Hey!

First things first, I want to say a quick thank you to everyone who has reached out to me since my last update and my Tumblr post. I didn't tell you guys what is going on for sympathy, I did it because I wanted to be 100% transparent in letting you know what's going on with me, but the support and love you guys have given has been astounding. I really appreciate it guys, seriously.

That being said, I know told you that it could be a little while between updates, but this one came easier to me, and thanks to the fact that I have the whole story planned into great detail, it didn't take me long to write. It's not as long as my usual chapters, but I felt that it was the perfect length. The next chapter isn't all that long either, so hopefully that wont take too long to post. The one after that is A LOT longer, so I'm honestly a little worried about that. We'll take it step by step though.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter. It's a bit more of a fun, light hearted chapter, before we get into the heavier stuff that will conclude the story. I think there will only be like 5/6 chapters after this!

Love always,

Lo

xxx

'Ok, so I have something I need to tell you and I'm a little worried about how you're going to react' Emily blurted anxiously. Her eyes flitted to Alison, who was stood across the room sorting laundry, while Emily was sat on the bed pretending to help.
'What's up?' Alison asked, her hands freezing in the laundry hamper and her eyes darting to Emily's.
'I kind of…maybe told Hanna about what happened with your Dad' Emily grimaced. 'It was a total slip up, and once I started talking, she obviously had questions.' Her response caused Alison to visibly relax, and her attention went back to the laundry in front of her.
'God, don't scare me like that again' Alison chuckled as she tossed a pair of Emily's jeans into the wash pile.
'You're not mad?' Emily asked uneasily, because she was sure that Alison would flip out at this.
'No, I'm not mad' Alison smirked up at her Fiancee. 'We couldn't exactly keep it from her for much longer, I mean the girl practically lives here' she stated, holding up a pair of Hanna's panties and a t-shirt as though they were evidence, before tossing them into the pile. 'Besides, I trust her. She won't tell anyone'
'She won't' Emily replied surely, she'd make sure of it.

Alison continued to pile up laundry in the wash basket. Silence passed between them, before either of them spoke up again.
'So, did you get in touch with Aria yet?' Emily asked softly.
'No. In all honesty, I've been putting it off. I'm going to head over there this evening though' Alison replied as she stood and picked up the wash basket. Emily rose to join her and took the basket from her hands.
'Ok, well, do you want me to come with you?' she asked, as they both made their way out of the apartment and down the stairs.
'Would you?' Alison asked, her eyes lighting up at the offer. She had been dreading seeing Aria, but with Emily beside her, she knew she could get through anything.
'Of course. You know I'll always have your back, Ali' Emily replied genuinely, as they fell in step and walked down the stairs side by side.

They made their way to the laundry room in the basement of the building, and Emily dumped the basket on top of one of the washers, while Alison grabbed the detergent.
'I need to talk to Jason, too' Alison stated casually, though Emily could tell by her tone that it was anything but casual. Alison had a nervousness to her tone that told Emily she had been waiting to tell her something.
'Oh yeah?' she replied nonchalantly, as she began stuffing clothing into the machine.
'Yeah. I've made a decision about my Mom. I think it's time I got in touch with her' Alison said unsurely. She scooped at the powder several times, just as something to distract her, before she finally poured it into the drawer of the washer.
'Ok well, are you sure that's what you want?' Emily asked as she squatted to close the door of the machine and began to program the wash settings.
'Yeah, I mean, she's my Mom. She deserves to know that I'm still alive, and I mean, now that I know there's no danger from my Dad I don't see a reason to put it off anymore' Alison explained softly. She sounded vulnerable and Emily didn't like it. Emily rose to her feet and pulled Alison into a tight hug.
'Ok, well whatever you want to do, I'll support you. You know that' Alison did know that, but the words, paired with a firm kiss to the top of the head, definitely helped.

Aria entered Jason's apartment and threw herself down onto the couch with a huff. It had been a long day already, and Jason knew that he was about to make his already tense girlfriend, even more so.
'How was your day?' he asked, as he sat beside her. He put his arm around her tiny frame and Aria instantly snuggled into him.
'Long. I am more than ready to have a quiet night in with you and just relax' she sighed.
'Uh, well, I meant to say…Ali and Emily are coming for dinner tonight' Jason said apologetically. He scratched his head anxiously as Aria sat up to look at him, her eyes steely.
'What?'
'Yeah, I was going to call you, but honestly I was afraid you just wouldn't come over' He explained, shrugging his shoulders sheepishly.
'You'd be right about that' Aria mumbled.

