Chapter 17

BEEP…BEEP…BEEP…

Riley slowly rolled over to look at the clock. Six in the god darn morning. He was going to kill Morgan for agreeing to work this morning. Sonny had asked the boys to go over some paper work for one of the coffee shipments that was coming in that afternoon. He wanted to make sure everything was squared away, and that they got the coffee beans no problem, that's all it was this time.

"Can you turn that thing off already Riley. We're both up," Morgan yelled as the alarm clock continued to beep.

"Yeah, whatever," Riley yelled back as he swung his legs off the bed and hit the clock.

Riley sat on his bed and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. He really wasn't sure what was going on. He was confused, like everyone else. In a matter of days Emma had come to town and stirred up so much trouble. Why was she so able to do that? She could make trouble as easily as Carly could, but something gave her that capability. Emma, for some reason, could get in a persons head and push their buttons. As easy as it was to get Emma riled up, she could get a person riled up so much faster.

FLASHBACK

"How dare you. You come to my home, yell at my Mom. Try to take my Family. Get Riley arrested,,,"

Lila never finished her rant. Emma calmed down instantly at Lila's last comment. She looked Lila right in the eyes and spoke…

"Then maybe you shouldn't have called the cops."

The grip on Emma was loosened as the entire room turned to look at Lila. Emma tilted her head up. She had wanted to know who was holding her back and why she felt so at peace and yet angry at the same time. It was Jason. Emma tilted her head down and looked at Lila. She wanted to figure out what had made her feel that way, but she had to deal with Lila first.

"I have no idea what you are talking about," Lila stated. Lila was terrified, she hoped it didn't show in her eyes, but was sure everyone could see the fear.

"Denial isn't your thing," Emma stated ever so calmly, "You're bad at it."

Emma hadn't really meant to tell everyone it was Lila who called the cops. Emma didn't like to tattle on people. She figured it wasn't her place to tell, sure she was involved, but Lila should have had the choice. Emma let it slip in a moment of anger; a moment when she thought that maybe everything Carly had said was true. No, no it wasn't Lila was her cousin.

Cousins. She didn't like the girl, but they were still cousins, or were they. She wasn't sure any more. After everything that had happened to her, and everything she had heard, Emma wasn't even sure if her and Lila were even cousins. She had hoped they were, it would kill her Unc…No Sonny, or Mr. Corinthos, not her Uncle. Emma wasn't sure anymore, so for know Lila would be looked at as her cousin, and she wouldn't rip on family, even if they didn't know that she was their family.

"You know what forget I said anything," Emma stated as she went to turn and walk out.

"So, I'm the one who is in denial and your walking out. Sounds like you really did have drugs on you," Lila smirked. Why should she back down? If Emma were going to just let it be once she wouldn't push it again.

"You couldn't just let it be," Emma said coolly as turned to face Lila with determination in her eyes.

The room had remained quite and no one was sure what was going to happen.

Carly had wondered why Lila opened her mouth. Emma was going to not get her in trouble. Carly never doubted that her niece told the truth where Lila was concerned, and understood why she backed off. For all Emma was concerned Lila was family, and she never messed with family.

Michael trusted his cousin, and believed her. If Lila had just stopped Emma would have too, but Lila had given Emma permission to start up a storm. And Storms were Emma's specialty.

Riley, and Morgan weren't sure that they believed Emma yet, but they wouldn't put it past Lila to call the cops. Neither had dared say a word, not yet anyway.

Jason was as unsure as Riley and Morgan. He also knew that Lila was very capable of calling the cops. In all of the questions he had he was also sure that Emma wouldn't lie. Not about this, for some reason he wanted to trust her, to believe her.

Sonny wasn't sure. He knew Lila was very able to do what Emma had accused her of, but Lila was his daughter. So he would believe his daughter, even if he wasn't sure.

Sam believed Emma was lying all the way. She believed her daughter was innocent and that this girl was just trying to stir up trouble. Sam believed her daughter 100 percent.

"No, I couldn't just let you tell people things about me that aren't true," Lila added in a smug tone.

"You seem so sure of your self," Emma stated never loosing her cool, "You like to hide in the bushes. Just like Mummy dearest over here."

Emma was freaking both Sam and Lila out. They were both scared to death that everyone would believe Emma over them.

"Why shouldn't she be sure of herself? She didn't do what you said," Sonny wasn't sure what to believe but he had stood by long enough without helping Lila, his daughter.

"Because, Lila did exactly what I said she did. Her hair is an unmistakable characteristic,"

Sonny's words never seemed to faze Emma. She was just so sure of what she was saying, so unwavering, that it scared Sonny a bit. If Emma was lying then she had a great hold on her emotions.

"You should keep your lies to yourself," Sam stated in her defense.

