Prompt: I have an emison prompt: takes place in 7x18 at the kissing rock. They have an after sex talk before they have to go to Spencer's barn when the time runs out.

A/N: So, full disclosure I have like zero memory of season 7 in general, so I have no clue if the plot/characters as they were will be even close to canon. I kind of went from my memory as best as possible. Also I don't really do non-existent canon scenes very well (brain is like "can't measure up to the real thing.").

Also, I just want to let everyone know that I see their prompt ideas. There's a lot of creativity out there. But I feel limited on what I can tackle. I'm not a writer who plans when the mood will strike. Sometimes I'll get a prompt, think "Nope, no way I could do it justice" and then 3 weeks later I punch the inner critic in the head and write it. Also, FYI, there is a fetus Emison fic (yes, with over-protective Alison) in the works. I'm wrestling with my inner-me about it.

Exposed

Alison had been able to sense Emily's tension all day. And it's not like they didn't have a rough decision looming over their heads. But she hated to see the brunette so rocked, so Alison had been thinking of ways to help her de-stress

She'd been thinking a lot about the choice they had to make. It didn't help that they, along with Spencer and Hanna, had been feeling really guilty for going off on Aria for helping AD. Aria had gone AWOL and AD was up their asses about turning themselves into the police for what they'd done to Archer Dunhill, though the son of a bitch deserved worse.

They had so much that they wanted to escape from, physically and mentally. Emily had even been talking about taking off, which was a shock to Alison. The police showing up at their house had really gotten to Emily, and the sting of Aria's betrayal was still fresh, so she had a lot she was trying to wrap her head around.

Emily had been so sure that Aria would never hurt them. When she found out about Aria's involvement in the game she'd lost it. Alison had never seen Emily so shaken. So to take her mind off of everything Alison set up a home away from home, a little romantic getaway where they could forget about life for a while.

Emily had been antsy on the walk out, unable to let go of the control, still thinking about everything they were facing. It was only when she'd seen the setup of the candle-lit picnic under the stars that she'd let her guard down. She had been amazed and heartened by the gesture. She'd watched as Alison took her place on the makeshift cot and beckoned her to join.

"If this is our last chance at freedom…let's make the most of it," Alison had said.

So that's what they did. They let the rest of the world go. They came together to forget their fear and their pain. They ate and shared a few glasses of sparkling cider. Emily reached for a grape every so often to feed to Alison like they would one day hopefully get to do with wedding cake. And as their time wound down from fourteen hours, to thirteen, to twelve…

They held one another, they loved one another. They forgot about the ticking clock. The evening stars above them and the blankets and pillows below them led to them getting lost in one another. It gave them something for them, and only them, for a few fleeting hours before their lives took that drastic turn over the cliff they were both fearing.

The night wore on, but they weren't thinking about the time. They weren't thinking about anything other than one another. The only sound in the dim candlelight was the heavy sound of their breathing. And when they'd exhausted themselves they laid together, looking at the stars. Emily thought about the unending freedom the solar system offered. It was somewhat of a comfort to her.

Alison's cheek was against Emily's sweaty chest, her hand resting on the brunette's bare abdomen. She watched as her hand rose and fell with every breath that Emily took.

It was a strange thing to be so exposed out in the open, but not care. In a sense, it's how they'd been living their lives since high school because of the exposure they often got, for the wrong reasons. It used to bother all the girls, especially Emily, who liked her privacy.

But lying out under the stars with her girl sans clothes was just what she needed. Because in that moment they were the only two people who existed in the world. It was true freedom.

Alison felt Emily playing with her hair and she smiled. But something about her touch was off. Emily was lost in thought. She was quiet, which was unlike her. Usually when they were basking in the afterglow of their wild throes of passion Emily was a cuddler and a sweet-talker, so her silence was deafening. She was clinging to Alison like it was going to be the last time she'd ever get to hold her.

Alison knew their moment of escapism was over. She knew the clock was ticking again. She could feel it like the tapping of an incessant secondhand mocking them. Ten hours. Nine.

Emily was still silent. The last few days she had been talking about running away from Rosewood, which admittedly was usually Alison's go-to move. But Emily wasn't one to run. She always stayed and fought. But this was different. Because this time it wasn't just her life at stake. Or the rest of the girls. Or Alison's for that matter. There was a life of an innocent child in the mix.

