A/N:Hello, hello! Goodness, me, it's taken me so long to update and I am so sorry about that. Life got in the way, I failed a driver's exam, then my brother came here and I haven't seen him much in two years, but I finally did it! I have finished Chapter 7, and I know exactly where I'm taking Chapter 8, so I hope I don't have to make you all wait too long for another update. R&R loved as always! -Tayma

Chapter 7: Drop of a Hat

The morning sun shone through the vertical slatted blinds on the far wall of Emma Pillsbury's living room sliding glass door. The warm brightness fell across her face, growing in intensity as the sun continued to rise and by nine a.m. the light was bright enough to penetrate her eyelids, causing her to see red as she was drawn to consciousness. She was curled up on the couch, covered with a throw blanket that she must have pulled off of the back of the couch in the middle of the night. The skin of her shoulder stuck to the leather of her couch as she shifted and she took in a deep breath through her nose, running a hand over her face, then her eyes a few times before she finally opened her eyes. She squinted in a very unattractive manner as the bright light blinded her and she sat up with a groan. Her long hair fell into her eyes and she shook her head momentarily, gaining her bearings. Once adjusted to the light, Emma blinked a few times, her eyes widening after each blink to let light in. It was then that she finally took in her surroundings and memories from the previous night came flooding into her brain.

Will was everywhere at once, kissing her, holding her, his hands running over her body delicately and gently. He was cherishing her, embracing the opportunity to give her love in a way she'd been lacking for so long. Emma's hands were in his hair, on his arms, grasping his arms. Their lips would meet for moments of bliss before he'd pull away again to kiss her cheeks, her nose, her neck, her stomach, leaving Emma's lips begging for more. Their clothes were all but gone when something finally clicked in Emma's brain.

Suddenly, rational Emma moved back into place, her brain putting together the reality of the situation. This wasn't right. It was too soon and it wasn't fair to either of them to take advantage of…whatever this was. They needed time to look at their feelings, evaluate them, factor in Willow…there were too many potential bumps in the road that could lead to more unhappiness. Sure, they could pick up where they left off as if nothing had happened, as if they didn't have a child together; they could act like time stopped ten years ago and was finally ticking away again.

But then what? What happens come morning? What happens when the sun comes up, and the goggles of whatever they were both feeling come off? What happens then?

Emma reached up, placing a hand over Will's mouth as he leaned down to press another tender kiss to her lips. She swallowed, her head shaking slowly. He stared down at her with confused eyes and she sighed. "No."

Will stared at her, her one-word statement clearly not breaking through the barrier in his head. When nothing was said, Emma shifted to sit up a bit more, looking up at him.

"This isn't right, Will. Right now is not the time to do this. W-we can't."

"We can, Emma. We both have the ability to – it's whether or not we want to, and I – you weren't exactly giving me signals of dislike just now." He propped himself up to look into her eyes. "What's on your mind?"

She thought for a moment, chewing on her lower lip, her gaze meeting his while her mind processed what exactly was inside of it. "It's just…you come over here after having seen videos of your daughter when she's small, and you hear about how your ex-wife screwed over your relationship with said daughter, and you say these things about you 'would have' been here. This is all in the moment, and I understand that in the moment is a good thing, but not in this case. Do you understand?"

"I understood up until you started talking about in the moment. That's when passion is greatest – spontaneous, in-the-moment moments." Will's eyes searched her face for a better understanding of her words.

"Will, this is in the moment, and it's great, but come morning it may not be so great. Come morning, you may see me differently; we may not want this when we're thinking clearly."

Will sat up, moving to sit next to Emma on the couch. He hiked up his boxers a bit before glancing over at her, watching her sit up and pull a pillow to cover her torso. "I'll still want this thinking clearly, Em. I still love you…I – I thought you still cared about me like that as well. I thought that's what this was." He gestured to the couch, referencing their previous moments together.

She nodded. "I do still love you, but this isn't just you and I right now. If we get together now, things could go very well for us and in the morning, we'll be in love and back to how it used to be. But more than likely, we'll get together, something will happen to ruin us, and Willow will lose you again. Right now, we can't afford that when she just got you back."

