Okay so personally (And it's just my opinion if you didn't like it!) I loved the Finale. I didn't particularly like the Sara is Red Coat reveal but there you go. I think there's so much they can do from this point forward especially with the relationship between Charlotte and Alison so I suppose this is just an 'after the finale' kind of thing. I'm not including the time jump and stuff because I want to literally start from the point Charlotte says 'Game Over'...

I love complicated bad guys! I truly do live for them and so I'm going to take this and write a fanfic about it. Buuuuuut I haven't written one for Pretty Little Liars so this a new territory. My experience is with The 100 so angst and drama is ma thiiinggg!

Disclaimer: I own nothing... yet? ;)

Prologue

When I was eight I visited my aunt's house. I remember that particular visit because I witnessed a young boy break his arm at the playground. At first I wasn't really sure what was happening but then soon other parents were rushing over and someone was calling for an ambulance. My aunt and I watched from the side as he was shifted up into the ambulance. My aunt was trying to explain that he would be okay but all I remember thinking was; He was kind. He wasn't horrible, he didn't push me, in fact he let me go down the slide first… He was kind. I hadn't met anyone like him at school.

"Why do bad things happen to good people?" I asked later on when we sat side by side at the dock on the lake.

My aunt looked at me in shock then a strange look came over her face. I only realise now, looking back on it, that she was looking at me with pity. Maybe because she knew then what my mother was like. Or maybe it was just because she knew so much about the world that I had yet to learn.

"I don't believe in good people Ali," She said with a soft smile, "I believe in good acts. I believe everyone has the capability of being good. I believe that a good person can be bad just as I believe a bad person can be good."

My eight year old mind couldn't really comprehend that logic, "But what about bad guys and good guys?"

She shrugged, "There are no bad guys. Life isn't like a fairy-tale, the world doesn't work like that, and people aren't as easily defined as such. You will meet good people that hurt you by doing bad and you'll meet bad people that surprise you by doing good."

"Bad guys can be good?"

"If we give them a chance to be," A sad look crossed over her face, as if she was remembering something or someone, and I gazed up at her unknowingly, "Sometimes people aren't bad… Sometimes they're just lost."

I remember looking down at my lap in thought for a long time. I remember thinking that lost wasn't a good enough reason for doing bad things. Little did I know that I would one day see the world in a different way.

They say you have to lose everything to find out who you really are.

To find out whom you deserve to be.

XoXoXoX

Alison smiled as she passed by one of the nurses and nodded in return to another. The familiar smell of cleaning supplies and the sounds of muffled voices reached her. She was used to walking this path now but still found reassurance in how different this place was from Radley.

She approached the desk and signed her name in just as the door to her left opened. The blonde glanced up and spotted Dr. Sullivan. The woman grinned as she spotted Alison and made her way over to offer her hand out. Alison took it with a smile of her own.

"Alison. It's been a while since I last saw you," Sullivan grinned and nodded to the nurse behind the counter who preceded to hand Alison a visitor's badge, "I always seem to be with a client when you visit."

Alison kept the smile on her face, "Well, you know how strict it is on visitors, I only visit twice a week now."

"I do know," Sullivan chuckled, "But it's for the patient's best interest… Are you heading down there now?"

Ali nodded and the brunette indicated for her to go ahead. They fell into step as they walked through the double doors and down the first corridor.

Sullivan watched Ali with a small smile, "You must be excited. She gets out next week."

"I am," Ali nodded then let out a shaky breath followed by a nervous chuckle, "But I'm also apprehensive. I know how she is in here but… It's a big step going back into the world again."

Sullivan inclined her head sympathetically, "It is," She placed a reassuring hand on Ali's shoulder as they turned down the first left, "But believe me when I say we wouldn't let her out unless she was absolutely ready for this. I don't think she necessarily believes she is but I like to think that she'll surprise us. Besides, sometimes the world is more ready for you than you realise."

"You think it's ready for her?"

Sullivan came to a stop outside the door and removed her hand from Alison's shoulder. She shot the blonde a knowing look, "I think she's a changed person and I also think that a huge part of that change was down to you. You need to give yourself more credit. Despite everything there was always one thing that remained the same to her; you. You were the most important thing and you still are. You two will be just fine."

She turned to leave but Alison caught her wrist and gave her a thankful smile, "Thank you," She whispered, "For everything."

"It's my job," She said but Ali could see the genuine emotion in her eyes. Over the years the doctor had come to care about them both and it was something Alison was extremely grateful for. Something she could never repay.

