7x06 I'm Coming Home
TEASER
FADE IN:
EXT. ROSEWOOD- THE MONTGOMERY'S HOUSE- MORNING.
["Coming Home" by P. Diddy plays]
(Aria's car pulls in front of the house and she puts her car in park. She lets out a tired sigh as she stares at her house, wondering if she should really go inside. Knowing that she can't turn back after making the long drive, she finally turns her car off and takes her keys out. She opens her door and gets out before closing it and making her way to her childhood home. She soon notices a strange Black mustang with red stripes in her driveway, confusing her as she knows there's no way either of her parents own the car and she doubts they'd let her little brother get that for his first car. After finally going up the steps and reaching her front door, she is shocked when the door opens from the other side and the last person she thought would ever be in her house, stands in front of her with his signature cheeky smile.)
ARIA: Noel?
(The two stare at each other, one confused as to why he's in her family home and the other shocked that she is even here after finding out she left town again.)
FADE TO:
OPENING SEQUENCE (Consisting of Mona, Emily, Alison, Aria, and Spencer)
Got a secret
Can you keep it?
Swear this one you'll save
Better lock it in your pocket
Taking this one to the grave
If I show you then I know you won't tell what I said
'Cause two can keep a secret (Aria shushes the viewer) if one of them is dead
ACT ONE
FADE IN: (CONTINUATION)
EXT. ROSEWOOD- THE MONTGOMERY'S HOUSE- MORNING.
(Aria and Noel stare at each other in slight awkwardness for a few moments before right next to him, her little brother walks up and is shocked to see his big sister back at home again.)
MIKE: Aria!
(He hugs her tightly and she hugs him back just as tight. After they break apart, Aria and Noel look at each other, awkwardness quickly setting in.)
NOEL: Hi Aria.
ARIA: Hey Noel. Um…when did you get in town?
NOEL: A few days ago. I know you must be thinking, "what is Noel Kahn doing in my house"?
ARIA: Wow…you read my mind.
NOEL: Don't worry. I just came by to speak to Mike about something (Winks at him).
MIKE: Uh…
NOEL (Smiles): Okay. I gotta run but it was great catching up with you, Mike. I'll text you. And Aria, it was good to see you again.
(He walks down the steps and heads to his car and Aria watches Mike's facial expression as he watches his ex-boyfriend about to leave. While she heads into her home, she shoots her little brother a smirk to which he is a little confused by.)
MIKE: What?
(CONTINUED) INT. THE MONTGOMERY'S HOUSE- LIVING ROOM- MORNING.
(Aria drops her keys on the end table as Mike shuts the front door.)
ARIA: What was Noel doing here?
MIKE: He came by earlier this morning and we just had to talk about some stuff.
ARIA: Uh huh…what kind of stuff?
MIKE: Aria…
ARIA (Sighs): Okay. I won't give you the third degree. I'm just a little surprised is all.
MIKE: Speaking of surprised, I didn't expect to see you at the door either.
ARIA: Yeah. I know. It was a tough decision to come back, but I realized that I couldn't run away from my problems. I need to face them.
MIKE (Smirks): Wow…big sis is growing up.
ARIA (Smirks back): Alright, alright. Where's mom and dad?
MIKE: Gone to work. It's been quiet here since you left.
ARIA: Really? I'm shocked.
MIKE: What? Why?
ARIA: Mike…I left because I thought things would be better without me.
MIKE: Things weren't better. I'd say it's probably worse. Now mom talks to Wren and Uncle Scott all the time and dad is always mad.
ARIA: Is he mad at mom?
MIKE: Yeah. But I think he's more mad at himself. He isn't blaming Uncle Scott anymore. He's blaming himself. I guess he thinks he caused all this.
ARIA: How? If anything, I understand why dad was keeping all this a secret now. I don't know how I would've felt if I'd known all along that I was the reason Bethany died.
MIKE (Confused): What do you mean? You did know. That was the problem.
ARIA: I didn't remember what I did until dad brought it up.
MIKE: Wow. Those Radley meds really messed you up while we were in Iceland for 6 months. (He stands up to leave but Aria quickly stands in front of him with confusion on her face)
ARIA: Radley meds? What Radley meds, Mike?
(In the same moment, Ella walks into the room and when she sees her daughter, she smiles ever so brightly.)
ELLA: Aria…Oh my God.
(Mike quickly moves out of the way as Ella rushes over to hug her daughter while Aria smiles and embraces the hug. As Mike leaves the room, she calls for him.)
ARIA: Mike! What Radley meds?
(Ella looks a little shocked and pulls back from the hug as Aria eyes her mother in wonder.)
ARIA: Mom…is there another secret that I didn't know about?
(Ella looks so guilty as she realizes that she has to tell her daughter another secret that Byron and her were keeping from Aria for over 8 years.)
CUT TO:
INT. THE DILAURENTIS' HOUSE- ALISON'S BEDROOM- MORNING.
(Alison stands in front of her mirror and puts an earring in her left ear, followed by doing the same for the right ear. The young DiLaurentis is dressed for success as she wears a light blue business suit and her golden blonde hair is mostly pulled to the sides with only a partial of her hair laid back straight down her neck and her back. As she examines herself in the mirror with a confident smirk on her face, she hears a familiar ping. She looks over and grabs her phone off her wardrobe. When she picks it up and looks at the screen, a shiver goes up her spine as she sees a text from her tormentor. CLOSEUP OF MESSAGE: Watch out! – A)
(Alison is startled but confused by her tormentor's text just as the sound of glass breaking scares her backwards and pieces of glass land around her. She looks over to see her window's glass partially broken.)
ALISON: Seriously?!
(A frantic Ali rushes over and peeks out of the broken window for her tormentor but sees no one outside of her house. She turns around and eyes the pieces of glass on her floor where she notices a slightly large rock on the floor. The odd shape of the rock looks so familiar to her as she reaches down to pick it up. When she does so and examines it, she finds a stick note on the other side. CLOSEUP OF ROCK: Remember this, bitch? -A)
(She notices something red underneath the note.)
