Chapter 7: Intimacy, a Growing Relationship

Announcements: We are on Chapter 7, oh me oh my, how time flies! This chapter is structured just a little different than the others. This goes over a course of three days, and ends in the morning. I normally like to end things when she goes to bed, but both this chapter and chapter 8 are going to end and start differently than usual.Oh AND, I am now taking requests, details and list are on my Profile.

I also wanted to send out a special thank you to Ultimolu. I am a huge fan of constructive criticism (key word constructive) and though we didn't see things eye to eye, I appreciate the respectful conversation we had. Also, I'd like to thank kilroyactual117 for being an encouraging factor to help me continue this story.

Anyways please enjoy.

A puff of frustration left Emma's mouth, her fingers gripping tightly to the string of idea's Alexia sat on her dining table. It was five in the morning, and Emma couldn't sleep due to her early bedtime the night before. There was also the pang of excited adrenaline that pulsed through her arteries, which left her sitting at the dining table reading the elaborate plans Alexia jotted down. In the morning, she would have to speak with Wesker, a prospect she felt was necessary but also dreaded, to get some information. Things such as budget, and any ideas he had for the party that would be happening under his name.

With only two and a half weeks to plan and execute the party, Emma decided on nixing anything that seemed too extravagant. By the time breakfast came to her, Emma had more than half the list crossed out and a few ideas jotted down. Winter Wonderland seemed so cliché and overdone; instead she wanted to call it Frost. A simple title, but the color palate would largely be around frost colors. Light purples, blues, silvers, whites, with touches of dark pine greens to fully remind those of home.

"What do you think, Erin?" Emma questioned, hearing the smooth swoosh of her bedroom door.

"Not exactly what Alexia was thinking, but she'll love it." He murmured, placing a large warm hand on her shoulder.

"I need to speak to Wesker about a few ideas for the party. Would you mind arranging that?" She half smiled, before gathering her pages.

"Will do. I'll get you on the elevator before doing so."

"You aren't going to walk me to my office?"

"No ma'am, Wesker has ordered more leeway for you." Erin smiled, picking up her bags. "You are a mostly free woman now, though when leaving the compound, you still need clearance and an armed guard."

A light gasp left Emma's lips, at the thought of having free range of the compound. Things were moving along well. Erin chuckled lightly, his fingers pulling out a new plastic identification card. The dark-haired woman smiled taking the card as if it were a new born child, something resembling pride touching her features. She was excelling here, and being given free range seemed to suite her. She could easily see how those who worked for Umbrella Corp. felt accomplished, despite the nature of the company. With that thought, Emma couldn't help but wonder if this war between the B.S.A.A and Umbrella was just different views of saving the world around them.

"With free range, you can go almost anywhere you want with this. You have level two clearance now. Meaning you'll be work with more important articles of information, and you will also not have to have a guard with you for certain offices, labs, and the elevators." Erin smiled, "I just thought you'd like to be accompanied to the elevator one last time."

"I would greatly appreciate that." She murmured, throwing her bag over her shoulder. "I do hope I'll see you often though."

"I will visit. Things will be interesting now that I no longer have babysitting duties." He chuckled, guiding her to the door with his hand pressing against her lower back.

"Tell me what the usual Holiday Party is like, so I have a reference to go by."

Erin entertained Emma's request, keeping his fingers against her lower back as they walked through the halls. Through their months of forced interactions, the two had found some common ground to form some sort of friendship. Alexia left during the night, leaving an odd empty feeling in the compound. She's traveled plenty of times, but something about this seemed different. Both Emma and Erin felt the change. When they arrived to the elevator, Erin took the time to give the dark-haired woman a deep hug.

"Don't get in too much trouble, and call if you need anything." He hummed playfully.

"I'm just going to work, how much trouble could I get into?"

Emma swiped her card, an amused grin touching her lips when the doors opened with the ding. The two-glanced back at each other, before she entered the dangling coffin as she calls it. It was silly really, they worked in the same one mile by one mile compound, it wasn't like they weren't ever going to run into one another. The whole thing just felt like a long-awaited farewell, as the doors slowly closed.

"Have a good day!" Emma managed before their line of sight was divided.

