Chapter 21

They all sat around the table waiting for Sonny to come out with the turkey. The group around the table was slightly bigger than expected, Sonny, Sam, Lila, Jason, Michael, Morgan, Riley, and Emma were all there along with a few unexpected additions consisting of Marco, and his wife Becky.

Sonny walked out of the kitchen carrying a large turkey, he had already put the stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, Brussels sprouts, and cranberry sauce on the table, "Thanksgiving in the summer" as He had put it.

Dinner was a bit uncomfortable as few people were happy with Emma; of course the feelings were mutual. Sam hadn't mentioned the circumstances behind her black and blue jaw to the great displeasure of Sonny, though they all figured Emma had done it.

They were in the middle of dinner when the faint sound of music rang through the room. Emma looked up recognizing the sound as everyone continued to eat. She walked over too Jason and started to pat him down as he looked at her like she was crazy. She then opened up his leather jacket and checked all the packets.

"What do you think you are doing," Sam questioned still mad about earlier.

Emma ignored her and continued her search. A few seconds later she took her hands out of the jacket and backed away. In her hand she held her cell phone.

"Why do you have my phone," Emma questioned as she stared Jason down before answering it, "Yellow."

"Hello, how's it going Emma, M'n'M, Cali," the voice on the other end asked with a laugh as she named off some of Emma's many nicknames.

"You forgot pain in your daddy's ass," Emma laughed as she turned her back on the group that continued to stare at her, "But any who, I'm good. Except for the fact that if people don't keep there mouths shut I'm gonna do a lot worse than a sore jaw."

"Ouch, and we are both pains in my daddy's ass."

"Cassie you have no idea, and why haven't you called me," Emma questioned.

"I wanted to give you enough time to have things to rant about," Cassie commented only half joking.

"Well you could have called two hours after I got here, Stupid people called the cops on me got me arrested, then I had to call our favorite blue haired prosecutor to yell at this guy Ric. That was pretty fun, he got chewed out."

"Anything else?"

"Yes there is. So I went to the cellar and ended up getting into a fight with a grown woman, do you know what she said?"

"No tell me," Cassie replied sarcastically.

"She said that my Mom didn't raise me right and went on and on about how horrible I am," Emma stated ignoring the sarcasm she got from her friend.

"You've got to be kidding, what a bitch. So is Carly around?"

"No, and just so you know, I'm staying with Jason."

"Oh, how's that going?"

"Fine. He's nice, most of them are. Surprisingly I don't find Sonny to be as big of a pompous jackass as Aunt Carly made him out to be."

Sonny practically choked on the food in his mouth causing Emma to turn and look at him funny, as the rest of the table tried to suppress their laughs.

"That's a laugh, well look my dads calling me so I gotta go, but you take care. Oh yeah I should be there in a like a week and a half or so."

"Will do, and I can't wait to see you."

"Yup," Cassie replied as a knock sounded at the door.

Emma already standing made her way to the door. Opening it she was shocked to say the least. In front of her stood her best friend. As the wave of shock passed the two girls jumped into each other's arms and started to scream. They had been hopping around the room; arms grasped too each other, until someone spoke.

"Would you mind sitting so we could finish dinner," Marco said as he held his ears.

"Sorry," Emma replied as she made a move to her seat only to be beat to it by Cassie.

Emma just shrugged it off and sat in Cassie's lap. The two girls looked at the people staring at them and had to laugh. Everybody looked so confused, except for Michael that is. Emma ignored them and turned to face her friend.

"What are you doing here? I thought you had stuff to do," Emma questioned with a smile.

"I did, then I canceled it, Dance teacher was being a pain, and I couldn't let you get all the New York hotties," Cassie replied as she eyed the table.

""Who are you," Lila questioned in a rude voice.

"Look, Lila be as rude to me as you like cuz I'll kick your ass for it, but be rude to Cassie and we both will," Emma said not even trying to be nice.

"Are you threatening my daughter?"

Cassie looked to Emma. All Emma did was nod. Slowly Cassie turned back to look at Sam.

"So you're Sam," Cassie questioned.

Sam remained quite.

"I see you have a nice bruise on you jaw," Cassie smirked, " it matches that disappearing one on your eye."

"Why you little," Sam started.

"Stop you two, we know, well I know that you two can take everyone in this room so stop," Michael said.

"You know her," Riley questioned at the site before them.

Emma had been a pretty quite girl minus the fights she got in. Yet here she was sitting on some girls lap while they antagonized Sam. It was pretty funny if you thought about it. Only Michael and Emma seemed to know who she was yet no one said a word.

"Yeah, Unfortunately I do," Michael frowned.

"Wipe that frown off your face before me and Emma make you take us shopping, then you would really have a reason to frown. And by the way I'm Cassie, Emma's best friend. We get in all sorts of trouble together."

"Then maybe you should leave because Emma has been in enough trouble already," Sam stated.

"Have you talked to your Mom," Cassie asked turning away from Sam.

"No, I didn't have my phone all day. It was in someone's jacket pocket," Emma said to Jason, "You know how it got there?"

He had been watching her silently since she stood up and went too his jacket. When she pulled out her cell phone he suddenly remembered he had it. He had meant to give it back, but subconsciously he was hoping she would call, that he would be able to hear her voice again but she hadn't called and now Emma had the phone again.

"Earth to Jason, Why did you have my phone?"

He just continued to stare at Emma wondering about the phone call, and everything else over the week.

"Hello, Anybody home," Cassie, asked as she waved a hand in front of Jason's face.

"Can you stop that," Jason finally said as he looked straight at Emma, "It was ringing this morning, care to guess who was calling."

"Someone looking for me," Emma said unfazed by the hard stare she was receiving from Jason.

"Vague, like someone else I know," Jason replied.

"Really, and who would that be," Emma asked.

"Courtney, Courtney Mathews."

-.-

Courtney was looking over some files when the phone rang. Looking up Courtney prayed the ringing would stop, but it didn't. Reluctantly she stood to answer the phone.

"Hello, Courtney Mathews speaking,"

"Hey Courtney. It's Max."

"What's up," she asked wondering why he had called her.

"I'm in Port Charles. I brought Cassie with."

"Why are you there," Courtney asked getting a little scarred.

"Emma's fine. She is. Cassie is with her right now, but I think you should get here fast."

"Why? What's wrong?" Courtney was panicking.

"Lets just say that the past is digging itself up, and I don't think Emma can do it alone,"

Courtney knew what that meant. Of all the things Emma went through in life, that Courtney knew about, there was only one time she had ever been truly afraid. She had been so scared that she had stopped talking and no one would have blamed the ten year old if she had never spoken again.

"Ok Max. I'll be there soon. You can tell me details later, and don't worry Emma too much. She doesn't need it."

"Will do Court, bye," Max said as he hung up.

Courtney hung up the phone and looked at the picture on her desk. It was of her daughter. The 10 year old was sitting in the sand on the beach blonde pigtail blowing in the wind as she built a sand castle. She was in a little blue swimsuit, and had the biggest smile on her face.

That was the last picture Courtney had of her angel smiling that big. That was the last time that Emma had truly seemed one hundred percent happy. That was the last time that she remembered her daughter smiling like she meant it, because after that day, after what happened, Emma had buried herself within her heart, and wasn't that bright carefree laughter filled girl that she was born.