A/N: Thanks to everyone for checking out my story. I love the show especially Audrey and Emma's relationship and I just had to write something leading up the scene at the end of the final which was totally a date. Please drop me a comment if you can, I'd love to hear what everyone's thoughts are on the plot or characterization or just my writing style. Have a great day and happy reading!

Emma couldn't concentrate on the droning math lecture, her attention drifting away each time she tried to focus on the lesson. Explanations of derivatives of algebraic functions flew over her head as the teacher drew symbols and graphs on the whiteboard. Despite her best attempts her gaze kept drifting to the back of Audrey's head. She was whispering back and forth with Noah a few rows ahead of Emma. Emma gave up trying to pull her thoughts away from the girl, and instead rested her chin in her hand and resumed scrutinizing the back of the Audrey's cute short hair. That descriptor past through her mind much more easily than it would have just a few months prior. Ever since Kieran… the name still caused a shudder to pass down her spine... was arrested words like those have been passing through her mind much more often when she thought about Audrey.

It had taken a few weeks to get over the shook of learning that her half-sister and ex-boyfriend had plotted together to terrorize both herself and her friends. Emma had worried initially that she wouldn't be able to trust anyone ever again. Audrey had supported her so much through all of her therapy. Checking in with her after every session, staying up on the phone with her when the nightmares wouldn't let her sleep. A small smile curled at the corner of her lips as memories of the past few months shifted through her head.

The final bell for the day rang and students throughout the room shuffled their books and papers off their desks into their bags on their way to the door. Emma's daydreaming was cut off which slowed her own packing causing her to rush to catch up to Audrey and Noah as they departed.

"Hey Emma, you got any plans for the weekend?"

Emma couldn't stop her eyes from glancing quickly over at Audrey. Her pulse beat insistently in her veins hoping that the reaction hadn't been noticed. "Oh, not much Noah. Just got some schoolwork to get too."

He gave her a playful nudge with his elbow, "Leave it to our future Valediction to be worried about school work on a Friday afternoon."

The small laugh caused by Noah's friendly ribbing dissipated as the trio neared the doors out to the parking lot. Noah's car had some problem and so Audrey had given him a ride today. Meaning Emma's window to get Audrey alone was quickly closing. Taking a deep breath to steel her nerves Emma laid a hand on Audrey's shoulder to slow her friend. "Hey Audrey, can I talk to you a second before you head out?"

Audrey looked at her curiously, "Uh, ya, sure." She glanced over at Noah, "Go ahead out to the car. I'll be right behind you."

Noah looked between them for a long moment before shrugging. "Alright, don't take too long." He looped his thumbs in the straps of his backpack and headed through the doors into the warm sunshine outside.

"Is everything okay, Em?"

Emma dropped her hand from Audrey's shoulder, suddenly feeling like physical contact was a little too close for comfort. "Ya, everything's fine." She gave what she hoped was an encouraging nod. With the emotions swirling inside her at moment she wasn't sure whether anything looked like she hoped it would.

"Okay, what's with all the secrecy then?" Audrey cocked her head a little to side in a questioning manner. The movement caused the bangs over her eyes to flutter out of place and hang low over her brow. It took everything Emma had not to reach over a brush them out of Audrey's intense eyes.

Emma's mouth was suddenly very dry as she tried to get the proper words to come together in her head. She swallowed thickly and met Audrey's gaze with her best confident expression. "Do you wanna go see a movie tonight?"

Audrey's brows furrowed in confusion and she contemplated the question. "What? With the whole crew? Why did you have to talk to me alone to ask that?"

Emma felt she the hopes diminish in her chest at Audrey's confusion. She knew Audrey had liked her like this in the past, but liking her in the past didn't necessarily mean she still liked her today. She sighed, almost deciding to take the out in Audrey's question to avoid what she stopped her friend for altogether. She recognized that her desire for the girl wasn't going away anytime soon though and so knew she needed to power through. "No, not with the crew. Just you and uhh… me." The last word came out softly as Emma's fortitude began to give away. She knew her cheeks were sure to be fiery red with blush and ducked her head away to hide it.

She waited through a silence that seemed to drag out for years with baited breath. Finally not able to take it any longer Emma glanced back at her friend. She couldn't read the expression on Audrey's face. There were hints of shock, happiness, and confusion, but mostly it just looked blank. Emma wasn't sure what exactly to make of it.

Finally a wicked smirk drew its way across her features. "Emma Duval, did you just ask me out on a date?"

The playful response took a great deal of weight off Emma's shoulders, though she remained painfully aware that an actually answer hadn't been given. "Ya, I'm pretty sure that's what that was."

"Fine, I'll pick you up at 7." Emma's was frozen by Aubrey's directness. By the time she reacted Aubrey was halfway to the door. Audrey was uncannily timely as she turned back without pausing in her step in unison with Emma looking after her. The smirk still danced across her lips as she looked amused at Emma's reaction. "What? You expected me to say no? Think again Duval." And with that she was out the door.

