Long time no see! I'm really sorry about the complete lack of updates with this story but my other Revenge story was talking up all of my attention. I knew that I did want to update this again, however. It's needed now more than ever (I am actually devastated. It is incredibly unhealthy!). I hope you can all overlook my absenteeism. I will try to keep this one going. Thanks for all the reviews and follows so far!

Emily found out everything she needed to know about Judge Barnes and his wife from dinner. There was something off between the two of them and she had a strong hunch about what that was. It had been a successful evening by all accounts. She had managed to get in a few jibes at the Judge that showed him that she didn't believe as blindly as others did.

The blond did have to admit that she had other things on her mind as well, however. Every now and then, Victoria would catch her eye, giving her a knowing look. Whether she was trying to encourage her or just get her to hurry up, she didn't know. Either way, Emily was adequately satisfied with the amount of attention the eldest Grayson child was paying her all night. Daniel seemed as eager, if not more so, than ever.

Things turned out even more perfectly when he offered to walk her out when she was leaving at the end of the night. Although all she wanted was to get home to her amazing husband, the more progress she could make with Daniel, the better it was for everyone.

"I'm really glad that you came tonight," the dark haired man commented as they stepped outside the front door. "I thought it was really impressive that you could challenge Barnes like that. Nice to see that you haven't lost your touch. That was always something that I admired about you," he told her honestly once they were away from everything.

Emily smiled and shrugged gently. "You have your mother to thank for that. It was she that so kindly invited me. I have to admit, I was a little surprised given everything that's happened…"

Daniel chewed on his lip. "Maybe she just knows something that we don't?" he offered, trying to sound as casual as possible, "Would you like to go for a walk? The beach is at its most beautiful at this time of night…"

Things couldn't be going better. "I'd love to. Things have been so crazy lately; a relaxing walk could be just what I need."

They made their way down to the beach from Grayson Manor in comfortable silence. She was surprised to find that things were just as easy as ever. Despite the feeling of déja vu, there was one thing that she was absolutely certain of. Her feelings for Daniel were no more. Aiden was the one she thought about every minute of the day now.

Speaking of which.

"I'm sorry about what happened with you and Mathis."

Emily arched an eyebrow. "How do you know that we haven't made up?" She had to ask seeing as she wasn't meant to know that Aiden had informed him of their 'break-up'.

"Would you be here with me right now if you had?" He avoided directly answering her question.

If their little show hadn't been completely obvious, his theory actually made sense. Dinner with one's ex and his family was a strange place to be for someone who had fought and made up with their significant other. "Touché. I don't know… Things were always strange with Aiden and I. It was kinda a love-hate relationship. Maybe it's for the best that we've finally called it quits. Maybe we were both in it for the wrong reasons…" It actually seemed too easy.

Daniel nodded and chuckled humourlessly. "Yeah, I know what that's like." His relationship with Ashley had run along the same lines. "I know this may sound crazy but do you ever wonder what our lives would be like now if we hadn't broken up that night?"

Emily drew a deep breath. "Honestly? Yes. All the time. I guess it's because at the time I was so sure that it was going to work out. If I hadn't made such a stupid mistake, who knows?"

Daniel had been so angry with her at the beginning. That anger subsided when he realised that nothing had come of her little kiss with Jack but by that stage he was with Ashley. It had been too late by the time that he realised that his feelings for her were just as intact as they always had been. "We all make stupid mistakes. God knows I've made a few. More than a few..."

She didn't reply to that, not wanting to sound like she was trying desperately to redeem herself. She wasn't going to grovel and beg. He was going to have her back without any of that.

Soon enough, they were outside her house, standing awkwardly. "I guess this is where we say goodnight…"

Daniel was disappointed but there was nothing he could do. "So you're coming to the fundraiser tomorrow night?" he tried to hide some of the hope in his voice.

Emily nodded and smiled. "Of course. I wouldn't miss it."

He opened his mouth to speak but hastily shut it again. "Okay. Well, I guess I'll see you there?"

She stepped backwards up onto the first step to her front door. "I guess you will. Tell your mother that I said thanks again for inviting me tonight. I had a great time." Great wasn't actually how she would describe it. It was tolerable to some extent.

"I will. Goodnight, Emily."

"Goodnight, Daniel." With that she watched as he reluctantly walked away. Surely it couldn't be that easy? They had made a lot more progress that she had anticipated. As soon as he was more or less out of sight, however, he was also out of mind as thoughts of her husband waiting for her inside filled her head. Emily wasted no time.

Once inside, she made her way quickly up the stairs and in the direction of her- their- room. The door was left ajar, spilling soft light onto the almost completely dark hall. Emily pushed the door open slowly and quietly. Her heart melted at the sight of Aiden asleep over the covers of their bed with his clothes still on. That, she thought, was her reason for doing all of this.

The blond slipped off her heels and softly padded over to the bed. She lay down beside her husband and brushed his arm gently with her finger tips, loving the feeling of his skin on hers as always. His eyes opened at her touch, as if he had been waiting for her.

A blissful smile crept across his face, though his eyes remained mostly closed. "Hi," he breathed softly.

Emily chuckled. It was amazing to think that she had been so cold before he came back into her life, turning it upside down once again. He seemed to be her perfect antidote. "Hi."

"How was dinner?"

"Fine. But we can talk about it in the morning."

"You came home to me," Aiden said sleepily but without a second's hesitation.

She smiled but her heart ached a little that he could even think that she wouldn't. "Of course. You're my husband and I love you so much." Marriage was making her sappy but it was a change that she would very happily deal with.

His arm reached out and draped over her waist and he pulled her closer to him, eyes now wide open. "I love you too, Amanda."

Emily gently placed a kiss on his lips and leaned over slightly to turn off the lamp. If she could spend every night from the on like that with him then she would be an unbelievably happy woman.