A/N: Well, this update was much more delayed than I would have liked, but here it finally is. :) Thank you SO much to all of you who reviewed the previous chapter, favorited and followed! Your continued support is highly appreciated!

Chapter Seven: Repercussions

Having grown accustomed to single parenthood, Jack recently realized he was following inadvertently in David Clarke's footsteps by raising a child on his own. While he was hopeful of a future with Margaux, his new girlfriend, it was simply too early in their relationship to tell the possible outcome. And then there were the instances when Jack was forced to inwardly acknowledge that while he did care for her, it did not match the love he felt for Amanda or Emily, who of course, in actuality was the real Amanda. But Emily did not know that, or so Jack thought, and it was almost as if he were having to lose her all over again as a result.

Carl began to fuss then, and Jack was in the process of lifting the toddler from his crib when there was a knock on the outside door. Opening it with his free hand, he was surprised to find Emily standing on the other side. Her eyes were reddened from crying, her body seemingly only covered by an over-sized button down shirt and a pair of sandals. Immediately, Jack furrowed his brow over her distraught appearance."Emily?"

She sniffed, self-consciously wiping her eyes. "Can I come in?"

"Yeah, yeah, of course." Carl began to squirm in his arms as Emily quickly brushed by them both and into the modest living quarters of the Stowaway, and Jack was uncertain what to make of her unexpected visit. It had been over a week since they had last spoken, a conversation which had ended abruptly when Aiden unleashed his version of tough love on the beach. Setting his energetic son down, Jack took a seat opposite from Emily while Carl began to crawl on the living room floor. "What's wrong?"

"Daniel, he...he, uh..." Emily stammered, closing her eyes. "I'm sorry...I don't know how I even ended up here. I just started driving..."

"Calm down, calm down...just...tell me what happened." Jack's honest blue eyes were staring at her in genuine concern, and Emily suddenly felt she might have made an error in coming here. If she told him what had happened, what she had remembered, it would truly make it a reality. "Emily," Jack slowly said, narrowing his eyes at her dazed expression. He could see she was struggling, clearly weighing out in her mind what to say next. "Did you remember something?"

Emily began nodding, the images coming to mind of a drunk and enraged Daniel pointing the gun at her and firing, followed by the memory of the severe pain of the bullets piercing her skin, their force knocking her body backwards. Daniel had stepped forward instinctively to reach for her, but it was too late. The water had been so cold as she hit its harsh surface. But Emily did not remember the events leading up to the horrific moment. Having her memory return in bits and pieces like this was beyond maddening. "Daniel...shot...me," She finally whispered.

So, Aiden had been correct, Jack surmised. Though from the exterior he remained calm, his blood pressure began to rise in anger, his need to protect that nine-year old little girl, always prevailing. "Where is he?"

"At home." Noticing the disdain resonating in Jack's eyes, Emily quickly added, "Jack, I don't want you to do anything. I just..." She shook her head, feeling foolish. "I don't know what I want. I haven't even had time to process everything." Feeling little hands on her bare leg then, Emily looked down to find Carl latched on in attempt to pull his body upwards. Emily smiled in response and leaned over to lift him onto her lap.

Jack smiled a little at the sight, more preoccupied with his own thoughts as to how best to handle the situation. "I'm really sorry about what happened on the beach the other day," He apologized, changing the subject.

Emily's eyes remained focused on the child in her lap, his innocence calming her. "It's okay. It wasn't your fault."

"I just want you to know that...I would never intentionally try to hurt you, or try to tell you how you should feel."

"I know that," Emily breathed, adding a gentle smile as her eyes rose. "I've been remembering some other things. They're fragmented and sporadic, but..."

"What did you remember?" Jack asked, intrigued.

"I remember that we were friends." Her expression and voice remained soft as she spoke and Jack smiled softly in return, nodding his head in understanding. Emily took a moment to observe her surroundings, and then glanced back down at Carl. "Would it be okay if I stayed here a little while?"

"You can stay as long as you need," Jack offered, liking the idea. "I've got to open up the bar. Would you mind watching Carl? His sitter should be here soon."

