It took so long again, I'm so so sorry. Things have quieted down quite a bit, so it won't take so long next time round. Thank you as always for all the wonderful feedback and sticking with it, it's lovely (and encouraging) to know so many people have enjoyed this so far, and I hope you enjoy this update :)

Chapter 10: Fall

Emily took her time in the shower, using the time to herself to calm her mind. For all she knew she probably shouldn't be; it was a long time coming in retrospect, she was surprised by how quickly things had escalated between Paige and herself the night before, how easily the desperation and desire had taken over her; how easily it took over Paige. Her mind flitted back to the feel of Paige above her, inside her, all around her, her stomach dipping with excitement when she remembered last night was barely a prelude of things to come. That the next time they gave in to their desire for one another they would take things slow. Explore, learn.

She could strip Paige's clothing away, each time revealing more of the skin she'd so desperately desired beneath it; kiss her in places she had yet to kiss; touch her in places she had yet to touch. Feel their bodes pressed together, skin against skin, taste...

"Em! Is that you in there? You gotta get out I think I'm gonna puke."

Emily snapped from her thoughts at the sound of Hanna's recognizably groggy voice coming from outside the bathroom coupled with a loud banging against the door. Turning off the shower, she quickly wrapped a towel around herself, grabbing a smaller one for her hair before opening the door, barely getting it halfway open before Hanna was barging past her.

She dressed quickly; she couldn't pinpoint exactly where it was coming from, but she felt positively giddy at the prospect of seeing Paige again, even if they hadn't actually parted all morning besides the 30 minutes or so she'd spent getting dressed. She sat on her bed for a moment, once again trying to find some kind of calm, to quell some of the excitement bubbling within her. For all she and Paige had taken another step forward in their burgeoning relationship, she wanted to keep up the steady pace they had set thus far, unwilling to upset the balance they'd settled into.

Emily glanced down the hallway, frowning slightly at the sight of the empty couch, before her attention was redirected to the kitchen; hearing a loud clatter followed by a soft curse. She followed the sound down the hallway, a smile instantly tugging onto her lips at what she found.

Paige was bobbing about the kitchen from cupboard to cupboard, a pan on the hob, humming to herself before releasing another almost silent curse as she dropped an egg, scurrying around as she tried to clean it up. Emily let out a small chuckle at the action, Paige springing to a halt and her eyes widening as she realised Emily was watching her.

"What are you doing?" Emily asked, biting back a grin at Paige's feeble attempt to act cool and collected.

"Hey! Um, breakfast," Paige shrugged, pointing towards the pan on the hob. "I saw Hanna…she looks like a corpse this morning, so I figured…you don't mind me sticking around for a little longer right?"

"Why would I mind?" Emily asked, watching as Paige turned her attention back to the pan.

"You're bound to get sick of me sometime," Paige said with a chuckle, moving back to the pan on the hob and flipping the pancakes.

Emily didn't answer, instead taking a seat at the table and fixing her gaze on Paige, smiling at Paige's apparent ease in the kitchen, the almost methodical way she was preparing breakfast and the slight hint of nervousness she could pick up on as she realised Paige could feel her eyes on her.

She could get used to this.

"Are you okay?" Paige asked as Emily went quiet, her eyes still fixed on the pan in front of her.

"Very okay," Emily said with a soft smile.

"You sure?" Paige asked, turning to Emily to see the other girl nodding. She turned off the hob and glanced around the kitchen. "Do you have a plate?"

"I do," Emily nodded, standing up and making her way towards Paige, placing her hands either side of Paige on the counter, effectively trapping her.

"Can I have it?" Paige said, pointing a thumb in the direction of the discarded pancakes behind her. Emily nodded once again, only to lean forward and press her lips to Paige's, an ever-growing smile still on her lips. She kissed Paige softly once, twice, before slowly gliding her tongue over her bottom lip, their tongues meeting briefly as Emily deepened the kiss. Paige's hands came up to cup Emily's face before Emily finally pulled away, smirking at Paige's flushed cheeks before walking to the opposite side of the kitchen, handing Paige a small plate.

"What was that for?" Paige asked, looking slightly dazed as she placed the plate down, watching intently as Emily leant back against the counter opposite her.

"No reason," Emily shrugged. Paige plated up the pancakes while Emily moved to grab some syrup, taking the plate from Paige and setting it down on the table before grabbing Paige's wrist to stop her from taking a seat. "Thank you."

"For what?" Paige asked, lifting her hand to toy lightly with the tips of Emily's hair.

"Breakfast," Emily said with a smile, wrapping her arms around Paige's neck; Paige's hands instinctively coming to rest on Emily's hips. "And just…for always planning our dates, cooking when I come over, making us little hideaways on rooftops, just…thank you."

