Chapter Nine: Confessions

Seven months later...

Where we love is home. Home that our feet may leave but not our hearts. Removing her sunglasses to fully take in the sight before her, Emily could not help thinking of the special quote. She had officially set foot in the Hamptons again, a home she promised herself she would not return. This beautiful, but seemingly Godforsaken place, where some of her best and worst memories were made. She sighed, shutting the car door to approach her best friend's abode.

Nolan had been anticipating her arrival, anxious to be reunited with his closest resemblance to family. He saw her standing on the other side of the floor to ceiling glass front door before he even opened it, and when he did, he wore a sly smile on his face at her familiar, but differentappearance. "Ems... gotta admit you're a sight for sore eyes."

Thinking it was good to see him as well regardless of the circumstances, she pursed her lips. "Hello, Nolan." Emily stepped into his arms for a brief hug before he welcomed her inside. She moved past him with ease, gliding through the narrow foyer and into his living room.

"The guest room's all ready for you."

Emily stopped, rotating an angle in his direction. "Thanks, but... I think I need to go to the beach house."

"What? Ems... you can't," Nolan warned, slightly alarmed. "There's no way the Grayson's won't see you there. Daniel will see you."

"It's a risk I'm going to have to take," Emily stated, her mind already made up. "My father's alive. Everything has changed." Nothing could have prepared her for such news, but when Nolan along with Jack called to report the startling revelation, Emily felt as though she could not breathe. After all the years of pain, separation and revenge, everything came to a screeching halt in a split second at the uttering of four simple words: Your father is alive.

Nolan brought a hand to the back of his neck, reasoning, "I know, but... after everything you've done to disappear from Daniel's life. When he see's you -"

"You told me he was back with Sarah," Emily reminded, cutting him short.

He rolled his eyes, discounting her rebuttal. "Yeah... but it's only because you set it up that way."

Sending Sarah in Daniel's direction for a rekindled romance was just one of the many maneuvers Emily had accomplished remotely, Conrad's downfall being the greatest. She had left the Hamptons with the intentions of putting her revenge to rest, but then she found out she was pregnant. Clearly, Victoria had fabricated false medical results in attempt to cause Emily additional heartache and simultaneously drive the final nail in the coffin of her relationship with Daniel. This unexpected news caused Emily's perspective to change, re-invigorating her drive to right the terrible wrongs inflicted by Conrad and Victoria.

With the assistance of her trusted friends, she had done the unthinkable in kidnapping Charlotte to ransom Conrad into confessing his hideous crimes. A confession that, unbeknownst to him, was being captured by a live camera strategically penned to Charlotte's coat upon her miraculous return. Emily had taken drastic measures to seal his fate, admittedly at the expense of her own sister's best interest. What was done was done though, she inwardly justified. Her choices in the instance, one of the many she continually struggled with rationalizing.

Nolan was both relieved and terrified when she re-enlisted his help, but now with a large portion of justice finally being served, he too did his best to rationalize the price they had paid in order to see that justice come to fruition. Through it all though, Emily did not lose sight of the effects her actions would have on Daniel or her ultimate concern for his well-being. "It was important for Daniel to move on, Nolan," Emily insisted. "We're divorced. It's over."

"Doesn't look very over to me," Nolan assessed, glancing at her growing figure and subsequently catching a glare from Emily. "Don't you want him to know the truth? Don't you want him to know that he didn't... sterilize you... that he's going to be a father?"

"Yeah... I do," Emily somberly replied, taking a seat on the sofa.

Nolan studied her for a moment before taking a seat as well. "You know," He tentatively began. "It's okay to admit that you still love him. I won't judge you, or think you're weak."

Emily sharply snapped her eyes at him, but did not refute the idea and instead chose to shift the conversation. "With Conrad in prison and Victoria running out of funds, she's liable to become even more desperate."

"You have the gift of foresight, per usual." Nolan reached for his tablet on the coffee table, quickly tapping it's screen to pull up a recently captured image of Victoria standing next to David. "Take a look at this."

