On the Run

by fandomfan13

"Seven seconds. That's all it took for me to figure it out. Two seconds for me to turn on the TV, the news channel coming up immediately. That's all we ever watched anymore, always expecting to see our lies come crumbling down around us. Then four more for my brain to assess what was flashing on the screen, the last one left for me to stagger on the spot..." Set post 5x05. Emison.

10. Chapter 10

I think I've made you wait enough for this chapter as it is. I'll post my Author's Note at the end. xx

x-x-x

After burying that hatchet and putting that conversation to rest, we decided on just watching a few more movies for the rest of the day, both of us too emotionally drained for anything more stimulating than that. It was around three that we finally got hungry again, so after grabbing a quick bite to eat from the left overs in Emily's fridge, we settled back in our usual spots for another few hours of mindless television, apparently pent on living up to the definition of a lazy Sunday.

After a while, my head somehow found its way to Emily's thighs, and she immediately curled her legs up on the couch to cradle my head in her lap. The feeling of her fingers running through my hair combined with my now very content stomach – and especially after the cathartic cry I'd had a few hours before – had me yawning within minutes of settling down.

Emily started snickering quietly as I was pushing through my third yawn.

"Don't make fun of me," I pouted, jabbing my finger into her stomach playfully.

"You're exhausted, Ali." she said with a soft smile.

I shrugged nonchalantly, feeling a blush heat my cheeks. "Crying knocks me out."

She nodded her agreement, the hand that wasn't in my hair coming up to cup my cheek, her thumb running over my flushed skin. "I know, it happens to me too. You can take a nap if you want."

I could have easily snuggled in to her and fallen asleep within seconds, my eyes already growing heavy by just thinking about it, but as silly as it sounded, I didn't want to waste my time with her by sleeping through most of it. And my separation anxiety from yesterday had yet to wear off, so the ridiculous yet justified fear of falling asleep and finding her gone when I woke up was still pressing in my chest, reminding me that this peaceful moment wouldn't last forever. Plus, after spilling my guts about that night after having it kept stored away deep inside the confines of my mind, my dreams were bound to be less than unpleasant.

"Nah, I'm not that tired." I finally said.

Emily raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Ali, you're doing everything you can not to fall asleep right now, I know you're tired." God, how had she learned to read me so well? Her gaze softened considerably all of a sudden before she quietly added, "I'll still be here when you wake up."

I never thought I'd see the day when anyone would be able read me like a book, but Emily Fields was making that happen.

"I know, sweetie." I smiled, grabbing one of her hands to kiss her fingers. "I just…"

Emily tilted her head, her brow furrowing slightly as her eyes narrowed. "Just what?"

I sighed, my hands going to fiddle with her shirt and my eyes following the movement. "I…get nightmares sometimes – when I start thinking about things too much. No big deal, really, but I hadn't thought about that night in a while so −"

"You're afraid you'll have one now." she finished.

I glanced up at her quickly, nodding my head.

Emily bent down and I laughed as she winced at the awkward angle, and kissed me firmly on the lips before brushing a brief kiss on the corner of my mouth. "I'll be right here with you, Ali. I'll wake you up if I see you having one."

Normally I would've found a reason to keep arguing, but as I felt another yawn coming I decided to give in for once. I'd barely finished the thought when my eyes drooped on their own as I snuggled further into Emily's lap, already feeling fatigue starting to overcome me. "Thanks, baby."

I realized my eyes had closed when I heard Emily chuckle and felt her hand starting through my hair again. I barely managed to return her "I love you" before fading out completely.

x-x-x

RING. RING. RING.

"Shit."

Movement under my head made me groan softly in complaint. I was way too comfortable to be moving, too comfortable to even be awake. And Emily's ringtone was probably the most annoying sound in the world right now.

I pushed through the last layers of sleep and cracked my eyes open, peering up through my lashes at Emily, who was frantically patting around the couch for her phone. She finally found it stuck between the couch cushions and caught my eye as she pulled it up to check the caller ID, grimacing in apology.

"Sorry," she whispered, pressing down on the volume on her phone and thankfully shutting off her ringtone. "I won't answer, go back to sleep."

"Who is it?" I asked as I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes, shifting as I felt my head begin to slide down Emily's lap.

"Spencer."

I rolled my eyes. It was too good to be true to think the girls would've given us the day to ourselves. "Answer it. She'll keep calling anyways."

Emily snorted. "Probably true." She slid her thumb over the screen and tapped the speaker button. "Hey Spence."

"Hey Em," she greeted, and by the tone of her voice I already knew this wasn't a casual call. "Are you guys busy?"

Emily raised an eyebrow at me curiously and I shrugged in return, having about as much of a clue about where Spencer was going with this as she did. "No, not really. Ali was just taking a nap. Why?"

"You'll want to hear this then. Guess who's throwing a last minute party tonight? No – guess who personally invited us to a last minute party tonight?"

"Who?" we both asked. A party? On a Sunday?

"Noel Khan."

That made me sit up quickly, and my eyebrows rose up so drastically I could feel them almost at my hairline. What the hell was Noel doing throwing a party on a Sunday night?

"Who did he invite?" I asked.

"Hanna. She ran into him at The Brew and he said to make sure all of us got the invitation."

Emily gave me a strange look and again I shrugged. Noel had to be up to something. The fact that he'd made sure to get me invited through one of the girls was enough to let me know this party wasn't just some last minute whim.

"Are we going?" Emily asked.

"I'd go, if only to find out what the hell they're up to." Spencer replied. "Because apparently Mona is helping him plan it."

I laughed dryly. "Of course she is."

Emily frowned. "This has set up written all over it, Spence." Her hand found mine and interlaced our fingers casually as she said this, making me smile softly. "Maybe Ali shouldn't go, especially after last week."

"All the more reason to go, Em." I said in return. "I'm not letting Mona push me or any of you girls around." Just the thought of Mona's smug little face after last week's set up at school had me dying to slap the bitch out of her. And the fact that Noel was somehow involved in this had me pretty worried – he'd seen me while I was away, he knew things. If I lost my grip on him, everything I'd been working on against A could start unraveling and all hell would break loose.

"Exactly," Spencer agreed. "And we know they're up to something so we'll watch each other's backs."

Emily still looked unconvinced but she agreed nevertheless. "Alright. What time are we meeting?"

