There's a shocking lack of FF on here for this show, so I decided to produce something. This piece is a companion to the Emily-Aaron scene we got in 1x20, and I wrote it as two chapters (one chapter for each of their POVs before, during and after the scene).

I really want to go "all in" with this couple, but the show isn't making it easy. One scene every couple of episodes is not even remotely enough to build momentum. I get it, though. I really do. The showrunners have other priorities, but I really need a healthy side of romance alongside my main course. Here's hoping for something fantastic in 1x21 . . . .

Thanks for reading!

Aaron was sitting across the restaurant from her. That one tiny, seemingly insignificant fact inflated like a balloon in Emily's mind, effectively stifling any other thoughts that she might try to piece together. On queue, her heart did that fluttery little thing it always did when Aaron was nearby, and her adrenaline began pumping so fast that she could have knocked out a 5K in twenty minutes. For Emily, this was nothing new. Having worked with Aaron for months, she'd been through this drill often enough that she knew what to expect. And she knew exactly what to do about it. She simply dug deep and put a chokehold on her emotions. The directive that she issued to herself was firm and clear: Pull it together, Rhodes.

That particular instruction, which had always served Emily well in the past, might have worked its magic once again had she not reached the somewhat unwelcome realization that Aaron wasn't alone. More specifically, he was sitting with a woman. Emily forced herself to remain cool, but really, this was incredible. Simply. Incredible. Turning back to face the junior staffers at her table, she recalled once reading an article in a food journal claiming that the D.C. metro area played host to thousands of restaurants. And yet Aaron had chosen to bring a date to this one. Not only was it Emily's favorite place to go after work, but it was hardly an ideal place to bring a date. There was too much noise and commotion to allow for the possibility of any good conversation, and the wine list was just plain sad.

Emily knew she could probably slip out without Aaron seeing her. If she moved fast enough she was sure she could manage it. But no. Just no. Slinking out of a restaurant simply wasn't Emily's style. At least, she hoped it wasn't.

Within seconds, her decision had been made. "I'll be right back," she muttered to Dave and Sidney.

Rising from the table, Emily collected her wits and her pride, and like a wave rolling rapidly toward the shore, she bore down on Aaron and his tablemate from across the restaurant. She'd hardly seen him for weeks, and she simply wanted to say hello. That was all. If he was on a date, so be it. She and Aaron had shared one kiss, and they'd almost gone on one date. When one looked at the larger picture, it amounted to virtually nothing. Aaron was merely an ex-co-worker on a date, and if that gave rise to any mild discomfort, she felt more than capable of managing it with ease. She was Emily Rhodes, and she did not shy away from a challenge. It was that dogged sense of purpose that had driven her to become Valedictorian of her high school class. During law school, it had scored her a coveted Senate internship that ultimately led to her career in Washington. And now, she was Chief of Staff to the President of the United States. By comparison, greeting a colleague and his dinner companion was less than nothing.

Behind her, Emily knew Dave and Sidney would be giving each other those annoying, speculative glances that everyone thought she couldn't see. For months, the West Wing had been salivating over the "will they or won't they" drama between Emily and Aaron. Since Aaron's departure from the White House, the momentum had died down considerably, but she still noticed the looks and whispers that passed between her colleagues on the rare occasions when Aaron was in the West Wing.

As she crossed the restaurant, Emily shoved aside all concern for the whispers and not-so-subtle innuendos. She had more important matters to consider. Namely, who was the woman at the table with Aaron? Was she a new flame? An old love interest? How long had they been involved? He hadn't mentioned that he was seeing anyone. Then again, why would he have mentioned it? Emily had no claim to him. After that one kiss, they'd never even gotten off the ground. He was absolutely free to date anyone he wanted. Absolutely.

On her approach, she was thankful that Aaron hadn't noticed her yet. It meant she had the upper hand—something that was all too important in Washington. "Hey, you," she said with enough control to convince herself that she didn't sound nearly as flustered as she felt.

The instant Aaron saw her he was on his feet. And did he look excited to see her? Was he nervous? Emily could hardly tell, but she really wanted to believe that he was both of those things. She wanted to think that when they were together, his insides were every bit as gelatinous as hers were, because truly, she felt like a big, gooey mess each time Aaron Shore looked at her.

His hug was a surprise—especially considering the presence of another woman at the table. It felt nice to be in his arms, though, and even if they were in public and the contact was brief, the gesture still seemed strangely intimate. In that moment, everything else fell away, and it was just her with him. The other woman didn't matter. The other patrons didn't matter. The inevitable whispers of her co-workers certainly didn't matter. Had they been alone, she might not have released him so easily. She might have encouraged him to kiss her again. No, that was inaccurate. She absolutely would have encouraged him to kiss her again.

And then he said the words that completely flipped her perspective upside down—in the most perfect way. "Emily Rhodes, meet my cousin, Nadia Espinosa."

Emily felt feverish with relief. It wasn't a date. The woman was his cousin. Emily was embarrassed to acknowledge how good it felt to know that this woman had no romantic claim on Aaron. He was still just Aaron Shore—her single, former co-worker and the guy she'd once kissed. The guy she desperately wanted to kiss again . . . .

Thrusting her hand toward Nadia, she tried to recall what Aaron had told her about his cousin. "Hi. You work for Congresswoman Yoshida. Right?"

"That's right."

"How's that going?" Emily asked, noting that Nadia had the definite aura of a newbie in Washington. She was eager to please, pleased to be recognized and recognized the importance of making the right connections. Nadia was the person Emily had been just five years before, and that understanding made Emily want to offer whatever encouragement she could.

