Chapter 3

As Emily rode up the elevator in Daniel's apartment building, she could not help but remember the chance encounters they had only weeks before, and how much had changed since then. She recalled their first elevator exchange, when she tracked him down in hot pursuit of any leads about Victoria's reappearance. It felt like ages ago – back before Charlotte knew the truth about her, before their lives were endangered by Malcolm Black and more importantly, before she even knew her father was still alive. She sighed in remembrance; there were so many levels of pain and anguish wrapped into those memories. And yet somehow there still remained hope in each. Hope that Charlotte could be helped down her dark path of truth to recovery. Hope that she and her father could take down his last enemy and mend their disjointed relationship. And even hope in Daniel – that his change of heart, albeit costly, could bring him happiness after all and spare him and his child the misery that Emily never wished she involved him in to begin with. That hope kept her going when the painful memories awoke in her, and allowed her to push past them onto the next crisis that was inevitable to come.

The door was slightly ajar when she arrived at his unit, which set off her senses that something could be wrong. She entered slowly, looking around for signs of distress, but to her relief, Daniel sat slightly facing the window in his chair, looking through a box of photos.

"Daniel," Emily breathed, relaxing again as she walked over to him. "I didn't expect your door to be open."

He looked up, and a hint of light flickered into his eyes at the sight of her. She was dressed impeccably as usual, in a skintight dress that matched her signature style – elegant yet sensual. Her hair fell around her shoulders, golden waves and he couldn't tell if she had decided to don make-up or was slightly flushed. Her sling was now gone, likely her arm had healed, and there was nothing to conceal her delicate frame. This was how he always pictured her when he thought of her, which had become more frequently of late.

"Easier than trying to get up," he responded, acknowledging his slow recovery.

Emily was unsure how to greet Daniel, their last interchange softening the normal stiffness she had around him but still not enough for her to entertain physical contact. She settled with a slight brush of her hand on his shoulder as she stood beside him to look out of the window. "Well at least you have a better view from here," she offered, searching for small talk.

He rolled a few paces away to set down the photos on the table beside him and then turned himself around to face her. "Just forces me to do more myself, that's all. I prefer to recover on my own."

Emily nodded with an agreeable downturn of her lips and peered over at the pile of photos he had just placed aside, noticing they were pictures of him as a child. She felt a warm flutter at the thought of Daniel's fatherhood inciting him to nostalgia, and for a moment wondered why he didn't decide to stay with Margaux. But she resisted the urge to question it and instead stuck to business. "So? You said it was important?"

Daniel didn't waste a moment. "Emily, I know my mother was behind the attack on you."

Emily looked downward, running her tongue along the inside of her cheek, not entirely surprised at the confirmation. "She said something to you?"

"No," he answered truthfully. "Officer Hunter did. He came by earlier with a photo of you that was found in Kate's possession. I'm certain my mother is the one who gave it to her."

Before Emily could respond, Daniel continued. "But that's not why I asked you here. I'm sure you're well aware that my mother was involved in why you were a target the other night. I'm more concerned about…her next move."

Emily arched an eyebrow in response, following his lead. "You think she's going to keep going?"

Daniel nodded, embarrassed. "If there's anything I know about her it's that she doesn't give up easily. She may have told your father the truth but trust me, she's not done. In fact, the police are onto a guy who I think may be her own private hit-man for hire."

Emily snorted with a grin. "Then everything's falling into place nicely," and when Daniel looked up he could see the casual acknowledgement in her face, showing she was already in the know.

"So you knew about this – about her plot against you?"

"I suspected her immediately when Kate attacked me. Kate knew my true identity that night, and unfortunately your mother was the only other person who could have given her that information. It didn't take long to put together the rest; I just needed proof – which you just gave me."

Daniel shrugged, still taking in the web of lies and deceit that ran between the women in his life. "Well it's the least I could do," he said reluctantly. "I'm sure you don't have anything to worry about then. Especially with that officer in your corner," he decided to test the waters, watching to see her response.

Emily rolled her eyes slightly. "Ben – Officer Hunter is just a friend, he's doing his job."

"He's into you, Em," Daniel stated flatly, and Emily heard the familiarity in his voice as he used her nickname.

She didn't counter. "Maybe," she admitted. "Why should it matter?" she inquired, growing a little defensive.

Daniel chuckled slightly to himself. "He was your date that night… wasn't he? The night I ran into you in the lobby?" Emily didn't respond. "You're using him to get information, aren't you?"

Emily was growing slightly weary of his prodding but felt obligated to allow it, not wanting to respond in her normal coldness while Daniel was still in such a fragile state. "It's not like that, Daniel," she tried to insist, and Daniel only grew more agitated, his voice raising.

