AUTHORS NOTE: Just to clarify, there has been some confusion about Callie. I said that she was almost 5'8" in Chapter 1. I meant to type in 5"6, but I pressed the wrong number. That doesn't mean she's like fifty feet tall, towering over skyscrapers like a giant. Craig Manning/Jake Epstein is about 6 feet tall in real life, so there is a significant height difference. Think of like Ellie's medium height – that's about Callie's. I also do not own any of the Degrassi characters, just Callie and her family.

"Em, your so beautiful," Sean whispered, as him and Emma kissed passionately on Sean's bed. This might be my lucky night - and its about time, I've waited for Emma 'Save the Whales' Nelson long enough.

Emma was lost for a moment. She loved Sean, completely, and was so happy to have him back, away from Amy. She loved the way he talked, the way his hair smelled, the way he called her beautiful – he was perfect in her eyes. They kissed some more, and spontaneously she felt Sean's hand slide down to the zipper on her shirt. He started unzipping it, very slowly.

Emma, just relax. You can do this. And no one is here. Sean really loves you, you can SO do this. But just as Emma felt his hand go further, she jumped up.

Maybe someone like Manny can do this, but I can't.

"I'm so sorry Sean, but I can't. Not now." Emma said, rising up from the bed. She rezipped her jeans and sat up.

"It doesn't feel right."

"Is it me?" Sean asked, fiddling with his messed up make out hair.

"No, not at all, you're absolutely perfect. I love you Sean, but I just can't...Sean, I'm sorry."

"Its okay Emma." He sighed. Emma blew the hair off her face and glanced at her Baby-G watch.

"I gotta go, I promised mom I'd babysit Jack." But just as Sean leaned over to kiss her, she was halfway out the door. Sean walked up to the bed and ripped one of his feather pillows open, completely frustrated, feathers flying everywhere.

As Emma climbed through her basement-bedroom-window, she thought, did Sean say 'I love you' back? It doesn't matter, he does love you. You don't need him to say it to know it. Emma thought. Emma crawled through her window, and fell to the ground.

"OW!" She said, rubbing her butt. She swung her coat off her shoulder and threw it on her cheetah (faux, of course) beanbag chair and turned on her CD Player. "Overdrive" by Caty Rose was playing, and Emma smiled – it was her favorite song. She pushed her dark blue curtain aside, and saw Manny, sitting on the ground, crying and staring at a picture.

"Manny, what the hell!?" Why does she always somehow end up in my room? First with Craig, now like this. I really need to tape that darn window shut.

"Emmmmmma, when did my life get to be such a hellhole?" Manny asked, slurring. She collapsed to the ground, releasing the picture from her hand, sobbing, and reaching around the ground for her bottle of wine. Emma bent over, picking up the black and white photo. It was of Manny and Craig in an ice rink around the holidays, and Craig had his arms around Manny's waist, tickling her.

"I think that's when you decided to let Craig take your pants off. Why did you come here?"

"Because, EM, you're the only one who understands me!" She screamed.

"Manny, you completely reek. Pull yourself together. How much have you been drinking?" Why is this happening, tonight, of all nights? Emma thought. "You NEED to get home."

But unexpectedly, Manny lost it, and started kicking her arms and legs, knocking Emma's giant porcelain dolphin off her nightstand.

"What does he see in that Callie girl anyway! That stupid slut! When I get near her I'm gonna..."

"Emma, is everything alright down there?" Snake shouted.

"Manny, you need to leave, now." She helped Manny up, leading her over to the window. She crawled out. I know this is wrong to push her out like this, but its her problem. Snake can't see her, he'll have a heart attack. Oye. After a minute or two, Snake walked down the stairs, taking a huge sniff of the air.

"Em, your mom heard something crash, and I thought..." Snake said, advancing farther down. Emma looked around noticing Manny's oversized bottle was still on the ground. Oh no.

"Snake, I'm getting dressed!" She yelled. Snake quickly turned around, shielding his eyes. Emma pushed the bottle under her bed and threw a fleece blanket over Manny's spill, and pretended to start going through her closet.

"Okay."

"What happened here?" Snake said, pointing at the broken porcelain.

"I just tripped, clumsy old me." She giggled. Snake grew suspicious.

"And what is that horrific odor?"

"Its...umm...that rusty broken pipe and new paint." She said, smiling.

Emma would NEVER drink, and she's clearly sober, Snake thought. He walked back upstairs. Emma felt bad about leaving Manny like that, but she only lived next door and Emma was sick of always covering for Manny and her drunken lies; this was her last straw. If Manny wanted to get drunk all the time and ruin her life, let her. Her drinking problem was getting out of hand. She put a pillow over her face and screamed.

