A/N: I'm so sorry for the long gaps in updating this story! I wish I could update it much faster, but I seem to only be managing one fic update each week, if that. Sigh. Real life sure gets in the way of my writing time. ;) Anyway, thank you for your patience and thank you SO much to all of you who have continued to support this story with your feedback, following and favoriting of it. I'm so glad people are still enjoying this. :)

Chapter Fifteen

Ding. At hearing the familiar notification coming from her phone, Emily looked up from her laptop with a smirk and reached over to pick up the chiming device off the coffee table. As suspected, it was another text message from Daniel, the third one he had sent in the last hour since leaving the beach house to head into the office. His departure had not come without much resistance on his part, but Emily finally convinced him she would be perfectly fine alone at home. "Just made it to the office. Everything okay there?"

Emily shook her head, deciding to continue indulging him despite the fact she felt he was overreacting. His concern was rather endearing though, and she had to remember that Daniel was not privy to the depth of how resilient she really was. "All is well. Now get to work. Xo – Em."

"I love you."

"I love you back." Emily tapped the send button, smiling a little to herself. She really could not have asked for a kinder husband, whether she deserved it or not. And she was pretty certain she did not. Her thoughts were then interrupted by a light knocking on one of the porch doors. Setting her laptop to the side, Emily rose and walked over to open the door, expecting to find Nolan on the other side. Instead, Aiden was her awaiting visitor which caused Emily to narrow her brow.

"Don't worry...I checked to make sure all the Graysons were in the city," Aiden quickly remarked with surrendered hands.

Emily nodded in acknowledgment, inviting him inside. It was a beautiful morning, and so she left the doors open, allowing the breeze to enter the house as well. "I'm actually glad you stopped by. I wanted to talk to you about what happened," Emily replied, drawing a deep breath.

Daniel spent the first part of the morning explaining the unfolding events following her kidnapping, and Emily found herself relieved the only apparent damage done was Carrion landing in the Initiative's grasp. A problem which was, of course, catastrophic in nature, but had done nothing to expose her identity. "Aiden, you took a risk going to Daniel...and I just wanted to tell you that I'm really grateful for what you did... and that you helped him."

Aiden's mouth curved into a modest smile, his blue eyes washing over Emily in appreciation of who she was and what she represented to him. "It's nothing. I'm...I'm just glad you're safe again." His smile faded when her expression suddenly fell into a mild wince. "You okay?"

"Yeah...she just got me in the ribs that time," Emily explained with a small chuckle as she brought her hand up to her side.

Aiden relaxed at this and cautiously lifted his own hand to hover above her rounded stomach. "May I?" His seemingly harmless request made Emily uncomfortable, solely because she sensed Aiden felt more for her than he should. But ultimately, she recognized his intentions were pure in this moment and gave an indistinct nod of approval.

Tentatively, Aiden pressed his hand against her in anticipation and soon felt the life moving under his touch. "Oh wow," He breathed, taken by the brief experience, desperately needing such a reminder of hope. Emily's mouth curved understandingly as Aiden retracted his hand and released a long breath, forcing a smile. "I hope Daniel knows how lucky he is."

Emily raised her brow, turning her head towards the vacant fireplace. "I think it's the other way around."

"Are you going to tell him the truth?" Aiden gently questioned.

"Yes," Emily resolved. "But selfishly, I've been waiting until the baby's born."

Aiden nodded, pausing in thought. "Takeda was wrong, you know." His words drew her eyes back to his. "He said completing my mission would bring closure... But I've killed the man who killed my sister, and I only feel empty... Don't continue down this path of revenge, Emily. There will be nothing for you on the other side." With that, Aiden rose and began slowly walking towards the open porch doors.

"What are you going to do now?" Emily inquired, causing him to halt and look over his shoulder. She had pivoted so that she was looking over the back of the couch at him in anticipation of his response.

From her seated position, Emily's noticeably pregnant figure was concealed, and Aiden was reminded of how she looked when he left her in Japan. Leaving her behind had seemed like the right decision at the time, the only decision, but now he realized it had been the wrong one.

Emily had since moved on, of course, down her own path as Takeda instructed, and she had fallen in love with someone else. Now, she was married to that someone, and they expecting a baby together. Yes, leaving her behind had been a grave misjudgment on his part. Aiden responded with self-imposed regret, "I think it's time I left the Hamptons."

