Sorry it always takes me so long to update, but you know…life is busy! Thanks to all of my wonderful readers and reviewers…I appreciate your time!

Disclaimer (I've been forgetting this!): I own nothing besides Emily, Rachel, any of Emily's friends, and any homeless people on the street. And my Diet Coke. LOL…

Now, read the fifth chapter!!!

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Joey and D.J., with Alex in Joey's arms, hurried down the street. They were close to finding Emily, they just knew it. This was definitely the kind of filthy background she had been living in for a while. It was a dingy and dirty lifestyle, but they supposed that Emily liked it because her friends were here.

They stopped suddenly when they saw a group of teens (mostly girls), all of them around Emily's age. It was a large gathering of people, with probably fifteen or sixteen people. They were sitting under a canvas covering, almost like a tent, sprawled across barrels, boxes, blankets, and the jagged ground. They were laughing and joking loudly.

"Joey…do you think…maybe?" D.J. asked, eyeing the teenagers carefully, hoping for a sign of Emily.

"I don't know, D.J., but it's possible. Anything's possible at this point." Joey replied. The two of them stepped closer to the group.

"Excuse me!" D.J. called out loudly. "Excuse me!"

The teenagers turned to look at D.J. with the same curious gaze she had been giving them only moments before.

D.J. faltered under the eyes of so many people, but thought of Emily living in this environment and swallowed her fear. "Have you…have you seen a girl named Emily?"

The group was silent for what seemed like forever. Then, a body that had been lying on the ground rose to look at D.J. and Joey. They recognized her immediately. It was Emily.

"Emily…you can't imagine how relieved I am to see you." Joey told the girl, offering her a kind smile.

"Sorry, can't say the same about you." Emily responded, a bitter tone in her voice. She settled back against the ground, and Joey and D.J. lost their view of her.

The two moved up until they were right next to the group. "Emily, please at least come talk to us." Joey pleaded, his voice diminishing as he saw her displeased look.

But, despite her obvious annoyance, she got to her feet and followed them away from her friends, to an empty corner of the street.

"What?" Emily hissed, once they were out of earshot of her friends.

Joey mentally ran over his words before speaking. "Emily, we really want you to come home with us. You belong there…we're your family. Don't you want to be with us?"

"No."

Joey sighed. "But you'd be with people who loved you, instead of those…ruffians." He stumbled over his words, trying to search for the perfect adjective to describe Emily's friends.

Emily's eyes narrowed. "These ruffians are my friends, and they are my family. I need no one else." She turned to go back to her group, but D.J. grabbed her arm.

"Emily, just hear us out." Now D.J. prepared herself. "Not only would you be with a family, you would have a warm bed, real meals every day, decent clothing…and two baby brothers." Emily's glare seemed not as angry now.

"Now, don't try and tell me that you would rather sleep on a cold cement sidewalk, eat out of the dumpster, wear the same clothes for the rest of your life, and have no proper family. This is not a life, Emily. This is a nightmare."

Emily seemed to be considering this. "But I'd have to leave my friends…and this place- I know it may not seem like much to you, but this place is really my home. I've lived here for years. I can't just leave like that."

"Well, it's your decision. You can stay here if you want, but I know that we'd all be really disappointed. Did you know Aunt Becky was crying before we all set out to find you? She was afraid you didn't want to be with her. And I know Uncle Jesse really does want you to live with them. Nicky and Alex are going to love having you as a sister. I know Stephanie, Michelle and I would be thrilled to have a cousin like you. So…why don't you come with us, Emily? Everybody wants you."

As if on cue, Alex reached out from Joey's arms, trying to grab Emily. The teen laughed and took the boy into her arms. She let him fall asleep in her arms while she thought about what she should do.

"Well…I guess…I guess I'll do it. I can come back and visit my friends sometimes, right?"

"Anytime you want." Joey replied, and D.J. nodded her agreement.

"Okay. Just let me say goodbye to my friends, and I'll be ready to go in a few minutes." Emily handed Alex to D.J. and rushed back to say farewell to her friends.

Emily went to her more distant friends first, because it'd be easier to say goodbye. They didn't protest much, just gave her a hug or a handshake and wished her good luck.

Then she went to her inner circle, which included, among other people, Rachel, and Emily's boyfriend, Brad.

"Make new friends, okay? But don't forget about us. We'll be waiting for you here anytime you need us, if they try to make you do chores or something." One of Emily's friends, Catressa, said. The two laughed and hugged each other.

"You're my best friend, Em. You can't leave me alone like this! Who's going to steal food when it's my turn and I'm too afraid to do it?" Rachel was worried.

"Our other friends will help you, Rachel."

"I'll never have another friend like you." Rachel hugged Emily several times, before bursting into tears and running away.

Brad was last. "Promise me you won't fall in love with any rich boy, okay? You'll always love your Brad most, won't you?"

"Yes, Brad. I promise." Emily responded, kissing him lightly on the cheek.

Brad smiled and stroked her hair gently. "Have fun, Em…come back to visit me all the time."

The two shared a hug and a couple of quick kisses, before Brad allowed Emily to leave. She waved as she walked away with Joey, D.J., and Alex.

"So, Emily, are you ready to come home?" Joey asked.

Emily looked wistfully at her friends, growing smaller and smaller in the distance.

"I've already left it."

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There you go! Hope you all enjoyed!

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