"I'm going to count to three, and if your not dressed and ready to leave there will be massive concequences."

Emilia stood at the bottom of the stairs with her arms crossed, like most Fridays Emilia was on Scott duty and getting him to school was by far the hardest part of her week. Emilia sighed as she turned to face the clock, 7:45 , knowing that they were going to be late Emilia grabbed her denim jacket from the rack and started to get ready to leave.

"One..." Emilia started to count down slowly, pulling on her brown ankle boots.

"...two" Emilia continued grabbing her and scotts bags from under the stairs, placing them by the front door.

"Three!" Emilia shouted as the toast popped out of the toaster, stomping up the stairs angrily.

"Scott Gregorio McCall!" Emilia exclaimed staring at the eight year old sleeping on his bed, dressed and ready for school.

"Seriously?" Emilia walked forward hitting her younger brother with one of his pillows, Scott jerked forward looking at Emilia in annoyance.

"Emilia!" scott groaned turning to lie back down.

"We're running late, get up now!" Emilia walked out of his room once Scott stood up, happy that she managed to get him up.

Emilia pulled her phone out of her pocket as she walked down the stairs, assuming it would be Melanie messaging her again.

Mel : were r u ?

Em : attempting to get Scott to school

Mel : good luck with that

Em : thanks...

Emilia put her phone back in her pocket as she took the toast out of the toaster, handing it too Scott as he bounded down the stairs almost slipping at the bottom.

"Okay. Breakfast, bag, homework, keys." Emilia listed making sure she had everything she needed, shoving everything into her bag.

"Shoes!" Scott added grabbing his trainers from near the door, stopping to put them on.

"We dont have time!"Emilia took them from him, ushering him out of the house

"To the car!"Scott sang, running down the driveway in his truck patterned socks.

Once in the car Emilia shoved their bags into the backseat, along with passing Scott his shoes.

"What are you waiting for?" Emilia questioned starting the engine, as Scott sat staring at his toast.

"Jason said I'm not allowed to eat in the car." Scott replied, looking at his sister in confusion.

"Well Jason is not here." Emilia added, sighing as Scott still sat starting at his toast "Eat, now."

The ride to school consisted of the normal chats between the siblings, about whats going on at school or how they plan on convincing Melissa to get a dog. Emilia smiled in relief as they pulled up outside of the school, with some students still arriving. Emilia would rather Scott to be slightly on time than her being early, she knew she would more than likely get in trouble for being late but Scott was her main priority.

"Have a good day, behave yourself." Emilia waved goodbye leaning out of the window, watching stiles wave at Scott frantically from the classroom window.

"Bye emilia, love you!"Scott called out, making his way down the path.

"Love you to!" Emilia responded, her eyes widening as Scott walked into a wall near the doors of the school, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah!" scott took a few steps back nodding to himself before replying to his sister.

"You need a haircut!" Emilia laughed causing Scott to stand still where he stood in shock.

"No cuts!"

-

"I'm dead." Emilia mumbled as she rushed down the hallway, holding onto the shoulder strap of her bag tightly "I'm so dead."

"Miss Bennett, glad to finally see you." Mr Harris turned to face the teen as she appeared in the doorway, cringing as the whole class turned to face her "Lets not keep this routine of being late up, shall we?"

"No, we won't." Emilia shook her head quickly, sitting down next to Melanie in a hurry

"As i was saying before i got interrupted, once you get into your usual partners you will start to plan the project you will be working on till the end of term." Mr Harris walked around the classroom handing out the assessments, stopping once he reached Camden "The project must be completed by both partners, not just one. Mr Lahey."

Camden looked up to his most hated teacher in shock, raising is hands in surrender.

"All I'm saying is thank me later." Melanie whispered to Emilia before standing up from her seat, sitting next to Camden where Derek was previously sat.

"Mel, where are you going?" Emilia grumbled to herself, before smiling up at Derek.

"Looks like I'm your new parter." Derek smiled, sitting down next Emilia.

Derek had barley seen Emilia since the game, only in classes where they had no chance to speak to each other. So when Melanie asked to swap partners, Derek agreed in an instant.

"How come Harris was such a dick to you earlier." Derek asked, noticing her not so bubbly mood "I mean he's like that with everyone, but I'm surprised he's like that with you."

"Harris is annoyed with me because last year I was late for his lessons on this day exactly every week." Emilia sighed, "And he doesn't understand that I have to make sure my little brother gets to school on time, and then get myself here too."

"I didn't know you had a little brother." Derek stated in confusion, he thought Jason was her only sibling.

"Were not related but him and his mom have been taking care of me since I was 4, it's a long story." Emilia replied, not knowing how to explain her current family situation.

"So when should we start the project?" Derek asked changing the subject, knowing by the look on her face it was a touchy subject.

