"You're going back to school, Emmett, and that's final!" Carlisle yells from Emmett's bedroom. Jasper and Rosalie stay silent, listening to the argument.
"I said I'm not going back!"
"You are going back! What are you going to do with your life without a high school diploma?"
"I'm going to work at the factory."
"Is that what you want to do with your life? Do you realize how tough factory work is?"
"Dad, I can handle it!" Emmett shoots back. "I'm not going back to school!"
"Why the hell do you have to fight me on this?"
"Because I can't do it!" Emmett yells. His voice echoes through the house. "I can't do it! I've tried, and I've failed every time! I can't do it!"
"You can too, Emmett! If you would just go back you would see that!"
"I've been there for six years! It's not going to change! I can't get past tenth grade English!"Emmett keeps screaming. "I'm not going back! I'm too stupid! I can make a good living at the factory like Seth, and I don't need a diploma!"
"Fuck, Emmett, why are you listening to him?"
Jasper sighs and leans against the bedroom wall.
"I hate when he yells."
"Me too." Rosalie agrees. "But I guess he does mean well."
"I guess. I just wish he was a little quieter about it. It reminds me of how Mom was."
Rosalie sighs, this time. The two never really talked about their mother. After all, both kids know that she's the reason they've been bounced from foster home to foster home. The crazy lady couldn't keep her head sane after Avery died. She couldn't even wait until both Rosalie and Jasper was out of the house to shoot herself in the head. Jasper shakes his head to try to clear the thought. A little boy who just lost his father shouldn't have had to hear the gunshot that killed his mother.
"If you're not going back to school, then find somewhere else to go because you're not staying in my house!" Carlisle screams.
"Fine! I will!"
Jasper and Rosalie exchange alarmed looks before scrambling to the bedroom door and peaking out. They see Carlisle storm out of Emmett's room and slam the door before charging down the steps.
"Holy shit," Rosalie murmurs under her breath.
"He's pissed." Jasper adds on just as quietly. "Do you think he's really kicking him out?"
"Sounds like it. I'm going to talk to Emmett."
"I'll go find Esme."
They nervously exit the bedroom. Although the yelling has stopped, the two siblings are still shaken by it.
Rosalie steps into Emmett's messy bedroom while Jasper heads for the stairs. Emmett yanks things out of his closet with one hand, and holds his cellphone to his ear with the other.
"He took it harder than I expected. You were right. Can you come pick me up?" He says. The tone of his voice doesn't match the argument he just had. He lets out a sad sigh. "I know, I know. Can you just come get me? Thanks. Just pull into the driveway. I'll be waiting for you. Don't get out of the car."
Emmett stops his searching just long enough to end his phone call. He doesn't even notice that Rosalie it there until she lets out a timid "Hey", and he looks over his shoulder at her.
"Hey," he says flatly. "Sorry you had to hear all that."
"It's fine." She sighs. "Do you think he's really kicking you out?"
"I'm afraid so."
"Who's coming to pick you up?"
Emmett doesn't answer right away. He finally finds his suitcase and yanks it out, unzips it and lays it open on his bed before letting out a heavy sigh.
"My biological dad."
Jasper creeps down the stairs just in time to hear Esme's and Carlisle's bedroom door slam shut. Carlisle's still booming voice can easily be heard through the door, though.
"He's not going anywhere, Esme! We both know that."
"Why would you even say that?" Esme yells back. "How dare you!"
"He has to go back to school!"
"And this is how you're going to make him, right?" She says with disgust.
Jasper timidly walks up to the door and knocks.
"Not now!" Carlisle bellows.
"Stop yelling at my children, Carlisle!" Esme hisses in an acidic tone that Jasper has never heard from her before.
Jasper sighs, leaves the door and flops down on the couch. He tried to think of what to do, how to help, but couldn't come up with anything. He never really knew what to do when people scream other than stick by his sister's side. But now Rosalie is preoccupied with Emmett, he and Edward don't want to spend any extra time around each other, Alice is pissed at him.
He's pulled from his thoughts when the bedroom door slams shut. He lifts his head to see Esme walking towards him. She sits at his feet and rubs his ankles.
"Are you okay, honey?" She asks in her typical loving voice. He nods. "I'm sorry you've had to hear all this fighting, Jasper."
Jasper doesn't respond. He just covers his eyes with his arm and lets out another sigh.
"How are you doing? You've had a rough few days."
"I'll be okay."
"Do you want to talk about it?" She questions. Jasper sits up and shifts his body around so his head rests on her legs instead of his feet.
"I dunno."
"We're here for you, Jasper. We're going to take care of this for you. Carlisle and I are going to get you a lawyer, and we will be with you every step of the way."
Jasper gives her a slight nod and an almost inaudible 'Thank you'. Esme runs her fingers through Jasper's hair, pausing mid way to attempt to work a knot out of the curls. He shakes his head and puts his hand over hers to stop her.
"Don't touch my hair. Please." Jasper pleads. The memory of Maria's fists tangled in his hair as she screamed his name filled his mind and tears threaten to fall from his tired eyes. Esme pulls her hand away. Jasper's voice breaks. "Maria use to do that."
