Hey guys! So, here is the next chapter of Hand In Hand. It's nowhere near as fluffy as the last ones but I feel this would have been a poignant part of the Emison relationship if we'd seen it on screen. I took my time with this as I wanted to get it right, which I feel I did. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did to write it :)


Emily had been in a foul mood for the best part of the day and her students being defiant had tipped her stress levels to their peak. On top of the shit day she had already had, Hanna had bugged her into meeting for lunch and as much as Emily had tried to get out of it, the blonde had been annoyingly persistent. As she walked down the hall of RHS, avoiding eye contact with anyone who might try to stop her for conversation, Emily almost bumped into her Fiancée.
'Hey, you might want to look where you're going' Alison chuckled as she grabbed Emily's arms to steady them both. Emily looked up into those ocean blue eyes that still melted her heart everytime she set eyes upon them.
'Hey, sorry. I was just preoccupied' Emily mumbled. 'I have to go meet Hanna for lunch so I'll see you later' she added, before walking past Alison and out of the front doors. Alison furrowed her brow in confusion. Emily had been in a strange mood all morning and while Alison knew better than most that having a bad day was normal, Emily rarely had them and when she did, she was able to hide it better than anyone Alison knew. Today however, the brunette had barely said two words to her and that brief exchange of conversation was much colder than what Alison was used to receiving from Emily. Alison decided that she would broach the subject with Emily later and see if she could work out what had put her girl in such a funk.

Emily looked down at her salad, moving it about in the container with her plastic fork as Hanna excitedly jabbered on. Emily nodded and hummed in agreement, not really paying attention to anything the blonde was saying.
'Ow!' Emily yelled, suddenly pulling back into the real world as Hanna jabbed her with a fork. 'What was that for!?' Emily half shouted as she checked her arm to make sure the skin hadn't broke.
'I just thought you needed a kick start back into life, since you've been acting like a zombie since you get here.' Hanna quipped as she stuck her fork into a piece of chicken.
'I have not' Emily replied, rolling her eyes at Hanna. She knew that Hanna was right but she wasn't about to let the blonde know that.'
Oh really? You haven't listened to a word I've said in the past twenty minutes and you've barely touched your food' Hanna stated with a smirk, clearly proud of her detective skills. She felt that Spencer would have appreciated this moment.

Emily huffed and looked back down at her salad, hoping that if she didn't make eye contact and didn't respond then Hanna would go back to talking about herself and things would be fine.
'What's wrong with you anyway? You and Ali have a fight?' Hanna asked, her mouth half full of food. Emily felt her blood beginning to boil, why couldn't Hanna just take a hint and talk about something else.
'No' Emily replied sternly, stabbing a tomato so hard that the juice squirted out the side from the force.
'Oh, you totally did. What was it about? Trouble in Lesbos?' Hanna asked, giggling at how worked up Emily was getting
'What's with all the questions!?' Emily shouted, causing Hanna to instantly stop laughing. Emily had officially lost her temper. 'Why don't you just stop worrying so much about my life and focus on your own' Emily added before storming out of the café. Hanna was dumbfounded, she had seen Emily mad but never like that. She wasn't sure what to do. Should she follow Emily or leave her be? She did the only thing she could think of. Hanna whipped out her phone and dialled Alison's number.

When Alison received Hanna's call, she began to worry even more about Emily. What on earth could have possibly put her in such a bad mood? Knowing Emily had a free period after lunch, Alison quickly arranged for someone to cover her class before heading home, figuring that that was where Emily would be.

Alison skidded her car out of the parking lot with a screech and drove way over the limit, wanting to get home to Emily as quickly as possible. Alison parked the car and headed into the house where she was met with the sound of raw, heartbroken sobs. As she made her way into the living room, Alison's own heart instantly broke at the sight of Emily. The brunette was curled in a ball on the sofa, her knees pulled into her chest and black, mascara tears were running down her beautiful face. Alison rushed across the room and took Emily into her arms as she sat beside her, pulling her into a tight, loving hug.
'It's ok baby, I'm here' Alison hushed as she placed a soft kiss to the other woman's head. Alison felt her own tears forming. Her heart felt heavy and her stomach was twisting at the sight of the person she loved so much, being so distraught.