"I'll get jason to give you my number, you could come round to mine some day next week ?" Emilia proposed, her usual personality coming back.

"Sounds good." Derek nodded, with a smile.

Both of the teens then realised that they would be alone again since the game, and they didn't know wether to be exited or nervous.

-

"Earth to Derek." Charlie asked, waving one hand in front of Derek's face while holding a basketball with another "Derek?"

"Sorry what?" Derek asked, catching the ball Charlie threw at him sitting down on the bleachers.

"I said why are you staring at Jason's sister?" Charlie asked sitting down next to him, following Derek's gaze on the cheerleaders, specifically Emilia.

"No reason." Derek shook his head, bouncing the ball against the ground.

"Come on man, I'm your best friend. You can tell me." Charlie fought back, knowing when Derek was lying.

"There's just something about her." Derek admitted, having the same feelings as he did when he left Emilia after the game last week "I cant get her out of my head."

"You like her." Charlie told him with a smile, happy knowing his best friend had found someone he liked, "Well when you finally get the guts to ask her out, we can go on a double date!"

"You sound way to exited about going on a double date." Derek laughed, knowing it wouldn't be something that exited his best friend.

"Its an excuse for me to ask out Liv."

"What about Mel?" Derek asked in confusion, last time he checked Melanie and Charlie were still dating.

"You know me and Mel, were always on and off." charlie shrugged, "Right now were off."

Derek wouldn't say it to Charlie, but he didn't want a relationship like his and Melanie's. They were constantly on and off and never had stability, and they never truly loved each other. Both of them liked other people.

"I agree with Chuck, just ask her out already." Camden spoke up, sitting in-between the two teens "You have the best friend approval, and probably the big brothers."

"Do you guys really think she likes me like that." Derek asked, watching as Emilia laughed messing around with Melanie.

"Oh my god Derek, we all see the both of you starting at each other in class."Camden groaned, shoving Derek's shoulder "And I'm not one to spill a secret, but I'm definite she likes you back."

_

"Hello?" Emilia called out as she walked into her moms house, dropping her school bag to the floor.

"Kitchen." Jason responded nervously, knowing what what was about to happen won't go well.

"Why did i need to come home?" Emilia smiled at her older brother as she approached him, taking the note he handed her from him.

gone for a while, got things to do. don't try and contact me - mom

"Mother of the year." Emilia grumbled throwing the note back on the table, sitting down on one of the dining table chairs.

"Is this odd to you?"

"That our mother left us or she had the decency to leave a note?" Emilia asked hoping to lighten the mood, starting at Jason in confusion as he turned more serious as the conversation continued.

"Before mom dissapers for a while she normally has a reason, right?" Jason explained, Emilia sat up in her chair gaining more interest in what he was saying "Usually one of her boyfriends whisks her away on some type of holiday, and she's spends days boasting about it."

"This time she just went, and she had no reason to." Jason added, Emilia frowned pulling at the hem of her cardigan nervously.

"You mean because she's single?"

"No, because I've been keeping tabs on her." Jason responded ignoring the shocked look from his sister, Emilia's mouth opened in shock waiting for her brother to explain himself.

"Why would you do that? god when did you even start?" Emilia gasped, surprised that her brother would even spend time trying to find information on her mother.

Ever since she was young Karen never told Emilia about her childhood, the same with Jason growing up. The children never had the interesting childhood stories to listen to before bed from Karen, eventually they gave up asking.

"The moment mysterious guys came into our home."

"For years!" Emilia exclaimed shaking her head, still finding it difficult to process the information she's being told.

After all this time why would Jason start trying to find information about her mother now?

"I'm just trying to protect you from whatever games she's playing." Jason snapped, trying to get his sister to realise the truth about whats happening "Its you and me all alone in this house, and I'm not going to loose you to some crime she's gone and got herself into."

Ever since Jason came to live with Emilia he had been overprotective, Emilia had no one and he wanted to make sure he was the one to take care of her. Along with himself he made sure that if ever he's not there, there are people like Melissa who would help Emilia in a heartbeat. Emilia sighed looking down to the table, noticing a black bag in the centre of it.

"Whats in the bag?"

"I found it in her room." Jason took the bag from the table, pulling the gun out from the bag.

Emilia jumped as the saw the gun, standing up quickly moving away from the gun.

"Jason, put that down!" Emilia gulped, knowing that everything could go wrong if he pressed the trigger.

"Calm down, i know how to use a gun." Jason assured her rolling his eyes, Emilia watched as he put the gun into safety and placed it back in the bag.

"You do?" Emilia questioned, confused as to when her brother learnt to use a gun "What are you not telling me?"

Emilia was confused, she saw her brother a few hours ago at school and everything was normal.Now she cant help but feel like everything had changed, she didn't know how but it did.

