A/N: With the ending of PLL, I've decided to rewrite some of this story to include Alex Drake. The chapters for Jason, Charlotte, and Melissa will also have some of those changes in due time. Thanks for your patience!


It wasn't all the time that Alison DiLaurentis found herself wondering if she was telling the truth. Often times, she knew the difference, as the choice was deliberate. When she lied, it was purposeful and when she told the truth, she knew just how much she was willing to divulge. She knew how much her lies hurt people, and often reminisced to a time when the only care she had in the world was playing with her older siblings and maintaining friendships. After going through all she had with A, she vowed to be the honest person she used to be before her parents' malignant influence got to her. In the process, she had gained an older sister and a potential girlfriend, so it was safe to say that she wouldn't be letting her lies continue to ruin her relationships.

Age 2
"Momma, where we going?" a two-year-old Alison asked her mother, Jessica, as she loaded her and her older brother, Jason, into the back of her minivan.
Jessica smiled, albeit a little sadly, as she fastened her own seatbelt, pulling out of the driveway of the DiLaurentis home.
"We're going to see your brother Charlie."
Alison's brows furrowed in confusion. Brother? But Jason was sitting right next to her.
"We're gonna see Charlie?" eight-year-old Jason squealed excitedly, almost bouncing in his seat with his enthusiasm, "I thought dad said…"
"Never mind what your father said." Jessica said tightly, a small frown threatening to mar the smile that still remained on her lips, "It's been almost a year since Charlie has seen us and I want him to spend time with you…the both of you."
Jessica paused.
"Let me worry about your father."
Jason shrugged, as was his normal way, but Alison was still curious. Who was this Charlie? And how was he her brother if she'd only seen Jason at home?
Lost in her thoughts, Alison hadn't noticed that her mother had begun to park the car, stopping in front of a large building.
RADLEY SANITARIUM
The long words perplexed Alison and made Jason squint in confusion.
"Mom," Jason started, pointing at the large sign, "What's a sanit…santa…san…"
"A sanitarium, Jason," Jessica begun as she got her two young children out of the car, "is a place that I never want to see either you or your sister in."
Holding Alison in one arm and Jason's hand with her other hand, Jessica made her way into the building, stopping to speak with a receptionist.
"I'd like to see Charles DiLaurentis please. You know how this goes."
Alison stopped paying attention as her mom spoke with the boring people in weird clothing. Why did people have to wear such baggy clothing anyways? Jason's loud scream, however, was what pulled her out of her short musings.
"CHARLIE!"
Alison turned around in her mother's arms just in time to see Jason fiercely hugging a blond boy, just slightly taller than he was. When they pulled back from each other, Alison was able to see him more clearly.
Blond hair. Gray-blue eyes. A bright grin, yet a confident, playful demeanor. He reminded Alison so much of Jason, yet Jason, this was not.
Alison barely registered that her mother had placed her on the ground until she felt herself being gently nudged in Charlie's direction.
"This is your oldest brother Charlie." Jessica smiled warmly after hugging Charlie for herself, relishing in how tightly he clung to her, as if he weren't too upset with her for his current predicament, "Say hi."
Charlie turned his bright gray-blue eyes to Alison, his grin becoming even wider. He bent down to her level and hugged her close to him. Slowly, Alison hugged him back.
"Hi Ali." Charlie whispered into her ear, pulling back slightly so he could look at her, face to face, "I'm your big brother Charlie."
Alison was silent for a moment, causing Charlie's smile to falter in the slightest.
"Say something Ali." Jason urged, "You're not shy."
Tilting her head to the side in a manner that was utterly DiLaurentis-like, Alison smiled, launching herself into her newly acquired brother's arms.
"I love you Charlie!"
Charlie beamed and Alison found herself smiling widely as Jason joined the sibling embrace, none of the trio noticing the silent tears that ran down their mother's face. Composing herself once more, Jessica turned to her children.
"Why don't we go apple picking today?" she suggested, leading her children out of Radley, "Alison hasn't been yet."
"Pick apples?" Alison asked, confusion written on her features, "How?"
Charlie grasped her hand in his and smiled.
"Don't worry about it Ali." he grinned, "I'm an expert at apple picking. I'll teach you."
Jason quickly latched onto his sister's other hand, not wanting to be left out.
"I'll help too!"
The day passed by in a blur for Alison as she played with her two big brothers, having more fun than she'd ever imagined she could have in her short two-year-old life. So when it was time for Charlie to go back to Radley, Alison found herself clutching Charlie's hand desperately in her own, sapphire orbs filled with tears.
"Stay Charlie!" she whined, "Can't leave now! You're big brother!"
Off to the side, Jason shuffled his feet, already anticipating his brother's impending departure. If he didn't look at his brother, he could pretend that he wasn't leaving him again, that he would always just be a few steps away.
Forcing a smile, Charlie bent down to his little sister's level, looking into her eyes earnestly.
"Don't worry Ali." he said softly, tucking a loose strand of hair behind his sister's ear, "We'll always find our way back to each other."

