December 16th

Sean woke up with a splitting headache, and feeling horrible over last night. The noise of car doors slamming and yelling could be heard loudly too, causing more ache for his head. Then he heard his mothers happy screaming for joy. That only meant one thing.

Cousins were here.

((*))

Sean walked down the steps from his room, in nothing but black sweat pants, clenching the railing on his way down and rubbing his pounding forehead.

"Merry Christmas to me," joked a voice as he looked up to a brunette standing in the hallway, eyeing him down as he finally reached the last step.

She was hot, but not the girl on his mind. Nor the one he felt he should be apologizing to. Emma probably wouldn't ever talk to him again after last night. Before Sean could open his mouth to even reply to that, someone else opened the front door and charged in with bags.

"Lucas is here!" he announced himself.

The brunette rolled her eyes turning back to her boyfriend, "Lucas please, it's 10am."

Lucas shrugged, dropping the bags as Sean's mom and Lucas' sister Jane came in next. "It's 5 oclock somewhere." he confirmed.

Sean had to laugh, coming down the stairs and slapping hands with Lucas, "How you doing?"

"Good man." answered Lucas.

Jane teased Sean, "Put a shirt on, nobody wants to see that." she hugged him and he chuckled, hugging back. Mia raised an eyebrow, noting she had NO problem with 'that'.

"Mia and Lucas, you can take Kc's room. Sean has the guest room."

"Great." Mia said, rolling her eyes and couldn't think of a better way spending Christmas than in a 16 year old boys bed who has probably masturbated in it 100 times.

"It's fine. I'll take it, you guys have the guest room." Sean offered. Hey. It use to be his room anyways.

"What about me?" Pouted Jane standing next to Sean.

"We have the pull out couch in the other family room upstairs. It'll be like your own room. Kc will take the family room down here" insisted Linda.

KC came down the stairs next as if on cue with his pillows and blankets, running to the family room and jumped onto the big sofa. He turned on the big tv and seemed he had no problem with staying there for the rest of the holiday.

Everyone went to go unpack, and Sean moved back into his old room, throwing his duffle bag on the freshly made bed. He looked around, then paused at his window, frowning though when Emma wasn't in her room. He itched the back of his head, and unpacked.

(((*))

"So whats the plan, Stan?" Lucas joked, now standing with just Jane and Sean outside the house. KC was out too and sitting on the porch, tying up his boats for the snow.

"Lets go sledding." smirked Jane.

"After KC broke his leg last year? No thanks." Lucas responded and muttered to Sean, "I ruined Christmas last year. Glad you could make it to this one."

"For what? Me to ruin it?" joked Sean.

"You are like Mr Scrooge." Jane chimed in, nudging him playfully. "Why you all moody today?"

Sean had a miserable frown on since they got there. Although he was glad to see his cousins, last night kept replaying in his head.

Suddenly, the neighbors door opened and the three turned their heads to see a young man storm outside Emma's house and Emma's mother chased after him.

"Kelly wait! Give her a day to cool off!" Spike ran after Emma's boyfriend.

This Kelly must of been the boyfriend Emma was talking about last night. Sean curiously watched the scene play out.

Kelly got to his car, yelling over his shoulder, "She made it clear she sees no future with me, Christine." he opened the door, "That all I need."

Spike opened her mouth and tried to find an excuse for him to stay and she growled in frustration when he closed the door on her face, starting up the car and drove off. When out of site, Spike turned and stormed back into the house.

"EMMA!"

Emma had been right. Spike had lost her husband and was now trying to find Emma hers even though her daughter wasn't ready and didn't want that.

"What was that?" Jane had to laugh when Spike shut the door. Sean snapped out of it.

"Trouble in paradise I presume." Lucas said with a laugh. "That woman was a milf though."

"Ew Lucas!" Jane yelled and KC laughed as he finally came over with his boots on. "Finally." Jane joked. KC glared.

"Lets go see Tracker." KC insisted, and they agreed upon that and went to leave when a tow truck pulled up with car in tow.

Sean turned and finally felt SOME happiness cloud his emotions. "Finally!" His car was back.

"You Sean Cameron?" the driver asked when he jumped out. Sean nodded and got his car keys back along with a card handed to him.

The driver was leaving to unhook his car when Sean opened up the cards envelope to a Christmas card and opened it, signed by Joey, the sheriff, wishing him happy Holidays.

"Ass." laughed Sean softly, closing the card and going to his car.

((*)))

When Sean got back from the day with his cousins and brother, he thought he entered a house with nobody in it until he walked into the kitchen.

"Yes!" he playfully cheered, seeing his mom had made soup and was stirring it. That soup made up for his whole day of snowboarding and out in the cold all day. Not to mention the hangover.