I glanced at the clock. It was almost seven already. Knowing Noel, the party wouldn't really start until nine, and the later we arrived, the better chance we had of slipping in unnoticed. If Mona and Noel were up to something, we'd have to try and find out what it was before they figured out we were there.

"Let me talk to Hanna again first and I'll text you the details later, but I'm guessing around ten."

"Sounds good," I said. "Keep us posted then."

"Will do."

The line went dead and Emily turned to me, worry written across her face.

"Are you sure about this, Ali?"

I pulled her hand to my lips and kissed her fingers. "We'll be fine. Mona may have her army, but as long as we stick together, we'll be okay."

Emily started playing with my fingers absently. I could practically see the gears turning in her head as her eyes stared off distantly.

"What is it, sweetie?" I brought my free hand to cradle her cheek, bringing her out of her worried daze. My heart fluttered when she instinctively leaned into my touch.

"What about Noel?" she asked. "I thought he was helping you, but if he's teaming up with Mona –"

"You let me deal with Noel." I said quickly, the anger quick to resurface in my chest. If that scheming coward was double crossing me, I'd make sure to make him regret ever hooking up with Mona in the first place. "I don't know what he's up to but I do know how to deal with him."

"I just don't want you to get hurt, Ali."

I smiled, sliding my hand to the back of Emily's neck and pulling her forward for a kiss. The feeling of my mermaid's lips was an instant stress reliever. I felt her sigh into my mouth as I ran my fingers through her hair soothingly before we broke apart, our foreheads resting against each other's.

"It'll be okay." I promised, though I wasn't so sure if I believed it myself. Still, I painted on a smile and rubbed my nose against hers. "Come on, lets go find you an outfit for tonight."

x-x-x

"Earth to Alison."

My eyes snapped up quickly from her chest, which I had been shamelessly ogling at for the past few minutes. "Hmm?"

Emily arched an eyebrow, a playful smile playing at her lips. "You could help me, you know. Staring at me won't help me chose any faster."

I smirked from my spot on her bed where I'd been comfortably watching her try on a few different outfits she had strewn over the bed. She'd been asking for my opinion, but the sight of her only in her underwear had me too distracted to be very functional.

"It may not help your outfit but it definitely helps my libido."

Emily threw one of her pillows at my face, and had I not been laughing at the blush that turned her cheeks red I would have actually caught it.

"Just help me, will you?"

I sighed dramatically and made a show of crawling to her side of the bed and pushing myself to my feet. She was watching me with an amused smirk, one I was quick to return as I wrapped my arms around her waist and pecked her nose.

"DiLaurentis reporting for duty."

Emily rolled her eyes even as she smiled and kissed my forehead. "Just stand over there and tell me which blouse looks better."

"What about your dresses?" I pouted playfully. I knew dresses really weren't her thing, but I'd been joking about rubbing off my wardrobe choices on her now that we were together.

"It's mid-October, Ali. You're the only one with the right mind to wear a dress outside."

I laughed, surrendering with a "Fair enough" as I stepped back as she asked and surveyed her options. She was holding a deep red sweater that I had only seen on her once before, in a picture. It had a low, round neckline that, combined with how the fabric hugged her torso perfectly, accentuated her breasts in a way that would have any girl or guy salivating, yet still managed to remain modest.

"That sweater looks so hot on you," I said as she slipped it on over her skinny jeans.

She looked down at herself as her hands smoothed down the fabric over her stomach. "You think?" Emily turned to her mirror, eyeing herself skeptically as she twisted around to analyze the sweater in all angles. "I'm not sure if it's right for tonight."

I couldn't help myself. I padded over to where she stood and slipped in behind her, my hands falling to her waist as I perched my chin on her shoulder. Our eyes met through the mirror, and we both smiled.

"You're fucking gorgeous, Emily." I liked the fact that my heels made us the same height. My arms wrapped around her waist, her body automatically leaning into my embrace as I nuzzled her ear gently. "You could wear a garbage bag and you'd still look fabulous."

Emily chuckled as she turned in my arms and cupped my cheeks in her palms to join our lips in a kiss. "You're so full of it," she mumbled against my lips.

I giggled into her mouth as one of my hands slid down and pinched her ass playfully. She yelped and nipped at my lips in retaliation, to which I answered by shoving my fingers into her hair and kissing her hard.

"You're never going to let me get dressed, are you?" Emily panted when she finally broke the kiss.

"Alright, alright." I pecked her lips quickly and stepped back just as I heard my phone vibrate on the dresser.

As Emily slipped off her top, I reached for my phone and glanced at the caller ID. This time it was anger that raged through me when the unknown caller ID flashed on my screen, but the message that popped up once I unlocked my phone flushed the rage right out of me and had stomach churning.

Turns out those two years weren't all work and no play after all. Can your mermaid handle the competition?

I could feel my heart about to burst from my chest as I waited for the attached picture to load. The text wasn't signed by A, but it didn't have to be. As soon as the picture of Noel kissing me at the train station loaded on the screen, A's message was clear. My relationship with Emily would be history before it even got the chance to begin if A sent her this photo, and the other girls would throw me to the wolves without a second thought if they thought I was playing with Emily's heart again, but would she really forgive me if I told her myself?

"What is it?"

"Nothing." I locked my phone and tucked it in my back pocket, resisting the urge to wince as the lie automatically rolled off my tongue.

Emily arched an eyebrow skeptically, turning to give me her full attention. "Wanna try that again?"

I flashed her what I hoped was a reassuring smile. "It's nothing, Em, really." I pointed to the blouse she was holding in her right hand, a light turquoise-y blue that looked amazing with her skin tone. "I love that color on you."

Emily frowned. "You're changing the subject, why are you changing the subject?" She dropped the two blouses she'd been comparing and stepped towards me. "Is it A?"

I shook my head, waving a dismissive hand in front of me. "Relax, sweetie. It really is nothing."

Emily crossed her arms over her chest and I cursed under my breath as her expression hardened. She was getting mad. She knew I was lying and God did I hate myself for it. "You turned three shades of green when you read that text. It's not nothing, Alison." She took another step towards me, slowly cornering me against her dresser. "If I'm right, you're playing right into A's trap by not telling me."

