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Chapter Text

Tweed was not unbecoming on Emmett Forrest. In fact, he looked quite handsome in his new blazer. Seated at his desk with a mug of coffee next to his laptop, he looked quite academic.
“Look at you, the picture of knowledge! You look just like Athena!” Elle stood at the office entrance, leaning on the door frame.
“Athena?” Emmett’s lips twisted up in a bemused half-grin.
“You know, Athena? Athena Parthenos? Greek goddess of wisdom?” Emmett shook his head bemusedly and looked back down at his computer.
“Coeus perhaps,” he replied.
“Coeus? What’s a Coeus?”
“Coeus was the Titan of knowledge. His name means questioning.”
“What’s wrong with Athena? I think she’s cool.”
“So is Coeus.” Emmett returned to his work. Elle huffed good-naturedly. Playful debates like these were a method of expressing love between the two.
“I just wanted to remind you that we have a date tonight. I called and got a reservation at the Italian place you wanted to try.” Elle stepped into the office and walked to her fiancé, handing him a printed menu. “Look at the menu when you get a chance, okay?”
“Thank you,” Emmett replied, adding the menu to the growing pile of papers on his desk. Elle bent to drop a quick kiss on the crown of his head.
“I love you,” she reminded him. He hummed an agreement and grabbed her hand, holding it for a moment. The two smiled, basking at the moment as Emmett continued reading from his computer, Elle looking over his shoulder.
“New case?”
“Maybe. An associate passed a possible client to me.”
“Ooh, exciting. Are you going to take it?” Emmett hummed while considering his response.
“Maybe,” he finally answered. “Rent isn’t exactly cheap here.”
“Well, now that I’ve moved in you only have to pay half,” Elle reminded him. “We’re splitting the rent, remember? That’s the whole reason you asked me to move in.” She laughed but Emmett seemed not to have heard her joke. “Well, I’ll leave you to your work, Mister Lawyer. I have to find the box where I packed the dress I want to wear tonight.” She ruffled Emmett’s hair and walked out of the office.

“Bruiser, come here. You need to go poo before dinner!” Elle rushed around the small apartment looking for her dog. She shook his leash, hoping that the familiar sound would coax him out. “Bruiser!”
“Are you looking for someone?” Elle turned around to find Emmett holding Bruiser in his arms.
“Emmett! You look,” Elle found herself at a loss for words. “You look, wow.” She laughed, her nervous giggle filling the air. Tweed was not unbecoming on Emmett but in his new blazer, he looked like the god Phoebus Apollo.
“I look wow?” Emmett handed Bruiser to Elle who nodded fervently.
“Yes.”
“Yes?”
“Yes!” Elle dragged her eyes away from Emmett and hurried to clip Bruiser’s leash to his collar. “Come on Bruiser, let’s go poo.” She walked to the door with Bruiser in one arm, trying to pat the extra blood out of her cheeks with her other hand.

