Hey guys! Happy Monday :)

I'm surprised at the response this story has received. I'm grateful to all of you that have followed this story and especially to those who have reviewed!

By the way, in this story A has never existed and never will. There's a small peak of high school in this chapter and it will be explored more soon. I'm excited to put this chapter up and really hope you guys enjoy it! R&R :)

Will had taken my things up to my room after he insisted on checking me in. Before he left, he offered to stick around in case I wanted a lift somewhere out on the town to have dinner. I politely declined still feeling a bit ill from the flight and uncovering the identity of the mystery CEO. He left me his business card before he left; apparently he was rooted to my side until my departure from LA later this week. It was nice to know that I didn't have to go through the trouble of hailing a cab every time I wanted to go out. The only thing I wanted to do right now was sleep. The time change and sitting in one area for so long had seriously put me in a state of exhaustion.

I fell back onto the king sized bed and sighed as it shaped around my body. The room was massive, the bathroom was practically the size of the bedroom then there was still a dressing room and a walk in closet. The most tempting part about the room was the fireplace which was conveniently located by the bed.

I thought about calling my best friend, she was the only person I wanted to talk to right now. But I couldn't will myself to call her at the moment. Sure, she would probably be pissed at me in the morning but I wasn't ready to hear her reaction about Alison. How could I be sure it was Alison anyway? Maybe I could put my mind at ease by doing at quick search on LinkedIn just to get an idea of how many women had the last name Dilaurentis and if they were listed under the company I was interviewing for. That still required some type of movement from the bed and I groaned at the thought. I should've had Will still around, at least I would have had someone to bring me my laptop from my carry-on bag.

Now, that just made me sound lazy which was really unlike me at all. I was always very active throughout my entire life and it got me through college, a full ride thanks to a swimming scholarship. It would have been easy to continue as an athlete but being a part of that world didn't seem to be the right choice. I believed in hard work, striving to meet goals and working hard to earn money. Athletes didn't have their talent handed to them on a silver platter but it didn't take as much out of them. Being the daughter of a military man put things into a different perspective. I smiled at the thought of my father and how I wished he was still here.

He had always known what to say to drag me out of my moods. He probably would've known the exact thing to do right now, he always did. I missed him a lot, part of me wilted away when he passed. Sergeant Wayne Fields, he would be remembered for his heroic actions on the battlefield to his military buddies. His students would remember him as a hard ass during training but a father to the lot of them outside of training. My mother had taken it hard and for the longest time she had latched on to me, feeling the need to hold on to watch she had left.

The closer she held on the, the more I pushed her away. Losing a parent was hard, especially the one that supported you through everything. Pam Fields wasn't that parent; she held on to her beliefs and allowed it to shape her life ripping apart our relationship. Being gay to her was the ultimate crime and it killed us. There were times I turned to her for support, but they were rare. We spent years stitching the broken pieces back together.

It was like taking a plate, smashing it on the ground and apologizing to it. It didn't fix things. The plate was still broken and no matter how hard you worked to fix it, it would never be in one piece again. I was the broken plate, and there were only two people in my life that had always picked up the pieces. Okay, I was lying. Three people were there to pick up the pieces but one of them picked up the pieces and then tossed me twice as hard. That's what made this interview suddenly harder to face. Alison was the person who mended my heart and tossed it every single time. It was funny to me because even though she broke me, when she held me I felt close to nearly whole every time.

Alison. All I could think about is her icy blue eyes that melted anytime she looked at someone she truly cared about. The way they pierced through my walls and broke into my heart. She had cut ties with Hanna and I our sophomore year of high school, I would never know the reason why. I always thought it was because I could read her like an open book, but that didn't explain why Hanna. I read her so well because she didn't realize how much time I spent studying her. It know it sounds creepy but I was head over in heels for her, well as much as fourteen year old could be. I tried to memorize every detail of her by heart. The way her eyes lit up like it was Christmas when she was around her father. The darker shade her eyes took on when something bothered her. The spark and impossibly crystal blue they took on after we kissed. I still remembered everything after all these years.

After my very public break up with Ben, rumors started to fly around as to why because apparently we had been the perfect jock couple. I didn't care to keep up the walls about my questioning sexuality to my friends, that was the easy part. Alison had already known, she was the one that had triggered the doubt in my mind. I had hoped my courage would bind us together but it became a sick game of hot and cold. Every time I thought she was ready to become a public item, she pulled away from me even more. It was a hard time for me and I found a friend in Hanna who was Alison's personal pet project. Hanna and I had been friends since kindergarten, but high school made us practically inseparable.

