Thank you all so much for your reviews! I hope you enjoy this chapter, this one is a lot more about the Emison reunion. I have been trying to tie this in to the actual events of the TV show as well, so please let me know what you think! This will definitely be a slow burn fanfic, so don't expect too much smut haha. This is my longest chapter yet, so enjoy and keep leaving your reviews and comments!

Chapter 5

Emily

I started my car quickly, the time reading 5:21 PM. The day seemed to be endless; I landed around noon and since then had managed to run into Spencer, smash my phone, and try to kiss Alison. What a time it's been back in Rosewood.

I backed out of my driveway and began to head down the road, turning onto her street. I knew the fastest way to the hospital would require passing Alison's house, but I didn't mind. It's not like she was waiting for me to show up and kiss her again. I shuddered at that thought, still mortified that I pulled such an idiotic stunt like that. The soft kiss I placed on Alison's lips today was desperate and filled with longing. It reminded me of the timid kiss she placed on my lips many years ago.

Hanna's dad was about to get married to another woman, the look of fear evident on Hanna's face as they got ready. For the most part, neither one of us said anything, quietly trying to ignore the task Hanna had to do in order to appease A. When we were finally ready, we headed out to our cars.

"I'll meet you there?" I said, giving her a reassuring smile.

"Yeah," was all she could manage to say, stepping inside the silver car and driving away. I began to follow her to the church when suddenly, my GPS started to give me different instructions. Looking around, I couldn't see Hanna's car anymore, my heart starting to race. I glanced in my rear-view mirror and gasped, a small doll that resembled me sitting in the middle of the back seat. I pulled over and picked up the doll, pulling a small string that hung from it's back.

"Follow the GPS!" It said in a sing-songy voice. Shivers ran down my spine as I threw the doll into the back seat of the car and kept driving. I knew this was A, but also knew I didn't have a choice.

I followed the directions all the way to was looked like an old, abandoned barn. My nerves were shot as I put the car in park and stepped outside, the smell of fresh air filling my lungs. As I stepped closer, I could see the large barn door had been pulled to the side, revealing a small black car. I recognized it immediately, my voice cracking as I called out.

"Dr. Sullivan…?" She had been missing for weeks, and maybe A was ready to give her back with a new story to tell. I kept walking towards the barn, the sound of a running engine becoming loud and clear the closer I got. Finally, I stepped inside the barn to find the black car running. I went to peer in the driver side window when a loud slam echoed in my ears, the barn becoming dark. I turned to find the car empty and the door shut.

Panic took over my body as I ran to the door, trying to pry it open with all my strength, but it was no use. The car kept running and all of its doors were locked, the carbon monoxide slowly starting to fill the air. I began to cough, my head spinning and my chest tightening, when suddenly the world went black.

When I opened my eyes all I could see was the blue sky and the tops of the trees. The clouds were rolling over me slowly, the air clear, my head pounding. I blinked a few times before I saw her, a beautiful blonde leaning over me. I almost fainted again out of shock. She smiled down at me, her eyes glistening in the sun, her hand stroking my hair. I tried to sit up, but couldn't my strength entirely depleted.

"It's okay, you're with me now," Alison whispered, the sun peaking through the trees as she spoke.

"Alison…?" It couldn't be real. I had to be dreaming. But I could feel my head on her lap, her fingers running through my hair softly.

"It's so good to see you Emily… I think I missed you the most," she said, her mouth pulled up in a soft smile. "I never told you this, but you were always my favorite." I studied her face, my brows knit as I tried to figure her out. I was used to the Alison that was always playing with my emotions, always deceiving me. "Nobody loved me as much as you did." The past tense in her voice made my heart break all over again, thinking that what we had was really in the past.

"Is this what dying is?" My mind was racing. I couldn't stop the questions. "Do you know who A is?"

"Of course I do," she stated, her eyes locked with mine.

"You have to tell me who it is," I responded, getting my voice back fully now.

"I don't think that's a good idea…" she said, hesitation in her words. I knew she was worried, scared even, and I just wanted to wrap my arms around her. My body was too weak to respond.

"Why not?" I pleaded, wishing we could put an end to this entire mess.

