Going Home

Disclaimer: Same as the previous chapter
Thanks to all of the reviewers! Sorry if this chapter sucks. Hell, sorry if this story sucks. Anyway, keep the reviews coming!

"Tom! Are you ready to go yet!" Emma yelled up the stairs to her son early Monday morning. Today was the day. After 15 years, Emma was returning to Toronto, but this time with her son. She had called Joey the previous week and he had informed Emma that Craig would be in town for a couple weeks. Emma wanted to see him, but more importantly, she wanted Tom to see him.
There was still no answer from Tom. "Tom!" Emma called again, louder this time.
Emma ran up the stairs. We're going to miss our plane if he doesn't get moving. Emma walked into Tom's room and saw him frantically throwing clothes into a duffle bag.
"Tom, we don't have time for this! I told you to pack a week ago!" Emma picked up a sweatshirt of Tom's from the floor. A pack of cigarettes fell from the pocket. Boy, this kid is really asking for it.
Tom saw this and nervously looked at his mother.
"We'll talk about this later." Emma said, putting the cigarettes into her back pocket and glanced at her watch. "But right now we have to catch a plane."

The flight seemed like it took an eternity. Emma sat fidgeting in her seat and filled with anxiety the whole time. As the plane soared through the gray and icy March skies, Emma could think of nothing but the day she had left Toronto, and her former life behind. The memory was still fresh in her mind, and she remembered every detail of it as if it had happened yesterday, instead of 15 years ago.

"Oh, Emma, I wish you wouldn't leave. You can stay here. We'll help, you don't have to run away from us." Spike said to Emma, eyes filling with tears.
Emma, Spike, Snake, and Jack were seated at the table, eating breakfast on the day Emma was scheduled to leave. Spike was feeding Jack, and Snake was reading the newspaper. But neither could concentrate on what they were doing. Spike kept missing Jack's mouth when she went to give him a spoonful of oatmeal, and Snake couldn't comprehend what he was reading. All they could think about was Emma. They didn't want her to leave, and they couldn't understand why she would want to. She has a wonderful family, willing to support her through everything, Spike remembered thinking.
"I'm not running from you. Please understand that. I..." She paused. Why am I running? "I just want to start a new life for myself." She looked down at her stomach. "…And my baby."
Emma was 5 months along and already showing. She had managed to keep her pregnancy a secret from her classmates at Degrassi by wearing oversized clothes. She knew some people had suspected that she was pregnant, but she let them think what they wanted. As long as Paige didn't find out, she was safe. Paige was known to spread rumors, and that's the last thing that Emma wanted. Manny was the only one who Emma had trusted enough to tell.

"Spike…" Snake started, looking at his wife. "If Emma thinks that this is best for her, than we should let her go."
Spike gave up the hopeless war. "Won't you at least tell us who the father is?" She asked Emma, her eyes pleading, her voice quavering.
Emma shook her head. "I can't…"
"Yes you can, sweetheart. You can tell us anything. You know that."
Snake gave Spike a look that said I'm begging you, please stop.
Spike sighed and fed Jack some more oatmeal.

Later on that day, the family was in the car on their way to the airport. Emma was going to live with her Aunt Holly in New York. Emma boarded the plane, with mixed emotions. As much as she wanted to start over, she longed to go back to the way things had been before.

Without realizing it, Emma's eyes were misting at the thought of the last time she had been on a plane. She looked over at Tom. He was listening to music on headphones and looking out the window.

"Attention passengers this is your captain speaking. We are now beginning our descent toward Toronto. The temperature now is 36 degrees Fahrenheit. Please turn off all electronic items and put your seats in the upward position."

After exiting the plane and gathering their luggage Emma and Tom were in a rental car on their way to Spike and Snakes' house.
"Emma…" Tom whined as they pulled in to the driveway. "Why the hell are we here?"
Emma sighed and looked at her son. He had curly black hair, pale white skin, and green eyes. Every time she looked at him she saw Craig.
"First of all, it's not 'Emma', it's Mom. Second of all, don't you want to see your grandparents?"
"They usually come to visit us, why are we up here all the sudden?"
"You know what, Tom? I don't know."
Emma parked the car and her and Tom stepped out and walked towards the back of the car to retrieve their bags.
"It's freezing out here." Tom stated.
Emma saw that he was wearing only jeans and a T-shirt.
"Didn't you pack a sweatshirt or a jacket?"
"Maybe." Tom pulled a cigarette and a lighter from his pocket and quickly lit the cigarette and placed it between his lips.
Emma grabbed it out of his mouth, threw it on the ground and stepped on it. She pulled a pack of cigarettes from Tom's pocket.
"Where are you getting these from?" Emma asked, anger in her eyes and voice, and holding the pack up in front of Tom's face.
Tom snatched the cigarettes from her hand.
"Well at least they're not drugs!"
"I don't care what they are, I don't want to see them again."
These are the times when I need Craig or at least a father figure for Tom, the most.
After greeting and catching up with Spike and Snake and doing some unpacking, Emma got in her car-well, the rental- and headed over to Joey's house.
She rang the doorbell, praying that Craig wouldn't answer. Her hands were shaking as she heard footsteps come to the door and finally open it. It was Joey.
"Hi, Joey it's so good to see it." Emma said with a genuine smile on her face, as she walked over to give Joey a hug.
"It's good to see you too, Emma. It's been a long time."
"Yes, it has."
"Did you want to see Craig, he's in the garage, I'm sure he'll be glad to see you."
"Ok, thanks Joey."
Emma walked towards the garage. Craig spotted her and ran over to her as fast as he could and hugged her.
"Emma, what are you doing here?" Craig asked, taking a seat on the couch next to Emma. "I haven't seen you in years. How have you been?"
Emma looked him over quickly, and got right down to business. "I came here because we need to talk."