Age 4
When Alison was four years old, she met four girls who would remain lifelong friends of hers. Their names were Spencer Hastings, Aria Montgomery, Hanna Marin, and Emily Fields. She was unaware of just how difficult her friendship with the girls would get in years to come, but at four years old, she was just happy to have friends her own age to play with her, as her older brother Jason didn't play with her often.

Alison knew Spencer vaguely, as she was her next-door neighbor but until age four, they didn't really interact. As a result, when it was time for lunch one day, Spencer was the first person she approached.

"Can I sit with you?" Alison asked hesitantly, fearing that she wouldn't be welcomed.

Spencer gave her a small nod, gesturing for her to sit down. Alison smiled gratefully as she took the seat.

"My name is Alison." she introduced, feeling the need to break the silence between the two of them.

"I know." Spencer said matter-of-factly, "My big sister Melissa knows your big brother Jason."

Spencer paused.

"I'm Spencer Hastings." she finished as she remembered her manners.

Silence descended upon them again.

"What do you have for lunch?" Spencer asked her curiously.

"Peanut butter and jelly sandwich. You?"

Spencer scrunched her nose up, the expression making Alison giggle.

"Tuna fish sandwich." she declared as she held the sandwich away from her, as if it had personally offended her, "I hate it but my mommy said it's good for me."

Alison didn't want to see her new friend sad, so she came up with what she thought would be a good solution.

"Wanna trade?" she asked, "I don't mind it."

Spencer gazed at her analytically, trying to determine if she was serious before shrugging.

"Your choice."

With that, the two girls traded sandwiches, smiling at one another in camaraderie. Before long, three other girls approached them – a blonde, a black-haired brunette, and a brown-haired brunette.

"Can we sit with you guys?" the blonde asked, giving Spencer and Alison a wide grin, "I'm Hanna Marin and the girl with brown hair is my best friend Emily Fields. The other girl is our new friend Aria Montgomery. We met her today."

Emily stared at Spencer and Alison shyly as she waited for their decision while Aria avoided their gazes. Spencer and Alison made eye contact before nodding.

"Sure."

With that, the three newcomers joined Spencer and Alison. The awkward feeling that often came with meeting new people dissipated quickly and the five girls began chatting animatedly. When lunch was over and it was time for them to return to class for story time, the girls realized with delight that they were in the same class. Sitting next to each other on the rug, the five girls eagerly awaited the story that their teacher would tell.

"Let's always be friends." Hanna said to them quietly, not wanting the teacher to get upset with her for talking too loudly, "I like you guys."

The other four girls were quick to agree, feeling more of a sense of belonging with each other than they did with others their age.

"And let's always tell each other the truth." Alison added, seriousness in her tone (after all, her brother Jason always told her that the truth would set her free), "No matter what."

Though the five girls had agreed to the terms of their friendship, they were unaware of just how distorted the line between truth and lie would become over the years. Yet, Alison was just four years old, and she had all the hope in the world that she and her friends would always tell each other (and others) the truth.