'Look, I know that you're still pissed at Ali, but she wants to apologise' Jason continued, wanting to appease his girlfriend and defend his sister all at once. 'She was just taken aback, and we both know that when Alison is caught off guard, she hits out'
'I know, I just... it gave me far too many flashbacks of what she could be like in High School. She wasn't always the nicest of people to me' Aria gritted her teeth as she remembered the person that Alison could be during their teen years. She knew that it wasn't the same person and she knew that Alison had grown up now, but the way the other woman had kicked off was so reminiscent of those years at school, that Aria was having difficulty to forget.
'I know, she could be a bitch' Jason agreed, bobbing his head to the side. 'But I know that she loves you, and she really values your friendship. Please, just give her a chance to prove it' He begged. All Jason wanted was for his girlfriend and his sister to get along. They were the two most important people in his life, and he had already lost them both once. He didn't want to do that again.
'Ok' Aria breathed, as she fell back into his arms.

As they entered the front door of the apartment building, Emily felt chills run up her spine. Her mind instantly filled with memories from the last time she was here, and the whole place gave her the creeps and put her seriously on edge. Alison could tell where Emily's mind went, mostly because her own always went to that place too whenever she came here. The second she walked through the front door, she would be greeted with the memories of Emily's broken and bloodied body curled into her own, while a seriously messed up Riley was lying just feet away. It was a memory that she knew she would never be able to wipe from her mind.
'Breathe' She whispered, as she reached out and grabbed Emily's hand, squeezing it slightly to show that she was there. They were together, and everything was ok.
'Sorry' Emily mumbled in embarrassment, a heat creeping up her neck and to her cheeks.
'Don't be' Alison smiled lovingly. Emily could feel Alison's love and care blanket her anxiety, washing away the bad memories and filling the space with warm fuzzy feelings.

They entered the apartment and Emily forced herself to push away the remaining anxiety for Alison's sake. She knew that her Fiancée was nervous about this dinner, the last thing she needed was to have to deal with Emily spiraling out of control.
'Hey, how you doing Em?' she was pulled out of her thoughts by the voice. She looked up to see Alison and Jason both looking at her.
'Uh, hey Jason. I'm good, how are you?' she replied, plastering a smile on her face and forcing herself to focus.
'I'm good!' He replied with a genuine smile. 'Can I get you a drink? Beer maybe?' he offered. Emily didn't bat an eyelid at the offer of alcohol, she was used to it, but Alison practically coiled back onto her haunches and was ready to attack.
'Beer? Really?' She spat. She was ready to take Jason down with a barrage of insults and abuse, but Emily's hand was on her forearm in a second, instantly quelling her fire.

'Water's fine' Emily said politely, a genuine smile on her face. She was used to being in situations like this. It wasn't a big deal, and Emily needed Alison to know that she wasn't going to fall off the wagon, just because someone mentioned alcohol in her presence.
'Shit, I'm sorry' Jason apologised. He knew that he should have known better, especially since he himself had had struggles with alcohol. His issues weren't to the extent that Emily's had been, but they were bad enough that he avoided drinking.
'It's ok, it was an honest mistake' Emily replied as she squeezed Alison's bicep in order to calm her. Emily didn't need to look at her Fiancée to know she was shooting daggers at her brother. Alison finally looked up at Emily, questioning with her eyes if it was really ok. Emily's smile and the amused glint in her eyes told her that it was more than ok, and Alison allowed herself to relax.

Jason looked between Emily and Alison, before landing on Emily.
'Want to, uh…bond over how evil alcohol is, while we watch some hoops?' Jason offered. 'The Knicks are playing the Nets, should be a good game'
Well, that depends…are you a Knicks or a Nets fan?' Emily asked, her eyes squinting and her head tilted as she looked at Jason.
'Actually neither, I'm a Lakers fan' Jason admitted with a chuckle.
'Then I definitely need to watch with you, because we need to change that. It's Knicks or nothing' Emily replied. She released her hold on Alison and swatted at Jason's arm playfully, as she made her way to the couch. Alison smirked and rolled her eyes, happy that Emily and Jason were getting along so well. When they were kids, Emily and Jason never really hung out, so Alison wasn't entirely sure how well they would get along, but with their alcohol issues and love of any ball games in common, it was a no brainer that they would have something to bond over.

