Chapter 13: Why Do You Want Him?

Aaron walked home with Emma. "I can't believe you waited all day for me!" she chuckled as she snatched his cigarette from his lips, taking a hit and handing it back.

"Emma? Emma!"

Emma rolled her eyes and turned back to look at Snake, who was running across the street after her. "Yeah, Arch?"

Snake stopped in front of her and eyed Aaron suspiciously. "I'd like to speak to my daughter alone."

Emma rolled her eyes again and held Aaron's hand tighter. "News flash, Archibald…I'm no longer your daughter. Jack's your kid. Not me. Oh! And the intimidation thing? You're pretty shitty at it."

"Young Lady…" he warned.

"Can you get to the point? Alex is sick and she asked me to get her some cold medicine on my way home."

Snake sighed, giving in. "About today…"

Emma shrugged. "It's over. I survived. I'm cool."

Aaron frowned. "What happened today?"

Emma shrugged. "Just Peter being Peter. Dick head to the extreme."

Archie cringed at Emma's use of language. He sighed. "Emma…you had no right to…grab his…and you're supposed to have detention for two weeks. Remember?"

Emma shrugged and turned away. "Tell your whore to go fuck herself…or go fuck you. Either way…maybe she'll chill."

Emma ignored Snake's calls and continued walking. Aaron followed with a frown. "What'd you grab?"

Emma laughed and rolled her eyes. "Nothing. And when I say that, I mean literally." She shrugged. "Paybacks are a bitch…and this bitch is just about ready to serve up some good old fashioned revenge." Emma flipped open her camera phone and showed Aaron the picture. He laughed.

"Yeah. I see what you mean. So…what are you up to?"

Emma smirked. "You can come over tonight and find out." She frowned. "I gave that fucker plenty of chances to act human towards me, but he didn't. Now…they're both gonna' find out what happens when you fuck with me."

Aaron frowned. "Wouldn't it just be easier if you let me go in there and bash their heads in?"

Emma shook her head. "Revenge…plain and simple. I'm going to fuck old Petey over the same way he fucked me over."

Aaron smirked. "You're hot when you're all psycho."

Emma smiled. "Guess I'd better take some courses on that…keep it fresh." She took his hand as they walked to the drug store.

Sean was sitting in bed listening to his headphones again when Nurse Batey tapped lightly on the door. Sean looked up and dropped the magazine he was reading to slip the earphones from his head. "Yeah?"

Nurse Batey glanced at her clipboard with a frown. "Doctor Evans said you're late."

Sean frowned and glanced at the clock on the wall. "No, I'm…" his frown grew as he looked at the second hand. "Damn! My clock isn't working!"

Nurse Batey frowned and looked up as Sean hurried to put his things away. "So it is. I'll get someone in to fix it while you're in therapy."

"Don't you mean group?"

Nurse Batey rolled her eyes. "Two of one…half dozen of the other," she muttered with a small smile.

Sean chuckled and nodded as he walked out of his room. "Sorry about that. I-"

She smiled. "Not your fault. Entirely the clock's fault."

Sean nodded again and waved at her as he hurried down the hall. He frowned. This was going to be tough. He was going to have to pretend that he wanted to go home. Sean couldn't ever remember wanting to go back to that trailer…ever. Now, he would have to put on the biggest show of his life. Not for himself…but Shanna needed the hope of stability, and Sean would soon be in the position to give her that.

Stability…a word that hadn't been in Sean's vocabulary much, but a word that he'd heard over and over again when Ellie would come home from group meeting after group meeting.

"How was group?"

"Great! And it's all thanks to you. Nigel says that the stability you…your stability is helping my chaotic crap out a lot. Thanks."

Sean smirked. Ellie had been the first person to ever call him stable. Tracker had called him hot headed. Emma had seen him as misguided. Ellie thought he was stable…as if she could possibly know what that meant. Even when her dad was home, he was still too busy to see how bad things were for Ellie and her mother.

He frowned as another thought occurred to him. Maybe Ellie's dad was well aware of how bad it was, and kept himself busy in hopes that Ellie would gain the strength to do the same. Maybe he couldn't handle watching the destruction of Mrs. Nash.

"Emma? That you?" Alex called from the bedroom as Emma stepped through the front door. She looked back at Aaron and smiled, rolling her eyes.

"Come on in. I'll be right back," she murmured softly before going into her room.

"Hey, Emma…Jay wanted me to tell you he's sorry. He had a flat this morning, and he's still trying to scrape up the cash to get it patched," Alex muttered before a sneezing fit took hold.

Emma shook her head. "No problem. Now…" she said, pulling two boxes from the small paper bag in her hands. "I got Nyquil and Dayquil…just like you wanted."

Alex grinned and hugged her. "You are such a lifesaver! Thanks!"

Emma laughed. "Now…which one do you want? I'll put the other one in the-"

Alex shook her head. "That's OK. I'll put it in the medicine cabinet," she said, grabbing the Dayquil and popping two of the orange gel pills from the bubble packaging.

"Oh! I thought…"

Alex shrugged. "Meery called. Bobsy twins bailed, and they need me to cover."

"But you're sick!"

Alex nodded. "Yeah, but if I wanna' make rent then I'm also working."

Emma sighed. "OK…I'll get you some juice."

Alex smiled as she grabbed her uniform for work. "Thanks. I swear…next time you're sick, I'll hire a nurse…since you know how bad my bedside manner sucks."

Emma laughed and went into the kitchen to grab Alex a glass of juice. She frowned when she saw that Aaron was gone. Emma sighed sadly and went back to Alex.

"Hey! What's wrong?" she asked as she popped the pills into her mouth and took a swig of apple juice.

Emma shrugged. "Nothing. I was…I was just thinking that I should run to the market and grab you some orange juice."