"It's my pleasure," Paige smirked, making Emily giggle slightly as she bypassed her lips and kissed the tip of her nose softly.

"I'm going to make it up to you," Emily proclaimed, burying her face into Paige's shoulder, closing her eyes and sighing happily. Paige's arms were quickly becoming one of her favourite places to be.

"You are?" Paige chuckled a little, pulling back slightly to try to gauge just what Emily meant. "You know, you showing up kind of makes it worth my while anyway."

"You make me feel special," Emily mumbled into Paige's neck; their proximity or perhaps the simple ease that always seemed to come hand in hand with Paige's company making her feel comfortable enough to say that aloud and share it with the other girl. "I want to do the same for you."

You do. Paige bit back the words, instead settling for tugging Emily closer, hoping Emily couldn't hear the frantic beating of her heart. It was taking over her. More correctly Emily was taking over her. It felt a little surreal, Emily talking about her like that, holding onto her so tightly. It barely felt real; it wasn't often the things she wanted came to her so easily. And she wanted Emily, desperately. She felt her pulse quicken further, burying her nose into Emily's hair to try to mask her breathing as the panic began to set in. It was too much; the feeling she got when Emily would touch her, was near her, it was indescribable. And terrifying. And perfect. It was no longer something she could control.

She couldn't decide whether she wanted to control it, or if she was happy to let it consume her.

"Paige McCullers, you are my hero."

Paige looked to the doorway to find Hanna padding into the kitchen, still looking a little worse for wear, her eyes thankfully fixed on the food on the table as Paige quickly untangled herself from Emily's embrace. The blonde took a seat, hastily piling the pancakes onto her plate, completely oblivious to the way Emily's eyes were now glued to the slightly amusing panic on Paige's face.

"Are you two sitting down? Grab some soon or else I'm going to eat them all, you've been warned," Hanna added through a mouthful, Emily taking her seat.

"I'm going to go get dressed," Paige said with a smile. "Enjoy though."

"You want me to save you some?" Emily asked, pointing to the way Hanna was practically shovelling her food into her mouth, Paige shaking her head in response.

"I'll get something later," she smiled, leaning down to peck Emily's lips firmly, making it to the kitchen door before realising her mistake.

She turned hoping to find Hanna too distracted by her breakfast to have noticed, only to find Hanna's eyebrow raised quizzically, Emily's eyes fixed on her. "Um…"

She mouthed a quick sorry before turning on her heel and continuing down the hallway, feeling slightly cowardly for leaving Emily to face Hanna's certain questioning alone; yet at the same time she wanted Emily to be able to tell Hanna whatever it was she had told Spencer without having to do it in front of her. For whatever reason she felt this relationship was still very much on Emily's terms.

"What was that?" Hanna asked expectantly. Emily's mouth opened to speak, before she closed it and shrugged. She could see the grin forming on Hanna's face out of the corner of her eye. "Paige just kissed you! And you were all cuddled up when I walked in here…Well?"

"Paige and I…" Emily began, unable to think of where to begin. Thankfully the look of realisation was already dawning on Hanna's face, Emily simply giving Hanna a nod to the silent question she was asking.

"Oh my god!" Hanna exclaimed in a hushed voice, giddily squeaking as she bounced in her seat. "If I didn't feel like a truck ran me over last night I'd kiss you myself! You and Paige? Finally! What the hell took you so long? How did it happen? Did you get frisky on the couch? Are you actually like dating now?"

"Hanna," Emily said rubbing her temples, now realising that her morning was going to be spent getting the third degree from her friend. "It's…kind of a long story."

For all it was a relief, everything being out in the open, a part of Emily sort of wished it wasn't; that she could rewind the past 48 hours, and go back to Paige being her secret. It made her feel selfish, the idea that she wanted to hide her relationship with Paige, because she really didn't, not at all. She liked dating Paige, the more time she spent thinking about it the luckier she felt to be doing so. She liked that there was never any pressure. Like Paige herself said, she was happy for the two of them to just be. They were just Emily and Paige, two people who happened to rather like each other.

She had a feeling that this was going to happen once Hanna found out. Hanna, through not fault of her own and with no cruel intentions, seemed to have developed a certain knack for pointing out all the things Emily and Paige had left unsaid or undecided.

Like now for instance. Much like the week before, Hanna suggested they pop in to see Paige as Emily drove her back from visiting her Mom, and Emily naturally jumped at the chance. She hadn't seen Paige for two days, and there was something about simply being near Paige that always made her day a little brighter.

