Thanks for all the reviews, they're great, I love to hear what you all think of my writing, and Fab4Lover I plan on making Spammy suffer. I hate the Btch more than I can say and wish that she would just be thrown to the curb already, and don't fret too much over the whole Carson situation, all good things in time. Any who, hope you enjoy this chap and remember to review! It helps to motivate me to post more for you!

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Chapter 23

It had been a long day, with work, the phone call, then Emma.

Emma. Why was his mind always trying to figure her out? It felt like he was so close, yet so far away from who she was. His mind was reeling from that night. I felt like everyone was keeping secrets.

FLASHBACK

"What the hell was that about," asked Lila, as she came walking out of the kitchen.

Sam came running out after her daughter to try and get her back in the kitchen, and just as she was about to succeed Morgan and Riley walk out. Cassie was still seated across the table from Jason studying him. Michael on the other hand was holding his fathers arm to keep him from stopping Emma from running out.

"That's what I want to know," A man spoke as he walked in the room.

"We weren't expecting you for some time," Jason said as he stood to face the man.

"Yeah, Well I figured you'd want this sooner rather than later," The man said.

"I thought you didn't do work for the business anymore," Morgan questioned.

"He does when no one else can find anything," Jason said as he grabbed for the file.

Everyone watched as Jason read over the papers. His face scrunched up in confusion as he continued to read.

"Stan, There's nothing here," He said disappointed.

"Sorry man, couldn't find anything," Stan said as he glanced at Cassie who had been staring at him since he entered.

Jason and Sonny followed Stan's eye movement right to Cassie.

"What's she got to do with the file," Sonny questioned pointing to Cassie

"Nothing Sonny. Everything I found was in that file. There were no records as to why Faith ended up in jail."

Stan was lying through his teeth. He hoped they didn't catch on, but Jason probably had. Truth was he knew exactly why Faith was in a jail cell again, he was the one who had hid all records of it.

"Everyone upstairs," Sonny said firmly pointing to them. He waited a for a bit to ensure everyone was upstairs and spoke, "You slip up in front of them."

"Sorry," Stan said.

"You've been saying that a lot lately," Jason spoke, "So, what's going on."

"Nothing."

"Bull, What did you find," Sonny angrily yelled, "This concerns my family, and I want to know why she is there."

"Because you two didn't care enough about 'your family'," Stan said the last part rather sarcastically.

"What's that supposed to mean," Jason said calmly, as a door slammed upstairs causing them all to look.

Seconds later a fuming Cassie came running down the stairs and straight to the door.

"You people are ass's," Cassie said as she opened the door, "If any of you hurt Emma the last thing you'll be worried about is your business."

"I'll make sure she gets out ok," Stan said moving to the door.

"We're not done here," Sonny replied.

"Yes we are. I may know what happened and I may not. Either way I'm not telling. It's not my story to tell."

"So you do know," Sonny asked.

Stan didn't reply he just continued out the door. And with that said Stan and Cassie were both gone. Leaving a very confused Jason and a very angry Sonny standing in the room.

END FLASHBACK

Jason looked up at the sky, not a cloud in sight. It had been a while since he had come here. Of course he had never had so much to think about. He just sat there, in the grass looking in front of him, but not really seeing any of it. His mind was too focused on all the thought's in his head.

-.-

She wasn't sure what she was doing there. She had had the entire flight to 'think'. Yet here she was. She walked ever so slowly up to the stream. It had been years since she had been there, but she needed the clarity, and the space.

Walking into the clearing she never expected to see what she did.

-.-

He walked through the park. It had been a while since anyone had used the phrase 'fly away'. It certainly hadn't been used in relation to Emma in a long time, but what was to be expected.

As he approached the swing set he saw her. She sat on the swing barley swinging as she played with her fingers. She looked just as confused as the first time she had been found there.

FLASHBACK

The little girl sat on the swing pumping her legs as she went flying through the air. Her blonde pigtails flowing in the wind as silent tears slide down her face. It was hard to tell if the tears were from the wind in her face or something else. It was like she was in a trance that couldn't be broken, like if she stopped that things would be real.

