Hello, sorry for being off for so long, but we're close to the end and this has been the 1st work I ever made, so, I want to make it right. Hope you're still with me, I'll try to update soon.

CH 96 – True Love

*** Wayne's narrative (voice-over) ***

They say love has no bounds, I don't know about that. But I feel like Love should definitely have bounds, especially the love that mamma displays for mom…

"I'm gonna catch you, mermaid!"

Emily giggles as Alison runs after her like a cat in heat. The brunette was trying her Halloween outfit when the blonde arrived home. A big smile appeared in Alison when she saw Emily wearing her iconic costume of Pocahontas. She still recalls the 1st time she saw her wearing it, it feels like it was yesterday or at least the way Emily makes her feel hasn't changed at all. That's why Alison rushes to climb the stairs and catch her dear mermaid between her arms.

Halloween season approaches and like every year, Emily was making sure she still fits in her Pocahontas costume. No girl likes to repeat an outfit, but somehow the brunette is the exception. The last couple of years, she has put on the same costume and every time she gets the same reaction from Alison. Maybe that's why she never gets tired of dressing like Pocahontas. It's such a turn on for her wife, the blonde cannot control herself, not even in front of the kids.

"OMG! We're the teenagers! Not you!"

Shouts Betty, rolling her eyes as she hears the naughty noises coming from the stairs. There's nothing wrong with expressing a little love, but, their children find it gross, especially because no one wants to know how their parents have sex. They have caught their moms having sex; the most recent image of them, in the motel when the kids thought Emily was cheating and tried to catch her in the act, just to find out she was actually having a secret rendez-vous with Alison, it's something they cannot erase from their minds, and the naughty noises which are coming from the stairs are not helping at all to forget what they saw that night. They will never look at their moms the same way ever again and maybe that's why Betty shouts into the air a warning to the horny parents.

"OMG! You've kids around you! We can see you! Don't you have any decency?!"

The moms don't reply, they just confine themselves in their bedroom, but the walls are not soundproof and the noises are getting louder and louder. So, the kids have a pretty good idea of what is happening behind those walls. There's no choice, they will get traumatized for life, it's what they think when one of them gets an idea to solve their dilemma.

"Who wants to go to the movie?"

Always acting like the big brother of everyone, Wayne takes the lead to solve their problem, he proposes to get out of the house and all his siblings follow his lead. Rushing to the family's car, Wayne takes the keys and sends a text to their moms, telling them where they are going before driving everyone to the theater.

Going to the theater with everyone, it's something they haven't done in a very, very long time. Wayne smiles, his true love, it's the love he has for his family and recalling how the entire family came to the theater every Sunday, it will be one of his favorite memories, he has pretty good memories from when they were kids. Sweet memories he will cherish forever, memories like fighting to decide who sits beside whom, throwing popcorn at each other. Yeah, happy memories and it's a little nostalgic to be honest, why did they stop doing this? He wonders till Betty forces him to pay for everything and now he remembers why he doesn't do this so often.

"I don't know how moms did this every Sunday"

Wayne sadly pouts looking at his almost empty wallet.

"Oh, do not be dramatic, Wayne, this was your idea in the first place"

Betty says as she tries holding everything she ordered. Popcorns, candies, chocolates, the soda… It's just too much. Wayne frowns, watching her taking all at once.

"Why did you ask for so many things? You will not be able to eat all of it, Betty"

"Nope, but, you're buying, and forcing you to spoil me, it's priceless…"

Wayne rolls his eyes and makes a mental note to make everyone pay its share next time. But, will there be a next time? In a couple of months, Ollie, Enzo and him, they will be in college. They will come home, mostly for the holidays but, deep down he knows it will not be the same. The end of an era approaches, it's a little sad, but it's also a reason to make the most of moments like this, even if Betty's attitude makes it very hard for him to not want to run away from this town as soon as possible.

Spoiling Betty and indulging her every whim, it's Emily' speciality, but she might not be the only one. Wayne has a soft spot for the twins and just like him, Enzo is also very fond of them, especially of Alice. At a young age, Betty and Alice drifted apart, he doesn't know why, but somehow he has taken Betty's place in Alice's life since then. Playing with her, always watching over her, Alice couldn't ask for a better brother.

