Okay I've just realised a mistake I made that interferes with the story so let me just edit it here. I know they're supposed to be training in Japan but for Aiden to meet Victoria it involves too much flying and stuff so they're training now on the edge of New York instead. This chap is mostly from Aiden's point of view so I hope you enjoy and please review!

Chapter 3

From his position on the bed Aiden could see his phone flashing, an incoming call. Looking down at Emily sleeping under his arm he smiled before slipping out of the bed and grabbing his phone. He raced into the bathroom before answering.

"Hello?" he asked, rubbing sleep out of his eyes.

"Aiden. It's me." Dominick's voice replied on the other end. Aiden perked up slightly.

"Hey. What's up?" he asked, glancing at his watch. It was seven o'clock and far too early for a social call. Besides he had spoken to his father just a few days ago. Glancing into the bedroom he could see Emily stirring but turned his attention to the call.

"How are things?" Dominick asked trying to sound light-hearted. Aiden didn't buy it. He may not have known his dad long but he knew him well enough to know when he was stalling.

"What is it?" he asked as Emily sat up in the bed, her blonde hair a mess as she yawned.

"You still want to meet your mom?" he asks and suddenly he has Aiden's full attention. His mother? He had wanted to know her, to meet her, ever since he was little but since meeting his father he began to wonder what sort of woman she was.

Growing up he had always thought her cold hearted. Sinister. Selfish. Maybe poor.

He wasn't sure where the image came from but when he was little he always imagined a small, blonde woman with dark roots who lived in a rundown apartment with a sick mother or something. Maybe he just wanted to think that she had thought she was giving him a better life. Probably he was just hoping she was trying to sort her life out before coming to find him.

As he got older he stopped thinking of her as a poor, unfortunate person and he began to realise not everyone got their happy ever after. Soon his image of what his mother probably was turned nastier. A tall woman, blonde (he wasn't sure where the blonde came into it. It was just always the colour of hair he imagined his mother having) who was living a life of luxury, not giving him a second thought since handing him over to the services who had made his life hell.

For some reason he had never tried to picture his father. Maybe his subconscious had figured he had been a drop out. Figured he must have run when his mother got pregnant. Even as he got older and his image of his mother changed, the image of his father stayed the same. A chancer, living off luck and never knowing where the next meal was coming from.

Despite his lack of parenting and lack of homes growing up Aiden thought he had turned out pretty well. Sure he had run away from a lot of foster homes and hadn't ever really connected with any of his foster parents or foster siblings. Not that he had ever given any of them much of a chance.

Every time he met a new foster parent he would see an excited couple, usually older with a few grown up children, who looked forward to trying to raise another child. Within a week that excitement usually faded and turned into despair as they realised he was a lost cause. Some were softer, gentler towards him, obviously wanting to give him the best life they could. But he knew he was no good. He didn't want these people pretending to be his parents when even his real parents didn't want him.

Others took a stricter approach towards him, laying down the rules the moment they met him but Aiden hadn't cared because he never listened anyway. They would shout and scream at him trying to make him see the wrong in his ways but it was a futile attempt.

Usually each of the foster homes would give up within about three months if he hadn't already run away. But there was one home that Aiden could remember better than most because they had refused to give up. He couldn't remember their names or even their jobs but he knew the father was quite laid back, trying to joke with him and have a laugh while the mother was stricter.

With this family it quickly became clear they would find a way to excuse any misbehaviour and find a solution. It became Aiden's mission to find a way to upset them. To make them lose faith in him. So many others had so why wouldn't they?

He managed of course and he could see the look of despair in his social workers eyes when he came to pick him up again. Aiden was fifteen then and it had been his seventh foster home. He was never fostered again.

Despite all that, meeting Takeda was what really changed him. Takeda agreed to train him and help him track down his family and Aiden quickly discovered that his half-sister was in trouble. Then he met Emily. And he fell in love. And just when things were going well for them Takeda found his sister and Aiden was forced to say goodbye to the two people who had saved him from a life of bitterness. But things had worked out for the best and now things were better than before.

"Of course I do." He replied now to Dominick who sighed on the other end.

"Well I've found her. And she wants to meet you too. Can you come over to mine today? Say two?" he asked. Aiden was stunned. His mother? His dad had found her. She wanted to meet him. Then he realised Dominick was waiting for an answer.

