DISCLAIMER:
I DO NOT own any of the characters from ADJL. They belong to
Disney. I do however own Rose and Jake's adopted daughter, Emily,
along with the angel Joy and anyone else you don't recognize. If
anyone would like to use any of these OC's, please ask my
permission first.
Thanks!
God loves
you
Enjoy!
A/N: As you guys can probably tell, I'm revising this story a wee bit. Nothing major, just a few changes here and there.
"One Rose, Too Many Thorns"
Chapter 2-Nightmares, Outbursts and a Pizza to Go
Time seemed to stand still forever as Jake stared at the girl he had wanted to see for the past year now. She looked the same as she had when he had last seen her, but even more beautiful, if that was possible.
Rose broke the staring contest and the silence that fell between them.
"Well, aren't you going to invite us in, Dragon boy?" Her voice was that of Huntsgirl, but Jake could see a warm smile spreading across her face.
Jake stepped aside to let his girlfriend and daughter in. He closed and locked the door once they were inside and risked a glance at Rose. She was even more beautiful in the light of the lamp.
"Is that Emily?" Jake asked, wanting to start a conversation with Rose. He knew she had a lot on her mind and would probably break down later, but for now, he wanted to keep it low key.
Rose nodded as she laid her daughter down on the couch.
"Yup. That's our Emily."
Jake nodded and smiled. It was so good to have his love and his daughter home again.
Jake stared down at Emily lovingly.
Emily had on a blue and pink jumpsuit and she was wearing pink sandals. Rose had tied Emily's hair back into a braid and had fastened it with a blue and pink ponytail holder. Emily was also wearing a necklace that Jake assumed Rose had given her.
When Rose saw Jake staring at the necklace, she nodded in confirmation.
"I gave it to her on her third birthday."
Jake nodded, sitting down on the couch across from Emily. He then motioned for Rose to sit with him.
Rose gave Emily a kiss an patted her shoulder before going over to Jake. As she sat down
, Jake wrapped his arms around her and planted a kiss on her cheek.
"Now you, I don't mind holding. Come here. The mac daddy Jake wants some loving from his Rosebud."
Rose giggled and laid her head against Jake's shoulder. This felt so right, so normal. It felt…great!
"My pleasure, dragon boy," Rose said, her voice low and seducing. "But I think we're going to have to wait for that just a little longer." She said, her normal tone back.
"Why?" Jake asked, almost whining.
Rose pointed over to Emily, who was starting to wake up.
"That's why," Rose answered, jerking a finger in Emily's direction.
"Mommy?" Emily asked, as she sat up and opened her blue eyes. "Mommy, where are we?"
"We're home, baby," Rose replied, a smile spreading across her face. "We're home."
Emily nodded and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. As she gazed around, her gaze landed first on Rose and then on the person holding her.
"Daddy!" Emily shouted, all trace of tiredness gone. She jumped up and raced across the room, practically jumping into his arms.
Jake took her into his loving embrace and gave her a hug. He then planted a kiss on her cheek while Rose stroked her hair.
"All right, Miss Emily," Rose said, why don't we get you ready for bed and then you and Daddy can spend time together tomorrow, okay?"
Emily frowned, but a yawn was already escaping her lips.
"Can Daddy read me a story, Mommy?" Emily asked, giving her mother a smile. "Please?"
"You'll have to ask him," Rose told her. "Go on, it's okay. Use your words and ask Daddy."
Emily nodded.
Jake gave Rose a confused look, but Rose mouthed that they would talk about it later.
"Daddy, will you read to me, please?" Emily asked, laying her head against Jake's shoulder.
"I sure will, sweetie. Come on. Want a dragon back ride up to your new room?"
Emily's eyes lit up and she nodded.
"Please?"
"Sure thang. Now, I'll tell you when to climb on, okay?" Jake instructed, putting his daughter gently on the floor.
Emily nodded and watched in fascination as her father changed from a mere Human into a red and green dragon.
"Come on, Em. Let's fly."
