Archive of Our Own ^beta

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Emmett James Forrest had not intended to go to Harvard for love.

Emmett had not intended to go to Harvard for anything other than his prospects. He’d promised himself he wouldn’t distract himself, wouldn’t throw his chance away. He was driving himself forward.

Eventually, he’d done exactly what he wanted to do. He’d graduated from Harvard Law, at the top of his class but not the valedictorian, which was probably for the best in his opinion. He wasn’t exactly a representative of his year. Unlike a lot of his peers, he’d truly suffered for what he achieved. How many of them had to sacrifice meals for their work, and how many of them were working two jobs to make ends meet? Other questions clouded his mind alongside those, how many of them were getting their way paid for them, how many of them were doing it just because they could, not because they should or would.

The self-loathing left him when he finally left Boston. He’d managed to somehow find his feet in New York City for a time, in Manhattan of all places. Was his mom happy with him for such a decision, not particularly. However, a promise was a promise, and a job at Pearson Specter was very well-paying indeed. It took him a while to rise through the ranks, but eventually, he got there.

He wasn’t going to suffer as a paralegal, and his analysis and technique got him out of being a junior associate relatively quickly. Working on contingency fees made the money come in quicker, and soon as a junior partner he was on a set salary too. The money was coming in quickly, and soon he had more than he knew what to do with.

Emmett was not a person to spend lavishly, unlike some of his fellow partners. He knew that the associates spent their money as quickly as they got it, pretending to be the big boys that they wanted to be. Eventually, he decided to become an attorney ‘of counsel’. He was well-known, relatively, and as an independent contractor, he could decide what cases he worked on. Divorces, usually, helped with billable hours. In other cases, small business mergers and acquisitions brought in the big bucks.

It all blended, like a blur of memories that he couldn’t remember when he tried to reminisce. He knew it paid well, and that was it. There was no satisfaction from the mergers, even if the money gave him a small dopamine rush. The divorces were too depressing that Emmett tended to repress them, he had enough to deal with thinking of his poor childhood. Soon, it was more than enough, he’d made his mark and left.

Well, it wasn’t that he left out of the satisfaction of a job well done. He couldn’t leave his mother alone again, and somehow, Professor Robert Callahan had discovered his email address. That was a surprise, as well as the offer that came with it.

A job, at Harvard Law. Granted, it was as a teaching assistant, but it was nothing to sneer at. It was Harvard Law for Christ’s sake! He’d be directly under Callahan too, a chance to learn more from one of the best. He’d be back in Boston, he’d be able to look after his mom, and he’d even be able to walk to work without that much issue. What more could he ask for? He came back to Harvard and was happy, at least for a little while.

If only he knew the storm he was going to be walking into, over the next three years.
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Emmett didn’t tend to look at the upcoming freshmen who were all arriving at Harvard, he’d put names to faces in class but there was one face that he would never forget. Well, he was lying. He could remember Schultz, Padamadan and Enid, but that wasn’t the point. He would have forgotten them if it weren’t for how he was introduced to the Elle Woods who was blonde, had blue eyes and had an amazing figure.

“We were just going around the circle, you know, the sharing circle. Tell us something about yourself. Oh, the name’s Emmett Forrest.” He’d said, somewhat optimistically. She seemed pretty nice, if a little, well, blonde.

“Elle Woods! Me, oh, okay! So, I am a Gemini with a double-Capricorn moon and I have a bachelor’s degree from UCLA where I was the Sig-Ep Sweetheart. Oh, also I was the president of the Delta-Nu Sorority! And I founded the charity Shop for a Cause!”

“Huh!” That was admittedly impressive. He knew she must have done well enough on the LSAT to get to Harvard in the first place. “That’s pretty…”

“Oh, and I was at Fred Segal a couple of weeks ago, I managed to talk Beyonce out of buying this horrendous cable-knit tube top. Whoever said tangerine is the new pink is seriously disturbed.”

“…Neat.” Emmett wasn’t a Beyonce fan by any means, she wasn’t exactly his idea of suitable music to listen to when grading. “I did not know that.”

It took him a while, but when he did, he did. Elle was bedecked in pink. A pink shirt, a pink jacket, and a pink hat, alongside some maroon jeans and brown boots. She had even brought a dog, the little chihuahua who had surprisingly not yapped or barked at him that much. Everyone else was so dull, dressed in greys, whites and blacks, some were even dressed in nice casual suits and dresses. Emmett would be able to pick Elle Woods out if she was in a ‘Where’s Waldo?’ book.

“Do you know where I can find Criminal Law 101 with Professor Callahan and Warner Huntington the Third?” she had asked. “I don’t know where I’m going.”

The group of peers he’d been talking to had left as quickly as they had arrived, leaving Emmett alone with Elle. “Oh, it’s fine. I’ll show you. It’s in Hauser, the second building to the left.”

“Thanks, well, see you later Emmett!”

Almost immediately, she’d walked off in a perfect storm of pink. “Um, Elle! I don’t think dogs are exactly allowed in class?”

He’d never forget her response. “Oh, silly! Bruiser’s not just a dog, Bruiser is family! I’ll just drop him off in my room. He’d be happier there anyway; he loves watching Glee! See you later!”

Elle Woods, the sorority president who wears too much pink and a has a chihuahua that likes Glee. Emmett thought he’d heard it all, seen it all, but he could tell the students for the new academic year were already a little out there. He’d zipped up his overcoat and tightened the strap on his satchel, keeping it at his hip. Then he realised how he was meant to be with Callahan for that morning! The papers in his bag were weighing him down, but it didn’t matter as soon as he set out to follow the pink storm in front of him.

The class went by, as they usually did. The difference was that the pink storm that was Elle Woods might as well have not entered at all. Robert Callahan was a shark, most lawyers on the East Coast knew that. He gave his whole ‘Blood in the Water’ spiel to the class, and as soon as Elle had started taking notes, she’d managed to annoy him in two sentences and gotten herself kicked out then and there.

As unfortunate as it was for her to be the first, she wasn’t the only one either. However, she was the only one to linger outside the class until the end. Emmett had handed off his graded papers to Callahan, with a curt nod as thanks, which was to be expected. He’d also found out that Elle was a former flame of Warner Huntington, hence her enthusiasm to get back to him for some reason. Warner was, well, decent enough. He seemed a bit uppity, and he seemed pretty comfortable with Miss Vivienne Kensington.

“Aren’t their girls going wild somewhere without you?” Even Emmett felt that one, that was a deep cut. “Is there something you would like to share with Elle, Warner?”

Warner was a little slow on the ball, speaking before getting pulled away by Vivienne. “Oh, Elle, Vivienne and I went to boarding school together. She’s my girlfriend now, uh, see you around?”

Elle didn’t say much in response, almost as if she was stuck, paused in motion. Callahan had given him a few tasks, just some minor printing and checking for some example briefs for the students. However, even as a TA, he had to have the students’ health and best interests at heart. She was from UCLA, which probably meant she was a SoCal girl. The West Coast was a long way away, she was a fish out of the water and because of her nature, most people strayed away from her.

Well, if there was one thing Emmett Forrest knew from personal experience, it was to never let someone else feel alone. “Elle, are you okay? I know getting kicked out is rough, but your law school days and career aren’t over. Hell, even I got kicked out on my first day.”

“Law school? Career? Emmett, no offence, but they are so not my problem right now!” Elle exclaimed. “I need help getting back into class with Warner, Emmett, please, can you help me?”

Emmett nodded, slowly. “Uh, yeah, of course. Just come back tomorrow with me, and make sure you’ve done the reading for the assigned cases? It’s only one for now, but keep on top of it, okay?”

“Ugh, okay.” Elle sighed. “How long have you known Callahan?”

Emmett was already walking off before he was joined by the ex-sorority girl. “Hard-hitting questions already? With no coffee, at eleven in the morning?”

“Oh, we can get coffee if you want to!” Elle offered; a tad too excited. It amused Emmett a little. “I know a cute little shop just off the campus, they make some great non-dairy frappuccinos.”

Emmett smiled. “Maybe another time, I think Callahan would kick me out if I didn’t print his papers for him before the next lecture starts. Listen, don’t listen to what anyone says about you, okay?”

“Oh, I don’t! Just, you know, getting to know people is good! Just takes a little warming up, that’s all.” Elle gave the most genuine smiles, Emmett realised. “See you around, Emmett, have a nice day!”

If only it were always that easy, Elle. Oh, if only. She’d walked off with a sway in her step, an attitude that Emmett couldn’t help but seem to admire just a little bit. She might well have been a fish out of the water, a small fish in a big pond, but she didn’t seem to show it. Already, she was handling things better than Emmett was when he was in her position. That was something admirable, truly praiseworthy in his eyes.

His overcoat tugged, as his satchel loosened again. He needed to get a new coat, and a new bag, but whenever was there time for that? Harvard, and Callahan, did not wait for anyone. As Elle walked off, Emmett couldn’t get the colour pink out of his head. He smiled to himself, he’d look forward to seeing how she came back from her first blow, as well as how she progressed throughout her law career.

Chapter Text

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The first semester of the new year had gone quite swimmingly for Emmett if he said so himself. There was little drama to deal with in his personal life, considering his mother wouldn’t stop pestering him for his lack of a girlfriend. He loved his mother; Mary Forrest had given it her all to make sure that Emmett had been raised properly. He was who he was, in the best of senses, because of her.

Emmett found himself lingering occasionally in his thoughts, just a little too much. Not so much about himself, but about how he had left his mother out of some sense of fulfilling a promise. He’d promised that he would buy her that house on the cape, he scraped and saved every dollar, every paycheque he could. He came back, and she no longer wanted that house. She’d made herself a home in Boston. She’d even said it to him, it was so she could be closer to him.

At first, he doubted coming back to Harvard was a good idea. Too many prep-school attitudes, and not enough focus on some students, but it seemed that what Emmett had suffered through had been ripped out and cauterised. Students like Kensington were models to the others, and whilst there were some unique individuals, not intrigued Emmett more than Elle Woods.

Her, and her never-ending pursuit of Warner Huntington’s attention. For her, it might have been a destination, a target. For Emmett, it was slowly putting him into a state of vexation. It was painful.

Warner might not have been the best student, but that could be remedied. His LSAT score was good, he showed promise. Elle, by all rights, was somewhat the same. She got a 175 on the LSAT, it was a perfect test. Yet, as soon as she stepped foot on the campus grounds, the hallowed halls of Harvard Law, all of that intellect and promise seemed to drain out of her pretty little head.

It baffled Emmett to no end, and he’d mentioned to Callahan multiple times that something was wrong. It seemed the old bloodhound didn’t listen, not that Emmett ever imagined him doing that for anyone that wasn’t himself. He was too much of a shark to listen to others, too busy sniffing out the blood in the water that would lead him to more fame, more renown, and more money for his benefit. Every lesson, Elle would make a series of mistakes in quick order, and immediately, Callahan turned into the shark he was. Preying on her weakness, her loneliness, and her lack of social group.

She was out, and it seemed that Criminal Law was the one class module that Elle was going to flunk. Emmett knew Harvard, he knew the committee, if she flunked anything she might already be out. Her grades were passable, but not exemplary. She didn’t need the naming and shaming, the evictions from class all from Callahan, what she needed was help, whatever it was that got her through the LSAT.

The last straw was when he was covering for Callahan, the old man was dealing with something personal. He didn’t say what, but he outright issued Emmett a standing order to continue teaching the freshmen until they dropped or he did. So, Mr. Forrest became Professor Forrest for the day. The final lecture of the day was Criminal Law, and as Callahan had stated, the freshmen were his to deal with. Other than the odd smarmy remark about his too-worn satchel or his raggedy overcoat, it wasn’t too bad. The one thing that did make it worse was that he did exactly what Callahan did.

He was forced to kick out Elle, as much as he tried to resist the urge to keep her in. She deserved a chance, a fair chance.

Whenever he called on her, her attention seemed to falter and she lost concentration. She’d forget the basics now and then, she’d drift off and seem to forget she was at Harvard, not California. It got to the point where even if she was trying, she was making a fool out of herself, and the whole class knew it. To Emmett, it wasn’t so much of a punishment as it was a chance for her to save some dignity.

It seemed that whilst she might have had some left, she had no shortage of bravery to chase him down in the middle of the street at the end of the day. He wasn’t angry about it, God, he didn’t have the need or chances to be angry, not as a lawyer or TA. He was more impressed by the guts she was willing to show. She was still dressed in pink, albeit a little more muted than her first day of term.

“Professor Forrest, professor! Do you have a minute, please?” She’d called from down the street. “Just a minute, I swear!”

Emmett turned around to face her, waving for her to walk and talk. “Firstly, Miss Woods, I’m not a professor, I was just filling in for Callahan. No need for that title with me.”

“Okay, Emmett. Don’t call me Miss Woods, please?”

“Woods Comma, Elle, it is then,” Emmett commented with a smirk, he was a little proud of that one. “What was it that you wanted to talk to me about so desperately that you hunted me down?”

Elle seemed to shiver a little, October was a little colder than usual. “I thought you were a little nicer than Professor Callahan, why did you need to kick me out of class? I did nothing wrong!”

“It was not because you did anything wrong. Listen, I did it so you could save some face and because it was a distraction to the class.” Emmett rounded off. “Look, I know moving from California to here is a big jump, especially for first-year students. I know you are smart enough to do this, Mr. Lowell and Mr. Zimmer were kind enough to show me your LSAT score. 175, that is insane, Elle.”

“Thank you, but what are you trying to say?” she questioned. “I need help?”

Emmett nodded, unknowingly walking into the coffee shop that Elle had mentioned. She seemed to hug herself as she took off her jacket. Emmett, as tall as he was, couldn’t really look down at her. She smiled, rather comfortable and warm in a place where she felt safe.  Emmett took a seat close to a window, wanting to look outside as the rain began, he’d mark some papers and then go to see his mother if he had the time. He knew she’d appreciate the visit, even if he was seeing her every other day.

