Emily couldn't help but lean into Alison just a little bit, the tip of her lips touching the blonde's. She kissed her gently, just lightly, their lips barely touching. As soon as she pulled back, she walked calmly to the stove and prepared the rest of the pancakes, making sure there were enough for the two of them. "Set the table?" She asked Alison, handing her over a small smile as she prepared the plates and brought them to the table once it was prepared. Emily brought her chair beside Alison and sat down; reaching over for the whipped cream to place on her pancakes.
Alison kissed Emily back gently. She turned her head to watch the brunette cook once she'd pulled back and returned to the stove. The blonde hopped off the counter and grabbed the plates. "Sure, Em." She set forks in front of both the girls' chairs and sat down, waiting for Emily to bring them their plates of pancakes. She waited until the brunette finished with the whipped cream and then took it from her to put some onto her own pancakes. "Mm, these smell really good." She licked her lips, practically drooling at the scent of Emily's freshly cooked pancakes.
Emily took a few bites from her food until she finished it altogether. Once she was done, she waited for Alison to finish as well; then the brunette stood up and put both of their plates in the dishwasher. After setting it up and turning to face the blonde, Emily winked and spoke up. "Ready for Orientation?" She laughed a little bit and put on her jacket and her little boots. "It'll go by quickly. We just pick out our courses and then we can be out of there, okay?" She walked towards Alison and frowned, knowing the blonde didn't really want to go there.
Alison ate slowly, purposely, knowing she could drag out their nice morning instead of rushing to orientation. She really didn't want summer to end or to have to set foot in school again. The blonde sighed softly and nodded when she finally finished. "If we have to, then yes. I'm ready." She stood up and washed her hands and mouth before slipping on her heels. "I'm taking French again." Alison spoke excitedly, the one class she actually loved.
"Heels for orientation, huh. You really do still go all out." Emily smiled, remembering the last orientation she'd been too with Alison before she decided to leave. The blonde would always wear nice heels, a dress and a jean jacket to cover up considering it would get cold in late August. Emily grabbed the keys and then turned to Alison, who followed close by. "Who's driving?" She questioned her quietly, setting her hand over the handle of the door, turning it slowly and then stepping foot outside onto the front porch.
"Well yeah, you know I always wear heels and my denim jacket at orientation. Not everything about me has changed." Alison winked playfully, walked over to the door and headed out onto the porch with Emily. She stood for a moment in silence, just enjoying the cool fall breeze and looking over the fallen leaves. She loved when the leaves changed colors; it was actually really pretty to the blonde. "Oh, umm, I can drive since you drove us to dinner last night and considering it's a short drive to school." Alison pulled out her keys and hit the unlock button so the two could get in.
Emily pierced her lips and agreed to the fact that Alison offered to drive. She took a deep breath, enjoying the cool breeze that the weather had to offer. Emily really had no idea which courses she was going to take, that would also depend on which courses she needed in order for her deal to stand still at Stanford. She walked to the car and placed her hand on the handle, pulling it open. She sat down and buckled her seatbelt, waiting for Alison to follow and sit in the drivers seat. Once she did, the brunette turned to her and smiled. "It'll go by quickly, trust me. You can take the second semester at home and be home schooled or do it online, you'll be showing by then, but it'll be easy to cover up.." Emily frowned and looked down to Alison's stomach.
Alison could feel Emily's eyes on her stomach. She wrapped one of her arms around herself and drove with one hand. "I might just do a study abroad program for second semester. I still want to go to Paris someday with you. But I just think some time away from Rosewood would be good for me." She took a deep breath before continuing what she had to say. "I know things have changed because of this baby but I was going to ask if you'd think about studying abroad with me. That is if Stanford will accept the credits of course. But it's your decision, Em. And if you want to stay here and don't want me to leave, I promise I won't." She added, not wanting the brunette to think she was back to her old ways of running away and trying to hide from whatever problems she had to face.
