Title: Taking Sides

Summary: Paige goes to Hanna asking for her help in talking to Emily and gets an unexpected ally in the process.

Rating: T

Disclaimer: I don't own the show or anything related to it.

A/N: Set after 4x24 - potential spoilers for season 4.

"Hey, Hanna! Have you got a minute?" Paige approached Emily's friend in the hallway. The blonde looked around apprehensively, as though expecting Emily to burst out of one of the nearby lockers and berate her for talking to her on-off girlfriend. Hanna wasn't sure if they were even still going out; Paige wasn't all that sure either. "Please, I just need a second."

"What?" Hanna crossed her arms impatiently over her chest. Paige was a little taken aback by the response. Of all of Emily's friends, Hanna had always been her strongest supporter.
"I uh...I know I shouldn't have gone behind Emily's back and sent that letter about Allison to the cops; but whoever that girl is, in her grave, has a family, and they're probably missing her like crazy... I couldn't just stand by and-"
"What does this have to do with me?" Hanna demanded in the same short, sharp tone she'd greeted her with.

"Can you just tell Emily that I'm sorry?" Paige nervously tucked her hair back behind her ear. "Really sorry. She hasn't taken any of my calls since the night you guys left town. I just want to talk to her...I just want to explain..." She trailed off as Spencer walked over to them. She and Hastings had never been the best of friends, and Paige could only imagine what Spencer would have to say about what was going on between her and Emily.

"Hey, Paige. How's it going?" Spencer greeted the other girl as she joined Hanna by her locker.
"Hey... I've got to go." Paige rushed off before Spencer could say another word.
"Okaaay. What was that about?"
"She wants me to talk to Em for her." Hanna huffed as she turned around and started shoving her books away in her locker.
"Are you going to?" Spencer asked, genuinely curious. She knew Paige and Emily had been having problems for a while, but their relationship seemed to have hit rock bottom after Allison's return.

"No!" Hanna snapped with more venom than the other girl had expected. Spencer frowned at her, not understanding why she was so upset with Paige. Hanna had always been pretty nice to Emily's girlfriend; usually defending her whenever Spencer was accusing her of something.
"What's going on? Since when did you have beef with Paige? I know she sent that note to the cops, but for what it's worth I think she was right to do it-"
"It's not about the note..."
"Then what is it about?"

Spencer rolled her eyes as the blonde pulled her inside of an empty classroom and checked up and down the hall before closing the door behind them. "I've been thinking about something a lot lately... About that night when we were on the roof and A shot Mr Fitz."
"What does that have to do with Paige?" Spencer wasn't following her logic.
"Emily wanted to jump that roof! When we were trapped, that was like her first thought; A actually jumped it. Any normal person wouldn't have even considered it. So A has to be fit, like super fit...like Paige. What if she followed Emily to New York?"

"No!" Spencer shook her head as she held up her hands in front of her to stop Hanna in her tracks. "We are not doing this again! We already accused Paige once! I accused her; and I was wrong. We can't go throwing accusations around! That's all we've been doing for two years, and look where it's got us!"
"But what if-"
"No, Hanna! I mean it, just don't even think about it!" Spencer warned. They had made fools of themselves enough times in the past without alienating Emily's girlfriend any further. "Emily just about forgave us the last time. I'm not doing that to her again!"
"But-"

"Hanna, listen carefully, because I'm only going to say this once: Paige is not A! Just let it go; and talk to Emily for her. She needs someone to talk some sense in to her right now; especially while Allison's spewing her poison in her ear."
"Ali's been through a lot! She needs us right now!" Hanna protested, automatically defending the other girl. It was a nasty habit that Spencer had managed to overcome a long time ago.
"Allison left us, Hanna! She faked her death and left some other poor girl buried in her grave. Paige deserves a freaking medal for doing what she did, not a cold shoulder!"

Spencer stalked out of the classroom. She and the other girls were divided over Allison's return. Where as Spencer and Aria were being overly cautious, Hanna and Emily had fallen hook-line-and-sinker for Ali's charms. "Paige! Wait up!" Spencer rushed to catch up to the other girl as Paige was unchaining her bike. She looked like a startled deer in the middle of the road as she looked up at her.

"Hey, what's up?" Paige shifted nervously from one foot to the other. She'd approached Hanna in the hope of convincing her to talk to Emily on her behalf. She hadn't been looking for a fight with Hastings.
"I just want you to know that you're not alone. Okay?" Spencer took the swimmer by complete surprise. "I'm going to talk to Emily for you."
"Why?" Paige croaked out, confused as to why her rival was offering to help her.

"Because I need to get her away from Allison, and also... because I was wrong about you. You're one of the good guys, Paige; and in my experience, there aren't many of you out there."

She held out her hand as a peace offering and Paige hesitantly shook it. She had never expected Hastings to offer her help to her. With Spencer on her side there was no way Paige could fail to win Emily back; not even A herself could stop them.