Not A Pretty Girl:Alchemy Dream

Summary: Okay, okay. I'm not blind. I can see what's going on. Is there a spark between Emma and J.T.? Uh, hello! Have we forgotten that Emma's carrying Jay's baby? Snake and Spike confront Emma about the situation (finally) with rather unfortunate results.

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"Mom, they're too t...TIGHT!" Emma sat on the burgundy velour sofa, struggling with the shoes her mom had fished out of her closet. The loafers sported a 2 ½ inch heel, and were sparsely scuffed. Spike stood over the sink washing out a measuring cup.

The Nelson-Simpson residence was dark and fragrant of blueberry pancakes and early morning dust. The light from outside, combined with the blue of the T.V. Screen illuminated the living room and kitchen. From down the hall, there was the faint sound of Snake in the shower.

"They'll have to do, Em...they're all I have."

"Manny said she'd bring hers over." Spike busied herself between the stove and the sink, the fridge and the cabinet.

"Breakfast is almost ready. Oh, and it's about a quarter after, you need to go get dressed before breakfast, Em."

"Why? The forecast is almost on. Hang on just a minute."

"Now, Em."

"Whatever."

Emma pulled on her uniform, one piece at a time, admiring J.T.'s chop job on her skirt. She turned in the mirror flattening down the back, observing how far it rode up her thighs. She pulled on a knee high pair of black socks, and smushed her feet into the tiny size 7 loafers her mom had loaned her. She would be prepared for school today, her legs freshly shaved, her lips not chapped, but glossed with a light cinnamon colour. Her now shoulder blade length hair was pulled into a tight bun and secured with black pins. Despite her situation, she felt like a million bucks as she left her room to go eat breakfast.

Spike sat next to Snake, who didn't eat, but clasped his hands together in a calm, collected fatherly way that once Emma caught sight of him, was sure would not last long.

It had occurred to her at some point how strange it was that her parents had not in 48 hours mentioned her pregnancy. True, that with all that had happened, Emma herself had been distracted, but something told her that today was the day. She sat down gingerly in her seat, keeping her heavy brown eyes down, and looked through her blonde bangs at her pancakes. She began anxiously picking them apart. When she heard a fork clink, she briefly looked up, only to realize it was her fork that had dropped.

"Whose is it, Emma." Emma looked up at Snake, and looked at her mom for the answer, for backup, for anything.

"We need to know, Emma." She realized her mom would not protect her. She wasn't likin' how they weren't calling her 'Em'.

"Um, is it really that important to know...uh, who the.."

"WHO IS IT, Emma?"

"You aren't my father, and it's none of your business."

Well, it seemed like the right thing to say at the time.

"I'm as close to a father as you have now, and I deserve to know. Look, Emma, I'm not...MAD at you, I mean, I'm really disappointed, really disappointed, but it can't be undone. We just have to...figure out what to do about it."

"What can be DONE about it, Snake? I'm having a baby. That's pretty much what's going on here."

"Have you thought about whether you wanna keep it, honey? Or maybe give it up for adoption? And there's always..."

"I'm NOT getting an abortion mom." Emma couldn't believe she even suggested it.

"Emma, you're only 16. You...you can't do this. You can't have this baby."

"Why can't I, Sna..." Snake cut her off.

"Don't call me that anymore. I'm your dad now."

"You're my step-dad."

"If you keep this baby, you will have to get a job. Your mother works full time, 2 jobs, just to keep up with the house bills, my medical bills, Jack and you too. Neither of us can support another baby. You'll have to drop out of school, Emma! It isn't worth it!"

"No, I can do it. There are so many teen mothers out there that are taking care of kids, I can do it too!"

