Yep, I haven't fallen in a ditch somewhere – I'm here with a new story for you! This story has been a long time coming – I even tried to write it before but deleted it because it wasn't going to way I wanted it to but since the epicness we have been getting from Wemma in Season 3 which has been strengthening my thought that this song is such a Wemma song - it's back! Hope you enjoy and don't forget to review!
And again a huge thank you to Jenna for beta'ing this for me – you're the best fanfic buddy that's ever been mine! :P (hehehe)
"You were in college working part time waitin' tables
Left a small town, never looked back"
Mine – Taylor Swift
Emma Pillsbury exhaled a sigh of relief as she finished wiping the table at the cafe which resided just outside the Language/Education blocks on her campus. She never really looked around this part on the open day with her parents. To be honest she just kept her head down and pretended that she didn't know the couple who were shunning all the lecturers (which hopefully would be teaching their daughter) who weren't natural red-heads. Rose and Rusty Pillsbury even went as far as to openly criticize a lecturer that was sporting shockingly red hair which was obviously dyed for trying to imitate the "great ginger" and how it'll be her fault that in "40 years the species would be extinct".
Emma softly thanked the Lord when she realized that she had that lecturer for her "Introduction to counselling" seminars but she didn't recognize her. None of her lecturers didn't really which was a plus because this was going to be a fresh start for her. She had moved out of her parents' house and even though she knew they expected her to move back in once she finished her 3 year education at Ohio University, Emma was never going back.
And the truth was she loved it here, yes at the moment most of her student loan was going on cleaning products to make her dorm (which she had to herself thankfully) smell fresh and always clean but just today her hard work paid off and as a treat she decided to take in some of the breathtaking sights which Ohio University had to offer which weren't just in the Counseling/Guidance blocks.
Which led her to here; this cozy, clean cafe which looked like the perfect place to rest and have a drink before she went back to her dorm to start her first essay.
Pulling her thick brown framed glasses out of their case and quickly wiping them with her trusty anti-bacterial wipes, she perched them on her nose before quickly looking at the menu to see if there was anything she liked the look of.
It was a reflex that she looked up from the menu; She never expected her heart to skip a beat with the person who walked through the door.
Looking like a model with his leather jacket draped over his shoulder and a leather satchel hanging on his other shoulder, Emma could feel her jaw drop.
"You're late Schuester." The middle-aged man from behind the counter lightly criticized.
"I know, I know Tony." He begged apologetically as he rushed to the back room. "My lecture ran long and then Terri phoned me with an 'emergency'."
Tony sighed. "What was it this time?"
"I really don't want to discuss it Tony." Will rushed to a back door. "Just tell me what I need to do."
Tony rolled his eyes. "Break up with Terri – I tell you now that relationship is going no-where good anytime soon."
"Look it's just because I went to college and she went to work at 'Sheet N Things' once I've finished it'll be alright – we'll move to New York and she'll be able to work in fashion like she wanted to."
"And you?"
Will gave a charmed smiled. "Well... I'm gonna try to crack the good o' Broadway – you know that."
Tony shook his head. "Thought Terri wanted you to become an accountant."
Will shook his head. "No, if Broadway doesn't work out – I'll be a teacher, it'll be okay" He slapped the back of Tony's back. "So where do you want me?"
"Go wait some tables – do what you're paid for."
Will saluted Tony cheekily as he tied an apron around his waist and pressed some glasses onto his face, with any other person it would make them look geeky but not Will, Emma just couldn't stop looking at him she bit her lip and blushed a deep red which she was sure made her look like a tomato when she caught Will's eye she quickly tore her gaze back to the menu in front of her.
Will blinked as he watched the sweet red-head duck to look back into the menu, he could tell a blush was covering her face because her neck had turned an adorable shade of red as well. Exhaling a breath out as he tried to remember he had a girlfriend back home he walked over to the table.
"Hi." He greeted.
"H-Hi." She stuttered as she looked up biting her lip "I..."
They just stared at each other for a little bit before Will cleared his throat.