Emily slowly nodded, finding the thought bittersweet. It was best for Aiden to go, and she did not even want him to stay. But she felt saddened for him to know his mission had ended sadly and without fulfillment. Rising as well, Emily closed the gap between them. "I'm sorry things didn't work out for you, Aiden."

He nodded as well, finding it difficult to say goodbye. "Be happy, Amanda," He bid, brushing her cheek with the back of his fingers. "No one deserves it more than you."

"Ems, it's so good to see you," Nolan said, hugging her fiercely.

Contrary to character, Emily actually welcomed the embrace, thankful her faithful friend was safe as well. "You too, Nolan."

"Though I must admit... I'm a little surprised Daniel left you un-attended and went to the office today," Nolan commented, pulling out the kitchen stool to agilely slip on top. He and Daniel would never be best friends, but they had formed a recent bond of sorts, and there was no denying the depth of Daniel's love for Emily. That alone, had elevated Nolan's appreciation for the Grayson heir.

Emily leaned over on the counter, setting her phone down on its surface. "It took a great deal of convincing on my part."

"No doubt," Nolan muttered, bending over to retrieve the bottle of whiskey he knew was hidden in the lower cabinet.

Emily lifted her brow when he set it on the counter with a clank. It was unlike Nolan to drink at such an early hour, other than the occasional brunch cocktail, but nevertheless, she hospitably handed him a tumbler. He silently accepted it, pouring a healthy dose of the brown liquid into the glass and washing it down his throat with gusto. "What's wrong, Nolan?" Emily questioned while he groaned at the resulting burning sensation.

Nolan paused, pouring himself another hit. "I just keep thinking about Padma...The police called me in for questioning this morning... They kept making me look at pictures of her dead body. It was awful." He lifted his eyes remorsefully to find Emily staring at him sympathetically. "I should have tried to help her... She died because I didn't take the time to find out who she really was...that she wasn't one of them."

"Don't do this to yourself, Nolan... More than likely, the same chain of events would have happened when you tried to make the trade for Carrion," Emily gently reasoned.

Though her intentions were good, Nolan could not accept the defense Emily was offering. He sighed, tilting his head. "Except... we might have been able to rescue her, and you never would have been kidnapped to begin with."

It was a valid point which Emily could not argue, and she released a heavy breath. "Nolan... as hard as it is to admit, we weren't prepared for the Initiative. They were going to win this battle. But we're not going to let them win the war." Only Emily could make such an enormous feat sound utterly realistic. Her brown pools radiated confidence, her voice determined and low as she spoke.

But even that was not enough to provide solace to Nolan, for he knew something she did not. "I don't know about that."

Emily furrowed her brow. "What do you mean?"

"So, I accessed Carrion this morning to see if I could come up with some form of damage control, and...I ran smack dab into this," Nolan began, reaching for his iPad. Tapping its screen to life, he then handed it to Emily.

She looked down at the image resembling a hawk, puzzled. "What's this?"

"The Falcon's signature. Carrion's in his hands."

"Who's the Falcon?" Emily asked, passing the thin tablet back to him.

Nolan looked at her with a grim expression. "The one person who might be better at this than me."

"Emily, you're home," Amanda exclaimed, briskly walking through the open porch doors and completely interrupting the transpiring conversation.

"Mandy... so nice of you to stop by," Nolan sarcastically greeted, shifting on the stool.

Amanda ignored his attitude, turning to her best friend. "Why haven't you been returning my calls?"

Emily sighed. "We had a little...issue with the Initiative... but it's been resolved."

"Partially resolved," Nolan corrected.

"What happened?" Amanda asked, glancing back and forth intensely between the duo.

Emily sighed again, preparing herself for the pending reaction. "I was taken captive."

"What?!"

"Amanda, I'm fine."

Amanda rolled her tongue, parting mouth. "This is the trouble you were talking about on the porch that day, isn't it?"

"Yes," Emily quietly confirmed, her expression serious. "And they still pose a threat... to everyone."

Amanda crossed her arms. "Why didn't you tell me what was going on? Why keep me in the dark?"

"Because I didn't want you to have one more thing to lie to Jack about," Emily rationalized. "You and I are doing enough of that as it is...And it was safer for you not to know. There's nothing you could have done."

