now on her way home. But home could not have been from around his neck of the woods. It was like she was lost or something.

He nearly went to ask her if she was or if she had took something and was so out of it she had ventured over her, but when he saw how serious she was, he knew it wasn't best to ask.

"What?" Emma said breaking him out of his gaze on her, as his brown eyes met with her grey-green ones, "you never seen a girl fix a car before?"

If sterotypes were anything to live by, then he was willing to let her take her shot at trying to change them.

Stepping away from the truck, he allowed Emma to get a better look inside the truck and watched her as she began to move and check a couple of things, using everything she had learnt and knew to the test for the first time in a long time.

But it was a good distraction for her mind, and also meant she could stay around this man for a little while longer, before venturing back to her sisters place.

After a few minutes had passed and she had spent the time working on it, Emma backed away from the truck slightly and turned to the man, "Go start her up."

Doing as she said, he climbed back into the truck and began to start it up, although it didn't start up and Emma found herself grumbling, not understanding why at first.

"You know you're really making it hard to not think those sterotypes are true.." The man mocked her from inside the truck, as she fixed a couple of things.

Emma rolled her eyes playfully, before ordering him to "Just shut up and do it again."

Smirking in amusement at how easy it was to have a joke with her, he started up the truck once more, only this time it worked and the sound of the truck roaring, made Emma stand back from it with a proud grin on her face.

Smiling in absolute amusement that she had managed to it, he closed off the engine and hopped back out to join her on the sidewalk, just as she was dusting off her hands smugly.

"How did you do that?" He asked interestdly.

"Magic." Emma joked.

"Nah, seriously, come on," He wasn't playing around now, he had to know how she was so good at cars dressed like that, "where did you learn that?"

If she was really this serious, then he believed he had met his match in a woman. She would sure give him a run for his money. He was very intriguied by her and wanted to know more.

There was no denying how ridicliously attracted he was to her. Something he hadn't felt for anyone in a long time. He didn't know if it was right for him to feel such ways for a girl he had just met and in the circumstances he was in, but there was no harm in testing the water.

"Is it so hard to believe I knew that off my own back?" She folded her arms teasingly.

"Well a girl like you, it is pretty hard to believe, yeah." The man answered honetly.

"A girl like me?" Emma raised her brows up, trying to fight off a grin.

"Yeah you know.." He kept it minimal as just to what he was hinting at.

"What?" She looked back at him.

"Just...not what I'm famaliar with around here.."

"Well, I am one of a kind I must say."

Emma flashed him a mischevious grin, trying to fight off breaking into laughter, as the man also tried to hide his own smirk, but kept failing when he saw how pleased with herself she looked.

And Emma was, for the first time in a long time, she actually felt happiness and confidence inside.

After it went quiet for a few moments, Emma thought she better reveal the truth to her magic car fixing ways, "I learnt it from my uncle.."

She stopped as he gave her a look, almost like he had forgotten the conversation and was just enjoying her company right now, "the mechanics. My Uncle used to be a mechanic and run his own business fixing up cars,"

The man began to nod his head at her explanation, thinking that made more sense now, as Emma finished, "the summer I passed my test he taught me everything I could ever know about fixing cars."

"I see how that could come in handy." He joked.

"What?" She frowned back at him slightly.

"You know.." The man wanted to really test the water, see where her head was at, and if she was also feeling this weird vibe too, "for hitting on guys on the street.."

"What?" Emma couldn't help but burst into laughter at this, she didn't know if it was a nervous one, or just an amused one, but maybe a bit of both, "you think that's what I was ought to do here? Pull you?"

He couldn't help but let out a light chuckle, before he answered her daringly, "I wouldn't say no.."

"Wow.." Emma didn't know what to say.

She was far more than flustered right now. God it had been so long since someone had wrapped her under their little finger and got her feeling so bothered by just a conversation.

It almost felt foreign to her that she was having some sort of feelings towards the opposite sex. It was something she had never planned on hoping would come from this.

Emma had just been out to cool off her problems back with Alice and Hal, never did she think that she would run into some stranger on the street, and him also think she was just as hot as she thought he was.

But there was no way he had to be serious right now.

A man intersested in her after her partner. There was no way it was possible. Emma had been told she would never find anyone again. But here she was already jumping to conclusions.

