Hey, guys! Here is a new fic from me. This thing just got into my head. So in between working on my other fics and studying, I give you this. A superhero AU inspired by when I did this fic prompt meme based where I asked for song lyrics and someone gave me "Radioactive" by Imagine Dragons. Which is where I got the title... But damn if I didn't get carried away and made an outline with various story lines and planned sequels. If I can get there.
I do not own Pretty Little Liars. I do not own Radioactive.
She missed the feel of the water on her skin. Emily sighed as she sat on the side of the pool. But it was probably a good thing she was no longer on the team. It would be unfair to the other swimmers.
She had "gifts".
It gave her an edge. Over the other swimmers. Probably over everyone on the entire planet.
And her parents had raised her to be about fairness. But being fair sucked. It meant having to hide part of herself again.
Her parents were afraid that people were going to notice. But Emily Fields wasn't a quitter.
So when she used her gifts to save Aria and Mona from a speeding car that had A behind the wheel, she faked an injury after they fell.
It was that easy.
Of course. She had to make it look real. Everyone expected her to fight the injury so she had to reveal it in a very public way at a swim meet. Then she had to fake the X-ray. It wasn't hard. She just had to break into the doctor's office and alter the results. Being friends with Spencer had it's benefits.
She hated that it all made her parents fall under suspicion for hurting her. They couldn't hurt her if they tried. No one could.
That was the latest gift she had developed.
She had never gotten sick a day in her life. And now, she was becoming more and more invulnerable.
First it was her increasing strength. Then it was her increasing speed. It started out as above average, but she had crossed the line into superhuman.
And it all had to be another secret.
"I thought I'd find you here."
"Paige," She breathed out happily. She was happy to see her girlfriend. Paige made her feel normal. "You know me too well."
Emily was sitting on the side of the pool with the legs of her jeans rolled up and her feet dangling in the water. It was all she could do. She couldn't even swim in secret since it would risk her getting caught.
"It does make finding you so much easier." Paige teased. "Your parents are looking for you."
"And my mom called you?" Emily's brow furrowed. Her parents meant well by being overprotective, but she felt smothered. It was funny. Nothing could harm her, but they still tried to shield her from everything.
"She did." Paige nodded. "But we don't have to leave just yet."
"I miss it." Emily stared down into the pool. "It was how I could deal with everything. When everything got too stressful I would just get into the pool and all my problems would float away. Even for just a little while. I'd just go so fast it felt like I was flying. Completely free."
"How about this Friday, we head into the city and have dinner? Just the two of us. We can go to a club after. No one knows us there. Get away from it all."
"That sounds wonderful." Emily leaned in to plant a kiss on Paige's lips.
Paige gave a little blissful smile. "For you. Anything."
When Friday rolled around, Emily told her mom that she was sleeping over at Hanna's. But the truth was, she was getting ready at the Marin house and then Paige would be picking her up.
Hanna was sitting on the bed, watching her get ready. "Paige is gonna die when she sees you in that dress."
"It's not too much?" Emily asked, staring at herself in the mirror. The dress was a sapphire color with a bright sheen to it. It was strapless.
"No way. That's why it's perfect." Hanna admired her legs.
"Thanks." Emily smiled at her friend.
"Where are you going anyway?"
"Some place Paige knows. It's a surprise."
Emily loved how her girlfriend found ways to make her feel special.
"Ugh. I haven't been surprised like that in a long time. Caleb had this fever and has been getting these headaches. So we cuddle on his couch. I am a very hands on nurse." Hanna could always find the silver lining in anything.
"Tell Caleb I hope he feels better." Emily bit her lip.
"I will."
The doorbell rang.
"That's Paige." Emily's grin only increased as she walked to the door of the bedroom.
"Let me." Hanna stopped her. "I want to see the look on her face when you come down the stairs."
Hanna winked at her before leaving her bedroom.
Emily checked her makeup again in the mirror. She ran her hand through her hair to brush it out of her face. She took a deep breath. It was probably time to rescue her girlfriend from the blonde's impersonal questions.
Emily walked down the stairs. Paige was talking to Hanna. Her eyes grazed up and down her girlfriend's body. She had to stop her descent least she miss a step and end up tumbling down the stairs.
Paige turned then. Her eyes went wide and her jaw dropped. She hadn't even noticed Hanna snapping a photo with her phone.
Emily went down the rest of the way and came to stand in front of her girlfriend. She kissed Paige. "I'm guessing you like the dress?"
