A/N:I hope this isn't too much of an anticlimax. Once again, Arianna features in quite a big chunk of this chapter.

Edit: I changed a bit of Arianna's meeting with Danielle. I have come up with new plot devices, and I really want to implement those changes later on in the story, so, as of now, their past is a bit of a mystery.

Chapter 7-Playing With Fire

"Spence, you're way over the speed limit", Emily Fields casually pointed out to her best friend as they sped long the purple-tinged asphalt as if gliding on thin air. The view was spectacular around them. Emily had never been in this part of the country, she hadn't even known that Holbrook was even connected to roads that seemingly stretched to nowhere through beautifully wooded parts of the state. She was feeling a lot more relaxed right now, and the lazy smile that kept waltzing onto her lips was evidence to that.

Spencer could feel it lighting up the rapidly darkening interior of the car even without even looking.

"Calm down. I know how to get my way out of a speeding ticket", Spencer bragged, throwing a cocky smirk in Emily's direction. Emily just rolled her eyes, wondering how it was that some things never changed. Spencer was still that self-assured girl who excelled at basically everything. Confidence was so attractive. (In a totally platonic way.)

"Oh, and how do you that?", Emily scoffed, a teasing tone underlying the thick disbelief in her voice.

"I just use my feminine wiles", Spencer wiggled her eyebrows, checking that there were no cars in front of her before turning towards Emily again. She arched her eyebrows and pouted her lips. "Aren't I sexy?", she asked in a faux sultry, low voice.

Emily erupted in a bout of giggles, inexplicably amused by Spencer's antics. "What feminine wiles?", she asked, cupping her palms and holding them up near her eyes, mimicking a pair of binoculars. "I don't see any of that...or this sexiness that you speak of."

Spencer's expression became disgruntled and her bottom lip stuck out, and she turned away. "You are a heartbreaker, Emily Fields. Or perhaps you just have really horrid taste." She was thinking about Arianna, of course. Her humorous voice gave her away, and she suddenly grinned at the road as if it had shown up at her door claiming to be the elusive Santa Claus who had given her expensive gifts every Christmas.

"Says you. Would you say you were sexy if you were gay and met yourself? I think not", Emily taunted, watching the play of emotions on Spencer's face. Her features did such curious things, and Emily often felt like memorizing and studying the shifts of the planes and angles with each new sentiment. She was really getting a kick out of annoying Spencer. Oh, what she wouldn't do to see Spencer Hastings flustered and unsure of herself.

"At least I have good taste", Spencer retorted, clearly unwilling to let that thread of conversation go. "I'd totally find you sexy. No wonder all the gay girls at school threw themselves at you", she rambled on, her face imitating the Cheshire cat. When she realized just what she had said, her smile flickered a little, dimming in its brightness. Oh crap. Her subconscious was making her stumble on purpose!

Emily blushed, turning away and pulling her hair over her shoulder to hide her very noticeable reaction. The compliment made her feel giddy, and she didn't really know why. It was just Spencer. She was just being nice.

"You're acting as if I had the whole cheer-leading squad competing to get into my pants. It was only two girls. And besides, I think Aria would be more to your taste", Emily replied, mentally wincing when she thought of Maya. But she was too caught up in this war of tongues (no, not like that) with Spencer. And she was enjoying it far too much. Two could play this game.

"Aria?", Spencer was surprised at her insinuation. "What-what, why?", she frowned at Emily, forgetting the steps to the little dance they were doing.

"Oh, please. She was always your favourite." Was it Spencer's imagination, or was there a trace of bitterness in Emily's voice? No, of course not. Why would Emily be jealous? No reason at all.

Spencer turned towards the road, thrown off by the sudden change of track. She waited for Emily to continue. Which she did.

"I mean, Spence..she was always the one you called whenever you got a new..clue. And you took her with you always to hunt for evidence. And stuff." Emily didn't even know if she was being serious or not. She was staring at Spencer, gauging her reaction.

