Hi there! Thank you to everyone who commented on my last chapter, and to people who recently tagged along in reading this story! Always feels nice to see that people like it, makes me want to do my best every single chapter I'm bringing.
So, with that, I am publishing this new chapter. I really hope you'll like it, please continue to comment, like, follow my story. Keep going cause it's always the best to notice that someone commented or liked my story. And tell me what you think!

CHAPTER 11 - The Feelings You Can't Hide

Emily had already been on bed rest for six days and she couldn't take it anymore. Sure, she had a computer, she had hundreds of movies to watch, several TV shows to catch up on and dozens of books to read, but she was starting to go crazy. Between lying on her bed, lying on the couch and sitting at the table, she wasn't doing much in her days. As per her doctor's advice, she was also going for a short walk every day. Her main objective was to take it slow and to keep her blood pressure to a good level. To sleep a lot and to avoid the stress. But apart from that walk everyday, she wasn't doing anything and was just bored.

People were also starting to get on her nerves, and particularly Gemma. The red-haired was coming home every single time she had a break, whether it was for lunch or just for a quick visit and it was starting to make Emily wonder if living that close to the White House was actually a good thing. So, when she heard the key turn in the lock of the front door in the afternoon of that sixth day, she thought she would lose it.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" Gemma asked as she was coming in.

"I swear Gemma, I love you, but if you keep coming home every three hours to ask me how I'm feeling I'm going to strangle you. I'm so fed up right now, you have no idea." Emily spat.

"Woah, easy there, tiger…" Gemma exclaimed, surprised by the sudden anger.

"I'm sorry…" Emily said, softening her tone. "But you really need to stop coming home all the time… I swear Gem, you're driving me crazy. I don't need your help to grab a glass of water or to go to the bathroom. Okay?"

"Em… You need to take it slow…" Gemma tried.

"Exactly!" Emily started yelling again. "I need to take it slow, not do nothing. Do you understand that difference? I am a grown up, I can do things on my own, I need you to realize that, cause I am tired of you…"

"Em…"

"Don't Em me please, just go back to work…"

Gemma raised her hands in protestation, giving up the fight and just walking toward the bathroom. Emily sighed loudly and lied back on the couch, waiting for Gemma to leave. She knew that her friend was doing her best to help her, was trying to support her in every possible way. But it was just too much for the fierce and independent Emily Rhodes, she needed her space, and even her own home wasn't her space anymore.

"I'm out, see you tonight…" Gemma said as she left the apartment, slamming the door.

Emily didn't answer and sighed in relief. But she was still bored. She didn't even know what to do or who to call, she was fidgeting with her phone, thinking of all the people she could talk to, but everybody she was thinking about was working. Suddenly, her phone buzzed.

"Hey, I heard you snapped at Gemma? How are things going?"

-Seth

"I'm so booooored. You have no idea. I just want to go back to work."

-Emily

Emily smiled. She was happy to have a text from her friend and exchanged a few more texts with him, mostly to complain about Gemma, making the Press Secretary laugh. But truth was, the only person she wanted a text from was Aaron. He had already texted her a few times, asking how she was doing or if she needed anything. He had even come by her place a couple of days ago, bringing comfort food and a good book. She was surprising herself to smile every time his name would pop on her phone, knowing he would always have a caring word for her while she was stuck at home growing their baby. And right now, it's what she was dying for. A nice text from Aaron, something to light up her day as she was just bored. Of course, she knew that nothing was really fixed between the two of them, that they would need time to be able to talk normally and have a normal relation, but slowly, she could see some sort of improvement between the two of them, and she had surprised herself thinking about him more and more in the past few days. Enough that she would even dare to text Aaron, something she would have never initiated a few weeks ago.

"Please, humor me… Tell me something, anything. What is going on at work, I'm so bored."

-Emily

"The Venezuelan ambassador is trying to victimize himself over the dispute with Colombia…"

-Aaron

Emily chuckled. She was glad she had decided to text him with her professional phone. It meant that they could have all kind of conversations, that the communication was secured.

"Why do we care again?"

-Emily

"Because Ambassador Juarez came to the White House to ask for our help…"

-Aaron

"I thought they didn't want to have anything to do with us anymore?"

-Emily

"Guess what, they still need us…"

-Aaron

Emily chuckled, it felt really good to be able to talk about work. At least, even if she wasn't useful because she was not there, she could keep herself updated on what she had missed, and it was entertaining her much more than the book she had been trying to read for the past three days.

"How are you feeling? Heard that you snapped at Gemma. (Can't blame you though…)"

-Aaron

Emily laughed at the message. Or course, she knew that things were tense between Gemma and Aaron. Everybody knew it, probably even the front desk manager at the entrance of the West Wing. It wasn't a secret to anyone that things were a little too cold to be just professional between the Communications Director and the National Security Adviser.

"Yeah, I'm just really bored and jumpy. She's always behind my back, I can't stand it anymore…"

-Emily

"I'm not even surprised. Can I do anything for you?"

