Yay! Chapter 9! Sorry it took for ever to write. Enjoy the new chapter!

Ringlets and Curls

Emily couldn't believe her eyes.

Her first love. Her first heartbreak. Her first everything was sitting right in front of her, as if she hadn't been missing for two whole years. Emily felt as if she was about to pass out as she felt the air quickly enter and exit her lungs. How was this even possible?

Alison turned around completely and she felt Katherine's and her own heartbeat quicken even more.

A small sound of complete shock briefly escaped Spencer's lips before she said, "...H-How... are you alive?"

Ali sighed, causing Emily's heart to flutter with a familiar feeling. "It's... a long story, to say the least." She watched as Ali looked at Katherine and a tear suddenly rolled down the blonde's cheek. "Why don't we go somewhere safe where I can... explain."

{*}-{*}-{*}

After they all moved into the kitchen in total shock and confusion, they all had a turn hugging her and sat down on the chairs. Emily sat Katherine down next to Alison. She knew she would appreciate that. After all, it did seem like Katherine was closer to Alison and knew more about her than her or the three other girls.

Katherine hadn't said anything since they saw Alison, and Emily was starting to get worried. She seemed on edge and was staring at Alison, with her hand on her stomach wound, with... was that fear in her eyes? That couldn't be right, though. She worshiped Alison. Of course, there could be something Emily didn't know about her and Ali's relationship. After all, she had known Katherine for, what, almost 2 days? Maybe less? She couldn't possibly know everything about her and what she was hiding, or if she was even hiding anything at all.

Alison's voice broke her from her thoughts. "I assume you guys have a billion questions, so you can ask me anything."

Of course, Spencer was the first to start off. "How are you alive? They found your body. There's even a grave for you."

Alison sighed. "I'm not sure why or how they found a body. Someone must have messed with the police and made them think that the dental records of the body matched with mine. Whoever is in my grave... isn't me."

There was a deathly silence before they continued questioning.

"Where the hell have you been all of this time?" Hanna almost yelled, tearing through the silence. "We've been needing answers about a shitload of unsolved questions and haven't really gotten any from you!"

Ali turned her head to Hanna. "I'm really sorry I haven't been able to visit, but it's been way too dangerous for me to come back to Rosewood."

Something was bothering Emily that wasn't right about this whole experience. Ali wasn't acting like herself. Although she was never the one to show much emotion or thought, she was being way too calm about this entire situation. She basically just rose from the dead and found her friends she hadn't seen in at least 2 years, and she wasn't breaking down into sobs. And her answers to their questions almost felt rehearsed.

"Why?" asked Spencer, breaking Emily from her thoughts. "Why is it dangerous?"

Emily could have sworn Alison glanced over at Katherine for a fraction of a second before looking at Spencer and responding. "You can never truly trust anyone but yourself, Spencer. You should all learn that eventually."

Typical Alison, thought Emily. Answering a direct question with a witty, indirect answer. Emily realized how much she didn't miss this about her 'formerly deceased' friend.

Emily noticed Katherine's grip getting tighter on the arm of the chair she was sitting in. Her entire body looked tense. "Katherine, are you okay?" she asked.

She turned to look at her, smiling nervously. "Me? Oh! Fine. I'm fine. Just... shocked that Alison is still alive, of course." She turned to Alison. "I mean, it almost seems impossible, doesn't it? Like this isn't real?"

Katherine was acting really strange. "Um... yeah, I guess so," replied Hanna.

Alison laughed. "I know, it's probably a lot to take in." She looked Katherine directly into the eyes, her blue eyes sparkling. "But I'm here, and that's all that matters, right? And I'm going to help all of us get out of here. That damn A really is incredible, aren't they?"

Emily knew that Alison must have meant 'incredible' in a negative way. But something just felt wrong.

Katherine whipped her head around towards Emily. "Can I talk to you in the other room? Privately?" she muttered to her.

Emily shifted her dark eyes around the room awkwardly. "...right now?"

Katherine nodded. Emily shrugged, helping Katherine up. "Um... we'll be right back."

"Hurry back, Em," said Alison. "I don't want you missing any of our time all together again."

Emily smiled. "Of course." But Katherine looked paranoid. Afraid, even. Emily helped her down the hall into a room and shut the door, setting her down on the couch. "What's wrong? You look like you've seen..." Emily almost finished the sentence, but cut herself off, realizing how ironic that saying was to this situation.

Katherine's hands were shaking and her eyes were wide. "You're not going to believe me when I say this," she said. "But you have to. Emily, we are all in serious danger right now."

Emily's stomach dropped. "What? Why?"

Katherine let out a shaky breath. "Emily... the girl in the other room is not Alison DiLaurentis."