My phone suddenly felt three times as heavy in my pocket. She was right, if A wanted Emily to know about me and Noel, she would find out regardless of whether I tried to hide it or not, and lying about it would only get me back to square one with her and the girls.

I sighed. There really was no way out of this.

Emily's eyes softened as she took the final step that closed the distance between us and brought one of her hands to cradle my cheek as she pushed my lower back against her dresser. "If you want this – us – to work, Ali, you have to give up the secrets."

I could barely look at her without feeling my throat tighten with imminent tears, but she paused to tilt my chin so I would look into her eyes. Her thumb stroked softly against my cheek, and the gesture was so surprisingly tender my eyes welled up with tears.

"You have to stop hiding things from me."

"I only do it because I'm afraid I'll lose you." I admitted in a whisper, sounding vaguely reminiscent of a conversation we had last week in my bedroom.

This one, however, seemed to be going much more smoothly, I noticed, as Emily planted a soft kiss on my lips.

"You won't, if you tell me the truth," she assured. "Tell me the truth and I'll believe you, Ali."

If I didn't tell her now, A would no doubt do it for me, and if she found out through A, I would lose her forever. So I took a deep breath, bracing myself for the worst, as I pulled my phone out and unlocked the screen.

"Please let me explain." I begged as I showed her the text.

Emily's eyes darted to me quickly before she read the text, and I swear I saw the disappointment flash in her eyes the instant she put two and two together.

"You – and – and Noel?"

"It was nothing, Em, I swear." I blurted quickly, grasping her free hand in both of mine.

"It doesn't seem like nothing." she answered bitterly, and my stomach dropped painfully when Emily pulled her hand out of my grasp and stepped away from me.

"Please believe me, Emily. That meant absolutely nothing to me." I chanced a step towards her, which she was quick to meet with another step towards the bed. "It happened almost two years ago while I was on the run. It was totally physical, Em, I swear. He was just there and –"

"And you had to sleep with him just because he was there?" she snapped angrily. "Jesus Alison, if that's the only thing you need –"

She stopped herself when I winced, her words stinging like no other. Sleeping with Noel was one of those things you knew was a mistake as soon as you'd done it, and the second I let Noel put his hands on me I knew it would be something I would immediately regret. Still, it happened. I let it happen.

"So when we were talking about the people we've slept with downstairs, you just conveniently left out the fact that Noel Khan got into your pants?"

A spark of anger flared in my chest, which momentarily doused the aching desperation that had me almost in tears. "Oh, excuse me! I sort of got caught up with telling you about the time I got raped, Emily. I'm sorry if Noel seemed kind of irrelevant at the time."

Her expression softened slightly and a surge of triumph momentarily rushed through my chest, but my win was short lived as she quickly recuperated. "You didn't think to mention it afterwards? I told you everything, Ali, I was practically bearing my soul to you! I thought you did the same."

"I'm sorry." The words came out as a strangled whisper, my throat already too tight with the tears I was fighting with all of my self-control. "It was comfort, it only ever happened twice, and it was so insignificant I couldn't bear the thought of losing you over it."

For a moment no one said anything. I couldn't even look at her, afraid of finding betrayal and distrust in the warm eyes that had finally started to look at me with love again. My eyes were set on the floorboards instead as my brain calculated every inch of both the physical and emotional distance Emily kept putting between us. Finally I heard her sigh and I risked a glance at her.

"When did it happen?"

Emily wasn't looking at me, busying herself instead by playing with the fabric of the blouses she'd thrown on the bed, but her posture told me she was waiting for my answer.

"About a year ago," I answered quietly, gauging her reaction carefully. I couldn't tell if she was angry anymore or not, her expression now grim but displaying no specific emotion.

Then she glanced up at me with her eyebrows raised expectantly. "You said it was for comfort."

Oh. She wanted my reasons for doing it, but the way she avoided my gaze told me she wasn't very sure she wanted to know the answer. "The first time was after the first time I came back to Rosewood, when Hanna was run over by Mona." I paused for a moment, watching carefully her response to my answer. "After I – I saw you with Maya."

Her eyes fluttered closed for a moment as she sighed. I waited patiently, hoping and praying to the God I wasn't even sure I believed in that she was believing me. God, I would never forgive myself if I broke her heart again, especially over something as stupid and meaningless as this.

"And the second time?"

"After I saved you from the barn," I answered quickly. I remembered that day like it was yesterday. The absolute fear, of running out of time, of being too late, of losing her forever; and the relief when those chocolate brown eyes finally opened and she whispered my name as if it were the most precious thing in the world. "After I kissed you and had to leave."

That second time around had been a total rebound. I went back to my hideout a complete emotional wreck, and Noel had just been passing by to make sure I was still settled and was doing okay. I'd thought it would make me feel better, but as soon as it happened I only felt worse. The guilt I felt afterwards was enough to make me promise myself that I would never do it again.

Again, silence stretched on for what seemed like hours. Emily kept looking everywhere but at me and I kept my distance. I didn't want to push her into doing or saying anything she didn't want to, but at the same time I was desperate to hear her say something, anything. I couldn't bear the thought of having messed this up.

"Em?" My impatience took the better of me as I took a slow step forward, waiting to see if she'd move away.

Emily sighed heavily, tiredly, and she shoved aside the blouses that were strewn on the bed before sitting down in the newly vacant spot, her gaze still avoiding mine. She didn't move or say anything else, which I took as an invitation to take another step towards her, now nearly closing the distance between us.

"Please talk to me." I pleaded softly, reaching out my hand to brush against her hair.

She inhaled deeply through her nose with her eyes closed, the way she always did when she was trying to control her emotions. The conflict swimming in her eyes when she finally looked at me made the lump in my throat tighten.

"It really didn't mean anything?"

That made me lose all hesitation as I took those last two steps towards her and cupped her face in my hands. "It wouldn't mean anything with anyone but you. I love you, Emily."

For a moment she just looked at me, but Emily's eyes finally softened and she gripped my wrists, holding my hands to her face. "Alright," she sighed. "I'm sorry I got so upset."

My lips broke out into a smile, pure, unadulterated relief sweeping through me so powerfully I nearly sagged into her. "No, I'm sorry." I kissed her softly, letting my lips linger over hers as I rested my forehead against hers. "I'm so so sorry, baby."

