Just over half an hour later, Fred came back with their food orders and also the books from down at the construction site. Emma was still sat at the the countertop, after getting off the phone from a worried Alice only minutes before hand.
The two sisters had a civilised conversation without any integration from Alice's side and no bitter remark's from Emma's side. Emma had told her sister she was going to work today and would stay for the rest of the day, but wasn't so sure how the rest of the week would be, but Alice was just relieved Emma hadn't done a runner yet.
"Here we go," Fred said as he came over to her and handed her over her food, "one black coffee and a New York pancakes,"
Emma took the bag from him and thanked him, as he laid out his own food and hopped back up on the counter top to tuck into their breakfast together, "you know, hearing your story, it inspired me."
"It did?" She frowned back at him, not getting what he was on about.
"Uh-huh," He nodded with a mischievous grin on his face, "I tried to ask this woman, I used to date, out."
"Oh wow," Emma couldn't help but smirk at this new found information, "how did it go?"
"Well, she turned me down," Fred admitted, as Emma pulled a sad face, "but I still have my dignity on my back, that's the main thing."
"You sure do," She assured him, before her noseiness got the better of her, "who was this woman? Anyone I know?"
Emma began to tuck into her pancakes, as Fred looked back at her and said, "Hermione Lodge."
Upon hearing him say her name, the name of the woman she had been wanting to avoid and had been one of the reasons for her staying far away from town that day, was the same woman Fred had just tried to ask out on a date.
Awkwardly, Emma swallowed her mouthful down harshly and quickly grabbed her coffee, "Oh wow," She said between sips, trying to play dumb and kicking herself for coughing up more lies, "isn't she married?"
"Well, her husband's in jail for fraud, but we went out the other night at the drive in. I thought it was a date, but turns out it wasn't." Fred admitted, somewhat embarrassed this time.
"Oh," Emma was surprised to hear that between showing up during her deal with Fp, Hermione had actually been there on a date with Emma's boss, Fred, "that's a shame, huh?"
"We used to date in high school. It's been years, I just thought I might have a chance, you know?" He explained.
"There's no harm in trying." She remarked.
"Exactly," Fred nodded in agreement, before he smirked, "maybe you should give that guy a call."
Emma looked back at him, a nervous look on her face, "maybe I will later."
"Good because you've got work to do." He joked.
Rolling her eyes playfully, Emma tucked back into her breakfast and Fred did the same, before they began to get to work on some admin and new business plan bits for a new site they were planning on working on in the next couple of months.
It was nearing nearly 4pm when Emma closed the laptop lid and the books in front of her, as Fred was then putting away their coffee's from just after lunch. Emma yawned lightly, as she slipped off the stool at the end of the day.
"You know, if you do plan on staying, I can let you work from home for the rest of the week until you feel ready to come back to the site." Fred suggested to her, with hopeful eyes.
"That would be great," Emma agreed with him, but couldn't help but still not feel as convinced on the whole staying thing, unless something happened that could make her stay, "I'll let you know, ok? But I'll talk to you tomorrow."
"No problem." He assured her, before he walked her over to the front door.
"Thanks for everything today. I really appreciate it and whatever happens, thanks for giving me this job and being there for me." She told him genuinely.
"It's really no trouble at all," Fred assured her, as he slowly opened up the door, "but you know, I'll see you next week."
Emma gave him a small smile, knowing he was just trying to make her see sense and stay in this town with people who would support her, but she couldn't make that decision for sure yet until she got a few things fixed first.
Saying goodbye to him once again, she left the home and headed back to the neighbouring house, the place she had been staying the past few weeks and was going to be spending another night in that night.
As she came round the side walk and approached the steps to the house, she saw the garage light on and the door was open. Slowly poking her head round, she saw Hal stood in front of one of the cars, with the front bonnet open looking inside.
"Hey." She found herself saying to him, slowly coming inside the garage, as he turned round to face her upon hearing her voice.
"Emma," He greeted her back, in an emotionless tone, things felt just as tense as they did that day Emma first came back to town, "Alice told me you were staying for the night."
"Uh, yeah. I've got somethings to take care of first." Emma informed him.
