Chapter 1: The Storm that Nobody Expected

*Alison's POV*

You arrived during the storm that nobody expected. The sky was open and grumbling in loud roars and moans. The rain came down as if it had never met the earth before as the ground often seemed to tremble in time with the thunder. I found myself feeling somewhat threatened at the act of vengeance on our small town from Mother Nature.

My mind began to wander to simpler times...simpler places...simpler things. I could feel a soft smile spread across my face thinking of my mother making Sunday dinner while my brother and I played outside in the crisp autumn air. For a moment I could smell the trees and the freshly cut grass as if I were right back out on the farm. That was until the abrasive scent of rubbing alcohol and saline seemed to take over every sense I had.

I gave a quick shake to my umbrella so I wouldn't track water through the hospital and pulled my blonde lockes out of the neck of my coat. I had thrown it on so quickly to dash through the rain that it stayed firmly planted in the collar which I'm sure has made me into a frizzy, frazzled looking mess.

Oh well... I thought. These places aren't made for fashion shows and pageantry.

My inner monologue was quickly muted at the sight of you.

I thought I knew what love was...or could have been...or would have been...or should have been. All of the above. I had an arbitrary idea of what it meant to care for another person and to watch them grow. But when I saw you...I realized I had never even felt before.

My body lay dormant for years until you. One look and I felt my bones come alive. One-touch and I could feel my lungs breathing- aware of every inflation and how air came and went from my chest. At the sound of your voice, I felt my skin rise towards the sky and float along with the clouds.

"Are you...sure you're okay?" I heard an inquisitive voice echo through my daze. I hadn't even realized that you had bumped me into the registration desk of the emergency room.

Emergency! The emergency room? Are YOU okay? Why would something that could land you in this hospital ever happen to someone as perfect as you? My mind began racing- worried about someone who is a complete stranger. Stranger? Well, we'll have to change that...what did you say your name was? Your name, oh my god! I don't even know your name.

I quickly ripped myself from my eternal stream of thoughts and fumbled an introduction. "Alison." I said with full confidence. However, your confused gaze made me question that confidence. You remained silent. "Alison...is my name. What did you say yours was?"

"I didn't..." Great. Now you think I'm a weirdo... "Emily." You extended a soft smile letting me know you were only teasing. "Are you okay?" I followed your gaze down to my left hand. Were you checking for a ring on my finger?

I most certainly am yours for the taking... I chuckled to myself before realizing why your gaze actually trailed down to my hand.

"Oh...oh, God!" I exclaimed seeing a sizable amount out of blood trickle from the pad of my pointer finger and onto the blindingly white tile of the ER. At this point, it was mostly out of embarrassment rather than worry for my own being.

Lousy, cheap umbrella... I chastised myself internally for not investing a few more dollars on something that wouldn't pinch the living hell out of me and cause me to bleed in front of such an astounding woman. I looked around for the box of tissues that is normally perched on the registration desk. Failing to spot something that would help solve the issue at hand (ha) I locked eyes with you again. My embarrassment faded as I saw your furrowed brow. You were so concentrated and I was too busy being completely enamored to notice your hand outstretched towards me.

"Here you go." You pulled a thin tissue out of a small plastic pouch that I presumed was a travel pack. Convenient. You're already looking out for me... "I always keep them on me. Good thing I do..." You raised your eyebrows seeing the small gash in my finger. "That looks a little deep...do you need help? I can-"

"No, no that's okay." I cut you off without even letting you finish your sentence. A cute first date would not have involved you aiding me from bleeding out. "I'm a doctor." I cringed at how that sounded. It added a 'period' to a conversation that I did not actually want to end.

"Oh! Me too." Without thinking I gave you a once over. Your gray sweatpants clung to your hips in all the right ways but were also why I didn't assume you'd be used to aiding with a glorified paper cut. Seeing that this was a small hospital I assumed I would've remembered seeing you before... "Not here though." You said so quickly that it almost sounded like one syllable.