"Waiter."
"Pardon?" She giggled.
"Sorry, I mean I'm waiter... you know the... the apron." the apron? He chastised himself as he shook his head to himself. "What I mean is, I am your waiter – what can I get you?"
Emma blinked; her beautiful wide eyes boring into his.
She cleared her throat first. "Erm... a Dr Pepper please." She whispered smiling.
"Okay." Will nodded before smartly walking backwards and crashing into a table behind him.
"Oh my gosh! Are you okay?" Emma leapt up as Will regained his balance.
"Yeah..." he rubbed the back of his head. "I'll just... go... I'll go get your drink."
Emma smiled brightly as he walked off, giggling as she sat back down.
"Oh shut up." Will snapped as he walked past a chortling Tony who had clearly saw everything.
"I didn't say anything." Tony shook his head as Will quickly picked up a glass bottle of Dr Pepper from the fridge and paired a glass with it with some ice cubes in it before almost rushing back to the table. That was until he reminded himself to be cool which resulted in him crashing into the same table causing Emma to jump as she tried to control her chuckles.
"There is something wrong with that table." Will tried to brush off but Emma just looked at him in a way which was clear to him she wasn't believing him one bit. "Here you go, one Dr Pepper. Do you want anything else?"
"No thank you; that'll be it." She smiled as Will grinned at her.
He pulled the order page out of his notebook and placed it on the table. "Well then, when you're done just take this to the counter to pay." He shared another breathtaking smile with her before walked backwards stopping himself by crashing into the table yet again by quickly spinning around and heading back to behind the counter.
"Well done, you didn't crash into the table which has been placed there since beforeyou started to work here."
Will just glared at his boss before turning to a customer who had brought their order form to the counter taking it off them before tallying it on the cash register.
He knew if it was with anyone but Tony he would be fired for his behaviour in today's work shift, arriving late and then spending the rest of time at gazing at the mysterious "Dr Pepper" customer. He couldn't stop himself though, how strains of her red hair which was escaping her high ponytail were caressing the side of her face as she continued to read from the book she pulled from her bag as she tenderly took sips from her drink through a straw he was sure she must have brought herself because this place never had straws when a customer requested them.
"You know this would have been a perfect story to tell your kids."
Will jumped as Tony stepped behind him smirking at him.
"I mean imagine it 'I met your mommy when she came to the cafe I worked at as a waiter and when I waited on her I crashed into a table, twice and then for the rest of the time she was here instead of work I just openly gaze longingly at her'."
"Tony..." Will sighed.
"Only you can't because you're still with your manipulative girlfriend."
"Why do you hate Terri so much?"
"Because she reminds me of my ex-wife, we were high school sweethearts Will and that was just a terrible marriage but then I met Lisa and we're still happy together after 12 years."
Will sighed. "Why are you telling me this?"
"Because I think that girl there..." He gestured to Emma who elegantly swept her escaping hair behind her ear. "Might be you're Lisa."
Will sighed and shook his head before letting out a smile. "I don't know."
"Do you want her to be a regret of yours? I've never seen you act like this with anyone." Tony mentioned. "And while you think about that can you get me a case of Coca Cola from the back please? The fridge is nearly empty of it."
Will sighed looking longingly at "Dr Pepper" again before nodding to do as he was told. He never thought that by the time he came back struggling with the case as he hauled it onto the floor with a grunt, he'd find an empty table where "Dr Pepper" and her now empty glass had sat.
"Dude it's been a month." Will grunted as his friend Barney slapped him on his back as they walked to their next lesson. "When are you going to stop moping about Terri? You broke up with her."
Will rolled his eyes. "Yes, I know – that's not why I'm moping."
"Then why are you moping?"
"Have you ever been in love with someone that you've only met for about 10 minutes and even though you hate yourself for it, you're starting to forget what she looked like?"
Barney's eyebrows shot into his hairline. "Well yeah but that's only after I found my car keys and I'm getting the hell out of there in the morning."
"Lovely." Will nodded rolling his eyes. "You're the perfect gentlemen." He added sarcastically.
