"Soul Mates"

I'm terribly frustrated with PLL and their refusal to see what we all see and know to be true…the intense chemistry between Bianca and Shay. It's such a waste of a raw natural attraction that Shay doesn't even come close to having with Lindsey. They just don't work. Well, you and I know what does work and I'll continue to give it to you if you still want to experience Emaya love.

Rated T for Teen.

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We fall into a kiss, a long impassioned kiss. Holding each other and caressing each other and kissing each other as the snow falls quietly and the fire burns itself out and the timed tree lights turn off leaving just the moon's brightness to guide us through this beautiful Christmas Eve night…

Chapter 26: Emily's Gift

Emily POV

Maya and I awaken to just a peak of light as the snow continues to fall from the morning sky. We stretch, deliriously happy from our Christmas Eve celebration. I thought it would be the worst holiday ever until I was surprised by Maya standing next to our lighted tree. I look up at her, the love of my life, my soul mate and then I can't resist admiring Maya's grandmother's ring, now mine and hers to cherish always. But it's freezing out from under the blanket so I draw my hand quickly under the covers cuddling closer to my Maya.

"Hey, Merry Christmas, beautiful," she kisses my forehead. I love being called that.

I smile against her and I know she feels it, "Merry Christmas my incredibly wonderful future wife," I look up into her soft brown eyes.

"I like the sound of that, wife."

We kiss softly feeling so blessed to be together again after having been put through so much.

"So, you like your present I see," she gently pulls me nearer.

"I love it. You know I do. To wear your grandmother's ring and to have you here next to me on Christmas morning is exactly what I wanted. How did you know?" I ask smiling widely exposing my tiny dimple.

"I thought, if I were Emily, what would I want for Christmas, me!" she laughs.

"I love you Maya St. Germain and you are exactly right!" I kiss her a bit more longingly.

"So, you said you had something for me, something besides what you gave me last night," she winks.

I get an embarrassed look on my face, I don't know why, but she makes me blush so hard!

"Maya!"

"Emily, come on, you're incredible. You and I have this vibe, you know, we just know what the other wants without even a word. I could love you all day and through the night if your parents weren't here," she confesses.

"And I would want you to. But since we can't, do you want to open your present?" I ask barely able to contain my excitement.

"I would love that."

"It's upstairs."

"Okay, why don't we put our pajamas back on and I'll start a pot of coffee while you run up and get it. Actually don't run, be as quiet as possible, I want to have you all to myself a little while longer," she strategizes.

We kiss quickly a few more times.

"Oh and we both need to brush our teeth. Morning breath is the worst," she laughs.

"Nice. Way to ruin a moment!" I laugh too. "But so true."

We get dressed and while Maya brushes her teeth and makes the coffee, I brush my teeth and get her present. Oh, I hope she likes it! It's nothing as romantic as a ring but…

I come down the stairs and find Maya fixing the pillows and blankets on the couch to what they were before we well…and I see she has started a fire in the fireplace. Even the tree lights are on, a picture perfect Christmas morning…

"So, are you ready?" I ask.

"Baby, come here, sit with me," she gives me this warm smile that would make anyone melt for her.

I sit next to her on the couch, as close as I can get to her. She opens one of the blankets gently throwing it over our laps.

"Maya, this is for you. It's…it's just everything you make me feel."

I can see the excitement and wonderment in her eyes as she takes the box wrapped in red with a gold bow around it. She pulls at one end of the gold strands releasing the package from its grip. She slips her hand under the seam of the paper being much too careful with the wrapping.

"Just open it Maya!" I'm so anxious for her to see it!

So she does what most people do on Christmas morning, she tears into it, pulling the paper away from the box letting it fall to the floor. She holds the box in her lap and looks at me, she too, with anxious eyes.

"Okay, here it goes."

