AN: Please note the following: I do not live in Ireland, am not Irish, nor have I ever visited Ireland, so if my depiction is incorrect in anyway, it is purely based on information I have researched and images I have viewed.

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He was there when she got the call.

It was during second period and her cell phone vibrated madly in her purse below her desk.

She murmured something about forgetting turn it off and Will watched her from his seat the chair opposite her desk, taking her in.

She had always been stunning, but now Emma simply looked healthier. The dark circles that she had always attempted to cover each morning with concealer had disappeared. Her hair was longer and the waves of her hair more natural. And for the first time, Will knew without a doubt that she was really happy and comfortable in her own skin.

He listened to her phone call, they way she spoke. Emma was so incredibly professional.

"Yes, I remember," Emma nodded seriously and Will wondered if he should leave to give her some privacy. Yes, he decided. He had to move. Perhaps she had left her cell phone switched on purposely. Maybe she was waiting for a call from her therapist. What if she was dating someone?

That thought had Will standing and making his way to her glass door quick smart. He didn't want to listen to her talk to another Carl. That would be a nightmare. He was running out of time. He had to make a move soon. She had signed the annulment papers five months ago.

Her rushed tone stopped Will from stepped over the threshold of her office and out into the hallway.

"Are you serious? You're not joking?" Emma's voice rang out.

Will turned abruptly as Emma whispered, "Oh my God."

He tried to examine her body language to find out what was wrong. She looked excited because she was doing that adorable hand tap. Each time her fingers hit the desk, Will's grin widened. No, he didn't think there was any problem of a bad nature. She was getting good news.

When she hung up, her features had calmed, the blush of excitement paling from her cheeks.

"What happened, Em?"

It was in the most casual of tones that Emma replied, "Umm...I just won a trip to Ireland."

Will's lips parted in shock as Emma captured her bottom lip between her teeth.

His eyes widened, he shook his head, and he hated the thought that she would be leaving. "Are you kidding? That's fantastic!" And it was. They lived in Lima. It didn't get more exciting than the annual Christmas tree lighting outside city hall in December. "You know, you hear about these things but you never think anyone actually wins!"

Emma nodded, looking down at her day planner. "Yeah..."

"Ahh, Em! That's so-"

"It's for two," Emma interrupted as she glanced up at Will, the volume of her sweet voice louder than usual. When she realised, a blush warmed her cheeks. And then the whole experience really began.

"Would you, umm...would you like to come to Ireland?"

Will blinked twice, his eyes wide and startled. Would he like to go to Ireland? The furthest he had been on a trip had been to New York. Interstate.

"Em, maybe you should ask someone else." He couldn't tell if she looked offended or apprehensive. "What about your Mom?"

Emma shook her head softly, letting her gaze fall back down again as her fingers lined up her textbooks against the corner of the desk.

"My mom refuses to leave home. She has this irrational fear that she will die in another country and we'll just leave her there. She's very American."

The room was raced with silence- the uncomfortable kind when neither person knows what to say.

"Come on, Will," Emma whispered tenderly. "You'd be doing me a favour."

He grinned. God she was so delicate and welcoming.

"I think you'd be the one doing me the favour, Em." He was so in love with her. "I'd love to."

Her smile almost reached her ears and she began to shake her head in disbelief. Soon, her fingers came to rest upon her lips as she giggled. He starred out her office window as she starred at Will, both of their faces lit in excitement and wonder. Will let go of his bottom lip and stood up to pace the floor before Emma's desk. They would be alone in another country. Just the two of them.

"This is unbelievable!" Will gasped as he crossed his arms across his chest and stood mindlessly in the middle of the room.

Emma lifted herself from her chair, her mind racing with all of the information she knew about the prize win. Twenty one days. A hire car. Organised accommodation. The rest was up to them. She would have to draw up an itinerary.

She was happy for herself, glad she had won herself such a wonderful treat. But Will was the biggest history buff she knew. Over the summer, Emma had spent more than enough time with Will, which usually meant watching the history channel, and often times, repeated documentaries. She knew that he would be bursting with excitement. She enjoyed thrilling him.

"I haven't done anything this spontaneous since Vegas."

He turned to face her, her smile wide and her features glowing, yet her words were littered with sadness.

Will was beyond enthused. He was going to learn so much and see so many wonderful places and buildings and artworks, but the experience would be far greater. He was going with his best friend, and he was going to make sure she had the time of her life.

The both stood there not knowing what to say or do. Scenarios ran through each of their minds; little images of themselves they hoped for. Will raised his hand to sweep his fingers through his hair as his fogged mind tried to register everything. He had so many questions to ask. When were they leaving, how long would they be gone for? What was the weather like in Ireland?

When the bell rang, Will couldn't help himself. She looked so excited and he was a mess of happiness that he just gathered her into his arms and squealed in the most masculine way possible. Emma held on, laughing and subtly digging her fingernails into Will's shoulder blades as she kept him near.

As students passed by Emma's office on their way to class, raising eyebrows at the two teachers who were almost groping each other in the middle of the school day, neither payed attention.

This was an opportunity they were going to hang on to.

AN: Hello, hello! I hope everybody enjoyed this little introductory chapter to 'An Emerald Desire'. It's going to heat up! As always, to those who read and review, you keep me interested, so thank you very much. Happy reading!