Chapter 12: Running to Stand Still
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
xx
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
xx
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
xx
Daniel Zacchara (Olivia and Johnny)- 17
Mia Webber (Olivia and Steve)- 16
Allie Webber (Olivia and Steve)- 14
xx
Izzie Zacchara (Claudia)- 23
Clay Corinthos (Sonny and Claudia)- 22
Zack Corinthos (Sonny and Claudia)- 18
Hunter Corinthos (Sonny and Claudia)- 16
Brittany Corinthos (Sonny and Brenda)- 16
Brenna Corinthos (Sonny and Claudia)- 15
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Lindsey Scorpio-Drake (Robin and Patrick)- 23
Nate Scorpio-Drake (Robin and Patrick)- 17
Noah Scorpio-Drake (Robin and Patrick)- 16
xx
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)- 15
xx
Haley Lovett (Ethan and Lisa)- 17
Wes Janacek (Kristina and Kiefer)- 16
Logan Davis (Ethan and Kristina)- 15
Livvie Davis (Ethan and Kristina)- 15
xx
Molly Lansing Webber (Ric and Alexis)- 28
Addie Lansing (Ric and Elizabeth)- 16
xx
Cameron Webber (Elizabeth and Lucky)- 29
Jake Spencer (Elizabeth and Lucky)- 24
Brendan Webber (Elizabeth)- 18
Stella Hunter (Elizabeth and Matt)- 16
xx
Alec Barrett (Brenda and Aleksander)- 23
xx
Ashlyn Falconeri (Lulu and Dante)- 15
xx
Lila Rae Alcazar (Skye and Lorenzo)- 28
Jamie Quartermaine (Dillon and Georgie)- 18
Tanner Quartermaine (Dillon and Lulu)- 17
Julian Quartermaine (AJ)- 16
Grace Quartermaine (Skye)- 14
xx
Tyler Drake (Lisa and Patrick)- 17
Ian Niles (Lisa)- 15
xx
Carrie Corinthos (Michael and Abby)- 15
xx
Ryan Rosco (Faith)- 17
Dominic Rosco (Faith)- 14
xx
Prue Webber (Molly and Cam)- 0
xx
Henry Spencer (Lindsey and Jake)- 0
xx
Sophia Janacek (Rachel and Kiefer)- 4
xx
Kailey Franco (Franco)- 17
xx
Reed Worth (Maggie)- 17
xx
Rhiannon Deusa- 16
xx
Lauren Grayson- 16
xx
Brianna Edwards- 17
xx
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
Chapter 12: Running to Stand Still
The Morgans
"WE'RE HOME!" Sam shouted as she walked in the front door of the penthouse, holding it open so Nattie could come in behind her. The fifteen-year-old looked exhausted and she couldn't blame her; it had been a rough trip.
"Mommy!" Selena came racing down the stairs, her hair bouncing behind her from the extra curls that had been added. She ran right into Sam's arms.
"Selena, you can't run away while someone's curling your hair." Katie chastised as she entered the room, Ava and Jacelyn right behind her. "Hey Mom."
"Hey Katie." Sam hugged her and kissed her forehead. She gave Ava and Jacelyn each a quick hug. "Wow, your dad even let you have friends over? He must have been feelings pretty confident."
"I just think he didn't want to deal with me if he said no. I think yesterday morning was kind of rough."
"Yeah, he told me that. Where is everyone?"
"Getting ready for the wedding." Katie looked at Nattie. "You okay?"
She shrugged. "I will be."
"Come get ready with us. I found a dress for you that I think you're going to love." Katie handed Selena to Ava and grabbed Katie's hand and they all went upstairs. Sam smiled slightly; Nattie needed a distraction right now, and Katie was doing a great job with providing one.
She went upstairs and knocked on Gabe's door first. Gabe was adjusting his tie when she walked in.
"Hey." Sam smiled at him.
"You're back!" Gabe came over and gave her a hug. "How was it?"
"Nattie handled things really well. She's understandably upset, but she'll be okay."
"Good."
"Where's Mia?" Sam asked curiously. She hardly ever saw her son without his girlfriend.
"In Maddie's room."
"Everything okay?"
"Yeah, Maddie was helping her get ready."
"Okay. Finish what you were doing, I'm going to go check on everyone else and then get dressed and then I'm leaving."
"Sounds good."
Sam went to Maddie's room next. Maddie was fully dressed with her hair and makeup completed and she was sitting on her bed. Mia was on the ground in front of her and Maddie was straightening her hair. Mia's makeup was done, but she was still dressed in shorts and a t-shirt. Her eyes were closed.
"Hi girls."
"Hey Mom." Maddie smiled. Mia brought her hand up and waved, but didn't open her eyes.
"Mia, you okay?" Sam walked further into the room.
"Morning sickness is back in full swing." Mia's eyes flew open. "I have to throw up again."
Maddie quickly removed the straightener from her hair and Mia ran into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. They both heard her throw up. "I've been trying to straighten her hair for the past hour, but she keeps getting sick."
"I'm assuming that's the reason she's getting ready in here instead of in Gabe's room?"
"Mmhmm. She doesn't want Gabe to know she's throwing up because he'll make her stay home." Maddie stood up and knocked on the bathroom door. "Mimi, you need anything?" she heard a muffled no. "I'm gonna make sure she doesn't throw up in her hair."
"Come get me if she gets worse." Sam stated. Maddie nodded and then went into the bathroom.
Sam went to Emma's room next. She found Paige sitting on her bed, finishing up her makeup. "Hey P."
"Hi Sam." Paige smiled. "Where's Nattie?"
"In Katie's room. I would give her a little bit of time before you talk to her, okay? Let her process a little bit."
"Okay. How was it?"
"Nattie did a good job. I'm proud of her. She's still sad though."
"She's strong. She'll be okay."
Sam looked over and saw that the bathroom door was open. The light was on and Emma was sitting cross-legged on the counter, staring at herself in the mirror while she did her makeup.
