Hello,

Thank you for following my story and thank you for the reviews ^^

Note 1: In Italics, the storyteller speaking (moi ^^)

Note 2: So in this chapter, it will be a little of supernatural because we will see the souls of some characters, why Jason has 8 in the limbo? Well it's because his soul choose to be in the age where he felt himself more safe and happy; like it was said on last chapter, all the accident started with a hit and run; on this chapter we will find out who did the hit and run

Note 3: Like in the series, Paige went to California to study on Standford

Note 4: Some things that happen on chapter 19 'The Secret is Out' & chapter 38 'New beginnings' will be also mentioned on this chapter…

Chapter 40 – Figure it Out

(In the chapel of the hospital)

*** Music background: Wicked Game by Gemma Hayes***

Emily went with her mom to pray.

Emily prayed. – "I saw Ali… She was in the ICU and I got in just for 10 minutes and I sat with her, her eyes were closed, her skin pale but her hands were still her hands… still warm and I just hold them and just for a second I imaged a world without her and I couldn't picture what world that would be… I don't know how my life works without her… she's my soulmate for life…" (She chucked) "Even with all the cuts on her face for the car crash, she's still so beautiful… you can't stop looking at her, you did a great job creating her… I love her, God I love her and I'm so lucky to love her!" (Sighs) "You don't get to choose if you get hurt in this world but you've a say on whom you love… I like my choices and you put her in my life for a reason… so please; please don't take her away from me… I need her here on earth with me more than you out there…. So please… just let her stay with me… please"

Pam was kneeling, praying as Emily was sitting beside her as a zombie with a lost look.

Emily murmured. - "Do you believe in heaven? In hell?"

Pam. – "Off course honey… why you asked?"

Emily. – "If… if she…" (She swallowed hard) "W-w-wh… where she would go?"

Pam said with a soft voice. – "It's not to us to decide honey…"

Emily said with anger. – "Well that's crap!"

Pam. – "Emy!"

Emily ran away from the chapel with resentment, she was angry with God, with the world, with the blonde, with herself…

(In the forest)

*** Music background: A storm is going to come by Piers Faccini***

Alison was doing blind steps into the darkest forest as she was carrying Jason on her shoulder; the little one was pouting and stamping his feet and making a real mad face

Little Jason pouted. – "Let me down! I don't want to go! I want to stay here!"

Alison took him down and shook him from the shoulders; they looked themselves into the eyes.

Alison soul. – "No you don't!"

Jason stood staring her into the eyes in silence.

Alison soul. – "Look, I know that you're scared, this is scary but you're not alone! You've me! Right now, we two, we only have each other so please just trust me when I'm telling you that we need to go…"

Little Jason. - "Go where?"

Alison soul sighed. – "I'm not sure… I don't think that we belong here and wherever that voice came from… I need to find the person of that voice…"

Little Jason nodded. – "Ok…"

The little boy grabbed Alison's hand and squeezed it as he looked to her in the eyes, he was scared.

Alison soul said with a soft voice. – "It's ok… It will be ok… I promise…"

Jason gave her a little smile and started to walk together, side by side holding hands.

*** Music background End***

(In St. Joseph Hospital)

Hanna was running on the hallways of the hospital; she ran faster as she saw her brunette friends; Aria, in front of the door of the bathroom.

Hanna. – "Where is she?!"

Aria. – "She's inside… I think that she wants a little of time alone…"

Hanna. – "Time alone my ass!"

*** Music background: Driveway by Great Northern***

The blonde ran into the bathroom as Aria just rolled her eyes and followed her; the girls got in, they found Emily in fetal position lying on the floor, she had her phone on her ear as she has been repeating again and again the last message of Alison.

Alison's message. – "Em… mermaid please pick up! I want to hear your voice, please! … "

Emily whispered with tears in her eyes. – "I also want to hear your voice…"

Hanna slowly approached and laid down on the floor beside her friend, she looked at her and said…

Hanna. – "Em… Em…."

Emily didn't reply as she was like a zombie hearing her voice mailbox…

Alison's message. – "I love you, never forget that…"

Emily whispered with tears in her eyes. – "I love you too… don't forget that…"

Aria whispered. – "I told you… she has completed zoned out… I think that she wants to be alone…"

Hanna touched Emily's arm and said. – "Em… People die…"

Aria. – "Hanna!"