Paige closed her mouth, and nodded. "You look amazing."
"So do you."
Paige was wearing a black halter dress that showed off her arms and back. Emily loved Paige's arms, but she loved having her arms wrapped around her the most. Paige dipped her head.
Hanna shoved her phone close to their faces. "I got a good shot. Look at your face."
"Hey!" Paige huffed. "Don't show that to anyone."
"I don't blame you. Emily's legs broke my brain too." Hanna laughed. "Just like your arms. Seriously, Paige?" She put her hand on Paige's arm.
"Okay." Emily shook her head in amusement at her friend's antics. "We are going to go now."
"Take care of her, Paige." Hanna's tone and smirk gave those words a charged meaning. "Or maybe Emily will be taking care of you. You two have fun."
Emily lead Paige out of the Marin house. "Sorry about her."
"Hanna is always entertaining." Paige laughed.
"I think she is itching to go out. Caleb is sick." Emily answered.
"Yeah. He looks rough." Paige supplied as she moved over to the driver's side. Emily missed holding her hand. "I dropped off some notes today since he's been out of class all week. There's something going around. Pru caught it too. She was miserable when I dropped by. And I think she's still getting over it. A fever then headaches that get worse before they got better. I thought I caught it too. But it was just allergies or something."
"Yeah? But if you had caught it. I would have taken such good care of you."
"And that's why I'm lucky. I have you. But Pru doesn't have anyone else, so she's stuck with me."
Emily and Paige's best friend, Prudence Cho, were civil with one another. The other girl was protective of Paige, just like the girls were of her.
"Hey. You're a great caretaker. Too bad because I've never gotten sick a day in my life. But I hope Pru feels better. And poor Caleb." Emily murmured back once they were both seated in the car.
"When he gets better, maybe we can do this again and invite them." Paige started the car.
"Like a double date?" Emily smirked as she picked up Paige's hand in her own.
"Yeah." Paige planted a kiss on her knuckles.
They drove into the city, talking about this or that until they pulled into the parking lot. It was nice not to think about her problems with A or with her powers.
It was Paige's turn to lead Emily to the entrance of the restaurant. It was a very low key door. There wasn't even a sign or anything telling people on the street what was there.
"I hope you like this place. The food here is really good." Paige put her hand on the small of Emily's back.
"It'll be fine. I'm looking forward to the company mostly." Emily leaned into her side.
Paige gave her name to the hostess. They were right on time for their reservation. The hostess brought them past a dining room where the walls were brown except for one red accent wall and black and white floor tiles to a private room.
Once the two of them were alone, Emily kissed Paige. But she sadly broke it off before the two of them got carried away. "Now I know why you got a private room."
Paige's face was flushed. "Not exactly but that is a happy accident."
"If you say so."
"I just thought it would be nice for it to be just us for awhile. Let me be selfish for a moment and have you all to myself." Paige cocked her head to the side as she pulled Emily's chair out for her.
"You're one of the least selfish people I know." Emily squeezed her shoulder before sitting down.
Paige was selfless. She had put herself in danger time and again for her and her friends. Lyndon James had kidnapped Paige and had her at his mercy, but she only thought of Emily's safety. Paige had saved Spencer from the Queen of Hearts on the Halloween train without a second thought. Someone like Paige could do so much with the powers Emily had.
"The Grilled Chicken Breast Morrocan is really good here. And so is the salmon." Paige was studying the menu.
"If that's what you recommend. How about we order both and just share?" Emily smiled, and maybe an appetizer?"
"I think that is a very good idea." Paige nodded.
"I'm not just a pretty face, you know." Emily teased."I come up with plenty of plans too."
"Beauty and brains. Deadly combination you have there." Paige smirked.
"And yet you managed to catch me. That speaks highly of you." Emily bit her lip.
Paige dipped her head. But once the waiter came to take their order, she was composed and back to her take charge attitude. She closed menu and smiled at their waiter, who introduced himself as Tim.
"To start, well have the bruschetta. And for the main course the Grilled Chicken Breast Morrocan and the Pan-Seared Salmon with Balsalmic Glaze."
"I can tell you have excellent taste." The man stole a glance at Emily. "And to drink?"
"A bottle of the Truchard Roussanne 2010 please." Paige said looking at the wine list.
"Of course." Their waiter nodded as he picked up the menus. "I will be back with your orders once they come out."
Once they were alone again, Emily let out a laugh of relief. "I was waiting for him to ask to see our IDs."
