When it isn't Like it Should Be

by robinscorpiofan

Two months have passed since the Text Message Killer attacked, but the aftermath may be even worse than the killing spree. Port Charles is still trying to recover from the recent murders, and Emma Morgan is definitely taking it hardest. Mia Webber and Gabe Morgan are dealing with a surprise pregnancy, and Sam and Jason are struggling to keep it together. Sequel to That's Life!

10. You Gotta Go There to Come Back

Thank you for all the reviews in the last chapter!

One review pointed out that they think Sam and Jason would be a lot more involved in what's going on with Emma. Honestly, I didn't really think about them trying to help Emma. If they stepped in, then it would shorten her storyline drastically. Just like in That's Life, Emma and the others could have stepped forward and told the police/their parents that everyone had been getting text messages, but they didn't because it would make things too easy, if that makes sense. Also, in this story, Sam and Jason are pretty concerned with Sam's pregnancy, considering that the last time she was pregnant, she lost the baby. They care about Emma and they want her to be better, but in my mind, they don't know the extent of what she's dealing with. The only person who truly knows what's going on with Emma is Zack, which is a big reason why everyone else (Gabe, Chloe J, Maddie) is trying to figure things out because they don't like being left out of the loop. All they know is Emma drinks a lot and spends a lot of time with Zack and Courtney; at this point, no one really knows about the nightmares or anything else she's dealing with. With that being said, I might try and include some more Sam and Jason trying to help Emma, but I can't make any promises.

Please review! Tell me what you want to see!

Chapter 10: You Gotta Go There to Come Back

Characters:

Rachel Janacek (Sam and Sonny)- 23

Emma Morgan (Sam and Jason)- 17

Gabe Morgan (Sam and Jason)- 16

Maddie Morgan (Sam and Jason)- 16

Katie Morgan (Sam and John; raised by Jason)- 14

Selena Morgan (Stella and Tyler; adopted by Sam and Jason)- 4

xx

Morgan Corinthos (Carly and Sonny)- 29

Josslyn Jacks (Carly and Jax)- 22

Courtney Jacks (Carly and Jax)- 17

Connor Jacks (Carly and Jax)- 16

Jacelyn Jacks (Carly and Jax)- 14

xx

Chloe J Hunter (Maxie and Matt)- 17

Christian Hunter (Maxie and Matt)- 17

Lukas Spencer (Maxie and Lucky)- 16

Leah Zacchara (Maxie and Johnny)- 15

Ava Zacchara (Maxie; adopted by Johnny)- 14

xx

Daniel Zacchara (Olivia and Johnny)- 17

Mia Webber (Olivia and Steve)- 16

Allie Webber (Olivia and Steve)- 14

xx

Izzie Zacchara (Claudia)- 23

Clay Corinthos (Sonny and Claudia)- 22

Zack Corinthos (Sonny and Claudia)- 18

Hunter Corinthos (Sonny and Claudia)- 16

Brittany Corinthos (Sonny and Brenda)- 16

Brenna Corinthos (Sonny and Claudia)- 15

xx

Lindsey Scorpio-Drake (Robin and Patrick)- 23

Nate Scorpio-Drake (Robin and Patrick)- 17

Noah Scorpio-Drake (Robin and Patrick)- 16

xx

Spencer Cassadine (Nikolas and Courtney)- 28

Aiden Cassadine (Nikolas and Elizabeth)- 22

Paige Cassadine (Nikolas and Emily)- 17

Aubrey Crowell (Nadine and Nikolas)- 16

Nattie Cassadine (Nikolas and Brook Lynn)- 15

Colton Cassadine (Nikolas and Elizabeth)- 15

xx

Haley Lovett (Ethan and Lisa)- 17

Wes Janacek (Kristina and Kiefer)- 16

Logan Davis (Ethan and Kristina)- 15

Livvie Davis (Ethan and Kristina)- 15

xx

Molly Lansing Webber (Ric and Alexis)- 28

Addie Lansing (Ric and Elizabeth)- 16

xx

Cameron Webber (Elizabeth and Lucky)- 29

Jake Spencer (Elizabeth and Lucky)- 24

Brendan Webber (Elizabeth)- 18

Stella Hunter (Elizabeth and Matt)- 16

xx

Alec Barrett (Brenda and Aleksander)- 23

xx

Ashlyn Falconeri (Lulu and Dante)- 15

xx

Lila Rae Alcazar (Skye and Lorenzo)- 28

Jamie Quartermaine (Dillon and Georgie)- 18

Tanner Quartermaine (Dillon and Lulu)- 17

Julian Quartermaine (AJ)- 16

Grace Quartermaine (Skye)- 14

xx

Tyler Drake (Lisa and Patrick)- 17

Ian Niles (Lisa)- 15

xx

Carrie Corinthos (Michael and Abby)- 15

xx

Ryan Rosco (Faith)- 17

Dominic Rosco (Faith)- 14

xx

Prue Webber (Molly and Cam)- 0

xx

Henry Spencer (Lindsey and Jake)- 0

xx

Sophia Janacek (Rachel and Kiefer)- 4

xx

Kailey Franco (Franco)- 17

xx

Reed Worth (Maggie)- 17

xx

Rhiannon Deusa- 16

xx

Lauren Grayson- 16

xx

Brianna Edwards- 17

Deceased:

Bella Jacks (Jax and Brenda)- 15

Mason Zacchara (Olivia and Johnny)- 15

Jazzie Corinthos (Sonny and Kate)- 14

Lola Zacchara (Claudia and Nikolas)- 14

Ben Lovett (Ethan and Lisa)- 15

Liam Drake (Elizabeth and Patrick)- 15

Matt Zacchara (Lulu and Johnny)- 17

Joey Falconeri (Dante and Brenda)- 17

Trevor Alcazar (Skye and Lorenzo)- 16

Taylor Corinthos (Michael and Abby)- 14

Parker Ruiz (Manny)- 16

Corey Spinelli (Spinelli)- 15

Bailey Spencer (Lucky and Siobhan)- 15

Max Franco (Franco)- 15

Lily Mir (Leyla and Aleksander)- 15

Maddie and Brittany

Maddie was pulling her book, notebook, and pen out of her backpack when she felt someone sit next to her.

"Hey." Brittany greeted, throwing her own backpack on the floor.

"Welcome back." Maddie joked.

Brittany rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I could have done a few more days of suspension. It's better than being in this hell. Have you heard anything about Emma?"

"No. I'm assuming you haven't either?"

"No. Zack and Chloe J were out all night looking for her, but they didn't find her and she never called or texted anyone." Brittany bit her lip. "I'm worried, Mads."

"It's Emma. She'll be okay." Maddie wasn't sure how much she actually believed that. Last year had proven that no one was ever really safe, but she had to tell herself that to keep the hope that her older sister just wanted some time away from everybody.

"Did you see that Brent kid has a black eye?" Brittany changed the subjected.

Maddie sighed. "Wow, I wonder who that's from."

"Do you know anything about why Emma got into an argument with him?" Maddie shook her head. "Even Zack doesn't know. What if that's the reason why she disappeared?"

"She didn't disappear, Britt. Maybe she just needs some time without everyone hovering over her."

