A/N: I promise I didn't forget about you! *pulls you off of the cliff you've been dangling on*. Thanks for your patience. I kind of got in a fight with a hurricane/tropical storm. 2020, everyone.
Chapter 31:
Moody Blues
Most of March was rainy and miserable. It added to the somber mood swings that Emily was going through, though she did her best to hide her baby blues. Despite everything she was going through she was trying to remain positive. She couldn't let the unwavering sadness in, because she didn't know if she had the energy to fight it.
She focused a lot on boxing. Jake was still training with her. He knew she needed it after everything she'd gone through. They were taking the proper precautions. They focused on her breathing, which would eventually help with the childbirth, and her hand-eye-coordination.
Wilden's arrest had been the talk of the town since they'd gotten back from New York. He'd been transferred from New York to stand trial in Pennsylvania, though he had a mountain of charges against him in New York, too. Video evidence had come to light showing that he was the one who started the fire in the hotel. The hard evidence against him was enough for the judge to deny bail, especially now that they knew he was a flight risk.
Emily's mother had been so preoccupied that she hadn't even processed that her daughter had been in the same hotel as Wilden. Her mother had been a mess since that night. Emily had forced herself to hold it together. She internalized everything.
Alison was still dealing with the shock of being stabbed and nearly plummeting to her death, but she'd bent over backwards to be there for Emily. She was pushing her emotions deep down inside.
Emily was staring outside her window at the grey skies. Droplets of rain were drizzling down the glass. She watched a drop trickle down, dancing as gravity pulled it lower. It was how she felt lately. Not only because of her dad, but because she felt like she'd failed Alison and her baby because they hadn't gotten the answers she was hoping for in New York.
The looming danger that threatened them was like a force pulling her underwater. She watched as the raindrop dissipated into a puddle against the window pane.
She heard a tapping noise. It took her a few minutes to realize that it wasn't the rain padding against the house. She heard the knocking again and then the sound of her door creaking open.
"Em? We need to get going or we're going to be late." Alison stepped into her room.
Emily turned around. Alison was wearing a simple black skirt and a white blouse. It was the most formal thing the blonde owned. All of her other clothes were sultry and sexy. She had toned down her jewelry as well, opting to wear a simple pair of pearl earrings and the charm bracelet that Emily had gotten her for Valentine's Day. Emily wasn't used to seeing her dress down.
"Right." Emily tried to shake herself out of her mood.
She walked over to Alison, catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Her black maternity dress pants fit over her belly. She was wearing a long white flowery shirt. She hated it, but it covered her stomach. She grabbed a dressy coat her mother had laid out for her for the finishing touch. It added layers to the outfit and made the baby bump nearly disappear. The outfit was not her style, but she had to wear it.
She was at a point where she was tired of hiding the pregnancy. She was planning to get it out in the open soon. She was tired of secrets. They just made life more complicated. And sometimes they were deadly.
Her phone buzzed. She looked around for it for a few seconds before she realized she was holding it in her hand. She looked at the screen and saw a message from Isaac.
How are you?
He had been checking in on her twice a week, both about the baby and about how she was holding up. He was still finding his footing with their boundaries.
He'd been staying with his friends because he was fed up with his family. He was so pissed at them for what they'd done. They'd been just as culpable in keeping the baby a secret from him. What they'd done was worse than what Emily had done. Because his parents were adults. They were supposed to be trusted role models that kids could go to for advice. Instead, they'd betrayed him. But he was trying to go easy on slandering his parents because he knew what Emily was going through.
Emily peered at the screen.
She'd been hearing from a lot of people over the past several weeks. Friends checking in. Relatives she hardly ever spoke to reaching out to her.
Maya had texted, too.
My folks told me about your dad. Just wanted to let you know I'm thinking about you. You holding up okay? Need anything?
Emily had sent her a quick text back to let her know she appreciated it, but that she was fine. They'd left it at that. They had both moved on. Emily never thought she'd get to a point in her life when she thought of Maya without her heart aching, but seeing her had closed a chapter in her life. Maya seemed to feel the same.
Emily stared at Maya's old message and then scrolled back up to Isaac's message. Alison saw her looking at her phone.
"Isaac?" She guessed.
"Yeah."
Alison tried to keep a neutral expression on her face. She was used to Emily and Isaac talking. She knew that he was wavering on what to do, and she knew that Emily wanted her in the delivery room with her. Emily had picked her. It's the only thing that kept her from flying off the handle.
"Did you tell him you're starting Lamaze classes?" Alison paused at the mirror next to Emily, staring at her reflection. She smoothed a stray piece of frizzy hair down on her head, nearly catching a charm from her bracelet in her hair.
Emily moved behind Alison and reached up to straighten her hair, smiling at her in the mirror. Their height difference was barely noticeable with Alison in heels.
"He offered to pay for half the cost."
"On a bus-boy's salary?" Alison asked with intrigue.
"He tutors kids, too. He's a smart guy." Emily shrugged. "Intellectually, at least. He couldn't see that his girlfriend was checking out other girls when it was happening right in front of him, but he can tell you how a cell divides and all about mitochondria."
She leaned her chin on the top of Alison's head and wrapped her arms around her waist. Alison smiled timidly at their image in the mirror. No matter how dire the circumstances, she couldn't help but smile when she was with Emily.
Alison cleared her throat and reached up to flatten a wrinkle she saw in her blouse. The formal clothes felt foreign to her.
"Is this okay?" She pressed her fingers against the shirt.
"It's fine." Emily nodded, reassuring her.
"I've never done this before." Alison turned around to face her girlfriend.
"Me either." Emily replied with a solemn look on her face.
Alison didn't miss the faraway look in her sad brown eyes. They had both had their fair share of struggles since the weekend in New York. Emily had managed to remain a pillar of strength, but at the same time she had shut a part of herself down in self-preservation.
She'd been doting on Alison since that night, making sure her injuries were healing and making sure that she wasn't burying the trauma of nearly plummeting to her death. Alison knew it was just her way of coping. Emily's first instinct was to take care of her loved ones. She hadn't once asked for help. They hadn't talked at all about how she was doing.
Alison could see a distant expression of unease and sorrow in her tense face. Her eyes had a strange glaze. It was like she was carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders.
Alison reached up to touch Emily's cheek, snapping her out of her daze. Emily's eyes immediately met Alison's.
"You know I'm here for you, right?" Alison put her other hand against Emily's side.
Emily mirrored Alison's actions, putting her warm palm against Alison's neck and her other hand against her hip. She wordlessly replied by leaning forward and pressing her lips against Alison's. She pulled back with a quiet smile and straightened a strand of Alison's hair that was astray.
"I'm here for you, too." She lowered her head to meet Alison's forehead. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
When she opened them back up she looked exhausted. Alison rubbed her thumbs underneath Emily's eyes. She could see the sullen dark circles underneath them.
"You haven't been sleeping." Alison's eyes narrowed in concern.
"It's hard to get comfortable," Emily said. "And my bladder is the size of a walnut at this point. It's normal." She tried to shake it off with a smile, but Alison saw beyond her act.
"That's not why." Alison rubbed her arm. "You haven't talked much since everything happened that weekend." She sat down against the edge of Emily's bed, pulling her to sit next to her. "You don't have to hold it in, you know."
Emily pursed her lips in thought. There was a lot she wanted to say, but she didn't know where to begin.
"I have had so much loss in my life." Emily reached out and touched Alison's hand. "I don't want you to become part of that. Today is just a reminder of what I stand to lose if things go sideways." She squeezed Alison's hand. "That psycho is still out there. I think about it all the time." She peered at the blonde. "You want to know what's on my mind?" She reached up and gripped Alison's chin, cradling it in her fingers. "You." She stroked her face. "Because you're part of my family, Alison. You know that, right?"
Alison's throat felt like it was closing up. Sometimes the simplest words made her freeze up in the most wonderful way. Emily had that power over her.
"You're my family, too." Alison smiled. "That's why I'm so worried."
"You're right that we haven't talked." Emily slowly lowered her hand. "I know it's been intense these past few weeks. I haven't forgotten what you went through that night." Emily put her palm against the healing cut in Alison's side. "I haven't forgotten what you did for us. And I know it's taking a toll on you, too. I know I'm not the only one losing sleep."
"I'm fine, Em. I promise." She sold her confidence to the best of her ability, but Emily saw right through it.