"I was just...here on a consult and the patient just..." You mimed an explosion with your hands. I couldn't help but notice how strong they looked. "all over me... Hence...the sweatpants." You chuckled somewhat nervously.

"Oh no." I rebutted. "You do not need to explain. If sweatpants were sterile I'd wear them in every surgery and every OR I could. Plus...if anyone should get to wear sweatpants on the job it should be you with how well you pull them off." My eyes immediately widened as my ears heard what I just said. As I felt my body catch on fire from sheer terror at myself I also felt the breath go right out of my lungs as your smile stretched from ear to ear. You looked at the floor as a rosy shade of red spread across your cheeks and I could feel my heart yearn to know everything I could about you.

That was the part of the conversation where it would have been normal to both go our separate ways. I, however, never would've been able to live with myself if I had let that happen.

"Emily..." I broke you out of your trance, "I'm just starting my shift, but I have a few minutes before rounds. Would you like to grab a coffee or a bagel or...anything really?" I chuckled as I stuttered over my offer. My brain seemed to have been completely hijacked and my normal confidence was a causality of the take-over.

You seemed anxious. I was hoping I didn't misjudge the situation and just assume you took my flirting as a compliment rather than something vaguely creepy. Your dark brown eyes met the slim watch on your wrist- checking the time as you slightly chewed on the inside of your lip. I took the opportunity of your hand being more visible as well as you not looking at me to check for a ring.

Well, at least she's not married. I somewhat smirked to myself. Maybe I had a chance. Your eyes drifted past me down the hall to the main part of the hospital and I slightly turned my head to follow them.

"It's okay if you have somewhere to be or a team to get back to." I waved my hand gesturing to dismiss my previous offer. I saw you breathe in as your eyes lingered down the hallway for just one more second.

"No." A smile took over your face and I saw your brown eyes sparkle. "I have nowhere to be for the next few minutes. And no one to get back to." The emphasis on no one had a small smirk creeping onto my face.

"Well then follow me Ms. Fields." I reached out my hand and watched your eyes widen. "Shit," I mumbled. My injury was forgotten by the prospect of spending more time with you. "Um...one second."

I turned back towards the registration desk and there was still no one in sight. So much for being here for people's emergencies... I internally scoffed. My legs lifted more of my body weight as I got on my tiptoes to reach over the desk. I wasn't able to see much but after my hand bumped into a tape dispenser, stapler, and knocked over an entire container of pens I found what I was looking for.

"Aha!" I smiled victoriously, lifting up the small bandaid. As I started to rip open the package I turned my head to make sure you were still there. I followed your big brown eyes down to see what you were looking at. Then it hit me. You were checking out my ass. I felt a smirk creeping up to my face and had to bite my lip to avoid asking you if you liked what you saw.

Keep it cool, Alison. We don't want to scare her away. My inner monologue rang. I may have been able to control my words, but I definitely could not control my face. As your eyes quickly darted to the floor knowing you had been caught I couldn't help but look a little smug.

"Okay. Now follow me, Ms. Fields." I smiled my biggest smile as I lifted my finger as proof of my temporary solution. I definitely needed a stitch or two but the bandaid would last for a few minutes. I turned to give you one more view of the ass I had just caught you ogling. I peeked over my shoulder to make eye contact with you. You were blushing again.

God help me, Emily. Was all I could manage to think. God help me.

*Emily's POV*

I rushed down the hall trying to make it to my appointment before Spencer kicked my ass or I was forced to reschedule. I swung through the door and saw an annoyed dark-haired doctor looking up at the clock above me and back down to me in exasperation.

"Spencer..." I started when she folded her arms over her chest and gave me a challenging look. "Right...Dr. Hastings. I'm so sorry I'm late. I got caught up-"

"It's fine, Em." She sounded annoyed. "I have more sick patients than just you, you know." She continued to chastise.