He walked up to see his mom acting weird. She didn't even glance up. "Mom? You okay?"

She snapped out of it and looked up, "Hmm?" she jumped, "oh! Yes, I'm fine." she paused and wondered, "Where were you?"

He eyed her worriedly but answered, "Trackers."

"No, last night."

He frowned and looked away, "Just out. Went for a beer." Started a fight, made an idiot of myself. . so on and so forth.

"you slept in pretty late." Linda said.

"10 am." Sean said with a shrug like he didn't understand what was so horrible. He caught his moms long judgemental look and almost snapped, "Really?" he shot at her, "One time and you grill me about it but 1000 times for Dad and not one word?"

Her mouth dropped, watching him storm away, "Sean!"

He didn't return, charging up the stairs and closing the door shut behind him.

((((*))))

Meanwhile, in the Nelson residents, Emma rolled her eyes trying to get away from her mom by going up the stairs to her room.

"Emma Nelson! Don't you dare try to walk away from me after this!"

Emma stopped near the top, and turned. She snickered bitterly and threw her arms out, "What do you want me to tell you, mom?"

"That you're sorry!"

Emma's mouth hung and she yelled back, "You think I should be sorry!? You can't just try to take over my life because you think you lost yours! You can't tell me who to marry!"

When the words were out, Emma regretted it, but she shut her mouth and tightened her jaw because it was the truth. Her mother looked stung, and after a moment of standing there she finally left. Emma's shoulders dropped and she sighed, closing her eyes. When she went to turn, her sisters voice stopped her.

"And what was so wrong with Kelly, Emma?" Darcy asked with such an annoyed tone. Darcy seemed to have a little crush on her older sisters boyfriend. Well, ex now.

Emma glared back, "If you want him so bad Darcy, go have him. He's single now!" she rolled her eyes.

Darcy put her hand on her hip, "I'm just saying he was a nice guy." she looked down at her nails and muttered, "..and I saw you sneak out with our neighbor last night. Don't you think that was a little..wrong?"

Emma fumed, it wasn't like she went and slept with some other guy! Plus, she was the one who broke up with Kelly knowing she didn't see a future with him. There was no sparks. No chemistry.

Emma let out a frustrated growl and then walked to her bedroom, shutting the door behind her. She stopped midway into her room like a deer in the headlights when she saw Sean in his room too, well, his old one. Usually it was KC's and Emma instantly shut the blinds . . but maybe not today...

Her breath got caught in her throat, and she didn't move a muscle, as if he'd hear her from another house away if she did. Wow. Just like old times. Hmph.

Sean was walking around his room putting things away until he went to his bed and lied down on it, closing his eyes and throwing an arm over his eyes like he was really tired. Honestly, Emma wanted badly to even go crawl in with him and shut the world out. But, after last night, would they ever speak again? It got pretty intense and Emma didn't know if it was her fault or not. If not for those frat boys who came to the table, that fight would of never broke out and knowing Seans history, Emma shouldn't of insisted they get a drink. She was the reason they went to that bar. She should of known better.

She felt terrible.

She slowly sat on her bed, narrowing her eyes at his window and then bit her lip, trying not to smile so widely. She remembered the days when she would most likely teased Sean, knowing he was in his window, watching her. On his most horrible days, the days she caught him and his father fighting or his father just drunk off his ass, Emma would maybe lift her top off or give some kind of show to make Sean feel better. He would completely act as if he never saw anything too when they walked 'blindly' by another in school. But she always saw him staring other times at her, even when he had other girl friends.

Emma had always had a thing for Sean. Even if they didn't speak to another because of grade difference in highschool and 'social' standards. Nobody but Manny, who had caught Emma staring one day at him, knew of Emma's secret curiosity about him.

This is sort of off topic, but Emma hadn't given her virginity away until college, but she showed parts of herself to Sean before anyone else had even seen a flash of skin. He was at least VERY appreciative back in the day. One night she had even caught him, well, you know.. and no wonder the girls loved him. He was a good size, and for some reason even though he could get any girl to do it for him, she saw him stroking himself one day after school. It was right after that day at the pool, when she finally had the guts to smile and wave after catching him looking at her. She wondered since if that was the reason he had got so hard that day and needed 'relief'.

Emma sighed and looked away, laying down on her own bed.

((*)))

Sean opened his eyes, sighing and huffing that he couldn't sleep. Emma was constantly on his mind. He got up, shedding his shirt off and went to the bathroom to go shower. When he stepped in and let the water run down him, he shut his eyes and took a deep breath before running his hands through his hair and letting the water run through it.

He'd leave Emma alone, he decided. She didn't need a guy like him in her life anyways. He was bad.