Ps. Can we revisit this week's ep for a minute? Nadia's back.. But less interesting and more annoying. And she stopped working for Yoshita two weeks ago, possibly when she had the entire Texas village that she and Aaron escaped from move in to her brownstone..

If only Aaron still had friends to talk this all through with.. grrr.

I'm so worried this show has jumped the shark.

Anyway.. Back to fanfiction.

….

Welcome to Bermuda

Situation Three: His brother's keeper

"Thanks for meeting me." His face didn't change despite Emily's plastered on smile.

"Sure." He said calmly, dropping himself into the chair in front of him.

"Want a drink?" She gestured at her own, looking over his shoulder for a waiter.

"No thanks, I'm good." He blinked at her, his mouth still drawn into its serious line.

"How've you been?" She ran her teeth over her lower lip and he let his eyes shut before shaking his head.

"Emily what do you need?" He huffed.

"Why do you assume I need something?" She sniffed indignantly, like she had a right to.

"Because If it were work related, you would have sent me a text or shouted it at me in the hallway. You wouldn't have asked to meet me privately."

"I could want to tell you something personal."

"You don't." He smirked shaking his head back and forth. "We don't do that anymore so-." He gestured back at her with both hands pointing, his chin bobbing between them. "What do you need?"

"It is actually personal and it's not something I want you to do." She missed the way he sat up a little straighter in his chair. "I-. I wanted to tell you-. I needed to let you know about a new development in my life before you heard it from someone else."

"You're not leaving?" He almost shouted, startling them both.

"No." She put her hand out as they both looked around to see if anyone was looking. "No nothing like that, I just-." This time she caught the way that he exhaled in apparent relief. It made her throat feel dry. "There has been something building between Seth and I for a few months now and-."

"Wait, what?" Aaron's face screwed up and he leaned back in his chair.

"Yes. We've recognized that we have feelings for-." Shore snorted. "What?"

"You've recognized.."

"What?" She narrowed her eyes at him. "Why is that funny?"

"I'm sorry." He shook his head. "It's not funny. Go on."

"Seth is a smart, kind person-." She shot forward like a rod to come to Wright's defense.

"Yes, he is." Aaron's voice was deep and cutting, it shut her up. "What do you need, Emily?"

Her face froze in the uncomfortable realization that he hadn't been laughing about Seth.

"I know that the two of you are close and he's going to want to tell you and I thought that you should hear it from me."

"Why?" He blinked.

"Because.." She shook her head. "Of.."

"Because you kissed me once?" He arched a skeptical eye, she looked away. "Or because it seemed like there was something between us but then it turned out there wasn't."

"Aaron." Her voice was quiet.

"Don't worry about it Emily. It's fine." He shook his head.

"So you won't say anything to him?" This time she did not miss the way he stiffened, and she couldn't swallow the lump in her throat. They stared at each other for a moment, and Emily Rhodes saw for the first time in a long time the hurt she'd caused Aaron Shore.

"No." Aaron shook his head before brushing invisible dust off his pants and standing to leave. "No. Your secret is safe with me." He gave her a blank look. "Nice chat. Let's never do it again."

….

"Hey. You okay?"

Aaron jumped at the sound of Seth's voice He wasn't sure how long he'd been staring at the wall, but he was sure it had been too long.

"Yeah, why?"

"Well. You're sitting in a dark office staring into space." Shore rubbed his hand across his face. "And you've been sort of.. disconnected lately. I just wanted to make sure you're okay."

"I'm fine." He blinked at Seth for few minutes in appreciation. "Long day. How about you?"

He forced a smile, flipping on the lamp on his desk.

"I was actually hoping to catch you. I wanted to talk to you about something."

Aaron winced.

"Seth If it's about Emily, I'd rather not." He sighed.

"Look Aaron, I don't know what went down.."

"It was nothing." He looked up at him. "It was a stressful time. We were both on the front lines with POTUS."

"Come on man, that's bullshit." Seth snorted. "You two had a vibe, then there was obviously a fall out-."

"It's a long story, one I'd rather not share." Shore cursed himself for still wanting to protect Emily Rhodes.

"Just tell me was it you or her?" Wright raised his eyebrows.

"Me or her what?" Aaron grimaced.

"That put the breaks on." The taller man made a soft pained grunting noise and he nodded. "So, her."

"Seth.."

….

"And Helena Jackson accepted the position as Communications Deputy formally this afternoon. Now I just have to find a place to house her." Emily smiled at POTUS. Tom lifted an eyebrow.

"Actually we'll just do some reshuffling." Kirkman scratched at his eyebrow. "Aaron just let me know today that since the Lloyd situation isn't looming anymore that he's going to move his office across the street to the EOB."

"What?" She shook her head. "When did he say that?"

"He let me know after lunch." Tom shrugged. "He's already packing up. New staff, new jobs, it's the end of the beginning Emily."

…

Seth was gathering up his stuff by the time Emily reached his office.

"Hi." She smiled.

"Hey." He pressed his lips together for a second and watched her.

"You wanna grab a drink or something?" She watched his hands still for a second, before his face lifted to hers.

"I'm actually going to meet up with some people.." He blinked at her for a few seconds.

"Maybe afterward?"

"Emily, I'm not sure this is a great idea." He grunted, sitting on the edge of his desk.

"We could do another night."

"Emily you're my boss." He sighed. "Best case scenario for us we have an awkward secret that we have to hide. Worst case? My ex girl friend is my boss."

Seth's eyebrows rose at the idea of that before he gave her a remorseful look and she tried to shoot him an understanding one. He tossed his bag over his shoulder and moved past her to the door.

"Don't work to late, okay?" He smiled. "I'll see you tomorrow."

She just nodded back at him, watching him make his way down the hall and popping into Aaron's now former office, only to emerge again with Shore, both of them carrying boxes.

"End of the beginning." She whispered to herself.