Disclaimer: I do not own Legally Blonde.

Presenting... The first chapter (of my first fanfic attempt)!There won't be much of Elle here because, though she was definitely intriguing then (and I'm sure she made a bit of an impact on Emmett), Emmett was in a different "place" here still. There are other things that were surely occupying his mind before and it would be fun to see that part of him (the Elle-less part).

Enjoy and please review! :)

Welcome to Harvard

Three beeps and a lazy click. That was the usual wake-up call even though that morning was, according to a tattered calendar on the wall, the start of a special day. He could excuse himself for just this once and give himself a few more minutes to snooze. He deserved it. After all, this is no ordinary morning: this is the first September morning he woke up as a Harvard graduate. However, it is exactly that fact that immediately carried him out of bed. He couldn't be late on his first day to work. So, after a bowl of cereals and a quick bath, Emmett Forrest, wearing his Harvard shirt under his old corduroy jacket, dashed out the door and cycled his way to that all-too-familiar university.

Even in his determination to stay focused and serious, Emmett could not help but smile as he spotted the grand building and saw a scattered mass of new students. Three years ago, he was just like one of those nervous freshmen. Except he was never as well-dressed as them. He shrugged that thought now just as he shrugged it off before. None of that mattered much and, in fact, it mattered less when he entered the faculty building.

"Good morning, Emmett," one old professor said soberly, when he passed by. He beamed back and was thrilled inside. That was his professor during his first year in one of his classes. Actually, as he entered through another door and as he moved from place to place, he kept meeting past professors. There was Dr. Sansa, the teacher who supervised him during his first debates. She was arguing animatedly with another person when she caught sight of him and nodded at his direction. There was also Professor Connelly, dozing off on a bench. He was the first to lend Emmett a book for research once. Miss Natalie, the first teacher to shout at him for missing a question in one of their starting quizzes, smiled at him when he walked past. Mr. Boyle, the first to catch him sleeping in class, even asked him to deliver some papers quickly for him.

This buzz of people going in and out of offices was not new to him. For months, he was working in Stidwell, Zyskowski, Fox and Callahan as one of the junior associates. The environment in the firm, however, differed greatly from that of the faculty. For starters, here in the faculty, most of the people were above thirty years old. Only a couple of people were around Emmett's age and though they were teacher's assistants too, they have been there for a year or two so that they rarely stopped and mingled. Not that that was a problem for Emmett. Another difference between the faculty and the firm was that here he wasn't obliged to socialize with any of the people. He was expected to be polite, yes, but that was as far as it would go. In the firm, even though Emmett liked the company of people his age, he wasn't comfortable with being urged to go out with them everyday or every week. He just did not have the extra cash for Friday nights out.

Emmett, after doing a few favors for people he chanced upon, finally reached a particular heavy door bearing a golden plate with black letters (the letters spelled "Callahan, R."). It had a frosted glass window and seeing no blurry shadows moving behind it, Emmett proceeded to walk inside.

The office spelled class all the way from its carpeted floor to its walls lined with full book shelves. It even smelled expensive; the scent of dark wood plus a little hint of pricey cologne. The desk, where Emmett dropped some folders, was sleek, shiny and adorned with bronze Venuses. There was only one chair in the room and it was leather and black. Emmett swiveled it a bit when he moved to look out the window. The view it offered was amazing. Callahan wasn't an easy boss to work with and Emmett, though extremely patient, was oftentimes grateful for that view of the Harvards grounds. In the morning, it prepared him for the worst later while in the late afternoon (sometimes early evening), it comforted him on the regrets or failures of the past.

Emmett was watching a little chihuahua run off in the grass below when the door swung open and a tall well-suited man brisked in the office. His lips were reduced to a fine line that twisted to a slight curve, to a slight hint of a smirk. His hair was gray with specks of black. Almost instinctively, Emmett lowered his head in greeting. The man, who is Callahan, barely flicked his eyes at him. Without looking at Emmett, he asked about the firm and the course curriculum, while he assumed his seat behind his desk. Emmett, a bit stunned, answered nevertheless. He gave a few documents for Callahan to check and while his boss was scanning the papers, Emmett curiously looked outside the door, searching for a particular blonde.

"Emmett," said Callahan, finally looking at him, "Your standing around irritates me. Do something useful", and when Emmett sheepishly nodded, he added "Get me coffee."

Emmet stared for awhile like he misheard him. He looked around again then asked "Sir, um, where's Miss Caroline?" Callahan almost scoffed at him.

"Obviously not here," he replied drily as he resumed looking at the documents before him, almost finishing the small pile, "Now, that coffee, Mr. Forrest. Splenda and skim."