Emily had seen the changes in Alison since her brutal brush with death. She'd seen the haunted look in Alison's eyes. But there was a fire burning over it, because she was letting her anger at Wilden take the lead. It was easier than facing the trauma. They hadn't had a chance to deal with Alison's ordeal because of what had happened with Emily's father.
"I'm good." Alison added for emphasis. But it was a little too much emphasis.
"I don't think you are." Emily sighed. She laced her fingers through Alison's.
"I'm a lot tougher than I look." Alison's lip twitched. It was a bluff...a tell that Emily could see.
"You were crying in your sleep three nights ago." It had broken Emily's heart to hear her weeping. All she'd been able to do was hold her and whisper that she loved her. "You jump every time a door opens. You stripped out of your shirt the other day because you felt like it was choking you. You almost punched your reflection yesterday…"
"Bitch had it coming." Alison tried to make her laugh.
Emily cracked a smile and shook her head.
"Watch it. That's my girlfriend you're talking about." Emily retorted. Alison smiled and rubbed her shoulder. Emily smiled sweetly at her. "We can joke all day every day, but we still have to talk about it. What happened in New York was horrible. It's okay if you're having trouble dealing."
Alison had spent her entire life sheltered in the confines of affluence with the illusion of invincibility. It's how she'd ruled Rosewood for so long.
Emily knew that even though the blonde had her own trauma in the form of people like Ian and Wilden, she'd never been that close to death before. She had never experienced anything that perilous.
Little creases formed in Alison's forehead. Her lips were tight and her gaze was tense. She shuddered. She remembered every second of the nightmare.
"The nightmare wasn't about what happened on the roof." Alison slowly looked up at Emily. "We were trapped in that house and there was this…shadowy figure. I couldn't see anything except the red coat. You were in labor. We were forced apart. I could hear you calling out for me, but I couldn't get to you. And when I finally did escape I wasn't able to get into the room, but I could see through a crack in the door."
She flinched and her voice trembled. Emily could see her entire body tensing up. Her hands were balled into tightly wound fists.
"I saw a pair of hands covered in blood holding a scalpel and cutting you open and then the baby being ripped out of you. You laid there bleeding out as your daughter cried for you. I couldn't get in."
She lifted her hands, looking at them as if though they'd betrayed her. She flipped them over and peered at her knuckles.
"I beat on the door. I clawed. I screamed. The baby stopped crying and it scared the hell out of me. So I rammed the door with my shoulder until I finally managed to break through. But I was too late." Her eyes were filled with tears. "My nightmare wasn't about my death. It was about yours. It was about losing both of you."
Emily slid her hand up against Alison's spine and rubbed her back. She could feel her shaking. The nightmare had really done a number on her.
"I can't stop thinking about it. That house…" Alison glanced at her. "All of it. It was all so creepy. It scares me. Because we don't know what else this person is going to do. They're not playing high school games anymore. Whoever is doing this is really sick in the head."
Finding her clothes had successfully made Alison uncomfortable in her own skin, and it was making her more neurotic about something happening to Emily.
"I'm sorry you're caught up in this mess." Emily's hand slipped up underneath her hair and against the nape of her neck. "This is what I was afraid of," she said softly.
"What do you mean?" Alison faced her.
"When we first started dating I asked you if this was too much for you…"
"And I told you it wasn't…" Alison frowned.
"You didn't let me finish." Emily cut her off. "I wasn't asking for you. I was asking because I was afraid for you. I was afraid I was going to steer your life so far off-course that it would make the Titanic's journey look good. I knew then how much you loved me. And I felt selfish, because I wanted us to be together even though I knew I was going to screw up your life…"
"You haven't screwed anything up." Alison reached for her hand.
"You're having nightmares because of the complications in my life. And you're taking unnecessary risks." Emily cupped Alison's hand in between her warm palms. Alison's charm bracelet made a tinkling sound as the charms clinked together. "I don't want you to keep doing that. Because after everything…after all this…I can't lose you. And I'm afraid that this is only going to get worse, and I won't be able to protect you." She licked her lips nervously. "I couldn't protect my dad." Emily looked away to try and hide her pain.
Alison felt a twinge of pain in her chest. That's what she'd been holding in. Of course it circled back to Wayne. She knew how guilty Emily felt, even though the girl had done nothing to feel guilty about.
"Em, you couldn't have known." She put her free hand on top of their enclosed hands.
"I should have. All the signs were there." Her throat bobbed, her voice tremoring.
"You can't blame yourself for that. The second you start doing that you'll never be able to come back from it." Her fingers grazed Emily's cheek. "And I won't let you do that to yourself."
Alison had a determined look on her face. It was the same expression she had when she was dead set on getting her way about something. Emily knew there was no use in arguing.
"I'm really lucky to have you." Emily laid her hand against Alison's knee. "I love you."
Alison always felt special when Emily said it, especially when she said it first. Emily showed her every day how much she loved her, but hearing her say it was like a natural form of dopamine, a shot of endorphins directly into her veins.
"I love you, too." She tilted her head and leaned in for a kiss.
Emily met her without hesitation. She cradled Alison's cheek at the same moment that Alison put her palm against Emily's face. They slowly fell back against the mattress mid-kiss.
Their bodies were naturally angled towards one another on their sides. The kiss didn't turn into anything more. They both knew it was about comfort. Alison had learned the difference between their sexual touches and the emotional ones. Sometimes they were one in the same, but she knew when it was purely about the act of simply being there.
Emily stared into Alison's eyes as she softly ran her fingers against her cheek. Alison was left paralyzed by her beautiful sienna eyes. She could see the story of their lives, past and present, in her eyes.
She thought about the day at the wishing well. Emily had seemed so sure of what she wanted. It's like she'd been waiting her entire life to make one particular wish. She'd confirmed it on Valentine's Day, but sometimes it still felt unreal to Alison.
"Did you really wish for me?" Alison reached up and put her hand on Emily's broad shoulder, scooching closer to her.
Emily kissed her forehead and smiled at her.
"Every day of my life." She moved Alison's hair out of her face and then laid her arm across Alison's waist, letting her fingers fall lazily against her skirt. "You are so special to me."
Blood rushed to Alison's cheeks. She automatically moved closer to the brunette. Their faces were inches apart. They locked eyes.
In that moment it felt like they were the only two people in the world. It alleviated the stress and the pain and grief.
"I'm only special because I have you." Alison pecked her lips, the tips of their noses tickling one another. "There wouldn't me a 'me' without you. Because you've got my heart. You always have." She reached up and put her hand in between Emily's ever-growing bosom. "I mean it. I've never met anyone more beautiful, inside and out." She moved her palm down against Emily's stomach. "I wish you could see yourself through my eyes. Because then you could see just how amazingly extraordinary you are."
She was an extraordinary girlfriend, woman, and mother. She was a wonderful friend. A generous lover. She was the most beautifully unique person Alison had ever met.
"When I say I love you, Emily, I mean I love all of you. Just like you love all of me. We fit. Our broken pieces fit. And I don't take what we have for granted."
"I know." Emily smiled, resting her forehead against Alison's. "I wouldn't trade what we have for anything." The girl was her sunrise, her sunset, and everything in between. "The moment we met you had my heart. And it's yours. Forever. So when I say I love you I want you to know that I mean I always have. And I always will."
"This is us." Alison pressed a chaste kiss against her lips while massaging her baby bump. "This is who we'll always be…no matter what's happening outside of our lives. Our love is the only thing that matters."
Emily nodded in agreement. She felt her daughter moving and stretching out in her stomach. It was uncomfortable at first. Alison noticed Emily squirming, curling her lips in discomfort. She put her palm against her side and grunted.
Alison started humming, but she kept her eyes trained on Emily's. Emily recognized the bars from one of her dad's favorite songs by Phil Collins. The blonde quietly started to sing.
"Wouldn't you agree, baby, you and me got a groovy kind of love." She slowly snaked down Emily's body until she was in front of her baby bump. She grasped either side of Emily's belly and softly sang some more, tweaking the lyrics. "When I'm feeling blue, all I have to do is put my hand on you, then I'm not so blue. When you're in our arms nothing will seem to matter. Our whole world could shatter. I don't care…cuz wouldn't you agree, you, your mom, and me have a groovy kind of love."
The baby started to settle as Alison sang to her. Emily watched Alison with a smile on her face. Her lullabies were quickly becoming a set routine with the three of them.