She removes the top of the box putting it down on the couch next to her. She takes the green tissue paper between her fingers folding it over one side of the box and then the other revealing her present. But, I'm not expecting the expression she has on her face when she sees what's inside. Her smile fades. Oh know, what did I do?

"Maya, is everything okay?" I ask desperate to make sure I didn't mess up.

She looks at me, a tear falling from the pools forming in her beautiful brown eyes, "I love it, baby. I, I just love it."

She hugs me, kissing my neck, holding me close to her while she regains her composure.

"I love you for doing this for me."

All I can do is smile because I'm feeling myself getting choked up with emotion.

She takes my gift out of the box moving it from her lap so she can put her present there.

She reads the inscription aloud, "To my soul mate, Maya, you are the only one I could ever love now and forever. Emily."

"Em, this, this is so beautiful. A scrapbook of memories, when would you have had time to put this altogether? I mean, it's amazing," she lights up.

"Maya, you've only seen the cover, open it. See what's inside," I encourage her.

She reads on, "From the moment I met you, I knew we would be together. Though, I will admit, the thought terrified me because it would prove that I'm trying to be someone I'm not. You made me believe in who I really am. You were the one I needed so I could finally be honest with myself. You are the one who guided me into the light. You are the one who made me comfortable loving who I love, you…"

"Emily, your words, they mean everything to me. I love you too baby, thank you."

She turns focusing her attention on me. Her lips reach for mine and mine gladly reach for hers. The kiss is soft yet firm reminiscent of the photo booth kiss. A kiss I will cherish forever and for always.

When she pulls away, she looks deeply into my eyes caressing my cheek with the back of her hand, "So, let's see what you put together for me."

She excitedly turns the page pointing to our first photos together. Hanna had taken them with her phone when we first met and forwarded them to me. There we are in the courtyard laughing about god knows what and walking to class together. Oh and another one by my locker. And as I'm looking at these pictures, it's like it was just yesterday. I can see the way I'm looking at her. Even the pictures knew Maya was my soul mate.

"Oh, Em, the photo booth pictures! I love it! But I thought you threw them out. How did you get them?"

"Maya, I was so mad at myself for getting rid of them because they were a constant reminder of who I really was but at the time I wasn't ready to accept. And of course, good ole –A sent them to Hanna and she made sure I got a copy. That's probably the only time I was glad to get something from –A!"

We laugh a good natured laugh and it feels so normal. I like normal.

"You were so nervous in that booth. But I wasn't gonna let you get away without that kiss."

"And I'm so glad you didn't," I rest my head on her shoulder.

"Oh my god, homecoming! Let me guess, Hanna."

"Nope, Lucas. He gave them to me when he found out about you being sent to Tru North. I thought that was sweet. You, you were breathtaking."

"As were you but Toby? Really? Toby?" she jests.

We laugh some more, "I know. But he made me realize that it was you I wanted to be with. So in a way I'm glad I went with him because I ended up with who I was supposed to end up with."

"Awww, you're adorable. Come here."

I could never grow tired of her kisses.

"You better keep going or my lips might not give you up."

"Okay, okay."

She turns the page.

"Hey, that's you asking me out on our first date. Who took that?"

"Lucas, again. He came in handy being the class photographer."

"Yeah he did. And look you were so funny trying to be all cool about it."

"And you were being all oh I'm gonna make her say the words. That was so mean," I pout a playful pout.

"Aww, come on, that was fun," she nudges me.

"Maybe for you!" I nudge her back. "But in hindsight I'm glad I did. I'll never forget it."

"Neither will I. Oh and you put the movie stub under it, 'I Walked with a Zombie'. My favorite movie of all time!"

"Mine too." More laughter and way more kisses.

"And here we are in the library during that storm and at Mona's Glamping party and oh I must've taken that one of you at the boathouse."

"That was after I told my parents I'm gay and they didn't take it so well," sadness skips over my heart.

"I remember. I needed you so desperately to feel wanted. I'll never forget that moment."

