"I was nine when you were taken. Spencer was too young to remember you, but I never forgot." Paige and Melissa were sitting on the couch in the living room. From the second the two women had hugged, Melissa hadn't let go of her younger sister. Curled up on the sofa, with her legs tucked underneath her, Melissa sat holding on to one of Paige's hands. It felt strange for the teenager, who didn't know this woman from Adam, yet felt oddly connected to her.

"I don't really have any memories from before my fifth birthday. I don't remember this house, or the people living in it… except you." Paige frowned, unsure of just how to put what she was feeling into words. "I mean, I don't remember remember you, I just… I feel like I know you."

"It's a start." Melissa was beaming as she squeezed her sister's hand. Her flight had been delayed again, so she'd ended up hopping on the Red Eye from London and then driving a rental car down from the airport.
"I don't know if you know this, but you were in the hospital a month longer than Spencer was-"
"Because I was so tiny. I know." Paige rolled her eyes.

"Yes." Melissa nodded slightly, her chin resting on the palm of her hand. Between flying halfway across the world, and driving down from New York, the young lawyer was exhausted. She had no intentions of going to bed just yet though, she wanted to spend every second she could with her previously missing sister. She had missed out on so much of her life already, Melissa didn't want to miss a minute more.

"Well, when Spence came home, all she did was cry. I think it was separation anxiety or something, from you not being there. So, anyway, you come home a month later, after I've had to put up with Spencer screaming day and night… and you were just so quiet. And so tiny. I used to bug the hell out of Mom to let me hold you, to help feed you and dress you. I swear I thought you were a doll for the first six months of your life." Melissa let out a throaty laugh, tugging a smile out of Paige.

She wasn't sure what she had been expecting from her older sister, but from Spencer and her friends regarding her as the Ice Queen, she'd expected Melissa Hastings to be something of a bitch. Paige was pleasantly surprised; for the first time in a long while.

The older girl's expression sobered as she took hold of Paige's other hand too, squeezing both of them lightly. "I couldn't believe it when Mom called to say they'd found you… I know you didn't think you were lost, and you go by Paige now, but I just want you to know that none of that matters. You're back and I don't care what your name is, or why that woman took you. I'm just thankful she kept you safe all these years."

Paige felt her eyes welling up again. She really had lost count of how many times she'd cried this last week. Everyone from Veronica to Spencer had regarded Paige's mother - she refused to think of her as her abductor - as some crazed nut job, but Melissa was the first person to respect that, above all else, Laura McCullers was the only mother that Paige remembered.

"Thank you… That means a lot." Paige tried to discreetly wipe her eyes with the back of her sleeve. It was a futile effort. Melissa saw anyway and pulled her in for another crushing hug. Paige didn't fight it. For the first time all week, she actually felt like she was among family.

"Are those Melissa's bags? When did she get back?" Spencer was instantly on the defensive when she walked down the stairs and spotted her older sister's luggage by the door.
"Late last night. So keep your voice down!" Veronica scolded her. "She and Paige were up till all hours."
"How nice for them." Spencer sneered, helping herself to a bowl of cereal. She couldn't remember her and Melissa ever having stayed up late together.

"Don't worry Mom, we're up." Melissa must have literally followed Spencer down the stairs. She padded into the kitchen wearing her bathrobe and a pair of fluffy slippers. "Paige and I are going to go to the club and get in a few games before brunch."

"Paige and I…" Spencer mimicked, pulling a face behind her mother's back. Melissa ignored her, acting like she wasn't even there. The older sister was good at that.
"That's wonderful, Sweetheart." Veronica fussed. "You two girls enjoy yourself, and charge it to your father's account."

Spencer was busy rolling her eyes as a car horn sounded from outside. "That's Em. I've got to go!" She jumped up, intending to make a break for it. Veronica wasn't quite as oblivious to the younger girl's presence though.
"Spencer! Finish your breakfast. Emily can come in and wait." She was already at the back door before Spencer could put up a fight. A few moments later she was shepherding Emily into the kitchen.

"No, really Mrs. Hastings. I've already eaten, but thank you." Spencer shot her best friend an apologetic look as she joined her at the breakfast table. Emily had made a point of texting earlier to tell Spencer she wanted to head straight to school for an early session in the pool. Spencer had field hockey practice, which was why they were both going in so early. It was barely 6 am.

The other girl seemed nervous and on edge. She kept glancing around, as though expecting something catastrophic to happen. "Everything okay Em?" Emily was usually nervous around Spencer's parents, but never to this extreme.
"What? Oh, yeah. I'm fine. Are you nearly done?"
"Going as fast as I can…" Spencer mumbled through a mouthful of cornflakes.

Just at that moment, Paige walked into the kitchen. She was rubbing her eyes and yawning, still wearing the over-sized shirt she'd gone to bed in. "Oh. Hey." She stopped when she saw Emily sitting at the table. The other girl couldn't even look at her.
"Hey… Spence, are we ready to go?"

"Actually, Em. If you're not in a hurry, could I have a quick word?" Paige indicated the living room behind her. The same living room they'd shared a kiss in the evening before.
"We're running late." She got to her feet, all but dragging Spencer up along with her. "Um, but the Sharks have practice after school. Feel free to stop by... Coach still really wants to meet you."
"Sure. Will do."

"Okay, so what the hell was that?" Spencer demanded once they were sitting in Emily's car.
"What? I… I don't know what you mean." Emily played dumb, trying to playoff the awkward vibes that had been playing out between her and Paige.
"With Melissa and Paige! Melissa's been home less than a day and they're already BFFs!" Spencer threw her hands up in frustration; while Emily let out a sigh of relief.