She was happy, of course she was happy that Hanna was so happy for her, it was just another thing to add to the ever-growing list of reasons that admitting her feelings for Paige had been the right choice. But it was still all so new. Fragile and new. For all Paige was behind the counter, Emily was certain that she would be able to hear at least half the things Hanna was saying, most of them about Paige. Paige and Emily to be exact.

"What is taking her so long," Hanna whined, staring at the counter like it would magically make Paige come over quicker.

"Hey, stop whining," Emily said, frowning at the other girl. "She looks really busy, don't be a brat."

"Sorry," Hanna said, a small smirk forming on her lips. "Aww, look at you! Getting all protective over your girlfriend."

There it was. Unsaid and undecided.

"Hanna," Emily said warningly, she was already growing tired of the girlfriend quips.

"I still can't believe you never told me," Hanna said shaking her head for about the fifth time that day, holding her hand up as Emily began to protest. "I get why, you don't need to explain. Again."

"She's not my girlfriend, don't call her that," Emily stressed after about the third time of Hanna using the word, feeling kind of ridiculous for doing so. If Paige wasn't her girlfriend then what was she? But then again, there was a reason they had decided to leave it at 'I like you, and you like me' for the time being.

"She basically is," Hanna shrugged with a grin. "What? Why are you acting so weird about it?"

"I'm not being weird," Emily began, frowning as she spoke.

It was only a word, she knew it shouldn't be bothering her this much. Paige was practically her girlfriend, or would be eventually. At some point. Maybe even now.

If she was to be truly honest, she wanted to be her girlfriend. The more time she spent with Paige the happier she was. But she also liked this version of them. The no pressure version of them. She didn't want a simple word like girlfriend upsetting their balance.

"I just…the last thing I want is to be getting into another serious relationship so soon." It was only half a lie.

"Uh, that doesn't really work when the first thing you want is Paige," Hanna teased once again. Emily groaned.

"Look I like this, as we are now, I'm happy," Emily shrugged, trying to brush the conversation off quickly, Paige throwing her a quick grin from across the café, seemingly oblivious. "It's just a little too early for the G word. I don't want to…upset the balance by putting a label on things too soon."

"Okay…"

"I know it sounds stupid, but whenever I hear the word girlfriend all I think of is Ellie," Emily said, getting flustered.

"Please tell me you aren't thinking of ditching Paige for Ellie, ugh Em! I swear I'd disown you," Hanna said, crinkling her nose in disgust. "Well, I'd support you because I love you, but inside I'd be really really pissed off."

"That's not what I meant," Emily sighed, trying to think of the best way to explain it. Every time she heard the word 'girlfriend' all she could picture, no matter how hard she tried not to, was Ellie, but not in the way Hanna thought. It was how quickly she and Ellie had become official during college, and how slowly they'd let that relationship die, how easily they ended up strangers. If she was certain of anything it was that she never wanted that to happen with Paige. "We go serious far too early on, and look what happened to us Han, I don't want that to happen with Paige. So can you just stop calling her my girlfriend, for now? She is not my girlfriend…"

"Hi," Paige said, making her presence known behind them.

Emily turned to find her standing sheepishly, two plates in hand. Emily's stomach dropped a little at the prospect of Paige overhearing her.

"You guys ordered well," Paige smiled, Emily worrying that she was avoiding eye contact.

"Do you get a break?" Hanna asked casually, clearly sensing the slight awkwardness in the air.

"I have to work through it today. In the back. So um, I probably won't be out here when you guys are done," Paige shrugged. "I'll see you Friday though, birthday girl."

"Don't remind me, I'm so old," Hanna sighed, tucking into her food.

"Twenty-three is hardly old, Han," Emily chuckled, happy to see a small smile appearing on Paige's face at her words.

"I should get back," Paige said, motioning behind her to a stern looking woman, Emily deciding it was most likely her boss.

"Paige…" Emily began, intending to say something, anything to try to explain the things Paige may have heard her saying, only to be cut off, somewhat surprisingly, by Paige's soft lips on her own.

"I'll call you. You look great today by the way, as always." Paige said, giving her a small smile, squeezing her shoulder softly before walking towards the stern woman, the two exchanging what appeared to be heated words before Paige disappeared into the kitchen.

"Yeah, she's not your girlfriend," Hanna said sarcastically, Emily rolling her eyes. "But if she's not…she should be."

"So let me get this straight; you won't talk to Hanna until you've found this guy, who's address, surname…basically anything useful to us you don't know, out of the slight possibility…we're talking slight, that he might know another guy who just might be able to offer shabby evidence in her Mom's not existent appeal?" Paige sat back with a sigh. "I'm all for eternal optimism, and I love a grand gesture…but this is a serious long shot."

