Hey, guys! First of all, I'd like to apologize for the terrible layout of the first chapter. That's already been taken care of ;). Secondly, don't worry about Talia. She's in the fic for a reason, but she will NOT be Ali's rival for Emily's attention. In this chapter, you'll hear more of Ali's husband and an unpleasant character will appear.

"I touch on you more and more everytime"

Alison was already awake on her king-sized bed when the alarm clock rang. She'd barely got some sleep on the night before as reality sunk hard into her. Charlotte had died. The infection had proved to be a lot tougher than her sister and Alison didn't know where to go now. She swore she'd live to give Charlotte a better life; now that Charlotte's gone, there's no more sun on her windows.

She rolled off of her bed, took a shower and swallowed something just for the sake of eating. There was a hole in her stomach that food alone wouldn't suffice. She felt empty. Mechanically, Alison put on her black mourning dress, the same one she'd worn to her mother's funeral… the same one her mother had worn to her funeral before. This dress was one of the few things she had been allowed to save.

After Charlotte came back, Kenneth DiLaurentis just disappeared from the world and her family money was gone with him. He'd left her and Charlotte penniless. Of course, Charlotte had her own personal fortune, but none of them were even allowed to touch one cent of the money. Thus, Jason had to pay for all of their expenses and that included a few sessions with a psychiatrist named Dr. Elliot Rollins.

Elliot was a man who had just moved into town in the turmoil of Charlotte reveal. He didn't know anything about A or the consequences of the A game before Charlotte became his patient. As the sessions progressed, Elliot also came to meet Jason and Alison and fell in love with her when she was just an English freshman at Hollis.

Alison initially rejected his advances, as her heart was still scarred from her high school sweetheart (whom she believed was dating another girl in California), but a sense of duty called her in. She couldn't keep living at Jason's expenses and Elliot was someone who could understand Charlotte and help her take care of her big sister. For these reasons, Alison gave it a try.

Elliot was everything that a girl could've dreamed of. He was rich, sweet and portrayed himself as a gentleman. He found out about her financial problems and decided to help her even though they'd been barely dating at the time. He helped her score a job in Rosewood High when half of the teachers' body still believed she was the old ruthless Alison DiLaurentis. He even allowed Charlotte more freedom so she could interact more with her siblings.

Three years later, Elliot proposed to her and he was so good to her that she couldn't find the strength to say no. What girl would possibly refuse to marry this man? She said yes and, one year later, they married in a private ceremony, just the two of them and the celebrant. One year into the marriage and Elliot made her feel like an average woman, just like she wanted for so long.

But now Alison wasn't so sure. He was good to her and she liked him actually, but she'd never fallen in love with him, as any other girl would've had. When she first mentioned their relationship to Charlotte, her sister looked at her disapprovingly - "He's not the one for you, Ali. There's only one person in the whole world who can really make you shine who you really are". This person was Emily.

Emily. Her Mermaid. The one who inspired her to be a better person. In her darkest times, Alison had considered throwing it all away to leave Rosewood and follow Emily in California, but how could she if the brunette hadn't even showed signs of being alive? Alison thought she knew what it mean: Emily had found a new girl, someone who would treat her like she deserved. And if Emily could move on, why couldn't she? Of course, she couldn't confirm her suspicions, but time went on and there she found herself married to a man who gave her the world, but whom she couldn't love back.

Elliot was currently out of the country, taking an extension course in England, after Alison convinced him that she'd be okay and that he should do it, in spite of Charlotte's bad state of health. As soon as he left, Alison immediately wrote her friends, something she couldn't do when Elliot was still around because Charlotte had begged her not to tell him of her last wish. After sending the letters, Alison tracked down the one who went to California and waited until Emily received it before pointlessly driving to the airport without even knowing whether the brunette was coming or not, making sure she left her engagement ring and her wedding band behind.

Emily arrived on the first day and Alison had never felt so alive or so complete when her Mermaid spun her in her strong arms like the winds of a hurricane. Emily was the first to come, so it probably meant that the brunette still loved her, right? Ali wished she could've done much more: she wished she could've kissed Emily when her mermaid was staring at her lips not so discreetly; she wished she'd invited Emily to stay over at her place, but she wasn't sure she could control herself if the brunette was going to be around every morning; she wished she'd taken Emily to dinner, but Elliot wanted to see her via Skype and she had to play her part (and she still regrets she didn't take Emily out for a meal). But, mostly, Ali wished she could turn back time and stop her wedding.