"Oh. That. I dunno." She shrugged. "Melissa was older, it stands to reason she'd remember Paige more."
"I can barely get Paige to come for a coffee with me, and she's going to the club with Melissa?"
"I don't know." Emily huffed out. "Why don't you just ask Paige about it? It's not like we're exactly close."
"Jeez, alright! Someone rolled out of bed on the wrong side this morning."

"Out!"
"That was in!"
"It was out by a mile!"
"What are you, blind?"

"Okay, okay." Melissa held her hands up in mock surrender. "Let's call it a draw and go get some food." The older girl finally relented. It was late morning and they'd already played five games.
"Agreed." Paige laughed, wiping at the sweat from her brow. Being out of the pool for so long had left her a little out of shape. Her muscles ached in the way they always did after a good work out. Melissa was tough competition; though neither of them had held back.

Paige was still catching her breath as they took a seat on the veranda overlooking the courts. An attractive redhead offered Paige a sheepish smile as she handed over the menus. Paige returned it, letting her eyes linger on the girl's retreating backside long enough to let Melissa catch her. "What?" The younger girl did her best to try and feign innocence as Melissa shot her a scrutinizing look.

"Relax, Paige. You're not the only one in this family who's been there… I have been to college." She wore a smug look as Paige sat opposite her with her mouth hanging open in surprise. "And that stays between you and me! Mom and Spencer never find out."
"Got it."

"So… Are you seeing anyone? You know, Emily's gay..." Melissa shot her a devilish smile as Paige's cheeks reddened.
"Yeah, I know… and yes. I'm seeing someone. Her name's Shana. She's… she's great." Paige answered, sounding less than enthusiastic about it.
"She sounds it."

"She is. Really… I don't deserve her." Paige shook her head, rubbing awkwardly on the back of her neck. "I kissed Emily last night!" The words came rushing out of her mouth in a blur. They'd been eating away at her all night and day and she just had to tell someone. She didn't think Spencer would approve, so Melissa was the next logical choice. "Well, she kissed me and I kissed her back."

"Wow. You move quick." Melissa applauded, meaning it as a compliment.
"Yeah, well Emily might agree with you there. She barely even looked at me this morning." Paige huffed. She rubbed absently at the stitches above her eye.

"She did invite you to her swim practice this afternoon. That's something."
"Maybe." Shrugged Paige. It wasn't a lot to pin her hopes on - not that she even had any right to hope for anything to happen between her and Emily while she was still with Shana - but it was still something.

"You okay, Em? You're quiet today." Hanna probed as she, Emily and Aria were sat around their usual lunch table. Spencer was at Debate Club, so it was just the three of them.
"Huh?" Emily looked up from stirring her pudding, a faraway look on her face. "Were you talking to me?"
"Uh, yeah." Hanna gave her an exasperated look. "Seriously, what's up with you today?"

"Yeah, Em." Aria piped up from the other side of her. "Han's right, you've been out of it all morning. Is everything okay?"
"Did you and Samara have a fight or something?"
"What? No! No, we're fine." Emily answered defensively. "Samara's great… She's fantastic."
"Okay, well, that's good then." Aria shot Hanna a skeptical look across the table. Emily was too distracted by her own thoughts to even notice.

The swimmer had been in a world of her own for most of the day. Her mind kept wandering back to the night before when she had kissed Paige. She still couldn't believe she'd done it. Being around the other girl was just so damn easy, though. One second they'd been chatting about nothing, the next Paige had been complimenting her. It was a lame excuse, but it had been a while since anyone had told Emily she was stunning. The last person had been…

"I need to go to the bathroom." Emily stood abruptly, almost knocking her chair over in the process. Tears were welling in her eyes and she didn't want her friends to see that she was upset. She practically sprinted to the bathroom, panting for breath as she finally locked herself into a cubicle and fell back against the door.

Her lungs were burning and her eyes were stinging. Even after a few minutes, her breath was still coming in short rasps. She was having a panic attack. It wasn't her first, but it was the first in a long while. They'd started after the death of her first girlfriend. Maya hadn't died in any tragic accident, though. She'd been murdered. Emily was still having trouble dealing with it.

Eighteen months after the fact, Emily was still going to therapy to try and process it. She had only been with Samara a few months, and it had taken a lot for the blond to convince Emily to even try dating again. Samara was nice enough, and she had helped Emily come a long way in her grief, but she wasn't Maya. She didn't give her butterflies the same way Maya had. The same way Paige did…

"Em? You in here?" Hanna called out, knocking on one of the stalls. "Something's wrong and I'm not leaving until you tell me what it is… Emily!" Knowing that the blond meant what she said, Emily undid the lock of the stall she was cowering in. She emerged slowly, her eyes redraw and little sobs still wracking her body.

"Sweetie…" Hanna sighed, throwing her arms around her best friend. "What's wrong? Talk to me Em. I can't help if I don't know what's going on with you. Is it something to do with Samara?" Emily shook her head, her cheeks wet with silently falling tears as she buried her face into the crook of Hanna's neck. "Has… has somebody done something to you? You were with Paige last night, right? Did Paige do something?"

Hanna was instantly on the defensive. She liked Paige and all, but if the other girl had done anything to upset Emily then she would be more than willing to take on Spencer's sister. "Yes…" Emily croaked out, the tears welling up again. She fell silent again as she choked back a sob. Hanna was uncharacteristically patient as she stood waiting for Emily to continue, quietly rubbing her hand across her friend's back in a soothing motion.

The blond had just about reached her limit by the time Emily finally spoke up again. Her voice was low and shaky as she made her admission, "She, she didn't do anything though…I did... I kissed Paige."