He handed it to Emily who immediately narrowed her brow. "Victoria took him to Amanda's grave?"

"Cruel, huh? Even for her."

Emily sighed heavily. "I have to see him, Nolan."

"Nolan, you home?" Jack called from the foyer, letting himself in. Nolan and Emily stood at the sound of his voice as Jack came into view.

"Emily," He exhaled, his eyes clearly taking in all of her with a twinge of awe. Though Jack was already aware of her pregnancy, there was a difference in knowing about it and actually seeing it with his own eyes.

"It's good to see you, Jack," Emily murmured, moving forward a few feet to envelope him into a friendly embrace. Although she meant it innocently, it stirred more within Jack than he knew it should, and he soon retracted uneasily as a result.

Noticing the subtle exchange, Nolan cleared his throat. "I'll give you two a chance to get caught up."

Jack watched him leave the room, turning back to Emily with an awkward smile and gesturing to the backyard. "Shall we?" He suggested to which Emily ducked her chin in approval. They walked the short distance in silence, each taking a seat on a lounge chair when reaching the patio. "How are you feeling?"

"Good," Emily affirmed in a whisper. "Good," She repeated, releasing a breath and then adding a small smile. "I've had a... pretty easy time of it."

"I'm glad," Jack nodded, his mouth naturally curving upwards.

"Jack, I wanted to... thank you again for your role in Conrad's take-down." Emily paused thoughtfully, her cheeks tightening into a mild grimace. "I know it didn't come without personal sacrifice."

"I'm just glad the bastard's behind bars," Jack dryly replied, tipping his chin. "Besides... I'd say you're the one who's made the most sacrifices... Are you still going to try to keep this from Daniel?"

Emily looked away from his insinuating gaze at her waist, focusing instead on Nolan's palatial pool view. "There's a part of me that wants to tell him, but... I just keeping thinking the minute he knows, this baby will truly become a Grayson, and... I just don't know that I can let that happen."

"You shouldn't have to go through this alone, Emily," Jack reasoned. "God knows I don't like the guy, but... he would want to know, want to be part of this."

"I know," Emily breathed, closing her eyes. "But the thought of Victoria being my child's grandmother -" She leaned her head backwards in reflection. "She took everything from me. I can't let her have this baby, too."

It shed a new light to see Emily having her own child to take into consideration, a role Jack could certainly understand and relate. He found himself respecting her inner strength as always and her need to protect those she loved. "Maybe there's another way," Jack posed, a sudden idea coming to mind.

"What do you mean?"

"What if Daniel weren't the father?"

Emily paused, processing his inference. Was he suggesting what she thought he was? His eyes told her she was right in her assumption, causing her to immediately shake her head. "Jack... I can't let you do that."

"Why not? It's not like it's a stretch." He raised his brows to further his point. After all, it only took a single kiss to prompt her initial return of Daniel's engagement ring. It would not be difficult to convince him it turned into more this time around.

Still, Emily resigned she could not allow such a lie to be perpetuated. She did not want to cause Daniel any more heartache, or Jack, for the matter. She had done enough of that as it was. Yet, Jack was willing to make an even bigger sacrifice for her, impulsive as his idea might be. Emily gave her head a tiny shake. "It's too much to ask for you to take on this responsibility and love this child as your own."

"Why do you love Carl?"

Emily looked over at him, caught off guard by his question. "Because... he's a part of you and Amanda."

Her reply was unknowingly perfect. Jack offered an encouraging smile. "This baby is a part of you." Emily smiled a little, her eyes dropping to her lap. Jack hunched forward, extending his hand to cover her own. "We could be a family."

Emily drew a silent breath, taken by the genuine expression lighting his blue eyes as he looked up at her. "What about Margaux?"