"How about I watch him today?" Emily impulsively suggested. She needed the distraction and being here, away from the beach house and her haunting realization, was making her feel temporarily better.

Jack was a tad surprised by her offer, but quickly recovered and smiled graciously. "That would be great. If you're sure you don't mind?"

"Not at all. It would be nice to spend more time with my godson."

"Okay...thanks." He smiled again at her reassurance, stood and began to walk towards the stairwell. "Just call down the stairs to me, if you need anything."

"Jack, I know..." Her unfinished sentence stopped him in the doorway, and he slowly turned back to face Emily as she slid her tongue across her lower lip in a nervous motion. "I know I that I'm Amanda Clarke... Nolan told me."

"But you don't remember being her?" Jack assumed from the lost expression in her eyes.

Emily shrugged slightly, barely shaking her head. "No. No, I don't." She paused and drew a breath, regretfully, "I'm sorry I hurt you...Jack."

Now Jack was the one to take pause, reflecting on the various emotions he had felt towards her in the last several months. "I've spent a lot of time being angry with you, but...I'm not anymore... I'm just glad you're still here."

When Jack went upstairs later that afternoon to check on Emily and Carl, he found them playing together on his bed. Emily's long body was stretched across it while Carl sat in the center, enamored with the toy placed between them. Jack found himself wish this to be a daily routine, for Emily to give up her revenge, and come back to him as the little girl he once knew and still loved.

But he accepted she was not his to claim, that she did not belong to him. And it wasn't even a matter of her being married to Daniel or that she had agreed to marry Aiden. Emily didn't really belong to them either. She only belonged to herself and her quest to avenge the father she had lost so long ago. "Hey," Jack greeted, forcing a smile.

Emily looked up from Carl with a smile of her own. "Hey."

"Has he been okay for you?"

"He's been great. Being here today has really helped."

"Yeah...he's pretty good medicine," Jack agreed, laying back on the bed and allowing Carl to crawl on top of his chest. It was a sweet scene until the little boy decided his milk no longer agreed with his stomach and promptly spit up a worthy dose of it on Jack's shirt. "Ugghh...thanks, buddy." Jack half-moaned, half-laughed. Emily giggled in response at his grimaced expression.

Jack stood, pulling his stained shirt over his head as Emily set Carl down in his playpen. Daniel, having already looked everywhere else he could think of for Emily and ending up at the Stowaway as a last resort, heard their light laughter when he reached the top of the winding stairwell and entered the living quarters. The noise led him to the bedroom doorway where his jaw clenched at the sight of a shirtless Jack standing next to the bed where Emily was now sitting. Daniel should have known to look for her here first, but did not out of denial.

Emily's smile fell as she locked eyes with her husband. "Daniel."

Jack's smile faded as well, and he then slipped on the clean T-shirt in his hand. Daniel did his best to ignore Jack's presence, though it was quite difficult. Knowing Emily had gone to him and seeing them together in a compromising circumstance, made Daniel feel as though he had been kicked in the stomach. "Please come home with me," He requested, looking earnestly into her chocolate eyes. "We need to talk." But Emily only looked away, unsure if she were ready to face him or listen to anything he had to say.

Seeing her obvious apprehension, Jack protectively interjected, "She doesn't have to go anywhere with you."

"Just stay out of this, Porter," Daniel warned, automatically raising his hand.

"No. I'm not going to stay out of this. You're in my home."

"Yeah, well, she's my wife."

"Your wife that you shot," Jack silenced. "That's right – she told me what you did to her."

Emily rose to her feet, becoming exasperated at their banter. "Would you two stop talking about me as though I'm not here?"

Jack ignored her comment, moving into Daniel's personal space. "Get out."

"I'm not leaving without Emily." When Daniel tried to step forward, Jack was no longer able to contain his anger and punched his adversary, the sudden and unexpected impact of his fist jarring Daniel slightly off balance.

"Jack, don't -" Emily intercepted as he was rearing to throw another punch. And as much as Daniel wanted to retaliate, he resisted. Getting into a fist fight with Jack was not going to solve anything and deep down, he knew he deserved it. Hell, he deserved Jack to beat him senseless after what he had done to Emily. Daniel left the premises then along with his wounded pride.