The brunette sighed once she saw that Alison tried to hide her stomach. She knew it would take a while for the blonde to get used to it, to start showing soon.. she knew that Alison wasn't ready yet, but it would come in time. Emily shook her head and kept her eyes on Alison, batting her eyelashes a few times before speaking. "Ali." She mumbled out quietly, sighing once more. "You'll have to get used to it because whether you like it or not, it's coming." She hinted about the blonde's bump starting to show. She placed a free hand over Alison's arm, which was pressed firmly over her own stomach and then looked up at the blonde. "Or you can just create a wall around you..."
"I don't mind it when it's you, Em. But my dad, this town...there's already so much I have going on. After all, as Jenna said, I did come back from the dead. Sure I always act strong but I can only handle so much at once, Emmy. I just don't want to bring a baby into my life if I can't assure that he or she will be safe." Alison took another deep breath and let it out slowly. "Am I still going to be beautiful to you when I'm almost due and can't even see my own feet anymore?" She blurted out, suddenly thinking about how Emily was going to react when her bump started to grow. After all it wasn't the brunette's child to care for, and Alison still worried about the effect it would have on Emily to be a mother to a child that wasn't even hers.
"You do mind it, I see it in your eyes.. you're scared, and it's completely normal, I just want you to be okay, and I want us to try and be where we were before you found out.. before I found out you were pregnant. Everything will fall together in time, there's only so much I can say to try to convince you that it will be okay..." Emily sighed, knowing she was talking a lot in the moment, but Alison did need the support right now. Emily kept her hand over Alison's stomach for a mere second before pulling away and looking outside and admiring the familiar scenery.
"I want that too, Em. More than anything. But I don't expect you to just accept all of this overnight. I can't be selfish anymore. You're so optimistic and I need that. I believe you. I do. It's just not easy for me to face my fears. It's always been easier to shut the world out and act like I don't care. But you've changed me. You've made me better and that's why I care so much about how this affects you." Alison smiled weakly and moved her arm so Emily could leave her hand on her stomach if she wanted to. She focused on driving to their high school, thinking about what classes she would take.
Emily simply listened to what Alison said. She truly did change, she sounded a little more mature than when Emily truly did know her - and truth be told, she really wanted to get to know her more, and this pregnancy was either going to bring the two together even more, or going to separate them and break them apart. She bit at her lip and thought about what courses she was to take. She definitely did want to take Spanish and French, a math class, history, and Phys Ed for the rest of the time, and she wanted to focus on swimming, if the coach found that her shoulder was getting better.
Alison had no idea what she'd take. She hated almost all subjects. The only class she was sure of that she wanted to take was French. But she figured she'd just talk to Emily to help her decide. The brunette and her had always chosen classes together, ensuring that they'd have some of them together. She hoped that wasn't going to end simply because she'd been missing and hadn't been able to keep up their tradition while she'd been gone of course. She finally found a parking spot and took a deep breath. "This is it." She whispered softly.
Emily tried her best to comfort the distressed blonde that was beside her. "The girls are going to be there, and they're going to ask questions..." Emily sighed as she spoke, walking out of the car after Alison had parked. She walked over to the blonde and bit at her lip, placing a loose strand of her hair behind her ear. "Ignore the negative." She narrowed her eyebrows, laughing after the words she said. "Since when am I the positive speaker." She frowned and walked towards the entrance, a small smile appearing once her swim coach approached her and hugged her, speaking about how she'd be accepted into Stanford.
"I'm sure Spencer already filled them in with what she knew but can you take some of the questions? I'm really not in the mood for the girls today." Alison sighed softly and tucked a loose strand of her hair back in place. She stood up straight and walked confidently into school, though she gripped Emily's hand tightly as they walked. When the brunette broke free to hug her swim coach, Alison stood a distance back, looking around at who was there already. She turned away, almost ready to run when she saw the last person she'd ever want to see standing in the hallway. Noel Kahn. "Em..." Alison whispered, trying to get her attention. She needed to get out of there and fast but not without Emily.