"Like what?" Hal asked her accusingly, the usual harsh tone back in his voice and if Emma really could have been bothered, she would have rolled her eyes back at him, but she had to remain calm, "you know I was right about you, Emma. You're not back here other than to better yourself and then leave again."
"That's not true," She sighed loudly, shaking her head as she did so, she hadn't come to talk to him to have a fight, "I am here for my family. I have been here for all of you. But I also have to take care of myself and being here isn't a 100% the best thing for me right now."
"Then why don't you just go? Please save my wife the heartbreak sooner rather than later." He responded coldly.
Emma couldn't help but scoff, trying to keep her cool over this was proving difficuilt with how Hal was coming at her, but she was determined to keep strong, "because that would be the easy option and make you win, Hal. But I am here to prove you wrong. I'm going to be there for my sister and my nieces whether you like it or not."
"I have noticed that since you've been here Betty has been acting a little out of behaviour," Hal remarked next, "maybe it has something to do with your involvement."
"Or maybe she's just learning to stand up for herself and be an indepent woman, instead of being Daddy's little girl." She spat back.
He began to chuckle husikly to himself, before he threw the biggest dig he could at Emma, "are you sure you're not referring to your own life, Emma? I mean, you weren't exactly well behave Betty's age and got yourself in all kinds of trouble because you had no father figure in your life."
"That's enough!" Emma snapped at him, not letting him drag her down like he was, she was sick of men thinking they had the upper hand over her, she wouldn't let him, "you want to shut your mouth, Hal!"
"Or what, Emma?" He smirked to himself, remembering just how easy it was to wind her up.
"Or I'll tell Betty the truth about Polly." She threatened him, not caring if it would wreck her relationship with Alice.
If Hal was really going to push her, then she would push back, ten times harder and ruin everything they were trying to protect Betty from.
Hal glared back at Emma, a little annoyed that she knew about Polly and that Alice had told her without informing him that she had. It was suppose to be kept between them, but now he knew Emma was aware, Hal really felt he was running out of time.
Before anymore could be said, one of the girl's in question came from down the path and over to them, upon hearing voices and also like Emma noticing the garage was in use right now by her father.
"Aunt Emma," Betty beamed when she saw her aunt stood there, "you're still here."
"Yeah I'm still here," Emma flashed her niece a small smile, before she asked, "how was school?"
"Yeah, good." Betty nodded, before looking over at Dad with a friendly smile.
"Good timing," Hal said to his daughter, before looking over at the tools on his work bench, "why don't you grab a wrench and tighten up that hose for me? Your aunt couldn't be bothered."
Emma rubbed her lips together trying to keep her cool around Betty after that remark, as her niece nervously looked back at her Dad and took hold of the tool, before she said, "Dad, every time I ask Mom about Polly, she shuts me down,"
Hal shared the same nervous expression as his daughter, as he turned to look at her and Emma watched from behind with an also uneasy feeling, "can we please talk about it? What happened?" Betty continued on, just wanting some answers.
And this is exactly why Emma wanted Betty to know.
Hal leant up from the car, as Betty also stopped working on it, and she asked one final time, "What did Jason do that was so bad?"
Emma so badly wanted to butt in and tell her neice the truth, but she knew she couldn't go against her sister like this and she had to prove to Hal that she truly was here for her family, even if she did disagree that keeping this from Betty was the best thing.
So Emma was interested to hear what Hal would have to say on this matter, considering Emma knew the truth about Polly's disapearence after Jason went missing.
"Jason and Polly had a fight," Hal began as wiped his hands on a piece of cloth, "I don't know what it was about, but afterwards, Polly was pretty devastated,"
Betty listened to her Dad intently, as her father continued on, "and I came home from work one day and I heard the water running in the bathroom upstairs,"
His daughter lowered her head at this, as Emma shuffled on her feet uncomfortably, as Hal looked over at her, almost like he was giving her a message to not say anything on the matter or else,
"I went upstairs. I knocked on the door. I asked if Polly was alright, and she didn't say anything," Hal went on with his lie of a story, as Emma uneasily watched on, "so I knocked the door down. Polly was trying to hurt herself, Betty,"
Betty was shocked to hear this and also upset to hear her sister would do something like this and her parents had kept it from her all this time, "That's why we sent her away. To stop her from trying to take her own life again." Hal finished.
