December 15th.

"Welcome home little bro." Tracker greeted and chuckled, leaning on the other side of the jail bars. "And in trouble already.."

Sean miserably stood behind the bars, two arms leaning on it, and two drunks behind him. That's how he spent most his night.. with these losers.

Joey Jeremiah had to be the cop who had pulled him over for speeding. And Joey Jeremiah could never forget the face of Sean Cameron.

It was finally early morning where Joey placed the call for the Camerons to pick Sean up and he won't be getting his car back for a day.

A cell guard came around Tracker and pulled his keys out. After a moment of unlocking, the gate of the jail cell opened while Sean spat out, "Locked in here for going 10 over the limit. Bullshit."

The guard laughed too with Tracker, closing the gate back up when Sean stepped out.

"you know that's probably not all why." the guard said and squinted his eyes, remembering Sean, "Jeremiah has always had it in for you.. Didn't you spray paint his car back when he was still just a rookie?"

Sean paused, and a sly smirk spread across his face, locking eyes with Tracker. Yea. That was him.

"Wasn't just me."

Tracker laughed and patted Seans back, leading him out of the station.

((((**********)))))

Tracker pulled up to the old two story red brick house, with the blue door. Looked like the perfect home from the outside, and could be now, but 10 years ago, it wasn't. It was nice though how it was daytime and the snow fell softly around the home. It had some decorations for Christmas too like lights on the roof and two lit up dears on the lawn. A wreath on the door.

Trackers black old mustang pulled into the driveway. With not much ease though. He hit the brake hard and both him and Sean yanked forward and backwards before it stopped.

"Jesus man." Sean told Tracker who parked, "Fix that."

"You fix it, Mr Mechanic." joked Tracker, grinning at him devilishly. He liked having a brother who would do the labor for free.

They got out, and Tracker helped Sean with his other duffle bag from the trunk. When Sean slammed the trunk closed and looked at the door of his old home, his feet didn't move. He couldn't go in.

LAST FLASHBACK

Back to the night the girl next door saw everything, and Sean had stormed to his room, his mother had lit up the cigarette she needed every time Sean and his father would fight.

It wasn't long until instead of the smell of cigarette, Sean could smell smoke. From a fire. And the Christmas tree downstairs was caught on fire, his mother on the couch beside sleeping. She had fallen asleep with the lit cigerette in her hand. It must of caught onto the tree next to the couch.

"MOM!" Sean ran down the stairs quick, going to the couch and shaking her until she stirred and got up.

"Sean?" she sleepily asked, and opened her eyes to squint them from the burning of the smoke. The whole tree was on fire and her eyes widened. "ROGER!" she yelled, and got up, holding onto Sean's arm who helped her up.

"He's fine, lets go!" Sean dragged her out, her screaming for his father non stop.

Sean and Linda stayed still outside the house, in the snow, no coats on. Sirens were heard and the neighbor across the street luckily saw the fire from their window across and had called 911. The fire trucks came, and Sean watched them break into a run into the house, just as his father booked it out.

He looked startled, sober even, his eyes wide as he stumbled a bit down the stairs in shock. "The damn tree in on fire!" he went to Linda and Sean. "I think they stopped it from getting further than the family room but what happened?!"

"Its my fault," Linda cried into her husbands arms, leaving Sean. "I was smoking, I fell asleep-"

"Christ Linda," he hugged her though, trying to comfort her.

Sean narrowed his eyes and when his father looked at him, he looked away , stone like. His father tried to give him a nod, as if he 'appreciated' that he 'saved' them. . but then Roger frowned deeply as he watched Sean walk down the street, away from the chaos, and took in the fact his son didn't even try to save him.

END OF FLASHBACK.

Sean still couldn't make himself walk back into that house. The other times weren't as hard as this.

"Mom made cookies, egg nog, the whole damn deal." Tracker laughed, walking up the drive way before he noticed Sean not following. He turned, and then gave a look before stopping and sighed. He glanced back at the house and back to Sean. "You comin?"

Sean clenched his jaw tightly, but nodded. He finally forced himself to move and go.

((*))

Sean's mom had peaked up first from the kitchen, making her regular December holiday brunch. From pancakes to sausage and potatoes, to burgers and salad. KC was off of school too and enjoyed these meals as much as Sean did as a kid.

She looked the same, and the sun shined through the window this early morning. "Sean!"

Sean looked over from the door, Tracker closing it behind him.

She whipped her hands on her apron, and ran to the door, her arms out. "OH!" she embraced him tight, shutting her eyes and smiling. She even tried to hold in the tears.

Sean hesitated, but hugged her back, glancing at Tracker who leaned on the wall and they shared a look. Sean softened, and closed his eyes, hugging his mother back for a good moment.

"Its been too long." Linda's voice cracked.

"I know." Sean quietly said and finally pulled away, watching her snuffle and then laughed, whipping her eyes.

"Come eat!" she guided him through the hall, yelling up the stairs, "SEAN'S HOME!"

Sean followed her with his brother, passing by the old family room that had a brand new Christmas tree this year, and no more burn marks on the wall, freshly painted grey. Lets not forget to mention the new 70 inch tv and new couches.

Tracker and Sean had sat at the table as Linda got them plates. "Thanks mom." Tracker said.