Emily spoke with her coach, not quite ignoring Alison, but not acknowledging that the blond was speaking, little did she know that Noel Kahn was going to be there. The brunette smiled, taking some pamphlets from her swim coach and smiled even more once her coach said she could be the starter on the swim team if her doctor said her shoulder was well enough. As soon as she heard Alison's voice practically break, Emily turned around and saw Noel. "Shit." She mumbled to herself and walked in front of Alison. "Like you used to say, if you ignore it, it'll go away."
"Can we umm..." Alison tugged on Emily's arm and pulled her into their old French classroom. So many memories were held here and it was the one place that Alison found comfort in when at school. It was sort of her safe haven. She sat at her old desk, on top of it the way she'd always do when Emily would tell her to study. Her favorite memory was definitely planning her Paris trip and when she'd asked Emily to come along. "You and me in sweet Paris." She whispered softly and then looked over at Emily. "It's almost too good to be true now, isn't it?"
"Ali.. what the -..." Emily was cut off to the sensation of Alison dragging her off into the old classroom that she'd remembered from their little talks after school. She smiled and traced over a desk, turning to face Alison as she sat down over the desk that was once hers. "How long are we going away for...?" She replied, knowing what Alison would say to her turn. She remembered this feeling almost as though it was yesterday.
Alison gave Emily the cute little smirk in which her dimples showed. She knew how that expression always made the brunette melt and she wanted the two to share in the good memories they'd had together well before things had gotten so complicated. She licked her lips slowly as if contemplating Emily's question though she already knew her answer. She'd always known what she wanted, but it had just taken time to realize it and admit it. "How about forever?" She finally whispered sweetly.
Emily bent down beside Alison, looking in her eyes. "You still have that charm that just gets me every time." Emily admitted, placing her hands over Alison's and blinking once or twice before standing up. "We should go pick our courses. Just ignore Noel. He doesn't need to know anything and you don't owe him everything. Just remember that." Emily walked towards the door, placing her hand on the handle and then opened the door to the hall, waiting for Alison to follow her.
Alison's smile instantly grew brighter upon hearing Emily's words. "I'm glad I still have that effect. And I meant what I said. Forever, Em. That's what I want with you." The blonde nodded and stood up. "You're right. Let's go. Help me though? I have no idea what to take and I really don't want the counselor choosing for me. I'm not getting stuck in Phys Ed again." Alison rolled her eyes. She knew Emily loved it, but she hated exercise especially at school. The blonde followed Emily out into the hall and held her hand tightly afterwards as the two made their way over to the registration tables.
The brunette managed to pick out her courses, and of course, her schedule was filled with swim practice, physiotherapy and even more swimming. She had no idea how she'd be able to manage Alison, swimming, her courses, work and homework all together, though, she vowed to herself that she'd somehow make it work. After her class choices had been confirmed, she walked over to the other girls, handing them out a small smile and a hug, chit-chatting with them about how their last few weeks of summer had been.
Alison chose her courses as well with Emily's help. She made sure to keep her course load light so that she wouldn't get too much homework. After all, she had plenty of other things to worry about that required her full attention. The blonde spotted the girls but she kept her distance, preparing herself for the likely confrontation. She finally walked over after Emily had already greeted them all. Alison stood beside Emily and smiled softly at each of the girls, though she chose not to say anything.
Emily knew that there was still some tension between the girls and Alison, therefore she tried her best to make it less awkward. However, she didn't want to stop speaking to the girls just because she was on good terms with Alison. She talked with them for a moment longer until she'd been given out her locker number. Afterwards, she walked towards it, letting Alison speak to them, hoping that maybe just MAYBE they'd patch things up; though it was unlikely.
Alison frowned slightly when she saw Emily was leaving. But she knew she couldn't rely on the brunette for everything. She stood up straight and made eye contact with the girls. "Look I have a lot going on. I don't exactly care if you hate me but you need to respect that I love Emily and she loves me. Whatever is going on between us, we're working through it together. I refuse to tell anyone but her details but let's just say that I may not be able to finish second semester here." She finished speaking and allowed the girls to respond. Of course, it was Aria, the sweetest of the three after Emily, who nodded and gave Alison a gentle hug. Both Spencer and Hanna simply nodded and of course Spencer was the one to speak up to tell Alison that she'd be abandoned for good if she dared to hurt Emily again.