Alison waited until Dr. Sullivan was out of sight before pushing the door open and stepping inside.

The room never really changed. Sure, over the years Alison had brought things in, but it never really had changed in life. The floor was still the same shiny surface and the walls were still the same bleak white. Only now there were photos scattered across them. Images taken over the last six years and each one brought a memory that made Alison's chest burn at the thought. The bed was covered in a simple white sheet apart from the blanket that Alison had given her after being here for a year. Things were so different from that night all those years ago.

The desk furthest away was occupied by a pile of books and a figure. They had been crouched over the paper on the desk but the moment the door opened the blonde head spun in her seat.

Charlotte Dilaurentis grinned at the sight of Alison in the doorway and watched as the door snapped shut behind her. She stood up from the chair just as Ali placed her bag down on the bed and made her way over to accept the hug offered to her.

Alison tightened her hold on her sister and smiled softly into her hair as she let out a contented sigh. She felt Charlotte's arms loosen and pulled back to see the beaming face looking back at her. Alison sat back on the end of the bed as Charlotte lowered herself back into her chair and crossed her legs.

"It's good to see you," Ali smiled and turned to her bag so she could pull out a couple of magazines she had slipped in before coming, "I brought you these. I didn't know if you would want them as you get out next week but…" She trailed off.

Charlotte shook her head and took them from her gratefully, "No. No! They're great thank you Ali… You can only reread 'Great Expectations' so many times in this place."

"You reread 'Great Expectations'?" Alison laughed.

She shrugged, "You said you were teaching it so I thought it must be half-decent," She teased.

Ali grinned and shook her head, "I could probably have brought you another book if you'd asked…"

"No way. I love that book," She bit her lip, "But If I see one more novel after I leave this place it'll be too soon."

Alison chuckled and watched Charlotte sift through the magazines before remembering what else she had brought. Ali leant back and tucked her hand inside the bag then pulled out the chocolate bar she had stashed away.

Charlotte glanced up and her eyes widened at the sight, "Ali!" She glanced at the door as a mischievous grin crossed the blonde's face and Alison laughed at the glee, "How did you even get that passed?"

Alison rolled her eyes, "Oh please! These doctors are worried about who visits not what," She wiggled the bar in front her face and Charlotte snatched from her hand without a second glance.

She watched her tear through the chocolate in amusement but Charlotte just snorted at her, "This place does food almost as good as hospital food. Chocolate is a luxury."

Ali chuckled lightly, "So what do you want to do first when you get out?"

"Eat," She said bluntly earning another laugh then rolled her eyes, "I don't mind Ali… I just want to get out of here."

"Jason won't be back from Peru until just before Christmas so we'll have the house to ourselves," Alison leant back on the bed as Charlotte finished off the bar. The older girl swallowed the last bite slightly and inclined her head at Alison.

"Hasn't living alone bothered you?"

"Yeah…" Ali nodded slowly then shrugged, "But the girls have visited a lot… Spencer moved back after she finished College to help with her mum's campaign so she's always around, though she's very busy, and Hanna visits a lot from New York."

"Emily and Aria?"

"Aria moved back when Mike did… Said she wanted to be closer to her family. Emily still has that job offer in California so I don't see her as much as I'd like but she hinted on the phone that she might be moving back soon…" Charlotte nodded.

Alison was positive in the way she spoke but there was a hint of sadness there that couldn't be denied. "Do you miss them?" She asked quietly.

"More than I thought I would…"

Alison trailed off. Yes, she did miss the girls, but as she said Spencer and Aria were in Rosewood, Hanna visited so often she might as well live there and Emily was only a phone call away. Besides they were all coming back for a small party to welcome Charlotte back but… She wasn't about to reveal that surprise.

Charlotte was biting her lip nervously and Ali smiled at her reassuringly, "What is it?"

"I don't think…" She sighed, "I don't deserve any of what you have all given me-"

Alison shook her head, "No. We've had six years of this," She chuckled, "You have more than made up for what happened."

Charlotte let out a sigh at the memory and Ali gave her a sympathetic look, "Point is… The girls don't blame you and neither do I. Life's too short to hold onto all of that anger. You have a chance to do it all over and everyone is excited for you Charlotte. Especially me."

A smile graced her features as Charlotte's eyes started to water. Yes, it had been a long road getting here.

Other chapters will hopefully be longer than this. I just wanted to set the aim ;) Please let me know watcha think?