Hanna. – "Let me finish!" (Sighs) "Em… People die but I believe that she will survive this, I believe in the good Em! I believe that we are survivors and that we will always make it through, I believe that we survive –A for a reason, I believe that all the difficult moments that we went through weren't to end like this! I believe in fairy tales like you Em! I believe that Ali will keep her promise and give you your happy ending because I believe that believing that we survive is what makes us survivors…"

Aria approached lying down beside Emily and said as she rubbed Emily's back. – "She will survive this, she will survive this, she will survive this… Please Em, you've to believe that she will make it like I do, you can't stop believing now…"

Emily murmured. – "Everything is moving in slow motion…"

The girls. – "What?!"

Emily murmured. – "I feel like I'm moving in slow motion… like everything around me is moving so fast and I just… I just want go back when things were normal… when she was in my arms safe and happy…" (Tears) "I want to take it back… our fight… I-I-I don't want that to be the last thing that I said to her… Me yelling, I don't want that to be her last memory of me…" (Tears) "I don't want be the sad girl with the dead fiancée… I don't want be here but I'm just stuck… I can't move… I don't know how to do this... I don't get how we ended here… I don't get how to breathe alone without her… I don't wanna to figure it out how to live without her…"

Aria said with tears in her eyes. – "Em… I wish I could turn back the clock and make it before all this… you don't know how much I wish that but I can't, we can't turn back time…"

Emily cried. – "I-I-I should've taken to the airport…"

Emily cried and both girls just rubbed Emily's body; they didn't know what else to say. Then Spencer opened the door and started to talk…

Spencer. – "You need to come! Now! They're taking in for surgery again!"

The three girls got up and followed her; when they arrived, the doctors were already talking with Pam and Mr. Cohen about the surgery and before doing it; they allowed them to go in and see the blonde as the odds for her surviving weren't the best.

(In the ICU)

*** Music background: We do what we want to by O+S***

The 1st to come in was Spencer...

Spencer. – "Hey… so the girls and I came to see you, we're all here…" (Sighs with watery-eyes) "I know that we're not related by blood but we do share a brother and I think that make us like sisters…" (Sighs) "We're your family… you still have a family here Ali…" (She took out her phone from her pocket and showed to Alison a picture of her phone) "I took this photo on your engagement dinner… this is my favorite picture of you… you looked so happy that day and no matter what, that's how I will always remember you like that but please… don't leave…" (Tears) "Please… don't die… you're Alison DiLaurentis, if someone can come back through anything, it's you… so I want you to fight and stay with us ok…"

After Spencer, Aria came in and then Emily…

Emily. - "I've been trying to think what to say…" (Sighs) "My Dad told me once that we do sacrifice for the people who we love… I want you to live Ali, I want that more than anything in this world, I want you to fight as hell to stay with us, with me… but with almost all your family gone and all the bad things that have happen to you… I know that it might not be what you want anymore, it might be too hard for you to keep fighting so…" (She took a deep breath before continue talking) "This is my sacrifice for you…" (Tears) "If you're too tired, if you're suffering… If you want to go…" (Tears and a shaky voice) "I want you to know that it's ok…" (More tears) "It's ok…" (She continued crying and grabbed Alison's hand) "I-I-I will understand… I don't want you to suffer anymore…"

As Emily was saying those words, Hanna went into the room and she squint her eyes and lower her eyebrows as she heard what she was telling.

Hanna. – "What did you just say?!"

Emily sighed. – "Hann…"

Hanna. – "No Hann me!"

The blonde approached to Alison who was lying on bed and yelled to her.

Hanna yelled. – "Don't listen to her! I want you to choose life! She wants you to live! All of us want you to live! Do you hear me! You're not allowed to throw the towel! No yet! You promised to Em a happy ending! So I don't care if you're tired, if it's hard as hell but you must survive this like you always do! I swear to God Ali, I will kick your ass if you don't get your ass out from this bed alive!"