Emily opened up her locker and shoved in some of the binders and books that she'd picked up from the library. After locking it with the padlock that had been given to her, she walked over to the girls and stood beside Alison, placing a comforting arm around her shoulders. She compared courses with Hanna and Spencer, knowing she'd have the most courses with them in particular, Aria would always be in art classes, which weren't Emily's forte. With a small smile on her face, she adjusted her sweater and bit at her lip, turning to Alison. "Practice Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday run late.. I won't have any time for myself those days.." She frowned.
"I'll stay and watch, that way you have a ride home." Alison offered, knowing she'd enjoy watching Emily get back into the water again. She loved watching the brunette because the look she had when she swam was of pure bliss. The blonde pulled out her own schedule, comparing it with the girls as well. Luckily around Emily, the girls treated her without any hostility. They knew better than to cause any unnecessary drama. And besides, Alison had given her sincere word that she was going to work to make everything good with Emily again no matter what it took.
"Looks like I have French and History with you Ali, first semester." Emily smirked, knowing that French was the one course that she loved taking with Alison, it was entertaining to learn a new language and to speak about France.. and Paris. As soon as the other girls went and found their lockers, Emily sighed and faced the blonde once more. "They're quieter around me now.." She frowned and looked up at the ceiling then down at her feet. "They hate that we're so close."
"Perfect. My favorite class and the one I always get bored in." Alison laughed softly remembering how many times Emily and her had passed notes in history class to pass the time. "Je t'aime ma belle." Alison whispered only loud enough for Emily to hear, using one of the few French phrases she'd actually remembered. Alison shook her head and frowned slightly. "It's me they hate, Em. Spencer practically threatened me if I ever hurt you again." The blonde admitted, not daring to look into Emily's eyes, afraid to see sadness in them again.
"Do you want to go find your locker, or do you want to ditch and go home? I have a swim meet tonight, I get to jump in the water for the first time for a 4-man relay. That way they can see if my shoulder is ready or not..." Emily sounded excited. It had been months since she'd competed in the pool, and she really was looking forward to it. The brunette sighed and looked around, some students still looking around however; nobody that she really knew or cared for, to say the least.
"We can go. I really don't care about my locker. I just want to get out of here before anyone else shows up." Alison replied, implying she was uncomfortable knowing Noel was still around somewhere and would be in school with them everyday. "Can I come watch your practice tonight? I don't mean to be pushy but you deserve someone out in the stands cheering for you and I still want to be that person. Even when you go to Stanford." The blonde added, knowing that no matter where her future took her, she'd always stick by Emily and support her in everything she did.
The brunette bit softly on her lips and turned around and nodded. "Sure, let's go." She insisted. She opened the school doors for Alison and walked back to her car. After unlocking it and sitting in the front seat, Emily opened the window; starting to feel a little suffocated. Alison had never been this /clingy/ or /needy/ towards her, and it drove her absolutely crazy at times.
Alison looked over at Emily who seemed rather uncomfortable. She frowned slightly and placed her hand on the brunette's kneecap to get her attention. "Hey...Em. What's on your mind?" She asked in a voice barely above a whisper, her voice full of concern. Lately her emotions got the best of her and it was hard to keep up. She hated the way the pregnancy was already affecting her. "Damn hormones." She mumbled under her breath as she waited for Emily to reply.
"I'm uhm - just nervous for tonight. I really hope that I can swim this year, it'll be my last season with the Sharks, and it would be great to go out with a boom, you know? Coach has done so much for me..." Emily smirked and frowned at the same time; placing her hand over Alison's on her own kneecap. "You don't have to come watch you know. It'll be boring and long for no reason, you'd get bored." She added.