"Yay!" Emily shouted, climbing on and holding on tight.
Rose couldn't help but smile. She was glad Emily was settling in so nicely. She knew there were going to be some adjustments on everyone's parts later, but for now, her daughter was happy and that's what mattered.
Rose followed Jake and Emily upstairs and into the room that Jake had told Emily she could have. It was pink and blue kittens lined the walls. There was a bed in the corner and a dresser was near the window. There was also a teddy bear laying on the bed.
Rose smiled as she watched Jake put Emily to bed. He read her a story and then both teens gave their daughter a kiss and hug before leaving the room.
"Mommy and I will just be in the room down the hall if you need us. Okay, Em?"
Emily nodded, already half asleep. The day had been long for the four year old.
"Okay, Daddy. Love you."
"Aw, I love you too, honey. And so does Mommy. Sweet dreams." With that, Jake and Rose left the room and made their way down the hall.
When they got there, Jake waited outside while Rose got changed. She had brought her clothes with her, but Jake noticed that it wasn't a lot. He promised Rose that she could go shopping on Saturday. They would go as a family. Jake had also told Rose that he would talk to Grandpa and see about getting Rose a job at the electronics shop.
Rose wasn't so sure about that, but Jake assured her that it would be okay.
After Rose was changed, Jake went back into the room and closed the door. He went over to the bed and laid down beside his love. He took Rose into his arms and she snuggled in comfortably.
"What?" Rose asked, noticing Jake was staring at her.
"Nothing," Jake replied, but he was smiling. "Like I said downstairs, the mac daddy Jake wants some loving from his Rose."
"Gladly, dragon boy," Rose said, but it was in her normal tone this time.
"You know something," Jake said, a chuckle escaping his lips as he held Rose close and planted a kiss on her cheek, "that name has grown on me."
Rose giggled.
"That's good. Now, be quiet and let's make up for lost time."
"I like the sound of that," Jake said, giving Rose a passionate kiss that lasted an hour. With those words said, they did make up for lost time. They didn't go too far, but they enjoyed each other's presence and Rose felt safe for the first time in a year.
Sometime in the middle of the night, Jake woke up to the sound of Rose screaming in her sleep. She was crying and calling his name, begging him to help her.
Jake sprang awake instantly and nudged Rose awake. The moment Rose woke up, she threw herself into Jake's arms and started crying. She had a vice grip around Jake's neck and wasn't planning on letting go anytime soon.
"Shh, shh, it's okay, Rose. It's okay. Jake has you. You're fine. You're safe, baby. You're with the mac daddy Jake. You're okay."
Rose seemed to understand and started to calm down, but she was still crying.
As Jake planted a comforting kiss on Rose's forehead, he heard movement about the room. He looked over his shoulder to see Emily standing there. She was crying as well, but she was trying to be quiet about it.
"I'll be right back," Jake said, giving Rose another kiss. "We have company."
Rose nodded and allowed Jake to get up. Her eyes followed him to the door and she watched him pick Emily up.
"Hey there, Em. What are the tears for? Did you get scared when you woke up in a different place?" He bounced Emily on his hip and brought her over to the bed.
Emily nodded.
"IS Mommy going to be okay, Daddy?" She asked. "She scares me when she cries. She doesn't cry a lot."
Jake nodded and hugged his daughter close.
"Yes. She's going to be fine. I promise. Now, come on. Why don't you sleep with us tonight. Would you like that?"
Emily nodded and gave her father a small smile.
"All right. Let me put you here. Right between Mommy and me. Go on, you can give her a hug. I think that would make her feel better."
Emily carefully gave her mother a hug, feeling better when Rose wrapped her arms around her in return. She gave Emily a kiss and stroked her hair.
"Mommy's going to be okay," she said, hoping Emily believed her. "Daddy's going to take care of me."
Emily nodded and snuggled down into the covers, tucked safely between her parents-the safest place she knew.
