Chapter 2: I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning

Characters:

Rachel Janacek (Sam and Sonny)- 23

Emma Morgan (Sam and Jason)- 17

Gabe Morgan (Sam and Jason)- 16

Maddie Morgan (Sam and Jason)- 16

Katie Morgan (Sam and John; raised by Jason)- 14

Selena Morgan (Stella and Tyler; adopted by Sam and Jason)- 4

Morgan Corinthos (Carly and Sonny)- 29

Josslyn Jacks (Carly and Jax)- 22

Courtney Jacks (Carly and Jax)- 17

Connor Jacks (Carly and Jax)- 16

Jacelyn Jacks (Carly and Jax)- 14

Chloe J Hunter (Maxie and Matt)- 17

Christian Hunter (Maxie and Matt)- 17

Lukas Spencer (Maxie and Lucky)- 16

Leah Zacchara (Maxie and Johnny)- 15

Ava Zacchara (Maxie; adopted by Johnny)- 14

Daniel Zacchara (Olivia and Johnny)- 17

Mia Webber (Olivia and Steve)- 16

Allie Webber (Olivia and Steve)- 14

Izzie Zacchara (Claudia)- 23

Clay Corinthos (Sonny and Claudia)- 22

Zack Corinthos (Sonny and Claudia)- 17

Hunter Corinthos (Sonny and Claudia)- 16

Brittany Corinthos (Sonny and Brenda)- 16

Brenna Corinthos (Sonny and Claudia)- 15

Lindsey Scorpio-Drake (Robin and Patrick)- 23

Nate Scorpio-Drake (Robin and Patrick)- 17

Noah Scorpio-Drake (Robin and Patrick)- 16

Spencer Cassadine (Nikolas and Courtney)- 28

Aiden Cassadine (Nikolas and Elizabeth)- 22

Paige Cassadine (Nikolas and Emily)- 17

Aubrey Crowell (Nadine and Nikolas)- 16

Nattie Cassadine (Nikolas and Brook Lynn)- 15

Colton Cassadine (Nikolas and Elizabeth)- 14

Wes Janacek (Kristina and Kiefer)- 16

Haley Lovett (Ethan and Lisa)- 16

Logan Davis (Ethan and Kristina)- 15

Livvie Davis (Ethan and Kristina)- 15

Molly Lansing Webber (Ric and Alexis)- 28

Addie Lansing (Ric and Elizabeth)- 16

Cameron Webber (Elizabeth and Lucky)- 29

Jake Spencer (Elizabeth and Lucky)- 24

Brendan Webber (Elizabeth)- 17

Stella Hunter (Elizabeth and Matt)- 16

Alec Barrett (Brenda and Aleksander)- 23

Ashlyn Falconeri (Lulu and Dante)- 15

Lila Rae Alcazar (Skye and Lorenzo)- 28

Jamie Quartermaine (Dillon and Georgie)- 17

Tanner Quartermaine (Dillon and Lulu)- 16

Julian Quartermaine (AJ)- 15

Grace Quartermaine (Skye)- 14

Tyler Drake (Lisa and Patrick)- 17

Ian Niles (Lisa)- 14

Carrie Corinthos (Michael and Abby)- 15

Ryan Rosco (Faith)- 17

Dominic Rosco (Faith)- 14

Prue Webber (Molly and Cam)- 0

Henry Spencer (Lindsey and Jake)- 0

Sophia Janacek (Rachel and Kiefer)- 4

Kailey Franco (Franco)- 16

Reed Worth (Maggie)- 16

Rhiannon Deusa- 16

Lauren Grayson- 16

Brianna Edwards- 17

Deceased:

Bella Jacks (Jax and Brenda)- 15

Mason Zacchara (Olivia and Johnny)- 15

Jazzie Corinthos (Sonny and Kate)- 14

Lola Zacchara (Claudia and Nikolas)- 14

Ben Lovett (Ethan and Lisa)- 15

Liam Drake (Elizabeth and Patrick)- 15

Matt Zacchara (Lulu and Johnny)- 17

Joey Falconeri (Dante and Brenda)- 17

Trevor Alcazar (Skye and Lorenzo)- 16

Taylor Corinthos (Michael and Abby)- 14

Parker Ruiz (Manny)- 16

Corey Spinelli (Spinelli)- 15

Bailey Spencer (Lucky and Siobhan)- 15

Max Franco (Franco)- 15

Lily Mir (Leyla and Aleksander)- 15

The Dream Team

"Rise and shine, sleeping beauty!" Chloe J shouted as she walked into Emma's room at the Enchantment. Emma was still passed out, but Zack sat up, rubbing his eyes.

"What time is it?"

"Almost ten. Maddie and Paige are making breakfast."

"What are they making?"

"Cereal."

Zack rolled his eyes. "We'll be down in a minute."

Chloe J went to leave, but then she turned around. "Zack?"

"Hmmm?"

"How often does she do this?" she was obviously referring to Emma.

"This is all she and Courtney do Thursday through Sunday." He replied sadly.

Chloe J didn't respond, instead just leaving the two alone. She went back downstairs where everyone else was now awake.

Mia had been the first one awake that morning because of her morning sickness, and she had already showered and gotten dressed in some of the clothes Maddie had at the Enchantment. She wasn't showing yet, so it was still easy for her to wear her normal clothes, but she had to get a bigger size in pants or wear stretchy ones. She was wide awake and talking loudly, smiling more than anyone had seen her do in the past couple of months. Gabe was sitting next to her on the couch, watching her happily.

Nate was sitting in the recliner with it layed back. Brittany was on his lap, her eyes closed and her head resting on his chest because she was still half-asleep. Hunter and Courtney were lying on the floor. They were talking quietly, but Chloe J couldn't hear what they were saying. Paige and Maddie were still in the kitchen getting cereal for everyone. Connor was on the couch looking at something on his phone.

"Hurry up with that food!" Hunter shouted.

Paige walked in with bowls and milk, while Maddie had four cereal boxes in her arms.

"Can you be a little more patient?" Paige questioned, starting to pass out bowls. Maddie set the cereal on the table and everyone gathered around it.

