A/N - I revised this chapter on November 10, 2018. 3


Emily stepped away from Paige with a soft, timid smile, trying to find somewhere safe to look. "Oh," she said, when she caught sight of the flowers on the floor out of the corner of her eye. Kneeling gracefully to the ground, she picked them up.

"Here, let me..." Paige knelt next to her and picked up the pizza box, lifting the lid and cringing at the state of the pizza. She stood to her feet slowly and, with a serious face, announced, "I think we can salvage it."

There was a metaphor in there somewhere; something about picking up the pieces of their damaged relationship and putting them back together, but they had more important things on their mind.

Emily stood up and sniffed the bouquet, brushing her hair to the side as she did. Suddenly, she remembered how she was dressed, and she felt very small. Of course, Paige would pick that night to come over; the night when she was dressed like a lonely old spinster who had completely given up on life. She started to laugh. There was no use trying to hide from how she looked, so she decided that she was just going to own it. Stepping to the side, she gestured theatrically with her hand to usher Paige inside, towards the living room, where the box of tissues and the box of wine sat on the table, and the muted TV was still showing some Hallmark romance movie.

"As you can see," she said with a faux-serious look, "I had big plans for tonight."

Paige played along. "Sorry, I guess I should've called before I came."

Emily stopped in her tracks. When Paige, who was a few steps in front of her, picked up on it, she stopped and turned around to see what was up.

"Yeah," Emily asked, a bit harshly (considering how happy she was to see Paige), "why did you come by tonight?"

As happy as she was, Emily was stunned. After Alison's little stunt, Emily had resigned herself to the fact that she would never see Paige again. It had always come down to Alison; the one thing that their love had never seemed to be able to conquer. Alison knew that, too, of course. And Emily knew how wounded Alison felt by the fact that she left Rosewood, choosing Paige. More than that, she was certain that Alison had been following the developments in Iowa closely, choosing just the right moment to pounce, to put a final nail in the coffin of their relationship.

And yet, Paige was there, in her apartment. With pizza and flowers.

Paige took a deep breath. "I came by because I didn't want to waste any more time. I came by because..."

Emily put two fingers on Paige's lips to silence her. She moved closer, letting her left hand, which was holding the bouquet, fall to her side. Her other hand went behind Paige's neck, and she kissed her long and hard. It had been so long since they shared a real kiss. Much too long.

Emily didn't want it to end. Obviously. But it wasn't just how good it felt to be kissing Paige again. Deep inside, her fear was still there; the fear that, as soon as the kiss ended, the spell would be broken, and Paige would run away again.

Paige, who was still holding onto the pizza box throughout the kiss, worried that her arm would cramp from the awkward angle. Still, she stayed where she was, her arm firmly around Emily's waist. She would stay there for as long as it took.

When Emily stepped back from the kiss, she gave Paige a questioning look.

Are you okay? Was that okay? Are we going to be okay?

She took the box from Paige's hand and set it on the coffee table, so that she had an excuse to look towards the table and not at Paige as she asked the question that had her heart pounding.

"You're not going to run away from me again, are you?"

Paige took Emily's shoulders and turned her around, clutching her close to her heart. "No way," she whispered. "Never."

Emily nodded against Paige's chest and lifted her head, nuzzling her cheek against Paige's. "I won't run away, either," she assured her.

Paige took a seat on the couch and extended her arm. Emily nestled in, with her head on Paige's shoulder and her arm across Paige's waist.

Paige could feel Emily trembling, so she kissed the top of her head to let her know that she was there. The trembling got stronger, and Paige realized that Emily was sobbing silently. She stroked her cheek. "Hey... Em," she whispered.

Emily looked up, forcing a smile. "It's okay, Paige," she assured her. "I'm okay." Paige handed her a tissue, which she used to dab at her eyes. "Paige, I... I know that we need to talk, but..."

"It's okay, Em," Paige whispered in her ear.

Emily shook her head, sitting up. "No, we really need to," she forced out, "but, can we just... just be together for a little while longer before we..."

It still seemed like a dream. And Emily was still worried that talking things through about Alison would turn her night into a nightmare. It wasn't too selfish to ask for just one more night together, before whatever lay ahead of them the next day.

"Of course," Paige whispered. She pulled Emily back into her previous position, under the protection of her arm. "So what are we watching?" she asked, trying to sound upbeat, in an attempt to take Emily's mind off of things.