"You did do it,"

Riley had been looking between the two girls. Emma stood strong, independent, and undisturbed by every accusations of her lying. Lila looked scared, though she tried to hide it as she clung to her mothers arm, Riley saw the lie in her eyes, but he wasn't the only one.

Sonny felt Lila flinch in his arms at Riley's comment. He wanted to believe that it wasn't true, that Lila was just mad that Riley didn't believe her. Sonny knew that wasn't true, he knew Emma was telling the truth; he just didn't want to believe his daughter would do it.

Jason had watched her demeanor as Riley spoke Lila flinched, Emma didn't. Emma stood strong, just watching Sonny and Sam support Lila through the lies. It was Lila who had lied, not Emma. Emma was standing too strong, she barley moved and she didn't look nervous. Jason believed Emma.

"Lila you know better than that," Jason spoke disappointment evident in his voice.

Sonny turned to look his daughter in the eyes. He wanted her to deny it, to tell him it wasn't true, but it was. And Sonny knew it.

"Why," Sonny questioned. The look of betrayal in Sonny's eyes was ever so evident.

Emma looked on. Lila looked so sad. She didn't really mean to get her in trouble. She was just angry; she had wanted to punch Lila earlier, but never this. She had never wanted anyone to feel as small as she did at times, and that included Lila.

Sonny stood looking Lila in the eyes. Sam had continually tried to break it up, but Sonny didn't move. Jason stood to the side Allowing Sonny to deal with her, as everyone else watched.

"Carly, I'm really tired," Emma lied, " Can we go."

Everyone turned to look at Emma. She was one peculiar girl that no one could place. Her actions, her posture, her looks, everything about Emma seemed familiar.

Sam was fuming. Emma had done this it was her fault.

"So, you want to leave now that you've started trouble. Well you should," Sam started.

"Sam," Sonny said calmly.

"You should leave go far away, go home leave my family alone,"

"Sam," Jason tried to interrupt.

"You're no good you come in here start trouble. You think you're so much better than us. You…"

"I am," Emma confirmed.

"What," Sam asked in shock.

"I am better than you," Emma reaffirmed, "I've continually tried to walk out of here, and you continually tried to stop me. You keep choosing to fight with me. You a grown woman, me a sixteen-year-old girl. One would think you would know better, that you would be smarter, but your not. I'm going to turn around, walk out this door and go to bed. I'm gonna leave you here to think about how much you have provoked me. I won't stand around and let you talk down to me, let you tell me that I'm a not truthful because I am. If you have a problem with me, any of you, you talk to me."

"Are you done," Sonny questioned.

"No, I'm not. You leave my Mom out of it. She raised me great. You leave my Aunt Carly alone, don't bad mouth her, because that will just get you another fight with me. I don't like to loose. I've lost so much already. So if you pick a fight with me, I guarantee that you will lose."

"Done yet," Sonny questioned again. His face looked hard, but he was smiling on the inside. He liked this girl.

"Yes, and know I'm going to go get some sleep at my Aunt's house."

"Nope," Carly responded.

"What are you talking about?"

"Emma I'm leaving town tomorrow morning, early," Carly stated with a smirk, "Your stuff is already on its way to Jason's."

"You can't be serious," Emma, stated in shock, "You really think he still wants me to stay with him."

Carly just smirked. She was about to reply when a male voice interrupted her.

"Yes," was all Jason said, causing Carly's smirk to grow.

"You can't…" Sam's anger filled voice was cut off by Sonny's hand over her mouth.

"You said you were tired, and your stuff is already at my house so lets go," Jason stated as he grabbed his leather jacket and keys, "Do you want to take a car or is my bike fine?"

"The bikes fine," Emma, replied as she followed Jason out, after giving hugs to Carly and Michael.

Once Emma and Jason had left glances were given as everyone left. The only one who was still talking non-stop was Sam. Who was yelling at Sonny for allowing Emma to stay with Jason, Sonny just ignored her.

Everyone went home that night with questions in their minds, Questions that would all be answered in time.

END FLASHBACK

Morgan stood in his room looking through his closet. Like everyone else he couldn't get the events that night out of his head. He had the same questions as everyone else. He felt the same connections to her as most of them did.

He had this need to protect her, to keep her safe, and shelter her from the world. He doubted she would let him do that, let him shelter her. That's what Lila did, but he didn't feel the same pull. He was drawn to want to protect Emma, he felt obligated to protect Lila. He wanted to know why. Why didn't he feel more towards Lila? She was his sister, wasn't she?

"You ready to go man," Riley spoke as he entered Morgan's room.

"Yeah, I was just thinking."

"What about," Riley asked already knowing the answer as they exited the house.

"Emma."