Spencer slowed down the car, taking her eyes off the road again so that she could meet Emily's questioning gaze. And then she smiled. "That's because I couldn't have taken Hanna. Really, she always insisted on wearing these absurd heels." When she noticed that Emily wasn't smiling back, she moved a hand from the steering wheel and placed it on top of Emily's. (Dangerous driving was really the last of her priorities now. Besides, she was Spencer Hastings. She could drive impeccably whilst blindfolded.)

"It's not like you didn't get a chance to be the Watson to my Sherlock sometimes", Spencer tried, coaxing a smile out of the raven-haired girl. "But, I always thought twice before taking you." A shrug punctuated this statement. "I wanted you...safe. Far away from A."

Oh. So that was how it was. Emily felt something inside her melting at the look in Spencer's eyes. It felt like a gear was falling into place. She knew that the girl in front of her had always been the protective one. Always the one looking out for the three of them, always taking all the responsibilities onto herself.

"You're the best." Three words that suddenly felt more important (and way better) to Spencer than being valedictorian or getting accepted to Yale, or even the Nobel Prize she often won in her fantasies. It meant that everything was finally alright between them. She felt the sudden urge to leap from her seat and kiss Emily. On her cheek. After taking off her seat-belt which would probably hinder her. After stopping the car. After she had driven carefully to the side of her head. Ugh, reality.

"You're doing that thing again, Spence", Emily laughed, noticing the awe-struck look on her best friend's face. "Stop, you're making me feel all self-conscious."

Spencer complied silently, turning to drive carefully like the good, proper person that she was. She couldn't (and wouldn't) erase the smile that was currently splitting her face into two, or stop the irregular thrum of her heartbeat. "I'm sorry my face is so sexy that you can't bear prolonged exposure to it", she dead-panned, eliciting another adorable giggle from the girl beside her.

"Oh yes, keep thinking that, Ms. Hastings."

The sky was turning into a dark purple, the moon had already come out donning white robes and her Blackberry kept buzzing but that same Ms. Hastings didn't have a care in the world.

At that moment, a certain brunette unlocked the door to her apartment and walked in, looking tired. Before she could throw her handbag at the same spot on the couch where she threw it every day, she woke up from her trance with a start. Something was out of place.

A familiar figure was lounging in the armchair by the window as if it belonged there.

"Hello, Danielle", a gravelly but unmistakably feminine voice drawled slowly, and Arianna Ashdown Capello rose from her seat, looking unruffled, as if she got caught breaking into stranger's houses every day. And didn't give a damn about it.

"A..? Wh-what?" Surprise coated thick on the girl's voice, obscuring the small flicker of...was it pleasure? Or disappointment? Arianna couldn't tell. She remained silent, walking to the window and watching the the lights of New York cars glinting on the road.

"How did you find my address?', Danielle demanded, pushing a wavy lock of hair behind her ear absently. She shifted with the strap of her purse, then set it down on a nearby table, softly.

"I have my ways." A cryptic reply, giving nothing away.

"And how did you get in?", Danielle continued, taking a seat on the black leather couch. There was an undertone of fear to her voice, and her eyes shifted uneasily, not landing on anything in particular, afraid to look at the dark figure in front of her.

"Like I said, I have my ways. But before I got here, I had to be sure it was..you." A sigh acted as a full stop her sentence, as Arianna turned around, her dark eyes flashing. Everything seemed to slow down as two pairs of dark eyes met, and drowned in each other. Time itself was suspended as strange emotions flooded the two figures that were frozen in silent contemplation of each other.

A blink. That was all it took to break the spell, and Arianna felt guilt rising up in her for revisiting old feelings. Emotions that had been kept under lock and key in the dusty corners of her mind (a well frequented spot, a secret indulgence). She felt like she was drowning, battling against a strong current that threatened to wipe away her placid existence.

"What do you want, A?", Danielle asked, using her initial to address the taller girl.

"You left, Dani. You didn't even say goodbye." Ari swallowed a sudden lump that had formed in her throat, a painful reminder of how much reliving the past hurt.