Amanda now rested her hands on her waist and released a sigh in concession, wetting her lips. "Well, thank God you're okay."

Emily gave a nod, ready to change the subject. "What was it you wanted to talk to me about?"

"Victoria called. It seems she and Conrad would like to start a foundation for orphaned children in my name."

"Interesting concept," Nolan commented, scratching his chin. "A campaign stunt?"

"Maybe," Emily concurred, but then gave her head a gentle shake. "But knowing them as I do... I'm sure there's more to it."

Amanda lifted her shoulders. "So, what do you want me to say to them?"

"I want you to accept their gracious offer," Emily immediately resolved.

Amanda shook her head, shifting nervously at the thought. "I don't know...Jack's going to flip when he hears about this. He doesn't want me anywhere near them."

Not allowing Amanda's resistance to thwart the betterment of her strategy, Emily calmly countered, "Just...convince him that you didn't feel you could turn it down when the foundation will potentially help so many underprivileged children. Using your name will evoke sympathy, and therefore sizable contributions. He won't be able to argue that."

"Fine," Amanda heaved, always an easy sell when it came to Emily. "I'll call Victoria now."

After finishing her phone call, Amanda made her exit from the premises, leaving Nolan and Emily alone. Her phone chimed again, signaling another text message being received. Picking it up, Emily glanced at Nolan. "It's from Daniel... I better tell him what's going on."

"Look at you being all communicative," Nolan mused with a curled lip to which Emily rolled her eyes,waiting for Daniel to answer her call.

His warm voice filled her ear a second later. "Hey babe... are you calling to tell me to stop pestering you with all my text messages?"

Emily pursed in her lips in mild amusement. "Actually, no... I'm calling for another reason entirely."

On the end of the phone, Daniel set down the report he was reading, becoming worried. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm great," Emily quickly assured, cutting her eyes at Nolan. "It's about your parents."

"Victoria, forgive me for dropping by unannouced." Emily made smooth strides into the living room of Grayson Manor, her voice coated with charm. Victoria scowled before rotating her statuesque figure to face her daughter in-law. Emily's impromptu visits to her home were nothing new, but no more welcomed now than they had been in the beginning. "I just spoke with Amanda, and she told me the exciting news about the foundation you're forming in her name," Emily titled her head, her insincere smile growing. "It's a wonderful idea."

Victoria managed a false smile of her own. "Good news travels fast."

"Yes, and I would love to offer my services as co-chair," Emily suggested, passing her mother in-law a sizable check made out to the Amanda Clarke Foundation. "What do you think?"

Opening it, Victoria cast her eyes downward in review, raising her brow at the sum. "A quarter of a million dollars? That's very generous." Looking up at Emily, she snidely added, "Have you made Daniel aware of this?"

"Daniel and I have spoken, of course. But this money is from my separate trust." Emily smiled again, not allowing Victoria's typical barbs to phase her. "I don't expect Daniel to fund something when I'm the one who is passionate about it."

"How thoughtful," Victoria relented, forcing another smile. "Well... I'll take your offer under consideration."

"Where do you want this, Em?"

Emily glanced up at Daniel's questioning to find his hands, legs and feet were the only portions of his body visible due to the massive box he was carrying. "Next to the crib is fine."

"Let me guess...Charlotte's responsible for this one," Daniel assumed, setting the obtrusive box down while emitting a slight moan.

Emily smirked from the floor where she sat in a sea of presents received at her baby shower earlier in the day. "She outdid herself."

"I'll say," Daniel agreed, taking a seat next to her as Emily set the list she was scribbling to the side and leaned back against the wall for support. Daniel followed suit so that they were now sitting shoulder to shoulder, surveying the plethora of gift bags and various boxes spread out before them. "Does a baby really need all of this stuff?"

"Not all of it," Emily smirked again, turning to him with an arched brow. "Need I remind you of the "Nolan - scanner" incident?"

Daniel laughed lightly in recollection of Nolan's baby registry frenzy. It had occurred before the kidnapping which made it seem like a lifetime ago, even though it had not been but a few weeks. "How could I forget?"

