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

A/N

I'm finally back with a new chapter... I hope some of you are still interested in this story. I know it's been forever (and even that's an understatement), so I'm really sorry about that, I will try to do much better in future. On a good note though, I made this chapter extra long to try and make up for it, so hopefully you'll enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

A shout-out to Starfiction123, she kept encouraging and motivating me to hurry up and write this chapter, so without her I probably would have taken even longer. On that note, she's a super amazing writer and has some really awesome stories if you're interested. We're actually collaborating on one of hers called "Sensei, A Little Help?" (though she's doing the majority of the hard work).

I would check it out, it's got a nice revenge-type feel to it xD... and to any of those reading "Now I Am Haunted", it's not abandoned, I have most of it written and will try to update as soon as possible.

Anyway, here's chapter six, hope you enjoy.

Chapter 6: Deal With The Devil

Amanda sat up in bed with tired brown eyes as she nervously scanned her surroundings. She was in a spacious room with everything colour coordinated in light tones against the soft cream coloured walls, and not a speck out of place. Beside her, there was a vase of flowers on her bedside table, and against the back and adjacent wall, two elegant paintings in golden frames. It was too much, the sophisticated styled room, with even it's fresh scent carrying the opulent stench of the rich. She was within no doubt in the home of the Grayson's… and as that thought swept through her mind, reminding her of the events which had ultimately led her back here… Amanda let out a startled breath, as with shaky limbs she climbed out of the plush bed, thankful at least that she remained in her own ratty clothes, and not the soft cashmere pajamas she saw neatly folded at the foot of her bed.

Walking into the private bathroom, conveniently attached to the guest room, Amanda sat down on the edge of the bathtub, wondering why she felt the urge to cry. She was safe now, Daniel's promise had proved to be more than just comforting words, and yet she still felt in danger... not imminent danger... subtle, quiet, the type of danger that crept up on one, like it had her two-faced father.

She was being paranoid, that she knew, but she didn't trust Victoria Grayson, and seeing her yesterday, in flesh, up close; cold dark eyes to her own resentful ones had only intensified all the feelings she had been trying to get past and all the painful memories of her father.

24 hours ago

It was just before noon in Connecticut, though the sun still clung back behind the cloudy skies as Amanda and Daniel slowly walked along the lakeshore trail, her steps always a few paces ahead, while he hung behind, his eyes glued to her back as though it held the answers to her locked off mind.

Daniel wished he could tell what Amanda was thinking, but her mind was as closed off as the sketching book she carried but refused to show him. Still, he couldn't deny he felt a sense of satisfaction walking next to her like this, for even if just a little, he'd managed to get through to her; to show he cared, and actually have her believe it. Now it was just a matter of being able to put his money where his mouth was in terms of getting her away from the hands of her abusive foster father.

"We can't beat the system Daniel, this isn't some stupid teenage novel, where we rebel and win, I'm better off just putting up with it for two more years, or trying my chances at running away again".

"Again?" Daniel questioned slowly, hearing her sigh in response, as she mumbled, "it was a failed attempt, some police officer found me on the fifth night and brought me back to the station... I was thirteen at the time."

"He probably saved you, you know" Daniel murmured quietly, thinking about his little sister who was that age now. He couldn't imagine a thirteen-year-old girl surviving on the streets alone. "Though I bet you were pretty tough even then"

"Only because I had to be" Amanda muttered bitterly, not wanting to delve into just how much the system had hardened her personality and shed her innocence.

"Well, what about emancipation?" Daniel questioned, only vaguely knowing what that really entailed, but wanting to put out a viable solution. A solution Amanda only scoffed at in return as she kicked harshly at the pebbles on the ground, "Ideally that would be the best, but the judge would never grant me that, I'm literally one act away from Juvie, not independent living"

"But if the judge could be swayed?" Daniel persisted his mind by default beginning to reel like a Grayson's.

"Swayed by what?" Amanda asked sarcastically "my sunny disposition".

Daniel shook his head, "No, by my parents" he replied, not noticing the way her body instantly stiffened at his suggestion, "They have powerful connections everywhere, they could really help you, you know."

"No", Amanda muttered in response, the words instantaneous out of her mouth, as she shook her head for good measure. She didn't want the parent Grayson's to be her answer... they couldn't be, not when deep down she had always known them to be the devil's who had corrupted her father.

"Why would they even help me?" Amanda replied sourly, "I don't need their pity".

"My parents aren't capable of pity, I'm hardly sure they're even capable of sympathy" Daniel replied slowly, his face scrunching up in confusion at her clear disdain for what he viewed as a foolproof solution, "but… if I talk to them, I know I could convince them."

Turning to face Daniel, observing the seriousness in his face, Amanda could see that Daniel held no sense of doubt that his parents would not be able to help, but even with that knowledge, and even with the tangible prospect of their help enabling herself to escape the foster care system, instinctively, Amanda's strongest impulse, despite all that, was to viciously repel the very idea of their help.

