Okay, so here's a longer chapter - the longest one yet! - with a lot of Wemma lovin'. Also, there's a flashback that was inspired by an "I-lost-count-of-how-many-times"-ieth viewing of "Dream On." Was it me, or was Will not so much surprised to hear he landed the lead as embarrassed that Sue was gushing?

Oh, and for TheGreatFlyingKiwi and spinini, your wish has been granted...

"Sometimes you lead, sometimes you follow." – John Michael Montgomery

Will was grinning as he packed up his things as the last of the glee kids waved goodbye. He'd managed to convince – or rather, bribe – Bryan Ryan into letting them keep glee together, and the kids sounded better than ever in their quest for a regional win. Nothing could make him happier.

"Knock, knock," a voice interrupted his thoughts, and his grin widened. Okay, I was wrong, he thought to himself as he turned to face Emma. His smile faded, however, when he noticed the frown on her face.

"Emma, what's wrong?" he asked, dropping his bag into his seat as she walked in.

"Rachel told me what you did. I mean, what you had to do to save glee. I'm sorry, I know you were really excited about getting the lead." Will gave her a soft smile as he remembered that night at her house.

He'd arrived early for dinner with the largest grin she'd ever seen on his face. She let him in, finding his smile contagious as he kicked off his shoes.

"What's got you in such a mood?" she teased, accepting the hello kiss he gave her. He seized her around the waist and lifted her in the air, spinning without abandon in the middle of her living room. Her squeal of excitement was the only sound for a moment before he put her down and hugged her tightly.

"I got the lead in Les Mis," he informed her, his eyes dancing with merriment.

"Oh Will, that's fantastic!" she hugged him again. "You're going to be so great."

"I just got the call from the director," Will continued, his face falling. "My only concern is what's going to happen when Bryan finds out." Emma knew there was going to be backlash when that piece of information became public, but she shook her head.

"We'll worry about that tomorrow," she told him. "Tonight, we're going to celebrate."

He shook himself from the memory and sighed. "It was the only way to save the club." He knew in his heart it was the right thing to do, and he wasn't lying to the kids when he'd told them why he'd done it. But it still didn't stop the ache deep in his heart at losing a shot at the stage.

"You might be able to fool a dozen teenagers, Will, but I know you better. I know how much you wanted it." She moved forward and wrapped her arms around his neck in comfort. He laid his head on her shoulder briefly and held her tightly for a moment before releasing her.

"Really, Emma, I'm okay with it. I was a little disappointed at how shallow he is. I mean, I know he's always kind of been that way, but in high school he was the coolest guy. I guess I fell into an old routine for a second before I realized that, now, he should be jealous of me." Emma stepped back from him and wrung her hands together as she looked at the floor, a sure sign she was nervous about something.

"Actually, while we're on that issue…I wanted to tell you something, but you have to promise not to get mad. I know that's probably an extremely ironic statement given the nature of what happened, but I just want you to hear me out." She was worrying him now with her rambling, and he sat on the edge of his desk to support himself.

"What is it? It can't be as bad as you're making it out to be." He chuckled to off-set her serious tone, but it fell flat as she looked up at him with tears.

"Bryan Ryan came on to me yesterday," she told him. Will was off the desk in a heartbeat, and she held up her hand to stop him from storming out the door and after the man. "I told him in very, very clear terms that there was absolutely no way he and I would ever…" she suppressed a shudder at the thought and focused on the furious man before her. She knew he had a temper - he'd told her of the night he'd found out about Terri's lies - but she'd never witnessed it firsthand. "Anyway, I think he was just jealous that you got the part, because he never said anything after that, and I know you gave him the part yesterday afternoon." Will was eerily still as he took deep breaths, and Emma didn't move a muscle as she watched his eyes soften from their murderous look. He grabbed her hand and pulled her to him, holding her almost crushingly as he calmed down.

"I couldn't stand losing you again," he whispered into her hair.

"Well, no worries there," she reassured him while trying to lighten the mood. "Promise me you won't go after him and punch him?" she added softly, and he barked a laugh.