Emily paused in observation of the nursery once more. It was a time in their lives that should only be filled with peace, but instead chaos was running rampant. Emily could handle the chaos though. She had trained herself to remain controlled at all times. One of her only fears was ever losing that control. She wondered how Daniel felt, having been forced to face several ugly truths in a short amount of time all the while with fatherhood fast approaching. "Are you scared, Daniel?"

Her quiet question caught him off guard. Daniel looked over at Emily, trying to determine what exactly she was referencing. There were many options, given their circumstances. Her eyes were fixed forward, the wistful expression in her peripheral somehow providing him with an answer. She was asking about the biggest unknown of all. "Of being a parent?... No, I'm mainly nervous... The only thing that really scares me about it... is ever becoming like my own parents."

Emily turned her head towards him again. "You won't," She softly assured, willing it to be true.

Daniel's mouth turned upwards, appreciation reflecting in his eyes. "What about you? Are you scared?"

Emily drew a breath. "Sometimes... but I actually feel really peaceful about it." Cracking a smile, she continued, "But I honestly have no idea what we're supposed to do with half of this stuff." Daniel laughed, relieved by her response. Leaning over, Emily pressed her lips sweetly to his and then requested, "Help me up...I gotta get ready for the foundation benefit."

Daniel promptly stood and held out his hands. "Leave it to my mother to host two parties in one day."

"How many more of these stuffy parties are we going to have to endure?" Daniel muttered, helping Emily, who was donned in a pair of black stilettos and a dark purple dress, down the foyer steps of Grayson Manor. Wearing a dark suite himself, they made a striking couple as always.

"Well, at least this one's for a good cause, right?" Emily replied through a gritted smile as they passed by other guests.

Victoria was the first to greet them, a glass of champagne in hand and her posture erect. "Hello, you two."

"Mom." Daniel could barely muster the acknowledgment, the disgust he felt toward his mother's recent actions overpowering.

"Victoria," Emily lightly smiled, assessing the large crowd. "It's quite the turnout."

"Yes, we were fortunate considering the short notice," Victoria agreed, her tone lacking enthusiasm.

Daniel's eyes fell on Aiden through the mass of people across the room, someone he did not expect to be on the guest list. And while he was grateful for all the Englishmen had done on Emily's behalf, after learning the true nature of his identity, Daniel was not keen on a continued relationship, business or friendship. "Excuse me," He mumbled with obvious distraction, slipping into the crowd a second later.

Emily's eyes briefly followed her husband to determine the cause of his abrupt departure, and she was also surprised to find Aiden as the culprit. After all, they had just said farewell the day prior. But ever the expert at concealing her inner thoughts, Emily barely reacted and returned her eyes to Victoria. "Have you given some thought to my offer?"

"I have... and to be honest, Emily... with all your philanthropic commitments, not to mention your pending motherhood... I just don't think you have the time to fulfill what this position demands," Victoria replied with great satisfaction, her vibrant red lips curling into a smug smile.

Emily pursed her own lips, taking the rejection calmly. "I see. So, you found another candidate?"

"I am exploring other options, yes." Victoria sneered before excusing herself, and glided over to one of the many potential donors in attendance for the evening. To the rest of the world, Victoria defined perfection as the socially generous and aesthetically regal reigning queen of the Hamptons. As Emily watched Victoria capitalize on the misconception though, she allowed her expression to give way to a momentary scowl. One day, she would find a way to finish her mission and destroy her nemesis once and for all.

Amanda came up from behind then, grabbing Emily by the arm with urgency. "We need to talk."

Emily glanced over at her friend with a furrowed brow as a peeved Amanda escorted her towards a less crowded area of the Manor. "What is it?"

"A guy showed up to the bar today claiming to be my brother," Amanda explained in a hushed tone, glancing around warily for listening ears.

Emily gave her head a gentle shake at the unexpected news. "Eli's here?"

"Yes, and considering the only things I know about him are what I read in your journal, it was a little hard to pretend like I knew him," Amanda huffed, her large eyes dancing with purpose. "He seemed very suspicious of me."

"Do you have any idea where he is now?"

"Are you kidding me? He's here tonight."

"What?" Emily rhetorically whispered in aggravation, but before Amanda could respond further, the topic of discussion approached them with an arrogant smile.

"Hey, Sis," Eli greeted with feigned warmth, falling in beside the curly-haired bombshell. Emily studied him for a moment, quickly determining he was, indeed, the boy from her childhood. The truth was in his eyes, making Emily wonder if he would be able to see through her facade as easily.