"It's what started the whole break up," Caleb said, shaking his head. "She'd found this guy and I scared him off. I need to fix that if she's going to even consider taking me back…"

"No you don't," Paige said sternly. "It doesn't need fixing. All those things left unsaid need resolving, and then you can work from there. Together, you and Hanna. How that goes, you have no control over."

"I still don't believe you," Caleb said with a shake of the head; for some reason that was oblivious to Paige he still believed that Hanna didn't want to see him again.

"Well you should." She shrugged. "She leaves for New York in two weeks. It's her birthday on Thursday…"

"Friday." Caleb corrected.

"See? So can we just drop the crap? I just want to wrap you in a big bow and be like ta da! Happy birthday Hanna."

"Very funny," Caleb rolled his eyes. "I'll make you a deal. I'll meet up with Hanna if you talk with your Dad."

"Cos that's a fair trade," Paige scoffed, the comment seemingly coming out of nowhere. "Hanna and you, there's a real chance of a happy ending there. My Dad and I…honestly, I think that ship has sailed."

"So what?" Caleb asked, Paige bracing herself for a talking to. "You see your family as and when, say hi to your Mom once in a while, knowing how much it kills her when you disappear for weeks on end? Spend the holidays alone because you can't go home? What about Evan, don't you think it's confusing for him to see you and then go back to a house where everyone acts like you don't exist?"

"I think about that all the time," Paige said sadly.

"People change Paige," Caleb said. "Maybe not his views, or his attitude, but a guy with health like his? Surely he's figured out by now that life's too short to be disowning children."

Paige opened her mouth to protest, before sighing as she realised he was right. Maybe it wasn't just her that their rift was effecting.

"Whatever, still not a fair trade."

"Oh my god!" Emily laughed in disbelief, looking down to see cake mixture all over her clothes but most annoyingly of all, all over her face and in her… "It's in my hair Paige."

"You knew coming into this that I'm a messy cook," Paige shrugged, grinning goofily, Emily taking a moment to note that Paige was similarly covered in cake mix. Hanna's birthday was in two days, and as promised the week before Spencer had delegated the task of birthday cake to Emily. Paige had kept her word from earlier in the week, and here they were, baking together, even if most of the ingredients were all over both of them instead of in the cake tins. Paige, for all she was messy, also seemed to have a thing for food fights.

"You did this on purpose," Emily said pointedly, watching as Paige tried her best to hold in a laugh.

"Maybe…" Paige said, ducking as Emily flicked some flour in her direction.

It started out tamely enough, Emily throwing some more flour in Paige's direction, Paige retaliating by catapulting some cake mix at Emily from her spoon, until somehow it had escalated to the two of them chasing each other around the kitchen.

They chased each other around the counter, shrieking and giggling until Emily finally caught onto Paige, smushing a handful of icing into Paige's shoulder only to misjudge her footing; sending both girls tumbling to the ground with a thud.

"Are you okay?" Emily said as she rubbed the shoulder she'd landed on, lifting herself off of Paige and giggling slightly at the mess of the girl beneath her. "Sorry."

"You will be," Paige giggled, quickly reversing their positions, now hovering above Emily, softly brushing away some flour from her cheek.

Emily lay still, reaching up to twirl a some of Paige's hair between her fingertips as it hung loose, waiting patiently for Paige to move, but not really wanting her to. Thankfully Paige began to lean down, pecking Emily's lips chastely before pulling back, grinning as Emily lifted herself slightly to connect their lips softly once again, her hands coming to rest on Paige's lower back.

The atmosphere had changed noticeably; seeing the want creeping into Paige's eyes caused Emily to shiver in anticipation. Paige's lips were on hers again within an instant, Emily moaning into the kiss at the slight forcefulness of it along with Paige's weight above her, effectively pinning her to the ground. Paige broke away from the kiss, only to begin trailing heated kisses down Emily's neck, her teeth grazing the skin every now and then, eliciting a moan from the other girl.

Emily Fields was intoxicating.

Paige couldn't come up with any other word for it. There was something about being this close to her that clouded all of her senses, she could feel herself straining hard to hold back. The effort it was taking to keep her kisses leisurely, to trail them down Emily's neck but resist the urge to continue down further was driving her insane. She could feel herself becoming more insistent, nipping and sucking, her hands beginning to roam beneath Emily's shirt, Emily whimpering beneath her.

"Paige…" Emily's voice was breathy, and it only served to drive Paige on. Touching her was no longer enough. She needed to see her, all of her.

Emily's hands tangled into Paige's hair, tugging Paige up again until their lips reconnected. Their tongues battled, though neither girl managed to gain the upper hand. Emily let out a surprised squeak, feeling Paige's hands beginning to make quick work of the buttons of her shirt.

"Paige!" Emily gasped, Paige's hands stilling instantly as their eyes met.