Alison stood and watched Emily and Jason chat and laugh on the couch for a few minutes, before she finally turned towards the kitchen area, where Aria had silently been cooking. Alison braced herself, taking a deep breath, before approaching the petite woman.
'Hey, dinner smells amazing' Alison tried, as she leaned against the counter. She looked at Aria and waited for a moment, hoping for a response. Aria gave her a tiny, tight lipped smile, but didn't speak. It caused Alison's nerves to sky rocket, and suddenly she didn't know what to do with her hands anymore. What did people do with their hands when they were being casual anyway!?
'Uhm, can I help with anything?' she offered, trying again to get something from Aria.
'No, it's fine' Aria finally replied, though her tone was short and her words clipped, indicating anything but friendliness. Alison let out a heavy breath and looked down at the floor, her hands still struggling for what to do, and she noticed that her knee was now bouncing uncontrollably.

'Listen, Aria-' Alison started, ready to apologise, beg, do whatever she needed to gain Aria's forgiveness.
'You don't need to apologise Alison' Aria cut her off, before she could even begin. 'I mean, you do, but I already know that you're sorry' she continued, as she tossed some chicken around in a wok, before settling it on a low burner and turning to Alison. 'I get it. If one of my friends were going out with Mike, I'd be pissed. I mean, when I found out about him and Mona, I was less than pleased about it, and I'm not even that close with her-'

This time, it was Alison's turn to interrupt, though it was with a much more amused look than either of them had sported so far.
'That loser Mona Vanderwaal is going out with baby Mike? No wonder you were pissed.' She stated, her bitchy, high school self-rearing its head just slightly at the mention of the one person on the planet she truly never could stand. Aria smirked at this expected reaction, before she finally giggled. Alison really had changed in many, many ways, but some things were just destined to be set in stone, and the hatred between Alison and Mona was inevitable, and definitely wasn't single sided. Mona never really said anything about Alison, mostly out of respect for the supposed dead, but the animosity was still very much there for the girl who made High School a living hell for her.

'She's not a loser, and Mike's not a baby anymore' Aria giggled. 'They actually make a cute couple. Hopefully one day you'll be as accepting of Jason and me' Aria finished, a hopeful look in her eyes that Alison knew she could never shatter.
'I'll try' she offered. It was the best compromise she could give, because she didn't want to lie to Aria and say she would be fine with it when she wasn't sure she could be. She wouldn't be the girl who made empty promises anymore.
'That's all I ask' Aria replied earnestly, because it was more than she thought she would get. Alison was never usually one to give in so quickly. Aria turned back to the wok on the burner and tossed the chicken.
'Can you set the table? The food is almost ready' Aria asked with a smile. It was her silent gesture to Alison that everything was right again.
'Sure' Alison responded, smiling gratefully.

The group of four sat around the table. Emily and Alison were sat one side, while Jason and Aria were the other.
'Can you see the score from there?' Jason asked Emily. She leaned around Alison and craned her neck to look at the TV screen.
'Uuuuhm' she dragged out, 'It's 51-43 to the Knicks' she recited, before turning back to the table. Alison couldn't help but smile at her, loving the way Emily and Jason were bonding so well over a stupid ball game she could never understand.
'So, Em, I saw Hanna's blog. The picture she put up of you is beautiful' Aria said with a smile. Emily almost choked on her chicken and her eyes widened dramatically.
'What picture?' Alison asked in confusion, because Emily hadn't mentioned anything.
'Uh, she just put up a few pictures of my modelling her clothes. No big deal' Emily lied, before shoving a forkful of rice into her mouth. Alison narrowed her eyes at Emily. She knew the other woman was lying, but she wasn't going to question her on it yet. She'd find out the truth eventually anyway.