It took a moment for the feeling to return to Emma's body enough for her to head out the door herself. A feeling of giddiness permeated throughout her chest. She reached the curb just in time for Audrey and Noah to fly past her towards the exit. Emma smiled as Audrey threw her hand out her window in a waving gesture as they turned out onto the road.

Before she even reached her own car Emma had her phone out and was furiously typing a text to Brooke. "Need your help. Come to my place tonight."

Emma's phone buzzed in her hand nearly immediately. "I suppose I could come over. I'll be there as soon as I can." The message caused a smile to cross her features. She climbed into her car and headed home.

Emma paced impatiently in her room. Pop music flowed from the Bluetooth speaker on her desk and half her wardrobe was strewn across her room. She ran a flustered hand through her hair as her eyes darted between the clothes seemingly carelessly thrown about. The sound of a car pulling into her driveway snapped her out of her trance. Walking at a speed nearing a sprint she ducked out of my door and took the steps down two at a time. Reaching the front door she pulled it open just as Brooke was reaching for the doorbell. Brooke cocked an eyebrow at her breathless appearance. "Where's the fire?"

Emma rolled her eyes and grabbed Brooke's wrist pulling her through the door without so much as a greeting. "I thought you said you were coming over right away, it's after 6 already."

"Sorry, I got held up with Stavo." The curl of a smirk pulled at her lips as she said her boyfriend's name. "What's the problem? You got some big date you're stressing over?"

Emma dropped Brooke's wrist and wrapped her arms around herself. Not able to meet Brooke's gaze or answer the question. Silence dragged on for a moment before realization passed through Brooke's expression. "Oh my god, you do have a date!" She playfully shoved Emma's shoulder with a smile across her face. "Who asked you out?"

"I actually asked them out."

This time Brooke grabbed her hand and pulled her up the stairs towards her room as Emma tried to figure out how she was going to explain that she had asked Audrey out. They reached her room with Brooke only pausing slightly to take in the ransacked appearance before shutting the door behind them. "Okay, I want to know everything. How could you not tell me there was a guy you liked?"

Emma drew in a deep breath to steady herself. She met the excited eyes of my friend and felt her confidence heightened by her attitude. "It actually isn't a guy." Emma only dwelled on silence for a moment before she preempted the obvious follow up question. "It's Audrey, I asked Audrey out."

The admission took a second for Brooke to process but as soon as it did a sly smile formed. "Finally, we've all been waiting for one of you to go for it."

"W… what?"

Brooke rolled her eyes at Emma's surprised response. "Please, you too have been practically begging for it for weeks now." She turned and started peeling the litany of clothes off the bed, examining each in turn before tossing them into a pile. "Now with Audrey you don't need to worry about trying so hard. We already know she thinks you're hot and you've known each other forever. When is your date?"

Emma looked on as Brooke casually took in the idea of her and Audrey going out and leafed through her clothes like it was the most routine thing in the world. "She's picking me up at 7."

Brooke paused in her parsing with a light blue cardigan in one hand and a blue and purple burst designed shirt in the other. "Perfect." She turned and held them out for Emma to take. "Just go with these and your black jeans. "Simple, but stylish."

"Wait, you're serious? She actually asked you out?" Audrey grinned as Noah regarded her announcement with incredulity. She kicked her boots up on his desk from her seat on his bed.

"Yep. I'm picking her up at 7."

"What are you guys even doing?"

"Just going to the movies." Audrey shrugged nonchalantly at the plans.

"The movies? Wow, Emma really outdid herself on the creativity front."

"Shut it." Audrey halfheartedly kicked at Noah seated at his desk forcing him to move to ward off her booted feet. "Whatever she feels comfortable with is fine by me."

Noah smirked at the comment. "Man bi-curious, I didn't know you could get whipped so fast." Audrey slid off the bed and started taking playful jabs at Noah's shoulders which he attempted to evade in predictably poor fashion.

"I am so not whipped."

Noah just laughed as he held up his hands in surrender against her onslaught. "If I may offer a suggestion however. Lose the jacket."

Audrey cocked an eyebrow condescendingly, "Really, you're going to give me fashion advice Mr. I have like two kinds of shirts in my entire closet?"

Noah shrugged nonplussed at the assessment, "I'm just saying you've been doing all that material arts stuff the past couple months. Gotta show off those guns to the ladies." He mimicked a flex of his nonexistent muscles.

Audrey rolled her eyes at his lacking machismo. Seeing the clock nearing date time. She started for the door. "Well, as enlightening as your advice is I better get going."

Noah smiled and gave a little wave, "Have fun out there."

Audrey gave him a salute as she backed out of his room. "Will do." She thudded her way down the stairs and out Noah's front door. As she unlocked her car she spared a glance up towards Noah's window. The light inside barely warming the pulled shut curtains. Quickly she pulled off her jacket and balled it up before throwing it into the back of her station wagon. All the while telling herself it was just because it was warm out, not because Noah had suggested it.

