Hey guys! Sorry I took so long to update, but I had to travel and couldn't post :/ On the bright side, I had a lot of time to write! I have my Valentines oneshot almost ready and the next chapter of this story is pretty ahead of what I thought it would be. Enjoy!

"When I talk to my friends so quietly, "Who he thinks he is?" Look at what you've done to me"

"Alison?" Elliot rushed to her as soon as she stepped into the house and hugged her tightly. She merely wrapped her arms around him, too tired and too indifferent to show him any affection, "I'm so glad you're home! Why were you arrested?"

"Lorenzo thought I had something to do with Charlotte's murder," Ali mechanically answered. Honestly, all she wanted then was a good bed to fall asleep on, "Spencer proved him wrong."

"Good," He kissed the top of her head and she flinched, "You could've called me. I would've picked you up."

Alison pulled away from him, "I needed to see Emily."

"Why? She's asleep, Alison. There's nothing you can do but wait."

The blonde smiled softly, "She's awake. She's awake and she's fine, Elliot!"

He seemed genuinely surprised but smiled as well, "That's good news! I'm sure she's gonna get better soon."

"Emily will need help during her recovery," Alison stated, "And I decided that I'm gonna help her."

"Of course." He frowned in confusion.

"But it means that I'll have to sleep in her place for five weeks or so." Elliot was a good man and she didn't want to put any strain on her marriage, but there was no way she was going to back down on Emily. Alison made a promise to herself and she's going to keep it.

"Five weeks?! We'll barely see each other, Ali!" He pointed out, "I would be okay with one day or two, maybe a week, but five?! You're not her mother, Alison!"

"I'm sorry," She dismissed his rant because there wasn't a single thing he could say that would make her change her mind.

"I'm not gonna let you do that!"

"It's not up to you to decide. I've made up my mind, Elliot!"

"This woman disappeared for five years, Alison! She's not your friend!" He argued.

"You don't know a thing about her or what she's been through!" Ali snapped, "I'm gonna do this, Elliot, whether you want to or not!" Then, she went to the bedroom and slammed the door. To make things worse, she heard her phone vibrate.

"You got out of jail, but you will die if you sign a divorce paper"

Three days later and Hanna took Emily to the apartment Jason had lent them. They'd all agreed that Emily's room at the Radley was too small for her rehab. Jason, upon hearing what happened, allowed them to move into one of the apartments he owned. Jordan had moved Emily's stuff to her new place in the day before so she and Hanna could be as comfortable as possible when they arrived.

"Okay, so you sit there and watch Netflix while I make some salad for lunch." Hanna dropped Emily's bag on the couch and went to the kitchen. The nutritionist had instructed them only to make light food for Emily because her body was recovering and she needed to detox her liver. Therefore, Hanna had been looking for salad recipes so she could make something for Emily. She wasn't a good cook, but she'd do her best for her best friend.

"No, let me help you." Emily refused to stay on the couch. She couldn't be a burden to her friends. They were doing so much for her already and she had to at least contribute.

"Okay then." Hanna hesitantly allowed and let Emily follow her into the kitchen. What she didn't expect was that Emily would insist on dusting the whole house and sweeping the floor.

"Jason?" Alison spotted her brother as soon as she arrived at the Grille. She found out that Aria called him when she was arrested by Lorenzo, and, well, Jason was actually trying to be a good brother.

"Hey, Ali!" He got up and hugged her, "How are you? Did that bastard hurt you?"

"No, Jason, I'm fine!" She rolled her eyes at him being protective, "Spencer bailed me out."

"So I've heard," He replied, "Why did Lorenzo arrest you in the first place? He couldn't possibly think that you'd think Charlotte!"

They sat and ordered their food, "He had a footage of me changing Charlotte's saline bags."

"And why were you doing that?"

"They'd suspended Charlotte's meds, Jason. It was driving her insane!"

He seemed genuinely surprised, "But why would they do that?"

"I don't know," Ali took a sip of her drink slowly, "The hospital never mentioned anything."

Jason discreetly narrowed his eyes. There was something very wrong with the hospital staff if they left Charlotte without her meds. Had someone paid a nurse to deliberately forget the medications or was it someone from inside? Anyway, he wasn't going to discuss that with Alison now. He knew how she was protective of Charlotte and she may do irrational things if she even comes to suspect the staff. No, he was going to talk it over with Spencer, who was more detached and rational about those things than Alison.

