A/N: Did you miss badass Paige?... Well, she's back.

Thank you so much siophiefandom for the betareading, as usual! :)

The following morning, Spencer showed up at Paige's dorm-room door with two cups of coffee in hand, and an apologetic look on her face.

Emily had left for Rosewood a little earlier, as scheduled.

Spencer and Emily had talked things through. There had been blame, a little, and apologies, a lot. But no tears.

Spencer didn't know whether she felt relieved or disappointed by Emily's reaction. Her friend had basically told her that she didn't have feelings for Paige McCullers anymore. She wasn't mad at Spencer that Paige was back in Pennsylvania, or that she was now a student at UPenn, Emily had explained; She was mad at Spencer because she hadn't told her that Paige was there.

When Paige opened her door, Spencer immediately noticed that the auburn girl looked exhausted. Her face was pale and she had red eyes.

"Hastings," Paige said flatly. "And coffee."

"Yes," Spencer said, with her best puppy eyes.

"Is that a peace offering?"

"I guess it is... can I come in?"

Paige seemed to hesitate for a second before sighing: "Okay. I could use coffee anyway. I hope this one's strong."

"The strongest," Spencer smiled, relieved. "You know me, McCullers."

"Not that well, apparently," Paige retorted.

Spencer sighed deeply and sat on Paige's bed. "Yeah, about that... I'm really sorry, Paige. Really, really sorry."

"About what, exactly?"

"About not telling you that Emily was coming over this weekend. And... about saying that you were trouble. But you know, that was years ago. I didn't really know you back then."

Paige smiled sadly.

"It's okay. And you were right, I was trouble. I don't blame you for thinking that about me."

"But you blame me for not telling you about Em," Spencer pointed out.

"Well, Spencer... yes. I feel hurt. I thought we were friends."

"And we are!" Spencer protested. "I'm your friend, and Emily's. And that's exactly why I wanted to... to protect you, I guess. To protect you both."

Paige glanced at the other girl, frowning. "And you thought it was better not to tell me? You even lied to me when I asked you what you were doing this weekend. You said Toby was coming over!"

"I messed up, okay?" Spencer almost yelled. "It's just... I don't know what to do with you two," she said in a frustrated tone. "You both say you're over each other, but I don't really think you..."

"Wait," Paige cut her off. "Did Emily tell you that she was over me?"

"Well, not in those exact words, but she... she told me that you're history, yes," Spencer answered, eyeing her friend carefully. Paige's face seemed even paler than before.

Paige suddenly felt her legs go weak. She sat next to Spencer on her bed and took her head in her hands. Spencer could see that she was trembling hard.

"Oh no, Paige," the tall slim girl said, panicked. "Paige, what's going on? Talk to me," she begged.

"I'm... I'm not over her, Spence," Paige sobbed. "I'm not over her. I thought I was, but I'm not."

"Oh god, Paige," Spencer stammered, before taking the other girl in her arms and hugging her tightly. "I had no idea..."

"I know I should be," Paige confessed in a teary voice. "It's been years. And I've moved on. And I have a girlfriend. I can't feel that way about Emily. Not anymore."

"But you still love her?" Spencer asked in a soft voice, releasing her grip.

Paige sniffled and nodded sadly. "Yes, I do. I don't think I ever stopped loving her," she admitted. "And when I saw her with you yesterday... everything came back in an instant. She's like... my kryptonite, Spencer."

"And... what about your girlfriend, in Arizona?" Spencer asked cautiously.

Paige let out a deep sigh. "Brianna..." she said sadly. "I don't know anymore, I... I like her very much, but... I tried... I really tried... I even thought it was love. You know, it was... I don't know, easier. But if I'm really honest... there's no comparison with what I felt for Emily. What I still feel."

"Wow. What a mess," Spencer said, for once at a loss for words.

"Yeah, well. Give me that coffee now, Hastings," Paige said in a hoarse voice.

She wiped her eyes. "I have a bottle of Bourbon right there on that shelf," she added, motioning to the other girl.

"Um, Paige, it's only ten o'clock", Spencer objected.