"They wouldn't help me" Amanda replied firmly, a hint of resentment escaping her voice as she added, "I'm a Clarke remember".

"You talk about them as though they've done something personal to you. You don't…."

"Don't what" Amanda interrupted coldly, her tone cautioning Daniel to tread carefully as he slowly replied, "I don't know…think they're to blame or anything?".

Amanda shook her head slowly in response, knowing it was what he needed to hear. The movement causing her head to feel unusually heavy, as though it didn't quite agree with her motion, "All I know is that one day my father was good and the next day he was evil, and I was screaming and being carried out of my house by a swat team. Your parents were on my porch that night… and it made it more painful knowing that your mother…."

"My mother what?" Daniel interrupted, his voice both firm and anxious, as he looked at Amanda with defensive eyes.

Staring back at him, her brown eyes catching the subtle but ever so present protective look in his own brown eyes. It was as though a wave of realization suddenly washed over her, reminding her of what he really was... a Grayson.

Daniel had made it so easy to forget but no matter how kind he was... or how unlike them he seemed, when it came down to it, Daniel was still very much their son, and though he was able to recognize his parent's flaws, like any good child he believed that at their very core lay good.

"Nevermind" Amanda mumbled, keeping the secret of his mother's affair with her father to herself. She wasn't ready to offend the one person she might have on her side, or worse deal with the likelihood of him refusing to believe her and defending his mother, an action she knew would hurt her most. "I just... recall a look of pity in her eyes that night... that's all."

"I'm sorry" Daniel whispered sincerely, knowing his apology wouldn't offer her much comfort but feeling the need to say it anyway. "You never deserved this pain".

"It's not like I got to choose" Amanda murmured quietly, a painful look across her face as her mind without warning flashed back to the night it had all changed.

"Maybe not" Daniel responded slowly, gently bumping into Amanda's shoulder so she looked towards him, wanting her to see that she wasn't alone, " but you can choose now... let me ask my parents, and let them help you… My mother's here now in Connecticut. My parents flew down to watch my final match and my mother booked a hotel room for the night, while my father went home for business soon after we won." Daniel quickly explained, leaving out the part where he was supposed to have left with his mother hours ago. As it was his teammates who had left in the coach bus they had come together had probably arrived back home in the Hampton's by now.

Still, he was glad he had decided to look for Emi... Amanda, Daniel thought to himself as his gaze shifted somberly towards the bruise on her face, thankful that he hadn't left her alone to deal with the enduring situation of her abuse. "Please say, you'll take my solution" Daniel gently pleaded, his soft brown eyes staring into hers so intently that Amanda's head began to throb.

He held so much hope it was painful, and Amanda couldn't share his same view, knowing all too well the burden of the name she carried. It wouldn't all be okay, that's what life had taught her… so if Daniel was looking to save her then she'd always fall through his grasp, but maybe, just maybe he could at least help her ….in a way he already had by offering her his friendship. And if Daniel really could get her out of the system, even at the mercy of that dark-haired woman, then maybe swallowing her pride and the aversion she felt towards the idea was something she just had to do. In any case, whatever would come after making a deal with the devil, couldn't be much worse than being used as a punching bag for a man almost three times her age.

"Okay" Amanda whispered, her voice barely audible as she squeezed out the words, he wanted to hear, "Please help me".

Present Day

"Do you do these things just to spite me?" Conrad asked angrily, his voice having honed the bitter tone, he reserved for his equally sharp-tongued wife. "I leave you alone for a second… and you seek that man's daughter and bring her into our house like you would a stray dog".

"That's an interesting tale you're spinning " Victoria replied, scowling from where she sat at the foot of their bed, her eyes trailing Conrad as he paced the room in unsettlement. "When it was your son, who found the girl".

"My son", Conrad laughed, "We both know who he resembles more… I mean it was from you where he got his weak spot for a Clarke", Conrad quipped, a sense of satisfaction washing over his face as he watched Victoria's cloud in aggravation.

24 hours ago

"Did you say Amanda Clarke?" Victoria questioned, her face paling and her eyes widening in silent surprise, as the name Clarke began to expand in her mind, bombarding her system of the memories she had forced herself to suppress. His gentle nature and sincere brown eyes, the way he'd look at her as though he saw her for the woman she aspired to be and not the woman beyond repair she actually was.

It was his daughter who had seen right through her though. She still remembered that stormy night when David had grasped her cold wet hand in his warm one, leading her upstairs towards his bedroom. He hadn't seen, too wrapped up with his destination in mind, but as she had trailed willingly behind him, her peripheral vision had caught something, or more someone staring back at her with cold and suspecting eyes from behind the kitchen counter. It was as though even then Amanda Clarke had known she was toxic and unable to be trusted, even when she herself was fooled by the delusion that she would love David purely. She had felt chills that night from the warning eyes of an eight-year-old child, knowing now that it was because it was the premonition of her betrayal to come.

