AN: OMG words cannot describe how sorry I am for the long update! So, so, SOOOO SORRY! I've been so busy with school and we've been having late rehearsals for our school musical so I've been having to stay at school til five, and it doesn't help that the teachers find it fun to book us with homework in every subject and I only have one study hall so I'm stuck doing it at home. But I got sick today (and was banned from school because too many people are getting sick) so I decided to FINALLY update!
Thank you so much for the reviews! I've been thinking this through and I'm starting to think that I'm shifting away from Jay and Emma…and more into Emma and Peter. Especially after seeing the episode Tell it to My Heart, it just kind of makes sense for them to be together…even though I do love the Jay and Emma pairing, I'm starting to like Peter and Emma too. Yes, that had like nothing to do with this story whatsoever, but oh well, lol.
Well here's Chapter 4, hope you like!
I am once again, so sorry about the long updates! I've been so spacey lately. Hope you all had a Happy Holiday!
R&R and please, no flames!
Lotsa love,
degrassichick
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Chapter 4
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"So why are we here again?" Manny asked as she and Emma strolled through Bingham Department Store at the mall the following Saturday, "Christmas is in two days!"
Emma nodded, "I know, and I still have two presents to get."
"Would mine happen to be one of them?" Manny asked, a hopeful grin on her face.
Emma shook her head and Manny's face fell, "Well then, who for?" she asked.
"I have to get one for Zac and one for Jay." Emma replied, looking at the back of a CD before sitting it back on the rack.
Manny's eyes widened, "You're getting Jay a present?"
Emma rolled her eyes, "Of course, I'm getting one for a lot of people."
"But Jay isn't a person; he's more of a…thing."
Emma rolled her eyes, "Well this thing gets a present too."
Manny shrugged before looking across the store and seeing a very familiar person walking through an aisle of workout DVDs along with a small girl with blonde hair.
"Well speak of the thing now." Manny muttered.
Emma's head shot up and she immediately saw Jay with Danni in tow.
Danni glanced up and spotted Emma, "Emmy!" she pointed, "Jay look, it's Emmy!"
Manny held back a laugh and watched as the two walked over towards them.
Danni grinned broadly, "Hi Emma!" she squealed happily and wrapped her arms around the girl's waist.
Emma laughed and hugged her back, "Hey Danni."
Jay stuffed his hands into his pockets, "So Green Peace, who are you shopping for?"
Manny replied before Emma could muster her answer, "She's spending hours on end shopping for Zac, it's getting really annoying."
Jay's eyes darkened slightly at the sound of Zac.
"Oh…" Jay replied.
"Who are you shopping for?" Emma asked.
Danni grinned, "He's shopping for you!" she squealed.
Emma's eyes widened as she felt a smile forming on her lips, she glanced up at Jay, "Oh, is that so?"
Jay rolled his eyes and muttered something incoherently under his breath, "C'mon Miss Narrator, let's go." Jay stated and latched onto Emma's hand, "I guess I'll see you later then?" he asked, turning towards Emma.
Emma nodded, "Tomorrow."
"Bye Emma!" Danni squealed.
Emma laughed, "Bye Danni." She said with a smile before watching the pair walk out of the store.
Manny smirked towards Emma.
"What?"
"If I'm not mistaken, I think Jay may just have a crush on you…"
Emma scoffed, "Yeah right, Manny."
Manny rolled her eyes, "Well if you two are kissing under the mistletoe, don't come crying to-"
Emma held up a hand to silence Manny, "Trust me, that won't happen."
-x-
Emma rapped on the Hogart's door on Christmas Eve, shivering with three packages in her hand.
Just then the door swung open and Mrs. Hogart appeared, "Emma, hello! What a pleasant surprise to see you here! You must be freezing, come in, come in!" she laughed and held the door open for Emma, who stepped inside.
"So what are you doing here, Emma?" she asked as Emma sat the presents down on the tile floor of the foyer and slipped off her coat and shoes.
"Well I decided to bring you guys your Christmas presents." Emma stated with a smile.
Mrs. Hogart smiled, "Emma, you didn't have to get us anything."
Emma shrugged, "I wanted to."
Mrs. Hogart laughed before calling up the stairs, "Jay! Danni!"
Danni galloped down the stairs and grinned excitedly, "Emma!" she squealed and lunged herself at her, pulling her into a hug.
"Hey Dan!" Emma laughed and hugged her back.
Danni broke away and looked down at the presents, "Did you get me anything?" she asked excitedly.
"Danielle." Mrs. Hogart warned.
Emma held up her hand, "Don't worry about it." She said towards her before looking down at Danni, "Did I get you a gift…? Hmm, let's see. I have one here for your parents, one for Jay, and one for a little girl named Danni…do you know her?" she asked with a grin.
Danni squealed and reached for the biggest package on the floor, "Jay! Get down here, now!"
Emma laughed, "Impatient, aren't we?"
Danni grinned and nodded, "I love Christmas." She turned to her mom, "Mommy! Open your present."
Mrs. Hogart smiled and reached down, picking up the present at the top of the stack, "You really didn't have to get us anything, Emma."