Once Emily was asleep, Jake turned to Rose. She was visibly calmer, but he could still see fear in her eyes.
"Come here," he said, taking Rose into his arms. "Shh, shh, it's okay, Rose. It's going to be okay. You're safe. Emily's safe. You're home now. You're okay. What was your dream about?"
"I don't want to talk about it," Rose whimpered. "Please, Jake. Not now."
Jake nodded and respected her decision.
"Okay. If you don't want to talk about it, let's talk about something else. Let's talk about Emily."
"What about Em?" Rose asked, not catching on at first.
"You said she has trouble with her speech or something. What were you talking about?"
Rose nodded and started to explain.
"Sometimes, when Emily's with someone new, she doesn't want to talk in front of them. She has a speech problem with her "pl" words. She can say them most of the time, but when she gets scared, she has trouble."
Jake nodded.
"Haley had trouble with her "sh" words when she was four till she was six. She had speech therapy and now she's fine."
Rose nodded and rested her head on Jake's shoulder.
"I love you, Jake." She said, relishing in the safety she felt when she was with him.
"I love you too, Rose. I never stopped. And for the record, I don't blame you for anything that happened two years ago. I just wanted to know you were okay."
"Well you should!" Rose suddenly burst out, tears streaming down her face.
"Shh!" Jake advised, his gaze turning to Emily.
Rose nodded and tried to keep her voice down.
"I should have told you right away, or better yet, I should have just quit! I'm so sorry for putting you through that, Jake! I'm sorry! You didn't deserve it. You were so good to me and I treated you like dirt! I'm so sorry! I do love you and I don't want to be anywhere else but right here, safe and sound with you, but I'm so sorry for everything!"
Jake shook his head and held her close. He gave Rose a kiss and just kept telling her over and over again that it wasn't her fault. The words finally sunk in around four in the morning and Rose finally fell asleep.
Jake didn't get to sleep till six. He had too much on his mind. He was glad that Rose was there and safe, but he knew they had a lot of hurdles to jump before they were truly safe. He also knew that Rose hadn't told him everything she had been through at the hands of the Huntsman. Jake knew Rose had to get that out and he would be there for her when it happened. Little did Jake know how soon that would be.
The next morning, Jake awoke to someone laying beside him. That same someone had their head on his shoulder and he could also feel something furry on his chest. He opened his eyes to find Emily laying with him. Her thumb was in her mouth and she was half awake.
"Aw, how cute!" A familiar female voice said from the doorway. "I should take a picture."
"Rose!" Jake shouted, his voice irritated, but his face giving it away that he wasn't angry. "Does Emily usually cuddle this early in the morning?"
Rose nodded.
"Yup. I'm usually the lucky person, but today, she picked her Daddy."
Jake nodded.
"I'm glad." He planted a kiss on Emily's head and hugged her close. He then gave Rose a hug and kiss as she came over and rested her head against his other shoulder.
After ten minutes, Rose stood up and finished getting ready. She then told Jake she was heading downstairs and to take his time with Emily.
Jake nodded and lay there, basking in the glow of fatherhood. IT didn't matter to him if Emily hadn't been conceived by he and Rose. He loved her all the same.
Emily's eyes soon started to open and she stretched. She sat up and gave Jake a smile.
"Morning, Daddy!" Emily said, giving him a hug and kiss.
"Aw, good morning, sweetie. Did you sleep well?"
Emily nodded.
"Yup. My tummy's hungry!"
"It is? Well, let's see if we can fix that. Come on. Let's get you dressed and then we'll go see what Grandma has cooking."
Emily nodded. She got off the bed and took Jake's hand as he led her back to her bedroom. She knew who her grandmother was, but she was still a little afraid of meeting her.
"Okay, what do you want to wear, baby?" Jake asked, going through Emily's suitcase.
After Emily had picked out a shorts set with hearts on it, Jake put her hair in a braid and helped her wash her face. He then carried her downstairs at Emily's request.
"Good morning, yall!" Jake greeted, coming into the kitchen with Emily on his hip.
