Summary: "There's nothing half so pleasant as coming home again." –Margaret Elizabeth Sangster Well, Margaret had no clue how right she was in the case of Aria and Jason when they return to Rosewood. Sequel to Let Me Be Your Affliction.

Author Note: Hey everyone. So, I've decided that my Fanfiction couldn't be casted aside, especially when I've got people waiting eagerly for the next chapter. I don't own PLL or the lyrics to Signal Fire by Snow Patrol.

_.- -" "- -._

(… .(_\.../_)… )

{ _"...=-... } {.. .-=..."_}
xConcr3t3_Jungl3_5urf3r
presents
Return to Rosewood
Pretty Little Liars Fan-Fiction

{_.."… … … … … … …""(_}

Chapter Four: Signal Fire

xXx
The perfect words never crossed my mind
'Cause there was nothing in there but you
I felt every ounce of me screaming out
But the sound was trapped deep in me
xXx

That casual moment that comes with every step- the certainty of steady footedness that comes with a lifetime piling up- is a feeling Jason DiLaurentis finds solace in as he pads his way through the seemingly sleepy little town. It takes the edge off being home; it takes the edge off of knowing that within the darkness of the shadows demons lurk… watching, waiting to cause he and his family harm. And at least those problems were nice enough to stay in the shadows.

Now there were people, once trusted allies, ready to strike with malicious force for their inability to see that all he ever wanted to do was the right thing. All he wanted was to keep them safe from harm and inadvertently caused them more in the long run. Slipping his hands into the pockets of the stonewash jeans, Jason moves up Bridgewater Terrace and into the house he grew up in.

Stepping into the foyer, he casts aside his hoodie, too engrossed in finding his fiancé and son to even care where it lands. He starts up the stairs but the crackling of a fire from the living room stopped him and changed his course. He freezes in the doorway a moment taking in her sprawled out across the couch with a slumbering Logan tucked up in her arm. He'd of smiled at the sight if he didn't notice the tears brimming eyes as they stare at the fire, her mind clearly somewhere else; his best guess would be back on the porch with her mom.

She doesn't even realize he's back until he's sitting on the hardwood floor with his back pressed against the couch and his hand reaches up taking her hand into his and kissing it softly. The sweet gesture brings a smile to her face but it's weak compared to the ear to ear one he's used to. Patiently, he waits for her to speak, knowing she will when she's ready.

"You were right," she starts, words any man usually loves hearing but this wasn't a usual situation. "I shouldn't have just rushed in expecting everything to be as we left it."

"She's just mad, misguidedly so at you," he admits still feeling the weight of guilt on his already heavy shoulders. He was like that, willing to absorb all the blame always blaming himself for what's out of his control. "I wouldn't trade our time together in Paris for anything but it was wrong of me to take you away from everything here. I guess when you've been on your own for as long as I had, you can be blind to the fact that some people have people that care."

His life wasn't easy. That much she knew for certain… that behind that million dollar grin and heart aching to do good is a broken little boy living with guilt over not remembering the night his sister died, his belief his parents think they lost the wrong child, and discovering that the man next door throughout his childhood was actually his father. Those and many other burdens weighted down his heart and even broke it more times than he'll ever care to admit. So when he took blame upon himself for wanting to protect her, wanting them safe, and he talked about the painful parts of his past, she wanted to shout to the heavens to take the weight off him and let him know he was loved.

Shifting carefully, the brunette sat up taking Logan gingerly in her arms and stood reaching down to caress Jason's face with her hand as she stood. "Let's go to bed."

A sly smile crosses his face but a brow arches wondering how they went from him apologizing to her being at ease. "What about obsessing over mending fences with your mother?"

"It can wait 'til tomorrow," she starts like the past two hours of crying on and off never happened. "Because my fiancé just reminded me why all this trouble isn't so troubling."