Sam went into the bathroom. "Wow, I didn't expect you to be home."
"I thought I would grace you all with my presence." She gave her mother a smile. Sam was immediately reminded of how Emma had been before everything that happened last year. It gave her hope that the daughter she knew was still in there somewhere.
"Your hair looks beautiful." Emma's long, dark hair had been curled and pulled into a high ponytail.
"Thank you."
"What kind of dress did you get?"
"It's on my bed. It's a red one."
Sam glanced at the dress she chose. "Wow, it's beautiful. You're going to look gorgeous, Em."
"Thanks. Are you going to get ready? Everyone needs to leave soon."
"Yeah, I just wanted to check on all of you first."
"I'm glad you're back." Emma looked at her.
Sam leaned forward and hugged her oldest daughter. "I love you so much, Emma Joy. No matter what. Don't ever forget that." She kissed her forehead. It had been a while since she had hugged her.
"I love you too." Emma smiled at her. "I have to leave a little early because I'm meeting Zack at the church, so I'm going to go in a few minutes."
"Okay. I'll see you there." Sam left and went to her own room to get ready.
There was nothing like traveling to one state to have one kid's parent's rights terminated, then coming back to immediately get ready for a wedding.
Sam went to her room and found Jason getting ready. He smiled as soon as he saw her and pulled her into a hug.
"Hey." He kissed her. "You okay?" he put a hand on her bump.
"We're okay. How was everything while I was gone?"
"It was a piece of cake."
"Really? That's not what I heard."
Jason glared. "They ratted me out?"
"No, they didn't say anything. But you just told on yourself by saying that."
"Caught me." Jason kissed her forehead. "You better start getting ready. We've got to go soon."
"When we get home, I'm taking the best nap ever."
"You deserve it." On that note, they both separated and started getting ready.
Emma and Zack
"Wow."
Emma rolled her eyes with a smile. "Shut up."
"You look gorgeous, Princess." Zack pulled her in for a hug.
When she moved back, she looked up at him. She could tell by the look on his face that he had something to say. "What?"
"What do you mean?"
"Whatever you want to say, just say it. And don't say it's nothing because I've known you for forever and you can't lie to me."
Zack sighed. "I missed you last night."
Emma understood that what he was really asking was where she had been. She appreciated him at least trying to be tactful about it. "I was at my house."
"Really?"
"I promise. I didn't drink at all last night. I just went home and slept."
"That's good, Em. That's really good. How did you sleep? Any nightmares?"
"Nope. I slept completely through the night."
"I'm proud of you." Zack leaned forward to kiss her forehead.
The door to the church burst open and Brittany came out. "Hey Emmy! When did you get here?"
"A couple minutes ago. You look beautiful, Britt."
"Thanks, you too! Zack, Claudia wants you inside. She wants to take pictures of everyone with Izzie."
"Is she finally in her dress?"
"Yes, and she looks gorgeous! Em, you can come too, of course."
Brittany led the way into the church and down a hallway to a little room. Izzie turned to look as soon as they walked in.
"Oh wow." Emma smiled. "Izzie, you look gorgeous!"
"Thank you." She opened her arms and the younger girl walked into them. Emma had always been close to the Corinthos family, and Izzie was no exception. Though she had lived in Milan for the past couple years, Emma still loved her and thought of her as somewhat of an older sister (though she isn't nearly as close to her as she is to Josslyn).
Claudia was wiping tears from her eyes in the corner. Brenna laughed. "Mom, are you really crying?"
"This is a big moment!" Claudia sniffled. "My first baby is getting married! Now I want a picture of Izzie and her brothers and sisters."
Hunter came in the door right as she said that. "I don't think Michael, Morgan, Dante, and Kristina are here yet."
Claudia waved her hand dismissively. "Then we'll just do my kids. Get in there, guys."
Emma absolutely adored the fact that there had been no question about Brittany joining in the picture. It was just understood that when she said "my kids", her stepdaughter was included. Claudia took a few pictures of Izzie with Zack and Brittany to her left and Hunter and Brenna to the right.
"Get in there, Claudia. I'll take one." Emma offered. She grabbed the phone from her and started to snap pictures.
"Alright, it's time for my brotherly speech." Zack spoke up. He looked at Izzie. "You tell Spencer that I don't care if he is 40. I'll kill him if he ever hurts you."
Brittany rolled her eyes. "He's definitely not 40."
"Does it matter?" Hunter chimed in. "He lays a hand on you, he's dead. He cheats on you, he's dead. He hurts you in any way, he's dead."
Izzie laughed. "God, Britt. Good luck ever getting a boyfriend with these two constantly running guys off." She grabbed Zack's hand. "I appreciate it. Thank you. I love you."
"Love you too." Because Izzie was older and had been away for the past couple years, they had grown apart a bit. But Zack, Hunter, Brittany, and Brenna still loved their older sister and would do anything for her.
Emma's phone vibrated. She glanced at it and saw she had a message.
From: Chloe J
Where are you? I just got to the church and I don't want to look like a loser sitting by myself because my 'date' is in the bridal party.
That reminded Emma of something. She grabbed Hunter by his arm and pulled him to the other side of the room.
"Jesus, Em. Don't wrinkle my jacket."
"What are you doing?"
Hunter frowned. "Huh?"
"Why is Chloe J your date to the wedding?"
"Because she offered."
"You know how she can be, Hunter. You better not try and get between her and Brendan. Things are going well right now."
"I'm not trying to get between them. Chloe J offered and I took her up on it. She texted Brendan to make sure it was okay. I'm not trying to make any type of move on her. We're just friends." Emma nodded her head. She trusted him to tell her the truth. "Now, let's talk about you, shorty. Why are you on a date with my brother?"
Emma rolled her eyes. "Mind your own business."
"So you can ask me questions, but I can't ask you anything?"
"Exactly."
"Somehow, that doesn't seem fair."