Zack and Emma walked into the living room and sat down in the space left for them between Courtney and Maddie. Loud chatter filled the room as everyone poured their favorite cereal into a bowl.

"You okay?" Zack asked Courtney, looking over Emma so that he could see her.

"Headache." She complained, taking a drink from her water bottle. "I'll be fine."

Paige reached over and grabbed her purse, digging around in it until she found a bottle of Ibuprofen. She tossed it to Courtney.

"Thanks, P." she dumped a handful of them into her hand and everyone looked at her in alarm until Zack rolled his eyes and reached over Emma, grabbing back all but three and shoving them into the bottle, and then handing it to Emma.

Emma was staring blankly at the table in front of her as she slowly ate her cereal. She didn't even notice Zack gave her the bottle.

"Em." He said gently, trying not to attract everyone's attention even though he knew they were listening. "Take some medicine."

Emma finally seemed to pay attention again and she opened the bottle, taking three pills and swallowing them without water. Zack gave her a look and she took Courtney's water bottle and drank from it.

"So…last night was a little crazy." Brittany commented, taking a bite of Fruity Pebbles. "The two of you should never sing karaoke again."

Courtney's head shot up. "We sang?"

The others (besides Zack) were surprised that she didn't remember. Nate was the one to speak.

"Yeah, you and Emma sang Spice Girls."

Courtney groaned, letting her head fall onto the table. "That's so embarrassing."

Emma didn't speak, instead jumping up and running down the hallway. They all heard the slam of the bathroom door. Zack sighed and followed her.

"How did we even get here last night?" Courtney wondered.

"Zack carried Emma, I carried you." Hunter answered, shoveling his Frosted Flakes into his mouth like he had never eaten before.

"How does Zack usually get both of you out?" Mia asked.

Courtney shrugged. "No clue. I guess he's just talented."

Everyone was quiet, eating their cereal in silence. No one was really sure what to say.

"Who is leaving with who?" Nate questioned.

"I guess we're all just leaving with whoever we came with." Maddie responded.

"I'm going with you guys though." Mia told Gabe and Maddie.

"Do you mind if I come too? I need to talk to your mom." Paige said.

"Of course not, P." Gabe smiled at his cousin.

"Then I guess I'm riding with Nate, Courtney and Connor came together, Britt and Hunter, and then Zack and Emma?" Chloe J asked. Everyone agreed.

"This is so awkward." Emma muttered after flushing the toilet. She sat against the wall across from it, leaning her head back.

"What is?" Zack asked. He was standing up and leaning against the sink.

"This whole morning. No one knows what to say to each other and it's super awkward."

Zack shrugged. "Everyone is making it awkward. We've known each other since we were little kids; I'm sure we could find something to talk about."

"I'm the one making it awkward, huh?"

"What do you mean?"

"They're not used to seeing me like this." She gestured between herself and the toilet. "Plus things between Paige and I were never really fixed. It's pretty obvious that Chloe J and Nate took her side."

"No one took sides. The two of you just need to spend time together to make things less awkward."

Emma sighed. "I just want to go home and sleep."

"I know you never listen to me when I say stuff like this, but I really think that you shouldn't go out tonight. You're running on empty, Emma. You need to rest."

She knew he was serious because he used her full name. "I won't. I think I'm too exhausted to anyway."

"Are you finished in here?" Emma nodded, so Zack reached his arm out, taking her hand and pulling her up. "I'll take you home."

Before he could walk out, Emma hugged him. He rested his chin on top of her head.

"Thank you for always staying by me."

"I wouldn't be anywhere else." Zack kissed her forehead and then they walked out of the room. Everyone was quiet.

"We're gonna go." Zack said. "Court, you going home with Connor?"

"Yeah."

"The rest of you are good?" the others nodded.

"Bye, Courtie." Emma leaned down and hugged Courtney.

"Paige is coming to your house." Courtney whispered in her ear. She felt Emma tense up and pull back.

"I'll call you later." She smiled at everyone else, though her dimples didn't show like they usually would. She followed Zack out of the Enchantment.

Paige

"Paigey!" 4 year old Selena Morgan ran over, enveloping her cousin in a hug.

"Hey, Sel." Paige lifted her up, kissing her cheek. "What are you doing?"

"Watching Tinkerbell with Daddy!" Paige looked over and saw Jason sitting on the couch focusing way more on his laptop than on the TV.

"Hey Uncle Jason, since when do you like fairies?"

Jason closed his laptop and smiled at her. "Hey Paige." He stood and hugged her. "What brings you here?"

"I was actually hoping to talk to Aunt Sam. Is she around?"

"She's in the kitchen attempting to cook. Maybe you should go help her."

"That might be better for whoever is eating her food." Paige agreed. She set Selena back on the couch and walked into the kitchen.

Sam's stomach looked way bigger than the last time she had seen her, and Paige couldn't help but smile. If anyone deserved a miracle baby, it was her aunt and uncle. After the way they lost their stillborn daughter, Zoe, they needed a new one, especially before Selena gets too old.

"Hi, Aunt Sam." She greeted.

The woman smiled at her. "Hey P. It's been a while." She hugged her. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, but it could be better."

"Is there any way I can help?"

"That's actually why I came here." She took a deep breath. "I need you to find Brook Lynn."

Sam frowned, putting down the knife she was holding. "I thought she was on tour."

"That's what she told us, but she wasn't supposed to be gone this long. I know it's a lot to ask, but Nattie really needs her. Everything has been so crazy since Lola…you know…and she just needs her mom."

"I'll do everything I can, but I can't make any promises, Paige."

"I'm just asking that you try." Paige hugged her again. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Sam kissed her cheek. "Are you gonna stay for lunch? Emma's upstairs in her room."

Paige looked away awkwardly. "Oh no, that's okay, I've got a lot to do today. I need to get to the launch."

"Are you sure?" Paige nodded. "Alright. You need to start coming around more. We all missed you."

"I've missed you too. Just call me if you find anything, okay?"

"I will." Sam promised. "I love you."

"Love you too." Paige walked out of the kitchen just as Katie walked in.