"Hey just because you can't get the girls don't blame those who can."
Will rolled his eyes again as he hitched his satchel higher on his shoulder.
"So... since obviously you have no plans with Terri – are you working today?"
"No I am not." Will replied already dreading what his friend had in mind.
"Great! That means you can be my wingman for tonight."
"Barney." Will groaned.
"Oh come on." He groaned. "I let you off when you were with Terri but you aren't now so you haven't got a choice! The guidance/counselling department is holding a party in their dorm building; you have to come with me Will!"
"I don't have to do anything Barney!" Will reminded pushing his glasses up his nose before admitting defeat. "But for one girl – I will be your wingman and then I'm out of there because I need to finish this paper for Professor Moseby."
"Oh William." Barney shook his head. "We're in college dude, this is the time when we hand in our papers with minutes to spare still drunk from the night before, this isn't when we actually plan ahead."
Will rolled his eyes. "No Barney – that's your view on college."
"You won't be singing that tune once I set you up with the hottest girl in the room." Barney paused. "Second hottest I'll be getting the first – whatup?" He raised his hand for a high five which Will just stared at.
"I pass thanks." Will carried on leaving his friend hanging.
"Will!" Barney moaned as Will looked back over his shoulder rolling his eyes at his friend still having his hand raised.
"No, you're not getting a high five for that Barney!" Will stood firm then rolled his eyes again as Barney gave a puppy dog eye look. "No." Will repeated before checking his watch. "Gotta go – gonna be late for my next class."
"Robin for the last time – I will not be going downstairs." Emma sighed to her next door neighbour/friend. "I don't even know why someone would want to throw a party here."
"Because this is college and you're gonna be throwing an experience away if you don't have fun once in a while!"
Emma just looked at her friend. "Still no."
"Please!" Robin begged. "Last time I went to one of these things I woke up in a gutter."
Emma just shuddered at the thought and had the sudden need to have a shower.
"I don't want a repeat of that and I know if you're there, there won't be."
"Robin you live 4 flights of stairs away from the party – I think the chances of that happening again are slim."
Robin sighed in defeat. "Maybe you're dream waiter will come. I mean waiters who work at Tony's cafe are students and are mostly from the Languages/Education blocks who I hear some are going to gate-crash this party."
Emma blushed at just thought of seeing the mysterious gorgeous waiter again not that she had visited Tony's care again or three times more since she left.
"You're telling me that you wouldn't like a chance at that hunk again?"
"He has a girlfriend Robin – I heard him talk about her." Of course he has a girlfriend, someone like that would never be single.
"Is this girlfriend here? No, she isn't so get off your arse and support your friend!"
"Who's just going to ditch me when she picks the boy to suck face with." Emma laughed throwing her pen down in frustration at her unfinished essay.
"I won't lie to you Em, that is a possibility but I promise the moment that happens you will be free to leave and come back here to do some work."
Emma paused. "Promise?"
"Promise." Robin bounced slightly.
"Okay!" Emma shook head taking her glasses off and taking her hair out of her ponytail shaking her hair out as she did so. "Twenty minutes!"
"Yay!" Robin clapped. "Come on, I'll help you pick something that will have the hottest boy drooling over you – well second hottest because sister I already call dips on the first." Robin winked as Emma giggled.
"Sometimes I wonder why I'm even friends with you Robin."
"I keep you young." Her friend replied unfazed as she went to the wardrobe to pick the perfect outfit.
"Robin!" Emma hissed. "I thought the party was downstairs not in block McKinley!"
"It's across the way Em." Robin replied calmly as the two friends walked across the courtyard. "What's the big deal?"
Emma hunched her nose. "McKinley is just unclean – I thought I was going to faint when I looked around it in the open day."
"Well that's because the old seniors had just left – now it's been cleaned Em!" Robin waved off as Emma glared at her friend already desperately hoping a panic attack wouldn't come on.
"You know what? I've got you here safely; I think I'm just going to go back to my dorm. Start my essay." Emma mentioned as Robin stood in the door way of McKinley dorm's doorway.