The elevator dinging open again a few moments later, giving her permission to exit. As usual, Emma passed the front doors of the compound, though this time she allowed a few moments to watch the savannah grass sway in the light breeze outside. Maybe it was the first time since coming here that she actually took the chance to study her surroundings, or maybe it was the nostalgia of leaving this place, but she felt as though she was seeing everything with news eyes. Her mind wandered to the idea of escaping now. No one was in the foyer, it would be easy for her to just step out of the door, but she quickly shook her head of it. It wouldn't be nice leaving without any forms of a farewell.

"Off to work…" she hummed, turning to go back to her office.

The office Emma shared with Alexia seemed empty without the bubbly blonde's constant chatter. As much as Emma would like to not admit it, she missed the woman, and found her storm cloud eyes flickering to the empty seat across the way before diverting her attention back to her work. There weren't too many pages left from last night's work, but she also had to deal with the new pile, which sat at the edge of Emma's desk. Her fingers separated the pages she filed through quickly, making sure they are in the order they needed to be in, before moving onto the new pile of papers.

"Knock, knock," Erin's voice boomed from the silent room.

"Thank god," Emma purred sitting back into the leather-bound chair. "Please tell me you're here to talk my ear off, I feel as though I'm going mad with the silence."

"I was told you like silence while you work." The short haired male chuckled, taking a step farther into the room.

"Usually, but I've grown so used to Alexia's constant interruptions that I actually miss it…. I'll kill you if you tell her I said that." Emma paused, eyeing the papers in his hands. "Did I mess up again?"

"Huh? Oh, no, these are my new assignments." He smiled, "Wesker sent me here to take you to his office…. If you still want to meet with him that is."

"Great, I needed a break." Emma stood quickly, pushing the rolling chair against the metallic wallpaper. "My plans are on Alexia's desk, let's go."

A sigh echoed through the halls as the two went through the halls of the compound. It really did seem empty without Alexia practically jogging in her ridiculously high heels, just to get to a meeting she forgot about. Her fingers tightened around the party plans, as nerves suddenly consumed her thoughts. Erin lightly patted Emma's shoulder, bringing her back to, when they reached Wesker's office door.

"Want me to go inside with you?" His voice lowered into a mild rumble.

"N-no, you have your orders." Her voice buzzed with nerves. "I'll see you in the cafeteria for dinner."

Without another word, Erin walked down the abandoned halls and out of sight. Emma took in a deep breath before turning the icy door knob. A warm gust blew loose tresses from her hair bun, allowing the strands to trickle down the side of her neck. Emma swallowed hard before pushing through the doors fully, being met with the frosty sapphire eyes of Wesker. Adrenaline sent shocks of fight-or-flight signals to her brain, though in light of this, there was a quiet thrum of arousal.

"Come in," Wesker chuckled, shifting the pages into the bottom drawer. "You asked to speak to me?"

Emma cleared her throat, finally grasping the bravery she's been searching for. "Yes, I wanted to talk about the budget for the holiday party, as well as ask how you see the party looks." She released a brief sigh before taking a seat in front of his desk.

"I've learned to leave the budget open for Alexia to work."

Shock enveloped Emma's face when a sound, similar to joy, erupted from Wesker's lip. Erupt may have been a strong word, but a joyous chuckle coming from THE Albert Wesker was shocking. Wesker cocked his head, watching as her features tightened into an awe filled mask. A smile tugged at the corners of his lips. He stood, rounded the corner of the desk, and leaned against the wooden surface. Emma blinked, noticing the change in position, drawing her attention back to the world. Should she be worried about these moments where she's stuck inside of her mind? Emma couldn't remember this being a common occurrence before her captivity.

"You were saying?" He questioned, as his fingers pushed the loose tresses behind her ear.

Emma swallowed heavily again as his burning flesh lingered on her ear, dancing across the edges of the shell and ending as a caress on her cheek. It was almost amusing to think about how cold the room was, and yet heat rolled from Wesker. Again, he cocked his head to the side, his digits gently bringing her chin up so she was forced to meet his stare. His eyes flashing gold when her tongue parted the pink flesh to dart across her parched lips.

"Well," she hiccupped, wanting to distract herself from the pool of arousal that came painful clear. "I was thinking, m-maybe we could do a two-part party."

Emma's storm cloud eyes moved along the finely sculpted features of Wesker. It made sense that he was a textbook example of a God Complex individual; he looked as if god himself sculpted Wesker to perfection. If Emma was even half as flawless, she would probably be the same. Well, maybe if you took away the constant need for advancing the evolution of humans…. Her throat tightened when his fingertips dragged down her neck and eventually dropped to his side.

