Emmett didn't know what he wanted to say to her, but he knew he wanted to talk to her. He obviously loved her, but he didn't know if he was ready to tell her yet. She might still like Warner. Ever after everything that had happened, Elle might still be in love with Warner. So he didn't really have a reason for waiting outside her dorm room after the party, but he did it anyways.

"There she is," Emmett said happily when he saw her cascade of hair come into view, "Intern of the year." He saw her smile waver and then she was looking away from him. Something was wrong.

"Thank for the help and for all you've done," she said after a moment, "Thank you for treating me decently."

"What's wrong?" Emmett asked. What could have happened between the trial and now to make her like this? She ignored him and kept talking.

"Maybe someday you can visit me. Give me a call, say hello," Elle said sadly.

"Wait, where are you going?" Emmett asked as he blocked her path inside. Elle looked up at him for a moment, he could see the conflict in her eyes. Had something happened at home? Was someone sick? The ideas kept flooding through Emmett's mind as she continued.

"I'm sorry for letting down everyone."

Emmett walked forward and looked at the crying girl in front of him. Her back was turned and he wanted nothing more than to hold her, but all he said was, "What brought on this?" she didn't even seem to be hearing him as she kept apologizing.

"You did your best with a hopeless case," her voice broke again, and so did Emmett's heart. After all the work they'd done, did she still feel this way about herself?

"That's ludicrous," he said, "You are the best thing about this place." He was shocked to hear her say the same thing. Before he could stop himself, Emmett found himself saying, "Elle you should know-" I love you.

"Callahan hit on me," she interrupted, grabbing his arms.

"He what?"

Elle took a deep breath and pushed back her tears, "He kissed me then he fired me," she said as he tightened his grip on her, "And he made it perfectly clear I don't belong here."

Before Emmett could do anything, she was out of his grip and going back to her dorm, "He's wrong." Emmett called out desperately, "We'll fix it. We'll fight it. Elle, I'll fight for you."

"Oh, Emmett," she said as she caressed his face, "There's no reason for me to stay."

Emmet's hand reached up to hold hers before she could close the door, "Stay for me."

Elle stared at him for a moment, "What?" she asked. Emmett wasn't sure what to say. He could believe he had just said that, but he couldn't take it back now.

"Elle, I want you to stay," he said.

Elle looked up at him. For a moment, Emmett thought she would actually say yes, but she shook her head and gave her a sad smile, "It's not up to me, just let me be legally blonde."

Emmett gripped her hand tighter as she tried to pull away, "I need you to stay," he begged.

"It's not up to me," she repeated as she finally broke his grip, "Just let me be legally blonde."

"Elle!" Emmett yelled as soon as she had closed the door. Instead of a response, all he heard was the lock clicking, "Elle, open the door, please."

"Go away," he heard Elle say, followed by crying. She must be leaning against the door.

What about love? Emmett thought, I never mentioned loved. The timing's bad, I know. Perhaps if I made it more clear… "You belong right here," he said.

"I'm exactly what they all thought I was," Elle said.

"We both know you're worth so much more," Emmett pleaded, "Please, Elle, open the door."

"Some girls fight hard, some face the trial, some girls were just meant to smile."

"Elle, open this door," Emmett said, suddenly stern, "I'm not letting you leave little Miss Woods comma Elle."

"You can't stop me," she replied after a moment.

"Just watch me," Emmett laughed humorlessly.

"Emmett, just leave," Elle begged.

"No, not until you talk to me," Emmett said. He sat down and leaned against the door, "Y'know, leaving won't help anyone. You're the one who disproved Brooke's affair today. Without you, there's no way she'd get off."

"I'm not even on the case anymore," Elle replied.

"I don't think Brooke will like that," Emmett commented, "She might even fire Callahan."

"She can't," Elle replied, "No one else wants her case."

"You do," Emmett said.

"Again, I was fired."

"You were fired from the legal team, not from Harvard," he said, "You could still represent Brooke."

"I'm just a student," Elle said hopelessly.

"You can still defend her, you just need a supervisor," Emmett replied.

"Which I don't have."

"Elle, I'm a licensed attorney," Emmett said.

"No," Elle said immediately, "I'm not going to let you do that."

"Why?" Emmett asked.

"You've worked so hard to get where you are."

"So have you."

"Becoming a lawyer was never my dream," Elle said, "I have a career in California I can go back to. I'm not going to let you give up everything for someone like me."

"Someone like you?" Emmett asked, "What does that even mean."

Suddenly, the door opened, causing Emmett to fall back a bit. He struggled to stand back up as he was faced with an Elle he rarely saw. She was no longer crying, she just looked at him with steely determination, "I'm not representing Brooke."

"What did you mean Elle?" Emmett said, "About how I can't supervise someone like you?"

"I have to get up early tomorrow to pack, Emmett," Elle said, "I'm going to sleep"

Emmett shoved his foot in the doorframe as Elle shut the door, "No, tell me what you meant," he repeated, not willing to take no for an answer this time.

"You know what they say about me, Emmett," Elle said, tears threatening to fall again.

"Elle, I don't listen to what people say about you," Emmett replied honestly, "I only know how I feel about you."

"You really don't know do you?" Elle said as she stepped back from the door. Emmett wasn't sure if it was an invitation, but he came in anyway and shut the door behind him, "Even after getting the internship, people still judged me, Emmett. But I… I thought I had actually gotten in because someone at this school thought I could be a lawyer. But I was wrong. I'm exactly what they think I am."