"Because two can only keep a secret if one of them is dead." Her words sent shivers down my spine. I knew what those words meant. It meant that the girl leaning over my frail body was alive, even if no one would believe me.

"Sweet Emily…" she murmured, her eyes starting to flutter closed. I got nervous, afraid that if this was a dream, I was about to wake up. But before I could get lost in my thoughts, I watched her lean farther down and place a soft, emotion-filled kiss on my lips. It was over before I got the chance to kiss her back, my mind racing. I felt it, the desperation, the sadness. The kiss was so brief and so soft, but it made me think of all the times I had spent with her, all the kisses we shared, all the love I had for her. Before I knew it, I was slipping back into the darkness, her eyes locked with mine until everything went black.

I blinked quickly, rushing myself back to reality. When I finally did pass her house, I slowed down. Something was off. I rolled down my window to get a better look at the wreckage that lay in front of me.

Alison's house had a large, double-front door that was made of a dark, mahogany wood. The left door was wide open, while the right door was still shut. Looking closely, I could see the left door was missing a door knob and the right door was slightly scratched and dented. And when I thought things couldn't get worse, I started to scan her yard. Picture frames, books, and pieces of clothing lined her freshly-cut grass, and were strewn about in such a haphazard way. Broken glass and ripped photos scattered the walkway, and just inside the open left door sat a frail blonde girl I knew all too well. She was curled up, hugging her knees to her chest with her head in between them, the door still wide open as if she made no effort to close it. My heart felt just as broken as the dozens of picture frames in Alison's front yard.

I pulled over to the side of the road as fast as I could, jamming the car in park and sprinting towards her house. I tiptoed across her lawn, trying to avoid the glass daggers that stuck up from the grass, my heart racing. I was in full panic mode. Had she been attacked? Robbed? Did someone try to kidnap her? Kill her? All I could think of was the torturous times of A, which made me panic even more.

I finally made it to her door, and while she had to have heard me coming, she didn't move. She was rocking slightly, still curled up in a ball. Now that I was closer, I could see that, besides her underwear, she was only wearing an oversized, gray t-shirt. I didn't have time to analyze now, I had to help her. I stooped down and wrapped my right arm around her back, placing my left hand on her knee.

"Hey, Alison, what's wrong? Are you ok?" I was flustered and couldn't find the words to say to her. "What happened?" She stopped rocking, her body going rigid under my touch. She slowly lifted her head to look at me, her cheeks stained from tears and her eyes bloodshot and puffy. I didn't pull away, even if she wanted me to. Instead I pulled her closer, sitting down beside her and wrapping both arms around her. I could feel her relax in my arms as she started to shake, and I knew she was crying.

We sat like that for a long time. I didn't say a word, just letting her cry as I held her. I did everything I could to calm her down; I stroked her hair, held her as tight as I could, rubbed her back. All of the things that used to put her at ease had no effect. Whatever had happened was something neither of us had dealt with before.

When she finally stopped sobbing into my chest, I let her go, trying to get her to look at me. She had yet to speak. Alison didn't raise her head, and once again I felt my heart racing in my chest. Something was really wrong. So I stood up and looked at the door. The doorknob had fallen off entirely and the deadbolt had cut into the wood on the right door, leaving gnarly dents. The left door couldn't latch, so I took off my shoes and used them to hold the door closed. Alison hadn't moved. After the door had been semi-closed, I reached down and wrapped my arms around her once more, lifting her off the ground this time and walking her over to the couch. As I was about to set her down, I saw a ripped blue dress, one of her favorites, laying on the floor. A thousand thoughts ran through my mind. Alison had wrapped her arms around my neck and all I could hear was a faint but definite no, so I kept walking until we were in her childhood bedroom on the second floor. It was our safe place many years ago. I laid her in bed and stood up, preparing to leave. I didn't know what else to do.

"Emily, wait…" Ali mumbled, her voice cracked and strained. I didn't know what had happened, but I knew I couldn't leave her. "Please don't leave me…" I smiled a bit as she read my mind, walking back to her bed and sitting beside her.

"Do you want to tell me what happened?" I asked softly, pulling her hand into my own. She shook her head in response, squeezing my hand lightly.

"N-not yet… I just n-need to sleep first…" I saw a quick look of panic cross her face before she continued, "Will you stay w-with me until I wake up?" I traced the back of her hand with my thumb, smiling down at her.

