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!

"One Rose, Too Many Thorns"

Chapter 10-A Mother's Reassurance

Jake left after stealing a kiss on Haley's head. He went to put away the food and then he played a game of Candy Land with his daughter. HE was enjoying spending time with Emily, but he was determined to find out why Emily was still not talking to Rose.

It had almost been two weeks and Jake knew Rose's heart was breaking. SHE wanted Emily to cuddle up to her again and spend time with her. She missed her baby girl.

"Emily, sweetie?" Jake asked, setting up the game. "Can I ask you something?"

Emily nodded, sitting opposite her Daddy.

"Why are you so mad at Mommy? You're making her sad by not talking to her."

Emily sighed. She knew she had to come clean soon, but she was afraid of the result. She didn't want what Timmy Carter had told her to be true.

Jake could tell that Emily was battling with something, so he did the only thing he could think of. He patted his lap and Emily obliged. She snuggled in for a cuddle and Jake held her close.

"All right, pumpkin, why are you mad at Mommy? SHE loves you, you know. She wants you to feel better. She misses you."

Emily shrugged. A part of her missed her mother as well. SHE missed cuddling with her and having her mother hold her and read to her. But a much bigger part was afraid and unsure about all the changes. She didn't want Rose not to love her anymore.

"Emily?" Jake asked, shaking Emily from her thoughts.

Just then, they heard Haley let out a cry of distress, followed by saying "No!" to something Rose had suggested. Then it was silent again.

"Is Auntie Haley sad?" Emily asked, concerned for her aunt. She also was looking for a way to change the subject. "Will she be okay?"

Jake could see this and decided to play it safe.

"She will be. Mommy's taking care of her. Haley's sad because a friend of hers went to live with God."

Emily nodded and sighed. She wanted Haley to be happy again. She didn't like it when anyone she loved was sad. She remembered how her mother used to cry at night after the Huntsman hurt her. Emily knew Rose didn't want her to know, but she did.

Emily would lie in her bed across from her mother and pray she could help her. She would ask God to take her mother's pain away.

Then in the middle of the night, when Emily was sure her mother was asleep, she would climb into bed with her and snuggle up close.

"I know you don't like it when people you love are sad," Jake said, trying to bring Emily out about what was going on between her and Rose. "And that goes for everyone you love."

Emily nodded and sighed.

"I'm 'fraid Mommy won't love me after the new baby's here. Timmy Carter said that when his little brother came from Heaven, his parents ignored him. I don't want Mommy not to love me! I don't want to be sent away!" With that, Emily burst into tears, the dam finally breaking.

Jake sat there, hugging his daughter close. He now understood why Emily was upset and he had just the thing to get her smiling again. But first, he had to get Emily calmed down.

"Emily, sweetheart, I promise you, Mommy and I would NEVER do that. We love you too much. We both love you so much, honey. And that Timmy dude was wrong. Don't pay him any mind, do you understand me?"

Emily nodded, but she was still crying.

"But he said that…" Her voice trailed off as Jake shook his head while ruffling Emily's strawberry blond hair gently.

"Come on, I want to show you something." With that, Jake got up and carried Emily upstairs to he and Rose's room. He peeked in on Haley and found her fast asleep in Rose's arms.

Rose looked up and mouthed, "Is Em okay?" Jake nodded and left.

When they reached their destination, Jake set Emily down and rummaged through a side dresser for a moment. He found his prize a minute later and presented it to Emily. He set the child on his lap and explained to her what the special papers were.

Emily was beaming by the time her Daddy was finished explaining.

"So I'm going to stay forever and ever?" Emily asked, her smile filling her face.

"That's right, sweetheart." Jake said, giving Emily a kiss and hug.

Emily grinned and threw her arms around Jake's neck.

"Thanks, Daddy. I love you!"

"Aw, I love you too, baby. I love you too. And so does Mommy. I promise you that. Why don't you talk to her? I'm sure she'll be happy to hear you forgave her."