ALISON: What the—
(When she takes the note off of the rock, she sees dried up blood on it and she gasps as she quickly comes to a horrifying realization before she drops the rock back onto the floor. She's seen this rock. She knows this rock…because it's the same rock that was used the night she had disappeared 8 years ago.)
FADE OUT.
COMMERCIAL BREAK
ACT TWO
FADE IN:
INT. THE HASTINGS' HOUSE- KITCHEN- MORNING.
(Spencer pours herself some coffee into a mug, careful not to waste any on her plaid brown and black suit. Her mother, Veronica, and sister, Melissa, sit at the counter, preparing her for her meeting soon.)
VERONICA: Okay…so you need to make sure that you stay on topic. Whatever you do, do not stray from the hard facts, Spencer.
SPENCER: Got it mom. (Takes a sip of her coffee)
MELISSA: Do not get emotional whatsoever, Spencer. Don't show an ounce of your soft side.
VERONICA: If she isn't willing to drop this, don't be afraid to offer a small settlement. You need to defend Welby and their image at all costs.
SPENCER: Alright, so hard facts, no emotion, and settlement. Is that everything? (Takes another sip)
VERONICA: Actually before you go, I have a few sample documents you can read to prepare before you actually get there. (Gets up and heads to their home office)
SPENCER (Slightly annoyed): Mom, I can't read and drive!
MELISSA: Then, I'll ride with you and read it to you on your way there. (Stands and follows their mom to the home office)
(At the same time, Wren walks down the stairs and shoots Spencer one of his dashing smiles.)
WREN: Morning, Spencer.
SPENCER: Good morning, Wren.
WREN: Where's your mum and sis?
SPENCER: Both in the office looking for sample documents so Melissa can prep me on the way to the board meeting.
WREN: Are you ready for your big meeting with Alison?
SPENCER: Sure. (Takes another sip)
(An unconvinced Wren looks at her and awaits for the truth. She eventually stops sipping and puts down her mug before she sighs.)
SPENCER: Fine. I'm a mess. I don't know if I can do this. She was my best friend, but I'm trying not to have a conflict of interest. And I actually felt confident for a while this morning until I came down for coffee and mom and Melissa started trying to hound me with what to do like I didn't go to law school already and now I'm worried that I might mess up or something and I don't want to lose such a big case already.
WREN: Hey. (He walks around the counter and offers her a hug to which she kindly accepts.)
(The hug lasts for a few moments, both not wanting to let go of the warmth until he is the one who breaks apart first and Spencer feels a slight singe of guilt at their almost moment of weakness.)
WREN: You've got this, Spencer. I have faith in you and you should have faith in yourself.
SPENCER: Thanks, Wren.
WREN: Now you might want to hurry and leave before your mother and Melissa get back in here. I have a feeling you don't need a bunch of papers to succeed.
SPENCER (Shoots him a smile): Thanks.
(She quickly heads to the backdoor and opens it. She turns around and gives him a longing smile, one he doesn't see, before she walks out and closes the door behind her. Wren smiles to himself, seeming to already know she gave him another look before she left.)
CUT TO:
INT. EMILY'S APARTMENT- LIVING ROOM- MORNING.
(Emily puts on a pair of flats to go with her business casual outfit. When she gets both on, she walks over to her mantle and picks up her medication. She opens it and pops two pills into her mouth, which she quickly follows behind with a glass of water on her mantle from last night. Just as she swallows the water and pills, she hears a knock on her door. She sets the pill bottle and glass down before she heads to her front door. When she opens it, a smile quickly forms on her face as she sees a smile from one of her best-friends, Aria, standing on the other side after being gone for weeks.)
EMILY: Aria!
ARIA: Hey, Em!
(The two quickly hug before Emily lets her inside and closes the door behind her.)
EMILY: When did you get back?
ARIA: An hour ago.
EMILY: Really? You didn't relax for a few hours after the long plane ride.
ARIA: Long car drive, but it wasn't too bad. (Observes Emily's apartment) Wow, Em! I love your place. I bet the rent is pretty high.
EMILY: It's not too high. I'm able to pay for it with my salary at the Brew and the money my dad left me in his will.
(Aria drops her purse on Emily's bed and lays on it, instantly loving the smooth silk of the covers)
ARIA: Oh my God. This bed is amazing.
EMILY (Laughs): Maybe you're just tired.
ARIA (Laughs back): Maybe you're right.
(She gets up and goes over to the couch.)
EMILY (Sits down): Wow…I can't believe you're back.
ARIA (Sarcastic): Are you really? (Sits down) We always seem to come back to this town somehow.
EMILY (Snickers): I guess you're right.
ARIA: Speaking of that, I hear you're leaving soon and might be for forever.
EMILY: Did A tell you?
ARIA: No, Mona did. But don't be mad. She thought A had already told me like Spence and Ali.
EMILY: Right. (Sighs) Those two…
ARIA: Yeah, Mona told me what happened. I can't believe Spencer really reacted like that.
EMILY: I wasn't. Not really, anyways. She can be just like Ali, sometimes. It's like they're related or something.
ARIA: Well, they are. They do share the same brother.
EMILY: Oh yeah, I forgot about that. Anyways, I'm not talking to her or Ali.
ARIA: Listen, Em. I'm sorry for bailing on you guys, especially you. You're the only one of us that stayed here after Hanna disappeared and I should've at least offered for you to stay with me. That way, neither of us would've been alone.
EMILY: Thanks. But, in a way, I can't be too mad anymore. I guess, a part of me was glad to not be around you guys so much.
ARIA: What do you mean?
