AN: Sorry, had some major writer's block. I didn't mean to leave it this long before updating. Hope you enjoy.
Emmett pulls himself out of his car and settles himself against the open doorway, relaxing his arms on the roof. He clears his throat when he realises Regina's too distracted by the other man's lips to remember Emmett's still there. Now I can't get the girl, he thinks to himself, should I mess with this guy instead?
"Oh." She pulls away, lightly clearing her throat as she briefly covers her mouth to hide the slight red tint to her cheeks. "Emmett this is Daniel," she says glancing at Emmett as she rests a hand on her boyfriend's chest. She turns back to Daniel, using her thumb to wipe some of her lipstick off his lips. "Daniel this is Emmett."
"Hey." Daniel smiles but narrows his eyes slightly as he reaches his hand over the roof of the bug. "I don't think Regina's ever mentioned you before."
Emmett meets him halfway, gives the other man's hand a firm grip, and receives a firmer than needed squeeze in return. "It would be impressive if she had," he says without being able to resist a smirk and crunching Daniel's knuckles.
They pull their hands back and Daniel makes a show of wrapping his arm around Regina's waist, discretely flexing his other hand. Regina rolls her eyes, noticing full on overprotective-boyfriend mode being engaged.
Oh, Emmett thinks, I'm gonna have fun screwing with this guy. He should really trust his girlfriend more.
"Huh?" Daniel creases his brow slightly.
"We just met today. So, Gina," he turns back to the brunette with a charming grin, "Will I see you at lunch tomorrow, then?"
Daniel visible tightens his grip on his girlfriend. Regina shakes her head as she notices the teasing glint in Emmett's eye. Daniel would be almost the perfect boyfriend if he just didn't get so jealous all the time. Regina is just a natural flirt, sometimes she doesn't even realise she's doing it, and Daniel just needs to trust her. Maybe understand he doesn't have to protect her all the time would be nice, as well.
"Yes, it was nice catching up with Jefferson."
Emmett doesn't miss the slight narrowing of her eyes, warning him to stop the game. He concedes. "Why didn't you just stay at the diner? They normal hang out there for another hour or two."
"Mother likes me home in time for dinner."
"Yeah, and we should get moving if you don't want to be late, babe," Daniel adds, trying to pull her away from the conversation.
Regina glances down at her watch before looking back up. "You're right, five more minutes and she'll be snippy all night. Though, I'm sure your presence will manage that all on its own, dear."
"Uh oh, mother doesn't like the boyfriend, huh? Image if you brought me home," Emmett comments lightly with a chuckle as he ducks back into his car and grabs the brunette's bag. "Here," he places it on the roof, "Can't forget this."
"Thank you. Goodbye, Emmett," Regina says with a huff as she already being gently pulled away to the mansion.
"Yeah, bye Emmett," Daniel clips through a strained smile.
"It was nice meeting you, Daniel. And I'll see ya tomorrow, Gina." He gets back into his car and slumps down into his seat. "Lucky bastard," he murmurs under his breath as he starts his engine and pulls away.
"That was rude and embarrassing, Daniel." Regina stops on the walkway as soon she hears Emmett's bug pull away.
"What?" Daniel shrugs trying to defuse the situation and the conversation he knew was coming by playing dumb.
"Don't 'what' me. You know what you were doing."
"I'm sorry, but he was flirting with you, right in front of me. I was just trying to protect you from him."
"I do not need protection." She takes a calming breath, leaving the anger behind and coming to the root of the problem. "Do you not trust me to stop it before it goes too far?"
"I think him flirting with you in the first place is too far," he mutters, not quite understanding what he did wrong.
"Do you not get it?" And, from the clueless look on his face, he did not. "He saw how protective you were being right from the handshake and was teasing you because of it, trying to get a rise out of you."
"Why would he do that?"
"Maybe because it was so easy," she says under her breath as she runs fingers through her hair.
"What?"