"Morning, sweetie," his mother said, coming over and giving Jake a kiss and pat to his shoulder. She smiled when she saw Emily. She reached out to pat Emily's shoulder, but the little girl tried to bury her face deeper in her Daddy. She let out a sob and dug her fingernails into Jake's shoulder.
"Aw, Em, it's okay, sweetie. That's just your grandmother. She wont' hurt you. She's really nice. She's my Mommy."
Emily nodded, but all she wanted was her Daddy right now.
"What's for breakfast, Mom?" Jake asked, sitting down in his usual spot with Emily in his lap.
Mrs. Long smiled at her son, even though she was still deeply hurt by her husband's absence.
"Well, I made pancakes and bacon, Haley's favorite. She should be down in a minute."
Jake nodded.
"Huh! Emily, did you hear that? Grandma made pancakes! Do you want to try some?"
"Pancakes are her favorite," Rose said, coming over and giving both her boyfriend and daughter a kiss. She then attempted to take Emily from Jake in order to put her in her booster seat, but Emily wouldn't have it. She wanted to stay with her Daddy and that was it.
"No!" Emily cried, pushing Rose's hand away. "No! I wanna stay with Daddy! I want Daddy! I want Daddy!"
"All right, okay, shh, it's okay, Em, it's okay." Rose assured her. "You can stay with Daddy. It's all right. Are you going to eat some yummy pancakes that Grandma made? Do you want to show Daddy how you eat like a big girl?"
Emily nodded, but she was still crying.
"It's all right, Rose," Jake told his girlfriend. He could see that she was becoming a little frustrated. "It's fine. Emily's probably just tired. Yesterday was long for her. I'll get her set up in her seat and get her to eat. It's fine." He then turned to Emily and kissed her cheek. "You know what? Daddy has a surprise for you." He picked Emily up and carried her over to the closet and pulled out a booster seat that had Sagwa on it. His mother had bought it for when she baby sat kids around the neighborhood.
Emily's eyes lit up and the tears almost stopped immediately.
"Sagwa!" She shouted, her face lighting up with a smile.
"Do you like that?" Jake asked.
Emily nodded.
"Sagwa's my favowit!" Emily said, smiling from ear to ear.
"I'm glad. Want to sit in your Sagwa chair and eat breakfast? I think Grandma has some Sagwa cups around here somewhere."
Emily nodded eagerly.
Rose was amazed at how good Jake was with Emily. She, Rose, was good with her as well, but usually if Emily was in a mood, it would last throughout breakfast. Rose could never snap her out of it, unless she cuddled with her for an hour.
"Aw, there you go, sweetie. Is that better?" Jake asked as he got Emily some apple juice and put it in her new Sagwa cup for her.
Emily nodded as she began to eat her breakfast. Everyone else was seated by now and Haley was sitting near Jake. She gave him a curious look towards Rose and Emily, but he mouthed he would tell her later.
Haley accepted this, knowing her brother would never lie.
After breakfast was over, Jake and Rose decided to take Emily to the park. She was feeling much better and she was all smiles for the most part. Jake had also promised her that he would take her to the toy store and let her pick something special out. Rose agreed to this. She liked surprising Emily with little things sometimes and she knew Jake felt the same way.
Emily wasn't a spoiled child by any means, but she had her favorite things and it was a joy for Rose and Jake to see her squeal with happiness when she got something new.
When they reached the park, Emily saw the swings and her eyes lit up.
"Push me, Daddy, please?" Emily asked, tugging on his arm. "Please! Mommy always does."
"All right. Let's go." Jake picked Emily up and tickled her tummy while carrying her over to the swings.
After he was sure that Emily was holding on tightly, he started to push her.
Rose came over after awhile and pushed Emily as well. She then got on a swing of her own and started to swing. She had always liked the swings. They had always been her favorite thing when she was younger.
"Did you have fun?" Jake asked as the three headed off towards the mall an hour later.
Emily nodded.