"Didn't know you were on an 80s kick." Emily put her hands against Alison's cheeks and gently pulled her up towards her face again, kissing her. "It's really sweet that you include her."
Alison cuddled close to the brunette. She traced her fingers over the necklace she'd given Emily. Her index finger landed on the baby's birthstone.
"I wish we could stay like this forever." Alison sighed happily.
"I love you, babe, but if I had to stay seven months pregnant for the rest of my life I would be a very cranky person." Emily thrummed her fingers through Alison's hair, trying not to mess it up.
"I meant safe…in this bed together…as a family. No psycho killers after us. No terror. No pain…" She glanced at Emily. She hid her pain well, but Alison could see glimpses of it. Her dad was her rock. It had been hard for her to deal with her emotions. "I wish that we could exist in this little bubble where no one could hurt us…and we couldn't be hurt."
"It would be nice." Emily nodded absentmindedly.
Alison trailed her fingers against Emily's knuckles.
"Do you believe in destiny?"
Emily quietly considered the question. She had always believed that even if there were outside forces at play, it was human nature and choices that determined the outcome in life. She had never believed in love at first sight, but she sure as hell experienced something when she fell for Alison.
"I still believe we write our own story. Maybe destiny is a part of it. And how we react to it makes it our story. We hold the pen in our lives." She touched Alison's hip, trying to straighten her skirt.
"I should have known you'd say that, Harley Davidson." Alison tickled her cheek.
"Surprised you remember." She'd once told Alison that one of her favorite quotes was a Harley Davidson quote, "When writing the story of your life, don't let anyone else hold the pen."
"I remember most of what you tell me. It important to me. Because you're important to me." Alison leaned forward to steal another kiss.
This one was longer and more involved. Emily kissed her deeper. Alison held her tighter. The love that they were exchanging was like a burning energy, leaving them in a quiet state of bliss when they finally pulled away.
Emily found herself hypnotized by the love in Alison's eyes. They spoke through their expressions and their innocent touches. It gave them a few moments of normalcy: just two girlfriends trading kisses and holding hands in the most pure way.
Alison flashed a timid smile at her. It slowly faded. The somber mood returned when the blonde remembered what was coming.
"We'll get through this together." Alison caressed her cheek.
"Yeah…" Emily trailed off, glancing at the ceiling.
There was a brief moment of silence that was interrupted by a loud crash and Pam swearing, something she'd been doing a lot more of lately. It had come from her bedroom.
Emily sat up, pushing herself to the edge of the bed. She stood up.
"She's been all over the place lately." Emily glanced at the door, moving towards it. "She's really mixed up."
"Rightfully so." Alison followed Emily out of her bedroom.
They walked to her parents' room. The door was cracked. Emily lightly knocked as she pushed it forward.
"Mom? You okay?" She peered in and saw her mother kicking a bunch of shoes away from the front of her closet.
"Oh." Pam spun around, startled by her daughter's presence. "I'm fine. I just knocked an old box of shoes down trying to reach my scarf."
She gripped the black and silver scarf in her hand and looked down at the mess at her feet. Emily could see the befuddled look on her face. She walked over to the pile of shoes and leaned down.
"I got it." Emily glanced up at her mother. "I know you need to finish getting ready."
She started tossing the spilled footwear back into the plastic bin. They all looked the same. Her mother never strayed from the mundane. Once she had the box full she popped the top on and grabbed the edges. Before she could lift it she felt Alison's hand against her back.
"Let me…" Alison offered, leaning down next to her.
"I'm good." Emily waved her off. "It weighs like two pounds. I can bench press two pounds."
Emily had always been fiercely independent. She didn't like people fawning over her. She had a hard time letting others pick up the slack.
"Emily, don't be rude to your girlfriend." Her mother scowled, flipping a hand at her. "She's right. You need to stop pushing yourself so hard."
They stared in shock. Pam had done a complete 180 on their relationship. Sometimes it was hard for them to believe she was the same woman who thought they were being silly and juvenile for planning their future together.
Pam had developed a new sense of appreciation for their special bond. She was still guarded, but she was learning to love and accept Emily…and her relationship with Alison.
After what happened with Wayne she realized that life was short. She didn't want her daughter to miss out on young love.
Emily glanced at Alison, nodding in approval as she handed the box of shoes over to her. She motioned to show her where it was supposed to go. The blonde lifted the box above her head and put it on the empty space on the top shelf.
Emily kept her eyes on Alison's tight bicep muscles. She'd been working out more since New York. She had told Emily that she finally understood why exercise helped center her.
Emily shut the closet door just as Pam was putting the finishing touches on her outfit.
"Is it too much?" Pam looked in the mirror. She frowned at herself. "It's too much," she said pointedly.
Emily groaned under her breath. Her mother had already changed three times. They were going to be late if she had to start on a new outfit from scratch.
"I think you look perfect, Mrs. Fields." Alison reached for Emily's hand, needing the comfort and guidance that the brunette provided.
Talking to Emily's mother always intimidated the blonde. She felt Emily squeeze her hand in response.
"You're a sweet girl." It was another shocker that forced Alison and Emily to trade looks. "But it's too…flowery. I need something more formal. Maybe I should have gone with the black pantsuit."
Emily felt like slapping her palm to her head. How many black pieces of clothing did the woman own?
"Mom, you're fine." Emily assured her. She looked at her watch.
"This isn't going to work. I look like I'm going to brunch." Pam disagreed. "Emmy, would you grab my pantsuit?"
Emily dropped her head and sighed. Her mother had been so spastic, and it was hard to deal with. It stressed her out. She could feel the irritation creeping up her spine. She felt Alison firmly put pressure on her hand, bringing her out of her daze. Emily shot her an appreciative look and then let her hand slide away from Alison's so she could walk over to her mother.
Instead of chastising her and telling her she was being ridiculous she reached up to straighten her scarf. Then she reached for a bracelet in her jewelry box to tie everything together. She played with her hair, trying to give it a little bounce.
"There." Emily smiled encouragingly at her, turning her towards the mirror.
Her mother cocked her head in the mirror and looked at her and gave her a cautious laugh.
"Since when do you know how to accessorize?"
"Since I ran into Hanna Marin my first week back in town." Emily reached for a set of earrings her father had gotten her for Christmas two years ago.
Pam put the earrings in and glanced in the mirror again. She sighed.
"I know it's been a tough couple of weeks…"
Heavy footsteps interrupted her as her father padded out of the bathroom.
"Hey, what's taking so long?" He glanced at the girls, straightening his tie.
Ever since the heart attack he'd been moving a little slower, but he hadn't lost his sense of whimsy or his sense of humor. He'd lost a little bit of weight, but was otherwise physically fine.
It had been a terrifying experience. He'd spent three days in the hospital. Pam never left his side. He was on the road to recovery, but Emily and her mother were still worried.
Despite the fact that Emily had her apartment ready she'd been spending more time at home. She knew her dad was on the mend. She knew he was getting better. And she knew he could take care of himself. Her reluctance to leave had nothing to do with his recovery.
At first, the doctors couldn't figure out what was going on with him, but after he had blood panels done they realized that he had triple the amount of the therapeutic dose of his heart medication in his bloodstream. They thought it was a miscalculation of the dosage of his medicine. But Emily knew better. She'd gotten a text that had proved it.
Keep at it and you'll REALLY break daddy dearest's heart…
An image had flashed on her screen for two seconds. A picture of her father's pill bottle. It had been taken from inside her parent's bathroom.
She had been by her father's bedside when she got the message. It had made her physically ill. She'd ended up in the bathroom puking. She told her mom it was morning sickness.
On the plus side, the messages had stopped. She hadn't gotten one since then. Because she had stopped digging. Her father's near death experience had made her step back and reassess everything.
"What's going on in here? You playing fashion show on the catwalk?" Wayne asked, wrapping his arms around Pam's waist.
"It's her third outfit." Emily smiled through her frustration.
"It's a preliminary court proceeding, Ma. Not a funeral." Wayne leaned over and pecked her cheek.
"It's ridiculous is what it is." Pam huffed out angrily. "That man did unspeakable things and they have proof of it. He followed our daughter to New York. Who knows what he was planning? This court proceeding is a damn joke. The bastard deserves to rot in his cell."
Emily and Alison glanced at one another. Emily raised her brows in intrigue. Her mother wasn't one to swear, especially in front of people. She'd despised Darren Wilden since the allegations of his harassment of underage girls had been exposed months ago, but she was out for his blood since he'd gone after Emily and Alison in New York.
