The girls decided to meet for dinner at the usual place, pushing back their first plans since they were all still dealing with the aftermath of their drama. As Aria quickly got ready she reminisced over the afternoon she had spent with Jason and Mike. It was perfect, to be honest. They watched a bunch of movies on the couch, made some snacks, and even played a few video games. Mike and Jason seemed to really get along and she was happy to see such a great bond. Mike, now more than ever, was going to need some males in his life to fulfill the emptiness of their father. The predictions on what Byron's future was going to be like were very vague and unclear. Would Ella allow him to see his son and daughter again? Would he want to? Did he care?

"Hey, what's taking you so long?" Jason asked her as she stood in front of the bathroom mirror in a reverie.

"What? Oh," Aria said snapping out of her thoughts. Jason watched her shake her head to go into action and she unplugged the curling iron in a rush. Stopping her by the shoulders before she could move past him, he searched her eyes for an answer. "Hey, you okay?"

"Just a lot on my mind," she forcefully smiled.

"I'm here if you need me," he put out there.

Debating it with herself, she finally gave in to her wants. Shrugging to make it look not so needing, she stood near the doorway. "Can we talk when I get back?"

Analyzing her, he quickly nodded. "Sure." Finally – he was happy that she was opening up to him some more.

"Okay," Aria smiled back, leaning up to give him a quick kiss before going back downstairs to leave.

"I'll see you later Mike," Aria called as she went to grab her purse.

"Bye," he said back in a usual tone, too absorbed in video games to care.

"Check on mom every once and a while," she added as she opened the front door.

"Got it," he responded. Sighing, Aria said one last goodbye to Jason before heading out to meet her friends.

"My mom hates me," Hanna decided, plopping down in her seat as she met up with her friends.

"Toby's never going to talk to me again," Spencer groaned.

"My mom is holed up in her room and my dad moved out for the time being," Aria stated to try and top them off.

Listening on about their now miserable lives, Emily sat forward in her seat. "You guys, the suspense is killing me. Why hasn't 'A' given me anything?"

"Em," the three sighed, "its better that she hasn't."

"No its not," she exclaimed. "I'm about to go nuts. I've been on the edge of my seat since we opened that package and saw the dolls. I can't keep sitting here and waiting around."

"But that's exactly what 'A' wants you to do," Aria sighed.

"Lets face it, what 'A' wants, 'A' gets," Hanna gloomed.

"Maybe she wants you to feel this way," Spencer added, "Maybe she wants to keep you on the edge of your seat. It's like another mind game. Kind of like she's been doing to Aria."

"Speaking of which, have you gotten anymore messages?" Hanna asked her.

"Not really," Aria sighed. "After that doll thing its been pretty quiet about Jason. 'A' didn't even congratulate me on breaking up my family."

"Mine either," Hanna groaned.

"I destroyed the smidge of a relationship Toby and I could have salvaged. And now Wren wont stop blowing up my phone."

"Jeez, did you sleep with the guy?" Hanna asked her.

"No, but we made out," Spencer commented.

"Must have been one hell of a make out session," Aria commented under her breath. Hearing that, Spencer glared at her.

"So then what now?" Emily asked cutting off their pity party.

"We wait to see what you get," Spencer shrugged.

"And we try to pick up the pieces from what 'A' has made us destroy," Aria sighed as she played with her straw.

Hanna began groaning again, covering her face with her hands. "My mom is never going to get over those sex tape noises – my dad either. The look on his face when I made Isabel listen to it…"

"We need to come up with a plan you guys. We need to get ahead of 'A'," Spencer sighed.

"How?" they all asked her with defeat in their eyes – except for Emily.

"So far, all I can see is 'A' winning and making our lives more miserable than it already is," Hanna slummed.

"Hanna, we need to think," Spencer scolded.

So talking for over an hour about a possible lead or plan to get ahead of 'A', the girls soon called it a night and silently decided that they had gotten nowhere.