Emma shook her head, "No trouble at all." She then glanced around, "Is Mr. Hogart here?"
Mrs. Hogart shook her head, "He had an important meeting."
"On Christmas Eve?" Emma questioned, puzzled.
Mrs. Hogart nodded, "His client is very, very pushy."
Emma nodded in confusion.
Just then Jay approached the foyer from the kitchen, "What?" he asked towards his sister.
Emma spun around to face him.
"Oh…" Jay grumbled, "Hi."
Emma rolled here eyes, "Thanks for the greeting."
"Emma brought presents! Sit down and open-" she got cut off by Mrs. Hogart's cell phone ringing.
Mrs. Hogart snatched it off of the shelf it was sitting on beside a small glass custard dish with keys in them.
She flipped it open and glanced at the name, "Hello?" she asked, answering the phone. She held up a finger to the other three and walked into the kitchen, "Its Christmas Eve, Jeffery…"
Danni got a sought look on her face, staring down at the tile flooring, "Guess we'll have to open the presents without Mommy."
"Why is that?" Emma asked, crouching down beside Danni.
"Jeffery is her client, he's insanely pushy and anytime he calls here-which is just about every other day-it always that Mom has to leave." Jay butted in.
Emma sighed, "Maybe he won't make her leave, it is Christmas Eve after all."
As if being stood corrected on impact, Mrs. Hogart strutted back towards the foyer, "Jeffery needs me to stop by his house for a little bit. I'll be back very soon, I promise." She gave a kiss on the cheek to both Danni and Jay, "Just go ahead and open your presents." She said towards them, "I love you, see you soon." She then looked towards Emma, "Thank you for stopping by, honey. Feel free to stay as long as you want." And with that she grabbed her coat and purse and walked outside into the cold.
Danni stared down at the floor, sniffling.
Emma pulled her into a hug, "She'll be back soon, just as she said."
"Yeah, right." Jay scoffed, "Jeffery keeps her with him for three hours at the least."
Emma rolled her eyes, "Well gee, Jay. That really lightened up the mood." She looked down at Danni, "Do you want to open your present, sweetie?"
Dannie sniffled and nodded.
Emma smiled and reached for the young girl's hand and picked up her present with the other, leading her towards the couch.
"Looks like you've got a lot of presents already." Emma laughed, looking towards the Christmas tree that was decorated brightly with presents scattered all around the tree skirt.
Danni nodded before reaching for the present Emma had gotten her and ripped off the paper.
"Wow…" Danni gushed, looking down at the box.
Inside was a silver photo frame with pink sparkly engraved writing on it that read, "World's Prettiest Princess" with a picture inside of it of Danni and Jay, the two were sitting on their couch, Danni was on Jay's lap and she had a tiara on her head with Jay's head resting on her shoulder.
She pulled Emma into a hug, "Thanks Emma!" she squealed.
Emma laughed, "Look back in the box, sweets."
Danni pulled the picture frame out and handed it to Emma momentarily before letting out a squeal and pulling out two packages of candy, Razzles and Sweet Tarts, Danni's favorite candies.
"Thank you!" she squealed and hugged her once more, "I'm going to go put these in my room." And with that she picked up her things and hurried upstairs.
Jay smirked as he watched her walk off, "That was pretty cool of you."
Emma shrugged, "I didn't think she would actually get that excited over a picture frame."
Jay laughed, "Danni loves pictures."
Emma smiled before reaching down for Jay's package and tossing into his hands, his was smaller and lighter than Danni's had been.
"You seriously got me something?" Jay asked.
Emma rolled her eyes, "No, it's for the other Jay."
Jay rolled his eyes and plopped down on the couch, ripping off the paper.
He lifted the lid off of the box and stared down at the sight in front of him.
A black cap.
"You got me a hat?" he asked.
Emma rolled her eyes, "Yes, I got you a hat." She picked the gray one that he was wearing off of his head, "This one is getting ratty, it was bugging me." She looked at him with his floppy honey brown hair; she had to admit, he was pretty cute.
Jay placed the new one on his head backwards and looked towards her.
Emma laughed, "See? It looks better."
Jay sighed, "Thanks." He said with a tug of a smile along his lips.
Emma nodded, "No problem." She laughed and slightly wrapped her arms around him, giving him a light hug.
Jay's eyes widened before he cautiously hugged her back.
The two broke apart and their foreheads bumped together.
"Sorry." Jay mumbled and slowly began to break away.
Emma nodded, staring down at his lips.
"What's wrong with you?" he asked awkwardly.
Emma slowly began to inch her lips closer towards his, noticing that he was moving his towards her as well.
Their lips were so close that they could feel their breath against each other.
Jay silently placed his hand on the back of her neck and was just about to lower his lips onto her own when-
"Jay!" Danni called out, "Come tell me where I should go put my picture frame!"
The pair broke apart and Jay muttered something incoherently under his breath before hurrying up the stairs.
Emma gulped and fell back against the couch.
What had she been thinking?
-x-
Wow! I finally completed the chapter! (Pats self on back)
Once again, I am so sorry about the long update; I promise the next one will be quicker!
R&R and please, no flames!
Lotsa love,
degrassichick