Age 6
"Ali, Jason, come play with me!" a thirteen-year old Freddie yelled with delight.
With a wide grin on her face, Alison joined her cousin Freddie and her brother Jason in whatever game they were playing. Truth be told, Alison didn't care what they played. She just enjoyed spending time with her cousin Freddie.
"Are you enjoying your birthday Char…Freddie?" Jason caught himself.
His mother had reminded him repeatedly that this was not Charlie. This was his second cousin Freddie on his mother's side…no matter how much of a resemblance he bore to Charlie.
'It's just the family genes Jason.' his mother had told him gently before their outing, keeping her voice down so her husband Kenneth wouldn't hear, 'People used to swear that I was Aunt Carol's daughter. That's how much we all look alike.'
Freddie smiled at Jason, nodding his head enthusiastically.
"Best birthday ever!"
Had Alison been paying much attention to her mother, who insisted on filming the whole family – sans Kenneth – outing, she would've noticed the melancholic smile on Jessica's face. She never understood why her mother looked so sad every time Freddie, or Charlie for that matter, was mentioned.
"Freddie come here." Jessica called.
Alison watched as Freddie went over to talk to her mother. She couldn't hear much of the conversation from where she was.
"Ali, stop eavesdropping!" Jason hissed quietly.
"Shh!"
The slightly sad smile never dropped from Jessica's face as she habitually glanced at Alison and Jason, keeping them in her peripheral.
"When do I have to go back?" Freddie asked Jessica softly.
Go back? Go back where?
Before Alison could question it any further, Jason grabbed her by the arm and pulled her towards the air hockey station.
"I'm beating you at this." he declared, "Char…Freddie used to beat me at this all the time."
Though Jason had caught himself once more, Alison caught the slip-up. Why did Jason keep calling Freddie "Charlie?" The name Charlie rung a vague bell in her mind, but not enough to make her overly curious.
Shrugging it off, Alison served the puck first. The game continued until the two siblings were tied, 6-6. Squinting her eyes in concentration, Alison lined herself up the take a shot.
"You guys enjoying yourselves?"
At the sound of Freddie's voice, Alison startled, missing her shot and allowing Jason to score one on her.
7-6.
"I win." Jason said smugly, putting an arm around his little sister's shoulders, "I told you I would win."
"Where do you have to go back to?" Alison asked abruptly, remembering what she had overheard Freddie talking about with her mother.
Freddie blinked. Jason face-palmed. Why did his sister have to be so nosy?
Getting over his initial shock, Freddie smiled, a twinkle in his gray-blue eyes.
"Don't worry about it Ali." he murmured, gently placing a hand on her cheek, "We always find our way back to each other."
A sudden wave of nostalgia hit her. Someone had said those very same words to her once. She just couldn't remember who it was. Maybe it had something to do with this "Charlie" Jason kept going on about...
Age 8
Alison couldn't figure out why this "Charlie" person was so taboo in her household. Every time Jason mentioned him, her father's face would go red with fury while her mother's face would go ashen.
"But Charlie is real!" fourteen-year-old Jason yelled at their father, ignoring the tell-tale warning signs of Kenneth's fury, "I can't have imagined the first seven years of my life! I'm not crazy! You're the crazy one!"
Alison winced as she watched from the kitchen as her father grabbed a fistful of Jason's shirt, pulling him closer to him. Unafraid, Jason stared defiantly at their father.
"You listen to me." Kenneth said darkly, glaring down at his son, "Charles is a figment of your imagination, an imaginary friend that you're too old to have. Stop this foolishness immediately!"
With that, Kenneth roughly pushed Jason away, straightened his own clothes, and left for work. Jason scowled after him and Alison felt it safe enough to come out of the kitchen.
"Mom, why didn't you say anything?" Jason asked, whirling around to face his uncharacteristically quiet mother, "You know Charlie is real."
Jessica said nothing, reaching forward to place a hand on Jason's cheek, but he brushed her off.
"You're just like dad." Jason said sadly, a disappointed look in his eyes, "Just like him. You know, I used to think you were better than him, but now…"
He shook his head, cutting himself off as he started for his room. It was then that he took notice of his little sister. A small look of hope in his eyes, he walked over to her.
"You remember Charlie, don't you?" Jason asked her, almost pleading with her to remember something, anything.
Alison desperately wanted to remember this Charlie, if only so her big brother didn't look so…empty all the time. Maybe if he were happier, he'd stop hanging out with those weird boys from school, Ian and Garrett.
"I remember…cousin Freddie." Alison said hesitantly, knowing that wasn't exactly what Jason wanted to hear, but hoping he wouldn't be too disappointed.
Surprisingly, Jason smiled at her, ruffling her hair. She was so happy that her brother was smiling for once that she didn't even care that he was messing up her French braid.
"That'll have to do."

Age 13
At age 13, Alison DiLaurentis knew that she had a small (or maybe not so small) crush on her close friend Emily Fields. Whereas most girls her age, notably Aria and Hanna in their friend group, were fawning over the likes of Noel Kahn and Sean Ackard, Alison was able to appreciate the subtle beauty that her quiet friend possessed.

She wasn't oblivious to the looks that Emily gave her when she thought she wasn't looking, and she certainly wouldn't admit that she looked at her differently too. This is why when she found herself in the library with Emily, reading an excerpt from Great Expectations, a book they'd been assigned in English class, she couldn't help but be a bit nervous.