"Too fast?" Paige asked, still trying to catch her breath.

"Dawn," Emily said with a shake of her head. Paige understood, recalling the last time things had started to get hot and heavy in her apartment; she was certain no party would be happy should Dawn catch them again, especially considering the state of the kitchen.

"Right," Paige said, helping Emily up and straightening out her clothes. "And cake, we should really y'know…actually bake some of this," Paige added, motioning to the mess that covered them and most of the kitchen.

"Or we could…" Emily began, her eyes flitting to the doorway before blushing slightly as Paige looked at her with a quirked eyebrow. "…you're right we should get this finished."

Paige nodded in understanding, trying her best to calm the desire coursing through her. She would just have to be patient.

"You don't think it's too much?" Paige asked sceptically, standing back and looking at the cake they had finally managed to finish.

"This is Hanna we're talking about Paige, the bigger the better," Emily laughed, wiping away the last of the remnants of their food fight from the kitchen counter. "What are you doing?" she asked, watching Paige scribbling something down onto a post-it.

"Writing Dawn a note telling her to keep her hands off the cake," Paige smiled, sticking the post it in front of the plate. "If she get's home late, she's normally got the munchies."

"Do you mind if I borrow some clothes to head home in? And maybe take a shower? It'll be kind of a giveaway if Hanna sees me like this, don't you think?" Emily asked, motioning to her flour stained clothing from their food fight earlier. Paige let out a little laugh, looking down to see that she was in a similar state. How they'd gotten the kitchen so clean afterwards was a mystery. She made her way towards Emily, bringing her hands up to rest on the other girls hips.

"You can take a shower," Paige said, pausing for a moment before leaning forward to kiss Emily softly. "And borrow some clothes," she smirked, kissing Emily softly once again. "But do you have to go home tonight?"

"You want me to spend the night?" Emily asked, feeling her pulse quicken slightly at the prospect.

"I do," Paige smiled, trying her best to mask her own nervousness and keep her eyes fixed on Emily. "If you want to."

"I do," Emily said, biting back a grin.

"Fresh towels are in the cabinet in the bathroom, clothes are in my dresser. Dump these outside the bathroom and I'll throw our stuff in the laundry," Paige smiled, unable to resist leaning in to peck Emily's lips once more. "Go ahead, I'll finish up here."

"I'll try not to take too long," Emily said, smiling thankfully before making her way out of the kitchen.

Paige turned back to the sink, washing the dishes one by one, trying not to let her nerves take over her. She knew there was no reason to be nervous, she and Emily had stayed together before, been intimate before, and she was fairly confident that both she and Emily wanted to do that again, and tonight. Slowly this time. And naked.

She turned the tap off in a panic, glancing down the corridor to check Emily had shut the bathroom door behind her before running hastily to her bedroom.

"Shit," she sighed, looking from left to right, cursing herself as she took in the unkemptness of the room. She ran around hurriedly, picking up clothes from the floor and kicking any random clutter she came across under her bed, straightening her covers out as she passed them.

"Paige?" She startled slightly, turning to find Emily peeking her head around the door. "I can't figure out how to work your shower."

"Oh, It sticks sometimes. I'll show you," Paige said, dropping the pile of clothes she'd collected in the corner and making her way into the hallway, her brain short-circuiting as she watched Emily sauntering down the hallway in nothing but a towel.

"Paige?" Emily said as she reached the bathroom, turning to find Paige standing still outside her room.

"Sorry," Paige said, realising she'd been caught gawking as she hurried into the bathroom. "You turn this like this…and um, this one for the temperature."

"I think I've got it." Emily said, turning to find Paige once again glued to the spot, her eyes fixed on Emily's left hand; the one that was gripping her towel.

"Right," Paige said, her eyes snapping up to Emily's with a brisk smile before making her way to the door. "Enjoy."

"Paige?" Emily's voice stopped her again, Paige turning to find Emily looking at her intently. "Um…" Emily began, motioning to the shower, before seemingly changing her mind about whatever she was about to ask and turning away from her. Paige watched as Emily exhaled shakily, dropping the towel after a beat, Paige's jaw hanging open as she caught the slightest glimpse of Emily's bare skin before the other girl pulled across the shower curtain. "Thanks."

Paige took her time getting cleaned up, needing the moment alone to calm her racing mind. She was practically buzzing with anticipation about what could happen.

She gave herself another quick once-over in the mirror, deciding she'd gotten rid of the majority of the mess before making her way back towards her bedroom.

The sight she was greeted with made her mind short-circuit for the third time that evening. Emily was lying on her bed, wearing nothing but one of Paige's shirts, buttoned up only partly, her long legs crossed as she played around on her phone, Paige's mouth running dry as she trailed her eyes up over the exposed skin.