"I think our waiter was a little focused on something else. And can't say that I blame him. You look very mature in that dress." Paige winked.
"Stop it." Emily laughed. "I was ready." She had her fake ID on her.
"Me too. But the trick is to act like you are someone that gets a private room in the company of a beautiful woman and knows their wine pairings. Project the authority and confidence."
"You don't seem like the type to have to fake it."
"Before I was with you, I did. You helped me find the strength to do it." Paige took up Emily's hand in her own.
"Then I'm glad." They sat in comfortable silence until the waiter came back with their wine.
The man presented the label, to which Paige nodded. Next he opened it and showed them the cork. He poured Paige a glass. She swirled it around and smelled it. She nodded once again. He poured Emily a glass. He left the bottle before leaving the room.
"This is really good." Emily said as she took a second sip of wine. It was a sweet taste, a little fruity but that was all she knew about wine.
"I will admit to planning ahead. I looked up the wine pairings for anything you could have ordered from the menu." Paige winced. "When I say it out loud, it sounds crazy."
"Crazy prepared." Emily thought about their dates. From the picnic in the woods to the Hungry Owl Tavern to movie nights and take out, it was all meticulously planned. "It's cute that you studied for our date. Is that how you found about this place?"
"No. I've been here before. With my grandparents. They used to go here on dates. Which I guess explains why it has that old timey aesthetic. It's been around for awhile. With some renovations of course. But still the same."
"Thank you. For sharing it for me." Emily hoped for something so long lasting. A love that was eternal. With Paige.
"You know what this place is called?"
The name was not on the door or the menu. Emily couldn't even hazard a guess.
"The Alibi Room." Paige laughed.
Emily joined her. "It does feel like a black and white movie." The kind Spencer and Aria were into.
"It does. We had a reunion here once. It was like this "Noir" theme. And we dressed up. With a murder mystery to solve. Grandpa Alan loved Sam Spade."
"Sounds like fun."
"It was. But it was a game." Paige looked at her with concern. "I'm sorry."
It was one thing to play a murder mystery game and another thing to live it.
"It's fine." Emily felt bad for ruining the mood. She tried to make for lighter conversation. "What did you end up wearing?"
"Oh, this intense dress. Very complicated to put on."
"As hilarious as that is, I think I would have loved to see you in a suit. Top it off with a Fedora."
"I'll store that away for future reference." Paige cocked her head to the side. "Should I have worn a suit today?"
"I think you made the right choice for tonight." Emily bit her lip as she raked her eyes along Paige's bare shoulders. "For, for dancing."
"Just for dancing, huh?"
"Yeah."
"Nothing else?"
It was now her turn to duck her head. Her face was warm. She managed to smile slyly though. "You know exactly what else."
The waiter chose that exact moment to interrupt what Paige was going to shoot back. He had their appetizer and set it down on the table. He also had brought them extra plates. "Your entrees will be out in a few more minutes."
"Thanks, Tim." Emily flashed him a kind smile.
He backed out of the room, apparently distracted enough that he hit his shoulder on the doorway. He played it off, but left the room quickly.
"You leave quite an impression on people." Paige chuckled.
"He's just being nice." Emily wanted to downplay what they had just witnessed. She reached out to the plate with bread and diced tomatoes on top. "This looks great."
"Well, eat up. You'll need plenty of energy for later tonight." Paige grinned. "You know, for dancing."
"You're awful." Emily frowned, but then laughed along with her girlfriend. She helped herself to one piece of bruschetta, as did Paige.
They chatted easily about their week. Emily was grateful for the chance to unwind and relax. She didn't know how much she needed this night until she was watching how brightly Paige's eyes shined when she was describing a funny story that happened when her parents were just outside Rosewood on the way to Scranton when they got a flat and Paige had to help them change the tire.
Tim came in balancing a tray on one hand. He set down their order on the table. "Enjoy. I'll check back with you all if you need anything else."
"I think I've got everything I need right here. But thank you, Tim." Paige answered while not taking her eyes off of Emily.
Emily wondered how she had been lucky enough to have such a charming girlfriend who was thoughtful and gorgeous. Paige made her feel loved. Paige made her feel normal. She grab her hand and interlaced their fingers.
She was sure Tim the Waiter had said something about leaving them alone. She didn't even check to see if Tim was there before she kissed Paige's knuckles.
"As much as I don't want to let go, I'm going to need my hand back." Paige teased. "Like I said we need the energy for later tonight."