"Um, it doesn't sound as extravagant as it sounds." She shook her head, partially successful in forcing the fog from her thoughts. "I thought it would be nice for maybe everyone to see the

'Nutcracker Ballet' that is going in town on Christmas Eve." Emma looked away, pulling her plans from underneath her thigh. "I also have plans for the actual party. It isn't as profligate as Alexia originally planned it, but I thought it was nice."

Wesker eyed the dark-haired woman, taking the off-handed drawings, color palate, and the few jottings she wrote on the sides of the Alexia's plans. He was silent as he read the edits and looked at the corresponding drawings. Emma glanced anywhere that wasn't him, waiting to hear anything from the man before her. Also, taking the time to push away the erotic musings that started appearing in her mind's eye. Her teeth pulled at her bottom lip, legs shifting for some friction, as her mind reached for some other distraction. Her companion immediately took notice of the movements, watching as the low blush shaded her cheeks and her eyes dilate to pinhead size.

He pushed the papers onto his desk, as an amused smile kissed him. There was something about watching the behavior of Emma that greatly amused Wesker. Almost nothing was hidden when one watched the small mannerisms that she had. It was as though she were like a book. Something all he had to do was open the cover, but they both knew she wasn't that easy to reveal. He cleared his throat, drawing her attention back to him.

"I like your ideas, go ahead and get started with that." He breathed, standing at his full height. "Your work can wait till everything is set up."

"Great," Emma purred, her voice thick with lust. "I'm on it."

When she reached for the papers, Wesker pulled them farther back, forcing her closer to him. A sly mask taking over his demeanor, his breath dancing across the top of her head. Emma gasped, feeling him lean in, taking a deep breath of her hair, before handing her the pages. Neither said a word as Emma took the pages and walked from his presence. Wesker chuckled, watching as she walked briskly to the entrance and closed the door swiftly. He could hear her lean against the wooden door, and slide down to the ground. It wasn't hard to imagine what was happening, and could easily be proven if he chose to open the barrier between them.

"Get a hold of yourself." Emma gasped, cradling her head into her fingers. "There is nothing there."

She stayed there for a few moments, contemplating what her feelings were, and how they would affect her escape. What she was feeling couldn't be love, could it? She couldn't possible have any feelings for the man who kidnapped her and brutally beat her into submission, could she? Emma prided herself with the idea of being too strong a person to be in an abusive relationship, but if the arousal told her anything, it was that she was as capable as others of being in the situation. Maybe, just maybe, these feelings were just remanence of her adolescents and would go away soon.

Once clarity came forth, Emma stood up, more than happy to leave any form of Wesker's presence. It was all so confusing, but nothing doing work couldn't fix. E-mailing each vendor would be the easiest way out of doing things. It was fast and efficient, but the tugging need to be far away from the enigma that was Wesker took president. It was only an instant for her to make a decision and turn down the hall that would direct her to the Security Office. Since it was nearly five-thirty in the afternoon, she was relieved that both Erin and Sammy were sitting in the booth chatting about sports.

"Hey guys." She smiled, leaning against the door frame. "I was wondering if either one of you guys wanted to escort me into town either today or tomorrow."

"Hey kiddo." Sammy chuckled at the name.

He was obviously in his early forties, from the grays at his temple, and he happened to be very vocal about his age. Forty-six, only five or six years away from retiring from this heated hellhole, as he commonly said. Both he and Emma bonded almost instantly. He quickly reminded her of her own father. Having some kind of reminder of home made things so much easier. Erin sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, almost too afraid of asking her why she needed to go to town.

"Is this about the Holiday Party?" Erin finally sighed.

"Why yes, it is." Emma chuckled, her nose wrinkling at the movement.

"I'm out, women and shopping aren't my forte." Erin murmured, putting his hands up as if surrendering.

"She isn't as bad as most women," Sammy smacked the back of Erin's hands. "I'll go with you doll face. Why don't we go in the morning, that way we can go through the proper channels?"

"Sounds great! What time do you estimate we can leave?"

"I'm going to estimate about noon."

"Are you saying I get to sleep in?" Emma gasp, as the older man nodded. "I definitely like you better than Erin now."

"Hey! I'm still hear you know." Erin exclaimed loudly.

"You never let me sleep in. Maybe if you do that, every so often you'll remain tied at first place."

Sammy rolled his eyes at the two bickering children. "It's dinner time, you two should go and eat."

"You sure?"

"Yes, just leave me." Sammy sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You two are grossing me out with your childish flirting."