"Emma." Will took her hands in his, shifting to look at her. "Can't we just be eighteen again? For one night, just act like kids?"

"No." She shook her head, straightening her bra straps before standing to pick up their clothes from the floor. Her voice had a tone of finality, and Will made a face.

"Why not?"

"Because I said so. Here." Emma handed him his clothes before moving to grab hers.

"Emma, you may be a mother, but you're not mine. 'Because I said so' isn't going to shut me up." His eyebrows raised and he took his clothes from her, setting them in his lap.

She turned to look at him, swallowing a bit. "The last time we were eighteen and acting like kids for one night, I ended up pregnant at university and you ended up on Broadway. That's why." She stared at him, fiddling with the tank top she held in her hands. Will looked at Emma with a guilty expression and she sighed. "Can you please just get dressed?"

He nodded and silence fell over them. They dressed together, Emma slipping her tank top and skirt back on while Will re-dressed in his jeans and button-down. He sat back down on the couch and looked at his hands, unsure of how to feel; understanding or reprimanded.

Emma moved to sit by Will, taking his hands in hers. "Hey." She threaded their fingers together and looked at him. "Look at me." When he finally did, she gave him a small smile. "Remember the other day, just before you left? We talked about the possibility of us loving each other like nobody else had, and you told me 'Now just isn't the right time.' You weren't saying no forever. You were just saying not right now. Same thing applies here. Figure out when and how you can love me, and then we'll discuss this step. Okay?"

He nodded and seemed to relax a bit, her words reassuring him that they'd get their time. They just needed time to sort everything out before their real time could truly come. "Okay." He smiled slightly and Emma moved forward to peck his lips gently.

"Okay." She wrapped her arms around him in a hug and Will held her close, pressing his face into her hair gently. "I guess I should go?" He asked after minutes of silent hugging.

Emma shook her head, pulling back to look at him. "No, you don't have to go. I've got Dirty Dancing on the DVR and…there's one way that we can act eighteen again."

"What's that?"

"I seem to recall eighteen year old Will and Emma liked to cuddle up with popcorn watching movies. I think that's how they spent a good portion of Winter Break when your girlfriend was away visiting family." Emma gave him a wide smile.

Will laughed. "You recall correctly. But we have work tomorrow, Em. It's already after midnight."

"We have four days left until summer and I haven't used a single sick day all year. What about you?"

"I haven't, either."

Emma fake coughed a little bit. "Oh, I think I caught the flu. And I kissed you, so, oh no. You caught the flu, too."

They shared a laugh before Emma reached for the remote again. She turned the television on, finding her recording of Dirty Dancing and pressing play. Will laid back on the couch and opened his arms, Emma falling into them and snuggling her back against him.

"I still have the best best friend ever." Emma said, glancing back at him.

Will laughed. "Yep. You sure sound eighteen."

After that, they were silent as they watched the movie, and in time they both fell asleep on the couch. Emma was first to fall asleep, and Will reached for the remote, shutting off the movie and cuddling into Emma, allowing himself to follow her into slumber.

Emma glanced around her living room before standing up, wrapping herself in her blanket. She wondered momentarily if Will had gone home the previous night, but the scent of coffee wafting through her nostrils told her otherwise. She ran a hand through her hair and padded to the kitchen, yawning upon entrance.

"Good morning, Em." Will said from the counter, handing her a cup of coffee.

"Morning." Emma took the cup from him and sipped it, moving to sit at a bar stool by the kitchen island.

"Hungry?"

"Yeah. I need to call into work first, though." Her eyes caught the clock and widened at the knowledge that it was half past nine.

Will shook his head, walking over and setting a plate of French toast, eggs, and fruit down in front of Emma. "No need. I called in. I told Figgins you came down with the flu and I'm taking care of you. He says get well soon." He winked at her and sat across from her with his own plate. "I hope you don't mind I made breakfast. It's the polite thing to do when you sleep over at someone's house."

Emma picked up a fork, stabbing a piece of egg, smiling across at him. "I don't mind in the slightest. Thank you – and thank you for calling in. I'm so sorry for falling asleep last night." She took the bite of egg and chewed slowly, watching Will do the same.