EMILY: Well, sometimes whenever we talked, it seemed like we'd always get on the subject of relationships. For example, with you, we'd talk about Ezra or with Spencer, we'd talk about Toby and with Hanna, Caleb. It was just frustrating seeing you all in relationships or hearing about it and I couldn't even keep one. I tried to date a few girls, but they never really worked out.
ARIA: Em, I didn't know you felt that way. You should've told me. Hey, you should've told Hanna. She could've found a great girl for you. That girl was the queen at getting people together.
EMILY: Yeah, but it wouldn't have worked out. I realized that none of my relationships really worked out because I would always compare to them to someone else.
(Emily looks away with slight guilt on her face, something Aria quickly notices and understands why she is feeling that way. She grabs one of her friend's hand and takes it with her own.)
ARIA: Hey. You shouldn't feel bad about being in love with Ali. Besides, there was that one girl that you didn't really compare to Ali.
EMILY: Right…Maya.
(Saying that name almost felt unnatural for Emily now. She hasn't said her ex-girlfriend's name aloud in such a long time. It's not that she forgot about her. In fact, she still thinks about the mysterious girl that stole her heart, who was a part of her journey in coming out, and who helped her stand up to her mom's ignorance. She changed Emily's life for the good and for that, Emily will always love Maya St. Germain. She just wishes she could tell her that one more time.)
(An alarm goes off on Emily's phone and she looks at the time.)
EMILY: Crap! I'm gonna be late for work.
ARIA: Oh! I'm sorry, Em. I didn't mean to make you late for work.
EMILY: It's okay. Hopefully if everything goes well with the recruiter today, I won't have to work there much longer.
ARIA: Well, I feel terrible about making you late and being a horrible friend lately. So, how about I buy you dinner tonight?
EMILY: Uh, really?
ARIA: Yeah. That way, we can talk some more and have great food. How about 8:00?
EMILY: Alright, I'll see you.
ARIA: Okay…wait. Where'd I lay my purse?
(Aria looks around her and notices her purse on Emily's bed. She goes over and picks it up. Just as she turns, she notices a pill bottle on the mantle. A curious Aria looks at the label and notices that it is Klonopin, a drug used for anxiety. Aria turns around to see that Emily hasn't even realized what Aria has noticed and Aria decides to keep it that way. She heads towards the door just as Emily opens it for them to leave.)
EMILY: See you later.
ARIA: Alright, but hey. (Turns around to face her friend) You've got this, Em. You're one of the strongest people I know. Okay?
EMILY (Confused): Uh, yeah. Thanks.
(Aria quickly hugs her before she lets go and walks out, leaving Emily slightly perplexed, but instead of questioning her, she just brushes it off and leaves her apartment as well before closing the door.)
FADE OUT.
COMMERCIAL BREAK.
ACT THREE
FADE IN:
INT. THE RADLEY- LOUNGE AREA- MORNING.
(Ashley Marin, the mother of the young woman who disappeared just a year ago and was recently discovered to be murdered, marches through the hotel she now manages again. It took a while to get back into the groove of things, but soon enough, she was able to manage the hotel almost as good as she did before. Sporting a purple business suit and purple Louie Vuittons and holding her hotel tablet, she makes her way into the lounge area and sees the person she is scheduled to meet with. Mona sits on the loveseat in a bright red blazer with black pants and the latest heels. She can tell Mona's all business right now. But she notices another person sitting next to her, someone that doesn't look at all prepared for business with his baggy and rugged clothes, someone with almost shaggy and messy hair, and someone she hasn't seen in a very long time.)
ASHLEY: Caleb.
(Ashley hasn't seen Caleb in almost a year. After Hanna's disappearance, he stayed around for a few months before eventually taking off again, without giving so much as a notice to his ex-girlfriend's mother. But Ashley doesn't hold it against him.)
CALEB: Ms. Marin, hi.
(He stands up and offers her a hug which she kindly accepts. They break apart quickly after and Ashley takes a seat across from the two.)
ASHLEY: So, you said you wanted to talk Mona? The case is going smoothly, right?
MONA: Of course, Ms. Marin. Everything is peachy keen…I just have to discuss a route with you that we can go in order to win this case.
ASHLEY: Okay, Mona. Shoot.
MONA: Well, as you know, the Rosewood PD isn't exactly thrilled that one of their own residents is suing them. Along with that, our history with the PD suggests that they cannot be trusted. I mean, there was Wilden, Garrett, Holbrook…so I wanted to ask you in person…how far are you willing to go for this case?
(Ashley seems a bit nervous and confused by what Mona is asking. She's forgiven the young woman for the things she done in the past, including tormentor her daughter and her own best-friend. But Ashley will never forget how easily Mona lied about murdering a police officer to save her from prison. That lie was told so good, part of Ashley had believed that Mona indeed killed Wilden. So how far is Ashley willing to go? She hopes Mona isn't talking about murder.)
ASHLEY: What exactly do you mean?
MONA: As you can see, it is unusual for anyone to be with us in this meeting, but I felt it crucial to bring Caleb along, seeing as how he could be instrumental in winning.
ASHLEY: Uh-huh…how?
CALEB: Mona thinks it'll be a good idea if I dig up some stuff on the PD.
ASHLEY (Disbelieved): What?! You mean, blackmail?!
MONA: It's not what you think, Ms. M. I'm not trying to blackmail individual officers, but the whole department. You see, I have a feeling that our local PD is hiding something about Hanna's case. I don't know what it is, but I suggest hiring Caleb to help find anything that can help us win the case.
ASHLEY: Mona. I don't want us to lose sight of why we're doing this.
MONA: I know. Trust me, I don't plan to forget that this is about Hanna. That's also why I want Caleb to help. He needs closure just like us.
(Ashley still looks a little weary about it all, certain that somehow this will come back on her.)
CUT TO:
EXT. ROSEWOOD- THE DILAURENTIS' HOUSE- NOON.