Emily. – "Hanna…"

Hanna. – "No Emily! She can throw the towel and neither do you! Understand my ass! You will be complete devastated… so NO! You hear me Alison! I will never forgive you if you decide to leave us! No now! No never! Do you hear me?! You can't leave us behind! You're not allowed to leave us Alison DiLaurentis!"

(In the forest)

*** Music background: Esmerald by LYRA***

Alison was walking through the dense and dark forest holding the hand of the little Jason.

Jason pouted. – "I'm tired…"

Alison soul sighed. – "I know… me too…"

As they walked in the darkness when they heard some noises on the forest, Jason got scared and ran away from Alison's hand.

Alison soul yelled. – "No! Wait!"

The little boy ran without checking where he stepped his foot, he took a false step and fell down a deep ravine; as he was falling and closed his eyes, he was too afraid to see; he just felt someone warm holding him in a hug. Once on ground, Jason opened his eyes and he got scared when he saw that he was in top of an unconscious Alison, the blonde protected him until the last second as she made sure that in the fall, the little kid would fall on her.

Jason shook Alison who was lying on the ground unconscious. – "Cut it out! Wake up! Wake up! Help! Please! Someone help us! Please!"

Someone heard his screams of help and approached to them.

Enzo soul. – "What happen?!"

Jason cried. – "I fell and she protected me…"

Enzo soul. – "Come on kiddo! You can't bail! Come on! Open your eyes! You can't stay here! They need you! Your friends! Emily! After –A, they are barely breathing! If you died, this will break them and none of them deserves that! Come on! Kiddo you need go back to them! To Emily! Do you know what kind of miracle it's that Emily is who she is?! Do you know how rare it's that someone like her even exists?! She still believes in true love and magic and fairy tales and soul mates! She's waiting for you and if you don't come back from this, you will change who she is! Come on! Open your eyes!"

As Enzo was talking, the unconscious mind of Alison started to remember and in came to her all her memories with the brunette; she remembered Emily and she opened her eyes. Alison soul incorporated her and Enzo helped her.

Alison soul. – "Auch… How is possible that I didn't die with that fall?!"

Enzo soul smirked. – "Because this is not the world of the living kiddo… now let's go that there is no much time…"

Alison soul nodded and the three resumed their journey…

*** Music background End***

(In St. Joseph Hospital)

Alison was on surgery, Emily walked through the hospital, and she was passing by the waiting room of the ER when the TV showing the news about the accident…

(Tv News). – "According with some witness, the hit and run from the car crash was done by a blue sedan, the cops are in the research of any suspect…"

Emily was seeing the monitor as other persons; suddenly she turned around as one voice between all the crowds attracted her attention.

Paige said as she was fighting her way through the crowd. – "Please move!"

Emily murmured to herself. – "Paige?!"

The brunette saw the other girl ran from the waiting room, limping, lurching…

(In the parking of St. Joseph Hospital)

*** Music background: All the Rowboats by Regina Spektor***

Emily followed Paige to the parking; the other girl was really hurt from the leg. She made a little jump when she heard someone speaking to her…

Emily. – "Paige wait!"

Paige turned and faced Emily with a pale face.

Paige gulped. – "Emily?! What are you doing here?!"

Emily. – "I could ask the same… you're hurt, why you're leaving before someone treats your leg?"

Paige rubbed her hand on the back of her neck, she was looking down and then she saw Emily's ring.

Paige. – "Are you engaged?!"

Emily looked to her ring and replied. – "Yeah…"

Paige noticed a sad tone on Emily's voice.

Paige. – "Why so sad?"

Emily sighed. – "She was on the car crash; the doctors don't have a lot of hope on her…" (Tears) "It's very probably that she will d…" (She couldn't end the sentence)

Paige swallowed hard. – "Sorry to hear that…"

They stood in silence for a moment and then Emily broke the silence…

Emily. – "How did you hurt your leg?"

