[A/N]: First of all, I'm going to do my best to be fair in featuring both pairings (Will/Emma & Carl/Holly). So I just ask of your patience and support. Also, thank you to those who left reviews and to those who viewed this fic! I promised Nams that I'd post this chapter by today so here it goes!
"But that doesn't change anything. I still find her intimidating and," the student suddenly stands up and begins to pace around Emma's office, "she still keeps on looking at Finn with lust in her eyes!"
Emma blinked. Stay focused, she told herself as she continued to quietly tap her fingertips on the table. This is your student. This is Rachel Berry talking to you about Santana. This is about her relationship with Finn Hudson. This is not about you and Will.
"Does Finn look at Santana like that too?"
"No, of course not. I trust Finn, Miss Pillsbury. It's Santana I don't trust." Rachel replies, her eyes fixed on the speck of dirt on her shoe as silence builds up in the room.
"He's a great guy, you know? I just don't want to lose him." Her voice trailed off as she glanced out the window.
"Rachel," Emma started, her voice very soft, "I think what you need is assurance from Finn and closure from Santana."
Rachel's head snapped back and her inquiry was immediate. "Assurance and closure?"
"Yeah...you and Finn have built a foundation, right? If little 'earthquakes' occur, do you think that the foundation you've built would remain strong?"
"It would depend on how we would handle an 'earthquake'," Rachel begins to say, making use of air quotations for the metaphor. "If the foundation becomes weak even before the 'earthquake', it could crumble down when the 'earthquake' strikes. But if we have each other's assurance that the foundation is strong and firm, we can withstand anything!" Rachel exclaimed and smiled proudly to Emma.
"Exactly." Emma confirms, smiling back.
"But what about the closure?" Rachel asks.
Emma falls silent for moment; she's weighing her words carefully, "I know that you and Santana are not the best of friends but I think that it would help if you talk to her about it."
"You and I both know that Santana isn't that much of a talker unless she's spreading rumors or backstabbing other people." Rachel replies honestly.
"Or maybe you can express your feelings through song?" Emma offered and gave her another half-smile.
"Yeah. It works most of the time. I'll give it a shot. Thanks, Miss Pillsbury."
As she left, Emma sighed as she let her small shoulders hunch forward. Had she let her emotions cloud her work? Let things get too personal? Why is she so bothered by Holly's return? Are the things she said to Rachel also the advice she needed?
She checks the time on her wall clock. Will doesn't have a class. She puts her pamphlets in a neat pile then with a wet wipe in hand, she closes her office door. She discards the wet wipe in the nearest trash bin, straightens her pencil skirt and releases a deep breath.
I need assurance from you, Will. I need to talk to you. No Glee kids or any other matter involved; just you and me. I think that we don't talk about our feelings and I think it's about time that we did.
"Wait. That might scare him. I need a calmer and softer approach." Emma says to herself. She slows her walking pace to his office while she creates a mental draft of the things she wanted to tell him. But for some reason, she found him in an empty classroom, stretching up to pin something onto the cork board on a wall.
She opens the door and hears a woman laugh.
"You just placed an entire continent on the other side of the world!"
"I failed a lot in Geography." Will snorted with laughter as the blonde moved toward him from the other end of the classroom and took the continent cut-out from his hand.
"Now I know why." Holly grinned, poking his butt chin playfully.
Not wanting to see the playful banter go further, Emma clears her throat and they both turn to look at the source of the sound.
"Oh. Hi, Emma." Holly smiles and waves at her.
"Em," Will says, looking quite surprised to see her. She stood awkwardly as he approached. "Holly was just asking me to help out in preparing the classroom," he begins to explain but she cuts in, pressing a finger to his lips, causing his breath to catch in his throat.
"It's okay. I trust you." Emma giggles.
But her smile fades away when she notices that Holly's still watching them.
"Can I just talk to him alone…for a while?" Emma asks Holly.
"Go ahead!" Holly shrugs returning to pin more cut-outs.
Emma clears her throat once more.
"Oh! I thought you guys were the ones who were going to leave. Ha," Holly lets out a laugh as she gathers her things and heads for the exit. "Just please don't rearrange the tables or get anything…wet."
[A/N]: The next chapter is fully of Wemma. Don't worry.