Dani winced, biting her lip automatically. The tragic look on her face made Ari's chest hurt, as if someone had planted hooks in her heart and was now playing tug of war with her rib-cage. "You asked me to, remember?", Danielle sighed, looking away, suddenly all emotions erased from her face.

"I didn't mean to blame you."

"Yes, yes you did. You hated me."

"I..forgave you a long time ago, Danielle", Arianna whispered, a sudden tenderness softening the lines around her mouth, dampening the fire in her eyes. "I just wanted you to know that." She also wanted to say something else, but the words got stuck in her throat, burning her from inside.

Dani looked at her, her lips slightly parted, her eyes burning with an undecipherable emotion. "I love the way you say my name." She ducked her head, looking bashful, as if she had no idea what was coming out of her mouth.

Suddenly, Ari was reminded of Emily. Her Emily. The Emily she'd left without a second thought, without an explanation. Guilt twisted her gut, and she started towards the door. She had to leave. Before she did something stupid. Before Danielle's terrible beauty bewitched her. Before those old feelings took her captive again. Before that dying, sputtering flame of first love could be rekindled.

But it was too late.

No, no. She couldn't. She had to go. Danielle had haunted her for long enough. She couldn't just waltz back into her life like that. She wouldn't let her. Not even if she was looking at her with those gorgeous brown eyes, with her wavy hair framing her heart shaped face. Not even if those lips were curved in that mischievous smile that she knew well from her dreams (and daydreams and nightmares where things always, always ended badly). She had to leave. She had to reach the door, get to the other side, and stay there. Barriers. They needed barriers. Thousands of miles. Thousands of light years.

They both moved at the same time, Danielle misinterpreting her actions (Arianna had meant to leave, but her feet pointed the wrong way). They collided clumsily, elbows knocking, wrists bending uncomfortably. It was supposed to be a hug, but somehow they ended up kissing. Their first kiss. The kiss that they'd both yearned for, the one they'd both wished for, the one they should have had eight years ago. Lips scorched each other, tongues fought the battle that had been brewing for years, and hands fumbled, touched and touched and touched.

Everything felt a thousand times better than Arianna had ever imagined.

Two skies provided the backdrop to another late-night rendezvous between two friends. The unbroken surface of a large lake provided the false ceiling, mirroring the bejeweled sky in all its glory. If one looked close enough, one could make out two heads bent together, two silhouettes sharply outlined by the moonlight, sitting atop a large rock which looked like it was about to dive head-first into the pool. (Although rocks didn't have heads and Spencer knew that this one wasn't going anywhere; she had ordered Emily to push it before climbing on top of it.)

"Spencer?", Emily Fields murmured, sounding a little sleepy and a little bit too wide awake. (What a delightful oxymoron, she was.) She fiddled with the tips of her friend's slender fingers, measuring them up against each other, then sliding her own fingers in between the gaps.

"Mhm?"

"Did you call Toby?" There was that caution again, that feeling of walking on a thin line. Emily didn't know why Spencer was keeping their friendship a secret from her fiancé. Did that mean Toby was still holding a grudge against her? That seemed highly unlikely. He just wasn't the type. Maybe it meant that Spencer was too embarrassed to acknowledge their friendship. Emily really hoped that wasn't the case. She'd truly thought that they were okay again. Better than okay. Perfect.

"Uhuh. I told him I have work so I'm sleeping over at the office", Spencer replied, sounding bored. She didn't want to talk about Toby. She didn't know why. She loved him so much (really?), she loved talking about him, she loved thinking about him. But somehow, when she was with Emily, she'd rather talk about anything else. She really didn't know why she was making such a big deal about forgiving Emily. She could just tell Toby. It's not like he would mind. In fact, he'd so much as hinted at it. But that would mean meeting Emily at her home. With Toby around. That would mean sharing her. And she kinda didn't want to do that right now. She liked meeting like this, sneaking away without telling anyone. Going places where it was just the two of them. She didn't know why, but it felt like she was discovering something new but revisiting something old at the same time.

