She was glaring at him from across the tiny tube that they were seated in. She hadn't wanted to come, which said something about the state of her mind to him because of all people, being a former social worker, she should have wanted to go spend time with children that had been placed by her hand. That's all she did the entire trip: glare at him with arms crossed over her chest and a pissy look on her face. He'd given up trying to talk to her after an hour in to the flight.

They landed and were picked up by a driver to be taken to the school. It was a boarding school, per se, so they would be staying on the grounds for a week. They would conduct a quick audit, meet with the personnel, do a review of the facility, sit in on some of the classes and meet with students. Will was used to doing this once a year, but it was the first year that he would have someone with him. Not to mention her state of mind wasn't exactly the best.

Making it through the first day without a hitch wasn't difficult. Emma had plastered on a sweet smile and worked her charm. They had only dealt with the headmaster and administration. The next day they were due to sit in on classes. They each brought their own bags to their rooms and he bid her a goodnight. She ignored his comment and slipped into the doorway and shut it in his face. Sighing heavily, Will moved into his own room and called his boss.

The plan of attack was simple. Do as much work as possible in the next week, return home and Magnus would officially take Emma off the mission list until she sought help. It had gone on long enough. Will knocked on her door in the morning so that they could go down to eat breakfast together. She still wasn't speaking to him, which was painfully obvious when she opened the door, glared and set out in front of him to the dining hall. They were seated with the instructors and watched as the daily routine went on for the students. Neither Emma nor Will wanted to interrupt anything; however it was impossible because just their presence interrupted.

As soon as she walked into Garthaw's class he ran up to hug her. He brought her around to his desk and certainly attempted to pay attention to the teacher but he was far too excited to do so. He hadn't seen her in months. Will was having a rather similar experience with Alexei although the young man, and that's what he had become, was far more reserved in his affections. The young man had spent a good deal of time with Will, but both had other duties they needed to get to. Alexei left to do his homework just as Lily was released from her class and came bounding up to Will. He picked her up and spun her in a little bit of a circle before settling her on his hip.

He let the girl talk animatedly about whatever it was on her mind and was surprised that she was so outgoing and happy. He was quite enjoying seeing her. The moment was interrupted when Emma opened the door to the room they were in and she looked over Will who happened to be smiling down still at the young girl in his arms. "We have that meeting."

"Right, I'll just be a second." He watched as her eyes flicked over the girl before she shut the door and left. When he turned back to Lily she was frowning. "What is it sweetie?"

"Why she so sad?"

"Oh," he sat on one of the low tables and put her on his knee so that he could look her over. "Something very bad happened to her. She's just trying to figure out how to fix it."

The little girl nodded. "She scared."

"Is she?" He brushed a hand over the back of the girl's head and down her hair.

She nodded in response and then jumped from his lap. "I make something."

"What are you going to make?" He grinned and tried to follow her but she made him stop and walked him backwards to the door.

"Secret." Grinning Lily pushed him out the door and waited until he held up his hands in surrender and smiled.

"Alright, I get it. I'll see you later, ok?"

Lily nodded and shut the door to get to work.

Hours later Emma came flying into his room later with a look of pure rage shadowing her features. "What is this?" She held up a piece of paper and glared daggers at him.

Will took his time and slowly rose from the bed he had been laying on. He set the book to the side and straightened his back. "I don't know. Let me see it?" He held out his hand and waited for her to hand it over, but she just continued to wave it in front of his face.

"How could you do that? She's a little girl she doesn't need to know anything about what happened! It's none of her business! It's my business. She's too young to deal with something of this magnitude."

It was about halfway through the rant that Will figured out what she was talking about. It must have been whatever it was that Lily had been doing. He suspected, by looking at what it was in the woman's hand, that the young girl had made her a 'feel better' card and left it in her room. He grabbed her wrist hard and wrangled the card from her hand and read it. Sure enough he was right. "I didn't tell her anything. She figured it out all on her own."

"Figured what out?"

"She asked me why you were so sad and scared. Emma, if a little girl can figure that out you have to see that the rest of us can." She didn't answer. She didn't know what to say, her stomach was hot with anger and her head felt like it was going to explode. "Emma talk to me." His eyes were soft and he opened the floor once again for her.