The little blonde giggles when her older brother, Enzo, holds her into his arms and spins her around. It's a lovely view, it's cute to see this side of Enzo, how much he cares; that's what the older Rivers says to herself as she's staring at him in the distance. His love for his siblings, it's something Hayley finds very charming about him. Maybe that's why she cannot get her eyes away from him.

"Sis, you're staring too much…"

"Hmmm?"

"Enzo!"

Hayley's little brother loudly says Enzo's name, trying to catch his attention, something his big sister doesn't appreciate at all.

"Toby! Non! I… craps!"

Toby tries to hide his laughs when his big sister, Hayley tries to hide when Enzo turns his look towards them.

"I told you, you were staring too much…"

"Shut up, Toby! Where is Selina? We're leaving…"

"But, we just arrived!"

Hayley knows she promised her little siblings watch a movie with them, but she's so embarrassed by her stalker behavior, she wants to get out of here as soon as possible, but she will not be able to do that since her little sister Selina already made other plans for them.

"Hayley! Toby! Come here! We will watch the movie with them! Wayne is buying!"

"I, what?!"

Wayne shoots a lethal gaze towards Betty, the one who put this in motion. Of course, the dear blonde did this to get into his nerves and make him even more broke. But, the kids of Hanna and Caleb, are like family for them, so he doesn't refuse to pay for them.

"You don't have to, I…"

"It's okay, Hayley, we're family…"

The big sister of the clan Rivers thanks him and smiles for his kindness. But, mostly she smiles because the idea of being family with them, it's a dream she plans to make it real. Looking at the way Enzo is looking at her, the blond boy who stole her heart when they were in brownies, she's sure her dream is going to become real someday.

"Do you want to sit at my side?"

Hayley blushes horribly when Enzo asks her to sit beside him. She tries to not make a big deal of it, but it's pointless, she cannot find her words and she fails miserably every time she attempts to make a sentence. What makes it worse, it's the big, smugly smirk Enzo has on his lips, a smirk which just gets bigger when Hayley avoids to look him in the eyes.

"Looking shy today, Hayley?"

Hayley doesn't reply to the teasing comment of Enzo. Being shy is not in her, she's the child of Hanna Marin for Lord sake! She's not shy! She's sassy! She's like her mom! But, Enzo has the power to make a complete mess of her. And, that overwhelming power is mutual, especially when Enzo gets lost in her eyes. There's something there… something Enzo cannot put into words. And that's why the next day, he decides to ask for advice from his favorite person in this world.

"Mom, do you have a moment?"

Emily smiles and nods, she was doing the laundry, but decides to take a break from it, after all, she always has time to talk with her kids, no matter what.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Of course, Enzo. What do you want to ask me?"

"When did you know you were in love with mamma?"

The brunette smiles, just recalling the 1st time she saw Alison, it makes her heart blossom with love. It's magic how such a feeling hasn't vanished from her heart, on the contrary, it has gotten stronger with time. And, this is the kind of love she hopes her kids will be able to find one day. But, the problem is not to find love, it's to accept it when it comes. Not everyone is brave enough to admit when they are in love or let him in when love knocks the door. Some people choose not to see it, to ignore it, till they can't. And, that's what will happen to Betty DiLaurentis, during the trial of the cheerleading team.

"You've no business here, DiLaurentis! Cheerleading is my thing not yours!"

"Watch your mouth, Taylor. You might lead this team. But, I rule this school"

Taylor Vanderwaal, the foster sister of Mona, angrily shuts down her mouth. She hates how easily Betty unpowers her. She wonders if this is how Mona felt back then in high school when she had to deal with Alison, Betty's mother. Taylor knows about their past, about -A and how the horror started back then. She wonders if history will repeat itself, will Betty create a new -A with her awful attitude? Oh, she really hopes for it. Taylor cannot wait for it, after all, there's no one she hates more than Betty DiLaurentis, the Queen Bee of Rosewood high school.

