Sean called Emma as soon as he got back to give her the details

One more chapter and this will be done!! I know we are all anticipating this! I have half of the last chapter written and I am so happy. This story has been going on for way too looonnnnggg. Lol. Hope you like! R&R.

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Sean called Emma as soon as he got back to give her the details. After Jay conversed with his friends, he and Sean came up with a good time to meet with the parts.

"So, he decided we should meet at the back of the school."

"Do you think that's a good idea?" She asked.

"It's the only place I've got. We can't do it at any of our houses because the cops will ask too many questions. I don't want my brother involved. Jay doesn't want any trouble either. The park is too open; we would see them coming from a mile away, and by the time they got there, Jay and all his stolen parts will be gone.

"The school is the only place where the cops could come without it involving anyone's house, or a place to run. We'd all be trapped."

"So, who's going to call the cops?"

"I am. That way I can talk to them after."

"Do you just want me to call instead?"

She was really uneasy about police finding him with illegal car parts in the middle of the night on school property.

"No. I don't want you involved anymore than you have to be. All you have to do is confirm my story if Jay asks tomorrow. We're gonna do this on Friday night. If this works, by Monday, everything will be alright."

"Alright." She consented. "I trust you, Sean."

"Thank you." He told her sincerely. She was the only thing keeping him going.

"So, what did your mom say to you? I'm sure Simpson heard what happened."

He was almost afraid to hear it. For once, he would not be in the rumors circulating about Emma. The only time his name would be mentioned would be just to reiterate how out of the picture he was.

No, it was about Emma and Jay, the scandalous new couple. Part of him was upset; he didn't want Emma's name being associated with anyone else's but his. But, on the other hand, he wanted to know what Mr. Simpson would think about his step-daughter with someone who he hated more than Sean.

"It's weird. He didn't say anything to mom."

Sean was confused.

"Do you think he knows?" How could he not?

"Oh, I know he knows." She replied. "He gave me this strange look when I came upstairs. After dinner he said he wanted us to 'go for a walk' because we don't spend enough time together.

"Wow."

"I'm scared, Sean." She said both playfully and seriously.

This did not sound good to her. As soon as both set foot out of that house, he was going to tear her apart.

"Well, I'm not going to tell you not to worry, because I think you should. If he heard what everyone was saying, then he knows every thing that happened today, and worst of all, everything that didn't."

Emma hadn't thought of it that way. Now she felt even worse. She knew she did an awful lot of lying to her family the past few weeks, and she was truly sorry for it. No matter how angry she was at Snake for not liking Sean or trusting her decisions, she knew he didn't deserve half the stress she out him through.

"Maybe I deserve whatever he does to me. I'm not innocent, Sean." She said. "I deserve whatever punishment he gives me, because I am actually doing something wrong."

"Because of me." He reminded her sternly.

"No, because of Jay. And because I love you and I just want to be with you."

Sean sighed on the other line, knowing she would not let him take all the blame, no matter how much he deserved it.

"Okay, look. I'm going to let you go before you get into anymore trouble. I'll call tomorrow to check on you."

"Alright."

"And remember to confirm anything I've told you to Jay."

"I've got it. I'll talk to you later."

"I love you." He said with more emotion that normal. This was difficult for him, and he hated putting pressure on her.

"I love you too. Bye." She said before ending their connection. She knew how much trouble this was causing, but she vowed she would stick with him.

After she hung up, she laid on her bed and put her hand over her eyes, blocking out the light from her lamp.

Snake would most likely call her anytime to go for that walk. She was still scared, but she was also somewhat comforted. She had no idea what to expect from her step-father. So, she could either hide in her room and think of worse case scenarios, or she could face what she'd done and meet Snake halfway.

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Snake looked up from grading papers to see Emma at his door. He couldn't tell if he was happy or disappointed by her presence, but considering what he had to work with, he opted for the latter.

"Emma." His voice conveyed his disappointment. "Can I help you with anything?"

"I just wanted to know if you still wanted to go on that walk?"

He looked up and studied her face. He didn't know why, but he felt like he was living with another person. The girl standing in front of him right now looked like his Emma, but with the way she'd been acting lately, he just couldn't tell anymore.

What he did know though, was that he wanted her back. He wanted the sweet, caring, studious Emma Nelson that he'd helped raise. And he was going to do everything in his power to get her out of her downward spiral.

"Actually, yes I'm ready." He saw her smile and felt himself return it.

