They say that all girls remember that moment. That big one that changes your life forever and it was true. Later, she remembered everything almost in hyper detail. What song was planning on the jukebox in the corner, the smell of fries coming from the booth behind them and how the lights seemed dimmer then usual. Emma Flynn's shift had been interrupted by John, who'd almost run in and pulled her to an empty booth. She knew what was happening almost instantly. Her first thought, some what foolishly had been

"God, not now! Look at me!"

And she was a mess. A black eye decorated her face, and her uniform was dotted with grease stains. This wasn't how it was suppose to be.

"Emma, this whole thing made me realise that I could lose you." he began. "And I can't. I need you."

She felt awful for him. There he was, down on one knee and everything, he had a ring and people where looking at him. Emma was sure that if he actually sued the word 'marry' she might just die there and then. From the corner of her eye, she could see Angela leaning over the counter watching expectantly. This was going to be a proverbial car crash, which was ironic really.

"John." Emma whispered, leaning close to him because she didn't want anyone else to hear. "Don't."

"I need to."

"John, I can't marry you." she told him.

"So please don't do this."

"Why can't you?"

The moment of truth, now she had to tell him everything, all the things she had kept hidden from everyone. The words where on the tip of her tongue, but it was too hard. So Emma did what Emma was best at. She lied.

"Because I don't love you." She replied, somehow managing to catch the eye of a grey haired woman who had been watching the whole thing with a smile. "So get up, pretend you where looking for something and walk out of her like nothing had ever happened."

It sounded simple enough, all John had to do was leave the diner, and leave Emma. He did too and she sat at the table for a long time afterwards. The grey haired women was no longer smiling, she shook her head in a disapproving way and turned back around. Emma rubbed her tired eyes, ignoring the slight swelling on her face. Feeling it under her fingers reminded her of being in hospital and the smell of strong disinfectant. Emma hated hospitals. She suddenly became very irritable, her legs began to tingle, and she needed to move. She got up and quickly walked into the back room where the manager was totalling up some numbers.

"I'm going home." she said briefly and he accepted it without as much as a nod.

On her way out, people stared and if she hadn't needed her job she would have given them all the finger. It didn't take long to get home and all the way there her mind was spinning. She'd heard of people saying they where physically sick when something bad happened, and up until now she hadn't believed them. Emma rounded the corner and John was waiting, sitting on the hood of his car. What had she expected?

"You shouldn't be here." she told him.

"Probably not. But what have I got to lose?" He got up and stood right in front of her. There was no emotion on his face. He looked her up and down, the way she'd seen him eye an opponent in the ring.

"I never had you down for a liar Emma. Didn't think you where like that." She wasn't, but what could she say now.

"If that's what you needed to say that's fine." John laughed a little, but it wasn't real. He grabbed her arm and in one fluid motion pushed something into her hand and stepped back.

"Here. Keep it." John climbed back into his car, reversed and drove off. Emma didn't look in the box, she didn't need to. She knew the ring would have been beautiful and they would have had a wonderful life together. But it wasn't meant to be. Girls like Emma didn't marry men like John. Not with her whole history anyway. It may have all been in the past, but it was stopping her having a future. It always would and she accepted that a long time ago.

A/N: So let me know what you though of my first effort.