A/N: Once again, this chapter includes quite a few semantics in terms of Emily and Alison's divorce proceedings, but I promise you that it is all important! So don't skip through! I love the ending of this chapter. I hope you all do too.
I also was surprised that so many of you believed Emily to be angry at the end of the last chapter. Her tears and inability to speak I thought were clear, but hopefully the beginning of this chapter clears that up for you all. She's not angry, just remorseful. :)
Emily's heels clicked against the cold ceramic beneath her feet as she paced in the small 5th-floor restroom of the Hastings, Miller & Hastings building waiting for their 11 am meeting. She had woken up with the sun trying to prepare herself for seeing her wife. A month ago was the last they had fully attempted a conversation. Alison had been there. At her front door. With another woman. The shivers ran down Emily's spine, just thinking of it. The visual brought impulsive tears back to her eyes. Tears that she found to be incessant in the weeks following their last interaction.
She reassured her mother and herself that her tears weren't out of anger or malice. No, her tears were filled with regret. Because when Alison opened that door to hug her guest goodbye, all Emily could see was her smile. It was a portrait of her wife she hadn't seen in over two years. It was a glimpse into the joy that radiated from Alison in the days and weeks before going to jail. For the first time in so long, Emily saw Alison's soul again. And that hit Emily harder than the divorce papers had earlier that morning. Because not only did she realize that Alison could feel the same joy around someone else as she did with Emily. But Emily also realized that she, herself, had never smiled like that with Maya. Separate facets of her past, present, and future hit her with a force that couldn't be denied in front of the home they purchased together. It's what led to the few words she spoke.
"I can't do this."
It wasn't that Emily couldn't take it. It was that she hadn't prepared herself for the day that she would see Alison's smile. She hadn't taken into account that Alison's upturned grin may never hit Emily's eyes again. She hadn't realized how much better her world was when Alison's smile was hers. She hadn't made the time to note it in the recesses of her mind so that it would never be etched over in the time she was gone.
And now, every single choice she made during Alison's sentence had led to her pacing in the women's restroom this morning. The woman looking back at her in the mirror had subjected her entire world to her selfishness. Their divorce, this mediation, was a direct result of the mistakes Emily made when not in the presence of Alison's smile. Alison deserved better. She deserved to smile again. Emily knew that now. With her dark hair slicked back in a low ponytail, poignant smoky makeup, and tailored black pantsuit, Emily took in a deep breath. She could do this now. Alison deserved it.
Emily's attorney was already waiting. Mrs. Hastings had reached out to a separate law firm to help Emily retain a knowledgeable and respected lawyer in his own right. The only request Emily had was for her lawyer to know that he wasn't fighting a legal battle. They were in an amicable divorce, and she expected that to be the case from beginning to end.
"Sam!" Emily exhaled her fears into the waiting room outside of Dominic's office.
"Hi there, Emily." He stood, wrapping her in a hug as he left his briefcase next to the chair. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm okay, I think. I looked over everything you sent me, and I'm willing to move forward with what you proposed."
Sam kept his hands on Emily's shoulders as he shook them in reassurance. "So happy to hear it. Alison and Dominic are in his office right now, finalizing their own proposal, I'm sure. Dom said that we could take a seat in the conference room next door. They should be just a moment."
As soon as she sat down at the conference table, Emily pulled out her tablet, pen, and their potential settlement. She lined them in an orderly row over and over again until feeling content with their place. And as she closed her eyes to inhale again, she heard Alison's laugh in the distance, causing her eyes to shoot open.
Emily stood, watching her wife enter the room. Alison was turned partially around toward Dominic as she walked in wearing an olive green empire-waist dress that came just below her knee. Her blond hair was lightly curled in ringlets that fell over her shoulders. Her makeup was faint, but apparent to anyone who had woken up next to her for the past eight years. Before Emily could stop herself, she began walking toward the door. As Alison turned around to the rest of the room, she stopped as soon as she saw Emily. Every thought abandoning her mind.
Emily wrapped her wife into a hug that Alison reciprocated as their lawyers and mediator got settled at the table. Alison cupped Emily's elbow pulling away, "We're okay, right?"
Emily nodded, "Yeah, Al. It's going to be okay."