"You guys don't know what happened with Emma and Brent?" a third voice joined their conversation from the table in front of them. Maddie's cousin Tanner Quartermaine was looking at them both curiously.

Maddie decided that she should at least try and figure out if he knew anything. Maybe it would help find Emma.

"No, she wouldn't say anything. Do you know?"

"Yeah, I saw the whole thing happen. They bumped into each other and then Brent grabbed her arm when she tried to walk away; even I saw her flinch and I was across the hallway. He told her that he used to play baseball with Joey and he can't imagine him beating up a girl and that he thinks she made it up, then had her friends kill him and send a message so it would fit in with the TMK. Emma got her arm away, kneed him between the legs, and punched him in the stomach."

Suddenly, everything made sense. Emma couldn't handle it when anyone brought up Joey, so this run in could definitely make her upset enough to run away.

"Why didn't you help her?" Brittany questioned.

"I was about to, but she took care of things herself. I'm sure Zack's the one who gave him the black eye. The guy deserved it too."

"Thanks for telling us what happened, Tanner." Maddie said.

"Yep." He turned back around in his seat.

Maddie and Brittany made eye contact, but before they could discuss this new information, their teacher started class.

After forty-five minutes of history, the bell finally rang. Both girls gathered their things and practically ran to the hallway.

"Hopefully we can find them before our next class starts." Maddie stated.

"Who cares? This is more important." Brittany spotted Courtney and grabbed her arm. "Have you seen Zack or Connor?"

"I'm right here." Zack came over. "What's wrong? Are you guys okay? Who said something to you?"

"There's Connor." Maddie pointed across the hall. He noticed her looking and joined the group. "Alright, so we found out what happened with Emma and Brent yesterday."

They could see Zack's jaw clenching. "We're listening."

"Tanner saw the whole thing happen. He said that they bumped into each other and apparently Brent used to play baseball with Joey. He accused her of making up the abuse and having you guys kill him, then text him to fit in with the Text Message Killer's MO." Brittany explained.

Maddie noticed Brittany's use of the word "Text Message Killer" instead of saying Trevor's name, but she wasn't surprised. It dawned on her how similar Brittany and Emma were with their avoidance of anything having to do with Trevor or Joey. She filled in the details Britt had left out. "Also, the guy grabbed her arm and Tanner said even he could see her flinch from across the hallway. I guess he wouldn't let her go cause she kneed him between the legs and punched him in the stomach."

Zack, Courtney, and Connor were silent. Zack looked like he would be blowing steam out of his ears if he could. Maddie could see him clenching and unclenching his fist, along with his bruised knuckles, confirming the suspicion that he had been the one to punch Brent.

"No one brings this up to Emma." Zack said finally. "You know how she gets when anyone talks about Joey. I'll talk to her."

Courtney raised an eyebrow. "Have you spoken to her at all?" they could tell by his silence that he hadn't.

"Maybe we should all stop treating her as if she's this fragile little doll that can break at any second." Connor chimed in.

"Can't you see that she already did? She disappeared after hearing about Joey." Brittany argued.

"She didn't break." Zack interrupted. "She'll be fine, okay?"

"As much as I want that to be true, I don't think it is." Maddie sighed. "We can't fix this on our own. Maybe I should talk to my parents and see if they can help her."

"Don't do that, Maddie. You know she'll never forgive you."

"No, I know she'll be mad for a while, but she'll forgive me once she feels better."

"Your relationship shouldn't be ruined."

Maddie eyed Zack. "I think it's already taken a hit. Emma doesn't talk to me about anything anymore. She's got you, remember? How does that seem to be working out?"

"Alright, stop." Courtney said. "We're not going to start arguing. I don't think any of us really know how to handle this, so maybe getting Sam and Jason involved would be for the best."

"You all don't seem to understand how shut down Emma is. She doesn't talk to me about her problems either. She finally opened up Sunday night and now, this happened and all progress is most likely gone. She has nightmares almost every single night. Do you know what they're mostly about? Joey. Not her getting buried alive with the dead body of one of our classmates, but about her abusive boyfriend and how he used to hurt her. She's struggling, but she'll be okay in her own time." Zack tried to reassure them.

They heard the bell ring and realized they were late to class. Maddie shook her head. "I won't say anything to my parents, but we have to get her under control. If they find out she was missing overnight, they're going to step in."

"We can all handle it." Courtney promised. "Now let's get to class before we have another issue to add to the list of a million other ones."

Courtney and Zack

The day was passing by even slower than usual, especially with not knowing where Emma was after finding out more details about her argument. Courtney couldn't wait to get out of school so she could go do her own search for her best friend.

She got to her third period, which she shared with Zack and Emma. They all sat at a three-person table and she knew it would feel empty with the brunette. She normally sat on the left, but she took Emma's usual seat in the middle to get rid of the gap. Zack came in a minute later and took his seat on the right.

"Anything?" Courtney questioned. He shook his head. "God, I can't handle this. I'm going to have gray hair before I'm twenty."

"She'll be okay, Court."

"You know, we said that a lot last year and look what happened. A bunch of kids that we grew up with were murdered by another kid we've known practically since he was born. Emma went through a lot. What's to say she didn't kill herself or something drastic like that?"

"Don't ever say that again."

"I know you've thought it. She's a ticking time bomb. I feel like we're all just waiting around for her to explode."

Right before the bell rang, a student came rushing in the door. Courtney and Zack's attention was immediately drawn.

Emma came over to their table without saying a word. Courtney started to get up to give her her normal seat, but Emma just shook her head and sat down.

Zack and Courtney were both in shock. Neither of them could understand how Emma had let them call and text and freak out without even sending them a simple text to say she was okay, but then she comes walking into school like it's a normal day.

"Where have you been?" Courtney couldn't help but whisper.

"Shhh, I'm fine.

Courtney glanced over at Zack, who seemed just as confused. They turned their attention to the teacher, knowing that Emma wouldn't talk right now.

Class felt like it dragged on for forever and when it finally ended, Courtney and Zack jumped up to follow Emma.

"Are you going to tell us where you've been?" Zack questioned.

"I just needed a break."

"Oh really? You couldn't text one of us back or answer one of the million phone calls?"

"I wanted to be by myself."

"You see, that's not an option. Not after everything that happened last year. You can't just let us worry like that!"

Emma sighed. "I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean to make anyone upset."

"Were you with another guy?" Zack demanded.

Courtney watched curiously. She knew how much time Zack and Emma spend together, and she knows that they are extremely close. But she had never been sure how far their relationship was going and if they were considering dating or not. She thought that her two best friends were perfect for each other and hoped that they would get together.

"Excuse me?" Emma whipped around to face him.

"You heard me. Answer the question."

They stared at each other and Zack could feel his blood boiling. How could she be so careless? Why couldn't she see that she had him and she didn't need anyone else?

Courtney noticed some of the Madison students staring at them and she stepped between her friends. "Guys, people are starting to stare. We shouldn't be giving them weaknesses like this."

Zack continued to look down at Emma. She was over a foot shorter than him, but she didn't seem intimidated by his size at all.

"I wasn't with another guy, not that it's any of your business." Emma finally said, ending their staring contest.