"So…are you glad I punched him now?" Emily asked.
"You know what?" Her mother spun around in her heels. "Yes. Yes, I am." Emily couldn't help but smile. "It's infuriating that he's trying to cypher money from this. We're lucky that Veronica Hastings stepped up to do this for us pro bono…"
Emily had Spencer and Toby to thank for that. As soon as they heard that Wilden's lawyer was trying to discredit Emily and Alison as witnesses the two of them had immediately gone to Spencer's mom to ask her for help.
"Alison, will you be riding with us or are your parents taking you?" Wayne questioned.
Alison looked at the floor anxiously. Her parents had wanted nothing to do with the drama. It was bad for their image. Instead they'd hired a lawyer to take care of it.
"They're not coming." Alison shyly met the older man's eyes. She saw a twinge of sympathy in them. "My brother is on his way to the courthouse. He promised he'd meet me there."
Pam frowned in disapproval. She opened her mouth to say something, but Wayne interrupted her.
"We've got a seat reserved for you in the SS Fields. We'll even let you choose the music." Wayne offered.
"Don't go crazy, dad." Emily threw her hands up jokingly. "I highly doubt you want to listen to Gaga all the way to the courthouse."
"Are you kidding? Lady G gets me through work most nights." He started humming A Million Reasons, which made Alison and Emily both crack up. "Why don't you girls go grab some breakfast? We'll be right down."
Emily and Alison walked out of the bedroom. Alison strayed ahead of Emily. Emily lingered behind. She was just close enough to hear her mother's muttered snapping.
"That poor girl. It's unacceptable. I'd like to go over there and give her mother a piece of my mind. Her daughter was assaulted by this monster. And she's just leaving her to deal with it alone? If he'd hurt Emily we wouldn't even have to bother with court because I would have run him over with my car. And Jessica can't even show up for her daughter? God, I knew that woman was self-involved, but I had no idea…"
Emily heard the bedroom door close, cutting off the conversation. She could hear their voices, but not what they were saying. Her mother sounded pissed.
Emily had a whole new appreciation for her mother. She understood what it felt like to have a maternal instinct that strong. She'd tear the world apart for her child.
She had also come to the realization that parents weren't perfect. Her mom certainly wasn't. She wasn't either. She'd made a lot of mistakes and her daughter hadn't even been born yet.
She understood her mother's frustration. She also hated Alison's parents for abandoning their daughter when she needed them the most. She'd never abandon her baby.
It made sense to Emily why Alison was so attached to her daughter. It made sense that she had such a deep profound love for her. She had been dealing with parents who didn't care about her since she was a child.
As she walked down the stairs to meet Alison in the kitchen she made a silent promise to her daughter that she would always be there for her. She didn't take into account what might happen if she wasn't around to protect her.
o ~ O ~ o
Emily got a text message on the way to the courthouse. Her phone vibrated from her pocket. She reached for it, suddenly remembering she'd never gotten back to Isaac. She thought it was him. But instead she saw the unknown number.
I'll be watching today. If you or Legally Blonde breathes a word about me I'll make sure it's the last breaths you two ever take.
Alison peered at her in curiosity. She had assumed it was Isaac, too, but then she saw the look on Emily's face. The color had drained from her cheeks.
Emily tilted the screen so Alison could see the message. Alison's eyes widened. There was a flash of anger on her face, but she kept her composure.
Emily glanced at the phone again. Her dad looked in the rearview mirror and saw her staring at it.
"Phone up, kiddo," he said in a stern voice. "Veronica said you can't talk to your friends about the trial."
"It's not that." Emily bluffed. "It's just a reminder I set to take my prenatals."
"Do you need some water?" Her mom asked.
"What?" Emily asked in confusion.
"For your vitamins." She turned around.
"Uh…no. I remembered to take them before we left the house." She looked away. Lying to her mother had always felt like a sin, which was ironic considering she'd spent years lying to her about who she was.
She put her phone away. Alison was clenching her fists. Emily reached over and put her hand on top of Alison's shaking fist. All Alison had to do was look into her calm brown eyes to qualm the anger.
When they reached the courthouse they tried to compose themselves. The court proceeding was a last ditch effort to get Wilden's charges reduced.
Alison's lawyer was a seasoned no-nonsense defense attorney from the Bronx named Linda Tanner. She was licensed to practice law in five of the upper-east side states, including New York and Pennsylvania. But she didn't hold a candle to Spencer's mother, Veronica. They were working together. Both women were ready to go in and rip Wilden and his attorney to shreds.
Pam and Jason both went in ready to fight, too. Pam was fired up. Jason was pissed. Veronica and Linda were briefing everyone on what was going to happen in the pre-trial.
Emily could see her mother shaking with rage. She saw her father reach out to touch her hand to try and calm her. Pam's frustration built to the point where she couldn't take it anymore. The normally reserved older woman blew her top when Veronica started talking about the ways Wilden's lawyer was going to try and discredit Emily as a credible witness.
"They have evidence that he followed the girls to New York! How can he get away with this?" Pam's cheeks were flushed in anger.
"I know it's frustrating, but this is all part of it. New York isn't even going to come into play unless we can proceed with the trial. Today is about what happened at Rosewood High. Those are the charges they are disputing. They're going to do everything they can to stall because they know they're screwed. The judge will rule in our favor. I'm confident it's going to go to trial." Veronica assured Pam.
"The system is a fucking joke." Jason muttered under his breath. "They should bring back vigilante justice. Let the families of the girls he harassed have some time alone with him. See what happens."
"Jason." Alison hissed, trying to shut him up.
The last thing she needed was for her brother to end up in jail for terroristic threats, especially since he had a record.
"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that," Linda shot a disapproving glance at Jason.
He rolled his eyes and put his hands up in submission to let her know he didn't mean it, but he glanced at Alison and Emily with a look that told them he really did mean it. Emily didn't doubt he'd beat the shit out of Wilden, especially since he'd unleashed on Ian.
"I withdraw my statement," his tone was oozing with sarcasm.
"Emily, they're going to bring up the fact that you hit him on school grounds," Veronica looked at the brunette. "They will also try to smear you as being reckless…" Her eyes drifted down towards her stomach.
The bump was starting to become visible, though she was still hiding it. Emily squirmed uncomfortably. She'd had to disclose her pregnancy to Veronica after she'd taken on the case.
"She wasn't being reckless. She was defending me." Alison argued.
"I understand that, but they will still say that it was an unprovoked attack. Self-defense doesn't go into effect unless there is proof that he was trying to physically harm you. They have statements with sworn affidavits from witnesses that say he didn't instigate it."
It really stoked the fire of Alison's anger that Wilden was attacking Emily. The man had done terrible things to dozens of girls. He didn't deserve a trial. He deserved to be executed.
"He'd still be running around hurting girls if it wasn't for Emily!" The blonde raised her voice. "He's the one who threatened her…" She felt Emily's hand clasp hers and she looked over at her.
There was a serious expression in her dark brown eyes, a warning telling her not to say anything else, not at the expense of anyone's life. Linda was writing something down in her notes, but Veronica caught the interaction. She pursed her lips in thought.
Alison quickly tried to backtrack.
"I mean…he pushed her into a table. He tried to hurt her. Everyone knows he's a monster…"
"We have to convince the jury of that when it goes to trial or…"
"This is so unfair!" Alison cut her lawyer off. "He's been harassing girls for years. He stalked us. He was going to kill us. He's a creep and a psychopath who deserves to be ripped apart by feral dogs."
Her lawyer could have shut her up, but instead she let Alison continue her tirade for several minutes. Alison was so upset that she jumped to her feet and started ranting.
Jason lifted his brow, amused at her outburst considering she was trying to shut him up earlier. He was impressed at her conviction.
He leaned back in his chair and watched with his arms across his chest, as if to say, "That's my sister." They were different in a lot of ways, but they certainly shared the same temper.
Pam and Wayne shared an exchange, unsure of what to do. Veronica started to shush her, but Linda held her hand up and shook her head.
It was Emily who finally got through to her. She tugged on Alison's hand, pulling her back into her chair. Alison sank down in the seat. She bounced her knee and tried to steady her breath.
She felt Emily moving their joined hands underneath the table, pulling Alison's hand towards her.