You might wonder how Mona got a foster sister. Well, Taylor was the oldest child of the respectable Hotchkiss family. Her dad was not in the picture, her mom Claire was too much and all went to hell when her brother, Nolan killed himself in the school Claire owns. The Hotchkiss managed the matter in private, focusing more on maintaining a good image in front of the press than trying to understand why he did it, this was the tipping point for Taylor. Like her brother, she decided to escape from her family, but contrary to Nolan, she decided to fake her death when the high-pressure and toxic environment around her became too much.

At that time, Mona worked for her mother, she was the clever assistant who found out about Taylor' scheme but Mona didn't expose her back then. On the contrary, she helped her and took her in, giving Taylor a chance to get a new life. That's how she became part of the Vanderwall family, so she could escape from the horrors of her family, but somehow, it feels like she changed one hell for another because since she got to Rosewood, Betty has been her hell.

Taylor and Betty. These two are far from being besties, but messing with Taylor's team is not the reason why Betty is in the gym, today. She couldn't care less about the cheerleader team, but for some reason, someone asked her help to audition and that someone is not other than...

"Next: Veronica Hastings Sloan!"

Yeah, her old childhood friend came to her for help. They haven't really bonded since she's back, mostly because Betty has put resistance to it, but, somehow when Veronica asked for help, she didn't find in her to say no. So, here she's, rolling her eyes when Veronica waves her hand, asking her to get in the middle of the gym so they can start. How is that she agreed to do this?! Betty wonders, she hates any sportive activity, it's not her stronger skill contrary to Emily and her big brothers, the idea of working hard for something and sweating for it, it's a big 'no' for her. She's a princess, a Queen Bee with two left feet, she doesn't need this and looking at the big devious smirk of Taylor, she's sure she will regret it, but…

"Thank you for doing this with me"

Veronica gives her a big smile and somehow Betty decides to suck it and just go with it. Like they practiced it, they perform the choreography Veronica made for them. They move in synchrony, they shake the pom pons and Betty fakes a big smile during all the dance as she tries to not mess out any step. A big sigh of relief gets out of Betty's mouth when they finish the choreography without any error. They look very happy with their performance, but Taylor doesn't look happy at all.

"Do you call that choreography?"

Betty angrily groans, she's ready to rip out Taylor's throat, but she doesn't move forwards, scared to mess this up even more for Veronica. Why does she care so much? Betty asks herself, she has no clue.

"What is the problem with my choreography? It went perfectly!"

Veronica is not damsel in distress, she's strong enough to fight her own battles and somehow Betty feels proud of it, smiling when she sees how her old friend doesn't get intimidated by someone like Taylor. Veronica is a fighter, she will not let this go, just like that. But, just like Veronica, Taylor doesn't retreat from a fight either.

"I'll tell you what is wrong with your performance, Hastings! There's no heat! Where's the sizzle?! The spark?! Your performance is basic and boring!"

Veronica deeply exhales, she scolds herself for playing safe on the trials, she should have tried something bigger, bolder. But, it's too late to try something more… or, isn't?

"Well, you haven't seen our big finish yet…"

Veronica announces and everyone frowns, especially Betty, who has no clue what is this 'big finish' because they didn't prepare anything else. Veronica is improvising and the blonde DiLaurentis didn't sign for improvisation. One thing is to awkwardly cheer up and another thing is to make a fool of herself in front of the school, especially in front of Taylor. Betty knows that the other girl is waiting for any opportunity to steal her place as Queen Bee in the school and what better way to do it, than public humiliation. This could be the perfect chance for Taylor to unpower Betty and steal her crown as the Queen Bee. But, Betty DiLaurentis doesn't get humiliated! Never! That's what the blonde says to herself. So, she's planning to leave, but before she could back out, Veronica grabs her by the arm, pulling her closer, closing the gap between them.

"Do not freak out, just trust me"

Veronica whispers to Betty and the blonde frowns, confused, she has no idea what the hell the brunette has in mind till her blue eyes get bigger when the young Hastings pulls her close and seals their lips. That's how Veronica steals Betty's first kiss.

"Wow!"

Everyone in the gym drops their mouth open as they watch them kissing on the mouth. No one saw this coming, no one, especially Betty. Never having been kissed before, the blonde has no clue what to do, but somehow her lips know exactly what to do, they dance in synchrony with Veronica lips. And, rather unexpected, Betty never thought lips could feel this good. Soft, sweet, deliciously addictive.