"Don't apologize, Em. It's not like I haven't had you fall asleep in the middle of a movie before. Did you sleep well?"

She nodded, eating a few more bites, taking a sip of water before answering vocally. "I did. I was warm, from what I remember, and I didn't wake up once which is a rare occurrence. What about you?"

"I slept great, thanks. Why is sleeping through the night a rare occurrence?" Will's eyebrow raised as he continued eating.

"Well it started when I was pregnant with Willow. I'd dream in the middle of the night that I'd miscarried or that she was born early and I lost her. I used to wake up constantly, waiting for her to kick before I could sleep again. Then when she was born, I'd dream that you or Terri or a stranger would come and kidnap her and keep her from me, and that was the new dream that took over. Even now, I wake up and have to go check on her in her room sometimes because I've dreamed Terri's done something to her or she's been taken from me." Emma shrugged and looked at him. "I know it's ridiculous, but I can't help what my mind does."

Will nodded and they remained silent as they finished up eating. Will couldn't imagine what it would be like; having those constant dreams and worries. He couldn't really wrap his mind around ten years of unpleasant dreams and thoughts of your child being taken – then again, until recently, he couldn't wrap his mind around the idea that being a father was a possibility for him.

When breakfast was finished, they did the dishes together. Emma washed and Will dried, and they allowed the silence to hang between them, each of them in their own little world.

"So," Emma began when they were finished, turning to look at him, "What were you planning on doing for playing hooky from work?"

Will shrugged. "I was going to ask you the same."

"Would you like to watch more videos of Willow? You can choose whichever you'd like." Emma led him through to a hall closet and opened it, revealing shelves of videos of Willow's life. "You can take them or watch them here. Whichever."

Will's eyes widened, taking in the rows of VHS tapes. This closet was his key to knowing his daughter completely, filling in her life before him as much as possible. He thought her words over, glancing at her. "If I were to watch them here, would you watch them with me?"

"Oh, no, I hate watching videos of my pride and joy." She looked at him, a smile playing at her lips. "Of course I would."

"Okay, well, how about I go home and shower, and then I can come back and we can watch a couple of them." He shrugged a bit. "If you want to that is."

Emma nodded. "Yeah, that sounds great. I can shower and get the living room straightened up and everything, too. How about we plan for starting to watch them in an hour and a half?"

"Perfect." He looked over the videos for a moment before reaching forward, pulling out one that said "Father-Daughter School Day" and one that said "Wilma Mommy-Daughter Birthday." He was curious about who ended up standing in on Father-Daughter day…maybe it was Emma. "Let's watch these."

Emma took the videos with a smile, leading him to the door. "Alright. See you soon."

He waved, stepping outside. "See you soon."

When Will arrived later, Emma was completely ready for their afternoon watching home videos. She had a box of tissues set on the coffee table because she often cried watching videos of Willow. She was such a beautiful little girl and Emma was so proud of her daughter, but she grew up far too fast for Emma's liking. It made her heart swell and break at the same time, watching her teeter around on the screen at three years old, only to look away from the television to see her ten year old daughter coloring or reading a book.

Next to the box of tissues, Emma had the videos set out, as well as a plate of Willow and Will's favourite cookies. She'd dressed in a pair of shorts and a loose cotton t-shirt and let her hair down, drying it and waving it. Now, sitting next to the plate was a tray of coffees Will picked up on the way over, as well as a plate of sandwiches he'd made before coming over. "This way we don't have to break for lunch," he had said upon entering, a proud smile on his face.

The pair settled down on the couch, Will resting against the couch back, while Emma curled into his side, resting her head in his lap. His arm curled around her, rubbing her back absent-mindedly as Emma pressed PLAY, starting the video marked "Father-Daughter School Day."

-x-x-x-

Every day from that night through to Friday, Will and Emma had the same schedule: go to work, come home, make dinner, watch videos together. Not only was it a good time for Will to learn about his daughter and catch up on everything that he missed, but it was good time for Will and Emma to reconnect and get their friendship back on track. They got along perfectly well and were bonding great together. Each of them separately realizing that with time, they could have the relationship that they had always wanted together…at least, that was the feeling before Saturday afternoon rolled around.