Paige glared at the other girl. "Hastings. Grab the freakin' bottle, and Irish up that coffee for me. I so need it right now."

Spencer raised her hands in surrender. "Okay, okay. Irish coffee it is, then."

In the days that followed, Spencer carefully avoided the "Emily" topic when Paige was around. The auburn girl seemed back to her normal self; the confident, optimistic student that Spencer had gotten to know since Paige started at UPenn.

But Spencer hadn't forgotten what Paige had confessed to her that morning in her dorm room. And she had the feeling that Emily hadn't been totally honest with her (or with herself) when she had asked her whether she still felt something for Paige. Emily's words had been clear; harsh, even: 'We're history'. But Spencer Hastings was a smart girl. She could see beyond the words. And she had noticed Emily's slightly trembling tone, as well as her blurred eyes. Emily Fields could go on pretending she was over Paige McCullers; Spencer knew better.

"Are you sure," Toby asked his girlfriend, "that you know what you're doing, Spence?"

"Toby, you should know that I always know what I'm doing," Spencer retorted.

"What, is there something wrong with the party?" she said, frowning.

She had supervised every detail of Toby's birthday party, in the Hastings way (meaning: perfectly).

"No, no," Toby said quickly. "The party's awesome. It's more about... some of the guests", he confessed.

"What do you mean?" Spencer asked. "Which guests?"

"Emily and her ex... I mean Paige... well, they haven't exchanged a single word," The blue-eyed boy said.

"They said hi to each other," Spencer said flatly.

Toby rolled his eyes. "Yeah, and apart from that... they're avoiding each other like the plague. And every time they cross paths, Emily shoots daggers at Paige."

Spencer sighed. "I know. I noticed."

"I thought the point was to get them back together?"

"Well, that's the main goal," Spencer explained. "The first step is to get them talking again."

"Well, in that case, it's not working," Toby remarked.

Toby was right. Not only weren't the two ex-girlfriends talking to each other, but Emily made a point to look elsewhere or even to leave the room each time Paige approached. The auburn girl had tried to say a few words to her ex, but Emily's icy glare had discouraged any attempt at small talk.

So now Paige stood brooding on the porch, a beer in hand and another one by her side, wondering why she had agreed to go to the birthday party in the first place. It wasn't as if she knew Toby all that well; she had just met the guy once or twice, when he was visiting Spencer at UPenn. Sure, he and Paige had gotten along, and had even shared some pleasant conversations about baseball. (Toby was a fan of the Phillies, while Paige had always been a Red Sox fan, like her uncle Mike.)

Of course, the real reason that Paige had accepted the invitation was that Spencer had told her that Emily would be there, too. Toby and Emily had been friends for a long time, even before the blue-eyed boy met Spencer, and since the party was being held in Toby's house, just accross the street from Emily's, it was obvious that the raven-haired girl would be present.

But since the beginning of the evening, Emily had spent all her time with Toby's friends, who for the main part were also his colleagues. She had even feigned interest in their conversations about constructions sites (she could relate a little now, thanks to her experience in Haiti) and, well, later on, about attractive girls (after all, Emily knew a thing or two about that, too).

Paige was nursing her beer, lost in her own dark thoughts, when she felt someone sitting next to her on the porch. The newcomer was a slim girl, with long auburn hair and piercing green eyes.

"So, you're banned from the house too?" the girl asked in a casual tone.

Paige frowned and glanced at the girl. She wasn't in the mood to talk.

"No," she said in her husky voice. "I just needed some fresh air." She took a long sip of her warm beer.

"I see," the girl smirked. "Can I have this one?" she asked, pointing out the other bottle.

Paige shrugged. "Whatever. Take it. But there's plenty of fresh beer inside," she remarked.

"I guess," the other girl grinned. "But I'm not allowed inside the house tonight, so..." she said with a wink.

Paige stared at her, wondering if the girl was kidding or not. The girl was pretty and self-assured, but there was something in her that Paige couldn't read - something intriguing, but also a bit scary. It was a weird combination.

"Who are you?" Paige asked bluntly.