Emily's voice broke into her excessively analytic thoughts. "He believes you? Wow. Ari would grill me for ages before she'd take any excuse I threw at her." Ugh, Arianna again. Emily needed to stop thinking about her. She needed to escape.

"Toby lets me be. He gives me my space, he practically treats me like a queen." Spencer leaned back, resting her head on the hard surface of the boulder. "He's absolutely perfect." She said it like a mantra, without any sentiment colouring her words or adding a zing to her syllables. She said it like she used to mutter those algebraic formulas under her breath, a sure key to success.

Emily sat still, watching Spencer's face, her glazed over eyes. She could tell that the pale girl was in deep contemplation, and something in her demeanour was more serious than usual. She curled up next to the shorter girl, wondering how many more surfaces her body would be introduced to via her meetings with Spencer. The covertness of their conversations was almost funny. Almost.

"Can I ask you something?", Emily hesitantly ventured, looking up at Spencer's strong jawline framed by moonlight, and the stars reflected in her eyes. She watched as the girl nodded, and then turned towards her, that familiar curiosity peeking through layers of burnt sienna. "Have you ever been attracted to anyone else? Found your mind...straying? I mean...you and Toby have been together since high school. Has there really been no one else?" Emily hoped it didn't sound like she was questioning Spencer's perfect relationship with Toby. In fact, she envied it. It was surely better than the dysfunctional one she had with Arianna. (She had to stop thinking about her. Right. Now.) "I don't mean anything by it. Just that, how does one know if it's mere attraction or something else? When you're in love with someone, yet you find yourself...", she trailed off, her thoughts ensnaring her in a labyrinth.

Spencer shifted, suddenly finding the illumination of the stars too bright, the air too thick. The questions had hit home. (But no, she shouldn't be thinking that.) She'd found these same questions laying traps for her in her own mind. They caught her unawares when she tried not to fidget uncomfortably in Toby's arms at night. They lulled her into confusing dreams and set her off on winding daydreams that often ended up at strange destinations. (But not destinations that she didn't like. Just ones she liked a little too much.) Emily's curious eyes were burning holes into her determination (her self-denial, self-control, self-induced ignorance).

"Hm. There was this one time..." Spencer recounted, smiling to herself at the memory. "Toby and I had a fight. It was just because I made a harmless remark about how he should start his own business instead of working for others." She paused, recalling how angry Toby had been. He let her boss him around on everything except his career. It was a line that she could never cross. "Well, I had a roommate, and it was during college. Her name was Chloe, and she was kind of as big as a nerd as I was. That night, she convinced me to let loose and forget about him. So we ended up finishing two bottles of Jack although we'd started off with chardonnay. And then we kind of...kissed." The last part came out in a half-whispered jumble of words that was a little difficult for the darker girl to understand.

Emily let out a strangled noise that was somewhere between a chuckle and a full-fledged gasp. "You did what?", she laughed, surprise written all over her face. She really couldn't imagine Spencer Hastings getting drunk enough to make out with a girl. Must've been some girl. She found herself wondering what she might have looked like. If she was really pretty or not. If she made Spencer laugh. If they'd been closer than Emily and Spencer were.

"It's not my fault! She was wearing very little and I was very drunk", Spencer said defensively, grinning. "Besides, she quoted Shakespeare!" As if that explained and excused everything. Emily giggled again. Oh, yes. That sounded exactly like her friend.

"At least now I know that the road to your pants is classic literature. Not that it wasn't hard to guess before", Emily joked, smirking at the thinner girl. She realized the insinuation in her words a beat too late, and looked up at the moon to avoid Spencer's eyes. (But she could still feel the side of her face warming up because of Spencer's heated gaze.)

Spencer was suddenly hyper aware of their proximity on that cold slab of rock, of the goosebumps on Emily's arms, the tickle of her midnight-black hair against Spencer's collarbone. She could probably count and list (alphabetically, of course) all of the body parts that were currently touching Emily. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't give a name to the strange symptoms that these careless brushes caused. She took the opportunity to silently watch the impassive face of the girl lying beside her. It was a familiar face, but she felt like she was an explorer, and she'd stumbled across something she had never seen before. It filled her with...this feeling. She hated not being able to define it.