Hanna had a habit of holding my hand in the halls when things got hard at home, and anytime things went sideways with Alison she was glued to my side. The best part was that even though there were rumors I had dumped Ben for Hanna, it never changed our relationship. She made high school bearable and when Alison dumped us both, she held us together. I would be forever grateful to her. When Alison first cut ties with us, it felt like my world had come crashing down on my shoulders. The only option was locking myself in my room and crying until I didn't have any tears left. I thought that was the best solution, but like a true friend, Hanna fought me every step of the way.

The banging of the door vibrated through the shell of my body, bouncing off every empty surface inside. I was so broken that I didn't think it was possible to fix me. At first I was angry, she fucking used me for her own entertainment and I fell into her trap. Then the sadness came in. It felt like jumping into an icy lake and forgetting that all you had to do was pull yourself out to feel warmth again. More banging, "Emily, I know you're in there! If you don't open the door, I will break in through your window." Hanna. Of course she was here to pick me up, she had been dumped too but it hadn't meant anything to her. Alison and Hanna may have looked alike but were complete opposites.

"You don't open the door and your mom is seriously going to murder us both for your broken window!" Normally, I would smile at Hanna's antics. It never failed, until now. The blonde wouldn't hesitate to go through with it. Even though my mom put up with my depressed ass all week, that didn't mean she tolerated property damage. I sighed and when I finally spoke for the first time in a week, my throat felt like it was rubbing up against sandpaper. "It's open." It was just enough so the girl threatening to bust my window could hear. I heard the turn of the doorknob and the clicking of heels on the hardwood floor. It was brief; I knew she hadn't reached the carpeted area so she must have been surveying my room. It was a disaster.

My mirror was shattered because the first thing that came to my mind when I was angry was to break something. The mirror had shattered so easily when my fist came into contact with it, leaving angry red gashes on my fingers and knuckles. I hadn't bothered to clean the blood off, the only reason it wasn't infected is because of my mother. Apart from that, I had managed to bust the only chair in my room when I threw it at the wall. The floor wasn't any better, it was littered with papers and books that were just added victims of my rage. Around the small trashcan in my room was box after box of tissues. I had cried until it hurt to cry more.

I was expected to clean up the mess and my mom had made that very clear after the third day, but I couldn't find it in me to move. So the room stayed the way it was, and I didn't move from my bed unless it was necessary. Not that I would count them but they were important to my mom, like family dinner. It was her way of making sure that I was still eating and drinking, even though I was pretty much dead inside.

The clicking of heels continued on momentarily and then there was the very soft thump of them hitting the carpet. I felt the bed next to me slightly dip and a warm body press up behind me. Hanna's hand dropped to my waist, instantly tugging me closer. Her hand found mine and she intertwined our fingers. "Hanna…" I could feel every movement from her, right down to the simple shake of her head. "You'll talk when you feel ready. Just relax for right now. Okay?"

The words were so simple and easy but they brought a light to the darkness that was consuming me. I turned to face her and she gave me a small smile, "I've missed you. I figured you needed your space but after a few days it was becoming torture." I smiled back at her; it was brief but a step in the right direction. "What would I do without you?"

"Good question, how about we never think about that because you're going to be stuck with me for the rest of your life." I laid my head down on her chest and sighed in content when her hand drew small circles on my back slowly. "I wouldn't have it any other way." We laid in silence for a while, until we both feel asleep. I was the first to awake that morning, the blondes hands wrapped loosely around me while I used her chest as a pillow. I allowed myself to fall back asleep, it was the first full night I've had all week.

Alison hurt me but she did me a favor, I wasn't her toy for the rest of the year and I got to keep someone I cared about. If you were in Alison's close group of friends and she didn't talk to someone, you were expected to stay away from that individual as well. We lost Spencer and Aria because of that. She chose to keep Spencer as her right hand and Aria as her left hand. They were the IT girls of high school. I still had my swim team friends and then I met Maya my senior year, it wasn't that simple for Hanna. I guess that's why she chose to invest so much time on her relationship with Caleb which ultimately failed because he ended up being a drunk; no one really knew what triggered it.

That didn't matter, Hanna ended up dating Travis and after receiving the third degree from me I had given my full support. He was a real gentleman that actually cared for the blonde and anyone could see it every time he even glanced at her. It made me wonder if Maya ever looked at me like that, like there was no one else in this world. My thoughts turned back to Maya and I felt the full weight of everything that had happened in the past few days. My eyes drooped close finally giving into the stress of a very eventful day.

I woke up the next morning feeling groggy after being assaulted with dreams of my father. He held my hand while we sat, talking on the pier and watching the sun rise. It would have been something we would have done together. I stretched out in the bed before rolling off the incredibly soft mattress. Note to self: buy the same mattress when moving into an apartment down here. That is if I aced the interview, if not I would still go through the effort to replace it back home.