The diamond ring Elliot gave Alison weighted on her. None of the girls have seen her with it (or with her wedding band) because she was careful enough to take it off whenever she'd meet them. They don't know it yet. That's why Alison will leave it behind, hidden inside of the drawer of her bedside table. Ali knows better than to believe she can hide her marriage forever, but now it's not the time.

Charlotte died. She called Elliot and he expressed his condolences, stating that he'd try to get the next flight back to the US (and Ali hoped he wouldn't). When she called him, she'd merely reported the fact and expressed almost no emotion. Alison had called Emily first. Alison had broken down to the sound of Emily's comforting voice as the brunette told her that everything was going to be okay and that she'd always be around if Ali needed. Elliot couldn't compete with this – he was never going to win. Alison shouldn't fight this – she's always going to lose when she sees Emily's sweet brown eyes.

And, for today's funeral, that's all she needs.

Alison didn't see much of the funeral, which was a small affair by itself. Nobody wanted to have anything to do with the crazy woman who had stalked and tormented five young girls, her own sister included, and escaped prison because of a psychological disorder. The clinic's staff was only there for a matter of duty; only a few of them had warmed to Charlotte. Elliot had texted her, saying that he wouldn't be able to fly back until the following week. It was all for the greater good so.

Her father didn't even bother to come. Kenneth hadn't got in touch with any of his children during these five years and, certainly, she didn't feel like he was her father anymore. Luckily, Jason was there to help her pull through this grim affair. Beside him was Aria, who had put a comforting hand on his shoulder. Spencer and Hanna were right Aria and neither of them looked phased about the funeral. Alison guessed that they just came out of duty, as they had no (good) feelings for Charlotte. Emily was on the last chair of the corner, standing beside Hanna. She had offered Alison a comprehensive smile when she arrived, but didn't say or do anything relevant after that. Alison guessed that Emily shared the same lack of empathy Spencer and Hanna felt towards Charlotte.

The vicar preached his last prayer. A coffin was delivered six feet under and roses were thrown at its casket. It was finally time to say goodbye. But, in spite of remembering the bad things about Charlotte, Alison cherished the good ones. Charlotte had always treated her like a younger sister, even before she knew about their blood relation. Charlotte made her smile and knew her better than anyone else. Charlotte had been the closest to family Alison had ever had when she was fifteen and almost lost her way.

She suddenly felt weak and her eyes watered. Her knees fell to the ground and she didn't even bother with the dirt that will probably impregnate the hem of her dress. All Alison wants is a new chance with Charlotte. She wants a life with a loving mother who wouldn't teach her how to lie to hide her own schemes. She wants a life with a tolerant father because she has no doubts that Kenneth would rip her apart had he found out that she had a thing for women too. She wants a life with a stable brother (like Jason has been to her since they found out about Charlotte). But mostly she wants another life with Charlotte, a life in which she'd always look up to her older sister.

Someone placed a hand on her shoulder. She half-expected Jason, but he was currently crying with Aria and Spencer. Instead, she found sweet brown eyes flooding with worry as they gazed at her. They were the same brown eyes she wanted, the same brown eyes she needed, and Emily made it harder to breathe when she wrapped her arms around Ali's crying figure. The blonde curled up against that comforting body and held the barista's arms against her silhouette, silently begging for Em's protection.

Emily kissed the top of her head gingerly and whispered against her golden hair - "It's gonna be okay, Ali. I promise"

And it all happened under the scrutinizing gaze of Hanna Marin.

After the funeral, Alison, Jason and the Liars all drove back to Rosewood for the funeral meal at the Grille. The girls and Jason took the opportunity to catch up while Alison just ate tiny bits of food silently.

"So, Ali, do you consider moving from Rosewood now?" - Spencer asked to include her in the conversation and Alison completed the question in her mind: do you consider moving from Rosewood now that Charlotte is dead?

"No. I've built a career here. I don't think a change would be good at this point" - Alison gave them a calculated answer. They didn't know that she was marriage yet and this was not the time for them to find out, especially Emily.