"Dad," Betty breathed, trying to hold it together and not get too upset, as Emma found herself stepping in and laying a hand on her niece's shoulder in comfort, "could I call her?"
"I'm sorry, Betty," Hal looked back at his daughter with a guilty expression, "your sister was doing better, but when she found out about Jason's death, she had a huge set back. We don't want to risk another one."
Or maybe you just don't want Betty to find out the real reason you sent her away Emma thought to herself.
Betty looked down at the ground in sadness, as her aunt pulled her closer and said, "Why don't we head inside and I'll make us up one of those hot chocolates again?"
Her niece looked up at her with sad eyes, as Hal watched the two girls intently, before Betty nodded, "Thanks, Aunt Emma."
Smiling back at her niece, Emma and Betty turned around and began to make their way out of the garage, but before they rounded the corner, Emma turned back to Hal and gave him a look, wanting to warn him this time that if he dare mess with her again, she would come down on him ten times harder.
She wasn't going to play miss nice girl anymore to anyone.
It was a little before 9 when Emma found herself staring back at her reflection in the mirror. She was dressed in a pair of black high waisted skinny jeans, a grey coloured tank covered her body, her heeled boots covered her feet and she threw on a leather jacket to complete the look. Her hair was down and messy, whilst a deep red lipstick covered her lips.
She felt herself. Much more herself than she had in a long time. Emma felt like the strong woman she knew a long time ago. And tonight she was going to get back the last bit of that, as she headed out for the night.
Emma successfully managed to sneak out of the front door without any integration from her sister that night. At dinner, Emma had made sure her sister had multiple glasses of wine, enough to make her crash on the couch when she thought the two would be sitting there watching movies all night long on what could be the last night for Emma in Riverdale.
Hal was downstairs as usual in his man cave watching old western movies and Betty was in her room catching up on the homework she had missed over the weekend, but that probably also involved her writing in her diary theories of Jason Blossom's death and how her crush was going on Archie Andrews.
Instead of bringing more attention to herself that night, Emma managed to call a cab and hopped in it at the end of the street, rather than outside her house for all to see and also not going in her car to disturb Alice's drunken slumber on the couch.
Once Emma arrived to her destination, she paid the driver and then headed towards the bar, she hadn't stepped foot in since last week, when things had been tense in her private life, but had been amazing in her sexual one.
Like usual, she ignored the look's of the gang gathering outside the bar, but this time she wasn't met by the cat calling she was so used to. Emma was a little relieved for that, because she didn't want to draw too much attention, when she wanted this to go as smoothly as it could.
Opening up the door, Emma entered the bar and instead of tracking down the person she wanted to talk to, she made her way over to the bar side. Hopping up onto a bar stool, Emma motioned the bar tender over and waited.
"What can I get you?" A girl asked, who looked not much older than Betty's age.
She had a dusky pink colour running through her naturall dark blonde hair, reminding Emma very much of her own old pink hair she sported at that age. Her look was grungy and fitted in very well in the dark themed bar they were situiated in.
"A whiskey." She told the girl, before tossing some notes over to her.
"One whiskey." The bar girl said, before taking the money and going to make Emma's drink.
A moment or so later, the girl came back over with her whiskey and went to turn away to go serve someone else, when Emma called her back.
"Could you do me a favour?" Emma asked the teenager.
"What?" The girl responded, almost looking a little fed up.
"Tell Fp that he has a visitor." She said to the girl with a daring smile on her face.
The girl slowly nodded, looking back at Emma once more, somewhat confused as to who this girl was and what she'd want with him, "And can I have a name so I know who to say is expecting him?"
"Oh he'll know." Emma assured the girl, as she quickly downed her whiskey in one swift action.
The bar tender girl watched Emma a little taken back, before she walked away and headed out back to go find Fp, as Emma stayed seated at the bar, the nerves now growing in her stomach to come face to face with him again after everything.
But she had to do this.
Emma couldn't leave town without knowing or fixing things. She had to see him one last time. Because if she didn't. Then she knew her biggest regret would be the guy who made her feel so alive.
A few minutes later, the girl came back from being out back and when Emma saw her again, the two caught eyes. She nodded back at Emma, almost in a confirmation to say that Fp would be here soon, so Emma waited, bouncing her legs under the bar as she did so.
