A/N:Geez it has been a while since I updated this, what with assignments and finals there just wasn't enough time to get the creative juices flowing and write something. Okay well I know graduation happens before this but what ev it fits in with my story so that the students have a short semester with Emily before they finish up, more to come. Fully rushed chapter I must warn.

June

Senior graduation, a time where Emily takes great privilege in awarding her students the honors of their completed degrees and to see them off to begin their own lives free of education as one was accustomed to their whole lives. It was a satisfiable moment watching the relief on their faces knowing that they had finally done it. They were finished...well for some, as a select few individuals wished to further their study in mastering in their various chosen fields and even fewer undertake doctorates. Those students still had a few more years of agonizing study ahead of them and the bar was being set higher and higher. Those few looked at their classmates whom they had spent the past four years with. The seven higher achieving native american studies students stood pondering about what was ahead of them. As an intimately small class, they had developed close relationships with each other throughout the years and now knowing that they were going to separate and go off in different directions and follow different paths was difficult to come to terms with. It was like high school all over again.

It was a day that Patrick while on his day off finally decided to bring Benjamin in for a visit. Emily was in her office where she was preparing for the graduation ceremony. Ensuring that all relevant paperwork was done and was in the midst of putting on her graduation robe. Looking in her mirror and applying her lipstick she heard a knock on the door and it slowly open, she looked up to see Patrick holding Ben in the door way.

"What are you two doing here?" she said surprised coming over to Patrick and kissing him on the cheek then rubbed her thumb over the lipstick mark she had just left to wipe it off and took a smiling Ben into her arms, who was happy to see her.

"We were in the neighborhood and decided to drop by and finally show Ben where your second home is."

She scoffed lightheartedly, " My second home, really Patrick?" she laughed at the absurdness.

"Yes well, the place you keep disappearing to every morning, aint that right Ben?"

"Well if you say so." she brushed it off, balancing Ben on her hip his attention and hands focussed on fondling the long drapey black graduation robe she was wearing.

A knock to the door interrupted them, "Yes." she called and the door opened as Dean Edwards entered, seeing them he looked surprised.

"Patrick, good to see you again" he shook his hand.

"Likewise" Patrick replied.

"You must come back and do another lecture again next semester, your one from last year was outstanding."

"Thank you, i'm glad you thought so, I would be happy to come back."

"And you brought Benjamin in," he saw the young infant on Emily's hip and stroked his soft baby cheek.

He looked at her then down at Ben, studying them meticulously.

"He has your eyes Emily" he said kindly.

Her eyes sparkled with warmth, "So i've been told."

Standing back again, Dean Edwards turned his attention to Patrick "Are you going to stay for the ceremony, Patrick?"

He ruffled his hair, "I was really just popping in for a moment..."

"Please your welcome to come along, The students on the expedition you went along with last year are graduating, i'm sure they would love to see you."

He scoffed jokingly, "I think they'll be more excited to see Ben" he answered.

"Oh god, they'll have a field day..." Emily sighed just remembering that Ben was with them.

"It's their last day, all the more reason to and we'll catch up afterwards how about it?" Dean Edwards insisted, Emily looked at him and nodded giving her approval.

"Fine we'll stay." he caved.

"Great, well I will see you there," he said heading to the door, " Oh Emily," almost forgetting what he came there to say, "The department will having a brief meeting in fifteen minutes."

"I'll be there" she nodded, politely responded to him.

Once Dean Edwards was gone Emily questioned Patrick, "Are you sure you want to come? It could get a bit boring."

"And miss you deliver a speech and hand our their degrees."

"I know, how exciting..."

"I'll go get Ben's carrier out of the car now, he'll probably sleep the whole way through."

She looked at her watch checking the time noting that it was midday and the ceremony would soon be underway, "Most likely."

"Are you gonna be alright with Ben if I run out for a minute?"

She gave him an obvious look, "I'm sure I can handle our son."

He rolled his eyes with a smirk on his face and slipped out of her office. Once he was gone Emily proceeded to show Ben around her office, though however young and obviously not paying attention. After a few minutes another knock on her office door sounded. She was very popular today it seemed.

She turned around to see seven of her senior students pile into her office likewise wearing their graduation robes. Emily still clutching Ben on her hip gave a silent sigh,"Busted.."

The students looked shocked, after all, the University wasn't a place that you would normal see a baby.

"Is that?" Brian started

"Yes, this is my son, Ben." She adjusted him on her hip so that he could see her company.

"Awww," they sounded. "You always said that you would bring him in one day, but I thought you never would" Heather stated.

"Neither did I" she mumbled.

"How old is he now?"

"He's 6 month old."

"He's very cute." Lauren looked fondly at him.

"Yes he is" Emily dotted a finger tip on Ben's nose lightly and he smiled.

Chelsea who was standing in the middle of the group pulled a bouquet of flowers from behind her back which the group was trying to hide, "We bought you flowers to just say how much we have appreciated your teachings over the years."

She was almost too stunned to take them, "Oh why thank you, they're beautiful!" she smiled genuinely, accepting them off her and bringing them to her face to smell its sweet scent.

"Don't tell anyone...it's not something I say often but you've been the best bunch of students i've had."