Sam watched her niece go. "That's weird. Why wouldn't she stay and talk to Emma?"

Katie rolled her eyes. "Mom, Paige and Emma don't talk anymore."

"What? Why?"

"I'll give you one guess. It starts with a 'Z'."

Emma and Mia

"Hello?" Emma answered the unknown number calling her phone, wondering who it could possibly be. That familiar fear raced through her body and the thought crossed her mind that the TMK could be back.

"Hey Emma, this is Brandon. You came to my party last night, remember?"

But it was impossible. Trevor was dead, and as hard as it was, she needed to get over it.

"Uh, yeah. How did you get my number?"

"You gave it to me when we were making out last night. You told me to call you if I ever wanted to see you again, and I definitely want to see you again."

"Yeah, sorry, I don't really remember last night and that's not happening. Don't call me again." She hung up. She couldn't believe that she had made out with someone last night and couldn't remember it at all.

Gabe and Maddie had left a little while ago, so she knew the only person in the house who had been at the party last night was Mia. She walked into Maddie's room and saw it was empty. She turned and went down the hall to Gabe's room, where Mia was sitting on his bed with her laptop.

"Hey Mimi." She greeted hesitantly, not knowing if she was mad at her or not. Everything was really awkward that morning, and now she wasn't sure if she had done something to make everyone mad and just didn't remember it.

"Hi Emmy." Mia smiled at her, so she knew she was okay. She went over and sat on the other side of Gabe's bed, glancing at Mia's laptop.

"What are you doing?"

"Looking at the prices of baby stuff. It's ridiculous."

"You know my parents will buy it all, right?"

"I know they will, but I don't want them to. I'm going to get a job." Emma gave her an incredulous look. "What? I can get a job?"

"Mia, last year you wouldn't even work the ticket booth at the elementary school carnival because you said it required too much effort."

"Yeah, well things have changed. I don't have any other choice but to work. Whether I like it or not, I'm going to be a mom and it's time to grow up. I don't want to depend on your parents for everything."

"That's really responsible of you." Emma bit her lip, wondering how to say the next thing. "Can I ask you something?"

"Mmhmm."

"Did I make out with anyone at the party last night?"

Mia looked at her. "You don't remember?" Emma shook her head. "You were all over that guy who was throwing the party. You managed to get away from Zack long enough and when he found you, you were about to take your shirt off."

Emma buried her face in her hands. "God, I'm so embarrassed. He just called me."

"Em, I'm going to say something to you and I don't want you to get mad, okay?" Emma nodded, though she was weary. "You're going down the same exact path I was last year. After fighting with my parents and Mason dying, I just went crazy and I didn't think about anything. Self-destructing isn't a good feeling. I don't want you to go down that road."

"I'm not. And you seem fine now, so I know I'll be okay. It's just drinking."

Mia studied her, trying to figure out what she should say next. "Emma, I'm not fine. Even now, I deal with everything I did. I slept with random guys. You know as well as I do that this baby might not even be Gabe's, and I have to struggle with that guilt every single day of my life."

Emma looked at her. "I never even thought of that."

"You might not have, but everyone else has. Everyone at school would have judged me, and that's one of the main reasons I decided to do online school. I know that even though they're nice to me, your parents know that they are paying to support some whore and a kid that is most likely not even their grandchild."

"Mia, stop. You're not a whore, and my parents love you. And Gabe loves your baby, whether it's his or not."

"But that's the thing. He shouldn't have to worry about whether this baby is really his."

"He won't treat it any different."

"You can't possibly know that until he or she is born. Gabe's supportive right now, and I know that he'll still help me after I have the baby because he promised and Gabe never goes back on his word, but what happens if one day we break up and he has a kid with another woman? He will know for sure that baby is his, and he's going to love it a whole lot more than a baby who might not be his."

Emma wasn't sure what to say about all of that. "Then what are you going to do? Move back in with your mom? Now that she's divorced from Steve and Allie's with her, is that something you want to do?"

Mia sighed. "No, I made a promise to Gabe that I would stay here and I'm going to honor it. I just don't know how much longer he's going to want me around."

Ashlyn

Fifteen year old Ashlyn Falconeri knelt down in front of the grave of her former boyfriend. She reached out and traced the words Corey Jason Spinelli with her index finger.

"Hey Corey." She said quietly, laying down the bouquet of flowers she had in her hand. "I just got back from the doctor's. I'm six months along now and the babies are good." She rested both hands on her stomach. "I don't know what I'm going to do. I don't want to be here anymore. I don't want to be a mom, or be around my parents, or do any of this. I wish you were still here. You would know exactly what to do."

She started to cry. "I'm so sorry, Corey. I wish I knew if these babies were yours. I wish we could plan out a life together and raise the twins. It's a boy and a girl, you know. We could name our son Corey Jr., and you could name our daughter. Please just come back."

While Ashlyn had her head down, she didn't see the two girls walking by the grave. Brittany and Brenna Corinthos stopped, wondering if they should go comfort her. But then, they heard what she said next.

"I think I know what I'll do. I will sell these babies for money, and then I'll run away. I'll run far, far away from here and never look back. Port Charles isn't where I belong."

Brittany and Brenna glanced at each other before walked away, heading towards their intended target of their sisters' (Lola and Jazzie) graves.

Ashlyn sat up, now knowing what she could possibly do. "I don't know if I could just give them away like it's nothing though. I don't know what to do, Corey. This is exactly why kids shouldn't get pregnant. We're too stupid to know what to do."

Brittany, Haley, and Addie

Brittany walked into her cousin Molly Lansing Webber's home, easily finding her two friends. Haley Lovett was sprawled out on the couch, while Addie Lansing came in with drinks.

"Hey, Britt." Addie greeted with a smile, handing her a glass of Mountain Dew.

"Thanks." Brittany pushed Haley's legs off of one of the cushions and sat down. "So, Bren and I went to go visit Jazzie and Lola today and I overheard something."

"Okay…" Haley motioned for her to continue.

"Ashlyn Falconeri was crying on Corey Spinelli's grave, saying she wants to sell her babies for money to run away. What should I do?"