It wasn’t even five minutes until Elle had come back, he hadn’t even noticed her slip into the queue. He’d taken the papers out, laying them on the table before he noticed the rips in his bag as well as his overcoat. He sighed before he saw the freshly-made coffee in front of him. Elle had quickly made herself comfy on the chair opposite Emmett, looking at the papers as she slowly sipped at her coffee. Emmett didn’t know what it was, but it looked like some kind of soy-latte hybrid with fifteen different flavours in it.

“Elle, look, I’m just a teaching assistant. I can point you in the direction of some peer study groups, and that’s about it.” Emmett added. She didn’t move. “Did you get this for me?”

“Of course, I did silly!” Elle smiled, sipping at her drink. “Oh, and I tried that, nobody turned up.”

“Oh.” Either they stood her up or just said they were doing something in the library and then did it somewhere else. It wouldn’t be the first time some students did that, nor would it be the last. “Oh.”

“I’ll get my grades up, don’t worry. Oh! Don’t worry about the coffee either, my treat.”

Emmett cocked his eyebrow. “No, come on, how much do I owe you?”

“Nothing, it’s on me!” She smiled, laughing a little. It was the most genuine smile he’d seen in Harvard, a good-natured, old-fashioned smile. “Anyway, I think I asked a few weeks ago, how long have you known Callahan?”

Emmett shook his head. “I think I said something about…”

“You had no coffee, and how it was too early for hard-hitting questions?” Elle grinned. “Well, we’re past ten ‘o’clock in the morning and you have a hot little soy vanilla gift right there.”

The TA fell back into his chair, staring at Elle before he smiled. She had him down to a tee. “Since I was eighteen when I started at Harvard. Kicked me out more times than any other professor but I kept coming back. I guess he must have taken a liking to me I guess, considering he got me the job.”

“Wait, how old are you?” Elle seemed shocked before she realised what she had asked. “Sorry, that was rude.”

“Eh, I don’t mind. I’m twenty-five.” Emmett shrugged. “I graduated top of the class, but not valedictorian. Moved to Manhattan, lawyered for four and a half years, and came back here. New York just wasn’t for me.”

Elle seemed confused. “So, you were a lawyer, in New York, and now you’re a TA?”

“Yep.” Emmett shrugged again. “Callahan recommended me. That, and I was a pretty good lawyer. You don’t just get hired at Pearson Specter for nothing, I just, I did everything I wanted, got it all.”

The student seemed entranced. “Wow! So, like, you’ve argued in court. Been there and done that, huh?”

“I guess you could say it like that.” Emmett sipped his coffee. It was just right, not too hot or cold, the right amount of vanilla. “Wow, that, now that is…”

“Amazing, right? Omigod, I knew you’d love it! Everyone loves a vanilla latte, they always make me feel better after a long day, so I just thought, well, being a Harvard professor must be pretty stressful.”

Internally, Emmett was absolutely astounded. As time flew by, Emmett found himself putting the papers he was meaning to grade back in his bag. Elle had him in her web, enrapturing him with stories about her life in California. Cheerleading captain and president of her sorority, the girl had potential, she had her bachelor’s degree in fashion merchandising. That was a baffling change, everything indicated to Emmett that Elle was far away from where she was meant to be.

The pair of them ordered another two coffees, sipping slowly as Emmett relaxed. He took off his coat and school lanyard, placing them over the back of his chair. Elle had done the same, keeping her purse on the table as she draped her pink jacket over the back of her chair. The two swapped tales of their lives, although Emmett had more than a few that he was keeping locked away for a time. Elle was more than happy enough to spill whatever story came to her head, and Emmett was happy with letting her. The less focus on him, the better.

“So, you went from fashion merchandising to criminal law? How did you even manage that one-eighty? Can’t imagine that your spring was filled with festivals and parties if the LSATs were happening.” Emmett asked. “Not that you’d be the type to just go to those things, I wasn’t assuming, I was just…”

“Oh, it’s okay! In college I was running all the events we’d do over the summer. Me and the leader of Sig Nu, a guy called Chad, I always nailed a good Spring Fling Extreme. He was nice, I miss him.”

“The leader of a frat-house was called Chad?” Emmett almost snorted. “Colour me surprised.”

Elle leant in, whispering. “He even had a title. Everyone called him Grandmaster Chad, apparently it was because he was a secret chess nerd.”

“Woah! Don’t talk down on us chess nerds!” Emmett laughed. “Seems like you had some good friends? You said they were your sorority sisters?”

The day was slowly coming to a close, the night closing in on them. Emmett found himself offering Elle his overcoat for added warmth. He wouldn’t have forgiven himself if he didn’t walk her back to the halls of residence. He’d sent his mother a message that he’d be a little bit late, to no response, which was just typical of her. She was probably volunteering at a shelter, she was kind like that, always had been.

“Serena, Margot, Kate and Pilar. My best friends, since like, pre-school. We’d always support each other, Kate helped me with the LSATs, and Serena, Margot and Pilar helped me manage the sorority. I wish I could see them.”

Emmett placed his hand on her back. “Well, if you’re missing them this much, it must have meant that they were really good friends. There aren’t many of them, make sure you keep them close.”

“Thank you, Emmett. That’s sweet of you to say.” Elle smiled sweetly. The two reached the dorms, and Emmett walked Elle to her room. “Well, this is me…”

She’d handed Emmett his coat back before she unlocked the door. Bruiser Woods, the little chihuahua had popped out immediately. He yapped and jumped at Elle, who picked the dog up and showered him with kisses and kind words before she put him down. The miniature dog looked up at Emmett, as the lawyer looked down. Bruiser stepped on his shoe, sniffing before Emmett knelt, giving the mini-canine a few pets before he wandered back inside.

“Thank you, for walking me home.” Elle beamed. “I appreciate it. Oh, and thank you for today, I haven’t had a day like that since I left California.”

“Well, it was a pleasure, Little Miss Woods Comma, Elle.”

“You’re never going to drop that one, are you?” Elle leant against the doorframe, unimpressed with Emmett’s smirk.

Emmett continued to grin. “Nope, don’t think I will. Make sure you get some sleep for tomorrow, okay. If you need anything, don’t be afraid to ask me after class, okay?”

“I will, Emmett. Get home safe.”

“I will. Goodnight, Elle.”

As soon as she had closed the door, Emmett had made his way out of the school dormitories. Rushing out of the grounds, Emmett was lucky enough to catch a cab as it was going down the street. The cab had taken him just outside of Cambridge, just to his mother’s apartment. The thought of the blonde student constantly ran through his mind, her story, her travels, her journey to Harvard. As he knocked on the door, he couldn’t help but feel sorry for Elle, and at the same time, be utterly captivated by her.

Chapter Text

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Emmett Forrest had never really expected himself to be privately tutoring one of his students. Yet, by the time Halloween had come around, he’d found himself in that exact situation.

He also never really gave himself credit for how good he was at his job, as a lawyer and as a teaching assistant. He knew a lot about the law, and he was always focused on learning more. It was partly the reason why he did so well in New York. He didn’t allow himself to rest, he kept going even when the job was done. Looking after clients, constant pro-bono, he was a workaholic.

Then again, Emmett didn’t pay attention to himself that much. If he could work, that was what he was going to do. His ratty corduroy overcoat and slowly-breaking satchel said more than enough. He allowed himself to feel the cold brush against him, the brisk winds that kicked harshly at him whenever he walked to the campus. He allowed the rain to pitter-patter against his skin.

Nothing really bothered him anymore, he’d seen and felt much worse things. Sometimes, whenever he paid attention to Callahan on a case or whenever he was lecturing the Harvard students, he wondered to himself. Was Emmett slowly becoming a little detached? He felt cold when he went home, he felt like he was lying on ice whenever he placed his body on the mattress, his head on his pillows.

He had his mother, and he hadn’t bothered talking to his father in what must have been decades. He loved his mother; he hated his father. Who else was there? Callahan? Was that it?

He’d known Callahan for almost seven years. For three years Callahan had even told him that he hated him, and yet at the same time, admitted that he was rather impressed by Emmett’s drive to succeed. All he needed to do, according to Robert Callahan himself, was to channel it in the best way possible. Whatever that meant, Emmett took to slowly emulating the elder professor whenever in class. He didn’t speak out of turn; he spoke when spoken to. He came in looking as well as he could, he looked for ways to become quickly effective instead of slow and hard working.

Callahan had been the professor who mattered the most to Emmett, and yet, as soon as he left Harvard, nothing. They didn’t talk, they didn’t meet up, and nothing was done. Multi-state cases between New York and Massachusetts occasionally saw them butt heads, but there was very little in-court battling. Emmett was just an associate at the time anyway, he imagined if he met him when he was a junior partner, they might have fought in court.

That was not a pleasant thought, not at all.

Another unpleasant thought was that of Elle Woods being kicked out, which was looking more and more likely as the semester came close to an end.

Their coffee shop trips had become a post-lecture event which slowly became more common. Elle was more than forthcoming enough to reveal why she kept coming back, but not why she had come in the first place. He’d even been blessed with watching her discuss things with her peers like Enid. She could hold a conversation, hold her side of an argument. Yet, as soon as Warner Huntington came around the corner, she turned into a mess of jelly and lost intelligence.

It was baffling, to say the least. She didn’t expand on what the issue was with Warner, so Emmett effectively assumed she found him attractive to the point where her brain turned off. He couldn’t blame her. Warner was a good-looking guy, he took care of himself, more so than Emmett did. However, he could not say the same for Warner’s personality. He was the same as most of the Harvard Legacy students.

That was to say, boring and arrogant, but at the same time just competent enough to walk right into whatever job they would get as soon as they graduated with a C or whatever they got. Emmett didn’t care, he got his Juris Doctor with a big, fat A on it. He didn’t need to prove anything to anyone, especially Warner Huntington the Third.
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It was that Halloween when Emmett had finally realised that Elle Woods needed someone, anybody, to help her.

He never thought he’d find himself in the situation of having to directly intervene with a student’s education, but there he was. Even the realisation was odd, but whenever it came to Elle, nothing was ever normal. Her happy-go-lucky attitude, her never-ending optimism, and her constant never-say-die attitude when it came to Callahan’s classroom had finally been destroyed, ripped and torn to pieces.

He’d been taking a walk through the park, just after finishing some grading. He knew that a group of the first-years were having a social gathering since none of them knew how to whisper properly. He had taken his headphones out, plugged them into his phone and shuffled away. George Michael’s ‘Amazing’ had come on right at the point where he noticed a frail figure shivering in the distance. Whoever they were, their arms were exposed to the cold October weather.

As he got closer, Emmett realised that the figure was a girl. She was wearing some sort of sexualised bunny costume, a hot pink costume with a set of bunny ears on a well-maintained mane of blonde. He moved closer and closer, moving his headphones down and around his neck. The woman was quietly sniffing, snivelling alone in the cold. Then he realised as he stood next to her.

It was Elle.

“Whoa, Elle? What’s up, doc?” Emmett tried to get her to laugh, which she usually did. It was to no avail, as she looked up at him. “What’s wrong, are you okay?”

She sniffled. “Love. I put my faith in love, I followed where it led.”

“Excuse me? Love led you here?”

“No, it led me to my personal circle of hell!” Elle almost cried. Emmett had never seen her like this. “Nothing’s worked! I was supposed to marry him. Now look at me, I’m flunking out of Harvard Law at the first hurdle. I’m a laughing stock, for him, for Vivienne, for every one of his preppy classmates. Just hit me with a rock, God, I’d rather be dead!”

So, this is where it all comes from. This is why she came to Harvard. She came for him. Oh, that asshole. He doesn’t know what he’s lost. What a damn idiot.

“Wait, go back. You came out, to Boston, to Harvard, all the way from California, for Warner? You came out to an Ivy League school just for a man?” Emmett was astounded. “What kind of rich, romantic, sugary planet are you from?”

She looked up at him, tears beginning to stream down her cheeks. “Malibu…”

“I’m sorry, I just…” Emmett was speechless. They might have been young, too young to get married, but high-school sweethearts weren’t uncommon. “So, he dumped you for Vivienne and you, decided to pass the LSAT to be with him? You didn’t come here to be a lawyer?”

Elle shrugged. “I just wanted to be with him. I thought he was going to propose, I thought he was everything I had dreamed of. Then, he dumps me. He needed a Jackie; he didn’t need a Marilyn. He wanted somebody serious, and I was! I was seriously in love with him, I did everything for him! And somehow, I wasn’t enough!”

“You won’t believe me, not now, but you are more than enough. You shouldn’t judge yourself based on whatever people think you’re worth. Believe me, I know.” Emmett muttered. “Come on, let’s get you inside.”

Elle looked at him, and Emmett looked at her. One of her bunny ears had flopped down, and Emmett couldn’t help but huff out a laugh. He took off his satchel, took off his ratty old jacket and placed it over her shoulders. It was a few sizes too big, and the sleeves covered her hands. He rolled them up for her, before zipping her up. There was no need to prolong any kind of embarrassment.

“Emmett, I don’t have my key to get back in.”

“But, what about Bruiser?”

She smiled at the reminder of her canine companion. “Paulette, she’s looking after him at her place. She’s got my key.”

“Okay, right, well, um.” Emmett struggled. “I guess, shit, I guess you can stay at my place? Is that okay with you? I mean, no, don’t worry. Forget I said anything, it was stupid.”

Elle hugged him, and for once, even in the cold weather, he felt warm inside and out. She was standing so close, her arms wrapped around his waist and he was fine with it. It might not have been the most well-thought-out plan, and not the most appropriate. If anybody caught them outside of the campus, especially going inside together, he was going to catch so much shit he might even get fired. However, when he laid his eyes on her teary smile and saw how happy she had somebody with her, he realised. Screw Harvard, he didn’t care what they thought, Elle was his friend.

“We can go to yours,” Elle mumbled into his chest. “Let’s go to yours.”

