Author's Note: Hello, hello! This will probably be my only AN in this story, barring anything major, so I thought I'd make it a good one. A few things to know before reading: 1) It's a Pretty Little Liars/Warehouse 13 crossover fanfiction. 2) It's set in the PLL universe, and takes place in the days after the Halloween episode of Season 4. Unless by some Christmas miracle PLL and WH13 join forces, the start of 4B will contradict everything I've written, but that's okay. 3) In this universe, H.G. has been reinstated as a Warehouse agent. 4) This is a multi-chapter fic. It was based on a prompt I received from Heather Anne Hogan long ago and was written for NaNoWriMo this year (2013). That is to say, it is long, but it is technically complete. It will still need some editing, which is why I'm posting chapter by chapter, but unless A feeds me to Tippi the Bird, you can be sure this won't be an abandoned fic. Okay, I think that's everything. I hope you enjoy this, the fruit of my very active imagination. Without further ado, I present to you, Face of the Unknown.
Chapter One
Paige was halfway through her bike ride from her house to her girlfriend's when she caught herself smiling involuntarily. If you had asked her two years ago what the odds were that she would be heading over to Emily Field's house for a dinner date, she would have scoffed in your face. Now, here she was, a bouquet of flowers in her bike basket, and a gigantic grin on her face. As she turned the corner onto Emily's street, however, she saw something that made her smile disappear and her bike stop short. The next thing she knew, Paige was sprawled across the pavement, surrounded by loose flower petals. She quickly sat up and looked at the direction of the person she thought she saw. You're losing it, McCullers, she thought, shaking her head when she saw nothing but an empty street. It's impossible. She's dead. Maya's dead. You did not just see Maya St. Germain. She tried to will her heart to stop racing as she collected what was left of the tattered flowers and lifted her bike back to standing position. She gave her ride the once-over, grateful there was only a scratch or two, no permanent damage. As her eyes drifted lower, she realized she couldn't say the same for her pants. Her black slacks had a hole torn into them about two inches wide, revealing a nasty bit of road rash on the side of her knee. She let her eyes follow a throbbing in her elbow to see a matching mark there. She scowled at the wound. Great. Real sexy, Paige. She glanced at the corner once more for good measure before hopping onto her bike and setting off again, cursing herself for thinking even for a second she had seen her girlfriend's dead ex.
When Emily answered the door, her gleaming smile quickly faded into a look of concern when she saw Paige's disheveled hair, scraped elbow, and torn pants. "Paige, what happened?"
She stood back and quickly ushered her girlfriend into the kitchen, directing her to sit on a stool and going to find her first aid kit. Paige looked around at the candlelit room with a touch of guilt. When Emily settled into a stool next to her and put the first aid kit on the counter, Paige gave Emily a pitiful smile and extended the bouquet, which now looked like it had been run over by a truck. "These are for you."
Emily's eyes lit up and she looked at the flowers as though they were the most beautiful things in the world. "Thank you!" She gave Paige a quick kiss and got up, taking the flowers with her. She took a vase down from on top of the fridge, filled it, and placed it in the center of the counter. "Perfect!" She looked proudly at her new centerpiece.
When she got back to her stool, Paige was using a cotton ball to apply some antiseptic to her elbow, wincing all the while. Emily gently placed her hands over Paige's. "Here, let me."
She took the cotton ball and continued the work Paige started. Paige was surprised to find it somehow hurt less when Emily was doing it.
"So, are you going to tell me what happened?"
"Oh, I just I fell off my bike."
"Just too excited to come see me?" Emily said teasingly. Paige's heart lurched. It never ceased to surprise her in the best way when Emily was playful.
"No, I thought I saw..." Paige caught Emily's eye, saw that sparkle she fell in love with, and thought better of finishing her sentence. There was no point in worrying her about something that didn't even happen. "I just got distracted is all."
Emily brought her face closer to Paige's, her smile turning coy. "Well, I'll just have to kiss you and make you better then, won't I?" Paige smiled and leaned into Emily's kiss, her fall and what caused it quickly disappearing from her mind.