When the door that lead to the back of the bar reopened, Emma felt her stomach clench with excitment and anxiety when she saw him come from behind it. It felt like everything around her went into slow motion and all that was left was them two.
Fp had been sitting out back, joking around with a couple of his friends from the crew, before Toni, one of the bar girl's came out back with a message for him. When he had asked just whom was waiting for him out front, Toni had only been able to tell him that she said he'd know.
When Fp had heard it was a she, the boys from around him had taunted him, which earned a telling off from Fp, as he downed the rest of his beer and followed Toni to go out front to see who would be waiting for him.
As he came through that door and his eyes rolled over to the bar, he had not expected in a million years to see Emma sat there. His stomach began to churn as he took in her more laid back appearence and the confident look that was holding strong on his face.
What the hell was she doing here?
Fp slowly exited the bar and came round to the back of it, where she was sat on a stool and didn't turn her head to look at him, until he was stood next to her, his hands coming to rest down on the bar surface.
"What are you doing here?" He asked her in a confused manner.
Emma rubbed her lips together, as she moved her body round on the stool to face him better, "I came to talk."
"Didn't we talk enough the other night?" Fp frowned back at her.
Although as much as he tried to keep his eyes on her own, he couldn't help but shift them around at her body. She looked amazing right now. The best he had ever seen her. It was doing things to him he had hoped he would forget.
But he just couldn't.
"If I remember rightly, you wouldn't let me explain," She said as a sad smile came across her face, "I just want to talk."
"I don't have anything more to say to you." He told her harshly, about to turn away and head back to the boys out back.
He couldn't let her back in. Not after everything she had done. She had played him good and Fp wouldn't let her or anyone do that to him ever again.
Emma quickly laid her hand on top of his and stopped him from going any further, "Fp, please. I've come all this way and I'm not going to take no for an answer."
Fp glanced down at their hands, hating how her touch felt so good and made him want to pull her into him, but he had to stay focused on how much of a fool she had made him feel the other night in front of Hermonie Lodge.
He had his fun with her earlier on that day. Fp had left a fake snake at the diner to taunt her with. But he hadn't yet thought about how he would get Emma back. Or if he even wanted to, because his feelings towards her were so messed up.
"Fine," He breathed, giving into her, "five minutes."
Emma nodded back at him, before slipping off the stool and going over to grab them a table, as Fp ordered them two whiskeys and brought them over to join her, as he took one side of the table and she took the other.
Knowing she was on a time frame, Emma began to tell explain to him how sorry she was about the other night. She told him about how Hermonie wouldn't let her do her job and kept getting involved. Emma assured him that she had no idea Hermonie would turn up that night.
Instead of interrupting or accusing her of more, Fp just listened to her and let her have her peace, understanding now that if Emma didn't get what she wanted, then she would sure as hell keep trying until she did.
Emma continued to say how she never knew it was him until she saw him there the night they were suppose to meet. She had no clue until then that Jones was Fp. Emma explained how disapointed and pissed she had been also. But what hurt her the most was that he had thought she was the type of girl to screw him over.
Fp lowered his head at this, wanting to believe what she said was all true, but in his eyes, the trust had already been broken as far as he was concerned. It would take a lot for him to forgive her.
But he liked her determination.
"All I had to do was deliver the money to you from Hermonie and that was it," Emma furthered her explanation, "that was my job. Then I was suppose to be gone from here."
"Right," He nodded, still unsure, before he asked her, "but where's the rest of my money?"
Emma sighed, a little disapointed he hadn't given responded to her explanation, but she wasn't going to give up yet, she knew how men could be, "If I had my own, I would give you half, but I'm still waiting on my own sum."
"How did you even get involved with the Lodge's anyway?" Fp then asked her, wanting to know more before he could make his decision on this girl.
"We were business partners," She explained, leaving out the part about John, "Lodge industries was my investor."
"So how come you didn't get sent away?" He questioned with a small frown.
"Hiram protected me," Emma said, knowing that was somewhat the truth, but also not the full story, "he kept me out of it."
Fp looked back at her, feeling like she wasn't being a hundred percent honest with him, but he hadn't exactly been truthful with her either. But the fact she had come all this way and put herself in this situation, to gain back his trust and earn his forgiveness had to count for something.
