From Vengeance To Forgiveness (Revenge)

Hope

'Stowaway', Montauk

"Are you ready?" Nolan looked at Emily with a concerned look, then, after she had nodded, opened the door to the 'Stowaway'.

"Hey!" Ava greeted the two and stepped around the bar to hug them. "How is Julian?" She asked worried, looking at Emily.

"He's much better." Emily smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "You did the right thing to call the ambulance. Thanks again!"

"I'm glad he's better." She had noticed the tense atmosphere and looked back and forth between Nolan and Emily. "Is there a particular reason why you're here?"

Nolan nodded and pointed at Emily. "Is Jack around as well? Emily wants to say goodbye."

"Say goodbye?" Ava echoed, looking befuddled at her friend. "Do you want to go on a journey?"

"This is a long story." Emily gestured to the tables. "Do you have some time? Then I'll tell you everything."

"I just can't believe that..." Ava shook her head as if dazed after both had informed her about the occurrences of the last few hours. "I may not know Daniel for as long as you do, but I can still remember how he pushed you out of the line of fire after you bravely had stepped between him and Aiden's gun. He was ready to die for you! Which man does this voluntarily? I mean, what greater proof of love can he give to you?"

It hurt to be reminded of the bittersweet times they had shared. The times when their love had been deep enough to die for each other. Her eyes filled with tears. It was not that she wanted to leave, the circumstances forced her to do so. She didn't know if Charlotte had succeeded in talking sense into Daniel. She only knew that she couldn't stay if he still wanted to go through with the divorce and to claim sole custody.

"Oh no!" Ava squeezed Emily's hand consolingly. "Now I've made you cry. I didn't mean to!"

"It's okay." She wiped her eyes. "You are right. We loved each other very much. But that's months ago. Feelings can change."

Ava nodded. "I know that. When I met you, you wanted to ruin the Graysons. You had such a blind hatred for them that it almost destroyed you. You only married Daniel to take revenge on his parents. You were cold and calculating. And look at you now..." She raised her eyebrows. "You have become a different person. You have learned to love and to forgive."

Nolan nodded. "Ava is right. You have become a different person. We just have to make Daniel see that."

Hope gleamed in her eyes. "You think that's possible?"

Ava and Nolan nodded in unison.

"Don't give up just yet," Ava begged. "You can't just throw away everything you've built up here. Besides..." She took a deep breath. "... you asked me if I wanted to become Julian's godmother. And I can't imagine doing my job to your satisfaction when you live in Paris."

Emily nodded and rose. "Thank you!" She said, touched by Ava's words. "You both are really good friends... the best! What would I do without you?"

"Exactly!" Ava nodded decisively. "That's why you can't go to Paris!" She looked up as someone entered the bar. "Well, I have to go back behind the counter. Work is calling." She hugged Emily once again, gave a curt nod to Nolan and then went to the guest.

Nolan gently took Emily's arm. "You see, no one wants you to go. Ava is right. We need you here, Emily, and you need us. We simply belong together."

She nodded hesitantly, and though not fully convinced of the reasons both had stated, it stirred up her hope that not everything was lost. Perhaps she and Daniel could manage it to save their marriage after all.

Grayson Manor, Hamptons

Daniel opened the door to the manor, went straight to his father's study where he took a bottle of whiskey from the bar and then continued his way up to his room. He put the travel bag with his clothes, which he had just fetched from his wardrobe of the beach house, on the floor and then opened the bottle and put it on his lips. The alcohol ran down, stinging his throat, and he told himself he already felt better. A few more gulps of alcohol and he would forget everything; the kidnapping of his father, the almost rape of his mother, David Clarke, Emily... He had just put the bottle back on his lips when the door flew open, and Charlotte rushed into his room.

"Is this your way of dealing with problems?" She stood in front of him like an avenging angel, her arms folded in front of her chest, looking at him furiously. "Drinking into oblivion isn't a solution, Daniel! I tried that once when I did drugs. And it took me a long time to get clean and live a normal life without that stuff!"

"Leave me alone, Charlotte!" He made a dismissive hand movement and just wanted to put the bottle back on his lips as she took a quick step to him and snatched the bottle from his hands.

"You won't drink again until you black out!" She said vigorously, quickly running over to the adjoining bathroom, where she then emptied the bottle of whiskey in the sink.

"Are you nuts?!" He had followed her and stared at her in disbelief. "What was that all about?"

Triumphant, she put the empty bottle aside. "Keeping you back from doing a stupid mistake." Seeing how he dropped onto the edge of the bathtub and ran sighing his hand through his hair, she sat down next to him and gently touched his arm. "I know how hurt and disappointed you are that Emily lied to you, but..."

"Amanda," he corrected, laughing bitterly. "Let's call her by her real name... Amanda Clarke."

"Whatever." She made an indifferent hand movement. "The fact is, she lied to you about her true identity, but she never lied about her feelings towards you. Her feelings were... I mean... are genuine. She really loves you."

He raised his head and looked at her with a dubious look. "What makes you so sure?"

"She told me. Besides, a blind man can see how deeply she cares about you, and..." She took a deep breath before she continued. "So far, I've always thought that you're returning her love. Have I been that mistaken?" She glanced at him with a cautious look.

"She lied to me... to all of us!" He blurted out, ignoring her question. "And who knows how long!"

Charlotte wondered what she could answer. She still knew too little about Emily's motives why she had come to the Hamptons with a false name. "You should talk to her about it," she suggested. "I'm sure if the two of you talk about it calmly, she'll tell you everything."

"She is only telling lies when she opens her mouth!" He jumped up from the edge of the bathtub and turned away to go back to his room.

"Daniel, wait!" Charlotte also jumped up and grabbed his arm before he could leave. "I just don't believe you when you say that you have no feelings for her anymore." She looked straight into his eyes, hoping to find a sign of remorse. But his expression was stony and grim. Emily was right. He was too embittered to give in.

"Stay out of my business, Charlotte!" He demanded and glared at her furiously. "It's over, okay? You can tell that to your sister too, when you see her. I'm done with her lies and her intrigues! I'm just glad I realized in time what kind of person she is!" He laughed sarcastically. "When I imagine how often I came to her defense when Mom or Dad said something bad about her..." He took a deep breath. "And they were right all along. Emily is a lying bitch! And I'm glad when she disappears out of my life!"

Charlotte was too shocked to reply. Horrified, she looked at him as she asked herself what had happened with her sensitive, sympathetic brother. This Daniel was a stranger to her and scared her. She had already seen him being angry on other occasions. But that was nothing compared to what she had viewed now. She had tried to mediate between the two of them before Emily would really leave the country for good. But she realized now that it was futile. Daniel was too blind of rage to see reason, and Emily was still convinced that it was best to start a new life in Paris. Perhaps that was the right thing for her to do. Resigned, she looked at him for a moment, before she turned and ran to her room. She threw herself on the bed, grabbed her headphones and then turned her stereo so loud that it hurt her ears and she didn't notice anything of her outside world anymore. She didn't become aware of Daniel leaving his room and going down again to his father's study, where he picked up another bottle of alcohol and took it with him when he went back to his room.