Eight. Seven.

The candles were slowly waning, their light being swallowed by the disappearing wicks. As the seconds, minutes…as the hours crept increasingly closer to their own personal D-Day, Alison pushed through the silence. She sat up, placing her palm against her head and leaned forward on her elbow so she could look into Emily's eyes.

"What's on your mind, Em?" Alison reached up and brushed her hair aside.

It was a question that had an obvious answer, but in order to get Emily to actually talk to her she had to ask it. Because Emily internalized. She held everything inside. Sometimes her girl needed a nudge to open up, so she pushed. Emily ran her fingers over Alison's knuckles where Alison's palm was still resting on her stomach and then she sighed and looked up at her.

"Was I wrong?"

"Were you…" Alison muttered in confusion. About what?

"To go off on Aria like that?"

Of course she was swimming in guilt. She wouldn't be Emily if she wasn't.

"Em…"

"I mean, AD has made us all do horrible things. Who is to say that it couldn't have just as easily been one of us? I know if the tables had been turned…if AD had threatened you I probably would have done the same thing."

"You wouldn't have hurt anyone…"

"Ali, for you I would." She replied, her tone so unwavering and serious that it jolted Alison a little. Because when her tone became threatening it was downright menacing. "I would do anything for you."

And the blonde knew that, but hearing Emily actually say it was something else. Alison wasn't sure what to say, how to react. So she just nodded quietly.

"Listen, if we can't get away from this, if we get dragged down for this…I want you to tell the cops you're innocent." Emily sucked on her bottom lip nervously. It was still swollen from their encounter.

"Emily…" Alison said softly, an empathetic tone wavering in her voice. It was a tone she often used to try and bring her girl down from emotional heights.

"Don't argue with me about this." Emily replied gruffly, which alarmed Alison. When she was serious, she was serious. "I promised you that I wouldn't let anything happen to you…" She reached up, laying her palm flat against Alison's protruding belly, "…or this child. And when the cops showed up at our house this morning with that search warrant I thought…" She clenched her jaw, tears gleaming in her eyes, "…I thought I was going to lose you both. I thought this is it, this is how AD wins. And I realized, whoever this is…they're not going to stop. So if they want to take someone down, it might as well be the people who are truly responsible. If the only way to get AD off of our case is for someone to go down I'll take that bullet."

"No you won't." Alison scoffed argumentatively. She felt murderous at the thought of Emily taking the heat. "You were the one who said we needed to stick together in the first place."

"That was before I realized what it meant I was going to lose." Emily grimaced. "Look, I talked to Hanna and Spencer…" And she would have talked to Aria, too, if she wasn't still so damn pissed at her. "And we're all in agreement here. For your sake and the sake of the baby, you need to claim you weren't there." She moved her hand away from Alison's stomach and to her side, her fingers landing against her ribs.

"What?" Alison was taken aback.

She'd talked to the girls about this? She was serious about this? Alison glared at her. She was going to kill her for even considering it.

"You weren't in the car. You didn't help us get rid of the body. You were back at the institution before anyone even knew you were missing. And even if they do find out you ran away, you were in shock from what he'd done to you. And given what he did they'll give you a slap on the wrist. At least you can avoid going back to jail for something you had no hand in."

"Emily, I don't think I can do that." Alison was startled by the suggestion, though she shouldn't have been, given the fact that Emily would do anything to protect her family.

"If we both go down think about what will happen. You've told me more than once that you're afraid that if the system gets involved…takes our child away, it'll just repeat the cycle that happened with Charlotte."

Or worse, AD would get involved and try and snatch the baby the first chance they got. That actually terrified Emily worse than the state getting involved. Because this AD was a legit psychopath.

"You're right, Alison. This baby deserves to be with its mother."

"Both of its mothers. I can't do it without you. I only said 'yes' because you promised you'd be there with me."

Not that she didn't want the baby. She still felt sick every time she thought about how she'd ended up pregnant in the first place. They'd both felt violated and angry and confused. And they still did. But it was the hand they were dealt. And knowing that it was Emily's child…it somehow lessened the blow.