"Ew cooties." Emma playfully squealed.

"Don't you know, girls are the carriers of the deadly cooties." Erin chuckled, waving a finger in a chastising way. "I should be the one worried about getting infected."

"Psh, boys are dirty, therefore the carriers."

"Children!" Sam raised his voice, too naturally for him not to be a proud parent. "Leave now!"

"Aw but DADDY!" they both wined in unison.

"OUT!"

As if they were children one again, both Emma and Erin rushed out of the office giggling. They calmed down once they rounded the corner. It was too fun to annoy the older gentlemen they worked with. It also relieved the stress of being trapped in an unknown area of Africa, making it easier to forget her situation. Erin lightly touched the side of Emma's hands, helping to calm her giggles.

"We should eat, then get you back to your cage."

It almost seemed unnaturally refreshing waking up at eight in the morning. Sure, Emma's muscles were a bit sore from not being used, but her mind woke up refreshed. Taking a shower instantly after waking up no longer felt like it took everything she had to do so, and in a pleasant way, she felt energetic to do so. Long days and little sleep were musts when it came down to being a Nav-Tech in general. She was dressed and ready by the time Sammy dropped by her room at ten thirty.

"You ready?" he asked, watching as she paced around the room getting any papers she felt needed to come.

Emma nodded, tugging at the cobalt blue tank she'd put on. It was hot outside, and she honestly didn't feel like wearing a suit to speak with the potential venders. Her acid stained jean shorts seemed to have shrunk in the year that she's had them, though they still reached just under mid-thigh. Both she and Sammy chatted as they made their way through the compound to make it to the awaiting Jeep.

"First you want to go to the theater, florist, your top five restaurants, and then a party decoration place?" Sammy questioned as they took off.

"Yes, we'll if we can find a decoration place," Emma sighed, pushing back her long bangs.

"There is one, though it may not have the things you want." Sammy paused, glancing over to the young woman.

"That's fine, I just need to try at least." Her eyes darted to the case in the back seat. "What's in the case?"

"Money for everything."

"Great."

Her fingers played with the pages in her hands, with some silence now she couldn't help but let her mind drift to the events in Wesker's office. The man was so confusing, and to some extent she was so weak. Others wouldn't have caved and helped him. She's seen the conditions others were held in, and during those rescues she admired them for their bravery. The way a person does a soldier, knowing fully well that they as a person couldn't do that themselves. Admiration for the persons sacrifice to keep other safe. Guilt pitted itself into her stomach. How could she feel anything for the man who tortured her and killed so many?

"Still with us kiddo?" Sam questioned, placing his large hand onto her knee.

"Y-yes, I just got preoccupied." She smiled. "We're hear already?"

"Yeah, I didn't take the dirt path all the way here…. I off-roaded a bit."

They shared a smile before Sam handed her an envelope from the case. Emma pushed her way out of the car, gripping the manila envelope. How much was it that Wesker gave to her for the entertainment? Sam parked in front of the small shack-like theater. Shanty towns weren't well hidden in this part of Africa, leaving a painfully obvious disproportion of wealth visible to anyone who drove through. There were many commercials that talked about these buildings made from anything that would stand, but actually seeing it was something else. The makeshift theater could hold the whole compound and that was it, but Emma liked supporting the economy she was in. She paused at the door, glancing at what was in the envelope. One-thousand dollars and directions to the compound. A generous donation, indeed.

"I'll be right back." She shouted over her shoulder.

Her fingers lightly knocked on the door, which she was sure was once a part of an industrial roof. There were a few moments of silence before the door swung open revealing an elderly man.

"Jambo!" Emma smiled, greeting him the best way she knew. "Habari za mchana."

A bright smile touched the man's face, pulling back the wrinkles around his brow line and mouth. What a simple thing, saying 'hello, good afternoon' in a person's native tongue. She wondered how many foreigners even bothered to learn the greeting before approaching others. The elderly man responded, saying that he was fine, before opening the rusted door a bit. She bowed, entering the building, nodding to Sammy to let him know she was fine.

"Una ongea English?" she sighed, breathing in the metallic scent inside the area. "My Swahili is rusty,"

"It's fine, we do peak English. Thank you for the greeting."

"Ahsante." Emma smiled. "My name is Emma Singh, I work for…" she paused, the realization of what she was going to say hitting her light a freight train. "…Um…The company I work for is throwing a holiday party on Christmas Eve." She started slowly, not wanting to come off as rude.