"Oh, come on. Are you going to tell me you actually have real feelings for him? That's not all a lie with him too? Or is that a privilege you saved only for me?" Daniel's words stung and Emily was immediately incensed at the accusations.

"I told you that wasn't true," Emily hissed, and although her skin was growing hot from anger, she felt her eyes welling up instead with tears.

"No?" Daniel retorted, growing louder.

"Daniel, calm down," she tried, but he persisted.

"Maybe you and my mother can explain to me what is true!"

"Daniel please—" Emily's protests overlapped with Daniel's until he could yell over her, starting to rise slightly in his chair.

"I may not deserve much but the least you can do is tell me what's going on! Because I honestly don't know which one of you to believe!" he roared, and his outburst cost him. He had tried to rise to his feet in all his anger and instead succeeded at tugging at the edge of his stitches, sending him back to his seat in pain, crying out as he grabbed at his side.

"Daniel!" Emily cried out in concern, rushing over to him. She put her hand to the side of his thin cotton robe, where tiny specks of blood were already beginning to seep through. Instinctively, Emily pulled back his robe to reveal the wound, where his bandages were soaked red up against his bare chest. "Your stitches are starting to open," she diagnosed, looking around the room in response mode.

Daniel's anger deflated immediately and he desperately tried to recant. "I'm sorry – I – I just can't think straight… I didn't mean to—"

Emily interrupted him without a pause. "You're exhausted, and on tons of pain medication. You need to rest," she insisted, still taking hold of his robe and trying to fashion more pressure onto the bandage that was barely containing the break in his wound. She found in the room what she was looking for and replaced her hand with his while she retrieved it, a small first aid kit that would at least have the basics of what she needed to hold him over.

She acted without hesitation, kicking off her heels and extending her arm and shoulder for Daniel to lean on as she lifted him out of his chair and onto the makeshift bed that was made up for him on the living room couch. "Here, lean yourself onto me," she ordered him, and feeling weak as a kitten, he obliged, resting his head on Emily's shoulder as she pulled his arm around her neck and helped him to lay down. She tenderly removed the upper half of his robe in a swift motion, so she could inspect where the tear was.

Once on the couch he leaned his head back, massaging his brow with his left hand as Emily went to work removing his bandage. "It's just a small tear," she observed, relieved he wouldn't need to return to the hospital. She looked over at Daniel's face, reddened and full of sweat from the pain and discomfort and tried to talk to him gently as a distraction.

"Daniel, when I told you there wouldn't be any more lies between us," Emily began. "I meant it." She looked over at it him to see if he was still listening, and took a breath. "My father wasn't held captive by Conrad all this time – he was working for a man named Malcolm Black." She paused to get a fresh dressing from the first aid kit.

Daniel was more relaxed now, calm by her gentle touch and his attention was all on her. He watched carefully as she finished applying the bandages and continued. "My father escaped and has been trying to take him down, but Malcolm was a step ahead of him – he put his daughter on my father's tail, posing as an FBI agent investigating his murder attempt."

"Kate," Daniel whispered, understanding.

"I tried to corner her to get Malcolm's location but it was too late, she already knew who I was…" Emily trailed off.

"Does Malcolm know?"

Emily shook her head slightly. "We can't be sure, but we don't think Kate had a chance to communicate with him. But now that she's dead, he'll be coming after my father, and Jack. We need to act quickly to counter him." She finished the bandage and just rested slightly on the side of the couch, looking into Daniel's eyes.

"This is all my mother's fault," he exhaled in realization. "She would have never tried to kill you if she didn't know who you were."

Emily did not disagree but seemed concerned otherwise. She rested her hand on his and for the first time; Daniel realized how long it had been since she'd genuinely reached out to him. "That's why I wanted you go away from the Hamptons. Safe, far away from all this." She paused. "You have a family to think about now."

Daniel did not respond, only looked off into the distance, confused with the dilemma before him. He could not disagree with Emily, given the circumstances now surrounding his mother and David Clarke, it would be safer for him and Margaux to leave. But part of him could not let Emily go. Not after everything that had happened between them. After finding out who she really was, how similar their troubled lives had been and crossing paths with her again, he suddenly couldn't picture his life without her. When he had nearly died in her arms he had felt content, knowing that even in his last moments she had been with him. And now that he was given a second chance, he couldn't see her not being there, in his life, at least in some form. Despite everything that she was responsible for in his life, to go away when she was still suffering from his own family's actions felt so unfair.

Emily suddenly became aware of how casual they looked, with Daniel shirtless laying down on the couch and her knelt beside him, touching him. She saw his pause to contemplate her words as a good time to leave. "I should go," she insisted, removing her hand from Daniel's and beginning to get up, but he weakly kept hold of her.

