Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Revenge, I Just Love It

Chapter 10: Conflict and Clashing Heads

4 Days Later

Slipping her key through the Grayson Manor front door, Emily Grayson gracefully stepped inside, a knowing glint in her eyes, as she thought about the calamity that would soon crash into Daniel Grayson.

With a cold heart she welcomed it; revenge had always been known to be sweet after all, and if not then she was fully prepared to dig her own grave...what else did she have to lose anyway?

Looking around the interior of Grayson Manor in all its grandeur, like a beast admiring the land they'd soon be conquering, she turned around when she heard Daniel's voice with the familiar mixture of two conflicting emotions in the tone of it.

He stopped just a metre away from her, not knowing how close the appropriate distance between them needed to be, as he asked, with concern and contrarily anger, "Where have you been?"

At Nolan's house was the answer, not that she cared to tell Daniel. She had stayed there for a few days needing a place to regroup before facing him head on, like she'd originally planned the moment her memories of the shooting had returned.

"Em's" he said again, trying to prompt her into answering.

She simply ignored him, pushing him to the side like an object in her way, as she walked further inside the house, feeling no need to stay trapped inside the front lobby with him.

Hearing the patter of his footsteps following her inside the living room, she felt him clasp onto her arm, stopping her from further advancing and subsequently pulling her back closer towards him.

She glared at him, trying not to react from the rather intimate way he decided to hold her, as she felt his hands encircle her waist, trapping her into facing him.

"You can't ignore me" he whispered in frustration.

"No, maybe first I need to drug you", she retorted jabbingly.

His eyes showed shame, "I'm sorry that was wrong of me, I..."

She shook her head in contempt, interrupting him as she spitefully replied, "Do you even have a sense of what's right and what's wrong anymore, or is it all just blurred for you in that head of yours?"

He looked back at Emily stuck for words, stumbling with them, as he answered, "I do, that's why I...that's why despite everything, I'm glad to see that you came back... and that you're looking well."

Emily scoffed, "What were you worried?" she murmured, as she used her hands to break his own from her waist. He dropped his hands, letting them fall to his sides, he'd only wanted to get her attention, not make her uncomfortable or even angrier. Though maybe on impulsive, he'd gone for her waist, because he missed it, because he longed for the time, when he could walk towards her and encircle her slim frame with his arms, drawing her in from the waist for an ardent kiss.

"You're still injured Emily" Daniel responded, with both honesty and guilt, "and as much as you like to try mask that, I know that physically you're still in pain and much weaker because of it...Do you really think I wanted you out alone, God knows where, in that condition?"

He paused for just a second, searching for an answer in her eyes, but he came up blank.

"Like you seem to be frustratingly good at, you took me by surprise when I went to pick you up from the hospital that morning only to find out that you'd checked yourself out. I had no idea where you were."

"Believe it or not I looked for you; I went into the city to see if you'd escaped to that little house. You know the one we found together and impulsively bought that one time." A small quick smile flashed across his lips, as memories of that day flooded his mind, but not a crack of a smile came from her. "I even went to the Stowaway, to check in with your friends, I barely got a foot in though before Jack and that fiery friend of yours kicked me out." Pausing he looked at her and slowly said, "By the fourth day, I really had thought you ran away."

"You're the one who runs Daniel...not me, and anyway I would have thought you'd have liked the idea of me running away, then you wouldn't have to deal with the consequences of your disgusting actions."

Daniel shook his head, "I want to deal with them...what I did to you..." he paused trying to piece together his words in a clear way that might make her understand, "I know that I can't make amends for what I did to you, I know that it can't ever be fixed, or that I should ever even deserve your forgiveness...but I...before we part even if it's just one small act of resolution, I want us to try and tie up at least one loose end. I want for both of us to be able to move on knowing that what's left behind, as messy as it may be, at least has some form of an ending."

Tentatively, Daniel took Emily's hands in his own as he looked into her well masked eyes, continued and said, "It's the only way we'll get the closure we need to move on, even after the chaos I regretfully caused."