They ate in relative peace for a while, the only words being spoken were from Emily to compliment Aria's cooking, Alison to ask for the recipe and Jason to ask Emily on updates on the game. It was at the end of the second quarter, the Nets were ahead by 2, when Alison started up the conversation she had been prepping herself for all night.
'So, Jase, I was thinking…maybe it might be time for me to get in touch with Mom' she stated in as casual of a voice as possible, while her eyes were fixed on the honey glazed chicken on her plate. Jason chewed slowly. His tongue dug out a piece of rice from his teeth.
'You think that's a good idea?' He finally asked.
'Honestly, I don't know' Alison replied. 'But, I feel like she should know that I'm alive and…I don't know, maybe we can make some sort of a relationship?' she thought aloud.
'She left you Ali. She left both of us. If you're looking for a chance to play happy families with her, you're going to be disappointed' Jason stated caustically, his fork stabbing violently into a piece of chicken.
'Maybe, but it's my mistake to make' Alison replied, her defences heightening. 'I'm not asking for your permission, Jason. I'm telling you that this is what I want to do' she added, her voice unwavering and laced with a warning tone.

Aria and Emily sat silently while the siblings stared down, before Emily broke the tension.
'My Mom has a number for your Mom, but she says it's not in service' she stated, realising quickly that this information was not helpful in the slightest. 'Maybe, between the four of us, we can think of another way to track her. We could ask Toby?'
'I think I know exactly who to ask, actually' Aria perked up. 'I know a P.I. She's a good friend and she's great at her job.'
'That sounds great! Do you think she'd help?' Alison asked eagerly. Her eyes lit up at the prospect of getting in touch with her Mom, while Jason sat silently and moved his food around the plate. He kept his opinions to himself and listened to the commentary of the game. They weren't even half way through the 3rd quarter, and the Knicks were fighting back with a 6 point lead.
'I can ask' Aria answered diplomatically. She wasn't entirely sure she could swing it, but she would try her best.

The rest of the dinner went relatively well. Jason relaxed and apologised for causing a fuss. Aria and Alison were safely over their argument, and the Knicks scraped by with a victory of 106 – 104. By the time Alison and Emily left, their bellies were full and they were content. They were almost at the subway station, when Alison stopped suddenly, causing Emily to halt and look at her with a questioning expression.
'I think we should get married' Alison announced.
'I already asked you to marry me, Ali' Emily chuckled nervously. She wasn't entirely sure where Alison was going with this, since they were already engaged.
'I know, but I mean…I think we should do it soon' Alison explained. She turned and took Emily's hands in her own. 'Em, I don't want to wait. Sitting there tonight with you, and Jason and Aria, it felt right. I mean, yeah we bickered and there were arguments, but it felt like I have a family. I want to make that official as soon as I can. I don't want to waste another second. I want to be Mrs Fields.' Alison finished, and Emily thought her heart was going to shatter with how incredibly big it was. Her love for Alison soared, and for a moment, Emily thought she might cry.

'Mrs Fields, huh? You want to take my name?' She asked in disbelief. She had thought about what name each of them would take, but she didn't expect Alison would be so eager to take her name.
'Being a DiLaurentis doesn't exactly fill me with pride' Alison replied softly. 'I want a name that I'm proud to tell people. I want to share the name of the person I love more than anything in this world. And I want a name that means something.' She finished, and that lump in Emily's throat grew. If she thought she might cry before, now she knew she definitely would. Tears formed in her eyes, and Emily blinked them back.
'And who's to say I want to give it to you?' she joked, causing Alison to laugh. 'Alison, nothing would make me happier, than to share my name with you. And we'll get married as soon as we can, ok? I just need to figure out our financial situation first' Emily added, becoming more serious. She brushed a strand of hair behind Alison's hear and leaned down to kiss her softly.
'We'll make it work, I promise' Emily finished, and that was all Alison needed. She already had a plan in mind. She was going to make it so that they wouldn't have to worry again.

Alison kissed Emily again, before leading her into the subway, their arms linked as they walked down the stairs.
'I saw Hanna's article by the way' Alison stated with an amused tone.
'And I'm still breathing?' Emily asked, after a moment's hesitation. She looked at Alison curiously, and saw that she had a scheming look on her face.
'For now'
Emily's eyebrows shot up, and she paused again before asking her next question.
'What about Hanna?' she continued cautiously, because she honestly wasn't sure if she wanted to know the answer.
'Well, I haven't filled her apartment with Carbon Monoxide or hired a hit man, if that's what you're asking' Alison answered casually, though she did smile, which made Emily realise just ow calm her Fiancée was about the situation. 'Though the thought did cross my mind'
'Ali' Emily chuckled, rolling her eyes. She knew that, though Alison was making light of the situation, Hanna was going to most definitely pay for posting that picture.