A/N: It isn't Thursday, today. But yesterday wasn't just Thursday, it was my birthday. So, I beg indulgence for being a day late. Enjoy the tale of Aria, Hanna and ?.

Chapter 1

"Hanna, please don't go overboard with the tequila. We want to drink and swim, not pass out and drown," Spencer admonished as she walked through the French doors. She had voted against Hanna making the margaritas for the same reason the other 3 voted for her. Hanna was very good at "hiding" extra alcohol in drinks, without changing the taste that much. This was awesome right up to the point when you forget how strong the punch is and your boyfriend ends up having to carry you up to bed while you belt out "Let it Go" for the third time. Tonight, Toby wasn't here, so Spencer was determined to at least remain ambulatory.

"I make no promises, Spencer. Just don't chug this time." Hanna teased, laughing. She hadn't told Spencer this, but she had video of the infamous "Let it Go" incident. However bad Spencer thought it was, it was worse, and it was hilarious. Anyway, she was making the pitcher of strawberry margaritas strong, but not crazy strong. Explaining to parents how so and so cracked their head on the side of the pool, at night, in late November was a challenge Hanna didn't want. Especially since, there was a good chance it would be her head. Aria walked into the room carrying a large stack of towels and robes.

"I got the biggest, fluffiest ones I could find. Is the pool ready, Spence?" Aria put the pile on the kitchen island and Hanna got a look at the swimsuit she'd chosen. Hanna smiled, Aria was wearing her pink, orange, and yellow cheetah-print balconette bikini. This made Hanna smile because 1, Aria was smokin' hot in it, and 2, Hanna was wearing her sequined turquoise string bikini. Hanna had pictures of herself and Aria in those same suits at Spencer's lake house last summer, very tempting pictures.

"Yep, I'm going up to change. It is freezing cold between the door and the pool, but once you get between the patio heaters it's comfortable. And the water is bathtub warm, it's perfect. We really owe Toby for setting up the heaters. Those things are insanely heavy. Where's Emily?" Spencer looked around as if she might have missed their statuesque bestie. Aria wasn't wholly comfortable answering, because there was a good chance Emily wouldn't want any of them, including Aria, to know.

"She's on the phone with Paige. It didn't sound like a happy call." Just as Aria finished talking, Emily walked into the room. She looked sad and worn-out. She was still fully dressed and did not look like she was in the mood for a swim. She dropped onto one of the stools, watching Hanna rim the margarita glasses with sugar and lime. Spencer walked over and put an arm around Emily's shoulders.

"What's wrong, Emily?" Spencer liked to be direct, it saved time. Emily put her head down on her arms on the island.

"Paige is mad at me," Emily mumbled into her arms. The other 3 girls shared a look and then crowded around Emily to support her. Aria rubbed Emily's back in a soothing motion. Spencer sat down on the stool next to Emily and took the hand that was easier to move. Hanna filled a margarita glass and set it down in front of Emily. Once they were all in position, they started talking to Emily.

"What happened, Sweetie?" Aria asked in her most motherly voice. Emily picked her head up and smiled at her best friends. She was very lucky to have them, they always took care of each other. Her eyes swam with tears and she couldn't decide if she wanted to hold them back, or not.

"Paige's plans changed, so now she's free. I told her she would be welcome to join us, but she wants me to come over there because her folks are gone, and she wants us to have alone time before she leaves next week." Emily stopped talking, clearly there was more, but if Emily needed time to get it out, then her friends would give it to her. Well, most of them would. Hanna jumped into the uncomfortable silence.

"That's right, she's going to California. How long is her trip supposed to be?" Emily wished that California would fall into the ocean, right at that minute, but she answered Hanna.

"She's going from Thanksgiving till after New Year's. Supposedly, Paige's folks want to take Paige on campus visits, but who does that in December? I mean, she's already sent off her applications, so what's the point?" Emily looked to her friends for support.

"Well," Spencer wanted to be there for Emily, but she had a logical answer, so… "Paige applied to like, 4 schools in California, right?" Emily's shoulders slumped, and she nodded. "So, it would make sense to take her around and let her get a sense of each one. She's an excellent student and athlete, so she'll probably get into at least 2 of them. Visits might make it easier for Paige to pick which one she wants to accept." Aria loved Spencer, but sometimes she missed the forest for the trees.

"Em? Do you already have a theory about the trip? You sounded pretty skeptical." Aria knew that stuffing her feelings down and trying to rely only on logic would never work for Emily. Emily looked at Aria, gratefully.

"It's not so much my theory as it is Paige's. She thinks her parents are looking to move out to California once Paige picks a school and graduates. This might be the McCullers trial run at being Californians." Emily looked absolutely miserable, but Hanna wasn't understanding the direness.

"So what if they want to move? As long as Paige stays till the end of the year, I mean, we're all kind of flying the coop, right?" Emily dropped her head back down. She was too emotionally drained to explain. Spencer thought she understood, so she offered her guess.

"Are you and Paige worried that her parents won't be ok with Paige going anywhere that isn't in California?" Emily nodded against her arms, which made it look more like a seizure than agreeing. "But you applied to schools out there too. Maybe you'll both get in somewhere and can go together." Spencer knew there were a lot of uncertainties there, but Emily shouldn't give up hope. Emily tried to face her friends, again.

"Thanks, Spencer, but I just don't have the kind of grades and extra-curriculars that would get me into those schools. After Maya was killed, last year, I gave up on everything. I let my grades plummet, I dropped swimming for months. I can't rely on working in Haiti last summer to make up for all of that. I'm lucky I'm going to graduate on time." The girls didn't like to bring up Maya. Emily had lost Ali, then Maya, it was a testament to how strong she was that she was graduating at all. Talking about her still usually brought Emily to tears. Hanna offered the simplest solution and wondered why no one else had said it.