Emily shook her head, her soft blonde hair bouncing in waves against her back, "I thought you understood Daniel. I thought I made it clear to you when I ripped off my bandage that night we fought. I don't want closure, Daniel, I'm quite fine standing in the chaos with you...I'm used to it by now anyway."

Daniels face scrunched up in frustration, and he dropped his hands from her own, "You lost control that night, maddened by anger, by pain...you weren't thinking rationally!"

"You take me too lightly Daniel, I'm not like you, I can become enraged without saying something or in your case doing something that I otherwise wouldn't. That night, I let my rage spill out, but I didn't let that curb my rationality..."

"You ripped of your bandage" Daniel shouted in anger, interrupting what she was going to say, "You let yourself bleed in your rage for me. You can paint that however which way you want but that was not a rational decision!"

Emily laughed, her lips curling up into a smirk, as the harsh sound escaped her lips, "I wanted you to see the harm you'd caused me in all its rawness, I wanted your guilt to swallow you up upon sight, I wanted you to understand just how serious I am in what I said... I am staying here with you, Daniel, by your side as your wife, and just like you promised me the first time you proposed to me, I am going to make you as happy as you've made me."

"Screw you!" he uttered in anger, his eyes looking towards her in disbelief. He was talking tensely now, trying to control his anger as once again he tried to reason with her, "I am trying here Em's, I really am, I am trying to become a better man, someone who could never in a million years, do what I did to you."

"and what good is that to me now" she replied coldly, "If I can't move on, why should you?"

"Then don't make it easy for me, send me to prison, set the press on me...let me atone for my sins, isn't that what you want?"

Emily shook her head, taking an intimidating step even closer towards him, so that their bodies were almost touching.

He could feel it, her resentment, her rage, as if it was cloaked around her aura vying to unnerve him, and standing there he could only marvel at the control she could immerse onto it, her own feelings, her rage... it made her deadly.

Looking towards Daniel, her dark brown eyes zeroing in on his, like a lioness ready to pounce on her prey. Emily slowly began to speak, the tone of her voice expressing scorn and ruthlessness above all, "I want you to ruin for your sins Daniel, atonement means nothing."

Backing away from Emily, needing to distance himself from her before he gave into his impulse that wanted to grab onto her shoulders and shake her until she understood, until she woke up from the pit she'd fallen into, Daniel aggressively raked his fingers through his hair in frustration, trying not to shout again in anger.

Taking a breath, trying to calm down, Daniel looked towards Emily desperately hoping that some sincerity would break through her steely composure.

"I love...d you Emily, with all of my heart, you were my...you consumed my heart, my thoughts... and yet I-I betrayed you in the worst way I possibly could, I hurt you and that thought sickens me, probably just as much, if not more than it even sickens you. I hurt you and every day that guilt eats away inside of me. If you want to punish me then punish me, I won't fight you on that, I deserve prison, I deserve to be publicly shamed, I deserve to face my heavy consequences... however, subsequently even I deserve the chance to atone for my sins and I can't let you take that away from me."

Daring to take a step closer towards Emily, he tentatively lifted his hand towards the left side of her face, cradling it gently, while his other hand, rested securely on her hip. He expected her to push him away, or glare up at him with her piercing brown eyes, but instead she allowed him, simply drawing in a dragged breath as their proximity increased. "I know that you're not this cruel Emily, I know that even underneath all this pain, and anger, that you have a heart...I can feel it, it's beating" he murmured softly, the tiniest of smiles cracking through on his face.

Drawing his other hand from her hip and settling that hand on the right side of her face, gently brushing away her stray blonde hair strands in the process, Daniel whispered, "Let's try move on Emily, and become better people, people who we can both be proud of."

She really was beautiful, Daniel thought to himself, as he gazed upon his tragic lover...his wife. With her smooth golden hair flowing down naturally in soft curls shaping her perfectly sculpted face, her striking brown eyes staring into his with a look he couldn't explain...and her lips, her soft, rosy colored lips.