Emily pushed Alison's palm against her baby bump, putting her warm hand on top of Alison's to hold Alison's palm in place. Alison looked up at her and locked eyes with the brunette.
Emily knew that the only way to reach her was through the baby. She gave her an encouraging nod which reminded Alison to breathe. The entire encounter was so subtle that no one in the room saw it.
"You done?" Linda questioned.
Alison kept her eyes on Emily's for a brief second, but then she pried her gaze away to face the lawyer. She swallowed hard. She felt like screaming. The older woman's face softened for a brief moment.
"Alison, you can't get emotional in there. They'll feed on that. Do what you've got to do in this room, but once we get in front of that judge you sit there with your mouth shut unless I tell you to talk. Do you understand me?"
Alison nodded. She was still steaming. She hated that Emily was going to be attacked, though she knew the brunette could handle it. Emily was already handling it a whole hell of a lot better than she was handling it.
"Emily, you remember everything we've talked about, right?" Veronica asked.
"I do." Emily replied. Her face remained stoic. She'd been practicing her neutral look for days.
"Do you have any questions?" Veronica closed her binder and slid it off of the table.
Emily hesitated for a moment. Everyone in the room knew about the pregnancy except for Jason. She glanced at Alison's brother. He had a hard gaze fixed on the wall, like he was trying to concentrate on not saying something stupid.
"Are they going to bring up personal things?" Her voice was perfectly calm.
The question was enough to warrant Jason's attention. He tried to look disinterested so he wouldn't make her feel uncomfortable, but she could see the curiosity in his eyes.
"It's possible, but they might not. They might save it for the trial." Veronica answered.
It wouldn't be a problem by then, because that was months away. The baby would already be born. She wouldn't be hiding anymore.
Emily's mother asked several more follow up questions about the court proceeding. Emily and Alison focused on one another.
When it came time for them to go into the judge's chambers they led Emily and her family out first. She gave Alison's hand a squeeze and gave her an encouraging look.
Linda went to get a drink of water, leaving Jason and Alison alone. Alison leaned forward, plopping her elbows against the table. Jason looked around the room.
"I haven't seen the inside of a courtroom since I stole that Stop sign four years ago." He slowly made eye contact with his little sister.
She rolled her eyes with a laugh.
"What was that street name you wanted so badly? I forgot."
"Blunt Street."
"Of course it was." Another laugh. She smiled at him. "God, we're a pair, aren't we? You think mom and dad are ready to abandon us at a fire station yet?"
"Are you kidding? That's way too low-brow for them. They'd be selling us to the highest bidder to make a profit." Jason cupped her shoulder, squeezing it.
The motion was comforting to her. Alison was glad he'd showed up.
"Thank you for being here." Alison glanced up at him.
"Wouldn't be anywhere else." Jason pulled his hand back. He rolled his knuckles against his fingers and cracked them. "Did that fucker really try to throw you off of a building?"
Everyone around them believed that Wilden had followed them out to New York because he was still pissed at them for getting him fired and arrested. No one knew about the threats.
"I would have died if Emily hadn't pulled me up." Alison pushed the chair out, suddenly feeling small and trapped. She faced her brother. "He went after Emily with a knife, too."
She didn't tell him about being stabbed. She knew he wouldn't be able to contain his rage.
He didn't say anything, but his anger was palpable. He walked over to a wooden bench sitting against the wall. He plopped down and buried his face in his hands. He curled the tips of his fingers into his shaggy locks. Alison walked over and sat down next to him.
"I brought that douchebag into our lives." Jason huffed, leaning back against the bench. "I brought Ian into our lives. They were my friends." He slowly lifted his eyes to meet her gaze. "I put you in these situations."
"No." Alison put her hand on his knee. "They did this. Not you."
Jason shot her an appreciative smile.
"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you more."
"You're here now." Alison shrugged.
She leaned up against him and wrapped her arms around his large bulging bicep. She leaned her head against his shoulder. She stayed curled up against him for a few minutes before she pulled away. She didn't want to wrinkle his sports jacket.
"So…" Jason straightened his sleeve. "How far along is she?" He saw the perplexed look on Alison's face. "Don't look at me like that. I may be an idiot manchild…" As she'd so aptly called him over the years, "…but I'm not that stupid."
"You can't tell anyone…"
"Alison, I've known for a month. Overheard you two talking about it one day. At first I thought you were talking about the future, but then I caught a glimpse of her belly a few days later. She buries it well under her clothes, but after that conversation…I knew."
Alison's lips curled into an "o" shape.
"Why didn't you say anything?"
"Didn't think it was my place. Didn't know if you wanted me to know." He brushed a speck of smudge off of his pants. "I thought you'd tell me when you wanted to tell me."
Alison cocked her head. That was the most respectful thing he'd ever said. He gave her a half-hearted smile.
"When she rolled up on to our street on that motorcycle I thought mom was going to start clutching her pearls and talking about how the value of the neighborhood was going to go down. A little part of me was hoping you were going to date her out of spite." He admitted.
"That just turned out to be an added bonus." Alison smirked. Pissing off her parents was her favorite pastime.
"I never would have guessed that biker babe was having a biker baby." He ran his fingers through his hair, trying to smooth it down before they walked into the judge's chamber. "How long have you known?"
"She told me a couple of weeks after she moved here. She's due in late May." Alison slid her fingertips against the edge of the bench. She had a goofy smile on her face. "It's a little girl."
It was wild to think about meeting Emily's baby. She had spent so much time getting to know her in the womb. She wondered if the little girl would recognize her voice…her face. She wondered if she'd know how much she was loved.
"Two months." He whistled as he lifted his brows in surprise. "Happy graduation."
"Best graduation gift ever." Alison could picture a tiny little bundle of joy in her arms.
"You know…I always thought if someone was going to bring home a pregnant girl it would be me." He gave her a teasing shove.
"Shut up." She laughed as she socked him in the arm.
He chuckled and put his hands up in defense. For a few brief moments they both forgot where they were. He saw something on his little sister's face. He could see a spark in her eyes. The way she gushed about the baby wasn't just her being curious and eager. She wasn't just in love with Emily. She was in love with Emily's daughter.
His expression tensed. He knew it was a huge responsibility. He also knew that Alison had a tendency to latch on and get overly invested in things. She'd been in search of a family for so long. She'd gone as far as creating her little pseudo-family with her clique at school. But even then she hadn't seemed happy. Emily made her happy in a way that he'd never quite seen before.
"You thought this through?" he asked.
Alison nodded. If anyone else had asked her she would have been annoyed at the question, but Jason's sincerity was rooted in his concern for her well-being. She didn't have many people in her life like her brother.
"I can't explain it." Alison's face widened in a huge grin. She took in a joyous breath through her nose. "It's like this child has a part of my heart, and I haven't even met her yet." She paused thoughtfully, thinking about all the stages she'd watched throughout Emily's pregnancy. "I've seen her in my dreams. I've felt her move. I've seen her heartbeat. I've watched her mother grow and become this wonderful woman…and I am so in love with them both that I can hardly stand it."
Jason had a thoughtful look on his face as he processed it. Alison was worried that he was preparing a speech about how they were too young or how the dream would be shattered when they were dealing with a colicky baby in the middle of the night. Instead, he just nodded his head and put his hand on top of hers.
"I'm happy for you. I'm glad that you two found each other."
His response was so kind and so genuine that it took a minute for Alison to let it sink in. She wordlessly reached out and wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tight. He wrapped his burly arm around her and pulled her closer.
Their moment was interrupted by Linda. She opened the door and motioned for them to follow her. They joined everyone else in the chamber.
Wilden was dressed up in a three piece suit. Alison wanted to reach out and grab the tie around his neck and strangle him with it. She had expected him to be in prison garb and shackled to the chair. But of course he had all the privileges and luxuries in the world afforded to him.
He gave her a callous look when she walked in. She felt like jumping down his throat, but then she looked at Emily, who was calmly sitting with her parents and Veronica. She realized Emily probably hadn't even dignified making eye contact with him.
Alison sat down with Linda, who shot her one last warning look urging her to keep her mouth shut.
It wasn't easy, but Alison did exactly what she was told. She only answered when she was prompted to answer and she only answered with the pre-written statements that Linda had prepared.
It got significantly harder when they started taking potshots at Emily. They tried to paint her as a rebellious bad seed. Alison had to dig her fingernails into her thighs to keep from screaming at Wilden's lawyer.
