A/N: Hi again! Hope you enjoy this chapter, so sorry it took a while to get updated! Thanks again for all your support, it means so much. Next chapter will have a Hanna and Paige scene, Ali and Emily talk and more! Thanks so much for reading, you're all amazing!
Disclaimer: I do not own Pretty Little Liars or any of the characters :)
"Uh...sorry... I was..." I stuttered, struggling to find the correct words to say with Ali and the rest of the staring at me intently, clearly upset.
"You were where Emily? Spit it out!" Ali pressured me for an answer.
I glanced past Ali and looked at the other girls sitting in Ali's lounge room. Spencer looked vaguely concerned but seemed to be thinking about something more important, Aria was clearly curious waiting for my answer and Hanna looked like she couldn't care less, probably waiting till she could leave from the same door I just came in.
"I was with Paige, okay Ali!" I told her exasperated.
"Paige?!" Ali questioned me, as she made it out that even saying her name was disgusting.
"Yes actually, I was with Paige." I spoke proudly, not letting Ali ruin my happy moment, "And we're back together now." I finished with a broad smile.
Spencer stood up abruptly from her place on the couch and skipped over to hug me excitedly, "You are?! I'm so happy for you Em!"
I nodded with a smile as I accepted Spencer's supportive hug. Aria was next to speak up, "That's awesome Em, we love Paige."
"Thanks guys." I told them genuinely; even Hanna looked reasonably excited by my announcement.
"Finally!" Hanna exclaimed, "You deserve someone that loves you as much as she does." Hanna spoke with a hint of anger in her voice as she glared at Ali, clearly still mad at her.
Ali rolled her eyes, "Oh whatever, you and Paige can date its fine with me."
"Well I didn't exactly ask your permission Ali..." I replied, starting to get frustrated with her once again.
"Okay guys, that's enough." Spencer cut in, obviously sensing the tension in the air. "Ali what's your S.O.S about?"
Spencer, still standing next to me nudged me towards the couch with the rest of the girls, as we waited for Ali's response. I sat between Hanna and Spencer and was greeted by an enthusiastic hug by Hanna, something that had been relatively rare recently, so I hugged back.
"Guys, Lieutenant Tanner is after me! She doesn't believe my story and she is starting to ask me more and more questions and I'm beginning to have less and less answers." Ali spoke with worry laced in her voice.
Aria replied in an equally concerned tone, "Okay so, what do we need to do?"
"Well we need to get our stories straight so if Tanner begins to target you guys, you know what to say." Ali tells us.
"Look can I just point something out here? It IS a story that you told the police Ali. You know that right? They're eventually going to find out that it's not true." Hanna pointed out blatantly.
Spencer spoke up as well, "Hanna's right, Ali, they are going to find out eventually."
Ali teared up at their statements and began to cry, clearly really upset because she never cries. I couldn't help but feel my heart ache as I saw the girl that I once loved, in such a distraught state. I stood up and walked carefully over to sit next to Ali and begun to comfort her. As angry as I could become towards her, I could never hate her, and truthfully, sometimes that bothered me, I was worried I'd never let go completely.
"I'm just scared, that's all. I don't want to die." Ali cried out desperately into my shoulder, "Please don't let me die, I'm scared, I'm so, so scared." She continued to beg us, with tears streaming down her cheeks.
I sighed and spoke up, having had stayed quiet until now, "We won't leave you Ali, but we need you to tell us everything so we can actually help you."
The rest of the girls nodded in agreement, and Hanna added, "Yeah, no more lies Ali... please."
Ali lifted her head from my shoulder and made eye contact with each of us individually. "I promise, nothing but the truth from now on."
Aria's face, covered in sympathy came over to us and hugged Ali, "We're all in this together Ali, we've got you."
Spencer nodded, still deep in thought. "I agree, the only way we could ever conquer 'A' is together."
Spencer's phone buzzed, causing each of our heads to snap up and stare in her direction. She glanced around at each of us hesitantly and unlocked the message, reading it aloud.
"Horses neigh; too bad you won't be making any sound when you're dead. Bethany liked horses; maybe that's why I killed her. Hide and seek bitches -A."
We each sighed frustratingly, wondering how even over 2 years later, we were becoming even more terrified of 'A's texts.
"Why can't I just have a normal senior year?!" Hanna exclaimed, clearly frustrated again and pulled a flask out of her jacket taking a long sip, "All I want is to join a club, or support a team, or go see horror movies with my friends, not be in one myself!"
Aria snatched the flask from Hanna, clearly they were still in a fight over Zack and Aria's mom. "No need for this Hanna okay?" She told her sternly.