"So, why don't you go over there and remind her about all of the reasons she should keep closer schools in the running? We all know Paige is like putty in your hands." Aria laughed, Hanna loved to make everything she said sound dirty. It was even funnier when she actually was referring to sex. Emily smiled, weakly.

"Because we're running out of time too. How many more drunken swim nights are we going to have before we all 'fly the coop?' We made these plans a long time ago, and I'm not just gonna take off. Besides…" Suddenly, they all heard the theme from Jaws playing. Spencer jumped up and went to grab her phone. The other 3 girls looked at her for an explanation.

"What? It's my personalized ringtone for Melissa." That made even Emily crack-up. This was why she wasn't going to drop the sleepover. Her friends were too entertaining. The heated pool and margaritas didn't hurt, either. All three girls stared openly at Spencer while she talked with, well, mostly listened to, Melissa Hastings. Melissa was the most wicked, most evil, meanest sister of all time. The girls were fairly sure that was not just their opinion. It could probably be proven, scientifically. Spencer was trying very hard to improve their relationship, lately, but she couldn't always remember why. Spencer's face grew more and more pained as the seemingly endless Melissa monologue kept going. "Ok, Melissa, I understand. No, of course nothing is more important than your safety. Yes, I will head out immediately. No, I don't need directions. Melissa, I've been to your place a dozen times. Ok, yes, ok, Melissa the sooner we get off the phone the sooner I'll be there." None of the girls liked the sound of that. Spencer threw her phone onto the sofa and screamed into a pillow.

"So, how's Melissa?" Hanna asked in a sing-song voice. Spencer glared at her for a half second, before hanging her head.

"Melissa has lost her house keys and cannot get into her condo. The only friend of hers that has a copy of the key is in Barbados for the holiday, and my parents are in New York, so that leaves me." Now Aria wanted a pillow to scream into.

"Why can't she drive down here and spend the night?" Aria tried to salvage their night and spare Spencer the hassle. Spencer barked out a grim laugh.

"Her car keys are in the condo. She took a cab to go out. She met some friends for drinks, so even if she had her car keys, she wouldn't feel safe on the road." Hanna had a flash of inspiration. She grabbed the margarita she'd poured for Emily and walked over to Spencer.

"Here, down it real quick and then tell Melissa you aren't safe to drive, either." Spencer smirked but refused the drink.

"Thanks, Han, but I already told Melissa I'd come. Besides, she really does need someone to help her out. I can't let her be locked out all night. I'm gonna drive up and then spend the night up there and hopefully be home by lunch, tomorrow." Spencer grabbed her coat, purse, keys and her loathsome phone. The girls all nodded and started gathering up their stuff, too. "No! Guys, stay. The pool is ready, the margaritas are ready, please don't give all that up just because I have to. Stay over like we planned, and I'll come home tomorrow, and make fun of your hangovers." Spencer would have to hurt Melissa if she ruined the night for everybody. Aria wasn't totally convinced.

"Are you sure it's ok? I doubt your parents would like it." Risking being in trouble in order to have fun was one thing, risking being in trouble so your friends could have fun without you was something else.

"I doubt my parents would like the margaritas or me heating the pool in November. So, let's not tell them any of it. Plus, Toby will dump me if he finds out he did all of that work, for nothing. Please, Aria, save my relationship from certain doom." Spencer put her hands in a pleading position and pouted. Aria giggled and hugged her.

"Thank you, Spence. We'll make sure the house looks untouched before we go home." Spencer pulled her boots on and headed out the doors.

"Love you guys, have fun. But not Hanna level fun, k?" She didn't even wait for a response. Hanna grumbled about Spencer wishing she could have Hanna level fun. Aria turned to soothe Hanna, but first saw Emily typing furiously on her phone. Aria grinned.

"You heading over to Paige's after all?" Emily looked up, sheepishly.

"Is that ok?" Emily didn't want Hanna and Aria to feel like they weren't worth staying for. Aria smiled at her sweet, sensitive friend, reassuringly.

"Well, Hanna already told you to go, and I agree. So, Spencer's gonna get Melissa, you're gonna get some action, and Hanna and I are gonna get drunk. You good with that, Han?" Hanna looked up from the twice declined margarita that she was now sipping.

"I think we're up to the challenge. Have fun, Em. And tell Paige you just couldn't stay away. You had to be with her." Emily blushed and nearly ran out the door. Aria and Hanna shared a laugh. Aria sat down on a bar stool and Hanna served up a second margarita. She handed it to Aria then came and sat next to her. "So, it's just us, huh? Bo-ring!" Hanna teased, Aria picked up on it, immediately. She looked around and nodded.

"Yup, totally Dullsville. Do you think we should force ourselves to go in the pool?" Aria looked at Hanna as if she was really reluctant to get up off the stool. Hanna considered for a moment.

"Well, Spencer did say we'd be saving her relationship. I'd feel guilty if we didn't at least try." Hanna stood up and put on one of the thick robes. She then picked up her glass and the pitcher. Aria followed suit, putting on a robe and grabbing her drink and the rest of the stack of towels and robes. "Do you want to bring all of them?" Hanna asked, afraid that Aria would be walking blind with that heap in front of her.

"It's gonna be freezing, out there. I'd bring an electric blanket if I could."

Margaritas, a heated pool, and all kinds of sinning. You're welcome.