"I'm Jenna," the girl answered, an amused smile on her lips. "Toby's step-sister", she clarified. "I'm surprised you haven't heard about me. I'm like, the wicked witch of Rosewood," she teased.

"The... what?" Paige asked, frowning.

"Never mind. So, what's your name, stranger?"

"It's... Paige," Paige said reluctantly. "Paige McCullers," she added, studying the other girl's face to see whether the name rang a bell or not.

"Never heard of you before," Jenna said curtly. "So, Paige McCullers, how do you know Toby?"

"I'm, um, a friend of his girlfriend, Spencer," Paige answered. "We're both students at Upenn," she added, without really knowing why.

"Oooh, so you're not only gorgeous, you're also very smart," Jenna said in a flirty tone. "I should have known. Spencer has the best friends. Like her bestie Emily, for instance," she added, catching Paige off guard.

Jenna bit a smile when she saw Paige's expression change. "So, I guess you know Emily Fields, Paige?" she asked, though she already knew the answer.

Paige dipped her head. "Yeah..." she breathed.

Jenna grinned knowingly. "And let me guess... she's the reason you're out there, all alone and moody."

"You could say that," Paige admitted with a shrug.

"You know, Paige..." Jenna said.

"What?"

"This beer is too warm. And not strong enough anyway. I have something better," she said, taking a small bottle out of her jacket.

Paige frowned. "What is it?"

"Vodka. And the best kind, direct from Russia. Want some? You look like someone who could use some real alcohol."

"I second that," Paige said, grabbing the bottle.

Emily had accepted a dance with one of Toby's friend from work, Hank. After all, it wasn't a slow dance, and the guy was nice enough. She was enjoying herself for the first time since the beginning of the evening.

When Spencer had invited her to the party, she had been honest with her, unlike the time Emily visited UPenn. She had told Emily that Paige would be there, too. Emily had answered that she didn't mind. But she did. Pushing Paige out of her mind was hard enough. Being in the same room as her was... very difficult. Ignoring her was... torture. And it was confusing, to say the least. Emily didn't know whether she wanted to slap the girl or kiss her. Maybe both. And this kind of thinking -this kind of feeling- scared her. She had moved on, right?...

Emily was chatting with Hank when she felt a clammy hand grabbing her wrist. Startled, she turned to face a staggering and red-eyed Paige McCullers.

"So, you're... you're into boys, now?" Paige stammered with difficulty.

"What? No, I'm..." Emily protested. "Paige, let go of me! Are you drunk?"

Paige snorted, but tightened her grip on Emily.

"And what if I'm drunk? Who cares? Dance with me, now, Emily," she almost yelled. "You've been avoiding me the whole night! You owe me a dance! And a kiss!"

"I don't owe you anything, Paige," Emily snapped. The other guests were starting to gather around them now.

Toby's friend put a soothing hand on Paige's shoulder. "Calm down, okay, miss? Everything's fine."

Paige didn't answer him, but released Emily's wrist. The raven-haired girl took a step backward.

Paige shook her head in disbelief. "You don't want to dance with me," she whined. "You don't even want to talk with me!"

"Certainly not, not when you're like this," Emily retorted. "Look at you! You're drunk, Paige! And you're acting like a jerk!"

"And what the fuck?! You don't like bad girls anymore?" Paige yelled. "Oh yeah, I get it. I'm not bad enough for you now. You were only interested in 'badass Paige'. So, what do you want me to do? Start a fight? Because I could," she said in a half-cocky, half-desperate voice.

"Stop it, Paige!" Emily hissed. "You're embarrassing yourself! Just... just go away now!" she added in an almost pleading tone.

Paige let out a bitter laugh. "Yeah, yeah, I'm leaving, Dream Girl," she sneered. "And don't worry, I won't bother you again anytime soon."

With those words, she turned away and rushed out of the house, leaving an angry and conflicted Emily behind her.