Emma shrugged. "Life's not fair." She went over and hugged Izzie. "You are the most beautiful bride. Spencer is lucky to have you. I can't wait to watch you walk down that aisle." She kissed her cheek. "Good luck."
"Thank you."
Emma went to the door. "Chloe J is here, I'm going to go meet up with her. See you guys at the reception!"
Izzie and Spencer's Wedding Reception
The wedding had been short and sweet. Claudia had cried when Sonny walked Izzie down the aisle, and Izzie cried when Spencer promised to not only be an amazing husband to her, but also a great father to their child. Everyone had complimented Izzie on how beautiful she looked. There were many questions about if the baby was a boy or a girl; Izzie told people she wasn't far along enough to tell, but she and Spencer were both hoping for a little girl.
After the wedding and all the conversation ended, everyone headed over to the Metro Court for the reception. The entire Dream Team was at the party, but many of their parents were too, which meant there was a strict watch on the alcohol, much to Emma's disappointment.
"You want one of these one day?" Hunter questioned as he and Chloe J moved on the dance floor. Surprisingly, they were both pretty good dancers and they didn't mind doing it. As soon as the floor had cleared from Izzie and Spencer's first dance and Sonny and Izzie's father-daughter dance, Hunter had grabbed Chloe J's hand and dragged her out. Everyone else had been too hesitant to be the first one out there, but he had no shame.
"One of what?" she asked.
"A wedding."
Chloe J shrugged. "I'm not really the marrying type."
"Really?"
She raised an eyebrow. "Do you honestly think that I'm the type of person to get married?"
"I can just imagine you having a huge, over the top wedding and being a bridezilla."
She laughed. "If I did get married, that's probably what would happen. But I'm not really interested. I would be fine if I never got married or had kids."
"What about Brendan?"
"What about him?"
"Does he want to get married?"
"It is way too soon in our relationship to be talking about things like that."
"Yeah, but I imagine he's the type of guy who would live a really typical life." Hunter frowned. "That sounded kind of insulting, but I didn't mean it like that. I just mean that he looks like the type to go to college, get married, have kids, the whole nine yards."
"We've never really talked about it, so I don't know his opinion. But I'm not with Brendan because I think I'll spend the rest of my life with him."
"Wow, that's harsh."
"I don't mean it in a bad way. I'm just saying that I'm not looking at this relationship like, 'okay, I'll date Brendan for however many years, then get married'. I'm trying to live in the moment instead of worrying about the future."
The song changed to a slower song. Hunter grabbed Chloe J's hand and pulled her close to him. "Are you sure Brendan's okay with you being here?"
She rolled her eyes. "Yes, Hunter."
"I don't think I would be okay with my girlfriend going to a wedding as another guy's date."
"But you're not just 'another guy'. You're you. Brendan understands how important the Dream Team is to me. He trusts me."
"And do you trust him?" Hunter could see that she was a little uncomfortable with the question.
"I do, but I worry about it sometimes. Everyone thinks that our whole little rivalry we had going on up until the end of last year was just hinting at the fact that we liked each other. But I honestly could not stand him. If the whole abortion thing had never happened with Ryan, I would probably still be with him."
"Are you sure you're good with him being here with Aubrey?" Hunter glanced over to where he saw Ryan and Aubrey dancing.
"I'm fine with it. Our break-up was my fault and I want him to be happy. But another thing that's really stuck with me is that he told me he couldn't be with someone who was so comfortable with secrets and lies. Ryan's from a small family and he doesn't have a big group of friends. He doesn't understand that sometimes, you have to keep secrets for other people. Brendan gets that." Chloe J smiled sadly. "Maybe I'm so cynical about my relationship with Brendan because of my break-up from Ryan. Obviously, I didn't want kids with him, but I could see us getting married and spending our lives together. I just don't ever want to have to feel that pain again."
"Don't let that ruin your relationship with Brendan." Hunter chastised. "It sucks, but you have to feel the pain to appreciate the good times."
Chloe J rolled her eyes. "God, where did you get that quote?"
Hunter grinned, showing off his dimples. "From the inspirational quote calendar in Brenna's room."
"You're so lame."
Not far from where Chloe J and Hunter were dancing, Brittany was walking off the dance floor with Noah. They were both laughing and slightly out of breath from all of the moving around.
"Want to sit for a little bit?" Noah asked. Brittany nodded her head and they went over to an empty table. "So, how do you feel about your sister getting married? Does your family like Spencer?"
"Honestly, I don't really know him very well, and everything I do know, I learned from Paige. This is probably only the third time I've seen Izzie and Spencer interact."
"How long have they been together?"
"Only a couple months. But you know how it is. Some couples move quicker than others." Brittany thought that Izzie and Spencer had moved a little too fast, but who was she to judge? It wasn't her relationship.
"So, word around NYCS is that you were just suspended for fighting. What's that about, Rocky?" Noah joked.
Brittany laughed slightly. "Mia's worried that I'm trying to take away her title of ultimate fighter."
Noah laughed. "I know I've seen Mia fight quite a few times. I don't think one little suspension is going to be enough to beat her."
"That's exactly what Mia said." Brittany smiled. She appreciated the way Noah didn't really dig into what the fight was about. "Honestly, it's just these kids at Madison. They know how to get under my skin."
"Why do you let them? You're not an easy girl to break, Britt."
"I don't know. Maybe it's because I haven't really dealt with my issues myself." Brittany shook her head. "Sometimes, I wish I had just chosen to go to NYCS. It would be so much easier and then I could be away from the Madison drama."
Noah smiled. "I wish you went there too so we could get to know each other better."
And for the first time in what felt like forever, Brittany felt her stomach fluttering. She realized she was genuinely happy, and she welcomed the feeling, pulling Noah back onto the dance floor again.
Across the room, Courtney was sitting at the bar with her older sister. Josslyn was rambling on and on about her wedding planning, but Courtney was only half listening. She had long ago finished Josslyn's glass of wine and ordered another one.
