A/N - Hello again! Thanks to everyone for continuing to read the story. I'm really happy that I decided to share this with you all.

One thing that I wanted to address to the guest reviewer who asked why I put Ali with a dude. I actually have a few reasons (both involving my thoughts on Alison's sexuality and for plot reasons to come later in the story). I don't want to clog up this announcement with those reasons or spoil the plot, but I'm happy to share if you want to PM me. Thanks for reading and asking questions!

Bear with me, this chapter is a little bit shorter. It's important, though, because it sets up some plot lines that we'll see later in the fic and has a small dose of holiday fluff built in. Enjoy!

—

The holiday season was shaping up well for Alison. She finished the semester in the beginning of December and finally had some time to breathe. She was proud that she survived her first semester at Rosemont. She had learned from BHU that the first semester was one of the hardest and she was glad to have gotten through it.

The new free time allowed her to make herself more available to see her daughters and she drove to Rosewood to see the girls a few times during the week. She had taken Pam up on her baking offer and the two had a great day teaching Lily and Grace to make various cookies. The girls were covered in flour and chocolate by the end, but it had been a memorable day for all of them. She had some good conversations with Pam and she found herself growing comfortable with the other woman again. She hoped that over the years they could continue to have a relationship because it had been something that she valued greatly during the time that she and Emily had been together.

She was still seeing Sam a few times a week. It gave her an outlet to be social and do things that other adults her age did. Plus, it was really great to feel wanted again sexually and she was enjoying the physical aspect of their relationship. She hadn't really had many casual relationships over the years and it was nice to get to experience it now. He was a catch in so many ways, but Alison struggled trying to find where to draw the line in the sand as far as where she wanted things to go. She had agreed to go to his company's holiday party with him, but was clear that she wasn't going as a 'girlfriend' and made sure that he introduced her as his friend. When they got back to her apartment that night, he'd given her a Christmas gift and tried to play it off as a thank you gift for being his date. She could tell that despite going along with her wishes to keep things casual that he viewed things between them more serious than she did. Sure, she liked him, but she wasn't ready to step into the role of being someone's girlfriend.

She'd sounded off to Spencer about it one day and the brunette told her that she needed to relax and not worry so much.

"If he says he's fine with it, then he is, Ali," she'd told her, "he's just a nice guy."

That was another thing that Alison worried about. Sam was always so nice and charming. It was like he always knew what to say and had an answer for everything. It made her feel skeptical sometimes. She had terrible track record with the men that she'd chosen over the years. What made this guy different?

"Do you ever think it's weird that he's so nice? Do you think it's suspicious?" She'd asked the other girl. She knew that she needed to curb her paranoia, but it was always in the back of her mind.

"Are you asking if I think we've got another Archer on our hands?"

"I don't know… maybe?" She knew it seemed crazy.

"You don't have to worry about that," Spencer told her.

"You seem sure…"

"I may have already ran his name through some databases. It helps to be connected," Spencer noted nonchalantly.

"You used your Mom's employees to do a background check on him?" Alison laughed.

"Something like that," Spencer told her. It helped Alison to know that she wasn't the only one who thought that you could never be too careful with new people. Especially given their history. "Look, just make sure you don't self-sabotoge here. If it doesn't work out, then fine, but don't create problems if they aren't there."

It wasn't the first time that she'd heard something to that tune. Back in Beacon Heights, Mona had told her something similar- that she was only a drama magnet if she wanted to be. Alison knew that she needed to stop over thinking, so she was trying her best to keep her thoughts at bay and just go with the flow… wherever that decided to lead.

—

Back in Rosewood, the holiday season was moving right along for Emily too. She was busy as can be, but the season helped keep her in a generally good mood. She loved Christmastime, the had always been something about it always made her feel happy and warm. Back when she was younger, it had been the memories with her father that made her love the season so much. He was deployed often when she was growing up, but he always did his best to be home for Christmas.