(Aria gets out of her car and walks over to the DiLaurentis' steps. She walks up onto the porch and faces the front door before she rings the doorbell with one press of a finger. At the same time, her phone pings. She pulls out her phone and looks at a text. CLOSEUP OF MESSAGE FROM MIKE: Did mom tell you the truth?
Before she can reply back, the front door opens and Aria looks a tad bit surprised at the sight of her best-friend's brother and her former crush, Jason, shirtless with nothing but a pair of basketball shorts and sneakers.)
ARIA: Wow! Hey Jason.
JASON: Hey Aria. It's good to see you.
ARIA: You too. Wait. Did I just interrupt a workout session?
JASON (Smirks): Uh, no. No. It's just when I'm home by myself, I usually walk around shirtless. Not all the time, but sometimes.
ARIA (Snickers): I see…at least you don't walk around naked.
JASON (Smirks): Would that be such a bad thing?
(Aria shakes her head as she bites her lip and forces her eyes away for a second to get ahold of herself.)
JASON: So, when did you get back?
ARIA: This morning. I just came by to surprise Ali.
JASON: Well, you missed her. She'll be back in a few though. I'm just making breakfast right now. You're welcome to join me if you want.
ARIA: Uh…
(She once again tries to rip her eyes away from Jason's almost glistening chest from the sunlight to which he notices. She can't help but feel a slight blush come across her face when she realizes that he knows she was staring at him.)
JASON: I'll put on a shirt. I promise, okay?
ARIA: Um, y-yeah. Yeah, okay.
JASON: Alright.
(He lets Aria in and she has to keep her eyes forward in order to avoid looking at his chest once again. The older guy can't help but smirk to himself at the thought of his former crush checking out his pecs before he shuts the door.)
CUT TO:
INT. WELBY STATE HOSPITAL- BOARD ROOM- NOON.
(Alison and her family's lawyer sit on one side of a long table while Spencer and various board members sit on the other side. Alison looks slightly nervous as her lawyer scans a document in front of him. In a few moments, he slides the document back to Spencer.)
LAWYER: We will not take it.
SPENCER: Welby is being very generous by offering your client $100,000 for a settlement. It would be wise to take it.
LAWYER: My client wants $500,000.
(Spencer looks over at the board members and they all shake their heads in unison.)
SPENCER: That is not a very adequate and fair amount.
ALISON: Ugh, just give it up, Spencer.
LAWYER: Alison-
(Alison stands up and her lawyer quickly follows suit.)
ALISON: You have until tomorrow to offer me the fair amount that I ask for or I will go for a million. If we can't come to an agreement, I guess it will be a very long and harsh battle.
(Alison marches out of the room with a smirk on her face, proud of herself for how she's acting. Spencer looks over at the board members and they all look stressed out by Alison's demands, clearly tired of the blonde woman's antics. But a determined Spencer knows that she could take down Ali in the worst way possible. The problem is: is she really willing to go as far as to blackmail Ali with a file about her stay in a mental facility when she was younger?)
FADE OUT.
COMMERCIAL BREAK.
ACT FOUR
FADE IN:
INT. THE HASTINGS' HOUSE- LIVING ROOM- AFTERNOON.
(Spencer paces back and forth as her mother and sister are sitting on the couch, both annoyed for Spencer.)
MELISSA: Geez, you haven't stopped pacing since you got here, Spence.
VERONICA: You need to sit down and rest. It was just your first meeting, honey.
SPENCER: It was my first meeting, but I blew it. You should've seen the looks on the board member's faces. No one expected Ali's demands.
(Veronica stands up and moves over to her younger daughter and grabs her by the shoulders. She lifts her chin up to her.)
VERONICA: We need you to calm down, okay?
MELISSA (Stands up): I didn't say that now. Ali's lucky to still have her head on after the crap she pulled on Spencer.
VERONICA: Melissa…(her phone rings) This is probably your father wondering how the meeting went. (Walks out of the room)
MELISSA: If only we had something on that bitch.
(Spencer's eyes quickly light up and she turns to her sister with slight nervousness on her face.)
SPENCER: We do.
MELISSA: What?
SPENCER: Melissa, I have proof that I'm not the only one who was in a mental facility when I was younger.
MELISSA: Wait. How did you find that out?
SPENCER (Smirks): It's a secret.
MELISSA (Smirks back): Fine. I think you should use it, though. Someone needs to put that girl in her place and if it should be anybody, it should be you.
(Melissa heads to the kitchen while Spencer intensely thinks about whether she should really use the info or not.)
CUT TO:
INT. THE DILAURENTIS' HOUSE- DINING ROOM- AFTERNOON.
(Laughter is heard throughout the house as Ali walks through, after coming home from the meeting. She walks into the dining room to see Jason eating breakfast at the table with Aria right across from him, eating as well.)
ALISON: Oh my God. Aria!
(She rushes over to one of her best-friends and hugs Aria who is still in her seat. Jason decides to get up with his plate.)
JASON: I'll give you guys some time to catch up.
(He walks out as Ali sits in the nearest chair to Aria with excitement still on her face.)
ARIA: How are you, Ali?
ALISON: Terrible. Me and the others are on the outs, especially since so many secrets have been spilling out of the wood work. Spencer took a case against me, Emily is going to enlist-
ARIA: And you leaked that Spencer went to Radley.
ALISON: Yeah…(frowns) I'm not really proud of that. I feel so bad about it.
ARIA: Have you told Spencer that?
ALISON: Please…Spencer and I can't be in the same room without staring daggers at each other.
ARIA: Ali, we can't let AD win. They're trying to split us apart.
ALISON: Aria, AD isn't trying to split us apart. We're falling apart.
ARIA: Well, regardless, I'm not going to let it happen. So, I wanted to see if you maybe want to have dinner with me tonight. It's my treat.
ALISON: Um…sure. Text me the location?
ARIA: You got it.
(Aria starts to get up.)