Jack withdrew, her reasonable question sobering his brief fantasy. "That's... not going so well, actually. It's complicated," Jack admitted, presently unable to define his problems with Margaux and hers with him. "I'm not offering this because of my situation with her though... I'm just trying to give you an alternative... It's the only way you can be here in the Hamptons for David and not risk the Grayson's finding out they have a new heir on the way," He explained, not wanting her to draw the wrong conclusions about his offer. Jack leaned forward again, softly requesting, "Just think about it, okay?" Emily nodded in concession, truly touched by his generous offer. Pacified, Jack moved to the even more pressing matter at hand. "So... what's next? Are you going to confront your dad?"

"I don't know," She whispered, furrowing her brow. "I was just so focused on seeing him, but... after watching last night's press conference... it's clear that Victoria's gotten to him first, and will no doubt, try to poison him against me."

"Maybe against Emily Thorne, but not Amanda Clarke," Jack countered. "You need to tell him who you are."

"She took him to Amanda's grave today. Do you believe that?" Emily emitted a disgusted laugh, nodding with resolve. "I will tell him, but... it needs to be the right timing."

There was something about the beach house that always managed to slightly take her breath away, especially when she would first enter it after a period of time had passed. Emily stood still, taking in a panoramic view of the kitchen and living room which were only lit by the setting sunlight. The furniture was covered in white drape cloths, the house having no sign of life inhabiting it for the past seven months.

But no amount of time would cause the memories made in these rooms to diminish. They came flooding back as though they had occurred just yesterday, as though she had never lost them for a second. Memories from her childhood made there with her father, pleasant ones... traumatic ones; those she held onto tightly; those which had propelled her quest for revenge and had brought her back to the Hamptons in the first place. Then there were the more recent ones made with Daniel, a mixture of both good and bad, equally as vivid.

Since losing and regaining her memories, Emily had become even more acutely aware of each detail. Everything was sharper somehow. Maybe it was simply that she had a new appreciation of having the ability to remember. Bringing a hand to her belly, she lovingly rubbed her palm against it. "This is it, little one." Emily sighed, allowing her eyes to scan the room again. "This is where it all began."

Setting the bag she was holding in her free hand on the table, she then removed her treasured Infinity Box which Nolan had been guarding since her departure. Opening it, she stared at the picture taken with beloved father days before his arrest, when life as she knew it changed forever. Now knowing that he was alive had changed her life again.

Determined not to allow Victoria to rob them of their long over-due reunion, Emily vowed to herself she would do whatever it took to rectify the situation. Perhaps, being back in this house had given her clarity because her next step was now abundantly clear.

Removing the dusty drape cloths from the furniture, folding and casting them to the garage, she then lit several candles, their sweet aroma soon infiltrating the stale home. And by the time the sun had completely set with darkness taking its place, Emily sat working on her laptop at the kitchen table, executing her first move against Victoria.

She soon heard footsteps approaching against the deck towards the open doors and looked up to see Daniel's lean figure cautiously appearing from behind the curtain sheers. Instinctively, Emily slightly shifted forward to further conceal her noticeably rounded midriff, a slight motion Daniel did not seem to notice. He stopped just inside the doorway, taken by the sight of the woman he thought he would never see again. Their eyes locked, all the unspoken words of the past seven months resonating in their unwavering gaze.

It was in those few moments Emily felt her resolve beginning to falter. She had missed him. She had missed him more than she would have thought possible. Daniel's hair had grown longer since she had last seen him, and he had allowed his beard to grow as well, his entire appearance rugged as if symbolically representing rebellion from his family. He looked good – better than good, actually. Had she wanted this to happen, Emily suddenly wondered? She convinced herself it was the last thing she wanted, but yet there she sat like that of bait, awaiting Daniel's inevitable arrival once he heard of her return. Of course, he had come without fail, anxious to confirm it for himself.