"I know." I rushed out apologetically. "Again, I'm really sorry." I felt incredibly guilty for holding her up when she always found time to work around my schedule. Her eyes continued to scold me before she gave in and a small smile crept up onto her face.

"Okay. It really is fine, Em. It was honestly nice to have a quiet few minutes in here. I never seem to get those anymore." She sat on the rolling stool near the computer and gave the big chair in the center of the room a few pats inviting me in to sit as well. "And sorry about the Dr. Hastings thing." She mumbled, knowing I hate when she makes me call her that.

"No, you're not." I roll my eyes playfully and chuckle. There was a beat of silence in the air while she just looked at me with no emotion whatsoever.

"You're right." She broke the silence. "I'm not." Then chuckled while she rolled over to where I had just been standing to close the door. "What took you so long anyways?" Her eyes peered into me inquisitively. "I know you're nervous, Em. But avoiding the situation is not the answer."

I quickly shook my head in protest.

"I'm not avoiding the situation." Her eyebrows raised slightly, challenging what she assumed was a lie. "I'm not!" I defended myself and felt a grin spread across my face. "I met someone." I shrugged my shoulders and felt my cheeks starting to catch on fire. Spencer's mouth dropped in shock.

"Emily Fields. You are not prowling my hospital to get laid are you?" She said incredulously.

"Your hospital, Spence? Did they make you chief of surgery overnight and you not tell me?" The taller girl slightly huffed at me and rolled her eyes before smiling again.

"You know what I mean. So who is she? Is it another patient?" My head turns towards the floor and I can only peak up at her as my face continues to burn hot. I shake my head no. "A nurse?" She continues her line of questioning as she wiggles her hands into a pair of latex gloves. I avoid eye contact now, knowing where this is headed, and shake my head once more. "A doctor?!" She asks a little incredulously. "Who?"

Her last word was less of a question and more of a demand. Spencer's competitiveness did not stop at sports and academics. It somehow came into her career too. In Spencer's mind, there can only be one medical professional in my life. Maybe if it was up to her there would only be one doctor in this hospital...

"It's a small hospital, Em. I can find out. You know Toby works security and will tell me whatever I want to know." She continues to challenge knowing he'll tell her even if she didn't.

"Okay, fine. But please promise me you'll leave her alone. We just had coffee. It is way too soon for Crazy Spencer to be released on her." She raised her eyebrows high when I mentioned the 'crazy' party, temporarily looking up at me over my chart. "Her name is Alison."

Spencer almost dropped my file and looked at me through stone-cold eyes.

"Wait...Alison DiLaurentis?" She put more emphasis on her last name and I looked at her with furrowed eyebrows as I shrugged my shoulders.

"She didn't tell me her last name. She just put her number in my phone under 'Ali'." I said looking at her concerned that she was about to have an aneurism.

"Blonde hair?!" She almost yelled while snatching my phone to find the number and type it into her phone to see if it was the same Ali. "It is her! That bitch." She mumbled the last insult under her breath.

"What is the deal, Spence? I thought you liked everyone here except for the dinosaur doctor who won't retire?"

"Herman? He's dead." She rolled her eyes. My eyes widened by her casual cruelty. "Fine. Ali isn't a bitch...she's just also a candidate for Chief of Surgery." Spencer slightly pouts. My eyes roll all the way back in my head. "I won't stop your blossoming romance. Just know I'm not helping you with it at all."

"It's not a blossoming romance," I mumble. "But...we do have a slight problem."

"What is that? You all just met 20 minutes ago how can there already be trouble in Paradise?" Spencer laughed as she put up my scans so the light could shine through them. Her smile faltered seeing my latest images, but she quickly recovered and turned back to me.

"I kind of told her I was a Doctor too." I said nervously. Spencer laughed out loud. "What? You don't think I could be a doctor?" I challenged.

