Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Many thanks to Sharpie Ninja for her excellent beta skills and for taking a risk on a Paily story. I'll try not to let you down. :) A huge thank you also to Sarah, for all her help.
Chapter 1
"So we're still on for Saturday, right?" Emily eyed Paige over the top of the book she had to read for English.
"Huh?" Paige didn't look up from her trig homework on her lap.
They sat across from each other on the floor of Emily's room, Paige with her back against the wall and Emily leaning back on the bed, their legs outstretched side by side between them.
Emily set her book aside and leaned forward, capturing her girlfriend's attention with a gentle tap of her finger on Paige's free hand. "Saturday night? You, me, Spencer and Toby...Dinner? Ringing any bells?" Emily laughed.
"Oh yeah...no I remember. We're still on." Paige answered quickly as she turned her hand over, capturing Emily's retreating one.
Paige tried for a bright smile but Emily hadn't missed the brief flash of discomfort in her eyes. "But?" Emily asked, drawing the word out slowly.
Paige sighed, moving her books to one side. She scooted closer to Emily and tucked her legs up to her chest. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" When Emily opened her mouth to reply Paige held up her hand, silently cutting her off. "I know that things have been better between me and your friends since Halloween, but still...a double date with Spencer?"
Emily tightened her hold on Paige's hand. "Spencer likes you."
"Spencer tolerates me." Paige corrected, smiling at her girlfriend's optimism. "Because I'm with you, and because this week she doesn't think I'm a psycho stalker. But, it's only Wednesday..." She pointed out with a grin. "...there's still time for her to change her mind again before Saturday."
Emily nudged her foot against Paige's thigh playfully. "Oh come on, Spencer can be a little..."
Paige pretended to glance over both of her shoulders and gave a mock shudder. "Terrifying?"
Emily rolled her eyes with a smile. "Intense." She conceded with a tilt of her head. Spencer had always been driven, it was just in her nature to question everything, but even Emily had to admit that her friend's consuming need to find 'A' had led them all to some dark places. And honestly, given recent developments she couldn't blame Paige for being wary of voluntarily spending time with Spencer.
"Alright, the two of you aren't magically going to be best friends." Emily couldn't resist a small smile at the snort Paige gave that remark. "But, you guys have more in common than you think."
Paige raised an eyebrow skeptically, making Emily laugh. "I'm serious...you're both strong," Paige's eyes skittered away from hers briefly and Emily ducked her head to try and catch Paige's gaze.
"Stubborn," Emily continued, reaching up to stroke her thumb affectionately over Paige's jaw. "And neither of you will back down when it comes to the people you care about." Emily tilted her head to one side. "It's actually kind of adorable."
Paige searched her brain to come up with another argument against Saturday but she found herself getting lost in Emily's dark eyes, just like she always did. "Okay...double date." She murmured, leaning further into Emily's touch.
"Thank you." Emily smiled sweetly and Paige knew she'd made the right decision.
Paige's phone beeped from the floor and she gave Emily an apologetic smile as she reached for it.
Emily watched a frown crease Paige's forehead as she read a message. "Everything okay?" She asked, after a minute or so.
"Er...yeah." Paige looked up distractedly and shoved the phone into her pocket. "Just my Dad. I...I have to go." She pushed onto her knees and started gathering up her books, jamming them hastily into her bag.
"Oh." Emily stood and wrapped her arms around her waist, trying to keep the disappointment from her voice. "Okay. Will you call me later?"
Paige didn't seem to notice Emily's fallen expression as she jumped up from the floor and slung her bag over her shoulder. "Of course." Paige grabbed both of Emily's hands and kissed her swiftly. "Bye, Em."
"Bye." Emily said to Paige's already retreating back.
Paige turned at the door and gave her a small wave before closing the door softly behind her.
Emily grabbed her phone from next to the bed and pressed the speed dial. "Hey Aria, are you doing anything?"
...
"...and I swear to Prada, if Jenna keeps smirking at me with that smug little grin...I will not be responsible for my actions." Hanna fumed as she dropped the pizza box on the counter with a little more force than necessary.