Emily looked at the TV as a series of promos cycled across the bottom of the screen:

Now Playing: Love's Complicated

Up Next: Anything For Love

At 11:00: Lead With Your Heart

Emily sat up quickly, her left foot falling on the floor followed quickly by her right. She picked up the remote and turned the TV off, then curled up on the couch again, back in Paige's embrace. She knew how Paige felt about the Hallmark Channel. Actually, Emily wasn't a huge fan of it, either - except in times when she wanted to wallow in depression. But there was no more need to wallow.

Paige felt guilty for thinking about the pizza in the middle of that moment. She didn't want it to get cold, but eating it would mean getting up to get plates and another wine glass from the kitchen, and there was no way that she was going to move. She was where she needed to be. She was Emily's rock. It was a great feeling.


They sat there, together, in silence, until Paige heard Emily's breath even out and felt the rhythmic rise and fall of Emily's chest against her side. She didn't know what to do. She couldn't leave Emily, but it didn't seem right for her to stay. They couldn't spend the rest of the night huddled together on the couch. She took a deep breath as she thought it over, finally standing, careful not to wake Emily. She put the box of wine on top of the refrigerator and made room for the pizza on one of the shelves inside it. She drank Emily's leftover half-glass of wine and rinsed out the glass. Back in the living room, she stood over Emily with her hands on her hips, squaring herself for what she was about to do. Leaning over the couch, she picked up her sleeping ex-girlfriend who, without waking, moaned contentedly and wrapped her arms around Paige's neck, smiling in her sleep.

Paige took her to the bedroom and laid her on her bed, relieved that she was already in sleeping attire, so that she wouldn't have to worry about trying to get her changed. She took off Emily's slippers and put them under the bed, then put Emily, robe and all, under the blanket, leaving her with a soft kiss to the cheek.

"Mmm... Paige," Emily said. Paige wasn't quite sure that she was awake until she sat up and reached for Paige's hand. When that happened, Paige took a seat next to her on the bed. Emily couldn't look at her for what she was about to ask. "Paige, I know it's inappropriate and... too soon, or whatever, but..." Emily paused, and Paige squeezed her hand. "... could you just... not leave me tonight? I promise nothing will happen, and we'll talk tomorrow, I swear, but would you just..."

"Of course," Paige said, in a deep, sincere voice. She squeezed Emily's hand. "I'm here for you, whatever you need, remember?"

Emily felt that she needed to ask harder; to do some more convincing, but she just smiled instead. "Thank you," she said softly. She put her hands at her side, about to get up, but Paige stopped her.

"I got it." She stroked Emily's cheek again and gave her a quick kiss. "Wait right here. I'll be back."

Paige went to Emily's dresser and found something that she could wear to bed. Before she went to the bathroom to change, she turned around to check on Emily. Emily was sitting under the blanket with her knees bent and her hands hugging her legs. She hadn't taken her eyes off of Paige the entire time. She was smiling, still not really believing that this was actually happening; that Paige was truly back. Paige raised the sweatpants and jersey that she'd selected and Emily nodded, mouthing a kiss.

As soon as Paige was on the other side of the door, Emily let out a silent screech, stamping her feet against the mattress in excitement. She wanted to tell Hanna. She wanted to tell the world - but they would have to wait.

Everything, all of the setbacks, all of the despair, all of the work, had been worth it. They were back - and, this time, Emily wasn't going to let go.


Paige took a long look at herself in the bathroom mirror. She turned her head and looked again, from a couple of different angles. She was trying to figure out what was different. She couldn't see anything, but she could feel that something was different. It was the same feeling that she had after the first time she and Emily made love. This night, she thought, was also a new beginning; a milestone of a different sort.

Paige climbed into the bed and Emily rolled over, turning her back to Paige. Little spoon. She took Paige's arm with her as she turned, holding it close to her body. She looked over her shoulder, to make sure that Paige was okay with the arrangement, and Paige kissed at her, her lips not quite able to connect . But that was fine. They both got the point.

Emily lay in bed smiling, playing with Paige's fingers, until she fell asleep.

When she woke up, Paige's arm was still there, holding onto her. She had missed that. God, how she'd missed it. She stroked the bare skin up and down with her fingers. She could tell by the gentle landing of Paige's breaths against her neck that the strokes wouldn't wake her.