ALISON: Aria…why were you having breakfast with Jason?
(Aria turns to Ali to see a smirk on her face which Aria shakes her head at and walks to the kitchen with her plate.)
CUT TO:
INT. THE RECRUITMENT OFFICE- AFTERNOON.
(Emily walks in while her enlister, Ms. Johnson, a mid-40s Latina, shuts the door behind her and goes to sit at her desk while Emily sits on the other side.)
ENLISTER JOHNSON: So, how are you Emily?
EMILY: I'm okay. I'm still trying to get used to the fact that I might be leaving this town in a few months.
EMLISTER JOHNSON: Oh, yeah. Many people go to basic training and become homesick.
EMILY: No…I won't.
ENLISTER JOHNSON: Emily, everyone becomes a little homesick.
EMILY: Not me.
(The recruiter notices the slight annoyance in her voice and she nods her head in understanding.)
ENLISTER JOHNSON: So, your contract is ready to be signed…if you are ready.
(Emily is fidgety as she picks her cuticles, something the recruiter quickly spots. She remembers when she felt like that the first time she enlisted and understands that the signature that goes on the contract can't be erased or crossed out. So, she does for Emily what her own enlistment officer did not.)
ENLISTER JOHNSON: Listen Emily, this is a life-time contract in a way. I mean, your first term enlistment requires a commitment of four years active and two years inactive. This is not a decision you can make easily. This has to be thought about long and hard.
(Emily seems to understand her and slowly nods her head.)
ENLISTER JOHNSON: You should only do this if or when you're ready. Now, I can give you another month to think about, but that's the best I can do.
(Emily hears what her enlister is saying, but is still trying to think on if she really wants to commit to the military or not.)
CUT TO:
INT. THE HASTINGS' BARN- LIVING ROOM- AFTERNOON.
(Spencer sits on her couch as she reads a book called "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Bronte. She seems to be somewhat more calm just when a knock goes on her door.)
SPENCER: It's open!
(The door opens and Aria walks in with a smile on her face before she closes the door behind her.)
SPENCER: Melissa, unless you tell me you have some miraculous way to win this case, I don't want to-(She turns to see Aria and instant joy appears on her face, something that has been absent for a while) Aria!
(She stands up as Aria rushes over and gives one of her best-friends a hug. Though it's only been weeks since they last saw each other, it's felt like an eternity. When they break apart, they sit down on the couch like two teenager girls at a sleepover.)
SPENCER: How've you been? How was Boston?
ARIA: It was great to be honest. I just got a promotion yesterday.
SPENCER: Well, congratulations…(Her face quickly changes into slight confusion) But wait. If you just got a promotion, what are you doing here?
ARIA: Oh, I can work from home.
SPENCER: Okay! Wow! Only weeks being out of this town and life was going good for you. Not that I'm not happy to see you, but what made you come back?
ARIA: Some…things happened that made me want to leave again. To be honest, I wasn't facing my problems when I went back to Boston. So I came back to face them.
SPENCER: I'm proud of you, then.
ARIA: Hey! Look at you! You have your first big case and I know it can't be easy going up against Ali.
SPENCER: Ugh. It's the worst. She took things too far.
ARIA: I know. And I want to talk about it and everything else tonight.
SPENCER: What do you mean?
ARIA: Let's have dinner. I'll be you the best wine that we can get at that new restaurant in town.
SPENCER: Okay…you're on.
(Spencer quickly hugs Aria again and the two best-friends embrace each other, clearly having missed each other for those few weeks.)
CUT TO:
INT. THE LOST WOODS RESORT- ROOM 6- AFTERNOON.
(Caleb types on his laptop as Mona hands him a frappe and sits down in the chair next to him. She observes his laptop trying to hack the Rosewood PD database.)
MONA: How's it going?
CALEB: It's…going.
MONA: Just don't forget. Mary left us in charge of this place while she's out of town. We have to keep this place up and running.
CALEB: Gotcha.
(A knock goes on the door and both turn around to it in wonder. They glance at each other before Mona makes her way to the door. When she opens it, she lets out a yelp, causing Caleb to stand up in defense. But he lets out a relieved sigh when he watches Mona hug one of her friends, Aria. As the two break apart, Aria steps in and Mona shuts the door behind her. Aria waves at Caleb who waves back at her before he turns around and gets back to cracking the Rosewood PD database.)
MONA: So, how are you, Big A? When did you get back in town?
ARIA: I'm great. I got in this morning, but you'll never guess who was at my house?
MONA: Who?
ARIA: Noel Kahn.
MONA: Well, what was he doing there?
ARIA: Apparently, he was talking to Mike about something.
(A slight frown forms on Mona's face and she looks away to hide it.)
MONA: So, are they back together?
ARIA: Who?
(Mona turns back to Aria as she tries her best to hide her sadness.)
MONA: Mike and Noel.
(Aria looks at her friend in disbelief and shakes her head.)
ARIA: Mona. There's no way they're back together. Besides, I thought you and him were getting back together.
MONA: I mean, it's not completely set in stone, but we're working on it.
ARIA: Well, if it makes you feel any better, I know when my brother is lying to me and he was definitely not lying to me when he told me he and Noel just talked.
(Aria shoots her a small smile before changing the subject.)
MONA: Okay. So, what about you? How's it going with the big case?
MONA: Pretty good. The case is going great. I think we have a very big chance of winning here.
ARIA: You know, I'm still surprised that you're suing our police department.
MONA: Well, considering how poorly of a job they've done recently and in the past, I think it was bound to happen.
ARIA: Well, I hope you do win the case, Mona.
MONA: Thanks.
ARIA: So, I have a question for you. Do you maybe want to hit up this fancy restaurant in town in a few? I've been dying to go there and I don't want to be there by myself.
MONA: No probs! (Stands up) Let me just get ready and we can head out.
CALEB: Oh my God…I did it!