Before all of this happened, Fp had really enjoyed the girl's company and liked her a lot more than he cared to admit. She was fun. She caught him off guard. He felt happy and content when he was with her, like nothing else mattered. Emma made him feel like a good strong person who could achieve anything.
He admired her determination and her own personal strength. It encouraged him to do better, to be better for his own sake. Fp didn't really know how his feelings were for this girl he barely knew, but he also knew that since the day they met on the street, he hadn't shaked her off.
She was always there. Always on his mind. He was always hoping she'd walk through those doors. And tonight she had.
It had to mean something, right?
"Are you completely done with them now then?" Fp had to know one last time her true intentions about being here.
She quickly nodded back at him, the strength and confidence she had about this decision prominent, "100% done."
"Alright," He nodded back at her, but not as confident as she had, before he thought for a moment, considering his options right now, as he put together a proposition for her, "maybe you can do me a favour."
"What's that?" Emma asked, a little nervous as to what this would be.
She wanted to be done with all the dogdy things she had been involved in with the Lodges. Emma really hoped Fp wouldn't ask her to do something for him that involved her stepping straight back into that life.
"Work a few shifts here." Fp put it to her with a half smile.
"What as in the bar?" She clarified with him.
Emma was stunned he wanted her to work for him and also at the bar. She had been half expecting him to ask her to do something, but then she remembered the man she saw at the back of the bar, the kind and caring man.
"Uh-huh." He nodded.
She had to way up her options here. Emma needed some extra cash because her sum from the Lodge's still hadn't come through yet since Friday. She needed so much help with money and if Fp was offering her more work than just what she was getting from Fred at the construction site.
Then this seemed like a good option. Plus if it meant Fp would forgive and forget what happened the other night, then Emma would gladly accepted. This also meant the two would probably see each other more and Emma didn't mind that one bit.
Because as she sat with him in the darkness, the dim lits that were scattered around showing the smallest view of the man opposite her, Emma felt her attraction and desire to be with the man to grow. It was crazy how he made her feel.
The feelings and his presence made her forget the important decision she'd still have to make when the end of the week was up and her deadline to get the hell out of there would be coming to a close.
But for the time being to be there for her family, help Fred and his business, as well as earn Fp's trust back, Emma would take the job.
"Ok," Emma found herself saying and also agreeing to his favour, as she nodded back, "I guess I can do that."
"Really?" Fp was a little surprised she had accepted so quickly.
"Sure."
He quickly downed the rest of his whiskey, before he leant a little forward and said, "Why don't you swing by tomorrow at 8 and you can get started?"
Emma nodded, as she slowly got up from her seat and gave him a look, "I guess I'll see you tomorrow, Fp Jones."
Giving him one last look, Emma moved past him and made her way towards the exit of the bar. Fp turned his head back to watch her walk away, his eyes never leaving her body right until she slipped out of the door and she was gone from his vision.
As he slowly turned back round, he felt a frustration grow in his body. Fp knew exactly why. he had so wanted to get her to stay for the rest of the night. But he knew if he let her in again like that, Fp wouldn't be able to live with himself for giving in so easily.
He would just have to wait and trust himself that he could stay away.
Emma returned back from the bar a little while later. She tried to be as quiet as she could when she came through the front door, but was met by the judgemental eyes of Hal Cooper coming down the stairs towards her.
She flashed him the fakest smile she could, as Emma closed up the front door and took off her jacket. Hal came to join her in the halway, eyeing her suspiciously at where she had just been and come back from.
"Does Alice know you went out?" He asked her intergatingly.
"What do you think?" Emma thought she'd toy with him after earlier and also that she was not in the mood for anymore shit that day from him.
"You know I was right earlier," Hal scoffed lightly under his breathe, "still trying to be that rebelicious teenager."
"Or maybe just a twenty year old woman going out when she wants to like a grown up." She corrected him harshly.
"What you mean going out and getting drunk?" He raised his brows up, clearly having smelt the two whiskey's she had at the bar on her breath.
"One, I'm not drunk," Emma informed him with a smug look, "and two at least it's better than drinking at home alone."
"Isn't that where you should be? Back at home, In New York, away from here." Hal smirked back at her, knowing it would hit a nerve.