But Alison was terrified of being a mother. She hadn't had the best relationship with her mother. She wasn't sure what a good mother should be. She sure as hell didn't have a maternal bone in her body. She'd barely been able to remember to take her prenatal vitamins without Emily incessantly nagging her about it. She only knew she'd be able to do it if she had Emily with her, guiding her. They were supposed to figure it out together.

"I will be with you. We'll…we'll figure something out." Emily was grasping at straws, trying desperately to keep Alison from being dragged down with them.

"I don't want to be sitting across a glass visitation room bouncing a baby on my lap. I want you with me, Emily. We're supposed to be a family."

"I know. And we will be." She paused and then corrected herself. "We are." She stroked Alison's face, which elicited a smile from the blonde. "It will only be temporary. Until we can sort everything out."

"Which could take, what? Ten years to life?" Alison scowled at her. How could Emily think she'd be okay without her?

"Please just consider it. I can't stand the thought of you sitting in a jail cell again." She stopped short of saying 'because of me'. "If doing this means you're safe…you and the baby…"

"I'm pregnant. I'm not an invalid." Alison bit back angrily.

It irked her when people treated her like she was some fragile piece of glass. She often wondered why people thought pregnant women were somehow suddenly breakable just because they were pregnant. Their bodies were literally growing a human in them and they continued to go about their daily business. They were badass.

"That's not what I meant." Emily knew she was sensitive about it.

"I'm not going to let you do this alone." Alison shook her head.

"Would you just stop being so stubborn?" Emily grunted in frustration, though she wasn't really angry at Alison so much as she was the situation. "You weren't involved. You didn't hit him. You didn't bury him."

"But I was there." Alison argued.

"You were in shock! He was torturing you, trying to kill you. You were a victim that night, Alison. Because of us." She bit her lip. "Because of what we did…"

Alison's jaw fell slack. So that's what was really on her mind.

"Is that what this is about?" She rubbed Emily's cheek, trying to soothe her.

"Archer never would have come after you if we hadn't given AD a reason to believe you killed Charlotte."

"I know you didn't do it to hurt me. And yes, I was angry." Alison nodded, not denying it. "I was hurt. But Hanna's life was at stake and you guys were scared. I know it wasn't an easy choice to make."

She couldn't deny that it still hurt her to know that her friends, that Emily, thought she was capable of murdering her own sister. But she'd learned to let go.

"Yeah, but we shouldn't have been that careless," Emily sighed. "You were tortured because of us."

"And you and the girls were tortured because of me. Many times." Alison argued back. She wasn't going down without a fight.

But Emily wasn't in the mood for logic. She was riding high on her emotions. Her brain was swirling, spinning out of control.

"God, when I think about what AD did to you in that place…" Emily's voice strained in anger. "How this person violated you…"

This monster had essentially raped Alison and it made Emily so angry that she couldn't see straight. Alison could see, could feel Emily shaking, so she reached out to calm her.

"They did it to you, too, Em." Alison reminded her. Emily often forgot about her own pain in lieu of taking care of her. "They did it to us. And they put us in this impossible position. But none of it is your fault."

"But…"

"No." Alison interrupted her, not interested in hearing whatever Emily-logic she had for guilting herself into something that was not her fault. "You have to let go of that guilt. You couldn't have known what AD was planning, what Archer was planning. This is not on us. This is on this twisted sicko bitch, bastard, whatever the hell he, she, it is. Don't let AD get in your head like this. You're not the one who has done something wrong here."

"Except vehicular homicide, aiding and abetting, tampering with evidence, obstruction of justice…" Emily laughed darkly.

"Well, if you want to get technical with all the crimes we've committed, I'm pretty sure my list is longer than yours." Alison rolled her eyes with a snarky laugh. "Maybe we were just destined to end up in orange jumpsuits."

Alison sighed and rolled to her side. Emily mirrored her motions. They closed the distance between their bodies. Alison moved against Emily's body, needing to feel her body heat against hers.

"I can be the Piper to your Alex," Alison suggested.

"This isn't Orange is the New Rosewood. This is serious, Alison." Emily sighed, brushing some of her hair aside. It fell against her shoulder. "We've come so far. It just doesn't seem fair that this is how it ends, that this is how AD finally gets the win. After everything we've gone through. We deserve better." She peered at Alison. "You deserve better. I mean, you came back from the dead…"

"Yeah. For you." Alison didn't hesitate in her response. It had come out as natural as a breath.