"Hey," Emily said, scooting up the bed as Paige sat down beside her, pulling her knees up to her chest.

"Hi," Paige said, taking comfort in the fact that Emily also seemed a little nervous.

"I figured I'd just wait in here," Emily began, placing her phone on the bedside table. "I didn't know what you wanted to do tonight."

"Whatever you like," Paige shrugged. "Movie?"

"I'm sort of comfortable here," Emily said biting her lower lip, scooting a little closer to Paige. Paige leant in ever so slightly with a smirk of her own, only to be cut off by Emily reaching for her phone once again, the kiss landing awkwardly on Emily's shoulder.

"Sorry," Emily said, turning to Paige apologetically as she tapped out a quick reply to the message, making a show of turning her phone off after it sent. "Ellie needed…"

"You still talk to Ellie?" Paige said, a little more jealousy creeping into her tone than she cared for. As ridiculous as she knew it was deep down, she still had an underlying fear that Emily was going to eventually wake up and realise she wanted her old life back. That this was all a surreal dream that was going to end sooner or later.

"Not really no," Emily said, setting her phone back down and turning to face Paige. "Never to be honest. I start at her dad's place on Monday, and she needs, well she claims she needs my email address so he can send me some forms over…though why he can't ask me himself I don't know, or why she doesn't already have it considering…"

"She obviously just misses you," Paige shrugged, tugging at Emily until she was straddling Paige's waist, Emily lacing their fingers together to balance herself, blushing slightly at the way Paige's eyes raked over her. "I mean…look at you. It must suck being your ex."

"I'm sure there are plenty girls out there that feel the same way about you," Emily said, softly brushing a strand of hair behind Paige's ear.

"I doubt it. I've never really been one for girlfriends," Paige said nonchalantly, Emily stiffening slightly at the strange coldness to Paige's words. Paige frowned, she hadn't meant it like that.

"Come here," Paige said, shaking her head. She knew she needed to stop talking before she said something that could ruin tonight. She could only think of one sure-fire way to make sure she kept her mouth shut.

Cupping Emily's cheek softly, she tugged Emily closer, letting her lips linger just close enough for Emily to take the hint and close the distance between them.

The kiss soon grew heated, Paige noting the little nips and sucks Emily was lavishing onto her bottom lip. Emily pushed Paige back against the headboard as she pulled away, sitting up and smirking down at the girl. She swept her hair back before leaning down and kissing Paige passionately, goosebumps gracing her skin as she felt Paige's hands ghosting over her bare thighs. She trailed them upwards, cupping Emily's ass over her underwear, revelling in the feel of the soft lace beneath her fingertips, her fingertips digging into the supple flesh, unable to hold back the moan that escaped her lips. Emily pulled back from the kiss, her eyes closed as she exhaled shakily.

"Everything okay?" Paige asked in concern, looking up at Emily who had frozen still.

"It's just been a while," Emily blushed. "I know we…the other night? I just mean it's been a while since…I haven't really been with that many people…"

"I get you," Paige nodded, Emily relaxing sightly at the way Paige was looking up at her with kind concern in her eyes, the kind she was beginning to associate with Paige.

Paige reached up to cup Emily's cheek softly before leaning in to peck her lips. She knew that for all they had slept together earlier that week, tonight was going to be wholly different. They were sober this time, both from alcohol and the romantic air of the set-up on the roof. Things were going to be slow, clothes were going to be shed, their desperation from earlier was going to be replaced with a different kind of intimacy. "We'll just go slow yeah?"

Emily leant down, kissing Paige firmly in response, the two soon falling back into the rhythm they had set up before. Emily slipped her tongue into Paige's mouth, moaning into the kiss as she felt Paige's hands once again giving her ass a quick squeeze.

She sat back again, locking eyes with Paige as she began to slowly unbutton her shirt. Paige's breath caught slightly as Emily's stomach came into view, her eyes trailing upwards to find the shirt hanging loosely around her chest, just enough to teasingly reveal the swell of her breasts.

"Shouldn't you get that?" Paige looked up to find Emily pointing at her phone, coming out of her daze to recognise the ring tone was her own.

"I think it can wait," Paige smirked before rearing up, capturing Emily's lips in a deep kiss, her hands sliding beneath Emily's shirt to wrap around her waist. It wasn't long until Emily was tugging at the hem of Paige's shirt, pulling it up and off before reconnecting their lips once again. Paige began hastily pushing Emily's shirt from her shoulders, the feeling of their bare stomachs coming into contact making her crave even more.

"Maybe it's important," Emily sighed, pulling back as the phone began blaring a second time. Paige groaned as Emily climbed off of her, frowning as she watched Emily beginning to button her shirt.