"Leave it alone." Haley said immediately. "Everyone has been through enough."

Brittany wasn't sure if that's what she should do. Technically, Ashlyn is her niece (since Ashlyn's father is Dante Falconeri, who is Brittany's half-brother), so she felt obligated to say something to her family.

"Britt, I'm serious." Haley told her. "I'm sure she's just being all emotional. Leave it alone."

"I guess you're right."

"I always am."

Addie rolled her eyes. "So, Elizabeth called me. Again."

"How many times is that today?" Haley wondered.

"Four. She left me a message about coming to dinner tonight. I don't know what I should do."

"Don't go." Brittany said simply. "From what I hear, a Webber dinner isn't the most exciting event in the world."

Haley turned to her. "Who told you that?"

"Mia."

"Oh yeah, I always forget that those nut jobs are her cousins."

"Hey, we're not all nut jobs." Cameron Webber came into the room with a joking smile. He had Prue in his arms. "Addison, can you watch her for a little bit? I'm gonna run to the store real quick."

"Yeah, that's fine." Addie took her niece. "Hey Prudie."

"Mol should be home in about a half an hour. Thank you." Cameron looked at Haley and Brittany. "Girls, play nice. At least exclude me when you talk about my crazy mother."

"You're fine." Brittany agreed. "But only you, Jake, and Addie."

"What about Aiden?"

"He's dating Josslyn; he has to be a little crazy."

Cameron laughed. "I'll see you girls later." He grabbed his jacket and walked out.

"I think the only reason she wants to get close to me is because Stella's in a coma." Addie stated, getting back to the subject. "She just wants to replace her since she doesn't have anyone to control anymore."

"As sad as it is, you're probably right." Brittany agreed. "But at least Elizabeth stuck around in her kids' lives. My mother couldn't be bothered, and then after they died, she practically glorified Bella and Joey."

Brittany's half-siblings, Joey Falconeri and Bella Jacks, had been murdered by the Text Message Killer and ever since, her mom, Brenda Barrett, had been even crazier than usual.

Haley rolled her eyes. "I don't know how you do it, Britt. If I was you, I would just punch her. She's so rude to you."

"Trust me, if I hear her say 'you need to come with me to worship at their graves' one more time, I'm going to explode. I loved Bella, but I will go and visit her on my own time, not when I'm being forced to by my mother."

"Well, on another note, I'm thinking about being more involved with my half-brothers." Addie and Brittany looked at Haley in surprise. "Is that so shocking?"

"I just didn't expect you to want to get closer to your mother." Brittany answered.

"I don't know what I'm going to do about Lisa. I just know that I want to be a little more open to the possibility of spending time with Tyler and Ian. You both know how I feel about Ben now that he's gone, and I just don't want to risk the same thing happening with one of them."

"What about Logan and Livvie?"

"What about them?" Haley questioned as she bit into a chip.

"You can get closer to them too, you know. Or Wes."

Haley grinned. "Trust me; I'm getting closer to Wes." Addie and Brittany rolled their eyes. "Seriously though, is it weird?"

"Kinda." Brittany admitted. "But all of Port Charles is practically incest anyway, so what's it matter?"

"Good way to put it, Britt." Haley rolled her eyes. "He's not my brother, and we weren't raised together so my dad and Kristina being married doesn't even matter."

"You're gonna do whatever you want, Hales, so what we say doesn't really matter." Addie said. "If you like him, then go for it, I guess."

"You're right. I am gonna do what I want." Haley told them with a smirk.

The front door opened and closed and Molly walked in, still dressed in her lawyer clothes. She put her laptop case and purse down and came over to the girls, lifting Prue into her arms. She kissed her forehead.

"I love you so much, baby girl." She whispered, hugging her.

"You okay, Mol?" Brittany wondered.

"I just went through a huge custody battle, and in the end, the mother ended up losing her baby to the father. I can't imagine not having Prue with me."

"But Cam would never do that to you." Addie stated.

"He wouldn't dare." Molly agreed. "So what are you girls talking about?"

"Deadbeat mothers." Brittany answered. "Elizabeth is still practically stalking Addie, Haley's sort of considering a relationship with Lisa, and my mom is worshipping Bella and Joey's graves."

Molly turned to her younger sister. "I can have a talk with Elizabeth if you want me to."

"No, it's fine."

"What if she went crazy and tried to get custody of you?" Haley proposed. "What if she won since your dad has custody of you but you don't live with him, and she proved him unfit?"

Addie looked at Molly. "That can't happen, can it?"

"It's unlikely. You're almost 18 years old, and you've never had a relationship with Elizabeth. If it makes you feel better though, I can have Dad sign some papers to transfer custody over to me."

"It would." Addie agreed.

"I'll call him tomorrow." Molly sighed. "I'm gonna go change and then I'll start on dinner. You girls staying?"

"Of course." Haley scoffed.

"Sure." Brittany added.

"C'mon, Prue. Let's let the big girls talk." Molly carried her daughter out, leaving them alone again.

They all had a lot to think about, but they still weren't sure if they would make the right decision.

Nate

Nate stared down at his cellphone, practically bored out of his mind. Back when his mother was still alive, he knew what he would be doing right now. They would probably sit on the couch together and watch one of their favorite movies until his dad got home from work and then they would all go to bed. Now, his father, Dr. Patrick Drake, worked later shifts, his older sister Lindsey no longer lived at home, and his little brother, Noah, was already asleep. It was nights like this when he really missed his mom.

He clicked on his contacts in his phone, figuring that he might as well try and talk to someone. He dialed a number that had once been the most familiar.

"Hello?" Emma answered. He was glad that she didn't sound drunk like he had expected.

"Hey Em, what are you doing?"

"Math homework. Madison's schoolwork is a lot harder than PCH's."

"I bet. NYCS is a lot easier, but that's because they don't have enough money to buy the newer editions of books and make things harder."

"Still, it has to be better than sitting around with rich, stuck-up snobs all day."

"Definitely." Nate decided he had nothing to lose and cautiously asked his next question. "So, how are you feeling? Are you still getting sick?"