He pulled away and framed her face with his hands. "You and glee are the most important things in my life, in that order. He threatened to take both of them away in less than a week. I am going to have a talk with him. But I promise not to deck him, even if he does deserve it." He kissed her then, not caring about Figgins' rule on displaying affection. It was after school hours and there were no kids around anyway.

"I want to take you out tonight," she said after a moment, "to commemorate the end of all this…mess."

"But you hate restaurants," he stated unnecessarily.

"I know, but my therapist says I should try stepping out of my comfort zone sometimes, and I think I'll be okay as long as I check the place out beforehand and you don't ever leave my side." He laughed as he grabbed her hand.

"I think I can handle that," he answered. "You find a place you like and let me know. I need to get home and get some paperwork done before I can do anything. The sub I had for my classes last week didn't really follow my lesson plans, so my upper level classes have some catching up to do."

"I'll call you later," she said, waving as she walked out of his office. Will watched her figure disappear out the choir room door before returning to his tasks.

Two hours later, he was halfway through grading a pop quiz when his phone rang. Seeing Emma's smiling face on his caller ID made him smile, and he knew she could hear it in his voice when he answered.

"Hello, beautiful."

"Hi Will," she answered, sounding a little flustered.

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah, yes," she replied. "I found a place. Can you be ready in an hour?" He heard running water in the background and deduced she was rushing through her routine to be ready on time.

"Absolutely. Are you picking me up?"

"I sure am, mister," she laughed. "It's the twenty-first century, after all." He laughed with her before bidding her goodbye, promising to be ready when she arrived. After a quick shower and shave, he threw on a pair of dark khakis and a navy polo. He was tying his shoe laces when the doorbell rang.

"It's open!" he called, finishing the knot. As the door opened he stood up and promptly stumbled forward as he took in the vision before him.

Emma had swept her hair up just like he'd seen her at the bridal shop, though she'd foregone the tiara for the night. She had a forest green blouse on top of a straight black skirt that stopped just past her knees, though the slit in the side reached her mid-thigh.

"Will, you're staring, do I look okay?" He snapped into action and took two large strides toward her. Lifting her hand to his lips, he chuckled.

"Are you kidding? You look absolutely stunning." He enjoyed the flush on her cheeks for a moment before he grabbed his jacket and led her out the door. He climbed into her passenger seat, feeling only a little awkward as she started the car and backed out of the driveway.

"So where are we going?" he asked finally as they pulled past Schoonover Park and onto Findlay Road. Emma just smiled secretively and said nothing. Enjoying this more playful Emma, Will sat back and stopped pestering her. If she wanted to surprise him, then who was he to ruin her fun?

They pulled up outside a bistro just west of the highway. Murino's Italian Restaurant wasn't packed, but there were enough cars in the parking lot to make Will thankful they'd arrived a little late for dinner. It was just after eight, so the crowds were starting to disperse. He reached over the console and squeezed Emma's hand in support, noticing how cold it was.

"You okay?" He took in her wide eyes and pursed lips, feeling her squeezing his hand in return. "Look, if you're not really comfortable, I don't want you to –"

"No, I want to eat here, with you," she said quickly. "This will be good for me, I just need to…" she took a deep breath and closed her eyes, probably going through some calming exercise her therapist had taught her. When she opened them again, she let go of Will's hand and got out of the car. He followed suit, but grabbed her hand again as he joined her on the pavement.

The atmosphere inside was elegant, but not pretentious. The hostess at the front greeted them with a smile, and when Emma gave her name she nodded and led them to a small table near the rear of the restaurant close to the bathroom.

Will pulled out Emma's chair, watching as she sat primly in her seat and adjusted her silverware cautiously. He knew she was fighting the urge to clean them herself, and he hated seeing her so on edge. As he took his own seat, he pulled his clean handkerchief from his pocket and began methodically wiping their silverware down. He knew it wasn't as sterile as she would probably have made them, but the grateful smile in her eyes was worth the strange looks he got from the patrons beside them.

"So, Italian?" he asked with a sly grin, and she ducked her head.

"It's really the only thing I know you like, other than PB&J, and that just didn't seem like an appropriate celebratory dinner." Her hands flitted about as she talked, and he reached out quickly and seized one in mid-air, bringing it to his lips.