"Of course, I'll be right here when you wake up. But you will have to tell me what happened so we can fix this mess," I said, letting go of her hand. She nodded solemnly as she closed her eyes, completely worn out from all the tears she had shed. I stood, pulling the blankets over the frail girl laying there. I debated sitting on the foot of the bed, but she looked so scared and fragile… so instead, I crawled across her bed and lay beside her, wrapping my arms around her and pulling her to my chest. I felt Alison relax as I held her, her breathing slowing down. It was nice to know that after all these years, she still felt safe in my arms. As she cuddled closer to my side, I started to drift off too, that warm vanilla scent that I loved so much putting me right to sleep.

Alison

My eyes fluttered open, the curtains doing a horrible job of keeping the sun at bay. Everything felt… different. When I looked around, I saw the same pink, Eiffel Tower comforter, and the small things that lined my dresser reminded me of high school. I was about to get up when I felt her, the brunette mermaid that was holding me to her chest. The scent of chlorine clung to the swim t-shirt I had thrown on, reminding me of the days I would sneak off to watch Emily swim. Her head was laying on my shoulder, her deep brown hair falling over her face and spilling onto my arms. She had her arms wrapped protectively around my waist, something she used to do every night. I knew this was a bad idea, letting Emily hold me like this while I wore nothing but my underwear and one of her old shirts, but I couldn't convince myself to move away from her. She seemed so calm, so comfortable, and I didn't want to let this moment go. It still hurt, knowing that she had walked away from me three years ago, but laying in her arms felt safe, something I haven't felt in a long time. My train of thought was shattered when I felt Emily start to squirm behind me, her arms stretching forward and her head leaning back. I slowly turned over on my side to face her.

"Well, I'm glad I can actually see your eyes this time," Emily croaked, her throat dry from the long nap we just took. I smiled slightly, almost forgetting about the large bruise starting to form on my side. A slight chuckle made me cringe in pain.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Emily looked at me full of concern, her hand reaching up and pushing my hair out of my face. I didn't have the energy to stop her, so instead I just sat up on the bed, leaning against the headboard.

"A lot of things," I mumbled, pulling the comforter over my bare legs. Emily sat up next to me, looking down at the small Eiffel Towers that lined the pink fabric.

"Well, why don't you start with what happened last night… and please, don't sugar coat it," Emily said, her voice quiet. I was well beyond the point in my life where I felt I had to lie to her. What did I have to lose?

"I uh… I was dating this guy. Jacob. And, to be entirely honest, I didn't love him. I tried really hard to make myself believe that I did. He was so nice and our relationship was so easy, and I wanted some stability in my life. After a year of dating, I finally started to admit to myself that I wasn't happy and I was just settling for something I didn't want. So last night, I had worked up the nerve to tell him that. It just… didn't go so well," I stammered, trying to get the words out quickly. I saw her brow knit on her forehead as it always did when she was thinking or angry. I decided to keep talking, hoping I could get through this story before the tears started to fall.

"I told him I wanted to see other people and he lost it. I had seen some of his anger before, but it seemed like a competitive anger. This time was different. He started screaming at me, ripped my dress and threw me on the couch. He was gonna… he…" I couldn't stop the silent tears that started to fall down my cheeks. Just thinking about it made me want to throw up. Emily pulled my hand into hers, intertwining our fingers and rubbing her thumb across the top of my hand. It gave me enough strength to keep talking.

"He held me against the wall, and he was pushing me so hard it… left this," I said, using my free hand to pull up my shirt and show her the big blue and black bruise that spread across my side and stomach. Fire burned in Emily's eyes.

"When he threw me on the couch, I had just enough time to kick him away. I locked myself in the basement until he left. I guess in between then he started to smash things and break the door. Honestly, I don't remember that much of what happened after I got away… it's all a blur. I let myself out of the basement, saw all the brokenness, and just… sat there. I couldn't bring myself to clean it, everything just felt… broken," I said, her hand still firmly gripping mine. Emily couldn't even look at me, her eyes filled with anger and sadness. I sighed, pulling my hand away and bringing my knees to my chest. The blanket fell down my legs but I didn't care.