I walked over to the chair where Will had hung my jacket the night before. I took my phone out of the right side pocket; it continuously vibrated in my hand. The screen flashed when I hit the home button showing I had ten missed calls and over 20 texts, all from Hanna. No voicemail which indicating that she was beyond pissed. There was going to be endless apologies and a huge bouquet of flowers in my near future. Maybe calling her back would have been the right thing to do but she wouldn't have answered.

I would be getting the cold shoulder for a few hours, or more depending on how pissed Hanna really was. Usually she could never go longer than a day. Factoring in the distance and the duration of our separation, it would be short lived. At least I hoped so. I sent her a quick text, apologizing that I hadn't gotten back to her last night and that I'd explain if she gave me a chance. I glanced at the time; there was a little less than two hours to get ready. I sent a quick text over to Will hoping he was available this early in the day, if not I would have to call for a taxi to get over to Vine Industries. His response was quick and brief, "Sure, I'll be over soon with some coffee J".

I took out a pair of black slacks, a white button up shirt, a loose blue cardigan and a pair of black lace flats. It was enough to follow the dress code at the company and still feel completely casual. I grabbed my things along with a black lace bra and matching lace boy shorts, and made my way into the bathroom. Upon seeing the massive bathtub, I added it to the list of things to do tonight. Dinner from room service, a glass of wine and a good book sounded like the perfect way to end the night. A quick shower would do for now, since I still had to do my hair and makeup before leaving. Plus, I didn't want to keep Will waiting for long out of respect.

The hot steam from the shower did wonders to my state of mind. I felt ready to face the interview and the rest of the day. I was fully dressed when there was knocking on my door and I jogged out to let Will in. "Hey! I'll just be a few more minutes, but please make yourself at home. I didn't do much investigating last night but I'm sure you can find the television remote somewhere." I stepped aside to let him and he passed over a cup of coffee to me as he walked in. "I wasn't sure what you liked so I guessed, hope a caramel latte is fine." I smiled at him, "It's perfect. Thanks Will, I appreciate it but you really didn't have to."

Will really was a sweetheart and I couldn't help but smile around him. If Hanna didn't have Travis, I definitely wouldn't be against them dating. They were both about the same height and had blue eyes, definitely her type. I glanced back over at him one last time before walking back into the bathroom.

The ride from the hotel to the company took ten minutes which left twenty minutes to get through security and make my way up to the twenty-fifth floor. Will held the door open for me and took my hand when I stepped out of the back of black matte Tesla. "Good luck Emily, you'll do great. When you get to the security desk make sure to tell them you are a guest here to see Julia Anderson, they'll let you in without giving you the third degree." I thanked him once more before walking towards the large glass doors.

It was a quarter till eleven, meaning I was saved from the rush of employees at lunch hour. The lobby was mostly white, with the exception of the black wooden desk where two security officers were currently standing. The only visible walls matched the incredibly white marble floors. Both security guards turned to look in my direction when I reached the front desk. The woman on the left was the first to greet me, "Good morning, is there something I can help you with?"

"Good morning, I'm Emily Fields. I'm here to see Julia Anderson on the twenty fifth floor." She smiled "Ah, Mrs. Anderson mentioned she'd have a guest this morning. I just need to see an ID and I'd be more than happy to let you on upstairs." This place sure went above what was necessary to let someone in for an interview. Rosewood never required visitors to go through security or give any form of identification. I completely understood it; Los Angeles was at a higher risk for crime compared to my small hometown. I reached into my purse and took out my wallet.

I hated my ID picture; it was like a spoken rule to absolutely hate your picture. They all turned out terrible no matter how hard anyone tried their best to look at least okay. I had gone with Maya to get my license renewed and she had snatched it out of my hand the second I had gotten it. Being the perfect girlfriend, she complimented my picture and mentioned it was impossible for me to look anything but beautiful. Again, thoughts of Maya were invading my mind and I could just smack myself for it. I handed over my ID and watched as the guard typed something onto the computer. She handed me back my ID along with a temporary visitors pass.

"If you follow me, I can scan you in." She stepped to the side and walked over to the scanners. She waved her workers ID in front of the scanner and the light turned green; she motioned me to step forward. "Take the elevator up to the twenty fifth floor and then take a right. Enjoy your day Ms. Fields."