Confused, Emmett went outside to get that coffee. His eyes shifted from side to side, looking for a little woman with blonde hair and a tiny laugh. Caroline was Callahan's secretary and like his other secretaries, she was wherever he was; whether it be in the firm or the university. Truth be told, his secretaries don't last more than three months. The only exception was Caroline. She had been working for him for half a year. Emmett, being one of the junior associates to often visit Callahan's office, saw Caroline regularly. She was really pretty with her little mouth and her warm hazel eyes. Emmett never talked to her beyond business though. Someone was always talking to her when he passed by. When he was offered the teacher's assistant job, Emmett thought he would be seeing more of her since he would be in both the office and the university. Now, looking at the steaming cup of coffee in his hand, he wondered whether he would be seeing her anywhere at all.

By the time Emmett returned to Callahan's desk with the requested cup, Callahan was half-way through the documents. He stopped working, closed all the folders, and decided to enjoy his coffee instead. While he leaned comfortably in his chair, Emmett resumed the abandoned work. Callahan's class list and syllabus seemed untouched as it sat by the far end of the desk, exactly where Emmett had put it. To Callahan, the names in that class list were just words to be given C minuses (and very rare As) but to Emmett, they were people coming from different walks of life; they were stories that have barely begun. Just like his story three years ago.

Emmett Forrest. In high school and in college, he was dubbed a genius but, really, he was just very studious. He had to be. Studying, other than it being rewarding in terms of academic recognition and excellence, was also a distraction from the troubles of home. It gave him an excuse to stay in his room when his mother's boyfriends came over. They wouldn't try to be friends with him when he was in his study-mode, saving them from the awkward conversations. Moreover, as Emmett gained more knowledge, the farther he was from the likes of the men his mom dated.

In Harvard, however, he found many who were his equals in intellect. That made standing out more difficult. If he did stand out, it was because he was the only one who was wearing a used shirt and faded jeans on the first day. On that fated first day of school, Emmett was almost late. He rushed to class with his hair uncombed and the collar of his shirt askew. The stares he got when he stumbled inside the room... He tried to ignore them by appearing to be preoccupied with adjusting the strap of his new messenger's bag (his mother gave it to him as a college graduation gift).

He tried to make friends that day but everybody simply looked at him from head to toe before turning away. The first weeks were a struggle. Even the people in his dorm were not very friendly. Luckily, his roommate was a bit social. He was talkative and obliviously proud. A bit of a rascal, Timothy was the middle child of wealthy business tycoons. He only went to Harvard to get away from his parents' nagging. He didn't mind Emmett's study habits (actually, he never minded anything that wasn't connected to him) and he was rarely at the dorm at night that Emmett considered him a nice roommate. Timothy, despite his expensive and time-consuming lifestyle, made it out of law school alive. He scraped his way with Emmett's help. Apparently, Emmett was the best kind of cram review anyone can have. A night before an exam, he would ask Emmett to help him and in less than three hours, Timothy would have already known enough to answer about half of the test.

Emmett chuckled to himself as he remembered that that loud lanky socialite is now a successful businessman. He only contacted Emmett when he needed something. Just a couple of weeks ago, he called Emmett to look through some legal affairs for him. They may have graduated law school together but only Emmett applied for a license after graduation. He was extremely proud of that license that whenever there was an opportunity for him to use it (very rare chances, considering the jobs he has), he grabbed it eagerly.

He was already organizing the paperwork he had finished for Callahan who hadn't even finished his coffee yet, when there was a knock on the door. Almost immediately after, the door opened and a head popped in, beaming from ear to ear.

"Callahan?" the head, bald and round, inquired excitedly. Callahan looked up, put down his cup then rose from his chair.

"Fox," he greeted with sudden friendliness, gesturing him to come in and take a seat (which Emmett hurriedly vacated), "about time!".

The man named Fox rushed in and took the seat, all the while ignoring Emmett. He was talking rapidly about his commute to the university and why it took him forever to report to Callahan. He had a briefcase with him, that he rested on his lap as soon as he sat. He was in the process of opening it when Callahan cleared his throat loudly.

Fox stopped mid-sentence and noticed for the first time Emmett's presence. Almost instinctively, he shut the briefcase again. He reduced his grin to a smirk and waited. Callahan, after smoothing out his coat before sitting down, addressed Emmett.

"I think these will do," he said dismissively, pointing to all the files on the desk, "you can take them away now. I'll see you in class." Emmett nodded, took the documents and left. Before he closed the door, he heard Fox laugh about something Callahan had said.

With the class list and academic rosters at hand, Emmett grew more excited to go to class and meet the new students. He would probably be three or four years older than them which meant most of them might look up to him as a superior of some sort. Professor Emmett? Professor Forrest? He shook his head at the idea. He definitely was more cut out to be a practicing lawyer than a teacher.

When he approached the crowd of first years near the entrance gate, he noticed the same confidence he saw on the faces of his classmates years before. These students could be the same type of students who entered Harvard without breaking a single sweat. They may all think Harvard is the perfect place for them. Emmett smiled knowingly. Let's see about that.

Bearing his friendliest smile and trying not to appear too giddy, Emmett began his first welcoming remarks.

"Hello, I'm Emmett Forrest, welcome to the hallowed halls of Harvard Law..."

So, what'dya think? Helpful reviews are highly appreciated! Thanks, lovelies!