A/N: I see lots of different questions/ideas in reviews, but since it's not easy to answer them all I'm considering making a CuriousCat or AMA site somewhere. But I have no idea where to even start with that. I will say that I never say no to ideas and feedback. My mother was a teacher and I was taught from an early age to never stop learning.

On to what you're all here for...

This one gets triggering near the end. Fair warning. Hold on for the ride.


Chapter 34:

Passion

Emily didn't have to search very hard for her prom attire. After she'd asked Alison to the dance decked out in her motorcycle gear it pretty much cemented the fact that she would be wearing leather and boots to their prom, though she had briefly considered a tuxedo. Alison told her that tuxedos looked sexy as hell on her, but that leather was more her style. And Emily wanted to make her happy.

Alison's wardrobe took a little more planning. She was having a hard time finding what she wanted. Over the span of several days she went to dozens of different places, but couldn't find anything.

She finally decided to ask Hanna for help, because she knew that between the two of them they could find something that would knock Emily's boots off. An hour into their shopping spree she found a gorgeous red mesh dress which left very little to the imagination.

She spun around in the mirror, taking in her appearance. Hanna picked through a stack of dresses as she watched Alison flaunt the dress.

"Damn, you look fierce." Hanna nodded in approval as she pulled a black dress off of the rack. "I like it much better than the white one. Red is your color."

"You think Emily will like it?" Alison rubbed her fingers over the thin airy material.

"I think she'll like taking it off of you."

She saw Hanna grin deviously in the reflection of the mirror.

Alison laughed. She couldn't believe how far they had come. Nearly nine months ago they would have been willing to strangle each other in the school parking lot. Now they were dress shopping together.

"Sold." Alison turned to view the dress from another angle.

It accentuated her best features. Her curves, her chest, and her ass. She brushed her hands against her hips.

A snooty girl from school walked by, scoffing at Alison's choice. She rolled her eyes as she passed by.

"Is that to cover up the blood from your secret jailhouse murders?" She poked an accusatory finger at Alison.

Hanna spun around, angry and indignant.

"You know what? If she did have him killed she deserves a medal. And uppity bitches like you should be thanking her, because if he was set loose it's likely you would have ended up on the six o'clock news as a story about a naïve little slut being found dead in a ditch at his hands." She snapped.

The girl eeked out an unintelligible response and then skirted away with her tail between her legs.

Hanna turned around to see a surprised Alison staring back at her.

"I don't exactly adhere to Emily's approach of rising above it." Hanna shrugged, putting the black dress back on the racks.

"Yeah, me neither." Alison glanced back in the mirror at her reflection.

"Ex-lax in Ben Coogan's protein shakes?" Hanna guessed.

Alison grinned at her in the mirror.

"I have learned to use my powers for good."

She stared at herself. She looked hot. She couldn't wait for prom night. She was really glad that Emily had talked her into it. She'd been iffy about it for many reasons. But Emily was right. They only got one prom.

"So, are you ready to say yes to the dress?" Hanna asked.

"This is the one." Alison nodded.

"It's about time." Hanna laughed. "You cut it a little close to the deadline."

"We still have…" She glanced at her watch, "31 hours until prom. That's plenty of time."

"Speaking of time…what time is it?" Hanna asked. "I told Caleb I would swing by The Brew around 5."

"4:30."

Emily was with Caleb helping The Brew with some planning for the pre-prom party. Alison had been surprised at her enthusiasm about it. Emily had told her it kept her mind off of everything else.

"Time to run that plastic through and get going." Hanna waved her towards the changing room.

Alison took one more look in the mirror to make sure she really liked her choice. After she was satisfied she changed out of the dress and they ran through the check-out line.

The bell above the door jingled as they walked out. A dressing room door slowly crept open. Slipping through the racks of tuxedos and ducking through mannequins was the only way to avoid the overly eager salespeople trying to make a commission. The employee side door didn't jingle when it was opened.

Alison's and Hanna's voices were carrying across the parking lot. They were squawking about prom. It was incessantly tiring the way girls like them droned on about insignificant things.

After Alison and Hanna climbed in Alison's car a pair of even footsteps padded against the pavement towards a black sedan. A shaky hand fumbled a set of keys, sending them to the ground. Kneeling down to pick them up revealed an untied shoelace.

Sloppy mistake.

The shoelace was tied, double knotted tightly. A thumbnail scraped at the shoe, picking a fleck of red paint away from the sneaker.

Minutes later the black car was tailing the two blondes. Staying at least four cars behind them was standard. The car was easy to spot in traffic, but only because it had been a point of interest for months. The idea of putting a bomb in Alison's car had come up. It would be easy enough to do. But it would draw way too many questions. Another idea had been to play a game of chicken. That was always fun. But it was more fun when the person behind the wheel wasn't protected by a ton of steel. It would be a hell of an adrenaline rush to ram into Emily's bike and watch her and Alison go flying, but Emily hadn't been riding much this late into her pregnancy.

The black car kept driving as Alison pulled her car into a parking spot at The Brew. It came to a stop in front of a vacant strip mall a block away.

Alison turned her car off. She looked over and saw Hanna checking her lipstick in the sun visor's mirror.

"Thanks for today." Alison pulled the keys out of the ignition.

"Crazy to think we ended up here, right?" Hanna laughed, pushing the visor back into place. She popped her lips to even out her lipstick.

"Plot twist of the century." Alison agreed.

They glanced inside the coffee shop. They could see Emily and Caleb talking through the window. He nodded and then walked away.

"How are you two doing with everything?" Hanna questioned.

"We're dealing." Alison shrugged. "Everything is happening so fast. It's surreal. I mean, it's great that the trial isn't happening anymore, but now everyone thinks we're murderers…"

"Any word from the bitch behind the screen?"

"Hanna…" Alison shot her a warning glance. "We're not going to drag you two back into this."

"I was just curious."

Curiosity killed the cat. Alison certainly didn't want Hanna to be that cat. But she also knew Hanna well enough to know that she wasn't going to keep her nose out of it. Not unless they pushed her out. One thing that Alison had come to understand was how viciously protective Hanna was of Emily. It was a trait they both shared.

"Emily says you two didn't find anything in New York." Hanna reached out to smooth her hair down. "But I think she's full of shit. I think she's trying to protect me." She slowly turned to face Alison. "She cares too much. That's what it boils down to. I think what happened with Wilden scared her…"

"It wasn't what happened with Wilden." Alison quietly admitted. She picked at a piece of lint on her pants. "It was what happened to her dad."

"What happened to her dad?" Hanna's face twisted in confusion. "You mean his heart attack? What does that have to do with anything?"

"It wasn't a coincidence." Alison looked down at the floorboard. If Emily knew she was telling Hanna the truth she would kill her. "Someone drugged him." She slowly looked up and made eye contact with Hanna. "The same way someone drugged Maya." Her lips pursed in a pensive pause. "The same way someone killed Wilden."

"The news said it was suicide…"

"We know what the news said, but Emily got texts with proof after all three things happened. First it was Maya. Then her dad. Then Wilden. That's why you and Caleb need to stay out of it. This psycho has already tried to run Caleb over. It's not that we don't want your help. It's just that it's too dangerous for you to give it. There is a lot of merit to Emily's concerns. Two people in her life have nearly died. And Wilden…" Alison swallowed a nervous breath, "…he offered to talk. To tell us everything."

"You're fucking kidding me." Hanna gawked. "What caused his change of heart?"

"He didn't have one. He was trying to save his own skin. He tried to coerce Emily into throwing the trial. All those girls he assaulted…they would have been so damaged by it. Emily refused. But we used the information to try and lure out his partner. We exposed him. That's why he's dead."

"Shit." Hanna huffed out in surprise. She shook her head and frowned. "Shit," she uttered again. "Alison, you two have to go to the cops."

"We don't have any hard evidence. Half of the texts disappear after they're opened. And what we do have just looks like typical high school bullshit."