It was a hard promise to make, considering Emily's heart was in her stomach. As the mediator began speaking, though, the calm began to set in.
Emily watched Alison from across the table. Alison's face, which was just filled with so much laughter, appeared dejected at the entire idea of this proceeding. She knew that Alison had requested the divorce so that Emily would finally make a decision. But watching her wife's face as they began speaking, Emily filled with confusion. Had she made the right decision at all?
"Okay, ladies. So happy to have you both here face-to-face. I know that we have spoken at length on the phone separately just so that I could get a better understanding of everything going into this settlement. Do either of you have any questions before we get started today?" After a relative silence, the mediator continued, "Due to the nature of this conversation, we are being recorded today. For the purpose of further transcription, could everyone in the room introduce themselves and the role they are playing? Alison, if you could please go first?"
"Perfect. My name is Alison DiLaurentis." She paused as Emily watched her gulp for air before continuing, "I am the plaintiff In this proceeding."
"Dominic Miller. Lawyer to the plaintiff." He gestured to Emily to continue.
"Emily Fields. Defendant."
"Samuel Price. The defendant's lawyer."
"Kathryn Taylor. Mediator. Thank you, everyone! Now, I know we spoke on the phone about this Emily and Alison, but this process' timeline is completely up to the two of you. The purpose of these meetings is to reach mutual understanding and completion of your divorce settlement. These meetings are confidential as each of you, your lawyers, and myself have signed agreements to such end. Those agreements also indicate that should you both be unable to come to an agreement, I am unable to disclose any part of these meetings to a court should you move to a legal proceeding. Do you both understand this?"
Alison looked across the table to her wife. Emily sat with both hands in her lap, facing the mediator. Her face was pallid and unmoving as though withdrawn from the words being spoken altogether. But she looked good. Stunning, as always, and stoically attempting to keep herself together for the world to see. Under that stoicism, though, Alison could sense her fear. She noticed the faint heartbeat she could see peeking from the side of her neck while turned. She watched Emily's eyes as they rarely blinked. She felt the tension between them, even though they were multiple feet away from each other.
Tension sat between them because of their last interaction. Because of Emily seeing Alison at her door. With someone else. With Cassie. Alison watched as heartbreak washed over her wife that night. Though it was never her intention, part of Alison relished in the fact that Emily had to go through it too. She wasn't alone anymore in her pain. But Alison knew that what Emily had seen was innocent. She also knew that although a month had passed, her and Cassie's relationship still remained innocent. Part of her wished that she could stop the meeting, update Emily on her life, its meaning to her now, and see, just see, if the woman in front of her would let go of it all. But with Maya in the picture, Alison knew it wouldn't be possible to get through. Emily had found someone else. And even if Alison wasn't ready to take that next step, or any step really with Cassie, she had found someone prepared to wait until she was.
Alison subconsciously nodded to the mediator's statement before listening to her continue, "So after receiving both of your proposals, it appears that you only have a few items in contention. We will start with shared assets. It seems that in your prior separation agreement, Mrs. Fields, you willingly forwent claim to the home located in Rosewood to Mrs. DiLaurentis. Is that still correct?
"Yes." Emily nodded, making eye contact with her wife for the first time since they had been seated. "The house is hers."
"And Alison, do you have any opposition to that portion of the separation agreement remaining intact?"
"I do not."
"Well… I'm happy we were able to get that settled easily." Kathryn chuckled, "It's rare that a couple in mediation truly wants amicability."
"We only want what's best for each other. Truly." Alison affirmed.
"Let me just say that you two are some of the few who do. It's quite a testament to the relationship you had and the relationship you will have once all of this is settled."
Emily coughed as she adjusted in her seat, uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation. Alison mouthed, 'sorry' across the table to her wife as soon as Emily looked back her way.
"In terms of custody, it appears as though Alison has requested 50/50 custody though she is open to the terms of the agreement. Mr. Price, what do you and your client say to the request?"
Emily placed her eyes in her lap as he read, "Emily is willing to accept the 50/50 custody. She is willing to discuss the terms of the agreement as well, but I would like to include a relocation clause."
"What is that?" Alison whispered to her left towards Dominic.
But before he could reply, Kathryn began speaking again, "Okay. Alison, are you familiar with relocation clauses?"