As soon as she had said it, Emmett had linked his arm with hers and walked her out of the park. For once, he’d decided he needed to use his car that day. Thankfully, he was getting his money’s worth out of it. He’d never fathomed owning his car, but since leaving New York with the money he had made, he realised he could actually look after himself. It was just a Mini Cooper, coated in black, but it got him from A to B. He opened the door for Elle, letting her in first before he got in himself. As soon as he got in, the car seemed to warm up and by the time they got to his apartment, they were warm.

Chauncy Court Apartments looked nice; Elle noticed. Emmett still thought he was being a bit out there with his choice of home. It was nice, spacious enough and yet small enough to work for him. He didn’t need space, hell, he’d have been happy with a bedroom and a bathroom. His drive had pushed him to be able to become what he wanted to be early, and now Elle was seeing more of him than he thought she ever would.

The walls were grey, monotone with a nice wood laminate floor. He had some plants scattered around, some little art pieces which were nerdy or sporty, and pictures of himself and his mother. It wasn’t the warm and homely pink that Elle would have been used to, but it was better than sleeping in the cold. Emmett closed the door as soon as she was in, locking up as he placed his bag down. He’d kicked off his shoes and looked at Elle.

“So, welcome to my humble abode. Casa Emmett?” he tried to joke. “I’ve got some spare clothes, if you want to get out of the, um…”

“Playboy Bunny costume.” Elle finished for him. “That would be nice, Emmett. Please. Do you have anything to drink? Or eat, actually.”

“Yeah, of course, let me get you those clothes and I’ll throw some pizza in the oven.”

He rushed off, as soon as Elle had taken off his coat. He didn’t want to be rude, and he definitely didn’t want to leer, but he couldn’t help but admit that she was attractive as all hell. He could not quite understand how Warner had dumped her. She was nice, unreasonably kind, he’d never seen her act like the dumb blonde like most people would think of her at first glance. She’d come to Harvard for him! Nobody simply passed an LSAT for love! He picked up some grey pyjama shorts and a shirt, as well as his Arctic Monkeys hoodie. That would be enough for her, although it would be odd not seeing her in pink.

As soon as he had handed the clothes over to Elle, she’d rushed off to his bathroom to get changed. He’d headed to the kitchen, putting on the kettle before he put a pizza on. Pepperoni and chicken will have to do. Fifteen minutes later, it was all ready. Two coffees with soy milk (which Elle had managed to get him addicted to) and a pizza, and the pair were all set. The two had made themselves comfortable on the leather couch, watching whatever struck Elle’s fancy.

It was when she’d paused a rerun of America’s Next Top Model that she’d asked. “Why did you want to become a lawyer, Emmett? Why did you want to come to Harvard?”

“Well, that’s something I didn’t think you’d ask.”

Elle smiled softly, nestling into his shoulder. “We’ve got coffee and a pizza. I think we’re two for two.”

Emmett huffed before he looked down at Elle. “It’s not exactly an entirely happy story, Elle, it’s probably not the best time to tell it either.”

“We’ve got time; besides, you know practically everything about me so…”

“So, it’s only fair if I share something about myself?”

Elle seemed to smirk. She liked to tease him, he realised. “Finally joining the sharing circle, Emmett?”

“You know what, I guess I am.” Emmett nodded, pausing the television. “Well, I grew up in Roxbury. Slums, I guess you could say. It was me, my mom and my dad at one point. He cheated, left, and then my mom’s head kinda just fell off. She kept dating bum after bum, some real scumbags who’d just leave. She was lonely, and all she had was me.”

“Oh, Emmett…”

The older lawyer shrugged. “It’s nothing. She would work two jobs to put food on the table and to keep the apartment we’d barely make rent for. As soon as I could work, I got two jobs. Since I was like, fifteen, I was still studying. Got into college, barely.”

“And from there?”

“I don’t know, Elle, it’s kinda late…”

“Please, Emmett. I’ve been confiding in you; you can confide in me. I won’t tell a soul; I’ll even Double Delta-Nu Sister Swear!”

“I got a chip on my shoulder, basically turned into a social outcast to get into Harvard. Then I moved out, just to take the weight off my mom. So, I was studying law, with Callahan, working two jobs. I was top of my class, and I just hated everyone else there. Who else was dealing with what I was? I hate to say it, Elle, but people like Warner, they’re a dime a dozen at Harvard.”

“I understand, Emmett, I do.” Elle hugged him tightly as he clutched his mug of coffee tight. “Do you, do you wanna keep going? Even with that chip on your shoulder?”

“Yeah, sure.” Emmett sighed. “I didn’t have the money, the family, the connections. But I had a chance. I had a chance, and Callahan said I had the drive and I was not going to waste it. I was so close, so early. I just thought, if my chip on my shoulder got me this far if people didn’t like me, so what, fine.”

Elle seemed to harden. “That sounds highly negative, especially from you.”

“I’m gonna be honest. Elle, you had everything. You had the privilege of being born with rich parents, who love each other, and who live in Malibu. I didn’t. I had to work twice as hard for everything I have now. Jeez, I feel like I haven’t slept since ninety-seven.”

“Tired?” Elle asked. “We can go to bed if you want? It’s Saturday tomorrow, we can stay late.”

“That would be nice.” Emmett sighed. “I’ll take the couch; you can have my bed.”

Elle slapped his bicep. “Oh, don’t be silly, we can share!”

God, please, don’t taunt me with this opportunity. Stop, don’t mess with me like this, please.

“Um, Elle, I am technically your teacher.”

“Oh, what nobody knows won’t hurt them.”

Said every single person who soon had something found about them, which hurt them.

Emmett didn’t bother arguing with her, not that he could even if he tried. She was too nice to argue with, especially after she had just let him vent after he had let her vent in the park. He’d placed his work clothes in the washing basket, placing on a vest and some shorts before he padded to his room.

Elle was already in his bed, and as much as he liked the view, he forced the mentally-wandering side of him away. He hoped his mother wouldn’t try and visit him tomorrow morning. That would be embarrassing. He hoped he wasn’t dreaming, he hoped everything would just go right for once.

He swallowed; his room was admittedly a stereotypical boy’s room. Posters of movies, games, and nerdy stuff that he kept from his childhood. Elle couldn’t help herself from fiddling with the Batman figurine on his right-sided nightstand.

“Your room is cute.” She smiled, tucking herself in. “I like it, very teen boy-chic.”

Emmett laughed as he joined her. “Well, I’m glad it passed the Elle Woods inspection.”

The pair smiled at each other as they laid their heads against their pillows. He hoped Elle wasn’t the type of person to hog the blanket, because Emmett knew well enough that he would hog it back if he had to. Slowly, almost uncertain of what she was doing, Elle placed her hand on Emmett’s cheek. Her hand was warm, it rubbed his cheek slowly, gently rubbing against his bristling stubble. He was going to be ruined, Elle Woods was going to ruin him.

“Goodnight, Emmett.”

“Goodnight, Elle.”

Before his eyelids drooped, all Emmett could think of was that whatever Elle needed, he’d be with her for the long haul. Whatever she needed, he’d do his best to get it.

Chapter Text

---
It took a while for Emmett James Forrest to comprehend what he’d gotten himself into when he woke up.

He was not a stranger to sharing a bed, with anyone. When it was just his mother and himself, in the winter they would share a bed just for the extra warmth. Much to his adult self’s chagrin, he’d managed to sneak into his high-school girlfriend’s home, mostly due to her persuasion. Yet, it had been so long since he had slept in the same bed with anyone, that he’d forgotten the sensation of it.

So, when the alarm went off (and was promptly turned off) he was more than shocked to find himself next to Elle Woods. If he knew the number of thoughts running through his brain at that moment, they would have been running off in quadrillions. Scenarios in which he lost his job, in which he couldn’t look Callahan or a single tenured member of staff in the eye ever again, what his mother would think.

He was terrified.

And yet, it was a Saturday. He had time to be terrified later, not that the scenario of being in bed with Elle Woods was anything to be terrified by. Internally, his mind was racing. They were still friends, he was sure of that, at the very least. Either way, the existential dread of what to say to her when she woke up was clouding his brain and the dread increased with every second that passed.

Shit, shit! What am I doing? I slept, with a student! I mean, I didn’t do anything! But still, it’s unprofessional, it’s unethical, it’s awful! What am I doing with myself, Jesus!

He rushed out of bed, silently storming out of his bedroom as the cute blonde student slept through the morning. He’d padded around his kitchen, chugging down two coffees before he went for a shower. What on Earth was he doing? Was this how he was helping, by being a human body pillow or a shoulder to cry on? If Professor Callahan, if Professor Stromwell, if anyone found out, he was finished! The scalding water was almost freeing, he stopped thinking of everything that was going wrong, his mind was running away and he was happy with that decision. He wanted to run away too.

He heard a knock on the door, and then an attempt at opening it. Thank God, he’d locked it, he could hear Elle trying to say something to him from the other side of the door. He couldn’t hear her, and for a moment he was thankful. He’d focused on himself, shaving, brushing his teeth, flossing, he went through as many daily ministrations as he could from the bathroom until he had to leave.

I need to suck it up, just keep it professional. That’s all. Keep it calm and collected, Forrest. You are not a groomer, not a lecherous bastard, you are a good TA and a damned good lawyer!

He poked his head out from the doorway, catching a glimpse of Elle in his living room. He’d rushed to his room again, locking the door so he could get changed. No papers to grade, no assignments to overlook, all he had to do was survive a weekend without thinking with his other head. That seems easy enough, I haven’t fallen to the dark side before now, and I definitely won’t today! Dressing in some black jeans, a white tee and some converse, it was the most casual anyone would have seen him since he arrived back in Boston.

He’d walked into the living room, finding Elle curled up with a blanket over her. It took him a while to notice, but when he did, he could barely believe it. She was drinking out of his Star Wars mug; she’d swapped out the Arctic Monkeys hoodie for his Harvard Uni pullover. She was slowly assimilating his lifestyle into her own, which was quite cute and at the same time, utterly unexpected.

“Morning, Emmett!” Elle smiled, cheerfully. “You know it’s a Saturday, right? You don’t have to get up this early, like, ever.”

“Yeah, yeah, forgot to turn off my alarm. Sorry if I woke you.”

“Oh, don’t worry! I always get up early anyway, it lets me fit as much as I can do in a day. It was hard not to be productive at UCLA.” Elle grinned, sipping at her coffee. “Since when did you drink soy?”

Since you got me into drinking it, Elle. “Oh well, since we started getting coffees at that place off-campus, I just bought it one day when I was doing the groceries. I kinda like it.”

“Oh, that’s amazing, I’m so glad you do!”

“Look, Elle, we need to talk…”

“Oh, right, of course! Listen, I was thinking of like a private tutoring thing for me, we’d need to plan out the sessions because obviously, you know, work and studying and free time but I think we can make it work! When I was at UCLA, I only had a spring term to study for the LSAT but I got a one-seventy-five! I think I can get where I need to be, I just need somebody to keep me on track. I just need to prove to everyone that I’m serious!”

Well, that wasn’t how I was expecting this to go.

“Ok, I’ll help but you need to realise this. It’s not about being serious now, it’s about getting to work. We’ve got a lot to cover, so we need to get down to brass tacks as soon as possible…”
---
Elle had taken it quite well, the full speech that Emmett had reeled off the top of his head. He needed to be out of his apartment, he needed Elle out of his apartment so he could think about what had happened the night prior. When he drove her back down to the halls of residence, he was ready to begin fully correcting Elle’s method of studying and learning at Harvard. If Elle was as serious as she sounded, then come hell or high water he would get her at the top of her class as he did for himself.

He was not ready for how pink the walls inside Elle’s dorm were. Bruiser had nudged around his legs, getting used to his scent he supposed. He looked around. “Hello, kitty…”

“Well, welcome to Casa Elle Woods!” Elle smiled, standing in the centre of her little slice of paradise. “It’s not Malibu, and it’s not your place, but it works, right? I’ve got everything I’d need here.”

Emmett took everything in, magazines scattered on her duvet, the multitude of law books which had been opened, but unmarked or highlighted. As well, as the photos of Elle’s family and friends, the photo of her and Warner at what looked like Venice Beach, as well as the metal forest of Red Bull cans that were scattered around her room in clusters. It wasn’t what he expected, but it could work.

“You, you drink a lot of Red Bull, don’t you?”

“It gives me energy!”

Emmett cringed, considering she’d shouted a little too loudly. “So you can stay up late at night studying, right?”

“What?”

“I said studying, you do study, don’t you?”

Elle giggled, nodding. “Of course, I do! Let me just get everything ready and we can start, okay?”

Emmett nodded, dropping his bag of studying books and equipment near her bed. Bruiser, the cutey that he was, sniffed around the foreign object like he was a German shepherd and not a chihuahua that he was in actuality. The state of Elle’s room was slowly infuriating Emmett, and eventually, the messy annoyance had hit Emmett like a fever pitch. He got rid of all the empty cans, tossing them into a box which he’d quickly labelled as recycling. He’d even organised Elle’s collection of fashion and gossip magazines and alphabetised her law books as well as put them in sets and collections.

It was when he looked at Elle’s vanity desk, that he sighed. It was a certifiable mess, and it was such an easy thing to get good use out of that it was positively infuriating to Emmett’s self-diagnosed ‘thing for neatness’ as he had called it. He’d taken a laundry basket, tossing everything inside for later, just as Elle turned and looked at him like he had effectively murdered somebody.

“What are you doing?”

“You know, this vanity is real picturesque. But you know, it started its life as a desk.” Emmett smiled to himself. “Time to clear it off, find some room for your law books instead.”

“And what about all the stuff you threw into the basket?”

Emmett had gotten much too into his cleaning. He’d started picking things out at random. “Can you live without this? Can you live without that? I have no idea what this is…”

Elle smiled again, proud. “It’s for hair.”

“Guess what?”

“What?”

