Author's note: It's been a while. Thanks for the feedback, so happy everyone is enjoying. I'll try to update a few times over the week (YAY for spring break, I can breath for a bit), have a wonderful week and remember sleep is a good thing!

.-

Chapter 32

Emma had walked to the docks. She always seemed to be able to think when she was here, the water, it just calmed her.

She sat on a bench and looked out over the water. What was she supposed to do, how was she supposed to handle this? Sure she had figured people would be pissed, someone always was. Hell, she had learned that one the hard way, but she was the one that was supposed to be mad, to be angry, and to be crying.

Her tears wouldn't fall. She wouldn't let them. She had given into the tears just moments before in the elevator, and she refused to do it again. She didn't want them to know how much she was hurting, how much what they thought actually mattered to her. She had never thought it actually did, but she was wrong.

It was just so strange. She had spent most of her life avoiding this, with her Mother, her Aunt Carly, her Uncle Max, with anyone who had known any of them. She just never wanted to talk about it, or never wanted to hurt the people around her by asking. Her Mom would always look incredibly sad when speaking of them, Her Aunt got a longing look in her eyes, and Max, well no one was ever sure what he thought, but it didn't matter. They just never talked about them.

On occasions Carly would bring up the things her cousins did and the reactions of those around, then Emma would hear a comment like, 'Sounds like Jase,' or "Wow, Sonny's losing it, he let him get away with that". It was the little comments that had given Emma her views of the men, and it was their actions making her views change.

She had heard of their temper, but never truly thought it could be that bad, she always thought the best of people. She had thought Sam a good person, despite all the comments she heard Carly make, most only meant for her mother's ears. She was wrong about that, and she had been wrong about their tempers, perhaps she was wrong about wanting to meet them too.

.-

Riley had wandered for some time in search of Emma. He hadn't found her yet. He just wanted to know what was wrong. He found it completely possible that Lila had gotten in her face again; the girl seemed to like to do that. He just wasn't sure what was wrong with her.

He had walked on the docks completely unsure of where to check next for Emma. He had already been through the park, to Kelly's and every other logical place for a teenage girl. Scanning the docks he found her sitting on the same bench that she had when they first met.

"Well this seems familiar," Riley spoke as he went to sit next to her.

"I didn't say you could sit down," Emma retorted.

"Well someone is a little touchy today. That time of the month," Riley said with a laugh.

"That's none of your business, and who do you think you are," Emma yelled in anger. This was one way to get some of her pent up anger out, "You think you are so great, you think you walk on water. Hell, you got Lila worshipping the ground you walk on, Sam loves you, and you think you can say anything your pompous, self absorbed, dic…"

Riley sat listening to her rant, he was enjoying it on some levels and yet he wondered where it all came from. He would have let her continue on, but the words that were coming out of her mouth were bound to get her in trouble. So he did the only thing he could think of that wouldn't get him in as much trouble as the other thing he wanted to do. He took his hand, and in one swift movement had it clamped over her mouth.

"Well that's better," Riley said in victory, "You were bound to get yourself in trouble if you finished that sentence."

Emma watched the smug smile wash over his face and couldn't stand it. Sure he was cute, but that didn't mean he had the right to try and shut her up, not that it would work. Doing the only thing she could think of, she opened her mouth, and got her upper teeth to come to the top of his hand causing his hand to tighten on her mouth a bit. She had been expecting this as it caused her teeth to come over his hand a bit, as this happened she bite down, hard.

Riley hadn't expected that, as he cringed a bit at the fact that she bit him. He quickly looked at her like she was crazy, causing a smirk to grace her face.

"What the Hell was that," Riley questioned angrily.

"What was what," Emma replied sweetly as her smirk grew bigger.

"I dunno," Riley sarcastically replied, "The fact that you just tried to eat my hand."

"Well if you weren't such an ass."

"I'm an ass," Riley said mockingly, "Me, I was the one who nearly had my hand taken off by your mouth."