In the dim, pre-dawn light, Emily was reminded that she had fallen asleep in her comfy clothes. She felt a tinge of regret; Paige deserved to wake up and see her in something pretty. For a moment, she thought about getting up and changing into something nicer, but, in the end, she thought better of it. It wasn't that it was too soon for her to start being flirty with Paige again. Maybe it was; Emily didn't know. And she didn't really care. She was too comfortable, lying there with Paige, to waste her energy thinking about it. It was an incredible feeling, just being comfortable with Paige again; incredible to know that they didn't have to feel sexy. Comfortable was enough.

Emily scooted back closer to Paige, and Paige mumbled something in her sleep. Emily kissed her hand, to let her know that everything was still fine.


When the sun was fully up, Emily woke Paige with a kiss. "Good morning," she said, half smiling, half worried that magic had faded.

Paige scowled for a second or two, trying to figure out where she was. As she came to her senses, she smiled back at Emily. "Hey."

It was unusual for Paige to sleep so late in the morning. Her internal clock usually woke her up before dawn, and, even when she slept later, if all else failed, the sun woke her. But she was in no hurry to wake up on this particular morning. It was as if her subconscious mind chose to stay asleep as long as possible, as long as she could hold onto Emily. When Emily awakened her with a kiss, it was like a fairy tale. Only, with the roles reversed - Sleeping Beauty's kiss awakening her Princess Charming.

Emily gave Paige another kiss and stroked her cheek. "Are you hungry?"

Paige took a deep breath. They had both fallen asleep without eating. "I'm starving," she admitted.

"Why don't you go take a shower?" Emily tipped her chin towards the bathroom. "I'll see what I figure out in the kitchen."

"Okay." Paige kissed her before she realized what her breath must have smelled like. When she realized, she quickly covered her mouth and made a quick exit, heading for the bathroom.

Emily rolled her eyes. It wasn't the first kiss they'd shared with morning breath.

"There are some towels in the... thing!"

"Found them!"

Emily sat in bed for a minute. She heard the toilet flush, then heard Paige rustle around for a few minutes, until she located Emily's emergency toothbrush. Emily bit the tip of her index finger, a little giddy that their old familiar habits were being revived. Her smile got bigger and bigger with anticipation as she waited for Paige to finish brushing her teeth and head into the shower. There was silence for a moment, between the time that the water in the sink stopped and the water in the shower started. Another moment later, Paige squealed, "What the... Emily?"

Emily pulled a strand of hair across her smile and waited in silence, knowing what it was that Paige had found.

Paige showed up in the doorway, one hand holding a towel to her chest, and the other holding a bottle of Tresemmé Coconut and Aloe shampoo. "Where in the world did you find this?" Paige asked, her face lit up with excitement. "I've been looking all over the tri-county area - none of the stores out here carries it!"

"It's..." Emily said coyly, drawing out the suspense, "... It's from Rosewood, actually."

"Rosewood..." Paige said pensively, crinkling her forehead. "You brought this out here from Rosewood?"

"My parents sent it to me, actually." Paige still looked confused. "I didn't ask them to," Emily added quickly, reaching her hand out as she said it. "I just mentioned to them that they must not sell it out here, because you... smelled... different"

Paige smiled widely, shaking her head in disbelief. She opened the bottle and took a deep whiff with her eyes closed. "Ahhhh..." A second later, it hit her: How could Emily have known to leave the shampoo in the shower for her? "But, wait a minute, she asked. "How did you know that I was going come here last night - and that I would stay over?"

Emily bit her lip shyly. "I... didn't. Well, I didn't know that it was going to be last night, but..." She looked away from Paige. "I knew it was going to be some night." Emily climbed out of the bed and walked towards Paige. Face to face with her, she took a deep breath. "I never lost faith, Paige. Even after we had that fight. Even after I came to your apartment and you told me how you felt." Paige cringed at the memory. Emily chuckled slightly, looking off to the side, "Well, I threw it on the ground a couple of times and almost threw it down the garbage chute after that night," she admitted. She put her hands on Paige's shoulders, letting her fingers skate across the soft skin there. "But it was the only thing I had to hold onto. It was the only hope I had that we would be together again. So I couldn't let it go."

Paige really wanted to kiss her, but she knew that, if she did, the towel would fall. They weren't back at that point yet. Not by a long shot. "Close your eyes," she said in a deep voice.

"What?"

"Close your eyes."

Emily obediently closed her eyes, and Paige quickly wrapped the towel around herself, tucking it in so that it wouldn't fall away. "Okay," she said. When Emily opened her eyes, she kissed her. "I can't believe you did that for me."


Paige was a little on-edge at breakfast, trying to enjoy the time with Emily, but dreading the talk that she knew they would have to have afterwards. Her tenseness was making Emily nervous, too. The conversation - what little conversation there was - was stilted and awkward.