Zack was flooded with relief, but also hurt. He didn't see how it wasn't any of his business when he and Emma had obviously been getting closer.

"We've gotta get to class." Courtney stepped between them and wrapped her arm around Emma's, leading her away.

Zack needed to know where Emma was. He was going to try and figure it out, even though he was sure she wouldn't make it easy.

Ryan and Aubrey

"Hey." Aubrey walked over to where Ryan was sitting and put her tray down next to his.

"How are you?" Ryan asked politely.

"I've been good. What about you?"

"I've got a math test today that I'm pretty sure I'll ace, so that's good." He glanced across the room towards a different table. "Why aren't you sitting with the cheerleaders?"

Aubrey shrugged. "Just didn't really feel like it."

"It's good that you're getting involved."

"Well Chloe J asked me to try out and I couldn't really say no."

Ryan chuckled. "Yeah, she doesn't really take no for an answer."

Aubrey paused. "Is it weird that I brought her up?"

"Why would it be weird?"

"You guys dated for a year and then broke up out of nowhere last year. I just don't want to make you feel uncomfortable."

"There was just a lot that happened and we weren't working out anymore." Ryan still didn't agree with the way Chloe J had handled her suspected pregnancy, but he wasn't going to tell other people that. "It doesn't make me uncomfortable if you talk about her. How has cheer been?"

"It's a nice distraction. Plus, Paige and Nattie are on the team too, so it's nice to be able to get closer to them."

"Can I ask you something?"

Aubrey nodded. "Of course."

"Would you want to go out to dinner with me this weekend?" Ryan decided it was time to stop being awkward around her. Aubrey was a sweet girl and Chloe J's total opposite. Maybe he would have better luck with her.

He could see the blush covering her cheeks. "Sure."

Before anything else could be said, a blonde came over to them, her heels clicking noisily. "Hey Aubrey, we're going to do cheer practice right after school today, okay?"

Aubrey nodded her head. "Okay. I'll be there."

Chloe J gave Ryan a slight smile. "Hey Ryan."

"Hi Chloe J."

She turned her attention back to the girl. "See you then." She walked away.

Ryan was proud to say that for the first time, his heart didn't hurt as she walked away from him. This thing with Aubrey could definitely be a good thing.

Ashlyn

"Can I talk to you guys about something?" Ashlyn asked Lulu and Dante as she entered the kitchen. She had stayed home from school today and figured that this was as good a time as ever to have this conversation.

"What is it, Ashlyn?" she could see the stress on her mother's face. She knew that a large part of that had to do with her and her pregnancy, along with the fact that two of her older brothers had been murdered.

"I want to talk about the babies."

Lulu nodded her head. "Okay."

"What do you think about adoption?"

Dante gave her a look. "You don't want to raise the babies?"

"I'm only fifteen years old. What kind of a life could I possibly give them?"

"You'll have us here to help."

"I know that." She sighed. "It makes me want to throw up every time I think about raising these babies."

Lulu put a hand on her shoulder. "It's normal to be nervous, Ashlyn."

"It's not just about being nervous though. It's the fact that I know I'll be a single mother. I know that Corey is dead, and that Julian could possibly be their father, but why would I ever try and confirm that? What if the babies are Julian's and then there is nothing left of Corey? I hate thinking how they will be born to a teen mom and I'll be just another stereotype and how I won't even be able to support them because I'm not even old enough to get a job yet." The tears finally spilled over. "I know you guys might not understand this, but I've put a lot of thought into it. It makes me sad, but at the same time, I know that this is what's right."

Dante hugged her. "We'll support you no matter what."

Ashlyn turned to her mother, who kissed her forehead. "I'll call Kristina or Molly tomorrow and talk to them about what we can do. We're here for you."

"Thank you." Ashlyn had never been so grateful to have her parents' support. Now, she just had to find the perfect family for her son and daughter.

Chloe J

Chloe J exited her last class, heading straight towards her locker. She needed to grab the books she would need for homework, put the rest away, and then get to the gym for cheer practice. As soon as she got to her locker, she felt someone walk up next to her.

"Well hello there, gorgeous."

She rolled her eyes. "What do you want, Hunter?"

"Just to check in with you. It's been a little while since we talked."

Chloe J raised an eyebrow. "Why are you acting so strange?"

"I just think that we all need to start thinking about everyone, not just the ones who are self-destructing."

"How is Emma? Have you talked to her?"

Hunter rolled his eyes. "And here we are again, talking about how Emma is instead of you. Britt texted me and said she showed up at school during third period. She's acting strange and hasn't told anyone where she was."

"I'm worried about her."

"We're all worried. But this is Emma we're talking about. She's going to be okay."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because she's Emma." He said it so simply, like he had all the faith in the world in her. "I just think she has to hit rock bottom before she realizes she has a problem."

"We shouldn't let things get that far."

"Why? It happened with Mia. Remember when she called Gabe crying, saying she had slept with a random guy and needed him to come pick her up? That was her rock bottom. Emma just hasn't reached that point yet. We can't help someone change that doesn't want to change."

"I just don't want her to get hurt."

"Chloe J, Emma's already hurt. She went through a lot. But it'll be okay." Hunter took the books she put into his arms. "Now, back to my original question. How are you?"

"Fine."

"Everything going well with Brendan?"

She smiled slightly. "Yeah. Did I ever tell you that we made things official?"

He gasped overdramatically. "No! When?"

Chloe J rolled her eyes. "The night of that party when Mia choked that Brianna girl."

"I really am happy for you. But let him know that if he hurts you, it'll be me who will bruise that smug face of his."

"Thanks, Hunter. What about you? Any pretty girls in your life?"

"Every girl in my life is pretty." He said with a smile. "But I don't like anyone right now, if that's what you're asking. I'm just trying to get through these next couple weeks so we can go back to PCH and our lives can be normal again."

"Wow, you sound like a changed man."

"It's not like I was ever a huge player. I had Bella before all of this TMK stuff happened." Chloe J saw the sad look on his face. Bella Jacks- Courtney, Connor, and Brittany's half-sister- had been Hunter's girlfriend for a year before she was murdered by the TMK.

"You know, any time you wanna talk about her, I'm here."

"Thanks." He smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Do you have cheer practice today?"

"Uh-huh."

"Want me to walk you there?"

"There's nothing I would like more."

Chloe J let Hunter carry her books to the gym. They talked and laughed and it was almost like they were back at PCH and nothing was wrong in their lives. Hunter was right; they did need to start worrying about everyone instead of just those that had something major going on. She hadn't even considered the fact that Hunter may be missing Bella.

Hunter swung open the doors to the gym and let Chloe J walk ahead of him. He surveyed the group. "How many cheerleaders do you have?"

"Sixteen. We were down to nine because a couple NYCS girls quit cause things got too hard, but then we did tryouts last week and brought in seven PCH girls."

"How are the NYCS girls?"

"They're not used to difficult routines. It's going to be hard to find a good balance."

"Well, you like a good challenge."

"Hey Chloe J!" Lauren came over to her. "Hi Hunter!"

"Hi Lauren." He gave the other girl a polite smile. "I'll see you around, Chloe J. Have a good practice."

"Thanks." She smiled at him as he handed her her books and then walked out the door.

