Blaze Of Glory
PikaDarkness
Chapter 4
Getting Together Then Falling Apart.
Jeff and Emma were hurriedly cleaning the house. Delia had called and said they would be there in an hour, which Jeff agreed.
Emma cried out in shock at the living room. Jeff's workmates were really sloppy. Jeff rushed down the stairs thinking she was hurt. He stopped dead at the sight of his house.
"Come on we gotta clean up!" Jeff cried pushing Emma into action. "You do here and I'll clean the kitchen!"
The kitchen was by far the dirtiest. Alcohol bottles were strewn every few feet, Jeff had kicked his friends out because they were drunk and going through Emma's underwear draw. (Shh you didn't hear that from me!)
Emma shrieked when she found a pile of vomit underneath the coffee table, Jeff rushed back into the room and cringed at the vomit, so they swapped places so Jeff could clean it up.
After the cleaning Emma raced off to the shower. She felt dirty beyond belief. Jeff banged on the bathroom door twenty minutes later telling her to hurry up. Once Emma got out sporting clean clothes there was a knock on the door.
"I'll get that, you go have a shower." Emma pushed Jeff into the bathroom, Jeff seriously needed one as he smelled like vomit, and ran to the front door.
Pulling the door opened Emma gave a toothy grin to Delia Ash Brock and Misty who smiled back.
"Come in come in!" Emma pulled the door wider, her face was bright and cheerful. That made them feel more welcome.
"Where's Jeff?" Delia asked casually.
"In the shower." It was at that moment that they heard the water running from the bathroom. Delia nodded.
"Do you guys want anything to eat or drink?" Emma asked chivalrously, they shook there heads and said. "No thanks" at different times.
Jeff was out of the shower two minutes later, he walked across the second storey hallway catching Delia's attention, her mouth dropped as she saw him. Only a towel was covering his body. Delia wished there wasn't, instantly blushing at the thought. Within another minute Jeff entered the living room happily. He said a cheerful hello to everyone.
"So." Jeff said "Whatcha gonna do today?" Everyone shook their heads.
"Umm…" Emma seemed to be at a loss as well.
"Aw well I had an idea…" Everyone looked at him inquisitively. "You four go to the movies and the mall or whatever with this money." Jeff pulled out a thousand dollars. "And have a good time"
"Dad…!" Emma gasped, Jeff handed her the money and she immediately hugged him. Jeff laughed feeling delighted that he made her happy. Emma handed the money to Ash who also gasped with shock, then handed it on. Brock was the last person to get it.
"I feel bad knowing that I cant give you guys more then a hundred dollars" Delia muttered shamefully.
"Mum don't worry about it!" Ash cried happily then the three kids hugged Jeff too who yelped at the tightness, he giggled a little as one of them tickled his stomach lightly… Emma got the sensitiveness from him, then they detached and hugged Delia. Then they tore for the front door leaving Jeff and Delia alone staring awkwardly at the ground.
"Well…" Jeff took a stab at conversation first. "Want to do something today?"
Delia looked up and smiled. "Sure."
Jeff smiled as well. "Great!… so what do you want to do?"
"Get lunch would be a great start!" Delia laughed, it was 11.30am and she was feeling pretty hungry.
"Ok lets go!"
Sitting at a table at McDonalds Delia was talking to Jeff about random little things and Emma was one of them.
"Have you always spoiled her?" Delia asked intrigued.
"Well not all the time, but she is all that I have left. My parents died two years ago and from then on Emma is my life. I'd do anything for her. And I know she feels the same way."
"How did your wife die exactly?" Delia timidly asked, feeling like an interviewer.
"I'd rather not get into that." Jeff said quickly. It was obvious that he didn't like speaking about it, so Delia didn't ask again. Delia heard Jeff sniff. She looked at him and his head was lowered and tears were splashing onto the table.