"Yeah, but…you have proof that Wilden was after you in New York."

"That won't mean anything. No one can prove he was working with anyone. And Wilden was in police custody when he was killed. I don't see Emily and me faring much better. And I won't put her and the baby at risk like that."

"So…what do we do?" Hanna leaned forward inquisitively.

"We do nothing." Alison eyed her sternly. "If you act like you know any of this it could come back on us. Or you and Caleb."

Hanna quietly let the information sink in. She tried to think of a loophole, but couldn't come up with one. The person watching them always seemed to be one step ahead.

"What about Spencer's mom?" Hanna questioned.

"She's a lawyer, not a cop."

"But she knows about Wilden. Maybe she could uncover who is connected to him. And if you talked to her it would be confidential. There is no way it could get out. She wouldn't disclose the information to anyone."

"No, but the person watching will know we're talking to her." Alison grimaced.

They were trapped. It was frustrating, because every time they took a step in the right direction they were knocked off of their feet and sent flailing fifteen feet back.

Alison saw Emily moving around in the café through the window. She had spotted them. She wiggled her fingers, waving at them.

Emily reached up and swiped her sweat-soaked brow with her forearm. It was hot inside the coffee place. The heat flashes had been hitting her hard lately. She'd also had a few bouts of nausea, which she hadn't had to deal with since the first trimester. The growing pains were getting more frequent. But nothing had slowed her down since her Lamaze class. Every time she had a bout of nausea or a few seconds of pain it reminded her of how close she was to meeting her child.

She had buried herself in things to keep herself busy. When she wasn't working one of her shifts at the gym she popped over to see if Sabrina, Caleb, and Mike needed help with the upcoming prom party.

Emily put a full napkin dispenser down on one of the tables. She was singing along with the music that was rumbling through the speakers. An older couple had stopped at the jukebox on their way in and picked out a bunch of classic songs.

She was singing Stevie Wonder's "Isn't She Lovely". It had taken on an entirely new meaning for her since she'd learned that Stevie had written it for his baby daughter.

"You should really join us for karaoke night." Sabrina walked up behind her.

"And steal Mike's spotlight?" She tossed a crumpled up napkin at Mike, who was clearing off the booth next to them. "No way."

"My Spice Girls level of adoration will never be topped." Mike blew his bangs out of his eyes.

"We appreciate you helping out." Sabrina handed Emily a stack of flyers. "These are the last of them. You mind hanging more at the gym?"

"Not at all. I'll head there after I finish up here."

"You want T-Dawg's regular?" Mike questioned.

"Who the hell is T-Dawg?" Emily's face scrunched up in confusion.

"Toby. T-Dawg. My bro."

"Does he know you call him that?" Emily snorted out a laugh. "Because I feel like he'd punch you in the nuts if he knew you called him that."

"Montgomery, your pastries are burning!" Caleb called out from behind the counter. There was a young guy in biker shorts standing at the counter who let out a chuckle.

"It wasn't that sick of a burn, dude." Mike waved him off.

"No. Your literal pastries are on fire." Caleb motioned back towards the kitchen and then went back to serving his customer.

"Oh, crap!" Mike gasped. "My Danish Cremes!" He rushed towards the kitchen, his arms flailing in an overly-dramatic fashion.

"I can't wait to tell T-Dawg about that." Emily chuckled.

"Never a dull moment." Sabrina pulled a rag out of her apron and wiped down a table. "Hey, what are you doing tonight?"

"Why? You hitting on me?" Emily flashed her a joking smile.

"I don't think Alison would handle that very well." Sabrina glanced out the window, her eye catching Hanna and Alison walking towards the front door. "It's strictly business. You've been such a big help with everything here and I really hate to ask you to be on your feet longer than you need to be, but one of the volunteers for the caterers for an event tonight just dropped out and we could really use some help in the kitchen. We're going to be trying to pull double-time getting ready for the prom party and doing this event. I'll pay you twice what the going rate is."

There was an air of tension in her voice. Emily could tell that she was overwhelmed. She was very animated when she was stressed. She used a lot of hand gestures.

"I wouldn't normally ask, but you've been a Godsend this week. You know this place really well. And you work harder than the people who actually work here." Sabrina rambled. She was clearly freaking out. "I mean, it's totally cool if you can't…"

"Sabrina, take a breath." Emily held her palm up with a laugh. "I can help. I owe you for helping me find my apartment."

Plus she needed the money. She wasn't going to turn down an easy paycheck.

"Oh my God, thank you. You're a real gem."

"I'm not, but I work at one." She grinned.

Toby had used the line on her once and she thought it was hysterical. Sabrina was equally as amused.

"Already starting with the mom jokes?" Sabrina asked.

"I've got an entire routine. Insomnia breeds creativity."

"How is the new place working out?" Sabrina questioned.

"It's amazing. I don't think I could thank you enough for hooking me up."

The bell above the door jingled as Alison and Hanna walked in. Alison's lips were curled up in a mischievous grin. Her eyes were buzzing with excitement. She'd been jazzed up about prom all week.

She sauntered across the floor. She smiled at Emily and touched her arm, flirtatiously tracing her fingers down her bicep.

"Hey, Em." She pressed a gentle peck on her lips, making a show of kissing her. After she pulled away she faced Sabrina. "Sabrina." She nodded.

"Hey, Alison." She replied with a friendly smile.

Alison turned her attention back to Emily. She saw a stack of flyers on the back of the booth that Sabrina was wiping down.

"You must be exhausted." Alison rubbed her shoulder.

Emily had looked really run down the past few days. Alison could see it in her eyes. She knew part of it was the insomnia, but she was still worried about her.

"I'm good." Emily put her hand against Alison's waist. "I'm actually on my way to the gym to deliver these flyers. Then I'm going to try and grab a nap before jumping back into the grind."

Emily grabbed the flyers with her free hand.

"I thought you were off this weekend." Alison looked at her in confusion.

"I am." Emily nodded. "Sort of. They're having an event here tonight. I'm going to help out."

"Babe, that's way too long for you to be on your feet." Alison reached for the flyers.

She glanced at the artwork. It was Aria's design. She recognized it from some of the doodles she'd seen on her binder. It was really detailed. It had sparkling stars shooting into the night and two crowns locked together. Aria had done a good job with it.

"We've been over this a million times." Emily took the flyers back, biting back a cheeky grin as she put them down on the back of the booth. "I've been perfectly fine. A little bit of walking isn't going to break me. Or…a little bit of dancing." She grabbed Alison's hands and spun her around just as the instrumental introduction for Etta James' "At Last" came on over the loud speakers.

She slowly twirled Alison around. The blonde was a total sucker for her moves. Emily clasped her hand against Alison's palm and put her arm around her waist, slow dancing with her.

"I can't wait for tomorrow." Emily smiled as Alison laid her head against her shoulder. "You find a dress yet?"

"Yes. And you're going to love it." Alison nuzzled against her.

Sometimes when they shared pure joyous moments together they forgot about the lurking dangers in the shadows.

Alison felt a fluttering sensation against her stomach. She smiled.

"Is she dancing, too?" Alison questioned, glancing down at Emily's bump.

"Probably limbering up for her very first prom." Emily nodded.

The song came to an end, but they kept dancing. No one in the café seemed to mind. Hanna was perched on the counter talking to a very busy Caleb. Mike was running to and from different tables. Sabrina and several other staffers were trying to keep up with the flow.

"Hey, Em…" Alison whispered quietly.

"Hmm?"

"You're my favorite person." She pressed a tiny peck of a kiss underneath her ear lobe. She lifted her head to meet Emily's gaze.

"I love you, too, Ali." Emily cupped her cheek and leaned in until their lips met.

Alison moaned happily into the exchange. Emily's lips were warm and silky and tasted like heaven. No matter how many times they kissed it always felt like the first time…the time when Emily had given her butterflies…the time when it was new and exciting. Emily made her feel like it was the first time every time.