As sincere as she was in her desire to bolster Nadia's confidence, Emily also had a deeper, more pressing motivation for showing that she was aware of who Nadia was. She wanted Aaron to know that she'd been listening to the off-handed comments he'd made about his cousin weeks before. She hoped he'd realize that she considered it important enough to remember, and by extension, that he was important to her.

When Nadia excused herself from the table, Emily silently thanked her for giving them a few minutes alone.

"So POTUS is heading up to Toronto," Aaron noted, sounding as easy and polished as always. As she often did in such situations, Emily tried to detect anything about his behavior that might indicate he still had feelings for her.

"Yes," she responded. "The White House is all mine."

He laughed. "No, seriously. It's his first NATO summit. First time out of the country. Polls are high. I mean, he's on a roll. So are you." Well, that was nice of him, Emily thought. As she'd often done during the weeks since he left the White House, she wondered how it was possible that this man did not absolutely despise her after her role in investigating him.

"I do have to admit, it feels good," she said. "What about you? Are you going to follow Hookstraten?"

"No. She did offer it, but I don't see myself working for the Secretary of Education."

"It's not exactly the fast lane."

"Let's just say after working in the West Wing everything feels like a step down."

"Well, just so you know," she began, making a mental note to discuss Aaron's new availability as soon as she had an opening with Kirkman. "I was not opposed to Hookstraten for VP. I think it would have been great to be working together again." That truth had certainly been screaming at her in past weeks. In fact, it had become abundantly clear to Emily that her support for Hookstraten's appointment had far more to do with getting Aaron back into the West Wing than with the merits of the VP candidate herself.

"Yeah, it would've been," he admitted, and Emily could tell from the way he looked at her that he meant it. She could see that maybe—hopefully—his feelings for her hadn't been washed away entirely. "Hey, it's Washington. Anything can happen. Right?"

"And it usually does."

"Yeah." Aaron sounded almost wistful, and Emily urged herself to tone down the smiles. In his presence, she was so often reduced to a beaming, breathless puddle of emotion. Beneath all the casual work banter and subtle jabs at his personality, she really was a mess.

Emily wanted to say more, but she didn't know what. Besides, she knew it was time to go. Nadia would be coming back from the bar, and Dave and Sidney were probably anxious to leave. And so she excused herself, feeling the disappointment that always came when she was forced to leave him. For Emily, Aaron Shore was a missed opportunity, and it made her sad to think of what they might have had.

Emily would have considered herself daft if she'd failed to notice the silence that swept across the table upon her return. As she slid back into her chair, Dave asked, "So, how is Mr. Shore?"

"He's great," she responded. During her absence, their server had come and gone, leaving them no reason to linger in the restaurant. "Aaron always lands on his feet."

"Yeah, he looks like he's doing well," Sidney observed, looking over at Aaron's table. "He certainly seemed, uh, happy to see you."

"Who's the woman with him?" Dave asked.

"Just his cousin," Emily said. "She works for Congresswoman Yoshida."

Sidney glanced at Emily and then back at Aaron's table. "So they're not on a date, then."

"Nope. Not a date," Emily confirmed, fighting the urge to roll her eyes at the pair of them.

"That's good," Dave said, smiling across the table at Sidney. "I mean, it's good to know that she's just a cousin."

Emily groaned. "Okay. Bring it on," she said, inviting the inquest that would necessarily follow. Generally, she made it a practice not to discuss her personal life with the staff. This was an opportunity, though. She was being given the chance to face the rumors head on—to deflect and redirect them elsewhere.

"What do you mean, Ms. Rhodes?" Sidney asked, stifling a grin.

"I mean that if you're going to tease me about Aaron—and we all know you want to—then you should just go ahead and get it out of the way." Firm. Precise. Marginally aggressive. Emily congratulated herself on taking the offensive approach at a time when her heart was still sifting through the after effects of her unexpected encounter with Aaron. "We're just work colleagues. That's all."

"Former work colleages," Dave reminded her.

"Former work colleagues who hug each other," Sidney amended. "And you know, I can't say that I've ever exchanged a hug like that with a former work colleague. Have you, Dave?"

"Interesting question, Sidney. I can't say that I have."

"Well, maybe that says more about the two of you than about me," Emily suggested, already regretting her invitation to "bring it on." "You both know what it's like to work long hours together in a tense environment. In that atmosphere, it's inevitable that you develop a bond with your co-workers. You even miss them when they're gone."

"So what's he going to do now that Hookstraten's been appointed Secretary of Education?" Sidney asked.

"He's looking for another position," Emily told them. "It's the right thing to do. A guy with Aaron's talents would be wasted in a position on Hookstraten's staff."

"Maybe Kirkman will ask him to come back to the White House," Dave said. "Then the two of you could go back to working all those long hours together."

"In a very tense environment," Sidney added, raising an eyebrow as if it should mean something.

Emily pushed her chair away from the table, signaling an end to the conversation. "To be honest, Kirkman would be lucky to get him back. Aaron's tenacious, and he knows how to make things happen. If Kirkman could persuade him to come back, he'd be an asset to the entire administration."

"And how about you, Ms. Rhodes?" Dave asked. "How would you feel about having him back at the White House?"

"The entire country would be fortunate to have him back," she insisted. Looking at her watch, she added, "Are you ready to go? I don't know about the two of you, but my alarm clock goes off at four a.m. If we don't get out of here, we'll be useless tomorrow."