"Yup. Thank you, Daddy!"
"Aw, no problem, baby. It was my pleasure." He then winked at Rose, who smiled. She knew Jake was having fun spending time with Emily and she was glad. She knew she would get her time later.
Jake's thoughts were interrupted as he heard Emily ask him a question.
"Daddy, can Haley and I play when we get home?"
"Sure," Jake said, giving Emily's hand a squeeze.
Emily beamed. She really liked Haley a lot. She was a lot of fun.
When they reached the mall, Rose went right for a clothing shop and Jake took Emily to get her treat.
Emily ended up picking a stuffed Sagwa and Jake also bought her a Sagwa DVD.
After they had paid for their stuff, Jake and Emily went to find Rose. She had gotten what she needed as well and was now looking for clothes for Emily. She had wanted to buy her a few new outfits.
"Mind if I head over to the music store?" Jake asked. "I won't be long."
Rose nodded.
"Sure. Go ahead. Do you want me to take Emily?"
Jake looked down at Emily, who was clutching Sagwa tightly.
"Baby, do you want to stay with Mommy or come with me?"
Emily thought about this for a moment and frowned.
"Can I stay with Mommy?" She asked, as if she was afraid she would hurt Jake's feelings.
"Sure. It's okay. I'll see you two in twenty. I love you." He gave both of them a kiss and hug before leaving for the store.
As Rose looked through the racks of clothes, Emily stood beside her, playing with Sagwa. She really loved her new stuffed animal and she had thanked her Daddy over and over again for getting it for her.
As Rose picked out a pink shirt with a blue skirt for Emily, her cell phone rang. She ignored it, thinking it was Jake. She then felt her watch go off and jumped a mile. When she felt it go off again, she knew it wasn't Jake. But she wasn't going to pick up the phone. She was determined to start a new life and forget all about her Huntsgirl ways. She was NOT going back there again.
As her watch went off for the third time, she heard the Huntsman's voice say, "Huntsgirl, wherever you are, you better come back home. If you don't…that brat is going to get it." With that, the watch went dead.
Rose felt herself starting to shake. She had hoped and prayed that the Huntsmaster wouldn't find her here, but now she knew he could find her wherever she went.
The Huntsman knew Rose pretty well and NYC would be the first place he would look for her and Emily.
"Mommy?" Emily asked, sensing something was wrong. "Mommy? Are you okay?"
Rose nodded, not wanting Emily to see her scared, but she knew her daughter was smarter than that.
"Mommy, what's wrong?"
"Nothing!" Rose exclaimed, unaware that her Huntsgirl tone had come out full and strong. "Just forget it!"
Emily recognized that tone of voice however and backed up. She held Sagwa close as tears streamed down her face. She wished her Daddy would come back soon. She knew her Mommy hadn't meant to yell at her, but she was still upset. She didn't like when her Mommy used that tone of voice and she hardly ever used it with her.
Rose was about to search another rack, when she realized that Emily wasn't with her. She turned around to see her daughter cowering near a rack of jeans.
Rose sighed as realization dawned on her. She felt terrible for what she had done and she wanted to fix it, but she wasn't sure if Emily would let her. At least not yet.
As Rose approached her, Emily, for her part tried to get away. She scrambled backwards, putting as much distance between her and her mother as she could.
"Emily? Em, come on, sweetie. Mommy didn't mean to yell at you. You're not in trouble, honey. I promise. Mommy's sorry. I really am. Come on, sweetie. We need to pay for your new clothes and then we'll find Daddy. Come on, now. It's okay."
Rose held her arms out, hoping Emily would run to them and forgive her, but Emily remained where she was. She knew her mother wasn't lying and she was truly sorry, but Emily was still scared.
Emily shook her head, refusing to move.
"Emily, come on, honey. It's okay. I'm sorry I scared you. I didn't mean to. I promise. I'm not mad at you, sweetie. Come here." Rose waited a few minutes, but Emily still didn't move. Rose was beginning to get frustrated at her daughter's unwillingness to listen to her. "Emily Rose Long…" Rose scolded, warningly. She made sure her voice was normal, but still firm enough so Emily knew she meant business. "Come here, now."
