Hey guys! I'm so sorry for the delay. I realize it's been nearly two months since my last chapter, but I had a bit of writers block and a very busy schedule. However, I'm back with a long chapter for you full of action. These next few chapters will be coming out more regularly, so please keep leaving reviews and reading. I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 7

Emily

Shit. As much as I needed to fully clear the air with her, I really wasn't ready to have this conversation. Knowing Alison, she would have a neatly outlined list of exactly what she wanted to know and what she should limit herself to. This is all new territory for us… the only times we have had a serious conversation like this was when Ali came back from New York alive after faking her death for two years.

I sat up, leaning against the armrest behind me as Alison lifted my legs onto her lap. I gave her a dopey smile when I finally got comfortable.

"I uh, assume you already have a list?" The shock on her face was evident.

"Wow, you really do know me… yeah okay, maybe I have a list. But can you blame me?" Her tone was still playful, which made it easier… for now.

"No, of course not. Do you mind telling me what time it is? My phone is still sitting in a trashcan on the curb," I chuckled.

"It's 1:30 PM. Why, did you have plans?" She said in an almost mocking tone. I stared her dead in the eye.

"Yeah, visiting my mom?" She choked on the drink of water she just took, leaning over to keep it in her mouth.

"Wow, I'm a bitch. I'm sorry, with everything going on I totally spaced…" I laughed lightly to reassure her.

"I know, I'm kidding. But seriously, I do have to visit her today. I was going to go last night but… y'know. I'm pretty sure visiting hours are from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM for her, so we have time."

"Okay," she said softly, taking a big breath to calm her apparent nerves. I pulled my feet off of her lap and curled them up in front of my chest, waiting for her first question. "Can you just lay out for me why you decided to leave? I know you kind of explained it earlier but I…" I cut her off, not needed for her to defend herself.

"Hey, I get it. I am not judging you at all, in fact I have no right to. All those years ago, when you left me in high school, I was furious at you. I always told myself that, if I were in that situation, I would have made a different choice; I wouldn't have abandoned you. But when it came down to it, I was a coward. In all honesty, I was extremely depressed after you miscarried the twins. Even getting off the couch was a challenge during those days, and soon enough I had lost my job at the school. I felt like my life was falling to pieces, and because I was so blinded by my own sadness, I didn't even bother to be there for you. I was selfish, and when I started to realize that I was ruining your life, I left, thinking I was doing you a favor. I realized very quickly afterwards that I had hurt both of us, but didn't want to bring another storm into your life just a few months later by coming back to Rosewood. Alison, I'm sorry. I know that doesn't mean much now, but you have to know that I didn't mean to hurt you and I mean it, from the bottom of my heart." Her jaw slacked open as I finished my long response, a few moments of silence passing before she could speak.

"Well, you just answered questions one through three. What a time saver you are, Emily Fields." She gave me a small smirk before continuing. "Next on the list… what about Paige? You're here with me and you haven't said one thing about your girlfriend. I don't want to cause another break-up between you two."

"No no no, Alison, you are not causing any issues between us right now. I mean yeah, the feelings I have for you are causing some issues, but it's not your fault. Paige knows that I haven't talked to you in three years, but she doesn't know the full reason that I left. I never told her. In fact, Paige and I have had the easiest relationship because we never talk about things. I was actually planning on breaking up with her, but instead of doing that, I smashed my phone. That conversation you overheard was me trying to convince her not to come to Rosewood. Honestly, the real reason I haven't said anything about her is because I don't plan on staying with her."

"Is that because of us actually getting along?" She asked, a small smile playing on her lips. I know she secretly loved the idea of being the better girlfriend than Paige.

"Partially. Just being back here, seeing you… it's made me realize that I've been using Paige as a distraction from my real feelings. I can't do that to her. Like I said, I smashed my phone because I'm tired of letting people down… first you, and now Paige." Alison reached over and rested her hand on my knee, giving me a reassuring smile as she looked back down at her phone.

"Do you…" she started, a slight tremor to her voice. "Do you still have feelings for me?" The question rang in my ears as I cracked a smile.

"Of course I do. I just wasn't going to say it because I was afraid I'd scare you away," I said softly.

"Are you kidding? You smashed your phone right in front of me and I didn't run for the hills. I'd be lying if I said I didn't have feelings for you, too, but I don't want to rush into anything…"

"Yes, I'm totally on the same page. Listen, even if we have to be just friends, I'm okay with that. I mean, that's not my idea for the long haul but… I just want to be around you again. I've missed you so much, and I will be in Rosewood for the next two months, so we might as well be friends, right?" My sentences were not flowing as smoothly as they did for her first few questions. Alison laughed a little bit before she continued.

"Emily, it's okay, I get it." Her hand hadn't moved from my knee. "I think that's all I have for you. Thank you, Ms. Fields, no further questions," she said in a formal tone, her dimples showing as she tried to hide a smile.

"Are you serious? I really thought I was going to get grilled for way longer." She shrugged.

"You sounded genuine and remorseful, which is enough for me. After all those years of A, I've learned to forgive a little easier. Besides, I don't want to keep you from visiting your mom… again." Her fingers were tracing patterns on my knee, the soft touch sending electricity through me.

