-DISCLAIMER!! I WROTE EMMAS CHARACTER LIKE THIS FOR THE STORY AND NOT TO RFELCT ON MY PERSONAL VIEWS-

    "Dad! Mom! Look," Jack shouted with glee as he raced towards a chalk drawing. "This ones got a kid playing the drums. Can I play the drums?" He looked up at them and gave that childlike innocence. His Mom smiled and her lips lifted at the corners.

    "Of course sweetheart,"

    "I missed this town. It was so pure," Jack whispers to Mark as he stares out the window, utterly entranced.

    "It seems really special," Mark says and Jack looks down and sees there hands pressed together.

    "For better or for worse," He whispers and Mark nods solemnly.

    "For better or for worse,"

    "I can take you guys to your old house Jack. If that's what you want," Nate mutters awkwardly. Jack cast a glance his way and shakes his head.

    "No thanks can you just drop us off at Skillet Cafe'," The moment Jack says it Mark nudges him with his arm and gives him a look. "Oh," He says aloud and his face goes beat red. "Come with us," Nate blushes and shakes his head.

    "Nah I'll just be the third wheel,"

    "Come on you can catch me up and I'll share what its like in Ohio. It'll be fun," Jack smiles and Mark nods along.

    "Trust me we aren't for hardcore sex in the restaurant," The moment Mark finishes the sentence Jack slaps him in the arm.

    "What the literal fuck Mark? Why'd you have to say something so weird?" Mark laughs evilly and Nate pulls into the cafe.

    "I recommend the Corn beef hash with sour bread toast," Jack says as they leave the car and Mark nods. Pushing open the doors a burst of chilly air conditioning hits them. Along with it comes the smell of pancakes and fresh eggs.

    Jack was swinging his legs under the table as he flipped through the menu.

    "I want eggs Mommy," he told her flashing a kid smile. She laughed and messed up his hair.

    "Well thats good. Eggs make you strong," His dad said and his mom sent a smile his way. Placing a hand on his shoulder she had begun to rub it.

    "Okay Superman,"

    As a waiter placed them in a booth Jack found himself smiling. A massive grin that dug deep into his soul. He remembered this place and he loves it. The scrapping of the silverware he once complained so heavily about. The aroma of warm syrup that fills his pores. The people talking. Every last voice was nothing less than amazing. He remembers his own voice filling the air. As he joked with Nate, Emma and Ohm as they ate Sunday breakfast.

    "This place is the same," Jack whispers as he looks at the pale yellow walls. "The exact same,"

    "Gettin' flashbacks Jacky?" Mark jokes as he nudges him in the shoulder. Rolling his eyes Jack grabs the menu the waitress placed down. He doesn't even need to look. He's getting exactly what he recommended Mark. He always did that when he went here.

    "Hey Nate!" A voice suddenly yells. Swiftly turning around to face the voice Jack sees a familiar face, or two familiar faces.

    "Oh my fuckin' jesus christ!" Emma says as she rushes to the table. "Sean is that you?" Jack cringes at the sound of Sean but smiles none the less.

    "Its Jack now but sure is Emma," he stands up and she goes in for a hug.

    "I can't believe its really you," she grins. Ohm stands to the side and Jack knows he's smiling. He couldn't see his face but he knew there was a grin behind that heavy mask.    
    "No offense my apparently once sweet Sean but you look like you could beat another persons face in with a swift punch," she says pursing her lips playfully. Jack grins warily and shakes off her hug,

"Hmm I don't know," he answers even though he knows he actually could do that. Emma laughs and hits him jokingly. Jack knew she always like him and apparently, even after five years, she still does.

"I barley recognized you," Emma gushes again. Jack grins and offers them all to sit.

     "So?" Ohm begins as he looks towards Mark. "Who's this?"

     "I'm Mark," he says as he holds out his hand to the both of them. "I meant Jack back in Ohio," Then they all kinda look down at the menus. Mark really the only one who's browsing.

    "Umm how's everyone?" Jack says trying to spark a conversion out of the awkward air.

    "Oh well Minx hooked up with that teacher just after you left. They never got caught but she had to tell every detail to me," Ohm says and Jack laughs.   

    "Yeah? That makes total sense they were really hot together," he jokes and everyone laughs, besides Mark who's fiddling with his thumbs. Reaching down Jack enlaces there fingers and he automatically sees his back relax.