"Oh whatever, I'm done for tonight okay?! I don't know how much longer I can stand all this." Hanna replied in a grumpy tone.
"Wait!" Spencer spoke up as Hanna was collecting her bag and jacket, "I have an idea of what 'A' might be meaning from Aria's explanation of Mrs D. and Bethany and their riding adventures. Ali will you come with me tomorrow after school?"
"Sorry Spence, I would but my Dad's coming back in town so I have to come back home." Ali told Spencer.
"Okay well Hanna, Aria, Emily?" Spencer proceeded to ask each of us with expectant eyes.
As both Hanna and Aria uttered excuses, Hanna continued to move towards the door, clearly very ready to leave so I spoke up, "Yeah sure Spence, that's fine, I'll go with you."
"Thanks Em! But you sure Paige won't be worried about you? Or do you two already have plans?" Spencer asked me.
I shook my head, "No, its okay, she's got swim practise so I can go after school with you and see her in the evening."
"Oh you're truly the best! Team Spemily forever right?" She joked.
I laughed at Spencer's goofy nickname for our friendship and agreed, "Yes Spence, Spemily forever. But I better take Hanna home, it's getting late."
"Thank the heavens!" Hanna groaned in relief as she hastily waved goodbye and opened the front door, beginning to walk to my car.
I turned and faced Ali, Spencer and Aria still sitting in Ali's living room and spoke, "I'll talk to Hanna, don't worry. And Ali, please don't stress about Tanner, we've all got your back."
A small smile entered Ali's face as she nodded her head thankfully, "Thanks Em."
I just smiled and turned to leave Ali's living room when Spencer called out to me from behind, "Goodnight Em, I'll see you tomorrow! Oh and have fun texting Paige tonight, relationships are always at their best once they've just gotten back together- enjoy it!" She told me cheekily.
"Oh I will Spence! Goodnight." I giggled back as I fake saluted the girls with a wink, closing the front door behind me.
I pulled my keys out of my bag and unlocked the car as Hanna tiredly opened her door, climbing into the front passengers seat, accidently slamming the door behind her. As I sat behind the driver's seat and closed my door also, the stench of Hanna's recent alcohol fall out hit me pretty hard.
I glanced over to see Hanna fighting to keep her eyes open, while her body fought back and she eventually gave in to the fatigue and leant back in her seat, falling asleep quickly.
As I backed out of Ali's driveway and begun the drive to Hanna's house I couldn't help but pay close attention to one of my best friends sitting beside me, fast asleep. It was now that I took extra close attention to her new sense of style, clothing and hair. The look was something Hanna wouldn't have been caught dead in only a few short months ago. I ran through her gradual deterioration in my mind and finally realised she had started this transformation once Ali had arrived back in Rosewood again, I guess it turns out I wasn't the only one who is struggling with Ali back.
Feeling terrible for only just putting the pieces together now, I reached for my phone, plugging it into the car speaker and softly playing one of her favourite songs, 'Happiness' by the Fray.
Seeing her stir in her sleep and lightly smile made me smile too as I continued the rest of the drive home in silence, closely watching the roads and traffic lights.
As I pulled up and stopped outside Hanna's house, she didn't wake up. So, I put the car into park, and made my way to her side of the car, opening the door quietly and gently shaking Hanna to wake up. Groaning slightly, she began to wake as I slung her arm over my shoulders, helping her inside. Gratefully she obliged and moved slowly with me into her house, up the staircase and into her bedroom. I flicked the lamp on and carefully manoeuvred her, lying her down on her bed. Taking her boots off and placing a blanket over her, I heard her whisper to me quietly, "You and Paige belong together." With that she dozed off to sleep, leaving me to reply softly with a smile, "I know."
I stood up from Hanna's bedside and made my way out of her room, out the front door and climbed back into my car. I pulled my phone from my pocket and glanced at the time, 11:51pm. I hoped it wasn't too late to text Paige, but I knew I couldn't wait till the morning to speak to her again.
"Goodnight Paige, I love you. Thank you for letting me have the best of everything again."
I stared at the text on my screen and smiled as I pressed send.
Locking my screen, I pulled away from the curb outside Hanna's house and begun the short drive home to my own house. Lost in my own thoughts, within minutes I found myself at my house, quietly unlocking the front door and tiptoeing up the stairs to reach my room.
Without much care, I removed my make-up, brushed my teeth, combed my hair and changed into my pyjamas. I climbed under the warm covers of my bed and curled up on one side, feeling my phone buzz next to me, I checked the text I had just received.
"I love you Emily, thank you for being my everything."
I smiled tenderly at her sweet reply and whispered to myself before falling asleep, "You got lucky Fields, you sure got lucky."