Chapter 14- Now?

Emma smiled when she heard the song on her voicemail. He was coming back. He didn't have to say it, the song did it for him. He needed a reason to try and she was that reason, she wasn't stupid. She in turn rifled through her own CD's until she found the right one and fast forwarded to certain part of the song while she called Jay back.

"Hello?" he answered after a ring or two. There was a lot of noise in the background and she hesitated.

"Jay?"

"Emma! Hey, how are you?"

"Are…are you drunk?" she looked down.

He was silent for a minute. "No I'm not. I'm at a party but I'm not drunk, hell I just got here not too long ago. Haven't had a drink yet."

She nodded, even though he couldn't see her. "Oh. Well…never mind then," she said softly and went to hang up the phone.

"Wait!" his voice yelled out to her and she put the phone back up to her ear. "Hang on," he said as the voices grew quieter until there were none.

"What's going on?" he asked quietly.

"I got your message," she said equally quiet.

"Yeah I wanted to tell you that-"

"And I've thought about it," she broke in.

Jay went quiet waiting for her to continue. "And…."

"And I'm not sure I want you to come back."

They both went silent. What was she saying? Right before she called him she was so happy that he was coming back…now she was telling him no? She closed her eyes and cursed herself as she drew a shaky breath.

"Why not?"

She let out the breath she was holding. "You're happy there and by you coming back, you'd be giving it all up. And you wouldn't be happy here."

"Emma. I want to come back. I never should have walked out to begin with."

"Yeah but you did. And you started over and did good for yourself. You're happy there. I love you, I always will Jay. But I want you to be happy. And you're happy there; not here."

He sighed but didn't say anything.

"Bye Jay," she whispered.

He opened his mouth to talk but there was no one there. She had hung up. He sat there and stared at the phone for a minute…she didn't want him to come back? She told him not to be there for her and their daughter. He clenched his jaw and threw the phone against the wall. Fine. She didn't want him there…he wouldn't go. Fuck that, why would he go back there for a person that obviously didn't want him?


"Emma?" an alarmed voice said as footsteps sounded near her bed. She raised her tearstained face and looked up at Manny's face.

"I told him to stay there," she said between sobs.

"What? Hun, what are you talking about? Is everything ok? Is it Sam?"

Emma cracked a smile as her best friend fired questions at her, frightened that something that had happened to her child.

"Jay."

"Oh," Manny visibly relaxed as she sat down on the bed next to her friend. "What are you talking about? Told him to stay?"

Emma wordlessly handed her the phone and let Manny listen to the message.

"Alright, now I'm lost. You told him not to come back? Did you hear the message Em? He loves you, he wants to come back for you and you told him no?" she now fired questions in disbelief.

"Manny he doesn't want to come back! He wants to come back for me! That's all. I don't want to be the cause of him being unhappy again!" she cried as she laid her head back down on the bed.

"Baby…" Manny tried comforting her, soothing her hair, but all Emma could do was cry.


"So Emma…how is the little one coming along?" JT asked the next day as they walked to school.

Emma sighed. "She's fine JT. Kicking like a soccer player."

JT just grinned and rubbed her stomach as she swatted his hand away.

He cleared his throat. "And uh…is Jay…" he left the question open but it was obvious what it was.

Emma grew silent and looked at the ground. "I told him not too. He was going to," she said softly.

Her friend stopped when he heard that and she looked back at him. He drew her into a hug.

"JT! What are you-"

"I'm sorry," was all he whispered and she understood completely.

She nodded while sniffling. "Just don't let Liberty say anymore shit to me or I swear to God…"

He shook his head. "I'll take care of her."

"Good."

He smiled sadly and kissed the top of her head before moving on to school again.

"Hey," Ellie said as she came up on Emma's locker ten minutes later.

"What's up?"

Ellie shook her head. "Not too much. So I hea-"

"Does the entire fucking school know or what?" Emma asked exasperated as she slammed her locker shut and closed her eyes against as she leaned against it.

"I told her," Manny's voice came.

The blonde visibly relaxed. "Oh…"

"I just wanted to say I was sorry. I mean I kinda know how it feels, you know?" she said throwing back to the time when her and Sean were still going out and he left for Wasaga. The only difference is that Sean came back after four months and picked right back up with Ellie. And Jay wasn't Sean.

"Can we talk about something happier?" Emma begged. "If one more person says that they're sorry to me, I'll make them sorry," she threatened.

"Oh really?" Manny raised her eyebrow.

"Yeah…belly bumping is a bitch," Emma laughed.

Ellie playfully pinched Emma's cheeks. "Oh look at you…turning our little Samantha into a mosher already….Auntie Ellie is so proud!"

The two girls just deadpanned Ellie and the red head just smiled. "Hey, you never know! I would like for you all to remember who the father is ok?" she said as the three of them made their way to the classroom as the bell rang.

"Not a chance in hell," Emma laughed.

The three friends stepped foot into the classroom and Emma physically smacked her forehead. "Damn it. I forgot a book. I'll be right back."

"Kwan's gonna kill you…." Manny mocked.