Amanda cleared her throat uncomfortably, the corners of her mouth tugging downward. "Eli, this is my best friend, Emily Thorne."

Eli politely extended his hand to which Emily did the same. "Emily-" His voice slowed when he reached the second syllable of her name, his brown eyes narrowing in assessment of the woman standing before him.

Emily tensed. Could he detect the lie that easily? She had managed to keep Jack in the dark all this time. Surely, she wasn't that transparent to Eli within a few seconds. "Nice to meet you. Amanda's told me a lot about you."

"Has she now?" Eli replied, unconvinced.

"It must be wonderful to be reunited after all these years," Emily offered, adding a simple smile.

"Indeed," Amanda flatly confirmed. "Listen, I need to go find Jack so...we'll talk more later." Not nearly as good of an actress when she did not want to be, Amanda forced a half-hearted smile and sliced her eyes at Emily before disappearing into the crowd.

Eli glanced over his shoulder to watch the former wedge her way through the swarm of guests, turning back to the latter afterward. "So, Emily..." He began, gesturing at her protruding waist. "When's the blessed event supposed to occur?"

Emily forced another small smile, her mouth tight. "December."

"Boy or girl?"

"Girl."

Eli nodded, pausing. "Guess that means I'm going to have a niece," He surmised, lifting Emily's right wrist and turning it upwards to view her double infinity tattoo. "Doesn't it...Amanda?"

"We've got a problem," Emily announced from under her breath, causing disruption to Nolan's enjoyment of a second martini for the evening.

He sharply turned with an arched brow, mustering a smile for appearance sake. "Just one?"

"My foster brother's here, and he knows who I am." Emily shook her head, admittedly rattled by what had just occurred. "I haven't seen him in fourteen years."

Nolan cringed, closing his eyes. "Please tell me you just made that up to freak me out." But of course, Emily did not tend to joke...ever.

"I wish." She sighed, her expression defiant. "Him being here is the last thing I need right now."

"Do you think he's out to get you?"

"I don't know." She shook her head again, raising her shoulders. "Eli's a wild card."

Meanwhile, from across the living room, a livid Daniel re-entered the Manor from the terrace, making quick strides to his father's study. As suspected, Conrad stood inside ogling a gentleman who was clearly of proper financial standing. "Can I have a word?" Daniel nearly demanded without concern for the intrusion.

Conrad watched his victim politely excuse himself, and then faced Daniel with displeasure. "Well, I certainly hope this word is worth one-hundred grand because that's about the size of the donation you just scared off," He condescended, bringing his hands to his waist.

Daniel could not have cared less about his father's disapproving tone. Respect had long since faded between them, and besides, he was too angry to mince words. "Yeah? Well, I hope your explanation's worth twice that because I'm going to take you out right here in front of everyone," Daniel warned, keeping his voice low. "Aiden Mathis just told me you appointed him treasurer of the Amanda Clarke Foundation... What the hell are you doing?"

"What you don't have the brass to do," Conrad retorted, stepping closer to his son. "While every dime we collect for the ACF will be distributed to those in need... neither the patrons nor the future treasurer will ever be aware of its true purpose."

Daniel narrowed his brow, processing Conrad's insinuation. "Wait - this whole foundation's a front?" His father's piercing blue eyes silently confirmed his assumption, causing Daniel to shake his head in disgust. "You are unbelievable."

"After the downing of Flight 197, the investigation tied up all of our capital. We could have lost everything, Daniel... This time I'm intent on keeping our assets out of the government's reach," Conrad unashamedly explained.

Daniel laughed through his nose. "And here I thought you were just doing this to bolster your campaign."

"Actually, I am also doing this to bolster your stake as a successful CEO of Grayson Global," Conrad countered, pointing his index towards Daniel for punctuation. "Now unfortunately, in these types of situations, there has to be a fall guy... and I knew you would not be willing to make Mr. Mathis a target... so I have made the decision for you."

Conrad could see that Daniel not only found his actions unjustifiable, but that he was down right appalled by the them. "Listen to me," He firmly whispered, finding Daniel's presumed naivety an inconvenience. "When the Initiative inevitably lowers its hammer, it needs to appear that Mr. Mathis not only assisted in the plot, but that he has also taken off with our money... We will be safe legally and financially." Having said his piece, Conrad moved to the door, but did not leave without making a final statement. "I've made the first move in that direction. The next is yours, Son."