“Hi, welcome to Piccola Venezia, what can I do for you two tonight?” The hostess that greeted them looked bored but maintained a polite tone.
“Hi,” Elle smiled at the girl. “We have a reservation for eight for Woods, Elle. Elle Woods.” The girl looked down at her stand and scanned her list of reservations. Upon finding the reservation she looked up with a smile.
“Elle Woods party of two?” she asked. Elle nodded.
“That’s us!” The hostess grabbed a pen from her stand, marking a note on her reservation list.
“Alright, Mr. and Mrs. Woods, please follow me.” She set off, leading the couple through a labyrinth of tables and booths to a secluded table overlooking the rest of the restaurant. “Here you go, your waiter will be with you in a moment.”
“Thank you.” Elle and Emmett sat down.
“Wow, this place is pretty fancy,” Emmett said. He ran his fingers over the silverware in front of him. Elle leaned in, putting a hand up to her face conspiratorially.
“Start on the outside.” Emmett laughed.
“I got it, thanks.”
“So Mr. and Mrs. Woods,” Emmett remarked on the hostess’s choice of words. Elle nodded.
“Well, it was my name on the reservation so maybe she just assumed.”
“Soon we’ll be Mr. and Mrs. Forrest.” Elle was silent after Emmett spoke. In the silence, Emmett was compelled to continue. “After we marry, you’ll become Mrs. Emmett Forest.” Elle shook her head imperceptibly.
“Emmett, I don’t think that I will.” Elle finally spoke after a moment of silence. Another silence hung in the air. Elle stared pointedly to the side as Emmett watched her.
“What do you mean?” Emmett finally asked. “Are we not getting married? Are you trying to call this off”
“No, no, of course, we’re getting married!” Elle quickly defended. “I just, I just don’t think.” She trailed off, unsure of how to finish her thought.
“You don’t think what?” Emmett asked, an unfamiliar tone in his voice. There was an edge of worry and an underlying hint of warning that Elle should choose her next words carefully.
“I just think.” Elle stopped her thought once again. “Why does the woman have to change her name?”
“What do you mean?” Emmett was taken aback.
“I mean, why do I have to change my name to yours? Can’t I just become Mrs. Elle Woods?”
“It’s a tradition.”
“Tradition doesn’t always need to be continued! Maybe a tradition that is rooted in patriarchal practices shouldn’t be continued!”
“I just thought that you would take my name,” Emmett said. “For Forrest and Forrest Law.”
“Well, we can be Woods and Forrest Law!” Elle tried out a different name.
“Woods and Forrest? What is this, a logging company?” Emmett laughed at her suggestion though it was not the joyful laugh Elle was used to. “Did you want the name recognition from your parents’ name?”
“No, never!” Elle insisted. “I just wanted to be recognized for my own achievements. I did the work, I graduated, I passed the bar exam, I want my achievements under my name!”
“Fine,” Emmett relented, glancing around at the other restaurant-goers. Elle did not take comfort in his acquiescence. She blinked, trying to dispel the tingling in her eyes.

Dinner was delicious but over it hung the cloud of argument from before. Elle and Emmett watched the musician at the restaurant’s piano for most of their meal, ignoring each other’s company.
“Can we see the dessert menu?” As their waiter cleared their plates, Elle spoke.
“Dessert? After such a large meal?” Emmett asked. Elle held up the unused fork and spoon that rested above her plate.
“Well, we haven’t used the dessert spoon and cake fork yet!” She grinned. “It seems a waste not to!”
“Is that what these are?” Emmett asked, examining them. “Huh.” Elle nodded.
“I’ve heard that the tiramisu here is good.”
“Really? Then let’s get that.” Emmett pointed to the tiramisu on the dessert menu and the waiter nodded.
“I’ll be back with that for you two.” As he walked away, Elle’s hand wandered to the box in her pocket, turning it over and over in nervous agitation. Elle and Emmett were already engaged, but Elle had wanted to give Emmett an engagement ring. It was a simple black and silver band that Elle hoped he would like. As the waiter returned with the tiramisu, Elle leaned forward and slipped the box out of her pocket.
“Thank you,” she nodded at the waiter.
“Elle, you seem nervous.” Elle nodded.
“Emmett, I know that we’re already engaged, but I wanted you to have this.” She put the box on the table. “Here.”
“Oh no,” Emmett reached over and opened the box. “Elle, you didn’t have to do this.”
“I know, but I wanted to.” Elle looked at him expectantly. “Do you like it?”
“I do,” Emmett nodded. “I do, but it must have been expensive.” Elle shrugged.
“Don’t worry about it. Do you like it? I wanted it to be subtle and elegant. I think it fits your personality.” Elle began to ramble, words spilling out of her mouth. “If you don’t like it we can return it and get another one. I just thought that you should have this because I felt so terrible about not having a ring for you when I proposed.”
“Elle.”
“And I know that you’ve been busy with work but I wanted to make this a special night for you. I wanted it to be perfect.”
“Elle, it was. It is. I love it, I love you.” Emmett ended her nervous chatter by picking up the box and pressing it into her hand. “Will you?” Elle’s face broke into a grin as she took the ring out of the box.
“Emmett Forrest, will you marry me?”
“I will.” Elle placed the ring on his finger.
“I love you.”
“I love you too.”