Emma stuck out her tongue and made a face as she turned around. She made her way back to her locker as fast as she could, which wasn't very fast at all, as all the doors began closing in the hallway. Emma took notice and shrugged as she slowed down.

"Oh my God, is little Emma Nelson breaking the rules?" a nasty voice said from behind her.

"Alex, go away."

"But I just love these little chats that we have!"

"Tough shit," Emma said turning around.

"Oooo…did Emmy get a backbone?"

The blonde just stared and sighed. "You know what? You're not worth it," she said turning back around.

"Really?" the other girls asked as Emma doubled over in pain. "Oh come on, I didn't even fucking touch you," she said rolling her eyes.

"Alex," Emma panted in pain.

She narrowed her eyes and moved closer. "What?" she snapped. "Oh my God…" she started as she noticed that her feet in making a squishy sounding noise.

"My water broke."

Alex just blinked really fast, unsure of what to do. "Umm…."

"Go get someone! And please Alex…call Jay. Just do one nice thing for me in my life….please? Just call him," Emma begged as she stood against a locker.

"Yeah….I think I can do that," she said as she started to run away.


"What?" Jay's groggy voice croaked out as he looked at the clock. 8 am. And he had no clue of what happened last night…or how he got home. He was waaay to drunk to be woken up at 8 in the god damn morning. Great…and who the hell was the red head in bed with him?

"Jay!" Alex yelled out.

"Alex, it's 8 in the fucking morning. And why the hell are you yelling at me?" he yelled back.

She stopped. "Please do not tell me you are drunk right now Jayson," she said seriously.

"So what if I am? And don't call me that! You only do that when you're pissed off," he said sliding back down in bed, mumbling.

"Because I am! You're drunk…and Emma's water just broke at school."

"Water broke? What the fuck? It's too early for this shit," he said going to hang up the phone.

"She's going into labor Jay. I suggest you find a way to get your fucking ass back here real quick so you can see the birth of your daughter," Alex snapped as she hung up. Jay sat straight up in bed. Emma was going into labor? Now? But she was still a couple of weeks away from having it….he sighed as he ran a hand over his face. First thing he had to was sober up. Even though Alex just did a damn good job of that, he was still drunk. And then he had to find the fastest way to get from California to Toronto. That….was just not going to happen.


Emma made a face at the searing pain that ripped through her. So this would be the contractions that people talked about. All she wanted right then was someone to sit with her so she could hold their hand…even if it was Alex Nunez.

"Emma…are you alright?" she asked as she came back around the corner.

She nodded, not speaking. "Did you…?"

"Yeah, I called Jay and I told Kwan," she said as she tried to ease Emma onto the floor.

"Thank you Alex," she whispered as tears started to form.

"Jesus, if you cry…I think I'll seriously regret helping you out here," she joked.

Emma laughed a strained laugh. "I'm having a baby! I can't believe it…."

Alex just sighed. "Yeah, you're having a baby," she replied. She could see that Emma was happy, it was just that much harder for Alex to attempt to be a bitch to her. Shit, this was even making her happy. Had to stop…this just had to stop.

"What's going on?" Ellie skidded around the corner, Manny on her heels.

"OH MY GOD!" Manny shrieked. "Are you serious? Now?"

"Oh it's now Santos," Alex spoke up.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Manny fired back at Alex.

"She's helping me! And don't ruin it, because we'll never get along ever again!" Emma yelled as Mrs. Kwan and the rest class came running around the corner.

Alex just laughed as Emma yelled that and nodded. "She's right."

"Alright everyone, I need you to back up and give her some room. Emma, I called the hospital and they're sending out an ambulance for you alright?"

Emma just nodded.

"I'm going with her," Manny said automatically as Emma nodded her head. Ellie handed her her cellphone.

"What's this for?"

"Jay's gonna call me. I know he will," she said simply.

Manny just nodded and rushed forward as the sirens were heard outside.

Emma let go of Alex's hand and took hold of Manny's. "Thank you Alex," she whispered gratefully.

Alex managed a small smile. "Go have your kid Nelson," she said with no hate in her voice what so ever. The two girls shared a rare smile that would probably never happen again as the paramedics rushed in. Manny tossed Ellie her phone and Ellie sent her questionable glance.

"I'll call you!"

Ellie went and stood next to Alex who was on the phone, as her best friend was wheeled off.

"What? What do you mean you can't? No….you're coming. We'll find a way. Ellie's going to help me. Why? Because this is the only thing in my life that I'll do for Emma Nelson." Alex went quiet then. "Because you love her," she said quietly. "That's why I'm doing this," she said as she hung up.

"So…"

Alex shook her head. "Jay said he can't find a way up here."

Ellie shook her head. "No…he's coming. Trust me," she said as she started to walk off. "Are you coming?"

Alex just shook her head. "I've done enough nice things today. Let's just double them because it was for Emma, who I hate. I feel weird enough already…"

Ellie just smiled a sad smile at her once best friend.

Alex shook her head as if to rid herself of the 'nice-ness'. "Ugh….enough! Go get that boy on a plane!"