"Well in that case, I'd better head home to shower and get into some clean clothes. Oh, and I should probably get that new phone I've been talking about. So when a new number texts you tonight, don't freak out, it's just me." I smiled at her, glad we could finally make jokes about the infamous A.

"Okay, I'll be waiting for it," she said, standing up and holding out her hand. I took it, allowing her to help me up, and headed for the door. I slipped my shoes and jacket back on and turned around to give her a tight hug.

"Seriously, I'll text you later," I said, pulling away and smiling.

"I got it, Em." She gave me a soft kiss on the cheek before I headed out the newly fixed door and bounded towards my car, my heart soaring.

x-x-x-x

I stood under the hot water in my shower for at least 30 minutes, my mind racing. I wanted to get that new phone before I went to the hospital, because now that we had been back together, I didn't want to be walking around without a way to talk to Alison. It was back, that feeling of desperation for her. When she first came back to Rosewood after her disappearance, the same thing happened.

"Has anyone heard from Alison?" I said sharply as I sat down on the couch at the Brew. The girls looked back at me, confused.

"Em, she doesn't want to talk to us right now. She'll reach out when she's ready," Aria chimed in, her voice steady. I didn't understand why everyone was so calm when Alison was sitting alone at home, hiding from A and from the press. Someone should be there with her.

"Do you hear yourself, Aria? We dragged her back here, convinced her it was safe, and now it's happening all over again. Someone has to go talk to her." Everyone stared at me, their hurt looks not getting past my angry exterior.

"We have to give her time to process this, Emily. She just lost her mom and A is back… I don't think there's any easy way to handle this," Spencer whispered, trying to keep her voice level. While they wouldn't admit it, I knew the other girls were just as scared of this new A.

"Listen, I get it, she has to process or whatever. But shouldn't we atleast call her? Leave her a message? Anything?" The desperation bled through my voice with such force I thought tears were going to come next. I missed her, I was worried about her, and I didn't want to let her slip through my fingers again.

"Em, c'mon…" Hanna stuttered as she wrapped her arms around me. "I know you're worried about her, but she's safe now. There are officers stationed at her doors and her dad won't let her out of his sight. Just relax and wait it out… sometimes all people need is a little bit of space." Space was the last thing I wanted from Alison right now. In fact, I didn't want to let her walk away from me at all. But I knew they were right. So I settled for a text, because the silent treatment wasn't my strong suit.

'Hey Ali, I know you probably need your space right now, but I just wanted you to know that I miss you and am always here for you. x Em'

She didn't respond for a few hours, but later that night, I got her short reply.

'I miss you too, Em. Can you come over?'

That was all I needed. So at 1:15 AM, I hopped on my bike and sped to her house, not thinking twice.

It had always been that way between us. I was always so desperate for her love and she was all too willing to drop me and pick me back up when it was convenient. But things changed after A kidnapped us. She became the desperate one, always wanting to check in on me and make sure I was okay. She always stopped by the house with food, left voicemails on my phone, and texted me every night. It felt good to finally be wanted by Alison. And now, after being the one to drop her and swoop in to pick her back up, I knew I had to chase after her again. I couldn't let her slip away from me, even if it was by accident. We had been through too much together, and all I wanted was to go back to the day where neither of us had to chase, because we both wanted each other.

After a crazy past 24 hours, I was back in my car. I checked the clock, a normal routine, and read 3:04 PM. Perfect. I had enough time to run to the store and get my new phone before I went to visit my mom.

At the store, I floated over to the new iPhone section, looking at the newest model. The iPhone X was gorgeous, and I couldn't help myself. So I walked up to the front counter and pulled out my wallet, hoping to get this done as fast as possible.

"How can I help you, miss?" The lanky man behind the counter said. He didn't look a day over 25 and had the smallest glasses I had ever seen.

"I just needed to purchase and set up a new iPhone X," I said, pulling out my debit card. The man pulled out a few different phones, motioning for me to pick a color. I went with the classic space grey.

"Okay, that will be one thousand and eighteen dollars, ma'am." My eyes widened at the price, but of course, I handed my card over anyway. After we finished the transaction, I ran to my car and pulled the shiny new phone out of the box, powering it on only to realize I would need WiFi to get all of my data back. I sighed, putting my car in drive and heading towards the hospital.

It didn't take long in the store, so when I finally arrived at the hospital, I still had 25 minutes to spare before they even let me in to see my mother. So I turned off the car quickly and headed up to the waiting room, my new phone practically burning a hole in my pocket. I went straight up to the third floor where my mother was, walking briskly to the front desk in the waiting area.

"Hi, I'm here to see Pam Fields," I said, my hand in my pocket resting on top of the new phone. I just wanted data so I could text Alison. Why was that so hard?

"Ok, visiting hours don't start for another 20 minutes for her unit considering the condition she's in. You'll only have about 30 minutes," The woman said, her fingers moving like lightning on the keyboard. My heart sank.

"Why is there a time restriction?"