"Nothing i can tell you now." Jason answered bluntly, Emilia looked up to her brother in anger wanting to know what was going on.

"What are you not telling me, Jason?" Emilia asked, speaking louder than before "Is this some type of prank?"

"Everything's real Emilia, i wish it was a prank." Jason walked closer to his sister, looking down at her sadly "Look i need you to promise me something."

"Anything." Emilia noticed his change of emotion, her breathing becoming faster as she got increasingly more confused and nervous.

"Stay with Melissa and Scott, dont come in this house alone. Ever." Jason insisted, his heartbreaking as he he continued to speak "Please, learn to protect yourself. Or at least try, until i get back."

He didn't want to do this, but he had no other choice.

"I promise." Emilia nodded, "Wait when you get back, where are you going?"

"I cant tell you."

Emilia didn't know how to feel, Jason was acting just like her mom. Leaving without any explanation. That didn't hurt as much as she thought, but what did hurt was that he knew what he was doing and didn't try to stop it.

"How long will you be gone? " Emilia's voice croaked out, the words trembling as they left her mouth.

"I've arranged with school to do homeschooling until finals." Jason sighed , "If I'm not back by then ill be back for graduation."

"You're going to be gone for three months!" Emilia spluttered, her mixed emotions only growing.

Emilia had never been an angry person, she's one of the people get more upset when they are angry. But when it comes to Emilia being really angry, she will explode.

"I have to go."

Those were the words that made her heartbreak, tears ran down her checks as her brother pulled her into a hug.

"Im so scared, whats going on? Im so confused." Emilia cried, not wanting to let go as Jason pulled away.

"It will make sense soon, i promise."

Tears built up in Emilia's eyes as Jason walked over to the doorway, trembling as she stood alone in the kitchen. The teen breathed heavily in a state of panic as her brother went out of sight, Emilia wiped away her tears and chased after him standing in the doorway of a house she could barely call a home.

"Don't go." Emilia sobbed, clutching onto the bottom of her blue dress as tears stained the top "I need you here."

"I'm sorry." Jason smiled sadly, stepping into the back car parked outside of his house.

Emilia let out a breath before the tears came falling down, slowly walking away from the house letting the door slam behind her. Her beloved brown ankle boots dragged against the driveway, Emilia was in a trance like state as all her emotions hit her like a truck.

Her mom abandoning her was normal and something she could deal with, but Jason leaving broke her. Everyone that should be there every day to love and care for her had left, and now she was all alone.

"Are you happy now?"Jason asked harshly as he sat in the back of the black car, facing someone he had so much hatred for.

"She's stood in that house all alone with no idea whats going on." Jason bellowed, not caring if anyone outside the moving car heard "And if you ever got to know your daughter, you would know that if anyone close to her left she would be crushed."

Jason hated himself for leaving her, he knew that he might of ruined any chances of Emilia moving past her trust issues and finally letting someone in. Jason didn't want to deal with knowing that he was responsible for breaking his sisters heart into pieces, it was his job to protect her from heartbreak not cause it.

"And now I'm gone!" Jason shot, slamming his fist against the seat "And I've probably broken any trust she will have with me or anyone else."

-

"Emilia?" Melissa asked walking down the stair case in her scrubs, having jus finished her shift at the hospital "Is that you?"

Once melissa saw the state of the girl she thought of a daughter she rushed downstairs pulling her into a hug, Emilia crying as she clutched onto Melissa like she was the only one left. But really, Melissa was pretty much the only family she had left.

"Oh honey, whats wrong?" Melissa asked softly, guiding Emilia to the sofa.

"They're gone." Emilia stuttered, her vision blurry from the tears.

"Who's gone?"

"Jason and my mom." Emilia sighed, wiping away some of her tears "Somethings wrong."

"How wrong?" Melissa asked in confusion, knowing that Jason would never leave his sister.

"They wouldn't tell me." Emilia mumbled, leaning against Melissa's shoulder "Its so bad that they cant tell me."

"Everyone leaves me."

"Hey, I'm not going anywhere neither is Scott." Melissa comforted her, holding onto her hand"We will be here for you no matter what, and I'm sure your friends will too. Maybe even boyfriend, whats his name again? Derek."

Emilia looked up to Melissa with a smile, wiping away her tears. After coming here tonight Emilia realised that this was her family, it had been since she was four. Not once did Melissa and Scott abandon her or make her feel not worthy to be part of their family, they were always there for her no matter what. She still loved Jason, but at that moment in time she knew that it would be hard to let him back into her life again.

"Hes not my boyfriend." Emilia giggled, laughing slightly after all the crying.

"For now." Melissa teased, happy that she managed to put a smile on her daughters face.

-

so this chapter to an unexpected turn, hoped you enjoyed!

- E