Disclaimers: I do not own PLL or the characters. This includes the characters of Lily and Grace. I do own the character of Jonathan Dilaurentis-Fields and all other children.
Spoilers: None
Rating: M. Not meant for children under the age of 13.

Trigger Warning: This is set heavily on and around the events that took place in New York on September 11, 2001. Please be cautious while reading this story.

Tuesday, September 11th, 2001
Los Angeles, California

*Meanwhile, with Emily in California*

Emily is filled with dread, pure dread as she hears the announcement. The girls look at her in shock and concern as her face drains of color and she stumbles to a chair.

"Emily?" Aria, who is closest to her, comes over. "Em, what's going on?"

Taking a moment to catch her breath, Emily says, "That's Alison's plane." A silence follows this statement. The girls look back at the TV as the video is replaying the plane hitting the South Tower.

Finally, Spencer finds her voice. "Wha-what…what the hell are you talking about? Alison isn't coming home until tomorrow. Why-wh-…why would she be on a plane today?"

Emily rakes her hands over her face. This was supposed to be a good thing. This was supposed to be a fun surprise for Emily and the kids and Alison.

Now…

Well, now it's nothing more than a nightmare.

"Ali was coming home today," Emily finally whispers. "It was going to a surprise. I was supposed to pick her up and take her to check Jon out for lunch."

She glances around the room at the three girls she has known since she was 8 years old. Hanna and Aria are in tears. Spencer looks close to it, but Emily knows she is holding it together because someone needs to.

Emily hears a sound and turns around.

It's Jonathan, standing in the kitchen doorway. He has tears streaming down his face.

He sees her and runs over. Emily catches Jon, lifting him up into her lap as he begins sobbing. Hearing this, hearing her little boy crying over something he should never be experiencing, her emotions are no longer in her control.

"I know, baby," She whispers this as Jon buries his face in her neck. "I know. You're ok. You're all right." She doesn't tell it is ok. She doesn't tell him it will be ok. Because she has no clue.

She has absolutely no clue whether it will ever be ok.

"I-I-I… I want M-mommy!" Jon cries, barely comprehensible through his sobs.

Emily looks up, making eye contact with the guys who have come to make sure Jon didn't go into the kitchen. She looks around the room as Caleb comes to wrap an arm around Hanna and Finley runs to Aria. He does not understand at all of what is going on.

All he knows is his sissy, his cousins, his mommy and daddy, and his aunts and uncles are sad. And crying. And look scared. And no one will tell what is going on.

"Mommy, what's *sniffle* what's going on?" Ezra picks him up. Harper comes over. He pulls his wife and daughter into his arms. Being 12, Harper knows the most. Understands the most. A plane hit the Twin Towers. She may not understand why but she does get that that will mean countless people who are now dead.

"Emily," its Toby that pulls her out of her thoughts. "Em, why don't you call Alison? She's in Boston, right? Maybe she can tell us more. Maybe she knows more of what is going on."

Emily nods. She doesn't have the heart to tell him that yes, Alison is in Boston, but unless by some miracle she did not get on that plane, then she is already dead. She's probably gone.

But, she does it anyway. She needs to do it. Jon needs her to do it. Lily and Grace, well, they may be, be attending to by Spencer who is no longer in the kitchen, who left once she heard the cries on the baby monitor, but they need her to.

So, she does.

Emily pulls the house phone from the wall.

She listens to the dial tone before pushing the numbers she has long memorized.

She listens, as she gets no response whatsoever.

No ringing.

No voicemail.

No "busy" dial tone.

Nothing.

She hangs up and redials.

And she redials.

Again. And again, and again, and again.

She realizes what it means the sixth time she gets the "We're sorry. The number you are trying to reach has been disconnected or is no longer in service. Please try again later."

She looks around again. She can see it in their faces. The girls realize. The guys, they don't know that Alison was coming home today. They have no idea.

Until Aria chokes it out when it is clear Emily is unable to. She doesn't say it aloud, however. She takes them over to the corner. She explains that Alison was coming home today. And she tells them that their best friend was on Flight 175.

*Meanwhile, in Boston*

After explaining what's wrong and maybe threatening to get her fired, Alison is let off the plane.

After comes out of the gate, she pauses. Looking back, she gets this…feeling…that losing her wallet would be the best mistake she's ever made.

Alison hurries through the crowd of newcomers who have checked for their flights. She reaches the bathroom and bursts through the door, desperate to find her wallet in time before a not-so-good Samaritan gets their hands on it instead.

Alison glances around the bathroom. It's your typical public restroom. Stalls on the right, a row of sinks to the left, and at the opposite end of the door, a changing table for babies.

Alison does not see her wallet. She gets anxious as she searches underneath the sinks and in the stalls, coming up empty.

She gets outside and stops. Her mind is running wild. Could she have put her wallet in her suitcase? The one that is not her carry-on bag and is in the airplane already?

She most certainly did not see it in her purse. She has a small purse, as is common for her during times like this. It is big enough for her cell phone, wallet, car keys, important notes for her meeting, and her cell phone charger.

So, it's not like Alison would have missed it while digging for her MP3.

She hears the intercom come on and the "final call" for her flight being announced. Alison blows out a breath. She wants to believe she misplaced the wallet and left in her other suitcase, but what if she didn't? What if she gets home and in two weeks she receives a notice in the mail about payments due on her credit cards, with purchases she never did herself?

Alison walks to the big bay windows. She watches as the plane pulls away, the doors folds up, and the plane taxis down the runway before it begins it accent into the air.

And that leaves Alison there, officially having missed her flight.

It doesn't register with her that not only are her suitcase and carry-on still on the plane, but so is her purse, which just so happens to contain her cell phone and any change she would need to use a payphone.

*Back in Los Angeles*

"Mama," Emily looks at her little boy. He is every bit of her, but those eyes. My god, do those eyes remind her of Alison. "Mama, why won't Mommy answer her phone?"

Emily takes a deep breath. As much as she wants to breakdown. As much as she feels the need to crawl into her bed and sob into her pillow…she can't do it.

So, instead, she just hugs him. And she whispers that she does not know why mommy won't answer the phone.

Until, the kitchen phone rings.

It's so shrill that it makes nearly everyone in the room jump a mile in the air.

Toby is the one to answer.

Emily watches as his face crumples in unbelievable relief and he holds it out towards Emily.

"I-it's…it's Ali," He chokes out and Emily takes it from him, her hands shaking as she brings it to her ear.

"Em-Emily?"

And she can't think of time she has craved for the sound of, or been more relieved to hear Alison's voice more than she does right now.

And there it is! This was much longer than the others, Chapter 5 will have Alison talking to Emily, the kids, and everyone on the phone.

Please review, and thank you for reading. Can we go for between 7 and 10 reviews for the next one? (not all guest reviews either! Haha ;)