"You just wait downstairs while I get my coat, alright?" He stood and put the tests back into a folder as he spoke. She nodded and left him to complete his task.

He met her downstairs and, after kissing Spike, both left the house.

The night air was cool against their skin, causing Emma to hold her light jacket tighter against her body.

As they neared the park, Snake decided to broach the topic he'd been avoiding for the past few weeks.

"Emma." He paused. He knew he had her undivided attention, but he needed to keep his anger and frustration in check. She glanced at him. She saw his internal struggle and decided to save both of them some time.

"Snake, I know I've been weird lately."

Snake let out a small sigh of relief. He was so worried about offending her with his words that he was thankful to hear her make the first move.

"Yeah. Weird is one way of putting it." He said awkwardly. She let out an equally awkward giggle and looked down.

Snake was tired of this. He used to be able to get so much out of her, but lately all she did was clam up every time he stepped foot in the same room as her. He knew he was to blame for that. When he started the chemo, there were times where he knew he had been unreasonable. He let his dislike for Sean affect the way he treated his daughter. He felt he needed to right that wrong before they said anything else.

"Look Emma," He stopped walking, causing her to mirror him, and put his hands on her shoulders.

"I'm so sorry for the way I've been since the chemo started. I've taken a lot of things out on you and Sean, and that is completely inexcusable."

"I know you've been under a lot of pressure. I just didn't know what I had done. And even though you were never angry at me, it still affected me because of what it was doing to Sean."

A few tears escaped as she let out all of the emotions she'd felt. Snake wiped them away with his thumb.

"I understand. I have my reasons for disliking Sean. I've watched him just as long as you have known him. He's reckless, possessive, and easily manipulated from what I've seen. He's fine when he's with you and Manny, but put him in the same room with thugs like Jay, and you see his reputation suffer.

"I didn't want you to go through that pain. I still don't. So, by limiting your time together and letting you see what he's really like without you, I thought you would see how not right for you he is."

Emma listened to his speech with rapt attention, taking in all of his good intentions and bad judgments. After Snake had finished, he removed his hands from her shoulders and stuffed them in his jacket pocket.

"I know you were only looking out for me Snake, She started, but he cut her off.

"Whether it worked or not, I'm not so sure. You just went from one bad influence to another."

"Snake." She walked over to the bus stop bench a few feet away and sat down. "There's a lot about this you don't know."

He moved to sit next to her. "Then make me understand. What is going on with you, Emma?"

She gave a heavy sigh and contemplated her options. She desperately wanted to stop lying to her parents and tell them anything, but telling them could jeopardize the plan she and Sean worked so hard to initiate.

"I can't tell you everything. But what I can tell you is that, if things work out, everything will be back to normal by Monday."

Snake nodded, albeit reluctantly.

"Then, is there anything you can tell me? Anything you want me to know?"

"I really want to let you know that Sean and I aren't broken up. We're still together."

She saw his confusion and continued.

"But you can't tell anyone. Not even the teachers. Everyone at Degrassi has to believe what me and Sean want them to believe."

"So, you want the school to keep believing that you are dating Jason Hogart? And you want to keep making people believe that you are not the good girl I know you are by skipping classes?"

His voice was elevating and Emma immediately got on the defense. She knew he would react like this; what normal parent/ school authority wouldn't? But what could she say to ease his mind without giving anything away?

"Snake, I'm asking you to trust me." She looked him dead in the eyes. "I need you to trust me."

He saw the seriousness on her face and mirrored it with his own. He needed more than she was giving him and he was determined to get his answers.

"You need to tell me more. The nurse is getting wind of your skipping, and so are your other teachers. And with the things people are saying, it is really difficult for me to trust you completely right now. You've done nothing but lie to me for weeks now, Emma!"

The pent up anger he'd kept inside for so long was finally being released.

"I know! I understand. It won't happen for much longer. And I promise I will explain what's happened to everyone—you, mom, and the entire school—if you just trust me and keep this secret."

He looked at her for a long time, thinking of everything she'd told him before nodding his head. That wasn't the response he wanted, but the look in her eyes told him that what she was dealing with was serious, and if she didn't even tell Spike about any of it, it must have been something big.

He would trust her for now. But by Monday, he was going to make her sit with him, Spike, and Sean and make them tell everything that had been happening. That was a guarantee.

"I'm going to trust you. Don't let me down." He said after a brief pause.

"I promise not to." She replied with a lighter heart.