"I loved her against reason, against promise, against peace, against hope, against happiness, against all discouragement that could be." Alison had read passionately, gazing into Emily's eyes intently as a small smile appeared on her lips, "Did you get to that part yet?"

Emily didn't answer her verbally, instead leaning in to give her a small kiss on the lips before pulling back, smiling shyly. Alison only smiled gently in return, a sparkle in her cobalt eyes.

As she went home that day, Alison was determined to tell her dad, Kenneth DiLaurentis, about her potential feelings for Emily. After all, her dad had always been supportive of every endeavor she had pursued, so why would this be any different.

When she arrived home, she was surprised to see her dad sitting on the couch, attentively watching a television commercial. Usually, if it wasn't news related, Kenneth would change it to something that was.

"Dad…" she started before he cut her off, his eyes firmly planted on the television.

She noticed that the people in the commercial were wearing rainbow colored clothing and her father looked disgusted, but she didn't think anything of it until he finally addressed her.

"Alison." Kenneth started, staring at his daughter seriously, "I don't ever want you to be like…those people."

Alison frowned, not understanding her father's words.

"Which people?"

"Those flamboyant gays." Kenneth spat, unaware of how his daughter's heart sank, "I couldn't stand it if you turned into one of them. It's disgusting."

Alison tried her best to keep her tears at bay as she nodded, not wanting her father to know how his words affected her.

"Now what did you want to tell me?" Kenneth smiled, content that he had gotten his sentiments off of her chest.

Alison shook her head.

"It's nothing much." Alison lied, "I just had a good day at school today."

"I'm glad to hear that pumpkin." her father replied, placing a kiss on the top of her hair as he looked at his watch, "I have to start getting ready for work."

With that, Kenneth left the room, leaving Alison alone with a heavy weight on her chest. It was the first time that Alison had lied about her sexuality, and she got the sinking feeling that it wouldn't be the last.

Age 15
"I don't understand why you won't give my brother a chance, Ce." Alison said to her older friend and confidant, CeCe Drake, "He's been moping around the house ever since the last time you saw him. Did you turn him down or something?"
CeCe shrugged, but what caught Alison's attention was the slight look of guilt in her gray blue eyes. The look, however, was gone as swiftly as it appeared.
"We weren't even like that Ali." CeCe reassured her friend, "He wanted to spend more time with me and I couldn't be the friend that he needed me to be. On that note, he's like…a brother to me."
"But Spencer said…"
CeCe stopped her friend with her laughter, startling her.
"Spencer Hastings?" CeCe chortled, "Melissa Hastings' little sister? You assumed that I had a thing for your brother based on something Spencer said?"
Alison crossed her arms and huffed at her friend's laughter.
"Melissa even confirmed it." she said, "She told me about you and Jason. Said that…it's not funny CeCe!"
CeCe, taking into account her friend's slight frustration, did her best to curb her laughter. Obviously, her efforts weren't enough, as Alison kept glaring at her.
"I'm sorry," CeCe said through her remaining chuckles, "but you mean to tell me you're getting your info from Melissa Hastings? I didn't know you guys were friends."
Alison didn't reply, her cheeks burning in slight embarrassment as she realized how silly she sounded. She and Melissa weren't even friends, so why did she take her at her word?
Sensing that she wasn't going to get a reply, CeCe put an arm around her friend.
"Don't even worry about it Ali." she murmured, "Melissa's just jealous."
Alison raised her eyebrows in shock.
"Of you?" she scoffed in disbelief, "You mean to tell me that she's got the hots for Jason of all people? Her?"
Rolling her eyes, CeCe let her signature smirk grace her features, a twinkle of amusement in her gray-blue eyes.
"You leave Melissa Hastings to me, hm? I know how she gets when she's jealous."
Alison stared at her, puzzled.
"When did you become friends with her?"
CeCe only smiled.
"Just leave it at…I know her." CeCe said simply, "I know her really, really well. Just as well as I know you."
Not knowing what to make of her friend's words, Alison shrugged. After all, why should it matter to her if CeCe was friends with Melissa Hastings? It's not like CeCe was too weak-willed to deal with a Hastings.
"But if you're not hanging out with Jason, we won't be like a real family anymore." Alison tried not to pout, "It's not like you don't have your own life, and mom doesn't like it when you're around without Jason. It's like the woman has eyes everywhere. I'm barely out of her sight now as it is."
At this, CeCe flinched slightly, a fact that Alison would've missed entirely if she weren't so focused on her friend.
"We always find our way back to each other." CeCe managed to say confidently, displaying none of the inner turmoil she was facing. It's not exactly like she could reveal her true family ties at the moment.
A chill went down Alison's spine at her friend's words. Those words, the same words she'd heard all her life, were making their presence known once more. As she stared at CeCe, she couldn't help but wonder if her friend was close to, at the very least, the older boys who'd told her the same words long ago. Instead, she broached a different subject.
"You never told me what CeCe was short for."
The corners of CeCe's lips turned upwards.
"You're right, I didn't." she said matter-of-factly, "It's short for Charlotte."
"Charlotte D, huh?"
"Something like that." CeCe smiled, her features sad before her smirk came back full force, "Enough about me. What's going on with you and Girl Crush?"