"Are you even listening to me?"
Courtney snapped her head over. "Yeah, I'm listening."
"What was the last thing I said?"
"How you were debating bridesmaid colors with Lindsey?"
Josslyn rolled her eyes; obviously, she hadn't been right. "Alright, I won't bore you with the wedding talk anymore. What's going on with you?"
"Nothing really."
"You're really distracted, Court. You know I'm here for you if you wanna talk, right?" Courtney nodded. Josslyn looked over and saw Emma and Zack dancing. "How do you feel about that?"
"What, Zack and Emma? I wish they would both finally admit how they feel about each other and just date."
"You don't feel left out when you're around them? They are pretty much your best friends."
"No, I don't feel left out. The three of us just have a special relationship. I've never felt like they didn't want me around." Courtney smiled as she watched Emma laugh. "I just want her to be happy again, and Zack can do that for her."
"Is that what you're brooding about then? Emma and her issues?"
Courtney shook her head. "I can see that she's going through a lot, and I don't blame her because a lot happened last year. But I don't want her to be upset, you know?" Josslyn nodded. "I know Emma needs to go through all of this and figure it out on her own, but sometimes I wish I could just tell her exactly what she needs to do to feel better."
"She'll be okay. It might take a little while, but I have complete confidence that Emma will be alright." Josslyn leaned forward and kissed Courtney's cheek. "I'm gonna go dance with Aiden. You okay sitting here by yourself?"
Courtney looked across the room and saw Christian Hunter sitting by himself. "Yeah, I've got some things to take care of anyway." The two sisters parted ways as Courtney approached Christian's table. "Hey."
"Hi." He smiled.
"I'm surprised that you're here tonight."
"Well, Izzie is my stepdad's niece, so my mom basically forced us all into coming. Not that I'm complaining; the food is great, and now I have great company." Courtney shook her head at him with a smile. "So, is this what you do at weddings? Sit at bars with your sister and sneak alcohol when your parents aren't looking?"
Courtney laughed. "Well, all my friends are a little busy." She pointed towards the dance floor where they were all dancing. "Kinda sucks to be the single one."
"I'll dance with you, if you want."
"Sure."
Christian stood and offered Courtney his hand, pulling her out onto the dance floor just as a slow song started. He moved close to her.
"How do you know how to dance?"
"Are you serious? I think you guys forget that Chloe J is my sister. Whenever she wanted to learn something when we were kids, I was always her test dummy."
Courtney smiled. "What, did you take ballroom dance classes or something?"
He shook his head. "It wasn't really a dance class. My aunt Georgie just taught us in my Grandpa Mac's living room."
It was strange to hear Georgie's name used so casually. Courtney had been close friends with Chloe J for most of her life and after her aunt's death, the other blonde rarely spoke about her; it was too hard for her.
"That's really sweet."
"Yeah. I guess it paid off." He spun her around. "You look beautiful tonight."
"You don't look too bad yourself."
They danced in silence until the song ended. Christian looked down at her. "Hey, wanna go back to sitting at the bar and stealing drinks? I'll come with you."
"There's nothing in this world I would rather do." As they walked over to the bar together, a realization hit Courtney.
Maybe she was starting to like Christian.
Zack and Emma
Zack couldn't help but grin at the smile on his best friend's face. Emma was laughing as he spun her around while they danced. They had been on the dance floor almost the entire night. Honestly, his back was starting to hurt a little from bending down due to their height difference, but he wouldn't complain. He would do anything to keep that smile on her face.
"I need some water." Emma told him.
"C'mon, let's go get some." Zack put an arm around her waist and guided her over to the table. She grabbed a bottle of water. He was very pleased with the fact that she didn't go near the alcohol; she hadn't had any tonight and he was hoping to keep it that way. "Wanna go sit on the balcony?"
"Mmhmm."
They walked outside together and Zack was surprised to see that the balcony was empty. It was pretty chilly outside though, considering it was January. He looked over at Emma and saw her shivering. He slid his jacket off and wrapped it around her shoulders, smiling at the way it practically swallowed her.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome." He sat next to her. Emma immediately cuddled into his side and he wrapped an arm around her waist to pull her closer. "You having fun?"
"Yeah. I love weddings, and dancing." She smiled up at him. "It's nice to see everyone so happy. Did you see Courtie?"
"With Christian? Yeah. I think he'd be good for her."
"I agree." Emma laughed. "I can't wait until Mia gets bigger. It would be so funny watching her dancing while she's pregnant."
Zack smiled at her words. "I can just imagine how Gabe would hover over her, considering how he's been tonight."
Emma gave him a look. "You can't even say anything about hovering. You're just as bad as Gabe."
"I am not."
"You're both super overprotective. While it can get annoying, it's not necessarily a bad thing." She studied him. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"
"You've been kind of quiet tonight."
"I've just been thinking." Zack's hands started to get a little sweaty. "I actually wanted to talk to you about something."
"Okay."
"Things have…changed…between us recently."
"Is that a bad thing?"
"It's definitely not bad." He quickly interrupted. "At least the way I look at it. We've been spending a lot of time together. You're the first person I want to talk to every morning, and the last person I want to talk to at night."
"What are you trying to say?" Zack could tell from the slight smile on her face that Emma knew exactly where he was going with this. She almost always knew what he was going to do before he even knew; she had always been very intuitive.
"Emma, I like you." He finally blurted out. "I can't imagine my life without you in it, and I want to always be there for you."
Emma grabbed his hand. "Just say it, Zack."
"Will you be my girlfriend?"
Suddenly, the question was out there. Zack knew that it had the potential to ruin their entire friendship, but he had to say it. He blamed it on the fact that they were at a wedding.
"Yes."
Emma looked happier than he had seen her in a long time. He pulled the necklace out of his pocket that he had cautiously put there this morning, just in case. It had an infinity symbol on it that was made out of real diamonds.
