"Emily." The blonde did her best to roll over and gently shake Em awake.
"Emily, wake up."
"Hmm?" The groggy brunette shifted and batted her eyelashes, trying desperately to blink the sleep out of her eyes. She sat up against the headboard of their bed and helped Alison get into the same position. Alison was only a few weeks before her due date and her belly was huge. That made moving around in bed a bit tricky.
"Em, she's kicking. Hard."
Emily looked deeply into Alison's tender blue eyes as she watched them glimmer in the moonlight, slowly filling with unshed tears. Emily kissed Alison's forehead and lifted up her oversized t-shirt to reveal her giant bump.
"God. You're so beautiful." Emily tried to keep her breathing steady, so as to not worry Alison any further, but the sight of Alison this way, still took all the air right out of her lungs.
Emily pressed both hands to Alison's stomach only to be greeted with the harsh impact of her daughter's little foot.
"Wow! You weren't kidding!"
As Emily looked up, Alison's first tear shed softly, only to be followed with a steady and violent stream of tears that protruded from Ali's eyes like water cascading Niagra Falls.
Emily caressed the flesh of Ali's belly and lined it with kisses before she scooted back up to the headboard and took Alison's hand.
As Emily's dark brown eyes met hers, Alison whispered faintly, "Emily," she paused and took a deep breath. "Emily, I'm scared." The words caught in Alison's throat and a small sob choked out.
"Alison DiLaurentis," Emily pulled Alison closer until her head laid lightly on Emily's shoulder and she had a strong grip on both of Alison's hands, "You have been through so much. You've been kidnapped, buried alive, stabbed, threatened, tortured, and you've lost so many people that you've loved. I promise you, you will get through this. I know this is not the way I ever imagined starting a family, and Alison, believe me when I say that I've never wanted anything more in the world for us, together, and I know this isn't how you imagined having children either, but please, Ali, please just get some rest. I've been so worried about you these past couple of nights because I know you haven't been sleeping much and I really can't blame you considering the current circumstances but you need to sleep!"
Emily's words tumbled out of her mouth with so much force that she was practically spitting, as the tears and snot ran uncontrollably over her face and over her rambling lips.
"I'm sorry, Emily, I'm trying so hard..." Alison's tears were drenching the shirt over Emily's chest.
"No Alison! Don't apologize!" Emily choked. She could feel the both of them breaking with emotion. "I am so in love with you..." She ran one of her hands, lightly through Alison's tangled locks. "And I know this might sound selfish," she started, "but I am so glad that you are going to be the mother of my child. I am so glad this happened to us, Alison, because, truthfully, I'm not sure I could ever be strong enough to do what you're doing now. And I can't think of a world without you and me and our baby anymore. I didn't know, at first how much I've needed this, but I do now. I've needed you and I've needed our baby."
"I'm glad too Em," Alison looked up from Emily's shoulder and met her glance. "I just hope she has your smile."