Swallowing a lump in his throat, he knew what he wanted, and he also knew that it was a bad idea, a terrible one actually, nevertheless holding Emily so closely against his body, the hold she still had over him and his desire was just too strong. So promising himself just one last time, Daniel Grayson slowly tilted Emily's head up and leant in towards her placing his soft warm lips against her own. It was a gentle kiss, passionate but tentative, and in many ways it reminded Daniel of their very first, for he had been both as eager, cautious and gentle as he had been now.

"I'm sorry" he whispered immediately after, as he drew his lips away from her, savouring the taste of her on his tongue, "I was just..."

She shook her head slightly, "It's okay" she replied softly, as she felt his hands slowly drop from her face, "I knew you'd do that"

"How?"

Her lips turned up into a smile and she placed her hand on his chest as she leant into him, her lips gravitating to where his ear was, "because you're predictable" she whispered, her warm breath settling onto his ear, as she added, this time revealing the hidden malice she'd been concealing, "and because you're easy to manipulate" .

His mouth widened in horror and he hastily withdrew himself from her touch as if he'd been burned by fire, "You bitch" he uttered in anger, as he looked towards her in disgust.

She only laughed, her eyes reflecting a cruel sense of amusement, as she said, "How quickly I can make your emotions change Daniel."

There was no trying to reason with her this time, Daniel thought to himself angrily, and he didn't want to, he was done and he was going to let it show. She had used his sincere feelings against him like a joke, like they were in some sort of a game that she wanted to entrap him in, it was sick, it really was.

Glaring at her with dark angry eyes, he furiously said, his volume elevating with each sentence, "I've given you the benefit of the doubt Emily, ever since you woke up on that hospital bed. I've berated myself, letting my guilt eat up my insides and believed I've deserved it. I've shouted at my mother, sticking up for you every time she's said so much as one bad word against you. And every time I thought about how you lied to me about the pregnancy, I've withhold my anger believing that after what I did to you I didn't have the right to express it... But I am done! I won't let my past feelings for you interrupt me judgement on how to best deal with you now and I am not going to play that farce of a game you made up. It's time for you leave; I won't let you manipulate me anymore!"

Emily shook her head, not feeling phased by his outburst, "I'm serious about this Daniel and I'm the one holding all the cards. If it helps consider me the thorn in your side that you can't shake out. That's what it'll feel like having me as your wife."

"For your own sick twisted reasons, you might want to stay by my side, but you cannot make me stay by yours and if I have to... I will physically remove you from this house." He threatened, "So if you have any sense of dignity left, I suggest you walk out now."

Emily's dark brown eyes flickered up piercingly into his as she scornfully replied, "You shot me Daniel, and that gives me a lot of leverage over you. I know you like to think, that you're the type of man who can skip the easy way out and handle the full extent of your consequences...but you can't. The only way out of this is to go to prison for years, but you won't do that, I know you won't... Maybe there was a small chance that you might have been prepared, in order to find some sort of redemption in yourself... for me. But looking at me now in all my scorn, knowing that even after years in prison, I'll still look at you with this same resentment in my eyes, are you honestly saying that you're willing to go to prison for me? You wouldn't be able to handle it, locked up in there alone by yourself, with only your thoughts about our messed up relationship to amuse you, it would kill you, or if not, like last time your mother nearly might by orchestrating your own beat up."

Daniel shook his head, his eyes wandering to the liquor table where he spotted a 30 year old bottle of scotch. Walking towards it and pouring himself a generous glass, the rich liquid splashed against the ice cubes in his glass, causing them to bob to the surface as he drew the intoxicating liquid to his lips gulping it down.

Emily laughed at his angry defeated look, "Whatever can get you through the day, right Daniel"

He glared at her, retorting "I'm not going to offer you any, you're fucking crazy enough without it."

"Maybe" she shrugged, "but I won this fight" she added with a smirk, "and I knew I would."