As she was about to ask Emily what was wrong, Alison's attention was brought to a picture that lay in an open photo album on the coffee table. Of course, how could she have been so stupid to have forgotten? Today was the Anniversary of Wayne Fields' death and whenever this day came around, Emily was never in a great mood. Over the past few years since his death, Alison and Emily would stay snuggled up in bed watching old movies and eating junk food. Alison would hold Emily close, wanting to hold all the pieces of the brunette together. They were far from being a couple when Wayne had died, but Alison had instinctively jumped in head first to protect the brunette that she loved more than life.

Alison waited anxiously at the airport arrivals lounge, she felt as though she had been waiting forever. The second she had received the call from Spencer about Emily's Dad, Alison knew that she needed to be there. Spencer had said that she had arranged to pick Emily up, but Alison insisted that it be her. That instinct to protect the brunette had kicked in automatically and Alison wasn't going to be having anyone else at that airport waiting. The second she saw her, Alison felt her heart drop. Dressed in jeans and a hoody, her hair scraped back into a messy bun and not a bit of make up on, Emily still looked beautiful to Alison but she definitely lacked that glow and energy that she usually had. As she got closer, Alison could see the dark circles under her eyes, tinged red from what Alison assumed was a lot of crying. Quite frankly, Emily looked exhausted.
'Hey, pretty girl' Alison greeted Emily with a sad smile, pulling her into a warm hug. As she fell into Alison's arms, Emily felt all her strength crumble under the protection of the blonde. She felt that ever present lump that had been stuck in her throat since she got the call from her Mom, swell significantly until it felt as though it were suffocating her from the inside. Tears flooded her eyes and Emily let out a soft sob as she clung to Alison for dear life. She didn't ever want the blonde to let her go. Alison had always been her safety net, and right now Emily needed her more than she ever had before.
'It's ok, I've got you' Alison whispered, before placing a lingering kiss to Emily's temple. Alison knew that she would hold Emily forever if she needed her to. They had so much history and memories, so many feelings and emotions that their friendship had existed around; that they had connected in this way that none of the other girls would ever come close to. Emily and Alison, whether their relationship was platonic or not, would always be each other's go to person. They were like puzzle pieces, both beautifully intricate and complex alone but they needed each other to feel complete. It was why Emily was grateful for it being Alison that would meet her at the airport. The journey was horrendous and Emily hoped she never had to have another one like it, but knowing that Alison would be at the other end waiting for her made it just a little easier. Not being one to cry in public, Emily had held her emotions in for the entire flight from LAX to Philadelphia, counting down those long, never ending minutes until she would be in Alison's arms and could finally let go.

The drive back to Rosewood felt ten times longer than usual for both girls. Emily spent the entire time with her head resting against the window, her eyes vacant as she stared out at the trees and buildings flashing past. The glass felt cool against her forehead, though Emily barely noticed. Her mind was elsewhere, unable to process anything other than the fact that her Dad, her protector and her friend, was no longer with her. Alison drove in silence, every now and again looking over to check on Emily. Alison didn't talk, she knew that Emily didn't need that right now and besides, Alison didn't know what to say anyway. What do you say to someone who has just lost a parent that they loved so much? Sure, Alison had lost her own Mother, but her relationship with her Mom was fragile and fickle. Though Alison loved her Mom and she was sure that Jessica loved her back, they didn't have that Mother/Daughter bond that most Mothers craved. Jessica wasn't someone who showed her emotions, she was more withdrawn and cold than Emily or Aria's Moms. Even Spencer's Mom seemed like a pussy cat compared to her own. Although she had been sad when her Mom died, Alison knew that her grief did not compare with Emily's who looked as though the whole world had been ripped from beneath her feet and she was freefalling through space, just waiting for someone to catch her. That person would be Alison, she would make sure of it.

'Em, we're here' Alison spoke softly as she leaned over the centre console and placed her hand on Emily's thigh. 'We can sit here for a moment if you want. We don't have to go in right away' she offered, wanting Emily to know that there was no pressure. She could take as much time as she needed. Alison knew that the second they walked into that house, Emily would try her best to straighten up and be strong for her Mom. She would take control and the burden would fall on her to plan the funeral and anything else that needed to be taken care of. Whatever was going on, Alison would be holding Emily's hand every step of the way and would be there to ensure that the brunette took just a few moments for herself every now and again.

'I'm ready' Emily spoke for the first time. Alison almost jumped at the sound, not expecting Emily to talk. She couldn't help but notice how different her voice sounded. That usual lilt that Emily had was gone, instead replaced with a heavier, rougher voice that sounded almost as though she had a heavy cold and sore throat. Alison reached over and gently brushed a rogue tear from Emily's cheek with her thumb. She gave Emily a sad smile and got herself out of the car before quickly rounding to Emily's side. As the girl's headed towards the house, Emily stopped for a second, mentally preparing herself for what was going to happen when she walked through that door. Alison took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, reminding her that she had someone there with her. Emily took a deep breath and entered the house.