"Oh, sorry." Emily looked sheepish.
"Here, try this." Paige cut a piece of salmon and fed it to her.
The taste hit her tongue and she moaned a bit. "Wow. That is really good."
"I've been told I have great taste." Paige smirked.
"Well, I am pretty great. Taste great, too." Emily had gotten her revenge from Paige's earlier teasing.
Unfortunately, Paige had just taken a sip of her wine. She almost spat it out. But she must have swallowed it wrong because she started coughing. "You did that on purpose."
"Revenge is sweet." Emily smirked.
"You would know. Because you're so sweet." Paige winked.
"You're such a dork."
"But you love me." Paige leaned forward.
"Yeah. I do." Emily leaned in as well. They were dangerously close to one another. She closed the distance between them only for Paige to take a bite of chicken at the moment.
Emily laughed. "I swear I'm starting to rethink that."
Paige swallowed the chicken. "Nope. Too late. You said it and you can't take it back now."
They ate the rest of their dinner, spending the time joking and just enjoying their time together. They shared dessert in the form of a slice of German chocolate cake. Paige paid their bill with great protest from Emily. Paige didn't have to break the bank for her.
"I don't mind, Emily. I wanted to do something nice for you."
"Okay. But next time let me do something nice for you." Emily held her hand and lead her out of the restaurant. "Just being with you is enough." She kissed her girlfriend.
"Pay me back in kisses and it's a deal." Paige laughed as they went to the car.
Emily felt a little buzzed. She wondered if Paige felt the same way, but then again she had more glasses of wine then her girlfriend. It took a lot of alcohol to get Emily drunk. She wondered if that had anything to do with how she was different. It probably did.
"What are you thinking about?" Paige asked as they caught a red light on the way to the club.
"Oh, just how much I'm looking forward to dancing with you." Emily knew that Paige was a little shy when it came to dancing. She had to be coaxed out onto the dance floor, but she usually loosened up and had fun. Paige was a really great dancer when she stopped being so self-conscious.
"Well, I can go all night with you." Paige smirked. The light turned green. It was only a few more blocks to the club. Paige started to pull the car into valet.
"Paige, no. You already spent so much tonight. I'm okay with walking." Emily put her hand on top of Paige's.
Her girlfriend gave it some thought before driving one more block to the nearest parking lot. It wasn't much of a walk from the parked car to the end of the line. They didn't have to wait long before the bouncer spotted them and let them in. He didn't even check their fake IDs. He just gave a brief glance at them before waving them in.
"Do you want to get a drink or do you want to go straight to dancing?" Paige asked as she pushed through the crowd, holding onto Emily's hand.
"What do you think?" Emily pressed up against her girlfriend.
"Uh, dance floor it is." Paige had a dopey grin on her face.
"Yeah? I had this whole plan to convince you to start dancing."
"Really? Let's see it then."
"Well I was just going to give you a sultry look like this. And then I was going to kiss you like this." Emily caught Paige's lips with her own. Paige's lips were soft, but she wasn't gentle as she took the one between her own. She began lightly sucking on it before running her tongue across it. Paige groaned into the kiss.
"Oh, I like that plan. I like that plan a lot." Paige found them a spot on the dance floor.
The music was pulsing. Paige ran her hands down Emily's hips as they both swayed to the music. Every move Paige made was full of passion for Emily's body. They were so close, her heart raced in time to the beat of the song. They lost themselves to the music and each other's proximity. It wasn't hard to see why dancing was a vertical expression of horizontal desires.
She didn't know how many songs had passed because she was enjoying herself so much. She turned around so that her back was against Paige's front. She closed her eyes and smiled.
But that didn't last long as she became aware of someone coming to stand in front of her. Her eyes shot opened and she glared at the guy trying to dance with her. He looked exactly like the kind of guy that went to clubs to try and pick up girls, but only ended up making them uncomfortable. His hair was slicked back with gel and the top two buttons of his shirt were undone. The grin on his face was predatory.
"Hey." The guy shouted.
"Sorry, I'm here with someone." Emily moved away from him as much as she could. She felt Paige tense up behind her.
"I'm sure your friend wouldn't mind taking a break." The guy's hand brushed her hips.
"She's not my friend. She's my girlfriend." Emily pushed his hand off of her.
"Get lost." Paige stepped in front Emily, using her body to shield her from him.
This didn't stop the guy from reaching around Paige and grabbing her arm.