Alison's cheeks colored. Ever since she had told CeCe about the few kisses she had shared with Emily, the older blonde wouldn't stop referring to her as "Girl Crush."

"I don't have a crush on her." Alison insisted, much to CeCe's amusement, "She's just my friend."

CeCe snorted and Alison glared at her.

"So if Girl Crush reciprocated Pigskin's feelings, you wouldn't feel jealous in the slightest?"

An unwanted feeling of jealousy rose inside Alison's chest. She didn't want to keep feeling this way about Emily; she didn't want to disappoint her father. At Alison's silence, CeCe offered her a sympathetic smile.

"Hey, I get it." CeCe murmured emphatically, "Your dad is ultra conservative. Mine was too and I'm sure that if he knew how I lived my life today, he'd be pissed. He'd hate my girlfriend…and me for that matter."

CeCe chuckled to herself darkly.

"He already hates me."

With that, Alison turned to look at her friend more carefully. She had noticed over the years that CeCe rarely, if ever, spoke about her own family. Not wanting to cause unease in her friend, Alison focused only on part of the sentence.

"You have a girlfriend and you didn't tell me?" she pouted before it clicked in her head.

No way.

She stared at CeCe in shock before the older girl rolled her eyes, murmuring a half-hearted "shut up."

"You're dating Melissa Hastings?" Alison exclaimed before realizing that they were still in a public place, "Is that why you know her?"

CeCe pursed her lips and didn't answer, humming to herself.

"Oh…my God." Alison breathed, "You're dating…"

"Melissa Hastings. Yes, I am." CeCe said in amusement, "Try not to be so snide around her, would you? I'm the one who gets an earful every time you irritate her."

Alison grinned at the idea of learning more about her close friend. She may not have been ready to admit her own sexuality, but hearing about CeCe's definitely helped.
Age 17

"Having second thoughts?" CeCe asked her friend Alison.
Alison shook her head. She wouldn't have entrusted her fake passport to her older friend if she was having second thoughts. She knew that had the situation been different, CeCe would've done the same for her.
CeCe gave her a questioning look.
"I'm just not sure when I'll see you again." Alison said softly.
CeCe leaned towards her, an intense look in her gray-blue eyes.
"Don't be so dramatic Ali." she said, trying to sound casual, "You know us. We always find our way back to each other."
Alison froze for a moment. There were those words again! Why did they appear in her life so often? What was the piece of the puzzle that she was missing?
"Is this the part where you guys kiss?" came Noel Kahn's smug voice, tearing Alison out of her thoughts. She had almost forgotten that Noel was with them.
Both Alison and CeCe turned to Noel with a roll of their eyes, as if to say "Really?"
Noel shrugged.
"Had to ask."
As Alison and CeCe stood up to say their goodbyes, Alison couldn't help but think that there was something undoubtedly familiar about the way CeCe hugged her. Sure, they'd hugged each other before but this one felt more…permanent. Almost as if they were getting ready to say goodbye for a long time…as if this were the calm before the storm.
"Thank you." CeCe told her earnestly before walking briskly out of the diner, Alison and Noel watching her departure with keen eyes.
Alison couldn't help but reminded of a time when she was younger, more carefree, and a young blond boy walked out of her life and into a large, ominous building with words too difficult for her to understand.

A while after CeCe left, Alison tried to focus on her relationship with the girls, specifically Emily.

When Alison was 17 years old, she still, unfortunately, was unable to be completely honest with those she cared about. Granted, she was honest in some regards, but in others, she just couldn't resist the urge to lie. She was an inevitable byproduct of the hatred that Kenneth DiLaurentis spewed, and all the secrets that Jessica DiLaurentis kept before her untimely death.