She reached up, her palm landing gently against Emily's neck. She could feel the heat and a build-up of sweat on her skin. She'd been running kind of hot lately. Alison knew her hot flashes were getting worse.

They heard a loud teasing "oooh" and turned to see Mike walking towards them with a few cleaning supplies. "You've got a little something on your face." He playfully fluttered a clean rag in between them.

"Maybe I want this on my face." Emily shoved him with a laugh.

"Get a room." He scurried off with a huge grin.

"How has Aria put up with him for seventeen years?" Alison rolled her eyes.

"I heard that!" Mike exclaimed.

Emily and Alison both doubled over in laughter. When Emily stood up she arched her back to try and loosen the stiffness in her muscles. She felt a strong pulsing sensation that felt like more than just the baby's typical repositioning. She felt a jab of pain that radiated down to her pelvis. It only lasted for a second, but it was intense enough that she huffed out in surprise. She put her hand against her stomach.

"She's graduated from dancing to kickboxing, apparently." Emily squirmed to try and get comfortable. "She's like a regular Laila Ali fighting for a boxing championship."

"Laila." Alison smiled. "Laay-la Ahh-lee Fields." She let the name roll off of her tongue. "Is that her name?"

Emily had been very secretive about her name. She had wanted to keep Alison in suspense. She also wanted to see the baby before she settled on the name, but in her heart she knew what her daughter was going to be called.

Emily just smiled mischievously and shut her up with a kiss.

"You didn't answer the question." Alison grinned against Emily's lips.

"I wonder how Muhammad Ali would feel about me stealing his daughter's name." Emily's tone was curiously playful.

"Considering her mother has a hell of a right hook, I don't think he'd mind." She touched Emily's belly.

Alison's phone buzzed from her back pocket. She begrudgingly pulled away from Emily and grabbed it. She made a face at the screen.

"Ugh. I've got to go. Jason and I are being forced against our will to attend my father's stupid birthday soiree." She rolled her eyes. "Just when I thought I was out they pulled me back in." She sighed. "Fuck my life."

"Can't. I'm in an exclusively monogamous relationship with fucking my own life, but maybe after we're done…" Emily kissed her forehead.

"How late is this thing you're doing tonight supposed to go?" Alison asked.

"Don't know. But I can call you afterwards if you want to come over."

"I'll try to slip out of my dad's party and come by."

She was already looking for any excuse she could find to get out of the party. She dreaded spending time with her family. She was just thankful that soon, her family would be Emily and the baby. The only bright spot in the dark was that she was recreating the definition of family. And she knew that family was more than blood relations. Family was the beautiful brunette standing in front of her, smiling at her like she was the whole world.

o ~ O ~ o

The dinner with her parents went about as poorly as Alison expected. Her mother drank too much and got emotional. Her father got into a fight with her brother. And all the guests pretended that everything was normal. She was so sick of the charade.

She didn't even bother to tell her parents she was leaving. She assumed her absence wouldn't be noticed.

It was. By her brother.

He was the one who saw her down a glass of wine. He also followed her out when she ran out of the house with her keys. He refused to let her drive, which pissed her off.

He had compromised with her, telling her he'd drive her to The Brew so she could hang out with Emily and go home with her after she was done volunteering.

Alison forgot about all of the drama the second she saw Emily in her catering uniform at The Brew. She had on a pressed white blouse covered by red suspenders that were attached to perfectly fitting black pants. Her chest filled the blouse out so much that the top three buttons were undone. The shirt was crisp and pressed and the collar was folded perfectly. Her hair was flowing over her shoulders. She had a glow of sweat on her face.

The necklace Alison had picked out for her for Valentine's Day stood out, even in the low lighting. Alison looked at Emily's birthstone and then at the baby's. It relaxed her. Her eyes lingered on Emily's chest. It was hard not to stare at her. The voluptuous curves in her body were basically screaming to be touched. And she was dying to touch her.

She barely even noticed the other patrons walking around and mingling. There were a few kids from school and several adults. She heard some buzz about it being a sports related party, but she hadn't come there for the prettyboy jocks. She'd come for Emily.

Jason strode next to her as they walked through the cafe. Emily noticed them. She put a tray of appetizers down and walked over to them. She could see that Alison was a little off-balance. She glanced at Jason.

"Hey." Emily waved to him.

"She had a little bit too much to drink…" Jason explained.

"It was one glass." Alison scoffed in irritation.

"Just wanted to make sure she got here in one piece." Jason faced Emily, ignoring his sister's hostility. "She said she was staying with you tonight."

"Yeah." Emily nodded. "Thanks, Jason."

"Sure thing." He glanced over at the unattended tray of food. "Hey, so…do you have to have a ticket to this thing or is the food free?"

"Help yourself." Emily nodded.

Alison walked over to an empty booth. Emily followed her. They both sat down without saying anything. Alison lowered her head and rubbed her forehead with her palm, squinting as she did so. Her face hurt. The wine had given her headache.

"How bad was it?" Emily asked.

Emily's intuition never ceased to amaze Alison. The girl was so in tune with her. It's part of why Alison loved her so much. She didn't even have to tell her what was wrong. Emily just knew.

"My mother threw a bottle of Chartreuse bad." Alison frowned, lowering her hands away from her face so she could see Emily. She clasped her fingers together and put them down against the table.

Emily reached out and put her hand on top of Alison's hands.

"I should be done in about an hour. Then we can get out of here." She rubbed her fingers. "You want anything? Water? Coffee?"

"Coffee would be amazing." It would sober her up and curb the hangover.

"Hang tight." Emily nodded. She slipped out of the booth and walked over to the counter to talk to Caleb.

Emily brought her a warm cup of her regular and then went back to work. Alison sipped on the coffee. She wasn't in the mood to socialize. She moped around the front counter, catching Emily every so often as the brunette passed by to get another tray. She didn't see anyone she liked, except Hanna, who was too busy helping Caleb to talk to her.

She spotted Noel in the crowd. His eyes were following Emily everywhere she went. He seemed to be watching her. Alison didn't like it. His eyes kept drifting down to Emily's plunging neckline.

This motherfucker… Alison thought angrily to herself.

She let her anger stew. She felt it bubbling in her stomach all night. It finally came to a head when things were starting to wind down.

She saw Noel glance at Emily from across the room and she snapped. She jumped to her feet and rushed over towards him to give him a piece of her mind. She shoved him so hard that he dropped a cup that he was holding. It hit the floor with a loud clanging noise and his drink splattered everywhere. He bounced back at her by force of habit.

"What the fuck are you looking at, perv?" Alison grabbed his shirt collar and yanked him forward. He had a good six inches on her in height, but she outmatched him in pure unadulterated rage. She hit him in his blocky chest, her palms slapping angrily against his roid-induced muscles. "Are you eyeing my girlfriend?"

Noel didn't retaliate. He backed away and raised his hands in submission.

"It's not what you think…" His reaction was calm, calculated.

"What I think is that I've been watch you ogle her chest all night!" Alison growled.

"What?" He questioned. There was a spark in his eyes as realization washed over his face. He shook his head, vehemently denying it. "No, that's not…I…I wasn't…"

"I haven't forgotten what you did to her in the locker room." Alison shoved him again. He slipped on the wet floor, but managed to keep from falling on his ass.

Everything Noel had ever done was running through Alison's mind. It had been months since Noel had threatened her in the library. It had been months since he'd pushed himself on Emily at the pool. He'd helped Emily after she passed out, but that didn't mean a damn thing to Alison. Because time was not forgiving. And she wouldn't be either.

"You can play the redemption arc all you want, but I'll never forget what you really are, you creep." Alison hissed.

"What's going on here?" Caleb walked up behind Alison.

"Nothing." Noel insisted. "She just went crazy on me." He faced Alison. "If you would stop acting like a total psycho and just let me…"

"Fuck you, Noel." Alison shoved her finger in his face.