"Will you put it on me?" Emma turned around, pulling her ponytail over her shoulder so he could get to her neck. Zack unclasped it with shaky, sweaty hands before securing it around her neck.
When Emma turned back around, she leaned up on her toes, pressing a kiss against his lips. His hands rested on her hips as he savored the moment.
They were both so wrapped up in each other that they didn't even notice Nate and Paige watching, both of their expressions showing just how hurt they were by the new couple's kiss.
Brenna, Leah, and Nattie
"I love weddings." Leah said with a sigh as she dropped her heels into her closet. Well, Chloe J's heels, but she definitely wasn't about to tell her sister that. She sat down on the corner of her bed, still in her dress and full make-up.
"Me too." Brenna agreed. While Leah was content to stay in her clothes, Brenna was the exact opposite. She immediately changed out of her dress, putting on a pair of yoga pants and a t-shirt instead.
"It's crazy that my brother married Brenna's sister." Nattie added, dropping her bag into the corner of the room. "Everyone in Port Charles is basically family, it's so weird."
"Pretty soon, you're not even going to know if you're dating your own cousin." Leah laughed as she spoke. "So Nattie, how was your trip to see your mom?"
Nattie sighed. She changed her clothes quickly and pulled her hair into a ponytail before sitting next to Leah on the bed, Brenna choosing to sit in a chair across from them.
"It was horrible." She revealed. "I never thought that I would have to look my mother in the eye while she told me that she cared more about her new boyfriend than about me."
"So she does have a new boyfriend?"
"Mmhmm, the drummer in her band."
"I'm sorry, Nattie." Brenna told her sympathetically. "At least you get to stay with Paige, right? Sam and Jason aren't so bad."
"They've been amazing, Sam especially. And I am happy that I'm still with Paige because I can't imagine getting through all of this without her. It's just hard to feel like you're not a burden. I guess the fact that they're family makes it a little easier though, and knowing that they took in Mia without a second thought. They don't ever treat Paige or I as if we don't belong with them."
"That's really good."
"Other than that though, there's been a lot of awkward tension."
"What do you mean?" Leah wondered.
"Between Emma and Paige. They're sharing a room right now, and Emma is hardly ever home. I think she stays at Zack's, which makes Paige really uncomfortable. Every time they are in the same room, just can feel the tension."
Brenna nodded. "Emma has been at our house a lot lately." She stayed quiet on the subject of Paige; she would always choose Emma over Paige, but she didn't really want to get into that with Nattie. "Does she ever talk to Chloe J anymore?"
Leah shrugged. "I honestly don't know. Chloe J has been all about the NYCS cheer team lately, which is really good for her. Plus, she's dating B-Dubs. I don't think she has time to deal with Emma's issues, but I can tell that she misses her a lot. She just won't talk about it."
"I feel like that's how everyone is now." Brenna looked to both of her friends. "You can tell everyone is hurting, but they refuse to talk about it. Brittany is the same way. She got suspended for fighting at school because someone made fun of Jazzie's death, but she still acts like nothing happened. She won't talk about Trevor at all."
"It's probably hard to talk about the fact that your boyfriend was a serial killer." Nattie commented.
"I know that, but it's unusual for Britt. She was never this closed off before. It makes me nervous."
"She'll come around." Leah said, trying to cheer up her best friend. "I'm sick of talking about this. Let's watch movies and eat snacks until we pass out."
Nattie nodded enthusiastically. "Good idea!"
Brenna wasn't as sure, but she knew that her friends needed a good night. She followed them down the stairs to the kitchen.
Paige and Nattie
Paige glanced over as the front door of the penthouse opened, smiling once she saw that it was her younger sister. She hadn't had the opportunity to discuss everything with Brook Lynn yet, and she knew that now was probably the time to do it.
"Hey." Nattie greeted, shutting the door quietly. "Is everyone still asleep?"
"No, they all left. It's just us." Nattie came over and sat next to her on the couch. "How was your sleepover?"
"It was fun." The fifteen-year-old stifled a yawn. "I think I only slept for two hours."
Paige smiled. "At least you had a good time." She studied her. "I don't know if you're ready to talk about it or not, but when you are, I'm here."
"I'm ready." Nattie agreed. She understood the importance of having this conversation with her sister. Paige needed that closure too, even if it was just from talking to Nattie instead of Brook Lynn.
"So what happened?"
"We met her in a diner. I asked her if she was ever going to come back for me, and of course she lied and tried to make excuses. She admitted that she's dating that guy Travis, the drummer from her band. She acted like her leaving wasn't a choice." Nattie rolled her eyes. "It sucked."
"That was all?" Paige prodded. She knew that Nattie needed a little pushing in order to get the entire story out of her.
"She said that she couldn't come back for me because she didn't want to take me away from you."
Instantly, Paige felt guilty. "Nattie…"
"No. Don't apologize, Paige. This isn't on you. This is on Brook Lynn. She chose to walk out on me, on us. You didn't make her do it."
"But if I wasn't there, then she would have taken you with her."
"No she wouldn't. I asked her if I could come live with her, just to see what she would say. She said that she and Travis 'needed some time'." Nattie laughed dryly. "The whole conversation was just her making excuses. Don't feel bad. I don't need anyone who doesn't want to be in my life."
"Did you tell her that?"
"I told her that I'm going to be amazing and she won't be able to take any credit for that." Nattie bit her lip slightly. "She signed over her rights, then took that paper that would give her access to the money Dad left her. She didn't even hesitate. Just like that, she didn't want to be my mom anymore."
Paige hugged her. "I'm sorry."
"It sucks, but it happened. At least we have Sam and Jason, right?"
"Right." Paige confirmed. "And you'll always have me, no matter what. I love you."
"Love you too."
The Dream Team
For the first time in a long time, Emma felt content. She was sitting in the passenger's seat of Zack's car as he drove down the road towards the Enchantment. Her hand was linked with his, and he would squeeze every so often.