"... She can't stay in that house with her foster father abusing her" Daniel continued, carefully choosing his words as he optimized his mother's surprising silence to explain how they had become friends, and why he needed her help, "and being the daughter of a terrorist, the foster system's so unfairly stacked against her that she doesn't even get a real chance."

"It may not seem fair, Daniel," Victoria replied slowly, "but the foster system's in place for a reason, and if Amanda is being abused as you say she is, then she should be moved to a different home".

"If?" Daniel repeated in disbelief, his fists clenching up in anger at the thought of what she'd been enduring, being viewed as something merely debatable. "He left the bruise on her face".

"A bruise is only proof that one has been hit, it doesn't show by who." Victoria responded candidly, her eyes narrowing as she looked down at her son and added, " You need to consider the idea that Amanda's been using you, knowing the power and wealth you hold as a Grayson. You've always been too kind, your father's not wrong when he calls it a weakness".

"I don't believe that" Daniel responded steadfastly, staring at his mother with defiant eyes, disappointed but hardly surprised by the way his mother had been able to twist his story into one where Amanda was a deceiving opportunist. "Amanda of all people sees me as more than just a Grayson… and unlike you and Dad, I don't want to live my life being feared, I'd much rather have people see me for me".

"You've become awfully close to somebody you've only known for a week" Victoria replied disapprovingly, the cruel irony of the situation causing a sickening feeling to settle in her stomach. Their son, and David's daughter, if that wasn't karma then she didn't know what was.

Shaking his head in frustration, feeling it rising up inside of him, Daniel breathed in deeply, knowing he had to quell it being at the mercy of his mother. "Please" Daniel pleaded, the determination and purity in his dark brown eyes causing her to wonder where he got his heart from. It certainly wasn't from her… her heart had been corrupted long ago, and as for Conrad's, she knew his was as warped as her own.

"I promised Amanda I would help her and all it would take is a little compassion from you and dad. If you could just talk to the judge or someone, make her life a little easier. You always parade around all those charity events, claiming to care about people other than yourselves, but other than throwing money at less fortunate people's problems, you rarely show it. Helping her would go the longest of ways, I mean she's hardly even been given at least the chance of happiness."

That's all I really wish for Amanda….for her to be happy in life

Flashback

The two of them were sitting on the sofa snuggled up against each other by his fireplace, "I want to show you something" David whispered, brushing a strand of hair from her eyes, before standing up and coming back moments later with a little scrapbook. Opening it up to the first page as he settled back down next to Victoria, David smiled as he stared down at his daughter's first baby picture. "Isn't she adorable?" he murmured dolefully.

Victoria nodded her head in response, watching as he flipped through the pages, each photo telling a simple story, and demonstrating the unending love he held for his daughter, "She has your eyes".

"And my stubbornness" David laughed, "I feel like she's growing up so fast though...I mean you know with Daniel... but you just want to shield them from everything bad, everything toxic in the world, but the older they get the more exposed to it they become. Like one day, I'll have to tell her the truth about her mother… for now though I just want her childhood memories to be full of sunshine. That's all I really wish for Amanda… for her to be happy in life."

Flashback End

Daniel was right, Victoria thought, unbeknownst to him, not even realizing the depth of the situation his own parents had created. Not only had they tarnished David's image and stolen his future, but they had also stolen the one wish he held for his daughter.

Victoria had willed herself to forget the night they had framed David Clarke and the messy aftermath of all it. It was for Daniel... she had told herself... for her family… she'd had no choice. Those thoughts hardly comforted her but she had needed to tell herself something rather than that her selfishness and self-preservation held no bounds. Her guilt had never ended, but as any selfish person could, she'd learned to live with it, even thrived by the ruthless nature it had created in her. Though that wasn't to say she no longer felt it, traces of her guilt still lingered in every ounce of her being. Maybe her son befriending Amanda was more than just cruel irony, maybe helping her was her chance to assuage at least a little of that guilt. At the very least David Clarke might stop haunting her in her dreams if she helped his precious little daughter.

"And what in your right mind compelled you to agree to his request of helping her? Did we not wash ourselves of the Clarke's long ago"

"The Clarke's yes… but not the guilt", Victoria responded slowly, her voice sounding sore and exhausted, "no matter how much I try to scrub it off, it doesn't….. it's stained. And you can't tell me that you don't feel it anymore either. You may have hated the man but…"

"We did what we had to do Victoria" Conrad interrupted, his voice firm and unwavering, though deep down even his hardened heart couldn't deny the discord he felt at what they'd done, "and given those same circumstances I'd do it again if I had too and I know you would too."

His words momentarily silencing Victoria into unwanted thoughts where his words rang true, Victoria shook her head opting not to respond to his statement, and instead got back to the situation at hand, "I know this situation is less than ideal, and I don't want his daughter in our house anymore than you do, but our son befriended her, and although I see it more as a cruel coincidence than anything else, I can't help but feeling as though maybe we should help her... it may ease our guilt a little, and at the very least it's not as though that sixteen-year-old girl is any threat to us."