She remembered a night she spent in Emily's house in particular, after she had admitted that the brunette's feelings for her weren't entirely one-sided. Later that night, Alison had rolled away from Emily, trying in vain to go to sleep and not focus on the warm body beside her. She knew that they had a lot to talk about, with A, their feelings, and everything. Yet, Alison could admit that she was a coward. She was terrified at the prospect of the object of her affections rejecting her.

Luckily for her, in the time that Alison had been gone, Emily had gotten braver.

"Ali," Emily had whispered, rolling over to face the blonde, "are you asleep?"

Alison froze, her eyes widened as she tried to curl in on herself. Maybe the brunette would think she was asleep. Remembering CeCe's courage in telling her about her own sexuality, Alison decided to take a page out of her book and face Emily.

For a while, the two of them said nothing, merely staring at each other in the moonlight. Alison noticed Emily stare at her lips before looking back up at her and before Alison could process the movement, Emily cupped her cheek and kissed her. At that moment, Alison's thoughts ceased to be coherent as she eagerly kissed Emily back. As Emily pulled back for some air, Alison lurched forward, capturing the other girl's lips between hers once more as she straddled her waist. In remembering that night, Alison remembered how gentle Emily was with her, how loved she felt afterwards as Emily held her close.

Unfortunately, as the saying goes, good things can't last forever.

After Alison had gotten into an altercation with Mona at Rosewood's only church, she had lied to Emily and the girls, insisting that Mona had struck her and she didn't retaliate. Of course, that backfired on her when Mona came to school one day, prepared with a video that would diminish Alison's reputation with both the girls and the majority of Rosewood High. The video showed Alison striking Mona, but failed to show Mona hitting her first. The girls, for the most part, iced her out, but mostly, her relationship with Emily suffered.

When she had tried to make amends with the brunette later in the evening, leaning in for a kiss, she was coldly brushed off.

"That's not going to fix it this time." Emily had said curtly before leaving the room.

Alison felt the prickle of tears in her eyes before brushing them away roughly. She had lied and gotten herself into this mess, and it was only right that she faced the consequences.

That didn't mean she had to like it.

A few months later, as Alison's relationship with the girls continued to deteriorate, she began to reflect on the relationships she had lost, whether as a result of lies or not. Maybe she really was a bad person. She was a terrible influence on everyone she met, and maybe that was why it had been so easy for the girls to help put her in prison. She knew that they had destroyed any evidence that proved her innocent in Mona's murder, and she knew that the girls more than likely hated her, but what hurt her the most was the look of disgust on Emily's face. The only benefit, in Alison's opinion, was that she wouldn't have to be faced with Emily's hatred in person from the inside of a jail cell.

'Maybe,' Alison had thought to herself, 'it wouldn't be that bad.'

It really was a shame that by age 17, Alison couldn't even tell herself the truth.

Eventually, weeks had passed and Alison was released from prison, on the grounds that Mona was indeed alive. The latter, along with the girls, had been kidnapped by A and taken to an underground bunker. Despite her father wanting her to remain out of the drama, Alison did everything she could to help find the girls; she owed them that much.

When they were released from the bunker, Alison made a vow to herself to try and remain completely honest with the girls.

Unfortunately, due to Alison's conflicting family history, when Emily had frantically asked her who Charles DiLaurentis was, Alison couldn't say for sure that she knew whether or not the response she later gave to Spencer was true.
"There is no Charles DiLaurentis in my family." Alison told Spencer, keeping note of the disappointed, yet determined look in her eyes, "My dad says he doesn't exist."
"Well your dad is aliar." Spencer immediately shot back.
'Just like you'is what she didn't say, but it was understood.
Alison wanted to believe the words that she told her friend, that there was in fact noCharles DiLaurentisin her family. Wanted to believe her father when he dismissed his supposed relative nonchalantly. Wanted to dismiss her vague memories. But how could she, if she didn't even believeherself?

Age 18

By the time Alison was 18, which she had turned shortly after the A drama, she had realized a few things about her family.

CeCe, who she had once known as her brother Charlie and cousin Freddie, was actually her older Charlotte.

Kenneth DiLaurentis was a malignant human being who had been the root cause of most of the horrible things that occurred in Alison's life.

If Kenneth hadn't been so transphobic, Charlotte never would've had to go to Radley, and Alison and Jason would've had their older sister in their lives earlier. Not only that, but Kenneth had been the mastermind behind the whole A saga all along. Somehow, he had caught wind of the fact that a) Alison was still alive, b) Mona was the original A, and c) Charles transitioned into Charlotte. Using that knowledge, Kenneth had blackmailed Charlotte to take over the A game from Mona, threatening both her life and that of Melissa Hastings. Charlotte, feeling as if she had no choice, listened to the anonymous messages that she had been getting and tormented the girls.