“Wear a hat!” Emmett teased, moving the basket to the side of the vanity. I’ll help her organise all of this later, it’s only fair. “Listen, you have to spend a lot of time improving what’s inside your head! Not that it isn’t already impressive, I mean, I didn’t get a one-seventy-five but that’s not the point. We’re taking things seriously, remember?”

That was when it hit him. Elle Woods needed exactly what he had when he was suffering through Harvard Law. “I remember, now…”

“You need the chip that was on my shoulder! You need something, someone to prove your worth too! Anyone, Callahan, Warner, Vivienne, the class, anyone! I just don’t get how I didn’t see it before! Omigod, I’m so dumb! With this chance you’ve been given, we’ve gotta be driven as hell but we can do it together!”

Elle looked like she was ready to cry, happy tears, Emmett had hoped. He knew she was a hugger, but the hug that she gave Emmett at that moment might have been the best hug he’d ever received from, well, anyone. She’d clutched, clinging on to him like he was a teddy bear that she’d lost and had just found once again. She needed a friend, like from UCLA, and she had been blessed with him.
---
“Can you define, malum prohibitum?” Emmett rounded off a random question at his student.

Elle grimaced. “Ugh, I think it means…”

“An act prohibited…”

“An act prohibited by law, like jaywalking or chewing gum in Singapore!”

Emmett nodded with a smile. “Therefore, malum in se?”

“It’s an action, something evil in and of itself. Assault, murder, or white shoes after labour day!”

Emmett smiled at her, as he reshuffled her flashcards. “We’re getting somewhere…”

It was when Emmett looked at the calendar that he realised he still had not told Elle that she wouldn’t be able to go home for the Thanksgiving holidays. Would she hate him if he told her now? Would she hate him at all? He hoped not, because what he was having to suggest was entirely necessary. New year examinations were soon, and she needed to at least scrape a pass for them. He could get her there, she was almost there anyway, but he needed to be sure. With Little Miss Woods, Comma Elle, he could never tell if he was getting the girl obsessed with Warner, or the student he slowly found himself caring for.
---
He'd managed to keep her for Thanksgiving, and he’d originally intended to keep her for Christmas too. Then he realised how cruel that might have been, she needed to see her friends and family at some point. Emmett might have been a slave driver when it came to tutoring Elle, but it was necessary and she was coming along! He wouldn’t say anything, but inside, he was proud of her.

He could not exactly pinpoint the moment when he figured getting Elle a gift entered his mind. What he did know, was that it was a good idea. He was her friend, and it was Christmas. Well, technically it was Hannukah for him, but either way, it was a time of holiday for both of them. Besides, he had his mother in Boston, and Elle had nobody else other than him when he thought it. Flowers were too romantic, and chocolates, well, he didn’t know what Elle’s favourites were, but he knew that she was a sucker for makeup and hair care products. That was the gift, it seemed.

She’d mentioned something about it taking almost twenty-five minutes to fully shampoo and condition her hair, which made sense because everywhere she went, her hair was absolutely immaculate. Her blonde locks shone like the stars in the clear night sky. So, well, two-in-one shampoo and conditioner should have cut down on that time. Vanilla-scented, like the coffees they shared a love for.

Emmett Forrest, what are you doing? Are you trying to fall for this girl? Why are we doing this? Why? We both know she’s still got that thing for Warner! What does she even see in him anyway?

He’d knocked on her door, and a few seconds later she had opened it. As he expected, she had donned a Christmas jumper that had her signature colour all over it. Nobody said pink couldn’t be a Christmas colour, and Elle Woods definitely made it look good.

“Emmett!” She squealed, pulling him in for a hug. If love had a smell, it would probably have smelt like her. Warner definitely didn’t know what he had lost. “Happy Hannukah!”

“Merry Christmas, Elle, wait…” Emmett pulled back a little. “You knew? How?”

Elle motioned to her little necklace, one which Emmett followed when he picked out his silver Star of David. She's amazing. “You fell asleep a couple of days ago when we were studying, and it sort of just slipped out of your shirt!”

“Wow, just wow. I was gonna come in with a whole speech, but you have just, wow.”

“I know, I do try!” Elle pulled Emmett in for another tight hug. He’d woke up grumpy, but after that, he was so much better. “What are you hiding behind your back, Mr. Forrest?"

“Uh, well, I know that since I’m reluctantly allowing you to go back to Malibu, so I figured that I’d make sure you don’t forget about studying and me, so I got you a little present,” Emmett revealed the present, he’d even gift-wrapped it. He was falling so hard, so quickly, he didn’t have a clue where he was going with himself, let alone Elle. “I know it’s not much, especially compared to Malibu.”

He must have been doing something right since Elle was hugging her gift as she hugged him. “Emmett, you are so sweet to think of me. It’s adorable, thank you so much.”

They spent the morning together, somehow Emmett had allowed himself to be convinced to just watch Hallmark and Lifetime Christmas movies with Elle on her bed. She’d ultimately confessed that they were a guilty pleasure of hers, something which confounded Emmett at first. Then it went from that to watching Crazy, Stupid Love to Love & Other Drugs, finally ending on She’s All That. Surprisingly enough to Emmett, they had all been quite good. He’d have to find some more to watch the next time he was around, or Elle was with him.

Eventually, Elle relented as she put her foot down at the television. She had a flight to catch, and Emmett had graciously offered to drive her to the airport. She’d hugged him again, and despite an unpleasant encounter with Warner, Elle had finally had her epiphany. She was so much better than him, smarter than him and she was aware of it. When she came back from her holiday, she knew what to do.

Confront Warner head-on, show him how smart she really was, something Emmett fully understood. She had to prove it to herself as much as she had to prove it to Warner.

She was smart.

She was serious.

Emmett was silent in the car as she had her moment. Yet, you don’t have to be a Jackie. Not for him, not for anyone. You can be a Marilyn. You can be who you want to be, just be who you are.

In the end, when he’d gotten to Boston-Logan, she’d given him a kiss on the cheek and another hug. He’d even decided to walk her to the door of the airport, just for those extra precious few minutes. When she had finally checked in her luggage and gone further inside, Emmett realised how much it killed him. He didn’t want to be in this position, he didn’t want to be chasing something that was not his. It was wrong, he learnt this lesson years ago. As perfect as Elle was, she was not his.

Someway, somehow, her heart still belonged to Warner. It hurt like a dagger to the heart when he realised, that watching her walk away was like a fatal blow.

Chapter Text

---

The Christmas holidays had come and gone quickly, much quicker than Emmett had thought they would. Although, in the grand reality of life, Emmett found them to be passing slower than usual.

He found himself doing the one thing he didn’t think he’d be doing when he came back to Harvard. Was it ever possible to be missing something when you came back to the place where you had everything you’d need? He did not think so, but there he was. From Christmas Eve to the start of the new year, he had finally found himself missing the comforting presence of the young Miss Elle Woods.

He missed her smile, he missed her laughs, he missed all the conversations about fashion that she could go on forever about. Furthermore, he just missed her. The one time they had shared a bed had completely and utterly frazzled his mind. He was not a young boy by any means, he could control himself, but that night was one of very few where his bed didn’t feel like a sheet of hardened ice.

“That’s it!” she had finally realised. “I’ve been smiling and waiting for Warner to notice me, but every time I have blown my chance! I just need to face him and say ‘hey punk, let’s dance!”

She had stopped the moping, the whining and the blaming. Emmett knew it from the start, but she was smarter and much bolder than anyone ever gave Elle credit for. She could take on anyone in Callahan’s class if given the chance. Hell, he’d even noticed her starting to come to grips with how Callahan taught the class. The Socratic method wasn’t the best, but it worked for Callahan. If she could finally impress Callahan, then she had a fighting chance of doing everything she set out to accomplish.

“Miss Woods, you just won your case.” Professor Callahan had announced, hiding his shellshock rather well for a man who didn’t expect anything of Elle. “Congratulations.”

He remembered that class so well, that it would be engrained in his memory forever. An assignment on parental visitation rights, against Warner Huntington the Third of all people, and she’d stuck it to the bastard like he knew she could! He couldn’t have been happier, he was proud! He’d done his job, he’d pushed Elle in the direction she needed to go, and she’d gotten the rest of the way herself.

Guess she finally got that chip on her shoulder, Master Emmett Forrest. Maybe some wise Jedi master taught her the ways of Harvard Law, hmm?

When the new semester had finally started, Emmett was more than surprised that Elle wanted to continue studying alongside him. It was a pleasant surprise to be sure, and a welcome one too. They would alternate between their accommodations to make it fair for the both of them, not that the journey between each place was that much of a hassle. Chauncy Court wasn’t that far from the campus halls of residence, so there was very little trouble for either of them. They’d spend the nights together, revising and studying, before getting food and then finally crashing out for the night.

Their sessions also forced Emmett into sharing a bed with Elle, either because Elle would not let him sleep on his couch, and she definitely wouldn’t let him sleep on her floor. He’d been shepherded into bed, effectively. Their coffee chats would take place every day if they were or weren’t planning a session later on anyway. They’d gone from beneficiaries of an agreement to friends.

Emmett James Forrest could not have been happier with that arrangement.

February arrived, and with the winter weather subsiding slowly, the pair found themselves at Emmett’s place once again. Elle had decided to bring a bottle of wine with her, a late celebratory gift for getting her through the first semester. Pizza delivery was organised, and soon they found themselves chatting away on the couch, about nothing in specific until Elle had decided she wanted information.

“You said you worked two jobs, plus law school, Emmett?”

Emmett shrugged. “Yeah, when I had to. Usually as a line cook or a bartender, sometimes both. If I was lucky, I could find a place to do both in one spot, but usually, it was two. Why’d you ask? You struggling for cash?”

“No, God, no!” Elle chuckled. “I wouldn’t ask that of you, not after everything you’ve done for me already.”

“It’s nothing, Elle. Honestly, anyone else would have…”

Elle slapped his shoulder with a giggle. “Anyone else would have done the same? Really, Emmett? You were the only person I knew who could see I was struggling, you helped me more than anyone else could have!”

“Just, you know…”

“Doing your job?” Elle smiled at him. He loved her smile, a smile so wholesome and caring that Emmett’s world lit up whenever he had the pleasure of seeing it. “How noble of you, Mr. Forrest.”

“Anytime, Miss Woods.” Emmett grinned back, taking a sip of the red wine. How did she know he liked Malbec? How much was that bottle even? “This is good stuff, how’d you find it?”

Elle’s grin seemed to widen. “I might have woke up a little earlier last time I was here. I spotted that you were running out of this, and thought I’d get you one when I was in Malibu. Vintage, 1997, right?”

“Elle, you didn’t have to.”

Elle placed her glass down, hugging Emmett tight. She was so warm, she was radiating. “Of course, I did, silly! I know what you are sacrificing for me to succeed, it wouldn’t be fair if I didn’t give something back.”

“Well, let me clear something up. I didn’t do this for anything. I did it to help you, and that’s it. Secondly, to us, a pair of law school outcasts with chips on our shoulders, hey?”

“To the chips on our shoulders!”

The wine glasses clinked together at the base, as etiquette would have demanded. They finished their glasses, just as the first episode of Moon Knight had finished. The pair had agreed to a media swap, Emmett would watch a chick-flic if Elle would watch some of his ‘nerdy stuff’ in return. Emmett took the glasses and bottle, but Elle had tugged at his shirt as he was about to go to the kitchen.

“Not feeling like drinking, Emmett?” She’d asked, her eyes searching his for some kind of reluctance. “I don’t mind if you want to just relax and watch the show.”

“Oh no! I have a little surprise for you. Thought I’d make use of my old bartending talents for once. Pick your poison?”

Elle giggled, almost a little squeal coming out too. “My own personal bartender, tutor and chef? You are too sweet.”

“Free of charge too, lucky you,” Emmett smirked. “Come on, what’d you like? Pornstar? Pina Colada? You know what, you look like a Cosmo kind of girl.”

Elle shook her head. “Wrong on all counts, Mr. Forrest. One word. Mojito.”

“You’re kidding, really?” Emmett asked. “Not even a French Martini? You like coffee, right? Espresso Martini?”

“Mojito. Read my lips, Forrest. Mojito.”

Emmett nodded. “Okay, one minty, white rum Mojito coming right up.”

The lawyer-turned-teacher had made way to the kitchen, hunting down his ingredients before he could take a breather. Was this really where he was going with this? He felt like a child trying to impress a first crush. Regardless, the girl that was sitting in pyjamas on his couch was waiting, and he could do anything but disappoint her with a mediocre joke after all of his bartender blusterings. He added the sugar first, throwing some fresh mint and lime in before squashing it down. A little bit of lemonade, crushed ice, a good count of Havana and a little more mint. More ice, a little mint sprig for the garnish and he was ready.

He took a metal straw from his drawer, tasting it. God, I am so good at this. Why did I ever leave it? Perfect, it tasted as any Mojito should have done. He grabbed his tins and began to fidget with them. A few juggles, a couple of flair tricks he’d learnt on the circuit of bars in Boston and Cambridge. He’d flicked a tin over his shoulder before he heard the kitchen door open. The sound of the handle threw him off, causing the tin to clatter to the floor.

Elle had walked in, a smirk on her face as the tin rolled around to her feet. She picked it up and tossed it to Emmett, who caught it in the smaller tin. “Having fun there, Emmett?”

Emmett shrugged nonchalantly. “Just a little reminiscing. Didn’t realise how much I miss it sometimes, even if it was stressful at times. Then again, here I am, so I think I’m doing it for fun?”

“You don’t do law for fun?” Elle questioned.

“Depends. When I was in New York, it was good at first but then I just didn’t feel anything from it. Mom always said if you love your job, you’d never work a day in your life, but I never enjoyed it. Corporate law is just so, I don’t know, inhuman, I guess?”

Elle nodded, letting him speak. “Was your bartending fun?”

“At times, yes. There’s a place in Cambridge, Harry’s. On weekends, we’d set a playlist and we’d all be singing. The people at the bar would be dancing and singing along too, and us bartenders would flair off against each other, it was just, I don’t know, a good time.”

