A/N; Thank you to AnGeL BaBii, REM 4488 and Jeff'sNo1girlAAF for reviewing.

It reminded Emma of a scene she had once seen in Buffy, where she left town after killing Angel, only Emma hadn't killed anyone. It was a dramatic exit though, John had left that morning telling her he would call to check up on her. Soon after Emma had packed her own bag and gone straight to the coach station. The coach to Florida was relatively empty and she settled herself for a long trip. Bye bye Shawn, bye bye John and hello to all the things she left behind in the first place.

The house was falling apart, exactly how she remembered and in a strange way that comforted Emma when she arrived two days later. She knocked on the door with rattled on it's rusty hinges and a short while later Helen Flynn appeared on the other side, drying her hands on a cloth. She looked at her daughter as though she was a stranger.

"No we don't want insurance, or oven cleaner and we're happy with our religion."

Emma rolled her eyes. Helen's nose wrinkled, her eyes narrowed and her lips became a thin, stretched line as recognition washed over her.

"Oh, it's you."

"Of course it's me. Who else would visit this hell hole?"

Helen didn't move from the doorway, she was looking at all the changes that had happened in six and a half years. Emma was doing the same, Helen's wiry hair was now streaked with grey, her bony face contrasted with her cuddly body, but Emma had no desire to cuddle Helen what so ever.

"Can I come in or not?" Emma asked eventually.

"Typical you. You think you can just turn up unexpectedly, uninvited and think you can stay."

Emma rolled her eyes. She didn't care, she had nowhere else to go and it wasn't like she wanted to be there. This was a last resort after all. Of course she wasn't going to tell Helen that. In the back room she could hear a television on and for the first time since getting on the coach the panic in her stomach subsided. One of her brothers was there. Lying on his back on a fading blue sofa was Ryan, the youngest of Emma's four older brothers and a year older then her.

"Surprise." she greeted.

He lowered his magazine and jumped off the sofa. "Jesus Emma! What....I mean, you....god!"

He hugged her. Her brothers had always taken care of her, they had to. Helen and Emma's father James had never wanted a fifth child, especially not a girl. Helen blamed Emma for James leaving the family and she had never treated her right. She hated it once Emma hit puberty and started to rebel. Running away must of made Helen sing with joy.

"I feel like you've been away forever! Where have you been?"

"Massachusetts, working as a waitress."

"Why didn't you call?" Ryan asked, pulling away from her.

"No point."

Ryan sighed and sat down, patting the seat next to him. Emma could of happily fallen asleep there

"You look different." Ryan said, staring at her.

"I am six years older." she laughed running her fingers through her hair.

"No, it's not that. It something else. Why are you back? What happened?"

Emma felt a sudden urgency to tell Ryan everything. Her whole history with Shawn, what happened with John and why she had to leave him. How much it hurt that she did and how she hated herself for doing this to him. But that would defeat the whole purpose of being there in the first place. Why drag her past with her?

"I just am. Isn't that all that matters?"

The first thing John noticed when he arrived home was how quiet and clean the house was. Emma not answering the phone had him fearing the worst, that all seemed to be confirmed now that her clothes weren't thrown around the way. The answering machine was flashing with all the messages he left and sitting on the mantelpiece was a folded piece of paper with his name on in Emma's handwriting. The message was simple:

Thank you for all you've done. But I have to go. It's better this way.

-Emma x

His first thoughts was that she had gone back to her own place, but her house keys where on the arm of the chair where she had left them exactly a week before. John ripped up the letter. He couldn't keep calm and remind himself that they where broken up and she was an adult. She was gone and why?

It's better this way

Who for?