I hit the button waiting for one of six elevators to arrive; I began to fidget with my fingers. I hadn't woken up feeling nervous but now there was little standing between me and my future job. I tried to keep calm, focusing my mind on anything but the interview. The elevator behind me signaled its arrival with a small ding. I stepped inside and hit the button that would send me Vine Industries. I had to wonder what were on the rest of the floors and why the buttons skipped floors 2-10. Seemed rather odd, when I had done research on this particular building nothing strange had come up. Some of the floors were probably reserved for the board to come in and use without any distractions.

All too soon the elevator doors swung open to my floor and I was forced to step out. I took one quick glance at my phone before walking over to the front desk on the right side. I was ten minutes early and still no response from Hanna, which bummed me out a little. I silenced it before I slipped into the back pocket of my slacks. It was now or never, taking a deep breath I willed myself to walk over to the secretary. She was engaged in a conversation over an ear piece and there was a slight look of irritation on her face. She looked over at me when I approached her and she smiled, mouthing the words "One second" at me. I nodded and returned the smile.

The frown was back in place when she looked away, she must have decided the call wasn't worth her time when she pressed down on end call on the office phone connected to the earpiece. She rolled her eyes, "Sorry about that. You would think the guy understood that Mr. Davidson doesn't work here anymore after calling the fifth time. Anyway, I'm assuming you're here to see Julia."

"Yeah, I hope I'm not too early." In place of her frown was a smile, "Perfect timing actually. I'll just call her over and let her know you're here. In the meantime, why don't you take a seat over on one of those couches?" I could feel her eyes follow me as I took a seat over one of the couches. I tried to relax, from what I could see the secretary was friendly but had a short fuse. The office space was pretty large and there was one huge conference center just across from me. As I surveyed the area I noticed there was just about as much glass as there were walls. My eyes landed on the small flat screen hanging on the wall, displaying different properties every few seconds. They came in different sizes and were located all around the world. My favorite had to be the gorgeous campus out in Paris. What would it be like to go out to one of the many locations? Would I be expected to travel since we were located internationally?

"Emily?" I was snapped back into reality when I heard my name. The woman was of average height in heels, which left me towering over her even in flats. She had forest green eyes and jet black hair, and just like everyone else she was smiling. I stood up and held my right hand out, seeing as she had her left hand occupied with a notepad, which she gladly accepted. "Pleasure to finally meet you, I'm Julia. It's so nice to put a face to the name."

"I agree, thanks for having me." She waved me off with a simple swipe of her hand "Please, we should be thanking you for coming all the way out here. It's not every day we have people apply from across the continent and then actually put in the effort to make their way here." I shrugged lightly "It's a small price to pay for a successful career." We made our way into a smaller conference room that was right next door to the larger one. It made the conversation feel a lot more intimate.

"That's very true. So, feeling a bit nervous, Emily?" I nodded my head in response which earned a small chuck in response. "Don't be, we're impressed and that's why we brought you down here. Not many people make it through the first phone interview." Julia's reassuring and kind words took a huge weight off my shoulders. I may have learned to be more confident but it was natural to feel nervous about something this huge, right? It put me at ease, especially seeing as Julia had a smile on her face the entire time. I had worked in an office before; everyone walked around with a cup of coffee and always looked like they had eaten something sour. Not the friendliest bunch of people so this was a nice change.

Julia sat down in one of the chairs placed in front of the desk and motioned for me to take a seat. As I sat down she opened a notepad she had been carrying with her and flipped through it until she got to a blank page, she proceeded to write something at the top that I couldn't make out because I was sitting right across from her. "So Emily, Rosewood to Los Angeles? That's a huge change." I nodded, "It's very different from Rosewood but I like it. Change is good."

Julia was writing something every time I spoke, but she maintained a good amount of eye contact. I knew she was paying attention to every word I was saying, "So what you're saying is, you have no problem with huge changes. Now, is that speaking from experience?" I nodded and smiled when our eyes met, "Minimal but yes. I went to UCLA for college and was constantly going back home for the holidays."

"Wow, so Los Angeles must be a second home to you then. What brought you to this company since it's so far from home?" That was a fully loaded question that I didn't exactly know how to answer. The answer my heart wanted to give was far from the logically formed answer my brain was throwing at me. I wasn't going to screw this up. "Rosewood didn't give me the opportunity to thrive in a corporate environment. It was a much smaller town, there aren't massive buildings everywhere you turn and it has a much smaller population."