"Ems -" Nolan's greeted in puzzlement, at her once again, disheveled appearance as she briskly entered his home. "Please tell me you're wearing shorts under that."

"Huh?" Emily glanced downward at her attire, realizing she was still wearing Daniel's shirt with a hidden pair of boxers underneath. She rolled her eyes dismissively, not having time for such trivial conversation. "I left in a hurry this morning."

"Clearly." He motioned for her to sit which she did, rather absently. "What's wrong?"

"I remembered who shot me," Emily hastily began with a sigh. "It was Daniel."

"So Aiden was right," Nolan mumbled, propping his elbow on his lap and resting his forehead against his palm.

"Aiden knew Daniel shot me?"

"He suspected." Shifting to face her more squarely, "What did Daniel say?"

"I didn't give him a chance to say much of anything. He wants talk about things, wants to explain, but...I haven't been ready to listen... And I keep thinking about everything you told me, and...how I've been lying to him."

"What're you saying, exactly?"

"It just makes me think...that maybe there is an explanation." She shook her head, trying to sort through her thoughts. "I mean...did I drive him to this with my lies?"

Nolan heaved a weighted breath. "Daniel's not a cold-blooded killer, if that's what you're wondering... But any of the lies you told him does not justify what he did."

Emily nodded, seemingly trying to convince herself. It was hard to accept the loving and kind man she had spent the last several weeks with was capable of such a vile act, and perhaps, she was trying to offer more concessions for Daniel than she should, but she could not seem to help herself. "Maybe I should just tell him the truth...all of it."

Nolan's eyes lifted in alarm, certain that now was not a time for extremities of any kind. Emily was not able to think objectively. She could not grasp everything that was at stake. "Ems, look...I am actually a proponent of honesty, believe it or not, but Daniel...you can't trust what he'll do, who he'll tell. If Conrad and Victoria find out who you really are... not only would it endanger you, but you can say goodbye to the plans you've worked so hard on."

"The plans I don't even remember, Nolan," Emily countered, becoming visibly upset. Her head fell to her hands, her body rocking slightly back and forth. "I just feel so out of control. It's like...who I know I'm supposed to be...contradicts how I feel." Raising her shoulders, she stretched out her fingers before curling them against her forehead. "I don't know what to do."

Nolan paused sympathetically, placing his hand to her shoulder. "Aiden wants to see you."

Her head slowly started moving back and forth. "I can't...I can't deal with him right now."

"Okay, well...he's not going away."

"Maybe he should," Emily sharply suggested, lifting her head and cranking it towards him. "I'm married to another man."

"Who you married under false pretenses," Nolan reminded. "Uh, and excuse me if I'm not on board the Daniel train at the moment, considering he shot you." Nolan sighed again, softening his voice. "Ems...I think you just need some time...to figure out who you are and what you want."

The sun was setting when Emily finally returned to the beach house. She found Daniel upstairs in the master suite, removing clothing items from the closet. Snippets of a similar scene suddenly flashed in her mind. There were no voices, only images: Daniel was leaving; then they were seated on the bench at the foot of the bed; tears ran down her cheeks as he held her in his arms. Emily blinked quickly, recovering from the broken memories. "What're doing?" She asked room the doorway, announcing her return.

Daniel glanced at her, carrying some of his clothes over to the chair where his duffel bag was waiting. "Packing my things. I figured you wouldn't want me staying here."

"I didn't sleep with Jack," Emily softly clarified, not addressing his previous statement. Daniel set down the clothes in his hands and looked across the room where she solemnly stood.

"I know," He quietly acknowledged. It was still good to hear her confirm it though. He wanted to go to her, but Emily clearly needed her space, and therefore, Daniel remained withdrawn. This tension, this distance, reminded Emily of how things had been between them when she awakened in the hospital without any recollection of who she was. Now she did know, and it felt even worse than when she had not a clue.

Emily paused, pensively deciding how to proceed and settled on simplicity. "How's your face?"

"I'll live," Daniel muttered, continuing to pack.

"I'm sorry Jack hit you."