“Show me,” Elle said, outright, approaching him as she took his other set of tins.

“Show you what? How to make cocktails?”

Elle laughed. “No, you butthead. Show me how to flair!”

“Butthead, really? How old are you, five? I don’t think I’ve been called that since like, third grade.”

“Maybe not to your face, come on. Show me.”

Elle stood next to Emmett, watching his hand movements and how even without fluid in them, the tins moved like a blur. He started her off with small, tin rolls down the arms, small flips and spins. There were more than a couple of times when both sets of tins crashed to the floor. Elle watched as Emmett moved quickly, throwing a tin behind his shoulder before catching it with the other at the bottom of his spine. He juggled the tins between both hands, a quick switch of tins and hands which increased in speed that Elle just could not come to grips with.

It was when he was showing her a one tin flip that he utterly embarrassed himself. One tin on the back of his hand, he flipped it over to land on the other end, but he just could not land the trick. Elle watched him, grinning, and as he picked up the tin from the floor, she nailed it the first time. She kept doing it too, amusing herself the more and more that Emmett just could not land such a simple move.

Emmett shook his head, turning away as he made himself a Bramble. Some gin, lemon juice and sweet syrup before ashing some blackberry liqueur over the crushed ice he’d put in the small glass. Elle was smiling again, laughing to herself as the pair sat back down as the next episode of the show began. The clink of cocktail glasses turned to silence before Elle paused the show. She turned to Emmett, looking a little less cheery than before.

“Emmett?”

“Yes, Elle?”

She cleared her throat. “Do you, okay, who do you think will get the internship?”

“Which one, Callahan’s?” Emmett asked, receiving a small nod from his blonde bombshell of a friend. “I don’t know. I wouldn’t be able to tell. Callahan wants what Callahan wants. Best of the best.”

Elle sighed. “So, Vivienne and Enid.”

“Or you and Enid. Or you and Vivienne. It might not be either of them. It might be Schultz, Warner, or anyone. Hell, he might even pick me if he wants me there for assurance. I hope not.”

Elle quirked an eyebrow at that. “You don’t want to work with Callahan at his billion-dollar law firm? Why?”

“I’ve done that before; I don’t need to do it again. It is why I came back to Boston, I honestly kinda like teaching.” Emmett muttered. “Look, Elle, I believe in you, but whatever Callahan thinks of you, it is not the be-all and end-all. You are you, and that’s what matters.”

“I want that internship.”

Emmett looked into her eyes. “Do you want to get it because you want to prove to yourself that you can do it, or because you want Warner to notice you?”

“Emmett…”

He sighed. He was too blunt at times. “I’m sorry, Elle. I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just, I think that you have come so far with your work, with how you study, you don’t need to prove to anyone that you deserve to be here. To me, you already have. It’s still a long road, but you deserve to be at Harvard with everyone else.”

There was a tense silence for a moment, a moment where Emmett genuinely thought that he might well have said something wrong. The fear of God was in his bones, scaring him stiff that he might have accidentally offended Elle by mentioning what he thought was obvious. The more he watched Warner in class, the more he realised that he really did not like the guy. Boring, yes, but also so up his own ass that his head had come right back out again. That, and from what Elle had told him about how he broke up with Elle when she thought he was about to propose to her, it riled him to no end, and he had no right to be as riled as he was.

Elle was good enough, for anyone. She was confident and brave, she was so comfortable being in her own skin that Emmett had applauded her for not trying to change herself compared to others. Yes, she wanted to prove she was serious, but being serious did not get anyone into Harvard. She was intelligent, determined to be better, and always ready to learn and adapt to change. She was great.

She was Elle, and that was all Emmett wanted for her. He wanted her to just be herself, for herself. She didn’t deserve to go through what he did and suffer through school as he did. Nobody did, and if Warner was going to do that to her, as unintentional as it may have seemed, he would not allow it. He was her friend, and friends looked out for each other, he would not let her be hurt.

“Elle, I…”

She had already wrapped her arms tightly around him. “Thank you, Emmett. Thank you for being my friend. Thank you for being honest, even if it hurts. I appreciate it.”

“I’m here for you, Elle,” Emmett whispered to her, placing an arm around her shoulders. “If you ever need anything, help, to talk, to get coffee, to learn how to flair better, I’ll always be here for you. Even when you got Malibu and become some hotshot fashion designer, I’ll be here whenever you need me.”

“Emmett, that is one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me,” Elle said, still pressed against his shoulder. “But I will learn to flair better than you, Emmett. I’m a quick learner, you know?”

“I know, Elle, I know.”

If only you knew how I was feeling already, Elle. You deserve everything, and you deserved better than whatever Warner did to you.
---

Chapter Text

---
There came a time where Elle was walking through Harvard without anyone holding her hand. She was fine, she was strolling through law school on her own two feet, and Emmett could not have been prouder.

He wanted to give himself some credit, but he was not learning for Elle. His knowledge of the law was at the forefront of his mind; Elle needed somebody to challenge her to become better. One did not merely get a bachelor’s degree in Fashion Merchandising without getting an A in the module of ‘The History of Polka-Dots’. She had to learn to get a 175 on the LSAT, she was perfectly capable of becoming a powerhouse of law on her own.

Emmett James Forrest was not necessary for Elle Woods to succeed in whatever she wanted to do; anyone could have done what he had done. She needed a push, and he gave her that push.

So, when he came out of Stromwell’s class on Tort Law, he had decided to go and walk past Callahan’s Criminal Law classroom. He’d been announcing that he’d made his decision on his four-place internship. He might as well have checked out who had finally made the cut. As Callahan had stated, every year, who were the sharks that he wanted in his so-called ‘billion-dollar law firm’. He knew for a fact that Vivienne would be walking straight in when she called Elle out for being unprepared.

It could quite literally have been anyone. Callahan wanted the best, which was understandable, nobody wanted middling law students who couldn’t keep up or hack through the litigation and paperwork. He needed a mix of hard-working talent, and some merciless lawyering to suit his standards. Again, he’d put money on Vivienne Kensington, but it was anyone’s guess who really got in.

He would have been lying to himself if he said he didn’t want to see Elle get into the internship. She might have been too kind and compassionate for Callahan’s taste, but she was willing to work harder than anyone else if pressed to do so. Emmett knew that if Elle got the internship, she’d easily succeed if she put her mind to it, much like she succeeded at getting ahead of her law school peers.

It was all up to Callahan. Grading was blind, and Elle got straight A’s since she’d begun her resurgence. Emmett could try and press him for names, but the old professor would know right off the bat what Emmett would be up to. Robert Callahan might have been old, but he didn’t become a named partner at a large firm by being stupid and incompetent. He knew better than to listen to Emmett.

As soon as he approached the man’s classroom, the doors had swept open. A deluge of law students had rushed out, and Emmett was swamped by them. Thankfully he wasn’t carrying too many files under his arm, just some papers for Callahan to go through for once. The chattering was driving Emmett insane, a mixture of excitement and yelling along all of the rumours that Callahan had got a new case – a case of the century.

The ruthless lawyer appeared, almost as if he were coming out of thin air, a ghost. “Ladies and gentlemen, I need the best and the brightest. Congratulations to the choice few. For the rest of you, welcome to the middle.”

A piece of paper was in his hand, one he’d slammed to the door. The paper stuck to the mahogany wooden door. Four names, written in Callahan’s trademark cursive handwriting. Callahan turned, his eyes meeting Emmett’s. His suit was immaculate, Emmett realised, a light grey tone with an ironed white shirt and fine red tie. He’d approached, his hand out as Emmett shook his hand gently.

“Emmett Forrest, the man of the hour. I am making you my co-counsel on the Wyndham trial. Prove yourself here, and I can tell you for a fact, Mr. Zykowski and Mr. Fox will not be opposed to making you a junior partner like you were in Manhattan. You are a gifted lawyer, Emmett. Pearson Specter lost one of their best, but I can assure you, you won’t be wasted at the firm. Congratulations.”

Oh, shit. “Yes, sir! Thank you, thank you very much!”

Callahan smirked, taking the papers from Emmett. “Excellent, we start Monday, 9:00 AM sharp. Make sure everyone dresses appropriately.”

Was that a dig at me? I don’t look that bad, do I?

He heard her voice next. Elle let out a little squeal as she hugged Emmett from behind. “Oh, Emmett, that’s so great! I’m so, so, proud of you!”

Emmett smiled, turning to face his blonde apprentice. She was holding his hand; she didn’t care who saw. “Thank you, Elle. Well, you helped me as much as I helped you, so thank you. Do you want to perhaps…”

“Make this the happiest day of my life?”

Emmett heard the words and the voices coming from across the way. Warner and Vivienne, they weren’t exactly keeping the fact that they were a couple a secret, and they definitely weren’t when Emmett clocked what was happening. Elle had seen it too. Vivienne standing over Warner, who was on one knee, with a small box and a diamond ring inside. “This is just the beginning, babe. Marry me?”

“Yes! Oh, Warner, yes!”

The hallway had exploded into whoops and hollers, cheering and applause as the two students kissed passionately. Emmett was unfazed, it wasn’t the first engagement he had seen and it wouldn’t be the last. He had very little faith in the gesture, not after how much pain his mother had gone through. The number of nasty divorces he’d worked, he’d probably end up working their divorce too if he was lucky.

He’d turned to Elle. “Hey, look, what I was saying. Oh, you’re gone again, okay…”

She was well and truly gone. She would have been destroyed. After everything she’d worked towards, all the studying, all the work, all the classwork, all the A-grade papers that she had gotten over everyone else. In Elle’s mind, it must have been worth nothing. She was not there for the law degree, not entirely. Elle was there for Warner, she loved him too much to accept the fact that he had no use for her. He had proposed to Vivienne, who in comparison to Elle was a large measure duller.

Elle had not even gone to look at the paper that Callahan had put out. She’d gone straight to Emmett, to him, to congratulate him. She was still in law school, still yearning but she still made time for him. Christ, what have I done to deserve a friend like her? Huh? She’s amazing, she’s kind, she’s just… she is just Elle. Then, like a flash, she was gone, in the ether. He needed to find her again.

Emmett turned to the door, pushing aside the students as they gave him space. They wanted to see if they might have the chance of working with him, the co-counsel, the right hand of the God that was Robert Callahan. Two distinguished lawyers, plus four law students who would be working a great job as soon as they came out of the trial with a good result. Emmett forced them apart like the Red Sea, finally getting to look at the list:

Co-counsel: Mr. Emmett James Forrest
Assistant Interns:
Mr. Warner Huntington III
Ms. Vivienne Kensington
Ms. Enid Hoopes
Ms. Elle Woods

“She got in…” Emmett muttered to nobody in particular. “She got in! Shit, move! Move!”

Emmett ripped the paper off the wall, getting a tight grip on his satchel before he sprinted out of Harvard Law. Elle wouldn’t have been too far away, not in the time it took for her to run away while Emmett was stuck in perpetual motion. She needed to know that she was worth more than what Warner thought of her, she was worth more than anything Warner had to offer her, she needed to know.

She was either going to their coffee shop hideout, or her dorm. One or the other, but Emmett knew he could catch up to her. He ran through the gardens, through the park until he caught sight of Elle’s pink Porsche Boxster. She was sitting in the driver’s seat, and as Emmett rushed over, he did not hear the humming of the engine. He slowed down; he could feel a slight throb in his feet from the Oxfords that were digging into his skin. He knocked on the window, stirring Elle from her semi-catatonic state.

She got out of the car. “Emmett, what do you want?”

Emmett took a deep breath. “You shouldn’t care about Warner, or about Vivienne or whatever anyone else thinks. Screw them, let them have their moment. They deserve to be happy, but not at your expense, nobody deserves that. I know that, through hard work, you make your own joy, and you get your own happiness. You ran away before you could even realise that you deserve to be happy too.”

The young lawyer, the new co-counsel, handed Elle the paper. The list that everyone had been clambering over to see. She looked at the list, a list of the names that Callahan had written down.

“Emmett, what is this?”

“That’s the list.” Emmett sucked in some precious oxygen. God, I am unfit. Jeez… “Callahan’s list. The internship. Vivienne and Warner are on it, yeah, but look at the bottom. Elle, you got in!”

Elle looked at the list, her eyes widening as she finally found her name. Emmett was right, she deserved her own joy. She was interning for Callahan; she’d proved that she was capable. She looked at the list, and then to Emmett, back at the list before finally laying her eyes on Emmett.

“This,” Elle muttered. “This isn’t a mistake? I’m on the team?”

“I mean, my name is on there and Callahan personally congratulated me.” Emmett shrugged. “He doesn’t make mistakes. He might be a cold asshole, but he doesn’t make mistakes.”

“Pinch me.”

“What?”

“Pinch me, I need to make sure I’m awake.”

Emmett pinched her hand, getting exactly what he expected when she squealed loudly. “Hey, you told me to do it.”

“Omigod! I got in!”

Emmett was not ready for the tightest hug of his life, nor the most emotional one. He wasn’t lying when he said she deserved her own joy, she did, he’d never met anyone more deserving of the reward. She was smart, she was personable, and she was ready to show how good she really was to the world. If Warner and Vivienne and Enid could, then Elle Woods could do so too. She had refused to let go of her mentor, hugging him tightly until she finally relented.

“God, this is…”

“Amazing? I know right? I remember the feeling too.” Emmett stated, holding her hand as she held the list in her free hand. “It’s hard work, it’s still law. But I know you can do it too.”

“This is, this is better than making love all night! Better than getting in a hot tub every night! This is so, so, so much better than anything, literally anything I did with Warner! Omigod, I can’t believe it.”

“You best believe it, Elle. Remember what I said?”

“I deserve my own joy?”

“That’s it.” Emmett squeezed her hand before he pulled her into a hug. “Congratulations, Elle. I’m proud of you, so proud of you. You deserve all of this and more.”