Spike furrowed her brows, looking at her young daughter, the one she had gotten pregnant with in high school, the one she gave up a social life, a normal young adulthood for. She remembered all the pain of not being like every other 17 year old girl, with a boyfriend and a date, a college application and two proud parents. Things had been getting so much better. She finally found a man she could love and trust, one that was able to not see her a damaged, and give her another baby. Or so Spike had thought. Her baby was growing up, turning into an incredibly smart, sweet, beautiful woman, but somehow she couldn't believe that Emma was about to throw it away, drift down the same path her mother did. Besides she was only 34 years old, in the prime of her life. She couldn't possibly be a grandmother! Her hands shook from her nerves, and she got up from the table to go to the bathroom. After she left, Snake leaned forward and looked at Emma.

"Emma, if you have any respect for your mother, you won't have this baby. You can't do this. To yourself. To her." Emma curled her lip up, and placed her hand on her torso.

"I'm not doing anything wrong." And with that she grabbed her bag from the sofa and strode out the door, letting the screen slam.

Pulling the cardigan to her chest Emma watched the early leaves litter the sidewalk. Fall in Toronto had come quickly and with a chill. Maybe it was just the early morning August air. She watched as buses and cars all hurried off to work, as mothers kissed their kids before handing them a sack lunch and a Batman backpack. Emma smiled, and felt strangely relieved.

I can do that.

She hadn't thought too much of the baby, actually. She wasn't showing, and her nausea had calmed down a great deal. Her body felt very...normal. It felt natural. Perhaps, she thought, this is the normal passage of events. Maybe I was meant to have his baby. The concept of the plan of the cosmos enchanted her mind, allowing her to romanticize the situation. She was pregnant with Jay Hogart's baby. Pregnant. She had wondered when to tell him. If she should tell him, or maybe if she should go through the pregnancy alone, content that her son or daughter would have the same dirty brown hair and clear hazel eyes. What was she saying? Of course she should tell him. Whether or not it delighted him, he deserved to know where his DNA was hiding out.

She was surprised at herself. How could she be handling this so well? Why was she so happy? Trying not to think too much about it, she put on her headphones. She was only 14 weeks, anyways. Not much to worry about just yet. Listening to Rilo Kiley, she smiled and let her imagination run and let the sound permeate her entire being.

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"Hey, you only need one of those, Jay. There's no need to grab eight." Liberty pulled her glasses down and stared at Jay, who had taken an unusually large pile of flyers from the booth set up in the foyer. He stood there, glaring at her, bored.

"Look, sweetheart. If you'd calm down a little, then maybe you'll get asked to this thing."

"Why do you care, Jay Hogart. Not like you ever go." Liberty grabbed the stack.

"Don't you think it's a little damn early to be planning the semi-formal anyways?" He ripped one back from her hands, turned about-face from the green and orange striped booth with the cheesy paper leaves glued on and made his way down the hall to the lunchroom. He looked around at the tables, not surprised to see the groups divided into their petty little cliques. He grabbed a tray and walked the line like the others. He didn't even notice Spinner slip up behind him.

"Spinster! Haven't seen you this year!"

"Don't even act happy to see me. I intend on getting my friends back this term."

"Yeah, like they'll talk to you."

"Go to hell, Jay." Spinner ran his hand through his newly shaggy hair and looked at the paper in Jay's hand. "Semi-formal? You going? With who?"

"I dunno, I'm not going. I just wanted to read it. There's a talent contest, too. Maybe I could show off MY special talent."

"Of what? Getting chicks sick? Making people insanely unhappy?"
"Touche." He stared straight ahead, picking out a chocolate milk and some pudding.

"Where you eating?" Spinner asked.

"Uh, I guess on the steps. Joining me?"

"Sounds romantic."

"You pussy. Actually...I think I'm going to the car to have a smoke."

"Sorry...I'm uh trying to quit the drugs Jay."

"It isn't a drug! It's an herb."

"Yeah, well whatever. Later, man." Spinner walked over to the corner table by the window to eat alone. Jay looked around once more and left the main building for the parking lot with his tray of sugar.