Now, she relished in making new memories with her own children during Christmastime. She was so grateful that Alison had agreed to share weekends with her because it meant that she could do fun holiday things with her daughters. She drove them around to see the lights, forced them to take cheesy pictures with Santa Claus, and made gingerbread houses with them.

The stability was nice, and it made her start to rethink some other aspects of her life. For one, she had stopped going on dates. It had been a nice distraction to test out the dating pool, but she hadn't really found anyone that she had any significant connection with. She'd done a little bit of the casual dating life in college and hadn't found it particularly thrilling back then either. She'd been a serial monogamist for most of her life and the fluidity of going on casual dates just wasn't fulfilling to her. She liked getting to know someone and growing a true connection. Now with swim season and the holidays in full swing, it didn't feel worth it to try and fit meaningless dates into her schedule too.

Another thing that she had been thinking about a lot lately was her job. She loved coaching swimming and working at RHS, but she was starting to feel like she wanted a little bit more. When she'd taken the position five years ago she was happy to be employed and doing something that she loved, and in the last few years it had provided comfort at a time in her life when so many other things felt uncertain. Now, though, she was starting to think about the future more. She wondered if these were feelings that Alison had back when she started exploring the idea of graduate school. Back then, they never talked much about why Alison was applying to schools. At the time, Emily was so pissed that her wife was doing something major behind her back that she had never really asked.

She decided now that they were getting better at communicating that she could talk to Alison about this, figuring that the blonde might be able to help. She called her one night after the girls were asleep.

"Hey," Alison answered, her voice soft on the other line. They were finally at a point where they didn't immediately assume that something was wrong when they got a call from each other. It was just another another small step in their relationship post-divorce that Emily was glad they had made.

"Hey, you busy?" She knew the semester was over, but she figured she'd double check that she wasn't bothering the blonde.

"No, just watching a movie," Emily could hear the content sound of her voice and she pictured Alison curled up on her couch under a blanket with a glass of wine.

"Which one?"

"It's called Holiday Affair," the blonde replied scandalously, "Janet Lee is in it.. it's a classic".

"Let me guess, black and white?" Emily teased. Alison loved old movies. She had always picked classic black and white movies when she and Emily would have their movie nights. Emily preferred movies from her childhood, but she'd secretly gained an appreciation for the classics when she was with Alison.

"It's in color, thank you very much," the blonde smarted through the phone.

"Hmm," Emily thought for a minute, "made after 1960?"

It was quiet for a beat, and Alison replied, "No."

"Gotcha," Emily laughed, "so predictable."

"Oh please, you don't know everything," Emily could just picture her rolling her eyes. She smiled at their banter.

"And let me guess, Cabernet," The brunette asked.

"Merlot," Alison emphasized.

"Guess I don't know everything," Emily joked.

Alison chuckled on the other line. Emily loved her laugh. She was thankful that she and Alison had been able to settle in and remain close. Her friendship with the other woman was important to her. Whenever times got tough or Emily felt a fight coming, she reminded herself that she never wanted to lose Alison in this capacity.

"So what's up?" Alison asked breaking her train of thought.

"I wanted talk to you about something… maybe get your opinion," Emily opened up.

Okay… Is it about the girls?" Alison asked.

"It's about me actually. I'm thinking about moving on from Rosewood High. I just feel like, I don't know.. I like it, but I don't want to be there forever. Is that how you felt? You know, when you started looking at grad schools?"

Alison took a second to think and replied, "That was part of it. When I started working there after college it was because I wanted to stay close to Charlotte. Overtime after the girls were born I started to feel kind of trapped. I never really dreamed of teaching English to sixteen-year-olds at a school that I honestly had really crappy memories of. I wasn't really sure exactly what I wanted, but it wasn't that."

"Why didn't you ever tell me this back then?" Emily asked. She'd been under the impression at the time that Alison loved her job.

"I was worried that you would assume that I felt trapped by you and not the job. I mean, you worked there too and I just didn't know how to bring it up."