"Typically patients who are suffering from brain damage can be much more irritable and need a lot more rest. I'm assuming you're the daughter?"

"Yes, I am," I said, trying to keep my voice from shaking.

"Well, we are trying to make your mother stable enough to release her. As of right now, it looks like she can be at home by the end of the week. However, she can't do anything on her own. The stroke was caused by a tumor in her brain, leaving permanent brain damage. This tumor is growing very rapidly, and looks to be terminal. We can go over the details after the visit, if that would be better for you, ma'am." I was staring at the floor, unsure what to say.

"I uh, yeah, that would be better… is there anything I should know before I go in?" I stammered, trying to calm myself down.

"Well, part of the brain damage your mother suffered is affecting her speech and understanding. When you talk, it may take her a little while to fully understand what you are saying, and she won't be able to respond very well. Like I said, this can make her very frustrated so just be patient with her. Other than that, your mother hasn't experienced any personality changes, so she is still herself. Remember that, okay Emily?" I was taken aback by her kindness, smiling at her.

"Thanks. I'll be back in fifteen minutes when the visiting hours start," I told her, walking over to take a seat. I finally took out my new phone and turned it on, joining the free hospital WiFi and logging in to my account. I started downloading my data while waiting, and just as my phone finished, the woman at the front desk motioned me over.

"You can go see her now."

Alison

I couldn't stop smiling after Emily left. It felt unreal, being able to feel safe around her again. It was all I had wanted for the past three years and the time had finally come. I decided to take a shower as well, in the event that I saw Emily again soon. Was it too early to want her to stay at my house again? I showered quickly, thinking about what I could possibly say to Spencer. How could I explain that Jacob had attacked me and the only person I wanted to comfort me was Emily? I wanted to push back that conversation as far as I could. I was about to settle back in on the couch when my phone started to ring. I ran over to the kitchen counter, hoping to see Emily's name pop up on the caller ID. However, the name that I really saw was much more surprising.

"Uh… hello?" I stammered, hoping I didn't sound as nervous as I was feeling.

"Hey Alison! It's been a while since we've talked, huh?" Her voice was light and fun, just as it always was. I missed that voice, but I was too nervous to have fun in the moment. I knew why she was calling.

"What's up Hanna?"

"Well, as you know, Emily's back in Rosewood… and I just felt like I should check in! I'm your friend too, y'know," she said joyfully, making me smile a bit.

"Thanks, Han. I'm doing great, actually. Emily and I have already… run into each other. We're working things out," I mumbled.

"Working things out? What does that mean, you guys are back together or something?" I could hear her smiling through the phone as she said it.

"No, of course we're not! This is the first time in three years that I've seen her, and there's still so many questions. Besides, we have to get back to the friend stage first before we jump back in…"

"But you do want to get back with her at some point, don't you?" I smiled because I knew she was right.

"I mean, eventually…" Hanna chuckled on the other end.

"I knew it. And by the way, Ali? Emily means what she says. You have every reason not to believe her. Hell, if I was in your position, I wouldn't even look in her direction. But I've been talking to her almost every day for the past three years and I know for a fact that she still loves you," she said, the butterflies in my stomach coming to life. "Oh, and by the way, we need to meet for coffee! I'm on my way to Rosewood right now to stay with Emily while she's in town, just to keep her company and catch up. The five of us need to get coffee! I miss my A gang." I laughed at the reference.

"Yeah, I'd love that. Emily's visiting her mom right now, but I'm going to talk to her later. Want me to pass on a message?" There was a moment of silence on Hanna's end.

"Yeah okay, maybe you can answer this then… I can't get a hold of her to save my life. What is really going on between you two?" I started laughing.

"No, nothing, she just smashed her phone yesterday. I guess her and Paige got in a fight or something, I don't really know. I just saw the glass spread across her yard. Anyway, she is supposed to be getting a new phone today, so I'll have her call you," I said, smiling again.

"That makes sense. To be entirely honest, I don't think Emily ever wanted to get back with Paige. After she left, I'm pretty sure she just needed a wall between her and her real feelings, so she brought Paige back into her life. I'm glad you two are getting along, I want Emison back," Hanna said with a laugh. My brow furrowed in confusion.

"Emison…?" I questioned.

"Yeah, your couple name! Not gonna lie, when you two started dating, me and the girls used it behind your backs all the time," she chuckled.

"Don't rush things, Han. Of course I want her back in my life, but I don't want to rush things, okay?" Her moment of silence was a good sign this time.

"Yeah, I get it. Still, we need to get the girls back together, I want to finally put this break up behind us," she said lightly. I laughed.

"I almost feel bad for making everyone split up," I said, finally going to sit on the couch in my pajamas.

"Hey, everyone is on your side here, even me. This is all Emily's doing, and trust me, she knows that. Anyway, I gotta run, but I'll be in Rosewood tomorrow. Have Em call me!" And with that, she hung up the phone.

I smiled, setting my phone back on the charger. Everything felt like it was finally falling into place. Just as I was about to take my hand off of the phone, it buzzed with a text.

Hey Ali, it's Emily. There were some complications at the hospital… can I stay with you?