"Funny, real funny, there goes that 'I'm the king of the world' attitude. I really don't get who you think you are. I mean, you try to shut me up by covering my mouth with you hand, when that doesn't work…"

Riley was getting rather sick of her going off on him, she was like Carly, she talked and talked just to piss a person off, or to relieve some stress. Wasn't sure what the case was here, but he wanted her to shut up. He had tried option one, now it was time for option two.

He took her face in his hands and looked her in the eyes. She was still talking. In one quick swoop he crashed his lips down on hers finally silencing her, for the time being.

.-

Cassie had run out of the hotel not wanting to deal with her father's questions. How was she supposed to bring up the fact she felt partly responsible for the things that happened to Emma? How was she supposed to say that Lila, and Sam had made her feel worse about everything. She already blamed herself enough. She didn't need them reminding her.

She strolled through the park completely lost in her thoughts, when BAM, She ran into someone and was knocked to the ground.

.-

Morgan was running late, he had told his Dad he would be by early to discuss business, Faith mainly, she had been stirring up trouble from jail. He however had over slept, and Riley hadn't woken him this morning. He was in such a hurry he hadn't noticed the girl walking towards him until, BAM, and it was to late, as she had already fallen flat on her ass.

"Sorry," Morgan said as he held out his hand to help the girl up.

She didn't take his hand. Instead she sat where she was on the cement. He wasn't sure what to do as he looked down at the girl. He squatted down in front of her, and looked at her, only catching the top of her head he slipped a finger under her chin and saw Cassie, but her eyes were red and puffy, like she had been crying.

Cassie looked Morgan in the eyes. She was hoping that the person who bumped into her would just keep on walking, but it had to be one of Carly's boys. She saw concern in Morgan's eyes. It wasn't anything new; people would often feel sorry for her. They just didn't get that they shouldn't feel sorry for her, they should be mad at her.

"I'm sorry." Morgan said, I didn't mean to bump into you."

"Are you ok," He questioned moments later when she said nothing.

"I'm fine," She said as she stood up.

"You don't look 'fine'," Morgan commented, as he too stood, "Cassie right?"

"Yeah, and you're Morgan," Cassie replied.

"Yeah," Morgan said as he continued to study her, "Did you want to talk."

"About what," Cassie questioned.

"Last night, and why you were crying. Also why you are crying now," Morgan asked, also having some ulterior motives in mind, she was a cute girl.

"No," Cassie said as she brushed pass Morgan and walked towards the docks and Kelly's.

Morgan not sure why she brushed by him turned and followed her.

"What was that," Morgan said as he came to walk at her side.

"Me leaving," She replied.

"Yeah, I got that. You sure you don't want to talk."

"We are talking," She retorted.

"This was not what I had in mind," Morgan said in frustration, "I was thinking like coffee in Kelly's, maybe a burger too."

"So in other words you want to use my mood to try and get some action."

"No, I was simply wanting to know what was going on, and yes you are cute, really cute for that matter."

Cassie stopped where she was and looked at him, then down at herself. She had no make-up on, her eyes were puffy and red, and she was practically in her pajamas. He must have been talking about someone else.

He saw her look at him, and herself. Truth was he was attracted to her and he found her more than cute, but she didn't need to know that yet. He also didn't like to see her cry, but it didn't look like she would believe him.

"Look, I know that me telling you that you're cute is not really what you want to hear…"

"Sshhhhhhh," Cassie said quietly as she hid behind a bush.

They had somehow ended up on the docks, and the site that Cassie had fallen upon made her smile a bit, Emma was kissing a guy, she really hadn't dated much, boyfriend here or there, but nothing serious. Yet here she was kissing a guy in broad daylight for all to see.

"What is so interesting about Emma and Riley kissing," stated Morgan as he looked over Cassie's shoulder.

"Sshhhhhhhhh," Cassie repeated once more as she watched the two.