Emily nodded and snuggled into Jake for a cuddle. She was content for the moment and she really didn't feel like moving. She would talk to her mother, but not now. She didn't like hurting her mother's feelings, but Emily was afraid of what the answer was going to be. She knew Rose loved her, but Emily wasn't sure if her mother would still love her once the baby was here.

Meanwhile, Rose was in Haley's room, comforting the child and trying to keep her calm. Haley had woken up from a nightmare, crying something awful. Rose was just trying to keep her calm. She knew if Haley worked herself up again, she was likely to be sick.

Rose didn't mind taking care of her, but she also wanted Haley to get better as soon as possible. She hated seeing her little sister like this. Rose loved Haley to pieces and she had known her since she was ten months old. The two were very close, despite the age gap.

"It's all my fault!" Haley cried, burying her face in Rose's shoulder. "It's all my fault! I should have been there! I should have gone over, even though Julie told me not to! I should have…" Her voice trailed off as she let out another sob.

"Haley, sweetie, listen to me." Rose said, trying to grab her attention. "I know how you feel."

This got Haley to look up at Rose. Her eyes were full of tears, but they were also full of something else as well.

"I know how you feel," Rose repeated. "I lost a friend as well. It was back when I was younger. I was supposed to be watching her, but she got away from me. She meant more to me than anything else at the time. I was all she had."

"What happened?" Haley asked, her voice tearful, but Rose could tell she was focused, which was a good sign.

"Well, she died at the hands of a dragon, but I have a feeling the Huntsman killed her. I felt guilty for weeks after that. I was convinced it was my fault. I was so angry with myself for letting this happen, I…I…"

"You started hunting dragons." Haley finished for her, gazing into Rose's blue eyes.

"Yes," Rose whispered, hugging Haley close, "that's right."

"Does Jake know?" Haley asked, wondering if her brother did know.

Rose nodded as she held back a sob.

"Yeah, he does."

Haley sighed as she leaned into Rose's shoulder. She closed her eyes and felt Rose start to stroke her hair.

"That's it, sweetie. Try and get some sleep. I have you. I'm right here. I'm not going to leave you. I promise."

"Love you, Rose." Haley mumbled, half asleep.

Rose smiled, despite the mood she was in. She loved the little girl she held in her arms with all her being.

"I love you too, Haley. I love you too, kiddo." With that, Rose gave Haley a kiss and sat there until she could hear Haley's steady breathing.

Rose tucked Haley in and sat with her for awhile. It was nearly two in the morning before Rose climbed into bed beside Jake.

"Is Haley okay?" Jake asked, concern for his sister in his voice. He pulled Rose close and gave her a hug, followed by a kiss on her cheek.

"Shh, it's okay," Rose assured him. "Go back to sleep, Jake. Haley is fine. I got her back to sleep. She'll be fine. She's just having a hard time. Believe me, I know what she's going through. She'll be fine. I promise."

Jake nodded. He knew he could trust Rose. He trusted his girlfriend with his life. He knew she would be able to help Haley.

A few minutes of silence had passed before Rose broke it.

"Did Emily tell you why she's mad at me?"

Jake nodded as he held his Rosebud close.

"Yeah. I told her to talk to you. I think she will tomorrow. I'm pretty sure I got through to her."

"Have I ever told you how much I love you?" Rose asked, planting a kiss on Jake's lips.

"You did," Jake confirmed, kissing her back. "But I never get tired of hearing it."

Rose grinned, giving Jake another kiss. The couple stayed like that for a few minutes, before falling asleep in each other's arms.

The next few days were tense around the Long household. Haley was still very upset over Julie's death. Jake agreed to let Haley stay home for a few days, but she had to go back to school on Monday. Rose knew deep down in her heart that it was going to be easier said than done for Haley to return to school, but Rose also knew Haley. Haley could do anything she set her mind to.

Rose agreed with this and tried her best to help Haley through this difficult time. She knew Haley was bottling up her emotions and Rose wanted to do whatever she could to help her. She knew returning to school on Monday wasn't going to be easy, but Haley had to do it.