"Hey," Aria smiled, dropping her things when she saw Jason on her couch watching some TV with her sleeping brother.

"Hey, how was it?" he asked her shutting off the cable.

"Pretty normal dinner. Lots of girl talk," she smiled while quietly taking in Mike.

"Come on," she told Jason, taking his hands to lead the two upstairs.

"What about…"

"He can sleep down here for the night," she smiled. Grabbing a blanket from their closet, Aria went back over to her brother and laid a blanket over his body to keep him warm. With a glance over to her shoulder towards him again before walking upstairs with Jason, Aria shut off the downstairs lights and went up to bed.

"Did my mom leave her room at all tonight?" Aria asked her boyfriend as walked back into her room changed in her pajamas.

"Not that I saw," Jason noted, shedding his pants and shirt. Since he didn't bring any of his pajamas, embarrassingly enough to him, he went to sleep in his boxers with Aria in her bed.

"Think she's okay?" Aria wondered to him, not caring at all that he was more than partly nude.

"Like you said," Jason sighed as Aria came over to lie in bed with him, "she just needs some time." Getting closer and snuggling together, the two wrapped each other in their arms and shut off the lamp on the nightstand.

"I don't know what I would do without you," Aria confessed into the darkness.

"I don't think about what I would do without you," Jason chimed in making Aria smile. Tipping her head up to see him in the moonlight, she snuggled closer to him and ran her small hand over his gorgeous face. "Thank you for staying here tonight. Not just for me, but Mike too."

"I'd do anything for you Ar," he breathed, kissing her lips lightly. "Mike too. Don't ever think differently."

Snuggling back into his chest, Aria drew patterns lightly on his skin.

"You didn't tell Mike about your dad," he noted in the silence after he detected that she couldn't seem to fall asleep.

"I didn't think he needed to know," she murmured back.

"Did he hurt you?" Jason wondered just as quiet, thinking over to what he heard with Aria and her dad.

Deciding to confess and be truthful, Aria shook her head and held him closer. "No, just scared me. My mom stopped him before he got close enough to do anything."

Slightly angered at those words, Jason went a bit ridged.

"I love you." She let the words roll of her tongue and slip out of her mouth with ease, knowing that they were true and would calm him down.

Moving them so he could look at her, Jason cupped her face in his palm and replied a quick "I love you too," before kissing her senseless.

The next morning came to soon, with Aria too comfy to get up and start the day.

"Come on Ar," Jason coaxed her. "I'll make pancakes."

"No," she whined sticking her head under a pillow.

"Muffins?" he bargained. "I'll go out and get us some of your favorite baked goods."

Feeling in the mood for that, Aria lifted the pillow to see him "With my tea?"

"Fine," he jokingly huffed. It wasn't really a hard bargain she was driving, and he couldn't help but laugh slightly as she rolled across the bed to be next to him again. Kissing him softly, she let him pull away and drag her out of bed. "Up and at 'em."

Shifting into her morning routine, Aria hopped in the shower and got ready for the day as Jason left to get breakfast. It was a quick routine that Aria did. For being a girl she imagined it taking her longer but actually, today, she was quite speedy.

Making it downstairs before Jason came back, Aria set some plates out at the table and went to wake her brother from the couch.

"Mike, come on," she said poking his body.

"Go away," he groaned, putting a pillow over his head like Aria did.

"Mike come on," she pushed some more. "Jason is bringing some baked goods and you need to get ready for school."

"I have therapy today," he murmured through the pillow.

"Yea, not till lunch, now lets go," she commanded to her little brother. Pulling the blanket she put over him off, she trotted back upstairs to see her mom.

The door was still shut and no noise could be heard. "Hey mom?" Aria called knocking on her door. "We have some muffins and tea boiling downstairs if you want it." Hoping it would get her out of bed, Aria waited with her ear by the door to see if her mother would fall for her shameless trap.

"Did you want me to bring something up?" she questioned louder. "Toast? Some fruit?"