She scoffed and shook her head in disbelief that he was still so adamant of seeing her leave, "Remember what I told you earlier, Hal. Continue on like this and it won't just be me who can't stand to be around you."
Emma quickly stormed out of the hall and went through into the living room, to find her sister now wide awake, clearly having heard their little argument in the hall and was looking back at Emma unimpressed.
"Oh, don't you start." She grumbled, before going to sit down on the arm chair and watch the TV.
Alice leant over and grabbed hold of the remote and switched it off, causing Emma to look over at her sister in confusion.
"Did you or did you not threaten Hal today?" Alice questioned her.
Emma frowned back at her, pissed that Hal had mentioned to Alice about that, "What the hell?"
"Answer the question, Emma." Her older sister said trying to keep her cool, but inside she was like a ticking time bomb.
"Yes. Yes I did," She answered her sister truthfully, before saying, "but only because he pushed me over the edge. He was talking about.."
"Enough! I don't want to hear your exscuses," Alice stood up from the couch and came over to Emma, "don't you dare threaten my husband ever again."
"Alice," Emma breathed, taken back by her sister's sudden change in behaviour, it had only been this morning she had begged her to stay, now she was pushing her away enough to make Emma want to leave, "he was talking about my childhood!"
"I don't care, Emma. You threatened Hal about Polly and I am not having you risk our family for your own self gain." Her sister told her sternly.
Emma shook her head in disbelief, she couldn't believe Hal had dropped her right in it and Alice was now threatening Emma. She wasn't going to stand for this and be mugged over by her own family for doing what she thought was right.
Quickly standing up, Emma came out of the sitting room once again that night, barging past Hal who was smugly stood at the door listening in to their conversation, before she marched upstairs to her room.
Upon hearing all the argument and the loud footsteps upstairs, Betty came out of her bedroom inquitesively, wondering what the hell was going on downstairs and who had come up in such rage.
A moment later, her aunt came from out of her room, carrying her duffle bag and suitcase, that she hadn't unpacked from before the weekend and their trip away, a look of anger right across Emma's face as she came past her.
"Aunt, Emma!" Betty called, trying to grab her aunt's attention, "are you ok?"
"Just stay in your room, Betty." Emma told her neice, not wanting her to get involved in this stupid drama.
Betty being Betty couldn't help herself and if it concerened her family, then she was sure as hell not going to stay back and let it slide. She quickly came out of her room more and watched Emma storm back down the stairs with her bags in tow from the landing.
Upon hearing Emma come back down, Alice came into the hall to join Hal and to also see Emma now heading towards the front door to leave, her older sister's world suddenly breaking when she saw her little sister go to leave again.
"Emma, where are you going?" She quizzed her worriedly.
"Away from here!" Emma snapped back at her sister, all she could see right now was red, her good mood from the day ruined by the people who were suppose to care the most, "away from you and him."
Hal looked back at Emma, trying to hold off on the smug look on his face, but inside he was thrilled to hear that she would be leaving and finally getting out of their lives, hopefully never to come back like she had just suddenly had the past few weeks.
"No! No!" Alice jumped in, thinking this was stupid and she couldn't go, "Emma, please."
"I can't stay here," Emma held her guard, not wanting to give into her sister's pleas like she had at the weekend, "I'm leaving and you're not stopping me this time. It's over, Alice."
"Emma, please. I'm sorry," Alice felt her heart breaking seeing her sister go like this, she regretted everythingn she had said, "please just don't leave. Not like this."
"Blame your husband for this, Alice. He wanted this. He wanted me to go the day I got here," Emma exclaimed, as she gave Hal a glare, "he planned this. It's done. I'll stay away."
"Where are you going to go?" Her older sister asked, with tears in her eyes.
"Somewhere where my every move won't get picked about and I won't have someone constantly putting me down." Emma spat back, as she opened up the front door and quickly rushed out of it.
Alice quickly followed her sister over to the front door, wanting to drag her back inside, but she knew her sister was right. She hadn't made her stay as fair as it could be and had taken Hal's side over her own sisters. Having the two here together was creating a difficuilt atmosphere to live in.
But she didn't want to see Emma go like this.