"We wanted to support those in your troop, and heard that you were doing the 'Nutcracker Ballet' the week before Christmas. I… we, would be honored if you and your troop came to our compound and preformed."

The man nodded, taking a seat before offering her a drink of water. She nodded, thanking him for the offer. He signaled to a child in the corner, and was eagerly answered as the child ran from the main room. His attention went back to her, a bright smile touching his face.

"We would be honored to perform." He murmured. "I am Samir, and the child was Kobe."

"He's very fast and quiet." She responded, "Here's our payment, with directions inside. We will need you and your troop there about five in the evening on Christmas Eve. Is that workable?"

There was a pause in conversation when Kobe ran back into the room, holding two cups of water. His thin fingers placed the cup, slick with bits of water, into her hands. Emma smiled, placing the cup onto the table and taking his fingers into hers. It wasn't traditional here, but it was in a similar culture. She bowed slightly, muttering 'ahsante', the Swahili word for thank you. The boy smiled before returning to his corner.

"Yes, we thank you for your…" The man paused glancing into the envelope. "That's too much money."

"We are sure you are well worth it." Emma smiled. "We truly are grateful for your willingness to perform for us. If you truly find that too much, take it as a donation to your building."

"Ahsante, Ahsante." He repeated with a bow.

"We look forward to your performance."

By the time she and Sammy made it back to the compound, she felt like a pound of dirt was caked to her skin and it was nine at night. Emma felt accomplished, despite the exhaustion that tugged at her fraying nerves. All the holiday party stuff was set up. Tomorrow she could go back to her normal job, and she saved the Umbrella corporation ten thousand dollars that she was budgeted for this excursion. Sam took the money to Wesker as Emma made her way back to her room to shower. They had eaten a very late lunch in town and she was more than excited to go to bed.

Emma groaned as she sat up from the bed, her body telling her to wake up right this instant. The red lights of her clock indicated that it was midnight. She didn't want to be awake just yet. After all, she had gone to sleep just two hours ago, but she was mentally awake. The storm cloud eyed girl leaned to turn on the light, contemplating what she should do at this hour. Alexia was in Europe talking to investors of the Umbrella Corporation, and even if she was home she'd be asleep as others here would be.

There wasn't much to do at this time of night. Everyone she knew well was asleep, so she couldn't go and bother the security guards or scientists. Emma groaned, kicking her legs of the edge of her bed, finally making a decision. Instead of sitting here until she felt tired again, Emma decided to jog around the halls. The exercise would do wonders with her neurotically tired mind.

As expected, the halls were dead silent as she started a slow-paced jog through the lower decks. Her pace slowly gained in speed until she passed Wesker's office. There was a light under his door, alerting her to the possibility of him being awake. She stopped instantly, still looking at the light peeking through his door. Excitement pulsed through her arteries. She hadn't seen Wesker in one or two weeks, and seeing that he could be awake thrilled her. Taking this chance, Emma glanced around. She needed an excuse to call on him. The library was only down the way; she could possibly find some books to read while in the room. Emma quickly grabbed a book Alexia suggested to her, before jogging back to the door. She took in a deep breath, and knocked onto lightly on the door.

"Come in." she heard from the other side.

"Good morning, Wesker."

Emma's tired voice carried through the abnormally silent room, pulling his attention from his work. She adorned the oversized shirt he had given her with little else on her legs. His eyes danced across the exposed flesh of her legs, and then back up to her exhausted face. He could tell from her slightly slumped posture against the door frame and her fingers dancing circles across her eyes that she shouldn't be up.

"Can I stay here while you work?" Emma questioned shyly. "I haven't seen you in two weeks, since you've been so busy, and I thought it'd be nice to spend some time together. I promise I'll stay quiet and out of the way."

Her eyes remained glued to the floor as she drew small circles on the Persian carpet with her cobalt colored toes. Wesker grunted slightly, putting the papers on his desk and watching her body. Emma tried her best to look awake and alert, but her body's movements told him everything he needed to know. She was fighting off sleep, for whatever reason he couldn't tell. Did she plan on coming in? Or was this mere coincidence? He wondered, as his eyes danced up her exposed legs again. He licked his lips before forcing his eyes further up.

"You should be in bed," Wesker sighed, glancing back at his work.

"Oh, ok." Emma breathed, disappointment evident in her voice.

"Fine."