"Oh I didn't mean to upset you!" Delia was startled and a little ashamed of what she had done. She switched seats from facing him to sitting next to him. Delia rubbed his back consolingly. When he did nothing but cry silently she pulled him into a hug, one he returned.
"I'm s-sorry." Jeff choked. "I didn't mean to break down its just-just a painful topic."
"No no! Don't apologise! I shouldn't've asked" Delia put an arm around Jeff's shoulders pulling him closer to her. Jeff rested his head on hers and they didn't speak for a while.
"Guys where should we go?" Emma asked excitedly.
"Oh there's this awesome shop not to far from here!" Misty said excitedly. "It sells women's and men's clothes! I think it's called…. Top shop! That's it! Lets go!"
Misty grabbed Ash's arm and Emma grasped Brock's hand. They rushed off down the crowded street and into top shop.
"Oh my!" Everyone gasped at the size of the shop. It was like a Pokemon stadium in size.
"Everyone get what you want here! Then we'll meet at the counter to pay it all!" Ash cried, they all ran off in different directions.
Within two hours everyone met at the counter carrying armfuls of clothes. Paying it off they spent 500 hundred dollars and the counter girl was surprised that they payed it off.
"well I think I got more then a barg- Brock!" Emma cried seeing what was in one of those bags. "Gross!"
Brock held up his hands defensively, the army pants were disgusting. They were orange and black, obviously the designer went for something new and Brock took an unusual liking to them.
"Whatever where to now?"
"How about lunch?" Ash suggested sheepishly. Everyone agreed and ended up in McDonalds. Everyone was talking loudly and excitedly. Ash gasped and everyone looked at him, he pointed to a table at the far back.
Emma followed his finger and she too gasped.
Jeff and Delia were entwined and there lips were touching, Emma suddenly remembered when she was little. How Jeff and Andrea used to do that all the time. Not once did Emma think he'd do that with someone else. Suddenly she felt this overwhelming sensation of hatred towards Jeff, it was a new and unfamiliar sensation that ate at her insides.
Emma felt tears slide down her face. While everyone ran to greet them she turned and ran away, dropping her shopping bags as she did.
"Hey guys how have you been?" Jeff asked happily, there was Ash Misty and Brock…. then he noticed something was wrong… there were three instead of four. "Where's Emma?" Turning around Jeff just caught Emma running away. "Oh no…" Jeff whispered and got up and ran after her, jumping over the bags at the doorway.
"Emma!" Jeff shouted, tearing through the streets attempting to catch her.
He knew why Emma was upset about it. She thought Andrea would be the only person he'd love. But Andrea was gone and he needed to move on. Moving on was something that kids couldn't get adjusted too straight away when they've seen there parents together since they were born, having a deceased parent the kid was more likely to think it as disrespectful to the memory. "Emma!"
Emma was blinded by tears, Jeff was catching up to her now, she ran stupidly across a driveway when. CRASH! A car had hit her as it speedily swerved out onto the footpath where it gunned her down.
"NO!" Jeff screamed, running faster then ever when he saw his child's lifeless form hit the ground. "No! No! No! Please no! Jeff skidded the last few feet as he was frantically got to her he didn't give a damn that he just scraped off a great amount of skin he just cared about his daughters safety. Jeff gently shook Emma desperately trying to wake her "Emma wake up! Please wake up! Come on…please!"
. The driver got out of the car he walked cautiously to Emma he tried sidestepping Jeff but was instantly pinned to the bonnet to his car, Jeff was so angry he hit him.
"What's wrong with you?! Couldn't you see her?!" Jeff screamed, shaking the driver by the collar, "You stupid idiot!"
"Whoa settle down! It was an accident!" The driver held his hands out in defence.
"IT WAS NO ACCIDENT! YOU TURNED OUT SHARPLY YOU DROVE ONTO THE FOOTPATH YOU STRUCK HER DOWN! YOU ASSHOLE!" Jeff was screaming so loud he thought his throat would tear. He then threw the driver from him and bent back down and examined his daughter. "Please…please" Jeff whispered emotionally as he checked for a pulse. "No… no!" Jeff cried when he couldn't find one.