"Em, it's not that. It's just that you're not. You're a very sick patient." The humor in the room got completely sucked out of the air with her emphasis on just how sick I was. She smiled at me softly and rubbed my shoulder. "She's bound to see you here again. And it won't be while you're operating in the OR. It'll be while you're being rolled around in a wheelchair."

"About that..." I began. "I kind of told her I was here consulting on a patient." Spencer looked me up and done as if to say, 'In sweatpants?' "I told her there was an accident and I had to change out of my scrubs." I answered her silent question.

"And she believed you?" Spencer chuckled at herself as if she had just told a joke.

"Yes." I said completely seriously making Spencer remove her hand from my shoulder and put both hands up defensively.

"Okay...well that worked for this time, but what about next time? Or the time after that?" She said trying to discourage me away from my lie.

"Well...I've already thought that far ahead." Spencer's eyebrows shot up- not seeing any solution to this situation. "I told her I was consulting on a patient with you."

"So she thinks you're a neurosurgeon?!" She shot back.

"Why does that seem so hard to believe?!" I shot back a little hurt.

"It's not, Em. But you can't just pretend to be a neurosurgeon." She blinked at me like it was completely obvious.

"Why not?" She just stared at me like I had five heads. "I don't have to actually do surgery. When I'm here I can just be in scrubs and hang around you. It's not like I'm working right now anyway. Besides- It's probably better I'm here more if my condition has gotten that much worse."

Spencer becomes less judgey at the mention of my health and puts her hand on my knee.

"I would love to be able to watch over you more. You know that. But it would never work. There are laws. You can't see any other patient's information... If someone were to find out..."

"They won't." I countered, motioning across my lips to show that they would be 'sealed'. I saw a little pity in her eyes.

"There just isn't a way, Em...I'm sorry." My shoulder slumped in defeat and she stood up to examine my scans again. "...Unless..." I perked back up again.

"Unless what, Spence?" I hurry her train of thought along so that she would share it with me.

"Theoretically, our 'consult' patient could be you. That way you're only seeing your information. It would be like an appointment just...in a different place. We could do your chemo in a private room and if you were here more I could watch how you're handling it. Make sure you're okay... Your mom would love that. Honestly, so would I."

"So you'll help me?" I reach for her hand to pull her attention away from my scans. I can't help but peek at them too. I don't know what they mean, but I do see more spots than I did last time. My brain was starting to look like Swiss Cheese. I see her sigh so heavily that her shoulders dramatically rise and fall in one swift motion. She turns to me and her eyes meet mine for a split second before her face breaks out into a smile.

"I will help you, Emily." I couldn't contain the squeal that ripped out of my body. I stand up quickly and envelop her whole slender body in my arms.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" I chant, squeezing one of my best friends extra tight.

"Don't thank me yet." She says more seriously pushing me off of her slowly. "I didn't say I was happy about it. Plus this won't all be fun. Em, chemo is going to take a lot out of you."

"I know," I say seriously so she knows I understand. "but shouldn't I enjoy myself?" She still looked nervous so I continued onto a place I probably shouldn't have... "While I still can?"

I felt her fist collide with my shoulder roughly. My hand shot up caressing the spot she just assaulted.

"Ow!" I shout. "Do you always hit patients?"

"Only the annoying ones." She shoots back before her demeanor changes. "Em, you're going to make it through this." There wasn't room in her tone for debate. Her confidence exuded onto me.

"I believe you." I smile softly grabbing her hand to show how much I appreciate her caring for me. She suddenly stomps her foot in a dramatic Spencer Hastings fashion.

"I can't believe I'm doing something to help Alison DiLaurentis." She pouts.

"Don't be a baby. Why didn't you ever tell me you worked with such hot doctors?" She fake gagged with a dramatic guttural noise. For a moment I thought she may actually vomit. I giggle at her antics and sit back in preparation of my exam.

*Alison's POV*

"Aria!" I call out in the attendings' lounge where she normally is before rounds. I scan the room and see her fast asleep on a chair she moved by the coffee maker. "Wake up." I gently smack her knee and raise my eyebrow.

