Hello "Visitation" fans! Sorry for the long hiatus, life and my career keeping me busy really restricted my writing time and made me need to to prioritize other fics in its place. Plus I was MAJORLY combating writer's block for this fic too and wanted to make sure I returned to it with fresh inspiration to give you all quality chapters. And we have returned right back to where things left off! This chapter begins as Noah and Emma sit down to dinner with Emma and Kitty's parents. Let's see how things unfold, shall we?! ;)

(Noah's POV)

Well, this isn't the most awkward dinner I've ever been a part of… and that's saying a lot coming from me.

Kitty was still out so it was just Emma and I having dinner with her parents. And so far… no one has said literally anything at all.

Sure, not that I'd mind since I usually crave silence.

But this?

Yeah, the awkward tension in this room is so thick that it would probably need to be cut with the knife I'm using to cut the slice of beef roast her mom made. And I'm not talking a little bit of tension, I'm talking Alejandro and Heather levels of weird-ass tension whenever they walk into a room together.

All of us just kept on eating in silence until her mom cleared her throat before asking, "So… Noah, what sort of things do you like to do in your free time?"

I whipped my head up, feeling very off.

But, I just quirked up an eyebrow as I responded, "Well… mostly computers. Video Gaming, building PC's, rewiring things. That or reading, I guess?"

Her mom just smiled, even though I could tell she was just trying to make 'awkward small talk' like my mom does too in these kinds of situations when my dad is just silently existing like I do. About the only thing my dad and I have in common in these situations honestly.

"Oh well, that's a good set of things. Isn't it, hun?" Her mom commented politely and looked over at her dad, only for me to realize her dad looked like he was burning a hole through my head again that made my spine straighten on reflex for some reason.

Okay, seriously, what's up with this guy?

Eventually her dad sat back, before asking point blank, "So, what is it that you do, exactly?"

I quirked up an eyebrow as I replied, feeling confused about what he was getting at, "Huh?"

"Dad." Emma said through her teeth, seeming like she was trying to stop him.

Until her dad put up his hand to her as he continued, "No, I'm genuinely interested in what it is exactly your 'boyfriend' does? Emma told us you've had a bachelor's degree for a while now, but… from what I've seen you haven't done much with it, have you? Not if your time on TV is anything to show for it with those piss poor shows. But, that seems to have ended for you now, hasn't it?"

"Dennis." Her mom said, sounding very similar to how Emma just sounded.

Okay, seriously… WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!

But her dad just kept going as he pointedly directed, "So, with all this 'free time' you have now, are you going to school again? Or at least have a job?"

He kept practically burning a hole through me as I was trying to figure out (for once) how I'm even supposed to respond as I got out, "Uh, well… no, but…"

Well, until her dad cut in with a snarky scoff, "Heh… of course you don't."

My stomach felt like it was having vice crushing at this point as I tried to 'process' everything happening.

"Dennis, stop it!" Her mom snapped, making everything become 10 times more awkward than it was before… which I didn't even think was possible.

I was still trying to figure out what was going on.

Well, until I saw Emma's dad sit back in his chair and let out a 'hmph' before going back to eating as if nothing happened, even though that still didn't stop him from giving me one last weird-ass sharp glare.

Again… WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING?!

I looked across the table at Emma and saw her looking away and pursing her lips, almost looking… embarrassed?

We just kept eating in silence for the rest of this painfully awkward dinner as Emma hardly even wanted to look at me or her parents for the rest of the entire meal.

Okay, seriously? What's going on?!

Later that night

({No POV})

Lisa walked out of the master bathroom after cleaning up only to see her husband very intensely reading a book in their bed as she sighed and said, "Dennis, can you please just relax? Emma's home for Christmas and New Year's, just try to enjoy it."

Dennis immediately threw his book across the room almost like a child throwing a tantrum as he crossed him arms and spouted, still sounding the epitome of displeased, "Lisa, how can I possibly 'enjoy' anything when Emma's still with that absolute… loser. Do you not even care?! Or are you just perfectly 'content' with our daughter being with a boy who seems to pride himself on being with an absolute lazy, useless little schmuck?!"

Lisa immediately shushed him as she said, "Dennis, calm down. The walls aren't sound proofed!"

Dennis seemed to listen to her slightly as he still got out, still sounding very unhappy with having Noah under their roof for the holidays, "Oh really? So a boy who says 'he's dating a lawyer so he'll never have to work again' doesn't throw up every single red flag to you that Emma's dating an absolute mooch of a loser? Kitty I'd expect this from, but Emma?! How are you so nonchalant about this?! Do you want Emma to end up with him of all people?!"

Lisa rolled her eyes at her husband's usual 'over-dramatic' outbursts before responding, trying to remain the calm presence in their relationship like she'd always been, "Honey, you're taking all of this WAY too out of proportion. It's still early days and Emma hasn't had much 'relationship experience' in her life so far. She's still young and figuring things out so just let her have a little fun. She and Noah met each other on that show and she's still probably just 'riding the high' and going through a phase and seeing the novelty of bringing a boy home to meet us. Emma's a smart girl, she's in law school now, and in a 'pool of eligible young men' going in the same direction as her. She'll probably snap out of it once she meets someone else with the same drive and goals as she has. Odds are we probably won't see him again. So will it kill you to just 'make nice' while Noah's here?"

Dennis, while still frustrated completely by the entire situation, eventually let out a sigh as he said, seeing his wife's point, "Fine…"

Lisa just smiled and leaned over to give him a kiss on the cheek before turning off her lamp on her side to go to sleep before settling in for the night.