"What's going on between you two?" Lauren questioned.

Chloe J frowned. "What do you mean?"

"He carried your books for you and walked you to practice. I thought you were dating Brendan Webber."

"I am dating Brendan. Hunter's just one of my best friends."

"All you PCH kids are so close to each other. You all act like you're in one giant relationship." Lauren commented. "Where's Mia?"

"She's not coming today." Chloe J walked further into the room so everyone could hear her.

"Why not?" Rhiannon asked.

"She's sick. I'm not sure when she'll be back, but no one wants to push her to do something that she's not able to do."

"Is she okay? Is the baby okay?" Lauren wondered.

"As far as I know, it's just a virus. She and the baby are fine." Chloe J smiled at their concern over her friend. "Just because Mia isn't here doesn't mean you guys are going to slack off! I'm going to go change. Everyone else, start warming up!"

An hour later, everyone was covered in sweat as Chloe J shouted directions to them. The NYCS girls were noticeably out of breath, while the PCH girls were irritated by the way the other girls kept getting in their way.

Paige came over to Chloe J. "This isn't working."

"I know. The NYCS girls don't know how to work at the same level as our girls."

"Maybe you should stop thinking of things that way." Chloe J looked at her curiously. "For the time being, we're all NYCS girls. We need to think of this as being one team instead of two teams that were merged together. We're only as strong as our weakest teammate. Maybe we need some team bonding so everyone can get to know each other, and we can learn everyone's skill sets and what they're best at."

"Wow, P. Who knew you had some captain traits in you." Chloe J smiled at her. "Alright, everyone get changed! We're going to the mall for some mandatory team bonding!"

The girls were relieved to finally be done with practice so they all left without question. Chloe J hoped that Paige was right and that this would help them with getting better.

Nattie

After cheer team bonding, Nattie followed Paige and Katie into the Morgans' penthouse. She still couldn't seem to call it her home; she was excited for the new house and the fact that it would be made with her and Paige in mind too. Once she actually had her own place, maybe she wouldn't feel like such an outsider.

She found Sam sitting at the kitchen table with Selena next to her, working on a workbook she had gotten at preschool. She took a seat next to them.

"Hey Nattie." Sam greeted. "How was cheer practice?"

"It was good. Chloe J forced us all to go to the mall so we could bond. It was kind of nice because we got to know the NYCS girls."

"Chloe J sounds like she's a good captain."

"Not as good as Emma, but she's doing pretty well." She sighed. "I was actually hoping I could talk to you about something."

"Sure." Sam closed Selena's workbook as she finished the last question. "Sellie, why don't you go see how Mia's feeling? Check and see if she needs a drink or a snack or anything."

"Okay!" Selena jumped out of her seat and ran upstairs.

Once she was out of sight, Sam started to talk. "What's going on?"

Nattie took a deep breath. "I think I want to go see my mom."

Sam nodded her head. "Okay. We can go this weekend if you would like."

"Okay." Nattie felt like a weight had been lifted off her chest, but at the same time, she was very anxious. "I'm really nervous."

"It's not going to be easy." Sam warned. "I just want you to be prepared for this. I don't think it's going to be a happy reunion. Brook Lynn made her choice knowing how that would affect you."

"I know. I just need to confront her about that. I'm not expecting her to welcome me back with open arms, and even if she did, I don't think I would want to be there for her. She abandoned me during the whole TMK thing, and that was bad enough. But to not even come back when my father, her husband, dies? That's unforgivable."

"It's okay to be upset with her. Don't think that anything you're feeling is wrong. You're allowed to hate her and get mad and yell because if that's going to get you closure, then you need that."

Nattie nodded. "I just want her to know how much she hurt me."

"And we'll tell her."

Nattie hugged her. "Thank you, Sam. For everything."

"You don't have to thank me. You're one of mine now. You're my responsibility and I will do anything I can for you." Sam's face changed. "Now I have something to ask you."

"Okay."

"How has Emma been? Have you heard anything about her?"

"Like what?"

"I don't know." Sam sighed. "We used to be close, but she doesn't tell me anything anymore. She's hardly ever home."

"I haven't heard anything, but I don't talk to Emma much, especially with us going to different schools. Maybe you should try talking to her."

"I have, but she gets so defensive." Sam shook her head. "I'll try and talk to her again. Thank you, Nattie."

Nattie smiled at her and went upstairs. She knew that Gabe and Maddie weren't home yet, but she figured she could at least talk to Mia. She knocked on Maddie's door, but her room was empty. She found the girl in Gabe's room with Selena on her lap as they both looked at Mia's laptop.

"Hey Nattie." Mia greeted. "What's up?"

"Nothing. Just thought I would tell you that Sam just asked me about Emma's doing, and then talked about how she's never home and how she gets really defensive every time she tries to talk to her. You guys might want to tell her to come home more often."

Mia sighed. "I'll talk to her. Thanks."

"No problem. Are you feeling any better?"

"A lot better than yesterday. How was cheer practice?"

"It was fine. The NYCS girls can't really keep up and they keep getting in the way. Chloe J made us all go out for team bonding."

Mia nodded her head. "That's actually not a bad idea. How was it?"

"It was good. We actually got to know these other girls."

"I'm sad I missed it. I'll have to make Chloe J plan another one."

Nattie laughed. "Something tells me she wouldn't mind that at all. She forced us to go to the mall and you know that's her favorite place."

Mia smiled. "Yeah, I doubt she would put up a fight on going there again."

"I'm gonna go do my homework. I'll see you later."

"M'kay."

Nattie closed the door. She wasn't really sure what to think about this whole situation with Emma. Finally, she decided that she had enough to worry about with herself. She trusted that Mia and the others would deal with Emma.

Emma

The air was cold and the wind was blowing as Emma walked through the cemetery. She pulled her coat tighter around her shoulders, hoping that it would help to protect her from the chill in the air, but it didn't seem like it was working. It honestly didn't bother her that much; she already felt numb anyway.

It didn't take her long to find the person she was looking for. She hadn't ever been here before, but she still knew where it was. She could remember every detail about him.

Emma sat down on the ground in front of the headstone and just stared at the name.

Joseph James Falconeri

She wasn't sure how much time had passed while she sat, staring at the name, tracing the letters with her eyes. Her teeth were chattering.

"You don't deserve to have me here." She finally said, her voice raspier than usual from the cold. "This is the last place I should be, and I am the last person who should have to sit in front of your grave. You know, I thought that I hated you. You hit me and pulled my hair and kicked me, and you did it all without a second thought. You never thought about what you were doing to me, or how I was hurting. You didn't care.

"I thought that I hated you then, but this…this is completely different. I have never hated another person as much as I hate you. I hate that you can control me, even though you're dead. I am so terrified of you, even though I know that you're gone and you can't hurt me anymore. But every single night, all I see is your face, telling me that this is my fault, that I deserve this, that I am nothing. Why do you still have this power over me? What have I done to deserve this?

"Joey." Her entire body shuttered as she said his name. She didn't say it often and it made her feel sick to her stomach. "Joey, you don't deserve to have this control over me. You shouldn't be able to ruin my life even after you are already gone. God, I just want to be normal again."

Emma didn't realize she was crying until the wind blew and her face felt even colder than before. She wiped at her cheeks.