Selfishly, maybe this was exactly what Emily had wanted to happen, an opportunity to feel the warmth his eyes brought when they were upon her. The recent months had been exceptionally lonely ones, even for an independent spirit like herself. She considered calling Daniel countless times with the news of his impending fatherhood and to relieve him of the guilt she knew he carried over his transgressions. Emily did not want him to live with such a burden, but her innate instinct to protect the future of her child kept her from making that phone call, would force her to rationalize she was doing what was best.

As much as Emily did not want to admit it though, Nolan had been right when he said she still loved Daniel. She did still love him. It might not make sense to most people, given their torrid history, but she did. She loved the image of the boy she met years ago, the one who dreamed of infinite freedom, who would recite poetry to her on their first date, and would later ask her to marry him not once, but twice.

The same boy who would become the man she nearly destroyed with her web of deceit, who in turn, would nearly destroy her on the night of their wedding. The man who was willing to put his anger aside long enough to care for her when her memory failed and she clung to him so desperately for answers, who would give her a glimpse of pure happiness more precious than she would ever be able to convey. Yes, she still loved him. And she was in love with the baby she was carrying – his baby, a fact that only made her love the unborn life more.

"I heard you were back," Daniel finally muttered, not having moved an inch. The dim lighting illuminated Emily's skin as she sat beautifully before him, her dark blonde tresses cascading around her face. There was something different about her, though he could not quite put his finger on it.

Emily swallowed, her brown eyes full. "I'm not here to stay."

Daniel nodded, disappointed to hear she would soon disappear again without a trace. He had spent the last several months trying his best to forget her all together, trying to drown his memories of their time together and of his grave regrets with alcohol. It was a dangerous slope and one he was not proud. For it was that same path of destruction which led him to pulling the trigger twice that fateful night almost a year before. "Why did you come back?" He asked, finding his voice again.

"I uh," Emily's eyes fell from his penetrating stare. "I heard the news about David Clarke still being alive, and... I felt I owed it to Amanda." It was a plausible reply, but only Emily knew when she referenced Amanda, she truly meant she owed it to herself. Daniel studied her for a moment, sensing there was much more to it than she was letting on. Emily cleared her throat, feeling uneasy. "Anyway, I've been trying to decide what to do with this place, and now I know. I'm going to deed it back to him."

"That's... very generous of you," Daniel slowly commended.

"It was his home, so -" Her voice faded, the air surrounding them thick with tension. She then felt the familiar fluttering from within, a rather common occurrence as of late, and closed her eyes at the bittersweet sensation.

Unsure of her slight change in demeanor, Daniel stepped closer in concern. "You okay?"

Emily quickly re-opened her eyes, exhaling. "Yes. I'm fine," She assured, regaining focus. "So...how are you, Daniel?" She asked in a whisper, changing the subject entirely.

"Great," He lied, knowing Emily would see right through him. She played along nonetheless, following with another pointed question despite her tone remaining light, "How are things with Sarah?" Daniel looked away immediately, almost ashamed. "It's okay, Daniel," Emily gently insisted. "You and I are divorced, remember? I'm glad you've... found someone who makes you happy."

"Sarah and I aren't together, Emily," He softly clarified.

"But..." Emily furrowed her brow, wondering where her plan had faltered. "Nolan said he saw you two together?"

"I think I hurt her enough the first... and second... time around." This was true and was taken into consideration, but the reality was that Sarah simply was not Emily, and Daniel found himself unable to muster the interest, but rather attempted to numb his emotions all together. He paused, clearly pained by the topic, but then gave his head a shake to brush it off as best possible. "What about you?... How are things?"

In truth, Emily was secretly happy to hear she was wrong about Sarah, but safely feigned indifference. "Good."

"Where've you been?"

"Japan," Emily honestly answered.

"Japan?" Daniel raised his brow, the tiniest grin forming in the corner of his mouth. "Guess you've been putting your foreign language skills to good use."

"Something like that." Emily forced a small smile, wishing Daniel would leave before she cracked. She blamed her hormones for her lack of emotional control, for making her vulnerable, but in actuality they were only forcing her to face her feelings.