The debate got heated when his lawyer realized that they weren't going to be able to keep Alison and Emily from testifying at his trial. He desperately pleaded with the judge, trying to turn everything around on them.
"My client alleges that Alison DiLaurentis and Emily Fields have been harassing him and stalking him ever since he was dismissed from his job at Rosewood High School…"
"Fired," Alison uttered.
She saw Linda shoot her an angry glare. She had to resist sticking her tongue out at the woman.
Worth it.
She saw Wilden look at her and it made her skin crawl. He looked pleased with himself. His eyes darted to the charm bracelet on her wrist. He looked at it like a dog salivating over a bone. It was creepy. She instinctively moved her hand out of sight and covered the jewelry with her other hand.
"Miss DiLaurentis allegedly took videos of him." Wilden's lawyer accused. "He believes they are obsessed with him. That they followed him to New York…"
"You're trying to discredit them knowing that your client was under court order not to leave the state." Veronica came in hard and fast, laughing darkly. "This argument has absolutely no basis."
She didn't let up. The claws came out. The judge denied Wilden's request to keep them out of the courtroom. When Wilden's lawyer refused to relent, Veronica coolly stood up and faced him.
"We'll see you in court."
Veronica signaled for them to follow her out of the courtroom. Linda and Jason were right behind her. Emily's parents trailed after them. Emily stood up and faced Wilden. She kept her face expressionless as she reached for Alison's hand. Alison gave him a smarmy look as she sidled up next to Emily.
As they turned around he watched them go, a confident look on his face that neither of them saw.
o ~ O ~ o
After the hearing their lawyers debriefed them. Pam had to take a walk to cool off. Wayne went with her. Emily had never seen her mother so fired up before. She caught a glimpse of them outside the courthouse as she was coming out of the restroom.
Her dad has his arm wrapped around her mother's shoulders. She was leaning her head against him. It was a stark reminder of what she'd almost lost. What they had almost lost. Her mother almost lost her best friend, her lover. Emily had almost lost her father. And her daughter had almost lost her grandfather. Loss was becoming all too common in her life. It was unnerving.
In the span of six months she had almost lost her child, her father, her girlfriend, and her ex-girlfriend. Not to mention Caleb and Hanna, who were also in danger.
Emily pulled her phone out of her pocket and pulled up the text she'd gotten in the car. The muscles of her hands tensed in anger as she gripped the edges of her phone tightly.
She had about a dozen angry replies she felt like sending. Heat burned her cheeks. She understood how her mother felt, because someone was messing with her baby, too. And it stirred a fire inside her belly like nothing else she'd ever experienced.
She was so absorbed by her anger and so immersed in the message that she wasn't watching where she was going.
She didn't see the looming shadow until she'd nearly bumped into him. It was his voice that immediately pulled her attention away from the screen.
"Why is everyone your age always on their phone?"
When she looked up she saw Wilden staring at her. Her eyes scanned the hallway, but there was no one else around. No police officers. No lawyers. It was just the two of them.
She took a step back and felt a surge of adrenaline. Her mind flashed back to seeing the glint of the knife nearly plunging into Alison's stomach. She took a defensive stance, ready to strike if he stepped one toe out of line.
"Who let you out of your cage?" She curled her lip up in a sneer.
"I'm still free to take a piss when I want. Why? What's the matter? Scared?" He stood perfectly still, but the look in his eyes was dangerous.
"Not even remotely." Emily shot back. "But you should be. Do you know what they do to pedophiles in prison?" The cocky look on his face dropped away. "No one is coming to your rescue this time, not with all the evidence they have against you."
"We'll see about that," he challenged. His eyes drifted down to her phone. "It's not over yet."
"Who is it?" Emily glanced at the device in her hand. "Who is helping you?" Who tried to kill Maya? My dad? Who is torturing me?
"I'm not telling you anything." He taunted. He paused, reaching up to rub his chin. "Unless…" His lips twitched into a twisted smirk. "You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours."
"Not a chance in hell." Emily took a calculated step back.
"What other choice do you have?" He followed her motions by shifting towards her.
"You come any closer and we're going to have a repeat of the cafeteria. Only this time there are no witnesses, so I won't hold back." Emily slipped her phone into her pocket and curled her hands into fists, keeping them at her side, but ready to strike in an instant.
She looked around the empty hallway. Her eyes darted between Wilden and all the ways she could use to get away from him. She looked for cameras, but they were just out of range.
"Throw the trial," he lowered his voice.
"Excuse me?" Emily scoffed.
"Throw the trial. And convince blondie to do the same. And I'll tell you everything you want to know." He dropped his arms to his sides.
"You want us to commit perjury?" She rolled her eyes with a snide laugh. "Are you out of your mind?" How hard had Alison hit him in New York?
"The way I see it you've got one of two choices. I'm your first choice. Right now I'm all you got. You can walk away…sure, but if you do that you walk away from everything. All the answers. I'm offering you a deal here."
"I'll find another way." Emily shook her head.
"Hmm." Wilden pinched his brow, a serious look on his face. "Good luck with that."
He turned on his feet, reaching out towards the bathroom door. He paused before pushing it open. He clucked his tongue and shook his head.
His eyes drifted down, his gaze stopping on her necklace. He had a strange triumphant look on his face. The same look he'd had in the courtroom when he looked at Alison's bracelet. Emily wasn't sure where his fascination with jewelry had come from, but it really freaked her out.
"You've got a couple of weeks at best before the shit really hits the fan." His eyes scanned her body, his gaze lingering on her stomach. "You think I'm the real bad guy here, but you have no idea who you're dealing with." He forced out a wicked grin. It came out as a grimace. "I knew who you were the second you walked into my classroom." His fingers gripped the door's edge. "You were a cocky little shit. I knew things about you that weren't in your transcript. And you certainly didn't disappoint. You're stubborn. You persevere, I'll give you that."
"You were stalking me before I ever got to town, weren't you?"
"Only a fool would admit that in the middle of a courthouse." Wilden denied it. "But I've gotta ask you…have you thought about the ramifications if you don't do what I'm asking? It's not just about you. You've got to ask yourself whether or not you're going to be able to protect that beautiful bundle of joy from this big scary world." He emphasized the end of his statement, trying to intimidate her.
He was trying to use his knowledge about her pregnancy against her. She didn't flinch. She didn't budge. She'd been through scarier things than facing off with Darren Wilden.
"I think you should focus more on the big scary world waiting for you…behind bars." Emily replied coolly.
"Suit yourself." He pushed the bathroom door forward. "Don't say I didn't warn you." He glanced over his shoulder as the door softly closed behind him.
Emily stayed firmly planted in the hallway for a good sixty seconds. She hated that he had her questioning her morals. She hated that for a brief second she considered taking his offer, because she was exhausted. She was tired of chasing a ghost. But in the end she knew she was better than him. She was not going to stoop to his level.
She quickly made her way back to the meeting room where Alison, Linda, and Veronica were waiting. She caught the tail end of Linda lecturing Alison. They were standing near the open door. Jason was sitting on the bench outside the door. Emily waved to him.
"Stay off of social media." Linda warned her. "Don't be stupid. I've had too many young clients like you that go out and share everything with the world and it always comes back to bite them in the ass."
"All of my profiles are private." Alison assured her.
"Sweetie, nothing on the internet is ever private. Just stay off of it. Period." Linda warned. "I'd advise you to take everything down for the time being."
Alison opened her mouth to argue, but then she saw Emily standing at the door, and suddenly all she could think about was getting out of the stupid courthouse.
"Okay," she said. "Anything else?"
"Tell your mother I'll be in touch." Linda nodded, clutching her briefcase as she walked past Emily, nodding slightly at her to acknowledge her.
Emily walked into the room, watching as Linda disappeared. She could feel the tension in the air.
"She's a delight." Emily uttered caustically.
Alison giggled. Emily always knew what to say to break the ice. Her sarcastic little rebel.
"She's one of the best lawyers I know. I know she's tough, but she never loses, so I advise that you take what she says seriously." Veronica packed away a folder in her briefcase. She looked at the girls, mainly focusing on Emily. "Your parents have a copy of the court documents needed to excuse your tardiness from school. I suggest that you don't talk about anything that was discussed here today with any of your friends. That includes my daughter." Veronica closed her briefcase and laid it against the table. "I know she has a tendency to dig for things, but what we talk about needs to stay between us for the integrity of this trial."