"Please, if you can hear me wherever you are, just let me go." She choked on a sob. "I'm sorry, okay? You didn't deserve to die. I just want to be myself again."

She sat there and cried her heart out for a few minutes. When she finished, she felt a tiny bit better. At least she had finally told him what she had been thinking.

Emma stood up and didn't give the headstone a second look. She walked away and went back to her car.

She got home quickly and when she walked in the door, she saw everyone was gathered downstairs. She gave them a strange look.

"Oh good, we were waiting for you!" Sam said as she turned to face her. "Come sit down."

Emma went over and sat on the ground in front of Mia and Gabe. "Are we having a family meeting or something?"

"Your father and I just wanted to share some news with you all. We think we finally decided on a name for the baby!"

"What is it?" Katie asked. Everyone else was silent. Emma held in her comments. Of course this had to do with the miracle baby.

"We really like Edward James."

Everyone started to give their praises on the name. Emma sat quietly. She wondered if maybe going to Joey's grave would give her any type of closure. Maybe she would finally be able to sleep at night.

"Em, what do you think?" Jason questioned.

"It's great." She forced a smile. "I'm going to go upstairs and do my homework."

Emma walked away, even though she felt everyone else's eyes on her. She got to her room and shut the door, sighing in relief. Now, she could be alone.

She dumped the contents of her backpack out on the bed and dug through it, trying to find her math homework. The door opened.

"Hey." She heard her mother's voice and her suspicions were confirmed when Sam walked in. "Can I talk to you?"

"Sure." Emma knew that wasn't really a question. Sam would be talking to her no matter what.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Because you've been different lately. You've been withdrawn and quiet and you're hardly ever home. You used to hang out with Selena all the time and she's been asking why you don't want to be around her anymore. You didn't even care when we told you the baby's name! I just want to know what your problem is."

Suddenly, something in Emma snapped. "What's my problem? My problem is that I have my own stuff to worry about! I'm sorry I don't care about every little detail of your miracle baby. Maybe you should have taken care of the kids you have before deciding to have another one."

Sam just stared at her, then shook her head. "You better change this attitude of yours or you're going to regret it." She turned and walked away.

Emma just laid back on her bed. If only everyone would leave her alone.

The Morgans

Morning came quickly for everyone in the Morgan house. Jason was the first one up, followed by Maddie, then Katie, then Gabe, then Sam and Selena, then Paige, then Nattie, then Mia, and finally Emma.

Emma could already tell that this day was going to suck. She was in a bad mood right off the bat and trying to contain herself so she wouldn't explode on anyone.

Right when she woke up, she couldn't even shower in her own bathroom because Paige was already in there. She huffed in annoyance and walked down the hall, banging on Gabe's door before opening it. Her brother was already dressed and sitting on his bed talking to Mia.

"Can I use your shower?"

"What's wrong with yours?"

"Paige is in there, of course. It would be amazing if I could actually use my own stuff without someone being in the way."

"Yeah, go ahead." Gabe allowed. Emma grabbed her towel and went into his bathroom. "Safe to say she's not in a very good mood today."

Mia laughed quietly. "Does it bother you when I use your bathroom and you want to shower?"

"No, not really."

"I forgot to tell you, but yesterday Nattie told me that Sam was questioning her about Emma."

"What do you mean?"

"She was talking about why she's never home and how she can't talk to her anymore. Gabe, you need to tell her to stop staying at Zack's so much. Maybe it would help her fix things with your parents."

"I'm not going to tell her what to do. It won't work out."

Mia scoffed. "Wow, Gabriel Morgan is actually saying he won't tell someone what to do? That's a first."

"Shut up, Mimi."

"See, there you again, telling someone what to do."

"It's different with you and Maddie though. You actually respect my opinion."

"So does Emma. Maybe she just needs some brotherly love."

"I've tried to talk to her, but she doesn't care. Zack would have to tell her to stop spending the night so much."

Mia shook her head. "He won't do that. That would only push her away."

Emma walked out of the bathroom, immediately ending their conversation. "Thank you."

Gabe nodded. "You're welcome." They watched as she exited.

"She doesn't seem like she would ignore you if you talked to her. I think her list of people that she trusts right now is pretty short, but you're on it."

He gave her a look. "So are you."

"But it's different coming from her brother."

"I'm telling you, it won't work."

Maddie poked her head into the doorway. "Hey Mia, can I borrow your eyeliner? Mine just broke."

"Yeah, it's in Gabe's bathroom."

Maddie walked into the bathroom and grabbed it. "Thank you!" she exited the room, shutting the door behind her. As she walked back to her room, she nearly bumped into Selena. "Ooops, sorry, Sellie!"

Maddie went into her room and applied the eyeliner, leaving it in her bathroom. She figured Mia didn't really have anywhere to go, so she wouldn't need it right now. She checked herself over in the mirror again, then nodded once she was satisfied with her look. She grabbed her phone, keys, purse, and backpack and went downstairs.

Almost everyone else was down there already. Selena was watching cartoons and trying to tie her shoes, Katie and Nattie were eating at the table, she could hear Jason in the kitchen, Mia and Gabe were sitting on the couch, and Sam and Paige were talking near the staircase. She went to the kitchen to grab a breakfast bar.

"Morning, Mads." Jason kissed her cheek.

"Hi, Dad." She gave him a smile and returned to the living room, taking a seat on Gabe's other side. "Wow, Mimi, I'm surprised you're actually up and out of bed."

"Well everyone else was down here and being extremely loud, so I figured I would join the party."

"How are you feeling?"

"Way better. I'm not sick anymore."

"Good. That sucks that you have to deal with morning sickness, and then you were sick on top of that."

Maddie glanced over and saw that Emma was coming down the stairs. She had hardly slept at home over the past month, so it was a little strange. She noticed Emma's attention immediately went to where Paige and Sam were talking.

"…so Nattie and I will go this weekend and talk to her." Sam said. "Did you want to go with us?"

Paige shook her head. "I think that's something that Nattie needs to do by herself."

Jason came over to them. "Paige, she was a mother figure for you. If you need that closure, then I think it's important that you go."

Paige shrugged. "But she's Nattie's mom."

"She was pretty much your mom too." Nattie chimed in from the table. "P, if you wanna come, I won't be upset. I would like you to be there."

But the older girl was sticking by her answer. "That's okay. All I need is for you to promise to take care of my sister while you're there." She said to Sam. "It'll be rough seeing Brook Lynn again and I don't want her to upset Nattie."

"Of course Sam will take care of her." Jason sat down next to Paige. "The two of you are our responsibility now. We will always take care of you."

"We love both of you and we're here for you, no matter what." Sam promised.

"Thank you." Paige pulled both of them into a hug.

Maddie, Mia, and Gabe all noticed the way Emma rolled her eyes, grabbed her backpack, and stormed out without another word. They looked at each other, acknowledging the fact that they had all seen what just happened, but didn't talk about it.

All three of them knew that, eventually, things with Emma and Paige were going to blow up and it would not be pretty.

Emma and Courtney

"Good morning!" Courtney came over to Emma's locker with two iced coffees in her hand. "I got you a coffee."