Alison had been right about Emily being strong for her Mom. The second the two women saw each other, Pam burst into tears and sobbed into Emily's hoody. Emily wrapped her arms tightly around the older woman and though she let a few silent tears fall, it was as though she was a different person to who had been sat in Alison's car just a few moment ago. For the next few hours, people came and went through the house like it was Grand Central Station and Alison, who was trying to help out any way she could, made more Tea and Coffee than Starbucks. Spencer, Hanna and Aria had come by for a while and Alison was grateful for the help as the other three girls chipped in, doing everything they could think to do so that Emily and Pam could grieve in as much peace as the well-wishers and sympathy givers would allow them to have. Eventually the house began to clear out and Hanna, Spencer and Aria saw that as their cue to leave.

'Ali, you look exhausted. If you want to head off and get some rest, I can stick around and take over' Spencer offered as the other two girls went to grab their jackets. Alison gave Spencer a weak smile but shook her head. Sure, she was wrecked but if anyone was going to be there for Emily, it was her.
'Thanks, but I'm fine' Alison replied simply. Spencer nodded in understanding, she hadn't expected Alison to agree to leave, but she had felt the need to offer regardless.
'Ok. Just know that you don't have to take care of her alone' Spencer replied before giving Ali a hug goodbye. Alison understood the hidden meaning behind Spencer's words. Spencer was worried that Alison would feel responsible for Emily, which she did. She and Emily had a much different relationship than what either of them did with the other girls, but that didn't mean that they cared any less, and Spencer wanted Alison to remember that. To not push them out and let them help. The only problem was that Alison knew that the only person Emily would want there was her.

Once the girls left, Alison headed to the living room where Emily and Pam sat. The two women were sitting on the sofa holding each other and Alison did not want to disturb their moment so she headed to the kitchen, where what seemed like hundreds of tea cups and plates sat unwashed. Alison sighed, rolled up her sleeves and began to wash. The Fields' had a dishwasher but Alison had always appreciated the manual way of washing dishes, plus she found it somewhat relaxing. She did some of her best thinking while her hands were soaked in warm, soapy water.
'You don't have to do that' came Emily's voice from the doorway. Alison turned to see the taller brunette slouched sideways against the frame.
'I don't mind, honestly. I figured I'd give you and your Mom some space' Alison replied as she pulled her hands out of the water and grabbed the nearest dish cloth to dry them on. 'I can leave if you want? Leave you to have some privacy' she added, suddenly realising that Emily might indeed want a little more space than she was offering. Emily straightened herself up and Alison placed the cloth back on the counter, and made her way closer.
'No' she replied, shaking her head. 'Don't leave me?' she asked, her voice pleading in an almost childlike way, her eyes brimming with years. Alison could see how vulnerable her friend was right now, and those brown, tear filled eyes were practically screaming at her to stay. Alison closed the distance and took Emily's hands into her own, letting them hang loosely between them.
'Ok. I'll stay as long as you need me to' Alison promised, knowing it was a promise she would never in a million years dare to break. 'Can I get you anything?' Alison asked, reaching up to brush away stray tear that had fallen, before resting her hand on Emily's cheek. Emily closed her eyes in response to Alison's touch, revelling in the feeling of Alison's soft hands against her skin.
'No, just…stay with me' she replied, her voice barely above a whisper. Alison nodded in response.
'Ofcourse. Maybe you should get some rest?' she offered, noting how Emily looked as though she would drop any moment.

Emily nodded and allowed Alison to lead her up the stairs and to her bedroom. As she entered her room, she became swarmed with memories of her Dad in this room. She remembered him tucking her to sleep at night as a child, him reading bedtime stories and helping her with her homework. All those long Father /Daughter chats they would have while he sat on the end of her bed and that time he had attempted to give her the sex talk, rather awkwardly she might add. This room was filled with wonderful memories with a wonderful man, and it hurt that those memories were all she had left. Alison saw the wet, fat tear roll down Emily's cheek. She swooped in there quickly and yet again, brushed it away with her thumb. Alison figured she'd be doing that a lot. It hurt so much to see Emily cry, it had always been that way. Whenever Emily cried, Alison would feel an urge to hurt whoever had made those beautiful tears fall. The only problem was this wasn't something she could fix. Alison couldn't bring back Emily's Dad and make everything better. This was forever, and Emily would be reminded of this every single day of her life. The man that should walk her down the aisle and be there to celebrate the birth of her children, but never even got to see her graduate from college.

