You guys are seriously awesome! I never expected when I started this that I'd get this response. I have had the loveliest messages and reviews. I even got sent a cake all the way from the Philippines, well a picture of one, but it was still amazing : ) I really hope you continue to enjoy it.

To answer a couple of your questions, Aria may well make an appearance at some point. To be honest I just start writing and what comes out comes out so I can't say I'm planning it, but it's always a possibility. I probably won't be exploring the other couples of the show. Sorry about that. Anyway I'll shut up now so you can get on with your day.

Emily awoke the next morning to the sound of Hanna's tuneless singing. She groaned and covered her head with the pillow. Realising that her best friend wasn't going to stop murdering the classics anytime soon she gave in and got out of bed.

"Seriously Hanna? It's my day off, come on!" Emily complained as she stumbled into the kitchen where Hanna was making coffee.

"Well maybe you wouldn't be so tired if you hadn't been playing dirty stop out." Hanna replied sticking her tongue out. "What time did you roll in at? 2am? 3?"

"Somewhere in between." Emily yawned. Once Ali had fallen asleep she had just sat and watched the girl. Her face peaceful and worry free, she could have sat there all night. She had decided that she was being creepy though and left in the early hours leaving Ali a note to say goodbye and that she'd see her in a couple of days.

"That's so weird because I'm sure Caleb said you'd text him to say you were just dropping her off and then heading home, and that was around 10pm." Hanna narrowed her eyes accusingly "What were you two texting about anyway and why did you have to run out of here so quickly? What was the emergency and why did it require his help?"

"You know I can't say Hanna" Emily sighed, picking up Hanna's mug and taking a sip. "Eurgh, why would you ruin a perfectly good cup of coffee with milk and sugar?"

"Don't change the subject!" Hanna said with exasperation "I know you've got these 'fight club' contracts but it annoys me when I'm the only one out of the loop."

"Fight Club contracts?"

"Yeah you know, first rule of fight club, don't talk about fight club."

Emily couldn't help but laugh "It wasn't even anything exciting Hanna, it's dealt with now anyway."

"I know the time frame it was dealt with because I know when I got my guy's attention back. Which still begs the question, where were you?"

"We had a movie night." Emily shrugged getting up to make her own coffee.

"You had a movie night?"

"Yes"

"With Alison DiLaurentis?"

"Yes"

"You had a movie night with Alison DiLaurentis?" Hanna exaggerated every word.

"Yes!" Emily was finding her exhausting this morning. "We got back, it had been a rough night for her.."

"But you can't tell me why?" Hannah interrupted.

"No I can't tell you why." This time it was Emily's turn to exaggerate every word. "She needed a friend so we got pizza and watched a movie."

Emily continued to make her coffee getting lost in own thoughts. Remembering how Ali had felt in her arms as she sobbed, how nice it had felt to be able to put her arm around her in the cab. Then she also remembered how scared she had looked when Emily got mad, she cursed herself for ever making the blonde flinch away from her in fear. It wouldn't happen again she told herself. Instead she focused on how nice it had been to just hang out watching a movie with her. Finally she let her mind wonder to how soft her flawless skin had felt on her lips as she dared to kiss her goodnight. She started to hum, picking up her coffee and going to head the living room.

"Oh my God you're totally having an affair with her!" Hanna screamed, causing the sip of coffee Emily had just taken to come spurting back out of her mouth.

"What?! I am not!"

"Oh yeah? Well then why are you staring dreamily into the distance and humming then? Huh? I know that hum Emily!"

"I am not!" Emily defended. Suddenly very aware of the thoughts she'd just been having.

"Swear on my life?" Hanna challenged.

"Yes Hanna, I swear on your life." Emily replied softly.

"Okay, I believe you." Hanna conceded.

Emily visibly relaxed, glad the conversation was over and that Hanna would be heading to work. She loved the blonde dearly but she really didn't want to have this conversation right now. She went to head the living room again.

"But you want to, don't you?"

"For the love of God Hanna!"

"Admit it, you like her don't you?"

"Hanna, you're being crazy…"

"Don't lie to me Emily. I know you better than anyone, I know when you like someone. I'm not trying to start an argument here. It's just we always tell each other everything, but right now I feel like you're not telling me everything." Hanna spoke softly.

Emily sighed, "Do I think she's hot? Yes, but the whole world does. Do I like her as a person? Yes, she's great. The whole world would think that too if they got the chance to know the real her. Do we get along? Yes. Is she my boss? Yes. Would it be wildly inappropriate for me to cross that line? Hell yes! Not that it would happen anyway, because she's straight." Emily finished throwing her hand in the air, "Does that answer your questions?"