There's something about them kissing that freezes time, it's like nothing around them matters and all Betty wants to do is to keep kissing those soft lips. Stay like this forever, but a red flag pops in her mind when she hears the word 'lesbo' in the gym.

"Betty?"

Veronica looks a little hurt when the dear DiLaurentis pushes her away, putting an end to their tender kiss. They were enjoying it, not wanting to stop, but if there's something Betty hates in this world, it's to get a label. 'Lesbo' , 'freak', how many awful labels has she heard over the years, from those who judge their mothers' love without a reason? Their mothers never make a scene when someone uses a pejorative term towards them, mostly because one lethal look of Alison is enough to terrify those who dare to say something about them.

One look of Alison and they run away like the cowards they are. Betty always admired that superpower, she grew-up wanting to have that same power, she wanted to be able to shut down anyone's mouth with just one look. And, that's why Betty became the girl, she's now, the kind of person who would rather people fear her than like her. It's better to traffic terror and intimidation than being held as a target of a pejorative term. She will not give people the chance to use a pejorative word on her, that's what she has always said to herself. But, what if her heart doesn't think the same? What if she wants something which could put in jeopardy her entitlement as Queen Bee?

Being feared is all what Betty ever wanted till she got a taste of Veronica's lips. And, maybe that's why later, at home, she's storming out in her room, cursing the day when the Hastings decided to come back to Rosewood.

"Betty, do not say that, it's good to have them back"

Alice says as she's trying to clean Betty's mess. Alice's twin might look annoyed by the return of their childhood friends. But contrary to Betty, Alice is happy to have them back, after all, Robin, Veronica' sister is the sweetest person she knows. Her blonde curls, green eyes are like a ray of sunshine in Alice's life. She loves Robin, maybe more than what she thinks.

Finding true love, falling in love with her best friend and having a great love story as the one of their moms, it's all what Alice could wish for her. But, her innocent heart is far to figure out what true love is. The blonde is oblivious to her own feelings and those of people around her. That's why, one day at school, she doesn't understand why Robin looks so upset when she turns her down to go out.

"I'm sorry, Robin. But, I already made plans with Dylan to hang out"

Dylan Walker is part of Hayley's pack and someone who became a close and dear friend for Alice. Contrary to the rest of the pack, Dylan is a freshman just like Alice and Robin. He's a kind, sweet boy, a talented cellist who is extremely always acting like a gentleman around Alice, something that Alice likes a lot, but Robin doesn't.

Jealousy is an awful monster, it doesn't look good on Robin but she cannot help it, especially when she thinks Alice prefers to spend her time with him rather than being with her. The idea of Alice & Dylan together, just the two of them, makes her sick, maybe that's why Robin crashes their 'play date' without notice.

"Robin? What are you doing in my house? How do you know where I live?"

Dylan asks when he opens the door and finds Robin standing there, without a reason.

"I… I…"

She hasn't thought this through, Robin has no idea what excuse to say, after all, how can she explain she knows where he lives? She cannot say she followed him & Alice after school. She cannot say she has been outside his house, all this time, walking in circles and eating her nails as she wonders what they are doing alone in his house. She cannot say she's afraid he makes a move before her, she cannot say she has been in love with Alice all this time and more than anything, she wants Alice to always choose her, to want her more than anything else. But, Robin has been waiting for the perfect moment to confess and reveal her feelings to Alice, and revealing everything right now, it doesn't feel right. Thankfully, she will not need to explain a thing as Alice appears, covert in flour and chocolate, announcing that she burned their preparation, again.

Dylan doesn't look upset, he just laughs at the mess Alice has created in his kitchen, Robin chuckles too once she's welcomed into the home and sees the kitchen.

"Do not laugh! It's not funny!"

"Actually, it's cute to see you like this"

Robin says and now, Alice's messy face is turning red, with a blush. Dylan chuckles, looking at the cute scene between the two girls. He had his suspicions about them being in love. And, Alice's blush with Robin's visible jealousy are just confirming his suspicions. Maybe that's why he decides to put at ease Robin's heart and explains why he's having Alice at his home today.