Leaving was the last thing on Daniel's mind though. There was so much he wanted to say, even though none of it ever seemed to make a difference in the outcome of their situation. "Em -"

Emily recognized that familiar tone in his voice. He was about to say something endearing, something that might make her resolve completely crumble, given the apparent weakness she had developed for him. "Have you seen... Mr. Clarke?" She interrupted.

"Once," Daniel affirmed, quickly recovering from her intentional avoidance. He scoffed. "My delusional mother seems to think she has a chance with him and can get away with not telling David the truth."

"And what truth is that?" Emily questioned, testing how far Daniel would go. His father's treachery may have been exposed for the entire world to see, but to date, Daniel had never verbalized the ugly truth he had long known.

"That she betrayed him all those years ago. That she helped my father frame him for the downing of Flight 197." He knew this would not come as a surprise to her. Emily was well aware his esteemed family was far from perfect and housed many skeletons in its figurative closet. Nevertheless, it felt exceptionally liberating to say the words out loud to someone other than his parents, and Daniel decided right then and there that it would be the first of many admissions, come what may.

Emily paused, barely tilting her head. There it was – the hideous truth she had so long known, but had waited years for Daniel to come to know as well and acknowledge. His willingness to come clean gave her a sudden glimmer of hope. Perhaps, she had underestimated him. "Why are you telling me this now?"

"Because I've realized what a coward I've been, Em. I've been one my entire life." Daniel spread his hands, bringing his palms to the back of the vacant chair at the head of the table and pressing his fingers downward. "All the nonsense my father told me about survival being the only thing that mattered, and … that my life was more important than someone else who didn't hold the Grayson name was just that: nonsense."

Daniel leaned forward then for emphasis, resting his weight against the chair. "What he was really teaching me was how to be a coward. Because that's what he was when he framed David... a coward... And my mother's just as bad, you know... throwing her lavish parties and pretending that we're special... covering up the truth." Looking at the ceiling, he shook his head. "But as disgusted as I am with them... I'm no better."

Emily swallowed purposefully as Daniel's raw eyes returned to hers. "I walked away from Sarah after that accident. My mother handed me evidence against my father that would have put him away for life and instead of exposing him... I sided with him." Emily remembered that winter day well, the one that had changed everything for them. It was in that moment she had given up on Daniel. Looking back now, maybe it wasn't entirely fair on her part. He was raised to make the choice he did, and she had not even afforded him the opportunity to hear the full truth from her own lips. It was something she still had not done. But Daniel's next statement gripped her in a way she was not expecting, his voice and eyes filled with self-loathing recollection. "I shot you, Emily... my wife, the woman I've loved more than anyone or anything."

Emily shook her head dismissively, her eyes falling. "I put you through hell."

"There is no excuse for what I did," Daniel countered with finality. "And that's what I came to tell you tonight... I'm done hiding, Em." Her eyes rose at this in time to see his own dark eyes widening with purpose. "I'm going to turn myself in for what I did to you last year."

"Daniel -"

"I'm serious. It was despicable." He pursed his lips in contempt, giving his head another shake. "I don't blame you for leaving me." Daniel heaved a defeated breath. "And I deserve to be punished."

"Daniel, you can't do that. You can't turn yourself in." Dropping her chin, Emily looked up at him with hooded determination. "I won't let you."

He furrowed his brow in confusion. "Why?"

Emily closed her eyes again, gaining her nerve. Slowly, she pushed her chair out and rose to her feet, revealing her figure. Immediately, Daniel's eyes fell to her protruding stomach and he parted his mouth in disbelief. "Because you're going to be a father," Emily whispered, her emotions creeping up and threatening to take over.

Daniel continued to look on incredulously as his mind swiftly began putting the pieces together of how this was even possible, the first piece being that his mother must have cruelly fabricated Emily's medical results. Incensed, anger began to stir at his core, both for the agony he had since suffered as a result of her lies, not to mention the un-due pain it had inflicted on Emily. Then came the flashes of ravenously making love to Emily in his office at Voulez, the passionate images Daniel had been trying so desperately to forget.

