Notes: This started out with the intention of being a specific Layton/Emmy fic that Zillabean requested but then became something else entirely. I decided to post it anyway as a separate fic and apologise for taking so long with the other one. Set sometime post-PL5, with really vague spoilers for Spectre's Call and Miracle Mask.

Finding Hershel Layton still sat at his desk long after the Gressenheller working day was over wasn't in itself unusual. He cared a lot about his work and when it came to marking he devoted as much time as he could to making sure that his students were graded fairly. That was just who Layton was.

But sadly, the whole reason that Layton had been given an assistant was because of who he was. While devoted to his work, he also ended up being very absentminded – becoming so wrapped up with making sure the marking was perfect that he rarely ever remembered to attend staff meetings. Because of this, Dean Delmona had appointed him an assistant to keep all the little details in check.

Considering that most of her job had thus far consisted of following Layton into life-threatening situations and solving bizarre mysteries, Emmy considered herself as doing a good job of keeping up with him. Admittedly, she actually much preferred going on adventures to making sure a boring university lecturer remembered to be in the staff room at the right time, so she had no room to complain.

Sometimes, however, Layton's habits could border on the edge of irritating.

Such as when she'd had to look after Luke all afternoon, simply because Layton hadn't realised that he was supposed to go home at some point. It wasn't that Luke was even a bother, just that Emmy wasn't paid to be a babysitter and it would be nice if Layton didn't just assume she was going to be there to deal with doing just that.

Though that was assuming that Layton was even assuming at all. Most likely he just hadn't realised how late it had gotten through being too engrossed in his work. Again.

Which was the reason that Emmy was now headed back into the University after having tucked Luke into bed for the night. If someone didn't drag Layton home then he'd probably be there until morning.

Peering around the door, Emmy found him exactly where she expected to – at his desk, hunched over a pile of exam papers.

"Professor?" she prompted.

Snapping out of some sort of daze, he replied, "Oh, um, I'll be just a minute, Emmy. Just a few more to get through…"

"I think you've done enough for tonight," she insisted, walking over.

"But if I don't get this done by tomorrow some of the students will have no idea what direction they're supposed to be taking," he argued, pen clutched firming in his hand as he continued to write.

Emmy picked up one of the already marked papers, reading through it before commenting, "You've given paragraph after paragraph of direction on each one. Don't you think that your students could do with a little more… um, creative freedom?"

He stopped writing and looked up at her.

"They need to pass their exams. Sadly, that involves a lot of answering questions right and doesn't leave much room for creative freedom. I want to help them as best I can to get the right answers," he said.

"And don't get me wrong, that's very good of you," assured Emmy, "But you do have a life away from here as well. Luke really missed you today."

"Oh."

It was a heavily emphasised 'oh' that enforced that he hadn't realised he'd done wrong, hadn't even comprehended it, but felt bad about it all the same.

"I know that it's really hard for you, that your life has changed a lot recently and you're having trouble adjusting, but you did take on looking after Luke from his father and he deserves more of your time than he's getting," Emmy went on.

"Yes, you're right. Of course," he mumbled, looking rather dejected.

The other problem with Layton was that making him feel even slightly sad was like kicking a puppy. You just looked at his face and instantly regretted it.

"It's not all your fault," Emmy added in quickly, "He knows that its exam period and you're busy, it's just that I think he's a bit too young to really get the gravity of that. He still really wants you to be there."

"And I will be there," Layton promised her.

"When? Tomorrow at breakfast before you rush off to work again? That's… kind of not good enough for him. If you didn't think that you had the time to be his mentor then you really shouldn't have agreed to it in the first place," insisted Emmy. Sad face or not, she wanted to get the message across.

"I know," Layton replied, "I know that agreeing to do so was a big move on my part considering I really have no experience with looking after a child and yet… No, there's no justification. I should try harder."

"You're not avoiding seeing him for any reason, are you?" Emmy checked.

"Not at all! Well, not intentionally, but…"

"But?"

"It does play on my mind a little that I seem to spend the most time with both of you when I'm putting you into dangerous situations," he confessed, "I worry enough about dragging the two of you along, that sometimes I think that while we're not uncovering the mystery of the Golden Garden or unmasking the Masked Gentleman that perhaps you'd both want some downtime away from me."

Emmy smiled warmly.

"Trust me, we don't want to be away from you," she replied, "Luke follows your every word and I wouldn't see half of the interesting places that I do without you."

"So in your case, the mysteries really are the highlight?" he asked.

"That's not the only reason I stick around," said Emmy, hastily, she hadn't meant it to come across that way, "Just that I like travelling and you shouldn't doubt yourself for taking me with you. I can handle myself if things get out of hand."

"I had noticed that," Layton agreed, "Luke and I wouldn't have made it through half of those scrapes without you."

"Oh, I'm sure you'd have managed," she dismissed, flattered all the same.

"But we're getting off-topic here, the fact remains that I have been rather negligent today and should make it up to both of you," Layton replied.

"Just to Luke," corrected Emmy, "I'm fine."

"No, to you as well. It's not fair for me to just expect you to handle everything. I don't want to become that sort of person," he insisted.

"That's very nice of you," Emmy replied, since she had admittedly been starting to get bothered by his habit of doing that, "But you really don't need to do anything to make it up to me."

"Well, um, I haven't even figured out what I could do yet, to be honest. But when I do, I promise that I will," Layton mumbled.

That was him all over – good intentions, always tried to do the right thing, but a little slow on the uptake when it came to other people.

"Just be home earlier tomorrow. For Luke's sake. That's all I want," Emmy scolded, though her heart wasn't really in the harshness.

"That much I believe I can do," answered Layton, "Now, I'll just finish off this one-"

"Now, Professor."

This time there was definitely warning in the tone.

"R-right, now. Yes."

He packed the exam papers away, staring reluctantly at his last sentence before admitting defeat and following Emmy out of the office. Perhaps his students could do without three pages of written advice about how to answer every question after all.