"It doesn't matter. I deserved it."

"I don't want you to leave, Daniel." His head turned abruptly in her direction at this. "I want to talk with you."

"Okay," Daniel nodded, appreciative that Emily was giving him a chance, and habitually sat down next to one another on the bench at the foot of the bed.

"I'm sorry I ran out this morning." She sighed, not yet able to look him in the eye at such close proximity. "I just...needed to clear my head."

"I'm pretty certain remembering I nearly killed you, justified you running away." If it weren't devastatingly true, it might have been comical. But neither of them were laughing.

"It's really hard for me, Daniel, because...I have memories, but there are so many huge holes in them. And then there are certain instances where it's like my emotions haven't caught up with my memory... It makes feel...really...confused and...out of control," Emily explained, finally looking at him, but promptly closed her eyes, pained by her next question. "Why did you shoot me?"

Daniel knew it was coming, but hated having to relive his near fatal error. "I...I overheard you and my mother arguing on the deck... you said things that -" He stopped short, wishing he knew exactly what Emily remembered... not so that he could lie to her, but so he would not say something to make the delicate situation even worse than it already was. "I was drunk, and..." His voice trailed. There was no way to mold what he had done into sounding any less horrible.

"I was never pregnant, was I?" Emily rhetorically questioned, sensing he did indeed know she had lied.

Daniel paused, assuming she had remembered the argument with his mother. "No...that's what I overheard you telling my mother. Finding out that you'd been lying to me, playing me for a fool...I...I just lost it. The gun was already there, for what reason, I'm not sure...and I took hold of it in my rage, and..." He stopped again, feeling sick to his stomach. "What I did was despicable, and I'm sorry... I never meant to hurt you. I was just...so angry...I just wanted you to feel the pain I was feeling...I wish more than anything that I could take it back."

"I'm not exactly proud to know that I faked a pregnancy and tricked you into marrying me when you didn't want to." Nolan told Emily it was for the sake of her plan, but her actions only felt pathetic at the moment.

"Em...I did want to marry you," Daniel was quick to assure, wanting to be certain she knew how he had once felt. "There was a time when I wanted nothing more...But things changed between us...I started to question if you really even loved me and..."

"And then ran you into Sarah?" Emily finished as though she remembered that portion as well, but she did not. It was another piece of information Nolan shared in attempt to explain her motives in fabricating a pregnancy.

Daniel regretted she was also apparently aware of yet another one of his indiscretions. "Yeah...and it made me second guess myself."

"Have you been seeing her?" Emily warily questioned, the thought of him being with another woman bothering her more than she knew it should, given the circumstances.

"No," Daniel answered immediately, honestly. "I ended it with her, I swear. I never should have started anything with her to begin with, and I am sorry." He waited for Emily to respond, in hopes for her to look at him in acknowledgment of some kind, but she did not.

Instead, her eyes remained forward as she launched additional pointed questions. "Daniel...why have you been lying to me since I woke up? Was it just to save yourself?"

"At first, yeah...it was...I was scared of the truth coming out," Daniel admitted as much as he did not want validate it. "But then...I fell in love with you all over again, and... I didn't want the truth to come out because... I didn't want to lose you." It sounded like a player's line, but Emily found herself believing every word as she now stared into his sincere and purposeful brown eyes. And what was more terrifying to her was that she wanted to believe them.

Emily sighed again, averting her eyes protectively. "Now I truly understand why you were acting so distant."

Daniel recalled the awkwardness shared between them not long ago. Each day had been a struggle. "I could barely stand to look you in the eye. I felt so guilty every time I looked at you. I still do... But I was also so angry with you for lying to me."

"And I just kept wanting to spend time with you." Emily released a breath through her nose, her mouth puckering in the corner at the irony. "You must have hated it."

"No. I never hated spending time with you, Emily." Daniel wished he hadn't wasted the short time of innocence he had with her on being distant. Now, that brief window of time was gone, and he would forever be guilty in her eyes. "I don't mean to seem ungrateful, but... I don't understand how you're managing to be so calm about all of this."