"Hey…calm down." A voice softly urged from behind her.

Alison felt Emily's hands against her arms. She knew they were her hands without even having to look. Even if Emily hadn't said anything she never would have mistaken her warm touch for anyone else.

Emily knew her emotions were running high, so she gently led her away from Noel. She walked her through the side door. Alison was shaking when she got her outside.

"Are you okay?" Emily questioned.

"I'm fine." Alison huffed. She was more than fine. She wanted to get back inside for round two.

"What happened?"

"He exists. That bothers me." Alison was still puffed up and ready for a fight.

"Alison…I am five weeks away from having a baby. As sexy as you look being a little badass…" She took a moment to look at Alison's stiff stance. Her trembling muscles. Her determined face, "…I can't be pulling you away from bar fights while a baby dangles from my tit. You have to get it together." Emily put her hand against Alison's cheek.

Alison felt a natural calm washing over her. She knew Emily was right. She just hated that there was someone out there who wanted to hurt her. And she hated not knowing who to trust. She wanted to eliminate every single threat to her.

Alison cracked her knuckles, which got a bemused smile out of Emily. Ever since she'd started taking her self-defense classes seriously she exuded a sexy vibe that was irresistible to the brunette. Alison rolled her shoulders and cracked her neck, which was even more amusing to Emily. It was like she was getting ready to charge back in and attack. It was a mixture of hot and adorable.

"Sorry." Alison felt a flush of heat in her cheeks when she realized that Emily was staring at her. "I'm just a little on edge. My parents know how to get under my skin. I thought taking it out on Noel might help."

"Maybe we can work some of that stress out at my place." Emily smiled suggestively as she grasped Alison's hips. She leaned forward and laid her forehead against the blonde's. "What do you say, hmm?"

Alison smiled back at her. She wasn't going to argue. She pushed her lips against Emily's.

"You look really sexy in this uniform." Alison reached up and slipped her fingers underneath the suspenders.

"Gonna look even better on my bedroom floor." Emily smirked.

"You always know exactly what to say to make me feel better." Alison walked her fingers up against the suspenders. "How do you even have energy right now?"

"I don't know." Emily put her hand firmly against Alison's waist. "Something about seeing you go hog wild in there really got me going."

Her feet were killing her. She felt uncomfortable and bloated. She had a headache. The pains in her stomach were getting more persistent. And her back was aching. But she had a crazy amount of energy surging through her. She swept her lips against Alison's.

"I'm sorry you had a bad night." She cupped her neck.

"You're already making it better." Alison leaned into their kiss.

When they walked back into The Brew Noel was gone. Sabrina was cleaning up the drink he spilled. Alison went over to apologize to her while Emily went to get the key to her bike.

She didn't ride nearly as often as she used to, but she knew how to balance her weight perfectly, especially for short rides.

Her apartment was only a few blocks away. It was just the burst of endorphins that Alison needed to clear her head. She peered up at the stars above them, watching them dance in the night sky. They were moving so quickly that it looked like a bunch of shooting stars. The motor purring beneath them was a comfort to her. She laid her cheek against Emily's back and tightened her grip, her hands clasped firmly above her baby bump.

When they got to Emily's place they raced up the stairs. They giggled and waved as they ran by a middle-aged couple walking towards their front door. The couple smiled and waved back.

When they got inside the apartment Emily grinned and pushed Alison against the wall. Alison had no idea what had sparked Emily's rush of hormones, but she didn't question it. She was happy to let her take the lead.

Emily had no idea where her surge of sexuality had come from, but seeing Alison stand up to Noel had triggered something deep in her body that left a yearning desire burning her from the inside out. She knew part of it was the hormones. She'd never felt like she needed sex more in her life. It was the oddest feeling in the world, but she craved it. But in addition to her urges, she felt an immense amount of love for her girl, and she just wanted to hold her and touch her. She wanted to love her.

She buried her face in Alison's neck and started placing kisses against her shoulder, moving her shirt aside to expose her collar bone.

Alison's back was firmly against the wall. Emily's body heat was seeping through her clothes. Emily moved up to capture Alison's lips again as she grasped her hips tightly. She moved her hands down against her skirt, slipping her fingers underneath it, touching the hot flesh of her thighs. Alison trembled beneath her touch. Emily's fingers curved inwards and Alison's thighs automatically fell apart for her. She shuddered.

Emily was slow and methodical, which drove Alison insane. Emily moved one of her hands out from underneath her skirt and moved it up against Alison's stomach. Her fingertips left little indentations of prickling sensations against Alison's skin. Alison felt her hips gently bucking on their own accord. Emily smirked into their kiss. Alison could feel her cockiness.

"I'm having flashbacks to the church." Alison huffed through their kisses.

"You're about to have more than just the Holy Spirit flowing through you." She groped her chest.

Emily's aggression brought out a similar aggression in Alison. She grasped Emily's suspenders, pulling her closer as she moved to turn them towards the bedroom. She slipped her hands underneath the suspenders, her thumbs purposefully landing directly against the center of Emily's sensitive swollen breasts. She felt Emily's body jerk beneath her touch. The brunette shivered into Alison's mouth. It was Alison's turn to grin into their kiss. She slowly pulled her suspenders down, sliding them over her pressed white dress shirt. She meticulously started to unbutton her blouse.

"I feel bad for your neighbors." Alison grinned as she pushed Emily towards the bed.

"No one lives next door." Emily lifted her brows and bit her lip seductively.

As far as she knew, the place was empty. What she didn't know was that the place had been rented out two weeks after she'd gotten the place. It just wasn't used all the time. She didn't know that they weren't alone. Disturbing her neighbors was the last thing on her mind.

It certainly wasn't on her mind as she stripped Alison's clothes off of her and pulled her so that their bodies were flush. They were in a mad rush to get to the bed. They swirled around. Alison's back hit the mattress. She felt Emily pulling her legs towards the edge of the bed. Then she saw her head slowly dipping down.

Alison didn't have a chance to react. Emily was fast and demanding, and Alison obliged. It was only after Alison was coming down from her second high that she realized that Emily was crawling on top of her.

Feeling Emily's skin against hers sparked a quiet demand in her mind. She had to have Emily. And she had to have her now. Her fingers found their mark immediately. She saw it in Emily's eyes. She felt it in her motions. She heard it in her sighs of pleasure. She reached up with her free hand to touch Emily's cheek.

Emily hadn't held back with Alison, but Alison was careful with her. Emily had to push her to go harder. The further into the last trimester she got the more she needed in bed to satisfy her. It was like having a constant itch that she couldn't scratch.

Getting too aggressive worried Alison, but she gave in, because when it came to the bedroom she liked letting Emily call the shots. So she pushed. Hard. Emily pushed back, giving her everything she needed, too.

They both had a ton of emotions they needed to work through, and they went wild. But after they hit the point of pleasure and they were slowly coming down from it, the tender feelings started to flow. The emotions always made everything so much more palatable.

Emily kissed Alison's sweaty forehead and the blonde smiled at her. It was a soft shy smile that belonged to Emily, because Emily had her heart.

Alison touched Emily's side, her fingertips stroking the sides of her swollen bosom. She'd learned to be careful with her more tender areas. Her breasts had been swollen and painful, but they'd also needed attention, so Alison had learned how to balance the delicacy with what Emily needed.

Emily rolled over, pulling Alison with her. She put her arm over the top of Alison's head, her fingers falling gently against her cheek, caressing her flushed skin.

"I really needed that," Alison said quietly.

"Me too." Emily smiled at her, wrapping her arms around the smaller girl.

Alison was used to Emily's body temperature being exorbitantly higher than hers, but she felt like she was being pulled directly into the center of a furnace in her embrace. Her skin was slick and burning against Alison's flesh. It was almost like touching the eye of a hot stove.

"Jeeze, Em, you feel like you're on fire."