After they ate and cleaned up the dishes, they settled in on the couch, side by side, with the center cushion between them. Paige had her fingers intertwined in her lap, in a much-too-formal pose. Emily was leaning slightly on her right arm, which was planted on the center cushion. Every once in a while, they smiled over at each other, like two people on a first date who didn't quite know what to say.

"I guess we need to have our talk," Emily said, to break the impasse.

Paige sighed. "Do we have to? Can't we go to the gym and just talk after lunch?"

Emily shrugged her shoulders. "I think a lot of the problems we've had over the years were because we never talked about things." She shrugged her shoulders again. "We always find an excuse to put it off, and then we end up sweeping everything under the rug."

"I know, I know," Paige said, her voice trailing off. "It's just..." She sighed, letting her shoulders drop. "Jeez, how come it's so much easier to be honest about what we're feeling when we're angry at each other?"

Emily tightened her lips and thought it over. "I can make you angry, if you want," she offered. She leaned over and started pinching Paige in the side - not enough to hurt, just enough to tickle her.

Paige laughed as she tried to push Emily's hands away, finally putting her hands up in surrender. "Okay, okay, okay!"

Emily rubbed Paige's shoulder as an apology. Then, sitting up fully, she took Paige's hand into her lap and sandwiched it between her hands. She cleared her throat and managed a smile. "Paige, you know, I was listening to everything that you said when you were angry with... when we were angry with each other. And, you were right. I get it. I did tend to take you for granted. Even if... Even if I didn't mean to." Emily's eyes wandered around the room. "You were my rock; you were the one who was always there, no matter what. And I didn't really appreciate that until you left. I mean, even when you went off to Stanford, I knew that you would be back in Rosewood, eventually. But, Paige..." - Emily's eyes fixed on Paige's - "... when you moved to Iowa, I had to think what my life would be like without you. I had to think a lot about it. And I didn't like what I saw. I didn't like it at all." Emily pushed the the hair away from her face and took Paige's hand again, holding it up between the two of them. "So, I want you to know that I'm sorry, Paige. I never meant to take you for granted, but I know that I did. And I know that it was wrong. And..." She exhaled slowly, with a slight sniffle. "Well, yeah. I'm sorry."

Paige squeezed Emily's hand. "I'm sorry, too," she said. "You're right, I did feel that you took me for granted, and I engaged in a lot of... unhelpful behavior in response, because it really hurt. And I know I hurt you." - Emily shook her head, but Paige looked deep in her eyes. "I know I hurt you," she repeated. Paige shifted against the back cushion, looking off in he general direction of the kitchen. "I came out here to Iowa because I needed to get away. From you... from Rosewood... from all that baggage. I just needed to prove to myself that I could make it; that I could move on. But, the longer I was here, the more I kept wishing that you would come after me; that you thought that I was worth coming after." Paige scoffed at her admission and turned towards Emily. "Selfish, I know."

Emily rubbed Paige's shoulder. "No," she insisted. "Paige, that's not selfish. It's totally natural. We all want to feel that we're worth chasing after. We all need to know that the person we love is willing to fight for us. You showed me that over and over back in Rosewood. I came to Iowa to show you that it's not one-sided." Emily smiled shyly, adding, "Killer." It seemed out-of-context after all these years, and she was a little embarrassed saying it, but Paige pulled her close, hugging her tight, to let her know that she got why she said it, and that it meant a lot to her.

"But, I don't understand, though, Paige. If you wanted me to come after you, how come you rejected me when I did?

Paige smiled. "The heart and the head don't always want the same thing, Em. For most of my life, I chose to listen to my heart, and it ended up getting broken over and over again."

Emily looked down, ashamed. "I'm so sorry, Paige."

Paige lifted her chin. "I'm not telling you to make you feel bad. I just want to be honest."

Emily nodded sadly. "So, now, you decided to choose your heart again?"

Paige chuckled slightly, shaking her head. "I didn't have to," she whispered. "For once, my heart and my head are in agreement." After a pause, Paige concluded, "We trust you."

"Thank you," Emily said softly.

"Thank you," Paige echoed.

"But Paige..." Emily put her hand on Paige's chest, to maintain contact. "... I have to be honest about what I'm feeling, too."

Paige nodded. "Okay."

"Well, it's just that... you." Emily took a deep breath. "You have a tendency to run and hide; to avoid conflict rather than dealing with things, and, if we're going to have a relationship together, we can't afford to do that with each other."

