Chapter 6

Emma paced in front of the guest bedroom closet that she had been sharing with Will for the past week trying to decide what to wear. The late October weather had definitely picked up in Lima and a coat would certainly be a necessity if she planned to venture outside.

She bit her lip out of nervous habit. It always seemed to help the thinking process; something she had done since she was a child.

Her gaze settled on a purple, green, and white floral maternity dress with a matching soft green cardigan she had purchased just over a month ago as she knew she would be needing new clothing soon. After she pulled out a pair of Mary Jane's she grabbed the garments and placed them on the bed, ready to change out of her nightgown. A soft knock came from the guest bedroom door as Will poked his head in. "Knock, knock" A silly smile graced his cheeks as he saw that she was still clothed and he opened the door further to allow enough room to enter.

She returned the smile then shifted her gaze once more to her chosen outfit for the day. "Hey." She said softly as she bit her lip once more in thought.

"Hey." he returned, "Trying to decide on what to wear?" He watched her forehead crinkle as it usually did when she was trying to concentrate on a thought.

"Yeah. I can't seem to find anything that will match the purple cast but also fits." She let out a frustrated sigh as she placed one hand on her expanding stomach and used her other to rub her temple.

Finding an outfit for the day shouldn't have been a big deal but it was her first day to return to work since the attack and she was clearly apprehensive about the whole idea. Her nerves were on fire with the anticipation of what the day may bring.

"Em, you'll look beautiful in whatever you decide to wear. Don't worry so much about the small stuff." He said.

She smiled softly at his compliment but her eyes fell to the floor quickly. "The little things are all I can handle thinking about right now." Her confession was shaky and he wasted no time as he took the few steps that separated them and pulled her into his arms, kissing her forehead softly. Her outfit was the last thing on her mind at this point as she stared into her husband's sparkling eyes and took solace in his loving embrace. At that moment she needed his closeness as much as she needed air.

So much had changed for the both of them in the last week and she wondered what he was thinking about all of it at this point too.

Emma had adjusted better than anticipated to living at Shannon's place, though that was largely due to Will and the constant police presence just outside of the apartment. She had discovered that her friend had gone to great lengths to have the apartment extra clean for their stay by hiring a cleaning service. Her heart swelled at knowing Shannon was willing to do that for her and she realized at that moment what a true friend Shannon was. She would have to find some way to thank her.

The only issues Emma had really encountered staying at Shannon's were a lack of dairy-free food and a string of nightmares that had affected her sleeping pattern since she left the hospital.

She realized nightmares weren't that uncommon after a traumatic event but she didn't anticipate waking up screaming most every night with a worried Will and Shannon rushing to her aid. It was bad enough that she was being an imposition on her friend by staying with her but now she couldn't help feeling guilty for waking her up at odd hours of the night for a silly dream. Not to mention the embarrassment of it all and having to apologize profusely through tears to the two people that cared for her most. She supposed Shannon was getting used to it though as she hadn't come running to their guest room the past two nights. Emma was honestly thankful for that.

Will was another story, however.

He had been nothing but a support for her since the whole ordeal happened and she couldn't help but feel guilty. He may not have been the one to get attacked but that didn't mean he wasn't dealing with the repercussions of it too. He was staying awake with worry as it was and the nightmares weren't helping. She just wanted it all to stop and for things to return to normal. What was normal these days anyway?

Wills concerned words tore her out of her thoughts. "I know you're anxious, but Emma you're not going to be able to control everything. Sometimes you have to leave things to chance and hope for the best. But Em, that's why you have me. No matter what we encounter we can face it together." She closed her eyes as he placed a soft kiss to her lips. He lingered there for a moment before pulling back to look at her.

"How do you always know just the right thing to say?" She asked as a rogue tear rolled down her cheek. A slight relief rolled with it and Will wiped it away as she sniffed.

"It's all of those romantic comedies you force me to watch." He laughs for a moment, clearly trying to lighten the mood.

She giggled as the tension she was feeling diminished. "Must be. Maybe you won't complain so much the next time we watch one now." Emma's playful nature was returning, slowly, but surely.

He loved seeing her smile and was happy he could ease her mind, if only for a moment.

"Okay, well I need to get ready." He reluctantly let go as he moved to the bathroom to brush his teeth. "My amazing wife distracted me with her beauty and now I'm running a little behind."

