Chapter Three; We All Make Mistakes

Authors Notes; I've gone soft. I've read this over and over and there are only parts that seem like they are in character for Jay. I apologize if you hate me for totally mutilating Jay's character, but I'm a softy. Hell I bought an eeyore pillow today, god I love that thing. IT'S SO SOFT…sorry. Anyways, the Christmas theme was random but it helps because before the story wasn't in a certain time, so no one really knew, well now we know! And I was watching the polar express, and got in the Christmas spirit, making me want to make this chapter sort of Christmas related. Sorry for the slight delay. I hope you enjoy it. And I hope you review! Love, Bree.

Disclaimer; I don't own Degrassi or 25 Days of Christmas (trademarked by ABC Family)

-x-

"No offense, but it was a mistake, Jay. I shouldn't have gone down there that night." Emma informed Jay, he had stayed there, worried that Sean might come back and do something drastic. Emma's parents were gone for the next few days, visiting Spike's mom who was sick. Emma had told Jay he could sleep on the couch if he wanted. Jay had been kicked out of his house by his drunken mom for the third time this month and Emma felt bad for him so in thanks for sticking up for her, she let him stay.

"It was a mistake," Jay agreed. "But I think that if I had handled it better, it wouldn't have been. Even though it is a mistake, it doesn't mean I would take it back. I never told Alex for a reason." Jay looked at Emma for the first time, the whole time she was talking; he was paying attention but watching TV.

"Oh really? And what was that reason, Mr. Hogart?" She giggled slightly. She twirled and played with her hair out of pure boredom. She leaned back and closed her eyes, relaxing and waiting for Jay's answer.

"It was... nothing." He watched Emma lay back and couldn't help but realize how beautiful she was.

"Bullshit Jay, but I'm not gonna ask you to tell me if you don't want to." Emma yawned, she decided to take a small nap and without thinking she scooted towards Jay and rested her head on his shoulder. He instinctively wrapped his arms around her shoulders and watched her as she slowly drifted off to sleep before doing so himself.

-x-

Three hours later Emma awoke slightly, to see Jay's arm around her and her head nuzzled comfortably in his side, as he had fallen over during his sleep. Emma wondered how she got there, but didn't deny that she enjoyed it. She liked falling asleep like this, it made her feel safe. She had fallen asleep in Sean's arms, even Peter's, but nothing had felt like this before, and it made her question a lot of her morals and thoughts of Jay.

She slipped out of his arms, and frowned as she did so. She decided that having Jay over wasn't going to just make up for sticking up to Sean. She knew that they should go out, and have a little fun. Clean fun of course, like, go to the Christmas carnival that Degrassi was holding tonight. She got in the shower and cleaned up, and then when she got out she got dressed in dark rinse jeans, a red tank under a white long sleeve shirt with a black jacket that had a dark green lace embroidered on it. She put on her sexy black boots that had heels, and her red scarf. She fixed up her hair and make up before going upstairs.

She made it upstairs to see Jay awake and looking around for her, the second he found her his eyes widened "Wow. ." He said in amazement.

"This isn't a date, this is just two friends hanging out." She told him right away, "Now come on, go get ready, we've got a Christmas Carnival to go to."

"Um, okay. But I don't have any other clothes. ." Jay looked down at his black long sleeve shirt, which Emma thought he looked great in, and jeans. His black hat was on the floor, waiting for him to put it back on his head.

"That's okay, I just didn't know if you wanted to take a shower or. . something." Emma shrugged.

"Well, I'll go take a shower then, if that's fine with you. I could use something to wake me up the rest of the way, and then we can go to the carnival." Jay smiled.

"Okay, have fun, don't hurt yourself." Emma smirked playfully as Jay headed downstairs to her bathroom, she listened to the shower run as she watched an old Christmas show re-run on the '25 Days of Christmas.' It was one of those ones that was around thirty years old and made out of clay, and narrated by some guy that was probably dead by now. She heard the water shut off and a good ten minutes later Jay arrived again.

"Nelson, have you seen my hat?" Jay asked, "I thought I took it down there with me but then I couldn't find it. ." He looked sad, like the hat was his life.

Emma looked on the floor and found it, putting it on her head, "You mean this one?" She turned back to him, and Jay had to admit, it looked better on her than it did on him.

But he ignored his thoughts and took it off of her head "Only I get to wear this hat, and my girlfriend." He glanced at her, "But you sure as hell aren't my girlfriend."

Emma rolled her eyes, "Don't forget that I'm the one giving you the place to live, that right can be revoked at any time, and you don't have Sean to stay with. So without me you're homeless kid."

"That right can be revoked at any time." Jay mocked her, but then he got the death glare from her and he shut his mouth. "By the way, you're shampoo is a little too girly for my manly self," He paused. "But I like it. It gave my hair extra volume." Jay said in a gay voice, playing around.

Emma laughed at Jay's gayness, "Okay so are you ready to go? If we wait too much longer the rides will start closing, and it's just gonna get colder."

"Alright let's go." Jay nodded, grabbing his jacket as he walked out the door into the snow; he didn't slip it on just yet, as he wasn't cold. They got into his car and they headed to the school.

When they arrived the snow had lightened; now it was just a flake here and there. One fell on Emma's nose and she smiled, nose and cheeks pink from the cold. She looked as gorgeous as ever, Jay noticed. "Come on Jay, let's go."

They walked up to the counter where they paid their small fee to get in the carnival. JT, the cashier at the moment gave the two a weird look but brushed it off. They walked in and Emma looked around like a little kid on Christmas, the lights and the rides and everything made her happy. Until now she hadn't been in a Christmas mood, she had been dreading it. But being here with Jay and the lights, the little kids running around throwing snowballs, she couldn't help but feel absolute joy for the Christmas time to come.

"Well, Nelson, you were so anxious to get here, and now we're here and you're just standing there. Let's go ride some rides, eat some cotton candy. Anything. . your choice." He looked down at her, not wanting to move but to just stare at her. He had a bad feeling about this. . he thought he may be falling for. . Emma Nelson.

Emma took Jay's hand and led him to the roller coaster. "I hate heights, but I thought maybe you would want to go on it. ." She told him, smiling a little.

He nodded, "If you get scared, I'll be right next to you, you won't have to worry." They boarded the roller coaster and at the top of the highest hill, Emma found herself clinging onto Jay. They got off, "It wasn't so bad right?" Jay asked.

"Not really bad, but I still hate roller coasters." She frowned. After that they went on a few more rides, some of them Emma still clung onto Jay for dear life.

When the night started to cool down, Jay gave Emma his jacket. The rides started to close down and Emma and Jay left. They rode in silence back to her house, not an awkward silence but a satisfied silence. There was no tension, no anger, just silence. Comfortable silence. They got back to Emma's house and after a small goodnight, Emma headed down to her room and Jay made himself comfortable on the couch that Emma had set up for him, blankets and pillows too. He smiled as he smelled her vanilla shampoo on her pillow as he drifted off to sleep. Emma didn't realize she was still wearing Jay's jacket, but once she was in her pajamas she put the jacket back on, smiling as she smelled his scent on the jacket as he drifted off to sleep.