"My parents own a bakery, I help them a lot when I'm not practicing my cello. And, the other day, I brought chocolate fondue to the school"

"OMG, Robin! I've never tasted anything so good! I told Dylan, we have to do one for Robin!"

"What? For me?!"

Alice puts her hands over her mouth, she might have said too much and Dylan just chuckles when his friend reveals, by accident, what she wanted to keep as a secret.

"It seems your birthday is approaching, Robin. And somehow, Alice thought that a chocolate fondue would be the perfect gift for you"

"So, the two of you are baking a cake… for me?"

"Yes, Alice asked me to help and I like to bake, so I said yes…"

Robin sighs in relief, she got this all wrong from the beginning. There were no reasons to be jealous after all. And, the idea of Alice, going this far to make her happy, it's more than what she could ever wish for. Yeah, Robin's birthday is approaching and somehow, she's sure this year will be extra special because she's going to receive something made by Alice, even if it might not taste good.

"Ugh, I really thought the 3rd time would be the charm!"

Alice pouts, looking at her burned cake. She's starting to understand why she's banned from helping in the kitchen at home. Just like her mother, Emily, it looks like she has zero culinary skills. Something which made her sad. And, there's nothing Robin dislikes more than watching Alice looking sad, that's why she steps forwards, grabs a fork and tastes Alice's burned creation.

"So, it tastes good?"

Alice asks as she moves around Robin, like a happy puppy, waving its tail, excited to see what Robin has to say about the cake she baked by herself. She put all her love in it, so she hopes it tastes good, but the truth is she didn't just burn it, she also mixed up salt and sugar in the recipe.

Robin almost chokes when she gets the first bite, she opens her mouth to say something, but closes it as the dear Hastings doesn't want to disappoint or make Alice more sad. So, Robin smiles and says 'yummy' while she keeps eating it all.

Alice looks extremely happy with this turn of events, so happy that she promises to keep baking things for Robin. The green-eyed girl gulps hard as she's not sure how long she can endure and fake it. But, looking at the happy face of Alice, it's pretty sure she will not have another choice than eating everything that Alice make for her.

Love is harder than what she imagined, Robin thinks when she arrives home. She drank dozens of gallons of water, but still, she cannot erase the salty taste in her mouth nor the tummy ache she's getting. She has no other choice than explain what happened when her doctor mother checks on her.

Blair chuckles when she hears the story, this reminds her of the time when Emily cooked an awful dessert and Alison ate it all, just to make her happy.

"It tasted like feet and yet! Alison ate it all!" (chuckles) "Damn, that's love…"

There's a trace of sadness when Blair says those words. She always thought she could get what Alison & Emily had, she thought she had that with Spencer but looking at their actual situation, the two of them apart, the dear doctor sadly sighs, thinking her love story with Spencer is close to the end.

She thinks their love is doomed to end soon, but that's the thing about love. It's unpredictable. A strong force which makes you do insane things like eating the inedible or doing the unthinkable like quitting your career just to stay close to home and those you love. Because, no one ever thought that Spencer could ever quit politics, but she's doing it, for love.

"Spencer, please! You cannot quit! The elections are close and you…"

"I need to win Blair back, Mona! Don't you get it?! She's more important than all of this!"

Spencer is sure she's making the right move. For the first time in her life, she's putting her heart first and ignoring her mind. She just hopes it's not too late. After all, she's not ready to say goodbye to her partner in crime, to the woman who makes her feel loved and like the luckiest girl in the world. Yeah, Spencer will not lose Blair and for that, she needs her squad.

"Damn, this brings me back to the old days"

Hanna says as she looks at all her friends, all together in Spencer's barn, just like the old times.

"So, where is the dead body?"

"What are you talking about, Hanna?"

"C'mon, the last time you sent an SOS, Spencer, there was a dead body to hide and a psycho on the loose"

Spencer rolls her eyes, really Hanna hasn't changed at all over the years. It's funny, they've grown old and yet, deep down they are still the same teen girls they were years ago. Aria, as always, the romantic of the group, she's the 1st one to burst out in excitement when Spencer explains the meaning of their reunion.