-Aaron

Emily thought long and wise before answering. Truth was, she desperately needed to go out, do something, see people. And right now, it's Aaron she had around, it's Aaron who was offering help.

"I don't know. Can I ask you a favor?"

-Emily

She knew that he would say yes, he had just asked what he could do for her. Though, she still wasn't quite sure how to handle things with him and she was always carefully choosing her words. Aaron was surprised when he saw the message. For the past six days, Emily had always declined when he had asked if he could help in any way and he had just been allowed to come by a couple of days ago after work. He could say now that they were good, that things were good between the two of them, but were they good enough that Emily would call in a favor?

"Yeah?"

-Aaron

It was a 'yes'. Of course it was, he wouldn't say no, but it was a sort of question in the meantime. He was curious and a little concerned by Emily's sudden need to ask for a favor.

"Can I come over to your place after work? I need a change of air… I won't be long I promise."

-Emily

Saying that Emily's question startled him was an understatement. He had not been prepared for this at all, and he didn't know what to do. It was making him happy that she would dare and ask something like that, but he wasn't really feeling comfortable with having Emily at his place. The last time she had come, it had led to sex. It was almost eight months ago, and Emily's growing belly was the definite proof of what had happened that night. Of course, he knew that it wouldn't happen tonight, but still, he couldn't help but think about it. He realized that he couldn't be alone at his place with Emily on an evening, he didn't want to. Not yet, not now. He quickly texted Nadia and begged her to come for dinner before answering Emily.

"Nadia will be here for dinner, want to join us? I can pick you up when I'm done with work"

-Aaron

Emily smiled when she saw the answer, relieved. She had waited several minutes to get that answer and had really been afraid she had pushed her luck a little too far. She had been afraid that he would say no and that they would be back to square one with their relation, cold and to the strict minimum. Laying on her couch, she was staring at the ceiling, thinking of that evening to come with Aaron and Nadia. She didn't know Aaron's cousin very well. She had always heard good things about her, but she also had gotten that clear that she was Aaron's confident. It meant that she knew everything about Emily and Aaron's relation, and that Emily would be in an unsafe territory for the night. Her mind started racing and she was wondering why she had texted Aaron in the first place, why she had asked for that favor, why she was so stupid and always making mistakes, like she had been doing in the past eight months. Trying to put things into perspective, she kept repeating that same sentence in her head. 'It's just a nice dinner, nothing to worry about.' But it wasn't really working, and before she had time to realize it, it was already 8 p.m. and Aaron was at her door, picking her up.

The ride between her place and his was quiet. Aaron asked her how she was doing, what she had done from her day, but she was tapping her foot on the floor of his car. Aaron noticed, but didn't say anything. He didn't want to get into that kind of conversation and it felt easier to just let it go. When they entered the apartment, Nadia was already there, cooking their grandmother's enchiladas. She greeted Emily nicely, and that did the trick for the Chief of Staff. She sighed, relieved. She suddenly felt like the evening would be enjoyable.

"That smells good…" Emily commented.

"Thank you, it's our grandmother's. Aaron knows how to cook it too, I just don't work extra hours like he does, so when we eat together it's mostly me cooking. Usually I just come to his place early and prepare everything while he's still at work." Nadia answered.

"Wait, you have a key to his apartment?" Emily asked, curious.

"Yeah, it's easier this way. He lets me crash on the couch if I'm out downtown and drink a little too much. I live on the red line, so if I get out of the bar after 1 a.m.…"

"Right…"

"How is everything going, Aaron told me you were getting bored?" Nadia asked, changing the subject.

The Mexican-American seemed genuinely nice and concerned for Emily. She was caring and Emily felt comfortable talking to her. Even if she didn't know her well, Emily felt like she could count on Nadia. She really appreciated that Aaron's cousin didn't seem to hold a grudge against her, despite everything that had happened between Aaron and her. It felt good to have an ally in her corner.

"Yeah. Well you know, I'm used to running all the time, so it's just hard for someone like me to be stuck at home. And at least, thank God, I'm not completely stuck lying in bed."

"So, how does this work? You're just supposed to take it slow?"

"Yup, exactly. I have another appointment in four days to see if everything is good. Or if I should be on complete bed rest for the rest of my pregnancy…"

"Are you going back to work before the birth if you can?"

"I'm not sure, I wish, but I don't know yet."

Aaron had not said a word since they had arrived, but he was just observing the interaction between his cousin and the mother of his child. They were getting along well and this was making him happy. He knew that Nadia would always support him and be there for him, but it was good to see that she wasn't clearly taking side and was being nice to Emily.

"Even if you go back to work, don't even imagine you're gonna run in the hallways again." Aaron commented suddenly.

"I'm sorry?" Emily asked, surprised with Aaron's sudden comment.

"Even if you come back to work, nobody's going to let you go to meetings or near the commands op anymore. Not a month before giving birth…"

"So, you're telling me that even if I go back to work, I'll be stuck at my desk?"

"Yup, exactly… You see, there are things we can agree on with Gemma…" Aaron smirked, making Emily roll her eyes.