"Yeah, because that's what we need right now, Hanna...more drama." Spencer rubbed at her temple in frustration as the four girls gathered around the kitchen island. "Do you even listen to yourself?"
"How can I? My brain's too tired from trying to figure out what you're saying half the time." Hanna grumbled under her breath when Spencer moved to a cupboard to retrieve the plates, earning a giggle from Aria who was standing close enough to hear.
At Spencer's glare Aria turned to Emily and quickly changed the subject. "Er...what was that you were saying about Paige? Are you guys okay?"
"Yeah we're fine. We've actually been really close, I mean...since..." Emily waved her hand but didn't finish the thought, she didn't need to, the others all nodded, knowing exactly what she was referring to.
Nate.
'That God damn son of bitch.' Hanna thought, she clamped her teeth together so hard at the mere thought of him that her jaw ached.
Emily sighed, trying to think of a way to explain this gnawing feeling she had. "I don't really know how to explain it. There's no big thing, it's just a feeling."
"Well she has been through a lot recently, Em." Aria reasoned gently, settling onto one of the Hasting's breakfast stools. "You both have. Maybe she's still dealing with it all."
"Maybe." Emily agreed softly, unsure.
Spencer hated seeing that doubt in her friend's eyes. She might have a fairly rocky history with Paige, but even she had to admit that McCullers made Emily happy, and God...she deserved a little happy.
They all did.
Spencer stood a little straighter and addressed them all. "Okay...let's think about this from another angle." She ignored the sighs and groans escaping from Aria and Hanna, shooting daggers at the latter as Hanna mimed her head exploding, before turning her gaze to Emily. "What happened this afternoon?"
Emily threw out her hands. "Nothing, that's just it. We studied, we talked about our plans for Saturday, then she got a message from her Dad and she went home. That's all."
"Well, maybe that's it." Spencer replied, reaching for a slice of pizza. "Maybe she's having trouble with her parents."
Hanna frowned at Spencer. "What kind of trouble?"
Spencer stopped with her pizza halfway to her mouth before placing it down on her plate with exaggerated care. "The kind you get when you've recently been kidnapped, held hostage by a lunatic, and been a guest at a party on a train where somebody was murdered. What kind do you think, Hanna?" She asked in exasperation.
"I don't know, Spencer." Hanna narrowed her eyes at her friend, sarcasm dripping from her voice as she answered. "Maybe she hasn't been doing her chores."
Aria sighed. "Could you two stop squabbling, please? I swear it's like having toddlers in the house."
Hanna and Spencer grinned at each other, and Aria shook her head.
"But, why wouldn't she just tell me?" Emily wondered, lost to everything that was going on around her.
Hanna focused on Emily once again. "Em...she might not want to worry you with it." She shrugged.
"I'm her girlfriend; she's supposed to worry me with it. God...I'm already worried about it." Emily ranted, shoving her plate away in frustration. She suddenly wasn't very hungry anymore. "At least then I'd know exactly what I'm worrying about."
"Why don't you call her and ask her to come over?" Aria offered, delivering a swift kick to Spencer's calf when it looked like she might protest. "We should all be making more of an effort to get know Paige anyway." Aria kept her eyes on Spencer as she spoke, making it clear exactly who she thought should be making the biggest attempt.
Emily glanced hesitantly at Spencer, who gathered herself and smiled reassuringly. "Definitely." Spencer said pointing to the pizza boxes. "There's plenty to go around."
...
Paige pulled her bike to a stop at the entrance to the park and climbed off. God, she hated this place at night. There was something infinitely creepy about an abandoned play park. It had always made her think of the end of the world, like those films where people woke up and the rest of civilization had just disappeared.
'Well, at least if the world was deserted I wouldn't have to have any more nightmares about someone jumping out at me from the shadows.' Paige thought bitterly.
Her phone vibrated in her pocket and despite the grim turn her thoughts had taken she couldn't help but grin as she tugged it out and saw Emily's picture on the caller display.