They laughed, and Emily placed the flowers carefully on her desk with one arm while supporting Ben in her other.

Just then Patrick came in, carrier in hand and surprised to see the room full of students, which was much the opposite to what it was when he left it only a few minutes ago. He Recognized the students that like Dean Edwards had said were the students from the summer expedition.

"Hi," Patrick greeted coming into the room and placing the carrier beside Emily's desk.

"Nice flowers" he complimented, Emily smiled appreciatively.

"I feel incredibly underdressed," Patrick stated looking around the room full of black robes.

They laughed, " Wow has it been almost year already? Seems like yesterday."

"I know what you mean" Caleb said while the guys got talking with Patrick reacquainting again.

The girls thus fonded over Ben. Emily looked to her clock on the wall, gathering the time, "I'm due at a meeting now, but don't leave on my behalf" she instructed the group who was still talking to Patrick, "i'll see you all at the ceremony."

She was about to shift Ben to Patrick but paused just when she did so and turned to a student she trusted, Heather and handed him to her, surprised as she was. Taking the infant into her arms carefully. Emily rubbed a gentle hand over Bens head as a comforting 'goodbye'.

"Try not to kill him" she joked.

"Oh I won't..." she said breathlessly, "Hi Ben" she coed and the rest of them gathered around her. Emily stood at the door way with the door half open, watching Ben's face smile at all the attention he was getting. That boy was destined for attention she could tell. Patrick leant against her desk keeping a close eye on their son, Emily gave Patrick a flirtatious wink which he smiled back to and slipped out of her office, straightening her robe and regaining her professionalism as she walked down the hall.

The ceremony like most others in the past flew by in a moments time, no longer students but graduates.

One graduate in particular had her sights set on furthering her educational studies was Sara, and no one was surprised when she decided that she would stay on further. From the very beginning Sara was an avid member of the class and often surprised Emily with just how much she grasped the subject as not many did. It was a hard study but not for her it seemed and she more or less like Emily seemed to have a close relationship with though however professional.

"You going to be okay, Sara?" Lauren wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulder as the heather and Chelsea came around her other side.

"I think I'll survive without you guys. I always knew this is what I wanted." she looked back amongst the crowd and saw Emily standing there amongst the deans of the college departments, a visionary woman that she was so striving to be.

Daniel cut through the group announcing an idea, "Should we all get a class photo together?"

"Great idea!...hey should we get Dr Gates in it?" Nathan asked.

"Yeah, yeah go get her!"

"Why me?"

"Cause your the one who said it!" Brian answered.

Daniel bit his lip, "Oh come on, she likes us remember?" she patted him on the back, "And are you saying that after four years you still scared to face her alone?"

"No…"

"Then off you go" she nudged him forward, looking back he watched them looking smug.

"Good one Dan," mumbled to himself, coming up to Emily. Why was she so darn intimidating?

"Dr Gates?"

"Yes, Brian" she piped up. he caught her attention.

"I-we" he corrected himself, gesturing to the group behind him, "were wondering if we could all have a class photo with you?"

She looked towards the group of young students which she over the course of the years had personally taught.

"Of course" she smiled sweetly.

Once the photo was taken it was time to say their final goodbyes and even Emily though used to the come and go of students felt sad that her senior class had now graduated, they parted on good terms after Emily had shared with them a few final words of wisdom, then after they had broken off she remembered that she needed to talk someone in particular.

"Wait Sara, could I have a moment with you?"

"Sure" she turned back to her pausing for a moment to talk to the others first, "I'll catch up with you soon."

They looked at her with confusion. What could she possibly want?

"Class favorite," Brian coughed into his hand causing a laugh from the group.

Emily coming beside Emily they spoke while they walked.

"You're enrolled in the graduate program am I correct?"

"Yes, that's true."

"Well we don't often get a lot of graduate students and you're certainly the first that we have had for a while."

"I see." she was confused as to where this conversation was leading to.

"I am not taking the summer expedition this year because my son is too young and I need to be with him, but because you've proven yourself to work quite reliably and have sustained some pleasing results throughout the years, Dean Edwards has kindly offered a somewhat..summer internship to you if you were interested?"

"A summer internship" she repeated with astonishment sounding in her voice.

"Essentially you'll be assisting him with the happenings of what we did last summer in New Mexico with the Junior class…that is if you want to" she stopped walking and looked at seriously."

Almost out of breath she stated, "I-I would love to."

"Good. I will let him know and he will be in touch soon, Well I'll see you next semester, take care Sara." leaving her absolutely dumbfounded.

"Oh, and well done." she complimented.

First impressions. Often a lasting opinion on someone. Emily had been that sort of teacher but it was rare moments like this that Sara finally realized that a popular opinion on her was about to change. She did like to keep it professional and that was how it should be, finally realizing that she was tough and strict for a reason when it came down to her teachings, but that didn't mean that she didn't care. Emily was obviously very passionate about what she taught and everyone could tell. What a lot of people didn't see was her softer side, that underneath her work ethics she was actually a gentle woman and obvious to her today, a loving wife and mother.

Sara wasn't looking to emulate her in every way. But learning Emilys trick to being sucessful teaching professor gave her sense of understanding about the world she wanted to be in. This summer internship could be just what she needed.