Emily recognized that tone in her mother's voice and normally she would have obeyed, but right now, she chose to ignore it.
Rose sighed. She realized she wasn't getting anywhere with Emily and she needed help.
"Hey you two," Jake said, from just behind Rose. "Are you ladies done?"
Rose sighed with relief and gave Jake a grateful smile. She then mouthed to him, "help" and he nodded. He looked to where Emily was still standing and approached her cautiously. He didn't want to scare her.
"Emily? Em, come here, baby. Come to Daddy. It's time to go home and eat lunch. Then you'll take a nap and after you wake up, you can play with Haley."
Emily looked up and when she saw her Daddy, she ran for him, wrapping her arms around his neck. She burst into tears and cried into his shoulder while holding Sagwa close.
"Shh, shh, it's okay, Em. It's all right. What's the matter, sweetie? What happened?"
"Mommy yelled at me!" Emily cried. "She sounded really mean!"
Jake nodded and turned to Rose for the answer.
Rose sighed and shook her head. She was trying to fight back tears of remorse and fear. Everything was happening so quickly. She had never wanted to yell at Emily in that manner or make her afraid of her. She loved her baby girl with all her heart and she wanted to make it up to her.
"I-I used my Huntsgirl tone on her! I didn't mean to!" Rose cried, the dam finally breaking. "I-I didn't mean to scare her! I got a weird phone call and it scared me and she…I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" She broke down right there, braking Jake's heart.
Jake went over to Rose and embraced her as best he could. He still had Emily in his arms and he knew his daughter wouldn't want to leave the safety of his embrace anytime soon.
"Shh, shh, it's okay, Rose. It's going to be okay. I'm sure Emily will forgive you in time. I know you didn't mean it and I'm sure Emily knows that too."
"I really scared her!" Rose cried. "I didn't even realize that I had used my Huntsgirl tone on her until she tried to get away from me. She never did that before! I'm so sorry!"
Jake nodded and comforted her the best he could.
"What scared you?" He asked, wanting to help his girlfriend feel better.
Rose shook her head.
"Not here." She said, flatly. "I'll tell you at home."
Jake nodded and respected her choice. He started rubbing Emily's back, hoping to get her calm down. He then decided to take them to lunch, hoping that would cheer them up. He had his allowance saved up for awhile, so he had some cash to spare.
"How about we go for pizza?" He asked. "Sound good to you, Em?"
Emily nodded, but she was still upset.
"Why don't we get it and eat it at home," Rose said, starting to calm down a little bit. "I don't think Em is in the mood for a restaurant."
Jake nodded. He knew what Rose was talking about and agreed with her fully on that point.
After they had ordered the pizza, Jake sat with Emily and Rose while they waited for it to be done. Jake started playing I Spy with Emily and she started to feel better. She was still a little wary of her mother, but Rose knew that would wear off soon. She just needed to give Emily her time and the child would come to her sooner or later. Rose knew Emily still loved her and that was all that mattered.
"Long!" Called the man behind the counter.
"That's us." Jake said, getting up and making his way to the counter.
"Jake, I'll get it." Rose offered. "I don't think Emily's too keen to stay with me right now and I really don't mind getting the pizza."
Jake nodded and gave Rose a kiss.
"Thanks, baby," he said, giving Rose a smile.
"No problem." With that, Rose went to the counter and paid for their dinner. She also got bread sticks, knowing they were Emily's favorite. Rose knew she was trying to bribe her daughter, but she needed to get through to her somehow.
As they walked home, Jake got a better idea.
"Why don't we eat it at the park? That way, after we're done, we can relax and maybe feed the ducks. Would you like that, Em?"
Emily nodded.
"Yeah! Please, Mommy?"
Rose smiled. She was glad that Emily was at least talking to her.