"There's nothing to talk about. I was raped, it's not the first time it's happened I doubt it'll be the last. He touched me and…" She took a deep breath trying to compose herself. Will watched as her eyes started to water and her nose reddened as her cheeks paled. "…and I didn't want him to. I didn't want him to do that." The tears began to stream down her face and he watched as the weight of what she had finally admitted settled in the tension of her shoulders. "He's not like God but he wanted me to think he was. He thought he was." She wasn't even bothering to brush the tears from her face; rather she let them cling to her chin before slipping from her heating flesh. "Why did he do that?"

"I can't answer that and neither can you. I doubt that even he can." The nod was subtle and slight but he caught it. "Come on, sit down." His fingers gently guided her to the bed and she sat letting her head rest on his shoulder and the tears wrack through her body. Will settled an arm lightly around her shoulder and exerted the least amount of pressure as possible.

They sat there for hours and she didn't talk. He didn't talk. They just sat. Hours and hours, missed meetings and dinner and into the middle of the night when she finally stopped gripping his shirt. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be."

She sat up straight and fiddled with her thumbs. "I haven't slept in days."

"That's not uncommon."

She nodded slowly and her eyes flicked up to him. "Can I stay here?"

"Why do you want to stay here?"

Shrugging she took her time answering. "It's helpful to have someone else in the vicinity. Easier to get back to sleep."

He nodded. "Alright. Will you set up regular times to meet with me?" At the slight nod he took her affirmative answer as all he was going to get and stood slowly. He pushed back the blankets on the bed and let her settle in under them after pulling her shoes off. Will moved to the other side of the bed and lay down on top of the blankets. It was only a few more hours and she was finally asleep. Will was resting with his back slightly up against the headboard and his phone in his hand.

Finally daring to let the light in the room he sent a quick text message to his boss: 'made progress, will be setting up meeting times, her idea.'

'Good. Call tomorrow with an update on the school please.' The response was short and to the point and quickly received. He left it at that and set his phone to the side table after turning his alarm on. He needed a few hours sleep before the day started and since she was asleep he figured he could take the time.

The gut wrenching sound of vomiting is what woke him up. He looked over to the bathroom to see the door slightly ajar but mostly closed and the light on. There was movement as the coughing and sputtering started again and he could see the blonde hair falling down around her face. Sighing he slipped off the bed and made his way over grasping her hair and rubbing a hand over her back. He waited until she wiped her mouth with a washcloth that she had and sat back on her heels. "Thank you."

"How long?"

"An hour." She rested back against the tub and pressed her face against the cold surface.

"The flu?"

"I think so."

"Isn't your vampire part of yourself supposed to protect you from that?"

Her eyes were closed and she drew in a slow breath before answering. "I'm only part vampire, and so no, not always." She started a slow breathing pattern that was quickly building and he could tell that she was going to start heaving again. He waited until she was over the toilet before holding her hair in a fist and running water over a clean washcloth.

Once he finally had her calm enough that he could get her to the bed without vomiting he was already late for a meeting and had missed breakfast. "I think you should stay here today." She nodded and curled into the pillow that he had given her. He tucked her in and pressed a hand to her forehead. "I'm going to send the nurse up, alright?"

"I'm fine."

"Humor me… and Magnus would kill me if I didn't." Her head slightly moved up and down in affirmation and he left the room to go about his duties and fix whatever he had missed the night before. He sent a text to Magnus telling her that Emma was sick and his phone started to buzz immediately with her name and picture on the screen. "Hey."

"I think you should bring her back here. The rest of the inventory at the school and be done over distance."

"She'll be fine, it's just the flu I'm sure of it."

"Will."

"Magnus." He mimicked her tone. "You can't control every little thing in her life and right now she needs as much space as you can give her."

"I'm not entirely sure that they didn't experiment on her. With her reactions—"

"I don't think that they did."

"Did she talk to you?" He could feel the longing in her voice. She really wanted to know what was going on.

"She did a bit."

There was quite a long pause before either of them spoke. "Bring her home Will."

"We'll only be here another two days and then we'll be back."

"Alright." The resignation from her was not something that he was used to hearing, but he was glad that she had given in. It was necessary for Emma for her to give in every once in a while, whether or not she realized that.