Emily seemed surprised, intrigued, but not entirely shocked. Alison froze, unsure of why she'd suddenly spouted that out. She felt a rush of emotions that were out of her control, and she hated herself for it. Pregnancy hormones were a bitch.

"What do you mean for me?" Emily questioned.

After all the years that had gone by, Alison would have thought the truth would be obvious, but had she ever once stopped to tell Emily how she'd truly survived after being buried alive? Not physically, but mentally…emotionally.

"There's a lot I never told you," Alison said, her face reddening. "A lot I might not ever…" get the chance to tell you. She stopped herself, because admitting that she may be hauled away from Emily forever was too horrible of a thought. She'd lived a life without Emily on the run, and it had been dreadful. "I know I said and did a lot of things back when we were in high school. I know you and the girls constantly question what was true and what wasn't…"

"We don't anymore." Emily assured her.

"You were right to," Alison said. "I wasn't a good person. And I know it. I can own that. I screwed up, a lot. And you…you were always so trusting. I know I hurt you the most. And I think about that every day. But I also think about how damn lucky I was to have you. You stayed even when I didn't deserve you. And I love you for it. I don't think I ever told you that." Her face was ridden with guilt, pain, and a little bit of embarrassment.

"You didn't have to tell me. I knew that." Emily's voice was quiet, nearly a whisper.

"I still should have said something. You deserved more. You deserved better. I'm sorry. For everything. I really am."

"Ali, where is this coming from?" Emily asked curiously.

"I'd love to chalk it up to baby hormones, but the truth is I should have told you this a long time ago. I don't think I ever told you how sorry I was for everything I put you and the girls through back then. You especially. When I told you that you were the hardest one to leave behind I really meant it. Because you were the only person in my life who kept me sane despite my insanity."

"Alison." Emily cupped her face tenderly.

"When I thought I was dying…when my mom…" Her voice caught in her throat. "When all I could taste was the dirt in my lungs, you were the last thought I had. I held on to you. I think…" She squinted her eyes in the darkness as she thought about that night. That horrible night. Only one thing had kept her going. "…I know you're the reason I fought. To live. To survive. And then when I got that second chance at life…" She clenched her jaw. "I should have stayed. I should have stuck it out with you and the girls. I should have let you know what you meant to me then. But I was terrified and confused. And then everything happened with A and I ran. But I was wrong. I should have stayed. I never should have left you behind."

Her eyes were brimming with tears. Emily reached up and swiped one away with her thumb.

"That's why I can't let you and the girls take the fall for this alone. I owe you more than that. All of you. I'm not leaving you again." She swallowed hard. "I'm not going to lie. I'm scared. Terrified, actually. And I know you are, too. And I know you want to run, that you want me to run, but speaking from past experience that's not going to solve anything. Baby or not. It doesn't change how I feel. We can't leave. I won't leave. All that escape talk was just a fantasy. You are my reality, no matter where we are."

Emily's brow furrowed and tightened, a mixture of annoyance and being impressed with her unyielding determination. She rolled her eyes in frustration.

"You are the only person in the world I know who is stubborn enough to turn down a 'get out of jail free' card."

"It wouldn't be free," Alison replied softly. "I'd have to live with the guilt of knowing that you and the girls were rotting away behind bars knowing good and well I should be in there with you. It's not right."

"I want to do this." Emily clarified. "Let me do this for us. Please. That way at least one of us can be there for her." She put her hand against Alison's belly again.

For a second, the weight on Alison's shoulder seemed less heavy. It's the first time she'd heard Emily definitively say what she thought the baby's sex was.

"You think it's a girl?" Alison's lips curled up in a smile.

"I do." Emily nodded with a grin.

"How do you know?"

"Because of the morning sickness and the fact that she's so picky with the food you eat. She's a drama queen. Boys eat anything." Emily smiled.

"Boy or girl, I can't imagine any child of yours being a picky eater." Alison smirked, a dual meaning to her tone. "How did dessert taste, by the way?"

It was so unexpected that Emily huffed out a laugh, one so boisterous that it echoed off of the trees. It was a moment of pure joy and elation that they both needed.

"I'll be ready for seconds soon." Emily leaned forward and placed a kiss against her shoulder.

