Spencer's POV

"Emily, I really don't think there's anything to talk about" I insisted.

"Listen Spencer, I know you look calm on the surface but you secretly implode on the inside" She crossed her arms. "We're going to talk about Hanna and Aria whether you like it or not."

"Emily it's-"

"DON'T, EVEN SAY IT. I think I'm one hundred percent aware of anything complicated, okay?" She frowned.

"I'm sorry, Emily. I know how hard it is to be on the 'it's complicated' end." I pinched the bridge of my nose.

"Please talk to me, Spence. I'm sure I can understand and you know I'm always here to comfort you. You are one of my best friend after all," She smiled. "but I need to ask you something, why did Aria feel the need to ask for your blessing?"

"She said that?"

"Yes, those words exactly."

"I..I really don't know."

"Is she afraid of you, Spencer?"

"She's always asked me for my approval, she even asked if I was okay with Mr. Fitz." I explained.

"Well, the all important question, are you okay with Aria dating Hanna? Because it's okay if you're not. I watched Alison be with guys, trust me, I feel your pain, if that's the case. I won't tell anyone."

I felt my eyes water. "Does it even matter at this point?"

"Spencer...come here." She opened her arms with the most heartbreaking look on her face.

I willingly let myself into her embrace and the tears started to pour out. "Did it hurt this bad? To watch Ali be with other people?" I sniffled.

"If you mean that feeling like your heart cracked as if it were made of glass, yes Spencer, it hurts to even think about it."

"I feel so selfish, Aria is my closest friend, no offense to the rest of you, but I felt something..different for her, ever since she stood up to Ali when she was being malicious towards Han, after The Jenna Thing."

"I know what you mean. Remember when Ali took us to the Jersey Shore on the Fourth of July?"

"Yeah, why?"

"We kissed under the pier, she told me we shouldn't tell you guys, because you wouldn't understand." She laughed.

"She told us she wasn't getting on because you guys just ate!" I grinned. "How long have you guys actually been sneaking around and kissing behind our backs?" I teased.

"Honestly?"

"Yeah, it's kinda funny, how well she could hide her feelings but you couldn't hide how smitten you were." I giggled.

"Okay, one day, she invited me over. She took me up the tree house and scolded me for being so slow. I think it was a secret that she meant to only invite me, since I asked her like multiple times if she was sure she didn't want you guys to come." She said with a grin appearing on her face. "She told me I was her favorite and she loved that I always stood up for her when people didn't have anything nice to say about her, that's also the first time she called me Killer."

"And then?" I wiggled my eyebrows.

"She kissed me, on the cheek, and said that she loved me. I didn't understand at the time what she meant, but when she said 'as a friend' she sounded disappointed hahaha."

"That's actually so cute." I grinned. "In that case, I love Aria enough to happily let her be with Han. I'll just keep a close eye on her, to make sure she doesn't mess anything up or hurt her in any way."

"Now there's our Spencer! Are you sure though? It's okay to not be okay." She justified.

"No, that actually gave me hope, you're the best, you know that right?" I gave her a tight squeeze.

"Glad I could help Spence, now get ready! Ali is probably having a fit without me." She giggled.

"Alright, thanks Em, that made me feel so much better."

"See you out front in twenty minutes?" She smiled.

"Yeah, hey Em?"

She looked over her shoulder.

"Nice bite mark." I smirked.

She just laughed and shook her head. "See you later Spencer."

Emily's POV

I slipped back into our room to find a very concerned Ali.

"Emily! What the hell were you doing?" She demanded with her hands on her hips.

"I just had to talk to Spencer, I'm sorry, did I worry you?" I asked looking at my feet.

"Yes, you kinda did worry me! What did you have to say to Spencer?" She tapped her foot impatiently.

"It was personal, she didn't know how she felt about the Aria and Hanna situation. I could see it in her eyes, I just wanted to make sure she was okay." I smiled.

Her eyes softened and she uncrossed her arms. "You're such a good friend Em, is she okay? It's kinda my job to look after her too."

"She's actually great! She's really happy for them, she just needed help putting the pieces of everything she metaphorically breaks down in her head back together."

"Well, that's a Hastings for you, always trying to look for an answer that sometimes is already there, no need to search for it." She sighed. "She should really stop doing that, she's going to make herself crazy always looking for a deeper meaning to things."

"True, but that would be just totally un-Spencer of her." I giggled.

She smiled. "You're right, now are you getting ready or not?" She winked. "Jesus Em, that looks really bad." She said reaching out towards the mark touching it gently.

I winced a little when her fingertips made contact with it. "It's fine, it just shows how good I am" I winked.

Her jaw dropped. "Emily Fields!"

I slid into the bathroom and chuckled.

We were at the club, and of course got a little carried away. I'm pretty sure we were all very drunk. Hanna is even funnier than normal when she's drunk, I couldn't help but laugh at everything she said.

"Uggggh, I can't believe our last day is tomorrow!" Hanna whined.

Spencer giggled. "So we all have ship names now, right Han?"

Her face lit up in realization. "That's right! Spoby, Emison and...ummm"

"Haria." Ali hiccuped.