"Hey, I'm not opposed to a threeway. I like to watch."
Emily was fuming. She was trying to calm herself down. She knew she could really end up hurting this guy and put him through a wall. She took a deep breath and counted like her father taught her.
"Let go of her." Paige yelled as she shoved his shoulder. She started to lead Emily off the dance floor, but the guy squeezed Emily's ass.
Before Emily could count to three, Paige punched the guy in the face. The guy staggered back as he brought his hand up to his jaw.
"You fucking dyke." The guys spat out.
Emily was shaking. No one spoke to her girlfriend like that. No one should speak to anyone like that. She took a step towards the guy but a burly bouncer showed up.
"This bitch just punched me."
"Then you probably deserved it." The bouncer boomed at him. "Are you okay, Miss?"
Emily was still shaking, so Paige answered for her. "He groped her. What kind of club lets garbage like this in?"
"Shut the fuck up!" The guy surged forward, but the bouncer picked him up.
"Oh hell no. Garbage is right. Time to take out the trash." The crowd parted as the large man carried towards a side door.
Paige lead Emily to the bar. She held her close. Emily appreciated the support.
"Can we get a glass of water?" Paige shouted at the bartender.
"Sure thing, sweetie." The woman behind the bar nodded. She filled a glass up with water. She set it down in front of them. "Nice right hook there by the way. Asshole deserved it."
"Uh, thanks." Paige scrunched her face up as the bartender went to take care of another customer.
Emily hated when this happened. Her head always felt fuzzy, but everything else was so clear around her. Time slowed down. She could see and hear everything. It was like her body was ready for a fight. This feeling came in handy in the pool and during meets. There she could focus. But when she or someone she loved was in danger, it was hard to calm down. It was like everything her father taught her went out the window. She needed her parents or her friends to steady her. She needed Paige.
"Are you okay, Em?" Paige cupped her cheek gently.
Emily nodded, as she leaned into her girlfriend's touch. She took a deep breath, and picked up the glass of water. She took a sip. She put the glass down. "Can we just leave?"
"Sure." Paige smiled at her gently.
The two of them walked out of the club. There weren't that many people on the street. Emily hadn't thought it was that late. But once they made it to the parking lot, it was deserted. Paige had her arm around her shoulder, just pulled her closer.
"Hey!"
They both turned around. The guy that had harassed them was standing behind them. He was close enough to them that she could see a bruise forming where Paige had punched him.
"Unless you want another beatdown, keep walking." Paige stepped towards him threateningly.
"You think you can just humiliate me. And walk away?" He pulled a gun out. "
"Seriously?" Paige raised an eyebrow. "Is your dick that small?"
"Paige!" Emily didn't understand why her girlfriend was mocking the man with the gun. They had to be careful. The last time she had been faced with a gun, Caleb had gotten shot.
"Shut up!" The guy struck Paige across the face.
Emily forced herself to move as everything slowed down. The guy turned to her startled. She reached for the gun just as he pulled the trigger. She stumbled into him with a gasp. The guy's eyes widened in shock as he pushed her to the ground. She fell to her knees.
"Oh God, Em!" Paige was at her side in a heartbeat.
Her head was pounding and her chest was tight. Her abdomen stung. She brought her hand up to the spot and winced. She felt a small hole in the material there.
Paige's hands covered her own. "Why didn't you just run when I was distracting him? I'm so sorry. Someone help us!"
"Paige-"
"Help!"
The agony in Paige's voice hurt more than the sting she felt. Tears were streaming down her face, mixing with the trail of blood flowing down the wound on her cheek.
"Paige! Look at me!" Emily gripped her hands tightly. "I'm okay. See? No blood." She held her hand up.
"He shot you. I saw-"
The pounding of feet on the asphalt altered them to the arrival of help.
"Hold on. The cops and the ambulance are on their way." There was a small crowd forming around them.
"We heard the gunshot."
"Is anyone hurt?"
"My girlfriend is bleeding. I'm fine. I just have a headache." Emily held her head. She hoped that stopped them from asking questions. She needed to come up with a story about what happened.
A woman in dress pants and a vest crouched next to Paige and held a handkerchief up to the cut on her cheek. Paige nodded her thanks and took over for her, holding the handkerchief up herself. Emily appreciated the fact that the men knew enough to hang back. She was a little weary of people at the moment.
"I should call my dad."
"You go ahead." The woman nodded. She was very fit and athletic. Emily thought she looked familiar.