They smiled once more as they parted ways. "You mean your crazy wife distracted you with her anxiety." Emma corrected.

"Nope. I'm pretty sure I had it right the first time." He called from the doorway.

She couldn't help but smile at his comment as he disappeared into the bathroom. She sighed once more as she turned to her discarded clothing on the bed and began to get dressed. The school day would start soon and Emma didn't want to be late.

Will held the large glass door of McKinley High School open for Emma as she entered. He followed her in and their hands found each other instantly, offering support to each other as they faced the day. A simple task such as walking down the hall shouldn't be a difficult process, but Emma couldn't help feeling the eyes that bore into her. The students as well as the faculty had likely heard about her attack and they were not doing a very good job of covering up their curiosity. Many of them would look at her cast, then her bandaged forehead, and then back to her cast again. It was a little bit unsettling if she was being honest with herself. It's not that she didn't appreciate their concern; she just didn't enjoy being the center of attention like that. Unwanted sympathy was not her strong suit.

Great, she thought, I'm the talk of the school.

Will noticed her squeezing his hand just a little bit tighter and leaned over to whisper in her ear. "You're doing great love. We're almost to your office." Wills eyes darted from one staring person to another, daring them to step up and say something. Most just looked away uncomfortably.

Upon reaching her office, Emma looked through the glass windows and noticed baskets and bouquets of flowers and a stack of cards piled on her desk. A warm smile graced her cheeks at the gesture from students and staff and she let out a simple "Wow."

"It would seem to me that everyone in the school has missed you." He held open the door as he let her in. The aroma of roses and lilies mingled together creating a pleasant scent that filled her entire office.

"They must have." The smile that graced her cheeks wasn't leaving any time soon. Her eyes scanned the flowers that overwhelmed her desk and filing cabinet. "But where am I supposed to work?" She asked, noting the extremely limited desk space that was available.

"I'll send a few of the glee kids to move some of them to my office. That way you have some space to work with." He kissed her head as she nodded her approval to his plan.

"Em, if you need anything today, call me, okay? At any time. I don't want you to worry. Also, officer Sanders will be posted at the corner for the entire day so if you feel scared, you know where to find him too." He looked into her eyes and couldn't resist their sweetness. He kissed her sweetly on the lips as she leaned into him. He always managed to sweep her off of her feet at any unexpected moment.

"Thank you Will. For everything you've done for me. I couldn't get through this without you." She said, her breath on his neck.

"Em, I'd do anything for you. I love you more than you can imagine." He kissed her once more, lingering for a moment until they heard the warning bell ring.

"I love you too, Will. So much."

He pulled away and headed for the door reluctantly. "I hope you have a great morning and I'll see you at lunch."

She smiled as he left, "Okay."

As he finally made his way out of her office and around the corner, Emma was left with nothing but her thoughts and a few glances from students as they passed. She would just have to get used to the staring.

Lunch was over before she knew it and the day had passed relatively quickly for Emma, much to her surprise. Thankfully she hadn't had any panic attacks and the majority of the school had left her alone. After catching up on her paperwork and rescheduling her missed appointments from the past week she didn't have much to do except wait for Glee practice.

She had been attending the rehearsals since she and Will were married and it had now become tradition. She was there mostly for moral support but also to help out whenever they needed it with costumes and music choices. She had also helped direct the school musical for the past three years so she had acquired some experience from that as well.

Emma didn't mind going to the rehearsals because she loved to watch her husband teach; especially Glee club. He was always in his element there and she loved watching a different side of him light up that most never saw. Plus, he was really great with the kids.

She walked swiftly down the hallway with her purse and a few files in hand, headed for the music room. Her tension of being alone in the hallway eased a bit as she passed the police officer at the corner and she headed down the familiar path to the music room. Once she got there she could already hear music coming from the doorway. She quietly waited for the song to finish before entering, and once she did everyone looked up at the squeaking of the door. She froze for a moment as all eyes were on her (once again) and she couldn't help but feel the slightest bit uncomfortable at the attention.

"Hey guys" She said awkwardly, scooting through the doorway.

"Mrs. Schuester! You're back!" Nathan said enthusiastically as his favorite faculty member appeared in the classroom.