Emma couldn't pinpoint the exact moment when it started, but she had had some type of feelings for her best friend for a while now. She had tried to push it down and ignore it, figuring that she was just being emotional after everything that happened with Joey. It felt nice that she could finally allow herself to feel again.
"Zack?" he hummed, turning down the radio so he could hear her. "Can we wait to tell people?"
"Like who?"
"Well, I know I want to tell Courtie. I don't mind if we tell the Dream Team, but I don't want our parents to know. If they did, they would automatically jump to conclusions and our sleepovers would end." Emma bit her lip. "I don't know if I can sleep without you. I only feel safe when I'm with you."
"You don't have any reason to be scared anymore." He squeezed her hand. "We can wait."
They pulled up to the Enchantment. Emma wasn't sure who had had the idea that they should all hang out. She was pretty sure it started with the juniors, and then the seniors got roped into it too. She hoped that it wouldn't be too bad; the last time they had all been together had been fun.
When they walked inside, they could already hear laughter coming from the living room. Courtney and Hunter were on opposite sides as they threw a football back and forth to each other. Mia and Maddie sat on the couch, the former with a scowl, most likely because they wouldn't let her play. Mia, Hunter, and Courtney had always gotten along well because of the fact that they would do anything, without hesitation, and they were always ready to have fun, even if they had to act like idiots to do it.
Courtney turned to say hi to them right as Hunter threw the ball. Zack caught it in one hand right before it smacked her in the fact. He threw it back to his brother and gave him a pointed look. "Be careful."
"Wow, that's how it is? You should have seen how many times she's thrown the ball and hit me. You're gonna take her side?"
"Yep." Zack kissed Courtney's forehead before going to sit down. Emma had already squeezed herself onto the couch with Maddie and Mia, so he took the recliner.
Everyone else trickled in. Gabe and Brittany arrived together, then Connor, then Paige and Nate, and finally Chloe J. They all chose a seat around the living room as Connor called for some pizzas.
"Mia, I need your help." Chloe J announced as she pulled out her laptop. "I want to change the music for the routine."
"Which part?" Mia questioned as she came over, making herself comfortable on the floor next to the blonde.
"Right after they throw Ava into the air."
"Yeah, good choice. We need something a little faster."
It was interesting to see the two girls sprawled out on the floor together. Obviously, Chloe J and Mia were friends, but they weren't particularly close. The events of last year had shifted around friendships and loyalties, but not all of it was bad.
"So, you two seemed awfully close at the wedding last night." Gabe commented as he looked to Emma and Zack. Of course it was Gabe; Courtney, Hunter, and Brittany had probably seen the most of their developing relationship, and they were smart enough not to say anything. Even Maddie, Mia, and Chloe J understood the delicate place that Emma was at in her life right now and knew better than to try and push her. Gabe had never tip-toed around issues, especially where his sisters were involved.
"We were just dancing." Emma said, not sure that she wanted to say anything yet.
"Is that a new necklace?" Brittany asked. Emma could tell that was her way of trying to break up the conversation between her and Gabe before he could make her uncomfortable. She really appreciated the effort, but unfortunately, it just made things worse.
"Yeah."
"Did you get it for the wedding? It's pretty." Maddie stated, glaring at Gabe, subtly trying to shut him up.
Emma looked to Zack, who just shrugged. Your choice.
"Zack gave it to me."
"Really?" Now, Gabe's interest was piqued even more.
"Yep. We made things official last night."
Everyone stopped what they were doing. Even Mia and Chloe J, who had been listening to music seconds ago had stopped to listen to Emma's words.
"It's about time!" Courtney jumped up from her seat, placing a loud kiss on Emma's cheek, then Zack's. "I'm happy for you."
"Me too!" Brittany agreed enthusiastically. "Now maybe we'll be sister-in-laws one day."
"It's way too soon to be thinking of that." Zack chastised. "We're just gonna take things slow."
Connor, Hunter, and Mia quickly voiced their happiness. It didn't go unnoticed that Gabe, Maddie, Chloe J, Nate, and Paige were silent.
"Pizza's here." Courtney announced as the doorbell rang. "Come get it with me, P." she grabbed Paige's hand and pulled her down the hallway.
"I'll get drinks." Maddie offered.
"I'll help." Chloe J stood, following her to the kitchen. Once they were alone, she cornered the younger Morgan girl. "Tell me everything you know about Emma and Zack."
Maddie started to grab cups from the cabinets. "What do you mean? You know Emma and Zack. You know how they are."
"No, I know how Zack was when he was friends with Emma. I knew that they had gotten closer, but I didn't know that they were planning on starting a relationship."
"Honestly, I didn't either, but I'm not surprised. Zack has always adored Emma, and he's the only one that she trusts and opens up to right now."
Chloe J nodded in understanding. "Do you think that he'll take care of her?"
"Of course. This is Zack, Chloe J. He's not just a random guy."
"I know that. But I want to make sure that he's remembering that she's still going through a lot, and that everything doesn't become about their relationship."
"I trust him to be able to separate the two." Maddie said with a nod. "Emma may be a mess, but Zack has been pretty rational. I think they'll be alright."
Maddie and Chloe J collected cups and brought them out to the living room where everyone was already grabbing slices of pizza.
Brittany held up her phone. "Did you guys get the message about the Madison party tonight?"
Maddie reached for her phone and read the message. Madison and NYCS both had teacher's in-service days tomorrow, so a group of Madison kids were throwing a party. Everyone in the Crew was talking about going.
"Are you guys going to go?" Maddie wondered.
"I am." Emma responded immediately, with Courtney, Brittany, and Hunter nodding along with her.
"Ugh, it's not fair." Mia groaned. "I've gone to way too many parties lately even though I can't drink."
"Does that mean you want to stay home?" Gabe asked, sounding a little too hopeful.
"No, I'm still going. It's just not fair."
