"Whose idea was it to meet up before school?" yawned Spinner, inside the Dot and getting himself a coffee and one for Sean and Jay.

There was only a few other groups of teenagers and an old woman by the corner having a hot chocolate.

"His." grumbled Jay, leaning on the counter and sitting on the stool. He glared tiredly over at Sean who didn't look tired one bit.

"I think.." Sean paused and took a deep breath, "I think me and Emma are going to get back together."

Jay paused, and squinted his eyes as he cornered them at Sean. Get...what? Was that even healthy? Was it Sean who had lost his head or Emma?

"Dude." Spinner even gave Sean a wierd sly grin, "Isn't she still a little screwed up?...going through some stuff?"

"She's not screwed up," Sean said and shook his head, "She's different yea, but she's not screwed up."

Jay turned his head towards Sean completely now and snapped at him, "You're delusional if you think that girl still isn't flying through emotions over what happened and she had plenty of right too. The guy is still OUT there. You're stupid if you think she should be focusing on a relationship right now with some guy with a dumb crush then to be worrying about herself"

Sean was mad, not understanding why his friends weren't happy over this, "She doesn't need to worry about herself cause she'll be with me, I'll help her through it. It's not some dumb cru-"

"No?" Jay cut him off and pointed over Sean's shoulder, "Then look behind you and try not to go over there."

Sean, confused, turned around.

Ellie stood there. His face said it, completely slapped in the face. She looked beautiful, older, talking to her college friends and seemed to be also just grabbing a morning coffee. It was almost like fate. The sun from outside shined on her, her green eyes twinkling as she laughed at whatever her friend said before she caught someones glance

Her mouth slowly shut, and her face fell before it softened and she got up, coming over.

Sean swallowed hard, turning back to Jay and tried to be putting himself together. The girl who left him. The only girl he ever told he loved her.

"Sean?"

Sean clenched his jaw before turning back around and Jay and Spinner watched intensily. Seans eyes locked on hers again and she looked down before back up, "I..I saw you over there. I came by with some friends. How are you?" she looked behind him to the guys and laughed a bit, "Same ol gang together I see."

"Ya." was all Sean said.

Even Jay raised an eyebrow. Ouch. The girl broke his heart a while ago and he still wasn't over it.

Ellie swallowed the lump in her throat. She was in love with Sean, it was his fault she had to dump him. He was obsessed with finding Emma and she couldn't do it anymore.

"I heard they found her. "she said in a mere whisper. Sean's body tensed up, not wanting to talk about this with her. "I'm happy for her...a-and you." she informed.

Spinner and Jay shared a look, before glancing at Sean who couldn't speak up, "She's going good." Sean confirmed.

Ellie nodded, really happy to hear that. She worked at the newspaper at college and they were dying to hear the story or even be the ones to write about it. The missing Degrassi girl hadn't spoken to anyone about her expierence and cops wouldn't comment.

"are.. are you with her?"

"None of your business." Sean snapped and she was taken back.

"Sean-"

"I'm out." Sean said, but mostly to Spinner and Jay. He glared at Jay though, hating the fact he was right. Sean was still in love with Ellie, Emma was just his distraction and second best thing and Emma didn't deserve that if there really was going to be a 'relationship' between the two

The three watched Sean storm out and Ellie's shoulders dropped, her eyes looking down and watering

Meanwhile, Emma Nelson laid on her living room couch, her eyes closed and suffering from another nightmare of a flashback...

Rick would sometimes wear a mask and just stand over her, watching her sleep as she tried to ignore and pretend she was. She didn't know why he wore a mask now and then, I mean, she already knew it was him. Was it for pure torture?

Playing with her?

He raped her differently when he wore this mask too, and that made Emma wonder if it was someone else or still the same monster because he would go slower too, not so brutal, acting as if they were making love and he'd never hurt her.

He'd shush her from crying, caress her hair -

"EMMA?!"

Emma dove up, panting and then groaned, holding her head. Massive hangover. Around the couch laid dranken beer cans, at least 5 of them and her moms wine bottle on the coffee table, half empty.

Spike stood there concerned but angry. "You're going to your therapist today, no if's or buts and I don't want to hear you didn't show up like the other day. Don't think you'll get out of this one today."

Emma stayed with head in hands but groaned, nodding. She didn't even want to put up with a fight. After Sean's last night, she might of just took her anger out on drinking. The words she said last night still bugged her 'the girl Rick damaged, the girl Rick raped'. Or, was she angry to who she said it to?