"Yes it does thank you." Hanna smiled at her warmly.

"Great, now I'm going to enjoy my coffee and my day off." Turning on her heel she again tried to make it to the living room, third times a charm she thought.

"You really like her." Hanna stated simply from behind her.

Carrying on her walk to the living room Emily raised her free hand, sticking up her middle finger as she went.

Emily sat with her fourth coffee of the morning. She was finally feeling more awake, she didn't want to waste her day off by sleeping all day so she had forced herself to stay up. She'd done her laundry, been for a run, even cleaned up the apartment. Now she was bored. Since her conversation that morning with Hanna, she had tried to keep herself busy and her thoughts away from a certain blonde. It wasn't working very well though. Everything she had said to Hanna was true. Now she was trying to work out if what Hanna had said to her was true. Every time her thoughts had entered into dangerous territory she'd always justified them. Everyone thought she was beautiful, everyone wanted to be near her. Friends cared about their friends. Did friends miss their friends like this after only 9 hours though? "Stop over thinking things." She said to herself, "nothing is ever going to happen anyway." Then she picked up her phone before she could stop herself and pressed call. She answered on the third ring.

"Hey, you want to take Pepe out?"

Emily arrived at Alison's about an hour later as she'd had to go pick up the car first. She bounded up the steps and pressed the button to let the blonde know she had arrived. Ali opened the door almost immediately, she was dressed ready to go in her usual hoody and baseball cap disguise.

"Hey, you ready to go?" Emily smiled.

"Hey!" She greeted brightly, "I'll just get Pepe."

The sheltie must have heard Emily's voice already as he came bounding past Alison and sat himself at Emily's feet looking up at her.

"Looks like he's ready too." Emily laughed giving him a scratch behind the ears.

"We're taking the car?"

"Yeah there's a nice park about an hours drive from here I thought we could go to. It's nice to walk around, I packed us a picnic."

"Sounds great." Alison said shutting the door behind her.

Emily got to the car and opened the Alison's door for her. The blonde instructed Pepe to get in and then shut it behind him before going and getting in the front passenger seat. Emily looked at her confused before getting in herself.

"You're riding up front?"

"Yeah, I can't talk to you properly from the back."

Emily just nodded at her logic and set off.

They reached the park in just over an hour, it was moderately busy but she managed to find somewhere to park. Ali got Pepe out of the back while Emily got the bag she had packed with the picnic in.

"Eat or walk first?" She asked the blonde.

"Eat, then we can walk it off."

"Good call." Emily replied and they set off to find a space to set up.

They managed to find a quiet space under a tree and Emily put down the blanket she had brought and started to put out the food.

"It's just a couple of sandwiches and a few snacks but it's all I could find at Hanna's. They tend to order in. Cooking isn't really her thing and thankfully for Caleb she's stopped trying." Emily chuckled.

"It's perfect." Alison sat down on the blanket and started to help herself.

"You didn't have any other plans today?" Emily questioned.

"No, I tend to use your days off to do emails and stuff like that. What about you? Nothing better to do on your day off?"

"I did my chores, went for a run. It was either this or Netflix and you're better company."

"Well thank you, I'm glad you called."

They sat in a comfortable silence while they ate, occasionally giving Pepe scraps.

"So tell me about yourself. I feel like I don't really know anything about you." Alison said turning to Emily.

"Nothing much to tell that you don't already know from reading my file." Emily shrugged.

"Okay, here's the game. We each take it in turn to ask a question, it can be anything and you have to answer honestly."

"Okay." Emily agreed.

"I'll go first, what are your parents like?"

"Wow, straight to it." Emily joked. "They're very nice people. My dad was in the army, he passed 5 years ago."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Alison said sympathetically.

"Yeah it was tough, it was what made me enlist when I graduated. My mom works for the local police department. They're pretty conservative, good values. Good people, I've never felt like I wasn't loved."

"That sounds nice." Alison looked into the distance wistfully.

"What happened with the last guy you had for security?"

"Wow, straight to it." Alison teased. "He was called Lorenzo, he was an ex-cop. He was always a little bit leery but I just used to ignore it. Then he started making inappropriate comments and I ignored them too. Then one day I was in a dressing room getting changed for a photo shoot and he came in, grabbed my ass and told me 'stop pretending you don't want it' I didn't ignore that. He was out of the door 2 minutes later."

