Nope, Not Going Back
Emma was five years removed from who she was in Stanford. Daniel had been the reason she had been kicked out of that place. But he was also the reason her life was new and exciting. She had decided that this new double life she led was worth putting Stanford far behind her.
So as she worked in the Genius repair room one day, She didn't think her life was going to point back to Stanford. As a matter of fact is was a normal day with a normal Ruby freak out. "Emma, we have an emergency. We need to talk."
Emma looked up from what she was doing and furrowed her brows. "I'm on the phone." She had been on hold with a Apple Care agent while they spoke with their person on the other end.
"Not here, not here." Ruby said looking behind her. "There are spies at the buy more."
Emma's eyes widened wondering if she had been caught out by her best friend. "Spies?" She said hanging up the phone. "Really?"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Ruby said looking behind her again. "Clark's minions, Babes, They're everywhere."
Emma gave a sigh of relief and hoped the support agent called back so she could continue the call.
"He's like the dark lord Sauron, from lord of the rings," Ruby continued. "only instead of the ring of power, He's taken over control of the assistant managership."
"Yeah." Emma said her mood turning a bit sour. "From me. Right. Thanks for the reminder."
"Got it, girl." Ruby said and quickly moved on from Emma's feelings of inadequacy. "Listen, we need your help, Ems."
"Help?" Emma intoned. "What am I supposed to do? I'm, i'm just…"
"Just one…" Ruby interrupted holding up a flyer. "Small hobbit? So thought Frodo Baggins, my friend. So thought Frodo Baggins."
Emma took the paper and began to read. ""rules and regulations for the buy more break room. From the desk of Alan Clark?" She giggled a bit.
"He doesn't even have a desk!" Ruby said scandalized. "This is an affront to human decency."
The blonde continued to read. "no swearing, no expectorating," another giggle escaped her, "no fornicating?" wait, people have been getting freaky in the break room?"
"No. No," Ruby said seriously. "But I liked to know that I had the option."
Emma shook her head still looking at the list. "Okay, so it's a little strict." She mumbled.
"Em, It's torture… I mean.. Gurl…The no-drug policy includes red bull." Ruby protested.
"Oh, ouch." Emma flinched. "I remember the last time you tried to detox."
"How am I supposed to move electronics with the sweaty shakes?" Ruby complained.
Just then their new assistant manager walked up to them. "I'm sorry, Ladies, but is this Apple support Chat?"
"No, sir," Ruby stated.
"So why don't you get back to helping these nice customers buy more Apple Products Ms Lucas?
Then Clark walked away sipping on his mug. Emma still smarting from having missed out on this promotion. Even though she had been on a mission and missed her interview entirely.
When Clark walked away she squeezed her eyes shut. That man got on her last nerves. "I'm sorry, t is Alan wearing a new assistant manager polo shirt?" She asked.
"It's monogrammed." Ruby added
"He must be stopped." Emma whispered. At the door, of the genius room, Mal caught Emma's eye and asked her to step out.
She excused herself and walked out with the older blonde. They met in a secure location the government had secured nearby and Mal, Emma, and Regina settled down to get briefed.
"We have a situation." General Mills stated starting the conversation. She pulled up a picture of a man balding maybe in his fifties "A CIA asset has gone missing. We've had no communication from him for two days."
Emma's eyes widened. "No way." she exhaled.
Regina shifted her gaze to her asset. "What, did you flash?"
"No.I don't have to." the blonde said studying the screen. "That guy was my professor at Stanford." everyone around her gave each other knowing looks,her eyes widened again as she came to a realization. " ? He's CIA? My professor was a spy?"
"The CIA recruits on campuses across the country." Regina answered.
"Professor Fleming is a company scientist, not an operative." graham continued the dialogue. "This is our last communication from him."
A recording crackled in the air, professor Fleming clearly in distress. "This is glass castle reporting hostile contact. I made a mistake, black coat. I copied intel for myself onto a disc. They're after it. I know i shouldn't have." Then there was a final click and the connection went silent.
"Do we know what intel he copied?" Regina asked getting back to task.
"We don't." General Mills answered.
"He's handled many sensitive projects for us over the years." Graham interjected. "Any leak could prove devastating."
"How can we help?" Mal asked.
"Fleming has contacts in Los Angeles." Graham stated. Emma looked at the two leaders with a feeling of dread in her stomach. "We'd like your help on this, Emma."
"Look, i-i-i really don't think i'm your go-to girl on this one." Emma said shaking her head.
"Your knowledge of Fleming and Stanford is key here." General Mills added "We only have his official reports. You have a personal connection."
Emma scrunched up her face. "Yeah, I do have a personal connection, a very bad personal connection." She did not want to be taken back to the dark sunken place. She was not to look back at her memories about this dead guy that turned her into this other probably dead guy and got kicked out of the one place she felt she had fit in. "Look, you guys have the file, okay? You know all about Fleming and what happened to me. The guy kicked me out of school."
Regina tried to reason with the distraught blonde. "Emma, professor Fleming, is one of us."
Emma shook her head and looked at Regina. "Maybe you can find somebody else to help you this time." She stood and walked away. "Maybe just this once."
Emma completed her work day her thoughts internal and her heart in turmoil. She knew that the NSA and CIA would figure out a way to get her up to Stanford. She just didn't know how they would do it. She was on her guard to get kidnapped all the same. She just didn't want to go there and face those demons. She had moved on.. .or so she thought.
When she got to the apartment. Fred and a bunch of his jock friends were playing catch football in the courtyard. Kathryn was there serving up some hot dogs and burgers and everyone was having a good time.
Emma smiled at Kathryn who'd greeted her with a smile of her own. She signaled to the guys. "who invented the, uh, UCLA brain trust?"
"Those are Fred's fraternity brothers." Kathryn said with a chuckle. "We are actually all caravanning up to Stanford for the UCLA game this weekend."
And there it was… She was not taking the bait.
"Hey Emma!" Fred said coming up to the younger blonde. "I got you a ticket for the game."
"Thanks. But, uh…" Emma shook her head. "Regina and I already have plans."
Fred Scoffed "It's your Alma mater, dude."
"Look, no offense," Emma said "but i'd rather get each of my nails yanked off my fingers with pliers than go back to that Place."
Fred shrugged and went back to his game of catch. "Suit yourself. Let's go. Game on, boys."
Kathryn looked at Emma and sighed. "Uh, listen… I know that Stanford doesn't hold a lot of good memories for you...
Look, Kath…" Emma started off angry but took a breath to calm herself. "Kathryn. They kicked me out for something i didn't do. Okay? So that's it. Me and Stanford… We're officially done."
The younger sister walked away angrily. She was not going, No way. She went into her room and pulled a box out of the back of her closet. She opened it there were a few items in there. A Stamford sweatshirt, a picture of herself and her sorority. The thing was that she remembered packing the box on her way out of her sorority house. Walking down and seeing all of her sisters faces. And Daniel hanging out with Lily.
Emma had paused and looked at them both, but mainly he looked at Daniel. She said. "I don't get it, Daniel, Why are you doing this?"
"You did this to yourself." That was all he had said. He turned away from her and Emma was left confused. Still was to this day. Maybe not knowing why was the reason she couldn't let go of what was happening to her.
She took the box out to the dumpster outside. Something dropped from it, and her student ID was on the floor. She picked it up and her body thrilled and soon her vision was flashing. All of the information flooding to her brain. " what?" she said and ran toward Mal's apartment.
When the Blonde opened the door annoyed by the knocking. "What?"
She snarled.
"I just flashed on myself." Emma stated showing the older woman her student ID. "Why am I in the intersect?"