Goodnight

Aaron led Emily and their twins out to the car and then Emily drove them all home. When he got to their home he smiled at it. It was a beautiful white family home with a picket fence just like the one he had back in Washington.

He decided to call in and check on Jack who was currently in Jessica's care while Emily dealt with the twins who despite the night's events still had to go school in the morning. She would organise for them to speak to a family psychiatrist and when the time came would transfer them to one in New York.

He came back and noticed they were gone. "Emily," he called.

"Upstairs Aaron," she called down so he climbed the stairs and looked in every room until he finally found their bedroom. He smiled as he saw them sat up smiling at him.

"Daddy," they asked,

"Yes," he smiled back with tears filling his eyes so happy they were calling him daddy already. He'd been worried it was too soon.

Emily patted Leon's bed and he sat down there looking at his son with so much love. Emily was meanwhile sat on their daughter's.

"Can you tell us a bedtime story?" Anais asked looking at her father.

"Sure," he smiled at them while they smiled back at him. They loved him already and were thankful he was their dad. They never wanted to lose him but he was going away in the morning. Would they ever see him again?

After they'd gone to sleep she took him back downstairs and they sat on the couch.

"What happened? Why did I find out only today?" he asked. She told the story and as it unfolded he put his arm around her and pulled her close. She turned into him and let her tears fall onto his shoulder.

He rubbed her back saying, "Emily, none of this is your fault. You tried to find me; you did all you could." He had to admit he was furious with the Ambassador for not helping her daughter to find him. If she hadn't been so heartless he could have been in his twins' lives from before they were born. He would have always been there for them. He'd have done the right thing and stood by him.

"How are we going to do this for the kids?" he asked.

"My father's moving to New York in a few weeks. I haven't spoken to the kids yet but I'm thinking it would be easier if we move with him," she answered.

"I'd love that," he smiled.

"I'll discuss it with them tomorrow."

He smiled back. "Maybe we should go to bed now. It's late and you have a plane to catch in the morning."

He nodded. "Where will I sleep?"

"In the spare room come with me..." He followed her up to the laundry cupboard and she took out some bedding from the spare bed. She then led him into the spare bedroom and made the bed up for him while he undid his tie and took it off then took off his suit jacket.

She kissed his cheek saying, "Goodnight," then turned to leave the room.

"Goodnight," he smiled kissing her cheek then they parted ways as she headed off to her bed again. She was used to sleeping in a bed alone now after never having had a boyfriend. No guys had wanted to take on her kids. Her twins scared them off. She wouldn't take advantage of their father though even if he was single.

Yes she'd always dreamed of him but she'd take it slow. He'd only just lost his wife six months ago and had a one year old son. She'd never take advantage of him. She had always wanted him but he'd wait for her to want her. She wanted his and the twins' happiness above all.

She lay in her bed staring at the ceiling for ages. She just couldn't sleep with their father in the other room. What must he be thinking of her? He'd only found out now they were eight. That was nine years for Christ's sake. He'd missed all that time because she couldn't find him; because her mother wouldn't help. Only a case had brought him into their lives. A case that had their twins kidnapped.

As she tried to drift off she kept thinking what if they were still missing. She got up and checked up on her twins and smiled to watch them sleeping. She even went to the guest room and stood in the doorway watching their father sleep. It calmed her down to see him look so peaceful. It surely meant he didn't hate her or was angry with her, didn't it? It relaxed her and soon she was finding her eyes closing so headed back to bed. She slept well for the rest of the night.