"Alison DiLaurentis, is that sweet pillow talk you're whispering into my ear? Are you calling me hot?" She kissed the top of her head.

"I'm calling you hotter than the surface of the sun."

"Kinky." Emily grinned.

Alison couldn't help but laugh. She reached up and caressed Emily's cheek. She peered at her face in the dim glowing light of the room. She traced her thumb underneath her eye. The dips of the skin underneath her eyes looked pale.

"You really worked your ass off tonight."

"Nah, it's still there…and growing." Emily moved the blanket aside to let their bodies get some fresh air. She knew that Alison was burning up.

Alison shifted down, laying her head against Emily's collar bone.

"You tired?" Alison questioned.

"A little."

"You had a long night." She kissed Emily's bare shoulder. "You should get some sleep."

"You too." Emily yawned. "Prom awaits us. It's important that the most beautiful girl there gets her beauty rest."

"I agree. Which is why I think you should get that beauty rest." Alison smiled at her.

Emily hummed happily. Alison felt the vibration in her cheek. She felt it in her soul.

They fought sleep, each waiting for the other to crash first. They drifted off at the same time. There was a certain kind of bliss they'd both been feeling lately. It was a bliss that they'd be longing to feel again less than twenty-four hours later after being blindsided by something that neither one of them could have ever predicted.

o ~ O ~ o

The town was buzzing with activity the next day. People were excited about the dance and everything leading up to it. Everyone had planned on getting together at The Brew before the dance.

Some people were more eager than others to show off their fashionista looks. Mona and Aria had gotten ready together. Mike drove them to the gym because Aria had pulled a Sadie Hawkins and asked the guy…her guy being Ezra. He gladly accepted her request. He'd mentioned that he wanted to ask her to his prom two years ago, but that he'd been too nervous to approach her.

They'd driven to the gym to pick him up. Emily was watching the front desk for him while Toby and Jake were cleaning up after a class. Hanna and Alison were keeping her company.

Alison had her face buried in a magazine when they heard Mona and Aria approaching. Mona was in a flowing black and red dress. It accentuated her dark hair, which fell in waves over the silky red overcoat on her shoulders. Aria had a short black dress with white trim. Her hair was cropped in a bob with a matching headband. Mike was trailing behind them in a tuxedo that was a little bit too big for him, but it suited him. His hair was slicked back away from his face.

"You two look great." Alison smiled when she saw them approaching the front desk.

"Thanks." Aria tried to smooth out the sides of her dress. "Is my date ready yet?"

"Toby said he saw him fixing his bow tie in his office." Emily nodded.

"Nerd." Mike chuckled under his breath.

"Bow ties are cool." Aria frowned at her brother, shoving him playfully.

"Hey, don't mess up the hair." Mike held his hands up in surrender.

Aria rolled her eyes as she walked towards Ezra's office.

"Mona, you look beautiful." Emily took a moment to admire her dress.

"Thank you." Her face reddened.

Alison looked at her watch.

"I should probably start getting ready."

"You look stunning just the way you are. You could easily win prom queen showing up like you are now." Emily smiled.

"Like I'm going to go in commoner clothes?" Alison scoffed.

"I've already cast my ballot for you two." Mike straightened his tie. "You can thank me by naming your firstborn after me. Little MJ, Mike Junior."

"You know she's having a girl, right?" Hanna asked.

"So…Mikayla." He grinned before sprinting away.

"Heh, 'scuse me. I'm going to go kill him now." Mona sauntered after him.

"Don't get blood on your dress!" Hanna called after her.

Hanna, Emily, and Alison laughed as they watched Mike dashing around the gym laughing deviously as Mona tried to keep up.

"What time are we meeting at The Brew?" Alison stood up, reaching for her purse.

"Seven." Hanna moved away from the front desk. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and texted Caleb.

"You want me to wait on you?" Alison asked, turning to Emily and putting her hand against her knee.

"Nah. I'll be right behind you. As soon as Toby is done I'm going to head to my apartment. You go ahead. I'll see you in a few hours." Emily kissed her head.

Alison smiled, reaching up to caress her cheek. Her skin was still hot to the touch, more-so than normal.

"You feel warm," Alison's eyes emitted a gentle concern.

"Internal heater." Emily pointed to her stomach, though she couldn't deny that she had been feeling a little overheated lately.

"Right." Alison nodded.

Something still felt off to her, but she couldn't pinpoint it. They didn't have any reason to suspect that it was anything other than normal. They had no reason to suspect that she was warm for a reason.

"Are you sure you're up for this? You look exhausted." Alison lightly put her free hand against Emily's hip.

"Alison, go." She reached up and rubbed her arm. "Go get hussied up for me."

Alison nudged against her girlfriend carefully. She peered at her with an intense amount of worry.

"I'm fine. I'll meet you at The Brew after I've had time to get home and change. I've heard it's supposed to be wild there." Emily grinned. "Don't do anything illegal." Her face was stern and serious, but gave way to an impish smile. "At least, not until I get there."

"Wouldn't dream of it." Alison winked.

She rushed off to get ready. Hanna watched her go. She peered up from her phone and looked at Emily.

"Caleb is getting ready for the pre-prom party. I'm going to head over to The Brew and help them finish up." She enthusiastically clapped her hands together. "So, the plan is still for me to come by around 6 to help you get ready. That sound good?"

Hanna had told Emily on the day that she asked Alison to prom that she wanted to help her get ready.

"Oh, we're still doing that?"

"You need me." Hanna leaned against her, nudging her. She put her head against Emily's shoulder.

"I know this may surprise you, but I can get dressed all by myself." Emily laid her head on top of Hanna's.

"So can most kindergartners. Doesn't mean they have 'the lewk' down." Hanna lifted her head with a smile. She played with Emily's hair. "Besides, you know it's not really about the getting dressed part. I need to buff up my hair and make-up skills if I want to get into fashion."

"I'm just giving you a hard time, Han. I'd be honored to be your guinea pig." She smiled.

"Yay! I'm so excited!" She squealed as she grabbed Emily's hands. "This is going to be the best night ever!"

Emily's friends' energy rejuvenated her. Hanna had a significant bounce in her step as she bounded out of the gym.

She peered around the building, which was mostly empty. She saw Noel sitting on a bench working on his core. She was surprised because everyone else was getting ready for prom.

She kept her eye on him. Something about last night had unnerved her. Alison had been so sure that he had been watching her.

She watched him for nearly fifteen minutes. Every so often she would turn away and glance in the mirror and catch him looking at her.

It was odd that he was still hanging out at the gym instead of getting ready for prom. He was apparently going with Cindy and Mindy as his arm candy. The fact that he wasn't in any hurry to get ready was almost amusing. If he ditched them it would be priceless.

"What happened to the parade of prom queens running around?" Toby walked up to the counter, towel in hand. He used it to wipe some sweat from his brow.

"Alison and Hanna left to get ready. Aria is back in Ezra's office. And Mona is probably strangling Mike in the girl's locker room at this point." Emily laughed.

"Excellent. This is going to be a fantastic prom." He walked behind the counter. "Spence said the limo is picking us up around 8:30 after the pre-prom gathering." He reached into his bag and pulled out his phone.

"Oh, that reminds me…" Emily grabbed her wallet. She pulled out a stack of cash and handed it to him. "For the limo."

He curled his hand around hers, pushing her fingers closed around the money as he shook his head and moved her hand back.

"Your money is no good here, Em. I've got you covered."

"Toby, you don't have to…"

"I know." He smiled, his baby blues sparkling at her. "I want to."

She put her free hand on top of his and gave him a genuine look of appreciation.

"I'm lucky to have you."

"It's the other way around." Toby reached for his gym bag. "I've got to shower. Can't go to prom smelling like a sweaty gym sock." He looked at the clock. "Why are you still here? Go…get ready!"

"I was waiting on you and Jake."

"I've got it from here. You two young'ins go have some fun." Jake appeared behind Toby.

