FIVE YEARS LATER:

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Throughout the past five years Emily started rented out her beach house in the Hamptons but had never returned to it herself. She moved her daughters to New Jersey. They flourished. Josie looked just like Daniel with her dark brown hair that fell just passed her shoulders, light brown eyes, and his smile. Then there was Tierney. She had dirty blonde hair that was basically light brown and blue eyes. They grew to be very sweet and loving little girls. Emily stepped up to a publicity role with NolCorp. She traveled with Nolan every so often but for the most part she worked from home. She still had her nanny Alexandra, who preferred to be called Alex. She and Emily became close friends. She learned everything about Emily including her past. She was extremely sympathetic as she came from a similar background. Emily even meant a new man, Stephen Forbes. They met during a charity gala in LA. He was an editor for his grandfather's magazine. He was amazing to Emily and to her girls. He treated them like they were his own. The only problem with their relationship was the fact he lived in Manhattan and she lived in Jersey. He wanted her to move in with him but she couldn't take the girls out of school. It also didn't help that Stephen's family spent their summers in The Hamptons. So during the summer months Stephen's commute became ridiculous. But he loved Emily so he made it work.

Daniel meanwhile had gotten back together with Sara and married her. They have a one year old son named Christopher. Daniel still is the main editor at Voulez which is thriving. He and Sara mainly live with his parents but they also have a loft in Soho. Daniel had gotten over signing over his kids with Emily when Christopher was born. He felt that his mother was right and he had made a mistake with Emily and now he had a real family. That still didn't change the fact that every year on June 15th he would go into a room alone and blow out two candles for his kids that he would never know.

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"What is my favorite publicist doing?"

Emily smiled as she walked into her house. "Well I just dropped your goddaughters off at school at I was just about to write up your press release for next week."

Nolan laughed. "Excellent. How is lover boy?"

"He's fine. I think. He's been stuck in the city for the week. He's suppose to come down tomorrow but I don't think he's going to be able to."

"That sucks."

"Well that's what happens when you fall in love with someone who lives in another state."

"True. I better step into this meeting. Love you miss you."

Emily hung up and sat down in front of her laptop. Alex walked in through the garage door with groceries. Emily looked up.

"Need a hand?"

"Nope. Just some ingredients for the twins bake sale. I promised them they could help this afternoon."

Emily smiled as she typed. "So I should prepare the housekeeper for a disastrous kitchen."

"Pretty much. Is Stephen coming down?"

"No clue. He has to meet his deadline."

"That sucks."

"It's what I signed up for."

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"Mommy!"

Emily came downstairs and stepped into her kitchen. She raised her brows.

"Oh my!"

The entire kitchen was covered in flour, broken eggs, sprinkles and different colors of icing. The girls were also covered. Tierney smiled.

"Aren't they pretty?"

Emily looked at the cookies Alex was placing in a container. "They are beautiful but I think more icing got on you two then on the cookies."

Josie giggled. "We were playing baker."

"I see that." She helped them off their step stools. "Now lets get you two cleaned up and then I'll order us some thai food for dinner."

She came back downstairs with freshly bathed girls who were now wearing purple cupcake pajamas. She stopped when she saw someone unlocking her door. Then Stephen walked in. He smiled.

"Hey Babe."

She launched herself at him. "I thought you weren't going to make it?"

"I almost didn't. I pulled an all nighter to get finished in time."

She looked at his light brown hair that was always perfectly styled and his green eyes. "So how long do we have you for?"

"Three whole days starting tomorrow."

She kissed him deeply before leading him into the family room. The girls were playing with their dolls on the floor. Josie saw him and yelled.

"Stephen!"

He caught her and hugged her tight before hugging Tierney.

"Did you girls miss me?"

She nodded. "Can you come to our bake sale tomorrow?"

"I sure can. What did you two bake?"

"Cookies."

They led him into the kitchen. his eyes widened.

"Wow it looks like you two had fun."

Later that night when he and Emily were alone in bed Stephen noticed Emily e-mailing someone.

"What are you doing?"

She smiled. "The addition to the beach house is finished. But apparently the gardens are a mess. I just hired someone to fix it."

"Seems like a lot of work for a house you never even visit."

She rolled her eyes. "You know why I keep it."

Emily told Stephen everything about her past. She had decided that after everything she needed to be open with him. He actually had his own grudges against the Grayson's though his were more political. He was more then happy to keep her secret as long as she left the past in the past and didn't do anything that risked her life again. Stephen now looked at her.

"My parents have invited us out to their beach house for Easter brunch. They're opening it up for the summer."

She sighed. "I don't know."

"Come on Em. It's been years besides we don't even need to go near the Grayson's."

She thought about it. "Okay. But only because I love you."

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Emily drove to the Hamptons with the twins in the backseat. As she approached the gate of Stephen's parent's estate she felt butterflies. She pressed the button and spoke into the speaker.

"Emily Thorne. I'm a guest of Stephen's?"

The gates opened. She parked by some other vehicles and then stepped out. The girls climbed out and followed Emily to the door. Stephen met them on the front steps.

"You made it."

He kissed her before hugging the girls. He then turned and spoke to a woman wearing a blue double breasted housekeeping dress.

"Gloria could you have Ethan collect Miss. Thorne's bags and take them to the my suite and take the girl's things to the Seashell Suite."

She nodded and left. He led the girls inside the sprawling mansion that had a spectacular view of the ocean. It wasn't quite as large as Grayson Manor but it came close. Stephen's parents were in the great room wearing their tennis whites. His mother, Liz, walked over to Emily smiling.

"Emily you made it."

She hugged her tight and then knelt down in front of the girls.

"Look at you two. You are growing like weeds."

Tierney smiled. "I'm taller then Josie."

Liz laughed. "Well give it a little time she may catch up to you."

Stephen's father, Eliot, kissed Emily's cheek. "It is about time we got you out here. I have been dying to have all my children in one place for a hliday and I knew that if you didn't come Stephen wouldn't be here."

Stephen rolled his eyes. "Thanks Dad."

"Just stating the facts." He then noticed Emily's diamond earrings. "Ah and I see you actually did like our Christmas gift."

She smiled. "You have exquisite taste."

"Ah don't flatter him Ems."

Stephen's older brother Devin walked in. He was dressed in tennis whites along with his wife Cassandra, or just Cass. He hugged Emily.

"This week just got a whole lot more fun."

She rolled her eyes and hugged Cass. "How was the honeymoon. You went to Tahiti right?"

Cass nodded. "It was amazing." She grabbed two gift bags off the coffee table and knelt in front of the girls. "I saw these while we were there and knew they had to have them."

Thee girls pulled out little dolls dressed in tropical sundresses. The girls squealed and hugged Cass.

"Thank you."

"You are both welcome."

Liz then smiled. "Speaking of toys I think you'll like what's in your bedroom. Would you like to see?"

They nodded and followed her up the staircase. Stephen wrapped an arm around Emily and Eliot smiled at them.

"Well as soon as Liz come back downstairs we were going to play a few rounds of tennis with Devin and Cassandra. Would you two like to join us?"

Stephen shook his head. "Rein check. I want to make sure Emily and the twins get settled."

"Alright. We'll see you all at dinner."

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