He’d never had the pleasure of being friends with someone like Elle Woods. Emmett had successfully kept himself sequestered away throughout his life, focused on his work, on making sure his mother was okay, and that was all. Now, to have Elle, to have somebody so loving and caring at his side as a friend, as a partner to work with, it felt like he was finally blessed for everything he’d given up in his younger years. She was sweet, she was determined, and she was so intrinsically her own person that Emmett could not help but respect, but admire her for just being totally herself.

He had reasoned in his head that if she was the only true friend he’d ever have, then perhaps he would be fine with that. Having Elle alongside him for a ride like this would be worth everything.

Little Miss Woods Comma Elle, the girl with a cute chihuahua and penchant for pink.

Ms. Elle Woods, the future attorney-at-law.

Elle, his best friend.

They continued holding hands, and when Elle met Emmett’s eyes, she could see the pride in them. He was proud of her, he believed in her. Did he want to cry? He felt like he wanted to cry for her. They weren’t even sad tears; they were tears of joy. He was proud, he was happy for her. She had made herself proud, she had made Emmett proud of her. His palms were sweaty, he’d rushed to find her and now he was so close to her that he couldn’t help but be in awe of her presence. His lips parted, but no words fell from his mouth. His breathing was heavy, still desperate for the extra oxygen. What else could he say to her? He needed, he wanted to be gentle with her, the thoughts running through his head, Emmett could not make heads nor tails of them.

He could not retreat into his shell. He needed to be out of that shell, he needed to stop being so internal. Her hand crawled over his, gliding over his wrist as her thumb rubbed circles around his knuckles. She was standing so close to him, enough that Emmett was beginning to worry slowly about what could happen. He didn’t want to ruin anything, and just as she moved closer…

He moved away. He wouldn’t. He couldn’t. It was her moment, hers to enjoy. He wouldn’t take that away from her, he would not assume what she wanted. He was falling into a hole of his own creation, his own wants. No, he told himself, no-no-no. Elle deserves better, she needs better. Not me, definitely not me. Pick yourself up, Emmett, dust yourself down and keep on walking.

Her hands left him, her stroking of his wrist had stopped. He missed it already, he missed the touch, he missed the gentle, soft feel of her hands on his own. “Thank you, Emmett. For everything.”

“It’s nothing. Honestly, you got here all by yourself, I just helped you find your way.” Emmett smiled, sheepishly. “Besides, you still got two years of law school yet. Not getting rid of me that easily.”

Elle laughed, linking her arm with him. “I wouldn’t want to get rid of you anyway! Come on, I know this restaurant that does a great sea urchin ceviche! Let’s celebrate! We got into the internship!”

Almost immediately, she had dragged him along, on another adventure in Boston. Into the Boxster they went, driving through the city as Emmett sat next to Elle in silence, his thoughts making a mess of the ordered mind he had spent so much time organising. Elle Woods was a blessing, and slowly, Emmett was realising how much of a blessing she was, and how much he needed her with him.

Chapter Text

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Defamation, Emmett knew, was a pain in the ass to go to trial for.

Murder, he also realised, was also a pain in the ass to go to trial for, but for an entirely different reason.

People’s lives were on the line, nobody wanted to go to jail for a crime they never committed. Emmett could do criminal law, but he was a corporate lawyer first and foremost. Sometimes in Manhattan, he’d go to a criminal trial for perjury or something else, but never murder. He dealt with mergers, acquisitions and business deals with snooty executives, not grieving widows and angered widowers.

Criminal Law, murder and violence was exactly what Richard Callahan lived for. He was a shark, he was that kind of lawyer, he hunted for the blood in the water, and he’d found it.

Brooke Wyndham was a self-made millionaire, an exercise guru for women who wanted to slim down through extreme exercise, determination and hard work. The Wyndham Workout routine was rather exposing. She was a determined woman, somebody who was aggressive and would go to town on those who could not hack the routine. The CardioWhip5000, one of Wyndham’s own creations, could also be used as a self-defence weapon.

She could choke a man out with it, she could crack somebody’s skull with the handle. All for three small payments of nineteen dollars and nineteen cents, well, there was always the possibility. Emmett never knew what the circumstances were, but there was always the possibility that he might have been defending somebody who was guilty. Could he live with that? He didn’t know.

Not that Callahan cared, he wasn’t one to judge. He was there for the win, for the money, for the publicity that would be brought upon himself and his firm. He was not there for his client, whoever they were. He truly was a shark; the man might as well have grown a dorsal fin and gills.

He turned up at the correctional facility on time, if not a little earlier than usual.

Maybe a little too early, when he realised nobody else had arrived.

He’d gotten out, leaving his files in his car whilst he waited. He’d kept it a firm secret, but Emmett couldn’t help but smoke when he was nervous. A murder trial? He could do it, probably, but he’d been made co-counsel, he was as responsible as Callahan was. He was leading the interns too, which meant more responsibility, he had to show them how to converse with their clients, how to approach certain situations, how to approach time in court, everything.

The entire scenario did not go as Emmett had planned it, how he had thought of it in his head.

Elle had managed to get an alibi from Brooke, the client, but had refused to speak to anyone about it. She’d stated something about Double Delta-Nu Sorority Sister Swear, and said little else other than the fact that she wouldn’t say any more on the topic. Warner had disparaged her; Enid and Vivienne were already fretting about losing the case and Callahan? Well, Callahan did what Callahan always did.

“I don’t want to see Legally Blonde or Ratty Corduroy again, today.”

Where the hell does he get off on coming out with names like that?

Emmett had remained outside the county jail to try and find his calm again. Elle, the perfect being that she was, had waited for him to find it. She hadn’t left him alone to dread his next meeting with Callahan. Thankfully, Callahan had shovelled off his paperwork for some other TA to do whilst Emmett worked the case with him. It was less stress, Emmett thought, but the gesture wasn’t done out of care for Emmett.

It was done for efficiency’s sake, and Emmett knew that Callahan knew he wasn’t being fully efficient. So, as soon as Emmett had placed his satchel in his car, he wasn’t ready for the full Elle Woods inquisition.

“You’re a butthead, you know that right?” Elle had ambushed him. “My word means something, and I know yours does too.”

“Elle, I’m not interested in nobility and honour right now. I’m interested in saving Brooke’s life.”

Elle huffed. “Oh please, you’re interested in impressing Callahan.”

“I mean, I’d be stupid not to,” Emmett stated plainly. “He is my boss. If I impress him, he’ll make me a partner again. That’s hardly a bad offer, you know that.”

“So as long as you become a partner again, which you explicitly said you’d left to come back to Harvard, you’d jeopardise our client’s trust and our integrity.”

“You know, when you put it that way…”

“Exactly.”

Emmett sighed. “Why do you have to be right?”

“I always am, butthead.”

“Nobody has called me a butthead since third grade.”

“Well, let me do you one better.”
---
Elle was completely in her element as soon as they had walked into the store. Emmett, decidedly, was not. He had suits, granted, he hadn’t worn them since he had left Manhattan. They definitely didn’t fit anymore. So, as soon as he had been entranced by Elle’s kindness, he had been utterly terrified by what she had planned. Suit shopping, in which Elle had more enthusiasm than anyone else that Emmett knew.

She smiled. “Look, I love your scruffy vibe, but ‘Casual Friday’ is so not in Callahan’s vocabulary. So, you’re gonna have to dress the part if you want to get ahead in Callahan’s book.”

Emmett quirked an eyebrow. “Did your parents ever tell you about not judging books by the cover?”

“She did,” she said with a grin. Emmett could feel his heart slowly melting. “And books with tattered covers get left on the shelf.”

“Wow, thanks for that one.”

“Emmett, please. This isn’t a perfect world. Do you think people haven’t judged me my whole life, for being blonde and wearing pink? Think it wasn’t a good idea to make navy blue my new colour?”

“No, that was a good idea, Elle.”

“I know.” Elle took him by the hand, walking him through the mazes of mannequins and excellently tailored suits. “You trust me, don’t you?”

“Of course, I do, you know that.”

“Then don’t stop now.”

Emmett didn’t exactly know how to feel about the whole thing, other than utterly blessed. He was blessed to have Elle as a friend, as a companion, as a co-worker, as everything she was to him. In a way, he found himself needing her input more and more as time passed by. They spent time together in the city, in their homes, and at work, and they were getting cosy. He allowed her the space that she needed, and yet he found himself not needing any whenever she was around him.

He’d picked out four different suits, two black, the other two grey and dark blue. A mess of dress shirts and different tie colours and patterns accompanied them, and Emmett found himself worrying about how much he was going to spend just to impress somebody with a suit who he could impress with his work. Elle wouldn’t have any kind of fightback on his willingness to leave, pushing him past more suits, more accessories such as the single pair of cufflinks that Emmett wanted more than any of the suits.

He’d gone into the dressing room as soon as they had everything they needed. Elle was determined to see him try everything, he apparently needed her opinion on every single suit, shirt and tie they had chosen. The black suits worked (they always did, according to Elle), the grey one apparently didn’t fit his complexion or his hair (too light for him, Elle had commented) but the blue one was the one.

Well, it was the one for Elle. Nonstop, she had been saying how much she loved shopping for guys, how she could get a guy from a two to a ten with one fix of his clothes and his hair. His hair was fine, she had determined, but he definitely could not become Mr. Ratty Corduroy after they met with Callahan at the prison. No, he needed to be someone else, and the suit would fix that.

“Are you finished? I’m coming in!”

“Wait!”

“Whoa!”

Elle had pushed the curtain aside, finally seeing Emmett as he used to look, as he should look. Curly brown hair, a dark blue suit and a white shirt with a nice navy tie to boot. He placed his glasses on, to really see what Elle was seeing.

He didn’t know what to say. Was she happy, sad, reminiscing about Warner? He must have always worn dark blue, that had to be it. It was all he could think, all he could say. “I look like Warner.”

“Yeah.” She absentmindedly stated. Excellent, just what I wanted to hear.

Get out of that hole. “It’s just me.”

Elle held his hands again, smiling brightly at him. She was all he could see, and he was all hers. “That’s the best part. The outside, it’s new and it reflects everything that you are. I’d never change you, never turn you into Warner, I wouldn’t change you even if I wanted to.”

“Thank you, Elle, for everything. I…”

“No, thank you. This isn’t a gift, it’s not a present. It’s payment in kind. You saw past everything, the blonde hair, the pink clothes, everything everyone didn’t look to do.”

He stripped off as soon as Elle left him. Back to the beige jacket and black chinos, and he felt like he had become everything he needed to be. He was a lawyer, and he had Elle, he was winning. He couldn’t imagine what his mom would have thought if she had seen him. Not quite the man I would have chosen to be, but whenever she is standing so close to me, I kind of like what she’s planning.

Soon enough, they had bought the three suits, the shirts and the ties, handing them to Emmett in four bags as they walked out of the store. They’d walked to the cars, the Boxster and the Mini. He’d placed the bags in the backseat of his car. She’d been lingering, getting closer and closer to him as more time passed between them. The way she was looking at him, he could have confused it for a look of longing, of want.

She’d moved towards him, grabbing his hands as she pulled him closer. She’d closed her eyes, and Emmett had assumed that she was going to try and kiss him. Then, the two of them moved to the side just as Emmett had angled himself as if she was going to kiss him. She’d held him so tightly, and yet so softly, Emmett couldn’t help but feel wanted by someone after so long, he wasn’t even angry at himself for believing she wanted to kiss him.

Who was he kidding, she was still in love with Warner. Emmett was just her friend, and he would be happy as just that, as long as he had Elle.

Chapter Text

---
She’d done it.

She had actually gone and done it.

Elle had followed her instincts in the courtroom. Mrs. Brooke Wyndham’s alleged lover, Nikos Argitakos, had been discovered to be a gay man, using his alleged affair with Mrs. Wyndham to provide a false motive for her to supposedly murder her husband.

In all fairness, it all came from a hunch. Elle had posed suggestively in front of the witness in recess, to no reaction from the Greek pool boy. From that one moment, she knew he was gay. Even Emmett was perplexed. Warner was astounded, Callahan was immediately dismissive due to the position it would put the defence in. He could almost hear the old man’s voice as soon as he heard Elle’s idea.

“So, you think he’s perjured himself, but you can’t prove it. If you’re wrong, we look desperate and homophobic.”

Emmett knew the man didn’t care about the situation outside of the courtroom, but it affected his trial, and that would be all that mattered in the end. Emmett trusted her, and that was when he saw his opportunity. It was a simple high school trick, but even he didn’t know it would have worked that easily, that quickly. After all, most of them could barely tell where the European ended and the Gay began.

Callahan even had the guts to assume it was entirely Emmett’s victory. Nope, not a chance. He shared it with Elle, it was her hunch that got them where they were. Emmett only executed it. As Callahan (and Warner, derisively) said, he had indeed nailed the pool boy.

When he heard Callahan begin his speech when Emmett popped the champagne, he was outright astounded.

“Without that gay-dar, we wouldn’t be celebrating with the champagne. We would be dead in the water. Elle Woods trusted her gut and has shown more legal smarts than a lot of my firm staff. She won this round, which also makes her a damn good lawyer. As well as that, she also has that alibi, that even as annoying as it is that she won’t tell us, by keeping it, she has not compromised the client’s trust, making her a great lawyer.”

He then turned to Warner, who still looked sore over Elle and Emmett’s victory. “Which is more than I can say about you Warner, so go and be useful. Get me a coffee.”

“But we’re drinking champagne, sir?”

“Splenda and skim, chop-chop.”

They congregated for a while, celebrating whilst everyone (barring Warner) seemed to let their guards down. Callahan knew when to be stern and when to be smooth and masterful. He needed to nurture the student as well as teach them the ups and downs of the trial. He seemed to engage with the interns, to allow them the grace to speak to him as a co-worker and not as underlings to the teacher. Eventually, the night came to a close and he needed a word with Elle. Emmett needed to run some errands anyway, pick up some things but he knew he’d be seeing Elle when they met at her dorm.