"No, ma'am. I'm not." Alison looked at Emily harshly, attempting to read the portion of her face that was visible.
"A relocation clause essentially indicates the distance each of you would be able to relocate from the city of filing without needing approval first from the courts. It would prevent you from moving across the country, or to the next state over, depending on its parameters."
Alison gulped, "Why do we need a clause, Em?"
"It's for you. I mean – your benefit."
"How so? I am keeping the house here. Where's the logic?"
"It's so that you know that I'll never try to move outside of Philadelphia."
"Philadelphia? Really? We're back on this train again?"
Emily looked up from her lap finally to stare at the mediator, hoping she may intervene. But instead, Kathryn's eyes urged her forward, indicating that a cordial conversation was still taking place, "I don't have a crystal ball, Ali. I don't know if I will want to use my Masters in the future or not, and if I do, I don't want to be limited to Rosewood. It's precautionary."
"And commuting is not an option?"
"I didn't want to get into this here, but Alison, literally every tragedy of our lives occurred in this town. My father, our son, and others are buried here, sweetheart. You've never wanted to escape the memory of that for even a day? I'm asking for a 50-mile radius. I'm asking for 50 miles of cushion from the town that haunts us both."
"Not to happen immediately?"
"Not to happen immediately. You have my word."
Alison scoffed, "Okay…"
"Do you need a recess, Mrs. DiLaurentis?" Kathryn injected at Alison's display of disdain
"No. I'm fine." Alison readjusted in her seat, fighting the urge to speak her mind.
"Just say it." Emily whispered, "We have barely seen each other in a month. You're allowed to say it."
Emily kept her eyes faced forward as Alison's icy stare looked up directly at her, "Me trusting your word is what got us here. That's all." Her words were biting, but Emily didn't flinch.
"I know, Al. We can include an indication of time, right? Like a year?"
Sam nodded next to her. "Alison, if you need, we can phrase the custody arrangement as 'After a year of impermissible relocation, either party may move within 50 radial miles from the court filing city of Rosewood, Pennsylvania.' Would that be more fitting?"
"Make it two, and I'm fine with it."
"Mrs. Fields?" Kathryn asked from the head of the table.
"Okay. Two years." Silence fell across both parties.
"And any indication about the separation of holidays?"
Emily looked back up at Alison, who nodded in agreement, "We discussed this ahead of time. Let me flip to the page in here. And babe? Sorry. Alison? Interrupt me if you need to, okay? We would like the court documents to indicate that Christmas and Olivia's birthday, September 5th, be shared, unless other agreement is determined, in person, mutually. Thanksgiving and Easter will alternate each year, with no one party having both holidays within the same calendar year.
Alison added on, "We would also like for it to be noted that each of us is allowed 4 weeks throughout the year for vacations. Those could be consecutive weeks or split into days multiple times during the year. Is that still okay?" Emily nodded in reply.
"Okay. We will make a note of all of that. Would you like to discuss the financial settlement? Mr. Miller?"
"Emily. Mr. Price. We are willing to give you the exact amount that was stated when you signed into the trust on your wedding day. You can see the original agreement here listing 10% equity in any interest acquired in the trust throughout your marriage. After obtaining these documents to date of filing, Mrs. DiLaurentis owes the defendant $2,348,079.87 as a financial settlement but has agreed to pay a flat $3,000,000."
"Ali, I know what I signed on our wedding day, okay? But that is incredibly too much money."
Alison kept her head down, not wanting to get involved in her wife's plea.
"I know that you're trying to appease me somehow, but I calculated out what I spend monthly, what a house payment would be, what I would need for expenses, what Olivia would need. I worked out all of that just for the first year because I intend to find a job and need minimal spousal or child support as time goes on. And my calculation comes to just barely above $200,000. Alison? Are you listening to me?" Alison nodded before the mediator interrupted.
"Mrs. Fields, as much as I appreciate your plea to the plaintiff, the contract you signed entitles you the $2 million amount that Mr. Miller read. Alison and the DiLaurentis family are contractually obligated to give you that money, regardless if you believe that you need it or not."
"Could we put the remainder of what I don't need into a trust for Olivia then?" Emily asked.