At the end of the day, the Rosewood PD had finally done its job and convicted Kenneth DiLaurentis of all of his wrongdoings, giving him a hefty prison sentence.

As for Charlotte, due to her extensive history at Radley, she was turned over to Welby State Psychiatric Hospital instead of a state prison. As a result, Alison decided to stay in Rosewood for college, starting by enrolling in summer classes at Hollis. The other girls, on the other hand, decided to go away for college – Spencer to Georgetown, Emily to Pepperdine, Aria to Savannah College of Art & Design, and Hanna to Fashion Institute of Technology. As they prepared to say their goodbyes, Spencer, ever the wise one, recited a quote that made them all sentimental.

"How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard?" Spencer had said tearfully, wiping a tear out of her eyes as smile graced her features.

Alison couldn't agree with the sentiment more.

"What brilliant scholar said that?" Emily asked, her tone playfully sarcastic.

Spencer grinned.

"Winnie the Pooh."

With that the girls laughed, clinging to each other with serene hugs.

"I love you." Emily had whispered into Alison's ear before pulling back, giving her a smile that was only reserved for her.

Alison gave her a genuine smile in return.

"I love you too."

Despite the two not dating, after all they had been through, Alison was certain that she was being truthful when telling Emily that she loved her. It had taken her a long time, but Alison was finally confidant enough in herself to be completely honest.


Not long after the girls left her, Alison took a trip to Welby to visit Charlotte, accompanied by her older brother, Jason. The last time she had seen Charlotte had been a rather emotional ordeal, between the last of the A drama and the revelation of what a horrible shell of a person her father had truly been. Naturally, as Jason spoke with Dr. Sullivan about not believing what their father had done to Charlotte, with the good doctor insisting that that was their father's demon to worry about, Alison's thoughts raced through her mind at a million miles per hour.

It wasn't until she was face to face with her sister that her thoughts were able to come to a screeching halt. Seeing the bright smile on Charlotte's face relieved Alison of all the worries that had been plaguing her prior to this moment.

As she hugged her sister tightly, she relished in the fact that Charlotte was holding her just as firmly. With an air of reluctance, she pulled back and allowed Jason to hug Charlotte as well, before the trio sat down on the bench that Charlotte had been previously occupying.

"How have you been?" Alison was unsure of where else to start, her tone full of the emotions that she was still not used to expressing.

Charlotte reached over and grasped one of her hands, squeezing in a manner that got rid of Alison's nerves.

"Good." Charlotte answered quietly, "It's certainly better than Radley ever was."

At the mention of Radley, the three siblings fell quiet.

"I was thinking." Charlotte started talking once more, "I haven't been entirely honest with you about our family."

"What're you talking –" Alison began before Charlotte hushed her.

"I know that Melissa already told Jason about them, but I doubt he's told you about the other long-lost family members that we share."

Alison turned to Jason questioningly, noting as her brother scratched the back of his neck nervously.

"There never was a good enough time." Jason said sheepishly, before raising a questioning eyebrow, "How do you know about what Melissa told me?"

The memory of a conversation that Alison had with Charlotte as CeCe came to mind, one where she had admitted to being more than just friends with Melissa Hastings. She refrained from mentioning it.

"Our mother," Charlotte continued, "had a twin. Mary Drake."

Alison knew she shouldn't be surprised at the revelation that there was yet another family secret that her mother kept from her, but she couldn't help but feel stunned at the news.

Sensing Alison's surprise, Charlotte continued, figuring it better to get everything out in the open all at once instead of prolonging it any further.

"Mary had two children, your age ironically." Charlotte stated bluntly, a frown marring her features as Alison's hand became slack in her grasp at her words, "One was sent to England to live a charmed life, except that it wasn't as charmed as Mary expected it would be."

"And the other?" Alison hardly recognized her own voice.

Charlotte gave her a look, as if she were trying to decipher whether or not Alison was ready to deal with the new information.

"You know Peter Hastings likes to keep his family under wraps."

Though Charlotte didn't explicitly say the name, Alison knew who she was referring to – Spencer.

Current Day – Age 23
By the time she was 23, Alison had her family (or what was left of it) together. Spencer, as understanding as she could be with the revelation that Alison was her cousin, and her family wasn't as she thought it was, was doing pretty well considering everything, making great strides to get to know the twin sister she had been deprived of for most of her life. Alex, just like Charlotte, was grateful for the opportunity to get to know the family that she never thought she'd get to connect with. Jason had opted to do volunteer work with the Carissimi Group and as a result, spent much of his time out of the state and even, the country. His recent trip had been to Taiwan to help build schools for impoverished areas, but he had come back in time for Charlotte's release from Welby.