"Did you? Feel trapped... by me?" Emily asked. Part of her wasn't sure if she wanted to know the answer, but having tough conversations was something that continuously brought them closer. Even if they were painful at the time.

"It started with feeling trapped by the job," Alison told her, "I didn't feel trapped by you initially, though I guess by the end I did. I loved our life, but I had these constant worries that I would never get a chance to do anything else. That I'd wake up one day in that ugly classroom and be fifty-years-old and still be the girl that disappeared when she was a teenager. I mean, the students knew, their parents knew, the other teachers knew.. I just felt like I would never be able to reinvent myself."

"Did you get to do that? Reinvent yourself?" Emily asked.

"Somewhat," Alison answered, "I definitely broke out of my comfort zone," she laughed. It sounded a little dark to Emily, and the brunette knew that she must have been thinking about Beacon Heights.

"I think I need that," Emily redirected, "I'm comfortable at RHS and I love coaching, but I think I want to do something else. I'm just not sure what that is."

"I wasn't sure either," Alison told her. It was surprising to hear because back when Emily had found out that Alison had applied to graduate schools, the blonde had fought her so hard on it, "I just started researching different things and talking to people. That was part of why I didn't say anything to you right away.. I didn't want to stir things up if I didn't know what the plan was."

"So why didn't you just talk to me about it? Why did you make the plan by yourself?" She asked.

Alison sighed on the other end, "That's the one thing that I would change if I could go back. I'm sorry, Em... I wasn't trying to break up our family. I just wanted to try and shape my future into something that I wanted".

Emily shook her head despite the other girl not being there. She didn't want Alison to think that she was the reason they weren't together. If Emily had learned anything in the last couple of years it was because of both of them and their inability to move past their issues that had broken them up. Alison going behind Emily's back was just one fight of many that had occurred in the last few months before they separated.

"You didn't break up our family, Ali," she told her quietly, "And we're still family, you know that."

"We are," the blonde agreed.

"So do you have the future you wanted?" Emily asked and added, "With your job I mean?"

"Getting there.." Things weren't perfect, but they were a hell of a lot better than two years ago. She just wished that it hadn't taken a divorce and a stint in Beacon Hell to get to this place. She could help Emily with this though, "Now let's talk about yours so that you don't wind up going across the country for your answers like I did."

They talked for another hour or so. After they hung up, Emily felt certain that she wanted to move on from RHS. She had a degree in biology and thought that she could really enjoy some type of sports medicine. She spent the rest of the evening researching career avenues per Alison's advice.

—

In Rosemont, the week continued to throw Alison curve balls that she wasn't expecting. Thursday night, she had just finished her dinner when she heard a knock at her door. She opened it to find her older brother standing there with a suitcase. He had been planning to come a few days before Christmas, but that wasn't for another week.

"What are you doing here?" she asked him.

"I can't surprise my little sister for the holidays?" He asked.

Alison moved side, letting him in. She loved her brother and their relationship was better now than it ever had been. Growing up, they had despised each other, both so wrapped up in their own lives. As they got older, though, they realized that they needed each other. They didn't have their parents around, so really they were all that each other had. Plus, Jason loved being an uncle. He'd initially been nervous and uneasy at the idea of Alison having Emily's babies when she told him that they were together and that she was pregnant, but he was quick to come around. He adored Grace and Lily and when he visited with them, the girls showered him with attention. It also didn't hurt his case that he was always bringing them little gifts back from his travels.

"Is that why you're here early? To surprise me?" she returned the question.

He shrugged, "We didn't have much work to do when I got back to the site, so I figured I'd just come back and spend time with family." He was finishing up a three year project in Uganda. She had always wanted to visit him there and see his work for herself, but all of her breaks had been spent visiting her daughters.

Alison nodded and they both sat down on the couch. She was happy to see him, but couldn't help but wonder, "Are you going to see Dad while you're home?"