"Thanks, Courtie." Emma took it.

The blonde frowned. "What's wrong?"

"What do you mean?"

"I know you, Emmy. I can tell when something's wrong."

Emma sighed and shut her locker. The two girls started to walk towards their class. "I'm just in a bad mood."

"Why?"

"Paige."

Courtney was kind of surprised that Emma had admitted that. She knew that there was a lot of tension between her two friends in the past couple months, and she understood. But Emma didn't always like to open up about it.

"Did something specific happen, or just Paige in general?" she decided to tread lightly in case Emma didn't want to talk about it. The last thing she wanted to do was push her away.

"She's just always in my space! This morning, I woke up and couldn't even shower in my own bathroom because of course she was in there. Then, I go downstairs and she's acting all buddy-buddy with my parents."

"Em, I'm going to tell you what I think and I don't want you to get upset, okay?" Emma nodded her head. "I know that this situation sucks, and I know there's a lot of unresolved awkwardness between the two of you. But you have to remember that Paige doesn't have anyone."

Emma rolled her eyes. "Yes she does."

Courtney gave her a look. "Who? Nattie? No matter what, she's still only eighteen years old. Her mom has been dead since she was a kid, her dad just recently died. I'm sure she needs an adult figure to hold onto. Besides that, Paige has always had a good relationship with your parents. Just try and be a little more sensitive, okay?"

"Well I wasn't going to say anything to her." Emma grumbled.

"Yeah, but you're not very good at hiding your feelings, Em." Courtney reminded her. "Pretty soon, the new house will be built and you'll have your space back again. Just stick it out, okay? You've already got enough going on without adding in extra drama with your parents and P."

Emma smiled at her. "When did you get so smart?"

Courtney shrugged with a grin. "It's a gift I've always had. You know, I'm smart, gorgeous, and extremely charismatic." Emma laughed. "But seriously. I understand tension is high and the situation sucks, but it'll be over soon."

"Thanks, Courtie."

"Besides, you can always come spend the night at my house to get away from everything. Maybe spend some time with me every once in a while instead of constantly being with Zack."

Emma laughed. "What are you talking about?"

"Are you serious right now? The two of you are practically attached at the hip! Just don't forget about little ol' me."

"I could never forget someone as smart, gorgeous, and extremely charismatic as you."

Courtney smiled. "That's my girl."

Gabe and Chloe J

Chloe J was sitting at her usual lunch table, though no one else had joined her yet. She used the rare alone time to file her nails, text Brendan, and browse the internet for cute shoes. She felt someone sit down next to her and glanced to the side.

"Hey Gabe." She greeted.

"Hey."

She looked up at him. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

Chloe J sighed. "Look, we both know you're going to do it, so you might as well do it now. What do you want me to talk to Emma about?"

Gabe gave her a look. "Do you not want to talk to her?"

"I don't mind it, but I don't know what you expect me to do. I'm not a miracle worker; I can't make someone change who doesn't want to change. I know you've been asking Mia to talk to her too and I'm sorry, Gabe, but this is on Emma. She has to make decisions on her own. She's seventeen years old. We can't keep coddling her."

"I know that, okay? But she's my sister."

She nodded her head. "Tell me what happened."

"It's everything! She's not the Emma that I've known my entire life anymore. She still hasn't said anything about suddenly disappearing the other night, and as far as I know, she didn't even tell Courtney or Zack where she was. Has she talked to you about it?" Chloe J shook her head. "So, she was out doing God knows what, which is awesome. Then there's her attitude towards Paige."

"What do you mean?"

"It's so tense when they're in a room together. I know part of it is because of Zack, but there's more to it now. This morning, Paige was talking to my parents about Nattie going to see Brook Lynn. I was watching Emma and I could just see her face changing while she was listening to them talk. She's jealous of Paige's relationship with my parents."

Chloe J stared at him. "Gabe, this is Emma we're talking about. She has absolutely nothing to be jealous of when it comes to anyone. She's not a jealous person anyway."

"You would think that, but that's what I'm trying to tell you. She's different, Chloe J. She's jealous and hostile and argumentative and it's uncomfortable."

"I know that you love Emma, and I do too. But I can't do anything about that. She is different. We all are. I'm sure it'll just take time for some of those feelings to fade away. If you really want someone to talk to her, you should ask Courtney or Zack. They might actually get through to her."

"You're her best friend."

"Yeah." Chloe J agreed. "But so are they, and they actually know what's going on with her right now."

Gabe frowned. "Did something happen between you and Emma?"

"What do you mean?"

"You guys hardly talk anymore."

"We just grew apart. I think we all can agree that last year was rough and it changed some things. At the end of the day, I will always have Emma's back and I know she'll have mine. But maybe being apart is what's best for us right now."

"She needs you."

Chloe J smiled sadly. "No she doesn't. Not anymore."

For the first time, Gabe could see that Chloe J was upset about her distance with Emma. It honestly made him a little sad; that was one of the friendships he thought would never end.

"Anyway, I've got a question for you." Gabe nodded, signaling for her to continue. "How's my Mama Mia doing? Is she feeling better?"

"Yeah, she's good. She told me to tell you that she's coming to practice today, but not to move it to right after school because she has to help Emma with volleyball."

Chloe J wrinkled her nose. "Em's playing volleyball?"

"I don't know, something about her trying to find a distraction since she can't cheer. From what I've heard, it's not going very well."

"Wow. I never thought I would see the day where Emma didn't cheer."

"Well, from what Maddie said, the Madison girls won't let any PCH girls join the cheer team."

The blonde shook her head. "That school is so messed up."

Gabe could see Hunter and Nate approaching. "Seriously though, Chloe J. If you get a chance, you should talk to Emma."

She sighed, but gave in. "I'll try, okay?"

"That's all I ask."

Mia

"C'mon, Em. You can do this." Mia said, reaching up to wipe sweat off of her face. Since it was January, she was bundled up in a sweatshirt and sweatpants, and it felt like she was doing most of the work. Emma hadn't broken a sweat yet.

"Mia, I suck. It's as simple as that."

"No, it's not 'as simple as that'. You're not going to give up. Get back over to your spot and you can serve it like I taught you."

Emma shook her head. "I'm over it."

"What?"

"I'm not going to get better, and I don't really care. I miss cheering and I want to cheer. Volleyball isn't my thing."

"Anything can be your thing if you try hard enough. You're not a quitter."

"It's hopeless, Mia. I'm never going to be good enough to make the team and then they'll have one more thing to bother me about. It's fine. Thank you for trying to teach me. I really appreciate it."

"The only way I'm letting you walk away from this is if I ask you one question and you answer it truthfully."

Emma sighed. "I'm not making any promises."

"Where were you Monday night?" Mia questioned. Emma was quiet. "Were you with a guy?"

"Why does everyone assume I was with a guy?"

Mia shrugged. "I dunno. That's what I would have done."

"No, I wasn't with a guy."

"Then where were you?"

"If I tell you, you can't lecture me."

"I won't."

"I was at a bar. I just wanted to drink by myself. I didn't even talk to any guys. I went out to my car to drive home, but I passed out once I sat down. It's a good thing I did because I'm not sure I could have driven."