Alison felt a rush of heat flowing to her cheeks as Emily pressed a kiss lower, trailing her hands down to her stomach. She placed a soft kiss against Alison's baby bump and then moved back up to kiss her on the lips.

They peered at one another through the flickering candlelight, neither of them moving. Their minds were fixed on that damn clock again.

"Have you thought about names?" Alison tried to draw Emily out of her thoughts again.

She saw Emily smile.

"You remember when you first told me that you had feelings for me? And then later that night we…"

It was Alison's turn to smile.

"Our first time. Of course." She nodded.

"You had a vase of flowers on your nightstand."

"Yeah. From you. My dad said you stopped by early that morning to give them to me to help me transition back into my first day of school. But he wouldn't let you wake me, so he just gave them to me when I got up. I remember. They were lilies." She paused and thought about something. "Wait, have you been thinking about baby names since then?"

"Alison, I used to doodle our names in little hearts on my notebook." She laughed. "I mean, I did dream about having a family with you some day." Though this wasn't exactly what they'd planned. Then again, nothing about their relationship was conventional. "You looked so beautiful in your bed next to those flowers. After that night I just…I couldn't get the name out of my head."

"So…Lily. I like it."

"Lilian Grace."

"Why Grace?"

"Because her mother is the most graceful person I've ever seen."

"Stop." Alison rolled her eyes with a laugh. "You're so cheesy, Em."

"You know you love me." Emily kissed her softly.

"Mmm, I do." Alison nodded. "So, where do you see us raising our little girl?"

"Somewhere warm." Emily glanced up at the sky. "Near the water."

"Is she going to be a swimmer like her mother?"

"If she wants to be. I honestly don't care as long as she's happy."

Alison just stared at her with a smile on her face. Despite everything Emily had been through she was still the same person. She still had that hope for a happy ending. It's why she loved her so much.

Alison saw Emily's gaze drift over to her phone to see what time it was.

"Hey." Alison touched Emily's cheek and swept some of her hair behind her ear. "Don't. We still have a few hours."

She just wanted to stay lost in their fantasy for a few more hours…

"It's not enough time," Emily said, pulling Alison closer to her body.

"It never is." Alison replied sadly.

"We…um…we haven't even talked about what will happen to her if we both end up getting charged for what happened to Archer."

"I have, actually." Alison admitted. "I know it's a really weird situation and all that, but I really want her to go to your mom. We could come up with something to tell her…other than the truth, obviously. With your mom I know she'd be safe and loved. After all, she did a fantastic job with her first baby."

"I could get behind that." Emily nodded. "She would love our baby to pieces." She looked down sadly. "Or we could go with my fail-safe option."

"Which is?"

Emily pulled Alison's hand up to her lips and kissed her knuckles. Alison smiled softly at her. They laid in silence for a few seconds. Then Emily heaved out a sigh.

"If I can't convince you to plead innocent then I have no other choice but to drug you and stick you on a plane to Paris."

She was joking, but only partly. She had thought about buying Alison a one-way ticket and then convincing Jason to get her on the plane before the girls turned themselves in.

"If I wake up in a foreign country while you and the girls are being martyrs here in Rosewood I will come back with a vengeance and strangle you, Emily Fields." Alison threatened. "You'd need to be behind bars to protect your ass."

Emily couldn't help but laugh. Her hand moved to Alison's belly again and Alison reached down and put her hand on top of Emily's.

"There is not a chance in hell I'm leaving you, so you just get that through your head. I meant what I said. I want to do this." She curled her fingers into Emily's palm. "With you. Not with you behind bars. Not with you being tortured or dead because of AD. This baby is going to have both of her moms. We're in this together. You taught me that. That we're stronger together."

"Damn, why did I have to be such a diplomatic teacher?" Emily shook her head.

"I'm putting an end to this argument, okay?" Alison pushed her lips against Emily's. She had her attention. "Now kiss me and tell me you love me, and just let me hold you."

Emily's lips curled into a smile. She loved her so much. She really did. She moved forward, capturing Alison's lips.

"You're infuriating." Emily whispered against her lips.

"I know." Alison replied, pecking Emily's mouth.

"But I love you." She pecked back.

"I love you, too, Em," she said softly, smiling. "We'll figure it out. We always do."

They didn't hear the ticking of the clock anymore. Because they had all the time in the world as long as they had one another.