"Everyone should go. It'll be fun." Hunter tried to persuade. "Do you guys know the kid who's throwing the party?"
"No." Emma, Courtney, Brittany, Zack, Maddie, and Connor answered together.
"Then he must not be someone who bullies any PCH kids. If something happens, we'll leave."
Maddie glanced at Connor, who shrugged back at her. "Connor and I will go."
After that, everyone else agreed. They decided to all separate and go home to get ready. Knowing them, they were bound to have a crazy night.
Paige and Nate
Paige had driven Nate to the Enchantment, so she had to take him back home so that he could get ready for the party. As soon as they were in the car, they were enveloped with silence.
"So, how do you feel about that?" Nate asked after a few minutes.
Paige's fingers tightened on the steering wheel. "I could tell they were getting closer. I knew that they would start dating eventually, but I never thought it would hurt this bad."
"Me either." Nate sighed. "I don't know why they would announce it to everyone like that. They had to know how we would feel."
"I don't think they understand. I don't think Zack or Emma could care less about our feelings or opinions on their relationship." Paige knew that they shouldn't have to consider other people, but she was more than just a random girlfriend to Zack. They dated for four years and she deserved a little more respect.
"We need to start moving past this." Nate told his friend. "We have to get over it because the only people who are miserable is us. They don't care how we feel, so we need to start thinking about ourselves."
"What do you mean?"
"Tonight, we'll have fun. We'll go to this party and drink and forget about it."
Paige considered it. It wasn't a bad idea. She nodded her head. "Okay. We'll have fun."
Party
The entire house smelled like sweat and alcohol as Gabe walked inside, keeping a hand on Mia's back to guide her through the crowd. He could already see a ton of kids- PCH, Madison, NYCS, even some kids that he recognized from other nearby schools. The house was huge, but it was so full that walking room was tight.
Gabe yanked Mia backwards just in time to avoid some guy who was stumbling around, then fell in front of them.
"Gross." Mia stepped over him, but kept walking as if she was unaffected. Gabe guessed that she was; they had been to so many parties that this didn't really seem like anything out of the normal.
"Do you see anyone?" he yelled so that she could hear over the music.
Mia leaned close to him. "Haley, Wes, Addie, and Jamie are over there." She pointed across the room to where the four teens were all holding red solo cups and talking to each other. "There's your sister." She pointed as Katie walked by in a line, holding hands with Ava and Jacelyn so they didn't lose each other. Gabe didn't miss the drink in her hand and started to go towards her. "She doesn't need a lecture, Gabriel. We were drinking at that age. We'll keep an eye on her and make sure she's safe."
A few guys ran by completely naked, their bodies painted with red and blue paint. Gabe wasn't sure why that happened, but he pulled himself and Mia out of the way so they could get past.
"This is crazy!" Gabe turned, seeing Maddie and Connor behind him. The blonde boy had his hand locked with his sister's as he scanned the room. Gabe nodded in approval; he trusted Connor to keep Maddie safe, especially in a large crowd like this.
"We haven't been to a party like this in forever!" Mia shouted back.
Gabe turned so he could watch everything going on. He felt something being shoved into his hand and he turned to see Brittany handing him a drink.
"I'm okay." He said, trying to give it back.
"Have fun." Mia told him. "I can drive since I'm not allowed to drink anyway. You should let loose a little."
"It's too crowded here."
"Be sixteen for once." Maddie joined in, accepting a drink from Nate as he came up on her other side.
Gabe sighed, but took a drink from the cup. Whatever it was, it was strong. For the first time in weeks, he felt as if the weight on his chest was being lifted just a little.
Mia leaned up on her toes and kissed his cheek. "Relax, okay? You need this just as much as everyone else. As much as I love your hovering and overprotectiveness, I can handle myself. It's okay." Gabe gave her a quick kiss, then took another drink.
Chloe J and Christian joined the group, each of the twins holding a cup in their hand. Paige was the next one to find them as she came in with Nattie, the younger girl parting ways to go find her own friends.
They heard Courtney before they saw her, the blonde laughing loudly as Zack carried her towards them on his back. She looked like she had already had a couple of drinks.
"Where's Emma?" Maddie asked. "I haven't seen her yet."
"She went with Hunter to grab a drink."
Courtney let go of Zack so she could stand on her own feet. She smiled. "Hey Chris."
"Hey Courtney."
Everyone else watched curiously while trying not to seem obvious. They had seen the two of them talking at Izzie and Spencer's wedding, but Courtney hadn't talked about it otherwise.
"Wanna dance?"
"Sure." Courtney grabbed Christian's hand and led him away.
"What's going on there?" Mia questioned as she looked at Chloe J.
"I don't know. Christian was asking me about Courtney the other day. I think they might be good together." The rest of the girls nodded in agreement.
"I might have to go talk to him." Connor said.
Maddie rolled her eyes. "Alright, can you guys try not to be so overbearing for one night? Please?"
"We're just trying to keep you safe." Zack defended.
"We are safe." Maddie motioned around them. Unknowingly, Zack, Gabe, Connor, and Nate had created a border around the girls, protecting them from the other drunks in the room.
"I'm ready to have some fun." Chloe J grabbed Paige's hand. "C'mon, P. You're gonna dance with me."
"Chloe J, I really don't want to…" she started to protest.
"We're having fun, remember?" Nate said.
Paige nodded in determination. "Right. Let's go." She let her friend guide her to the dance floor.
"Wow, I don't think I've ever seen someone have to be told to have fun." Mia shook her head in disbelief. "God, you guys need me. After this baby comes, I'm going to have to get a babysitter one night just so I can show you guys how it's done."
"It might be for the best if Party Mia never came out again." Maddie joked, earning a shocked gasp from her friend.
"Okay, Grandma Maddie. Then let's see what you've got."
Maddie smirked, rising her chin a little in determination. She grabbed Brittany's drink out of her hand and downed it in one drink, grimacing immediately. "That's strong."