She'd made sure of that years in advance, when she had enlisted Dr. Michelle Banks, then just an overworked, mentally drained psychiatrist, to institutionalize an eight-year-old Amanda and condition her into believing that her loving father was as guilty as everyone else believed. Amanda had proved stubborn for a long while at first but over time, Dr. Banks had been able to twist Amanda's young mind and innocent heart into believing what they wanted her to know as true.

Conrad nodded his head slowly in response, feeling no compelling reason to argue against Victoria this time around, or simply just not having the energy to. Sighing, Conrad looked towards her, his cold grey eyes locking onto her calculating dark brown ones, as he uttered, "Fine, but she's all yours Victoria, I washed myself of the Clarke's long ago."

It was the late afternoon when Daniel and Amanda Clarke were summoned by Victoria Grayson. Prior to, Amanda had taken up Daniel's offer to bide time in his room with him.

His room was spacious and polished, straight out of a page from a home interior magazine for the perfect teenage boy's room, and it really was perfect, geared with all the necessary electronics and gadgets most guys would drool over but could not afford. In a way though, it seemed a little impersonal to his own self, like something he had little say in decorating, though there were little things she noticed in the room that made it his own.

Walking into the living room now to find Victoria sitting poised on her favourite armchair, Amanda glanced at her apprehensively before taking a seat beside Daniel on the three-seater sofa opposite from Victoria.

"So I talked to your father" Victoria spoke, addressing her son first, before shifting her eyes and message to the teenage girl beside him, "and we've agreed to see what we can do in helping you become emancipated, Amanda. In the meantime, you'll be staying with us. I have already smoothed things over with your supervising social worker".

"Thank you" Amanda murmured in reply, slow in uncertainty as she forced herself to look up into the dark eyes of the woman in front of her, unable to shake the dissonance she felt within or the aversion she felt towards Victoria. Still, this was a good thing, wasn't it? Emancipation was her chance to be free of the system, so why question Victoria and her motive in helping her?

"However," Victoria continued, watching as her son began to narrow his eyes at her, unsurprised that his mother had a catch. "Reintroducing Amanda Clarke back into the Hampton's would cause too much havoc".

"What are you saying?" Daniel questioned, trying not to sound defensive, as he looked towards Amanda to see her reaction. She had given none though, simply waiting for Victoria to finish first.

"I'm saying that if Amanda Clarke wants to stay in the Hampton's and away from the foster system, then she needs to keep her identity hidden. This, of course, is for her own benefit as well, the press would not leave her alone, and neither would questions and preconceptions from people within the Hampton's".

Biting his lip, trying to hold his tongue, Daniel shook his head, knowing that although his mother could be right, keeping Amanda's identity hidden was for nobody's benefit but her own. Put simply, Victoria did not want the Grayson's to be associated with the daughter of an infamous terrorist, even though Amanda herself was just another one of David's victims, unlucky enough to be of the same blood. It truly aggravated him that even when his mother was helping somebody, the matter of her image... or the Grayson image could never stray far from her mind.

"I understand" Amanda replied quietly, deep down even feeling relieved that for a little while at least, she could shed herself of the soiled stain her father had left upon her.

"So your name will be... "

"Emily Thorne" Amanda quickly filled in for Victoria, the name already feeling the most comfortable.

Victoria simply nodded her head, as she laid out the story with quick expertise, "Emily Thorne is the daughter of a family friend… Charles Thorne who lives in LA and works for a pharmaceutical company. She is staying with us for a short while, while her father's away on business".

"What about her mother?" Daniel asked.

"She died in a car crash when Emily was young" Victoria responded easily, something about the way she said it, making Amanda stiffen.

"Is this story understood?" Victoria questioned coercively, narrowing her eyes at Amanda as she waited for her response.

"Of course" Amanda muttered, trying to hide her uneasiness and the way Victoria just rubbed her the wrong way, as she watched the so-called Queen of the Hampton's lips curl up into a small accomplished smile.

"You have one chance" Victoria added sternly, her eyes seeming to darken in warning, as she bore them into Amanda's, "I'm doing you a favour but I will not hesitate to take it all away, if word gets out that you are Amanda Clarke".

"I understand" Amanda replied firmly, refusing to avert her eyes away from the older woman's fierce gaze, not wanting to seem intimidated by someone she suspected many feebly bowed down to.

"With that being said, I've arranged for a hairdresser to come first thing tomorrow morning to fix that hair of yours… the black dye has to go. And nobody is going to believe you're a friend of the Grayson's if you're dressed like that, so I've instructed Charlotte to take you around town tomorrow to dress you up the part of an affluent teenage girl. No objections I hope?" Victoria questioned in a self-assured voice, narrowing her eyes at Amanda until she shook her head in begrudging compliance, swallowing down the distaste she felt.