Linda laid down Seans plate, "As if that Grinch locked you up over the night, Im going down to the station tomorrow to give them and Joey a piece of my mind."

Sean snorted and shook his head, picking up some hashbrowns for his breakfast. "It's fine. Just leave it. Hes done worse in the past."

Loud thumping footsteps were heard and suddenly KC showed up and jumped from the last flight of stairs.

"You're back." he grinned with his button nose, sitting at the table too and sharing a small fist bump with Sean. He grabbed a plate too and Linda ripped his hat off for at the table.

Sean bit into his burger he made for himself and just nodded, until he swallowed it hard when the door from the basement opened with his father.

Roger closed the door behind him and turned, an unsettling look on his face too. He walked in slowly, nodding in greetment and cleared his throat while barely looking Sean in the eye.

"Good to see you, son."

Sean didn't answer, plunging his fork into his hashbrowns. "Pass the syrup." he told Tracker who nodded.

((((*)))

"Did you pack extra socks? I know how you are with socks." Linda teased Sean from cleaning the dishes in the sink. "Need me to go up town to buy more at the store?"

Sean helped clear the table and chuckled. "Im good, mom." he added more plates into the sink.

He leaned on the counter, and just watched her wash and clean, and dry. She looked up, catching his glance and smiled, before going back to work.

Sean swallowed hard, remembering all the good memories he had with her, before it got bad, and even when it was bad, she tried so hard. His mother was really the trooper in this house.

Linda gasped suddenly when Sean had pulled her back into an embrace, alone in the kitchen, and sharing a moment.

"Oh, Sean." she saddened, feeling him shake a bit as he hugged her and she felt his tears on her shoulder. "It'll be okay."

"Why you?" he roughly asked, pulling away and eyes red but trying to suck it up, clenching his teeth. "How come the people who don't deserve it fucking always get it?"

She softened. "Nobody deserves it, Sean." Cancer wasn't karma or anything. It was an Illness.

She watched her sweet, misunderstood boy grumble and curse, putting on his brave face and just stiffed a nod, storming out of the room.

When time came to go unpack, Sean grabbed his duffle bag from the front and went to go upstairs, remembering KC had his room now.

He glanced around, and saw his father reading the newspaper in the Tv room. Sean cursed under his breath and spoke up after clearing his throat, "Where do I sleep?"

Roger turned from his incline chair, a little shocked, but looked too happy to reply. He even got up, setting the paper down and nervously but happily walked over. "We set up the guest room for you."

Sean just nodded and went to go, before Roger stopped him.

"It's good to see you again. You never return much of our calls."

Sean turned before going up the stairs, and wanted badly to ask if it was really him calling, or mom. He had a good feeling it was only Mom. He then glanced to see the old basement door with a sign on it reading 'Don't Enter.'

He snickered, "That a joke?" he nodded to the basement door.

Roger turned, paused for a long moment, before turning back. "Its my own little den." he smirked a bit. "Mens cave."

"But we cant go in?" Sean asked skeptically.

Roger went serious now, causing Sean to distrust him more, "Not yet." with that, he turned and walked off.

Sean eyed the door, and finally walked up to the guest room. What the hell was in that Den?

(((*)))

Normally Sean didn't smoke, but he found a pack in the Guest room he was staying in. He heard the last 'guests' were his cousins Lucas and Jane, and Jane took this room. So it was funny to know she was hiding a pack in the room and forgotten about it. Now he knew her little secret for when she came to visit for Christmas.

Lucas and Jane were twins, but barely alike nor looked like the other, other than the brown hair and brown eyes. She was petite and had a tough attitude, but pretty girl. And Lucas was tall, buff and quite like Sean but could be quite the jerk. The two were like best friends though.

Outside, Sean took a seat on the porch, the day already gone by, and stars up in the sky, the neighborhoods Christmas lights on.

First day? Not so horrible. Still needed a light though.

He placed a cigerette to his mouth and fished for the liter in his pocket. When he lit it, he watched the snow fall and he inhaled slowly but deeply, then exhaled. When he took another hit, he narrowed his eyes when he heard the houses' door next door open, and someone come out.

He glanced twice when he saw her walk out, and slowly, in a trance, the smoke slipped from his lips, his eyes flickering up and down the figure that came out.

No fucking way.

Emmas old house had the same old railing around the porch, and when she walked out of her house, with loud noise from the inside, she came to the side of it he was on, leaning on the railing to get a break from the party inside her home.

Her hair was still as blonde and pretty as he remembered, if not longer too. And curled. It looked good. She looked good, as always. He sat there, cigerette burning in hand, and his mouth gaped open.

She was standing in her cotton red buttoned up winter coat with a white scarf and mittens. She wore a white designer mini dress and as she leaned on the railing, she caught his gaze and she couldn't help but smile and greet while snow fell around her so peacefully.

"Look whose home." she crossed her arms against the railing, her smile so bright and hazel eyes sparkling. She locked eyes with him, and they held a gaze.

Maybe this Christmas could be good.. .

Author Note: EEEEK! They talked! Sorry for not updating more. I'm going to try to finish this for Christmas in two days lol. Review more for more chapters! Sean and more Emma coming soon!