A/N: Here is the second and final part as promised. See you all on the flip side of the finale!
Alison finally saw Emily approaching the barn with a large suitcase in her hand, and she breathed a sigh of relief.
"A little early isn't it?" Emily asked as Spencer took another sip of wine.
Spencer had recovered her resolve before she turned to respond. "Not a moment too soon."
Emily set the bag down next to the couch where Alison sat and moved to join her. But Alison stood as soon as Emily sat down and she handed the dishtowel Spencer had given her to Emily.
"I'm going to take a shower if that's alright." She stared at her feet and Emily looked up at her.
"Sure," Spencer said, "there are towels in the linen closet upstairs."
Alison nodded and disappeared.
Spencer was remarkably silent once Ali was gone, and she did nothing but sip her wine.
Emily sat stunned on the couch, perplexed and holding a damp dishrag that was covered in the dirt of ghost's grave. When she heard the lurch of a faucet opening and water hitting tile, she stood and went upstairs. With that, it was Spencer's turn for confusion as she watched Emily go.
Spencer finished her wine exactly five minutes after Emily had gone upstairs and she decided then to follow her.
She found Emily sitting in the hallway outside the bathroom leaning her back against the closed bathroom door.
When she saw Spencer approach she pulled her hands from her knees and stood up.
"Em, what are you doing?"
"She's hovering!" Alison yelled from the shower.
Emily whipped her head around in shock. "How did you know I was out here?"
"Because you're predictable!"
"Why are you hovering?"
"I am not hovering!" She responded to Spencer loudly enough that Alison could hear. "I'm just staying close by."
"Emily, I'm fine!"
"I'm sure she's fine, Em, no one could get in there. Besides, A.D. is gone. The game is over." Spencer couldn't even convince herself.
"Are we still sticking to that story?"
"No one can get in there," she repeated.
"Spence, A. once trapped you in a shower and almost burned you to death."
Before Spencer could respond Alison interrupted them.
"Em, if you insist on keeping me company you may as well come in here with me."
Emily's eyes widened.
"Oh…my God… I—I did not just hear that. I didn't hear that." Spencer whined as she covered her ears and headed back downstairs.
A moment later the water stopped and Alison opened the bathroom door a crack. Steam wafted out, and she looked at Emily. Her hair was still covered in conditioner. "Em, go downstairs and get some rest."
She opened her mouth to protest, but Alison cut her off.
"I promise you I will call for help if anything happens." She ducked her head and looked up at Emily before whispering, "besides…you know better than anyone how loud I can scream."
Emily blushed and bristled.
Alison just smirked and shut the door before returning to her shower.
Emily was left stupefied once again as she stared stiffly at the closed door. Finally, she swallowed and turned around to leave, shaking her head clear before she walked downstairs.
That evening Toby showed up somewhat unexpectedly and joined them for dinner. When he saw that they really hadn't been arrested for Dunhill's murder, he embraced Spencer and Emily before nodding at Alison and smiling. Emily immediately sensed that something had happened between him and Spencer.
After eating, Toby and Emily shared a beer just outside the barn.
Spencer and Alison pulled out the couch.
"What do you think they talk about?" Alison asked.
Spencer shrugged. "Us, probably."
"And then what happened?" Toby sipped his beer.
"Then I reached for her. I was about to grab his hand when I woke up."
"That must have shaken you up."
Spencer and Alison laid on the pull-out facing each other. They looked at each other silently.
"You're going to be a good mother, Ali."
"How do you know that's what I'm thinking?"
Spencer rolled on her back and stared at the ceiling and sighed. "I just do…, Cuz."
Alison smirked.
The moon was full that night and lit up the back yard of the barn.
"It seems like no matter how hard I try, I can't protect her. I'm terrified I won't be able to protect her."
"I know the feeling." Toby agreed sadly.
Emily rested her hand on his knee.
"How do you know?"
"Know what?"
"That I'll be a good mother?"
"Because I know who you've grown to be. I know how much you care about family. I know that, just like me, you won't dare to make the same mistakes as your mother."
"I'm scared."
"How do you deal with it?"
Toby sighed. "I wish I knew. I still worry every minute of every day."
The night was chilly, but Emily's shiver wasn't due to the temperature.
Toby rested his arm lightly around her shoulder. "But, hey, the minute a figure out the answer, you'll be the first person I'll share it with."
"I'm afraid that I don't deserve her. That she deserves better than me."
"How could you think that?" Spencer spoke evenly and logically. "Do you trust Emily entirely?"
"With my life."
Spencer nodded. "And do you value and respect her opinion?"
"Of course."
"Then how could you think that? Emily believes in you and she thinks that you deserve her. Besides, you're all she's ever wanted."
Alison considered this and smiled. "So…did you sleep—"
"with Spencer?" Emily asked.
Toby finished his beer. "It's kind of a long story."
"I've got time."
"We have time to decide, but I just wanted to give you the option."
"Restore it, huh?"
"Yeah."
"I'll think about it," Alison agreed.
"Good."
"Hey, Spence?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm really, really happy that we're cousins."
"Me too."