"I like the sound of that!" Aria squeaked.

"Me too!" Spencer laughed.

"I like that everyone is happy now." Hanna slurred.

"Yeah, we all just belong together, with the right people too...Fields." Spencer slurred.

"Hey! How was I supposed to know that Paige was a psycho?" I giggled.

"Um, as soon as she tried to drown you, Em, like duhhh." Hanna laughed.

"Wait a second, Emily dated Paige after she tried to drown her?" Ali stumbled over her words.

"Yeah...I was stuuupid." I put my face in my hands.

"It's okay, it only took three tries for you to realize that." Aria hiccuped.

"EMILY, THREE TIMES?" Ali shouted.

"Sorry! I thought she would stop being so controlling, I do believe in second chances, Alison." I stated.

"Oh, I see how it is. I thought you forgave me for being an asshole Em, I guess I was wrong." She stood up and looked at the four of us. "I'm out of here." She pivoted and tried to keep her balance as she stormed out of the club.

Hanna, Aria and Spencer were shocked.

"Emily, what the FUCK was that?" Hanna exclaimed. "Go after her and apologize!"

I threw some money on the table covering the drinks Ali and I consumed and rushed out of the club.

"Ali! Ali, wait! Please!" I begged as I chased after her.

She turned around and gave me the iciest glare she's ever given anyone. "WHY SHOULD I WAIT? SO YOU CAN CONTINUE TO MAKE ME FEEL BAD?" She shouted angrily.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it." Tears were forming in my eyes.

"YES, YOU DID EMILY. YOU WOUDN'T HAVE SAID THAT IF YOU DIDN'T MEAN IT, JUST GO AWAY." She continued to shout.

"Ali...there's a difference." I began to shake heavily with sobs.

"REALLY? LIKE WHAT? THAT I DIDN'T TRY TO KILL YOU?" She screamed.

"I don't regret giving you a second chance." I sobbed while falling to my knees.

"That hurt, Emily." She turned around showing the tears flowing down her face.

"You're my everything, please don't leave me." I sniffled.

"How could you compare me to fucking PIGSKIN, Emily?"

"I didn't mean to say it like that. Alison, I would have gone to the ends of the world to find you. As soon as you were declared missing, I realized how much more you meant to me than a friend. I sat in my room crying for weeks, maybe even months, hoping you weren't dead, that there was a single shred of hope I could be happy. Then I went to your funeral, I really thought you were dead. Spencer even yelled at me to get over you and I couldn't. I wished I was dead, the pain was so bad!"

"Emily..." She shook with the sobs that had overcome her entire body.

"Now you're standing right in front of me, the most beautiful girl I've ever seen, you're worth every ounce of pain, every tear that I cried, and you're so perfect, I can't handle losing you. I'm so sorry for everything I said tonight that hurt you."

She knelt down on the ground and pulled me into her arms. "I'm sorry for flipping out. I was offended and we've had entirely too much to drink." She bit her lip. "I overreacted and that was the most heartbreaking thing I've ever heard, but it just goes to show that you never once gave up on me. You've proven yourself to me as the most loving, sensitive, and caring person I have ever met..and I love you so much it hurts."

"I love you too." I hiccuped tying to recover air from crying so hard.

"It actually still shocks me that we're together. You're the summer sunshine and I'm a block of ice. You never fail to melt me away with your words and selflessness and kindness. This whole blowout was stupid. Let's go get some ice cream, my treat." She said wiping the tears off my face.

"Thank you, for not leaving me, I was so stupid." I admitted. "I could go for some ice cream."

"Let's never fight again. This was terrible." She hung her head. "Let's go, you can have all the toppings you want, my love." She said kissing my cheek.

Alison's POV

Well, I've learned how awful it is fighting with Emily. It's nothing like fighting with Spencer, where she has something equally as insulting and horrible to counter anything I have to say to her. In fact it's one thousand percent worse. It made me realize, that this is the most amazing girl in the world. The girl who waited for me, against reason, against promise, against peace, against hope, against happiness and all discouragement that could be. I'd be a fool to let this girl break into a million pieces and leave over some dumb drunken argument.

I'm pacing nervously in our hotel room while Em is taking a shower, just hoping this isn't a terrible idea. I felt as if I had an anvil in my jacket pocket. I took a deep breath and slid down the walls of our hotel room. I don't know how much longer I can hold off to do this. But if I'm going to do it, I need to do it right.

But can I wait that long?

I sighed in frustration and put my face in between my knees. I can't shake this feeling.

The best I could come up with was ice cream? Idiot!

I hate having internal conflict. This really sucks. Before I know it, we'll be ready for college and that means we have to spend more time apart, and I hate the thought of not having her by my side for any period of time.

Soon enough Alison, just be patient. There's a happy ending for everyone.

I sighed and changed into Emily's red flannel, I still remember the day in the library when she wore it. I always make her wash it, she always smells like strawberries. It's comforting. Emily threw on a baggy Rosewood Sharks t-shirt and wrapped her arms around me, and soon enough we were asleep.