As for Emily, well she wasn't exactly talking to Rose yet. She had sat across from her at dinner and was slowly starting to listen to her again, but as for talking to her, that wasn't happening just yet. Little did Rose know how soon that would change.

When Monday rolled around, Haley wasn't ready for this. She woke up feeling sick and Rose had half a mind to let her stay home. But as much as Rose wanted to shield her from the pain returning to school would bring ,she couldn't. Haley had to go back.

This didn't sit well with the ten year old. She was feeling frustrated, mad and sad and she ended up taking it out on Rose. This happened that very afternoon.

Rose was busy getting dinner ready when she heard the door open and then slam shut. Rose knew who had done it and braced herself as she heard Haley flop down on the couch.

"Haley? Haley, sweetie, is that you? Are you okay, kiddo?" Rose asked, coming in and sitting beside her little sister. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Haley shook her head as she battled with her emotions. The day had been horrible. Everything she did, everywhere she went, reminded her of Julie. She couldn't even eat lunch in peace. And now on top of everything else, she was feeling sick. She kept this part to herself though. She knew Rose would find out eventually, but she wanted to keep it to herself for as long as she could.

"It's all your fault!" Haley suddenly shouted, her voice full of rage and frustration. Rose thought she could detect sadness in it as well, but she couldn't tell. She knew Haley had to get this out and she was going to help her do it. She had a feeling Haley's feelings were being released and if she, Rose, was the one Haley was going to vent them to, then so be it. But Rose had to help her and she knew the perfect way. She had vented to Jake so many times, she knew the routine by heart. SHE had to take whatever Haley threw at her, verbally speaking, but when the time came, Rose would have to retaliate.

"What's all my fault?" Rose asked, truly not knowing why Haley was upset with her. She already had Emily not talking to her, she didn't know if she could deal with Haley mad at her as well.

"You made me go! It's all your fault! It's all your fault! I hate you! I hate you!" With that, Haley made to leave, but Rose was faster than the little girl. She rushed forward and pinned her against her side. She gave her a fierce hug and held her close as Haley tried to struggle free.

"Let me go! Let me go! Let go! It's all your fault! I hate you! I hate you! I HATE YOU! It's all your fault! It's all you…" Haley's voice trailed off as she took a deep breath, trying to fight back a sob.

Rose knew this was her chance. She had to take it now. If she didn't, she might not get through to Haley at all.

Rose was hurt by Haley's words, but she also knew Haley hadn't meant them. She was just frustrated and upset and she was lashing out at the one person who had been there for her since everything had started. And that person happened to be Rose.

"Why? Why do you hate me! Why!" Rose asked, although her voice was that of Huntsgirl and firm as stone, her heart was full of nothing but love for the distraught girl in front of her.

Rose wanted Haley to yell back. Haley had to get this out and Rose hoped she would take the bait.

Rose was in luck. She let go of Haley and the child stood before her and glared.

"You made me go to school!" Haley shouted, her voice wavering, but her glare evident. "You made me go even when I didn't want to! It's all your fault! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!"

"Why is it my fault!" Rose shouted back, hoping she was hitting a nerve. "Why? Do you really blame me?"

Haley nodded, although her expression said otherwise. Rose could tell she was starting to lose the battle and she had to play it carefully. She wanted Haley to unload her burden, but she wanted her to do it slowly. She didn't want the little girl to have an emotional breakdown all at once. That would definitely not be a good thing.

"I don't know!" Haley shouted back, her resolved threatening to break. "I..I.."

"That's it," Rose encouraged, her voice back to normal and less loud. SHE was standing a few feet away from Haley, waiting to see what her sister's next move was going to be. Rose hoped she was getting somewhere.

"I-I…I'm sorry!" Haley suddenly exclaimed, looking at Rose with fear and sadness. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" But instead of bursting into tears, Haley ran to her room, slamming the door behind her.

Rose was stunned. She was sure she was getting somewhere with Haley. She was certain she had had Haley at breaking point. She sighed as she made her way to Haley's room.

Upon entering it, Rose found Haley lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling. She was holding one of Julie's teddy bears and trying to fight back tears.