Alison led Emily to the bed before getting in beside her and snuggling up behind her. Emily felt herself sink into Alison as the blonde's arms wrapped around her middle. They hadn't lain like this in a long time and despite the current situation, Emily found herself enjoying the old, but familiar, feeling of her best friend wrapped around her. As they lay in silence Alison's hand stroked up and down Emily's side, occasionally catching at her t-shirt and exposing tanned skin. Alison knew that now wasn't the time to be thinking these thoughts, but it felt so good to feel Emily's warm, soft skin beneath her fingertips. It took her back to all those times she had let herself indulge in the brunette. All those fumbling make out sessions, the experimentation of each other's bodies. Alison was pretty sure that they knew each other's bodies better than they knew their own at this point; she just wished that she had been confident enough back then to tell Emily how she really felt.

At some point both girls had fallen asleep and Emily woke to a dark room, she had turned in her sleep and was now lying with her head against Alison's chest, the blonde's arm wrapped around her side. Emily looked up at Alison, she looked so peaceful. Her blonde hair splayed over the pillow and her arm hooked over her head. Emily had always admired how beautiful Alison DiLaurentis was, but more so when she was sleeping. Alison stirred awake as she felt Emily moving in her arms, blue eyes fluttering open and focusing onto Emily's brown ones.

'Hey, you ok?' Alison asked sleepily. She wrapped her arms around Emily again, pulling her in closer. As much as she wanted to be supportive, Alison was also enjoying this feeling. It felt so natural, the two of them cuddled up in bed together and waking together. It felt like it was meant to be. As guilty as she felt for feeling it, Emily felt the overwhelming need to be closer. She needed Alison so badly, in more ways than one. Braving the rejection, Emily propped herself up a little and leaned in closer, capturing Alison's lips with her own. Both girls' eyes drifted shut at the contact, both of them savouring the feeling. Alison had been wanting this for far longer than she would care to admit, but she knew that Emily was going through a hard time, and she wasn't about to be the girl that took advantage of that.
'Em' she whispered sadly as she pulled away, her fluttering back open. Emily looked down upon Alison's face and could see the hesitation in her eyes, but also the lust and want that reflected Emily's own.
'It's ok' Emily replied, knowing exactly what Alison was going to say, mostly because she would have said the same. The time wasn't right and Emily knew that. She had suffered the greatest loss she could ever imagine and a quick fumble with Alison DiLaurentis wouldn't make the hurt and pain go away, plus Emily respected Alison far too much to make her a quick fuck to ease the pain for a few minutes. She was more than that. So, Emily shot Alison a weak smile and leaned in to peck her on the lips tenderly, before lying back down in the arms of the girl she loved, but figured she could never have.

They had spent days in that bed, just the two of them. Some days they would just lay there in silence, Alison holding Emily close, others they would talk. Emily would share memories of her Dad, or they would talk about random subjects like College or High School. Sometimes they laughed, but sometimes Emily cried so much that Alison didn't think she'd ever stop. It was a strange process to watch, and be a part of, but Alison was so glad that she had gotten to be there by Emily's side throughout it all. Emily had often said that it had been Alison who had helped her through. It was the reason they had decided that once a year, on the anniversary of his death, they would have a bed day, just the two of them, and Alison would let Emily do whatever it was that she pleased. If she wanted to sleep, they would sleep. If Emily wanted to talk, they would talk. If Emily wanted to cry, Alison would hold her until the tears stopped. This year was only the second anniversary they had spent together being an actual couple, but what with the twins and work, it had completely slipped Alison's mind that it was today.