"Hold on," Paige said, stilling Emily's hands with her own before answering the phone.

"Hi, um I'm kind of busy right…" Emily's brow furrowed as she felt Paige's hand slipping away, watching as Paige scooted to the edge of the bed as she talked. "It's just right now's not the best…he what? Is he okay? Ok I'll call you when I get there."

"Everything okay?" Emily asked in concern as Paige hung up, watching as Paige slumped back onto her bed.

"Yeah…um, I'm sorry Em I've got to go," Paige sighed, sitting up and giving Emily an apologetic look. "My Mom had to take my Dad to the hospital and she doesn't really like leaving Evan alone and Caitlin is dodging curfew, so I have to go over there and maybe pick her first..."

"Is he okay?" Emily asked, watching Paige shrug in slight discomfort in response.

"I'm sorry," Paige said again, finally locating her shirt and tugging it on.

"Are you okay Paige?" Emily asked once again, standing up to get dressed only to remember her clothes were in the laundry.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine," Paige said, Emily staying quiet despite not believing the other girl. She knew Paige and her Father didn't get along, but she hadn't failed to notice the serious shift in Paige's demeanour since the phone call ended, or the panic etched on her face. She had yet to actually find out what was actually wrong with him or what was going on with Paige's family as a whole for that matter, but she also knew it was a sensitive subject, one that perhaps wasn't any of her business.

"Do you want me to go with you?" Emily asked, instantly regretting the question at the way Paige visibly stiffened. "Or if you like I could go find Caitlin and drop her off on my way home, save you a trip."

"No, no that's a terrible idea," Paige said, regretting her words as she caught sight of the slight hurt gracing Emily's face. For all she hated the fact, since her conversation with her Mother about Emily a few weeks earlier the first thing that had popped into her mind was her Father's request that she kept her at arm's length around her siblings. "Uh I just mean…I didn't mean terrible."

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked." Emily said as she stood, sitting back down dejectedly once again remembering she didn't have any clothes to change in to.

"No, no, thank you for offering its just," Paige began, frantically trying to come up with a reason that didn't make her sound like an asshole. "My family is complicated. If my Mom came home and saw you there and asked about you…Emily she can't even say the word girlfriend so if she knew I actually have a girl…" Paige's eye's dropped to the ground at the slip, her mind instinctively flitting back to the memory of overhearing Emily insisting to Hanna that she wasn't Paige's girlfriend earlier that week. She understood Emily's reasoning, but it had stung none the less. "Not that you're my…"

"Girlfriend." Emily finished, noting the panic on the other girls face. Perhaps they were going to have this conversation sooner rather than later. Something about how panicked Paige had become was beginning to worry her.

"Sorry," Paige began, moving away as Emily reached out for her. "I didn't mean to imply…"

"Paige it's okay…"

"It's not, you don't want that, I understand," Paige said with a forced smile, Emily's heart sinking as she realised Paige had overheard her talking to Hanna, and had clearly got the wrong impression.

"If this is about what I said to Hanna it had nothing to do with not wanting…"

"I should really get going," Paige said, hastily grabbing her jacket from the floor. "You don't have to leave right away, just take your time to get ready, the door locks behind itself."

"But Paige…" Emily said once again, starting to worry slightly about the sudden distance between them.

"I need to go." Paige smiled briefly, leaning down to kiss Emily's cheek before making her way out of the bedroom.

There was something about seeing her childhood home that always gave Paige a sense of longing. It wasn't how you were supposed to feel when you went home after being away for a while, she knew that. It was meant to feel…well like home. Safe. For some reason it always filled her with a sense of dread, and on the days when the dread wasn't there it was replaced with emptiness. She didn't know which one she preferred, or if she had a preference. She just wanted it to feel like home again, like her home. She was growing tired of feeling so out-of-place.

Evan was fast asleep on her lap, a quick glance to the clock letting her know she had been there well over 3 hours, Paige deciding she must have dozed off herself. With some effort she picked him up, carrying him up to his room. She wandered across the hallway, peeking her head into Caitlin's room, thankful that the younger girl hadn't tried to sneak out; a regular occurrence when her parents were away.

She hesitated for a moment, her eyes instinctively flitting down the hallway as she clicked the door shut. It occurred to her that it was very possible she hadn't been on the second story of the house since she'd moved out. Figuring there was nothing stopping her, she crept down the hallway towards her old bedroom, slowly pushing the door open and stepping inside.