"Well, thank you. This is wonderful, and I don't think I've ever been here before." He bit back the reason, but both of them knew just how miserly Terri could be. Only when it came to me, Will thought bitterly, then banished the thought. Tonight was about Emma and him, and he'd be damned if Terri was going to ruin this for them.

"Good evening," the waiter stopped by the table with two menus and a bottle of white wine. "My name is Ted, and it will be my pleasure to serve you tonight. Can I offer either of you a taste of a wonderful Amarone?" He set the menus in front of them and held the bottle out for inspection.

"Uh, no thanks," Emma said. "I'll just have a glass of water, please." Will was impressed at how far she had progressed just in the recent weeks.

"Iced tea," he told the man. "Thank you." The man nodded and glided off, tucking the bottle under his arm.

Will knew Emma was having a tough time coping with everything around her, and he didn't even flinch when she excused herself to the bathroom after they'd ordered. When she returned ten minutes later, their appetizer was sitting between them, ready to be eaten. Emma stared at it guardedly, as if the germs would leap out at her any second.

Will took the first bite of the stuffed mushrooms, savoring the flavor as it coated his tongue. When he'd finished a whole one, he picked one up and held it out to Emma. She paused for a moment before her hand moved forward and took it from him. He could see how much she was struggling, but a reassuring smile from him was all it took for her to take a bite. When she smiled, Will knew things were going to be alright.

Their food arrived a short time later, and Emma surreptitiously cleaned her fork with an alcohol wipe before diving into her plate. Will watched her between bites, and made a note to tell her how proud he was of her when they got home. There was no need to draw attention to themselves here in public.

Over dinner, they chatted about different things. Will told Emma about how the set list for regionals was coming together, and how much Sue was getting on his nerves. Emma told him about some of her appointments (leaving out names, of course) and a few of the therapeutic techniques her therapist had recommended for her to try. Before either one knew it, their plates were empty and Ted was dropping the check. Will's hand went for it instinctively, but Emma was faster. They argued good-naturedly for a moment or two before Emma thrust the bill and her credit card into Ted's hands as he passed.

"Thank you, Emma. Tonight was wonderful." He looked out the window at the darkening twilight. He loved the summer when the days lasted longer and air warmed up, and soon it would be summer and he'd have Emma all to himself. "It's still a little early. You want to catch a movie?" The minute the words were out of his mouth, he wanted to take them back. Her eyes widened in horror at the thought of a germ-filled theater with chewed gum and stale popcorn and seats that had been sat in a hundred times. "Emma, I'm sorry, I didn't think…" she shook her head, indicating she didn't want to talk about the issue here. They were both silent as the check arrived and she signed the tip and her name. He pulled her chair out, letting his hand linger on her back for just a moment before she preceded him out the door.

He tried again to apologize on the ride home, but she was quiet as they pulled into his driveway. Finally, as she shut the car off, he turned toward her fully and directed her eyes to his.

"Come in…please?" She nodded, and he could tell she had been overwhelmed by their night out. He opened the front door, remembering at the last minute to kick his shoes off by the mat by hers. She sat down on his sofa as he stowed his keys and wallet in his room. When he came back out, he could see her eyes filling with tears.

"Oh Emma, honey," he knelt down, resting his hands on her knees. "What's the matter?" He was ready for her tearful confession that a movie theater was just too much too soon right now, and he was fully prepared to apologize again for his rash comment. He was not prepared for her to explode from the couch and nearly bowl him over in her attempt to pace in frustration.

"Me! I'm the matter, Will! We can't even go out for a couple of hours because I turn into a complete basket case if my fork is water spotted. I thought I was okay, but toward the end with all the people and the noise, and then…" she stopped then, her eyes filling with horror at what she had been about to accuse him of.

"I know, and I shouldn't have said it. I'm not too keen on movie theaters myself, so I can only imagine how it must be for you." He had stood by now, but he hadn't moved from his position beside the couch.

"That's just it, Will. Is this how it's going to be? You're not going to get to do anything remotely fun because I'm too scared of the germs. It's not fair to you." She was really getting upset now, and a tear escaped from her eye and rolled down her cheek.