The driver was appalled at what he had done.
Jeff looked up and shouted "Call the ambulance!" The driver obeyed.
Jeff sobbed harder when he looked into Emma's face. She couldn't die, he wouldn't let her.
Jeff vaguely heard the driver talking to the paramedic people. He was to concerned with the safety of Emma to really care.
"Emma please…. Please wake up!" She didn't respond, Jeff buried his face into her comatose form sobbing loudly. He wrapped his arms around her and rocked back and forwards gently.
"Hey…" The driver spoke softly, Jeff looked up with bloodshot eyes. "There coming… I am so sorry. I never meant to hit her."
Jeff nodded, he was to upset to really be angry at the guy and still, he showed a lot of remorse.
"My names David by the way…"
"Jeff." Jeff cut the introductions short, this wasn't the time.
"What's her name?" David asked guardedly.
"Emma."
David nodded, then stopped talking as Jeff held Emma to him crying forcefully. David had so much guilt on his shoulders he also wanted to cry, deciding to try and rid some guilt off him he asked:
"How old is she?"
Jeff didn't answer for a little bit and David waited patiently.
"14 next month." Nope the guilt only worsened. The poor girl might not make it to her fourteenth birthday.
The ambulance came not long later, Jeff had been trying to warm Emma's icy skin. The paramedics had to drag Jeff off Emma to actually get to her.
Jeff watched in horror as their first three attempts to revive her failed. Jeff's eyes were wide, his mouth open he couldn't believe he was watching this. How we wished he could turn back time and not have her find him kissing Delia, otherwise this would never have happened. If she didn't make it… well he could picture his life crashing dismally around him.
Suddenly one of them shouted. "She's breathing!"
Jeff looked up in rapture. "She is?"
They nodded. Jeff laughed out of shock and elation, he grasped Emma in a hug.
"Sir, we are going to have to take her to hospital."
"Yeah, no go ahead! Oh my god!" Jeff ran a hand through his hair feeling relieved.
The paramedics got a stretcher out and with Jeff's help they loaded Emma onto it. Jeff didn't think about calling Delia to tell her what happened, Emma was all he cared about at the moment.
"Oh and sir… don't get to happy, she might be alive now but we don't know if she'll remain so." Jeff nodded.
When they got to the hospital Jeff was detached from Emma much to Jeff's distress.
Jeff was later informed that they had to do surgery on her to repair some damaged organs. Jeff nodded he was desperate to save Emma no matter what the cost.
Three and a half painful hours went by. Jeff's phone vibrated repeatedly in his pocket which he ignored. After what seemed like decades the doctor that had seen Jeff previously had returned and Jeff jumped to his feet.
"How is she?" He asked worriedly.
"She's fine… we've repaired everything, she has a broken arm and remarkably she isn't in a coma." Jeff sighed with relief.
"Can I go see her?" The doctor nodded permissibly. Jeff literally skipped to the room the doctor indicated: room 123.
Emma was wired and wearing an oxygen mask. Jeff's heart dropped. He grabbed a seat and pulled it next to her bed. He was prepared to stay there to all hours.
Soon he was getting teary-eyed just looking at Emma, he didn't want her to be in a hospital bed, he wanted her in her own bed safe and warm. It was breaking his heart to see her here.
An hour later Emma woke up.
Jeff had his head slumped on the side of the bed, he felt Emma's hand move and looked up. He gasped and went to hug her, he was shocked when she held him off.
"Emma…"
"Go away!" Emma said forcefully, pushing Jeff hard in the chest. "Leave me alone I don't want you near me!"
"Emma please…" Jeff pleaded, looking at his daughter with tears rolling down his face.
"Get lost, go away!" Emma shouted still pushing Jeff away from her.