"Young'ins?" Toby snorted. "You've only got like 4 years on us, old man."

"Get out before I kick you out." Jake threatened playfully.

Toby walked back towards the locker rooms. Emily gathered up her things and thanked Jake before walking out to the parking lot.

As she was walking by the side of the building she heard someone call her name. It made her spine tense up.

"Yo, Fields, hold up!" When she turned around she saw Noel jogging after her. "You got a minute?"

"I have a lot of minutes. None of which I intend to waste on you." Emily shrugged.

"Seriously…" He reached out and put his fingers around her wrist.

His touch sparked a wild ferocity in her. She yanked her arm away and spun around to face him. He held his hands up and took two steps back.

"Don't test me, Noel. I am pregnant and moody and I will kick your ass." Emily grumbled angrily.

"Please? I just want to talk. It's important." There was a desperation behind his pleading eyes that intrigued Emily.

Emily pressed her lips together, deep in thought. She scrutinized the look on his face. He looked sincere.

"You have two minutes."

Noel looked around, like he thought someone might be watching them.

"Not here." He motioned for Emily to follow him.

Emily rebuffed at first. She wasn't stupid enough to fall face first into one of his dumb traps. She followed him back into the gym. They walked in to the meditation area near the unisex steam room.

"You going to lock me in again?" Emily challenged, her brows slanted, angled angrily downward.

"I told you…that wasn't me. I don't know who this person is who is calling the shots." Noel insisted.

Emily glanced at her watch.

"You've got a minute and twenty seconds left."

"Okay, this whole thing is super messed up, but just hear me out. I was trying to gather up the balls to talk to you after Wilden was arrested. Then he died and shit got crazy. And I…I tried to talk to you last night, but Alison lost her mind and was getting ready to yeet me out of my own sports party…"

"That's the thing about my girl. If she gets her radar set on you you're screwed."

"I get that." Noel nodded. "I really do. And I feel like an asshole, because I should have come forward when I realized that Wilden was dead…" He lowered his voice, like saying the word was somehow magically going to get him struck by lightning, "There…there is something that you need to know. Something I couldn't tell you before now because I was too afraid of retaliation."

Big Bad Noel Kahn was nothing more than a Grade-A pussy. It was hilarious to her.

"Thirty seconds…"

"Your necklace…" he reached up to touch it, but Emily swatted his hands away.

She suddenly wondered if he had been looking at her jewelry and not her chest last night. But why was Noel interested in it?

"Give me the benefit of the doubt here." He reached forward and made eye contact to try and seek permission. Emily nodded slowly, allowing him to trace his fingers against the birthstones. "This…it's absolutely beautiful. But even things that look perfect have cracks in the foundation."

He sighed.

"Which means what exactly?" Emily wasn't following. "Five seconds."

"It has a tracking device in it." He admitted just as his time ran down to zero.

"What?" Emily growled.

"Alison's bracelet does, too. Wilden made me do it. That's the real reason I broke into your locker that day you were in the steam room. I switched out one of the charms. I don't know who he got to intercept your necklace after Alison bought it. He probably did it himself, but…"

"He was following us?" That's how he had known exactly where they were in New York.

"He was."

Emily stumbled backwards in shock, rubbing the necklace tightly between her fingers.

"Who else knows about this?"

"I don't know. I wish I did, but I have no clue who he could have been working with." He shifted nervously on his feet.

"Why are you telling me this now?"

"I don't know what happened…with Wilden…"

"You can't possibly believe those rumors about us having him killed are true?" Emily rolled her eyes at the absurdity of it.

"Not you. But I don't for one second believe he killed himself. He was far too arrogant and self-involved. He thought he was untouchable. And if someone has that kind of power and they know where you are…" He looked at the necklace. "I just want you and Alison to watch yourselves." He rubbed his head nervously. "Look, I'm sorry for my part in all this. I'm trying to make it right…"

"You can't." Emily was fuming. "Alison almost died in New York because of you."

"I know. If I could take it back I would."

"You think that means anything to me? He was going to kill us! All three of us. My baby could have died because of you! He tried to throw Alison off of a fucking building!" She raised her voice. He didn't argue back. "God, you're unbelievable. This whole time we've been in danger because of you." She snarled. "If anything happens to Alison or my daughter I'm coming for you." She shoved her finger angrily against his chest.

He didn't respond. He just let her berate him for several minutes. She turned sharply on her feet and stormed out, leaving him standing quietly bewildered. He sighed. He hoped that it wasn't too late.

He watched her pace out to the parking lot. He thought about following her, but he knew that if she caught him she would rip him a new one.

Emily tried getting in touch with Alison before she left the gym, but she got her voicemail. She left a calm message so she wouldn't scare her.

"Hey, it's me. Something just came up. Everything is okay, but I was thinking that maybe tonight you shouldn't wear your bracelet. I really…I think you should go with something that goes with your dress. For me." She paused. She thought about telling her the whole story, but it wasn't something she wanted to leave on her voicemail. "Just give me a call when you get this. Love you."

She hung up the phone and drove her parent's car to her apartment. After she turned the car off she leaned forward and put her forehead against the steering wheel. An intense wave of nausea hit her.

The first thing she did when she walked through her door was make a beeline for the bathroom. She thought she was going to puke, but as she stood huddled over the sink, her fingernails digging into the sides of the counter, nothing came up.

She looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her cheeks were hot and flushed. Her heart was rapidly pounding against her ribcage. The confrontation with Noel had undoubtedly spiked her blood pressure.

She tried to calm herself down by practicing deep breathing. She felt a strange sense of pained pressure in her stomach every time she took a breath.

She stared at the necklace dangling from her neck. Her plan was to get ready and then take her necklace to her mom and dad's house. She would tell Alison to leave her bracelet at home, too. It would be a perfect opportunity to ditch the jewelry for the night. They could use it to their advantage in setting up a trap later. Now that she knew the truth they could use it against whoever was watching them.

The more she thought about the entire situation the sicker she felt. Someone had been tracking them this whole time.

The physical discomfort continued to get worse. She felt nauseated and dizzy. And she was burning up.

She looked at herself in the bathroom mirror again. Her cheeks were swollen and red. She had a thin sheen of sweat on her face. Her eyes darted to the necklace again. She growled under her breath. She took the jewelry off and laid it against the side of the sink.

She stripped out of her pants and T-shirt and sat down on the toilet in her bra and underwear. She buried her face in her hands and groaned, trying to let the nausea pass.

It only worsened. The flashes of heat intensified it. Sweat was dripping down her body. She felt a strange throbbing sensation in her head and a sudden sharp stabbing pain radiating in her back.

Her hand shot to her stomach, stars flashing in her eyes. Something was wrong. She leaned forward struggling to catch her breath as the pain increased.

She felt something warm and wet in her underwear. Out of instinct she put her hand in between her legs. When she pulled it back she saw blood coating her shaky fingers. Her eyes widened.

"No…" she uttered under her breath. She put her palm against her stomach and felt for movement.

Another spark of pain washed over her. She couldn't feel anything except the bolts of painful lightning shooting through her body.

She pulled herself to her feet and reached for her phone, her hands shaking as she tried to dial her mother's number. She'd fought with her mom more than anyone else in her life, but she was still her mom. And she fell back on the habits she'd had as a child. She was hurt and she wanted her mother.

She felt another sharp pain jolt her back and it brought her to her knees. The phone slipped from her fingers and hit the ceramic sink at an angle, splitting it open. Part of it went into the toilet.

Emily's vision started to blur. She groaned out a "help" but she didn't realize she was whispering.

No, baby…not now. It's too early.

Something was happening to her, but it wasn't labor. It felt like the baby was in distress. It was her worst nightmare. It's what she feared the most. A flash of herself crying in her shower after being run off the road ran through her mind, like a slow motion horror film. The images were eerily similar to what she was experiencing now. She remembered thinking that she could have ended up dying in the middle of the road...losing her child.

Was that what was happening now?