She watched Paige as she took her phone out and called her father. Her girlfriend was studying her. Her hand was pressing the handkerchief to her cheek and her other hand was balled up into a tight fist. The woman had placed a jacket over her lap.
"Hey, Emmy. How is date night with my future daughter-in-law going?"
"It was going well. Until..." Emily sighed the sirens could be heard now.
"What happened?" Wayne's joking tone had completely disappeared.
"Paige is hurt." Emily sobbed. "It's all my fault."
"We're leaving for the city now. Just text me what hospital they're taking you to." She could hear him rushing around on the other end.
"Dad..." Emily didn't know how to tell her dad what had really happened. She thought that it could wait until they met at the hospital. The EMTs were checking on Paige. She ran over. One of the EMTs noticed her.
"Your girlfriend said you got shot?"
"No. He missed. Thank God. I guess I'm lucky." Emily nodded. "Is she okay?"
The EMT frowned. "They will be able to know once they run some tests at the hospital. She could have a concussion. Nasty cut on her face, too."
"I need to be with her." Emily gritted.
"Yeah. We'll need to check you out too. As a precaution." The EMT nodded. "We're going to St. Luke's. Now."
Emily got into the back of the ambulance before the EMT. Her partner climbed behind the wheel. The sirens whirled.
"Dad." Emily began.
"St. Luke's. I heard. We'll see you there."
Emily said goodbye and hung up. Paige was quiet. She was just staring at her. The EMT inspected all over her body.
"Okay. You didn't get shot. Not even grazed."
"I told you." Emily shook her head. "I think I would know if I got shot."
"Looks like you ripped your dress though." The EMT grinned.
"That's the least of my worries." Emily reached for Paige's hand. It was still clenched tightly. Paige didn't relax at her touch. So she just put her hands over hers.
The ride to the hospital wasn't that long. Soon the EMTs got Paige unloaded and wheeled into the hospital. The EMT listed off Paige's vital signs and medical things that were foreign to Emily. She did recognize the words probable head trauma.
"Are you with the young woman they just brought in?" A woman in light blue scrubs asked her.
"Yeah."
"The cops are going to want to talk to you." She said. "Are you okay?"
Emily exhaled slowly. "I will be. I don't know. I just need to see my girlfriend safe and smiling soon."
"I'll let you know when you can see her as soon as possible. My name is Nat." The woman was a little shorter than her and had a kind face.
"Hey, Nat. Can you help me out with this dressing?" A man in scrubs called out to her.
"Sure thing." She called back. "It's going to be all right." Her smile was so bright that Emily couldn't help but believe her.
Emily only nodded, and then went to go find a seat and wait. It wasn't long before a detective introduced himself to her.
"I'm Detective Cris Allen. Can you tell me what happened?"
"Um, my girlfriend and I went out dancing and this guy started to harass us. The bouncers threw him out. I think he waited for us in the parking lot. He had a gun." Emily closed her eyes. All she could see was the bastard hitting Paige across the face.
"Take your time."
Emily took a deep breathe. "He hit her. He hit Paige with the gun. She went down. I got angry and fought him for the gun. It went off. Then he ran."
"Can you describe this man for me?" The detective asked gently. He had a soothing voice.
Emily couldn't help but comply. "He had dark hair. I don't know if it was black or brown. Brown eyes. Strong jaw. He was wearing a red button up shirt. I wish I could tell you more. I was more focused on the gun."
"It's understandable. We'll ask the bouncers and the staff at the club. Check security cameras. We'll find him." Detective Allen nodded. "We may call you in for a line-up if we catch this guy."
"Thank you, Detective."
"Here's my card, if you remember anything else. Tell your girlfriend she can give her statement when she's up to it." The dark skinned man handed her a business card with his contact number.
"I'll be sure to call."
"Take care of yourself, Miss Fields."
Emily almost nodded, but she frowned. She had never told the man her name. The man walked off, a hand in his pocket.
She waited a moment before she followed him. The detective went out the door of the hospital. He walked over to the woman from the club that had lent Paige her jacket.
She wondered if he was interviewing her as a witness or if the two knew each other. Dealing with A had made her suspicious or everyone. Maybe she was just being too paranoid.
Still the man knew her name. It wasn't paranoia if people were really out to get you.
"Emily!"
She turned around at her name being called. How did people know her name? It was the nurse from earlier. "Hey. Paige is asking for you."
"Thank God."
"Let me take you to her." Nat the nurse led Emily to a small alcove. She pulled the sheet back.