"Emma please, please hear me out." Jeff sobbed entreatingly.
"No! Go away! Go away!" Emma was in such a state she didn't care about how her father felt, she didn't want to look at him think about him talk to him, or even call him 'dad'.
"But-" Jeff tried to explain but was quickly cut short.
"NOW!" Jeff leapt back in shock as she screamed at him, and he didn't take it lightly in his emotional state. Jeff nodded and got up, forcing himself not to break down until he got outside. It was a close call though. Jeff felt his heart hurting, he was becoming squeamish. He felt like throwing up.
Once he shut the door behind him he slid down the wall and burst into tears. A passing nurse halted and bent down worriedly, asking him what was wrong, she was sympathetic when he told her. She helped him up and supported him to the closest row of chairs.
As soon as she left Jeff's phone rang. He decided to answer it.
"Hello?" Jeff's voice was jerky, there was no surprise that Delia was the one calling.
"Where the hell have you been?" Delia shouted at him, making him flinch. "I have called you I don't know how many times!"
"Delia…" Jeff whispered. He was feeling more emotionally traumatised then ever, hearing her mad at him minutes after Emma screamed at him.
"I cant believe you'd just ignore me!"
"Delia!" Jeff was the one shouting now. He smiled nervously as several workers stopped and looked at him.
"What?" Jeff still heard the displeasure in her voice and it killed him.
"Emma's in hospital… she was hit by a car… she doesn't want anything to do with me" Jeff broke out into sobs again. Delia gasped.
"We'll be right over!" And she hung up.
Jeff was crying silently to himself for a good hour before Delia and the kids came. He didn't notice them at first until Delia put her hand on his shoulder. Jeff looked up with a red raw face, his eyes so bloodshot you could barely see his pupils.
"Oh Jeff…" Delia was truly concerned.
"I just want to talk to her…" Jeff was so overcome, so hysterical. "She wont even look at me! Or talk to me…"
Brock decided it was his turn to talk to her.
"Mr Hardy?" Brock shyly asked, Jeff looked up at him.
"Please just call me Jeff."
"Yeah.. Um, can I go talk to Emma please?" Brock looked so uncomfortable asking, it looked like he expected the offer to be turned down or be screamed at.
"Yeah sure… go ahead."
Brock smiled warmly and went in to Emma's room.
He knocked and then opened the door.
"Hey Brock." Emma answered warmly. Brock didn't smile back. "What's wrong?"
"What's wrong? You blow up at Jeff and your asking what's wrong?" Brock looked at her with disbelief.
"So?" Emma shrugged. She really didn't seem to care.
"So?! Your father is out there crying right now! Do you have any idea of how distraught he is?" Emma was looking uncomfortable. "Do you have any idea of how he reacted when he saw you get hit? Or just how much he loves you or how much he cares about you?"
"No" Emma whispered disgracefully, her head lowered.
"He is sitting out there crying his eyes out, he thought he was going to lose you today! Now you've just done the trick and traumatized him when all he did was care! The poor guy is an emotional wreck!"
Emma was feeling so guilty that she put Jeff through this.
"You should talk to him, but I don't see how, he could barely stand up!"
"Alright I'll talk to him" Emma muttered unhappily. Brock turned and left the room.
"Jeff?" Jeff looked up as Brock said his name. "I convinced her to talk to you."Jeff got gingerly to his feet and hugged Brock "Thank you so much!"
"Don't mention it!"
Jeff walked cautiously into Emma's room. Emma held back her gasp when she saw his scruffy appearance. Jeff looked into her face and she was mortified at how red his eyes and face was.
Emma felt ridiculous now, Brock was right, he was an emotional wreck and she was the one that put him through this.
Emma grabbed Jeff's arm as he stood beside the bed, and pulled him down and into a secure hug. Jeff hugged firmly back.
"Daddy I am so sorry!" Emma cried, she tightened her grip on Jeff. "Please forgive me."