He was proud of her, which seemed to become more of a pastime for him. Even in spite of their awkward moment (and by theirs, he meant his), Elle seemed to forge ahead with Emmett as her dedicated tutor and friend. Emmett was allowing his thoughts to linger more and more, thoughts of Elle, how much he wished he could just ask her out on a date and get it over with. He hated the nerves; how stubborn he was towards himself. He placed himself below her, for some inane reason. Why, he didn’t know. He wanted her to succeed, to come out of Harvard unscathed.

To have everything that she deserved to have, she was too good to get anything less.

 He’d picked up what he’d missed from his groceries, found some missing papers and had dropped them off at his apartment before walking down to Elle’s dormitory. He’d gone down looking rather casual again, something he’d picked up from Elle too. He didn’t have to dress to impress every single time he went out, the blue suit she had bought was kept in a suit carrier until the next time trial was upon them. All he needed was some sneakers, black jeans and a spare hoodie for Elle to wear, or at least one that Emmett would actually allow her to steal.

He climbed up the stairs until he got to the third floor. His old Harvard hoodie in his grip, he noted that it still smelt like her perfume, little strands of her pure blonde hair lingering on the hood. He turned the corner, the hoodie folded over his arm as he saw her. She was leaning against the door, sighing and looking at the roof as if she were contemplating what her purpose in life was meant to be.

“There she is, intern of the year! How did the little chat with Callahan go?”

She turned to look at Emmett, the hoodie, everything he brought into her life. She was crying, but she was not mewling or sputtering. “Emmett, thank you. Thank you for everything you have done, and for all of your help. You are perhaps, one of the best men I have ever met and I will never, ever forget what you’ve done for me over the past year. I don’t say it enough, but thank you for everything.”

“Wait, hold on a minute. What’s wrong? You’re not going home, are you? We still have the trial to go through, we need to prove Brooke is innocent, you’re the only one she trusts!”

Elle shook her head as if she could hardly believe it herself. “Look, maybe someday in the summer you can visit me in Malibu and see the other side, meet my friends. Just, I can’t…”

“Why, Elle, where are you going?” Emmett called out to her. “Elle, what brought this on? You have to tell me.”

“Just, you did your best with a hopeless case and I just want you to know that I didn’t know it until now. Emmett Forrest, you were, no, you are the best thing about this place.”

“That’s ludicrous, you aren’t a hopeless case!”

“He hit on me, Emmett! Callahan hit on me! He kissed me, I slapped him, he fired me.”

He… what? That goddamn… I’ll kill him. He, I knew it, he always had a plan, he just… “No, he, what? He kissed you? What did he say?”

“He made it very clear that I didn’t belong, Emmett.” Rivers of tears streamed down her face again. “I was just a pretty face, to him and to Warner, he thinks I was sleeping my way to the top. I’m nothing but a dumb blonde to everyone.”

“No! You’re not! You’re not that to me! Look, you have to stay! He’s wrong, they’re both wrong, we can fix this, we can fight this together!”

“Emmett please, there’s no reason for me to stay!”

Before he could even find a reasonable response to the obvious wrong that Elle had stated, she had gone inside her dorm. He didn’t even get a chance to get inside, she’d immediately closed the door and he’d definitely heard the lock click. She was alone, she felt worthless, that much was obvious. She wasn’t worthless, she was amazing, she was everything Emmett valued in a person. She was good, she was kind, and Callahan and Warner were ripping her apart, kicking her while she was down.

He didn’t know what to say, he couldn’t formulate any sort of plan whilst his head was all over the place. He knocked on the door, he banged against it but it was to no avail. Elle did not answer the door. He could hear her sniffles through the door as if she were just sitting down on the other side. She could still hear him; she was probably thinking about how much of a psycho he was, he needed her to stay.

“What about…” Emmett took a deep breath. He would be lying to himself if he said that what he was going to say wouldn’t change anything. It would, but it was only shot. “What about love? I never mentioned love? I know you did before, and I know the timing is awful, it’s bad I know. It’s my fault, but perhaps if I had made it clearer, you would know that I’m in love with you, Elle.”

There was silence from the other side of the door. He continued; he might as well have been begging on his knees. “You belong right here; you shouldn’t have to go. I know I should have told you before this, or after the trial ends, but I didn’t know until I saw you today. We both know you are worth so much more than what those two jackasses say, they don’t know you like I do.”

Elle took a shaky breath from the other side. The wooden door separating them, worlds apart. “Some girls were just meant to smile and be pretty, Emmett. I guess I am one of them. I’m Legally Blonde.”

Emmett placed the hoodie on the floor. Elle wouldn’t be able to miss it. It was more hers than his anyway. “I know you can hear me, Elle. I just want to say how much I want you to stay. No, I need you to stay.”

Elle did not say anything in response. Emmett picked the hoodie back up, clutching it tightly in his hands before he neatly folded it. He placed it back on the floor, in front of Elle’s door. He placed a hand on the door, trying to think of something, anything to say. His mind went blank, he was not used to those kinds of situations. He had no experience in it, he kept himself away from relationship drama.

It wasn’t drama, though. It was a critical point in somebody’s life, and not just his. Elle’s life was on a cliff edge, Mrs. Wyndham’s life was hanging in the balance, on a knife-edge if Elle left. He was not lying, he needed Elle to stay for Brooke as well as himself. If his love for her was not enough, then hopefully the prospect of Brooke having her life ripped away would play on her mind enough to make her see sense.

He marched outside, walking home before he fished his phone out of his car. He flipped through the photos, the time he spent with Elle as friends as well as colleagues. Notes on her strengths, her weaknesses which had slowly gotten smaller and smaller until Emmett found very little wrong with her work. He’d hoped he’d stay with her through law school, help her to see her graduate with the best degree she could get from Harvard Law.

He dreamed that they would work together at a law firm, and have that workplace banter they had when they were in their apartments. To share the little looks between them, a quick nod or a sly wink from Elle. He’d nod to confirm she had gotten something right; she would wink at him to acknowledge to Emmett that she knew she was right, and she was showing off a little. He wanted Elle to stay.

He found Callahan’s number on the phone, his finger hovering over the number. He was ready to give him a piece of his mind, to go over to the man’s home and fully lay the man out for what he had done to his friend. He’d clenched his fist, the phone in his hand, he’d punched the roof of his car in total frustration before he flicked the name away. He slid all the way down, his thoughts moving at a million miles per hour before he had confirmed perhaps the worst plan he could have ever conjured.

He’d given his number to the interns, if they needed to get a hold of himself or if they needed to get something echoed to Callahan. Elle already had his anyway, but he’d given it away nonetheless. If she wouldn’t listen to somebody who loved her, then perhaps she would listen to the words of somebody who she had proven wrong. He pressed the number under her name, the phone ringing until it picked up.

“Emmett? What’s up?” her snooty voice echoed through the loudspeaker. “Is something wrong with the case?”

“No, look, Vivienne. I need your help, it’s Elle…”
---

Chapter Text

---
Emmett James Forrest had not felt the nerves, the anxiety since his final year at Harvard Law School.

He was terrified about how the trial was going to go. He had a good record in court, he knew when to parry and riposte, when to settle and when to get a verdict. He spent enough time at his old firm to know when to call it a day. Yet, this was a criminal trial, a murder no less and Callahan was going to drag them all down with him to a humiliating defeat.

In the end, Emmett knew what he would say as well. They’d all get a verbal lashing for causing him to lose because it was almost certainly their fault and certainly not his own. In the trial, each of them had taken their blows against the District Attorney, Joyce Riley. Yet, it wouldn’t be down to them for how they lost. Elle was the only one that Brooke trusted, and from his actions, Callahan had caused his demise.

Emmett knew, he knew everything that Callahan had done. The rumours had been true, after all, that time he couldn’t believe it but now? Elle didn’t deserve to have that lecherous piece of shit force himself on her. The very thought of it, the very inkling, had forced Emmett to grit his teeth and clench his fists. He could not, under any circumstance, risk blowing up at Callahan publicly. It would destroy the case, it would destroy Emmett and then Callahan, knowing him, would probably open up a defamation lawsuit against him.

He’d been first to the courthouse, just mere minutes before Callahan had arrived. The two exchanged pleasantries before Emmett moved closer to him.

“I know what you did, Robert,” Emmett stated. The old professor turned to him. “Don’t act like you don’t know. Elle left.”

“Elle was removed from the team, for a multitude of reasons, Mr. Forrest. I would be careful with where you go with this topic, Emmett. It’s very much he-said-she-said.”

Emmett caught himself before he let out a snarl. “Elle is not like that, and she definitely would not be like that with the likes of you. Not once has she ever said anything about you, or using you, or doing whatever you would imply.”

Callahan smirked. The bastard smirked! “Maybe, Emmett, you don’t know her as well as you like to think you do.”

The door to the courtroom opened again, Ms. Riley and her assistant attorney taking their places opposite them, to their right. Emmett and Callahan quickly altered their manner, sitting up straight although the conversation was not done. Emmett noted that Warner was running uncharacteristically late, as was Enid and Vivienne. The two primary members of the defence remained alert, in case the judge arrived.

“I never thought that the rumours were the truth. I looked up to you. You’re nothing but a slimy, self-centred…”

Robert Callahan nodded. “Emmett, I would be very careful with your words. The stenographer might not be here, but I can still lay down a defamation lawsuit if I have to.”

“You know what?” Emmett dared to continue. “You do that? I’m not some first-year associate, Robert. I was a junior partner, I was an attorney-of-counsel, and I can fight this battle if I have to. I didn’t sit around waiting for you to call me back as a TA.”

Callahan turned; eyebrow raised. “And you’d be willing to drag Ms. Woods into this little spat? Make her lie, perjure herself on the stand? What kind of friend would do that?”

“It wouldn’t just be Elle, Callahan. Two other girls, I remember their names. Do you? I remember the rumours being spread around the dorms. Oh, that old Professor Callahan felt up on his interns.”

“Emmett, we’re already losing this case…”

“Which was your own fault, Callahan, don’t flip this on us.”

“Are you daring to suggest that this is my fault?”

“I’d put money on the fact that it was you that lost us the trust of our client.”

Callahan stood up, his cheeks a fierce shade of red as he was about to round on his co-counsel. Just as his first words left his mouth, the courtroom doors opened and a crowd of men and women burst inside. Most of them were made to sit down in the gallery, just as Brooke was brought out in a fine black suit. Leading the charge, however, were the three women that Emmett had not been expecting to see.

Both Enid and Vivienne were bedecked in navy and white, side-by-side, with the woman of his dreams right in front of them. Elle Woods, dressed in a white shirt, covered by a pink skirt and suit jacket. She walked in with pride, with confidence and the witty sass that Emmett knew her best for. Elle took a seat right next to Brooke, the two Delta-Nu sisters smiling and hugging before Brooke leant over to her lead counsel.

“Mr. Callahan, you can go.”

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me, mister. You’re fired.” Brooke smiled; her grin sickeningly sweet.

“What?” Callahan exclaimed.

“And guess who I hired to represent me? You’re gonna love it.”

“You wouldn’t! This is absurd, utterly absurd! Elle Woods is just a law student; she can’t represent you without a license!”

Emmett pulled out a Barbri Legal Handbook from his satchel, waving it at Callahan. “That’s where you are wrong, Robert.”

The judge entered the room, both legal teams standing to attention as the judge made her way to her seat. The gallery was soon seated, and Emmett noted more than a few familiar faces who waved at him. A few girls who looked like Elle’s friends, as well as Paulette and her new squeeze. As the prosecution and the defence made to sit, the judge looked at the defence team sternly.

“Is the defence ready?”

Before Callahan could reply, Emmett stood up. “Your Honour, we have a small dispute to settle. Mr. Callahan has been fired from his position of lead counsel by Mrs. Wyndham. As per rule three-dash-zero-three of the Supreme Judicial Court, a law student, in this case, Ms. Elle Woods may represent a defendant as lead counsel in criminal proceedings.”

Callahan looked incensed as he replied. “Only if she has a licensed attorney to supervise their progress and without me, she does not.”

“In fact, Your Honour, she does. I am licensed in both the state of Boston and New York, I will gladly supervise.” Emmett quickly shot back.

Callahan was ready to rage. “Like hell you will, Forrest! You work for me!”

The judge slammed her gavel down hard. “Mr. Callahan! Control yourself in my courtroom or I will have you held in contempt.”

Emmett smirked. “No, I don’t. I work for Harvard Law School and for myself, remember? Oh, and I don’t have to hit on interns, Professor.”

Callahan clenched his jaw, much like Emmett had been doing since he had woken up that morning. Callahan picked up his files and his satchel bag, before leaning over to Mrs. Wyndham. “I hope you enjoy prison, Mrs. Wyndham.”

“Okay, bye.” The accused shrugged off.

With his piece said, Emmett, buttoned up his jacket and went to sit down, taking Callahan’s spot as Elle moved up a seat next to him. Warner had managed to barge in, late and ungraceful, sitting at the other end of the table. Brooke Wyndham looked much more at peace without Callahan present, and as the judge focused on the prosecution. They were missing a few documents and briefs. Elle nudged him, as Emmett turned to his protégé.

“Thank you, Emmett, for everything.”

Emmett smiled. “Don’t worry about it. Besides, you didn’t think I was gonna let you get away that easily, did you?”

The judge’s eyes were soon focused on them. “Miss Woods, you may call your first witness.”

Elle was caught off, but with a calming touch from Emmett, she stood up. “We call Chutney Wyndham to the stand, Your Honour.”
---
Emmett was completely caught off-guard by the very persona of Chutney Wyndham, the step-daughter of Brooke. Elle was right, the girl did have a terrible perm done. She did not seem to be playing the role of the grieving daughter if the lack of tears meant anything. Then again, Emmett could always assume that people handled grief in different ways, as he always did. Still, she looked unnervingly stoic.

Elle stood up, taking the floor for the first time in her first trial. If Emmett was nervous, only God knew how Elle must have been feeling. “So, Ms. Wyndham what was your relationship to the deceased?”