Paige lied. – "I-I fell from the stairs…"

Emily. – "Oh… you should get in and let one doctor to check on you…"

Paige. – "No, it's ok… they've their hands full with everything that happened…"

Paige continued her path as faster as possible but with her leg hurt it made it very impossible to run fast. Emily tried to stop her and made the girl in to treat her injury, they struggled a little and the car keys of Paige fell on the ground, when they fell, a button got pushed and the lights of a car turned on. Emily looked up to the car, it was a battered blue sedan, the hit on the car seemed to be recent and Emily's eyes got bigger as she started to get angry thinking the worse…

Emily said with a bitter tone of voice. – "Did you've an accident and that's why you hurt your leg?!"

Paige didn't say anything but looking to her eyes, Emily just knew the answer

Emily said with anger. – "It was you isn't?! The hit and run?! You did this!"

Paige. – "Please Em, don't say anything, just let me go… my future is on the line here…"

Emily said with anger. – "Your future?! What about the future of all the injured and all the people that died?! What about the future of Ali?! What about my future with her?!"

Paige looked confused and replied. – "Ali?! Like Alison DILaurentis?! OMG! Is she… Is she your fiancée…?!"(Anger in her look as she found out that they are together and then a mocking smile as she said with a bitter tone) "Well, if she died, your future is better without her…"

Emily felt her blood boil of anger, she pushed Paige against the battered car as she's holding her of the collar of her T-shirt. – "Take it back! What you just said about her dying! Take it back!"

Paige. – "No! She's the devil! I felt bad for running from the accident that I caused when I hit that car but if she's suffering and having a painful death because of me… then I feel better now…"

Emily became red of anger, she punched Paige on the face and they started to fight, as they were fighting on the parking, Emily said that she will accuses her with the cops and then Paige got more angry and got out from her jeans a pocket knife; she stabbed Emily's shoulder with it and pushed her, Emily fall on the ground.

Paige. – "You better don't say anything! You've no idea of what I'm capable!"

Paige punched her again and Emily got unconscious on the ground. Then Paige got in her car and left, leaving Emily hurt on the ground of the parking.

*** Music background End***

(In St. Joseph Hospital)

Some minutes after, some people found Emily hurt and brought her into the hospital, her wound wasn't fatal but she needed surgery because it was deep and it looked that the ligaments of the shoulder got damaged.

Hanna. – "How this happen?! She got mugged on the parking or what?!

Spencer. – "I don't know, I guess that we must wait after her surgery…"

Pam and Mr. Cohen approached and the girls stood up from their chairs.

Mr. Cohen. – "Well, Alison surgery ended, the doctors said that now we need to wait…"

Aria. – "And what about Emily?"

Pam. – "They just brought her in… it's not a fatal wound, the doctors said that it will not take too long…"

The girls nodded

Hanna. – "Can we see Alison…?"

Mr. Cohen. – "I think you can… let's ask to the doctors…"

They walked in direction of the doctors…

(In the surgery room)

Emily was under the anesthesia and her mind and soul went to other place…

Emily thoughts. – "Heaven… hell… limbo… I believe in all that… no-one even knows where we're going or what's waiting for us when we get there but the one thing we can say, it's that there are moments that take us to another places… where we need to be on the moment we need…"

(In the forest)

They walked and stopped in font of a cliff; there was a bridge to pass by…

Enzo soul. – "So this is as far as I can go… just walk through the bridge before it disappears ok kiddo…"

Alison soul hugged him and said. – "Thank you…"

Enzo soul chucked. – "I'm always watching out for you kiddo and I'm not planning to stop…"

Alison soul smiled; they broke the hug and Enzo approached to Jason and hugged him.

Enzo soul whispered to Jason's ear. – "It's now to you to be the big bro… take care of her…"

Alison took Jason's hand and walked through the bridge.

Under the bridge there was a river, they were walking through the bridge and both, Jason and Alison started to feel more real their connection with their bodies; Alison felt a lot of pain on her chest and stopped as she was having problems on breathing; the little Jason continued walking without seeing the blonde struggling behind him; he passed the river through the bridge…

(In the hospital where Jason was in coma)

The nurse was checking the monitors on Jason's room and then she made a little jump when she saw Jason's hand moved. She ran through the door and went to page a doctor…

(In the river)

*** Music background: Paint it Black by The Rolling Stones***

Alison was struggling breathing on the bridge, she coughed and blood came out of her mouth; she tried to get it together but she lost balance as she was fainting and fell from the bridge to the river…

(In Alison's room at the hospital)

The girls were in the room when some monitors started to sound…

Hanna. – "I'm not a doctor but I don't think that is normal…"

Spencer approached and her eyes got bigger…

Spencer yelled. – "We need a doctor in here now!"