Emily felt the rage bubbling up inside her. Her nostrils flared and she bunched her fists at her sides. How dare he touch her like that? How dare he talk to her in that way?

"Hey." Alison's soft voice broke her out of her angry thoughts. "He didn't do anything else, I dealt with it. It's fine." Then she reached over to take one of Emily's clenched fists. "I'm glad he did it anyway."

Emily stared at her, shock and confusion on her face.

"If he hadn't, I never would have met you."

She stroked her thumb over the back of Emily's fist, causing it to unclench and send tingles up Emily's arm and into places she didn't want to think about.

"Tell me about the army." Alison pulled her hand away and Emily immediately missed the contact.

"Well I served for 5 years, did a few tours. My last one just ended and I was discharged with honours."

"Did you like it?"

"Yeah, I guess. I mean it wasn't easy, you realise just how fucked up the world really is, but I had it better than most. I didn't lose any friends or ever get shot or anything. No PTSD or problems like that. I know people that did come back pretty messed up though and I thank my stars every day that I wasn't one of them. That was part of my decision to leave, I didn't want that for myself. The longer I stayed the more chance there was."

Alison just nodded.

"You ready to walk?" Emily asked.

At the word walk Pepe's head lifted excitedly, ears pricked.

"I think somebody definitely is." Alison laughed as Emily picked up Pepe's lead.

As they walked around Emily couldn't help but think about Lorenzo. She still felt a rage bubbling inside her at the mans actions. She couldn't help question if she was in the wrong too. It wasn't like her relationship with Ali was completely appropriate. She'd had many thoughts about the blonde that weren't exactly professional. Just then Ali linked her arm through Emily's and rested her head on her on her shoulder.

"Stop thinking about him Em."

Emily turned her head to plant a kiss on the top of Ali's as they continued walking. It was Alison that had linked her arm through hers, she thought. They were on the same page, they were just close friends. Very tactile close friends.

They walked around for about an hour before deciding to head back. They got back to the car and Ali put Pepe in to the back before climbing into the front again. Just as Emily was about to get in she caught a glimpse of someone out of the corner of her eye. It looked like the guy with the cigarette from last night, but before she could really tell he had his back to her and was walking away into the park. Putting it down to coincidence she climbed in and started the engine.

They were about halfway back when Ali said she was thirsty.

"I think there's a bottle of water left in the bag." Emily answered.

Alison undid he seatbelt to reach into the back for it.

"Hey what are you doing? Put that back on it's not safe!"

"Relax," Ali said retrieving the bag and pulling it into her lap before putting the belt back on, "I trust you."

"I trust me too." Emily replied as Ali searched through the bag. "It's the other arseholes on the road I don't."

"Great Expectations." Alison read from the front cover of the battered book she'd just pulled out of the bottom of her bag. "Did you think my company was going to be so boring you'd need a book?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I didn't realise it was in there, that's the same bag I bring with me everyday. I always bring something to read at your oh so interesting photo shoots."

"This is your favourite right?"

"Well remembered. Yeah I started reading it again last week"

Alison started flicking through the the pages when Emily heard her laugh.

"What's so funny?"

"Their names, Pip, Mr Wopsle, Uncle Pumblechook. They all sound like stuffed animals."

"You can borrow it if you want."

"I've actually read it before, in school."

"What did you think?"

"I don't remember much of it." Alison continued flicking through until she found a page with a corner bent down, indicating where Emily was up to. "Can I read you some?"

Emily just smiled and nodded.

"I loved her against reason, against promise, against peace, against hope, against happiness, against all discouragement that could be."

They were both silent for a moment. Then Alison spoke up.

"I remember now," she said quietly before looking at Emily, "Pip gets Estella in the end."

Then she turned back the book and continued to read aloud for the rest of the journey.

Emily dropped Alison home and returned the car before heading back to the apartment and hanging out with Hanna and Caleb. Hanna didn't bring up their earlier conversation and Emily was glad. She was more confused then ever and didn't want to be sorting through those feelings right now.

She was brought out of her peaceful slumber by the ringing of her phone. She checked the time, 2am. Looking at her phone she saw it was Ali, panic set in as she answered.

"Ali what's wrong?"

"There's someone here Em, at my house." Alison sounded terrified.

"Are they inside the house Ali?" Emily asked jumping out of bed and pulling jeans and her jacket on over the shorts and vest she'd been sleeping in.

"No, he's stood outside. He's been there for an hour. Just staring."