Jay pulled on his black leather jacket from the car and set his tray on the hood of the car. He reached into his pocket for the remaining joint and ran it under his nose, taking in the sweet aroma.

It's a placebo, Jay.

His mind raced whenever he was alone. Why did he feel so lost? Why did he feel alone? He could have Alex back if he wanted, or Amy if he was that desperate. Sean and him were still tight, and Spinner hadn't completely cut him loose.

You miss her. You do. And by the way, she never approved of you smoking pot.

Something in his head snapped. He dropped the joint to the ground and ground it flat underneath his blue sneakers. A split second later the pothead in him was wanting to find a spatula to pry it off the ground and re-roll it. But he could feel it. He was changing, and he didn't know why. He began to wander.

He wandered to the far side of the campus. He wandered down the street. Down the block. He completely forgot his lunch on top of the hood of his Civic. It wasn't until he had wandered 3 blocks away from Degrassi with 5 minutes until the after lunch bell until he noticed. Around him were large, majestic oaks, virgin wood that rose to over 130 feet in the air, fragrant crape myrtles, and diversely coloured maples, touched with the beginning of fall. The grass was full and well manicured, and off in the distance was a stone building, giving the area an old world ivy league charm. Ivy covered what appeared to be the main building. He stepped forward onto the soft lawn amazed that he had never seen this place before.

He walked to the back of the campus, sitting on a stone bench near a small clear pond. The inside had a mosaic of pink lotus, and an iron veranda with wind chimes that sang delicately in the cool breeze. He felt his heart slow down, and he breathing lighten. He felt...happy?

Unable to accept this weirdness, he pushed himself to his feet and looked around the for the next attraction. And he found it.

Closer to what he assumed was a gymnasium, a large group of girls played volleyball. Jay jogged over to the sand court, and noticed a large iron and stone sign that read "Volta Redonda Girls' Academy; Since 1898; Founder Pailia da Silva, South America". Jay was shocked. How had he not been aware that there was a girls' academy? He watched as the girls smiled, laughed, happily guy-free as they volleyed the ball back and forth over the net. They came in all sizes and colours, all wearing grey tank tops and dark navy sweats. They were probably from great families, families with money. They were probably smart, too.

I could never have a girl like that. Jay thought as one particular girl caught his eye. He followed her movements as she spiked the ball and her teammates cheered. He smiled in spite of himself, and pushed his hair from his eyes. He removed his sunglasses. She was one of the taller ones, with somewhat long blonde hair pulled into a ponytail. She smiled, and then laughed as her friend whispered something to her. And as he stared, it dawned on him. His mouth fell and his heart stopped.

Emma.

Jay rushed to the chain link fence and watched her. He had wondered where she had gone! Word around Degrassi was that she had transferred, but no one had a clue where! So Mr. Simpson had transferred her to VR Academy! He felt relieved to know where in the great wide world she was.

He hadn't seen her all summer, thinking it was for the best, after giving her gonorrhea and all, and he wouldn't admit the pining, the desiring, the...

He gripped the chain link, intertwining it between his fingers. His mind raced. She hadn't changed. Her face still carried that light flush, her eyes still were full of light. Of love. He debated screaming out her name, but suddenly, uncertainty gripped him. Maybe...maybe it wasn't the right time. His doubts distracted him, until he heard a light outcry. His attention was focused on Emma, who had stopped playing, and was doubled over, gripping her torso. What had happened? Try as he might, he couldn't get closer, he couldn't permeate the fence to help her. Jay stood at the fence, unnoticed, and nervously shouted "EMMA!" but his cry was lost in the excitement of the girls following Emma inside the ivy covered building. He watched until she was gone, and looked at the lonely volleyball court. He felt a mix of disappointment and relief, putting his sunglasses back over his eyes and stalking back across the courtyard to Degrassi.

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As always, tell me what you think! And thank you to everyone who has reviewed! I'm so surprised! Truly! XOXO