I am sorry it took so long to get this up! It's crunch time at my university! Anyway, sorry if the last chapter and this one are a little weak. It is all leading up to a much better scene which will be coming up very soon.

Also, I hope everyone from the US had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Please enjoy this next chapter!

Emma went straight home after school. As she entered the house, any hope of her sneaking by without her mother seeing what she was wearing came to a screeching halt, when she found Spike cleaning in the kitchen.

"Emma, is that you?" Spike asked, with her back to Emma. "How was your day?"

Emma was hesitant. Did she want to tell her mother everything that had happened today, or just go sulk, alone, in her room? "Fine…"

Spike still did not turn around to see her daughter, but she could tell by the tone of Emma's voice that something was not right. "Are you sure? Is everything okay?"

Emma decided to get it out as fast as she could and then make a run for it. "Jay broke up with me!" She ran to the basement door and almost made it without being seen, until Spike turned around.

"What?" Spike asked incredulously, and then she noticed Emma's outfit. "Emma Christine Nelson, what are you wearing?"

Emma rolled her eyes. Of all the things going on in her life right now, her wardrobe seemed like the last thing her mother should be worried about. "They're just clothes, Mom."

"Yeah, well those clothes are not appropriate for school, young lady!"

"Fine. I won't wear them again." Emma suddenly thought of something that might give her that chance to be alone after all. "In fact," she began, "I'll just go down and change right now." She started to open the door to the basement.

"Hold it!" Spike commanded. "Did you say that you and Jay broke up?"

Emma sighed and closed the door. She knew she was in for a long talk now. "Yeah…"

"What happened?" Spike asked in a now softer tone. "Come, sit, and talk to me."

They sat down at the kitchen table.

"I'm not really sure what happened." Emma started, honestly. "Jay said I wasn't acting like myself and that he just couldn't handle it anymore."

"That's a strange thing for him to say."

"No, he's right!" Emma exclaimed. "I haven't been myself lately."

"What do you mean?" Spike asked, confused.

"Didn't you notice that I stayed in my room all day Sunday and didn't talk to anyone?" Emma asked pointedly.

"I just thought you wanted some time to yourself." Spike answered.

"In a way I did," Emma admitted, "but I just didn't feel like talking to anyone or doing anything."

"I guess you're right," Spike agreed, "that isn't really like you."

"Then, on Monday," Emma continued, "I felt so unconnected to everything around me. I pushed Jay away and was basically emotionless all day. I knew he was confused, but I couldn't help him when I didn't even understand what was going on…And, today…well, I'm sure you can tell," she paused as she looked down at her clothes for a second, "that I am anything but avoiding attention." She started to breakdown. "I don't deserve Jay! He was with me through so much and then I acted like a complete psycho with him! What is wrong with me?(!)"

"I'm not sure, but…" Spike trailed off as she remembered something.

Spike called Emma's doctor, described how Emma was acting, and asked if it could be because of her new medication. The doctor said it was possible and wanted Spike to bring Emma in as soon as she could.

*At the hospital*

The doctor talked to Emma for awhile and then concluded that Emma's sudden change in behavior was, in fact, due to a chemical imbalance caused by her new vitamin supplement.

"So what does that mean, exactly?" Emma asked.

"It means that your brain is functioning differently because of one of the ingredients in the vitamins I recently prescribed you, and it has caused a temporary personality shift."

"Oh…" Emma said a bit relieved at the mention of the word 'temporary.'

"I'm going to change your prescription again to a supplement with fewer side effects." the doctor informed Emma.

Emma was anxious to know when exactly she would be back to herself, so that she could talk to Jay again. "How soon will I-?"

The doctor cut her off, seeing the desperation in her eyes. "It should only take a few days to see a significant difference and then you should be back to your regular self."

Emma sighed with relief. "That's really good to hear. Thank you."

"I'm just glad you came in when you did," the doctor replied, "and that we fixed the issue quickly."

"Me too." Emma responded.

Spike and Emma left the hospital with the new prescription.

*In the car*

"How am I going to explain this to Jay?" Emma asked her mother. "What if he doesn't want to talk to me?"

"I'm sure it'll work out." Spike answered, waving off her daughter's concern.

"I hope so." Emma sighed, a bit unconvinced.

When they arrived at home, Emma went down to her room to think about how to get Jay back.

Thanks for reading! And, like I said, better things are happening soon!