"Alison!" She seems to snap out of it seeing that her boss had caught her sleeping. "I was just...I was between patients and I..."

I giggle a bit letting her know my sternness was just in teasing.

"Well, now I am your patient." I say to her lifting my finger that was bleeding through the bandaid I had patched on it earlier. I pushed out my bottom lip to pout a bit as she rushed to me worried.

"What happened?" She began to take the bandage off examining how deep the cut was.

"The rain," I said...clearly daydreaming about something else. She furrowed her eyebrows and pushed her short hair behind her ear before going to wash her hands. I sat at the small table in the middle of the room by the staff cubbies.

"The rain...?" She questioned waiting for a better explanation.

"My umbrella...or something. I don't know. It doesn't matter." I smiled a bit smugly as I fished a suture kit I grabbed from downstairs out of my purse and put it on the table. My eyes found the window and I began daydreaming again.

"What has gotten into you?" She questioned while wiping the table down with a few alcohol pads to sanitize the area before laying down a small surgical drape she had found in her cubby. I was too far into my own imagination to wonder why she had it on hand. Aria had been my fellow for about 6 months now, but I knew her as a resident for a few years prior to that. Long enough to know she was always hoarding supplies somewhere she shouldn't be. When pressed she always assures they are just for emergencies. I guess I should be grateful since it means we don't have to do this in an open space or hospital room.

"More like 'who'." I smirked as her jaw dropped.

"Alison!" She smiled wide. "You're having sex again?! Who's the lucky lady?"

"Not yet. But maybe eventually." I smirk. "It was someone here for a consult with Dr. Hastings." Aria grimaced a little at the name.

"Was she as intense as Hastings?" I could understand her worry. Spencer was nothing if not...very tightly wound.

"The complete opposite. I don't know, Aria. She's just...ugh!" I gasp in a happy frustration. I could not get the dark-haired girl out of my mind. My smile was still taking full residence on my face until I felt a sharp pinch. "Ow!" Aria looked at me with wide eyes.

"...Sorry." She kept working as I burned a hole through her with my glare.

"Do you always do your stitches like this?" I tease. "I know I taught you better than that." I giggle as I hear the door swing open.

"Dr. DiLaurentis?" Speaking of the devil. My shoulders tense up at the sound of Hastings' voice. I didn't dislike her...she just...stresses me out. I turn my head to acknowledge her.

"Yes, Dr. Hastings?" I smile warmly, trying not to make my disappointment about the other doctor's presence apparent.

"May I speak with you?" She smiles then looks down at my hand a little confused. "When you're done?"

"Of course. I'll meet you at the nurses' station right outside." I turn around and furrow my brow playfully at Aria wondering what was up. Usually, if there's a pediatric patient that she gets to first she just pages me.

"Dr. Montgomery." I hear her say in acknowledgment to my fellow before I hear her exit the room.

"What do you think that was about?" I say a little snarkily rolling my eyes at the taller Doctor's sense of urgency.

"Have you heard anything about the Chief of Surgery position yet?" Aria questioned. I shook my head softly no, feeling a little shy about the subject of a promotion. "Well, at least you'll be coming back alive then." She smiles before her face falls. "...I think..."

I laugh deeply as she finished up my sutures.

"I can handle Spencer Hastings." I assure as she bandages me up. "I'll meet you for rounds. Make sure the residents are nice to their interns!"

"Good luck!" She shouts towards me as shimmy into my white coat and put my stethoscope around my neck. I turn around and shoot her a playful wink as I open the door to go meet with the seemingly on-edge Doctor.

What could she want this early? I think to myself.

Author's Note: Hello! I have been a long time Emison shipper and am recently making my Fiance watch all of PLL so they are fresh on my mind. I've been wanting to write this story for a while and found new inspiration in Emison. Please let me know what you think! Any feedback is welcome. :) Emison is end game!