"Eh I think so. See you then."

X

Aiden nodded as Takeda walked away, relieved his master had agreed. Knocking on Thomas's door he noticed Emily waiting for him at one of the balcony tables. He motioned to her that he would just be a minute as Thomas's door swung open.

"Uh what time is it?" Thomas asked dressed only in boxers.

"Half seven. We start training in half an hour. Up, eat light and be in the dojo for eight on the dot." Aiden left with Thomas staring after him sullenly before slamming the door. Aiden grinned as he sat down by Emily, his plate already ready.

"What was that all about? He looked fit to strangle you." she laughed. He grinned at her.

"I told him we start training in half an hour and he was less than impressed." He replied picking at a bit of fruit.

"Half an hour? What about your run?" she asked and he shrugged.

"I have to go into the city later. Takeda agreed if I got my training done in time." Emily's brow furrowed.

"Why'd you have to go to the city?" she asked taking a bite of toast.

"Have to pick up something. Anyway… how's your training with Cassie going?" he asked. He wasn't sure why he didn't tell her the truth but something about telling her he was going to see his long lost mother seemed strange. Like she might not like it. Her own mother had disappeared years ago and if caught out he would say he was afraid to bring up painful memories but he knew that wasn't the reason. He just wasn't positive what the reason was.

He noticed Thomas stalking out of his room out of the corner of his eye but he paid no attention. In the yard below them they could see Takeda warming up, casting accusing glances up at them from time to time.

They couldn't even act like a real couple having a nice breakfast together. They couldn't hold hands or kiss in public. They even had to be careful what they were saying in front of others. If anyone came up to them they would have to pretend to be comparing training methods.

Still as they laughed and joked together and their knees bumped Aiden felt as if he was finally getting some time with his girlfriend.

X

Emily's hand twisted around Cassie's arm easily and flipped her, knocking the wind out of her as she landed on her back. Cassie moaned as she held out a hand for Emily to help her up but Emily pretended not to see it, instead letting the other girl get up by herself.

Cassie flexed her arm as she reached for a bottle of water as Emily took a sip of her own.

"Is that us for the day?" Cassie asked trying to sound enthusiastic but Emily got sense an underlying need for her to say yes.

"Sure. Practise that flip I showed you on those mannequins Takeda gave ye." Cassie nodded, wincing as she hobbled inside. Emily loved the feel of the sun on her face as she stared around at the deserted court. Her black, sleeveless Lycra top clung to her sweaty body as did her tight, very short shorts. Her runners felt bouncy beneath her feet. Rubbing her hair back with her hand Emily could feel the dampness from the sweat and was eagerly anticipating the cold shower that awaited her inside.

But now, while she was alone, she couldn't wait to try out her new kick boxing moves on one of Takeda's new bounce back mannequins.

As she practised her mind wandered towards the Hamptons wondering what was happening there. Had the Grayson's been arrested yet? How was Charlotte coping? How were Jack and Amanda coping with the little guy? She couldn't wait to talk to Nolan after her shower about it.

Now as she trained she felt strong and independent, kicking the mannequin back every time he popped up again. After one particularly strong lick Emily took a deep breath and she saw someone watching her from the doorway.

"Well I've never seen you do that." Daniel commented. And with that all her strength seeped out of her body.

X

Aiden's heart pounded in his chest as he bounded up the stairs up to his father's apartment. Scenarios played out through his mind. His mother taking on look at him and… what? What would she do? Would she leave? Would she hug him? Would she just stand there? What would he do in any of these situations? What if she left? How would he ever get over that?

All these questions swam through his mind as he knocked on Dominick's door.

Dominick opened the door, letting him in before turning back to the kitchen. Aiden closed the door behind him, glancing around the one room apartment. Clearly she wasn't here yet.

And as two o'clock came and went and the time neared three o' clock Aiden began to wonder if she was coming at all.

X

Victoria stared out the window of her taxi, watching the tall buildings that whizzed by, her mind elsewhere. Her flight had been delayed but when she landed and saw the time she found herself stopping from calling Dominick. If she called and told him about the plane being delayed then she would have no option but to go. This way she still had a way out.

Glancing at her watch she realised the time. It was five to three. As the car pulled up she jumped out of the car, pushing a bill at the cab driver before rushing into the building.