Don't panic. Panicking will only make it worse.

Her baby would make it. She would give her last breath to see to that. Her daughter was strong. Five weeks shy of her due date was early, but medicine was advanced. Her daughter would make it. She just had to survive long enough to get help.

The pain was insurmountable. It felt like someone had taken a hot blade and was sinking it into her back and it was slowly cutting through to her stomach. Her body felt like it was burning from the inside. She could feel sweat dripping down her face, her neck…in between every crevice of her body.

She collapsed, falling to the floor, her knees crashing against the hard tile. The pain in her knees was overshadowed by the anguished feeling of her insides being torn to pieces.

She fell forward, her palms slapping against the tile. Her back arched and then suddenly dropped. It was getting harder for her to breathe. She felt a stabbing pain in her pelvis. She let out a pained gasp. She cried out as she lost all of her strength and fell to the floor. She rolled to her side and groaned. The cool pressure of the tile against her cheek was staggering.

Her entire body was trembling. She could feel every muscle pulsing. She could feel every harsh beat of her heart. There was a rushing sound in her ears, like she used to hear when she was swimming underwater. She knew it was her pulse. She could feel it beating in her temples.

"Help." She squeaked out again, her cries soft and quiet. She was calling for someone she knew would never come.

She stared at the base of the cabinet, concentrating on the swirls in the dark chestnut wood. She was trying to focus. Because she knew she was passing out. And she couldn't pass out. She couldn't lose her child. She had to get help.

Hold on. She begged her daughter in thought.

She could feel the blood running down her legs. She reached between them, as if putting her hand against herself would stop it. She hiccuped out a cry which slowly transitioned into a pained moan.

She tried to pull herself to her feet, gripping the sink for leverage. Her bloody fingers slipped against it, leaving red marks on it.

Her face was burning. She saw her reflection staring back at her. Then it started to fade. Her vision was hazy. She was fainting. She knew it was happening. She knew she couldn't do anything to stop it. She felt herself slipping away. She thought she saw a flash of blonde hair in the mirror's reflection before she fell to the floor again.

Ali… She thought before her vision trickled out of view.

Alison had gotten her message. Alison had come to check on her. Because that's what her girlfriend did.

Emily felt like she was floating in a black abyss, an ether or realm that only existed between worlds. She was certain she had to be dying.

But her daughter…her baby. She couldn't let her die.

"Help me…" Her voice sounded like an echoless chamber. She wasn't sure if she was speaking out loud or in her mind. "Please…help me…save her. Please. Please don't let my daughter die."

There was a tingling sensation against her cheek. She was floating between reality and her subconscious.

Her eyes fluttered open briefly and she saw the white walls of her bathroom. But then everything was black again.

"I can't lose her." She was weeping, screaming, but no one could hear her.

At least she didn't think anyone could hear her. But then she felt the slightest touch.

"Shh…" Fingers swept through her damp sweat-soaked hair.

She wasn't alone.

"Ali?"

But she didn't recognize Alison's touch. She felt like there was something in between her thighs. She heard a faint ringing sound. Someone was talking to her, but she couldn't hear the voice. The sound was distorted, like she was underwater. There was a curious inflection in the tone,

"Oh, sweetheart, you're bleeding."

The ringing in her ears stopped. It was replaced by a chilling silence. She was in the middle of nowhere.

The abyss was quiet. She wanted to scream. She felt like someone was with her, but in her heart she knew she was alone in her bathroom. She was simply imagining Alison there because she needed her. She needed her to be there.

Through the depth of silence there was a distant voice. It was whispering quietly to Emily. Her subconscious, no doubt. She held on to the idea that Alison was there. She held on to the idea that she wasn't alone.

But then she heard a familiar voice that made her skin crawl.

"We're broken, Emily. Our bodies. Our minds." She thought she felt something warm against her lips. There was a lingering taste of vanilla. But it couldn't be real, could it? If she was unconscious how could she taste anything? "We're broken. Rotting. Diseased. And this is what happens. This is what happens to people like us."

Her eyes fluttered open again, but she couldn't see anything. She couldn't feel anything except for the pain.

"Courtney?" Her eyes darted around, but the ceiling above her was spinning. She couldn't see anything.

Her head dropped down and she groaned as the imaginary knife in her back twirled around, ripping her insides to shreds. She tried to scream, but nothing came out.

Her face was numb. She tried to open her mouth, but it felt frozen. Her tongue was dry and sticky and it felt swollen, like a bee had stung her. For a few fleeting seconds she felt the wisp of something soft and delicate against her forehead. Tender. Silky.

"Baby, you're burning up."

"A-Ali." She cried out for her with every last bit of strength that she had left. Was she speaking out loud? Was she conscious?

She couldn't hear herself, but she heard other noises. She wasn't sure if they were real. The sounds of running water. A cabinet door being opened. Shuffling against the tile.

The chill from the tile against her bare back was setting in. She could feel herself shivering. She wasn't sure if it was from the pain or the cold. There was a strange tugging sensation, like her body was being ripped away from her soul. She felt like she was outside of her body, desperately grasping herself and trying to hold on.

Something warm broke through the cold sweat on her cheek. Something soft and damp, like a washcloth. She felt it move to the other side of her face. She heard a clanking noise. Something was draped across her forehead. Something hot. Or she was having another hot flash. Her body felt all wrong. Everything felt wrong.

She willed herself to move. She willed herself to get out of her horrid hallucination. It had to be a hallucination. She tried to push her hand to move, but she didn't feel anything, not even a twitch. She was paralyzed. She was stuck.

There was a crushing pain in her pelvis. She opened her mouth to scream, but nothing came out.

"Oh, God, it hurts…" She wanted it to end, but she didn't want to lose her baby.

"Shhh, easy." There was a gentle pressure against her cheek. "Mmm…my sweet Emily. My sweet earnest Emily. I'll take care of you. It's okay. I'm here. I'll make sure everything is okay."

She felt something shift in the lower half of her body. She wanted to scream.

"What…what are you doing? Don't…please don't hurt her…" Emily begged.

Her body was numb except for the pain. But she felt a gentle pressure on her inner thigh. The warm liquid seeping through her underwear and down her legs was turning tepid on her skin. She felt like her entire body was covered in fire ants, crawling, biting, destroying her.

The pressure on her thigh was gone, but something warm brushed over where the blood was pooling out of her. There was something gentle, but powerful, in the motions. She felt pressure, but it felt like it was coming from her stomach. It hurt so fucking much.

"It must hurt. It must hurt so bad…to be this close" A heavy sigh. More movement. "The pain must be unbearable…" The voice quieted to a strange whisper. Something brushed her cheek. Several uneven heated bursts of air moved against her face. She thought she felt something against her chest, directly above her heart. "A mother without a child. A soul without its heart...a little heart that leaves broken pieces behind. It doesn't seem right." There was a strange pause. "No mother should suffer the depth of pain of outliving her baby. It shouldn't happen. But it does."

She felt something touching her stomach. She felt it through the numbing spasms and sharp pangs. The touch stirred something deep in Emily's subconscious. Even in her unconscious state her fight-or-flight instinct kicked on. And she fought. She jerked roughly.

"You stay away from my daughter. Stay away from us!"

There was a forceful amount of pressure on her stomach, like someone was pushing against it. Had she rolled over? She felt like she was suffocating. Something was pressing against her face. Something was obstructing her breath. She'd flipped over and now she was going to die because she couldn't breathe.

She was fighting, struggling to move. She was certain she was flailing around. She'd bashed her head against the ground. She was unsteady. She couldn't breathe. She'd lost control of her body.

"You have to stay calm." The voice told her. "Don't struggle." She felt something steady her. Something happened and she was able to breathe again. Something touched her cheek. Or someone. "Shh, sweetie…I'm not going to hurt you. You're safe. You're safe now."

"This isn't real." She told herself. It was just like the nightmare she'd had in the hospital on Halloween.

