Story title: Ezra and Aria: Double Infinity
Chapter 4: Clear My Head
Summary: Sequel to Ezra and Aria: A Romance to Last a Lifetime. Ezra and Aria have been living in New York for six years with their children and their dog. What happens when something throws a wrench into their nearly perfect lives?
Disclaimer: If I owned PLL, Jackie and Jason would be a couple. Anyone feel like shipping Jacson/Jasie with me?
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Aria furiously stormed through the front door of her house, slamming it angrily behind her and she clonked down the hallway in a teary-eyed fury to her and Ezra's bedroom. She saw a picture of them from their wedding and she walked over to it and smashed it to the ground furiously. The glass shattered across the floor and she leaned against the wall, tears rolling down her face. Ezra hates me. Amanda hates me. My children hate me….My children. Kenzie and Andrew. They hate me. Mason hated me so much he died before he could even meet me.
That thought sprung up in her head and brought new tears to her eyes. Mason is dead. Mason isn't coming back. Mason won't ever be held in my arms. He's in a cemetery, not in a crib. He's under a tombstone, not under the moonlight, being cradled in a rocking chair. He's dead and it's all my fault.
Aria subconsciously took her suitcase out of the closest and started to pack clothes into it. She needed a break from New York. She needed a break from Ezra, from her friends, from her job. She needed a break just in general. She needed to go back to the place where she felt like things were normal and hadn't fallen apart for her.
She pulled out her phone and furiously typed on the touch screen a number she had not called in some time. She pressed the phone to her ear and listened to the answering machine as the message rolled on. She finally heard the beep and she began to speak, "Hello, Mom? Yeah. I'm fine. Okay. I'm not. Far from it. I can't tell you what happened right now." Aria took a shuddering breath and continued, "I'm coming home."
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Ezra stepped into the classroom, slipping his broken phone into his jean pocket, vowing that he would visit the phone carrier later to take advantage of that extended warranty he had paid so much for when he bought it six months ago.
"Sorry, I had a phone call I had to take." He shook his daughter's teacher's hand, "Ezra Fitz."
The kindergarten teacher responded with a smile, taking in his boyish charm, curly brownish-black hair, smoldering dark blue eyes with the mischievous twinkle, "Hello, Ezra. Pleasure to meet you. I'm Patty Thompson." The woman seemed to be in her late 20's and almost too young to be a teacher, "Won't you take a seat?"
Ezra sat down on the folding chair between his two children and look across the desk at Ms. Thompson, "So, how is my daughter doing in your class?"
"She is incredibly bright for being so young. She has charmed almost every other colleague of mine at recess and excelling in every subject. I noticed that she's shy at times and then very social at others. She spends lots of time with Xavier Cavanaugh. They seem to have lots of chemistry."
Ezra smiled and nodded, "They've known one another since they were infants. My wife and I are good friends with Toby and Spencer. Aria has known Spencer practically her whole life since they grew up together in Rosewood where we're both from."
"Well, McKenzie and Xavier are inseparable. You may have Mr. and Mrs. High School when the two of them get older." Ms. Thompson rose her eyebrow teasingly, "Too soon for you to worry about, am I right?"
He cleared his throat, his mind thinking about his daughter when she could date. He shuddered, "I would say so. No father wants his daughter wants to grow up. Especially when he knows how the teenage boy mind works and how her mother had been when she was a teenager."
The young woman rolled her eyes and smirked over at him, "My father hardly ever let me out of my house once I reached my young teens. He said it was to protect me, but I thought that when he questioned my first boyfriend for more than three hours that it was a little extreme. Do you know what I'm talking about?"
He chuckled softly, "I've been in the boy's seat and let me tell you, it was incredibly scary to sit across the table from Aria's father. I thought he was going to kill me." He glanced over at Kenzie with a small smile pulling at the corners of his lips, "Now, being a father to a little girl, I completely understand."
"So, how is Aria? I heard that she was in bit of a sad mood lately."
Ezra's heart rate quickened, "How did you know that?"
Ms. Thompson shuffled some papers around and then handed him one, "Kenzie is a phenomenal student. Especially in English. Last week, I had the kids' write about their families. And Kenzie's really stuck out to me. She writes way beyond her years, like it's her calling."
Ezra smiled down at his daughter, "I would believe that. She has always had an interest in literature Ever since she started to read as a two year old."
"Well, read it for yourself and see what you think. Amazing talent, your little Kenzie."
