When Emma Duval returned from therapy she couldn't wait to see her friends again, especially her on-hold boyfriend Kieran Wilcox. She ended things abruptly before leaving and needed to talk to him about their relationship now that she was back home.

Being back in Lakewood itself was a huge adjustment for her considering the events that occurred not that long ago. Emma was still recovering from the tragedy of losing her friends as well as being an accomplice to Piper Shaw's murder. She wasn't sure if she was ready to come back, but she couldn't hide forever. Eventually she would have to face her fears.

She walked up the stairs on the front porch of Kieran's house, taking a deep breath before going inside. Her friends were anxiously waiting in the kitchen and greeted her with wide smiles as she walked through the living room.

"Welcome home, Emma," Audrey said and pulled her in for a hug. "I missed you."

"We all did," Kieran agreed, coming out from next to the fridge.

"Kieran, oh my god." Emma ran over to him and hugged him.

"I see you two have been looking forward to a reunion," Brooke piped up.

It was true. Emma had been waiting for a long time to see Kieran again—three months to be exact. The bloodshed in Lakewood hindered their relationship and she wanted nothing more than to get back to the way things were. But she wasn't sure how easy that would be.

Jake handed out drinks to everyone and proposed a toast to Emma for her return home and her progress on her recovery. They had a few drinks each, Emma's friends gave her a rundown on what she missed, and then everyone went home.

Emma was staying the night at Kieran's to make up for lost times. She knew it was hard on him not having her around for several months. They barely had any contact and she wasn't allowed visitors aside from her mom. And as happy as she was to see Kieran, there was a clear disconnect between the two of them. She was hoping it would fade with time.

Kieran and Emma were sitting on the couch now, his arm around her. As much as Emma tried to get relaxed and comfortable she couldn't see to do it. But by god she faked it as best she could. She needed to make this work.

"You know, Em... I really did miss you," Kieran said, looking at her like he'd fallen in love with her all over again.

"I know," she said, nodding gently. "I missed you too. You know that, right?"

"Of course I do."

He leaned in to kiss Emma and although she felt hesitant, she still loved Kieran and allowed it to happen. Eventually the feel of his lips consumed her like flames from a fire and she had her legs wrapped around him.

Kieran's hands caressed her sides feverishly, like he'd been waiting for this exact moment his entire life. He and Emma had been intimate on several occasions, but she'd never seen him so hungry—so primal. This was a new side to him and she kind of liked it.

But when his hands grew closer to her abdomen she immediately pulled away. The scar was no longer a fresh knife wound—and was instead almost perfectly healed—but just knowing that it was there and everything it reminded her of, it made her feel ugly and vulnerable.

"Kieran, I can't," she said and continued to back away before being stopped by his embrace.

She knew there was nothing she could say to make him understand why she was so self conscious about the scar and what that scar meant to her, but she wasn't going to push him away either. It wasn't his fault that Piper attacked her. She knew that all Kieran wanted was for her to feel safe again. And that's exactly what he was trying to do.

He held her there for a moment, just holding her in a long embrace in attempt to comfort her. If things were going to go back to how they were before the attack; before Piper, before the murders... he would need to be patient with her and respect the boundaries she set in place for him.

"Em, it's okay. I'm sorry, I should have known it was too soon."

"But you didn't know. You don't need to apologize. I'm just having a hard time with this, you know? It's been three months, but a part of me is still... shocked, I guess. It's like a part of me can't accept the reality of what happened. And my scar... it makes me feel ugly. I hate it."

Kieran kissed her forehead with pure affection and tucked some loose strands of hair behind her ear. Emma's eyes welled up thinking about everything, and maybe even thinking that coming home was a bad idea.

"Maybe I came home too soon," she added.

"Emma... you don't really believe that, do you? No matter how long you stay in therapy, no matter how long you stay in the psychiatric ward, none of that changes the fact that you'll eventually have to come back to Lakewood and deal with it. You're not alone. We're all here for you. Audrey, Noah, Brooke, Jake, your mom. Me. We love you and we're with you every step of the way with your recovery."

Emma hugged Kieran tighter than she already had been. She felt like every possible emotion was pouring out of her all at once and she didn't know what to do with herself.

"And as for that scar—Screw the scar. It's not something you need to be ashamed of. You were protecting your mom," he continued. Kieran lifted up her chin so that their eyes met. He wiped away the tears trickling down her cheeks. "Look at me. You're a survivor, Emma. That scar is proof that you remained strong, fought back, and lived. You'll never be ugly in my eyes. You're beautiful."

Emma took his hand and asked him to follow her. She led him past the kitchen and down the hall. They entered his bedroom and she pulled him into another kiss. This time she was frantic, not just him. She brought him over to his bed where she lied down, allowing him to climb on top of her. The continued to kiss a few moments longer before she guided his hands over top of his sides and onto her abdomen.

"You sure? I really meant it, we don't have to," he insisted.

"You're right, Kieran. I need to face my fears and accept what happened to me. And if I can't do that with you, then when will I ever be able to? I'm sure this time."

Kieran nodded and traced her scar with his thumb before the two began undressing. Emma was still self conscious about it and slowly eased into things with Kieran , but eventually they were intertwined, and tangled in sheets. It was still going to be a long time before Emma accepted the scar, and she knew it would fade over time, but in the meantime she was going to enjoy finally lying next to Kieran, encompassed in his warm embrace.