Emily took a moment to answer, considering revealing the truth, but then replaying Nolan's warning in her mind. "Because...as much as this hurts, I...I know that I was lying to you, too...I think I deserved it."

Not having an inclination to the brevity behind her reply, Daniel quickly dismissed it. "Don't make excuses for me, okay? You did not deserve what I did to you."

Emily wanted to believe that, but she felt nothing but defeat at the moment. She did not like hearing the truth about herself or remembering the truth about the husband she was relying so heavily upon for guidance. The sincerity of Daniel's remorse was apparent, but it did not erase his transgressions. "I'm going to take a shower," Emily quietly stated, leaving Daniel wondering where they stood.

"Em?" Almost to the bathroom, she slowly turned to face him, noticing his dejected expression. "Are you going to tell the police?" Daniel's question was not rooted in fear, but rather an honest curiosity. While he certainly did not desire to be behind bars, he knew it was a warranted punishment.

"No," Emily breathed and for a moment, he thought she might crack, but she of course, did not. "I wouldn't do that to you."

"Daniel, what brings you by?" Victoria asked as she descended the foyer stairwell, pleased by her son's unexpected visit to Grayson Manor. Daniel remained silent even as his mother linked her arm in his, leading them both to the living room.

"Emily's remembered that I was the one who shot her."

Victoria tensely halted their slow stride, disconnecting and pivoting to face him. "And what is she going to do about it?"

"Nothing...she says she's not going to tell the police."

"Well," Victoria resolved, "Then at least you will not have to continue with this farce of a marriage."

Daniel furrowed his brow. "What are you talking about? I want to be with Emily."

"Oh Daniel, please," She scoffed, peeved by Daniel's willful ignorance.

"No, Mom. I love her... And if she can somehow find it in her heart to forgive me, I want to spend my life with her."

Seeing Daniel's determination, Victoria knew better than to waste her breath arguing with him. Instead, she disappeared into Conrad's study for a moment, returning a few moments later with a folded piece of paper in hand. "Then there's something you need to know."

"What's this?" Daniel questioned, unfolding it.

"It's Emily's test results. I haven't wanted to upset you, but... in order to save Emily's life, there were some things that couldn't be avoided."

Daniel's eyes quickly scanned its contents, horrified by what he was reading. "No, no, no...Please tell me I did not do this to her."

It went against her natural instincts as a mother to cause one of her children affliction of any kind, but of course, this was not the first instance she had done so. Victoria barely reacted, her mouth tight. "I wish I could."

The revelations of the past thirty-six hours had been sobering, to say the least. Emily was no closer to unlocking the entirety of her memories than she had been the night before, no closer to achieving clarity on how to proceed. Things with Daniel had been tense, the proverbial elephant in the room, ever present. Neither truly knew what to say or how to proceed, other than that they were attempting to peaceably co-exist.

After taking another swim in the comforting, but turbulent waves of the ocean, Emily showered and changed into a white button-down blouse and pair of copper skinny pants. She was exiting the bathroom when Daniel entered the bedroom with a strained expression. Noticing the creased paper in his hands, Emily stopped in front of him, eying it suspiciously. "Is something wrong, Daniel?"

"Em, I uh...I don't know how to tell you this..." He cautiously began in dread.

"Tell me what?"

Handing her the paper, he felt his throat constricting. "I was just with my mom and she showed me your test results from the shooting...She's kept them hidden." Daniel closed his eyes, continuing, "Because of the location of the bullet wounds and the surgeries required to save your life...the doctors had... no choice. A...a...sacrifice...had to be made."

Emily read the report in disbelief. "There has to be some mistake."

"I'm so sorry," Daniel whispered, eyes now wide and burdened with guilt. He would never be able to make this right.

Emily looked up with a narrowed brow, her eyes welling with tears. "You're sorry?" She repeated in an angry whisper, crumpling the flimsy paper in her hand that held such weighted news. Daniel swallowed the large lump in his throat, realizing how foolish it was for him to have once feared Emily's reaction to finding out he was her shooter. No, this...this was far worse.

"Em, I -" But Daniel was at a loss for words. Her eyes had darkened with hatred, penetrating him with their pain.