Will walked into the room, holding up a video. "I think we should watch this one." He said, walking towards Emma and holding it out for her to see. She looked up from her spot on the couch and read the label. 'Schuebury dinner.' Emma shook her head.

"Uh, no. How about we watch something else, I don't think you would like that one." Emma reached out for it, but Will pulled away and raised an eyebrow. "Is Willow in it?"

Emma nodded. "Well, yeah, but…uhm, it's Willow being born, and it's graphic. I don't think that's a good idea."

"The video of you giving birth is called Schuebury dinner?" Will chuckled. "I don't think so, Em." He shook his head and walked over, putting the video in and pressing play, then returning to the seat next to Emma. He sat back and looked over at Emma with a smile.

"Mommy, Grandma and Grandpa are here!" Willow squealed, jumping up and down and looking at the camera. She had to be about six or seven years old, her hair pulled back into one long French braid.

Emma chuckled from behind the camera and nodded. "I know, sweetie. Let them get out of the car before attacking them."

Willow nodded, but hurried to the front door and before they could even knock, the door was thrown open to reveal Paul and Amanda Schuester standing in the doorway. Willow yelped excitedly as the pair stepped through the door with wide smiles on their faces, and large box accompanying them which was held in Amanda's arms.

"Grandma! Grandpa!" Willow yelled, running and throwing her tiny body into her grandfather's embrace, their faces housing matching grins. Paul scooped up Willow and held her close, pressing a gentle kiss to her cheek and then her forehead as the little girl squeezed around his neck as hard as she could. The excitement in her tiny body was making her practically rigid with joy.

"Here's our little cupcake! How are you, princess?" Paul asked, beaming at his granddaughter as she pulled away to look at him, her little fingers playing with his mustache – an action which never ceased to make her giggle.

"Alright." Was her response, her tiny shoulders rising and falling in a shrug. Willow's eyes fell to Amanda who leaned over to kiss her nose.

"Just alright? Well what if Grandma Mandi and Papa Paul picked you out a very special gift for you? Would that make you more than just 'alright'?" Amanda asked, chuckling a bit as Willow gasped excitedly in Paul's arms, her little head nodding wildly at her question.

Paul set Willow down and she ran off camera. The cameral moved forward and tilted a little bit as Emma hugged each of them. "Hi, Paul, Amanda. Thanks for coming on such short notice. I didn't know we'd be back in Lima so soon, and she's been dying to see you."

"Of course, dear, of course," Amanda said, beaming at the camera. "Any chance to see her is stop what we're doing time! Thank you for letting us know."

Emma turned, and the camera followed into the living room and Paul chuckled off camera.

"What?" That was Emma again.

"You and that damn camera, Emma. Every time we see her you're filming something." He laughed again and moved into the frame, scooping up Willow and holding her on his hip.

"It's for a very good reason!" Emma said, laughing as well.

"Yeah, Grandpa!" Willow said, making a little face which caused her grandparents to laugh.

"Just like your Dad, little one." Amanda piped in.

Will paused the tape and glanced over at Emma. She was biting her lip delicately and looking down at her lap. Her fingers fidgeted with the hem of her shirt as she made a conscious effort to avoid looking at Will.

"Emma…" Will was glaring at her slightly, his voice shaking with attempted hidden anger. She said nothing, focusing in on her shirt hem more, "Emma, look at me."

Her lip pulled between her teeth and she bit down, keeping her head bowed and glancing over at Will from the corner of her eyes. "Mmm?"

"How old is this video?"

She looked puzzled, her eyebrows pulled together. "Which video?"

"Don't mess with me, Emma." The annoyance in his voice was clear, and Emma knew he was not happy in the slightest. "This video that we are watching. How old is it?" He studied her face, his eyes practically boring holes into her profile and she looked back down at her lap.

"Oh, that video…uhm…three years?"