It was her subconscious playing tricks on her, making her think Courtney was there to hurt her again. The miscarriage had been a nightmare. This had to be a nightmare, too. She'd fallen down. She'd hit her head. It was the only explanation.

Her body was rocked by a violent contraction. A scream filled the air, ripped from her lungs.

"Hey," The voice cooed, "you're okay."

"You're not real. You're not real. This isn't happening. I have to wake up. I have to wake up now."

Her body felt like it was moving, floating. Was she dying?

"I'm dying." She was sure of it.

"Breathe. Just breathe."

"Help me. God, help me…"

"I'm here, Emily. I'll stay with you."

Emily's stomach lurched. A hot liquid burned the back of her throat. She could feel it bubbling in her mouth.

"I'm going to die. I'm going to choke on my own vomit and die."

The pain in her abdomen intensified. She couldn't hold on any longer. Her field of vision was nothing more than stars bursting in her eye line. She couldn't see the vast emptiness anymore. She couldn't fight against the pain anymore. Her eyes fluttered open briefly before they rolled back into her head. She thought she saw a blur of blonde hair before she passed out.

She heard a voice as clear as day,

"Stay with me, honey. Just stay with me…"

o ~ O ~ o

Seconds. Minutes. Hours. Days. It's difficult to assuage time in an abyss. Time was a construct when your life changed so drastically. It all happens "in an instant". In an instant, Emily was on the floor, fighting for her life. In an instant, she was fighting for her child's survival. In an instant, the world around her shifted and changed.

In an instant.

Her consciousness wavered. She would wake up briefly, usually seconds at a time. She couldn't see anything. She couldn't tell how much time had passed. All that she knew was that her body was a raging heated inferno. She was also painfully aware that she was soaked in a pool of cool sticky liquid.

In one moment of her lucidity she managed to pull herself into a sitting position, her back sliding against the cool porcelain bathtub. The cold material felt good against her hot body.

She saw things that weren't real. She heard things that weren't there.

At least…until she heard a familiar voice.

"Emily?"

Emily had given Hanna a key to her place so when she got there to help her get ready she could let herself in.

It had to be real.

"Hanna…" she replied weakly. Her voice was so soft it didn't carry. It took all of her strength. She closed her eyes. I can't fall asleep. I have to stay awake…

"Emily?" Hanna shouted again. "Are you almost ready? If we're late Ezra is going to sit us down and make us suffer through his horrible emo slam poetry on the open mic stage. We'll be bored to death. It will literally kill us and we won't get to experience the night of a lifetime…"

She was not prepared for the sight in the bathroom when she pushed the door open. The first thing she saw was the streaks of blood on the bathroom sink. On the floor to the right there was a pile of vomit. She snapped her head to the left and saw Emily propped up against the bathtub, her head lolling on her neck. She was covered in sweat and barely cognizant. But the scariest part was the blood all over the floor. She could smell the pungent coppery odor.

"Oh, God." Hanna rushed forward and dropped to her knees, completely disregarding her dress. One of her knees slipped in a puddle of blood. She didn't even notice.

One of her hands landed against Emily's belly. The other was on her neck, her fingers desperately searching for a pulse. She didn't feel anything at first. The brunette's face was devoid of all of its color.

"Emily!" Hanna shrieked, grabbing her cheeks gruffly with her palms, tears in her eyes. "Emily, wake up!"

There was a spark of life in her quivering lip. She groaned quietly, forcing her eyes open. The pain was unbearable. She didn't want to exist. But she had to live. She had to fight for her baby.

"Hanna." Her face was contorted in pain.

"Oh, thank God." Hanna let out heavy sigh of relief, frantically grasping for her phone to call an ambulance.

"I…I broke my phone. I tried to call…" She motioned towards a shattered piece of her phone. "H-help. The baby…" She touched her stomach. "This is wrong." She couldn't feel any movement. All she could feel was the invisible knife. "It's too soon."

"Just hold on, okay? I'm going to get you some help." She smashed her fingers against her phone.

"Can you call my mom?" Emily asked through her pained tears. "I need my mom. Please."

Hanna nodded, quietly trying to shush her. She held Emily's hand as she spoke to the emergency operator.

Emily felt herself fading again. Hanna saw it, too.

"No…Em…you stay awake. Stay with me…" She pleaded.

"Stay with me, honey. Just stay with me…"

Hanna.

Alison.

Courtney.

She was delusional. What the hell was happening?

The invisible knife split her open. The shock of it seized her lungs. Something inside of her body felt like it had burst. Her nerve endings burned. Her face started to go numb. Her vision blurred.

"Hanna…" She squeezed her best friend's hand. "Call Alison."

Her body slowly slipped down against the bathtub. Hanna tried to keep her upright. She begged the emergency operator to hurry.

She hung up on the 911 operator as soon as they verified Emily's address and apartment number. She called Emily's mom, blubbering. She didn't know what to do. Emily wasn't responding anymore.

Fortunately, it didn't take the ambulance or Emily's mother long to get there. For the first time in her life, Pam Fields ran every traffic light and every stop sign she encountered. She broke every driving law in the book to get to her child.

She got there at the same time as the ambulance. She beat them up the stairs. She found Hanna crying in the bathroom and trying to rouse Emily. She calmed the blonde and immediately crawled next to her daughter, pulling her into her arms, stroking her face as her limp head hung on her shoulders.

"Oh, baby…" she uttered over and over again, her fingers catching in her hair. "I'm here, honey." She pressed a forceful kiss against her head.

Chaos erupted after that. Heavy footsteps padded against the apartment floor. They were whisked out of the bathroom as the paramedics quickly tended to Emily. They had her on a stretcher moments later.

Hanna was in Pam's arms, shivering. Pam reached up and brushed her thumb underneath Hanna's eye to wipe away her tears.

"She's going to be okay, right?" Hanna asked.

"She's her father's daughter. She's a fighter." Pam threaded her fingers through Hanna's perfectly coiled hair. She hadn't even processed that Hanna was in her prom dress.

The paramedics carefully hauled Emily out of the bathroom on the stretcher. Hanna and Pam broke away from each other to give them room to get through.

"Mom..." Emily uttered in her unconsciousness.

"Right here, Emmy. I'm here."

Pam latched on to her hand, walking along with the EMTs as they carried her out of the apartment.

Hanna followed. She didn't register all the people watching from their open doors, kids staring at the flashing lights in the parking lot. All she could do was stare in shock.

Pam took a moment to make sure Hanna was okay before she climbed into the rig with her daughter. Hanna stuttered out, "I'm fine" even though she wasn't. She didn't hear Pam tell her to call someone to be with her so she wouldn't be alone. She didn't hear her suggestion that she take a few moments to gather her emotions. She didn't hear a word of the older woman's advice.

It was only after the ambulance had driven away that Hanna remembered she needed to call Alison. The shock had set in deep. She had four missed texts from Caleb and a missed call and a missed text from Mona.

In the flurry of panic she had completely forgotten about prom. She had completely forgotten about their plan to meet. She'd forgotten everything. One text from Mona jerked her back into an odd reality where people were happy and carefree and not covered in blood.

Are you and Emily on your way? The girls and I are taking a pit stop to get some pictures near the town square. The boys are hanging at The Brew.

Hanna didn't reply. She searched through her phone contacts until she found Alison's number. She stared at the blood on her hands. She'd washed them three times and she could still see the stains. She could still smell the blood. She could see the life fading from Emily's eyes.

She shook herself out of her trance and hit the speed dial.

It rang. And rang. And rang.

Each unanswered ring felt like a dagger stabbing her in the chest. She felt a rising flutter of panic.

"Call Alison." It had been Emily's last words before losing consciousness.

It went to voicemail, so Hanna tried again.

Alison didn't pick up.


A/N: People are dusting off their pitchforks, I see. Before you come after me with a carving knife or throw cranberries at my head please remember to take a deep breath and wait for it...