A/N: I wasn't planning to expand this. I don't know how I want that conversation between the two of them to have gone. I actually have no idea what he could have told her to excuse all that -A has done. I want them together though, so I'll just continue being super vague. People asked for another chapter. Here it is!

Aria POV:

Did you talk to Ezra yet? I rolled over and looked at the text from Hanna on my phone. I'd just spent the night with my boyfriend, love of my life, two-time high school teacher, and my tormentor for the last two years. He stirred next to me and reached his arm around my waist to pull me back to him. I let the phone fall back on the table and kissed him. That text would still be there in an hour…

It chimed again. "Aria, did you need to get that?" Ezra groggily asked me.

I stroked his check and propped myself up on my forearm. "It's Hanna. She wants to know if I talked to you yet."

He shot right up at that, suddenly wide awake. "Why? What does she know?! Aria, you can't tell your friends about this. You-"

"Shhh." I put a finger to his lips to stop the panicked babbling. "I know I can't tell them. After everything you told me last night, I wouldn't dare tell them. It puts them in more danger to know. She just suspects because of some book that was in your 'lair' and she's actually the reason I came to ask you about it. She's going to want an answer. Also, can we please find a different name for it? 'Lair' sounds so creepy."

"You can call it whatever you want. I don't want you spending time there. It can be dangerous for you too. This is a very treacherous game you've agreed to play for the sake of our relationship." He flopped back down on his pillows and pulled me down next to him. He kissed the top of my head before asking, "So what are you going to tell her? And what was in this book that pointed so strongly to me?"

"Wow, you really don't know what was taken from… that place? -A is supposed to know everything. What's going on with you?" I snuggled closer to him. This was so surreal. Here I was, comfortably cuddled next to Ezra, calmly discussing -A and my plans to lie to my best friends.

"Well, I'm sorry, but my personal life kind of spiraled out of control lately. I found out I had a son, you broke my heart, I started back at a job where I had to see you every day but couldn't really 'see' you, I found out I didn't actually have a son right as you get serious with another guy. It was kind of busy for me. That was how all of this with Hanna's mom happened. I wasn't keeping nearly as close of tabs on Cece as I needed to. She's started doing way too much on her own without consulting me. And you're avoiding the question. What are you going to tell Hanna?"

"I guess I don't know. I was a little distracted last night after you explained it to me." I was referring to the current state of undress he and I both currently had going on. I wanted to do everything I could to show him that I really do trust him and that I'm in this for the long haul, no matter what that means I have to do. It might seem crazy, but I really do love him.

"You're -A, what should I tell her? -A always has a back-up plan, right?"

"I just told you, things have gotten out of hand lately. I barely had time to make sure that the magician would choose you to go in the box to make sure you wouldn't get hurt once I found out what Cece had planned."

I sighed and got up from the bed to start getting dressed. "I'll figure something out. My lies sound better if I don't have them scripted anyway. I better get going to meet with her. If she doesn't hear from me soon, she'll probably tell Spencer and Emily about her suspicions." I picked up my phone and shot a quick text to Hanna asking her to meet me at the Brew in 15 minutes. "I'll see you after?"

"I'll make the arrangements for you to 'officially join the -A team' as you girls have been calling it while you're gone." He scratched the back of his neck nervously before continuing. I knew that whatever it was, he had to say it on his own, so I stood by the door waiting. "We can still stop this. Aria, I love you enough to lay this to rest. I- I know I've been working on it for a long time, but I won't lose you to this. Especially now that you know what's going on."

He looked at me expectantly. My heart swelled, he really loves me. "Ezra, after everything you told me about Ali last night, I want this as badly as you do. I'll do what I can to help you finish what she started all those years ago. I love you. I'll see you later."

~At the Brew~

Hanna was sitting waiting for me by the time I got there. I opened the door and she scanned my appearance, obviously realizing that I hadn't spent the night at home.

"So I take it that the talk with Fitz went well?" She sounded nervous and sarcastic at the same time. I wasn't sure that was possible.

"Hanna, it's Ezra. And yeah, it went really well. I can't believe I let you talk me into bringing that up. We're still building our trust again. That could have just as easily gone south and started a huge fight." I sat down next to her at the counter in a huff. Self-righteous indignation was a good strategy, right?

"Okay, how did that not turn into a big fight? If he isn't -A then that means you just told him that there's been a new -A and you've been lying to him since the start of senior year. And you'd just accused him of being that -A. How could he possibly have taken that for it to result in you staying the night with him?"

Today of all days, Hanna can use logic. Perfect. "Hanna, he loves me. Yeah, he was pissed that I never told him, especially since he's last to know. But I explained that it was your theory and I was just checking on it to calm you down, and he accepted that. So can we just drop it? I'd kind of like to keep him in my life."

"You asked him about the book? About all the stuff I showed you in it yesterday?"

"Yes, Hanna, okay? Yes. I asked him. We fought. We made up." I was getting into deep territory here. If she asked me what I said to him about it, I was screwed considering I didn't even listen to her when she told me about the book.

"Okay. If you say so. You know him best." She didn't seem entirely convinced. I had to keep her from bringing this up to Spencer.

"Sorry, okay? I know that was a rude. But I just don't want you running off to Spencer or Emily about this. He and I still have to keep this a secret until May. That'll be a whole lot harder if you guys are analyzing everything about my relationship through a microscope. Thanks for being concerned about me though."

That seemed to make her feel better about the whole thing. She leaned over and gave me a hug. "You know that time after you two told your parents? I stopped in his office at Hollis and told him that if two people love each other that much, they should be together. I'm happy it's not him. I'm still rooting for you two."

"Thanks, Han." I gave her the best smile I could "I've gotta get going. I'll call you later." I slid off the stool and walked out the door.

Yes, two people who love each other this much should be together no matter what. I intend to make sure that happens, even if it means lying to each one of my friends. I've done it before and I'll do it again. This way it keeps Ezra and me together and it keeps them safe. I can't tell for sure if they'd make the same decision I did if they ever found out.

I knew I made the right decision when I opened Ezra's apartment door and saw him standing there, rose in hand, with a black hoodie folded on the bed behind him.

A/N: Okay, really, I have no idea where to go after this. I'm sorry if anyone wants me to keep going. Unless someone wants to give me an idea of where to go after this, I'm all out. I hope you liked this chapter! Poor Hanna, but they always said Aria was the best liar.