Alex frowned, shaking her head. "No…this will be fine."

"But orange juice is the best juice for colds," she said with a shrug. "Something about more vitamin C or something. Plus…I'm sure you could use some Echinacea. It's good for-"

Alex frowned and rolled her eyes. "Uh-oh…going all Tree Hugger on me again?"

Emma laughed and rolled her eyes. "Definitely not! I just…I'm sure I'll be needing the stuff soon. It's an age old remedy…clears colds up faster."

Alex laughed and rolled her eyes. "OK…OK…go ahead. I'll be home from work about ten tonight. OK?"

Emma nodded. "Sure. So, do you want me to make dinner, or-"

"What the hell?" Alex asked as she entered the living room. "Aaron? Emma…what is he doing here? You aren't seriously thinking about-"

"Alex, I was going to tell you, but I guess I got distracted."

"So, what? He says a few nice things, and you're ready to jump back into all that shit?"

Aaron frowned. "Alex, it's none of your-"

Alex snorted and rolled her eyes. "You're right. It's none of my business. But let me tell you something, Aaron. You get her back into that shit, and you both can leave because I don't need all that shit around me again."

"Alex, I promise-" but Emma's words were cut off by Alex slamming the door behind her.

Emma shrugged and rolled her eyes. "She'll get over it. Do you wanna' come with me to the market?"

Aaron shrugged. "Cool with me."

Emma smiled. "Great. Let's go." She frowned as they walked out the front door. "Where'd you go a few minutes ago?"

Aaron shrugged. "Thought I heard something…just a cat."

Sean stared out the window from the group therapy room. He watched a butterfly flitting along on the breeze. A small smile played on his lips.

"Something on your mind, Sean?" Doctor Evans asked.

Sean turned his head to the thin, gray haired man who wore tiny rectangular wire framed glasses, but his eyes never left the butterfly. "Hmmm? Ummm…no. Just…admiring nature."

Mr. Evans studied him for a moment before clearing his throat. "I'm sorry, Sean…but this is really important. Jamie was just talking about her ordeal…"

Sean sighed with a frown and turned around to the group. "Sorry. G-Go ahead, Jamie."

Jamie glared at him and flicked her unnaturally black hair over her shoulder. Sean watched as the sun hit it, giving it an odd purple aura. He wondered if she knew that. Had she chosen that color on purpose? Jamie sighed and snapped her gum a few times before continuing.

"Anyway…you know…after mom left…" she rolled her eyes. "God! That was such a mess! I kept hoping and praying that she'd come back if I was just a better kid. I kept thinking that, maybe if I got better grades…showed an interest in graduating school and preparing for college-"

Sean snorted and rolled his eyes. "Take it from me…that shit don't pay off. All it gets you is fried brain cells and bruised ribs."

"Sean…"

Her eyes snapped to him angrily. "How would you know?" she hissed. "You don't know me…you have no idea-"

Sean rolled his eyes. "Lemme guess. Bad girl? Gee…that's original! I mean…what the hell?" he asked with a nonchalant shrug. "You act like an ass, and figure that's why Mommy Dearest left, right?"

Jamie glared at him, rage flowing through her. "OK…since you're so good at reading people, then how about you tell me. Why did she leave if it wasn't because I was being stupid?"

Sean shrugged and tipped his chair back on two legs. He smirked. "My guess is she was getting boned by her boss…or maybe the milkman."

Jamie paled and sat back, fiddling with her sleeve as she searched silently for the green rubber band. Sean snorted with laughter. "And I'd also guess that, when the good girl act didn't pan out, you went straight for the troubled girl routine. Cutting? Who gave you that idea?"

"Sean! Jamie! I think-"

Jamie sighed. "My brother, OK? He told me about a classmate who started cutting herself when her parents got divorced. But the problem is that Mom found out, and instead of coming back, she fought for custody, and then stuck me in this dump!"

Sean nodded and smiled at her sadly. "Yeah. I figured that." He sighed. "Look. I don't mean to be an asshole here, but my ex was a cutter. All it brings is grief. You just need to go home and deal. Mommy aint' coming home for a big family reunion."

Jamie nodded and dropped her eyes. "I…I know…" she whispered sadly.

Jay was surprised to walk into Alex and Emma's…only to find Emma snuggled against Aaron's chest. They were both sleeping peacefully, a bowl of popcorn on the coffee table by Aaron's feet. Jay frowned at the sight. He strode over angrily and yanked Emma up.

"What the-" Aaron jumped up in shock. He frowned at the scene before him. "Jay? What the hell?"

Emma tugged at her arm. "Let go, Jay! What the hell's the idea?"

Jay drug her into the bedroom and slammed the door. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?"

Emma yanked her arm away from Jay and stepped back. "Well, I was sleeping peacefully next to my boyfriend before you came in here acting all macho!"

He shook his head in disbelief. "Uh-uh! No way! No way in hell are you-"

"Shut up, Jay! He's different! He…he wants to change."

"And you believe him?"

Emma nodded. "Yeah. I do."

Jay sighed and rolled his eyes. "If he…if you…one fucking bracelet of any color crosses your wrist and I swear to God I'll kill him!"

Emma studied him for a moment before smiling. Soon, she crossed the room and hugged him tightly, laughing. "Jay…trust me, OK? You don't have to be all brotherly. But…you can join us for the movie if you want to see it for your own eyes."

"Maybe I will."

Emma nodded. She frowned. "He didn't try…he didn't even ask for back together sex! He's really different. He promised…that he'd never ask me to…to earn bracelets anymore. I think he really likes me, OK? I just…I miss being liked."

Jay sighed and hugged her. "Why? Why do you want him so bad?"

Emma shrugged and hugged him back. "Because…he wants me," she whispered into his chest.