It was the strangest feeling. The room felt so familiar yet at the same time it was like another world. As if she had stepped into an alternate universe, that somewhere in some other dimension there was a girl who was a little like her that resided in this room, this room that had gone untouched and unchanged since she was eighteen years old. She quickly pulled the door closed, squeezing her eyes shut to try to block out any memory of that girl and the memories she'd so desperately avoided since she had left; the memories she still desperately pushed away now she'd returned.

She hurriedly made her way back down the staircase, intent on napping on the couch until her Mother woke her and then she would get the hell out of here. This wasn't her home. Not anymore. For all she knew she needed to fix that, she was also fairly certain she wasn't ready to.

The universe, it seemed, didn't really care if she was ready or not. At the sound of a key in the lock she stopped dead in the hallway, her limbs frozen as she realised her Mom was home sooner than expected.

It wasn't her Mom that her eyes settled on.

Four years perhaps, that was how long since she'd last saw him properly. It was only ever at a glance since she'd moved back to Philadelphia. He looked smaller. Thinner. Older. Somehow less towering than he used to be. But he still terrified her. And at the same time, she felt the overwhelming desire to run into his arms and beg for forgiveness.

"Paige, you're still awake," her Mother said, smiling softly at her as she tugged off her jacket. Paige gave her a quick smile in response, her eyes once again fixing on her Father. She willed herself to speak; fate had done the hard part for her and got them in the same room, she had to make the most of it.

"Are you okay Dad?" She asked, the word Dad feeling foreign on her tongue. She couldn't actually decide what it was she actually wanted to say to him now that the opportunity had presented itself, and enquiring about his health seemed like the easiest option.

"You can go now."

His response was like a punch to the gut. It was like he hadn't even registered her presence. She couldn't even remember whether he'd even bothered to look at her since he entered the house. It hadn't hit her until now, until she was around him, how desperately she'd actually wanted to see him. To speak to him. To try to put the past behind them. It appeared he did not feel the same way.

It was all too much. She didn't know whether she wanted to scream in anger or cry in despair.

"Paige honey it's late, you should stay here tonight…" her Mother began but the words barely registered. Paige had hardly even noticed that she'd began tugging on her coat. She had to leave. She couldn't stand to be in the house any longer.

She couldn't even bring herself to flash her Mom the apologetic look she had grown accustomed to giving her every time she left. She didn't even want to think of what would happen if her Mom began berating her Father for disregarding Paige so easily once she was out of earshot.

Her feet had taken over her mind, hastily making their way to the front door, a barely there goodbye escaping her lips before she ran out into the night.

Paige yawned, stretching out as she entered her apartment. She almost hadn't come back, having to fight the urge to drive as far as she could, start over in a brand new city. She knew she couldn't keep running. She was stronger than that now.

It was almost light out. She had left her parents house around midnight, only now realising as she took in the light creeping into the night sky that she'd been driving around aimlessly for most of the night. She popped her head into the kitchen, thankful at least that Dawn had apparently heeded her warning; Hanna's cake was still intact.

Last night had drained her. Earlier that week she had taken Caleb's words on board, she knew Caleb was right; she couldn't keep using her Father's poor health as an excuse to avoid him, if anything she knew deep down it should be a reason to not avoid him any longer. She had begun cooking up ways to talk to him since that day; thinking of things to say, a plan to fix things, fix them. But now it was beginning to dawn on her that it wasn't just her job to make the effort. He had to try too. And for the first time in a long time she felt pain, real pain as she realised perhaps he simply didn't want to. The entire thought, coupled with the severe lack of sleep she was beginning to feel had her craving her bed; for sleep and for silence.

Her brow furrowed in confusion as she entered her bedroom, wondering why on earth Dawn was asleep in her bed.

It soon became clear that it wasn't Dawn snoozing beneath the covers.

"Emily?"

She slowly padded over to her bed to find Emily sleeping softly, Paige taken aback by how much of a comfort her still being here was right now. She smiled at the sight; she found Emily beautiful on pretty much every occasion, but there was something about how content Emily seemed to look whilst sleeping that made her even more beautiful in Paige's eyes. She tugged off her jeans, slipping beneath the covers and sighing at the comfort, her eyes once again settling on Emily.

Looking across at her then she knew, just knew that Emily had her completely. There was nothing she could do to change it. It scared her a little, how much of a hold she had allowed one person to have over her, how much she now craved the other girl and how little she could do to change it. It was terrifying in a way, how much want she could feel coursing through her veins, how she could feel so comfortable with yet simultaneously so terrified of someone. She knew it was more than just lust, that she had fallen hard; there was no going back now. She had no control. Emily could break her, easily. It almost made her want to run away and never come back. The thought that she might not have the same effect on Emily, that Emily might not feel the same way about her, made her heart ache with worry.

She didn't know what it was that she was feeling as she lay watching her. Or maybe she did.

She was scared to put a word to it.