Alison leaned to whisper to her lawyer before he continued. "Mrs. DiLaurentis is willing to place the remaining money into a separate trust owned by Mrs. Fields for their daughter. She is requesting, though, that the defendant still takes at least $1 million of the money owed for her own use."
"In case you don't find a job for a while, Em. Olivia already has a stake in my family's trust as a whole. She doesn't need the additional." Alison interjected.
"I don't want to be the person who takes a settlement when I'm sure that spousal support is going to be discussed today, too. How much money are you trying to pour into that, Al?"
"$15,000 a month."
Hearing that figure, caused Emily to stand up immediately, "Sorry. Excuse me for a moment."
"Mrs. Fields, leaving this room would result in a recess. Do you acknowledge that?"
Emily turned back around, her face filled with agitation, "Yes. I do."
"Are you calling for a temporary recess for the day or an extended recess?"
As Emily's brain began to swarm, Alison noticed her wife's face beginning to grow red. With her darker complexion, Emily only became red when blushing or when she was moments from a full-on panic.
"We call an extended recess, please!" Alison stood to interrupt. "Can everyone clear the room? Can I please just talk to Emily alone?"
Pressing stop on the recording, both of their lawyers and mediator scrambled from the room in response to Alison's tone. Emily tucked her head into her shoulder as she dug her hands as deep into the pockets of her pantsuit as she could. Alison walked toward her wife, unsure of how to proceed. They hadn't seen each other in a month. Hadn't had a full conversation alone since Christmas. Hadn't touched since their anniversary dinner. They no longer could directly relate to each other. But beyond having a relationship, Alison knew how to be there for Emily. The same way she had in the decade before they were anything more than just friends.
Alison placed her hand on Emily's forearm gently, pulling her into a loose hug as Emily attempted to breathe. No words were exchanged, just subtle and indirect pats on Emily's arm. Counting out Emily's inhale and exhale count. As if it were second nature. As if being by each other side is what they had been made for all along.
Emily let go of Alison's shoulders as she shuffled back to the conference table to sit. Her breathing finally becoming regulated, Emily kept her head down. Alison saw the fear and anguish in Emily's eyes. She willingly called their meeting off for the day without a second thought. Care still lingered between their actions. Love still dripped between their words. Trying to make sure Emily was alright, Alison knelt down beside her.
"Talk to me, please," Alison asked, crouched before Emily, who was still seated in the chair nearest the door.
Emily's tired eyes met her wife's concern. "What's going on here, Al?"
"I could ask you the same thing. What's going on with you?"
"I'm just trying to make this as easy as possible. This is already hard enough."
"But that's what confusing about it. This doesn't have to be hard. What I'm asking for and asking you for is more than doable for us."
"I know it is. But I put us through this. All of this – this bullshit, it's on me."
"You should be fighting for your future, though. Fighting for Liv's future. And instead you – "
Emily removed her hands from her pockets to tuck them into her crossed arms, "I don't get it, Al. You wanted me to make a decision; that's the whole reason we're here now! But I'm tired of fighting. I'm tired of being the bad guy. I want to leave this relationship with love in my heart for you. My future and Olivia's future are intrinsically tied to you, also getting out of this unscathed."
"I want you to fight for something, though. I want you to feel something! This is a life that we imagined for ourselves that's coming to an end. Fight for what you deserve. Please fight now, because you didn't fight for us when I was gone. Please fight now…"
"Alison, I can't –" Emily muttered before walking out of the conference room straight for the elevator.
"Don't remind me, Em. You couldn't do this either the last time I saw you. I don't know why you keep running. We have to come to a resolution. Why can't you fight for once in life?"
Emily felt the tears hitting her eyes as soon as Alison began exclaiming for her to fight. Emily placed her head in her hands while the elevator door closed in front of her. The platinum reflection of her crying figure showed every glimpse of the woman she now was back to her. And as Emily pulled her head up and met her own reflection, all she could see was the now bare spot on her left hand where an engagement ring once stood.
Because even though Alison couldn't see it, since stepping off of their front porch a month ago… all Emily had done was fight.
A/N: As much as I love Alison in this story, I have such a delicate spot in my heart for Emily. She is growing into a human being she may finally see as worth loving. I hope that you all may find that same soft spot for her throughout the rest of this journey.
Once again, so blown away by all of your support. Thank you.
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secretpen28