"That sounds good," she said. She looked forward to seeing Jake play with Emily and also getting to spend some time with him herself. The park was a relaxing setting and Rose needed some downtime.
When they got to the park, Jake set Emily up with two pieces of pizza and a drink while he and Rose talked.
After they were done eating, Jake and Rose watched Emily feed the ducks and fed some themselves.
"Can we swing, Daddy? Please?" Emily asked. It had been nearly an hour since they had eaten and Emily was ready to burn off some energy.
Jake nodded.
"Sure. Come on, sweetie." He smiled at Rose and gave her a wink. Then in an undertone, he added, "she'll sleep easier."
Rose nodded and grinned. She knew Jake was right.
"All right, Em. Come on. I'll race you!"
"You're on!" Emily shouted, happily. She ran and ended up beating Jake.
"Aw, you beat me!" Jake said, faining disappointment. "You beat the amdrag! How is that possible?"
Emily was giggling and shook her head.
Jake pushed Emily on the swings for twenty minutes before Rose announced that they should leave.
"It's getting late," she said, looking at her regular watch. She had disguarded the other one in a nearby trash can.
"Aw, man!" Jake whined, giving Rose the puppy dog eyes.
Rose giggled, but remained firm.
"Don't give me that look, mister. We need to get a certain little one bathed and into bed." She winked at Emily, who smiled and came over to her. She held her arms up to Rose.
"Up, please, Mommy?" She asked, a smile of love on her face.
Rose did so and felt tears of love and remorse come to her eyes.
"I'm really sorry, Em. Mommy is so sorry I scared you. I didn't mean it."
Emily nodded, already half asleep.
"I forgive you." She said. "I love you, Mommy."
Rose smiled through a few stray tears.
"I love you too, Em. I love you so much." She hugged her daughter close and gave her a kiss on her cheek.
Jake looked on in relief. He was glad that his daughter and girlfriend had made up. He knew Emily would forgive Rose sooner or later. Jake knew that there was still the little matter of what had caused Rose to go Huntsgirl on their daughter, but he would wait to ask Rose about that later. He knew she would tell him in time.
"Come on, you two," Jake said, putting an arm around his girlfriend. "Let's go home."
Rose smiled.
"Home sounds nice." She said, a peaceful smile spreading across her face. "Home sounds really nice."
Jake grinned as well. He was glad that Rose considered his house "home." It made him feel good that he could make her feel so secure and safe.
Just then, Jake heard a familiar voice call his name.
"Jake! Yo Jakey!"
Jake whirled around to see none other than Spud and Trixie walking towards them. They had skate boards in their arms and Spud was sporting a bruised cheek. Jake figured he had made a friend with the cement, so he didn't think anything of it.
As the two friends got closer, Jake could feel himself getting hotter. He knew if Trixie saw Rose, it was not going to end well.
Sure enough, almost the second Trixie got close enough, she glared at Rose and pointed an accusing finger in her direction.
"What is "she" doin' here?" Trixie asked, her voice full of anger and protection for Jake. "I thought she was splitsville." Trixie then got a look at Emily, who was still in Rose's arms. "And who is she?" She asked, her voice less angry.
Emily started to wake up at that point. She heard someone new and she didn't like her. She could hear anger in her voice and that made Emily scared. She started to cry and held her arms out to Jake.
Rose handed Emily off to Jake, knowing that's who she wanted right now.
"Shh, shh. It's okay, Em. It's all right," Rose comforted, patting her daughter's shoulder. "There's Daddy. There he is. You're okay." She planted a kiss on Emily's cheek as Jake started rubbing Emily's back in an effort to calm their daughter down.
"Well…?" Trixie asked, expectantly. She felt bad that she had scared the little girl, but she wanted answers and she wanted them now.
Jake took a deep breath as he tried to come up with a good explanation. He decided the truth was the best thing as he turned to his two best friends.
"Trixie, Spud, this is Emily Rose. She's my…she's my daughter."