He took note of how her face brightened up, giving the appearance of being awake for a moment, and the way her fingers tightened around the book in her hands. Emma squeaked happily as she rushed to the couch in the center of the room. When the idea came to her, she hadn't expected he would accept her offer to stay while he worked. Even though he trusted her with many things now, he still didn't discuss or do business around her. This is a milestone in their relationship.

They sat in silence as Wesker continued looking over the experimental results and Emma read the books she had brought with her. She stayed true to her word; She did in fact stay out of the way, but by no means did she not become a distraction. Wesker glanced at her as she read. Her heavy eyes drooped a bit, as she nodded off into the wonderland that was sleep, before quickly lifting her head. It was obvious to him that Emma was losing the battle of sleep.

Her head tilted forward, as her eyes slowly closed. Soon afterwards she would realize what was happing, and jolt awake. Emma would clear her throat, glancing around the room before starting where she left off. Wesker sighed, watching as she struggled through. Sleep frayed at the ribbon of consciousness of his nerves as well, but things were different with her. Emma submitted to it eventually. Once sleep had successfully taken the young lady, Wesker neatly tucked his paper work into the bottom left drawer and walked over to Emma.

Wesker snorted, watching as her deep steady breaths ruffled through her long tresses. He paused, tucking the bangs behind her ear. When Alexia came back, he will need to order her to take Emma to the hair dresser in town. Continuing with his plans, Wesker lifted her into his arms with very little effort and tucked her into his body. Emma sighed, cuddling closer to his warmth, momentarily catching him off guard. A content sigh left her lips as she relaxed into his arms. Wesker pulled her closer, not wanting to disturb her sleep, and then he continued out of his office. He didn't have any plans for the next morning. Well, nothing different from the usual.

When they had first obtained the small woman, he had insisted that his office be moved closer to her room. This way, during the time it took to get her to submit to him, he would have more time to spend on her, but this was an intriguing development. The light patters of her breath caressed his face, mimicking the long-awaited touch of a lost lover as he came closer to her room. Her fingers tightened around the lapel of his work shirt as a small wince creased her features. What was she dreaming? He wondered.

He used his right hand to draw her more firmly against his body before using his now free hand to open her door silently. Emma's breath hitched for a moment, drawing his attention back to her, before it returned to its normal pace. Her brows knitted together again, before her beautiful storm cloud eyes fluttered open. Wesker cleared his throat awkwardly, watching as her eyes danced across his features with a bright smile. It was odd, recognition danced within the light night storm of her orbs, but in a way, it was dulled by the remanence of sleep.

"This is nice." She breathed groggily, eyes starting to close again. "A different dream."

With that she was asleep again. Amusement plagued Wesker's features, as he placed her comfortably into her bed. Even though she seemed to be awake, she was asleep, or at least her mind was. His fingers pulled the blankets further up her body, as his eyes still danced across her features. Something was special about her, and he still couldn't place what exactly drew his interest towards her. Absently, his fingers continued their travels stopping at the pesky tress of hair resting against her defined cheek bones. Air rushed from his lungs slowly, as he pushed away the hair.

His adams apple bobbed as his body drew in air, and his eyes locked onto her lips. A compulsion to press his lips against hers pushed him forward. The deep seeded need for some form of physical affection keeping him from the consequences of the future blinded him for a moment, before he pulled away from her again. Planning is where his strongest point was, and this, this was bad planning. Even though she showed promise, there was still a lot he couldn't trust her with, as well as a few doubts. He will bid his time to see where her loyalty truly lay. Wesker's fingers feathered across her cheek as his lips touched her chilled forehead. Her flowery scent rushed into lungs for a long moment before he stood and walked away. There was much to do before the active part of the morning started, and he shouldn't be wasting anymore time here.

Blurred vision graced Emma when she finally opened her eyes. There wasn't much to be seen really, just the bookcases and small four-person dining table she normally was greeted with. Today was a special day for the staff. Later in the day, both Emma and Alexia planned an exciting party for the staff. Instead of doing the usual, Emma showered and went to the compound cafeteria for breakfast. Gingerbread was being served, and the young lady had a weakness for it. She took Ginger snaps, Gingerbread men, and a slice of Ginger bread in loaf form. Even her coffee tasted like Gingerbread.

"You have a lot of Gingerbread on your plate." Alexia chuckled, sitting across from Emma.

"Uhu…. Yeah, it's kind of a tradition in my family." Emma chuckled nervously. "My mom makes the best Gingerbread. We literally put it in everything during the holiday season."