"Are you staying in town? You can crash at my place if you want." It amazed Jason and Ali how far they've made. Ten years ago, it'd be impossible for them to invite the other over to crash at their place. Fortunately, they bonded over the years.

"No, I don't think Mr. Self-Righteous would like that," Jason smirked. He and Elliot didn't get along that well and barely acknowledged each other's presence, "Either way, I'm going to Boston tonight." He went pale as he realized what he just let slip.

"Boston?" Ali frowned in confusion and then drew imaginary lines in the air as though she was adding two and two, "You're seeing Aria!"

"O-Okay, that's not how I meant to tell you." He snorted in frustration.

"If you hurt her, I'll kick your ass!" Ali threatened, making Jason feel like Aria was her sibling instead of him.

"I-I'll treat her right, I promise!" Jason drew his hands back to show he was harmless.

"Good." Ali nodded, "And Jason?"

"Yes?"

"I want nephews."

After her classes were over, Alison drove to Emily's apartment carrying a bunch of things that might be helpful. Those included a cookbook (she cooks often, but she's not sure her knowledge of salads was enough), a first-aid kit (Emily had a wound and accidents happen) and a bouquet of white flowers (this one only to impress Emily). What Ali found when she was allowed in wasn't what she expected:

"God, control this woman, Alison!" Hanna snapped when she opened the door, "She's been up all day and she won't let me cook for her or clean her wound. Good luck!"

Alison frowned in concern. Emily was supposed to be resting, not cooking, "Where is she, Hanna?"

"She's in the kitchen trying to cook dinner," Hanna took Ali to the kitchen, "She insisted on cooking, dusting and sweeping the floor."

"Hanna, you shouldn't have let her do these things! Her stitches might break!" Alison pointed out.

"I'm not stupid, Alison!" Hanna barked, more because Emily stressed her out the whole day than because of Ali, "I told her that a million times, but she just doesn't wanna listen!"

The teacher saw Emily cutting vegetables in the kitchen and took a deep breath, "Let me deal with her, okay?"

"Sure." Hanna half-smirked, expecting Emily to annoy Ali as well so she could prove her point.

"Hey, Em." Alison walked into the kitchen and called in the sweetest tone she could muster.

Memories of the forceful way she handled Alison swept through Emily's eyes. The knife in her hand faltered, but she dared not turn around, "Hey, Ali."

"What are you doing?"

"I'm cooking." Emily didn't look away from the vegetables she was cutting.

"Why don't you sit and let me do the rest?" Alison offered.

"I'm not a fucking invalid, Ali!" As soon as Emily snarled, her chest stung and she dropped her knife to the floor.

"Emily!" Hanna shouted and held Emily before she fell.

"Hanna, take her to the couch. I'm taking over this." Ali instructed, resisting the temptation of holding Emily as the brunette struggled to keep standing.

"Guys, I'm fine, it was just a sting-"

"I'm not asking for you to go to the couch, Emily, I'm telling you to!" Alison stressed and sent her out of the kitchen with Hanna in tow. Had it been another situation, Emily would've had found bossy Ali incredibly sexy, but now she just felt more useless than before.

Hanna left and Alison made dinner for herself and Emily. Once they were done, she picked up her first-aid kit and announced she was going to clean the brunette's wound.

"Ali, no," Emily refused, "You don't have to do this!"

"Emily, if you don't clean your wound, it will get infected!"

"I can do it myself!" Emily tried to snatch the gauze from Alison, but the blonde dodged her.

"No, you can't see the wound in your chest properly!" Ali argued, hiding the cotton ball inside her closed fist.

"I can look in the mirror." Emily smugly suggested and the blonde snorted in frustration.

"Why can't you make it easier for me?!"

"Why are you here then?! To make me feel ashamed of the way I treated you?! To remind me all the time of how you saved my life?!" Emily didn't even realize she had tears in her eyes until one slipped down her face. Her chest stung again and Ali's heart broke at that scene. She finally understood why Emily was being stubborn.

Emily began to cry and Alison shifted closer to her, holding her hand as she intertwined their fingers, "I would never do that, Em." Alison promised softly.

"I don't want to be a burden!" Emily cried.