"I'm fine."

"I've never seen you drink like that before, Emma. Are you sure you're okay?"

"I said I'm fine!" she snapped.

"Zack told us you've been drinking a lot lately. Obviously you're not okay."

"Wow, I never thought you would be the one who would question me." She gave a dry laugh. "You know what? Just leave me alone. If you're gonna keep acting like this, then don't call me again." She hung up.

Nate just sat there in shock. Emma had never, ever been so sensitive. Before everything had happened, you could ask her anything and she would answer truthfully without even batting an eyelash, no matter what the question was.

But, things had changed. Nate couldn't help but miss his best friend and the way she had been before.

Gabe and Mia

Mia closed her laptop, glad that she had finally managed to catch up on her schoolwork. She honestly didn't care about English and math when she was going to be a mother in seven months.

"Finished?" Gabe asked. She nodded and he took her laptop, setting it on the table next to his bed. He turned down the show he had been watching while she was finishing up her homework so they could talk. When he looked back at Mia, she was rubbing her temples. "You okay?"

"Mmhmm. Just a headache." She turned so that she could lie down and face him. He did the same thing, propping himself up with his right arm. Mia studied him. "Are you okay?"

"What do you mean?"

"You look like something is wrong."

He knew he couldn't avoid the question. He reached out and brushed a piece of hair out of her eyes, and then rested his hand on her hip. "Emma told me about the conversation you guys had earlier." Mia looked down. "Hey, look at me."

She looked at him. "Gabe, I know you're not going to admit this, but there's no way you'll love my baby the same way you would love a baby that was yours."

"You're right." He said, surprising her. "I will love this baby more. No matter who the father is, you are its mother and I love you, Mia. You've shown so much strength through everything that has happened, and this baby represents that."

"But it might not be yours!" Mia looked like she was on the verge of tears. "I have no idea who this kid's dad is. What if it's Tanner, Gabe? And what if he tries to take the baby away?"

"That won't happen." Gabe reached out and pulled her towards him. He turned so that he was lying on the bed and Mia was on top of him. Her face was buried in his chest and he could tell that she was crying. "Mia, why didn't you tell me you were so scared of that?"

"Because it's my problem. Everything that has to do with this baby is my problem. You're only sixteen; you don't need to be stuck with a kid that isn't yours for the rest of your life."

"I'm not going to be stuck with it. I love this baby already, and I don't care if I'm the father or not. I'm always going to be here." He kissed her forehead. "I love you."

"I love you too." She raised her head and kissed him. When she pulled back, she rested their foreheads against each other.

"You won't have to worry about me being with another woman and loving my kids with her more than my kids with you because I'm always going to be with you. You're stuck with me, Mimi. I'm only going to have to love our children, including the one you're pregnant with now." He rested his hand on her stomach.

"How do you always know exactly what to say?"

Gabe shrugged. "It's a gift." Mia rolled her eyes. "But I'm being serious. If you want to get a paternity test after the baby is born, that's fine, but I really don't think it's necessary. As far as I'm concerned, this little boy or girl is just as much mine as it is yours."

"Thank you." She leaned her head against his chest again. Gabe ran his fingers through her hair, feeling her breathing even out after a while.

His bedroom door opened and Sam walked in. "Is she asleep?"

"Yeah." Gabe answered, not moving from his position.

"She needs to go to Maddie's room."

"Why? She's already asleep."

"Gabe, you and Mia both know the conditions for her to live here."

"Mom, she's really upset and she hasn't been sleeping well the past couple of days. I know that she'll be able to sleep better in here."

"Is everything okay?"

"She's just freaking out about how the baby might not be mine. She's scared of how you and Dad will react once the baby is actually here, and she's scared I won't want to stick around."

"Your father and I realize that the baby might not biologically be yours, but you are stepping up and raising him or her no matter what. We don't judge Mia for her past; God knows I've made my fair share of mistakes."

"I know that, but she doesn't. She just needs some time to get used to the idea that everything will actually be okay."

Sam nodded. "She can stay in here, but just for tonight." She went over and kissed Gabe's forehead, and then the top of Mia's head. "I love you."

"Love you too." Gabe watched her leave. He reached over and turned off the light, hoping that Mia could actually get some sleep tonight.

Brittany

"Britt?" Brittany sat up slowly, squinting her eyes and looking around. She tried to focus on the face standing over her and then realized it was Hunter. "Are you going to school?"

"What?"

"You have to leave in fifteen minutes. Are you not going to school?"

Brittany jumped up, shoving the blankets off of her and running to the closet, not caring that she was only wearing underwear and a t-shirt. Hunter watched in amusement.

"Don't you know how to set an alarm?"

"Shut up, Hunter. This is not the time."

"Alright, alright." He held up his hands in surrender. "I'll get you some cereal."

"I don't have time. I still need to put on makeup."

"Okay." He walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

Brittany quickly pulled on her Madison uniform- a white button up shirt with a collar, a navy blue cardigan with the Madison logo on the right side, a navy blue and green plaid skirt, knee high green socks, and navy blue dress shoes. She hated wearing uniforms, but it made getting ready in the morning really easy. She quickly ran a brush through her long, blonde hair and shoved a navy blue headband into it.

After applying foundation, mascara, eyeliner, and blush, Brittany figured that it was good enough. She brushed her teeth and ran downstairs. Hunter was sitting on the couch and tossed a Poptart at her.

"You need to eat something." He told her.

Brittany went over and hugged him, kissing his cheek quickly. "Thank you. Brenna! Are you ready to go?"

"I didn't think you would make it." Brenna was dressed identically to Brittany, except she didn't have a headband holding back her dark hair.

"Where's Zack?" Brittany wondered.

"He left already." Hunter answered from the couch. Since he goes to NYCS, he leaves fifteen minutes after his three siblings, who all go to Madison. "He was going to go pick up Emma."

Brittany smiled to herself. She loves Paige, she's one of her best friends, but Zack and Emma were meant to be and she was hoping that they were finally realizing that.