"Yes, ma'am," Emily said.
"I assume your parents will be taking you to school?"
They'd be just in time for lunch.
"Jason is giving us a ride." She motioned to the older boy. He was on his phone outside the door. "My dad has to get to work."
"Good." Veronica nodded. She tapped her fingers against the table. "Before you go I need to speak with you in private for a minute."
Emily turned towards Alison, lightly gripping her hand. She smiled at the blonde.
"I'll be right out." She glanced at Jason and lowered her voice. "Stay with Jason. Wilden is wandering around out there."
Alison's eyes widened, looking at Emily in concern, but Emily shook it off and mouthed, "I'm fine."
Alison walked out to where her brother was sitting and took a seat next to him. Veronica walked over and closed the door. She motioned for Emily to move towards the table. She grabbed a sheet of paper from the top of her briefcase. She stared at Emily for a few seconds, like she was trying to solve a puzzle.
"How are you doing, sweetie?" she asked. Her tone sounded innocent enough, but Emily knew she was digging for something.
"I'll just be glad when this nightmare is over." Emily tried to keep her response as flat and as vague as possible.
"It's going to be a very long road." The lawyer tapped her briefcase with a pen, clearly in thought.
"I'm glad you're the one in the driver's seat." Emily smiled.
Mrs. Hastings didn't smile back. Something was bothering her.
The room was silent. Only the sound of a clock ticking on the wall was audible. Emily wasn't sure why she was still there.
Veronica looked up from her belongings.
"Emily, I need to ask you something and I need you to be honest with me."
"Okay." Emily felt her heart speed up in her chest.
"What really happened in New York?" She eyed Emily incredulously.
It took all of Emily's strength not to look away. She knew she needed to maintain eye contact.
"What do you mean?"
"Was there another reason you went...aside from Alison's NYU visit?"
"I wanted Alison to show me the city. I thought it might be nice to see her in her element. She really loves it there." Emily's tone was even and precise.
"Mmhmm." Veronica reached down and put a folder into her briefcase. Emily could tell she was processing the lie. The older woman looked up at her again. "Do you know why I'm doing this case pro bono?"
Other than the fact that Spencer and Toby had asked, Emily didn't have a clue why she was helping.
"I don't, but my family and I are very appreciative of you sticking your neck out for me like this." Emily smiled politely.
"You're a very smart young woman. You were always an introspective and curious little girl. I would see you and the girls playing or riding your bikes and I could always tell that you had a million thoughts running through your mind. You were always thinking. Quietly thinking. But you also knew how to be in the moment. You taught my daughter that. One day the chain jammed on Spencer's bike. You weren't fazed at all. You hopped off your bike, flipped hers over and readjusted the chain and you were back to riding ten minutes later."
"My dad taught me that." She felt a swell of pride. He'd nurtured her love for bikes at an early age. "I didn't know that fixing a bike chain would get me free law advice ten years later."
Veronica chuckled.
"The cost of decency should be free." Veronica pushed herself to her feet. "Your mother was there for me years ago when I was going through a rough patch."
"She was?" Emily questioned in intrigue. "I didn't know."
"No one did. Because I refused to ask for help." Veronica gave her a pointed look. "Spencer and Melissa were always at odds when they were little. They couldn't go two minutes without arguing. And my work was piling up, so my husband had taken them to his father's cabin for a week so I could get some work done. While they were gone I slipped and sprained my ankle. When I went to the doctor they found a lump in my breast."
Emily felt a terrible sinking sensation in her stomach. She felt like reaching out and hugging her, but she didn't really know her very well.
"They did a biopsy. The second I was released from the hospital I went to the country club and buried myself in cosmos and margaritas. One of the workers was kind enough to call me a cab, but instead of going home I ended up stumbling into a church…drunk out of my mind. I have never been a religious person, but that's where I ended up. Because naturally, what do you do when you think you might die?"
She was perfectly composed, but Emily could hear the emotional tone in her voice.
"I felt so alone." She tapped the table with her fingertips. "But I wasn't. Your mother was there. I unloaded on her. I lamented about how I couldn't tell my family because it would crush them…it would destroy their lives. And your mother was so kind and so caring. We talked for hours. In the end she convinced me that we're stronger when we let the people who love us take some of the weight off of us. I told my family when they came back. Fortunately, it ended up being nothing. But I learned that going at things alone takes its toll."
Veronica slowly lifted her gaze, meeting Emily's eyes. It was a very maternal look. Spencer's mom wasn't just her lawyer in that moment. She was a mother.
"Secrets have a way of eating away at you. And I've often found that it's when we think we're at our weakest that our loved ones make us stronger. Clinging to secrets and being unwilling to let them go…it's not healthy."
It didn't take long for Emily to connect the dots. Veronica was trying to get Emily to open up about the threats. Emily saw where Spencer got her intelligence from. Her mother was very sharp.
"Before we went in there Alison mentioned something about Wilden threatening you…" She leaned forward with a tight expression on her face. "And I've seen the way you tense up around him. I've seen it in Alison, too. And while I know he's put you both through an incredible ordeal, I can tell that it's more than just typical anxiety." Her mouth made a "tsk" sound as she tried to gauge Emily's reaction.
Emily's skin prickled up when she thought about the text she'd gotten in the car. She knew that in order to fool Veronica Hastings she was going to have to think on the fly.
"So am going to ask again. Is there something you're not telling me? Because if you're hiding something or holding back Wilden's lawyer will find it. They are going to dig until they have everything and they will expose it. So I need to know, not just for the sake of the trial, but for your own mental health…is there something else going on?"
Emily knew that there was no way Wilden's lawyer would bring up the threats she'd been receiving, because it would paint Wilden in an even darker light. She wanted more than anything to tell someone. She was tired of looking over her shoulder. But she was afraid of what would happen if she said anything. Her dad and Maya had been drugged and both of them had nearly died. She wasn't willing to risk the lives of the people she loved.
"It's nothing. Alison has gotten very protective of the baby." She put her hand on her stomach. "So have I. It's about protecting her more than anything. We're just…being extra careful because we don't know what Wilden is capable of." Emily chose her words carefully, because she knew Veronica would be listening for inconsistencies. "When she said he was threatening me she meant that he is a threat to me…and to my daughter. We just want to make sure he goes away for the rest of his life. We don't want him pulling another stunt like he did last time."
Veronica's face softened. Emily relaxed when she saw that the older woman had bought it. It hadn't been as hard to lie as Emily imagined it would, because it was partially the truth.
"Don't worry, honey. His days of hurting people are over. This case is cut and dry. I assure you of that much." She reached out and rubbed Emily's arm in a comforting manner.
Emily's eyes met hers. She'd never realized it before, but Spencer had her mother's eyes. They were deep and commanding, but there was a subtle softness in them.
"Thank you, Mrs. Hastings." She gave her an appreciative look. "This has been a lot to deal with, but you've made this process a lot easier. I'll feel a lot better when this is all over."
"I think we all will." Veronica nodded in agreement. "But in the meantime if you ever need to talk to me, don't hesitate."
"I won't. Thanks." There was a slight tremble in her voice.
Emily was hoping Veronica hadn't caught it, but she had.
"Are you sure that everything is okay?" Veronica gave her one last chance to be honest with her.
"Yeah. He'll be locked up soon, which is a huge relief. I just hope that his family doesn't try to cause problems with mine."
"You don't have to worry about that." Veronica rustled through some of her paperwork. "He doesn't have any immediate family as far as I've been informed. He was an only child and both of his parents have passed away."
"What?" Emily's head snapped up, her chin jutting forward. She tried to pull back. She didn't want to seem overly-eager. "I knew his aunt died, but I didn't know about his mom and dad."
"His mother died of cancer about a year ago. He wasn't on speaking terms with her. Such a shame." She shook her head sadly.
"And his dad?"
"He committed suicide five years ago. I had to dig to find that out. He was apparently being investigated for insider trading. No one knows what happened to the money he embezzled. It's still an ongoing case. There's a gag order in place preventing the media from leaking it."
Emily tried to work out the details in her head. If he was dead then how did he have a car and a house upstate?
"I don't know that they'll ever figure it out. I mean, with stocks and bonds and trust funds it's very easy to make money disappear…"
"I should go." Emily's mouth felt dry. Her head was spinning. "Alison is waiting. We have to get to school."
"Of course. I'll let you know if I hear anything more." Veronica replied.