Jeff couldn't answer he was still overwhelmed with a lot of emotion. He couldn't help but cry as he held Emma. "Daddy I am truly sorry for hurting you like this! I never meant to put you through anything like this." Emma was becoming desperate, she wanted to alleviate his pain.
She remembered what Andrea had told him eight years ago, "You get your sensitivity from your father"
Emma's eyes widened, she knew now how to make him smile.
Emma loosened her grip on him and tickled his stomach with her long nails, Jeff was shaking again, this time from laughter, he truly hated his sensitivity.
"Aw come on Dad!" Emma acted as though he wasn't laughing. She then tickled his exposed underarms, Jeff was laughing loudly now "Doesn't that tickle at all?" She tickled his underarms harder and faster, at this point Jeff couldn't keep hugging Emma, she was practically torturing him at the moment and he could no longer bear it. Jeff broke the hug and backed away, gasping from his laughter, Emma smiled happy to see him laughing again.
"Man I really have to curse my sensitive skin" Jeff shook his head.
"I for one am glad your ticklish, coz now I have found your ultimate weakness!"
"Oh goody!" Jeff muttered sarcastically. "Aren't I so lucky?"
Emma giggled "Yup!"
"Well looks like now I'll have to be more careful!"
Emma smiled.
"Can I have another hug dad?"
"No, no way I know what your going to do!" Jeff became uneasy, he wasn't going to be tickled again.
"Delia Brock Misty Ash!" Emma called. They rushed into the room. "Tickle him!" She ordered, "He's very ticklish and I think he deserves it."
"No, no, no! d-don't do that please… no! argh!" Jeff was cornered and they were coming at him, he panicked and tried to run, but they seized him and tickled him relentlessly. Jeff was laughing hard. If he was tortured before he was in agony now, he couldn't stand them tickling him. He was 29 years old he couldn't believe he was so ticklish. Suddenly his oxygen was cut short he couldn't breathe, Emma noticed and shrieked at them to stop. Oh damn he forgot he was an asthmatic.
Jeff searched his pockets in vain for his asthma spray, it wasn't there! Jeff was wheezing, he slumped to the ground loosing precious air. He twisted around, terror surging through him.
"Go get help!" Emma cried. Never before had she seen her father like this it was truly scaring her.
Jeff now had a tight knot forming in his chest. Brock ran out of the room shouting for help, he came back with two doctors who converged on Jeff. It was at that moment he passed out.
When he woke up he felt his hand interlocked with someone else's. He opened his eyes hazily, and he was startled to see Emma gazing down on him agitatedly.
"Dad…" Emma looked petrified, Jeff realised just then he was lying in a hospital bed.
"Wh-what?" Jeff asked utterly perplexed.
"You had an asthma attack" Came a doctors voice, "A serious attack at that"
Jeff nodded sadly.
"Dad why didn't you tell me?" Emma asked indignant.
"Look Emma I didn't think it was a big deal. Besides its nothing to worry about!"
Emma was gawking at Jeff in disbelief. "Nothing to worry about?! That asthma attack almost killed you!"
Jeff looked at the doctor who nodded gloomily, Jeff was shocked.
"Do you ever overdo housework or work?" The doctor asked, Emma looked at Jeff with seriousness.
"W-well…" Jeff stuttered pathetically, truth was he always did. Emma knew that fact and buried her head in her hands.
"So you have been over exerting yourself?" The doctor asked accusingly. Emma gave Jeff a what-the-hell-were-you-thinking look.
"I g-guess." God Jeff was feeling stupid.
"I ran tests and this isn't the first time you had an attack in fact over your 29 years of life you've had almost 500 hundred attacks and most of them were in fourteen years, how hard are you pushing yourself?." Emma glared at Jeff, fuming.
"Well I don't know sometimes I just clean up, be the best father I can be and do the best I can at everything else." The doctor nodded.