Chapter Text

“I wish you could spend more time at home.” It was a quiet thought, a question that was already answered.
“I do too, but you know how busy I am. The firm, finding clients, I don’t have more time to spend at home.” Even in conversation, Emmett was busy. His hair was tousled from him running his hand through it in frustration as he read through a stack of haphazardly organized files and his glasses sat low on his nose. Elle walked to stand behind him and peered over his shoulder.
“Emmett, do you want me to help you? I could put these in binder and organize them.” Emmett laid his hand on top of the stack.
“No need, I’ll put them away later.”
“Alright.” A silence seemed to stretch between them as Elle studied Emmett. He had been so busy lately, always in the office, never at home. If she didn’t know him so well, Elle might have suspected that Emmett was finding comfort away from home. She put a hand on his shoulder and rubbed at the knots that seemed to have a permanent place on his back.
“I’m sorry.” Emmett shook his head and sat back in his chair. “I didn’t mean to be short, work is just a lot.”
“I know.” Elle wrapped her arms around him, dropping her head onto his shoulder. “And I love how smart you are. I just wish you would take time for yourself. You don’t have to do this alone, I could join your firm. I could help you.” Emmett shook his head and sat forward, freeing himself from Elle’s arms.
“No, clerking for a judge is a good job for now. Once I get more clients I can grow the firm more.” His hands which rested in his lap were clenched so hard that his knuckles were growing pale. “I want you to have job stability and security. The firm isn’t there yet.” It was true. Despite initial success with the CA v. Wyndham murder trial, the Forrest Law Firm had trouble finding its niche in the legal world. Emmett turned his chair around to face Elle.
“Go to bed for now. I’ll be done soon.” Elle furrowed her brows but didn’t argue.
“Alright, come to bed now Bruiser.” At her call, the dog scampered to follow her to the bedroom. After she left, Emmett ran his hands through his hair again. He could hear the bathroom sink running as she washed her face and he absentmindedly touched his, wondering when the he last shaved.

Emmett had a strong sense of pride. He had been the one who made it out. He had come from so little, clawing his way out with his own hands. The calluses he had gained from gripping as hard as he could to every opportunity were still with him and he was proud of how far he had come on his own. He did the best that he could with what he had even if that meant skimping on heat at his office during the winter and wearing a full coat and scarf while he worked. He didn’t mind that it meant wearing socks that were so old that the soles were transparent with use. He didn’t mind that it meant working from a building where he had to lay down new sticky traps every week. He did what he had to do to get by as he had done his entire life. Sure, Elle’s parents had offered to give him a fancy office suite to work from as an engagement present but Emmett couldn’t accept it because of his pride. He didn’t envy her for what she had offered to her but sometimes when his office was especially chilly he did wish that he could afford to use more heat.

“Emmett, look!” Elle practically sang as she greeted Emmett at the door holding Bruiser. He was cradled in her arms and looked content despite the wig and costume he was wearing.
“Elle, what is this?” Emmett forgot the briefcase he held, surprised at what he saw before him.
“It’s Justice Bruiser Woods! See? He has a miniature robe and wig!” It was true. Bruiser had a perfectly-sized barrister wig perched atop his head and was wearing a dog version of a judge’s robe.
“Elle, this is crazy.” And it was. Ever a perfectionist, Elle had paid close attention to every detail of Bruiser’s costume. The wig had carefully positioned holes for Bruiser’s ears to comfortably poke out of and the robe fit him like a glove.
“Look at the collar, it’s my favorite part!” Elle lifted the collar on the robe to show Emmett. “It’s Ruth Bruiser Ginsburg!” The collar was a recreation of a Ruth Bader Ginsburg lace collar and Emmett touched it, marveling at the detail.
“Where do you even buy a collar that size?” Emmet asked. “I don’t think that this sort of thing is at your average pet store.” Elle laughed at the joke.
“Oh, I had had it custom commissioned for him from a lace artist. I thought it would be so darling and it is. Just look at him.” She patted Bruiser’s head taking care not to disturb the wig. “I also had a toy made in the shape of a gavel for him,” she added, leaning in to whisper conspiratorially as if to hide it from the dog. Emmett nodded.
“Right, you had a lace artist make a custom collar for Bruiser.” He knew how much she loved the dog but Emmett was still taken aback. “That must have cost a fortune.” Elle waved her hand like it was nothing.
“Don’t worry, it was nothing.” She was right. To her, a rich girl from California, this kind of custom order was nothing. Emmett knew how generous she and her family were. To celebrate his firm, she had bought him a set of suits to wear and despite all his protests refused to let him see the price.
“My treat,” she had said. “You can pay me back by going out there and winning your cases and helping your clients.” Emmett looked at Elle who was cooing at Bruiser and adjusting his wig.
Have I paid you back, he wondered silently to himself. He had work, but so far it had been small cases that settled outside of court. Nothing that had helped people in the big way that Elle had done for Brooke.