"Awww, I love the idea of helping you do a big romantic gesture, Spence!"

"Well, it was about time, Spence. I was this close to kick your ass for the way you've made my bestie feel. Seriously, Blair deserves better…"

And, as always, Alison speaks her mind without caring what others might think.

"C'mon, Ali. This is not the time to scold Spencer, she needs help, do not be so hard on her…"

Alison looks less scary as Emily softly rubs her back. It's always the sweet mermaid, the one who calms down the Queen. Oh Emily, always trying to smooth things and stop Alison to snap badly about anything. Yeah, they haven't changed a thing, just like Spencer, who has always prioritized her brain instead of her heart. The brain of the squad deeply exhales, she doesn't disagree with Alison. The blonde might have an awful way to tell the truth but she's right, the dear doctor deserves better, Blair deserves the world and the dear Hastings knows she has made zero effort to appreciate her other half till now.

"I suck at this, isn't it? I mean, even Hanna is a better mother and wife than me…"

"Hey!"

Hanna looks offended and everyone chuckles. It's rare to see Spencer down and recognizing she's not the best. But, if someone knows about how hard it's to admit its own flaws, it's Alison. When she was younger, she would never admit when she was wrong or doing bad, but, over time she understood that admitting its wrongs and making peace with it, it's not a sign of being weak, on the contrary, it requires great strength and that's why she says.

"Spencer, stop beating yourself over one mistake. Yes, you've been an absent parent, yes, you screw up your marriage but, you love your family, you love your wife and you're ready to do something to prove how much you love them, so stop moping around and let's get your wife back!"

Alison really inspires something in Spencer with her speech, that's why the next time Spencer encounters Blair, she feels confident to make things right.

"Spencer. What are you doing here, at the hospital? Something wrong?"

Her shift just started this morning and she wasn't expecting to see Spencer in the hospital. Lots of worries spread over her mind, fears for Spencer's health, but thankfully all those fears vanish when the dear Hastings ensures her, she's fine and the only reason she's in the hospital, it's to say 'hi' and bring her coffee. Blair chuckles and smiles, loving the aroma of the coffee.

"Nicaraguan coffee?"

"It's always important to start the day with good coffee"

"Yeah, tell me about it, you always get grumpy when you don't get this coffee every morning"

(Chuckles)

"Yeah, you're right, that's why I brought my cup of coffee too, and, I don't know… maybe we can drink our coffee together?"

Blair deeply exhales what makes the air between them a little awkward.

"Sorry, it sounded less lame in my head…"

Spencer tries to apologize and cross out from her list of romantic gestures: bring coffee to her wife. She got the idea when Emily recommended redo things they did before, things they loved. And thinking about, Spencer has always loved how Blair has taken care of giving her the coffee's dose she needs. Like the coffee addict she's, Spencer has always appreciated that aspect of their relationship, and she thought this time she could return the favor.

"Spence, I…" (deep sigh) "Thank you for the coffee, but, I have to start my rounds and uhmmm… you know..."

Spencer tries to not look disappointed, but, it's obvious how sad she feels right now. Blair feels bad about making her feel like this, but they have drifted apart for so long. It will require more than coffee to amend the damages on their marriage. Spencer knows that and that's why she wants to make sure Blair understands she's all in.

"Spencer, if you're here because you need me to act like the perfect wife for your campaign, I'm sorry but, I can't, I…"

"I quit…"

"You what?!"

"I'm not running anymore for governor"

"But, how… why…. since when, I….?"

Spencer chuckles, it's cute to see Blair speechless. This first approach didn't go as planned. Nevertheless, Spencer is sure she's on the right track to win her wife back. There might be some bumps along the way, but she's not ready to say goodbye to their marriage, just like Betty is not ready to let go her status as Queen Bee.

The blossom of her feelings for Veronica is growing fast, Betty needs to find a way to not deal with her feelings and for some reason she believes the answers to her prayers are in, not other than the original Queen Bee of Rosewood, Alison DiLaurentis.

