STILL MISSING. Blair Swanson looked at the copy of the Rosewood Observer that had been delivered to her house this morning and for the two hundredth time today she was looking at the paper again. It wasn't just the bold headline that had caught Blair's attention but also the photograph of Alison DiLaurentis or Ali as Blair more commonly knew her as. It was like the paper was issuing a reminder to everyone in town about Ali's disappearance but some people didn't the reminder, Blair certainly didn't need to be reminded of today's date and it's significance. It had been a year since Alison had gone missing, it seemed like only yesterday that the two of them along with their friends Spencer, Hanna and Emily. The last time the five of them had seen Alison was at Spencer's house, they were having a sleepover in Spencer's barn and everything seemed fine as far as Blair could recall. They had been drinking, laughing and generally having a good time and that night Blair couldn't even remember falling asleep, until she found herself being shaken awake by Aria and Hanna who told her that Alison and Spencer were gone. Spencer had returned moments later saying that she couldn't find Ali and she was pretty sure that she had heard a scream. That had been the start of a very long night for Blair and her friends. Blair couldn't believe that it had been exactly a year since Alison disappeared.

"Again with the paper? I know you miss Alison sweetheart but you can't keep torturing yourself like this Blair."

Blair looked up just in time to see her dad Reed pick up the newspaper and tuck it under his arm before sitting down on the kitchen stool beside her, with a worried look on his face. "It's just that there are so many unanswered questions dad, know one knows what happened that night. I've tried to piece everything I know together but it makes no sense. We don't know whether Alison left on her own accord or someone took, we don't even know if she's still alive dad. You here those statics about people who have been kidnapped and are usually killed within the first seventy two hours… It's frustrating not knowing what happened, Ali was with us having a good time and then I fall asleep not knowing that it would be the last time I saw her."

"You can't blame yourself for falling asleep Blair."

"But if I–" Blair began.

"No buts' Blair, what happened wasn't your fault and deep down you know that. Bad things sometimes happen in the world and unfortunately something bad happened here in Rosewood to somebody you knew. There was no way you knew that something like that was going to happen, none of us did." Reed said placing a hand on his daughter's shoulder and deep down Blair knew that her father was right.

"I guess the anniversary is just bringing everything up again, it's been a long year but yet it's gone by really fast." Blair admitted with a small smile before turning to her dad who was supposed to have left the house already to head to the airport as he had a meeting in New York tomorrow afternoon. "So what are you doing still doing here? I thought you would have been halfway to the airport already?"

"I should be but I decided to catch a later flight instead so I could spend more time with my daughter before I left for New York for five days. Speaking of which are you sure your going to be okay whilst I'm gone? I don't have to go if you don't want me to Blair. Just say the word and I'll cancel everything and stay here with you." Reed offered and Blair couldn't help but smile, her dad as insane and busy as he typically was always put her first

"And deny the world the chance to see Reed Swanson? People have been waiting for your latest book for eight months now and you know that the public appearances and book tours are all apart of it. Dad I love you for worrying about me but you need to go, your agent will kill the both of us if you don't go. I'm sixteen years old, I'll be fine for a couple of days and Petra will be here most of the time so don't worry about me." Blair assured her father as she her eyes wondered down to the newspaper that her father was still firmly holding onto. Perhaps it was a good thing that he had taken it off her as it meant that no longer was Alison staring at her with that look she always wore which practically said 'I know something that you don't know'. It was pretty much true as Ali had known everything including most of Blair's secret, things that she hadn't told anyone else not even her dad despite how close they were. There was one particular secret that Ali had been holding over Blair's head and the fact that her friend found it so easy to taste and manipulate her for her own enjoyment often wound up Blair. Sometimes for a brief second Blair was glad that Alison was gone and she hated herself for even thinking that. But it didn't change the fact that life had gotten easier since Alison's disappearance.

"Well… When you put it like that sweetheart I guess I have no choice but how about we do something quickly before I leave?" Reed suggested as he got up from his seat, putting down the newspaper to walk over the wine rack and pick up a bottle of wine.

"I like where your going with this dad." Blair began.

"Oh this isn't for you sweetie, I thought we could take it over to the Montgomery's to welcome them back into town." Reed announced and the smile on Blair's face instantly fell.