"You can go to Cali with me" - Emily kindly offered and Alison would've mindlessly said yes if she didn't have a diamond ring hidden away inside her drawer.

"It'd be a big change for you and..." - Of course, Jason didn't know what her friends didn't know and was about to reveal that piece of information.

"… And I'm not ready to change" - Alison completed for him and Jason just stared at her wide-eyed - "I want to mourn in peace"

"If I were you, I'd throw it all away and go traveling around" - Aria suggested - "It'd do you good"

"Guys, can't you see? Alison doesn't want to leave" - Hanna said, but Ali had a feeling that there was more to it than her blonde friend just defending her - "She still has people around her fingers here and, you know Ali, she doesn't like losing her dolls"

Alison dropped her fork and was immediately followed by the shocked gazes of all the people by the table.

"Hanna! Have some respect!" - Spencer reprehended - "Alison has just lost her sister!"

"Oh, great, now we all have to pretend that Charlotte was a saint when that bitch actually locked four of us inside a dollhouse?!"

"Hanna, we're over that…" - Emily tried to argue.

"Say that for yourself, because I'm not over that place!"

"Let it go, Hanna!"

"Oh, for you it's so easy to let it go, Emily! Alison snaps her fingers and you're back on your knees for her like a lost puppy"

Jason and Aria had to stop an enraged Emily from jumping onto Hanna.

"Hanna, leave, now!" - Spencer growled.

"It's okay, Spence. I'm the one who's leaving" - Ali's soft voice broke the aggressive tension in the table. Before leaving, though, her cloudy blue eyes met Hanna's - "I'm sorry for everything" - And Ali walked out of The Grille as the tears streamed down her face.

A few hours had passed, but Alison didn't know for how long she kept crying alone at the Kissing Rock, her old solace. Hanna's words had hit her hard. She felt like she was the one to blame for whom Charlotte turned out to be and Hanna made it seem like her old bitchy self was still crawling under her skin near to the surface, just waiting for the appropriate moment to show up. But maybe the worst of all was that Hanna implied that Emily was still crazy for her and it hurt Alison because not only did she know it wasn't true but she remembered how much she'd hurt her Mermaid and that stung.

She'd curled up in the shape of a ball against the hard stone, not even bothering to take a look around her surroundings. It was dangerous, she knew, considering she was in Rosewood after all, but she didn't even notice the silhouette walking towards her until this person was standing next to her… so close that Alison knew that they could kill her if they wanted.

"Ali?"- A sweet voice interrupted her terrifying trail of thoughts and it instantly calmed her down. She'd recognize that tone everywhere.

"Emily" - She asked as the barista sat beside her - "What are you doing here?"

"I had a feeling that you'd come here" - It amazed her how even after all these years Emily still was the one who truly understood her, and the brunette felt so warm next to her that Ali couldn't control the need to rest her head on Emily's shoulder, snuggling closer to her body.

"Thanks" - Ali sniffed and let the tears sprinkle on the lace of Emily's black dress - "Why aren't you mad at me like Hanna is?"

"Because I know how it feels to lose a loved one" - Emily replied, letting her fingers delicately comb through Ali's golden tresses - "My father died on Afghanistan two years ago"

Alison raised her head so she could look Emily in the eye, making their faces stand so close that they could feel each other's breath tickling their skin - "I didn't know that. I'm sorry, Em. Charlotte did a lot of questionable things, but your father… he was one of the kindest men I've ever met"

"It's okay, Ali" - Emily felt slightly relieved now that she knew Ali hadn't known about her father's dad and that's why the blonde hadn't called at the time - "My mom and I suffered a lot, but we're better now"

"You're so strong, Em" - Ali spoke with admiration - "It hurt a lot when my mother died too. It's funny, even though she and Charlotte were both shady, I can't help but feel responsible for their deaths and I feel sad for losing them. It's crazy, I know! My mom buried me alive and I miss her"

"She's your mother, Ali. No matter what she did, she'll always be your mom. And I think you have a great gift: you forgive people with your heart"

Ali snorted and nodded in denial - "I wish that I could feel angry about them. At least it wouldn't hurt this much"

"Believe me, being angry only deepens the pain. I was angry at you when you disappeared. I thought that being angry and convincing myself that you had died would make things easier for me. But it didn't"