Ezra began to read the paper and smiled when he recognized his daughter's chicken scratch handwriting:
My name is McKenzie Angel Fitz and my family is the best family in the universe. My daddy, or Ezra as Mommy calls him, is so nice and kind. He reads to me when I can't sleep and he helps me braid my hair, even though he's not that good! He's an amazing daddy. Mommy, or as Daddy calls her "Aria", is the best. She sings to me a lot and cooks way better than Daddy does! She's been kind of sad, though, and I don't why. Andrew, my younger brother, is really fun! He likes to draw and wrestle with Daddy. Snoopy is our doggy and he's really weird. He always licks my face and sleeps in my bed. But he's my best friend and I'll love him forever and ever.
He paused reading the paper and looked over at Kenzie, "I'm not that good at braiding, huh? Your mother would totally agree with you on that one." His five and a half year old giggled and ducked her face under her dark hair. He ruffled the long locks and then glanced at Andrew on his other side, "Sounds like we're a couple of professional wrestlers buddy! Flex those specs!" The two of them flex their muscles together, leaning their foreheads together, growling. Ms. Thompson and Kenzie laugh at them and when they break away, the father and son chuckle as well. Ezra continued to read the paper and he froze when he read the next sentences:
I have another little brother, too. His name is Mason. But I don't know him. Mommy and Daddy told me, Andy, and Snoopy that he was in heaven and not coming home to be with us. Maybe that's why Mommy is so sad. She always tells herself, "He's gone."
Ezra felt tears spring up in his dark blue eyes and a stray one rolled down his cheeks. He rushed to wipe it away before his children saw it, "Is that all I need to know?" He stood, taking Kenzie and Andy's hands in his, "We need to go home."
Kenzie protested, "Daddy, don't you like my story? Why are you crying? Why are we leaving so soon?"
He glanced down at her with narrowed blue eyes filled with raw pain and sadness, "Sweetheart, we need to go home. I need to speak to Mommy." He looked back up at Ms. Thompson, "We can go, right?"
Ms. Thompson looked confused but she didn't argue, "I suppose so. It was nice meeting you…" She didn't finish her sentence because Ezra, tugging his two children with him, walked swiftly out of the room, leaving the young teacher standing there alone.
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Aria climbed off of the airplane just hours later, her wind blowing in the cool breeze. She walked into the waiting lobby and looked around for the people who were supposed to be waiting for her.
She thought of the flight down. She had thought a lot on the coach seat she had been sitting in. About Ezra when he would found out that she had left. About their confused children wondering where she was. She thought about the note she had left on their pillows in their large bedroom:
Ezra, Kenzie, Andy, and Snoopy:
I'm sorry. I needed to get away. But I know you'll get why. I just need to clear my head. I don't know when I'm coming back. Don't come after me. I love all of you. I'll talk to you soon.
~Aria
She sighed, wondering if Ezra would ever forgive her for leaving him without a goodbye; leaving him with the responsibility Kenzie and Andy without any help. She chased that thought away immediately. Ezra will understand. He can handle them on his own. And I know the girls will help him out. He'll be fine.
"Aria!" She snapped her head around and a wide smile spread across her face when she saw the person she had been looking for. She, grabbing her carryon bag, ran into his open arms, enclosing him in a tight hug. She pulled away a few moments later, gazing into the familiar light blue eyes.
The man looked down at her with a wide smile, "Welcome back to Rosewood."
"I'm glad to be back home, Noel. I'm really glad to be back home."
Thank you guys so much for all of the tweets, reviews, and support as this sequel has progressed. It is so much fun to write. And only one week since I posted it and it already has 40 reviews! Oh my goodness, that is just too awesome!
This chapter was inspired by my own idea as well as a little help given from my good friend and reader on Twitter. Thanks, h8tedit for letting me use this! I'd also like to thank my awesome reader and reviewer HarryLovesGinny for the idea of Ezra and Aria taking a break. You two rock!
I am open to more ideas, guys! I have my own, but I want to rock this sequel out, so I'll need a little help from my awesome readers. That would be you guys! So, PM me, tweet me, or just review an idea or two that you have for the story. All are taken into consideration and I will do my very best to work them into Double Infinity! Remember to review anything else that you would want me to know as well!
Thanks again all of you for all your support and love. I will make sure to update as soon as I can! Have a very Happy Halloween and I will see you next update!