An Unexpected Em

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Some days the work load was large for Emerson. Paperwork seemed to pile up to the ceiling, or it would if it were on actual paper. His eyes ached from staring at his tablet half the day, working a lot of time at a desk but still having to move around the Mountain, dealing with some expected crime. Emerson found that it wasn't very often that he got called to deal with drunk teenagers or angry adults but it happened when there was no oher choice. As small as the mountain was in its population, there were still many more regular residents than there were guards. Emerson was higher in position, doing a lot of work that expending outside Mount Weather's walls but today had left him feeling younger, talking to a teenager smoking pot as it had seemed to be a day full of trouble. The stray thought ran through Emerson's mind of whether it was a full moon outside and whether it could cause people to become lunatics even through the thick walls that surrounded them all. Sitting down on his couch, the light low and a simple drink of hot chocolate in his hands, Emerson was about as relaxed as he could be. The work focused inside the mountain often felt more taxing than that he was more often involved in. Especially when half of the mountain's residents seemed to be misbehaving. At least his own family hadn't been. At least his boys were sleeping soundly, even while their mother worked late. In the peaceful evening, the last thing Emerson expected was to hear a knock at his door. His wife held a key so Emerson knew it wouldn't be her. He stood up from the couch, placing his mug on the coffee table and pausing to stretch quickly before he made his way over to the door. There wasn't a particularly angry expression on his face as he opened the door, but he wasn't exactly smiling either. That expression only faded into concern as he saw Emma standing outside his residence. "Em, hi, are you okay?" As far as he could remember, he wasn't expecting Emma to turn up at his door that night. So his first reaction was to think that something was wrong. While she didn't look like she was physically hurt in any way, he wondered if maybe something was wrong with his sister-in-law or her husband. "Are your parents?" he added on to his question.  CARL EMERSON ------------ @emma I had muse!

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In hindsight, Emma probably looked a little ridiculous walking down the hall in her socks and sweat pants and terribly faded sweatshirt. The long hair wrestled into something resembling a dying ponytail wasn’t helping. But she couldn’t stand to be around the arguing another minute longer. Honestly, her parents were worse than children. Her aunt said they hadn’t always been that way, that there had been a time they were madly in love. But Emma couldn’t remember that era. Just the headache-inducing arguing that made her want to knock their heads together. Especially at night. Even a project-obsessed night owl needed sleep sometimes.

Drastic times called for drastic measures. So with a groan and a dramatic slamming of the door, Emma had left their quarters in favor of what would hopefully be a far quieter residence. Especially with both her cousins already in bed. She knocked on her uncle’s door and buried her hands in her sweatshirt pockets while she waited. Thankfully there wasn’t anyone else around to see her current attire. Not that Emma would’ve cared much in her current mood.

The door opened, and there was Uncle Carl. His concern was endearing. Emma could feel her irritability slipping away as she nodded. Barring the inability to sleep in her own bed, she was fine. Her parents, on the other hand… “You mean the arguing toddlers?” Emma asked drily. “They’re fine. They won’t shut up.” That probably sounded a little harsh. Her parents weren’t terrible exactly. They kept her fed and clothed, and deep own Emma knew they really did love her. It was each other they didn’t do so well with. Thankfully her aunt and uncle didn’t have that problem. Emma sighed, and what sass remained seemed to leave with the air. “Can I sleep on your couch?” She didn’t bother pulling out the innocent begging eyes, but she had a feeling her uncle wouldn't turn her away.

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