"I don't have any right to be mad." Emily replied quietly, brushing a lock of my hair out of my face so tenderly I felt my stomach do three summersaults. "It's just…the thought of Noel having his hands on you – it makes me – I mean, I can't –"

I smiled, cutting her off with my lips. She kissed back with equal enthusiasm, her soft lips working deliberately against mine before gently pulling back. "You don't have to worry about that now. You're the only one who will ever touch me again."

We both knew my words held far bigger implications than what our new relationship called for, but that was something we could worry about some other day. Emily's eyes fluttered closed as her hands slid down to my hips and she pulled me in between her legs.

"I love you, Ali."

My hands slid into her hair as I brought our lips together once more. "I love you so fucking much, Em."

My phone vibrated from where she'd dropped it on the bed when she sat down and we both tensed. Emily reached for it first and checked the caller ID, exhaling a deep breath of relief before passing it to me.

"It's just Spencer."

I sighed shakily, feeling my arms tingle with built up tension as I unlocked the screen on my phone.

Spencer: Talked with Hanna. We agreed we should probably all go in the same car, so we can leave from my house around ten. You still have to go to your place and change, right?

"Apparently she's driving," I told Emily as I showed her the message.

Emily scanned the text and nodded her approval. "So let me finish here and we can drive over to your place so you can change."

"You can leave your car in my garage if you want," I said as I typed a quick response to Spencer. "My dad won't be back until next weekend."

A disapproving frown crossed over Emily's face at the mention of my dad. "With everything that's going on, I don't get how he can just pack up and disappear for weeks. He's your dad, he should start acting like it."

I rolled my eyes: my dad could barely stand to be in the same room with me anymore. Asking him to act like a father would be like asking Pepe to act like a cat. "You know how he is, Em. He can barely look at me, and it's only gotten worse since my mom died. I think I remind him too much of her."

Emily suddenly stood up and grabbed my face in her hands. "You're not your mom, Ali. You know that, right?"

I smiled, wrapping my arms around her waist and pressing a kiss to the corner of her mouth. "I know." With a smirk, my hands slid down and squeezed her ass playfully, making her yelp. "Stop getting distracted, will you? You need to get dressed!"

She huffed as I laughed at her affronted expression. "Yeah, I get distracted."

x-x-x

It was almost eleven by the time they finally pulled up to Noel's house. It took longer than they had originally anticipated for Alison to shower and get dressed since Emily repaid Alison's earlier antics with some distractions of her own. The blonde had only just managed to finish getting ready by the time Spencer called telling them that Hanna and Aria were on their way. Still, since Hanna needed everyone's approval of her outfit before she set foot in Spencer's SUV, it was well past ten by the time they were filing into her car.

The faint beat of music could be felt on the other side of the street as the five of them unloaded from Spencer's car. Stray groups of people were hanging around the Kahns' front yard, red solo cups in hand.

"Remember, stay close guys," Spencer advised. "Don't let anyone catch you alone."

Hanna rolled her eyes. "It's a party, Spencer, not a war zone."

"It might as well be," Aria uttered quietly.

Alison couldn't help but agree, yet remained silent as they crossed Noel's front lawn towards the party. His back yard, once fun and inviting, felt foreign to her now as they stepped into the sea of people. Her eyes immediately scanned for any sign of Mona and her gang, yet the mass of students surrounding her either blocked them from her line of sight or blended them in well enough for them to go unnoticed.

Suddenly she felt a hand run down her arm and she turned to meet Emily's concerned gaze.

"You okay?" Emily asked.

Alison smiled softly, reaching for the brunette's hand and threading their fingers together, instantly feeling more at ease. "I'm fine, babe."

The pet name awarded her a smile, Emily now squeezing her hand and pulling her closer to her side. "Stay close to me, just in case."

"Baby, relax." Ali slid her hands around Emily's waist, pulling the brunette flush against her. "It is a party. Lets try to have fun, okay?"

"Well I don't know about you guys, but I need a drink." Hanna stated, her eyes scanning for the refreshment table.

"Hanna." Spencer and Emily warned, the latter brunette turning in Alison's arms to give Hanna a pointed look.

Hanna rolled her eyes. "Oh relax. If you want me to deal with high lord Mona and her Nazi followers, I'm at least going to have a buzz while doing it." Her eyes lit up as she caught sight of a group of people doing shots. "Bingo."

"Don't overdo it!" Spencer shouted, but her suggestion fell to deaf ears as Hanna disappeared through the crowd.

"I'll go after her," Aria sighed as she followed Hanna's trail and slipped in through the throng of people.

"Let's stick together, they said." Alison mumbled jokingly.

Spencer grunted in aggravation. "You two stick together and stay put. I'm going to help Aria because there is no way I'm hauling Hanna's drunk ass into my car."

Alison smirked as they watched Spencer go off after their other two friends. "You'd think dealing with A would have put her leather interior on a lower spot on her priorities."

Emily scoffed. "She's a Hastings. She can worry about both."

"At least we're alone now," Alison said sweetly as she wrapped her arms around the brunette's waist, pulling their chests flush together.

Emily raised a skeptical eyebrow as one of her hands snaked around Alison and the other gestured to the mob of people that surrounded them.

Alison huffed. "Oh, you know what I mean."

Emily laughed and tucked a lock of blonde hair behind Alison's ear. "You're beautiful."

"Mmmm," Alison hummed as she nuzzled Emily's neck gently. "You're gorgeous."

"Hey Alison!"

Both girls turned as two guys came up to them, one laughing hard at something the other one had said. They glanced at the blonde and burst out into another round of laughter, to which Alison's expression steeled and she raised an eyebrow as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"So it's true then," the first one sneered as the other chugged his beer.

"Excuse me?" Alison said, her voice acidic as her gaze slowly narrowed into a glare.

"Alison Dilaurentis is a dyke now," the second one sniggered. "What'd you do to her, Fields?"

"Watch it," Emily warned, her voice dangerously low and her arm tightening protectively around Alison's waist.

Anger sparked in Alison's chest and flared like wildfire as both guys merely jeered as they chugged the last of their beers. Drunk guys used to be a regularity in her life which she quickly learned how to deal with thanks to Cece and her older friends, but her two years on the run had limited her tolerance for adolescent obnoxiousness and these guys were dancing on her last nerve. No one touched her relationship with Emily if she had any say in it.