Emily walked the few steps it took to close the gap between them. "I promise I'm not lying this time."

Her soft jesting drew Daniel back to the present. That was the last thing he was thinking of at the moment, but when he looked into Emily's eyes, he realized she was only partially joking. After all, it was rather ironic considering their history.

He shook his head again, blinking to dismiss the notion. "I didn't think -" His voice trailed, clearly stunned. Daniel looked down at her rounded stomach again and tentatively placed his hand against it, drawing a sharp breath when he soon felt the movements for himself. Feeling as though an enormous burden had suddenly been lifted, he began to smile, laughing lightly in pleasure.

His happiness warmed Emily's heart and she too began to smile, looking downward. "I think he recognizes you already," She fondly speculated.

Daniel looked up abruptly, catching a glimpse of her content expression. "He?"

Emily nodded, her eyes rising as well. "It's a boy." She smiled between the soft curvature of her lips.

Daniel could not help himself from kissing her then, the emotion of the moment overpowering any logic. It was a kiss that exhibited his relief in this latest revelation, and his love for her, still ever present and possibly even stronger now. Emily received it openly, enjoying the tender touch of his hand that was now cupping her cheek, a habitually endearing gesture.

She tasted just as he remembered, her scent equally as sweet and enough to arouse all his senses. Daniel moaned slightly, pulling back to rest his forehead against hers to share another smile. "We're gonna have a baby?" He rhetorically whispered to which Emily blissfully nodded, not caring about anything else other than sharing this special moment with him. But reality began sinking in, causing Daniel to withdraw in slow realization. "How... how could you keep this from me?"

Emily felt a wave of guilt wash over her, his questioning eyes reflected how hurt he was she withheld such information from him all these months. "I wanted to tell you, Daniel, but... I was protecting our child from your family, and... I was protecting you."

He crumpled his brow, not understanding. "Protecting me? From what?"

Emily paused. "From me."

"And that gave you the right to make yet another decision for me?" Daniel defensively argued, becoming agitated. Emily remained silent as he paced, processing his emotions. She could not blame him for being angry. He had every right to be. "So what – you were just going to do this all alone and never tell me that I had a son? And what were you going to tell him, huh? Make up some lie that his father didn't care enough to be around?"

"Daniel, please -" Emily breathed, but he ignored her.

"You know what I don't get? ...You went to great lengths to keep this from me, and... and now you just threw that away all that effort because of David Clarke." He shrugged, resting his hands at his waist in a scrutinizing manner. "I know you and Amanda were friends, but... if you really wanted to give him this house, you could have deeded it to him from Japan or wherever the hell you were. Why come back?" Daniel badgered. "Why come back and risk everything? Why?"

Emily closed her eyes, swaying her head contritely to the side. This was it. This was her opportunity to tell him the entire truth. "Because... " She drew a breath, opening her eyes. Daniel was waiting expectantly for her to finish, obviously perplexed and seeking a real explanation. Maybe it really was time to lay all her cards on the table. "He's my father," Emily exhaled, eyes glistening with vulnerability. Daniel's own eyes widened in shock as she finished, "I'm Amanda Clarke."

A/N: Hi, my loyal readers! Well, I'm tardy, per usual, in posting this update. This story had been rather neglected, and I am so sorry for that. I thank you for your patience and nudges to continue. Every comment received is so appreciated, and I would love to know your thoughts about this latest installment.

I had multiple requests for Emily to become pregnant after her passionate interlude with Daniel, and so your wish is my command, lol. I tried to do my best in filling in the gaps since there was a significant time jump, incorporate real events from the show, but also add my own twists. :)

Anyway, as always, I hope it was an enjoyable read. I tried to give you lots of Demily feels. :) Thank you again for being such great supporters!

Much love,

Only Hope-7 xoxo