Disclaimer: I own nothing Degrassi...

Sorry for the delay in updating. I've been working on two other stories, whose ideas have just popped into my head. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Jay meets Jase for the first time.

"Not a word, okay?" Emma warned.

Jay gave her a look, but nodded his head in agreement. "My lips are sealed, alright? I won't tell the kid who I am."

"And no provoking Snake."

"Fine! Way to take the fun out of everything!"

Emma opened her front door quietly, hoping to find the door locked and an empty house. No such luck. Things would be so much easier then. But how could she deny Jay when he could possibly be the only hope for her son's survival? And maybe the visit wouldn't be that bad. Jase was only four, he could forget all about meeting Jay and never mention it again.

"Em? Is that you? Did you talk to Ja..."

Spike stopped her questioning, meeting Emma at the front door, and seeing Jay trailing in behind her. She gave Emma a look, internally wondering why Jay was standing in her home. He'd not only denied his son for the last four years, but Spike felt sure he was the real reason for Emma's abrupt departure from Toronto.

"Ms. Nelson," Jay muttered, greeting Spike with a curt nod of his head.

"Jay," Spike spat, still looking at her daughter. "Emma? Can I see you in the kitchen for a second?"

Emma pointed to the couch, motioning for Jay to sit, and followed her mother into their kitchen. "I know what you're going to say, so save your breath. He has a right to at least see him."

"You are so lucky that your father is not here right now! Jay should have seen him years ago, Emma! But that's beside the point here! How on Earth are you going to explain this to Jase? He's going through enough as it is. Adding a quasi-father to the mix? He doesn't need Jay."

Emma pressed her lips together tightly. She leaned back until her bottom hit the edge of the counter. Sighing heavily, she noted, "If Jay's bone marrow is a match for Jase's, it could save his life. And Jay offered to do it without a second thought. How was I supposed to tell him that he couldn't see Jase?"

"The same way he denied helping out when you found out that you were pregnant!" Spike yelled.

Jay suddenly appeared in the entry to the kitchen. His face registered anger, as he looked at Emma, waiting for her to defend him. When a stunned Emma refused to utter a word, Jay looked at Spike pointedly and said, "I never denied helping out. I was never given the chance."

Spike huffed, rolling her eyes. "A little late for explanations now, don't you think? Where were you four years ago?"

"In the dark apparently," Jay answered. He turned to Emma and asked, "Don't you think it's time you fessed up?"

"Emma?" Spike asked.

Emma looked from Jay to Spike and then to the ceiling. "Fine!" she yelled. "Mom, where is Jase?"

"Upstairs with Jack. What's going on here, Emma?" Spike questioned.

"Jay, you can go upstairs and see Jase. I'll be up in a few minutes, after I finish talking with my mother."

Jay nodded his head, shoving his hands into his pockets, and turning on his heels to walk away.

EMMA'S AND SPIKE'S CONVERSATION:

Emma sat across the table from her mother, staring absently over her head, out the small, curtained window and into their backyard. She was focusing on nothing in particular, just trying to find the right words to tell her mother, the woman who had dropped everything to come to Emma's side when she needed her the most. How do you confess to a woman sworn to love you regardless of your flaws, that you are, in fact, a liar?

"Emma?" Spike pushed, raising an eyebrow.

"Okay. I need you to be understanding over judgemental, please. Remember that in my short lifetime, I've gone through a lot of heartbreak and maybe it's left my moral compass slightly off."

"Emma, get on with it."

Emma nodded her head. "I never told Jay about Jase."

"No one expected you to. He blew you off, Em. It's his fault he doesn't know about his son," Spike soothed.

Emma shook her head, knowing that her mother would always try to see her as being the victim, especially since it was a role Emma tended to play so well.

"I mean I never even told him that I was pregnant," Emma confessed, ashamed and unable to look her mother in the eye. "I was hurt that he didn't want to be with me and I tried to convince myself that he really didn't want a child in the first place. So I left and never told him. He just found out about Jase today, when I threw myself at his feet and begged for his help."

"Start at the beginning," Spike demanded, her face stony.