"Come on, Bren." The two Corinthos girls walked out of the house, getting into Brittany's car. She headed towards Madison.

"I wish Leah went to Madison." Brenna complained as she stared out the window.

"You honestly think Leah could handle those stuck up girls picking on her the way the rest of us do?" Brittany wondered. Her little sister's best friend had a bit of a temper problem, just like her older sister, Chloe J.

"No, but why is that such a bad thing? We should be standing up for ourselves."

"We can't or we'll get kicked out of school. NYCS barely has enough room for the kids they have now; they won't be able to take in the rest of the PCH kids too."

"I guess, but this still isn't right."

Brittany agreed with her silently. She pulled into the Madison parking lot near where she always parked, seeing that Connor's car was there already, and Maddie's was a couple of spots down. Zack's and Courtney's cars (and Emma's, but obviously Zack was taking her) were still missing.

"There's Carrie. See you after school." Brenna ran over to the other sophomore. Brenna and Carrie were the only sophomore girls from the Crew who had transferred to Madison, so they had naturally gotten closer.

Brittany walked into the school, paying more attention to her phone than to what was going on in front of her. It's not like any of the kids here liked her anyway, so why bother to acknowledge their existence? She headed in the direction of her locker.

"…and I bet you're a psycho too. It has to run in your genes." Brittany looked up from her phone and saw four girls crowding around someone, who was backed against the wall.

"Are you gonna flip out and murder us all just like your brother?" one of the girls taunted, making the others laugh.

Brittany knew immediately who it was. She shoved her phone into her pocket and walked over.

"Come on, Grace." Brittany said to Grace Quartermaine, who is a freshman. She looked relived to finally get away from the situation and eagerly followed the blonde.

"Wow, the poor murderer's sister is getting bullied! Oh no!"

Brittany stopped walking and turned around, coming to face to face with a taller, brunette girl. Her name was Brianna Edwards, and it was quickly established among the PCH kids that she was the most popular girl in school and one of the causes of the treatment they received.

But Brittany wasn't scared, at all. She stared straight into Brianna's eyes and lowered her voice. "You know nothing about what happened at PCH. Nothing."

"I know you dated the guy."

Her entire body felt like it was engulfed in flames. Trevor Alcazar, the Text Message Killer, had been her boyfriend, but she liked to try and forget that.

"Come on, Grace. Let's go." Brittany grabbed Grace's arm and walked away, ignoring the laughs of Brianna and her friends.

"Thank you, Brittany." Grace said quietly.

"It's no problem. His mistakes are not your fault." Brittany reassured her. She could feel the anger building up inside of her with every step she took. She saw an empty patch of lockers and went over, kicking one as hard as she could. She slammed her fist into it, and then did it again. She kicked it over and over again, crying out with every hit.

Everyone in the hallway froze, watching Brittany attack the lockers. No one tried to stop her; they were all too scared of Sonny Corinthos' daughter. Grace ran off to find someone who she knew could stop Brittany.

"I…hate…you!" Brittany ground out between kicks. Trevor was the reason they were all in this mess. Trevor was the reason that four of her siblings had been murdered. It was Trevor's fault they were all being bullied.

Connor came running down the hallway with Grace trailing behind him. He went over to his friend, putting a hand on her shoulder.

Brittany turned around, tears pouring down her face and her knuckles bloody from how many times she had hit the locker. She raised her fist as if she was going to hit him, but then she realized it was Connor and collapsed into his arms. He hugged her tightly, listening to her sob into his chest. That's when he realized a large crowd had gathered around them.

Connor reached down and lifted Brittany up, holding her in his arms and walking away from the group. "Grace, find Maddie. Tell her to go to my car."

"Okay." Grace went into the other direction.

Everyone stared as Connor exited the school, going to his car. He unlocked the door and sat in the backseat, holding Brittany on his lap.

"Shhh, it's okay. Stop crying, Britt. It's okay."

Less than two minutes later, Maddie came running over to the car. She got into the backseat on the other side and shut the door behind her.

"Brittany, what's wrong? Are you okay?"

Brittany's head rose from Connor's chest for the first time since she had seen him. "Nothing's okay, Mads."

"C'mere." Brittany leaned over to hug Maddie. It was kind of awkward since she was sitting on Connor's lap and had to stretch to reach Maddie, but none of the teens cared. Maddie ran a hand through Brittany's hair.

"What happened?" she asked once she had calmed down. The first bell rang and they knew they would be late to their first class, but right now, they didn't care.

"That girl Brianna and her friends were making fun of Grace, so I helped her and then they started talking about him."

All of the Dream Team knew that Brittany was extremely sensitive about Trevor, which is why they never talked about him. But they didn't know it was this bad.

"You really busted up your hand." Maddie said, trying to change the subject for Brittany's sake.

"Lemme see." Connor insisted since Maddie is terrible with blood. Brittany held her hand out, wincing when Connor touched it. "It's not broken, but it's gonna hurt."

"I just wanna go home." Brittany rested her head on Connor's shoulder.

"We can't skip. They've probably already called our parents, and unless you wanna explain everything that just happened to your dad and Claudia, then we need to get back in there." Maddie reminded her.

"I've got some bandaging stuff in my glove compartment. Mads, can you get it?" Connor asked. She reached forward, grabbing the first aid kit out of Connor's glove compartment. He quickly bandaged Brittany's hand.

The three of them got out of the car. "Hold on." Maddie said. She went over, wiping under Brittany's eyes with her thumbs. She pulled some foundation out of her purse and added it to where there was still a little bit of mascara from Brittany crying. She looked much better afterwards. "You're good."

Brittany smiled at the couple. "Thank you, guys."

"We'd do anything for you." Maddie promised, grabbing Brittany's good hand. "Now let's go." She led her into the school, hoping that the rest of the day would be much better.

Chloe J

Chloe J's day had sucked. She had a pop quiz in French class, which she didn't study for, and forgot her math homework. She was so glad that the day was finally over.

After shoving her books into her locker, Chloe J started down the hallway. She saw a familiar brunette and picked up the pace so she could walk with her.

"Hey Paige." She greeted.