"Which is?" Emmett asked.

"Some slut sleeping her way to the top," Elle said, choking up.

"Elle, that's not true."

"The blonde bimbo using her tits to get what she wants," she continued.

"Elle-"

"Privileged bratty ditz with nothing between her ears."

"Elle," Emmett snapped, grabbing her arms and pulling her towards him, "That isn't you."

"Isn't it though?" she asked.

"No," he said stubbornly.

"Everything I accomplished this year was because Callahan wanted to sleep with me," she sobbed. Emmett couldn't resist anymore and he pulled Elle into a fierce hug.

"Do you think I would have tutored you every night if I thought you were nothing more than a pretty face?" Emmett asked into her hair. He could tell that Elle was trying her best not to break down again, but it was a losing battle. Soon, Elle's arms wrapped around him tightly as she cried. He wasn't so much hugging her now as supporting her, but he still enjoyed the feeling of her pressed against him.

"You realize," Elle said between sobs, "That you're the only one at this school that believes in me, right?"

"That's not true."

"It is true, Emmett," she said as she pushed just enough away to look up at him, "And I appreciate you, more than anything, but I can't be somewhere where no one has any faith in me."

"Elle…" Emmett said hopelessly.

"It's getting late, Emmett," she commented, "You should go home."

"Promise me something," Emmett asked, "Promise me you won't make any rash decisions tonight."

"Emmett, don't make this harder than it has to be."

"Please," he replied, "I know you're upset and you have a right to be, but don't do something you'll regret a few months from now. Please, Elle, please be here in the morning."

"I already booked a flight," she confessed.

"Don't get on it, please, Elle, you'll see in the morning that you belong here," Emmett looked at her, expecting her to agree, but he saw no change in her eyes. She didn't believe him. She really didn't know how much she was worth. Emmett wouldn't let her leave, but there was only one thing he could think of to get her to stay.

"I'm not leaving," Emmett said.

"What?"

"I'm not letting you runaway in the middle of the night, Little miss Woods comma Elle," he repeated, acting braver than he felt, "I'm staying right here."

"Don't be ridiculous," Elle said as she pulled out of his embrace. Emmett immediately missed the feeling of her pressed against him, "Boys aren't allowed in girl's dorms at night. You could get fired."

"I don't care," he replied, "You're staying here at least one more day."

Elle stared at him, still not sure if he was serious, "Fine," she said finally, "Do what you want, but I'm going to sleep."

Emmett gave himself a mental high five as he watched Elle retreat to the bathroom. She hadn't agreed to stay, but she wasn't going to leave tonight. It was a small victory, but if there was anything Harvard had taught him, it was to appreciate the small victories.

When Elle returned from the bathroom, her makeup was gone and she was clad in a pair of flannel pants and a tank top with her hair twisted up in a messy bun on the top of her head. This was certainly a side Emmett had never seen, but he loved it the same as every other version of her.

"This is the first time you've seen me without makeup, huh?" Elle asked when she noticed him staring, "sorry to disappoint."

"Disappoint, Elle, you could never," Emmett replied. You're so beautiful, is what he wanted to say. But that certainly wasn't something a best friend said during an extremely platonic sleepover.

"No matter what happens, I have to get up early in the morning," Elle said as she sat on her bed, "So I'm going to sleep."

Before Emmett could say anything in response, the lights were off. Emmett wasn't quite sure what to do. He hadn't really thought this through. He didn't have any clothes, or a toothbrush or even a blanket. He had been completely irrational. Elle made him irrational.

"I still have your sweatshirt from last time," Elle said, "If you want to sleep in that."

"Yes please," Emmett said.

Elle sighed and got out of bed. Emmett immediately felt bad that he was making her get up, but it only took him a minute to remember his reason for being here. The light came on and soon Elle was handing him his sweatshirt.

"I'm sorry," Elle said suddenly as she sat down next to him.

"For what?" Emmett asked. What could Elle possibly have to be sorry about?

"For the way I acted earlier," she continued, "I was acting like a child."

"Elle, no you weren't," Emmett said forcefully, "You had every right to be upset. Honestly, I'm surprised you didn't go report Callahan."

"It was probably my fault anyways," Elle said casually, "I was probably leading him on, or giving him signals or something."

"Elle," Emmett said, she flinched back slightly at the sudden change in his tone. Emmett took a deep breath, he didn't want to hurt her even more, "Elle, for someone so smart, how can you be such an idiot?"

"What?"

"Callahan's a creep, Elle, none of this was your fault. You're not the first girl he's done this to, and I'm sure you won't be the last."

"I'm gonna be a laughingstock," Elle said biting her lip, "More than I already am."

"You're not-"

"We've been over this, Em, remember? Blonde slut, bimbo, it's only gonna get worse now."

"You're talking like you're gonna stay," Emmett tried not to get his hopes up, but Elle never said things she didn't mean.

"I'm warning you, if I stay it's gonna get bad. I need to switch some of my classes around, and I already lost the internship, it's not gonna be fun being my friend."

"As if that's gonna stop me," Emmett joked.

"As much as I love talking to you," Elle said with a yawn, "It really is late, and there is class tomorrow."

"So you're staying?" Emmett asked hopefully.

"For now," Elle allowed. It was yes, it wasn't "of course I would never you." But it was something, and it made Emmett happy for the moment.

This was originally intended to just be a one shot, but I don't want to end it there. So it might have just one more chapter, or it might turn into a full length story. It just depends on what you guys want