With Emma taking school off for the week, she was able to stay and work at Ernie's all day. Gia would then join her as soon as school got out, and they would sit with the boys when they came. Business was a bit slower after news of the attempted robbery, but it seemed Emma had gained herself a little fame.
People who would have normally passed by the door actually stopped and stepped inside to get a look at the girl would had taken down two men and an armed gunman. They usually stared and tried to ask questions, but one healthy glare from Gia sent them packing. Those who weren't as intrusive would end up ordering in hopes of seeing something.
The pink ranger tried to spend as much as time as possible working for two reasons. The first was obvious. They all needed the money. Mrs. Goodall had picked up some odd jobs and even done some babysitting, but it was still rough trying to supplement three on a meager income. The second was that she was avoiding her mother.
Emma wasn't as upset with her and emotions had cooled throughout the week, but she still felt weird being around her. The dynamic felt off to her, and she didn't quite feel ready yet to buddy up with her mom.
Gia waved her hand in front of Emma's face and brought her out of her stupor. "Hey, Em. I'm heading home for the day. Jake's taking me home, want a ride?"
Her friend shook her head. "I'm taking another shift."
The yellow ranger bit her lip. "Emma, it's seven. You haven't eaten and you've been at it all day. I'm sure you can go home and it'll be fine."
Emma gave her a reassuring smile. "I'll be okay, Gia. Ernie lets me snack on some fruit in the back. I'll be home as soon as this shift ends."
Gia nodded and left reluctantly, so she wouldn't keep Jake waiting.
-0-
The cycle was much the same through the week, and Emma was becoming more tired as the days dragged on. By Friday, she was back to her old ways, walking around like a zombie who had just been run over by a truck.
Jake walked in to order a drink. He had soccer practice but it got out early, so he made it before the others. When he walked up, he expected Emma to take his order, but instead found her half asleep at the register.
"Hello... Earth to Emma. Anybody in there?"
He teasingly poked her shoulder, but when she nearly tipped over, Jake actually became worried.
"Dude, you need to go home and sleep."
Emma opened her eyes groggily. "I still have the rest of the day. I can sleep later."
Jake looked over to Ernie. "Hey, I'm taking her home. You mind if I steal her for the rest of the day?"
"Not at all, Jake. I'll pay her for the part of the shift she's completed."
Emma didn't want to leave early so she protested, but Jake dragged her out the door. "Thanks Ernie!"
The older man just shook his head, looking to the drink he had made Jake. Whenever one of the rangers walked in, he always made their usual order without even needing to be asked. Jake had apparently forgotten that when he went to ask Emma to make it and in his haste to leave, he didn't remember to order from Ernie.
He just shrugged his shoulders as he looked at his own creation. "Why not?"
Within the next three minutes, the shake was gone.
-0-
Jake had just finished dragging Emma to his car and dumped her in the passenger seat. Emma strapped on the seat belt reluctantly while Jake made his way to the driver side.
"Jake, I can take care of myself. You didn't need to pull me out like that."
"Em, have you seen yourself lately? If I didn't know any better, I'd have thought you were some monster from one of Noah's video games."
"Okay, that's just rude."
The black ranger squeezed her arm. "Seriously, Emma you need rest. You do not look healthy. When was the last time you even ate a full meal?"
"Gavin had dinner last night. I ate a little with him." Right as she said that, her stomach let out an unceremonious growl.
Jake just gave her a look, and she gave in. "Okay fine, it's been a little over a day. But I was going to eat dinner with Gia once my shift ended."
"You were going to wait another full day? Emma... you can't keep doing this to yourself. I thought you were getting better and asking for help. But it's like instead of taking one step forward, we've taken two steps back."
"Gia is helping me. And this arrangement only has to last until my mom starts work. By this time next week, I'll be happy and looking like a real human instead of one of Noah's video game characters," she tried to laugh it off, but Jake wasn't amused.
"I don't understand why you keep doing this, Em. You're hurting yourself and you don't even care! Seeing you like this hurts the rest of us too."
Emma lowered her head. "You're right. You don't understand. You can't understand until you've been in a position where someone's life is dependent on you putting food on the table. Gavin's sick, and he needs help. I'm useless if I can't do anything to provide for him."
"You're not useless if you decide to work six hours a day instead of eight. And besides, your brother is a big boy, he can take care of himself. I'm sure he could figure out at least one meal without you having to throw your entire life away like this. He appreciates what you're doing and he loves you, but you can't keep going on like this. Of course he needs you to keep working, but he wouldn't want you doing this for him at your own expense. You need to take care of yourself, too. Not just him."
"There is no 'taking care of myself' in this situation, Jake. He is depending on me, and there are not enough dogs in the world for my mom to walk during the day that could equal up to what she was earning before. Not until her new job starts. He's got treatment on Sunday and we need to pay for it. He's my family, I put him before myself. That's how this works."
Jake glanced over and tried to look her in the eyes, but she refused to. "You're doing this because he's your family? Because you're loyal to your family and don't want to let him down? Because you share the same blood as him?"
Emma finally lifted her head to give him a funny look. "Well, yeah. I thought that was pretty obvious. I do it because he's my brother and I love him."
"And your mother... You think she deserves to be sitting at home living an easy life while her kid daughter is working her ass off to provide for three people? Especially after she left you in the dust to suffer by yourself for ten years? You're still taking care of her even though she sure as hell does not deserve it."
"Jake, come on. That's different. She may have done bad things, but that doesn't mean she's a bad person. She's still my mom. Even if she did run off, she spent the first eight years of my life taking care of me, and doing a damn good job. Gavin was sick and it was hard financially, but she still loved me and cared for me. She's my blood... We take care of each other."