Audrey rolled her shoulders as she strode up to Emma's front door. With a sigh she leaned forward and pressed the doorbell. Faintly she could hear the familiar chime playing inside the house. She tapped her foot along to an incessant beat as she waited. Finally the door creaked open the reveal Emma. Internally Audrey was pleased that Emma had decided on something relatively casual. The last thing she needed was the pressure of the top end of Emma's wardrobe. Especially next to the patterned shirt and olive pants she was wearing.

"Hey Em."

Emma reached up and twirled a lock of her hair around her finger, "Hey Audrey. It's good to see you."

Audrey let out a little nervous chuckle and extended her elbow. "Well, shall we?"

With a smile Emma took the offered limb and the two girls walked out to Audrey's car. The evening was comfortable with a warm breeze slightly rocking the trees. Audrey held the passenger door open for Emma as they reached the car. "Thanks."

Audrey felt a blush creeping across her cheeks at the dimple laden smile Emma was showcasing. "No problem." She wound her way back to the driver's side and fired up the engine.

"So, how are classes going?"

Audrey cocked an eyebrow at her clearly nervous friend, "Really? You wanna talk about school right now?"

'Well, I don't know. I was just not to let any awkward silence build up. But fine, have you filmed anything recently?"

Audrey smiled at Emma frenetic response, "Not really, I've mostly just been helping Noah out with his podcast stuff." Audrey tensed, hoping the allusion to the murders wouldn't weird Emma out. "I've been thinking of some new stuff though." The words came out in a jumble as she tried to rush the conversation away from more somber topics.

"Really? Need any help getting them started?" Emma seemed either not to be affected by the mention of Noah's podcast or just really good at hiding it. Audrey wasn't sure which.

"Oh, I don't know. I think I just need the right lead. I was thinking it they would star a girl, you know like our age, beautiful obviously, long brown hair, that whole girl next door vibe. There was somebody I had in mind but I'm not sure she'd really go for it. I tried to film her by a pool once but she didn't seem that into it."

Emma tried to play it cool but Audrey could see the darkening her cheeks out of the corner of her periphery. "Oh, I see. Well obviously I can't speak for her, but I'd wager she could be convinced. You know, with the right tactics." The warmth of Emma's hand laying itself atop her hand on the shifter sent a spark of electricity through Audrey's veins. Well played Em.

The remainder of the short ride to the movie theatre was mostly spent arguing over the music selection in the car after Emma decided the alt-rock station the radio was turned to was nearly exciting enough. They walked into the theatre, both girls acutely aware of the way their hands just happened to keep bumping each other's but neither quite ready to actually do anything about.

Emma came to an abrupt stop a few steps into the lobby, her widened eyes drifting throughout the room and her breath coming a bit faster than normal. Audrey turned concern written across her face. "Em? You okay?"

Emma seemed to jolt back to the present as Audrey laid a hand on her shoulder. "Yeah, yeah, sorry. It's just the first time I've been back since..." She hefted a shoulder alluding to the words she didn't want to say. "You know."

Audrey rubbed her shoulder in an attempt at comfort. "Oh, right. Sorry, with working here and all I had to get over that shock pretty quickly. Do you still want to see something? It's totally cool if you'd rather not."

Either the physical contact or her words seemed to calm Emma as her tension all but dissipated into the ether. "No, I'm fine, really."

Audrey smirked at the bravado on display, "Alright, how about you go grab us a seat and I'll get us some snacks."

"Fine, just don't take too long."

"I'll be quick, I promise."

Emma headed into the theatre and Audrey made her way to the concessions. The lobby was actually relatively empty for a Friday night. A fact Audrey was rather thankful for given the worry of leaving Emma alone for too long quickly settling in her head. She paid for the large bucket of popcorn and box of malted milk balls and headed into the theatre.

She spotted Emma about halfway down in the second seat from the aisle. From the straight edge of her shoulders she could see the lingering tension in her body. She popped a kernel of popcorn into her mouth as she walked down the aisle hoping a little nonchalance would ease Emma's stress. A smile lit up on Emma's features as Audrey plopped down into her seat with candy extended. "Thanks, Audrey." Emma took the candy and began opening it as she brought her legs up beneath her and leaned into the armrest between the girls.

"Magic mix?" Audrey tipped the bucket of popcorn towards her.

"Absolutely." Emma poured the contents of the candy into the bucket which Audrey shook to let the malted milk balls settle properly into the popcorn. The lights dimmed as the beginning of the credits sequence started to roll. Emma leaned in closer as she grabbed a handful of the mix with Audrey doing the same.

As the first scene of the movie began in earnest Audrey couldn't help but be distracted by Emma's posture. She had leaned far into Audrey direction. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Audrey looped her arm around Emma's shoulders. To her surprise Emma quickly relaxed into her embrace. She smiled as a giddy feeling flowed through her chest. For the first time in months life just felt right.