"Fuck off, losers," Alison growled. "You're not getting into my pants either way so what my vagina does is none of your fucking business."

Emily choked out a laugh as both guys blanched with Alison's outburst. She'd always known the blonde had some fire in her, but she'd forgotten exactly how powerful Alison's words could be. Thankfully Alison had been proving that she was no longer putting that temper to misuse. Going off on these guys was probably not the best idea for her to win over the school, but others be damned if they didn't appreciate Alison for who she was, fiery temper and all.

"Bitch," the first guy muttered darkly as they both spun on their heels and disappeared through the crowd.

Emily laughed heartily when Alison turned back to her with a satisfied smirk. "Your vagina, Ali? Real classy there."

Alison shrugged, her smirk breaking into a full on smile that set Emily's heart racing. Jesus, she was beautiful. Not even in her wildest teenage dreams would she have dreamt that one day she would be able to call Alison Dilaurentis hers.

"You know me," Alison slid her arms around the brunette's neck, her fingers of one hand slipping into Emily's gorgeous brown locks to tug her girl's mouth to hers. Their lips met sweetly, a quick joining that set both of their bodies aflame with desire and affection. "Classy is my middle name."

x-x-x

"Any sign of Mona?" Spencer asked when she finally managed to get ahold of both Hanna and Aria a while later by the drinks table. She'd been keeping an eye out for any sign of Mona and her gang, but so far all she could see were Noel Khan's idiot friends and a few other classmates of theirs mingling around Noel's backyard. She hadn't even managed to spot Noel himself, which in itself seemed odd since he was one to make himself the center of attention whenever he threw a party.

"No," Aria answered drearily as Hanna shook her head. "If Mona doesn't want to be found, we're not gonna find her."

"Noel made a pretty big deal about inviting all of us," Hanna argued, nursing an already lukewarm vodka soda in her hand. "They have to want us here for something."

"Agreed," Spencer nodded. "We just have to stick around a little while longer."

Just then, they caught sight of Emily heading towards them, mumbling to herself angrily as she wiped her hands on the back of her sweater.

"That bathroom is getting way too gross," she complained when she reached them. "And the line is like a mile long. If you have to pee, I suggest the bush by the garage."

Spencer chuckled as Hanna handed Emily a napkin for her hands and patted her shoulder patronizingly. "Where's Ali?"

Emily's eyes snapped up quickly. "What do you mean 'where's Ali?' I left her here like fifteen minutes ago when I went to the bathroom."

Spencer frowned. "We thought she was with you, we haven't seen her since we split up."

Emily shook her head, panic slowly starting to seep in to her system. "She said she'd seen Aria and I saw her go look for you before I left."

"She never got to me," Aria countered worriedly.

"Alright, don't panic." Spencer said, noticing the way Emily's fists started clenching around the napkin in her hands. "Maybe she just got lost in the crowd. Try calling her."

Emily nodded as she reached for her phone, taking deep, calming breaths to soothe her quickly rising nerves. How could she have been so stupid? She'd only left Alison because she was sure she was with Aria, but now…

"Any luck?" Aria asked.

"Still ringing," Emily mumbled as she leaned against the drinks table with one hand. Please pick up, please pick up…Come on Ali. Suddenly she froze as her brain finally registered tremors under her hand. Was the table vibrating?

"What is it?" Hanna asked, noticing Emily tense.

Still holding the phone to her ear, Emily used her free hand to move the contents of the table around, shoving empty cups off the table and moving the bottles of tequila and vodka aside. Her blood ran cold when she finally shifted the punch bowl to find a gold iPhone vibrating on the table. She flipped the phone over with shaking fingers and whimpered when the caller ID flashed her own name on the screen.

Ali.

"Oh, fuck me." Hanna cursed, snatching the phone from Emily's hand just as the call dropped. Sure enough, the lock screen showed an old picture of the five of them from back before Alison first disappeared.

"We have to find her," Emily stated desperately.

"This has Mona written all over it," Hanna growled.

"We'll find her, Em," Spencer promised. "But Hanna's right. So we have to be smart about this. If someone took her, she's probably still around here."

"Should we split up?" Aria asked.

"Hell no." Hanna replied instantly. "One missing out of five is enough, like hell I'm letting anyone else get kidnapped tonight – or whatever it is that Ali is."

Spencer nodded. "Hanna's right. It might take a little longer but we'll be safer together."

Emily groaned, her eyes raking over Noel's huge backyard. Alison could be anywhere. She didn't even want to imagine what the blonde was going through right now, she couldn't even think about it without her stomach clenching painfully with desperation.

"This place is huge. We'd better start moving – now."

x-x-x

They'd been searching for what felt like hours. Emily couldn't begin to grasp how someone could have such a freaking huge backyard. Either Noel's backyard was the size of a football field, or they were going in circles, which at this point Emily started to think was a huge possibility since she was pretty sure she'd seen that shed at least twice by now.

The longer they took, the more danger Alison was in. Who knew if she was even still at the party?

That thought made Emily's stomach clench.

No, don't think like that.

"Wait," Aria stopped dead in her tracks, making Hanna almost run straight into her. "Do you hear that?"

Hanna gave her a strange look. "The music? Kind of hard to miss, Aria. The cops are probably dancing to it downtown."

Aria rolled her eyes. "Not the music, Hanna. It's like thumping, or like –" Her eyes locked on the tool shed they had just walked past. "Banging."

Emily followed Aria's line of sight and her heart froze. If she listened closely, she could hear some sort of thumping that didn't match the beat of the music playing back at the party. And was that shed's door rattling or were the vibrations from the music shaking it?

"The shed?" Spencer started, but Emily didn't waste any more time before taking off at a sprint. "Em, wait!"

The other three followed quickly behind her as the brunette reached the shed's door, only to find a heavy brass lock on the wooden door's handle. The door was in fact rattling hard, as if someone was trying to open it from the inside.

"Someone please help me!" Alison's voice was mostly drowned out by the music, but there was no doubt that the girl inside was hysterical. "Help! Please!"

"Alison!" Emily screamed, her hands fumbling with the lock futilely. She could hear the blonde practically sobbing, and it only fueled her desperation to get her out of there, to get her somewhere safe. "Ali, hold on!"

"Is someone there? Someone please help me!"

