Hey Everyone,

Happy New Year! I'm again, really sorry about the long time between updates. My grandfather hasn't been well and so I haven't had much time to really concentrate on this story in a while! I wasn't sure where I wanted it to go! I fortunately got an epiphany a few days ago so I been planning and writing trying to make it come together in my head before putting it on paper! Again, I'm really sorry! Hopefully, updates will be hurrying up in the future! Thank-you so much for all the reviews, favourites and alert! They really mean the world to me!

Love,

OhHappyDay2000 3

Chapter 4 – Realizations

As soon as the four had left the BAU asked to be left alone. It was only then that they began truly discussing the case.

'Did you notice their reactions when we said we were going to be protecting them?' asked Rossi.

'They all looked ecstatic' responded Emily with her usual, heavy dose of sarcasm.

'Spencer seemed to be the most observant of the four' commented Morgan. 'She definitively saw my dislike for Detective Walden when he was talking to them!'

'That guy needs to be kept in check' said JJ 'He's already convinced that they're guilty!'

'Aria looked so tense she was about to break when we said we'd stay with them for a few weeks! She looked the most afraid.' said Reid, 'She was really scared of the idea of us finding something out.'

'Morgan, get Garcia to look up their background etc. maybe they visit social networking sites that can give us more information' said Hotch. 'Until then, we stay with each of the girls as planned'

'Shit! Shit! Shit! Shitty, shit! Shit!' Hannah kept on repeating the profanity and it was driving the rest of them insane!

'Hannah, just shut up! I think we all agree on the direness of the situation!' said Emily, followed by a nod of agreement from the others.

They were all in the school's library very well pretending to be studying! It really was just an excuse to formulate some sort of plan.

According to the text they received moments before the meeting with the FBI, A already knew about the arrangement and A seemed to like the whole 'shadowed by the FBI thing'. That alone was cause for alarm, everything A liked was usually tied to their sufferance.

'Alright, alright, let's just think about this for a second!' said Spencer 'We have each been assigned a 'protection' agent who will stay with us for the next couple of weeks. Said agent will observe our behaviour and attempt to investigate into Ali's disappearance and subsequent murder. Said agent will thus make it impossible for us, when around, to discuss everything regarding A.'

'Alright Spence, enough with the analysis' commented Hannah. 'No A talk around the goons!'

'They aren't goons! They're FBI Agents!' protested Spencer

'Whatever they are, we get it Spence! No talking about anything even remotely about A or Ali around them! We got it when A got rid of Dr Sullivan and made everyone else who we told about the creepy bitch, suffer!'

Emily sighed and then emitted a giggle 'When did everything get so complicated?' she asked the empty air.

Hannah smiled and then let out a full blown laugh, Spencer joined in soon after and the three girl's peals of desperate laughter rang out in the silent library.

It took them a few minutes to realize that they weren't all laughing at their situation.

'Aria?' said Emily looking to her friend. 'You haven't said anything since we got back, is everything ok?'

Aria was sitting on a chair, crossed legged, staring into space. In that very moment she was truly afraid. She loved Ezra, she loved him more than she'd ever loved anyone. Their relationship, though beautiful and right in their eyes was nothing but ugly and wrong in the eyes of society. If one of the agents found out about their relationship, Ezra's life would be ruined. He would be put to trial and open to public humiliation, the loss of his teaching licence. Most likely, his freedom as well, he would be locked up, all for something she initially pursued. She gritted her teeth, it was all her fault.

'Earth to Aria' said Hannah, waving her arms in front of Aria's face.

Aria suddenly stood up and hastily scrambled to put away her things.

'Where are you going?' asked Spencer worriedly.

'I need to go tell him.' She said before tearing out of the library.

The three remaining girls looked at each-other knowingly. Aria and Mr Fitz had to be more than careful now. They had to be paranoid and even call a hiatus. The danger meter of someone finding out about their relationship was now in the 'extreme' section.

'So, is anyone up to some real studying?' Joked Hannah, half-heartedly

There was no surprise when nobody laughed.

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