A/N: As much as I love Leslie, Tracy Jai was my first Serena, so that's who you should envision, because that's who I'm envisioning, too.

It didn't take her all that long to realize that Emmett had avoided the subject of Christopher's mother. It wasn't her business, and even if it was she didn't really care. He seemed very nice. He was a frazzled, first-time dad and she just wanted to help him out.

Elle wasn't a mother herself, but she was the middle child out of ten kids. She'd grown up raising a lot of babies, and she loved them! She was a babysitter for a little while in her teen years, and she taught a toddler dance class down at the local community center studio. She knew a thing or two about babies. She also desperately longed to be a mother, but at this point in her life… Well, for starters she was single. Secondly, she was still very young! She was 22, not nearly old enough to birth her own children. She would someday. She wanted so badly to have her own family. She almost decided to be an OBGYN, but in college realized she wasn't smart enough, nor did she have the passion she thought she would for it, so she dropped out and applied to the Julliard School. She was accepted, and there she honed a talent that she thought had just been a hobby for as long as she could remember. Now, she was a teacher while searching for work as a dancer.

She had a great life, but that itching feeling in the back of her mind to have children never left her. Her heart ached when she saw women on the street with their children, or when she saw families playing together in the park. She loved every single one of the little boys and girls she taught at the studio! She knew every one of them by name and treated them as if they were her own.

There was something about that Emmett guy, though, that she just couldn't get out of her mind. He looked so sad and so lost… Perhaps she shouldn't have left him there to fend for himself…

With a confused sigh, Elle pulled into the parking lot of the dance studio. She could hardly concentrate on anything! She got out of her car and grabbed both boxes of cupcakes and headed into the studio where a bunch of little girls and boys were warming up for that day's class. Little did they know that it was Ms. Elle's birthday today and Elle NEVER worked on her birthday!

The whole class, little kids were running around, throwing things and having a blast dancing to music they never got to listen to and eating cupcakes that they were never allowed to eat. It was a great joy of Elle's, making little kids happy. She loved nothing more!

One of her teaching partners noticed the slightly glum look on her face and sauntered over to her friend. "Hey, Elle! Oh, happy birthday, sweetie! The big 2-2! How does it feel?"

"Um, just like 21, only…without the hangover. Thanks, though, Serena. You're wonderful."

"For what?"

Elle shrugged. "For just being you; for being my friend. You're the best I've ever had."

"Aww, Ellie!" Serena wrapped her thin arms around Elle and gave her a sweet hug. "What do you plan on doing today? Just this? Just class and a bunch of screaming kids? We should go out!"

"Go out? Ugh, no thank you. Not even in the mood for that."

Her eyes widened. "What?! Why not?!"

"It's just been kind of a long day. We can go out this weekend, I promise. You, me, Margot and Pilar. We can hit up a few clubs if that's what you want."

"Oh, honey, it is NOT about what I want. It's about what you want. It's your birthday. If you want to stay home by yourself for once, that's totally fine with me." She smiled. "I just want you happy, honey! Delta Nu sisters are supposed to make their other sisters happy!"

"You know, honestly… I would LOVE to just go to the salon or the spa and just have a day off, you know? No kids, no work, no bosses… Just me, my girls, some champagne, and a chocolate facial, or a mud wrap, or, something along those lines."

"Ooh, a manicure!"

"YES."

Serena grinned. "Elle, that sounds totally perfect. I'll go plan it right now! This weekend, okay?" She gave Elle a kiss on the cheek and got up to go do whatever she wanted to do.

The following day, Elle found herself in a similar position that she was in the day before! Watching a poor, single father decide what kind of baby item to buy his baby. It was the same guy, though, and this time he was holding up diaper wipes, when suddenly the baby started to cry. Emmett jumped and dropped both brands of wipes, and rushed to the baby's side. He seriously looked as if he was going to cry!

"Why are you crying?! What is wrong with you!? Come on, shh! I've got you!"

Elle rushed over and set her basket down near his cart. "Hey, calm down. He probably just wants to be held a little bit, okay?" she said to Emmett soothingly. She picked the little boy out of the cart and cradled him against her shoulder. He calmed down, loving the warmth and the softness of the new woman. She looked up at Emmett and he had tears in his eyes. "Emmett, what's wrong?"

Fuck. Fuck! He was a man! He wasn't supposed to be crying! He turned away from her and wiped his eyes, and then turned back to her, stuttering. "I-I-I-It's… I can't… I don't even… I don't know! I don't know! I can't even… I can't do this!"

"Whoa…okay, um… Just calm down, sweetie. Do you want to go somewhere and talk? I know what a nervous break-down looks like and you look like you're about to have one!"

"Oh, God… I-I think I need to…I need that, desperately." He looked at her gratefully. "But, uh...which, um...which brand of, um-"

"Pampers." And then Elle smiled. That smile made his entire day better.