(Both young women turn their heads to Caleb who claps his hands in slight relief and excitement. They get up and walk over to him and they see that he has successfully cracked the database and can access all the files of the PD.)
MONA: Wow. And I thought I was the best hacker out of everyone in this town.
CALEB: Well, I guess I can claim that title now.
ARIA: Wait. You guys hacked into the Rosewood PD's database? Are you out of your freakin minds?!
MONA: Aria, relax…Caleb and I created a firewall that prevents anyone from tracking us or even realizing that we've hacked the database.
(This seems to calm Aria down a few notches, knowing that the duo are the best hackers in the town, besides their tormentor.)
(CLOSEUP OF LAPTOP: Caleb moves the mouse over to a file that says "Hanna Marin's Murder" and clicks on it. In it, many more files pop up.)
CALEB: Wow. These are a lot of files.
MONA: Look for the autopsy report so we can find out what the murder weapon was.
(CLOSEUP OF LAPTOP: Caleb moves the mouse over to the "Autopsy Report" and clicks on it. The autopsy report comes up and he reads it over before scrunching his face to which Aria catches onto.)
ARIA: What is it?
CALEB: I just find that weird. There was a bracelet on Hanna's wrist with her name on it.
MONA: Bracelet? Is there a picture of it?
(CLOSEUP OF LAPTOP: Caleb moves the mouse down the autopsy report and sees a picture of the bracelet. This gets a gasp out of Aria and Mona. Caleb turns to them in wonder.)
CALEB: What is it?
ARIA: I know that bracelet because I have the same one, except with my name on it.
MONA: It's the bracelet Alison gave you guys.
CALEB: Damn. Why is that chick always linked to murders?
(Just then, he looks closer and notices something else on the autopsy report.)
CALEB: I can't believe it.
ARIA: What?
MONA: What is it?
CALEB: The person who did Hanna's autopsy…it was Wren Kingston.
(Aria's heart quickly drops as she and Mona take a closer look at the autopsy report and surely enough, Caleb was right. CLOSEUP OF LAPTOP: Wren Kingston's signature was signed off on the autopsy report.)
FADE OUT.
COMMERCIAL BREAK
ACT FIVE
FADE IN:
INT. HIGH CLASS RESTAURANT (NAME)- NIGHT.
(The elegant and very expensive restaurant is semi-busy with rich customers and their families filling the booths and tables around the restaurant. The door opens and Aria walks in, still dressed as before. The same can't be said about Mona who comes in behind her wearing a candy apple-red dress with black pumps. They approach the blonde hostess, who smiles at them.)
ARIA: Reservation for Aria Montgomery.
(The hostess nods her head and leads them to the table. The two sit down and the hostess hands them two menus.)
MONA: Wow…this place is amazing!
ARIA: Well, I thought we should enjoy ourselves tonight.
MONA: Can we really enjoy ourselves after what we just found out?
ARIA (Sighs): Honestly, I don't know. I mean, it makes zero sense that-
EMILY (Walking up): Hey!
ARIA: Hey Em.
MONA (Surprised): Hi, Em! I didn't know you would be here.
EMILY: I didn't know you would either.
ARIA: Well, I thought I could invite my friends to eat with me and besides, you two are the closest out of all of us right now.
EMILY: Yeah. Apparently, Mona is the only one besides you who supports my decision to join the army.
MONA: Of course. Despite how soft you seem, you are such a fighter!
(Emily smirks at her as Mona smirks back at her. Aria just snickers a little at the two, sensing something a little different about them. At the front door, Spencer walks in with her a slight fashion change, but otherwise still Spencer casual. She sees Aria and walks over to her. Just as she makes her way to the booth, she sees the other two brunettes there and makes a confusing look at Aria.)
SPENCER: What's…going…on?
(Aria stands up and pulls Spencer into the booth and boxes her in from leaving by sitting at the other end.)
SPENCER: Aria-
ARIA: You're going to stay in your seat.
EMILY: Why did you even ask her to come?
SPENCER: Why did you ask HER to come?
ARIA: Guys, you've gotta stop this. We're best friends. We can't stay mad at each other for some tiny argument.
(Just then, the final young lady walks up and is shocked to see the others in the booth. She puts one of her hands on her hips as she eyes Aria.)
ALISON: What is this?
(Aria once again stands and moves Ali to sit next to Emily who has to slide over a little, causing Mona to have to slide closer to Spencer who rolls her eyes. Aria remains standing as she prepares herself to try to make her plan work.)
ARIA: I know you all are shocked to see each other, but I needed to get us all together, okay? We're best friends! (Aria looks at Mona) All of us! We've survived through hell together from Ali's bullying (She looks away in slight embarrassment for her previous antics)…to Mona's torment...to Charlotte's torture and everything else. We can't let AD tear us apart.
(Alison looks away, slight anger still on her face. Aria quickly notices this and eyes her.
ARIA: What about "we'll be friends forever"?
ALISON: Well, Mona wasn't there for that.
SPENCER: I hate to say it, but Ali's right. I'm still confused on why Mona's here.
(Mona grabs her purse as she thinks about leaving for a second before placing it back down next to her and folding her arms before throwing a smirk at Spencer and then Alison.)
MONA: I'm not Loser Mona anymore nor am I A. But don't forget that once upon a time, you both were afraid of me. And even though I'm better now, I'm never going back to letting people run over me, especially for past mistakes when they have done just as worse as I have.
(Emily and Aria can't help, but smile at Mona for finally standing up for herself without violence. Even Spencer can't help but slightly smirks, a little proud of the tiny but dangerous brunette.)
ARIA: Listen you guys. We need to stick together in order to survive in this town. (Looks over at Alison) You remember when you said that secrets keep us close? (Ali nods her head) You were SO wrong, Ali. It tears us apart.
EMILY: What do you want us to do?
ARIA: Well, I propose a game of sorts.