"Well I guess that's that" Daniel murmured, not knowing whether to thank his mother or apologize to Amanda for her harshness, knowing per usual his mother's way of going about things or way with words was not the softest. Still, she had promised to get Amanda emancipated, so he was more grateful to her than anything else. Standing up from the couch, sensing their conversation was over, Daniel thanked his mother earnestly receiving a tight-lipped smile in return as he began to walk out the room, Amanda close on his heels. But before she could turn the corner and leave the queen to her demons, Victoria's voice rung through the air, reluctantly stopping her, and forcing herself to turn back around to face her.

"I'm doing you a grand favour Amanda, emancipation with the awful track record you have isn't even considered in courts. I want you to remember that" Victoria said calculatedly, her eyes narrowing at the tough young girl in front of her, sensing that she needed to be further pressured into her control. Amanda's circumstances had no doubt hardened the bright-eyed smiling little girl, David had once showed her in pictures, but empathy wasn't one of Victoria's strong suits, and she wouldn't tolerate defiance nor foolish lips spilling her secrets of her affair with David Clarke.

"With that being said" Victoria continued, standing up dauntingly from her chair as she walked closer towards Amanda, finding proximity was always best when threatening somebody. "I trust you'll have the good sense, to keep the past in the past, Amanda", she callously finished, having no doubt that David's daughter would understand her message clearly.

Nodding her head slowly, this time not hiding the glower in her own brown eyes or ignoring the aversion felt in the pit of her stomach, before turning and walking away, Amanda stared fiercely back at her father's twisted lover and coolly replied, "It's Emily now, Victoria."

Staring at her reflection in the dressing room mirror Amanda lifted her hand up to her hair, twirling her now honey-blond curls between her fingers trying to determine how she felt about being back to her natural colour.

In a word… she felt vulnerable. Her jet black straightened hair had been more than just a fashion statement or rebellious act. It had been a part of her identity, the one she'd created for Amanda Clarke. The girl no one dared to mess with or feared trying to know. Her hair had cemented her image as the tough, angry, closed-off girl she was by hardening all the features on her face and by simply hiding them. With blonde hair though... it wasn't the same, it had softened her whole look, and taken away that harshness.

And already she felt it… felt weakened, although maybe that had something to do with the Hampton's effect on her. It certainly wasn't easy being back after eight years. It had taken more willpower than she wanted to admit to even step outside on the beach shore. An action she had taken alone in the middle of the night, that very same evening they had arrived. Of course, the beach on Grayson Manor had a different viewpoint than the one she had as a kid, but it had helped… trying to reintegrate her body back into the Hampton's through the beach she had once loved. That same night, Amanda had also forced herself to glance at her old beach house, knowing that she couldn't shield her eyes from what was now so close. It had left a sharp aching pain in the pit of her stomach, but she'd kept staring anyway, wanting to prove to herself that she could handle the pain all the reminders in the Hampton's would inevitably conjure up.

Glaring in the mirror now, Amanda let out a small growl of frustration as she adjusted the burgundy top she was supposed to be trying on for Charlotte, unaccustomed to clothes shopping and fancy boutiques, or giving two shits over which top suited her best, or what the hell her fashion style was. In a word, she hated it, it felt so foreign, so silly to fuss over so many different clothes for so long. And the prices were just ridiculous, $500 for a single pair of jeans. She could imagine a hundred different ways a foster child could more productively spend that money, and still have extra for the couple nice things they didn't need but just really wanted.

It made her want to hate them… all of them, all the people flashing their pearly white teeth at the cashier's and swiping their shiny credit cards loaded with an abundant amount of funds. But she couldn't hate all of them, she couldn't hate Charlotte Grayson. She was spoiled, sheltered and naive to the core... everything she truly hated. But Charlotte, like her brother, also held something their parents didn't seem to have; a genuineness, and sincerity about herself, that shone through her privilege.

When Amanda had first been introduced to Charlotte, she'd found herself wanting to draw away from the cheerful young girl and her smile, it painfully reminding her of the girl she had once been. As Amanda was now though, they were complete opposites, herself troubled, closed-off and distrusting, while Charlotte's personality was bright and innocent.

Even still the younger girl had been excited to get to know her as she'd led Amanda through the town taking her mother's instructions to dress Amanda like one of them very seriously. She had asked a lot of questions at first, but quickly realizing Amanda wasn't a talker, Charlotte had filled the silence with her own voice, much like Daniel had on the bench. She had also taken the lead when finding clothes, noticing Amanda wasn't very much into it. All in all, Charlotte had been able to make what Amanda had expected to be an unbearable day, much more enjoyable, and for that Amanda was grateful to the younger girl.

Sitting beside Charlotte in the back seat of the Mercedes Benz their shopping day long over. Amanda felt her heart racing as the Grayson chauffeur lolled the car into a gentle stop outside of a familiar setting which had once felt like a second home to her childhood self.

