Disclaimer: I own nothing except my imagination.

A/N: Ok so I had another Designated Survivor idea. A, make it right between Emily and Aaron based on episode 1x12 after Aaron goes to see the president and he finds Emily sitting at the piano. Hope you guys will like it.

Aaron walked through the halls of the West Wing, a slight head ache coming on but as he walked past a hall on his right, he stopped and took a step back. He could hear some music coming from a few rooms down so he decided to follow it. He moved his body slightly in the doorframe and found Emily sitting at the piano, her fingers gliding against the keys. He watched her play a few seconds before she hit a wrong key and sighed in utter frustration. He started clapping and Emily jumped, not expecting someone to overhear her, least of all Aaron. Tensions were high between them and she knew part of that was her fault. They had kissed in his office and things seemed to be looking up for them both and she had been asked by the president to investigate him, among others and it had taken a toll on her and ultimately, a potential relashionship with him.

"Hey, uh. How long have you been standing there?" She asked awkwardly.

"Long enough to hear how good you are." He walked into the room. "I didn't know you played." He added as she scoffed.

"I was serious about it for a while but now I just, play to relieve the stress." She admitted.

"And does it work?" He laughed nervously.

"Sometimes."

"So I just got back from the hospital." He could see that she was fighting with herself in her features and it annoyed him that he had been so hard on her for what she was ordered to do. "Listen. I, I get why you were being so cagey.

"It was a matter of national security, Aaron. He asked me to vet you, it was strictly classified." She watched as he slipped his hands in his dress pants pockets. "So when you confronted me, I couldn't tell you what was going on."

"I know." She could read sincerity in his features. "I know, he told me. I'm sorry." He looked at his feet, trying to find the right words. "I was a bit of a jerk." He finally admitted.

"I get it, it was stressful for both of us.'

"Yeah."

"So, ah, do you take any request?"

"Sure." She smiled and looked down at her hands. "So what will it be? Aaron sported a surprised look on his face and chuckled nervously. He hadn't expected her to say yes quite frankly.

"I." He laughed nervously.

"Didn't think I'd say yes?"

"You caught me. I'll let you pick this one."

"Ok." She smiled back at him, knowing exactly what to play. "This one was my mom's favourite." She said before starting.

Aaron watched as her fingers glided against the keys, the melody finally setting in his mind, the sound bouncing off the walls of the room. He recognized the song and smiled as he watched her play. It was the first time he heard What a Wonderful World from Louis Armstrong played on the piano and he didn't think he'd listen to it any other way in the future.

Emily played the last keys of the melody she knew by heart and her fingers stilled as she exhaled a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. Having Aaron so close to her was making it slightly harder to breathe. She could smell his musky cologne and they invaded every one of her senses.

"Em." He placed his large hand over her smaller one.

"Aaron." She breathed heavily. "Do you think it's too late, for us?" She looked at him through hooded eyes.

"It doesn't have to be, not if you don't want it too." With everything that had happened, he wanted her to make the first move. He didn't want to pressure her into anything she wasn't ready for.

She shifted in her seat, her fingers linking with his as she angled her body so she was facing him more on the bench. She leaned up and pressed her lips to his in a chaste kiss, Aaron closing his eyes at the feeling of her lips on his. "I." She started, not sure what the right words were right now. "Want to join me for dinner tonight?" She whispered against his lips.

"I would love too." He removed his hand from hers and he already missed the contact of her soft skin against his. "I'll pick you up at your office around seven if there isn't a National crisis?"

"Perfect." She watched him as he stood and their eyes locked as he walked out of the room, Emily giving him a small smile. She sat at the piano a few seconds longer as she waited for her heart to stop beating so fast. When she was sure she was presentable, she made her way towards her office, hell bent on keeping her mind on work in order to keep it off Aaron and the dinner they would be sharing later that evening.

They barely had time to see each other during the day since their schedules were so busy but both kept their fingers crossed that no huge crisis would prevent them from enjoying a quiet evening together. Aaron looked at his watch as he made it into his office and smiled at himself.

"What is that smile all about?" He jumped at the sound of Seth's voice.

"Damn it Seth, what are you doing here?" He breathed out, trying to stop the thumping of his heart.

"Well you've been sporting that stupid smirk on your face all day and that can only mean one thing, you have a date with a girl." Seth smiled smugly at his assumption.

"I'm not telling you anything." He took a seat behind his desk. Truth was, he didn't want to jinx it. Both he and Emily had taken a step to get back to a better place between the two and he didn't want to do anything to get in the way of that, including some teasing from Seth.

"Ah come on Shore, throw a guy a bone."

"No way, not this time." He gave him his signature smirk and started putting order on his desk. "Now unless there is a crisis that you need us to discuss, I'm done for the day."

"Fine." Seth stood from Aaron's couch. "Things never stay secret for long in the West Wing." Aaron simply smiled at him as he watched him leave. When he was done with tidying his desk, he gave his professional Blackberry a last look before grabbing his briefcase and heading out the door, turning the light off and closing his door before going to Emily's office. He made it to her door and leaned against her doorframe as he watched her work sitting at the table that was in her office. She was so engrossed in what she was doing that she didn't notice or acknowledge him so he just took her all in. Her hair was settled in a loose bun on top of her head and her red heels were discarded under the table. He couldn't help the smile that made it to his lips.