SPENCER (Disbelieved): A game?
ARIA: We each tell a secret that we've been holding onto for a long time. And it can't be some secret like you eat peanut butter even though you say you're allergic. It needs to be something big, something that we all need to know…so I'll be first.
(Even though most of the ladies seem against the idea, they all pay attention to Aria when she gets ready to tell her secret.)
ARIA: This is really BIG and I'm kinda expecting you guys to hate me when I say this, but…here goes. Um, Wren Kingston and Bethany Young are my cousins.
(All of them gasp and glance at each other, wondering if anyone else knew Aria's secret, but they quickly deduce that none of them did. Spencer is the first one to eve react.)
SPENCER: Wait. You're cousins…with Wren?
ARIA: Yeah.
ALISON: And Bethany?
ARIA: Yeah, my Uncle Scott is their dad.
MONA: Oh Crap…
EMILY: Aria, that's…wow.
ARIA: It gets worse…remember when I went to Iceland for a year after Ali disappeared?
(They all nod their heads and tears start to form in Aria's eyes as she tells them her truth.)
ARIA: Well, there is a reason for that. So…that night that Ali disappeared, I actually helped Bethany escape from Radley. (None of them can hold back their shocked faces and gasps.) I wanted to introduce her to you guys. I wanted her to have a night of just fun and laughter and not meds and nurses. So, we went home and I went inside to grab some things, but when I came back out, she was gone.
SPENCER: Aria…
ARIA (Tears roll down her face): I thought that she was just going to hang out somewhere by herself. I wasn't worried that anything would happen to her so I went on to the barn. But, after Ali disappeared and we got a phone call the next morning that the nurses couldn't locate her, I was really worried. I thought something bad had happened to her and the only way my parents knew that I helped her was because the nurse called and said that I was caught on camera helping her escape.
MONA: So, did you know that she was…you know, dead?
ARIA: No. I wasn't sure, but it was enough to make me lose it.
EMILY: What do you mean?
ARIA: Okay…um. This is insane, but…my mom told me today that I had a nervous breakdown the day after and I just couldn't snap out of it. They took me to the hospital where I was transferred to the only mental facility within a few miles radius.
ALISON: Radley Sanitarium.
ARIA (Nods): I was there for six months apparently before my family came back for me and then went back to Iceland. So, I was actually only in Iceland for six months, not a whole year.
(It's silent at the booth, something the Liars aren't really used to in their friendship. After a few moments, Aria finally speaks up again.)
ARIA: The worst part isn't even that I was in Radley…it's the fact that I was the reason that my cousin is dead. I pretty much killed Bethany.
EMILY: Aria, you can't think that.
SPENCER: Emily's right. You didn't kill her. Mona did.
MONA: Uh…
EMILY: Spencer-
MONA: You guys, I know what I said that…but I didn't kill her.
ARIA: Mona. You've gotta be kidding me.
MONA: I didn't want to tell you guys because I never thought we would get close enough that it would be important for me to tell you, but…the night that Charlotte revealed herself as A, I received a letter from A telling me that if I don't tell you guys that I was the one to hit Bethany, she would kill Mike.
(The other Liars look dumbfounded that Charlotte blackmailed Mona to lie in killing someone.)
MONA: I could never live with myself if I killed someone. (Looks at Aria) And definitely not a relative of my friend.
(Alison throws her hands up in frustration before she lets out a sigh.)
ALISON: Well, that's just great. Now, we have another mystery on our hands.
ARIA: Yeah, who really killed my cousin…
EMILY: I guess I can go. Um, it's not as big as what Aria said, but ever since what happened to Hanna, I haven't been the same. Like I find it hard to do simple stuff without getting dizzy or feeling like someone's out to get me. I've been taking medicine for the-
EMILY/ARIA: Panic attacks.
(Emily looks at her friend in confusion on how she knew what she was going to say. Aria grabs one of Emily's free hands with one of her own.)
ARIA: I know because I used to have them too. It happened every now and then after Mona was caught as A.
EMILY: Really?
ARIA: Yeah. I was so scared all the time. And add with the fact that some of the stuff that happened when Mona was A couldn't have been done by Mona, it scared me because I realized she couldn't have been working alone.
(Mona can see the hint of fear on Aria's face when remembering her panic attacks…the panic attacks she caused. And she can't help but do something she has done countless times before.)
MONA: I'm sorry, you guys.
(Emily and Aria look from each other to their other friend in wonder.)
MONA: I know I was sick, but that isn't an excuse for what I did. And for that, I'm truly sorry.
(Spencer folds her arms as she reads Mona's energy and can't help but feel like the tiny brunette is being genuine and coupled with the fact that she isn't a killer like Spencer once that, she lets down some of her wall.)
SPENCER: Mona…you don't have to apologize anymore.
MONA (Looks up to Spencer): Really?
SPENCER: Maybe it's time…that we bury the hatchet. Maybe you truly are…one of us.
MONA (Smiles): You have no idea how happy that makes me feel that you said that.
(Alison turns her head away from everyone and makes a barfing gestures, clearly irritated that her friends are falling for Mona's "innocent" act all over again.)
MONA: Well, I guess I'm up next then, huh? So…you all know I work on the case for Hanna's mom in suing the PD, right? So, I enlisted Caleb's help in finding out some info about Hanna's murder in order to see if the PD really did all they could or if they're hiding something.
SPENCER: Let me guess, it's the latter.
MONA: Bingo! The police found the friendship bracelet Ali made for Hanna on her wrist.
ALISON (Shocked): Wait. What?
(Spencer eyes Alison a little suspiciously and so does Aria.)
MONA: What makes it worse is that…Wren Kingston was the one who did the autopsy.
(Emily, Alison, and Mona share looks between Spencer and Aria, both connected to the British doctor in some way.)