"What are we doing here?" Amanda asked painfully, shifting her eyes towards the girl beside her.

Flashback

"This is where you live?" An eight-year-old Amanda asked skeptically, stepping inside the Stowaway Tavern behind her best friend Jack Porter, and shifting closer towards him in fear, as a big burly man with a scruffy beard walked past them towards the bar table.

"It's sort of scary" she whispered, her eyes looking around the dim-lit bar to spot big men scattered around the room, laughing loudly and clinking their beer glasses against each other's, "And where's your bedroom?" Amanda asked curiously, waving shyly towards Jack's father behind the bar counter. Mr. Porter being the one familiar face she knew in the place.

Laughing quietly, having long ago become accustomed to the locals of their bar, most of them always much friendlier than their appearance. Jack grabbed her hand, not used to seeing Amanda shy as he weaved their bodies expertly through the people, chairs and table, and led her up the stairs "I'll show you" he replied with a smile, excited to show her his beach rock collection and sail themed bed sheets.

Flashback End

Feeling a lump begin to form at the back of her throat as warm memories of the two of them began to resurrect in her mind. Amanda closed her eyes and shook her head slowly, not feeling prepared enough to see him... not yet.

"How did you know?" Amanda questioned slowly, a hint of uneasiness in her voice as she stared at the youngest Grayson waiting for an explanation.

"Declan Porter's my best friend," Charlotte replied with a smile, "so I come here a lot… and Jack he's talked about you before, always with a painful smile, but he says sometimes we remind him of you and him… or of how he'd imagined you and him would be at thirteen."

Blinking in quiet surprise, trying to process the strange correlation of Charlotte's words, Amanda looked out towards the bar, unable to deny the feeling of warmth and relief at the mention that Jack still thought about her, as she often did him. Jack had always been her happy place to go back to, her safe place when her real world was too hard to manage.

Trying to steady her composure, as she waited for Charlotte to bring Jack outside to meet her, Amanda feeling rattled from nerves found herself walking towards the docks behind the bar where the cool ocean breeze blew stronger. It was there she spotted it, anchored against the docks, a medium-sized, dark blue sailboat, her name painted across it in golden letters. "The Amanda" she whispered to herself quietly, walking closer towards it as her fingertips lightly trailed the smooth outer surface of the boat.

Snapping out of her trance as a loud bark erupted from behind her, Amanda instinctively retracted her hand from the boat as she turned around to see a large golden dog bounding towards her. "Sammy" she whispered emotionally, flashing back to the day the small, soft, energetic puppy had been put into her arms, and marvelling at how he had now grown. Bending down, laughing as Sammy jumped up onto her tongue wagging excitedly from the familiarity of his former owner, Amanda stroked his head affectionately, and buried her face into his fur, whispering how much she had missed him.

It was only when Sammy let out a soft little bark, did Amanda lift her face to see a teenage boy with messy dark brown hair staring back at her with electrifying sea blue eyes. Jack's eyes, Amanda thought, exhaling the long breath of air she'd unintentionally been holding in at the thought that it was really him. Jack hadn't changed... well he had grown of, of course, his body showing off a strong, dependable build, and his height having obviously increased. Though staring at him, Amanda suspected she may have nearly closed the gap in their height difference which had seemed so evident as children. What hadn't changed though was Jack's warm and kind disposition which she could immediately feel even after all these years.

"Sammy" Jack called out slowly, feeling as though he was interrupting the girls special moment with his own dog. Laughing awkwardly, when Sammy ignored his calling and instead remained contently by her side, Jack raked his fingers through his hair in confusion, sending the girl who'd captured his dog's attention a friendly smile.

She was pretty by any standard and looked to be about his age; she was average in height, slender, and had soft honey-blonde coloured hair that fell down in waves and striking brown eyes that felt strangely familiar... if not faraway.

"I think he likes you better than his own owner" Jack joked casually, getting a very small smile out of a frozen Amanda Clarke.

She was expecting too much out of him, it wasn't fair, Amanda thought to herself silently, knowing that she needed to tell him... tell him who she was. But a part of herself... maybe the selfish part didn't want to tell him, she just wanted him to know, to look her in the eyes and recognize her for his best friend who had shared so many happy times with him a summer that felt forever ago.

It felt important.

Jack recognizing her meant more than that he hadn't forgotten her, Charlotte's words already confirmed that he hadn't. To Amanda, Jack recognizing her meant that there was still some little part of the girl she had once been connected to her present self... and that was important. She'd lost so much already, and she wasn't ready to lose the one untarnished part of herself she'd shared with Jack.

Staring back at him her chestnut coloured eyes pleading with him to truly see her, Amanda felt her heart begin to sink when instead he casually began to mention that he'd never seen her around before. "Are you new?" Jack questioned, trying to make light conversation.