"And you're not!", The blonde assured, "I'm here because I care about you, Emily! Spencer, Aria and Hanna feel the same way too!" Emily only sobbed more and it made Alison feel worse. She couldn't stand the sight of her Mermaid crying. Therefore, she did the only thing she could do: she welcomed Emily in her arms and let the brunette bury her face in her chest. Then, Alison held her, unwilling to let go unless Emily told her to. She rubbed Emily's back soothingly and caressed her scalp.

"Thank you." Emily murmured against her chest.

"It's okay," Alison pulled her up gently to meet her eyes, "Please, can I clean your wound now?" The brunette nodded in approval and tried to take out her shirt. However, lest her chest was going to hurt, Alison grabbed the hem of Emily's shirt, "Here, let me help you." Carefully, Ali slid out the T-shirt, doing her best to avoid brushing the cloth against Emily's wound.

The first thought that crossed her mind when she saw Emily's chest wasn't innocent and Ali mentally slapped herself for it. All she could think of were those magnificent breasts and, God, Emily wasn't even wearing a bra! And how could she describe those perky chocolate nipples? Honestly, Alison didn't know how she stopped herself from touching those breasts because they looked so fucking soft!

Meanwhile, Emily mistook the hunger in Ali's right for something else. It couldn't have been lust that made those blue eyes darken, right? Like, there was a big cut in the middle of her chest. Alison certainly saw it and she's just inspecting the wound to clean it, "It's a pretty ugly wound, I know."

"Sorry?" Alison barely heard what she said because she'd been daydreaming about those nipples between her fingers and Emily panting and…

"You don't have to do it if you don't want to." The brunette's voice finally made her snap back to reality.

"N-No, I'll just..." Focus, Alison! This is not the time to have such thoughts! "I'll take off the plaster. I-It might hurt, okay?"

Emily nodded. For someone who'd had a heart attack, the pain of a plaster being ripped off was nothing. It did hurt a little when Alison pulled it all the way, much because the edges of her wound were still sensitive. However, the sensation changed drastically when Ali began to clean her stitches. The brunette got goosebumps each time Ali accidentally brushed her fingers against her breasts. She even had to bite her lip to stop a moan! Oh, if Ali knew that, she'd think she was just a horny teenage girl who got excited about nothing.

Ali put on a new plaster and finished her job, "There, it's done." Then she rose and turned around, giving Emily room to get dressed because she can't trust her hormones if she keeps staring at the brunette's chest like. For fuck's sake, Alison get a grip! Emily is recovering from a heart attack and you're thinking of jumping on her bones!

"I'm a little tired now," Emily wanted to tell Alison that she didn't need to turn around but she understood that things were still weird between them. They had sex a couple of times, so it was blatantly obvious that Alison wasn't comfortable with being around Emily when she was half naked. Who could blame her, though, considering the way Emily treated her?

"I'll walk you to bed." Alison offered her hand and the tension dissipated… part of it, at least.

One hour later, Emily tiptoed to the living room. She couldn't sleep on her back, lying on her stomach (her usual way of sleeping) was out of the question, and lying on her side made her chest stung, even with all the pain killers she took. Therefore, she wondered if Ali would like to spend time with her. Instead, she found the blonde correcting her students' essay and it made an impact on Emily she didn't expect.

She had seen Ali be flirty, bitchy, sensitive and loyal, but she never saw the blonde as a brain kind of girl. Spencer would usually take that spot on the team and nobody challenged that. But seeing Alison highlight and write on her students' papers made Emily see a different side to the blonde and it was adorable.

"Couldn't sleep?" Ali didn't have to lift her eyes from the papers to know she was being watched.

"H-How did you know I was watching you?"

Alison dropped the pen and walked to Emily, "I've lived two years on the streets, Em. I've got good eyes." Emily blushed and took her hand, noticing there was red ink from the pen on Ali's skin. "Is something wrong?"

"I can't sleep," Emily darted her eyes away for how childish she was going to sound, "I was going to ask you to stay there with me, but you're busy and-"

"I'll stay with you. No problem," Ali cut her off, "I was getting tired from all that work, actually."

"Okay," Emily laughed nervously and guided Alison to her room. Then, she lied on her bed while Ali reluctantly sat on the edge. Neither of them spoke for a moment.

