The Tangled Web Emma Weaves

A/N: Afew reminders: First,as much as I would like to have the esteemed honor of being a writer for Degrassi: I am unfortunately just a fangirl. For if I was a writer for the show: Emma and Spinner would have NEVER even considered getting married. Sean would have come back from basic training and swept Emma off her feet and away from Kelly.

Second: I also in no way own the script and/or plot of Sweet Home Alabama. Does lightening really do that to sand?

As they pulled up to the house, Emma let out a sigh. She had to face the other people that she had been running from and she had to face them sooner than she had expected. Leave it to Sean to force me to face my fears. The truth is: it wasn't just him I was running from. I was running from them. From my failures, from the loss. I couldn't bear to be a disappointment. Sean turned off the car and let engine die. After letting out a sigh, as if to say: Let's get this heartbreak over with, he then opened his door and got out. After gently closing his door so that as the door clicked shut: a sound could barely be heard, Sean hobbled over to the passenger's side to let Emma out. Emma gave him a questioning look.

Sean gave a defeated sigh: "Don't tell me I have to carry you too."

Emma stepped out of the Miata and Sean closed the door, hoping against hope that the door to their love was still agar enough for him to have a chance to live, for, without her love, he was lifeless. Emma turned to face Sean; oh how she used to get lost in those eyes. In them, she could see galaxies of pain and suffering mixed with stars of hope and mystery. It would be best if she didn't get sucked in to their depths.

Emma: "What happened to you?"

Sean stared her straight in the eyes and gave a defeated sign.

Sean: "Two years in Iraq can change a man."

Emma: "Look Sean—"

Sean: "Just forget it."

Sean started towards the house with Emma at his heals. Carefully mounting the stairs and shifting his weight from his scarred right leg to his decent left one. He knocked once and heard commotion from inside. Snake opened the door.

Snake: "Hello Sean—"

Upon seeing Emma, he began to tear up. Can it be? Is it she?

Snake: "Spike! Jack! Come quick!"

Spike and the now twelve year old Jack came running out of the house.

Spike approached with fear and excitement: "What is it? — Oh Emma!"

Spike reached out and hugged her daughter, clinging to her with every fiber of her soul in hopes that this dream would not be ripped away from her.

Emma: "Hey mom. Jack, how are you?"

Jack responded in the typical teenage boy short sentence: "Fine. It's good to see you."

Jack gave Emma a side hug. Emma laughed.

Emma: "I missed you too."

Spike: "Thank you for bringing her by Sean."

Sean looked in desperation from the woman who stole his heart in grade seven, to her family: knowing that he no longer had a place in that happy picture.

Sean: "Well, I guess I should get going. I'll see you around."

Sean started to turn around: when a voice caught his attention.

Snake: "Are you sure that you don't want to come in for a bit?"

Sean: "No. Thanks though."

Sean turned to leave a second time: this time her voice stopped him. He had no trouble picking out the different complex tones in her voice.

Emma: "Have fun bowling."

Sean: "I'll try." SeanT: I'll try not to think of you.

Snake, Spike and Jack: "Bye Sean."

Spike: "You must be starving. Come in and I'll make you something to eat."

The happy family walked inside: but Emma's mind stayed outside.

The next morning, Manny and Emma left for the fitting at 8:30 a.m. The car ride was almost silent: both women were preoccupied with their thoughts. They pulled into the parking lot and walked into David's Bridal. Manny walked up to the receptionist.

Manny: "Yes, we have an appointment for a fitting with Susan at 10."

Receptionist: "Miss Santos, how nice to see you again. Right this way."

She led them to a room with mirrors on all four walls and a stool in the center of the room. Manny grabbed the dress from a closet and the seamstress came in.

Susan: "Ah, you must be Emma, the Maid of honor?"

Manny removed the dress from the dry-cleaning bag and handed it to Emma to try on.

Manny: "You're a size four, right?"

Emma: "Manny, it's gorgeous!"

Emma took the dress into the dressing room.

Emma: "The straps are a little loose."