As she reached Dominick's apartment she paused hearing raised voices in side.

"…time." Dominick's voice finished. There was a short pause.

"Look she's not coming." A strangely familiar voice replied. Victoria could feel her heart break as she heard the sadness in his voice.

"Maybe she's just stuck in traffic?" Dominick suggested.

"Then why hasn't she called? Face it Dad. She never cared about me." there was silence and Victoria felt a tear slip down her face. She turned to leave but paused when Dominick spoke again.

"You're wrong." He replied and Victoria felt a wave of emotion for him. Despite the fact she had taken his son away from him he still defended her. Her hand reached out to knock on the door but again she stopped this time when Aiden spoke.

"Oh yeah? So where is she now? Why hasn't she called?" Dominick didn't reply. "I've got to go." Victoria turned to leave but Aiden opened the door before she could. Looking at him she realised why his face was so familiar. He worked for Takeda. He had been right under her nose and she had never known it.

Aiden was stunned as he starred at his mother. She was the infamous Victoria Grayson. The woman Emily hated.

Before either of them could speak Dominick popped his head out.

"Ah you're here. Told you she was coming." He told Aiden who was still too shocked to reply. "Well come on. Come in." he continued pulling Aiden back into the room as Victoria followed.

"Hello." She said eventually but Aiden was starring at the floor, his head in his hands. Victoria sat straight on her seat.

Aiden looked at her for a long moment and Victoria suddenly felt self conscious. Would he judge her for her past mistakes? Why was he looking at her like he felt guilty?

"I can't do this." He replied standing up and Victoria stood too as Dominick brought over three cups of coffee.

"Please. I just want a chance to talk." Victoria begged grabbing his arm instinctively. Aiden looked down at her hand and she quickly got the message, pulling it back.

"To talk about what? The fact you abandoned me as a baby? Or the way you went on to have the perfect family? Huh?" he asked and she winced. If he hadn't worked for Takeda, if he had never come to the Hamptons, she realised, she might have had a chance to explain herself but he had seen her with her family. And she had never even known it was him.

There was nothing she could do to stop him turning his back on her and storming out the door.

X

Emily leaned against the table as she sized Daniel up. He was dressed in his usual suit and his face was serious. He had said Takeda had let him up but why Emily had no idea.

"Why are you here Daniel?" Emily asked, fiddling with her bottle of water. He stared at her for a moment.

"Why'd you leave?" he asked and she looked at him, a pitying look on her face that just annoyed Daniel.

"I got a job." She replied simply, gesturing around her. Daniel followed her gaze and looked around him.

"I never figured you for a karate kind of girl." He commented and she raised an eyebrow.

"I didn't exactly make it public knowledge." She replied coolly. Daniel's face looked hurt and Emily scolded herself for feeling guilty. Ever since Aiden had come back into her life, her compassion had returned and she didn't like it. Not one bit.

"I thought we shared things the public never knew." He replied staring her in the eye. She cocked her head to the side.

"And I thought you didn't want to be a Grayson. Looks like we were both wrong." She replied, shrugging. She had used her official line but she knew she hadn't split from Daniel because he was becoming a Grayson. She split with him because he wasn't Aiden.

Of course in her mind at the time she had convinced herself it was the first but in the week she had spent with Aiden all her old feelings came rushing back and she knew now that it had in fact been the latter.

Daniel studies her for a moment.

"You're different. You've changed." He decides. She gives him a wry smile.

"I haven't changed. Maybe you just didn't know me as well as you thought you did." She replied taking a sip of water from her bottle. Daniel looked hurt once again but now Emily stopped caring. "Look Daniel I'm sorry about how things ended alright? I wish things could have worked out for us but I guess it just wasn't to be." She told him and he nodded.

He turned to leave but then he paused.

"What do you know about David Clarke?" he asked his eyes watching her reaction. She raised her eyebrows.

"Other than the fact that your dad framed him for a crime he didn't commit?" she asked and his eyes bulged.

"It was you, wasn't it? You told Treadwell!" he exclaimed but she shook her head smiling. She lifted the remote which was lying on the table and switched on the table. Sure enough there was another story about the David Clarke Cover-up as it was being called.

"Oh." Daniel replied. Emily gave him an expectant look. "Sorry." He replied. He turned to walk away again but once again he stopped.