Paige was laying on the hospital bed. Her eyes lit up when she saw Emily. "Hey."
She was speaking out the side of her mouth. There was a square of gauze on her cheek. Her smile was crooked, like she wanted to smile but couldn't properly either because of the gauze or the pain.
Emily felt the tears welling up again. This was all her fault.
"I'll give you some time before the doctor comes back." Nat smiled at them sweetly, and without waiting for a reply drew the curtain again.
"C'mere." Paige held her arm up. Emily quickly went to her side. "I'm glad you're okay."
"Me? You're the one that got hurt. You're the one in the hospital bed. It's my fault. I'm the one that wanted to go out." Emily croaked out as she held on tightly.
"Hey. Look at me. This is nothing. You were," Paige closed her eyes and she grimaced. "The gun was there. So close to you, and then it went off. You could have died. I wasn't fast enough. Or strong enough. So I'm glad it's me here. In this hospital bed. Instead of you… Instead of you in the morgue."
There was a cough on the other side of the curtain. It was quickly pulled back again. And Nat was back but this time with a man in a lab coat and scrubs.
"Hello. I'm Dr. Parkinson. So you're Ms. McCullers's friend?" The man took in how close the two of them were, but didn't comment.
"How is she?"
"So I was initially worried about a brain injury since the EMTs reported you had some confusion about what happened. But that was probably because of the shock of it all. Not often you find yourself in a life or death situation."
Emily tried not to laugh bitterly. Tonight was supposed to be about getting away from all that. It was all messed up.
"I've spoken to your parents. They're on their way back from Chicago. But since they probably won't get back before tomorrow afternoon, you can go home with the Fields?" The young doctor looked down at his notes.
"My parents. So she's okay?"
"It's all clear. But you're going to have to observe her for the rest of the night. Something tells me you won't have any problems with that. Nat here, will give you a checklist of things to look out for. And also how to take care of the stitches. They'll need to be taken out in three days, but we've called the hospital in Rosewood and they can take care of that for you." Dr. Parkinson starting writing something on a prescription pad. "And here's," he tore the sheet off. "The meds I'm giving you. Take them when you feel any pain."
Emily looked away. She hated that she was the cause of all this. She should have stepped in sooner. She had the means to stop all of this before it happened, but instead her girlfriend acted. It was her girlfriend that was the hero. She just screwed things up. They were both so lucky that nothing bad happened. If one of them were going to end up in the morgue, it would have been Paige.
She already had a body count.
"Em?" Paige said gently. Her girlfriend was concerned at her having spaced out. The doctor and the nurse were pretending not to notice in order to give them privacy.
"So that's it for now. We'll wait on your parents to arrive. And I'll explain everything to them."
"Would that include a cover for why we were at a club?" The gauze on Paige's cheek made her give that half smile again as she joked.
"You're on your own for that one." Dr. Parkinson grinned. "If you need anything, feel free to come and find me."
"Or me." Nat smiled. The pair left to see to another patients.
"I didn't even think about how much trouble we would get into if we got caught going to the club. Using fake IDs." Emily put her hand up to her head. "I know it's not the worst thing that would happen but still… If we didn't go to the club then-"
"Shh. Calm down." Paige cupped Emily's face with her hands. "It can't be helped. But I'm sure your parents will be more than happy about you being okay. But you're probably going to be grounded. For the next thirty years." She grinned.
Emily started to laugh. "Knowing my mom it would be longer than that."
"Well, I'll wait for you to get out of stir." Paige joined in her laughter.
"Stir? Dug deep for that one."
"Yep. All the way back to the 1850s." Paige was studying her. "You know I'll always keep you safe, right?"
"I know." Emily leaned in closer so their foreheads could touch. "But let me do the same for you."
The curtain pulled open again. "Sorry to interrupt. But your parents are here."
Her mother rushed right over to her and embraced her tightly. Her dad waited briefly before he was hugging the two of them. "Emily, what were you thinking? Never mind. I'm just so relieved. Don't ever scare us like that again!"
Emily looked down at the floor. "Mom, I know. I was stupid. And I'm not the one that got hurt. Paige-"
"Oh Paige, sweetheart. I'm glad you're okay." Pam wrapped her arms around Paige, but was more careful. "Thank you for taking care of our Emily. But I am sorry you got hurt."
"It's just a flesh wound." Paige joked.
"Paige, I'm going to have borrow Emily." Wayne was frowning. Emily didn't like how that looked.