"You -" Emily cried, shoving Daniel slightly and forcing his back against the wall. The motion startled him, but he remained calm. He deserved whatever rage she wanted to unleash. "You pathetic excuse of a husband!" Her harsh words were with punctuated with a cold slap across his face, the cheek which was still bruised from Jack's punch, no less. Daniel did not react though, but rather stood erect, almost enjoying her attack because it was a glimpse of proper punishment.

His lack of response on fueled Emily's anger though. He had taken away her ability to ever conceive and carry a child of her own. How dare he just stand there? Overcome with emotion, Emily balled her fists and began to hit Daniel's chest again and again as she gasped with sobs. "React to me!" She nearly screamed, causing Daniel to finally grab her wrists to thwart the incessant pounding. He flipped her body against the wall to gain control, trying to calm her. Even though Emily could have easily out maneuvered him, she allowed it.

"Stop...please, just stop," Daniel requested and she could see the hurt reflecting in his eyes. Her breathing was heavy as Daniel continued to trap her body with his, the fury in her eyes now laced with lust. Daniel's eyes fell to her lips. This was wrong on many levels, but he gave into his desire and pressed his own lips to hers, pulling back a moment later.

Daniel was surprised, however, to feel Emily's body relaxing under his touch, her eyes softening. She was probably insane to be welcoming this, but there was something about the way his body called to hers, a chemical reaction of sorts. She hated him, but still longed for him at the same time, longed for the way he would touch her, the exhilaration she would feel. This time, Emily kissed Daniel, longer and slower, but then too, pulled back.

Seeing the noticeable rhythm of her chest as it sharply rose and fell, matching her intensity, made Daniel only want her more. Their eyes danced for a moment, each silently conceding to the other. Releasing her hands, Daniel gripped the top of her shirt, ripping it open and causing the tiny buttons to scatter around them.

Emily entangled her hands in in his hair as their lips met hungrily again, their bodies simultaneously sliding downwards until they were lying horizontally on the floor. Emily feverishly un-clasped his belt, pushing his pants down his legs with her feet as Daniel peeled her pants off as well, both anxious to have the other.

Minutes later, as they laid on their backs waiting for their heart rates to slow, Emily started to regain her senses. The physical desire she had felt for Daniel was temporarily satisfied, leaving her feeling completely empty inside. She hated herself for giving her body to him, knowing he had caused irreparable damage to it when he shot her. There was no coming back from the news she had just learned.

"You should go," Emily flatly stated, causing Daniel to roll his head to the side to look at her. She was staring coldly at the ceiling, her entire demeanor void of any emotion. It scared him when she was like this, and his heart sunk, fearing he truly had lost her this time. She was not going to able to forgive him, not for this.

"If that's what you truly want," He sadly conceded, sitting up.

Emily sat up as well, quickly covering herself with her shirt. "It is."

"I don't think you should be alone."

"Fine...I'll go stay with Nolan then. You can stay here." Her reply was glib as she stood and moved to the closet to grab a few necessities.

By now, Daniel had stood as well and had slipped on his jeans. "Em, I didn't mean that you needed to leave. This is more your house than mine." Digging his hands in his pockets, he pensively plead. "Just let me stay...I'll...I'll sleep in the guest room."

Stopping only momentarily from shoving items in her suitcase, Emily glanced at him. "That won't work. I can't be here with you."

Daniel stood silently as she briskly moved into the bathroom to retrieve a few items, then returning to drop the additional contents into her awaiting suitcase and zipping it in a swift motion within seconds. "Please don't leave," He whispered. "I'll go."

Emily shook her head, her eyes empty. "It's better this way."

A/N: Fear not, my friends... Please allow me to reiterate the endgame for this fic is Demily. (Also, regarding the Jemily scenes in this chapter... I think it goes without saying, I'm a Demily shipper, but I do have a lot of respect for the Jemily friendship, and that is what I hope to have conveyed. ) Anyway, I think you will be pleased with my future plans for this fic. At least, I hope you will, and I of course, hope you enjoyed this installment. Your feedback would be greatly appreciated! It truly motivates me to continue to write. :)

Much love,

Only Hope-7 xoxo