Emma sighed. "I asked Jay to be a donor because I wanted to have a baby," she paused, letting the information that was all new and surprising sink into her mother's head. When Spike's look of shock failed to dissipate, Emma continued. "We agreed that there would never be anything between Jay and I. And I didn't want him to be a father, just a donor. But the months went by and we started to grow closer. I didn't want to admit it, but I think that, maybe, I fell in love with him. And I guess the thought of not only being my boyfriend, but also being a father, well it scared Jay. I thought that if I just disappeared it would be easier for everyone."

Spike stood, pacing the small kitchen. "Easier for who? You? You who were so scared those first few months? You who blamed Jay for leaving you pregnant and alone? Jay who never knew he had a child and has missed out on his son's first four years? And what about that poor, precious little boy? He thinks that his father died! How are you going to tell him about Jay?"

Emma rose. "I'm not. Jay has no part is Jase's life. When everything is settled with this illness, Jase and I will go back to Montreal. I'll marry Jimmy, he'll adopt Jase, and everything will go back to normal."

Emma didn't wait for her mother's backlash. The last thing she wanted was to hear another 'Emma-you're-deluded' speech. She headed out of the kitchen, climbing the stairs.

JAY AND JASE MEET (Taking place at relatively the same time as Emma and Spike's talk...)

Jay stopped at the top of the stairs, taking a deep breath and letting it out. He was about to meet his son. He had a son? How had this happened? Just this morning Jay had woken up alone, in his one bedroom, undecorated apartment, pondering on why his life was so empty. And now there was a child. But was this a blessing or a nightmare?

Jay knocked lightly on the open door of what he guessed was Jack's room. Jack, who appeared to be somewhere between a child and teen, was sprawled on the floor beside a smaller boy, the two engulfed in some type of video game.

"Can I come in?" Jay asked, scared to death of the two youngsters. "I'm a friend of Emma's."

Jack simply nodded his head, feigning indifference. Jase, peeked around Jack's frame, smiling at Jay. "Emma's my mommy."

Jay tried to move, but he was struck. How could Emma keep him from his son who was so obviously a Hogart any one with half a brain would know that it was his son. The small boy had Jay's dark locks, messy, but coiffed, as well as Jay's heart-stopping eyes. But the thing Jay noticed immediately was the smirk; Jase's mouth curved into Jay's own signature smirk perfectly.

"Wanna come in?" Jase asked, motioning for Jay to come sit beside him.

"Only if Jack says it's okay. This is his room, right? A man's room is like his fortress of solitude," Jay commented, winking at Jack.

Jack smiled widely at Jay. "You like Superman?"

"Who doesn't?" Jay asked, entering the room to sit between the two boys.

"I have the Superman game!" Jack exclaimed, grabbing it and showing Jay his prize possession. "Wanna play?"

"I don't know that one!" Jase whined.

Jay turned to Jase and said, "I don't know that one either. Wanna help me? You could be my partner?"

Jase's face broke into a smile. "Okay!"

Before Jay knew what was happening, Jase was sitting in his lap. Jack started the game and even with Jase's help, Jay still lost. But he was having a great time, sitting with these two boys. In a way, Jay was like a child himself, mature in some areas, but totally insecure and immature in others.

Emma stood in the doorway watching her son sitting in Jay's lap. Jase, mini-Jay, was eating up everything the older man was saying. He idolizes him already and he has no idea who he even is.

"Okay, boys!" Emma called. The three looked up at her. "Supper is almost ready. Jack, can you take Jase into the bathroom and get him washed up before we eat?"

Jack nodded his head unenthusiastically, getting to his feet. Jase followed his uncle out of the room, but stopped to tug on Emma's pant leg.

"Honey?"

"Mommy, can Jay stay for supper too? I really like him."

Emma smiled at her son, shooing him away. She turned to Jay and said, "Okay. Well I guess you should get going."

Jay stood there, adjusting his hat. "No supper for Jay?"

"The deal was that you get to meet him. No more. Time for Jay to go home."

"Mommy!" Jase yelled. "Can he stay? Pleeease!!"

"Jase, honey, Jay has to get home. He's busy. Right, Jay?" Emma asked, shooting Jay a look of warning.

"Well I was, but that was before I made a new friend. I don't know. Jase? What do you think? Should I stay?" Jay asked, smiling widely.

Jase, jumping up and down, yelled, "Yes! Come on, Jay! We're having Grandma's veggie lasagna!!"

Jay grinned at Emma, sneaking past her, and holding Jase's hand as they went down the stairs.

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