A/N: For those of you who might have wondered, yes, I'm still alive – just been super focused on school these past few years. Well, that and no inspiration to write.

Now I'm still super busy (finals next week – why is it that this always spurs me to do all the things I shouldn't be doing right now?), but the inspiration is back, in the form of the YouTube webseries 'Emma Approved', a modern adaptation of Emma. It's by the people behind the 'Lizzie Bennet Diaries', and is very promising so far.

This story takes place somewhere behind the scenes in episode 12 ('The Rooster Obstacle') – after Martin and Harriet's adorable interaction, but before Harriet spends two days running around doing 'research' for Emma.

The Aerodynamic Apparatus Gentleman

Alex Knightley was sifting through the dozens of applications sent in by potential short-term clients – it had been Emma's idea, that one. Have potential clients vying for her attention and trying to prove why they should be the lucky ones chosen by her to part with their money. He had been unsure, but it had proven to be a stroke of brilliance – her image and charisma were such that it had lent her services an air of prestige rather than being laughable.

Emma would have had him pick out those with the most 'interesting' problems – "What's life without a challenge?" – but he himself had a more practical view on the matter. He scanned the application in his hands – stable source of income, check. Adequate credit score, check. Dilemma that was within Emma's capacity to solve in one hour, check. Their clients had to leave satisfied, after all.

The knock on his door came as he tossed the application in the 'Knightley Approved' pile (infinitely more financially viable than any 'Emma Approved' pile, which was likely to include pro bono cases, and 'clients' who happened to be on their own payroll).

Emma never knocked – she usually just sauntered in like she owned the place (technically, he supposed she did), and plopped herself in her favourite chair. Alex could never bring himself to resent this intrusion. Truth be told, her bouncing energy, those grins and the occasional teasing "Mr. Knightley"s broke up the monotony rather nicely.

He looked up, a half-formed teasing comment about hoping there were no more white chocolate lattes on his lips, to see that it was not Harriet at his door, but Bobby Martin, one hand fiddling with a button on his shirt.

"Come on in, Martin," he said with a smile, hoping to set the younger man at his ease. He gestured to one of the chairs. Martin sat, and there was a short silence.

Just as it reached the point that Alex was about to ask if there was a problem, Martin opened his mouth and spoke, his words tripping over each other a little in his haste to get them out. "Mr. Knightley, I was wondering – you seem to be the right person to talk to – well, I mean, what I mean is, you did the HR stuff when I was hired, so…"

Alex's heart sank. HR stuff? He couldn't imagine shy, sensitive Harriet causing a problem for a fellow employee, and that left only his very opinionated, charming but sometimes hasty business partner…

He wracked his brains, trying to think of what Emma might have done. He ought to have listened to the ominous feeling in his gut when he had noticed Emma's scopes settling on Martin. He knew she wanted to make Harriet her pet project – had she tried to set her up with Martin in some heavy-handed way that had made him uncomfortable? If so, he would have to have a talk with her, pronto. It was bad enough that her involvement in her clients' lives could get so unhealthy that it bordered on obsession, but when her own employees weren't even safe…? Next she might try to set him up with someone. He balked at the thought.

"You're quite right, Martin," he said with a calm he did not feel, and a smile that was hopefully reassuring. "You can tell me what's going on, and I'll do my best to help."

Martin let out a breath, and some of his tension seemed to dissipate. To Alex's surprise, he grinned. "There were some points of the company's HR policy that I wanted to clarify," he said.

Alex relaxed. Not to do with Emma then. "Oh?"

"Specifically," said Martin – was that a blush that was creeping up his neck? – "the policy on dating co-workers."

For a second, Alex went cold. Dating co-workers? Surely not. Martin could not possibly mean that he was interested in Emma. Anyway, he thought with a sudden stab of vindictive glee, she would never settle for a socially awkward IT guy who wore khakis that were less fitted that Alex's old ones had been. A second later he felt sickened at his thoughts – had he not always teased and chastised Emma for being a snob? What was wrong with him?

He blinked. "Well, there actually isn't one," he admitted, trying to keep his voice neutral. "There was never a need for it when it was just me and Emma." He added, hoping he sounded off-hand, "Who were you thinking of?"

Martin's flush deepened. "Harriet, of course," he said quickly.

Harriet. A broad grin spread over Alex's face.

"I haven't talked to her or anything yet," Martin continued, fortunately too absorbed in staring at the wall behind Alex's right ear to notice his too-wide smile, "I thought I'd just speak to you first and see that I wasn't breaking any rules."

By now, Alex was in a very good mood indeed, and inclined to tease a little. "Are you saying if I refused my permission, you'd give up any notion of dating Harriet?" he smiled.

Martin caught the smile in his voice and met his eyes for almost the first time in the conversation, and a dimple peeped out on his cheek. "No sir," he said with a grin, "but I might have found another job before asking her out."

He grinned back. "Well, good thing you have full HR approval on this then – we'd hate to lose you."

The two men parted on good terms, each feeling highly satisfied with how the meeting had gone. For Alex's part, he was glad that this would happen without the need for Emma's interference, before she got too involved in it.

Surely she would be happy at what she would see as her success in helping Harriet gain male attention (even if he rather suspected that Martin found her shy demeanour and eagerness to please more endearing than the heels and silk blouses that were Emma's influence).

Maybe in a day or two, after Martin had spoken to Harriet, he could drop by Emma's office and give her the good news himself before anyone else did. He smiled. It would be nice to have a pleasant conversation with her in which their opinions were in harmony for once.