Mia sighed. "I'm not going to lecture you, but I do want to tell you that you can always call me. I would have come and picked you up, without judgement or questions."

"I know, but I don't want to put you in an awkward position with Gabe."

Mia waved her hand dismissively. "I can deal with Gabe. I just want to know that you're safe."

"Thank you, Mimi."

"You don't have to thank me. You're my family; I would do anything for you." Mia hugged Emma. She was surprised that the older girl actually leaned into her. "Love you."

"Love you too." Emma pulled back.

"Alright, I've gotta go. I told Chloe J I would be at cheer practice today. You know, you're always welcome."

"Thanks, but I have homework to do. I'm trying really hard not to let my grades slip."

Mia just nodded her head. She knew that Emma's grades had to be slipping considering how much school she skipped and how much of the night she spent partying. "See ya later."

"Bye."

Mia got into her car and drove to NYCS. She walked into the gym, seeing that all the girls were already changed and walking to their places.

"MIA!" Rhiannon yelled, running towards her. She engulfed her in a hug and a second later, Lauren joined in. "We're so happy you're back!"

"Are you feeling better? How's the baby? Are you sure you're okay?" Lauren questioned.

"God, you sound like Gabe." Mia joked. "I'm fine, guys." She patted her stomach. "Baby's good in here."

"I'm glad you finally decided to grace us with your presence." Chloe J said with a smile.

"Sorry, I was helping Emma with her volleyball stuff."

"How's the going?"

"Well, she quit if that tells you anything."

Chloe J sighed. "Awesome."

Mia was sick of talking about Emma. She walked over and stood next to the CD player. "Show me what you've got so far."

She played the music and observed while the girls did the parts of the routine that they knew. Mia watched as one of the girls did a back handspring and nearly fell forward. She saved all of her comments until the music ended.

"Hey, Tiffany, you have to have better balance when you do a back handspring. Watch." Mia went into a back handspring, hearing Paige and Chloe J freaking out and yelling at her as she did. She landed it perfectly.

"Don't do that again!" Paige scolded.

"Please, I've been doing back handsprings since I was five. I never fall."

"You're pregnant, Mimi. Your center of gravity changes and it can make you clumsier…"

"Paige, I'm hardly pregnant. I'm fine."

Chloe J frowned. "There is no 'hardly pregnant'. Either you are or you aren't."

Mia rolled her eyes. "Okay, Miss Technical. Anyway, the routine looked pretty good to me! There are definitely some points that could be sharpened up and some things that need work, but everyone is acting more like a team. I think your team bonding is paying off, Chloe J."

"Really?"

"Mmhmm. It looks better than two days ago when I saw it."

"Well, the routine isn't finished yet. We've only gotten halfway through it."

"Then let's teach them the rest."

Chloe J showed the squad the next part of the dance. As she and Mia stood back and watched them, Mia could feel her leaning towards her.

"How was Emma when you saw her? Did she seem okay?"

"She seemed like Emma."

"Like Emma, Emma? Or new Emma?"

Mia sighed. "They aren't two different people. Emma's never going to be the person we knew again. She's changed a lot because of what she went through."

"I know that. I just mean was she acting okay?"

Mia shrugged. "Well she quit volleyball because she said she would never be able to get it down, which I don't really consider a positive. She talked to me a little bit though, which is new."

"What did she say?"

"She finally told me where she was Monday night."

"Really? Gabe and I were just talking about that earlier."

"She just went to a bar. There were no guys or anything. She passed out in her car."

"And you believe her?"

"Of course I do. She has no reason to lie."

"You have a lot of faith in Emma, you know that?"

Mia finally looked at the blonde. "She's always been like an older sister to me. Everyone knows we have some similarities; I would say that self-destruction is our biggest one. She has no reason to lie to me."

"That's good. Maybe you should keep talking to Emma."

Mia rolled her eyes. "God, now you sound like Gabe."

"She needs someone who understands her. As much as I wish I did, I don't. I can't help her. She needs you, Mia."

"No, she needs to figure things out for herself." Mia corrected. "When I was doing what I did last year, I didn't need someone to try and talk me out of it. I was going to do what I wanted to do. I know that drinking isn't good for her, and I hope it doesn't escalate any further than that. But right now, we kind of have to let her do her own thing."

"This sucks."

"It sure does."

The music stopped and Chloe J faced the squad again. "Alright, girls. Let's take it from the top one more time!"

Haley and Wes

"You almost ready?" Haley looked over at her doorway where Wes was standing.

"Give me a second." She continued putting on her eyeliner. She could see in the mirror that Wes was going over to sit on her bed.

"So listen, I've been thinking something." Haley didn't speak, so he took that as a sign to continue. "I like you. A lot. I know that things are kind of weird cause my biological mom who I was taken from as a baby is married to your father. But we weren't raised together, so it's not weird. At least I don't think it's weird. I was just wondering if…"

"Oh God." Haley rolled her eyes, causing him to stop. "We're not going to have that awkward 'will you be my girlfriend' conversation, are we?"

Wes frowned. "I mean, if you don't want to be…"

"Wesley, we're about to go on a double date. I kind of already figured you were my boyfriend."

His face broke out into a smile at her words. "Really?"

"Really. Now hand me those shoes."

Wes carried her shoes over to her and leaned down, planting a kiss on her lips. "You make me happy."

Haley couldn't help but smile. "Yeah, I have that effect on people. You're not too bad yourself." She pulled her shoes on. "Now let's go before we're late!"

They arrived at the Metro Court and saw that Addie and Jamie were already there. Haley led the way to the table and gave Wes a dirty look when he tried to pull her chair out for her. She sat down across from Addie, letting Wes have the seat across from Jamie.

"Hey guys!" Addie greeted, as cheerful as ever.

"Hi Addie." Wes said back. Haley just smiled at her friends. "My girlfriend and I are so happy you wanted to go on a double date with us."

Addie gasped. "You made it official?"

"Why is everyone so shocked by that?" Haley questioned. "I thought it was official."

Jamie laughed. "Good luck with her, Wes."

Haley glared. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You're a very interesting girl, Haley."

She continued to glare, until Addie shoved a menu into her hands. "Order your food."

After the waiter gave them their drinks and took their orders, conversation started to flow.

"God, I have an essay to write for history that I really don't feel like doing." Haley groaned.

"I have six pages of AP Calculus homework." Jamie chimed in. "Do yourself a favor and don't take AP Calc next year."

Addie laughed. "Trust me, babe. I think all of us are smart enough to know that's basically suicide."

"I just can't wait until we're out of Madison." Wes said. "I didn't get to go to PCH very long, but it's a nice place. I like how close everyone is and how they all know each other. There didn't really seem to be any bullying."

"Well everyone has known everyone for their entire lives. It's kind of hard to bully people you've known since you were born." Jamie stated. "I'm just sick of these snobby kids and their attitudes. It's only a matter of time before someone snaps again."

"I'm just glad Britt at least got a couple hits in on that punk who was bullying her." Haley commented. "He had it coming."

"At the rate things are going, Emma's going to be the next one fighting." Addie shook her head. "She's been crazy lately."

Jamie looked at his girlfriend. "Do you blame her? She went through a lot last year."

"No. If I was her, I would have probably snapped already. She has more self-control than me."