In order to facilitate Charlotte's release, Alison had called each of the girls individually to plea her case. The girls, despite the trouble that Charlotte had caused them, were willing to help Alison have a wholesome family for the first time in her life. Still, Aria had been the most difficult one to persuade.

'I'm not going to lie to the judge to help your sister live her life when I'm still having nightmares!' Aria had yelled at Alison, 'She made my life a living hell!'

Alison had regarded her calmly. She had had a feeling that at least one of the girls would feel that way.

'You know her story.' Alison had insisted.

'I don't care if your father was a jerk.' Aria continued, pacing back and forth as she got more irritated, 'That doesn't give her the right to make others miserable. I'm done with this conversation.'

As Aria had begun to walk away from her, Alison's voice stopped her.

'You would have done the same if Ezra were in trouble.' Alison said coldly, her old mask falling into place, 'You know she only did it because Melissa's life was in danger. You of all people know what love can do to a person.'

Aria frowned at Alison, realizing that she had a point.

'I'm not asking you to lie to the judge.' Alison continued, as if she hadn't noticed that Aria had stopped speaking as she walked up to the shorter girl, 'I'm not asking you to compromise your morals. I'm asking you to consider this from the point of view of a person who would do anything to protect those that she cares about. A sister who would do anything to protect her siblings.'

As Aria let out a deep sigh, Alison felt as if she had made her point.

'I'm not going to lie to the judge.' Aria repeated as she walked towards the door and away from Alison, 'I'm going to be honest.'

She paused.

'But I'm also not going to portray her as a monster.' she finished, 'Don't expect anything more from me.'

At the end of the day, that was all Alison could ask for.

Needless to say, the judge ruled in favor of Charlotte's release and the DiLaurentis siblings were finally able to live in the same household, all pretenses dropped and mentally at peace.

With Charlotte's relationship with Melissa, and Jason refusing to disclose anything about his potential love interests, that left Alison's single status to be scrutinized by her older siblings. The older DiLaurentis children never passed up an opportunity to tease Alison about the romantic tension between Alison and Emily.

"When are you and Emily going to stop ignoring this sexual tension between the two of you?" Charlotte asked Alison one morning at breakfast, causing Jason to choke on his toast, "This is getting ridiculous."

"Do you mind?" Jason asked incredulously, downing some of his tea in an effort to get his toast to go down smoother, "I'm her brother! I don't need to hear about this."

Charlotte rolled her eyes.

"Then let the ladies talk." she grinned, ignoring the horrified look on Jason's face, "I'm a reasonably concerned older sister."

Alison scowled, not entirely seriously.

"Don't you have to be somewhere shoving your tongue down Melissa's…"

"I'm going for a run." Jason announced abruptly, "This is none of my business."

As he opened the door, he was met with the slightly surprised face of none other than Emily Fields herself, her hand poised to knock. He let out a slight grimace, remembering the conversation that was taking place in the kitchen.

"Please, come in." he muttered, shaking his head to rid himself of his thoughts before leaving the house, making room for Emily to come in while shutting the door behind himself.

With that, only Emily, Charlotte, and Alison were left in the house. Alison stared at her in disbelief. She hadn't seen Emily since the trial and though they hadn't left each other on bad terms, communication between the two was still awkward.

"Emily," she started, "what're you doing…"

Alison was cut off by Emily taking long strides towards her, kissing her firmly on the mouth. All coherent thoughts left Alison's mind. She vaguely registered her sister saying "About time Americano" in the background, but she couldn't bring herself to care.

As they pulled away from each other, Emily had an apologetic look on her face.

"I'm sorry that I've been avoiding you all these years." Emily breathed, maintaining her hold on Alison, "Hanna gave me a real kick in the butt about it and I love you and…"

Alison cut her off with a kiss, pulling back with a slightly amused smile on her face.

"I love you too."

As Charlotte clapped dramatically in the background, Alison rolled her eyes, inviting Emily to join them for breakfast. Out of all the things she had said throughout her life, out of all the truths and lies, she was absolutely certain that telling Emily that she loved her was the most truthful she had ever been.

She knew from then on that if it meant that she could have Emily, the girls, and her family in her life permanently, lying would no longer be an issue for her. For their sake, she could finally be honest.