(In the edge of the river)

Emily soul found herself sitting on the edge of a river, she was looking to the view when something attracted her attention…

Emily soul. – "OMG?! Is that a person?! Is she drowning?!"

(In Alison's room at the hospital)

An intern came into the room as the girls asked someone to come in, the girls got scared when the intern approached to the monitors and pushed a button that was beside Alison's bed.

The intern. – "Code blue! She's coding!"

(Sounds of a flat line and a continued bip)

The girls screamed with watery-eyes. – "OMG!"

The intern. – "Move!" (He asked to a nurse) "Get the cart in here now!"

He started to do CPR on the blonde; the paddles touched her body and every time, her body arched but the flat line continued…

The intern. – "Come on, come on…"

(In the river)

*** Music background: Heal by Tom Odell***

The intensifying river flow was drowning Alison soul, she screamed for help but she stopped as the river was pulling her deep into the darkness muddy waters, as she was falling into the deep of the waters, she started to get out of air and then she asked herself…

Alison soul. – "Why I'm fighting so hard? What is the point? … I'm out of time, I guess…"

She stopped fighting; her body started to drown in the deep of the river and as her eyes were slowly closing, she saw with a blurry look the silhouette of a girl, swimming on her direction

Alison thought. – "A mermaid…?" (Alison closed her eyes)

Between the moody and dark waters, Emily soul swam fast towards Alison soul and before the blonde fell deeper, the brunette soul stretched her hand and grab Alison's arm; in the moment of their touch; a big light appeared and all the muddy and dark waters became clearer; Emily soul hugged Alison soul and started to swim up where the light was shining…

(In Alison's room at the hospital)

The intern said as he was doing CPR on Alison's body. – "Come on, come on…"

The girls were crying as the monitors showed a flat line with a continued bip…

The nurse. – "I think that you should declare her…"

The intern looked up to the girls that were looking at him with pain and terror of what he was planning to say; he sighed deeply and put the paddles on the equipment, he looked to his watch and started to speak slowly…

The intern. – "Hour of death…"

Alison thoughts. – "Life happens… but just like things happen, miracles happen too… we reach across the gap and sometimes against all odds, against all logic, we make it through and find our way to our home…"

(Sounds of a bip, bip)

The nurse. – "Wait!"

The intern looked up to the monitors and smiled seeing that the flat line rose once again…

The intern. – "I got a heartbeat! We got it!"

Alison opened her eyes…

(After some hours)

*** Music background: All I need by Mat Kearney***

Emily got in Alison's room with an arm sling; a big smile appeared on her face when Alison looked at her and once again she could see those blue eyes that she loved so much…

Emily. – "You're awake!"

Alison chucked and nodded. The blonde looked at Emily's arm sling …

Alison said with a scratchy voice. – "What happen? Are you ok…?"

Emily. – "I'm ok now… now that you're here awake… breathing… you scared me…"

Alison. – "Don't be scared, I'm not going anywhere…"

Emily crawled into the bed and curled on Alison and once she felt Alison warm body, she cried and groaned very louder. Alison careless Emily's head and said with a soft voice "SShhh" as she was trying to calm her down. Emily looked up to Alison; they stared into the eyes…

Emily cried. – "Don't ever die…"

Alison chucked and caressed Emily's cheek. – "I'll do my best…"

Emily. – "And Ali…"

Alison. – "Yes Em…"

Emily moved and put herself face to face with Alison, her face was on top of the blonde looking her into the eyes when she said…

Emily. – "Let's get married… I don't want to spend any other second not married to you…"

Alison smiled and nodded. – "Ok…"

Emily smiled and leaned for a kiss, they shared a soft kiss on the lips and then Emily cuddled on Alison; she hugged her blonde as tears fell from her face, happy tears as she was once again reunited with her beloved in the earth of the living…

Next Chapter: CH41 – We Are One