Alison blushed in shame and hid her face back on the crook of Emily's neck - "I'm sorry for leaving you like that"

"It wasn't your fault, Ali" - The feeling of having Ali pressed so close against her side was breathtaking and Emily wasn't even sure how she was managing to speak - "You disappearing was hard, but Maya's death was worse. It destroyed me because I believed I couldn't love anyone without losing them"

Alison knew about Maya only from what she'd observed and for the little her friends told her, but she knew that it totally shattered Emily when Maya was murdered. Emily barely spoke of her first girlfriend and Alison thought it wasn't her place to ask questions, considering that Maya had helped Emily in a way Alison never could - "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you when she died"

Emily just gave her a one-shoulder shrug - "There wasn't much you could've done for me anyway. I just drank myself to oblivion, worked my fingers to the bone and dated Paige. If there's something good about Paige was that she helped me pull through that difficult time. She accepted to stay by my side even when she knew I didn't like her as much as I liked Maya"

Ali's blood burned when she heard the mention of pain and she unconsciously dug her fingertips on Emily's naked arm. She was married, she had no right to be jealous, but she just couldn't help… not when Emily talked about Paige so dearly - "By the way, what about Paige? Did you date when you went to California?"

"Ali, she was three hours away from me. There was no way we could've dated" - The answer soothed Ali's angry loins and she had to nuzzle the skin of Emily's neck and take in the barista's intoxicating perfume.

"Good" - Her breath tickled Emily's skin she watched as the sweet brunette swallowed hard.

"Uhm" - Oh my God, Alison DiLaurentis will be the death of her - "It's kinda late… I think we should go back"

Alison rose her head so she could stare into Emily's eyes again - "I don't wanna be alone tonight" - She was almost afraid to ask.

"I can stay at your place if you want"

No! If she stays, Emily will surely see the pictures Ali had with Elliot! - "I don't want to be home tonight" - She half-lied - "Too many memories, I guess"

"Well, you can sleep in my room if you want" - Emily kindly offered what Alison wanted her to.

"I don't want to bother you..." - Ali shyly looked away, knowing that Emily would fall for her lost look.

"You'll never bother me, Alison" - Emily smiled so sweetly and offered her hand so Ali could get up, making the blonde slightly guilty for this little manipulation.

Alison drove them back to The Radley and, fifteen minutes later, they walked into the hotel lobby to find their friends freaking out.

"Where were you?!" - Aria yelled at them both - "We were looking for you everywhere!"

"I walked around a little until I found Alison. Then, we started talking and lost track of time" - Emily answered vaguely and their friends could feel that there was more to that story.

"Well, now that the two princesses are here, I'm going to leave" - Emily and Alison only noticed at that moment that Hanna had all her bags and suitcases done.

"Hanna, can you not start shit for a moment?!" - Spencer snapped.

"I don't know if you've got any more time to spare for Alison, but I don't. I've got a job and a fiancé waiting for me in New York" - Hanna was walking towards the exit when, suddenly, the doors burst open and a man in a suit entered the hotel.

"Lorenzo?!" - Spencer recognized his face and saw his detective badge shimmer on his belt. He looked totally unfazed by them until his lips broke a sarcastic smile.

"No one's leaving Rosewood tonight!" - He announced and before Hanna could argue, he completed - "I've got proof that Charlotte DiLaurentis has been murdered and the killer is in Rosewood"

Next chapter...

"Thanks, Em" - I mumbled shyly as Emily pulled the sheets over our bodies. That hotel bed was so small that I could actually feel her skin on mine and it was literally taking all of me to not roll on top of her and kiss her senselessly.

"You don't have to thank me" - She lied right beside me, her face so next to mine that I could feel her minty on my lips. Her fingers delicately played with the threads of my hair before caressing my cheeks and, before I knew, her eyes were on my lips.

Reviews:

Drea82851: Hope you enjoyed the faint hint of mystery on this chapter ;)

I could ship that: Haha, thanks!

ohhcarol13: Hope you found it even more intriguing ;)

leon7272: Thanks!

Dragoncila: Pode deixar ;)

Guest 1: Yes! Christmas one-shot will be about Max! He's too cute for me not to use it around in one-shots, lol

Guest 2: Don't worry about Talia. She's not trouble ;)