Episode 4 "Acceptance"

Chapter 1

Daniel's life hung in the balance in the hospital. As the doctors surrounded his lifeless body in the operating room, Emily waited outside. Her mind was numb, filled with memories of all the losses she had endured, crashing back to her, reminding her of the ghastly path she had committed herself to and the pain that came with it. Just then Nolan rushed in.

"Ems…" he breathed.

Before he had a chance to say a single comforting word, a strange thing occurred – Emily felt herself reach out to him to hold her. Caught off guard, Nolan froze momentarily. This was this is strange behavior for Emily. He slowly hugged her back. "What happened?"

Emily pulled half away in his embrace and responds, her face reddened from crying and her eyes puffy. "He saved my life, Nolan. Kate was going to kill me. She was aiming for me and Daniel ran in and I told him to run but he wouldn't go—"she cut off and broke away from Nolan, trying to regain her normal steely composure. She walked over to a window and stared outside. "He wouldn't run. He just jumped right in front of me."

Nolan finally understood. He walked over to her, gingerly, not sure of what to say. "Oh my God. Daniel… saved you?"

Emily returned his gaze again and this time anger seeped into her voice. "He wouldn't listen to me, I told him to run. But he wanted to save me, Nolan…" she trails off and then starts to glance around frantically. "He looked at me and he was a different person. Ever since he found out who I really am it's like he's been trying to connect to me, to have a real conversation for once and I just, I just pushed him away. And he was willing to die for me. When all I ever did was lie to him." Emily looked away.

Nolan took her hand. "Em, that's not all you did. You tried to protect him. He didn't want to be different from his family. He became a Grayson. Ems, he embraced everything that his family is, he shot you on your wedding night! He humiliated you-"

"But he never lied to me, Nolan. He was right. He told me the truth from day one and I took advantage of him just to get to Victoria and Conrad. He was never supposed to be part of the fallout, and now he's a casualty of this war."

Nolan digressed, she has a point.

"You were right too, Nolan. This addiction I have... The moment he closed his eyes in my arms all I could think about was destroying Victoria. If it wasn't for her Kate wouldn't have known who I was, I would've never had to stray away from the plan, and Daniel would have been on his way home that night to Margeaux. Instead… he might die. And all I could think of in that moment is destroying her… and telling Daniel the truth."

"What truth, Ems?"

Emily sighed and looked off into the distance. "Despite everything. The lies, the pain, the memories. Daniel had become a better person. When I felt like I was losing the father I thought I would never see again, Daniel told me to fight for him. He was there for me. And he wanted to change. I respect him for that. I wish I could do the same...but I can't"

A look of surprise came over Nolan's face as he tried to digest what Emily was saying and just then a doctor emerged from surgery. Emily and Nolan both looked over.

"Ms. Thorne? We have an update for you and the family." Emily and Nolan exchanged a glance of uneasiness.

Victoria sat in in the waiting room, staring straight ahead into space. She replayed the last few encounters she'd had with Daniel in her mind, floating in and out like fragments. His outburst at David's house when he had found out who Emily really was, his cavalier mocking of her attempts to try to build a family when she went to visit him at his apartment. And finally, the most recent, his critique of her response to finding out he had a child on the way. The way he disregarded her enthusiasm as a last-ditch effort to control him, and his complacence at her attempts to mend their broken relationship. But this past time was different. He had changed his resolve and it had finally gotten to her. After everything, the immense loss she'd suffered financially, socially, and emotionally, she was starting to understand what he wanted. To be completely and utterly honest and sincere, for once. Something Victoria had come to forget in recent years, not knowing even the difference between some of her little white lies and the webs of deceit she had grown so accustomed to spinning, after years of living with Conrad. And now, after the immense breakthrough he had caused in her, he might be gone. She might never get to see him again and thank him for all he had done. And to a degree, it would be her fault. That is – partially hers, but moreso, Emily's.

Emily Thorne. The name resounded in Victoria's head like a resonant tune that just wouldn't go away. Somehow her true identity did not have the same effect. Amanda Clarke sounded like a mythological creature in Victoria's mind, a monster that had been dreamed up by a whimsical child, but had never really existed. But Emily Thorne was real to Victoria. An enemy, an arch rival. The object of affection to every single man in her life, and the reason for her misery. She had long felt that even Conrad fancied the girl, despite probably never realizing she was to blame for his demise. Even Pascal had taken an interest in her at one time. But more than anything, David loved her with all of his heart, and Daniel had fallen in love with her from the day he laid eyes on her. And now she was in jeopardy of losing them both, because of the wiles of this scheming, plotting manipulator. A poetic "thorn" in her side that she could never truly remove. As the anger began to boil in her blood, Victoria cursed Emily Thorne to herself, shuddering from the thought of losing her precious son, her only remaining child whose relationship she might restore, to the cause of saving her life. The vengeance in Victoria's soul would almost not permit it to happen. She would destroy Emily before it ever did.