"Sorry," He coughed awkwardly, clearly going a little too far, but he had to be honest with the girl, "where's my manners.."

Emma didn't want to leave this conversation on a sour note with the awkward tension, so she did what she did best in true Emma fashion and threw another comment back at him, to bring it back onto a good path.

"People on this side of town don't tend to have them.." She smirked.

"And you would know?" He asked with raised brows, as he cooly leant against the side of his truck with his elbow.

"Just those stereotypes again..always getting in the damn way.." Emma bite her bottom lip daringly.

"Uh-huh," The man nodded in agreement with her, before standing back up, "come for a drink with me?"

She found her chest tighten at his suggestion. If this had been years ago, if this had been the last time she was in town and had been meeting this man for the first time, Emma would have jumped at the chance and said yes.

But she couldn't go there.

Emma didn't know her fate just yet and if she brought a guy into her life, even if it was only a one night stand, then she didn't know if she could quite cope with all of that right now.

But god, she so desperately wanted to continue whatever this was.

It was so damn easy with this man. The old Emma kept coming out. The one who knew how to have fun and was playful. The one who took the risk and allowed herself to fall.

Yet there the sad reality hanging on her shoulders, preventing her from going after what she did actually want.

"I couldn't.." She answered sadly.

"Why not?" He frowned back at her, a little taken back by the rejection since she seemed so willing to stick around before, "you don't drink or are you taken for?"

"Uh, no," Emma shook her head, the question being a hard one to answer, but she felt she could around him, "I'm not taken for. And I can drink, it's just, not tonight..I can't. Maybe sometime soon.."

"Alright," The man nodded casually, accepting that he wasn't going to get to know the girl anytime soon, as he went to shut the bonnet on the truck, "well, I'll be at the Whyt Worm if you ever need me."

Emma couldn't help but smirk at this, she was happy the place was still going, she rembered it well, "The Whyt Worm, hey?"

"What? Are you going to throw some judgmental comment about that bar because it's on this side of town?" He presumed, half jokingly but also used to the crap he got for it from the other people in this town.

"No," She said with a small shake to the head, the smirk never leaving her face, as she responded daringly once again, "I was just going to say I've never been, but there's a first for everything, right?"

"Most definitely." He smirked back at her, clearly getting what she was also referring to, a warmth hitting him hard with this girl around.

Smiling back at him, Emma shyfully bit her lip once again, before going to walk off and go get that wine, before Alice sent out a missing persons report to her, when the man stopped her.

"Hey, uh, do you need a ride?" He offered, it was the least he could do after she helped fix his truck, but it also meant he could spend more time with her,

Upon seeing Emma's face beam with mischeif again, the man realised how his words could have come across, so he quickly covered it up, "home..I mean, do you need a ride home?"

"Uh, no, but thanks," She said, as Emma stuffed her hands into her pockets, "I'm heading to the store."

"Right." He nodded.

"But thank you," Emma appreciated the offer, although she was also a little gutted they couldn't stick around for longer, "I'll see you soon."

"See ya."

The man turned back around and went to get in his truck, as Emma continued her walk to the store. She couldn't wipe off the daring smirk that kept lingering on her face.

Emma felt like a stupid teenager right now, getting all excited over an encounter with a mysterious stranger. But she had to remember she was not so young anymore.

She had been through too much to start getting giddy over something that would never work out.

The same way the man started up the engine, fighting off the urge to go pick her up and taking her to the store himself, but he also knew that his reality back home would be far than willing to allow him to get involved with some girl he met on the street.

Even if it was only a one night thing, neither of them could go there, no matter how much they wanted to get to know the attractive stranger on the streets.

Author note: Hey there! Sorry it's taken me a while to get up a new part. I have been really busy over the Christmas/New year period. But here is part two for you all. I really hope you liked this one and you're excited to see where the story goes.

Special thanks to hanna277, top story and guest for reviewing the first part! I'm glad you guys enjoyed it :)

I'd love to know your thoughts on this one!

Who's the mysterious attractive stranger Emma met on the streets? ;)

How do you feel about Alice being over protective to Emma?

Do you think Emma has every right to be pissed at Hal for his accusations?

Thanks so much for reading!

Best wishes,

guiltypleasurexo