Again, all there was was a silence. Biting her lip, Aria became extremely worried. This was unlike her mother. "I'll bring you up your favorite – a banana nut muffin okay? I'll leave it outside your door."

Hoping to hear something to signify her mother was actually alive in there, Aria lingered there for a while. After getting nothing once again, she sighed and walked back downstairs. By that time, Jason had come back from the breakfast run and taking things out of the bag.

"Hey," he smiled, glancing over to her as she walked downstairs. Handing her the drink she requested, Aria gave Jason a quick kiss before pulling out something for her mom to eat.

"When did you become a fan of…the banana oat bran muffin?" Jason asked bewildered when she put it on a plate.

"I'm not," Aria said scrunching up her face. "But my mom needs to eat, and since she clearly isn't coming down here, I thought I would leave something by the door."

Jason studied his girlfriend. "No sign of her yet?"

"Not even a word," Aria confirmed. The hurt expression was written all over Aria's face and Jason knew why. Her guilt was obvious and no matter how hard she tried to look and be strong, he knew underneath it all that she blamed herself for 'doing' this to her family.

"She'll come around," Jason said cutting her dark inner thoughts with a kiss to her temple. He hated to see her worry and be sad like this. She was supposed to be happy and the loveable cheerful Aria he knows. Wrapping his arms around from behind her, he kept her close to him. "Give it some more time."

Nodding, Aria put on her mask of being 'okay' and took in a few deep breaths. Jason was her safety and rock. What she would be doing without him right now was…impossible to think about.

Jason watched as she left his arms and went to go march a muffin up to her mother's doorstep. He was helpless on how to help his girlfriend. When it came to his own parent's divorce after Ali died, it was messy to say the least, but thinking it over, all Jason could think was at least he didn't have another sibling beside him. It was easier to be the loner, take care of himself and stay out of it. But with Aria and Mike, things were totally different. There could be a custody dispute (over Mike at least) and visiting could get messy. He worried for the two of them, but couldn't do much except hang around and be there for the two of them.

Jason made sure to have her blueberry muffin on a plate waiting for her return and sadly enough; Aria came back down fairly quickly. Mike though, had beaten his sibling down by a minute or two and was through the bag in a rush for his food.

"Did you say thank you?" Aria muttered to her brother with a face full of muffin.

"Thanks dude," Mike said turning to him.

"No problem," Jason chuckled. Turning back to Aria, she seemed to be doing everything except eating her breakfast food. She had grabbed her tea in one hand, had checked her phone in the other and started to pack her and her brothers knapsacks.

"Would you please just sit down for a little bit?" Jason asked, walking over to her and guiding her by her shoulders to the table where he set out her muffin.

Reaching for her phone, she quickly swiped it from its spot and took a sip of her tea.

"Did you say thank you?" Mike asked teasingly. Rolling her eyes at her brother, she went to go ruffle his hair but he quickly got up and dodged the move.

"Thanks," she said to her boyfriend after giving Mike another eye roll.

"Of course," he smirked to her, leaning over to kiss her waiting lips.

"Okay, still in the room!" Mike called as he was near his backpack shoving things inside.

Grumbling to herself, Aria turned back to her muffin and began eating.

"You sure you have everything?" Aria asked her brother as the two of them slipped into her car.

"Yea, I'm fine 'mom'," he mocked. Finding it to be a low blow for the both of them, the siblings went silent and turned to buckle up.

Jason had wanted to drive them today but Aria needed her car to drop off Mike at therapy and Jason needed to be at the center all day anyways. So, in conclusion, it was a losing battle for the both of them.

"Do you think she will get better?" Mike asked into the quiet as they drove to school. Breaking her own thoughts, Aria briefly glanced at her brother. "Mom? Yea, of course she will. She just–…it's a lot for one person. We can't expect her to adjust to it all in one day…"

"True," Mike murmured to himself.

"We just need to be patient – she'll come around."

Aria switched on the radio for the rest of the ride, trying to help with the emptiness in the car. It seemed to work for a while, until she parked and they got out of the car.