She sighs. "Nothing, Daniel. I just wish you'd stop treating me like a princess that needs rescuing, I can handle myself. I can also end my own conversations for myself and would appreciate not being dragged away."
"You're right. I might have gone too far at the end, I'm sorry, baby."
She takes another breath. And the beginning, she thinks to herself but lets it go. "It's alright, sweetheart. Just please relax."
"I will. I promise." He leans down and places a soft kiss on her cheek.
"Now, let's go see if you're welcome for dinner."
"Hey," Emmett calls as he opened the front door.
"Hey, kid," David replies in a low voice from the kitchen and throws a smile over his shoulder.
"Why are you cooking?" he asks, plopping his bag on the stairs to his room before laying his jacket next to it. He moves to sit at the table after grabbing some homework out of his bag. "We only let you make breakfast because not even you can burn cereal and crispy bacon is nice. You're also weirdly good at making pancakes."
"Ha ha," David deadpans before smiling slightly. He takes some plates out of the cupboard and walks over to the table to put them down. As he makes his way back passed Emmett, he ruffles his hair and softly chuckles when the mass of wavy blonde flops down into his son's face. "You need a haircut before we lose you under it."
Emmett swats his hand away playfully. "I was gonna ask Mary Margaret to cut it again after dinner. Where is she?"
"She's tired after the appointment. She's taking a nap."
"Oh," Emmett says quietly and pauses to turn to look at the door to his foster parent's bedroom. "Is err… is everything okay?"
"They're both healthy; she's just tired from being on her feet all day. So, I might be cooking dinner more often." Emmett groans and David chuckles. "You're always welcome to cook."
"Unless you want instant noodles or toast you better take that offer back."
"Noted."
Emmett watches David move around the kitchen for a while before looking back down at his work. Talking with David has become a lot easier over the last couple of months. He'd realised they weren't going to throw him away no matter what he did. He'd settled down a lot and had stopped causing trouble on purpose after he and David had had a forced heart to heart.
Emmett slams his car door shut before kicking it. "Fucking piece of shit," he yells, bashing the side of his fist down onto the roof. He takes a couple of breaths trying to calm himself and turns his head to look at the sign at the town line. "Couldn't have just taken me a little bit further?" He kicks the tire closest to him.
If he were thinking clearly, he knew he could just take his bag and start walking to the next town over. Although, leaving his bug would hurt he couldn't stay here anymore. It can't be that far. He had had to take a couple of buses to Boston to pick up his car that Ingrid doesn't know about and he doesn't remember the ride to the town taking too long. He can probably be there before people started waking up. But no, he isn't thinking. He's angry and he's hurting. And he just wants to hit things and take a moment to process before moving again.
A part of him wishes he were just angry.
And, maybe a part of him doesn't really want to leave.
But, there's also a part that wishes he never came here to begin with.
He's been stupid for thinking they want him. Why the hell would anyone want him? His own goddamn parents didn't want him. Why would anyone willing take him in? He had finally started thinking that he was wrong for causing them so much trouble, that they really wanted him no matter what he did. Finally, someone hadn't given up on him. He has friends, he's doing better in school, and causing less angry phone calls to the Sheriff's department. It was going to happen all over again. They are going to send him back because they'll have something better.
But you can't send back what isn't there.
He raises his head from its position resting on the roof of his car and he's just about to grab his pre-packed duffle bag from his boot when he spots headlights bouncing towards him in the distance. He was expecting them to notice him missing until morning but the moon reflecting off the car shows the police markings.
Emmett hangs his head between his shoulders. "Fucking car," he whispers, all contempt leaving his voice. No fight left.
The engine cuts out once it's behind Emmett's car and a couple moments later David steps out, putting his phone back into his pocket. Emmett sighs before pushing away from where he's leaning against the car's door and moves to sit on its bonnet to wait for David.
They're both silent as David settles beside Emmett and runs his fingers through his short hair.