"Haley? Come here." Rose said, her voice full of compassion and love. "Come on." She picked the little girl up and gave her a much needed hug.

"I'm sorry!" Haley cried, burying her face in Rose's shoulder. "I'm sorry!"

"SHh, shh, it's okay, sweetie. It's okay. It's all right. I'm not mad at you, honey. I'm not mad. I promise."

"I don't hate you," Haley told Rose, tears of remorse in her tone. "I don't hate you. I love you."

"I know, honey, I know. It's okay. Shh, shh, hush now. It's okay. I'm right here. I'm not upset, sweetie. I promise you that. I'm not upset with you. I just want you to feel better. I was trying to help you."

Haley nodded and let out a sob as she clung to Rose for all it was worth.

"Shh, shh…That's a girl. That's a girl. You're okay. You're all right…" Rose continued to soothe Haley until she fell asleep. She didn't want to leave Haley at all, but she had to check on Emily. She had left her coloring in her room. She knew the noise and shouting must have scared her. She knew Emily was still mad at her, but Rose had to try and get through to her somehow.

"I love you, Haley." Rose said, planting a kiss on Haley's cheek. She made sure the young girl was covered before leaving the room. She left the door open a crack before heading to Emily's room.

Rose entered Emily's room to find her daughter huddled in a corner. She was holding tightly to Sagwa and her blue eyes were full of fear.

Rose's heart broke at the sight. She had a feeling she knew what had caused Emily to become frightened. She only prayed and hoped that Emily would give her the chance to help her.

"Emily? Em, its okay, sweetie. Auntie Haley was just upset. She'll feel better soon. I was just trying to help her. I didn't mean to scare you. Did the shouting scare you, honey?"

Emily nodded, but she didn't move. She was debating on whether to make a move towards her mother. She had listened to her Daddy and he had given her some good advice. She just had to figure out a way to put it into action without her mother being upset with her.

"Emily, honey, it's okay. I promise. It's all right now. Come here, sweetheart."

Emily thought about this for a minute or two before obeying her heart. She dove into Rose's arms and clung on for all it was worth.

Rose hugged back and felt a few tears course down her cheeks. It felt so good to hold her baby girl again. She was glad Emily had forgiven her. Jake must have talked to her. Rose made a mental note to thank Jake that night.

"Shh, shh, it's okay now. It's all right, sweetie. Mommy has you. I'm right here. It's okay, EM. It's all right. Auntie Haley will be okay. I promise. Come on. Let's get you something to eat. Do you want a snack?"

Emily shook her head as she clung to Rose even tighter.

"Can we just cuddle, please?"

"Of course we can, Em. Of course we can. Come on." With that, Rose picked Emily up and carried her to the couch. She sat down and held her daughter close.

"I'm sorry," Emily said, tears in her eyes. "I didn't mean to make you sad."

"It's okay," Rose assured her. "I know you didn't mean it. But why were you upset with me?"

Emily sighed as she explained everything to her mother.

"First of all," Rose said, after Emily was done explaining, "we need to get you a new seat at school. Secondly, I WOULD NEVER stop loving you. Do you understand me, Emily Rose Long?"

Emily nodded and snuggled in for a cuddle. She really had missed spending time with her mother.

"I do now," she said, closing her eyes contentedly.

"I'm glad." Rose said, planting a kiss on Emily's head. "Mommy missed spending time with you, honey. I missed you so much."

Mother and daughter stayed like that for the next hour, just relishing in each other's presence.

That's how Jake found them two hours later. HE had been at dragon training with Gramps. He smiled at the sight and went to move Emily off Rose, but Rose held on tightly and shook her head.

"Leave her. It's okay."

"SO it's safe to assume you two made up?"

Rose nodded and beamed.

"We sure did." She gave Jake a look he knew only too well.

"Thanks, dragonboy." Rose said, using her affectionate nickname for Jake.

"You're welcome, but I don't know what you're thanking me for. I didn't do anything."

Rose giggled as she planted a kiss on Jake's lips.