He approached the swings and sat on the one next to her. He sat and just watched her waiting for her to stop, to slow down and talk.

After a few minutes the swing finally began to slow. Eyes shut, arms wrapped around the chains as she held herself trying to find some reasonable answer as to why this was her life. She sat eyes shut for a few minutes before looking to her Uncle.

He had been staring at her waiting for her to come to him; it never was a good to push the kid. She would talk when she was ready. Looking at her now though, her blood shot eyes held so much confusion, and so many questions.

She quickly looked away and began to play with her fingers in her lap. Max just watched. It was so hard to read the kid sometimes it was scary. They sat for a while before Emma ever said a word

"Do you hate me," Emma said barley audible.

Max looked at Emma. Where would she get an idea like that? What would cause her to think such things? Max stood and went to kneel in front of Emma. Tipping her head up, he looked into her eyes. They looked so sad.

"No one hates you. It's impossible to hate someone as sweet as you," Max said as Emma gave a little smile. " Where would you get an idea like that?"

Emma just shrugged her shoulders and looked around the park feeling a little better.

"What are you looking at," Max said as he tried to get Emma to look at him as he tickled her.

"Nothing," Emma laughed out as she tried to get out of his grasp.

"Really," Max replied as he stopped tickling her and lifted her out of the swing.

"Really," Emma said as her laughter subsided.

"So what were you doing," Max asked as they walked through the park.

"Flying away."

END FLASHBACK

It was strange to hear those words come out of the mouth of a four year old. To wonder what they meant to her.

Once again Max slowly approached and sat down on the swing. Emma had never told him what happened to get her to the swings in the first place but he never pushed, when she was ready she would tell.

"I'm really not sure why I came here," Emma spoke.

There was a second meaning in her words, one that if you hadn't known her, if you hadn't watched her grow-up, then you wouldn't have really understood just how deep it went.

"Because you had to know," Max replied in a gentle voice.

"Yeah," Emma let out a light laugh, "but who did I want it for?"

Max remained silent.

"Did I want to come for me, or the person I was before everything," She let out a sigh before she continued, "I'm not sure any more. It seemed like such a good idea when Carly mentioned it. I could come, get to know them, and not tell them who I was till I was ready. Will I ever be ready?"

"I can't answer that for you."

"If you had asked me to come again before I was ten I would have said no. Flat out no. There would be no question in it I wouldn't come, but now, now I have no clue what to do. I wanted them there for so long after everything, and then I just gave up hope."

"If you're here Emma, did you really give up hope," Max questioned.

Emma sighed. She had always thought she had stopped wanting them in her life. That she was fine without them, but she really wasn't sure. She had always said she didn't care and brushed the topic aside, while in the back of her head, somewhere deep in her heart she was always wishing for them.

"It would have been easier to have just given up."

"Yeah, but you wouldn't. You always have to make everything hard."

Emma gave a slight laugh. It was completely true. Emma made things so difficult, on everyone, but mostly herself. She was always afraid to let someone down, and only Cassie knew why.

However there was one thing about Emma that was never difficult, and that was love. She was so easy to love, and when you loved her she loved you right back. Sometimes she even loved you without knowing it herself.

"Only on you Uncle Max," Emma said letting out a giggle.

"Really now," Max said as he stood in front of the swing Emma sat in.

"No," Emma replied as Max smirked.

"No," She stated firmly with no avail to her uncle as he swooped down and started tickling her.

"Uncle…Uncle…" Emma laughed as she forgot all her cares.

"That's right I am your uncle," Max laughed as he continued to tickle the teen.

Finally Max let up and the laughter ceased as Emma rolled around in the sand that she had fallen in during her uncles tickle attack.

"Remind you of any thing," Max asked.

"Flying away, even if it was only for a little," Emma smirked at Max.

"So where are you going to stay," Max questioned.