Alison is sitting on the porch of the house at night, drinking a glass of wine as she reads a book. She loves her family, but, sometimes after a long day at work she just needs to decompress and what better way than enjoying the fresh air and reading again one of her favorite books: Great expectations. It's very quiet outside, just a few crickets, but nothing too noisy which was perfect for Alison. A night of silence, it's what she wanted for tonight, but this calm got interrupted by her teenage daughter who decided to get some air on the porch.

The blonde mother frowns, this is weird, Betty hates to be out, and let alone with her, both are like cats who fight all the time when people leave them together. So, what is happening here? Alison wonders and she has no clue till she sees how Betty is playing with her sleeves. Like her when she was younger, Betty has the same issues to communicate, that's why Alison can read her so well. It's like seeing herself in a mirror. So, Alison closes her book, puts away her glass of wine and sits on the stairs of the porch, besides her daughter.

"What is wrong?"

(Silence)

"Betty… what is wrong?"

The young blonde deeply sighs, she's not sure what to say, how to say what is overwhelming her heart? She has no idea how to talk about her internal struggle about what she's feeling right now. But, she doesn't need to say a word, Alison reads her like a book, because once, she was like her, a stubborn teen who likes to hide behind a nasty attitude.

"It's exhausting, isn't it? Pretend all the time, hiding behind this cruel image of Queen Bee…"

"I like it, I like to be feared"

Alison chuckles, she likes it too, but, more than that, she likes more to feel loved. Love is better than fear, and, she hopes Betty will be able to see that soon, maybe that's why she keeps talking, hoping her words will make Betty understand that pushing away its own feelings is not the answer.

"Do you want to know what made me this heartless Queen Bee who everyone feared?"

"Yes!"

Betty looks very excited, this is it, this is what she wanted to know, the secret to be the perfect Queen Bee in town. But, the answer to her prayers is far to be what she really expected to hear.

"My fears…"

"What?"

Alison turns her head towards her daughter, their eyes meet and from the bottom of her heart, Alison says her truth.

"I didn't know how to have feelings. I never really felt anything till your mom appeared in my life…"

Alison looks at the book, memories of their kiss in the library pops into her mind and a big smile spreads over her lips.

"Your mom made me feel something and I got scared. I tried to escape from what I was feeling and that's how I became this girl who everyone feared and hated at the same time"

They have talked about the past, when they were in the forest, Betty recalls very well every word, every feeling Alison shared with her when she told her story. And, somehow, Betty starts to wonder if she really wants to pursue this path. After all, being at the top, it's very lonely and sad.

"Not knowing how to have feelings, it's okay, Betty. But, pushing them away, it's not the answer"

"Then what is the answer? When you feel scared to feel. When you refuse to feel. What is the answer, then when all gets too overwhelming and all you want is to run away?"

Betty pleads for an answer to her struggle, because she has no idea how to deal with what Veronica is making her feel. She has no idea how to handle it and more than that, she's scared of what this could mean. She has never questioned her sexuality till now. She never felt any interest in girls till now. But, just like Alison, it's not about feeling attracted to the female gender, it's about falling in love with a person. With the one who's destined to be your true love.

"Do you've feelings for someone?"

Betty doesn't reply, she turns her look away and Alison gets what her daughter doesn't dare to say.

"Love is so powerful, it squeezes you till you cannot breathe. it grips you into this turmoil of emotions you never knew you could feel, and you might get overwhelmed by it. You might even get scared and try to run away from it"

"I cannot handle love right now, I'm building my empire at school, I don't want to feel like this right now"

"Yeah, I know the feeling, but as much as you try to push it away because you're not ready to feel. Because you don't want to feel and say goodbye to this exquisite empty image of Queen Bee you've created for yourself. Love will not leave you, Betty. Because as much as you don't want to feel, deep down, you also don't want to say goodbye to the possibility of true love. Believe me, there's so much you will not want to feel or admit, but, the more you fight it, the more you'll get hurt"

Betty deeply sighs, her mother is right, and, there's so much she has to figure out. But, one thing is certain, just like Alison said, she's not ready to say goodbye to the person she's right now just like she's not ready to say goodbye to what Veronica makes her feel.

So, what will be, B? Power or love?

Next - CH 97 Not ready to say goodbye