-SLAM-

The door shut loudly behind Emma as she stormed into the house, angry tears running down her face. Her week had just gone from bad to worse, and the events of the day were the last thing she wanted to deal with.

Those pernicious witches at school had managed to finally get to her enough that she reacted to their game and fell right not the trap they had set for her. With no friends left at school to have her back, Emma was now completely alone against what felt like the rest of her grade. Somehow, Cleo, Trish and Taylor had turned the entire class against her. The day's now consisted of dumb comments and snickering from everyone around her, not to mention her teacher's vendetta against her.

Today the girls had made a picture of her teacher that was less than flattering and then pinned the blame on Emma. Mrs. Price hated her enough without thinking she was mocking her behind her back. Now Emma was subject to extra work at school and a phone call home in punishment for her 'crime'. But that wasn't all for that day, a new rumour was being spread that she was sleeping with a college boy for money and she found out she was failing English, a class that usually came so natural to her. In short, Emma was extremely frustrated and wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed and shut the world out.

"Emma!" the sharp sound of her mother's voice stopped her on the stairs. "I just got off the phone with your teacher. What on earth has gotten into you! You're failing English? And you drew a nasty picture of your teacher!?"

Facing her mother Emma fought back tears unsuccessfully. "I didn't."

"Well if you didn't who did?" asked Helen, not entirely believing that her daughter would do something so foolish and get caught. Emma didn't answer, fearing that revealing the truth would make it worse for her. Helen tapped her foot impatiently and then crossed her arms. "I'm waiting for an explanation here. You've not been acting yourself for weeks now! You've been irritable and cross, and now you're failing your best subject! What's going on?"

"Oh now you care enough to ask!" bit out Emma without even thinking. Helen's eyes flashed dangerously, anger masking the look of hurt that mixed into her face.

"What's that supposed to mean!?" snapped her mother. "Because you haven't been miss communicative yourself lately! I ask questions, but you shrug and mumble some unintelligible answer and then run off to play at the stables! It's not as though you've really been around!" Then she threw up her hands and said, "You know what, forget it! I don't know why I even bother. Matt can deal with you when he gets home."

Emma watched as her mother disappeared into the living room again and then she fled up the stairs and threw her self on her bed with a sob. Not for the first time that week was Emma sobbing into her pillow. Earlier that week she had been in a similar position when Susan had called to tell her that her favorite horse, Fidel, had died that morning. She had wanted to stay home from school to grieve, but her mother didn't understand the need and sent her to school anyway. It had been an awful day. When she got home she had called Greg.

Flashback:

Emma took a deep breath and hit the dial button on the phone. It rang, and rang. Please pick up daddy, I need you. She hoped she wasn't interrupting something important or that he was asleep.

"Emma! How you doin sweetheart?" the sound of her dad's gentle and cheerful voice brought a sob into her throat.

"Hi daddy," she said wetly in a shaky voice, "I just wanted to talk to you."

"Uh oh," Greg's voice shifted into a softer tone, "Sounds like you're having a rough day. What's going on?"

Emma choked out a sob, trying hard to keep them in. "Fidel died today. Sue went to let him out this morning and he was just dead."

There was long silence on the other end, then she heard Greg let out a slow breath, "Oh honey, I'm so sorry. I know how special he to you. He sounded like a pretty amazing horse."

"Yea, he really was." she said tearfully. "I don't know what I'm going to do without him daddy, he's was like the only friend I have right now."

End of Flashback:

Greg had been a life saver that day for her. Sympathetically listening and offering the comfort she craved.

It had been several weeks since Dean had convinced Helen to let them stay in contact with their dad. In that space of time, Emma and Dean called Greg a few times a week to talk to him, taking turns and trying hard not to fight over who's turn it was. She had confided in her father about what was happening at school and wasn't disappointed when he calmly listened and gave her helpful advice on how she could respond to some of the incidences. But at same time, he did also encourage her to tell Helen what was happening, if for no other reason than to let her know and then have the support at home. Emma resisted that idea, but she did agree to tell Dean.

Her brother's reaction was less reserved than Greg's. He wanted to go and 'pound the little snots into the ground'. She had found it rather touching. At the time, she calmly deterred him from the desire to hunt down her tormentors, but today, Emma was tempted to let him. Unfortunately, for all her brother was fairly devoted to her as his sibling, he also was very busy and therefore seldom at home when she truly needed him.