Manny sat solemnly on her porch, wiping her eyes. She was so frustrated, especially at Callie. There was NO way she was going to lose Craig to Callie. I've been IM'ing her daily with threats, but is it enough? Well Manuella Santos is not going down without a fight. She went into her house and dragged herself to the living room couch.

"Craigory, you don't have to be so nice to me." Callie said, feeling her warm tears run down the chest of his plaid shirt. She liked that feeling, and she wasn't about to let go now. And he smiled whenever she called him that. That's what he said his name was when he first introduced himself.

"Don't even worry about it. You're my friend Callie, I care about you. Let's go back to my place, it's a little better than the middle of the street."

They walked back to Craig's house strangely silent in the snow, and once they got there Callie immediately asked for the bathroom and walked into it, ignoring Joey.

"Whose the girl?" Joey said, after he saw Callie was safely down the hallway.

"Her name's Callie, and..."

"Craig, you know the rules, no chicks here when I'm about to leave. I'm trusting you while I'm in B.C."

"Joey I know, but, she can't go home, at least not right now."

"And why not?"

Craig looked at Joey, with a fierce yet somehow soft look in his eyes. The same look that Craig had let Joey see one night when he tried to run away from his dad and when he had gathered his stuff from his father's house for the last time. Somehow Joey just knew. And it took a lot of emotions for Craig to release that look. Joey sighed.

"Alright. But just tonight. Angie is at her friends' house for two days, than she'll be with Caitlin until Sunday when I come back. NO parties." Joey grabbed his coat, waved goodbye and drove away. Craig sat down on the floor, with his back against the couch and lite the fireplace. He reached into Angie's bookcase and pulled out a book called "Little Duck Lost" – Angie's favorite.

Callie came out of the bathroom, a little more cleaned up now – she had wiped all her smeared eyeliner off her face and redid her hair. She walked over and sat next to Craig, a little uneasy about what to say next. She was still wearing his jacket – it hung off her shoulders and she loved how it sat on her oversized. She tried extremely hard not to look at him. He was so easy to look at. Somehow at that moment Callie wasn't sure how she felt about Craig. They were really close – but were they more then friends? She turned, and gazed at him. He was staring into the fireplace with his broken conscience, causing his huge brown eyes to naturally appear bigger. She wanted to know what, or more importantly who it was for. Little did she know that it was just for more than one reason.

You're such a wimp. Pull yourself together. Ashley and Manny don't matter anymore. Dad and the baby are gone now. You can't do anything about it.

"Do you have any secrets, Craig?"

He wanted to tell her. He really did, about everything. But it would make her hate him.

"What do you mean?"

"Secrets – like things nobody knows."

"No." Stop lieing – how can you do this?

She knew he was lieing. You don't look like that if nothing isn't wrong.

"I'm your friend, and you wouldn't keep something from me, would you?"

"No." He smiled at her with a convincing look. She let it go.

"Your dad is really cool."

"He's not my dad. My stepdad. My real dad abused me, but he was in a car accident and after he died..." Craig's stomach pulled. He couldn't finish that sentence.

Callie slowly moved her hand towards Craig's and weaved her fingers in his. She finally understood part of that look he sometimes held. She turned her head and gazed into his eyes. Time stood still with only the cackle of the fireplace - she lost herself for minutes. There faces got closer until she moved herself towards him dramatically.

He felt his top lip graze hers sensually, and gave in.

He was the softest kisser she had ever encountered. It was nice and gentle – but safe and romantic at the same time. They kissed quite a while until Craig slowly broke away. Something just didn't feel right to him, and he couldn't figure out why. Maybe it was all the rekindled memories about his father that just didn't make it right. He didn't know.

"Will you read to me?" Callie was a little shocked that he did that, but smiled.

"Seriously?" Craig laughed.

"Seriously." Callie laid down fully on the ground, putting her head in Craig's lap.

"Once upon a time there was..." He said, reading. The glow of the fire reflected into the book and he could feel Callie starting to calm down. After about ten minutes, he heard a large exhale. He looked down and Callie was asleep in his lap. Everything was peaceful - until his cell phone vibrated in his pocket. It was Spinner. He opened it.

"Hello?"

"Hey dude, what's up? I'm coming over so be ready."

"I'm a little busy right now Spinner. And plus, Joey's in B.C." He said, lying, but also saying it intensely but softly, trying to get him to go away.

"You have a chick there, don't you? Oh my god, Callie's over isn't she?"

"This really isn't the time." Craig shut the phone and turned it off.

He gazed softly at Callie and draped a blue fleece blanket over and kissed her head. He wanted right there to say everything he's wanted to say to her. So, he did.