"Ali stay in your room, if he makes any move toward the house you call the police. You hear me?"

"Please come Em, I need you."

"I'm already on my way." Emily reassured the girl as headed out the door.

She sprinted the whole way there, figuring it was quicker than trying to find a cab at that time. She arrived at Alison's feeling like her lungs were going to explode. There was no sign of anyone outside the building. She pulled her phone out.

"Hey I'm here, let me in."

Alison practically jumped into her arms as she came through the door.

"It's alright," Emily soothed stroking her hair, "whoever it was they're gone."

"It was the server."

"What?" Emily asked pulling away to look at Ali's face.

"From the party, I kept looking out the window to see if he was still there and he looked up and saw me. That's when he left but I saw his face. It was definitely him."

Then something clicked in Emily's brain. It was him she saw today at the park, but she'd also seen him at another park.

"He was there the first time we walked Pepe, and he was there today."

"What?"

"I don't think it was a coincidence him working at that party, or bumping into you."

"What are you saying Em?"

"I'm saying you have a stalker Ali, and I should have realised it last night. If not then, I should have earlier today." Emily answered angry at herself. "I have one job, keep you safe and I've already fucked up."

"I'm okay Emily." Alison grabbed her face in both hands forcing her to look into her eyes. "Look at me, I'm okay. You haven't fucked anything up. You're here now and I'm safe."

"How long ago did he leave?"

"A few minutes maybe."

Emily headed toward the door, "Make sure it's locked and go back up to your room with Pepe."

"Where are you going?" Alison asked, panic in her voice.

"If he only left a few minutes ago I'll be able to catch up with him if he's on foot."

"No Emily." Alison's voice was firm as she grabbed her arm and pulled her back. "Call the police, they can find him. Your job is to keep me safe and I'm safe. You're here so I'm safe."

Emily stared into Ali's pleading eyes.

"Okay," she relented.

Alison's whole body seemed to relax, "Will you stay with me?"

"Of course."

Emily called the police and gave them all the information she had. They assured her they were sending units out to look now and would be in touch as soon as they found him.

"Well they're out looking for him, so we may as well get some sleep." Emily said walking into the kitchen where Alison was sat at the counter.

"The guest room isn't ready yet so…"

"It's fine, not a problem. I've had to sleep on the ground before now listening to bombs going off, a dust sheet covered couch sounds like luxury." Emily tried to smile but she was still uneasy about the guy being out there.

"No, I meant you can share my bed." Alison said quietly looking up at Emily.

Emily felt her throat dry up, "Honestly the couch is fine Ali." She managed to get out.

"Don't be silly, I've dragged you out in the middle of the night. Again. The least I can do is offer you a good nights sleep."

Emily doubted she would get much sleep but she nodded and followed Ali up the stairs.

"Do you need something to sleep in?" Alison asked her as they reached the bedroom.

"No, I'm good." Emily replied taking off her jacket and jeans to reveal her pyjamas.

"You didn't waste anytime getting here did you." Alison chuckled softly.

Emily shrugged, "Well I didn't think there was any time to waste."

It was then that she took in Ali's appearance for the first time since she'd arrived. She didn't have a bit of makeup on and she looked beautiful. She looked down at her sleep attire. All she was wearing was a white shirt, and presumably underwear. It was big on her, and covered her like a night shirt. It had a slight grey stain on the front of it. Alison saw Emily staring and looked down to see why, before looking back up and blushing.

"I forgot I had this on. It just got shoved in with my washing and I figured you wouldn't want it back what with the stain and all."

"So you turned it into pyjamas?" Emily smiled cocking her head to the side questioningly.

"It's comfy." Alison replied climbing into the bed.

Emily suddenly felt like the temperature in the room had risen about 50 degrees, and she was pretty sure it was due to Ali wearing her shirt. Her heart beat faster and she tried to look neutral as she climbed into the bed.

"Sweet dreams Ali."

She felt the bed shift and then the softest lips on her cheek.

"Goodnight Em, thank you."

Emily thought her heart was going to explode there and then. She hated when Hanna was right.

She was woken up by the light sneaking between the curtains. Opening her eyes, it took her a minute to realise where she was. Then another minute to realise there was another body tangled with her own. Alison was half on top of her, her leg resting in between Emily's, her head buried in the crook of her neck and one arm thrown across her body, fingers entwined with her own hand. Emily just decided this was the best dream she'd ever had and closed her eyes again to enjoy it.

So that's chapter 5. Good? Bad? Ugly? Your opinion matters. Have a great day : )