Emma stepped out of the dressing room. The dress was a wild orchid satin halter top with a trumpet fit (tight fit, flaring at the knee) and had a ruche bust. There was a thick sash along the bust line that tied into a square knot in the back and flowed down to the knee.

Susan: "You make that dress one of a kind."

Emma stepped onto the stool so that the seamstress could measure the hem.

Manny: "You know, Emma, he came down there."

Emma stared blankly at her best friend, even though her heart was racing.

Emma: "Who? Sean? When?"

Emma's heart beat quickened. He did come after me. All these years Emma had thought that he had gotten over her and that he wouldn't sign the papers just to spite her. In her heart, she had always hoped that he would fly out to California and beg her to come back to him. But, that never happened. She lost hope in the man that she loved with all of her heart and began to file for a divorce.

Manny: "About a year after we graduated from college. He doesn't know that I know, but Jay let it slip."

At that moment, the seamstress finished all of her pinning, causing the subject to change. Emma consoled herself with the fact that the topic was closed until they went to the Dot.

Seamstress: "Ok, I am all finished. I should have this done by Friday."

Emma went to the dressing room to change.

Seamstress: "You can just leave the dress in there."

Emma came out of the dressing room.

Emma: "Thank you so much."

They said their goodbyes and went to the Dot for coffee.

Emma and Manny walked through the door of the Dot and Emma was all of the sudden, propelled by the memories of the past…a past that she had spent eight years running from. She was surprised at how much the Dot had remained the same while she had been changing. Manny and Emma took a seat by the window. A familiar face approached them to take their order.

Man: "Hello ladies, my name is Gavin, the owner of this fine dining establishment."

Manny playfully hit Spinner on the chest.

Emma noticed something etched in to the corner of the table by her left elbow.

Emma,

Because of you I live…

Always,

Sean

Emma traced those words with her fingers. It was as if she was trying to imprint them in her skin.

EmmaT: That's weird. I don't remember this….OMG! This is our table.

Her friends comment snapped Emma back to reality.

Manny: "Gee Spin, what's with the formality?"

Spinner shrugged.

Emma: "OMG! Spinner!"

Emma stood up and half-hugged Spinner.

Spinner: "Emma! How have you been? Come back to knock some sense into Sean? From what I hear down the grape vine…you guys are still legit."

Emma shrugged.

Emma: "You could say that. Speaking of marriage, is that a wedding ban on your hand?"

Emma (to the rest of the Dot): "Sorry to disappoint you ladies…but Spinner's taken."

Spinner: "Lol. Yeah. Jane and I have been going strong for three years now."

After some small talk and catching up, they (Emma and Manny) were left to chat.

Emma: "So back to what we were talking about."

Manny: "Yeah, he realized that he needed more than an apology to win you back: he needed to conquer the world first….He has been trying to ever since."

A wave of realization hit Emma like a ton of bricks.

Emma: "That's why he keeps sending the papers back."

Manny: "It's funny how things that seem so right in high school, just don't work out."

Emma: "It's funny how they do."

Manny: "So…..how's life in the states?"

At that moment Emma's phone rang.

Emma (on the phone): "Hey Meg. What's up?"

Meg: "Not much…..Listen, how much longer is it going to take you for you to settle this thing? David is beginning to worry and I don't know how much longer I can hold out."

Manny watched as her friend's face changed form an excited expression to her brows furrowing in worry. Who is this Meg?

Emma: "I know. It's taking me longer than anticipated. I shouldn't be more than a month."

Meg: "A MONTH! Emma, my dear, by the time a month is up, the press will have your whole life story fabricated or actual."

As that expression deepened, Manny realized that her friend's life in California must involve a lot of left out information from her past.

Emma: "I know. But my BFF from high school is getting married in two weeks and I don't think that I can work on the problem until after the wedding. Listen, I have to go, we'll think of something."

Emma hung up the phone and sighed. Sure, Meg was the first person that she met in California and told her life story to. But, Emma had to admit that she was over dramatic.