"So you take care of Gavin because he's your brother and shares your blood. You take care of your mother because you're loyal to your family and share blood. That's why you're driving yourself crazy working your ass off. Because of blood loyalty? Then what about your father?"
Emma was floored.
"Would you take care of him if he showed up at your door, bleeding? Or hungry?"
The pink ranger actually didn't know the answer to that. "He's my dad, I-"
"Would you take care of him or no? He hit you, scared you, broke you both physically and emotionally... He threatened to hit Gavin on multiple occasions and took his anger out on you and Mrs. Goodall. He hurt you repeatedly until you conditioned yourself to that pain, and you would still care for him and love him?"
"Well, I guess when you put it like that..."
Jake grabbed her face and physically turned it towards him so that she could see the sincerity in his eyes.
"Emma, you can't go on like this. I know you feel like you need to take care of them, especially because they're your blood. But there needs to be a limit. You're out here busting your ass for a mother who didn't love you enough to save you. I'm sorry that's direct and harsh, but it's true. Family isn't defined by blood, it's defined by love. You love your brother and you want to take care of him, and I have immense respect for that. But you need to take care of yourself too. You're no good to anyone if you're unable to function like a normal human."
Emma winced slightly when Jake brought up her mother not loving her. She knew it wasn't true, but it had blossomed into a hidden insecurity over the years. Doubt sometimes filled her, and she thought that maybe her mother left because Emma wasn't good enough to deserve her love.
"That's the whole point of the saying that blood is thicker than water. No matter what, you're supposed to love your family. You can't choose them. They just are who they are."
It appeared Emma wasn't understanding what he was saying, so he decided now would be a good time to reveal something personal about him. He hadn't even told Gia yet. Noah was the only one who knew.
"Emma, my dad walked out on my mom and me when I was five. I barely remember it, but one night he said he was going to the office for a meeting and never came back. I didn't understand it then. But my mom re-married years later, and my step-dad is the one who raised me. He taught me how to kick a soccer ball, and he supported me in my dreams to be a soccer player when my mom thought it was stupid. He is my real dad. Not that asshole who left me behind when I was just a kid.
He never hit me or hurt me physically, and I'm connected to him by my blood. Biologically, he's my dad. But he's not my family. I hate him for what he did to my mom and me, and I didn't understand what happened. I thought something was wrong with me, and that's what made him leave. He wronged me and hurt me, and for a while, I was ruined. I feel like I'm justified to hate him, and say that he's not a part of my family. Don't you?"
Emma nodded without hesitation.
"The same thing applies to you, Emma. Don't take care of your mom because you feel like you have to. Do it because you want to. Your dad clearly didn't care about being your family when he was beating the crap out of you. If blood ties are supposed to be so strong, why did he hurt you repeatedly and why did your mom leave you behind? Family is who you make it, Emma. I'm not saying stop working and stop taking care of them, especially when Gavin hasn't done anything to hurt you. But you're killing yourself trying to do a job your parents should be doing for you. Not only did both of your parents hurt you and leave you behind, but now you're working to provide for your own mother? That is so backwards, and you deserve better.
You just told me that after everything with my dad, it's right to cut him from my family. And after everything your mom and dad did to you, it would feel wrong to care for them. I know you still would because that's just who you are, but you can't hide behind blood ties as an excuse. I know you'd gladly lay down your life for Gia or even anyone on this team. If it meant we would never have to get hurt again, you'd sacrifice your life in a heartbeat. You love us and care about us that much. And you're telling me your father is more your family than Gia or us? Just because you share his genes?"
The pink ranger let out a heavy sigh. "I guess you're right. You guys are more of a family to me than my father ever was. Who I share blood with isn't all that makes up a family, and I shouldn't hurt myself over that."
Jake gave a slight smirk. "I'm always right."
Emma shot him a sideways look. "But seriously, my mom is redeemable. It's been made clear that you and Gia really don't like her or what she did, but it was one mistake. Maybe we're not on the greatest terms right now, but next Monday, she'll be the one working her ass off. And it's not like she's been sitting on the couch watching cartoons this whole time either. She's been trying to get her hands on any job she can to help me take the load off a little. We don't have the greatest relationship right now, but I want to work on it and so does she. Family's not made by blood, but she really is my mom. In my own weird way, I do love her. And I know she loves me too. Give her a chance?"
The black ranger nodded as he turned the car on to finally start heading home. "I'm sure she's not all that bad. After all, you are like the nicest person on this planet. And if your dad turned out to be such an extreme douche, you had to get your sweetness from somewhere. I'll see a side to her I like... eventually. It won't be as easy convincing Gia though."
Emma grumbled under her breath. "You're telling me."
She looked up one more time. A teammate who had completely changed in her eyes. She never would have guessed someone so goofy and easy-going came from a similar place of heartbreak as her.
"What you said about your dad... It's really true? He said he'd go to a meeting and then never came back?"
Jake nodded quietly, his voice barely a whisper. "It sucks."
Emma reached over and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "I know. I'm sorry."
A/N: A little bonding moment between Emma and Jake. I found his character to be kind of one-dimensional and often too goofy to flippant to take seriously on the show, but I always felt like he had the potential to be mature and serious when it mattered. Hope I did him justice. There will certainly be no father of the year awards going to either of their dads anytime soon.
I still am not sure what I want to do about her scene with Troy, but hopefully something comes to me. Let me know if you guys are still enjoying the story. It's been kind of a wild ride and it's already been 46 chapters. Time flew. Thank you for all the reviews, favorites, and follows. It really means the world :)