Dennis eventually took off his glasses and turned off his lamp on his side of the bed and eventually settled in to go to sleep himself.

Although everyone in the house seemed to be asleep with the exception of Kitty, who was still out with her friends, Noah was not.

In fact, he had just finished washing his face and brushing his teeth before going back to the guest room, until he stopped and heard the entirety of Emma's parents' conversation.

At first he froze up as he processed everything he heard but quickly shook it out of his mind before casually walking back to his room, pretending as if he heard nothing at all.

3 hours later

Noah was tossing and turning on the bed in the guest room, trying to force himself to sleep.

Well… emphasis on 'trying'.

Even though Noah never really gave a crap or cared literally at all about what anyone said or thought about him. After all, he was always at the butt of ridicule and jokes from his own father and brothers most of his life and never bothered him at all. But Emma's parents and what they said about him… It turns out everything that happened just that evening with the Parks and what he overheard them say about him was still circling inside his mind.

"So, what is it that you do, exactly?... with all this 'free time' you have now, are you going to school again? Or at least have a job?"

Noah quickly turned over onto his other side in bed and pulled the covers over himself more.

"So a boy who says 'he's dating a lawyer so he'll never have to work again' doesn't throw up every single red flag to you that Emma's dating an absolute mooch of a loser?"

His eyes, teeth, and stomach clenched as he tried to continue to will himself to sleep and ignore it… as well as that comment he at the time both said jokingly and not so jokingly that he almost completely forgot he said on international TV. Then what her mom said lingered even more in his mind.

"It's still early days… She and Noah met each other on that show and she's still probably just 'riding the high' and going through a phase and seeing the novelty of bringing a boy home to meet us."

A phase? No. Emma really did like him and she'd been in law school this whole semester and still stayed with him… there's no way he was 'just a phase'! Was he?

"Emma's a smart girl, she's in law school now, and in a 'pool of eligible young men' going in the same direction as her."

Pool of other guys?

Like… Emma could easily just break up with him for someone else?

I mean, she could, right?

But, why would she break up with him? There's no way one of those university guys could just make Emma break up with him!

Why would she?

What do they have that he doesn't?

"She'll probably snap out of it once she meets someone else with the same drive and goals as she has. Odds are we probably won't see him again."

"...are you going to school again? Or at least have a job?"

"Or at least have a job?"

"...have a job?"

"...a job?

"...job?"

"...job."

"JOB!"

Noah immediately grit his teeth and put his pillow over his head, almost to try to 'smoother the words' into silence.

But it failed.

Eventually Noah threw the pillow next to him out of frustration and looked at the ceiling in deep thought for a very long time, still trying to ignore everything he heard Emma's parents say about him and his relationship with Emma.

Well, until his eyes went wide and it looked like his stomach dropped as he remembered Emma earlier during dinner and barely able to look at him, as well as how weird she acted with him before dinner even started and how she looked… embarrassed?

Was she embarrassed? Embarrassed of him?

Was he really just a 'phase'?

He kept thinking more and more about everything, almost to the point of overthinking.

But he couldn't stop himself.

What was going to happen with them in the future?

In a few years Emma's going to be a lawyer, and in his opinion probably a really good one. She's smart, she's pretty… to Noah he still couldn't believe she ended up liking him at all even back during the race.

But, they weren't on a reality show now.

This was actually reality.

And the reality of the situation was and the more Noah kept thinking about it, Emma was going to be a successful lawyer with a lot going for her when she graduates… and what did he have to offer her?

A guy that's a washed up reality TV star (who never won any of the shows he was on and is now 'blacklisted' from TV) with a university degree he didn't use, no job, still lives with his parents in his childhood bedroom, and has only his 'esports skills/wins' online as a redeeming quality that really didn't give him much money to begin with?

Noah's eyes went wide as he said to himself, "Dude… I really am a loser."

All of a sudden Noah let all his insecurities get the best of him as he kept looking at the ceiling and feeling his stomach drop at the possibility that Emma could break up with him for real this time and really find another guy with 'something more to offer' her.

All these thoughts kept spiraling until it looked as if Noah's expression evened out to a determined one as he got up and grabbed his laptop out of his suitcase and booted it up as he sat on the edge of his bed.

Eventually Noah, looking determined as ever, opened up the web browser and eventually navigated to a site Noah never thought of being on in his life.

A job listing website.

Even though Noah could still hardly believe it either, he settled back into his determination and clicked the button reading 'Create a Resumé'.

Well… looks like Noah went through quite a 'revelation' this chapter. Now I've been building up to this for Noah for a VERY long time, but I wanted to make it realistic for when Noah would finally grow up a little and realize that if he wants to keep his relationship going with Emma, then he needs to evolve and try a little more if he wants to keep her in his life. After all, throughout the show's run, Noah is the epitome of 'not giving a shit'. He really doesn't care what anyone thinks of him and it takes a lot to make him care. And what really makes him care? Emma. And I could see after him hearing some kind of harsh but true words unintentionally from Emma's parents and seeing Emma look a little embarrassed by it out of natural human insecurity FINALLY give him the incentive to move on with his life and start by looking for a job. More will be elaborated on this later, but this begins the future of Noah and Emma's relationship post-reality TV. Then don't forget we have Kitty and Owen going in the background too and the holidays have only JUST begun so be prepared for a whole new breed of drama from here on out and I look forward to hearing all of your personal predictions! I always love to hear from you all! :)

Thanks for reading as always and stay classy!

Dexter1995