"Three…three…" Will stood up, his hand over his eyes. He took a few deep breaths, anger burning in the pit of his stomach. He thought all this time that Emma kept Willow from his whole family. When he called his parents the other night to tell them about Willow, they both acted surprised and over the moon with joy, like they'd never heard about this before. And now he finds out that he's been lied to. For ten years. By everyone that he's cared about. "How long have they known?"

"Known what?" Emma asked, finally glancing up at him, her face worried and slightly scared.

"Dammit, Emma! About Willow – how long have my parents known about Willow?"

"Since she was one." She answered quickly, not liking that his voice had escalated to the point of yelling.

"One? And how the hell do they know, Emma? How did they find out? Please enlighten me!" He could feel his fists shaking slightly, staring down at his supposed best friend.

"Uhm…I came home for Christmas, and your parents happened to be by my parents' house for the holiday, and they saw her. We tried passing her off as my niece, but she looked nothing like Ginnifer and when Willow kept calling only me 'Mama' they sort of figured it out." Emma bit her lip slightly and swallowed. "I made them promise not to say anything, and after telling them my reasoning, they agreed that you should know her, but that they felt I was doing what was best for everyone involved at the time. They promised to keep quiet about it. I always worried that they'd tell anyways, but Paul and Amanda care about us, and they kept our secret."

Will stared down at Emma, shaking his head. His jaw was set and there was a glare on his face. He took a few deep breaths their eyes locked in a stare. After what felt like forever, Will let out a disbelieving laugh and turned, heading towards the front door.

"Will?" Emma stood and followed him, grabbing his arm and shaking her head. "Don't walk away from me after staring at me like you want to kill me. What's going on in your head?"

He turned and looked over her head. "You lied to me, Emma! You lied to me and I've overlooked it, but for what? To forgive you for getting everyone I care about to lie for you? Terri kept this from me, you kept this from me – my own damn parents kept this from me! I can't – I can't even look at you right now!" He yanked his arm from her and turned to her front door, pulling it open and stepping out into the afternoon air.

"Will, I'm sorry, please!" She stood in the doorway

He turned to look at her. "I'm sorry, too. I'm sorry that you're not the woman I lost my virginity to. I'm sorry that you've changed, Emma, and I'm sorry that you're not the girl I grew up with and called a best friend." He nodded very seriously. "I'm sorry that you didn't have the sense to tell me that you loved me, I'm sorry that you kept me out of your life, and I'm sorry that because of you, Willow never had her dad. I'm also sorry that you're a liar."

Each of Will's 'apologies' stabbed Emma in the heart. Her face crumpled, attempting to hold back the tears that were threatening to show how upset Will was making her. She swallowed thickly and shook her head, taking a deep breath through her nose. "Please, Will. This past week – it was perfect and it's how it's supposed to be and I'm sorry, I really am. I just didn't know what else to do. I was eighteen and scared and stupid; you can't fault me for being a child."

"No, you're right, I can't. But I can fault you for still continuing to lie to me, Emma! You should have told me all of this after I met Willow, rather than continuing on with the lies; hiding truths from me! It's not fair to me." Will turned to his car and unlocked it, getting in the front seat and slamming his door shut.

Emma rushed over and tapped on his window, hearing the car starting before the glass rolled down. "What about Willow? She gets home tomorrow, Will. You promised you'd be here." Her heart was aching, thinking that Will would break a promise to his daughter – even if she was a new addition to his life. She was still a child and this would crush her.

His shoulders shrugged. "You're a superb liar, Emma. I'm sure you'll figure something out." He threw the car into drive and turned out of the gate, speeding down the road. He was furious, and it was coming off towards Emma, but he knew a lot of it was at his parents, and even more at himself. He should have made himself more open to her, but she should have been more honest with him.

She watched him drive away, staring off into space in somewhat of a daze. She could not believe this was happening. Everything was going so well. This past week had been amazing and she felt like on some level they were reconnecting again; sharing a bond over their daughter. How had things gone from good to bad with the drop of a hat? Deciding not to panic, Emma went inside and took a deep breath. She called Amanda and Paul to let them know what happened, warning them that she worried Will would be heading over there from her place. They both reassured her that Will wouldn't let Willow down, but as Emma hung up the phone and laid back down on the couch, Emma couldn't be confident that their words were true.