Emily was glad that Gemma and Aaron were at least talking a little, but she was annoyed that it was to plot behind her back. Just after that moment, Nadia announced it was all ready for dinner and they sat around the table in the living room, chatting about everything while eating. The rest of the evening went fine, and Emily felt better than she had felt in the past few days. She was out, talking and laughing, eating nice food and enjoying some good company. It was a nice distraction, and only her phone repeatedly buzzing in her pocket made her come back to reality.

"Where the hell are you?"

-Gemma

"Emily! Answer me…"

-Gemma

"Come on, stop ignoring me. You know you should be on bed rest"

-Gemma

Emily sighed when she saw the texts, she was suddenly angry and sad in the meantime. She didn't need Gemma to break this good evening she was having and didn't even want to answer her.

"Are you okay?" Aaron asked, noticing Emily's sudden mood change.

"Huh… Yeah, it's just Gemma…" Emily answered, brushing things off.

"Troubling you?"

"Just worrying about me… Again…" Emily said, sighing.

Nadia had retreated to the kitchen, letting Aaron and Emily talk on their own. She could see that the mood had changed and that she shouldn't intervene. Luckily, it had coincided with the end of dinner and she just made up an excuse about washing the dishes. Aaron instinctively stood up from his seat and took the one next to Emily, getting closer to her and putting a hand on her arm, gently stroking it to reassure her.

"Do you want to head home, maybe?" he offered.

"Yeah, maybe Gemma's right anyway, I should be in bed…" Emily said, defeated.

"You know it's not what I meant, you can stay for a little bit if you want." Aaron offered, seeing Emily's deception.

Truth was he wanted to take Emily home. He had had a good night with her and Nadia, and he could definitely see himself doing this again in the —near— future. But he knew that Nadia would leave soon, and he still wasn't feeling very comfortable with staying alone with Emily. Weirdly, he could even say that it was getting worse, because the feelings for Emily he had buried with the betrayal were starting to come back to the surface. He was conflicted, and he hated that. He was starting to wonder if it just wasn't easier when they were not talking. At least, he didn't feel the need to comfort her or to be there for her, he didn't feel the need to hug her and to reassure her.

"No, but you're right, I should just go. Can you take me back home, please?" Emily asked, a small and sad smile forming on her face.

Aaron nooded. He stood up and extended his hand to help Emily stand up. She said goodbye to Nadia as Aaron was grabbing his keys. The ride to her place was silent, they were both looking at the road go by in front of them. Emily was glancing at Aaron sometimes, she could see the frowns on his forehead, the worry in his expressions. She couldn't quite understand why though. And when Aaron parked in front of Emily's apartment building, he quickly walked around the car to help Emily out, even though he knew that she could still do it on her own.

"Thanks… Aaron." Emily smiled as he closed the door.

"Sure."

"Are you okay? You seem concerned." Emily asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine don't worry." he said, avoiding to answer.

"Aaron…" Emily started.

But instead of finishing her sentence, she closed the distance between them and just kissed him. Taken aback, it took a few milliseconds for Aaron to react, but soon the passion was back and he joined Emily in their renewed passion. It wasn't really a delicate kiss, they were both eager and needy. Their tongues were dancing together, Aaron's hands on her hip and behind her back as she was sliding her hand in his hair. But soon, Aaron pushed Emily back and stopped the kiss.

"Em… We shouldn't." Aaron sighed.

"Huh… I'm sorry… I should go…" Emily answered, uncomfortable, already turning her back to leave.

"Wait…" Aaron called, pulling her by the hand. "It's not what I meant…"

Emily turned around to look at Aaron.

"Don't misunderstand me, Em. It's not that I don't want to. But we should take things slow… Maybe focus on the baby now, and see how everything is going."

"I'm sorry, it's my fault I shouldn't have…" Emily continued rambling, troubled by the kiss.

"Emily, listen to me. I am not opposed to being with you. I never stopped having feelings for you, even if… Despite everything." He sighed, wondering why he was telling her all that. "But I want us to take things slow. We're going to be parents in a few weeks, we should think about that first. I want us to try and figure things out for us too, I really want to, but we shouldn't do two things at the same time."

"You're right…" she said, finally allowing herself to think about it.

Tears were about to fall down her cheeks, embarrassed obviously, but also saddened by Aaron's comment. She knew he was right, that they couldn't do two things at the same time, and that they needed time to heal from everything that had happened between the two of them, but she couldn't help it. She still liked him, a lot. Facing him, all she wanted to do now was escape. She felt stupid, despite being happy that Aaron had opened to her, and that he still had feelings for her too.

"Come here" he said, pulling her into a soft hug. "We're gonna make it, it's okay."

Emily's tears started falling down her cheeks, exhausted from pretty much everything that had happened in her life in the past few months. Aaron ran his hand in her back, trying to soothe her. When she pulled back, he kissed her softly on her forehead and with that, she climbed the stairs to her apartment, wondering if one day, something would be right in her life.