The tension that had filled the room in a matter of seconds seemed to dissipate a little bit at Nathans excitement, but there were still looks of sympathy being directed at her that she didn't really know what to do with. The glee club had of course heard what had happened and they were pleased to see with their own eyes that Mrs. Schuester was in fact alive and well.

"I'm sorry I'm late everyone. I lost track of time. But I'm here now." Emma looked to Will who grinned at her squeamish behavior. She shot daggers back at his teasing smile.

"It's okay Mrs. Schue, we are all just happy to have you back." Kyle said from the back of the group. A few nods of agreement were seen and Emma could feel the warmth of acceptance coming from the group.

She pulled up her usual chair by the piano and set her purse and files on top of the large instrument.

"Oh, and I just wanted to say thank you for the kind words and the flowers. They mean a lot to me." Emma smiled as she remembered the gestures from this morning.

"But please, just ignore me. We've got sectionals coming up and I know there's a lot to do. Just pretend I'm not here and carry on." Emma made a shooing gesture with her hands to emphasize her point. The glee club giggled as she tried to brush off her presence. They were pleased to see their guidance counselor returning to her rightful spot in the choir room.

Will stepped to the middle of the room, "Em-I mean Mrs. Schuester is right. We've got plenty to do today, including narrowing down that set list. Let's get back to work before we get to distracted." He clapped his hands together as a gesture to encourage their motivation. The club quickly assembled into formation for their next number and as the music began and their sweet voices filled the room once more, Emma couldn't help but look to Will as he studied their moves and listened for mistakes. He really was passionate about these kids and she couldn't help but wonder how he would be as a father.

Her hand subconsciously moved to her small bump. It filled her heart with a warm sensation that she could only describe as love butterflies to think about Will, the man she loved more than anything, holding their tiny baby and humming soft lullabies. It's wouldn't be long now until that daydream turned into a reality and Emma could hardly wait.

There was still an element of anxiety, however, because the police had yet to make any headway on her stalker case. Emma and Will had both made extensive lists of any and every person they came into contact with on a regular basis, yet the police were no closer to figuring out who was stalking her. She couldn't help but wonder what would happen if they couldn't find the man. Would the police continue to patrol her home and job? Would the stalker follow her if they moved? What did he want anyway? Surely the police wouldn't stick around forever…

Emmas head was swirling with questions when glee rehearsal had finally finished. She made a mental note to talk to her therapist about some of these things at her meeting tomorrow.

As the kids grabbed their bags and headed out the door they said their goodbyes and a few members even gave hugs to their favorite guidance counselor. She smiled and returned the gestures, happy to see the group again. Once everyone had she walked across the room and joined Will in picking up the sheet music the group had discarded onto their seats and the floor.

"Thanks Em." He said with a smile as he stuffed sheets of music into a manila file he was holding, straightening the corners as he did so.

"It's no problem." She said with a small smile, straightening the corners of her pile as well before handing it to him to put into his folder. He smiled gratefully at her, thankful for her help.

"How was your day?" He asked.

"Actually, it was better than I had anticipated." She thought for a moment, "Though I didn't run into Sue today, so tomorrow may be a different story all together." The couple laughed at the small joke, both knowing the truth behind it.

"Well good! I knew you'd be okay. Sometimes things seem like they will be more difficult than they actually turn out to be. I'm glad your day was a success." Will placed the file of music on the piano and picked up his work bag, heading to his office for his keys. He reappeared a moment later, keys in hand, and Emma too had grabbed her things, ready to leave.

"You know Em, I'm really proud of you." He said, as he put his arm around her waist and they walked towards the door, and down the hallway.

"You really think so?" She asked, looking up at him as she did so.

"You've handled an impossible situation with grace. Why wouldn't I be proud of you?" He confessed.

She stopped their walking and turned to face him. Before Will knew it, she had pulled him into a passionate, lingering kiss in the middle of the hallway. After they pulled away Will had to take a moment and catch his breath.

"Wow, that was…Whoa." Will stuttered. Emma blushed. "Where did that come from?" He asked quizzically, a grin on his face.

"I just love you, that's all." She said, and she moved back to his side. Will seemed satisfied with that answer. He put his arm around her waist once more as they headed out of the school.

My apologies for this chapter taking so long. I had a bit of writers block. I know where I want this story to go, it's just a matter of getting there. =) I would appreciate any thoughts or comments you can spare. Anon or not. Thank you for reading everyone!