Shifting uncomfortably, Amanda shrugged her shoulders disappointingly, "I should really go" she replied, taking comfort by the fact that at least Sammy had recognized her.

"Wait, I didn't get your name" Jack murmured slowly, watching with an unsettling feeling of discord as the teenage girl bent down to pet his dog affectionately.

Standing back up to face him, her brown eyes staring into his blue, giving him one more chance to recognize her, Amanda faked a smile before a painful lie flew off her tongue, "Emily" she replied, as she turned to walk away, needing time to regain her steadily crumbling composure and mourn the ceased existence of little Amanda Clarke before she could face him again.

Watching as she walked away, her blonde hair blowing in soft waves behind her, Jack bit his lip in confusion, wondering why he suddenly felt so heavyhearted. Something just didn't feel right... it felt off, he was missing something, something important, something about that girl... and he desperately needed to know what.

Bending down to pet Sammy who kept barking as the girl got further away, Jack scratched Sammy behind his ears, trying to quiet him, as he thought about the strange way Emily had seemed to know all Sammy's favourite petting spots, even the hidden spot between his right shoulder blade and stomach.

It couldn't be Jack thought in puzzlement, feeling his heartbeat begin to quicken as he recalled the way her eyes had felt so familiar. Even her presence had held a certain sense of familiarity, though he'd initially just brushed the feeling off as him taking a quick liking to her. Any friend of Sammy's was a friend of his, he'd internally rationalized.

But what if it was more than that, what if she felt familiar because she was actually someone he knew.

Hearing the firm patter of sneakers across the pavement floor, followed by the sound of four paws, Amanda turned back around to see Jack and Sammy running after her, "Wait Emily" Jack called out, causing her to reluctantly turn around.

Once caught up a slightly out of breath Jack Porter smiled sheepishly at Amanda, this time gazing into her eyes carefully, hoping with every inch of his pounding heart that what he desperately wanted to believe, was actually true and not just the cruelty of wishful thinking, "I never told you my name" he finally said, a sly look in his eyes as he smiled, "I'm Ethan Hook".

Flashback

"So what do you want to play?" Jack asked plopping down on the soft warm sand beside Amanda. It was a bright sunny day, and having filled their stomach's with the mini burgers Amanda's father had grilled on the barbecue, they'd run back out onto the beach to play. "And don't say house, we always play that, and you always make me play the Dad"

"Well, of course, you play the Daddy" Amanda replied matter of factly, "there's only three of us, and Sammy has to play the dog or the baby, I play the mummy and you play the daddy, it just makes sense" Amanda giggled, scratching Sammy behind the ear. "But fine, how about mermaids and merman?" she suggested, shifting over so Jack could stroke Sammy too.

"Nah not today" Jack murmured, "then sandcastle making competition?" Amanda further suggested, only to have him turn that down too. Falling silent her face scrunched up in deep thought, Amanda suddenly jumped up enthusiastically, a smile gracing her lips as she thought of something new, "How about we play spies?" she exclaimed her eyes sparkling in excitement as she pulled Jack up from the sand. "We could go on secret missions, and fight bad guys, and spy on the people over there".

Turning his attention towards where Amanda was pointing to the group of teenagers far off in the distance, Jack's face broke into a cheeky smile as he nodded his head, taking an immediate liking to her fun-sounding game. "Before we start though, we need code names, so the bad guys won't know who we are" he suggested, getting the idea from one of his favourite movies.

"You're right!" Amanda shouted clapping her hands excitedly, as she began to think of her perfect spy name, "I'll be Scarlett... no Ava... um actually, I'll be Emily, Emily Thorne" Amanda decided with finality in her voice. "And her secret weapon will be thorns, they'll be super sharp, and she can sting bad guys with them... and freeze people if she puts poison on the tip of it ... and she'll be super strong of course."

"That's so cool" Jack exclaimed, liking the twist of her last name being her special power, Amanda always had the best imagination. "If you're Emily, I'll be an E too, I'll be Ethan... Ethan Hook".

"Like Captain Hook" Amanda giggled, causing him to laugh with her, "Cooler" Jack replied confidently, "I'll still have both my hands, but my secret weapon will be this special hook that I can hide in my pocket, and when I fight bad guys it can grow really big and defeat them".

Nodding her head approvingly, a wide smile breaking onto her face at the exciting prospect of their new game, Amanda clapped her hands together getting into character as she addressed her spy partner, "Okay Ethan Hook, what's our first mission?" Amanda asked in a whisper since they were top-secret spies now.

"Mission put a rock on the teenagers blanket without them noticing" Jack replied, "Copy that Emily Thorne"

"Copy that, Ethan Hook" she replied back, trying her best not to giggle.