"Wait," he protested weakly, and Emily reluctantly stayed put. But when Daniel did not speak immediately she insisted, "Don't worry, it's under control." She thought for a moment. "I'm sorry to bring you into this," she apologized.

She rose to her feet and gathered the blanket from atop the couch, spreading it out over Daniel, covering his chest and pulling it up squarely right to his next. "Get some rest," she said, and before she could turn away, Daniel used his free hand to reach out and cradle her face.

His touch caught her off guard and she looked up at him in surprise, a still of bewilderment creeping into her eyes. But Daniel only stared intently at her, his fingers resting just beneath her chin and ear, brushing hair out of the frame of her face with his thumb. "This was real," he finally said, and Emily knew what he meant. In the past few moments she had cared for him, told him the truth and soothed him. A piece of her that she didn't even know was there had emerged and Daniel could finally see it, the person she really was. A real sign of affection.

He continued to stare deeply in her eyes, and somewhat afraid, she met his glance. Their eyes locked and Emily could feel it welling up in her, the desire to close the space between them, to inch closer to his face… but she could not. She breathed heavily, swallowing the lump in her throat and closed her hand over his, whispering back, "This is real."

And with that, she set his hand back down at his side and left him, grabbing her heels in her hand and leaving the room before the emotions could fill her anymore.

SCENE

Victoria felt a chill go down her spine as she arrived at the usual location where her and Captain Alvarez had come to frequent. It was evening, and the darkness beginning to set in may have contributed to her uneasiness. When he reached out to her and said it was urgent, she knew this could not be good news.

As she settled onto the park bench, out of the corner of her eye she thought she saw a set of car lights flash in her direction from across the street but they quickly went dim. She peered closer but before she could get a look, footsteps emerged from behind her.

"You should've taken up my offer, Victoria," Capt. Alvarez spoke loudly, startling her.

Victoria shifted in slight alarm. "My situation has changed," she replied, as Capt. Alvarez took a seat next to her, leaning forward.

"It may be too late now," he looked over at her directly. "My senior officer is onto you, and your little thug you're having follow Emily Thorne around town."

"What do you—"

"Don't act so surprised. Considering she was nearly killed in her own home last week and the federal agent who was in contact with your associate was, the force has enough to bring you up on attempted murder charges."

"You have to believe me, I had nothing to do with what happened to that agent," Victoria pleaded, growing desperate.

"It doesn't matter what I believe, it's what we can prove," he countered.

Victoria thought for a moment. "What if I could prove to you that it was Emily herself who lured my son there that night? She intended to murder him and when your agent intervened, Emily killed her in cold blood," Victoria's voice shook as it usually did when she became frantic.

Capt. Alvarez slighted his head in partial belief. "That has possibilities. And you have proof of this? A motive?"

Victoria's lip curled up into a half smile. "No one knows better than I do that girl's hatred for my family. She has targeted us from her first day in the Hamptons, she's done everything she could to destroy my son's life! She bought my home, for goodness sake!"

"I thought your home was with David Clarke?" the Captain sneered, and Victoria was slightly thrown off.

"David and I no longer live together," she clarified, and the Captain turned an interested eye.

"Well then, it shouldn't be a problem now for you to hold up to our arrangement," he firmly insisted, standing up. "And when you're ready to, then we can talk about what I can do to help you."

Victoria called out to him as he walked off, but it was too late he was already at his car and before long, pulling away. Somewhat defeated she sat back, and waited for her associate lurking in the shadows to emerge.

"He didn't buy it," the voice responded.

"I wouldn't say that," she replied calmly, as her associate stepped into view. "He's just not cooperating as easily as we thought he would."

"I searched Taylor's hotel room but the evidence was collected," he reported. "It's in the police's hand's now."

"If my instincts are correct, it's in Officer Hunter's hand," she looked up at her menacing ally. "If we're going to cover the tracks you'll have to get it from him."

"Who's to say he won't report it?"

"The chief won't let him give me up, just yet. But we need to get to Officer Hunter before he gets to anyone else. Find him. Do what's necessary to get it back. Then destroy it," she commanded, rising from the bench and wrapping her shawl tight around her as she disappeared into the shadows.

Her accomplice remained for a moment once she was gone, planning intently on how to catch up with Officer Hunter without raising suspicion. But he would never get the chance. A hooded man emerged from behind him and immediately slipped him into a chokehold. As the assailant closed his windpipe tighter and tighter he sunk to the ground, finally losing the struggle with his final breath. The assailant grabbed him quickly, dragging him through the soft grass out of sight, before moving him into the back of a large commercial van. As he slammed the doors shut to conceal the corpse that lay limp on the floor, he turned around to check the parameters around him, making sure that no one was in sight of yet another murder committed by David Clarke.

END OF CHAPTER