So there she was, crying alone on her bed and wishing she could be in Toronto with Greg and Jackie. Grabbing the phone, Emma tried to call her dad, but there was no answer and she decided not to leave a voice message.

Dropping the phone on the floor and wrapping up in a blanket, Emma felt small and broken. School was being to be a source of anxiety for her. She wanted so badly to just get through the year, to prove she was stronger than her fears, but inside she was young and sensitive. Comments about her looks and weight got to her despite her relative security over such things. Gradually as each comment took root, Emma became more and more self conscious about her looks, even skipping meals sometimes when she felt particularly bad. That was what scared her the most. Her growing obsession with looks and appearance. Never before had it affected her so badly. Shuddering and trying not to think about going to school the next day, Emma curled into herself and cried again.

A knock at her door silenced her sobbing.

"Emma, can I come in?" Helen asked almost gently. Emma didn't reply and after a while Helen sighed and went away.

Blinking, Emma sat up. Her mother hadn't ever sought her out before after an argument. Nor had Helen ever asked to come in her room. Suddenly a feeling washed over Emma that she couldn't even explain. All she knew was that she wanted to run down stairs and be cuddled by her mother. She wanted things to be different. She wanted her mother to understand.

Without really knowing what she was doing, Emma climbed out of bed and padded down the stairs to where her mother was working.

"Mummy?" Emma said her voice wavering. Helen looked up sharply from the her desk. The initial hard expression faded the moment she saw her daughters white face and shaking form. Pushing her chair back from the desk she opened her arms and said, "Oh sweetheart! Come here, whatever is the matter!"

Emma rushed to her with a sob and was gathered into her mothers lap as though she was a small child again. Helen soothed the girl for a long while before Emma was calm enough to respond to her questions. She listen in silence as Emma poured out what was happening at school, each event and cruel deed, everything it made her feel and all her deep hurts. The moment she mentioned wanting to go live with Greg so she could be at school with Jackie, Helen's face hardened, but it softened as Emma began to cry harder once more as she explained how much she didn't want Helen to be angry with her and she didn't want her to hate her.

"Oh baby girl, I could never hate you." Helen whispered as she kissed the top of her daughters head and blinked back gathering tears. "I know, I know things have been really hard between us. I've been...well...wrong about a lot of things, and you and I are so similar, yet so different. It's no wonder you like talking with Greg, you are so much like him, when I first met him. And I may not like it, but whatever you want to do, its your choice. If you want to go live in Toronto, you can. Ok? But please, can we try and work out what's happening at school first? Just try for me baby? If even just until the Christmas holidays, you can't change schools now until then anyway and it's only a few weeks away."

Emma tightened her grip in response. Helen sighed and said, "I love you, I always have, I always will. Because you're my baby girl."

"I was worried you won't understand if I told you about it." confessed Emma, not really sure why it was important to tell her mother that. Helen laughed gently surprising her daughter.

"Believe it or not my dear, but I was once thirteen, and I know what its like to be so miserable at school that you don't even want to get up in the morning." smiling sadly, Helen smoothed back Emma's hair as she looked at her. "I always swore to myself that if one of my children ever asked to be transferred to a different school so they could be with friends again or to escape bullying, I would say yes. It doesn't matter how involved you get the staff and parents, it's still miserable isn't it?"

Emma nodded seriously.

"Well," said Helen, "Let's try and make the best of it. Before long you will be at school with Jackie. She does wonders for you Emma. I've watched the light in your eyes diminish over the weeks, but that visit with her brought it back for a while. I'll call Greg myself tonight and talk to him about you coming to live with him."

"Really?" Emma got a little tense. Helen placidly smirked and then said drily, "I may have awful things to say about the man in the privacy of our home, but I do know how to be civil Emma when the need arises. I will do this for you. And if you change your mind, for whatever reason, you can come home again instantly. Do you understand Emma?"

"Thank-you mummy."

AN: I had a lot of trouble with this exchange, and it's still not 100% right, but I think it conveys what I wanted it to. Helen making an effort to understand her daughter, and Emma making peace with her mother. However, I will say that this isn't a magical fix to their conflicts. Helen and Emma are still very different/and similar therefore they are bound to butt heads again. Anyhow, next chapter should be coming...I don't know when, but Greg and team one will hopefully be involved in Emma's new life in Toronto :) My question is...how will Dean feel about his little sister leaving?