Daniel stood still for a moment, composing his thoughts, the bustle of guests in the next room a faint murmur. With each passing day, his parents web of lies and deceit were becoming more and more suffocating. He needed to find Emily and leave this toxic scene, clear his head and discuss this latest development with the only person he felt could keep him sane.

She was standing near the terrace speaking with Nolan when Daniel interrupted them, urging her to make an abrupt exit from the party. Emily hesitantly complied, not wanting to leave her important exchange with Nolan unfinished. They would need to discuss Eli further at a later time in the very near future.

Surprisingly, Daniel remained silent on their short ride back home. It was obvious he wanted to talk, but he seemed to be inwardly battling the thoughts swirling in his head. "Daniel, are you going to tell me what warranted our sudden departure from the party?" Emily prodded when they entered the beach house.

He had already advanced beyond her, loosening his tie as he walked. A habit Emily noticed him forming each time something was troubling him. "My parents... turns out, they're using this foundation as a front to hide their assets in the event there ends up being a criminal investigation because of the Initiative's recent involvement with Grayson Global, and their assets are frozen."

Emily released a short breath resembling that of laugh, though she found no humor in the subject matter at hand, bracing the island counter. "Are you kidding me?"

"No." Daniel mirrored her stance around the corner of counter, stooping his body forward.

"Maybe I should cancel my check then."

"No -" He looked up, eyes fervent. "Don't do that. Then they'll know I told you... and it's better if they think I'm keeping you in the dark about some of this. I'll pay you back, I swear."

"Daniel, it's not about the money."

"I know," Daniel sighed, closing his eyes briefly. "It gets worse... My dad appointed Aiden as treasurer of the foundation."

Emily narrowed her brow. "Why would he do that?"

"So that he'll suffer whatever fate the Initiative's had in store for me." Daniel's tone was wary and dejected as he spoke.

"Oh my God," Emily breathed, intentionally pausing in contemplation before continuing. "Have you discussed this with Aiden?"

"Not since I've spoken with my dad... I need to find some way to convince him to an alternative plan."

"I don't think you're going to be able to dissuade your father."

Daniel released another heavy breath, looking into Emily's soft, but realistic eyes. "You're right... but after everything Aiden's done to help us, I...I feel like I have to warn him."

"I agree." Emily slowly nodded, formulating a new strategy in her mind. As in almost everything, she could use the Grayson's evil actions to her advantage. "He'll need to be made aware of the new plan."

Daniel's brow furrowed at the prospect. "What do you have in mind?"

When Daniel returned to the Manor, all the guests had departed for the evening, leaving only the house staff to mill through the sprawling mansion. He found his parents in father's study reviewing donation checks. "So, have you come to berate me again for my wayward ways?" Conrad questioned, seated behind his desk in a relaxed manner. Victoria stood beside him, nursing her nightly glass of brandy.

"Believe it or not, I'm right there with you," Daniel replied. "With your support, the board should confirm Aiden Mathis by Friday." He turned to leave, but immediately stopped himself. "Oh...and it might raise a red flag if I didn't support our own cause." Drawing a folded check from his pocket, and tossing it on the desk, Daniel then walked away. "Make sure the treasurer knows it's tax -deductible."

Another A/N: I just wanted to reiterate that I am NOT an Aimly shipper. Never have been, never will be. I enjoyed Aiden's character in general though so that is why I don't mind including him in this fic, but my main reason for doing so is to parallel this story to the show and to keep it realistic. I hope you found this update interesting and enjoyable. It was definitely more of a transitional chapter written in order to bridge into Conrad's election... which will not come without some drama. ;) Anyway, please let me know your thoughts, and if there's anything you would like to see in future chapters. :)

And on a side note, did anyone watch this past week's new Revenge eppy? If you didn't, spoiler alert. Eeesh, it really pulled at me emotionally! Between Victoria referencing how her "son's heart may no longer beat", and Emily breaking down, (which I believe was because of Daniel's baby being lost), I was in my Demily depression all over again. Sigh. I'm so glad we have fan fiction!

Much love,

Only Hope-7 xoxo