"Ali, it's us!" Spencer yelled over the music. "We're going to get you out, okay?"

"There has to be something we can use to break that lock," Aria did a full 360 degree circle on the spot, scanning for any heavy object that could be of some help. Spencer and Hanna checked around the shed as Emily continued to pull at the lock.

"Over here!"

Spencer waved them over to the far side of the shed where there was an empty, yet still decently heavy, fire extinguisher thrown aside. "Help me with this."

They managed to lift the fire extinguisher between Spencer and Hanna and they wobbled their way back to the door, where Aria pulled Emily aside to let them have a clear shot at the lock.

"Stand back, Ali." Emily yelled through the wall. She wasn't very sure Alison could hear them since the blonde hadn't stopped screaming for help since they'd arrived, but on the off chance that she could the brunette wanted to make sure that her girlfriend didn't get any more hurt than she might already be.

Spencer counted down from three and both she and Hanna charged at the door, heaving the fire extinguisher against the brass lock and letting it fall against the door. To their relief, the lock snapped open. Emily was quick to pull it off the hinge and kick the door wide open. Before any of them could react, a blur of blonde hair nearly tackled Emily to the ground as Alison rushed out of the shed and wrapped her arms around the brunette, shaking with quiet sobs.

"Thank God," the blonde cried softly.

"Shhh, it's alright." Emily soothed, her hands rubbing up and down the hysterical girl's back comfortingly. Alison's death grip on her neck was nearly choking her, and as Emily turned to kiss her forehead softly, her arms only tightened around the brunette's neck as if she were afraid Emily would disappear. "I've got you, Ali. You're okay."

The other three girls stood back, suddenly afraid to interrupt what had turned into an intimate moment between their two friends. Alison had only ever let them see her cry once, and the memory of her recounting of the night she disappeared would be permanently etched into their minds forever. Yet here they were seeing her with absolutely no pretenses, no walls, no anything. She clung to Emily as if the brunette was her lifeline, and watching them together they began to understand that in a way she was.

It took a few minutes, but Alison's sobs finally quieted until they subsided all together, leaving her shaking in Emily's arms as Emily continued to whisper soothing words of comfort into her ear.

"Is she okay?" Aria asked timidly.

Emily nodded, running her hand through Alison's blonde locks. Her girl's usually pristine hair was unusually tousled, as if she'd been dragging her hands through it constantly, which reflected the distress Alison must have felt at being trapped in that shed. Her heart ached for the broken mess of a girl she held in her arms. After everything they had talked about today and seeing her like this now, it only proved to her how truly traumatized the past few years had left Alison, how much the blonde still had to work through. They would only be able to heal properly once A was completely out of the picture, and Emily made a vow to herself at that moment that she wouldn't rest until they figured out who A was once and for all.

"I don't think she's hurt," Emily replied. "She's just freaked out."

Alison burrowed her head into Emily's neck, inhaling the sweet scent of her mermaid and letting it settle the rest of her jarred nerves. Being buried alive destroyed the little tolerance she'd had for enclosed spaces, and suddenly finding herself trapped in such a cramped, dark, humid place made every single memory from that night resurface in horribly vivid flashbacks. It barely took a few minutes once she was locked inside for her chest to tighten and for her to start hyperventilating.

Still, as soon as she'd felt Emily's arms around her, she felt safe. She felt sane.

"I'm – I'm ok-kay," she finally managed to stutter. She reluctantly pulled away from the safety of Emily's arms, wiping her damp cheeks with her palms. "I don't really do well with cramped spaces anymore."

"Understatement," Hanna muttered under her breath, to which she received a jab in the ribs from Spencer.

Emily's brow furrowed as she cupped Alison's cheeks in her hands, wiping away the remaining tears with the pads of her thumbs. "What happened, Ali? Who did this?"

"I don't know," the blonde replied with a shake of her head. "I thought I'd seen Aria but whoever I did see disappeared by the time I got to where she'd been. Next thing I know, someone's grabbing me from behind, stuffing something in my mouth and dragging me here."

"And you didn't see anything that might help us figure out who it was?" Aria asked.

"Hair color?" Hanna offered. "Skin color? Perfume?"

Alison shook her head, leaning into Emily's embrace as the brunette wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Nothing. I was panicking too much to focus on the details."

Spencer huffed in frustration. "So we have nothing."

Alison's gaze settled instantly on Spencer in a glare. "Excuse me. Next time I'm being dragged against my will, I'll remember to type some notes up for future reference." she snapped angrily.

Emily pressed her lips against Alison's temple. "Easy, babe. It's okay."

Alison closed her eyes and sighed, letting Emily's lips soothe her. When she opened her eyes again, she glanced at Spencer ruefully. "Sorry, Spence. I'm just really wound up."

"No kidding," Spencer snorted. Emily sent her a pointed look and her expression softened. "I know, it's okay."

"Let's just get out of here," Hanna's voice had a desperate tinge to it that did not go unnoticed by the other girls. "Clearly we're not going to find anything else here, and I don't know about you guys but I don't want to be out in the open for A's next hunting session."

"Yeah, we should go." Aria agreed.

Spencer took the lead as they headed back to the main party, the others at her heals. Emily pushed Alison in front of her, keeping her hands on the blonde's shoulders at all times. She wasn't about to let Alison out of her sight this time around until they were safely back at the car. The crowd of people had only grown in the time they'd spent searching, and they found themselves having to elbow their way through guys with beer helmets and horny couples just to be able to stick together.

"Where did we leave the car again?" Aria asked as they caught sight of Noel's back door a few yards away.

Alison pointed towards the backyard's side gate. "I think it's faster if we go this way." She grabbed Emily's hand tightly in her own and led the way, eager to just get the hell away from this place.

They were almost at the gate when suddenly a tall figure blocked their path.

"Well, well, well…look who showed up after all." Noel greeted with a smirk. "Nice of you girls to make it."

"Get out of my way, Noel." Alison demanded in a clipped voice, her grip on Emily's hand tightening. "We're leaving."

"Aw, leaving already?"

The five girls steeled when Mona suddenly appeared next to Noel and wrapped an arm around his waist. Emily pulled Alison closer to her side instinctively. Hanna hadn't been the only one to feel that Mona had something to do with what happened to Ali.

"What do you want, Mona?" Hanna asked blatantly.