That night, Paige McCullers methodically punished every trash can she crossed paths with on the streets of Rosewood, not caring at all about the mess and the noise. Eventually, of course, some neighbors called the police. Paige was far too drunk and too disoriented to run away. Her blurry mind, though, registered that the officer who rushed towards her from the police car was an old acquaintance: Darren Wilden.

The young man had a victorious grin on his face when he grabbed the girl's left arm. Paige didn't try to fight. She already knew that she had lost the battle - and not only the one with Wilden.

The cop pinned Paige on the ground and tore her arm behind her back, making the auburn girl wince in pain.

"You know, McCullers," Wilden hissed viciously in Paige's ear. "You haven't changed. You're still the same white trash you always were."

Then he handcuffed her, and pulled her up roughly.

"We're going to the station. Remember that cop car? Your usual seat is still warm," he sneered.

Paige didn't answer. Whatever the obnoxious cop was saying wasn't important. She was thinking even worse things about herself.

Just after seven the following day, Paige stepped out of the Rosewood police station, wincing as the bright morning sun hit her eyes. She looked around her, unsure of what to do next, and even where to go. She had spent the night in the station's holding cell, as expected. At little bit after dawn, a young cop had let her go after lecturing her, but without charges.

Thank god, Wilden had left the police station just after locking her in the cell (not without insulting her one more time), and Mike McCullers wasn't on duty that night. Paige hadn't seen her uncle since her departure for Arizona, but they had kept in touch, and she knew that the older man was happy and relieved that Paige had been able to get her life back on track. It would have been such a disappointment for him to see his niece back in her old, bad habits, Paige thought. She felt even more miserable than she had the night before. The hangover wasn't helping.

She dipped her head and crossed the street, walking as fast as she could. For now, she just wanted to move far away from that fateful place. I should never have come back to Rosewood.

She heard a vehicle behind her, and then a honk. She turned around to see Spencer Hastings behind the wheel of her black Toyota.

Paige sighed and approached the car. Spencer lowered the window and said:

"Need a ride, McCullers?"

Paige looked down and shrugged.

Spencer's eyes were staring intently at her.

"What do you want me to say?" Paige said after a while, her tone harsh. "I guess I'm an idiot."

"Um, maybe," Spencer said flatly. "We can talk about that, if you want to. But for now, I think all you need is some strong coffee and a long shower. Lucky you, the Hastings residence can provide you with both of those, and even more. So, hop in now!"

Paige glanced at her friend. Spencer's tone was light, but she had that determined Hastings look in her eyes, and Paige knew her well enough now to know that she wouldn't take no for an answer. So she nodded, opened the passenger door and sat down, muttering a small 'thanks' to the other girl.

The next day, Spencer organized a Skype phone call with two of her best friends.

"Well, Hastings," Hanna said after Spencer told them about the events at Toby's birthday party. "It's about time we come to the rescue. You're obviously not handling the Paily situation very well."

"Excuse me?!" Spencer snorted. " What would you do, pray tell?! It's easy for you to say. Do I have to remind you that you're in New York? And what exactly is Paily, by the way? "

"Yes, I'm in New York, but that's not even a problem," Hanna answered. "From now on, Spencer, I'm in charge. And, duh, Paily, as in Paige-and-Emily, of course."

"Really, Hanna?" Spencer asked, rolling her eyes.

"Yes, really. And have faith in me, Spencer," the bubbly blonde replied in a confident tone. "Have faith in me."

"Now I'm really afraid," Spencer said wryly. "Aria, you've always been the voice of reason. Please help me!" she begged in a half-joking tone.

Aria's light laughter resonated over the speaker. "Well, for once, I think Hanna's right, Spence. Let her take the lead."

"Yeah, Montgomery!" Hanna said in a loud voice. "Love you gal! If I could, I would high-five you right now!"

"Yes, I guess you would, Hanna," the petite brunette retorted.

"And now, Spencer," Hanna continued. "Does your family still have that vacation house in Cape May?..."

A/N: Well, well. I know, guys. Things are a "little bit" rocky between Paige and Em...

Please don't be (too) mad at me. Thank you so much for reading, and you know, every review makes my day.

Next chapter: Spencer and the gang to the rescue! ;)