"Uh, sure."
"I'll see if I can get your mother on the phone." Pam patted Paige's leg.
"Thanks, Mrs. Fields." Paige smiled.
"I'll be back in a bit." Emily gave her girlfriend a chaste kiss on the cheek. Paige was a little nervous, but she didn't care that her parents were there. She could have lost Paige.
But her parents seemed to understand that.
Emily followed her father out of the emergency room and into an empty stairwell. "That could have gone worse."
"Dad, I'm sorry. It was my dumb idea to go to the club." Emily started to tear up.
"Emmy, it's okay. I really am glad you and Paige didn't get seriously hurt." Wayne shook his head. "So tell me what happened."
"This guy was bothering me at the club. He wouldn't take no for an answer. He grabbed me. And I was so angry, I could have hit him."
"Did you?"
"No. Paige did."
"Good for Paige."
"Dad! I don't want her punching anyone."
"But?"
"In a way, I'm glad she did because if she hadn't-"
"You would have punched him. And you were afraid that you'd lose control and put him through a wall."
Her father knew her so well. She nodded.
"You wouldn't have. You would have remembered your training."
The minute she started showing her strength when she was younger, her father helped by teaching her exercises to focus her powers and to not go at full strength. It was necessary. Their house would have doors that had been torn off their hinges and broken sinks. Emily cringed when she remembered how her dad had ended up with bruised ribs from her hugs. Now she always held back, but she had grown stronger and faster as she got older.
"But I wanted to."
Wayne waited for her to continue.
"He was waiting for us. He was mad that Paige made him look stupid. He pulled out a gun. And I hesitated. I could have stopped him right then and there. Quickly, taken him out. But for one second, I was afraid of showing my powers to Paige and losing her. That she would be afraid of me. And that's when he hit her."
Emily closed her eyes and shook. "He hurt her and I wanted to hurt him worse."
"But you didn't."
"I could have. When I was fighting him for the gun, I thought about how easy it would have been to break his arm. How easy it could have been to snap his neck and make sure he couldn't harass or hurt anyone else."
"It was the heat of the moment. Your life or his. You also had to think of Paige. You didn't kill him."
Emily knew she could kill someone. Because she had killed someone before.
Nate. Or actually Lyndon James. That was another moment she should have used her powers in front of Paige. She had already gotten her girlfriend mixed up in her drama and put her life in danger. If she exposed her powers then, it could have made everything worse. She had no choice but to run and lure Maya's killer from Paige and hope she could get away. She hadn't gone full speed, least Nate lose her and end up going back to Paige. The lighthouse hadn't been her best idea. But she had figured only one of them would be walking away from there, and she knew it would be her. When he tried to stab her, she accidentally stabbed him, and he died. But not before he aimed Caleb's gun at her and pulled the trigger. Somehow the bullet had hit Caleb instead.
"You're thinking about him." The way Wayne spoke was unlike him, filled with such anger and venom.
"Yes."
"Is what's bothering you not that you killed him or that you wanted to kill this man today, but you're afraid that it doesn't bother you as much as it should?" Wayne asked.
"I should feel awful. Less than human. But I knew it would be me or him. And I'm glad it was him. He killed Maya and he was going to make me watch as he killed Paige. I don't like how easy it comes to me. How easy I can end a life if loose control. This guy tonight was willing to kill us, yes. But what about the next person that wants to hurt us? How am I supposed to be judge, jury, and executioner? If I cross that line, what if I keep on going? Who will stop me?"
"That won't happen. And if it does, I'll stop you."
It was very reassuring. Her dad was good at keeping promises. They both hoped it would never come to that. Wayne hugged her again.
"Thanks, Dad." Emily gently returned the hug.
"You know you're grounded though, right?"
"I deserve that."
"Yep. We should get back to your ma and your Paige." Wayne patted her on the back.
"There's one more thing." Emily bit her lip.
"What is it?" Wayne sounded concerned.
"I did get shot." Emily put her hand on her stomach where there was a hole in her dress. "But this is the most damage it did to me."
"Hold on." Wayne took out his cellphone. He brought it up to his ear, and waited for the person he was calling to pick up. "Hello, Agent. We'll talk about how things went south during the debrief. Yes, I'm at the hospital so you can leave your detail. But I'm going to have you to order a team. You need to find this man, and you need to find him an hour ago. And I'll need another team to do a grid search of the parking lot with a radius of fifty feet. I'm looking for a bullet."