"Jeez, Han, not even the courtesy of a simple hello?"

"You lost that right when you took the courtesy of locking Ali in Noel's shed," Emily snapped.

"Oh please," Mona scoffed. "Whatever she got into this time was her own doing. I didn't see her all night."

"And why do I find it so hard to believe you?" Spencer replied bitingly.

"Careful, Spence." Mona warned lowly, her smile cynical. "You might wanna watch where you throw your accusations."

"Is that a threat, Mona?" Alison asked darkly. Her eyes narrowed as she glanced between Noel and Mona. He wouldn't dare double cross her, would he?

Mona turned to Alison, her expression hardening as her smile turned into a smirk. "It's a warning. I'd be careful if I were you. You're not on your pedestal anymore, Ali, and you won't be able to hide behind your bitches forever."

Alison glared as her anger flared, stepping forward menacingly even as Emily held on to her tightly. "The only bitch I see here is you, Mona. You'd better stay the fuck out of our lives or –"

"Or what, Ali? You'll bury her? Make her Loser Mona again?" Noel argued, arching an eyebrow as if challenging her to counter.

"Just leave it, Ali." Emily murmured beside her, pulling back to her side.

Alison stood her ground for another moment, matching Noel's stare with a glare of her own. Oh, would he regret going against her. She'd make sure of it. Yet when Emily gave her hand another tug, she sighed and dropped her stance, leaning into her.

"Just get the fuck out of our way," Hanna said firmly. "We're done playing games, Mona. We're leaving."

Mona shrugged as she stepped out of the way, waving her hand dramatically in front of her in a go ahead gesture. "Suit yourself. Hope you had fun."

Alison snorted. As if.

"Hey Alison!"

The five of them turned in direction of the voice. Another guy – this one she vaguely recognized as one of Noel's lacrosse friends – was coming towards them with two drinks in hand.

"Not again," Emily groaned under her breath.

Alison smiled softly at that, squeezing her girl's hand comfortingly, but she couldn't help but agree. She was so not in the mood for another idiot trying to decipher her sexuality. "What do you want, Ray?"

The guy smirked as he approached them, looking Alison over appreciatively, making Emily's jaw clench. Never mind that she was holding hands with the blonde, no. He had to leer at the blonde right in front of her.

"You're looking kind of hot there, Ali."

Spencer groaned as Aria snorted and Hanna shook her head in disbelief.

Alison rolled her eyes. "I'm leaving, Ray. Anything else?"

Ray glanced behind him, to where the girls noticed a group of his buddies laughing and egging him on.

"Let's just go, Ali." Emily told her softly as she tugged on her hand.

Alison nodded. "Yeah, let's just –"

The four girls gasped as Ray threw one of his drinks in Alison's face, completely dousing the blonde's hair and clothes as his friends roared with laughter in the background.

"Thought I'd cool you off," Ray laughed, high fiving a random kid that walked past.

Alison sputtered as she wiped off her face with her hands, too stunned to even react. The girls immediately crowded around her to shield her from view. Emily turned to shoot the guys a glare, but when she noticed the people around them starting to laugh as they realized what was happening, her vision turned red.

In two strides she found herself in front of Ray and knocked his remaining drink out of his hand.

"Don't you assholes have anything better to do? You have no idea what she's been through – what any of us have been through! You have no right to stand there in all your fucking arrogance and judge –"

"Emily!"

Alison didn't even have time to get angry herself before Emily charged at them in fury. The blonde jumped to her senses and reached out to pull a fuming Emily back, wrapping her arm around the brunette's waist from behind as Spencer grabbed her by the arm.

"Just drop it, Em." Alison murmured into her ear. "It's not worth it." The blonde couldn't even bring herself to get upset over it. The sight of Emily so pissed on her behalf was so freaking hot she could barely even think straight.

"Let's just get out of here," Spencer said, squeezing Emily's shoulder comfortingly.

Emily breathed in deeply, still glaring daggers at the spot where the guys had been standing, now gone after her unexpected outburst. She felt Alison squeeze her waist and she finally nodded, letting the blonde lead her back to the car behind the other girls.

Hanna took charge in elbowing her way through the people that were stopping to stare, every once in a while throwing an occasional insult to anyone who seemed to want to say something about Alison's soaked appearance. It took a little longer than they would have wanted, but they finally reached Spencer's car, where they loaded in quickly and drove off without looking back.

x-x-x

"Well, that sucked," Emily sighed, throwing herself unceremoniously on Alison's bed when they finally settled in Alison's place.

Alison could only nod in reply as she took off her necklace in front of her vanity, her emotions running on high. How could Noel do this to her? Had he really had something to do with locking her up in that shed? She knew she had to be careful with how she retaliated this time. Mona had proved herself more cunning than Alison had given her credit for when she set her up with that video, but the blonde wasn't about to take her abuse lying down this time around. Whether or not Mona was A, she had to be put in her place.

"Are you sure you're okay? You were really quiet in the car."

Alison chuckled to herself as she slipped off her jacket. She had been quiet throughout the entire car ride, but not for the reason Emily was thinking of. Sure, she was livid about everything that had happened at the party, but seeing Emily go ballistic over her had her so freakishly turned on she had been on the verge of jumping the brunette's bones in the car. Avoiding contact with her girl was the only way she had managed to control herself in front of the others.

"Ali?" Emily's brow furrowed at Alison's silence. She stood from the bed and walked over to Alison's vanity where the blonde stood, placing her hands on the blonde's shoulders. "Talk to me, please."

Alison turned to face her, and Emily's breath hitched.

The blonde's crystal blue eyes were three shades darker than usual as she stared longingly at her mermaid with lust and adoration. Alison's hands landed on Emily's waist and immediately slipped under the fabric of her sweater, finding smooth, soft skin as she gently pushed Emily towards her bed.

"You have no idea –" She shoved Emily lightly, making the brunette land with a thud on her bed. "what you do to me," Alison climbed onto Emily's lap, her knees on the bed on either side of her as she straddled Emily's hips. "Emily Fields."

Emily opened her mouth to respond but found herself unable to do so when Alison's lips covered hers, her tongue taking advantage of Emily's parted lips and invading her mouth, exploring with deep, gentle swipes that made Emily moan into the blonde's mouth.