"So..." Alison began, "Why can't you sleep?"

"Because I can't sleep on my back and my chest stings when I turn to my side." Emily softly complained, "I feel like a waste."

"You're not," Ali assured gently, "Wanna try something?"

"What?" Maybe Alison would suggest they talk until she falls asleep or maybe she'd put on Netflix or anything like that.

"Do you wanna sleep on my chest?" The blonde suggested, making them both blush. Emily thought of the how soft Ali's boobs were and the sound of her heartbeat whereas Alison thought of the thrill of having Emily so close to her in a non-sexual way. "Charlotte let me sleep on her chest once when we were younger. I was so drunk I didn't know better. But I do remember that I tried to grope her boobs." Alison joked to break the mood.

"Oh my God! You wanted to grope your sister?!" Emily didn't know if she was surprised because Alison had been attracted to her older sister or because she admitted to actually being attracted to other women. It seemed irrelevant, but it mattered to Emily. She wanted to know if she was just the exception, an exotic fantasy.

"I didn't know she was my sister by then!" Alison argued, making Emily laugh, "She had hooked up with Jason, how could I have known?"

"Okay, I'll forget about that if you be a nice pillow." The joke came off so naturally that it startled both of them, but it made them happy as well. At least, they were rebuilding their friendship again, "Come over here!"

Alison crawled to Emily and put a pillow on the headboard. Then, she sat with her legs open, providing just enough space for Emily to fit, "You might want to put a pillow between you and me."

"There's no need to," Emily quickly denied because she wanted to feel Ali's breasts, "I mean, I'm cool with lying on your boobs." She lied on her back against Alison, rested her dark head on her chest and they just fit. Emily never believed in soulmates or in the idea of having someone with whom she'd just be complete. However, she was proved wrong every time she spent with Alison. It's a shame that she almost lost it because of her selfishness and anger.

"Okay," Alison just laughed, lightening the mood, "So don't complain if my chest is too flat for you."

"It's not," Emily nuzzled her chest as if she were nuzzling a pillow instead, "You're perfect."

Ali blushed and rested her chin on top of the brunette's head, "Goodnight, Em."

Emily picked the blonde's arms and wrapped them around herself, "Goodnight, Ali." Before she fell asleep, she unconsciously intertwined their fingers.

Spencer knocked on Emily's door again whilst she dialed Ali's number. She'd been at the door for ten minutes and nor Emily nor Alison have come to open the door. They also seemed to ignore their phones, making the worst case scenario cross the lawyer's mind. What if Emily had another heart attack and Ali had to take her to the hospital? But, in that case, Alison would text them if something had happened right?

It was more plausible that those two were up to something. Spencer knew that Ali had feelings for Emily despite being married. Also, she had no doubt that Emily would be at Ali's mercy the moment the blonde baited her eyebrows. As a friend to both of them, Spencer couldn't let that happen. Therefore, she called Hanna, hoping the stylist had a spare key. Turns out she didn't, but Hanna was coming over anyway.

"Nothing yet?" Speak of the devil, there was Hanna Marin with tousled hair and a morning face.

"No. They're not taking my calls." Spencer forced the doorknob in hopes it was open.

"Step out, Spencer, I'm breaking in!" Hanna pushed Spencer to the side and pulled out a hair pin.

"Hanna, what if they're out for coffee or something?" The lawyer tried to argue. She didn't want to resort to old methods to see their friends again.

"You know damn well Emily can't drink coffee now, Spencer!" Hanna spoke abruptly and it was true. Dr. Johnson had basically forbidden Emily from drinking coffee for a month. The blonde woman put the pin into the keyhole and twisted it. Jackpot! That trick never fails, "We're in!"

The two women got in and found an empty living room. Alison wasn't asleep by the couch, but neither had she left because their students' essays were on the table. "Where's Alison?" Spencer wondered.

"If she is with Emily in bed, I'm gonna murder her!" Hanna seethed and sashayed to the bedroom with Spencer in tow. They didn't know what to expect, but they seriously hoped not to catch their friends naked or something because not only would it be dangerous for Emily but it would make a mess of the situation. The bedroom door was open, leaving Hanna and Spencer free to walk in and catch the view of Emily sleeping on Ali's chest as they both snored softly.

"What the hell is going on here?!" Hanna wondered a little too loud and startled the two sleeping women.