"Hi. Are you doing anything right now? I was thinking we could go to Kelly's."

"Sounds good." A brightly colored sign caught Chloe J's attention and she went over, reading it quickly. "P, look. There are cheerleading tryouts today."

"So late in the season?"

"It says that they were looking to replace a couple of people, and with all of the PCH kids coming in, they figured they would do another tryout. We should go and watch!"

"I don't know…"

"Come on, it'll be fun."

"I just can't imagine ever cheering for another team. But if you want to go, we can do Kelly's another day."

"Are you sure?" Paige nodded. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Chloe J headed towards the gym where tryouts were being held. It was open tryouts, so people were able to come and watch. She didn't plan on actually trying out; she just wanted to see how NYCS's squad was.

Two girls stood at the front of the room, putting the girls trying out into their spots. One of them had long, dark hair and she was kind of tall. The other was average height with blonde hair. Chloe J assumed they were the captains.

"Alright everyone, I'm Rhiannon, and this is Lauren! We're going to start off by teaching you the routine!" the dark haired girl said.

Chloe J watched the routine, smiling at how simple it was. There were some good aspects, but a lot of the moves could be taken further and done better.

She turned her attention to the girls trying out. She was surprised when she saw that none of them were from PCH. Most of them looked like they had never cheered in their lives. Their arm movements were sloppy, and they weren't very flexible. Overall, it wasn't going well.

"We'll have our squad show you the routine so you can get an idea. Keep in mind that we are short, so it'll look better once we have more people." Lauren stated. Chloe J watched the NYCS cheer team show the girls trying out their routine, and she nearly laughed. It was so simple and girls were still messing up.

Lauren pulled Rhiannon to the side, standing near the bleachers that Chloe J was sitting on. "It's not working. Something's wrong with the girls in our squad, I just can't figure out what it is."

"Your girl on the left is too slow." They both turned to look at Chloe J. "The girl on the right who is her opposite is trying to stay in time with her, but it's just slowing her down, which is messing up the people behind them. The routine needs a lot of work to begin with, but your girl on the left is the one who is really screwing you over."

Rhiannon studied her. "Who are you?"

"My name's Chloe J Hunter."

"PCH transfer?" Chloe J nodded. "I remember you. When we played PCH in football, you were the one doing the routine in high heels."

"Yep, that would be me." Chloe J stood, walking down the bleachers. "You've got some good moves, but you could make things so much more complicated." She started to exit the gym.

"Wait! Where are you going?" Lauren jogged over to her.

"Home."

"You're not going to try out?" Rhiannon questioned.

"No, I just wanted to watch." She headed towards the door again.

"How about you show us what you've got first?" Lauren challenged.

Chloe J, never being one to back down, turned around with a smile. "I'm doing this the way I've been picturing it, not your cookie cutter routine."

The music started up and Chloe J went into the moves she had been thinking of the whole time she had been sitting there. Everyone stared in astonishment as she did a back handspring in her four inch heels. By the time she was finished, the gym broke out in applause, and some of the girls trying out even left.

"That was amazing." Rhiannon praised. "We need you on our team. You can be captain."

"What?" Chloe J asked.

"We need a captain who actually knows what they are talking about. Lauren and I are only captains because our old one got pregnant and had to quit the team, so we were the ones lined up to take over the squad next year when we're seniors."

"I don't know…" Chloe J couldn't imagine not cheering on a squad with Emma, Courtney, and Paige.

"Please, Chloe J. We'll do anything." Lauren practically begged. "We need your help."

Chloe J smiled. "Well how can I say no to that? But we're doing routines my way. They are going to be harder, and practice will probably be more intense than it has been. If you can't handle that, then leave now." Two of the girls who were already on the team left, and half of the girls trying out. "As for those of you trying out, I'll take you guys." Chloe J pointed to three of the girls. "The rest of you are dismissed. Thank you."

"That leaves us with fourteen girls." Rhiannon said. "Do you think we can do it?"

"I know we can."

Emma and Courtney

"I'm starving." Emma complained as Courtney took her time at her locker, grabbing her math book and a small black notebook and shoving it into her backpack.

"Will you calm down? I'm almost ready." Courtney responded. She shut her locker and they started down the hallway. They realized their siblings were coming from the other way.

"Em, are you going home?" Maddie questioned.

"No, we're going to the Metro Court. Why?"

"I was gonna have you tell Mom that I'm going to Britt's, but I'll just text her."

"Why do you need to go to Brittany's?"

"She had a massive freak out earlier." Connor answered. "Brianna Edwards and her friends were bullying Grace because of Trevor, and Brittany stepped in and something was said about how she used to date him. She started hitting and kicking this locker and busted up her hand, so Maddie and I are gonna go sit with her at her house and try and talk to her about what happened. Maybe we'll get her to open up a little bit about Trevor."

"Good luck." Emma replied. "I swear, next time I see that girl Brianna, I'm gonna punch her in the face. I'm so sick of her bullying everyone."

"What's going on over there?" the four of them turned and saw that the cheerleaders were gathering. Courtney looked at Emma. "Maybe we should talk to them about trying out. It might take our minds off of things." She was using Christian's advice and trying to find something else that would make Emma forget everything that happened.

"Okay. Mads, you wanna come with us? Maybe you and Britt could join too."

"Sure." Maddie, Emma, and Courtney went towards the cheerleaders with Connor trailing behind them. They saw that Zack and Jamie were talking nearby and Connor joined them, not interested in hearing about cheerleading.

Emma approached who she was guessing was the captain. Her back was to her, so she couldn't see her face. She tapped her on the shoulder.

Brianna Edwards turned around with a sneer. "I know you worthless PCH freaks don't think you're actually going to join my cheerleading team."

Courtney stepped forward. "We heard about what happened with Brittany. She is like a little sister to us, and we're not going to take that."

"What are you going to do about it? Have your school serial killer come after me? Oh wait, he committed suicide. Looks like you're out of luck."

Brianna turned around and Courtney reached out, wrapping her hand into Brianna's hair and forcing her to turn back towards her. "You wanna say something like that again? Huh?"