"What's between you and Mathis?" he asked. Was it just him or was she glancing around as if thinking she was being watched.

"I don't know what you mean." She replied easily and he laughed.

"Guess I didn't expect a proper answer." He replied and once again he turned to leave. Emily breathed a sigh of relief but held in a groan when he turned again.

"Did you ever love me?" he asked, watching her face for reaction. She stared back at him.

"Of course I did. But it's in the past now Daniel. You ought to let it go." She advises him and he turns once again. This time she is relieved when he actually does leave. She sits down on her bed, groaning. She checks her watch. It's just past five o'clock. Aiden should be back by now.

A slight sense of worry makes her back tense as she hops off the bed, walking out of the room. If he had arrived back, why hadn't he come to see her? If he hadn't come back then where was he?

Emily found her answer quickly.

She had just entered the court yard to ask Takeda when she found Aiden. He was training with Takeda and Emily leaned against the doorway, watching them spar.

Aiden was a fast learner and quicker on his feet than Takeda but Takeda had a lot more experience. All in all they were pretty evenly matched.

Neither man noticed Emily's presence and she stood there watching for another ten minutes before finally Takeda overpowered Aiden before bowing and leaving. Aiden turned and saw her. When she saw his face she knew something was wrong. But what she couldn't tell.

"Hey. I was wondering where you'd got to." She replied walking towards him.

"Yeah I got back about half an hour ago." He replied taking a drink of water. Her brow furrowed.

"How come you didn't come find me?" she asked slightly worried.

"I did. You were busy." He replies curtly and now Emily understands his mood. He must have arrived and seen her with Daniel. Before she could say anything he continued. "So what did Grayson want?" He asked, grabbing a towel.

"Answers." She replied simply as they walked out of the yard.

"What about?" he asked not looking at her.

"Me leaving. What I know about Conrad and my dad." For some reason she found herself hesitating before finally deciding not to tell him about Daniel asking if she ever loved him. However this turned out to be the wrong choice.

"And whether you ever loved him?" he asks and she turns to face him.

"Yeah. Might have come up. Doesn't matter though because I made it clear there was most certainly no future for us." She informed him and he nodded as if he'd already guessed this but Emily noticed his mood cheered considerably.

X

After dinner Emily left her plate outside her room and made her way down the hall. When she arrived in Aiden's room she found he was in the shower so she took a seat on the bed to wait for him.

As she did she began to wonder where he had been that had taken four hours. She thought for too long and found herself coming up with scary possibilities like he was buying her an engagement ring or visiting a secret lover, both ideas equally terrifying.

Before she had time to freak out anymore Aiden came out and seemed pleasantly surprised to find her waiting for him. Emily stood up as he walked over to her, just a towel wrapped around his waist. All terrifying ideas gone out of her head.

She grinned as she pulled him into a passionate kiss.

X

Aiden lay facing Emily, a smile on his face. Then he remembered

"Oh I got you something earlier." He replied.

He hadn't told her about seeing Dominick or meeting his mother or the fact that his mother was a woman Emily despised. He couldn't explain it but he felt a strange need to keep it a secret. For now anyway.

Emily raised an eyebrow as he reached into his jeans and pulled out a velvet box. He handed it to Emily who now had both eyebrows raised. When she opened it she gasped.

"Oh Aiden! It's gorgeous!" she cried taking the necklace out of the box. It had a thin silver chain and a small diamond heart charm. He helped her put it on as she held her hair up. She gave him a kiss, fingering the charm delicately.

"I love you." he whispered and she looked up at him, confidence in her eyes.

"I love you too."

Ah some happy times for Ems and Aiden! Hope you enjoyed and here are some spoilers for the next chapter!

Next Time

Daniel tells Victoria he's found Emily. Will a visit from the Queen of the Hamptons reveal Emily's true identity?

Victoria stumbles on a surprising face. Can she convince Aiden to give her a chance?

Will Emily discover Aiden's secret?

Okay so just to let you know there is going to be ten chapters in all and am considering sequel if there is interest but I do have the rest of this story planned so just to let you know there is a point to the story. I hope you are enjoying and please, please…

REVIEW! Thank you! Tenth reviewer (for this chap only) gets to add their own twist so review to have an input!