"Thanks Aria – not just for the drive but you know…everything."

The heartfelt moment her brother was giving her was very unusual. Mike was always a sweet kid, but Aria had a feeling there was something more he had to add to his sweet remarks.

"I know I haven't been the easiest to be around lately," he murmured, tugging on his backpack some more looking a bit uncomfortable.

"No, Mike," Aria sighed. She didn't want her brother thinking that way about him. It was her that always needed the attention from her parents and it was because of her that he landed himself in trouble.

"Really Aria," he said cutting her off. "I just…the whole thing with mom and dad sucks right now, and I don't know what I would do without you. You're a good sister – the best really, and I uh…yea. That's it. I think you and Jason make a really good couple and I'm glad you guys are together."

Melting at his words, she smiled brightly and walked over to her brother giving him a quick hug. "I'll always be here for you Mike. Despite what mom and dad are going through, we are family. You're a great little brother – annoyingness and all."

Letting him go, Mike looked around trying to shrug off his soft feelings. Tugging on his backpack again, the two began to walk towards the school.

"So you really do like Jason? Its okay if he's around a lot?"

"He makes you happy," the male Montgomery stated. "And right now, I think we need all the happiness we can get considering. Plus," he shrugged glancing at her, "he's not a bad guy. He's pretty cool to be around and he doesn't treat me like some kid. I actually mean something to him."

"Good," Aria smiled, putting Jason on even a higher pedestal than what she already had in mind. He was the greatest thing going in her life right now.

"Just promise me mom will be okay," Mike pushed again before they parted ways. "I'm really worried for her."

Aria sighed. A promise like that was something she didn't know if she could keep. She was still wishing and hoping herself that her mother would turn herself around and be okay, but she didn't really know. "I'll go check on her today after I drop you off at therapy okay? You can meet me back at the house and we can skip the rest of the day."

"Yea?" he asked with a bright light in his eyes, which she hadn't seen in a while.

"Yea," she smirked back. "Come get me after 4th period and we can leave."

"Sounds good," he smirked and then left her as her friends sat down in the courtyard to wait for her. Watching her brother go, she thought about her mom for a brief moment and then let it go.

"What was that all about?" Spencer wondered, looking over her shoulder for Mike.

"We were just planning to meet up after 4th period. I have to take him to therapy, so I think I might skip the rest of the day."

"Are you going to be with Jason?" Hanna smirked.

"No, he's working at the center all day today," she sighed, sitting down now too.

"Everything okay with you two?" Emily pried.

"Yea of course," Aria said slightly confused, "why wouldn't it be?"

"You aren't seeing him today, which is like…extreme for the two of you," Spencer said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"That's not true," Aria rebutted.

Both Hanna and Emily gave skeptic looks, which put a smug and somewhat unhappy look on Spencer's face.

"We saw each other this morning for your information, and even though I love him and his company, I think Mike and I need some time together."

"Your mom?" Hanna guessed more understanding.

Aria slumped. "She has yet to come out of her room."

"My mom and dad have yet to forgive me," Hanna sighed back.

"Toby has yet to even look at me," Spencer grumbled.

"And Wren?" Emily wondered.

"Ugh, don't even get me started on him!" she snapped. The girls raised their brows at her tone. Clearly backing off, they began talking some more and decided if Aria was going to take the day off, they could all meet up after school at the café.

"Hey wait Em," Aria said catching up to her friend as the bell rang and they went to disperse. "Have you heard from Maya? Maybe that is 'A's game for you…"

"I thought it could be," Emily frowned, "but she's still with her family in San Francisco – I get emails from her from time to time and she doesn't say much, but she is okay I guess."

"Oh, well good," Aria said awkwardly. Poor Emily had to deal with the complicated relationship between her Maya again. Just as they were starting to rekindle their past relationship and get back on common terms it all began to fall apart.

A/N: Did you like? Hopefully your all still with me...