A/N: I hope this is going ok. I'm Sry that I haven't written in a while, but school is hell right now. R&R!

Twinkle22- thank you.

Charter mage Z- trust me it will get better. I'm not sure what to do with Jonathan though….

Nerdalicious- knowing you as well as I do, I knew you'd like it. Michael is not clueless. He's just not that smart sometimes.

Ch 8 Emma finds her reason

Christian and Michael thought for many weeks about what to do, all they could come up with was that they could be married in masks like they had read in the old stories. At least Emma wouldn't actually have to look at Jonathan as they were being married. Emma didn't like it but agreed only because she didn't have any other choice.

"Michael and I are going to search for Aric all over France that will be your alternative if we can't find him." Christian said.

"And what if he won't come back?" Emma asked. "What if he doesn't love me anymore?"

"He will, or we'll have to make him." Michael said.

Emma bid them goodbye, she silently prayed that they would find Aric, how she would get out of marrying Jonathan, she had no idea. By this time she was 18, almost 19. They didn't have much time to find Aric.

"Were are they going?" Jonathan asked as he came up behind Emma putting his arm around her waste, Emma grimaced but did not move.

"They are going on a business trip for the opera house." she lied.

"Oh, I do hope that it goes well. Well, now my dearest Emma, we must go to the party." He said.

"Yes, of course." She remembered and linked her arm to his and fallowed him his carriage. He helped her in. she tried to look as happy as she could. If Jonathan knew that she was unhappy he sure didn't let on. Maybe it was his own selfishness that kept him so ignorant to her feelings, or maybe he was just that stupid, that he was blind to them. She wasn't sure which one she would have preferred more. Emma really wasn't in the mood to be at a party now. All she wanted to do was think. Alone, but Jonathan wouldn't give her any peace.

They arrived soon at the Middleton's home. The coachman helped them out of their carriage and Jonathan escorted Emma to the door, were they were greeted by a hoard of people. The butler came in and announced that dinner was served, this brought little comfort to Emma, and she would have to endure the gossip of the people around her. Emma didn't eat much; she ignored the talking until she heard her name.

"… Emma." Jonathan said.

"Excuse me?" she asked.

"Oh I was just telling Mr. Middleton how much you and I are looking forward to being married." He said.

"Mmm…" was all she said.

"Emma you don't look well." Mrs. Middleton said.

"Jonathan, I don't feel well." She admitted, in truth she didn't.

"I do apologize, but I must take her home." Jonathan said.

"Oh, no worries, we wouldn't want the future Mrs. Hawkins ill." Mrs. Middleton said jokingly.

Emma managed a small smile. Jonathan took her home, and laid her in her bed. He sat next to her.

"I do hope that you feel better Emma." He said and bent to her and kissed her. "Goodnight love."

"Goodnight Jonathan." She whispered.

She wanted so much to cry, but she couldn't. She watched Jonathan leave the room, and shut the door. She rolled over and a waited for sleep to take her. But when it did, there was no rest still. Her dreams filled her with horror. She woke even more tired than before. She chose to stay in bed all day and turn down here date with Jonathan, until that evening when she would be attending the opera with Jonathan. Her maid came in the room.

"I'm sorry to disturb you miss, but this just came for you." She said.

"Thank you that will be all." Emma said

As soon as the maid left Emma opened the letter. It was from Christian.

Dear Emma,

I'm sorry to say that we have had no luck in finding Aric yet. That is to say we have not seen him yet. We do know where he is though. We have asked around for him and a man pointed us in the direction he went five days before, it's just a matter of catching up to him now. I'll send word when we are close. I'll be sure to have him send a letter to. Just be good, and fool Jonathan. I love you. Keep your faith. –Michael.

Emma could not believe how close that she was to getting to Aric now. She hoped that she would be able to contain her joy so Jonathan wouldn't get suspicious of her. Her heart couldn't take much more of this.

She found it so much easier to play her part with this news, though it was not the best but she knew that Christian and Michael would not let him get away. She knew that they would bring him back.

The opera that she watched that night reminded her of what she wanted to happen.

A/N: I ran out of things to say without going into the next chapter.