Disclaimer: I don't own the characters.

Elle Woods had a thing for grand gestures. For wanting to be noticed. For doing things in her own way, making them special and important and…larger than life.

Emmett Forrest sat, listening to the graduation speakers, but his mind was only half listening. The other half was thinking about the woman sitting onstage to the left of the podium. He fingered the ring in his pocket as he thought about the incredible woman who was just about to take the stage to speak. He'd played the moment over and over in his head about how he was going to propose. He'd even talked to Paulette, who he was pretty sure could keep a secret, and to Elle's sorority sisters, who he was pretty sure couldn't…most of the time.

How do I do this? How do I propose to the most amazing woman on the planet?

That seemed a little over the top, but then…that was Elle. He had much evidentiary support (her words, not his) to back up that statement in a court of law.

He blinked at the sound of applause, realized they'd just introduced his girlfriend as the class-elected speaker, and that he'd better start paying attention.

Elle stood up, making her way to the podium, her bright pink heels clicking on the stage. She seemed nervous, but as she began to speak, Emmett saw the nerves fade as the confident attorney began, "On our very first day at Harvard, a very wise professor quoted Aristotle: The law is reason free from passion." Elle grinned. "Well, no offense to Aristotle…but in my three years at Harvard, I have come to find that passion is a key ingredient in the study and practice of law."

We're taking the dog! Emmett could only chuckle at the dumbfounded look on Dewey's face as the biggest bulldog he'd ever seen in his life came trotting out of the trailer and leapt at Paulette Bonafonte. She dropped the cake, but didn't even seem to care. As the dog happily licked Paulette's face, Elle turned to Emmett, cheeks flushed and happy tears in the corners of her eye.

"Was that…law?" she asked him, and he couldn't answer before she'd thrown her arms around him.

"…Remembering, that first impressions are not always correct."

Oh, he'd definitely heard about her one-woman show to the admissions council two years ago. Hard not to, since she was graduating this year and it was all anybody could talk about. I mean it doesn't surprise me, she literally walked into the dean of admissions' office like the St. Patrick's Day Parade wearing a bodysuit and fringe.

Then….then there was the woman who had come bounding up to their welcome group in a bright pink tanktop and purse with a Chihuahua poking its' head out the top.

Hi, I'm Elle Woods, and this is Bruiser Woods…and we're both Capricorn vegetarians…

"…You must always have faith in people…"

You came out here to follow a man? What weird romantic planet are you from?

The outside is new, but now it reflects what's inside of you.

Thank you.

No, this is my gift. You saw beyond the blonde hair to my mind.

Hey, we'll fix this. We'll fight it.

I'm licensed. I'll supervise. And I don't need to hit on the interns...Professor.

"And most importantly…you must always have faith in yourself."

Elle..I don't know if you've noticed, but every time Warner walks in a room, your IQ goes down to 40…maybe less. It's hardly my business, but could it be the real thing in your way is the very guy that you're trying to impress?

He's gay! Enrique is gay!

He had to admit, looking back on it, that he'd highly enjoyed that particular cross-examination. Especially the satisfying "You bitch!" from the back of the courtroom, and the look of gratitude on Elle's face that someone had believed her.

And the day she'd managed to get an on the stand confession from her witness…

And if you were washing your hair, which I suspect you weren't because your curls are still intact, wouldn't you have heard the gunshot? And if in fact you had heard the gunshot, Brooke Wyndham wouldn't have had time to stash the gun before you got downstairs. Which means you would have had to have found Mrs. Wyndham with the gun in her hands to make your story plausible!

I didn't mean to shoot him! I thought it was you coming through the door!

He grinned. Elle had that in spades. He'd like to think he had a small part in helping her find it, but he was pretty sure it had come with her all the way from California.

She really is the most amazing woman in the world.

"Congratulations, Class of-" Suddenly, Elle's hands flew to her face. "Oh! Can you-" She turned to the president of the school, and the professors in the front row and held up a perfectly manicured finger. "If you could, just give me one second before we go?" She bit her lip, her face flushing.

Emmett frowned. What- He'd just listened to this speech the night before. This wasn't part of it. What's she doing?

Elle left the stage as the audience mumbled to themselves and came out to the seats, stopping in front of him. She pulled him out of his chair and he stumbled awkwardly out into the aisle. Then, to his surprise, Elle shed her pink pumps and hopped up onto his now-vacated chair. "This is the man who, in my first semester at Harvard, told me I needed to get a chip on my shoulder. To get to work, and to believe in myself."

Now Emmett felt his own face turning red.

"He had my back at my very first trial, was willing to take a chance on a hunch that I had, and risked his own reputation and his license to supervise a first-year law student on a capital murder case."

Elle climbed down off his chair. "Emmett Forrest…would you do me the honor of making me the happiest woman I know?"

She dropped to one knee in front of him, a ring box in her hand.

How she'd managed to do it so flawlessly in her cap and gown, he had no idea…his brain was racing to catch up with what he thought he'd just heard. His mind ran through countless vocabulary words, coming up with the pronunciation of, "Oh, my God!"

Did he nod? He thought he might have nodded. He must have done something, because as Elle returned to the stage, his lips were tingling and there was a dark titanium wedding band on his finger. People were cheering, but Elle was still at the podium. She smoothed her gown, motioned for the audience to settle down, and positioned the microphone.

"Congratulations, Class of 2004." In classic Elle fashion, she squealed, "We did it!"

Emmett sat dazed in his chair as the rest of the auditorium leapt to their feet and the band started to play the recessional. Yes…yes you most certainly did. He shook his head, looking at the ring on his finger.

Ms. Woods…I'd say you've made your case.