"Hm?" Emily mumbled.

"Oh shit!" Alison cursed when she saw her two friends standing by the door with inquisitive faces, "Em, wake up!"

"Five more minutes, Ali."

"Em, Hanna and Spencer are here."

Finally, the brunette lifted her head from Ali's chest and found her two other friends standing there, "This is not what you think it is!"

Alison untangled herself from Emily and hopped off the bed, "I gotta go. I promised Elliot that I was going to have lunch with him." Emily flinched slightly at the mention of his name.

Hanna blocked her way, "You're not leaving until-"

"Hanna, let her go." Spencer took Hanna out of Ali's way and the stylist stared at her as if she had lost her mind. However, Spencer had a plan: she knew that if she questioned both Emily and Alison together, either their versions would sound rehearsed or Ali would conduct the answers. By questioning Emily alone, Spencer was getting rid of a potential influence and she'd get a piece of information she'd compare later when she talked to Alison. On the other hand, she never expected to have to use her lawyer tactics on her friends.

Hanna seemed to have understood where Spencer was getting at as she patiently waited until Alison left before she pressed Emily, "Now, spill! What's going on with you two?!"

"Nothing!" Emily promised (and she wasn't lying because there was nothing going on between her and Ali at the moment), "I told you: this is not what you think it is!"

"Then tell us what happened, Em." Spencer tried to conduct this conversation because she knew that if Hanna took the upper hand, things would get out of control.

"I couldn't sleep last night," Emily told them, "I went to Alison and she agreed to go to my bedroom until I fell asleep. Then, she suggested I slept in that position you found us in. I guess she fell asleep too and we didn't move."

"Couldn't she just make you a chamomile tea?!" Hanna pointed out.

"I don't know, Han, I just know it worked!"

"I guess her boobs did the work then," The stylist snorted, "God, who does she think she is?! She's a married woman, for God's sake!"

"Hanna, I'm sure-" Emily meant to say that it was only a friend gesture and that Ali didn't mean any harm when she considered it in the first place. Also, it wasn't like Ali forced her to be in that position. It was a mutual decision.

"She's sucking you in again and you're falling for her, Emily!" Hanna snapped, "And then she won't leave her stupid husband and whose heart is going to break? Yes, yours! And guess who's gonna have to deal with it? Yes, us!"

Emily's eyes watered because there was a hint of truth in Hanna's words and she knew it. Alison wouldn't leave her husband for her; she didn't do it back then, so there's no reason she'd do it now. Then, Emily hopped off the bed, bumping against Hanna as she made her way to the bathroom.

"Hanna, that was a little too much." Spencer said, worried about Emily's mental state.

"She deserves the truth, Spencer." The stylist said and walked out of the apartment, considering her job done. Meanwhile, Spencer went to the bathroom in an attempt to talk to Emily. She wondered just how much damage control she'd have to make.

In the dark, a hacker gets into the footage of the Fast Hearts nightclub. They see Emily follow a girl into the bathroom and they hit stop, freezing the scene right on the girl's face. Then, the hacker goes backward into the tape and finds the footage of the same girl walking into the club. However, before that, a black figure in a hood is seen handling the girl a bag with white powder. The hacker hits a button.

Next chapter...

Emily felt a sting on her chest when Aria mentioned that she might have hurt Alison, but continued nonetheless, "W-What do I do now? What if things are just too broken and I can't fix them?"

Aria squeezed her hand reassuringly again, "There's no way to know that. Try to build up a friendship with her again and then let things happen naturally."

Rebuilding a friendship? Tell me what you guys think of this!

Reviews:

EmisonHeaven: Yeah, that scene was sad to write :/ Yay, Mona and her shady ass are back!

emison4ever: The bitch is back, lol!

leon7272: Thanks!

mb168: You couldn't have described it better. Thanks!

Drea82851: Spencer is the new frenemy, lol. Thanks! The A Team is already on the action!

PaperWMN: Yup, Wayne was by far the best dad in the show. Mr D. is horrible and the others are cheaters, though Byron really tries from time to time. Spencer in the A Team? Huuuum.

Santanasdaughter: Yeah, the girls will be thrown in the mix. First Spencer, now Hanna and then Aria, and each of them will have their particular reaction. Hope you enjoy them ;)