Zack ran over, throwing himself between Courtney and Brianna. "Court, come on. It's not worth it."

"Listen to him, Court. You're not worth it." Brianna said with a smile.

Before Zack could get to her, Emma had lunged forward, knocking Brianna to the ground. She wrapped her hands around Brianna's neck, lifting up her head and slamming it into the ground. Courtney was struggling in Zack's arms to get to her.

Brianna raised her fist and hit Emma in the back just as Jamie and Connor ran over. Jamie grabbed Brianna's hand and glared at her. Connor lifted Emma up around the waist, dragging her away from the other girl.

"Breathe, Em. Breathe." He ordered. Emma's breaths were coming in short gasps. Her face was red and her pupils were dilated from her anger. Her hair was wild around her and she struggled in Connor's grasp.

Jamie and Maddie went to Courtney, trying to calm her down since they knew Zack needed to be with Emma. He went over to her and lifted her chin with his hand, studying her face for any marks that Brianna left. He was satisfied to see that Brianna gotten to her face at all.

Zack turned around, looking at Brianna. "You got lucky this time. If I find out you're messing with my sister or Emma or anyone else from PCH again, no one will be holding them back." He noticed the way she was trembling slightly and smiled in satisfaction.

Zack, Emma, Courtney, Jamie, Maddie, and Connor turned away from the cheerleading squad and started to walk down the hallway. Zack put a hand on Emma's lower back and noticed that she winced.

"You okay?" he asked quietly, trying not to draw attention to them.

"She hit me."

"You did a lot more damage, Princess. Since when do you know how to tackle people?"

Emma couldn't help but laugh.

Emma, Maddie, Gabe, and Mia

Gabe walked into his bedroom after school, not surprised to see Mia watching a movie and eating Doritos in his bed. He sat next to her.

"Schoolwork?"

"Did it this morning." Mia answered, biting into another chip.

"There are going to be crumbs all over my blankets."

Mia shrugged. "Better your bed than mine."

The front door slammed and Gabe heard two sets of footsteps coming up the stairs. He and Mia shared a look of confusion before his door was thrown open. Emma stormed in, sitting at the end of his bed and grabbing the Doritos out of Mia's hand. Maddie was much calmer, closing the door behind her and then sitting next to Emma.

"I'm guessing today wasn't a good day?" Mia questioned, accepting the handful of chips Emma offered her.

"Definitely not. So at Madison, there's this girl named Brianna Edwards. She's like the entitled, queen bee type. She's the one who has been bullying a lot of the PCH kids. She was messing with Grace this morning, and Brittany stepped in. You both know how she is about Trevor," Gabe and Mia nodded, "and something was said about him and she flipped out. She started beating this locker, and I mean beating it. I didn't see her actually do it, but I walked by it and its dented and everything. She busted her hand and Connor wrapped it." Maddie told.

"So then Maddie and Connor tell Courtney and me this after school. Turns out Brianna is the head cheerleader and she tells us that we're too worthless to be on the team. Courtney kind of argued with her, and then she was about to hit her, but Zack stopped her." Emma picked up.

"And then Emma comes out of nowhere and tackles her to the ground, and I literally mean she tackled her. She was choking her and slammed her head into the ground and Brianna got a hit in before Connor could pick her up. Then Zack told Brianna that she won't be so lucky next time." Maddie finished.

Gabe looked at his older sister. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I've had worse." Emma said grimly. They all realized she was right; Emma had been beaten last year by the TMK and by Joey, so this was nothing new for her.

"Let me see."

Emma stood and turned around, lifting her shirt. There was a bruise on her back that was a mixture of blue and purple.

Mia jumped up and dropped her Doritos in the process, smashing them into Gabe's blanket as she stood. He groaned.

"This is ridiculous. Who knows where this Brianna girl lives? I'm going to pay her a little visit."

"Mia, you're pregnant."

"So? I'm not gonna stand for some stuck up rich kid messing with PCH or the Crew, and you guys shouldn't either."

"EMMA!" they heard Sam yell from downstairs. Emma rolled her eyes and went downstairs.

Maddie looked at Mia. "Trust me. Emma's not standing for it either."

Chloe J

Chloe J started the music over for what felt like the millionth time. She was really struggling to come up with a routine the NYCS team could actually do.

Her bedroom door opened and Maxie walked in. She sat at the end of Chloe J's bed. "What are you doing?"

"Coming up with a new routine."

"For…"

"The NYCS cheer team. I'm the captain."

"When did that happen?"

"Today."

"When did you even try out?"

"Today."

"Wow. They must be really desperate."

"They are. Mom, the team sucks. Like it's ridiculous. I was doing more complicated stuff in elementary school than they are doing now. I don't want to make it too hard for them though. It's hard to balance."

"You know, just because they're not on the team doesn't mean your friends can't help you. You could give them a call."

Chloe J smiled. "You're right! That's a perfect idea."

"I'm always right." Maxie replied cockily. "I'll see you in the morning, okay? Turn the music down."

"Whatever." Chloe J accepted the hug Maxie gave her. As soon as she was out of the room, the blonde dialed a number. "Hey, it's me. I need a favor."

Overall thoughts?

How do you feel about the Dream Team interaction? Who are your favorite/least favorite Dream Team members?

Where do you think Brook Lynn has been all of this time?

What do you think will happen to Ashlyn's babies? Were you surprised that she's having twins?

What should Addie, Brittany, and Haley do about their mothers?

What do you think happened between Emma and Nate that made her so upset with him?

Do you think Gabe will actually honor his promise to Mia and be there for her once the baby is born?

What do you think will happen with Brittany? How will she cope with Trevor's death?

Chloe J is now the cheer captain for NYCS. Will this be a good thing or bad thing?

Thoughts on Brianna Edwards and her feud with the PCH kids, especially Emma, Courtney, and Brittany?

Who do you think Chloe J called?

If you have any ideas for storylines for anyone, let me know! If you want to see more of certain characters, tell me and I'll try to give them some kind of storyline! I need ideas because I only have this written up to a certain point!

If you haven't done it already, make sure you sign up on the That's Life website! The link is on my profile.