“He was my father,” Chutney stated plainly, looking somewhat bored. “Obviously.”

“And did you actually see his murder take place?” Elle asked. Emmett nodded to her when she turned to him. Soft-ball questions were always a good start, as long as they didn’t linger.

Chutney shook her head. “No, I was in the shower. But when I got out and went downstairs, Brooke was standing over my dad’s body, drenched in his blood.”

Warner, for once, was in absolute distress. “Oh, boy, we’re totally screwed.”

Enid smacked him on his shoulder, silencing his quiet outburst. Elle continued. “Miss Wyndham, on the day your father was killed, did you see anyone hanging around your father’s estate, anyone suspicious or looking unseemly, perhaps?”

“Suspiciously hanging around my shower?” Chutney laughed, as did the gallery, at Elle.

To her credit, the young, blonde lawyer was not thrown off by the laughing. “No, before that.”

“I was out getting a perm, so no.”

“So, you went to get a perm, and then you went to take a shower?”

“Yes, I was in the shower.”

Elle nodded to her, as the courtroom looked ready to burst into laughter again. The judge, however, was not so impressed or humorous about the situation. “Would the court stenographer please read that back?”

“Witness: “Yes, I was in the shower.”

“Thank you, now, Miss Wyndham, was this your first perm?”

“Of course not, I’ve permed my hair since Junior High, about three a year.”

Elle nodded, turning to nod at Emmett. She was in the zone, either that, or she had Chutney down-pat. “So that’s what? Thirty perms? So, you would happen to know what happens when you wet your hair after getting a perm done, yes?”

“When you wet a perm, it ruins it completely.”

“Exactly!” Elle exclaimed. “Water deactivates the perm’s ammonium thioglycolate and as you said, completely ruins it. It’s the cardinal sin of perm maintenance, so as your curls are still intact, that would mean you could not have showered that day! Why would you lie about being in the shower, Chutney? You would know that, having had thirty perms. So, as you weren’t in the shower washing your hair, wouldn’t you have heard the gunshot? If you had heard the gunshot, Brooke Wyndham would not have had time to hide the gun before you got downstairs, which means you would have had to have gone downstairs and seen Brooke with a gun in her hand to make your story plausible!”

“But I…”

“Why would you lie, Chutney, about not hearing the gunshot?”

“Please, I…”

“I will ask again, why would you…”

“She’s, my age! Did she tell you that?”

“You, however, had time to hide the gun, after you shot your father.”

“Did you think I liked being older than my dad’s new arm candy wife? I didn’t mean to shoot him, I never wanted to hurt him, I thought it was Brooke coming through the door, it was her I wanted to shoot!”

The whole courtroom erupted into veritable chaos. Emmett was smiling to himself the whole way through, and as Elle stated she had no more questions, she walked toward Emmett and gave him a cheeky wink. Brooke was quickly arraigned by the bailiff as the judge was equally as taken aback by the proceedings that had taken place in mere minutes. Chutney was in shambles, and Enid and Vivienne were apoplectic with excitement as Brooke was allowed to leave a free woman. Warner was in an utter shock, and Callahan was nowhere to be seen in the gallery.

As soon as the court was adjourned, the team broke out in celebrations. Vivienne, Enid, Elle and Brooke were all together, a little group hug in one corner of the lobby as Warner seemed to be off on his own in another corner of the lobby. As the three other girls went off to face off the press that was most certainly waiting outside, Emmett had been getting a quick cup of water before he was discovered by Elle.

She took Emmett into one of the tightest hugs he had ever felt, one only rivalled by one from his mother. She whispered in his ear. “Thank you for believing in me.”

“Hey, you did all that on your own. You didn’t me for that. You were great. You are great.” Emmett replied as he pulled away. Warner was across the way, waiting for Elle. He seemed impatient, his foot tapping against the marble floor. Emmett’s smile fell. “I think somebody needs to talk to you. It’s okay, I’m gonna see you later.”

Emmett walked past Elle, giving her a final smile before he walked right past Warner. The two shoved into each other’s shoulders, whether Emmett or Warner meant it was up to both of their interpretations. From what Emmett had been told about the man from Elle, he wouldn’t have put it past Warner to do it on purpose. Emmett made his way to the exit, finding Enid, Vivienne and Brooke still ambushed by the press.

Trial of the Decade, Callahan definitely might not have been lying for once… Emmett thought to himself. Bracing himself for the noise and lack of personal space, Emmett waltzed into it.

Almost immediately, he was dogpiled by camera operators, reporters, journalists, anyone and everyone who wanted to know about the trial's details, and more importantly, about how Elle had done it. It did beg the question: how on Earth did Elle, in her very first trial, manage to get her client off scot-free and then figure out who the true murderer was? It would baffle Emmett till the end of his days, but as he pushed his way through the crowd, giving curt answers along the way, he made his way to his car.

He was not expecting Vivienne to find him. “Hey! Where are you going? We’re all going down to Harry’s Bar to celebrate, to give Elle a little surprise! Are you coming?”

“Yeah, yeah…” Emmett didn’t know whether that was the best idea. “I just need to drop off some files, get changed, you know, just finish off some post-trial documentation.”

“Emmett, are you okay?” Vivienne asked.

“Are you? I didn’t think you asked people that question.” Emmett spat back before he let out a big sigh. “Sorry, I just…”

Vivienne stood next to him, a hand on his shoulder. “It’s Warner, isn’t it?”

“You know?”

“I broke up with him a few days ago,” Vivienne admitted, letting out a sigh of her own. “He’s just so, all over the place. Him and Elle, and then he’d complain about you all the time, I don’t know what I saw in him. There was a reason we broke up in boarding school, he hasn’t changed.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Emmett muttered, placing his satchel in the backseat. “I didn’t know.”

“Don’t be, it’s all done.” Vivienne brushed it off. “So, are you coming?”

“I’ll think about it.”

“Okay, Emmett, just, I wouldn’t think that little of Elle. See you.”

Vivienne joined back with Enid and Brooke as the trio went off to join everyone else. Emmett stood by his car for a moment, thinking about what she was talking about. He didn’t think anything little of Elle, she was brilliant! It was just obvious that it wasn’t Emmett she wanted, and he’d be lying to himself if he thought he was fine with that anymore. He loved her, he pretty much admitted it to her. If she still wanted Warner after everything, then he wouldn’t harbour anything towards either of them. He could let them be happy, he could compartmentalise it all away. He was an adult; he could take a little heartbreak from time to time.

He went home, throwing his satchel into his office before gently taking off and folding his suit. He got changed, into some nice shoes, black jeans and a black polo before going back to his car. He was driving, somewhere, he didn’t particularly know where. He quickly sent a message to his mother, telling her of the good news about the trial. He’d probably need a new job too, everything might as well have been falling apart, but he’d fix it when the weekend was over.

He found himself in a little Irish bar, one that was showing the soccer on. It definitely was not Harry’s Bar. Sitting right at the bar, thankfully he was left alone by everyone else but the bartender. His phone rumbled, a message from Vivienne reminding him that they’d be going out later if he wanted to join them later in the day. He didn’t bother replying, as the beers came in, they slowly turned to double shots of whatever liquor he could see, before they turned to straight-up shots of tequila.

He’d made more than a few mistakes, but a killer hangover in the morning would definitely be the least of them.

Chapter Text

---
Emmett didn’t really have a plan to deal with the issue that he was having trouble resolving. It was bad enough that when it happened, he’d done it out of desperation. He didn’t intentionally fall in love with Elle, no, that was never the plan. She was just a friend, and in his head, that was all she would have ever been. And yet, it never ended up staying like that. She didn’t belong to him, and Emmett knew better than to treat a woman like property, let alone a woman like Elle.

Drinking seemed to be the best way to deal with it, and once he’d hit the third hangover, he knew he had to get a hold of himself. He knew better, drinking away the days and nights would not get him anywhere. He didn’t drink to deal with the stress of his childhood, the workload of Harvard or Manhattan or any issue. This was something else, Emmett knew that much.

Grow up, this isn’t some melodrama. Put on your big boy pants and just deal with it like an adult. You’ll live with it whether it goes the way you want it to or not. Don’t be like those other guys. Elle will understand either way.

“Damn it,” Emmett muttered as he rolled out of bed. That was it, no more wasting time dancing around the issue. He’d dealt with worse issues; it would be fine. Rejection was nothing, not when he could reject himself better than anyone else could. Besides, the summer was coming. If Elle said no, he wouldn’t have to see her around Boston. “If she’s out of sight, she’s out of mind.”

But don’t go in thinking you will fail either, you never know what might happen. You two were close before, what’s to say what might happen? If she says yes? Don’t be a Debby Downer, you’re better than that.

“Christ, this is horrible,” Emmett grunted to himself. Coffee and some toast would have to do, at least then he’d be able to function. After eating, he went through his daily ministrations before leaving his apartment. “Right, let’s get this over with.”

He decided against taking the car, the more time he had to think about how he’d go about his conversation with Elle, the better he could think of ways to walk through how it might go. Yet, Emmett knew that would also be the double-edged sword of Damocles. If he overthought it, then he would lose his freaking mind! Then if he did that, he’d come off as a manic mess, which was not attractive to anyone. No, he needed a clear head if he was going to get anywhere with Elle.

When he finally got to the dorms, he was greeted by the usual sights. Overstressed and under-slept students panicking about the end-of-year tests that would determine if they would be staying for the next year, or dropping out then and there. He’d tried looking for the students he could memorise, like Enid, Vivienne or Warner but none of them were to be seen anywhere on the dormitory grounds.

He kept on walking before he made his way to Elle’s room. The bright pink lettering on the door that marked out her room was still present, and the barking on the other side of the door meant she was still on campus. It had finalised Emmett’s decision, he needed to fix his mistake. If he walked away, if he ran away now, he’d be no different to the bums that his mother used to date.

Like hell, you’ll never be one of them.

He stood in front of her door for what felt like a minute. If time-dilation was a thing, then he was most certainly feeling it. It felt like he was standing there for hours, if not the entire day. He took one deep breath before he knocked on the door. One, two, three times before placing his hands in his pockets. It took a bit for Elle to open the door, but as soon as she did, she was stuck in silence.

Emmett sighed. “Hi.”

“Hi, Emmett,” Elle replied, quite curtly. “Where have you been, I’ve been trying to get a hold of you for days?!”

“I’ve been thinking.”

Elle folded her arms. “You think so hard that you forgot your phone existed, huh?”

“I guess if that’s the best way to put it.” Emmett nodded in defeat. “I didn’t mean to worry you. I needed some time.”

“Come in,” Elle ordered. “Nobody else needs to hear this conversation.”

Elle opened the door, allowing Emmett entry into her domain. It was still as pink as it was the last time he had been around, and he didn’t expect that to change any time soon. Bruiser had cosied and settled onto his seat, watching the pair of humans dawdle inside as Elle had closed and locked her door. Emmett stood awkwardly, hands remaining in his pockets as his mind went blank; hardly the first time since the end of the trial.

The two of them could not have looked any more different if they had tried. Elle was dressed as she usually was, in dark pink jeans with Emmett’s Harvard hoodie as Emmett was in his usual black jeans and white shirt. He had his old ratty corduroy jacket too, draped over his arm as some kind of security blanket. Did he need it? In Emmett’s worst nightmares, yes, he’d be clinging to it for dear life.

He could do relationships; he could deal with heartbreak but to be in between both extremes was always doomed to end up screwing with Emmett’s head. He knew that quite well, and if ripping off the bandage was what was needed, he’d have to get it over with sooner rather than later. Whether it was done slowly and painfully, or quick and less painfully, it still needed doing. He just had to do it.

“Emmett-“

“Elle-“

Of course, it started that way.

“I’ve been worrying about you for days.”

“I’ve been drinking because I didn’t think you’d want to see me. I thought it would hurt too much if I saw you and Warner together again.”

Her eyes were wide open, shocked as soon as the remark had left Emmett’s mouth. “Emmett, I would never…”

“And when I saw him after the trial, I knew that I was just hurting myself the whole time. I thought we were good friends, really good friends, you did stuff for me that nobody else ever has. And when you said you were going to leave to go back to California, I was heartbroken. I thought that after all that time together, with the work you’d put in, that it would be a waste if you left and I got scared.”

Elle was silent. “Emmett, you…”

“I wasn’t lying when I said it. I love you, Elle. I think even when I met you, you just had a fire about you. You were different. I wanted you, no, I needed you to stay not just for yourself but for me too. So, when Warner was there, I thought you’d go running back to him since you had become everything he had wanted.” Emmett took a breath. “I never meant to think it, to think so little of you.”

“He proposed to me,” Elle stated, rather plainly.

“Oh.”

“Yeah.” Elle unfolded her arms, instead taking Emmett’s and holding them tightly in her own. “Emmett?”

“I’m sorry,” Emmett tried to free his hands, but Elle didn’t let go. “Elle, I didn’t mean to…”

“I said no, Emmett. I told him no. He’ll always be a friend, I’ll always care about him, but never again like that.” She took her left hand away; there was no ring on her finger. “I knew you meant what you said.”

“I…”

Elle smirked. “Brain not working up there too good at the moment, huh?”

“I thought this would go a little worse than I expected it to. I don’t do this a lot.”

Elle giggled, causing Emmett to smile a little. “If it helps, I don’t get too many people saying they love me as sincerely as you just did.”

The two embraced, Emmett, holding tightly to the blonde bombshell that he had come to love more than any other. In a way, even if Elle didn’t have to say it, he knew that she felt the same way about him. He let out the largest breath as he held her in his arms. All of the stress, for nothing, as he thought it might have been. Elle would never break his heart in the worst way, she was too nice to kill it all off like that.

“Elle?”

“Yes, Emmett?”

“Can I say it again, please?”

“Since you asked so politely…” She smirked.

“I love you, Elle.”

Elle looked up at her man. “I love you too, Emmett.”