"Oh live a little Em!" Robin protested. "Look, just come inside look if it's too dirty or smelly I will take you back to your dorm personally but I know it's not – I was here last week it's fine."
Emma bit her lip as she looked up at the forbidding looking building.
"Please? Never ask you for anything again."
"I find that hard to believe." Emma rolled her eyes "I'll look."
Robin squealed and clapped her hands jumping slightly on the spot making Emma roll her eyes at her friend.
"You owe me" Emma mentioned as she walked past her.
"No, you're going to owe me when you meet the love of your life tonight." Robin commented seriously.
"Oh Robin." Emma shook her head, her red hair shifting as she did so.
"What? You know it's true."
"You sure you haven't started drinking?"
"I may have had a couple of beers." Robin shrugged.
"Of course you have." Emma rolled her eyes again. "Come on."
"So have you found your conquest for tonight so I can go back to my dorm?" Will sighed as Barney dragged him to go for yet another turn around the room.
"Will." Barney shook his head. "She won't be a conquest for all you know she could be the love of my..." He stopped himself breaking off to laugh hysterically. "Sorry... sorry I couldn't even finish that sentence."
Will sighed not even going to try to argue with his friend, he didn't have the time or inclination.
"Come on Will!" Barney whined. "You know what we need to do?"
"Go back to our own building?"
"No." Barney shook his head slightly childishly. "We need to play a game."
"A game?" Will questioned already dreading what was about to pop out of Barney's mouth.
"Yes." Barney nodded "And look-ey look-ey over there – that girl with her back to us by the fire place can be the perfect participant."
"Why?"
"Because I'm totally going to bang her friend."
"Barney!" Will exclaimed.
"What?" Barney replied quite unrepentantly. "She's been giving me eyes since we've walked in, you should see you're wearing your dorky glasses which isn't going to help you pull anyone mate."
Will sighed again. "I'm not on the pull Barney." He said onto deaf ears as he found himself being pulled to a dark headed girl who was definitely giving Barney the eye.
"Hi". Barney introduced tapping the girl with the back to them who jumped half a mile in the air, "Haveeeeeeeeeee you met Will?"
Will blinked as all the sudden the girl turned around and there she was the girl that had been haunting his dreams for the past month.
She looked as shocked as him as she giggled slightly before nodding. "I have actually."
"Dr Pepper."
Robin stopped staring at the man she had been making eyes at ever since they entered this party to understand just what was going on.
"I mean are you..."
"Robin." Emma elbowed her friend in her ribs, "Shut up." She continued to keep her eyes on 'Will' who was staring at her like he had just seen a ghost.
"What?" Robin shrugged rolling her eyes making Barney chuckle.
"S'up?" Barney greeted smoothly.
"Hey." Robin replied just as smoothly.
Emma sighed and rolled her eyes at her friend sharing a look with "Will" which clearly stated that this wasn't a new situation for them.
Barney took another sip of the beer he was holding as Robin pretended to be interested in something across the room.
"Oh god." Will sighed turning so he could lean against the unlit fire mental smiling slightly as Emma copied his position both of them just watching their friends play hard to get, "I give him 15 more seconds." Will murmured behind his can of beer as he used it for cover to talk to the girl of his dreams beside him. "What about you?"
"Oh maybe about 20 more seconds for her." Emma replied giggling but covered it by pretending to swipe her hair back but all she did was make Will stare longingly at her.
Will and Emma continued to watch their friends do their weird dance before Barney drowned the rest of his drink throwing the can on the floor quite harshly causing Emma's eyes to widen at the thought of more litter and Robin's attention to solely be on Barney again.
"Dance?"
"No." Robin replied sharply back as Barney arched his eyebrow in defiance.
"I wasn't asking you." Barney smoothly retorted, "Red, dance?"
Emma's eyes widened even more when she was suddenly aware of being addressed and Will straightened his back sending a warning look to his friend.