"You made me feel like I mattered. You made me feel so loved and cherished. I will always hold that time together close to my heart," I place my hands over my chest.

"I know baby, me too. And I can see the flames from the fireplace behind you. Oh Em, you look so beautiful and still so innocent. Your hair cascading down your bare shoulders and that smile that tells me you don't think you're sexy at all. But ya know something…you are sexy," she winks.

I can feel my cheeks heating up. Still she makes me blush.

"Hey what's this?" she asks.

"It's you sleeping."

"I can see that. But where am I?"

"I snuck a picture of you when we spent your last night before boot camp at Spencer's. I needed something to remind me of why I love you so much."

"And you knew then?"

"I think I always knew but you were so peaceful and I needed to remember you as being at peace."

"I was, you're right, because I knew you would be waiting for me. I felt bad about that ya know."

"Why?"

"Because I didn't want to make you feel like if you found an attraction with someone else that I would be holding you back. That's why I acted the way I did on the phone with you."

"Well, I did hang out with Paige and Samara but then one day I was going through my photos on my cell and there you were and I couldn't be bothered with them anymore. I chose to wait for you and I'm so glad I did."

"Me too." More kisses.

"So this must be when I got back from Tru North."

"Yep. I was going to Hanna's dad's wedding."

"Yeah and I said something stupid like let's take it slow. How dumb was I?"

"Really dumb."

"Hey!"

"I'm joking. We couldn't take it slow. You and I both knew that."

"Oh wow! The concert! We had so much fun!"

"Until I found out you like boys too!" I remind her.

"Stop. That was just some phase I was in, my IMK stupidity phase."

"Cute. And there we are with our selfie pictures."

"We do take good selfies."

"Yeah we do."

"And the sunsets and the boathouse and the locker room at school?"

"I had to get a picture of that. We made out quite a bit in there," I giggle like a middle school girl.

"It was definitely hot. It was that adrenaline rush from that feeling that we might get caught."

"And we never did." We muse.

"Ahh, my bedroom looking like a scene right out of the Little Mermaid."

"I loved it."

"I knew right then and there that you and I could get through just about anything."

"Yeah, except a body bag," she digs.

"Stop. You did what you had to do. And yeah there's a big gap in our story but as you can see I managed to take some pictures when we were in California. I love that pic of you in the bikini."

"You have a copy?" She looks at me hopefully.

"Of course. Do you really think I would let you have that and not keep one for me?"

I give her my best shocked expression.

"And there's your grandmother's ring and a selfie of us in bed after we married ourselves."

"I loved that. It was a magical moment," I remember.

"A few more gaps. Let me guess, amnesia," she tilts her head with an eyebrow arch.

"I'm pretty sure that's when it happened," I confirm.

"Oh wait! Winter Formal pictures!"

"Lucas," we say in unison.

"Oh and you guys took pictures of the boathouse all decorated. I love it."

"And you and I together again, cheek to cheek, the perfect selfie to end our story."

"Actually, the next page starts the newest chapter in our lives," I turn the page to an empty space.

"I love that. Em, this is the best gift. I can tell how much love you put into it and I will hold it dear to my heart always."

She closes the memory book on her lap then reaches with her right hand bringing my face close to hers…

"I love you baby."

We kiss sweetly and longingly until my parents wake up to the smell of fresh brewed coffee. They help themselves as do Maya and I exchanging Merry Christmases. My dad decides it's time to open the presents since we didn't get a chance to last night. Paper flies everywhere. Boxes open across the floor. We're laughing and singing and just being silly until my dad finds an envelope addressed to both Maya and I.

I take it from him opening it so Maya can read it too…

You never gave up on each other.

Nothing I tried could keep you apart.

You've earned my respect.

You truly are Soul Mates.

Therefore, I gift you with freedom.

Freedom from all things –A.

Freedom from all things Shana.

Merry Christmas.

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To Be Continued.

Who is the note from? You'll find out!