"Well okay, just call me after? I want to hear all about it cause I'm sure there's going to be good news. And if there is, I'm taking you out to celebrate tomorrow night, okay? You can pick anywhere." Alison spoke cheerfully, giving Emily the encouragement she knew she needed. "I believe in you, Em. Good luck tonight." She pulled out of the parking lot and headed back towards her house. "Hey, Emmy? Am I dropping you home now or are you coming over?"
"Drop me off at home? I have to prepare some stuff for the meet and talk to my parents, plus I promised I'd take them out for supper tonight." Emily smiled, buckling her seatbelt afterwards. She flicked on her sunglasses and let the wind flow through her hair. She turned to Alison and then whispered before she pulled into the brunette's parking lot. "I'll text you after practice." Emily leaned into her just a little bit, kissing the side of her lips, then she slid out of the car and ran inside to her parents.
"Okay, Em. I'll see you later. Show them what you've got, Killer." Alison winked playfully and waved as she made sure Emily had gotten into her house before backing out of the driveway. When she finally reached home, she was surprised to find her dad's car already parked in the garage. He was home early but for once Alison was happy he was back. She made her way inside and greeted Kenneth with a warm smile and tight hug.
The brunette dropped her stuff in her room and walked back downstairs to her parents. They questioned her about her schedule from school, and she handed them her class sheet. With a smile on her face, she told them that she could swim again this year, and boy was she excited. Emily hugged them both and remained in their embrace for a small moment, debating on whether or not she should tell them that she was speaking and sort of seeing Alison once more.
Alison met her dad's eyes and smiled brightly for the first time in a while in front of him. She showed him her class schedule and told him all about how well things were going between her and Emily in terms of getting back to where they were before. It was clear Kenneth was happy to hear that as well. The blonde sighed softly, wondering if she should spill the news of her pregnancy to him or stay quiet. Emily had forced Alison to let her pay the bill but still, the blonde knew her dad would have to know sooner or later.
After breaking the embrace from her parents and grabbing the car keys, handing them over to her dad, Emily walked outside and sat in the back seat of the car. She told them she'd pay for supper and after a few minutes of convincing them, they finally agreed. They headed to a small restaurant just outside of Rosewood and found a parking spot. They then walked in as a family and took their seats, menus in their hands.
Alison shook her head, deciding she wasn't ready to say anything. She actually wanted Emily by her side when she announced the pregnancy to her dad. But he offered to cook dinner while she went upstairs to set all her stuff down and change into something more comfy as lately Alison wasn't in much of a mood to stay dressed up when she was home. She agreed and quickly headed upstairs to drop off her purse and then flopped down on her bed for a few moments.
Emily ordered some fries and a veggie burger, not wanting to bulk up too much before a swim meet, especially the first one of the year. She handed the menu over to the waitress and then let her back fall to the booth, looking around at everyone. Few people were there as it was still early for dinner, though it was pretty full somehow since the place was small. She bit at her lip and turned to face her parents, having no idea what to say to them.
Alison slowly got up and changed into a pair of patterned leggings she'd never worn before and her favorite yellow tank top. She kicked her heels off and made her way downstairs. When she joined her dad at the table, she saw that he'd made her pasta and garlic bread, one of her favorite meals. She smiled sweetly and thanked him as she grabbed a piece of garlic bread and served herself some pasta.
The brunette ate her food slowly after her plate had arrived. After finishing, she ordered some chocolate cake for the three, eating slowly once that had arrived also. She paid for the bill and then walked to the car, her practice being in an hour. She wanted to pick up her swim stuff from home and drive herself. She knew that Alison might have been there or might not, but whichever; she was ready. After arriving at home and thanking her parents for driving, Emily picked up her backpack and took the keys to her car and quickly headed out.