"Thanks."
Emily walked towards the door. Veronica kept her eyes on the young brunette. She still felt like something was off, but she couldn't put her finger on it.
Alison stood up when she saw Emily walking out of the room. She walked over and took her hand.
"You were right," Alison said quietly. "The bastard was just roaming freely. His guard dogs have him in chains again now." She squeezed Emily's hand. Emily could feel her anger and frustration in her grip. "What did he say to you?"
"It's not important." Emily shrugged. She tugged on Alison's hand to try and get her to move to follow Jason out the door.
"Emily…" Alison pulled back stubbornly. "Did he do something…"
"Not here," Emily said in a hushed tone.
There was a sense of urgency in Emily's voice, so Alison didn't argue. They walked out to the parking lot. Alison kept looking over her shoulder, worried that they were being watched.
Jason climbed in the driver's seat. Emily hopped in the back. Alison scooted in next to her.
"No one wants to ride shotgun with me? What gives? Do I smell funny or something?" Jason turned around in the driver's seat with a smile on his face. He was teasing them. "No hanky panky."
"Don't be that guy." Alison rolled her eyes. "You're not as funny as you think you are."
"What are you talking about? I'm hilarious." Jason gave them a cheeky smile before turning around to face the front again. He tapped his fingers against the steering wheel and then put the keys in the ignition. "So, that was a hell of a family activity…" He cranked the engine. "Next time how about we just go play mini golf?"
"You were banned for having inappropriate relations inside the windmill with that girl who worked there." Alison reminded him.
"Oh, right." They could see his face in the rearview mirror. He had a distant expression in his eyes. His lips were curved into a huge smile. "I got a lot of holes in one that day."
"Okay, how about you don't talk anymore?" Alison's face turned red in embarrassment.
"I'm just giving you a hard time." He put the car in reverse and turned around. He stretched his arm out over the passenger's seat and took a look behind them before backing the car out of the parking space. "It was kind of rough in there. You two doing okay?"
"Define 'okay'." Emily reached up and rubbed her brow.
Jason frowned when he saw the look on her face.
"We're stopping by The Brew before I drop you off at school," he said decisively. "You deserve doughnuts and coffee."
Neither girl argued. Jason took them to The Brew. He went to grab the order while they relaxed in the car. He knew they needed some time to process going head-to-head with Wilden.
As soon as Jason was out of the car Alison turned to Emily.
"Alright, spill. What the hell happened back there?"
"Wilden knows about her." She rubbed her stomach. "He knew about it when I got back to town. He told me he'd tell me everything on one condition." She saw Alison's eyes light up in excitement, but with a bit of hesitation. She hated to crush her hope. "I refused. He wanted us to throw the trial. And I'm not willing to do that. Because this trial is bigger than us. It's not just about you and me. It's about Mona. And all those girls on those videos."
"That's the right call." Alison sighed sadly. Wilden hadn't only victimized them. He'd hurt countless other girls.
"I also found out from Mrs. Hastings that Wilden's dad is dead. He died five years ago."
"But…" Alison's face twisted in confusion. "The car…"
"I know." Emily nodded. "And the house. Mrs. Hastings says that Wilden's father was involved in embezzlement. They don't know where the money went. It's entirely possible to set up a trust in someone else's name. And it all circles back to him. Whoever was feeding him information before I moved back has to be the same person using his father's name. The same person who must be the main account holder. Mrs. Hastings says he doesn't have any family, but she doesn't know about the DNA tests."
Alison could see the wheels turning in Emily's head. She was putting a puzzle together. The brunette was always doing something in her mind. There was a world of life behind her eyes.
"Should we show the DNA results to her? That would change things, right?" Alison asked.
"Maybe. But I think in order to be used as evidence in court it has to be obtained in a legal manner. I guess we could mention it to her and let her find it on her own. Except…" She drifted off in thought.
What if they really were being watched? What if the person on the other end of the phone knew that's what they were planning to do? What if the next phone call Emily got about an ailing loved one was from the city morgue?
"Except what?"
"I don't want to take any chances. If we tell Mrs. Hastings it will become public knowledge."
"So then what are you thinking?" Alison questioned.
Emily took a breath before she responded, huffing it out in one swell gust.
"Maybe it's not out of the question to assume that Courtney could have something to do with this." It made her feel nauseous to consider it. "What you said out in Buffalo about her parents…" Emily drifted off. "I look at Isaac and Courtney and I barely see any similarities. They do have some of the same features, but…I don't know. Half-siblings would still look alike. And if she had a trust fund she could afford to do almost anything. It could also explain how her parents were able to write me such a huge check without batting an eye when I know for a fact they aren't crazy rich."
"How would her parents have access to it? Isn't she nineteen? She'd have control of it, wouldn't she?"
"It depends on the stipulations. She might have to meet certain requirements to gain access to it." Emily cringed, "Which…now that I'm saying it out loud…it sounds crazy. Am I being crazy?"
"We have to look at everything from every angle." Alison replied.
"It could explain how she gets away with things and how she's able to hold things over her parents' heads."
"And why Maya was drugged and how this person seems to know really intimate details about you." Alison tried to process the new information. She touched Emily's hand. "Do you really think it could be her?"
"There is only one way to find out."
Emily pulled her phone out. She looked at the threatening message warning her to stay quiet. Alison glanced at her screen. She felt an ire in her veins as she re-read the message,
I'll be watching today. If you or Legally Blonde breathes a word about me I'll make sure it's the last breaths you two ever take.
"I wonder what this person would do if they thought Wilden was going to rat them out." Emily concentrated on the screen. "It could draw them out of the shadows."
Alison glanced at her in surprise.
"You think we should bait them?"
"At the very least it will assure us that no one tries to come to his rescue again." Emily started typing a response.
It's not me you should be worried about. I'm not going to rat you out. But your boy is ready to take a plea deal…with me. He's willing to tell me everything. Guess freedom talks more than money.
She mulled it over before she hit send. She looked at Alison.
"What do you think?" She showed her the response.
"There are not nearly enough death threats or enough usage of the word uber-bitch." She frowned.
"There is a fine line between provoking them and pissing them off. We've got to be careful." Emily re-read the message several more times before she hit 'send'.
After she sent it she looked up at Alison. They exchanged a look of solidarity. Alison reached for Emily's hand. Emily took it and squeezed it with a determined expression in her eyes. Whatever happened, they were in it together.
The car rocked as Jason opened the driver's side door and plopped down in the driver's seat. He had a to-go bag in his hand and a cup-holder with three cups of coffee. He pulled his coffee out and put it in between the console. He turned around and handed them their drinks.
"Elitist white girl beverage for you…" He gave Alison her cup. "And a decaf for you." He gave Emily hers. "You've got your choice of crullers, doughnuts, and scones…" He extended the bag towards them.
"Call me elitist again and I'll hit you in your scones." Alison mumbled.
Emily laughed and rubbed Alison's arm.
"Thanks, Jason." Emily sipped her decaf.
"At least someone appreciates me." Jason shrugged.
Emily gripped the bag, glancing at the flyer on the front of it. It looked like Sabrina's handiwork. There was a big clubbing event and an open mic night in a few weeks. It was a pre-prom party. It looked interesting. She sipped on her coffee as she read about it.
They hadn't decided anything official about prom. Alison was being blasé about it, which was weird. Emily wasn't big on tradition, but things like prom had always seemed like a big deal to Alison. Lately Emily had seen her pretending to be uninterested in the flyers and the announcements about it. She didn't want her to miss out.
She had plans to ask her despite Alison's indifference. She had an idea of why Alison was snubbing it. She thought back to their conversation in her room earlier that morning. Alison was trying to put aside her own interests in order to try and protect her. She didn't want the blonde to continue sacrificing her senior year. They had been through so much. It would be nice to do something normal. It was just what they needed to snap them out of their funk. Prom was a rite of passage, and Emily wasn't going to let it slip through their fingers.
Their prom night would be unforgettable. But not for the reasons she was thinking.
A/N: Aaand we have fluff and more character growth. And also, ominous things. Cuz that's how I do. I hope you enjoyed their cuddling session. I thought it was needed after the pain of NY. One thing the show never did was have them actually TALK about their trauma. Felt that was important to cover in this story. Hope I captured the Jason/Alison and Emily/Wilden moments right (what exactly is he up to anyway? And who would dare hurt Wayne Fields?).