"I..." Emma looked like a deer caught in the red lights and Robin huffed. "I... don't really dance... maybe you... should ask Robin she be a much better dancer then me."
"Yeah Barney." Will warned softly. "Ask this lovely women here to dance." He nodded towards "the friend" Barney had his eyes on since he came into this room.
Barney smirked at his friend's reaction before feigning annoyance. "Fine." He acted like he was doing Will a favour "Can I please have this dance?" He mock bowed.
Robin just stared at him as Emma groaned suddenly wishing she drank the alcohol available at this "party".
"Robin, you've been so stressed I think it be good if you go dance with..."
"Barney." Will supplied lowly.
"Barney, you know take the edge off of the work load we have Robin." Emma suggested.
"I don't know." Robin pretended to deliberate. "I know you didn't want to come here in the first place... I'll be uncomfortable in leaving you Em."
"Really!" Emma rolled her eyes. "I'll be okay."
"Yeah, my buddy is trustworthy and a total nerd, you can tell by the glasses so he won't try to feel her up or anything."
Will hit Barney around the head swiftly making Emma jump slightly
"Hey!" Barney complained.
"You deserved that, just go!" Will pushed Barney to the dance floor or the patch of carpet which their fellow students had made into a dance floor.
Emma sniggered slightly before giving a nod to Robin who looked like she had got the crème of the crop.
"You know that person when you enjoy spending time with them but at the end of the day you really don't know why you're friends with them?" Will asked once they were alone.
Emma nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, I really do."
Will smiled at her making her heart race just that little bit faster.
"Hey." Will greeted.
"Hey." Emma blushed looking out to her friend snorting that already she was sucking face with her dancing companion. "Wow, it really didn't take them that long did it?"
Will followed her gaze and snorted. "Took them longer then I thought it would!" He answered truthfully wincing slightly as a truly dreadful but too loud song came on. "Would you...? I mean..." He sighed wanting to slap himself on the forehead as Emma looked expectantly at him.
"Do you want to get of here? By taking a walk... I mean... You don't have to... I just..."
"Love too." Emma nearly shouted over the noise back to him giving him a breath taking smile.
Giving one look back at their friends who were currently making an embarrassingly public scene up against a wall, they followed each other outside McKinley Dorm taking a deep breath of refreshing clear air as they did so.
"I can hear myself think now!" Will smiled as he turned back to see her following him.
"Oh me too, it was way too loud and stuffy in there." She shuddered. "I wouldn't have gone if it wasn't for Robin."
"I wouldn't have gone if Barney hadn't of twisted my arm to!" Will admitted ."I'm glad he did though."
"I glad he did too." Emma confessed. "I was starting to think you were a fragment of my stressed first week brain.
Will chuckled. "You too Dr Pepper, you too."
"Dr Pepper?" Emma arched an eyebrow.
Will chuckled again. "Well I don't know your name so I kind of gave you a nickname."
"Kinda hope it doesn't stick if that's alright with you."
"You have to give me your real name then." Will smiled.
"Emma, my name's Emma."
"Will, it's been enchanting to meet you Emma."
"Wow." Emma blinked.
"Bad?"
"Little bit." Emma giggled but she could help but swoon.
"Let me make it up to you then – I assume you live around here?"
Emma nodded and refrained from adding not for that much longer though. "Yeah I do."
"So you haven't seen the beautiful lake at the other end of campus have you?"
"N-n-no but its a bit far Will I mean..."
"I promise I will walk you there and back." Will smiled. "I'm most definitely not my friend, I won't abandon you Emma."
Emma smiled softly. "I never said you would."
"This way then." Will gestured to the route they were going to take.
"Thank you."
It's was after 2am when Emma Pillsbury returned to her part of campus, light hearted and giddy with her mystery man by her side.
"So..." Will dropped her off outside her block.
"So..." Emma blushed her lips still tingling. "I'll see you later?"
"You can count on it." Will smiled. "I had a wonderful night with you Emma."
"Me too." Emma giggled. "I think it's been the best night of my life, I don't think I've been so rebellious before."