Alison finally finished dinner. Afterwards she was left on her own, as her dad always kept busy with work no matter what time of day it was. She got up and got herself some ice cream, taking it upstairs to her room so she could go relax. The blonde headed up to her room and sat down on her bed. She picked up her phone and looked at time, knowing Emily would probably be heading to her swim meet soon. Alison wanted to go but she also knew she needed to give the brunette time to herself as well. She decided instead to text Emily. "Hey Killer, Break a leg! I know you can do it! -Ali xo"
Once Emily arrived to the school pool and changed into her swim gear, she checked her phone and smiled just a little bit once she saw that Alison had texted her. She replied with a smile on her face. "Thanks, text you later? Parents are out of town, I could drop by? Em." She then threw her phone in her locker and locked it, adjusting her swim cap and goggles as she walked to the pool and spoke to her coach.
Alison smiled at the text Emily had just sent back. The brunette wanted to spend time with her again and that was all she could ever hope for. "Sounds good. See you later. -Ali xo" She texted back and then set her phone on her nightstand, knowing it would be silent the rest of the night. She turned on her TV and flipped through the channels, looking for something to watch. Although the blonde felt exhausted for some reason and dozed off for a short while with the TV on.
Emily jumped into the pool and swam at her fastest rate without her shoulder aching or hurting. She swam her typical times and then stood out of the pool and faced her teammates, Paige included. Emily sighed and bit at her lip, remembering the last few confrontations that she'd had with her. After the news that Emily was going to start for the first competition, she couldn't have been more ecstatic, though team captain was to be voted between the girls.. and the choices were her and Paige.
Alison slept soundly, her body still recovering from all the nights she'd stayed awake or awoken from nightmares. A couple hours later, she finally woke up and checked the time. Emily would be over soon. She got up and made her way into the bathroom, brushing her teeth and then her hair. Afterwards, she washed her face and went back to lying down on her bed, waiting for Emily to come over.
"Coach wants a meeting with Paige and I. Ugh. See you soon. Em." She hit send and went through with the meeting. Once it was done, Emily headed to her locker once more and got changed, she let her hair fall down loosely over her shoulder. After she'd grabbed her stuff and sat in her car, she drove to Alison's house and parked on the side of the road. Without knocking, she headed upstairs and opened the door to Alison's room, seeing that the blonde had fallen asleep again. Emily let her bags drop to the ground carefully and closed the door, she then went and placed herself beside Alison, kissing the top of her forehead, not wanting to wake her.
"Okay. I'll see you soon. -Ali xo" Alison sent a simple text not wanting to seem overly paranoid or anything. But she still didn't trust Paige and definitely didn't like the idea of Emily and her being close. Although it wasn't her place to say so and she respected Emily's wishes enough to keep her mouth shut. She switched the TV channels once again until she found something to watch. Once she did, the blonde settled comfortably, laying in bed and watching for a while. A little bit later, her eyelids began to droop once again and soon she was fast asleep. She didn't even hear Emily enter but as soon as she felt the kiss on her forehead, she practically sensed Emily's presence. She rubbed her eyes and sat up slowly. "Em..you're here. Finally." Alison mumbled in a sleepy voice.
"Yeah, it ran late. Sorry. Just go back to sleep, okay? Relax, you need it." Emily slipped off her flats and let Alison relax. If the blonde wasn't so tired and hormonal, Emily would have discussed a few things with her, however, she just let it go for the night. Instead, she relaxed comfortably beside the blonde, looking at her as she sat up. "I'll stay the night if you want me to..." She added in a soft whisper, not wanting to speak too loudly.
"Yeah. Stay the night. Please." Alison whispered softly. She yawned once and then carefully climbed out of bed. "I need to change. I'll be back in a minute." The blonde headed into the bathroom after grabbing her pajamas. She quickly changed and made her way back into bed, lying down directly beside Emily. "Goodnight, Emmy." She whispered softly before managing to once again fall into a deep sleep.
"Goodnight." Emily turned around, her face to the wall, her back to Alison. The brunette fell asleep slowly, not dreaming of anything, she simply had nothing on her mind for once, and it surprised her. She shifted a bit in her sleep, her feet tangled with the blankets. It was nice and cool in Alison's room, and Emily loved sleeping when the air was fresh and when a breeze flowed through the environment.