"Are you saying that I'm easy?", Spencer asked, teeth sinking into lower lip, her tone playful.

"Hmm...", Emily pretended to ponder over the question, her brow furrowed as if she was making really complicated calculations. "That depends", she concluded with a sly smile.

"On what?", the brunette asked, the smile refusing to leave her lips now. Her heart raced like she had just finished playing a hockey match.

"Depends on who's seducing you, I suppose", the tanned girl replied cryptically, finally turning her head to face her friend. Their noses almost touched, and their eyes got tangled in an unblinking stare.

"And since when are you the expert on the art of seduction? Aren't you supposed to be the shy one?", Spencer teased, playing with the hem of Emily's top absently. Twisting, pulling, tugging. Running her fingertips along the seams. Hating the fabric barrier. (Wait, what?)

"There's a lot about me that you don't know, Spence", Emily whispered, her gaze canvassing Spencer's face, while her hands mapped out the lines of the brunette's arm.

"Oh, really? You know there's nothing I love more than a challenge", Spencer shot back, her eyebrows arching, her mouth twisting in a fiendish smirk. Were they flirting? Sometimes she did it without even realizing she was doing it. Like that time with Wren. Or more accurately, like those times with Wren. (And countless other men whose names she couldn't even remember.) But this was Emily. So what was she doing flirting with her best friend? (And why did it feel so...special?)

"So are you trying to say your new subject's going to be yours truly?", the taller girl asked, shifting a little, making new spots on Spencer's body bloom with a scorching heat. "I don't think I'll be able to stand so much attention."

"Now I know you're lying." Spencer grinned, walking her fingers along Emily's waist absently, studying her friend's face. "You're just dying for attention. I know it."

"Hmm...and how have you arrived at this conclusion, Hastings?", the other girl inquired, the corners of her lips lifting up of their own accord.

Spencer inched her face closer, a dangerous move. The moon was making her mental. A lunatic. She almost laughed at her thoughts, but stopped herself just in time. "I'm a quick learner, Fields", was her short reply, the intentional gaps between her words filled with concealed messages.

Emily stopped breathing, tensing for a fleeting second (a second that stretched too long, a move that was all too clear for Spencer), then relaxed, taking a deep breath to clear her clouded mind. She tried an airy voice, hoping that the slight tremor of her words would go unnoticed (but Spencer noticed everything, and the spotlight was on Emily), "I guess we'll have to see."

A/N:Ugh, so. I was facing writer's block. (Which I face 90% of the time because I'm a wannabe-writer.) And that should excuse the writing. Apologies for the delay. Updates will be less frequent from now on because school's unfortunately starting.

LaughLoveLiveXx:Aw, Dill. And Scout! ;D Emily and Arianna really do have their issues, and most of it is because Arianna isn't a very trusting person because of her past and all. Obviously, it's Spemily all the way!
I feel like Spencer's really the dependable one, and that's why her arrival is really not so surprising. She's always there for her friend(s), as always. xD

anon: Thank you so much! I hope it stays that way.

Cha:Ooh-ooh. There's more there than I can reveal, but let me tell you that what went on with Hanna and Aria is quite surprising too.
That idea of Caleb is quite interesting, actually. Maybe I'll use it in future chapters. CEO Caleb! Sounds purrfect. xD (And I would kill for Spencer's car. Really.)

spinoza-off:Okay. Your review! I can't even, with the Christie comparison. To me, Christie's like the goddess of thrillers. No one does mystery better than her (although Arthur Conan Doyle and Dan Brown are very very good too). Obviously the murders will feature in a later part of the story. I just wanted to give Arianna's weird personality an explanation.

x-sugarfree-x :Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned! ;D Emily's not a pushover anymore. More Spemily moments to come. :)

Leah: Thank you very much. x) Hope you continue to enjoy the story.