"Where is this coming from?" Emily panted once Alison pulled her lips away, latching them instead onto the smooth skin of Emily's neck.

Alison dragged her teeth over her mermaid's pulse point, smirking when Emily gasped above her. She kissed a trail up her neck and nipped playfully at her mermaid's ear. "You looked so fucking hot sticking up for me like that."

Emily chuckled breathlessly, tilting her head back to offer Alison better access to her neck. "Remind me to do that more often."

Emily slipped one of her hands into Alison's golden locks, dragging her mouth back to her own. Her hands landed on Alison's thighs, her fingers stroking the soft skin as she slowly inched her hands under the blonde's dress.

Alison ground her hips into her girl's lap, making them both moan. Emily slid her hands over Alison's ass and squeezed, holding the blonde against her before flipping them over, laying Alison on her back. Her eyes raked over the beauty underneath her – Ali's blonde hair was splayed out over the bed spread, her cheeks flushed as her chest heaved for oxygen.

Emily's heart fluttered. She was so beautiful.

"Hey," Alison lifted her hand to cup Emily's cheek, a soft smile playing on her lips. "Where did you go there?"

Emily smiled down at her fondly, shaking her head and turning to kiss Alison's palm. "I'm right here."

Alison's thighs fell open as Emily settled in between, a soft groan escaping her lips when Emily started pressing kisses over the swell of her breasts just above the hem of her dress. The pulsing ache between her legs only grew as Emily's hand glided up her side and cupped one of her breasts, her fingers teasing the hardened nipple over the thin fabric of her dress. Alison arched her back, pushing more of her breast into Emily's palm as she tangled her hand in the brunette's hair to drag her girl's lips back to her mouth.

Emily slid her hand up Alison's arm, her fingers fluttering over the bare skin of the blonde's shoulder before she dragged her nails back down her arm, pulling the strap of Alison's dress down with her and exposing her left breast. Immediately the swimmer's hand encased the soft globe in her palm, rolling the girl's nipple between her thumb and forefinger as she kissed a hard trail down Alison's jawline.

"Fuck, Em." Alison breathed harshly.

The blonde's hands trailed down Emily's back, swooping down to give her ass a firm squeeze, causing Emily to groan and roll her pelvis into Alison's center. Alison whimpered, her hips rubbing against Emily in a desperate search for friction to resolve the pulsing ache growing in her lower abdomen. As her hands trailed up her mermaid's back, she slipped them under Emily's sweater, pulling the fabric up as they went.

Emily took the hint and sat up, pulling her sweater over her head. Alison took a moment to admire the girl on top of her, a flurry of butterflies joining the throbbing heat in her abdomen at the sight of her beautiful girlfriend. Once Emily laid back down, Alison captured her lips in a searing kiss, distracting her enough to flip them over and straddle the brunette.

Now on top, Alison pinned Emily's hands to the bed with a playful smile, leaning down to teasingly capture her bottom lip between the two of hers and tug.

"So fucking beautiful," Alison whispered against Emily's lips, resting her forehead against the brunette's as their eyes met.

Emily's lips curved into a sweet smile. She cupped Alison's face in her hands and brought their lips together, kissing her softly, lazily.

Alison cupped Emily's breast over the material of her bra, making her girl gasp and allowing her the pleasure of slipping her warm tongue between her parted lips. At the first touch of her tongue against Emily's, Alison cursed breathlessly, rolling her hips in a slow circle that had them both moaning into each other.

Emily finally wrenched her lips away from Alison's with a heaving gasp, emitting a low groan as Alison kissed a wet trail down her chest.

"Ali – we should stop."

Alison squeezed Emily's left breast, her mouth moving to tease the other's nipple through her bra. "You sure about that?"

Emily's jaw dropped in a silent gasp and her back arched as Alison's lips wrapped around her nipple, her body aching to snap open her bra and feel the blonde's lips on her skin. Yet she knew – underneath the aching desire that pulsed within her – that she didn't want it to be this way.

"We should stop," she repeated more firmly.

Alison pulled her lips away from Emily's breast, her brow furrowing. "Did I do something wrong?"

Emily chuckled breathlessly as she cradled Alison's face in her hands and kissed her reassuringly. "God, no. Not even close."

Alison instantly relaxed, her brow smoothing as she tilted her head curiously. "Then what is it?"

Emily sat up, careful not to knock Alison off of her, and tucked a stray lock of blonde hair behind her girl's ear. "I love you, so much."

Alison beamed. "I love you too."

"I know," Emily smiled softly. She would never tire of hearing those words. "And as much as I want you – and believe me, I do,"

Alison grinned, wiggling her hips playfully, making Emily groan and grab her hips to make her sit still.

"When we finally do this, I want it to be completely about us," Emily finished. "I don't want Mona, or Noel, or A to have anything to do with it. Do you know what I mean?"

"I do," Alison sighed, her eyes twinkling. "You just want to keep me waiting, don't you?"

Emily laughed, wrapping her arms around her girl's waist. She lowered her lips to Alison's neck, brushing them along the column of her throat as Alison's breath hitched.

"Just wait until I get my hands on you," Emily whispered huskily, her tongue slipping past her lips to swirl along the hollow of Alison's throat. "It'll be worth the wait."

"Mmm," Alison moaned softly, her eyes fluttering closed with her mermaid's touch. She grasped Emily's cheeks, resting her forehead against the brunette's as her eyes opened and her lips curved into a seductive smile.

"I'll be looking forward to it."

x-x-x

First of all, I'm so so sorry this chapter took so long. My work load was a lot harder than I expected this semester and I was struggling with some personal issues, so my motivation for writing was at an all time low. I'm still dealing with it but thankfully I'm much better so I might be able to get some more updates in, but I can't make any promises.

I hope you liked this last chapter! It is by far the longest chapter I've ever written and I worked really hard on it to make it worth the wait. I can't thank you guys enough for all the positive feedback I've gotten. When I started this story, I originally thought it would just be a three part story, but it just kept expanding and expanding and reading all of your awesome reviews just made me want to keep writing.

You haven't heard the last of me! I know I still have to update Taking Care and I promise I will. It may take some time but I'm definitely not abandoning any stories.

Please Read and Review! I've loved hearing what you've thought so far. And thank you so much for sticking with this story until the end! It was an absolute pleasure to write.

Love you guys! xoxo