Brittany laughed. "Sorry, I didn't make it for you."
"Make me another one?"
"YES MADDIE!" Mia cheered, laughing loudly. "Make her the Mimi and Britty special."
Brittany grabbed Maddie's hand and dragged her away, disappearing in the crowd of hot, sweaty bodies.
"Alright, I'm not really a fan of all the testosterone over here, so I'm going to go find someone to talk to." Mia said as she started to walk away.
Gabe shook his head, grabbing her hand. "There are too many people here, especially people we don't know."
"Gabriel, I will be fine. Promise." She kissed his cheek, then pushed his cup up to his lips. "Keep drinking. Relax, remember? I'm just gonna go find Emma and Hunter."
"Okay." He finally gave in, knowing that he wouldn't win if Mia was this determined.
Mia moved through the crowd, trying not to vomit at the overwhelming smell. Some of the people in the room had clearly forgotten to put on deodorant that morning.
She glanced around, trying to find faces she recognized. She stopped to talk for a minute to a few of the girls from the NYCS cheer team, then she chatted with Lukas Spencer and Noah Scorpio-Drake.
Mia finally found Hunter, recognizing the dark curly hair and muscular body anywhere. She also saw a girl's fingers tangled in his curls as he made out with some girl.
"Way to go, Hunter." Mia said to herself, laughing at her friend. It had been a while since she had seen Hunter let lose, and she was happy that he was taking advantage of this moment.
When Mia turned, she found Emma. The older girl was dancing, her drink sloshing over the sides of the cup as she moved in beat with the music. Her long, dark hair was sticking to her face in places from the sweat, but she was still beautiful.
Emma finally dropped her cup and it splashed up on a girl standing a few feet away from her. She started to apologize, then the girl turned around and Emma saw her face.
Cecily Adams had always been someone that Emma despised. Years ago, she had been interested in Joey. When Emma found out, she and Mia had slashed her tires and busted the headlights out on her car. Now, she was best friends with Brianna Edwards.
"Oh look, it's you." Cecily sneered, staring Emma up and down. "How's the drinking going, Morgan? Are you able to numb the pain for a little bit?"
Emma considered her options. Lately, she had jumped instantly to number one- argue until it turned physical. But, there was always option two- ignore and walk away.
Emma took a deep breath, holding it as she turned around. Seconds later, she felt a hand on her shoulder that forced her to turn around.
Option two hadn't worked. It was time for option one.
"What are you even doing here?" Cecily demanded. "You're dressed like a slut, so you must be trying to find a guy. You don't even care that you're the reason Joey is dead, do you? You just ran off to the next guy with the first opportunity you had."
"You don't have any idea what you're talking about." Emma told her. "You will never understand my relationship with Joey or what happened between us."
Cecily smiled. "Of course I will, because Joey told me everything. Even after you and your little whore of a friend slashed my tires, he didn't stop talking to me. He told me that he was beating you, and that nothing made him as happy as the feeling of his hand making contact with your skin. He told me that you were so stupid that you just kept coming back for more, even though you knew what would happen. He said that you got off on the fact that he hurt you, and that you even begged him to slap you around sometimes. Joey never regretted any of what he did to you. He…"
For Emma, everything went dark. She couldn't see or hear or feel anything other than Joey. She squeezed her eyes shut, begging for it all to go away. When she opened her eyes again, she could see blood on her hands.
Cecily was on the ground, clutching her bloody nose between her hands. Emma's hands shook as she realized that she had blacked out and hit the girl. She was still so out of it that she didn't have time to react before Cecily lunged for her, hitting her as hard as she could.
Emma recovered quickly and pushed Cecily back. It didn't do much; Emma didn't have the height or weight advantage. She kicked Cecily's legs out from under her, knocking the girl to the ground.
Emma wanted to run, but she couldn't give them more ammo. She couldn't run away from a fight that a Madison girl had started with her, or she would look weak.
Cecily grabbed a handful of Emma's hair and landed another punch. Emma hit her back just as hard, pushing the other girl away from her. All she saw was a flash of dark hair.
"Don't touch her again or I swear to God I will kill you."
Emma immediately recognized Mia's voice. She could hear the deadliness and knew that Mia wasn't lying; she may not kill Cecily, but she would seriously injure her.
Cecily laughed. "Awww, you still have your little sidekick, Emma? Joey told me how much he hated your friends, especially this one. He said that he wished the serial killer had offed her when he had a chance."
Mia was so taken aback that she paused for a second, leaving a perfectly good opening for Cecily to reach out and slap her across the face. Mia didn't know what stung more; the slap, or the fact that this was really how the Madison kids spoke to the PCH kids.
After Cecily hit Mia, Emma lunged forward, knocking the girl to the ground. Mia recognized Brianna Edwards from the last party she had gone to. She quickly got involved in the fight, along with a few others.
All Mia saw was blonde as Courtney ran into the mix, landing a solid punch on Brianna. Mia turned just in time to watch as Chloe J, Maddie, Paige, and Brittany threw themselves into the fight. A girl came up behind Maddie and tried to grab her, but Mia didn't let that happen. She grabbed her by the arm and flung her up against the nearest wall.
The next thing they could hear was police sirens. Everyone in the room started to run towards the exits, but the Dream Team girls were too occupied with the Madison girls that had hurt their friends.
Mia felt someone grab her arms, pulling them behind her back, and then something cold on her wrists. She didn't realize that she was being arrested until she watched another office slap handcuffs onto Paige's wrists. Maddie was next, giving in easily.
One of the cops had to lift Courtney up, dragging her backwards and away from Brianna. It didn't take long for all of the girls, thirteen in total, to be dragged out to the cop cars.
This wasn't going to end well.
Any thoughts about Spencer and Izzie's wedding/reception?
Emma and Zack have finally made it official. How do you feel about this? What do you think will happen with Paige and Nate?
The girls have just been arrested. Do you think this will be enough to snap Emma out of how she's been acting?