Will laughed. "We didn't do anything that bad."
"No." Emma smiled again stepping towards. "We didn't."
Both their eyes were drawn to each other's lips wondering if they should take that risk.
Emma never thought that she be the one to lean in that little bit closer and pressed her lips against his. She sighed when she felt him wrap and arm around her waist and burry his hand into her. She broke the sweet kiss first before leaning in again never wanting this feeling to end as she was kissed in the moonlight by an almost stranger.
He pulled back.
"Wow." He whispered.
"Wow." She agreed smiling a glitter in her beautiful brown eyes, eyes he thought he could never forget.
"Goodnight Will." She stood out of his embrace.
"Goodnight Emma."
He watched her take her key out and let herself into her building turning to get on last look at him, the moonlight bouncing off his curls, successfully taking her breath away.
Neither thought that they would forget each other, but this thing called life got in the way, Emma stopped going to the cafe in hopes of finding her mysterious "Will" and in time thought the day she saw this waiter and midnight date was a dream of hers for how could she Emma Pillsbury be that spontaneous? She had never been so spontaneous in her life. As finals came and went and she graduated Ohio University with the highest honours and was accepted into Brown University to continue her quest to become a guidance counsellor.
It took that little bit longer for Will to forget, even by begging Barney to contact Robin again so he could find Emma – but as Barney constantly reminded him that would look so un-cool he took to going to her building but soon found out there was only 3 Emma's and none of them had striking red hair or brown thick glasses on. And after he reconciled with Terri and had to quit his job at Tony's cafe he too thought this was some strange dream his brain cooked up during the first couple of months at an unfamiliar place away from everything he used to know.
And so when it came to that day almost 7 years from when they first met Emma Pillsbury and Will Schuester had no clue they were about to meet again for the first time.
"Hey Will." Ken greeted as Will walked in straightening his grey vest as he poured himself a cup of coffee.
"Hey Ken, good summer?"
"Good enough, you? Anything interesting?"
"Well my friend from college just got engaged." Will smiled. "It's crazy apparently they met at some party while we were all in college, made out a little bit but then sort of forgot each other and bumped into each other, started to date and he got down on one knee just two weeks ago – and I mean he was a player I really didn't think he settle down."
"Wow." Ken feigned interest, "Good for him I suppose!" He nodded as Will took a seat next to him as they waited for Principle Figgins to come to start the first meeting of the school year. "Have you heard? Figgins has finally replaced Mrs Clare – so there's a new guidance counsellor starting this year."
"Oh?"
"A Miss Pillsbury if the rumour mill is to be believed – she's just come down from a school in Virginia."
Will nodded and looked to the door as Figgins came into the room with a timid red-headed creature behind him who was shouldering her bag as she listened to what he was saying politely.
Will took a deep breath as he had this sense of de ja vu wash over him, he felt like he had met her before but just couldn't place her anywhere. Shaking his head he stood up as Figgins made his way over to his table.
"Schue, Ken – May I introduce the new guidance counsellor – Miss Pillsbury, this is Will Schuester – he's one of our finest Spanish teachers and Coach Tanaka who coaches our football team."
Emma smiled politely at the couch but froze when she saw the Spanish teacher, her breath leaving her chest as she felt she seen him before.
"Hey." Emma whispered.
"Hey." Will whispered back suddenly feeling the weight of his wedding ring on his finger.
"I'm Emma... Emma Pillsbury."
"I'm Will... Will Schuester."
They looked at each other for a little bit still trying to decide what this feeling was but just couldn't place it anywhere. Emma was sure she never felt like this about anyone before – well at least someone who wasn't a faceless boy in a dream. That was perhaps why her stomach plummeted when she noticed the ring on his finger.
"Welcome to McKinley." Will greeted.
Please Review! Hope you enjoyed it! Also prize goes to the person who can see the references to a TV show which one of our lovely actors who bring us Wemma was in (the first season of the show) so tell me if I should keep going with this – though I am in second and final year at college so updates won't be as regular as before. Till next time!