Jason pressed his lips together. Their father had been a major point of contention between the two of them. Alison had stopped talking to him after she graduated high school. She was rebuilding her relationship with Charlotte at the time and the thought of her father and what he had done to her was revolting to Alison. Over the years, Jason had gotten back in touch with their dad. They weren't super close, but it was more than Alison had with her father.

Her brother shrugged, "I might go to New York to see him at some point. What about you?" He looked at his sister, "When is the last time you've talked to him?"

She narrowed her eyes at her brother, "You know the last time I talked to him."

"Ali," Jason sighed and leaned into the back of the couch, "I think you need to hear him out."

"I tried that," she told him seriously, "and he's still the same asshole he always was."

"He tried to pay for grad school, how does that make him an asshole?"

"Do you really not know what he did?" She asked her brother with wide eyes. When Jason didn't answer she elaborated, "He tried to pay for grad school because he wanted me to leave Emily."

"Wait, what?" Jason asked, looking surprised at this information.

"Yeah, we started talking again and I told him about where I had gotten in. When we met for coffee, he gave me a check with the exact amount for BHU. He told me that he knew that I needed a change and wanted to support me." It had been the same check that Emily had found tucked underneath clothes in Alison's pajama drawer. The same check that had led to the biggest fight of their marriage. "And before you say anything else, he also tried to give me a contact for a divorce lawyer. He told me that he wanted to help me fix my mistake." She shook her head. Just thinking about it made her feel as furious as she had the day she'd met with her father. She wished she'd never even let him try.

"I didn't know that," Jason said sympathetically. "He always talks about you and how he wishes that the two of you could have a relationship."

"Well he ruined that," Alison said. She never wanted to speak to her father again.

Jason held up his hands, "Okay, okay I won't mention it again." He looked around, "So where are the munchkins?"

"Coming tomorrow," Alison smiled, relaxing again at the thought of her daughters, "So you got here just in time for a fun weekend." It would be great having Jason in town. She was planning to take the girls to Christmas Village in Philly like her parents had done with her and her brother when they were younger. She knew that they would have a good time and was glad that Jason would be here to share it with them.

—

Alison wasn't the only one who got a surprise visitor that week. On Friday, Emily dropped the girls off at Alison's and drove back to her house. It had been a busy week, and she was looking forward to some down time. She ordered Thai food from one of her favorite restaurants and started a new show on Netflix. It allowed her to turn her brain off and relaxed for a few hours.

When someone knocked on her door shortly after nine, she was initially annoyed by the interruption. She doubted it was Hanna, and she knew that her mother wouldn't be out at this time of night. She was surprised when she looked through the peephole and saw a short brunette on the other side.

"Aria," she opened the door and greeted the girl, "Hey."

"Hey, sorry I didn't call first."

Emily let her in and they walked into the living room, "I didn't even know you were in town, when did you get here?"

"Oh, this afternoon actually," Aria nodded and gave a tiny tight lipped smile.

Something seemed off. "Where's Kate," she asked referencing Aria's daughter.

Aria sat down on the couch and Emily followed suite, "Oh," she waved a hand in the air, "she's sleeping. She's at my parents house."

"Aria," Emily constricted her brows, "is everything okay? You seem a little-"

"I left Ezra," Aria blurted.

And then Emily's brows shot up like geysers. "I'm sorry, what?"

Aria ran a hand through her hair, "I didn't mean for it to come out like that, sorry," she faced Emily, "I'm filing for divorce."

She sounded determined, but Emily knew from experience the sadness that her friend must be experiencing. She knew what it was like to get divorced from someone that you'd been in love with since you were a teenager. "I'm sorry…" she said looking at the other girl sympathetically.

"Yeah, things have been.. tough lately." She shook her head, seeming to get lost in thought.

"When did this happen?" Emily asked, "You were here like three weeks ago and things seemed fine."

She looked back at Emily, "We've been fighting for months. I'm not sure when it got this bad, but I don't even recognize him anymore. I've been trying for Kate's sake, but…" she shook her head, "I just can't anymore."