"You do realize it's creepy being watched like that?" She looked up as he laughed.

"A little bit but I couldn't help myself." He walked farther inside. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah." She ran her hand in her face. "I'll finish it in the morning." She grabbed her shoes before getting up. They walked out and they walked shoulder to shoulder towards the exit and Aaron walked her to her car.

"So where are we going?" He asked as he opened her door.

"Meet me at my place, I'll whip something up." She smiled.

"Who knew Emily Rhodes could cook." He smirked playfully.

"I guess I'm full of surprises." He placed her hand on the one that was holding her door. He returned her smile and let her get in before making it to his own car. Although they spend hours on end in the White House, every once in a while, they would end up at one of their places to get their ideas sorted and more work done. So it didn't take very long for him to do the drive to Emily's and he parked behind her. He made his way through the complex and let himself in. "Make yourself at home, I'm going to grab a quick shower." She called out and all Aaron saw was a blur.

He'd be lying though if his mind didn't give him ideas at Emily's in nothing but a towel. He put his coat on a hook in the powder room and walked inside, trying to know more about Emily Rhodes by going through the place. He found several pictures on the mantle but he took the one with her who he assumed was her mother, the both smiling during what he figured was her college graduation. There was another one with a guy and they were drapped all over each other. For a second, a jealous surge course through his body but he didn't have time to dwell on it as Emily returned, fresh faced and wearing a black camisole and khaki green lounge pants.

"Wine?" She questionned as she walked into the kitchen, Aaron taking a seat at the breakfast bar.

"Sure." He leaned against the counter and watched her move around. "So." He was a bit nervous and didn't know how to come out with it so he just did came out with it. "Who's the guy on the pictures?"

"Is it jealousy I sense?" She smirked as she handed him a glass of red wine.

"I don't get jealous. I'm just trying to get to know more about you." He defended himself, loosening his tie.

"He's my brother Max." She returned to the stove and started to boil some water. She pulled some things from the fridge and started making some sauce. "We don't see each other as much as we'd like though."

"You've got a pretty demanding job Emily."

"Still, I should try to do better." She put the pasta in the water. "And my mom complains that I never come home anymore."

"Moms will do that to you." He chuckled.

"What about you? You never talk about your family."

"There's nothing to say there." He downed the rest of the glass. Emily knew better than to pry when his jaw was set like that so she dropped the subject all together. "So, the piano!" He smiled. "What's the story behind that?"

"I started in high school and my music teacher thought I had a real talent so my mom got me private lessons." She mixed the food and made two plates. Aaron took both glasses and the bottle and followed Emily in the living room. They made small talk as they dug in.

"This is really good." Emily looked down and blushed.

"Thanks." They talked about everything, trying to stay away from any kind of talk of work. They ended up delving into college stories and Emily's sides were hurting from laughing so hard.

"It's good to hear you laugh." Aaron said softly when she managed to catch her breath. "Youe so serious all of the time."

"Our job doesn't leave time for laughs." She said somberly as she put her plate on the table.

"Maybe we need to change that." He pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, a shot of electricity going through his fingers. Emily couldn't say a word as her breath caught in her throat.

"Aaron." She managed to say. "What are we doing here?"

"What I should have done a while ago." He leaned in and captured her lips in his. Her fingers found the hair at the nape of his neck as he slid his tongue against her lips to ask permission. He slid closer to her as he deepened it. His hand came to rest against her hip as his body did the talking but air became and issue and they had to part.

"Aaron." She was breathless, fire in her chest. Her feelings were muddled and her insecurities were doing nothing to help. "We have to talk about this." Her eyes remained closed and she tried to return her breathing to normal.

"We're moving too fast." It wasn't a reproach or a question, he could simply see it in her eyes as she opened them.

"I'm sorry." He could see the sincerity in her eyes so he smiled at her.

"Don't ever be sorry Emily." He ran his thumb against her cheek. "I'll let you set the pace." He kissed her again to tell her he was sincere before pulling away and getting up, taking their empty plates.

"Leave those." She stood too. "I'll take care of it later."

"It's the least I can do after you cooked dinner." He walked around her to make sure she didn't reach for the plates herself and he put them in the sink. "I should get going." He noticed the time behind them.

"Yeah, we have a big day tomorrow." She didn't really want him to leave just yet but she knew that he was right. She walked him to the door and he slipped his coat back on. "I'll see you in the morning." She opened the door and he stayed in the doorframe a few minutes longer.

"Yeah. Good night Em." He smiled at her but she pushed herself on her toes and kissed him.

"Good night." She smiled back at him before he left. She closed the door and pressed her back against it, exhaling loudly. She went to bed, leaving the dishes for the morning, knowing she would have a good night of sleep, laced with dreams of Aaron until she saw him in the morning.

A/N: So here is the first chapter. I wanted to have their relationship move differently after Aaron speaks with Kirkman about the investigation into him. I hope you guys will like it and please take a few seconds to review before you go, they always help.- Sarra