Haley glanced at all three of their faces and could see the exhaustion. They were all tired of dealing with Madison Academy.

"PCH will be done soon. We only have to hold out a little longer and then we'll be back where we belong."

Emma

Emma parked her car in the Corinthoses driveway. Things with Zack had been tense and awkward yesterday, but they talked a little bit at school and managed to clear the air. She still hadn't told him where she had been that night she didn't answer any phone calls, but he knew that she wasn't with another guy.

Emma knew Zack worried about her and that he could be a little possessive, so she wasn't surprised that he had jumped to the conclusion that she was with another guy. If she was him, she might make that assumption too.

She walked up to the front door and rang the bell. A few seconds later, it swung open.

"Hey Emmy." Hunter greeted. "You here for Zack?"

"Of course."

"He's in his room."

"Thanks." Emma reached up and ruffled his hair playfully. Hunter tickled her sides, causing her to pull away with a laugh. She went up the stairs and straight to Zack's bedroom.

The last thing she expected to see was Zack and Maddie sitting on his bed, staring straight at her.

"Hey Mads." She greeted, dropping her backpack on the floor near Zack's desk. "What's going on?"

"Princess, sit down." Zack ordered gently. "We need to talk to you."

Emma sighed. "About what?"

"You know what, Em." Maddie took over. "About what you've been doing lately. How you've been acting, the fighting, your temper, the drinking, the nightmares…"

"Stop." Emma interrupted her. "Why are you guys acting like you're my parents?"

"You can talk to us, or I will tell Mom and Dad and then you can deal with your actual parents."

"Wow." Emma laughed dryly. "You're gonna tell on me?"

"Emma, I don't know what to do anymore! We're all worried about you. Me, Zack, Gabe, Mia, Chloe J, Courtney…"

"All of you can mind your own business. I'm fine."

"But you're not fine." Zack chimed in. "Where were you the other night?"

"It's not any of your business."

"Emma, we're way closer than that. You are my business."

She sighed. "I was at a bar. I wanted to get away for a while."

"Why?"

"Bad day at school."

Maddie started to talk again. "Could it possibly be because that guy grabbed you in the hallway and told you that you made up the fact that Joey was beating you? That you had Zack and Gabe and the others kill him on purpose, then send a message to fit the TMK's M.O.?"

"Well it seems like you've already got everything figured out."

"Tanner overheard that conversation and he told us. Why didn't you say anything?"

Emma could feel herself reaching boiling point. If she didn't stop, she was going to explode and she really, really didn't want to yell at them. "Because I didn't want to talk about it! I didn't see anyone questioning Brittany about why it bothers her so much to be called Whacko."

"This isn't about Brittany, Princess. It's about you."

She turned to Zack after he spoke. "I can't believe that you of all people are doing this right now."

"Doing what?'

"Cornering me! Forcing me to talk about everything that makes me uncomfortable!"

"See, the way you said that lets me know that you do understand that something is going on between us."

"What are you talking about?"

"I know you're scared and there's a lot going on, and I'm not going to push you into anything. But I hate the idea of you being around other guys. I want to be there for you, for everything. I need to know that you're safe and you're okay, and I can't do that when you are sneaking off to bars for the night." Zack finally let a little bit of his vulnerability show.

Emma shook her head. "I don't understand."

Maddie sighed. "Quit playing stupid. You know that Zack likes you, and you know that you like him back. Every time you lash out, you're hurting him."

"You don't know what you're talking about, Maddie."

"No, I don't, because you won't talk to me anymore. I'm your sister, Emma. I have your back always. You can talk to me."

"I'M SICK OF TALKING!" Emma finally yelled. "God, how many times do I have to say it before you all get it through your heads? You keep treating me like I'm going to break at any second! I have to learn how to cope, okay? This is my new reality. The nightmares will not go away. The pain will not go away. The flashbacks and hallucinations and everything else come with it! Just accept that and move on so that I can accept it too!"

"But you don't have to accept it!" Maddie yelled back. "You can go to therapy, you can talk to all of us, there are plenty of things you can do! You act like you want to be miserable!"

"Yeah, you're right. I want to have constant memories of my ex-boyfriend beating me. You hit the nail right on the head."

Maddie rolled her eyes. "You know that's not what I'm saying. You refuse to get help, Emma! Let's talk about something else. You are never home anymore. You know that Mom and Dad notice, right? They were questioning Nattie about it the other day. You are putting everyone else in an awkward position where they have to make up lies for you and we don't deserve that!"

Emma shrugged. "Then don't lie for me."

"We're not going to let you get in trouble."

"Sounds like a personal problem to me then."

"Emma, stop." Zack chastised gently. "Maddie isn't here to argue with you. We just want you to get better."

"I'm not sick! You all act like I just have a virus or something and after enough time, it will go away! I will never be the way that I used to be again!" Emma turned to face Maddie. "You were attacked too, and you had to witness your boyfriend being killed right in front of you. I would think you would have a little bit better of an understanding."

"The difference is that I talk to people. I talk about Parker. I try to feel better instead of just wallowing in my own misery."

Emma nodded her head. "Good for you."

Maddie gave her a dirty look. "Why are you being like this?" Emma was silent. "Moving on to the next topic…"

"Mads…" Zack tried to stop her.

"No, she's already mad. Who cares anymore?" she looked at her sister. "You need to stop these arguments with Brianna Edwards."

"Not happening. She needs to be slapped."

"I know you don't remember that party last weekend, but things got serious. Mia was choking her. What if Brianna hit her back? What if she lost the baby? You would have felt terrible."

"That's not on me."

"But it is. Brianna didn't say that comment about the baby to get to Mia or Gabe; she said it to get to you. Because of an argument you started with her, she made a comment, and Mia got involved."

"Mia can make her own decisions."

"You're completely missing the point."

"Then please, enlighten me, Madelyn. What is the point?"

"You're being self-destructive. You're being selfish and rude and you're not considering the people around you before you do stupid stuff. We love you, Emma. We just don't want you to get hurt."

"I HAVE ALREADY BEEN HURT!" she finally exploded. "What, do you think this little talk will make me feel any better? Thank you, I feel awesome now! Is that what you want to hear?" she screamed. "You're supposed to be my sister! I can't believe you would try and force me to do something I don't want to do!"

"Em, calm down…" Zack said quietly.

"And you!" she whipped around to face Zack. "I thought I was important to you, but I guess I was wrong."

"What is happening?" Maddie whispered to Zack.

But Emma was sick of it. "I'm going to sleep in Hunter's room." She marched out, leaving them both standing behind in shock.

She was done with being told what to do.

How do you think Chloe J will react to Aubrey and Ryan getting closer?

Do you think Ashlyn should give the twins up for adoption?

What do you think will happen when Nattie and Sam go to see Brook Lynn?

Who do you think needs to talk to Emma to get her to snap out of what's going on with her? Or do you think there is no magical thing that can be said to her and she'll have to figure things out on her own?

Wes and Haley are officially dating! Thoughts? Would you like to see more of them? Less?

Tension between Emma and Paige keeps rising. What do you think this will lead to?

Will Maddie and Zack forgive Emma for flipping out on them?

What would you like to see more of? Less of?