(disclaimer: although Will is perfect, I do not own him, or Glee, considering it's not real anyway. I wrote this in about twenty minutes – so don't be too harsh! haha. also, I have nothing against Carl, we've never met him. but Emma and Will are clearly meant to be together. either way, let me know your thoughts, and if you really like – I could continue it …? let me know, haha.)

Walking down the hallway towards a familiar office, a small smile on his face. Because for the first time since their – well, Will's confession of love, the woman he had professed his love for had seemingly started to avoid him. She never returned his calls, avoided him in the hallways, and didn't even utter a word to him when they did happen to pass each other by in the halls.

However, that had changed, when she came into his office two days ago. She had stood in his doorway the entire time, asking him if he could please accompany her for lunch in her office on Thursday.

And today, oh today, was Thursday! Will had a smile that he couldn't seem to wipe off of his face since he got out of bed. Sure, it was cheesy, that was undeniable. But for the first time since Terri's leaving, him and Emma almost really coming together as a couple, he was happy. Exuberant, even.

So holding his somewhat dorky brown paper bag, with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich sitting along with his water bottle, he knew things couldn't go wrong.

Coming up to her glass door he raised a fist, seeing her back towards the door – her face buried in something she was working on. As he knocked she jumped, a small squeal of surprise emitting from her lips. Will could feel the eyes of the students watching the two of them (apparently, thanks to Sue and her obnoxiously large mouth, the whole school knew what was going on between them – and could even get up-to-the-second blog updates) as Emma spun around to meet his eyes with her own.

There was a hint of her usual smile on her lips Will noticed, as she motioned him inside her office. However as he went to open the door – he noticed something else. Her doe-like eyes, one of the features that captured him about her most, were not as bright as they usually were. Not the sparkle she had given him when they had first kissed, nor the passion that was blazing in her eyes after he had watched her outburst on Principle Figgins.

No, something was missing. Something about Emma Pillsbury was not right.

Opening the door however Will dismissed this, offering Emma a small smile. "Hey you. How are you doing?"

The small smile returned as Emma heard this. "I'm fine, Will, thanks. Have a seat." there was a pause as Emma rummaged around in her lunch bag, pulling out a carefully cleaned lunch pail of her own. "How's … things?"

Will smiled again as he heard this, laughing a little. "Things are … good. You know, now that you've let me back into her life. Or, well, more so your office really. I've missed this."

Another pause, as Emma's eyes averted to her lunch quietly. "Me too."

It was whisper, but Will had heard it, not sure if he should have or not. Looking at her lunch though, he had found the perfect way to change the subject.

"Peanut butter and jelly sandwich?"

A real smile now burst on Emma's features as she heard this, looking up at Will's own sandwich. He had remembered, all those months ago, when they had shared their first sandwich. As he looked at her face it had felt like an eternity ago, a life time ago when he was with Terri. Goodness, he hadn't thought about her for so long.

Another silence took over, something Will was not expecting. He cleared his throat, finishing his bite of his sandwich. "How are your … things? Work? Carl?"

Saying his name felt like vinegar on Will's tongue, as the word sort of fell out. Like a piece of concrete he just needed to get out of his mouth. As he said it however, he noticed Emma's face contort for a split second – before looking down at her lunch once again.

"Oh, you know, they're fine. Teeth need to be cleaned, and he's there to clean them."

Another silence. "Emma, are you still – together, or um – with Carl?"

She took in a sharp breath as Will forced out his name again. He was getting rather sick of saying it more than once now. He was hoping to have stayed away from this topic all together.

Will's eyes followed Emma, as she unwrapped her sandwich, but something was different. Her fragile, always soft, always vanilla scented hands – were trembling. As her hands trembled, he watched as a tear fell from her eye.

"Emma. What's wrong?"

His voice was soft, gentle, with a very serious question. What was causing this? What happened to her? She continued to cry silently, and Will knew he couldn't take it any longer. He moved towards her, slowly, like someone walking towards a dear, afraid that at any moment she was going to push him out the door – and out of her life alltogether. As he put a hand on her shoulder comfortingly – she did something he was not at all expecting, Emma immediately leaned into him. The tears continued to fall as he pulled her close to his chest, feeling her whole body tremble in his arms now.

"Shh, Emma. Deep breath's, deep breath's come on," Will soothed into her ear as she clutched his shirt as if it was the only thing left in this world she could hold onto. "You need to tell me what's wrong Emma."

However, she didn't need to say another word, as she looked up at him. The makeup, which she seemed to be so involved with when he had arrived – had smeared off. And where the makeup had been removed was a bruise encompassing her left eye, all way down to her cheek.

Anger was the dominate emotion in Will's chest as he saw this, Emma closing her eyes as his eyes went over the bruise.

She sat up now, moving away from his embrace slightly, creating some distance between their faces. "It was – it happened yesterday. He's never done it before, Will, I swear. He was just really upset, and he gets angry a lot – and it just, happened. I don't know why, but I was the first thing in his path. He's apologized non-stop, sent me flowers all day, but I just – I can't get his face out of my head. The anger." she shuddered now, closing her eyes once again, as if trying to erase the memory permanently.

"You don't need to say another word, Emma. You're not going to see him anymore, even if you want to. I will not let you put yourself in that situation again."

Emma sighed, shaking her head. "Will, you don't understand, it's never happened before yesterday. He said it will never happen again."

Her words stung Will's chest, where the anger continued to well up inside of him. He had only met Carl once, but he never knew he would do that to Emma – his Emma – who was now trembling before him.

"So you just want to wait until it happens again? These aren't Gaul stones, Emma. You can't wait it out and see it happens again then have surgery to remove them, or in this case, leave. This is not a joke. This is the fact that a man, a man who clearly takes you for granted, has hit you. He hit you, Emma."

Emma slowly began to nod, for Will was right, without a doubt. "You're right, Will."

He brought a hand to gently brush some hair from her eye, pushing some of her fiery red hair behind her ear. His fingertips brushed her cheek gently, "I'm here for you, Emma Pillsbury, and I'm not going anywhere."

Her eyes found his own now, the fear slowly leaving them. As her doe-like eyes stayed with his own Will gently placed a kiss on her forehead. She was safe, and he wasn't going to let that change.