Chapter 2

Jason DiLaurentis sat at a table in an empty corner of The Brew. He wasn't entirely sure if Aria would even come. After everything she had been through, he wouldn't have blamed Aria if she just wanted to curl up in a ball at home and never leave her bed. When Jason saw Aria walking over to his table, a huge smile spread across his face.

"Hi Jason," Aria smiled sweetly at him.

"Hi Aria," Jason tried not to seem too excited, "I'm glad you could come."

Aria at down and they both ordered vanilla flavored cappuccino's. Once the waitress served them their drinks in huge ceramic mugs, they began to talk.

"Are you feeling better?" Jason asked Aria.

Aria took a sip of her cappuccino and sighed with delight as the warm, creamy taste slid down her throat, "Much." She said, "What about you, Jason? How are you doing?"

"Some days are worse than others," Jason admitted, "I just can't believe she was alive all that time. After everything she did, I still love her, and I hate myself for it."

"Don't," Aria put her hand over Jason's, "She's your sister. You have to love her, no matter what."

"No, I don't." Jason protested, "She was a terrible person who is nothing but cruel towards other people. She doesn't deserve love."

"Everyone deserves love," Aria said softy.

"Alison isn't capable of loving others," Jason said, "So why do so many people love her?"

"She was beautiful," Aria began, "But more than that. She could make you feel like the most amazing person in the world. Unless you did something she didn't like, then you were worthless to her. It's easier to bow down to her than it is to stand up and fight for yourself."

Aria wondered for the millionth time if Ezra really did love Alison, or if he was playing her puppet just like everyone else she associated with. Looking back, Aria could hardly believe that Ezra was faking their entire relationship. There was no way he was looking for Alison. He had hardly asked her anything about Alison the entire time they were together.

"I just have so many questions." Aria finally said.

"We all do," Jason nodded, "We all do."

"What did Ali ever do to you?" Aria asked.

"Ali had a lot of people she liked to mess with, make them do what she liked." Jason began, "But I was her favorite. By favorite, I mean that she treated me worse than she treated anyone else. Ali eventually made my parents hate me, and then most of our extended family. When I got back to Rosewood, all my old friends had moved elsewhere. I had no one. Alison made me alone."
Aria had a million more questions. What did Alison have on Jason? How did she turn his own family against him? But she knew better than to ask.

"I just don't believe any of it," Aria said for what felt like the thousandth time, "Alison faking her own disappearance? Ezra using me to find her? It doesn't add up."

"I don't believe it either," Jason said, in a more firm voice, "I don't think Ezra was using you to find her. I think Ezra knew she was alive. And I think that he was doing her dirty work."

"Why do you think that?"

"Think about it, what reason would he have to think Alison was alive when she was proclaimed dead by authorities?" Jason explained, "Unless he knew she was alive after missing for such a long time, why would he risk going to jail to look for her? More importantly, why did he think one person could find her better than an entire search team?"

"So many questions," Aria sighed, "I wish I had some answers."

"We all do, Aria." Jason looked distant again, "Look, I didn't mean for us to harp on what happened when I invited you here. Let's talk about something else, how was the rest of your day?"

Aria pondered for a moment. How had her day been? Despite Noel Kahn being a complete asshole towards her, and people she didn't even know staring at her in the hallway, Aria's day hadn't gone as bad as she had expected it too. Then again, she hadn't really been sure what to expect. She hadn't expected her friends to want to talk to her again. After all, she had been dating A. If they hated her, she wouldn't have blamed them. So that was a plus.

"It was as good as it could have gone," Aria said, "It's nice to be back with my friends. I don't feel so helpless anymore. Except for when Hanna decided to make me her new pet project."

Jason chuckled, "Yeah I noticed that. She did a good job, you clean up well."

Aria blushed and suddenly became very interested in her cappuccino.

"Maybe things will be okay eventually," She said, more to herself than Jason.

"It will be," Jason assured her, "Have you ever heard the expression 'there's life after high school'? Well there's life after Ezra. And after Alison."

"Have you found it?" Aria asked, "Life after Alison, I mean."

Jason eyed Aria carefully, and then let on a small smile, "I think I might have."

"Well that's great, Jason," Aria said, "You deserve to be happy."

"You deserve happiness too," Jason replied, "Don't hold onto him forever."

"I know," Aria sighed, "It's just. . . I don't think I'll ever really let go of him until I know why he did what he did."

Jason hesitated for a moment, "Did you ever find out about Vivian Darkbloom?"

"Who?" Aria asked.

"Alison would sometimes dress up as someone else, a made up girl named Vivian Darkbloom. She used this disguise to do her dirty work, to go places that Alison wouldn't be caught dead in."

"I never knew that," Aria said blankly. If only she had known that Ali might be dressed up as someone else. Maybe she could have found her if she had known what to look for.

"No, you probably wouldn't have," Jason shook his head, "I only found out because I found one of her fake ID's once."

"Sorry but what does this have to do with anything?" Aria cut in.

"I'm. . . familiar. . . with the facility Alison is in." Jason began, "I think I could pull a few strings and Alison would be allowed visitors. But I don't think they would let you in given the circumstances."

"So you're saying I should make my own Vivian Darkbloom?" Aria asked.

"No," Jason said, "I think you should become Vivian Darkbloom."

A/N: Sorry guys, I suck at updating. I know this chapter is shorter than the first one, I'm sorry about that. Anyways, leave a review and I'll update as soon as possible. Expect some Jaria romance in the future :)