The truth was that the Brooke Wyndham case had hurt Emmett’s firm. Elle was the star of that case but with Emmett’s name attached to it, his reputation turned away male clientele. Even though the Wyndham case was thrown out due to Chutney’s admission of guilt on the stand, the case and his firm were seen as “too feminine” for “serious” clientele. No businessman wanted to be represented by a firm who used perm care as a legal argument even if it received results. Emmett knew this but refused to admit it, even to himself and especially to Elle. Instead he poured hours into his work, trying to find clients and trying to do work that would make his fiancée proud.

Chapter Text

It had been a morning like any other. Elle had made coffee with the French press her parents had gifted them and brought a cup to Emmett in their shared home office. New England real estate prices hadn’t allowed the two a place large enough for two home offices so they had settled for a two bedroom place and turned the small, spare bedroom into a home office for the both of them. Emmett had his coffee black while Elle had oat milk and sugar in hers. Most mornings the two would sit together in their home office at their respective desks drinking their coffee together in a comfortable silence while listening to the sounds of the city waking and starting the day. After coffee, Elle would join the people in the streets, taking Bruiser on his morning walk around their neighborhood while Emmett put their cups in the dishwasher and prepared for work. When Elle returned she would meet Emmett on his way out the door and see him off. After Emmett left, Elle had time to prepare and then leave for work. It was a comfortable routine that the two of them enjoyed every morning.

In the countryside, far outside the noise of the city, there is a moment before the skies open up and let pour. It is a quiet moment, a time when even the crickets and frogs in the trees stop as if waiting with bated breath to witness the power of nature. It is a pregnant silence that holds within it the promise of something great, something powerful, something beyond human control. Elle had experienced this moment before when she was younger, on a visit to the countryside. She had been with a friend who had invited her to her family’s stables to ride. The two girls had been out in a field together when the sounds of nature quieted before lightning split the skies and let free a cloudburst that had both girls and the horses running for cover.

“This happens,” Elle’s friend had told her with a laugh as she had wrung out her clothes. “You can’t control nature, you can just listen for the warnings it gives you.” Elle had nodded but mostly forgotten in the years since it happened. This morning as she had looked out at the city while drinking her coffee with Emmett, she couldn’t help but recall that day and the rain that had poured forth so suddenly. 

“It’s a beautiful day today.” Emmett broke the silence in the office. “It will be in the mid-seventies all day. Perfect for your walk with Bruiser.” Elle smiled as Bruiser on the floor of the office perked up his ears at the mention of his name.

“Did you hear that Bruiser?” She asked. “It’s going to be a wonderful day.” 

It had been a wonderful day. Elle had left for her walk with Bruiser a few minutes early which let him explore the sights and smells of the streets more than usual. When they had returned home Elle had given Emmett a kiss on his way out the door that had lingered just a little longer than usual. 

“I’ll see you tonight,” he promised, his voice holding an unspoken promise that they both understood. Elle giggled deep in her throat and held Emmett’s face between her hands.

“That sounds exciting.”

“It will be.”

“Then should I prepare something special?”

“You don’t need to do anything. I’ll take care of everything tonight.” With that Emmett had stepped out into the hallway, stopping midway to the stairs to turn around and tip an imaginary hat. “I will see you tonight.”

“Tonight, then.”

At five thirty, Elle walked out of the courthouse. She had hoped to leave at five but court sat late and Emmett knew not to expect her off at five every day.

I should pick up dessert, she decided as she stepped into her car. As a treat for tonight . She nodded to herself and turned her car in the direction of a nearby bakery to pick up their favorite lemon torte. As she drove, her car began playing the CD that she had put in on the way to work. It was an upbeat album and she hummed along to it, nodding her head to the beat with a smile.

At six fifteen Elle finally arrived home to their apartment. She parked her car and grabbed her bag and the cake box from the passenger seat.

“Emmett is going to love this!” She practically skipped up the steps to the apartment and stopped just in front of the door to dig her keys out of her bag.

“Elle.” The door swung open before her and Emmett appeared, his hair tousled in a familiar pattern that Elle recognized from when he would run his hands through his hair absentmindedly. “Where have you been?”

“I was at work. And then I decided to stop by that bakery by the courthouse to pick up our favorite!” She held up the box and stepped inside. “Smell it,” she urged, holding it towards him. “Anyways, what’s for dinner?” She slipped off her shoes and started towards the table to set down the cake box.