Alison looked down at Emily, who had now stopped crying and fallen asleep in her lap. Deciding that she needed to rectify the situation, Alison went straight into damage control. She carefully slid out from beneath Emily's head, placing a cushion in her place, and headed into the hall. She pulled out her phone and hit speed dial.
'Hey, Han. It's Ali' she began, keeping her voice hushed so as not to disturb Emily.
'Hey, has She-Hulk gone back to her usual self again?' Hanna quipped, sounding more than a little unimpressed still about how Emily had blown up at her.
'About that, Em didn't mean that. It's just…it's a bad day' Alison tried to explain, hoping that Hanna would also pick up on what day it was.
'Yeah, well we all have bad day's Alison, that's life. But we don't all go around shouting at our friends' Hanna yelled back down the phone, her own frustration mounting about the whole situation. She knew that obviously Alison would stick up for Emily, Hanna just thought she'd have a bit more tact about it.
'Hanna. It's the anniversary today' Alison explained calmly, trying her best not to bite back at Hanna's rant. These words made Hanna halt mid-sentence and suddenly she felt incredibly guilty.
'Shit' she replied. 'How could I have forgotten that?' she added once the realisation had sunk in.
'Well, join the club. I forgot too. I guess with everything going on, we just got pre-occupied and wasn't keeping check on the date' Alison reasoned, more to herself than Hanna. 'That's why I need you to please collect the girls from Pam this afternoon and take them for the evening' Alison asked hopefully. She really just wanted to make up to Emily for forgetting. She heard Hanna sigh and immediately thought the worst. Alison's brain ticked and tocked as she tried to think of a way to persuade Hanna.
'Fine. Just because it's Em's 'bad day'' she replied, and Alison could practically hear her rolling her eyes.
'Thank you so much, I owe you' Alison replied gratefully before hanging up the phone. That was part one of 'Emily's bad day' sorted.

Alison tip-toed into the living room and crouched down beside the sofa. She gently brushed Emily's hair from her face before leaning in to peck her on the cheek.
'Em? Wake up baby' she cooed, wanting to wake Emily as gently as possible. There was nothing worse than being woken from sleep but especially if you're not woken in a calming way. Emily's eyes opened slowly and she blinked a few times to focus her vision. Her eyes felt dry, she figured from all of the crying she had done earlier.
'Hey babe. Sit up' Alison coaxed, helping Emily into a vertical state. Once Emily was sat up, Alison gave her a minute to wake properly.
'What time is it?' Emily asked groggily. She found it so disorientating whenever she slept during the day. She always expected to wake up and it be morning.
'It's only two' Alison replied, smiling at how cute Emily was whenever she had just woken. 'C'mere, I wanna show you something' she added, pulling Emily to her feet and leading her upstairs.

When they entered their bedroom, Emily's eyes widened. Alison had made a blanket fort with every blanket in the house. Inside it was draped with fairy lights, there was food and drink and the old portable TV and DVD player with duvets and cushions to cuddle up into.
'Ali, you must have used every blanket in Rosewood to make this' Emily chuckled. 'Why though?' she asked, furrowing her eyebrows a little.
'Well, I felt bad that I forgot what today was' Alison explained cautiously, not entirely sure how Emily's mood was. 'I just wanted to make it up to you and do something special and I know how much you used to love making forts and hanging out in them. I also apologised to Hanna for you and she's taking care of the girls' Alison added with a toothy smile, hoping that Emily would look past the fact that she had forgotten about the date, and focus more on the fact that she had done all of this for her. Emily couldn't help but laugh at Alison's expression, she knew that she could be a little unpredictable on her Dad's anniversary, but she could never be mad at Alison for forgetting.

'It's ok. Our lives are totally different this year. Last year, you was pregnant with the girls so it was easier but this year we have two ridiculously needy babies to look after, and jobs to try not to get fired from. We can't just bail on life and spend the day in bed anymore' Emily said, trying to be realistic, but also a little sad that their tradition couldn't happen anymore. She loved spending the day in bed with Alison.
'Well, that's where you're wrong, Miss Fields' Alison replied with a smirk. 'I, Alison DiLaurentis, promise you that on this day, every year, we will take a day's vacation from work and ship the girls to whoever will take them, and we will have a whole day of doing whatever you want to do.' Alison replied, feeling relieved to finally see a smile on Emily's face.

Emily pulled Alison in for a long, lingering kiss. She let things heat up just enough to make Alison want more, before pulling away.
'See you in the fort' she husked sexily, before jumping in behind a blanket and waiting for her girl to follow. Alison couldn't help but laugh. Sure, she was now immensely sexually frustrated, but she had successfully cheered Emily up and taken her out of the foul mood that she had been in all morning, and Alison had a feeling she knew exactly what Emily wanted to do in that fort. Alison had done her time waiting for Emily Fields, she had been more than respectful during her times of grief and had always stopped anything from happening that she didn't feel was right, but by god, did this feel right.

Sure, Emily missed her Dad like crazy and every day seemed both easier and harder, but the one thing she has now that she didn't have then, was Alison and Emily wouldn't change that for anything in the world.