"What happened?" David asks after a while.
"Guess."
"The baby, obviously, but you seemed happy for us. Shocked, but happy."
"I am happy for you." Emmett's shoulders sag. He really is happy for them. They'll make great parents. "It's just… I know what the parents having real kids means for the foster kid."
"I'm sorry, Emmett, I'm not following."
Emmett's shakes his head in frustration. It was obvious to him. He had seen it enough. Lived it enough. Real kids are better than foster kids; that's just how it works. All the kids he'd grown up with knew that; especially the real kids. They used it to their advantage regularly.
And while maybe David doesn't understand now, he certainly will when the baby comes.
"After I was given up by my real parents, I was put into the foster system. I had a family until I was three." Emmett steals a glance at David and sees the surprise on his face. He doesn't like telling this story, it reaffirms that nobody wants him, but he wants David to comprehend what's happening.
"What happened?" David finally manages to stutter out.
Emmett looks down at the road. "They had a kid of their own and sent me back."
David opens his mouth to speak but nothing comes out. After a while, he collects himself and asks in almost a whisper, "How could they do that? I could even imagine how that must have felt for you."
Emmett shrugs, trying not to think too much about it. "I don't remember much, but I know I didn't understand what was happening at first. It took me almost a year to finally realise they weren't coming back for me."
"We would never do that to you," David states with so much conviction that a little bit of Emmett starts to believe him.
"Foster parents do it all the time," Emmett spits. He shakes away the stupid notion. No one's ever followed through on their promises to him. "And if they already have kids they treat you like lesser."
David sighs. "I don't know how to make you believe me other than by showing you. But, Emmett, we want you… we think of you as our son. I can't promise that you will always come first because a baby is a lot of work and will take up a lot of our time. We're probably might even need your help." David pauses for a moment to look at Emmett; he could tell he hadn't quite gotten through to him yet.
"When I read the note you left on the table that you were leaving, I was scared that I wouldn't catch up to you. I don't think I've ever been that scared before. Just the thought of not being a part of your life, not seeing you grow up. You being out there on your own…" he trails off not wanting to think about it again. He pulls his phone out of his pocket and brings up the texts between him and his wife. He hands the phone over to Emmett.
David: Just called the station, my deputies are out looking around town. I'm gonna drive to the next town.
MM: I called Belle. She hasn't seen him.
David: Found him!
MM: Is he all right? Bring him home.
"She was so scared when I woke her and told her."
Emmett hands the phone back and tries to discreetly wipe away tears.
"When I saw you standing here, against your car, I was so happy that I had to get up and pee tonight."
Emmett lets out a short, wet laugh, unable to hold back the sudden surge. He holds his hand over his mouth, trying to regain his composure and his smile.
They sit in comfortable silence, Emmett needing a few moments to think and David giving it to him.
"Come on," David finally says, pushing off the bug's bonnet. "If we don't hurry, Mary Margaret will come here and drag you back herself."
Emmett follows his lead, locking up his car as he passes it.
"I'm happy you stopped," David says.
"I didn't."
David stops to look at him.
"My car broke down," Emmett says sheepishly.
David looked at Emmett expressionless before bursting into laughter. "I told you. I'm surprised it's lasted this long without conking out."
Emmett tries to hide his grin as they made their way to David's cruiser. "Hey, that car will never fully die. The only living things after a nuclear apocalypse will be cockroaches and my beautiful bug."
David smiles at Emmett over the top of his car before he opens his door. "Whatever you say, I'll call a tow truck to pick it up when we get home."
Emmett watches David take his seat behind the steering wheel and pull the door shut. He spears a glance back at his car. "Home, huh?"
"I'm happy my car broke down."
David pauses what he's doing and turns his head to see Emmett looking down at his homework but not doing it. The man smiles to himself before turning back to continue cooking, not sure where Emmett's head is at but understanding his words.
"Food will be ready soon, kid."