Flashback End

Staring back at him, her eyes brightening in the comfort that he had truly recognized her, Amanda's lips began to curl up into an honest smile, as she pushed herself to form words over the emotional lump that had formed in her throat. "Captain Hook" she whispered, watching as his face broke into the purest of smiles. Jack too stunned to speak, feeling overwhelmed by the wide array of emotions, thoughts and questions racing through his mind, found his body wasn't as slow to react when he pulled Amanda Clarke into a tight hug, not wanting to let go of his best friend he hadn't seen in years.

Amanda instinctively recoiled at first, unused to feeling another person's body embracing her own, but feeling the warmth of Jack's skin against her own, and catching the lingering scent of the ocean and the Stowaway bar against his clothes, Amanda found herself relaxing as she hugged him back, finally feeling a sense of comfort at her return to the Hampton's... with Jack here, she truly believed she'd be alright.

"I missed you, Amanda" Jack whispered earnestly in her ear as he slowly retracted himself from her body, trying not to blush from their proximity.

"I missed you too " Amanda tried to whisper back, the words getting caught in the back of her throat.

"You should have seen it Daniel… best friend's reuniting… it was sooo beautiful" Charlotte exclaimed, sitting cross-legged on her brother's bed, as she went over the details of her day with Amanda.

"It was perfect… they even hugged, and she smiled… like truly smiled. I totally ship them."

"They're not some characters in a book... you can't ship them" Daniel replied trying to hide his irritation, "and I can't believe you broke the rules already, you weren't supposed to tell anyone… if word gets out that Amanda Clarke is back in the Hampton's, mum will send her away faster than we can even say goodbye".

"I didn't tell Jack, they recognized each other after eight years" Charlotte countered, "and don't worry, mum doesn't even know the Porter's exist, and I told Declan nobody can know, and Emily will tell Jack the same when they meet tomorrow at their secret spot".

"I hope you're right" Daniel murmured, dismissing the subject with a sigh, as he motioned for Charlotte to answer the knock he heard at his door, too comfortable to get up himself.

"Emily" Charlotte smiled, pulling the older girl into the room with her as she shut the door behind them. Turning to face Amanda at the sound of her name, Daniel's eyes widened in surprise at her new appearance, shed free of the dark black hair dye he was used to.

"You're staring Daniel" Charlotte giggled, as the two of them sat down on the edge of his bed, opposite from where he sat at his desk.

"I'm not" Daniel denied, frowning at Charlotte as he tried not to blush, "I just forgot Emily was getting her hair done today, it surprised me. It looks really nice Emily", Daniel gently complimented, "I'm guessing that's your natural colour it suits you". He was no beauty guru but even he could tell that it softened her appearance, and brought out the rich colour of her chocolate brown eyes.

Scoffing at his compliment as she tied her hair into a ponytail, Amanda's response caused Daniel to chuckle at the quick realization that although her appearance had changed, her hair hadn't magically softened the girl he'd befriended on the bench those nights in Connecticut. Daniel wasn't disappointed though, he liked that girl for who she was, the only thing he wanted changed were her bad circumstances and the look of pain he often caught hidden in her eyes.

...

...

...

"Daniel"

Talking wasn't really Amanda's strong point, but as she stood up to leave his room, Charlotte having disappeared a while ago to talk to Declan over the phone, Amanda knew she had to get the words out, the words buried in the back of her throat for a while now.

"Thank you".

Nodding his head slowly, feeling a strange warmth in his heart at the sincerity of her words, Daniel shifted his eyes towards Amanda in surprise, knowing those simple words weren't easy for her to get out.

"For everything" Amanda slowly continued, finding it hard to hold his gaze as she spoke, "for getting me out of a shitty situation of course... but even for showing up all those nights on the bench. I'll probably only say this once but you're a really good friend, Daniel", Amanda whispered before exiting his room.

Hearing the familiar sound of his mother's high heels tapping against the corridor floor, Daniel looked up from his mac-book, just as his mother walked into his bedroom, placing a brown folder directly into his hands. Feeling his mother's sharp eyes on him, Daniel scanned the top page of the paper before closing the folder and trying to hand it back to her.

'I'm not going to evade her privacy" Daniel uttered firmly, shaking his head in disbelief as his mother picked up Amanda Clarke's foster file and began reading the long list of her offences "Theft, vandalism, running away, alleged arson, school fights… in her last home, prior to the one I took her out of, Amanda ended up sending her foster brother to the hospital with a broken nose".

"I would have done much worse... he tried to climb into her bed at night, of course, they only believed the tale he spun though". Daniel muttered angrily, the thought enraging him all over again.

"She told you this?" Victoria questioned.

"She told me her chances of emancipation were next to nothing, I asked her why and she gave me a few reasons. You can't scare me by reading off all her misdeeds, regardless of what she's done, she isn't a bad person ".

"She's clearly a troubled young girl Daniel, it won't do to blind yourself from that fact. I will honour helping Amanda, but I won't have my son befriending a girl he knows little about. I'm giving her one chance" Victoria warned with finality in her voice, as she left her son to his thoughts and exited the room.

One chance for David.