"Ali, I…" She was fuming, my nickname rolling smoothly off her tongue. "You didn't deserve this… any of it. I'm sorry… not just for Jacob. I'm sorry for ever letting you go," I could hear the sadness dripping from her lips. She met my eyes now, and I could see the tears building up. I had so many questions, but I decided to start with just one.

"How's California?" I smiled at her lightly, which made her chuckle in response.

"I'm surprised, I thought you'd have more to say to me."

"Oh I do, trust me, but I'm not ready to talk about it just yet." She sighed, shaking her head and smiling slightly. I loved that smile. The way she could softly smile without showing her teeth was always something I loved to see.

"Well, it's been okay. The weather is much better there and the coaching has been fun, but it hasn't… felt like home." I nodded, still hugging my knees and looking down. I couldn't find the words, so I settled for something pretty mundane.

"I know the feeling." We sat in silence for a few minutes before another question popped into my mind, and I was too worn out to hold it back.

"What did I do wrong?" My question came out as barely a whisper, but it caught Emily's attention. I saw her flinch when I finished.

"Nothing, Ali, nothing. I… it was all me. When we lost the twins, something inside me broke. Being in Rosewood reminded me off everyone I had lost… my dad, Maya, the twins… and it just made me sick," she said, turning her body to face me now. I looked at her, tears stinging the back of my eyes. I couldn't cry anymore, not to her. I had to keep my walls up. She sounded as if she was pleading, begging for me to believe her. "Not only was I depressed for those six months, I was psyching myself out. I had put myself back in the mindset of my 16 year old self, thinking that without the twins, you would leave me. I was paranoid. Part of me didn't want to get hurt, but another part of me didn't want to drag you down with me. So I left, thinking it would be easier… but it wasn't." I pulled the covers back over my legs, laying on my side to watch her as she spoke. My whole body hurt after all that had happened in the past 24 hours, but I kept my eyes open, needing to hear her out.

"Alison, I know I can't make you understand or make you believe me, but I promise you, leaving that day was the worst decision I've ever made. I was a train wreck, and I know that nothing I say will make it right or justify what I did. I just thought you should know." I looked at her, my head propped up by my hand.

"So you ran away," I said matter-of-factly, trying to understand. I saw her flinch again.

"Yeah, I ran away. I'm so, so sorry Ali. I can never fully explain why I did it, but my life hasn't been any better for it." She was begging again, a silent tear sliding down her face.

"I know what it's like, to run away. It's lonely. The only difference is, you ran away and found a job at a top tier college and a new girlfriend. If you regretted it so much, why didn't you come back?" My voice was cracking and broken, and I knew my emotions were getting the best of me.

"I didn't want to hurt you any more than I already had… when I had finally been able to get past losing the twins a few months after I moved to California, I thought about coming back, I did. But then I thought about having to face you again, having to tell you why I left, all of it, and I knew it would hurt more. I just… I couldn't let me be the cause of any more pain." She was being genuine and telling me the truth. Not that she ever really lied to me. I was the one to do that. But it meant more, knowing that she had nothing to hide.

"Ok," was all I could say.

"Ok what?"

"Ok, I believe you. I tried to stay strong after we lost the twins, and I know what it's like, trying not to hurt the people you love most. I get it. That doesn't mean…"

"I know, I know. I have a lot of work to do," she said, reading my mind and cutting me off. I smiled, shaking my head.

"Can we just take another nap and talk more tomorrow? I'm so tired I can't see straight," I laughed, immediately regretting it as pain shot through my side.

"Yeah, of course… and you want me to stay?" I rolled my eyes in amusement. Her carefulness was sweet and entertaining at the same time.

"Yes, please." I patted the bed next to me, signaling her to lay back down. She didn't complain, laying down beside me and just looking back into my eyes.

"You know, I was wondering where that shirt went," she mused, laughing slightly. "It looks good on you." I smiled, her hand reaching up and wiping hair out of my face. I scooted closer to her, cuddling up against her chest and letting her wrap her arms around me. I rested my head on her shoulder, my eyes starting to drift close and my breathing starting to slow again.

"Thank you," Emily whispered as she kissed the top of my head.

"For what?" I mumbled, my eyes still closed.

"For letting me back in."