She didn't want to see Jay today, or the next day or any day actually. He had found things out her parents, her own flesh and blood, didn't. He made her talk when Manny couldn't even. He made her heart do things she didn't want it to and she didn't want to trust anybody right now but he made her trust him.

It was unforgivable.

After Emma's therapy session, Emma dove out from the office building and next door to the Shoppers Drug mart store. Anne, her therapist, never shut the hell up about Rick. She understood she was there and in this place because of him but for one session couldn't they talk about something else?

Her head was still pounding. She had gone out with just jeans, a white tank top and a red zip up sweater on. The curls in her hair from yesterday were loose and left even unbrushed today. She groaned a bit when she bent down and grabbed some advil off the stores shelf before turning and seeing the devil himself walk by the isle she was in.

Rick.

Emma dropped the bottle, top flying off and pills going everywhere. She jumped, and looked down at the mess til back down at the end of the isle with horror in her eyes where Rick disappeared from. It wasn't him, she was seeing things. It wasn't him. Right?

"Miss."

Emma gasped and turned around before catching her breath and shut her eyes to calm down. A boy who worked there glanced down at the mess and bent down, picking it all up.

Emma stuttered, "I'm SO sorry. I-I'll clean it up." she bent down and tried to help, "I'll pay for them like this."

When Emma was out of the store, she headed home just up the street. When she got home though and tried to sleep, Baby Jack wouldn't stop crying. She tried to shut it out, she took advil, she tried to take a nap, tried to shower but nothing.

The last straw was her cell phone ringing and it was Sean.

Emmagot up and left her phone. She had her hair pin straight and dried from her shower and now wearing a white top and jeans. She went out without even her jacket. Without telling anyone. Without a care anymore.

She ended up at the Dot, slightly shivering and it was around dinner time. She didn't even bring her phone or purse.

Spinner had turned from the counter and looked around at the almost empty diner minus the dorky teen couple in the corner sharing a milkshake.

"Hey Emma." he said softly, noticing her looking weary but came over and sat, "You want something?"

"Don't have money right now.." she muttered, looking down at her hands on the counter and he nodded but still turned and got her a hot chocolate. "Thankyou.." she said quietly, looking up at him finally and he gave a small smile before leaving to tend to the dorks.

It was quiet and Emma ran a hand through her hair, staring at the beverage but not taking a sip yet. The door of the Dot opened, and after a moment of silence and the noise of steps coming closer to her, she knew who was. She could feel his eyes.

"You weren't at school today." Jay said, sitting next to her

She kept her eyes off him and put her hands around the hot chocolate. The sky outside was now completely dark. The diners light was even dim-ish

She couldn't lie and say his presents didn't make her feel better. He made her feel kind of safe. She didn't know why.

"I didn't feel good." she said.

Jay's eyes concentrated on her hard. She wouldn't look at him. And she didn't look sick. She did look cold though. Her tanned arms had some goosebumps, her hair looked so soft and freshly cleaned. She smelled of vanilla. He swallowed hard and leaned back, shrugging his shoulders to take his black jacket off while he now avoided her eyes, "Here." he just muttered, putting it over her shoulders.

Emma froze, and felt warmer. He put his coat on her. It was so big compared to her, draped over like a blanket. It was a nice gester, too nice. She looked over at him and he knew it was too nice of him too. He didn't even do that for other girls he had dated in the past. He wore his jeans and just a black sleeve shirt now, his sleeves rolled up. Emma took notice he wasn't wearing his famous hat today and she liked his hair.

She watched his eyes lift but still avoid hers, looking around the Dot but spoke lowly, "Where's Sean?"

Emma opened her mouth and then shut it. He told them, didn't he? Sean told them they kissed or whatever. He said he'd forget about it! The last person she wanted to know was Jay.

"I don't know I'm not his mother."

"Sorry but I thought you were his girlfriend." Jay's voice was bitter, and Emma even felt a little stung and he clenched his jaw before cornering his eyes at her and just muttered, "Sorry." before looking down again.

Emma couldn't breath steady but just nodded. She muttered, "I'm not." she snickered. She couldn't date right now. Who would WANT to date her, ever? She was a mess. "I'm not anybodys girlfriend."

Jay didn't know why that bugged him.

But then the smarter half of his brain spoke up into his thoughts, 'You want her. You like her'

Jays piercing blue eyes scanned Emma's features as she finally lifted her hot chocolate to her lips.

He didn't 'like her'.

He loved her

He was falling hard and couldn't stop.