Standing by the liquor table, silently fuming, as he continued to down the alcohol in his glass until only the shrunken ice cubes remained. Daniel placed his glass heavily back onto the table, and then proceeded to walk towards the sofa, where Emily's Prada handbag lay untouched. Undoing the clasp and pulling out her phone he continued his advance towards her.

"I've had enough of this!" he said tensely, his voice low and full of rage, "enough of you and enough of this fucking guilt...so call the police Emily, turn your husband in, I'd be happy to put you and this fucked up relationship behind me."

Slapping her phone in her hand, his angry brown eyes now just like Emily's, full of resentment, flickered up holding her gaze and dared her to call his bluff.

"You're not fucking winning this Em's" he couldn't help but sneer as he backed away from her.

Despite her surprise Emily masked it well, a look of indifference on her face as she dialled the three familiar numbers. She hadn't thought he had it in him, but even still she knew her judgement on the matter would have to wait until the police had led him away handcuffed, for there was still ample time for him to get out of it. What way should she bet? That he'd back out like a coward, or that he'd actually live up to his talk, and face his consequences. She didn't know, but maybe just maybe, if he did allow the police to take him, then she could possibly think about forgiving him.

"Well years in prison seems more like it's my win then yours." Emily retorted as she put the dialling phone up to her ear, "Who knows Daniel, maybe this is what I wanted all along, maybe I knew you wouldn't go to the police unless I baited you...maybe this is all part of my manipulation".

"Shut up" he hissed, scowling at her as his heart beat rapidly against his chest in anxiety. "for once just..."

He was interrupted, as Emily began to speak over the phone, using her politest voice for the South Hampton PD, " Hello, Emily Grayson speaking", she paused listening to what they had to say before responding, her voice sounding nervous, alarmed, "I remembered something important from that night, I-I'd like to speak to someone in person, I'm here at the Grayson Manor."

"They're on their way" she kindly informed her husband as she hung up, before gracefully sitting down on the sofa and slipping her phone back into her purse.

"You could have told them over the phone" Daniel growled, as he began to pace the room in uneasiness, ending back up at the liquor table, with that empty glass of scotch in his hand, "instead of dragging this out."

"Oh don't panic now, I'm giving you a chance to back out"

"Are you happy? Are you enjoying this?" he shouted infuriated, as he slammed his glass back on the table, his booming voice echoing in the spacious living room, as he reached for the decanter to pour more.

"I wouldn't if I were you" Emily murmured patronizingly, "You're guilty enough as it is and the smell of alcohol on your breath at 11:30 in the morning will only make you look guiltier. In fact before the police get here, if I were you then I'd try mask the smell of alcohol from your breath."

His hand hovered on the decanter, but even in his fuming anger, he knew that what she said, no doubt intending to piss him off from its condescending nature, was right. So leaving his empty glass as it was, and pulling out a pack of mint gum, from where his jacket lay strewn against a chair, he popped a piece into his mouth and silently continued to pace the room, waiting in dread until the doorbell would ring.

Why now, he thought angrily to himself, as memories of the past began to torture him. Memories from his past brush up with the law, the police...the court. It had been a terrible time in his life, but he knew he'd been lucky, to get out of it as he had, and with his fiancé still waiting on the other side like she promised.

Emily was so supportive of him during that time, and he had hated to admit it but back then he had honestly doubted that she'd stay with all the uproar and stress it had caused...but she had. Emily had stayed through it all, even when he doubted his own innocence, she stayed. Even when the judge had locked him in prison, she stayed. Even when her name was getting slandered through the media for sticking with him, she stayed. She stayed and because of her support, he was able to hold onto his hope and get through that rough time.

Flashback

"Daniel, are you sure that you're okay?" Emily asked softly with concern, as she looked towards her fiancé, all battered and bruised from the physical assault he'd faced in prison.

Looking back at Emily, Daniel tried to reassure her with a smile, though it turned out looking more like a grimace in the condition he was in.

Emily drew closer to him, wrapping her arms ever so gently around his body, and engulfing him in her love and warmth, "It's okay, you're home now" she whispered soothingly, "and I'm here, whatever you want just..."