"Hi, Em." Paige said; the smile still firmly in place.
"Hey." Paige could hear voices in the background as Emily greeted her, picking out Hanna's familiar laugh. She guessed the others wouldn't be too far away.
"What's up?" Paige asked as she glanced around again, checking the coast was still clear.
"Nothing. We were just hanging out at Spencer's and wondered if you wanted to come over." Emily sounded hesitant. "We have pizza." She added, hoping to sweeten the deal.
"Er...I can't. I'm sorry." Paige hunched her shoulder, tucking the phone a little further into her cheek as a truck rode past loudly. "I really have to ace my next trig test if I want to get back on coach's good side. I should really study."
"Oh...no that's alright." Emily sounded disappointed and Paige wanted to kick herself. "Erm...Paige? Are you outside? I thought I heard a car."
"Uh...I am." Paige covered quickly. "My Mom wanted me to take the garbage out." She closed her eyes at the lie.
Well, it wasn't too much of a lie she reasoned. Her parents might be out for the night, but Paige was pretty certain that her Mom would want her to take the trash out. Didn't mean she had to be actually doing it. She hated that she was lying to Emily though.
"Em?" Paige said. "What we talked about earlier...I really do want things to keep getting better with me and your friends, and I'm absolutely willing to make the effort." She sighed. "Just, you know...not tonight."
When Emily stayed silent Paige whispered, "Is…is that okay?"
"Yeah…no, of course that's okay. I just miss you, that's all." Emily answered softly, mindful of the three girls nearby who were pretending not to listen to her conversation.
Paige took a deep breath at the quiet words. It almost killed her when Emily said things like that. "I miss you too." She said reverently.
"Then get on with your studying so you can spend more time with me." Emily teased, wanting to make her smile. Paige laughed down the line and Emily's grin grew wider at the sound.
"Yes ma'am!" Paige shot back. "I'll talk to later. Night, Em."
"Night, Paige."
Paige waited a few seconds until she heard Emily disconnect the call before she switched off her phone. She turned back towards the park and straightened her shoulders, taking a deep breath. The last time she had gone wandering around in the dark she had ended up getting way more than she had bargained for. The only thought that calmed her jangled nerves was that this time she knew exactly what she was getting herself into. She was in charge, and that settled her. She hated being a victim. Hated how weak it made her feel. She had been weak before when it came to Emily and she wasn't about to go there again.
Paige had seen the looks people had thrown her way since Nate, like she was something to be pitied, and it made her skin crawl. The only time they hadn't, had been on the Halloween train, because for a few hours she hadn't been Paige. She had dressed herself up, hidden herself in a character so that she could put some swagger back in her step and pretend that the darkness didn't hold a few more shadows for her these days.
No, she'd had Emily on her arm and she had worn that suit like armor.
She wanted to feel that way again.
Paige pushed her bike through the park entrance without looking back.
...
Three faces looked up at her expectantly as Emily returned to the living room.
"So?" Aria piped up. "Is she coming over?"
Emily shook her head. "No, she has to stay home and study." She moved to the sofa and sat down next to Aria.
"That's too bad." Aria put her hand on Emily's arm.
Hanna looked confused. "Wait, I thought I heard you say Paige was out somewhere?"
"Huh? Oh...no. She was just taking the garbage out for her Mom." Emily said distractedly.
"Ah ha! See I told you!" Hanna exclaimed, gleefully picking up a cushion and throwing it across the room, hitting Spencer square on the chest. "Chores." She grinned smugly.
"Oh Jesus." Spencer grabbed the cushion, burying head into it with a groan as the others all laughed.
Emily couldn't help but laugh too. She smiled at her friends and tried her best to shake of the niggling feeling of worry about Paige.
...
Paige carefully dropped her bike to the ground and made her way over to the hooded figure swaying hauntingly on the swings. She sat down on the remaining seat and pushed back, letting the momentum carry her gently back and forth.
"I got your message." Paige waited a beat until her companion turned to face her before she continued with a sly smile. "So...what's the plan?"