They have all they'll ever need… each other.

xXx
In the confusion and the aftermath
You are my signal fire
The only resolution and the only joy
Is the faint spark of forgiveness in your eyes
xXx

Feet clumsily carry him forward as he stumbles over the rough terrain of a forest. Branches snap beneath bare feet as he moves deeper into the woods. Deeper, deeper, deeper until he can no longer hear the sounds that coincided with the chase, he ran. Then he stops, huffing and puffing like an obese chain-smoker running a marathon on a whim. The miserable feeling within was so great in intensity that he couldn't remember ever feeling this miserable, and he'd survived detox. A visibly shaking hand forces back sweat-drenched locks previously matted down against his forehead as gorgeous green searches for those responsible for his mangled arm and an absolutely unbearable explosion of pain ravaging his body from other means of torture.

A phantom creak, possibly a snapping branch, sends fear tearing through his heart and his feet into overdrive desperately trying to carry him in the opposite direction. Feet react faster than his mind causing a displacement of weight and already heavy legs send him off balance; he didn't stand a prayer. Muscular, jean-clad legs stumble forward sending him crashing into a ghost from his past.

"Ow! Walk much?" came the familiar cry stabbing him in the ears and shocking him into movement.

Firm hands to press into the earth giving him the needed momentum to push himself off and onto rough foliage and branches splashed across the forest's floor. In, out, in, out. Shallow labored breaths are pushed past pursed lips as he takes the necessary steps to get some air into his chest and eyes squeezed closed force themselves open to see ocean blue eyes boring into him.

"Allie?" he breathes with eyes as wide as a deer caught in the headlights. "B-but you're dead."

Shock numbs his body of the pain pounding through his being long enough for him to pull himself up from the cold, hard ground and stumbling forward, muscular arms reach forward taking her by the arms.

"I know. Sucks huh?"

Muscles in his neck contractas he turns his head to the side slightly searching for any sign contradictive to the calm, cool exterior she displayed but his search comes up empty. No darting eyes, flaring nostrils, muscles twitching, nothing at all tears a hole in her reaction. Questions swirl around in his head, and angry twister of confusion, until he remembers what his mother told him when he asked why angels could fly if he couldn't. Her response permeates his brain; the soft tone of infinite patience and heart lulling him into a sense of understanding.

'Because angels don't carry the weight of burden.'

Biting his lower lip, Jason let out a long, drained breath before wrapping her in an embrace. And for a moment he stood, holding her never wanting to let her go, to lose her again. She even gave into his embrace not questioning the random act. Half the time they wanted to kill each other butting heads but seeing her again felt like finding the missing piece of a puzzle. You always love family… even when you couldn't stand them ninety-eight percent of the time. But their moment slips away when she whispers a grave warning.

"Tell my friends I'll be seeing them soon, Jae," she says in a voice barely above a whisper.

The warning ripped him back into reality, shooting upright in their bed with eyes widened in alarm. Damp sheets clung to his trembling body as he shot upright, sweat dripping from over-heated skin. The warning bellowed out in his head now, louder each time he replayed it while heavy breaths burst into the darkened air until a soft hand reached out and moved across his chest. It continued in its movement sliding up his body to his cheek to turn his attention to her.

The moment their gazes met strong arms wrap around the beautiful brunette for dear life, as if his embrace could shield her from the world. She allows him to hang on, trying not to let her worry run too deep before letting it spill out. "Jason, everything's okay. It- it was just another dream."

Taking a deep breath, he pulled back enough to give her some room without letting go entirely. Then gorgeous green bores into her with a seriousness that sends chill down her spine.

"Don't ever leave me."

"Wha-"

"Just promise me," he pleads needing to hear her say it, like her word would make it so.

"I promise."

With her reassurance, a calming wave washes over him enough to for him to slide down into the bed, an arm slinking gently around her to guide her onto his chest. The wild drumming of his heart only brought the brunette's concern higher. For the better part of their relationship, nightmares plagued him, sent him shooting up in the dead of night and even caused her fear but he'd never been so scared, so worried for her.

xXx
There you are standing right in front of me
There you are standing right in front of me
All this fear falls away to leave me naked
Hold me close 'cause I need you to guide me to safety
xXx

A/N: Not the longest of entries but better than nothing, right? I just wanted to take a moment and thank those of you that stuck with me despite this epic delay and those of you that took the time to review on the last chapter:

Reviewer
Alexis
Prettylittlefan
Danica
4444
Layla Wolffe