"Mi– Aria's back? The Montgomery's are back?" Blair quietly said, covering up what she was originally going to say before her father could notice anything. She was actually taken back by this news as Aria had moved to Iceland just over a year ago because her dad was taken a sabbatical. Blair couldn't remember the last time she had actually spoke to Aria as whilst they had kept in touch the first month or so of Aria being away eventually they just stopped. They all did, none of them really kept in touch or hung out with each other anymore. They were sort of friends but not really friends as they decided that it would be for the best after everything that had happened after Ali had disappeared as well as the things that had happened beforehand.

"You didn't know?" Reed asked and Blair shook her head. "Well why don't we quickly pop over and say hi. I bet Aria will be glad to see a friendly face and I'm betting that Ella will be dying to see me and this bottle of wine.

"Sure." Blair replied and less then five minutes later they were standing on the Montgomery's porch waiting for someone to answer the door, it was a perk of living on the same street. And as they waited Blair had ten million knots in her stomach that were making her feel nervous and very uneasy and she had the urge to run back to her house. Blair never used to feel like this when she came over to the Montgomery before but things had drastically changed between her and one particular member of that family before they left for Iceland. Blair was on the verge of telling her dad that they should go home when the door opened and there was Aria's mom Ella.

"Reed and Blair! What a pleasant surprise." Mrs. Montgomery began with a smile.

"We just thought we'd just quickly pop over and say hi and bring you this bottle, moving house always sends me to the bottle and given that you've moved across countries then you'll be needing this!" Reed said and Blair just rolled her eyes, most people weren't able to tell that her dad was gay but there were times where he made it blatantly obvious.

"Come on in, forgive the boxes." Mrs. Montgomery instructed and Blair followed her father inside of the house. The house practically looked the same except for all the boxes. "Aria, Bryon and Mike! Come down here, you have some visitors."

"How do you feel be back in Rosewood Mrs. Montgomery?" Blair found herself asking in an effort to be polite, if there was one thing her father had always wanted from her was for Blair to be polite and well spoken to everyone she came across.

"Honestly I'm glad to be back but I think it's going to take us all some time to adjust to being back in Rosewood." Mrs. Montgomery replied just as her husband joined them and greeting were once more exchanged between the small group before Mr. Montgomery and Blair's dad went off to the living room to talk leaving Blair with Mrs. Montgomery. "You have grown so beautifully since I last saw you Blair, your dad must be so proud of the young woman you've become."

"More like the other way round." Blair admitted as she heard footsteps coming down the stairs and she looked to see to that Aria along with her younger brother Mike had come downstairs.

"Blair?" Aria asked in surprise before walking over to hug her friend and Blair couldn't help but smile, it was honestly really good to see Aria again ahs hadn't changed much. Still as tiny as ever but lacking the pink highlights that she used to have in her hair. Seeing her old friend made Blair very nostalgic especially on today of all days.

"It's so good to see you again, I've missed you." Blair admitted as her and Aria let go of each other, Aria's leaving was kind of like the catalyst of the rest of their group breaking up and going their separate ways. Perhaps Aria's return could bring them back together how they used to be, however impossible it seemed as thing could never be how they were without Ali.

"I missed you too."

Mrs. Montgomery smiled at the two of them before turning to her attention over to her son who had yet to say anything. "Mike, aren't you going to say anything to Blair?"

"Hey Blair." Mike quietly said and the way of his behaving was causing his mother and sister to try their hardest not to laugh. Blair wasn't too sure what it was about but she had always found Mike to be rather endearing in a very sweet way.

"Hi Mike." Blair replied, directing a small smile at Mike and all of a sudden he became very bashful before excusing himself and running back upstairs. No doubt to the safety of his bedroom and Blair couldn't help but chuckle, he never used to be this nervous around her before he left for Iceland.

"I think he still has that crush on you Blair, I have never seen a girl affect him the way you do." Mrs. Montgomery said after a moment and Blair had to look down to avoid anyone noticing the blush slowly creeping up on her face.

"So are you still going out with Robert Manning?" Aria asked, no doubt moving the conversation along from the previous topic of whether her little brother had a crush on her former best friend. Blair was very grateful for the change of subject in a manner of speaking…

"Um… It's complicated, things have been pretty weird between us so we're kind of on a break and have been for the last three months." Blair admitted as she and her boyfriend Rob had decided to take a break for the summer and reevaluate things and where they stood when they returned back to school. Which was tomorrow much to her dismay. The downside of living in a town like Rosewood, there was nowhere you could hide.

"Sixteen years old and on a break! Such nonsense, honestly teenagers these days…" Reed loudly said from the other side of the room in regards to his daughter's relationship.

Blair couldn't help but sigh, if only her dad knew…