Carlisle watches the old, beat up Mercury pull into his driveway. He sighs and puts his arm around Edward's shoulder.
"That's a crappy car." Edward murmurs to himself.
"Hush." Carlisle tells him simply. Before Edward could stop him, Carlisle pulls him closer and kisses the top of Edward's head. "I love you, kid."
"Dad!" Edward huffs, pulls away from Carlisle's arms and stomps away from the door. "Gross!"
Carlisle watches the bronze haired boy and reassures himself that this is just a phase, and one of these days he'll snap out of his crappy attitude.
As Edward leaves, Emmett comes with his suitcase in one hand and Esme's hand in the other.
"Honey, you don't have to go. Please, just stay here. This is your home." She begs, tears rolling down her cheek.
"I know it is, Mom. But hey, I know you don't want me living here forever." Emmett jokes and smiles down at her, but it doesn't make her feel any better. When the reach the door, he sets his suitcase down and embraces Esme in a hug so big that she practically disappears in his arms. "I love you, Mom."
"I love you too, Emmett." She says with a shaky voice. Emmett's sweatshirt soaks up her tears.
Carlisle watch the two. As soon as his face is no longer visible to Esme, Emmett loses his grin. Replacing it is a look of hurt and concern. He hates seeing her cry like this, but he also knows that he's making the best decision for himself.
"Call me when you get to whosoever house you're going to. Oh, I wish you would tell me who you're going to stay with. And you need to take a coat." Esme tells him as she pulls away from their hug. She heads for the closet, and while she's gone, Emmett turns to Carlisle and sticks out his hand.
Carlisle takes his hand and they shake. Emmett looks his adoptive father in the eyes, his handshake firm and strong. Carlisle wonders when exacly the boy he raised turned into a man.
"Here. And you need to wear it." Esme says firmly and hands Emmett his winter coat. Emmett chuckles, thanks her and kisses her forehead.
"I'll call you as soon as I get there." Emmett promises as he pulls his coat on and opens the front door.
"I love you."
"I love you, too."
Emmett steps outside, and Carlisle follows. Out on the front porch, Carlisle lets his heart pour out.
"You don't have to do this, son. I'll help you with school. I don't care if we have to stay up late every night, I will get you through school and you can get your diploma." Carlisle suggests. Emmett shakes his head no.
"Thanks, but I really think I'm making the right decision."
"But you're so young! Do you really want to waist your youth slaving away in a factory?"
"It's not ideal, but I also don't want to waist my youth slaving over a math book that I'll never understand."
Carlisle lets out a heavy sigh. One of his goals as a parent was to raise his kids to lead their own life. And Emmett's doing exactly that.
"Make sure you call your mother when you get there. Let me know how your first day of work goes. If you need anything, just text me and-"
Carlisle stops mid-sentence when he recognizes who is climbing out of the drivers side of the Mercury. Tall, broad frame, dark hair and eyes. It's a carbon copy of Emmett, and Carlisle knows instantly who it is.
"I told you to stay in the car!" Emmett huffs. He grabs his suitcase and storms towards his biological father.
Carlisle follows Emmett, but his oldest son only lets him make it a few steps away from the porch before stopping him.
"Dad, please, no trouble." Emmett asks.
"Did he make you do this?" Carlisle questions, jabbing an angry finger at Seth McCarty.
"No. This is all my decision." Emmett promises.
Carlisle's mind runs wild. The thought of Emmett leaving with that man made his stomach knot. That man isn't Emmett's family, Carlisle tells himself. The Cullen's are his family. Seth didn't want Emmett, and gave him up. Carlisle and Esme were the ones to step up and take care of him. They were there for every milestone, every scrapped knee and upset stomach and parent-teacher conference and every baseball game. They were the one's who raised Emmett, not Seth. He can't help but think that Seth is trying to take all that away from him. He thinks of Jamal, Kimberlyn, Tyler, Adelina, and Martin. When was the last time they called? There's too much time between calls, and he can't stand to see Emmett turn into that. No way in hell.
"Emmett, we were the ones who raised you-" Carlisle starts to lecture, the tension in his voice growing. Emmett cuts him off, though.
"Dad, stop." Emmett holds up one hand and looks Carlisle dead in the eyes. "I know that. I've always known that and I always will. You're my father. And you always will be. I love you, and no one can ever take your place. Seth may be my father biologically, but in every way that counts, you are my father."
Carlisle stops. He has no idea what to say. Instead of lecturing again, he grabs Emmett and hugs him. Emmett hugs him back, squeezing his shoulders.
"Don't freak out. I know who my real parents are." Emmett promises.
They hug for a second longer. Once they pull away, Emmett heads to the car with his suitcase in hand, complaining to Seth about getting out of the car. Carlisle returns to the porch and tries to keep from tearing up as the car pulls away. He reenters the house to see his wife watching the driveway out the window. Tears keep rolling down her face and she keeps her mouth covered with one hand and Carlisle can't help but wonder if she recognized Seth. He puts his arm around her, but she doesn't lean into his chest like he expected.
"We have a lot of fixing to do in this family." She says quietly.
Carlisle sighs. He knows that between the three kids still in his house and Emmett being gone, they have a difficult road in front of them.