She nodded, taking a few seconds to finish what she was writing before she continued, "I agree, Los Angeles is definitely huge compared to such a small town like Rosewood. What I'd like to know is what brought you to this company." I anticipated this question when I applied for this position. My guess was that they didn't just want someone here for the money but someone who was here to help make the business thrive. I had done research on the company prior to this interview and I was thanking my lucky stars. "I think Vine Industries is doing something truly honorable with trying to change the way companies are built and the way they are meant to function. Trying to sell green and eco-friendly wasn't always easy in the market but companies like Vine are pushing to change that standard. I want to be a part of something that expresses interest in changing the world and I feel like this is the place to be to do it." I wasn't lying when I said it, I wasn't just here to work but be a part of something greater.

Julia looked like she was thinking my answer through; I could practically see the wheels turning in her head. "Well, Emily we got the drug test from your doctor and we are happy to report that it won't be an issue. Background check also came out clean and based on phone interviews, you are a great match. This was practically painless compared to the phone interviews, right?" We bought laughed and I nodded, "I was expecting this to be the part where I get grilled."

Her smile grew impossibly wide, "Well now that we got that out of the way. Do you have any questions for me?" I took a second to think it over; I wanted to stay in the safe zone. "Assuming that I get the job, how long would I have to move down here?"

"We don't expect you to a find an apartment or house within a week or two. The company is happy to keep that hotel room open until you find a place to live. You'd have a minimum of two weeks to get everything you need down here, if don't have a place by then we have storage lockers available." It was perfectly reasonable to ask of a new employee; in fact I thought it was overly generous. I wasn't going to complain about it because it gave me plenty of time. "Is that it?" Julia broke me out of my train of thought and I nodded, "Yeah, that's all I can really think of. Vine Industries has taken great care of making sure to answer all my questions after very interview."

She stood up and held her hand out for a handshake, and I copied her actions. "Congratulations, Emily. We're lucky to have you." I frowned, which only caused Julia to giggle at my slightly confused state "Wait, does that mean?" She nodded, "Of course! We knew you were the right person for the job after the second interview and once we received recommendations from your previous supervisor, we were sold. This was more of a test to see if the company can rely on you. You did your research, showed up ten minutes before the interview was scheduled and you went through the trouble of coming out here. Welcome aboard!"

I had the sudden urge to hug her but stopped myself. I didn't know Julia well enough and I had a feeling it wouldn't be very appropriate. "If you can stick around, I'll give you a tour of the building and we can go to lunch, discuss some of your daily responsibilities." I didn't have anything to do, a tour of the building sounded nice. Lunch with Julia would be nice; Hanna wasn't here so maybe I could find a friend in the manager. I appreciated her kindness, "That sounds great." She smiled and held the door open for me, "I'm glad. I have to make a quick phone call to security downstairs. They'll take your photo for your ID on your way out."

I walked out and tilted my head to look back at her just as I exited the door, "Is everyone around here so friendly?"

"I would say yes, but there are a few people to look out for. I love Alison, she's a great CEO but there are a few lines you shouldn't cross." I wondered how she had changed in the last ten years, by what I've been hearing not much. The Alison I knew had people that either loved her or hated her, that was still true.

As I walked out, I felt another body collide with mine and a stream of curse words followed. There were papers flying in all directions, floating in the air and making their way down to the floor. I scrambled to pick them up as I apologized, "Oh god! I am so sorry, I'm usually very careful so this sort of thing doesn't happen. I should've paid attention to where I was going!" Above me there was a high pitch screech, "MY SHIRT! Nice going you got coffee all over my shirt. Great, I have a meeting in a fucking hour. Julia, who the fuck is this!"

Someone had quiet the mouth on them, to say that I wasn't a bit intimated would be a lie. I felt the heat creep up my body and if not for my darker skin tone, my face would be a flaming red. I had finished picking up the papers that were within my reach, I apologized once more before looking up. "I'm really sorry; I'm willing to pay for the dry cleaning bill."

It felt like all the air had been sucked out of my lungs when my eyes met with the woman who completely lost her temper. So much for a first impression, I had ruined my CEO's shirt and ticked her off. I was looking directly into the eyes of Alison Dilaurentis and we both froze. I watched her body tense but her eyes softened a degree that almost made her less terrifying. She was exactly how I remembered just slightly taller and she had lost her baby face. Her long blonde hair fell down to her shoulders in soft curls framing her angelic face. By looking at her, no one would have guessed her temper.

She was so perfect, even with coffee dripping down her baby blue button up shirt. She was practically make up free, just a touch of eyeliner and her lips were lightly touched up with clear lip gloss. I felt like I was looking at a different woman when she spoke, her voice was damn near close to a whisper " Emily?"

Things just got interesting! I'm going to be working on a separate Emison fic this week, keep an eye out for it! Should be up on Halloween night! I'll still be working on this just the next update won't be up as quickly. Shout out to my best friend who has supported me through this and puts up with my rants! Liz, you're the best! :)