"Thank you" Daniel murmured, as he tentatively lifted his hand to her face, "you're a saint"

Emily leant into his touch, closing her eyes as she felt his fingers brush against her cheek and then slowly begin to play with her hair, "I'm not perfect" she responded quietly as her eyes fluttered open again.

He placed his lips gingerly against her own, "You are to me, you always will be"

Emily shook her head slightly, "You can't say that" she murmured, as she looked away from him. This time, her voice just below a whisper, she added, "I'm only trying afterall".

Daniel frowned slightly, not understanding why she couldn't accept what he'd said, neither understanding what she had meant, "What can I say then?" he asked softly.

Emily's eyes flickered back up into his, and her lips curled up into an innocent smile, as she replied "say that you love me anyway."

"I love you anyway" Daniel repeated with no hesitation, smiling back at her, as she slowly helped to ease him onto his bed, his back resting comfortably against the plush cushions propped up against the head board.

Emily looked at him with concern as he winced from that simple movement, and she stayed standing by his bedside, her hand holding onto his, as she earnestly said, "I'm really sorry this happened to you Daniel; the shooting, you being accused as guilty and put on trial...the assault. If I had...if we hadn't gotten into that argument on the beach that night, then none of this would have happened and we would have been in Paris by now, starting a new life."

"I'm so sorry Daniel" Emily uttered regretfully.

Daniel squeezed her hand, shaking his head as he honestly replied, "This isn't your fault Em's, it's mine...the truth is I let my mother get into my head, and I doubted you and your love for me, when I shouldn't have. Because of that I thrust the idea of Paris onto you as a test for your love, and when you didn't immediately say yes, I regretfully doubted you even more...I don't know what I was thinking, I didn't need to test your love and the way I did certainly proved nothing except my own idiocy. I'm the one who's sorry Em's, I never should have doubted you in the first place and I never want to again."

Emily paused, not knowing how to respond. A part of her was hurt that Daniel had doubted her so easily only needing some prompting from that cruel mother of his...but then he had apologized so sincerely and she really didn't want to be mad at him.

"Then don't" she replied resolutely, her brown eyes flickering up into his own "don't doubt me".

"I won't" he assured her, as once again he apologetically whispered, "I'm sorry".

Drawing her hand to Daniel's face, Emily gently brushed her fingers soothingly across his bruised cheek, as she softly murmured, "and don't doubt yourself...you're innocent".

Daniel shook his head, "You know that I might not be Em's, I just...as much as I try, I can't remember what happened on the beach that night with Tyler".

He paused looking at her shamefully, as he quietly asked, "What if Im not innocent?"

"Then it was self-defense" she assured him.

"But, what if it wasn't" Daniel further pressed.

"Daniel..."

"I'm serious Em's, this blank space in my head...it terrifies me and I don't want to believe the worst but I..." he paused, and not knowing how to finish that sentence, began to say what he really intended to ask her, " I need to know what you'd think...in honesty."

"Daniel when I look at you I see a kind soul and an innocent heart and I can't imagine that you could ever kill anyone out of pure anger, or cold blood or whatever it is that people kill for...but then again people never like to believe that the people they love are capable of cruel actions...To answer your question, I would think that what you did was wrong and unsettling, and I don't think that I could still be in a relationship with you...but I...even saying that, I know that a part of me would still love you anyway...maybe that makes me sick but I...I can't imagine ever not loving you. "

Flashback End

Looking at Emily now sitting on the sofa, no doubt enjoying his impending doom, Daniel wondered if even now, there was a part of her that still loved him. He doubted it, but a part of him still hoped against the odds, not that it really mattered. The one thing he did know though, was that when he went to prison and stayed in there for years paying out his sentence, unlike last time, there would be no lover...no Emily waiting on the other side for him.

Well, here's chapter 10, it didn't turn out exactly as I wanted it to, but I hope you all enjoyed it. Comments are appreciated =D

It's a bit late but Happy New Year as well, I hope 2015 is a great year for all!