How we are- a swanthief fanfiction

Chapter five

Positive.

That one symbol changed her life. A small plus sign on the screen of a pregnancy test. Emma felt herself sink into the corner of the bathroom floor and her neck against the cool bathtub.

"I'm pregnant......" She whispered utterly terrified. She felt tears in her eyes. How was she gonna tell her mother? Meredith? Hell, how was he gonna tell the baby's father?

She knew Neal might not want more kids right now with his job and Jake being so young and she understood that. He got his son back just three months earlier. She wanted to finish college first and get married anyway. She felt she and Neal deserved to be well set and married and plan children first.

She looked down at the test again and didn't know what to think. She was scared, worried, happy. She couldn't be a mother. She was only twenty-one and she hadn't graduated yet. She was worried that she wouldn't be a good mother or that Neal wouldn't want their kid. She was happy as she wanted to have this kid.

She checks her watch and puts the test back in the box. She then puts that in her bag to throw out later. She goes to her room and changes before going downstairs and making herself a sandwich.

Meredith and snow came home that night and did their usual thing. Meredith got a beer and went upstairs. Snow sat next to emma and watched a movie with Jake.

Neal texted Emma about eight o'clock. "Hey, beautiful. Been called to a couple fires. Running late, really sorry. Will be home soon. I love you *smiley face*"

She texted him back quickly. "I'm not beautiful. That's fine. Be safe. I love you too. P.S. Jake says hi."

Emma put Jake to bed and felt better about her pregnancy because she could do this with her own son or daughter in several years. Put her child in bed in nine months. She loved Jake but he isn't hers by blood. She didn't carry him.

She came back down and turned on the eleven o'clock news where they were reporting a fire. Emma started paying attention when they said department two twenty-eight responded. That was Neal's department.

"Two people reported dead on scene. One a firefighter. They have not released his name but we were told he was about five ten, had brown hair and brown eyes and was in his early to mid twenties. The other was an African American renter about seventy-five."

Emma felt tears after they described the firefighter. Neal was five nine and a half. He had brown hair and brown eyes. Neal was twenty-four so you could say he was mid twenties. She started sobbing uncontrollably and just sat there doing so.

She eventually cried herself to sleep on the couch after trying to call Neal several times. She didn't wake up until the next morning and she still hadn't heard from Neal. The six o'clock news had an updated report.

"The victims of yesterday's fire have been identified as Neil Cassidee and Michael Phillips."

Emma brought her hand to her mouth slowly to muffle a sob. Snow called into the diner and said neither would be there.

"They said it's fine, sweetie. We can stay and grieve today." Snow says as she sits down next to her daughter and rubs her arm.

"I need to go down there....."

"Emma, I don't think that's the best idea."

"I need to go down there and talk to them. Find out what happened to Neal...."

"Baby..."

"No. His kid, Jake, myself.. we need to know why happened. Why he..." she couldn't say it.

"Died.." snow finished and emma nodded.

"Alright. Fine. Let's go." Snow said as she stood and got her keys.

They soon got to the station and emma rushed to Neal's best friend, Richard 'Ricky' Trexeler.

"Ricky!" she said as he hugged her. She pulled back a moment later and smiled slightly at him but it fades.

"Hey, Emma. Where's neal?"

"I was gonna ask you that. What happened at the fire on fifth last night?"

"Two guys died. Neil and a renter. I haven't seen Cassidy yet though." Ricky shrugged as a soot covered man with white ashes in his hair tapped Emma's shoulder.

She turned. "Yes?" he hugged her and she felt safe but awkward.

"Emma...." he said as he held her close.

"Neal.....?" she said more of a statement then a question