ARIA: I only just found that out before I came here. And yes, it's suspicious, but what am I supposed to do? Ask him did he have anything to do with one of my best-friend's murder? Our family just started becoming somewhat of a family.
SPENCER: You need to talk to him.
ARIA: Um, in that case, if I talk to Wren, you have to talk to Melissa.
SPENCER: What?
EMILY: She's right. You still haven't asked her why Archer's apartment was in her and Wren's name.
SPENCER: Ugh. Fine…I'll find a way to get it out of her…so I guess I'm next up. Um… (eyes Alison who catches her look) I don't know if it's my place to say.
EMILY: Just say it.
SPENCER (Cautious): Fine. AD sent me a copy of a file that explained that Ali was in a mental facility.
ALISON (Enraged): What?!
SPENCER: Yeah. I'm guessing AD really wanted to split us all apart.
ALISON: Were you going to use that against me?
SPENCER: Truthfully, I wasn't sure.
(Ali shakes her head in disbelief, but she doesn't realize that Emily looks at her in wonder, hoping she will just admit the truth. After a few moments of more silent stares from her friends, the blonde gives up.)
ALISON: Fine. It's true. But I wasn't there long. I jus had a few bipolar episodes and my parents wanted me to have the best care.
MONA: And she talked about me and Spence being cray-cray.
EMILY: Mona…
SPENCER: She's right…she's always judging us. Why can't we judge her?
ARIA: Listen, we're not going to judge you, Ali. In fact, I think it's good that we now know these things about each other. I mean, AD tried to tear us apart by using our own secrets against us. We can't afford to have any secrets between us.
ALISON (Slowly nods): O-okay. Well, I need to tell you guys something before A spills this.
EMILY: Okay…
ALISON: Um, the only person who knew here is Spencer and my family, but…not too long ago, Grunwald came to my house and informed Jason and I that she was our grandmother.
(The other Liars, except Spence of course, are shocked by this, but Alison doesn't give them time to catch their breath before she reveals something else related to it.)
ALISON: She always knew who I was, even though I thought she was some lady that was in charge of a bunch of college girls. She came to my house the night I disappeared and saw mom burying me while a guy was right there. She waited til mom and the guy was gone and helped me out.
SPENCER: Oh my God. Ali…
ALISON: I know I should've told you guys, but we really weren't on the best of terms, were we?
EMILY: Yeah, but that's BIG. I mean, if a guy was there and Charlotte was already transitioned, that means…
MONA: It wasn't Charlotte that hit you.
ALISON: Here's some even more bad news, though. A threatened me this morning saying they're coming for me. They literally threw a rock through my freaking window.
(The rest of the Liars seem a bit uncomfortable and worried for a few moments, taking in that AD is not backing away and they have to be on the offensive now. Finally, one of them rises up to comfort the others.)
EMILY: Well, as long as we have each other, we'll make it. Aria was right. We can't let AD tear us apart anymore than we already have…it's time to work together again.
(Everyone nods in agreement and are surprised by Emily's determination to survive this ordeal despite what her anxiety. Spencer seems to notice something off right now though.)
SPENCER: Where's our waiter?
MONA: Right. I'm starving.
SPENCER: I'll go up there. Just let me out.
(Aria slides out and allows Spencer to get out of the booth and she heads up to the counter. Not even a moment later of waiting for a waiter, her blonde frienemy walks up to her side.)
ALISON: Hey.
SPENCER: Hey.
ALISON: Listen, I need to say this.
SPENCER: Ali, just stop.
ALISON: No, just let me say this.
(Spencer just sighs and awaits for what Alison has to say.)
ALISON: I'm sorry that things have gotten so intense between us. I know it's my fault and I know I went low with releasing that info about your stint in Radley. I just…I get very competitive. You understand right?
SPENCER: Of course, I'm a Hastings.
ALISON: I'm just sorry and I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me.
SPENCER: Thank you for the apology, Ali. I accept it…but I don't think that I can forgive you for what you did.
(Alison is left flabbergasted by Spencer's reaction, wholly believing that her apology would be accepted in a heartbeat and they could continue being friends. What snaps her out of her trance is her cell-phone ringing.)
SPENCER: You should get that.
(Ali sighs before she takes her phone and sees the caller ID before she answers it.)
ALISON: Hey Jason.
JASON (OFFSCREEN): Where are you?
ALISON: At a restaurant. Why?
CUT TO:
INT. THE DILAURENTIS HOUSE- LIVING ROOM- NIGHT.
(Jason stands amongst the wreckage and destruction of the living room. The furniture has been torn up and destroyed while the windows throughout the house are broken and glass is lying around everywhere. Jason holds his phone to his ear and cops circle around him, setting up a crime scene.)
JASON: Our place has been trashed.
CUT BACK TO:
INT. THE RESTAURANT- NIGHT.
(Spencer notices Ali's worried face and best-friend senses instantly kick in.)
SPENCER: What's wrong?
ALISON: I think A trashed our place.
(Spencer rushes away and to the table with the other Liars. Spencer urges them to get up and the Liars don't take haste. As they quickly head to the door, Aria is the first one there.
CUT TO:
EXT. ROSEWOOD- THE RESTAURANT- NIGHT.
(Just as the five Liars walk out and Aria unlocks her car, it explodes, sending them flying backwards onto the ground. As the Liars lie on the ground, unconscious, Aria's phone lights up next to her. CLOSEUP OF MESSAGE: Welcome Back to town, Aria! If you try to leave again without my permission, I'll make sure to wait for you to get in the car before I detonate. -AD)
FADE OUT.
Whew! This episode was a doozy to write! How long did it take for you guys to realize Aria was getting the whole group back together? Did you like the reveal that Mona wasn't the one who hit Bethany? Who do you think is after Ali once again? With all of their secrets out in the open, do you think the Liars can truly stand together against AD? Please leave any theories, comments, questions, or reviews on what you think will happen in this alternate season 7. Thanks for reading everyone!