"Hey, that's not even an issue," he told her, taking a firm step toward her. "And you took a huge step today, and I'm so proud of you for that." Another step and he was right next to her. "I don't mind eating in, it's cheaper and I get you all to myself." She laughed, finally, and he wiped her tears away. "I love you, and I don't want you to do anything you're not completely comfortable with, okay? Promise me you won't push yourself to do something just because of me." She stared at him for a moment, wondering how in the world anyone could have mistreated this angel of a man. But then, she reminded herself, he wouldn't be here now. So she just took a deep breath and felt her heart rate slow.

"Okay, I promise," she whispered, leaning toward him. He smiled and kissed her head as he wrapped his arms around her.

"How about a movie? I've got musicals," he added in a teasing voice, hoping to entice her into smiling again. When she chuckled he knew she was going to be okay, and he pulled back.

"That sounds fine," she stepped away from him. "I'm going to use your bathroom to freshen up," she grabbed her bag and gestured to her ruined makeup job as he pointed her toward the hallway. As soon as the door closed there was a knock on his front door, and Will wondered who would be calling on him so late. As he looked through the peephole his jaw tightened, and he took a deep breath to calm his racing heart.

"Bryan," he greeted as he opened the door, standing in the way so the other man couldn't really see in. Bryan was flanked by several boxes, and he ran a hand through his blond hair once before he locked eyes with his old rival.

"Look, Will," he started lamely, "I just…well, I'd already bought these with Sue's money, and it would be irresponsible of me as a school board member to just let the money go to waste. So here," he gestured toward the boxes full of show choir materials with one hand while simultaneously trying to peer over Will's shoulder. Will, however, stepped out onto the porch and shut the door behind him.

"Look, Bryan, I appreciate it. But right now, I don't want to discuss anything school related. I want to discuss your inappropriate behavior toward Emma." Bryan laughed at him, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Will, I have a loving wife at home. What makes you think I said or did anything inappropriate to Miss Pillsbury?" It was a challenge, and Will drew himself up a little higher.

"Because she told me," was all Will said. Bryan gave Will a smug smile, knowing he'd been found out but not really caring.

"Are you going to punch me now? Tell me to stay away from your girl?" Will relaxed in his stance then, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"No, I'm not," Will answered finally. "Because we're adults, and we can handle things like adults. We're not in high school anymore, Bryan. You have your wife at home, and so much going for you right now. I really think Les Mis is going to be a good thing for you, and I wish you the best. But you need to get over this immature need to ruin other people's lives." Bryan took a step back off the porch, his arms falling loosely by his side.

"Look Scheuster," Bryan bit out, "I don't really need a lecture on how to live my life from you. You're two years younger than me and divorced." Will let the empty insult roll off of him as he shook his head.

"And I'm okay with that," Will said, not really bothering to inform Bryan that the divorce wasn't really final yet. "Thanks for the stuff," he glanced at the boxes, "but understand that I am happy with my life right now. Should you – or anyone – try to get in the way…" he left the threat hanging, but there was understanding in Bryan's eyes as he turned and walked to his massive vehicle. Will watched until the Hummer turned the corner, then opened the door. It took him only a few minutes to lug the boxes into the foyer, leaving them there to go through later.

"Everything okay?" Emma emerged from the bathroom as he sat back down on the couch.

"Huh? Oh yeah, never better," he smiled, taking in her appearance. She'd washed her face clean of makeup and pulled her hair back into a ponytail, and she removed her green blouse to reveal a white baby doll tee underneath. Her skirt had been replaced with black track pants, and Will wondered just what else she could fit into her purse.

"What?" she smiled as she took a seat next to him, fitting nicely into the crook of his arm. He laughed and kissed the side of her head quickly before pressing play on the DVD remote.

"I feel over-dressed," he joked, earning him an elbow to his ribs. He feigned injury for a moment as she laughed at him. "Seriously," he stood up, "I'm gonna go put something else on since you changed our dress code without telling me." She waved off his sarcasm, turning her attention to the opening credits of Guys and Dolls as he disappeared into his bedroom. Her mind replayed the muted conversation she'd overheard from the front porch and she grinned. One day, she would have to tell him just how thin his walls really were. But for tonight, she was going to just enjoy being with the man she loved.