"I'm so sorry to hear that," she repeated and took her friend's hand. How had she missed this over Thanksgiving? Sure Ezra hadn't been there, but Aria had said that he needed to take care of some book business. She had told Emily and their friends with such ease, nothing had seemed off at the time. So had she lied? "Why din't you say anything?" She felt so bad that Aria was going through all of this alone.

"I don't know... part of me was embarrassed," Aria shrugged, "I've fought so hard for this relationship for so long. There were so many times when you guys told me to walk away or to not get back together with him and I didn't listen." She sounded so sad. Emily could hear the defeat in her friend's voice.

And Emily could relate, two years ago she'd felt the same sadness. There had been so many sad moments in her life that stood out to her- thinking that Alison had been murdered, when Maya was found dead, when her father passed away- but getting divorced had felt different. She was losing someone who was still alive and at the time she felt so helpless, like there was nothing that she could do about it. She was so close, but it still couldn't be what she wanted it to be.

She squeezed Aria's hand, "I understand," she nodded and pressed her lips together. The only difference was that instead of not being able to recognize Alison anymore, she only saw the worst parts of her. Looking back, she wondered if it could have been different. If they could have communicated better. If she could have allowed herself to see past the parts of Alison that she hated. Would it have been enough?

"What did it feel like for you," Aria asked, "When you decided to file for divorce?"

Emily let go of the other girl's hand and sighed. She hated thinking back to that time. Everything had felt so dark, and she just felt helpless. That was something that she absolutely hated- feeling helpless. Emily was doer and she'd never been able to sit around or give up. At the time, though, she just couldn't see anything that she could do.

Now though, two years removed she didn't know if that was exactly true. She certainly couldn't change Alison, but she could have changed her own behaviors and reactions.

"It felt..." she hesitated, honestly not sure if she could really articulate the feelings she had back then, if she she could remember the past through the same lens, "it felt a lot different than it does today."

"Well you've had two years to accept it, I guess."

"Right... But I mean, I see myself differently than I did then. I see Alison differently too."

Aria nodded, considering the thought.

"You don't think you should give it more time, do you?" Emily asked her, "I mean, what if you took some time and thought about it. What if you tried something different?" She felt like her mother, trying to bargain and keep things together. Is this how Pam had felt when Emily had broken her own news to her?

Aria shook her head, "I've tried everything, Emily. I mean everything." There was such resolve in her voice, Emily couldn't help but trust that she really had tried to make it work.

"He's just..." Aria looked thoughtful, "Changed."

It had been the opposite for Emily. "For me, I just felt like she hadn't changed," she told her.

Aria peered over at her, "Do you still feel that way?"

Emily shrugged. The truth was that she really didn't feel that way anymore, but it felt weird to admit that. Saying it out loud made her wonder if she really had made the right decision two years ago.

"You two have been working together really well," Aria complimented, "Watching you guys at Thanksgiving actually gave me hope that maybe there was some light that could come out of this."

It was true, they were good now, but it had taken a lot of pain and a lot of work to get here.

Emily nodded in understanding and offered the other girl a small smile, "Okay," she stood up and made her way towards the kitchen, "I definitely need a drink. Can I get you something?"

Aria nodded with a relieved sigh, "Please."

She poured the smaller girl a glass of wine as her thoughts swirled around. She knew that she should be thinking about Aria, but she kept going back to her own marriage. Could they have gotten to this place without getting divorced? She knew that there was absolutely no way to know for sure.

Aria has been right about one thing though, the relationship that she had with the blonde now was definitely a silver lining. They had made it through their darkest places and come out the other side. She was thankful for that, and decided that it was enough. It would have to be.

—

A/N: Ahhh, apologies to the Ezra fans out there. Hope you stick with me on this one. As always, hope everyone out there is doing alright and staying as safe as you are able to. I'll work on getting the next chapter updated and onto here soon. Sneak peak- We'll hear from an old villain. Thanks again!