"But where is her mother? Surely she knows about this? Why doesn't she take over?"
"She knew, but she died seven years ago,"
"I'm sorry" The doctor looked sad. Jeff nodded.
Jeff went to get up but was pushed back down.
"Sorry but you have to rest, your body isn't strong enough, the attack took a lot out of you." The doctor gave him some advice then left.
"Emma look I didn't want to worry you…"
"Oh so you leave it till now and completely scare me out of my wits thanks dad!" Emma looked infuriated. "I cant believe you never told me! All the times I saw you grab your chest and keel over! You told me you were exhausted when you were really having an asthma attack!"
Jeff looked disgracefully away from Emma. "I'm sorry alright? Look I never do try to overwork but sometimes I cant help it!"
"But still you lied to me."
"I didn't want to but I knew how scared you'd be if you knew of my condition!"
At that moment Delia and Ash walked in. Emma just sat back in her seat and looked away from Jeff, enraged.
"How are you?" Delia asked softly.
"I'm fine-"
"He had a serious asthma attack." Jeff shot Emma a sharp look. "And he's had nearly five hundred in his lifetime."
"How old are you?" Delia inquired.
"29" Jeff replied. "You?"
"34" Jeff was stunned, but he knew that getting off the subject of his condition wasn't going to sit well with Emma.
"Look Emma, I'll try my best to not to overstrain myself alright?"
"fine… I'll make sure of that!" Emma said haughtily. Jeff chuckled.
"I wonder when I'll be released." Jeff said out loud.
"I'll go ask" Delia said. And she walked out of the room Ash following her.
Emma suddenly hugged Jeff. She couldn't help but cuddle him tight. Jeff's chest hurt, not used to the pressure.
Reluctantly he said "Emma your hurting me"
"Oh sorry!" Emma cried and quickly let him go.
"Nah don't be… just hug me softly," Jeff said, and they embraced in a gentle hug.
Delia ran back into the room, "When your both feeling better, then you can leave."
"We'll leave now" Jeff announced. " oh come on I wont drive!" Jeff moaned as Emma threw him a warning glance.
"Good because I'll deliberately kick you out of the front seat- no wait! You'll be sitting in the back!"
"Fine!" Jeff huffed, shaking his head.
With some help Jeff managed to get up and walk around, leaning on Emma and Ash for help.
When they got out to the car Emma and Ash blocked off the front seat doors forcing Jeff to climb in the back.
Emma got in the back after him followed by Misty, and Brock climbed into the boot and covered himself over with tarp. Ash climbed in the passenger seat.
The ride home was uneventful. Delia said a quick goodbye to Emma and Jeff got to their house and then they then drove off.
"Oh god… look at the state of the house." Jeff groaned, he was about to go clean it up but Emma stopped him.
"No dad! You go sit on the lounge and I'll clean it up!"
"But-"
"No buts! Go sit down!" Emma grabbed his arm and hauled him over to the lounge and pushed him onto it. She then proceeded to clean the living room. Jeff watched her agitatedly, he went to help her several times but she always reprimanded him for it.
When she was done she sat next to him.
"Dad you need to calm down and take it easy! If your not careful your not going to make it to 30!" Emma admonished.
"It's hard though, I got so used to all of it it's hard to stop. Especially when it came to taking care of you." Jeff lightly punched Emma's head. She smiled and tickled his ribs lightly, he giggled and fended her fingers off.
"Keep that up and I'll definitely have another attack" He joked, Emma laughed.
They found out that the movie called The Mighty Ducks was on. By the end of it both of them were asleep, Emma's head was resting on Jeff's shoulder and Jeff's head was resting on her head.
To Be Continued…
As you may have found out this story practically centres around Emma and Jeff. Sorry to you all if you wanted more Ash-tastic fan fiction. I find the ending very cute… J review please!
Keep reading!
PikaDarkness
(The one person who knows you'll regret not reading all her fan fictions!)