Hal pulled his wife back inside, needing to calm her down and let her accept the same way he had that Emma wasn't who her sister believed she was. In his eyes, he had won. He had got her to go.
Yet she wouldn't be far away.
Emma dragged her case and bag up the steps of the house nextdoor, the nerves and anger flooding around her body, as she anxious knocked lightly at the Andrew's household, hoping for the best right now.
A few moments later, Archie came to the door, a little surprised to see her there, but he greeted her warmly, "Hi, Emma. I'll get my Dad."
"Thanks, Archie." Emma smiled back at him lightly.
Archie went over to the bottom of the stairs and called his Dad a couple of times, letting him know someone was at the door for him, before he encouraged Emma inside to wait for his father to come downstairs.
He had just closed up the door, when Fred appeared on the stairs, also just as shocked to see Emma there as Archie was, espically since it was getting late that night, but he knew it had to be important.
Fred's face fell a little when he saw the bags surronding Emma and he thought the worst had come true. She was going to leave and this was her coming to tell him she'd changed her mind. This was a goodbye.
"Hey, sorry for coming over like this," She quickly apologised, her voice a little shakey from the anger and anxiety inside, "I know it's late."
"Not to worry," He assured her, as Archie headed upstairs and left them to it, "what's going on? Don't tell me you're leaving?"
"Well I didn't plan on it, but if I can't find a place to stay by the end of the night, then maybe I will be heading off sooner than I thought." Emma explained to him with hopeful eyes.
"What's happened? Did Alice throw you out?" Fred asked her, confused as to why she wasn't living next door anymore.
She sighed, raising her eyebrows slightly, "Let's just say my sister and my brother-in-law sent me over the edge tonight. I can't stay there with them. I feel suffocated."
Fred stared back at her, seeing that she was probably moments away from breaking down on him for the second time that day. And just like before it pained him to see her this way. Emma took a deep breathe out and tried to look anywhere but Fred as she tried to fight off the tears.
"Hey, come here." He beckoned her over, not wanting her to be alone with this any longer.
Emma slowly came over to him and walked into his arms, as he pulled her into a warm friendly embrace. She laid the side of her head on his chest, as he rubbed her back up and down to try calm her down.
She silently allowed the tears to fall, giving out some of that awful tension that had been built up from her fight with Fred and her argument with Alice that night. Emma hated how her mood had been ruined so quickly.
She had been so esastic and hopeful after leaving the bar after talking to Fp. Emma couldn't have felt more excited for what was about to come. And instantly in seconds, Hal had shattered that, along with her sister.
Emma couldn't be around the negative energy when she was feeling as vunerable as she was. It was best if she stayed away for the rest of her time here until she ready to go.
"You're more than welcome to stay here," Fred offered his home to her, as they pulled out of their hug, "my spare room has been gathering dust lately so could do with a new occupant."
"Are you sure?" Emma didn't want to intrude, but knew Fred really wouldn't mind having her here.
She coulnd't think of any other place to go than with him.
"It's no problem," He assured her once again, before motioning to the sitting room, "go make yourself comfortable. I'll put your bags in your room and go make us some tea."
"Thanks, Fred." Emma smiled back at him, before the man took hold of her bags and left her to go take a seat in the sitting room.
She knew she'd be alright here. Fred was good to her. He would help her the next few days. Fred wouldn't mind her going out at night to do her business and then come back. It would make things so much easier for her.
Author note: What a crazy episode! Plenty of highs and lows in this one. But are we glad Emma is not giving up on Fp? Because I sure am! But damn Hal for pushing Emma away from her family, but at least she has Fred. I love writing their friendship. I hope you guys liked this part and thank you so much for reading.
Special thanks to hanna277, top story, Skyxcx, JosieoftheRose, HarleyIsQueenx, FizzWizz2011, Guest43 and Luvs2Read for reviewing the last part! You guys amaze me so much. I really appreciate your time. I'm so glad so many of you are loving this story and are excited to see how Emma fits more into season 1 and 2. Thank you so much!
I'd love to know your thoughts on this part...
How will Emma handle working at the bar with Fp?
Will she stay in town and live with Fred?
Will Hal back down and leave Emma alone or has he won?
Thanks so much again.
Best wishes always,
guiltypleasurexo