    "Jack what are you doing back?" Ohm asks as he messes with Nates napkin.

    "I was just stopping by on my way to New York. It's out of the way but I couldn't resist going to see my old-," Suddenly the waitress comes back and pulls out the order ticket.

    "I'm assuming the usual for you trio but what about you two lovelies?" Her voice is drawn out in a thick accent. Jack clears his throat and tightens his grip on Marks hand.

    "The corn beef hash with sour bread," his voice comes out croaky and Mark giggles beside him. The waitress marks it down and turns to Mark.

    "The same thing," she smiles once more but doesn't move from the table. Her eyes set on Jack.

    "Do I know you sweet cheeks?" She bats her mascara coated eyelashes and bares an all American grin.

    "I use to live around here. Jack or, better known as Sean Mcloughlin," he says nervously and her face alights excitedly.

    "Oh yes!" She squeals, "It's Marina from middle school. We went to the fair together," Jack nods and laughs but honestly, he has no idea who this girl is. Not even a twinge of familiarity. Then she giggles and brushes down her skirt. "Best go get your meals," she then rushes off and Jack is able to cast his attention to the table, or Mark rather.

    "Remember me from that random fair years ago?" Mark whispers in a high pitched voice to Jack causing him to laugh aloud. He had obviously caught on to his fake smile.

    "Oh pretty boy are you jealous?" Jack jokes as he whispers back. Running his bottom lip along Marks earlobe. Mark laughs and rolls his eyes. Emma clears her throat and they both jerk there heads up.

    "So Jack!" Her voice hits a note too high and everyone at the table visibly cringes. Besides Jack, who's seen this happen millions of times. "You left pretty quickly open night and never offered a real explanation so why did you leave? Sorta bugged me for a few years," she tilts her head expectedly and Jack freezes. Nates mouth turns down and Ohms breathing visibly stops.

    "Do you have your things packed?" Margate asked as she poked a head into Jacks bare room. Looking down at his stuff Jack had solemnly nodded his head. That house, even cleaned thoroughly, still smelled like the sickening smell of bleach. "Great," she patted the edge of the door frame, hesitating, "Meet me in the car and we can go. We can stop by your friends houses if you want. To say goodbye," her offer had been kind but Jack denied it. He just wanted to curl his body in the now empty bathroom and breath in the lasting bleach smell.

    "Volo mori," Jack had whispered. "irrumabo,"

    "What the hell is wrong with you?" Mark yells as Jack comes back into existence. Taking a deep breath he smells the horrible smell of bleach. Curling into Marks shoulder he covers his mouth. He can't breath. It smells like fucking bleach. Mark reaches around and pulls Jack closer. Holding his arm across his back.

    "Oh Sean I didn't mean to make you upset," Emma cries. Jack tries to take another deep breaths but gets more bleach. He begins to cough. Coughing harder and harder until his sides contact so tight he cant get another breath in before more coughing.

    "Shh Jack its okay I've got you," but Jack keeps coughing. Soon bile builds in the back of his throat. Trying to swallow he gets another cough. "Deep breaths," Mark says as he rubs his back. "Get some water," he pulls away Jack who struggles lad no holds his mouth as he coughs. Coughing. Coughing. Coughing. God it hurts so bad. Is this what dad felt?

    "Bleach," Jack manages as he continues to cough. "Bleaches in here," Ohm looks around and shakes his head.   

    "Theres no bleach," Mark shushes him.       

    "No. There is," then he pulls Jack up and takes him outside. Sitting down on the bench Jack finally intakes a deep breath. The bleach is all gone. His eyes water form the lack of oxygen and his face is splotchy and red. He gasps in more and more fresh air and he can't get enough. More air. More air. More air and soon Jacks hyperventilating as he keeps taking in shorter and shorter breaths.

    "Do you hear my heartbeat? Focus on that. Take in each breath with that," Shutting his eyes Jack tries but he can't as he keeps taking in each breath. "You don't have to be alone anymore," then the world around him stops. 'You don't have to be alone anymore'

    'You don't have to be alone anymore'.

    Time slows and the people freeze. The worlds just Mark and the beating of his chest. Bu Bump Bu bump Bu bump. He smells so wonderful and his arms are warm and in the longest time this is the only time he's been aloud to break. Break without a consequence of a whip and lashes. The sacred latin turned to ash. Jack felt tears well in the back of his eyelids but he blinks those away. He still wasn't worthy to cry and never would he be.