“Elle.” The tone of his voice gave her pause and she turned back to him, cake box still in hand.

“What’s wrong?” His hair had distracted her and she finally took in his whole appearance. She had originally assumed that his appearance was in preparation for the dinner but upon further inspection she saw that his shirt was untucked, his face was pale, and his eyes held a desperation that she recognized from the courthouse. Emmett stared at her for a long moment before collapsing in one of their chairs. Elle rushed to his side and set down the cake box on the floor.

“Emmett, talk to me.” She knelt by the chair and held his face in her hands. “Emmett.” He turned his face towards her and she saw how red his eyes were.

“It’s my mom.” He ran a hand across his cheek, pulling at the skin with his palm. “She fell.” Silence stretched between them before Emmett spoke again. “She was carrying groceries up her stairs and lost her balance. She fell and broke two ribs, her arm, and her hip was fractured in two places. Her neighbors found her unconscious after it happened.”

“Oh Emmett.” Elle put her hand on his arm and squeezed. “How is she doing now?”

“She’s in surgery. I’m waiting to hear from her doctors.” Elle nodded before clearing her throat.

“How much?” It was an awkward question but a necessary one. “How much is the surgery?” Emmett exhaled hollowly.

“They don’t know yet how much everything will be. I told them to do anything they needed to.” Elle nodded understandingly.

“We have some savings. You have the firm and I have my clerkship and whatever we can’t cover I can borrow from my parents.”

“No.” Emmett responded so quickly it shocked her. “No, don’t call your parents.”

“Why not? They can help us. It’s important to reach out for help when we need it.” Emmett shook his head.
“This isn’t we, Elle. This is my mom, this is my issue.”

“No, Emmett. We’re engaged, we’re supposed to share these things together . For the rest of our lives.” 

“No. I can’t.” Emmett remained firm.

“Why not?”

“You wouldn’t understand.” Emmett stood from the chair and began to pace.

“I can try. Let me try.” Elle stood too and watched him as he ran his hand through his hair again.

“No you can’t!” Emmett’s voice raised slightly but Elle did not flinch. Instead she tried to reach out again.

“Emmett, just talk to me. We can figure this out. It doesn’t have to be my parents, we can look at other options. I can pick up more hours, we can sell the cars, we’ll figure it out.” Emmett stopped pacing and looked at her.

“You don’t understand.”

“Let me try.”

“You can’t. You’ve never had to go through this, any of this, before!” He gestured wildly. “No, you could never understand.” Elle stepped back, feeling something growing in her throat.

“What do you mean?”

“You’ve never had to really struggle Elle. Face it, you grew up in California where everything was easy for you. You had everything handed to you!”

“Emmett.” 

“No, it’s true! Everything was easy for Miss Elle Woods! You grew up where your biggest challenge was winning the wet shirt contest!” He was gesturing again, his movements wild with emotion.

“Emmett, this isn’t the issue right now.” Elle tried to reason with him again but he wasn’t listening.

“Maybe Callahan was a good thing.” His tone was different now, angry and dripping with venom.

“Don’t say that.”

“Maybe he was. Maybe he showed you the truth about how the world lets you get ahead. All you need to do is smile and look pretty and the world falls into place for Miss Elle Woods!”

“And you’ve never had it easy?” Elle crossed her arms to keep them from shaking. “You live in a society where you’re assumed to be better, to be smarter, to be more competent just because you’re a man! Every day I go into work and I have to work harder than everyone else because I look like this! And you tell me that all I need to do is smile?”

“If you think that’s hard, maybe you won’t make it as a lawyer.” Emmett’s words stung. “Maybe you were just meant to smile.” With that he turned and stormed to their shared office and Elle could hear the lock turn. She sat heavily in one of the chairs and finally let the lump in her throat go as she felt tears fall down her cheeks, hot and salty. Bruiser who must have run away during the fight, sat by her feet and leaned his head against her leg.

“I don’t think I can do this.” Elle didn’t know if she was talking to Bruiser or to herself. He looked up at her and she felt something inside her shift. She grabbed Bruiser’s carrier, her bag, and the cake box.

“Come here, boy.” Bruiser leapt into the carrier and Elle stood up. She glanced around the apartment and then wiped her face off and opened the door.