But even that was just a foreign fantasy in her mind. Now with David back, destroying his precious daughter would never truly happen the way Victoria pictured. He would not allow it. He would hate her for it and leave her, or maybe worse. And again, Victoria would be alone. Alone to regret every action she had ever taken and live miserable for the rest of her life with guilt and shame as her companions. The mere thought was overwhelming and she had to get away.

Before the tears could break through she hurriedly left her seat next to David and he flinched at her abrupt departure.

"I can't wait, David, I need to know what's going on," she wailed. Just as quickly as she'd left the waiting area, Emily and Nolan turned the corner of the hallway and they both stopped in their tracks.

"Hey."

Daniel's eyes fluttered open and scanned the room until they fell on the person next to him. The one nursing a broken arm but resting her good arm on his bedside.

"Emily," he breathed, and she gave him a brief smile. Catching it, he continued, "There's something I haven't seen you do in a while…At least not to me."

Emily tried to dodge the comment. "The doctors said you went into shock during surgery but you're going to be fine."

"Doesn't seem fair, does it?"

"Daniel…" Emily looked at him questioningly.

"I mean, them saying I'm going to be fine. Not sure I deserve it."

"Daniel you-"Emily grimaced, again struggling with a rare emotional moment. But she let the words out, knowing that she owed him that much. "You saved my life. Whatever's happened between us in the past doesn't matter now."

"It does matter. My family has taken so much from you. I've taken more from you than I can give back. I can't ever make it right but I want to try. I want to be a better person. I owe that to you," he paused. "Amanda."

Emily smiled again, this time bigger, through falling tears. "Emily," she corrected him, wiping her face. Something about it is meant to be comforting, as if she's trying to leave Amanda behind, and all the past wrongs.

Daniel exhaled and tried to smile. His former wife was still more comfortable in her false identity. But he did not wish to begrudge her that. He still couldn't believe it is her here, by his side to be the first person he sees, after being the last person he remembers. He thought he was going to die in her arms and he would have been content to do just that. He knew he had feelings for her, they had never gone away. Even when he hated her, he could never stop loving her and letting her in. She filled his mind at the strangest of moments and more recently all the time. Even when he came to grips with his feelings for Margeaux, it was all because of Emily. Her drive, her scolding looks and brusque comments. She made him want be the man he had forgotten was inside. The man both his father and mother had tried to suppress. The thought of his mother suddenly made him overcome with apprehension. Memories came flooding back to him of her continued affair with David – and the manipulation and the deceit that still, to his knowledge, was bubbling under the surface. But he was not panicked, only uneasy. He glanced around the room. "Our parents?" he inquired.

"Waiting outside," Emily replied. "The doctor said just one family member at a time right now."

"You told the doctor you were my sister's sister?"

"Ex-wife," Emily grinned with a twinkle. "Still apparently counts as closest of kin if you're not remarried. But Margeaux is on her way. I just wanted a moment with you before…before everyone else gets here." She became serious again. "There's something I want tell you—"

"I remember what you said to me. Did you say that because you thought I was dying?"

"No," Emily took hold of Daniel's hand. "I said it because it was true. I'm sorry for not telling you the truth sooner. Daniel… I handled you all wrong. I made you a part of something that never had anything to do with you. When you asked me that day why I chose you… the truth is…" Emily looked up to meet Daniel's gaze. He stared intently at her, waiting.

Emily looked back down, and moved her hand back to her lap. Daniel suddenly realized she never had to stare the truth in the face like this before. Not with him. She had never been cornered into pouring her heart out. In the elevator when he confronted her with the truth, she'd quickly found an exit, and when he'd come to her old beach house hoping to sit beside her, she had walked away from her own front porch. Even at the yacht club when they'd shared a few words, she was quick to run off. And now that he was here and she had chosen to be here, she was finally going to accept it. The moment seemed so overdue, as if he had been waiting on it from the first time she told him she loved him, so many years ago. The truth he knew lurked beneath the surface but that he'd never imagined he'd ever understand. He suddenly felt like he was taking something from her again, like he was robbing her of that protective layer of secrecy that had been her shield for so long. Even though he was dying to hear the words that were about to come from her mouth, he found himself afraid of taking anything else from her and leaving her open to any more pain.

"Em—" Daniel barely got out and she looked up again. But just then his glance darted off and they were interrupted.

"Daniel!" a shaky accented voice filled the room. Emily immediately turned and Margeaux was at the door. "Margeaux," she said. "I'm glad you're here, he was just asking for you."

Emily looked back over at Daniel, who looked slightly abandoned but acknowledged her glance. She got up, allowing Margeaux to get through and nodded in her direction. "Thank you Daniel," she said before exiting the room.

Daniel's glance followed her out of the room as she left until she finally disappeared down the hall. He looked back over and let out a sigh of relief, "Margeaux"

END OF CHAPTER ONE