"I know," Paige said, dipping her head. "I know I've got to change, Emily"

"I don't want to change you," Emily said, lowering her head so that she could look Paige in the eye. "I want us both to grow, together. Like two strands of a vine that meet and intertwine, and, from that point, keep growing together, two parts of one whole. And, once they come together that way, there's no way to separate them without destroying them both."

Paige looked up with a smirk. "Kind of like 'Till death do us part?'" Paige rubbed her shoulder against Emily's. "Are you saying that you want to marry me, Emily Fields?" she teased.

Emily shrugged her shoulders, but she didn't deny it. She hadn't come to Iowa for a fling. She was in it for the long haul.

Paige cupped Emily's face in her hand and gave her a kiss. "Well, since we're being honest, I have to say, I like the sound of that."

Emily's face beamed as she drank in that statement for a moment. But the moment didn't last. There was still more to talk about. She leaned away from Paige, back to her side of the couch, drawing in on herself subconsciously. She was frightened and a little ashamed about the Alison situation, but she knew that they couldn't avoid it. "Paige," she said haltingly, "there's one more thing."

Paige picked up on the change in Emily's body language. There could be no doubt about what she was about to say. Paige's body stiffened and her face darkened. "No, Emily…"

Emily could sense that she was losing Paige – losing her to her self-loathing and fear. She turned to her and took her hand. "Paige, please let me explain," she pleaded.

Paige shook her head. "There's nothing to explain. It wasn't your fault. I know how she is." She was facing away from Emily and she refused to turn her head.

Emily scooted closer to Paige and touched her cheek. Paige conceded, turning her head to face forward, but still couldn't look at Emily. Emily put both of her hands around Paige's. Paige didn't pull away.

"I didn't know that she was coming," Emily said softly, squeezing Paige's hand. "And I knew why she wanted to go to Hank's. Of course I knew. I would've called you to warn you, but, Paige, you weren't speaking to me. And I thought that, if I texted you or left a message, you would've taken it the wrong way and thought I was taunting you."

Paige turned quickly and glared at Emily. Emily shrugged her shoulders helplessly. Things weren't going well, but she knew that it was better, in the long run, to get them out into the open, rather than letting them fester. She locked eyes with Paige sincerely. She wanted Paige to know that she was on her side.

Paige's shoulders dropped. Her ration overcame her jealousy and fear. "Yeah," she admitted softly. "I probably wouldn't have reacted well."

"She didn't stay with me," Emily made a point of saying. She looked away. "She was planning to, but I made it clear she wasn't welcome. I mean, she'll always be my friend…" Emily took a quick glance at Paige. Paige nodded slightly. Emily touched her cheek. "… but not if she tries to come between me and you."

Paige stood, pulling Emily with her and wrapping her in her arms for a long hug. Emily rubbed up from Paige's chest to her shoulders.

"You know," Emily said sheepishly, "I went back to Hank's the next night to try to explain things, but you were..." She looked briefly into Paige's eyes. "... otherwise occupied."

"Oh," Paige said, setting a little distance between herself and Emily. "How much did you see?"

The question made Emily nervous, but they were putting everything on the table, so she pressed onward. "I saw that she was getting flirty. And I saw that it was working."

"Yeah." Paige cleared her throat. "Well, you know how sometimes alcohol can lead you into a big mistake?"

"I know," Emily said sincerely. "And, it's fine, Paige, honestly. I mean, we weren't together..."

Paige shook her head. "Well, that night, alcohol kept me from a big mistake. I lost it, and Madisyn sent me home in an Uber before anything could happen. And, thank God for that. I wasn't interested in Tammi. It would have been the biggest mistake of my life. Well, one of the biggest, anyway."

Emily smiled, nodding contentedly; happy both for her sake and for Paige's that nothing had happened with Tammi.

"That was the night I realized that I didn't want to be without you," Paige admitted.

Emily's face brightened. "Really?"

Paige nodded. "Yeah. I'll tell you about it sometime."

"Okay," Emily said softly, biting a smile. There was still more to talk about, but they'd gotten off to a good start. They didn't have to cover it all in one shot. "So, what are you doing today?"

Paige laughed lightly, a little embarrassed. "I... I think I need to go work out."

Emily pouted and rubbed Paige's shoulders. "Couldn't you skip a day?"

Paige backed away from her, taking hold of both of her hands. "You don't understand, Em," she said earnestly. "I mean, I really need to work out." There was a look of nervous concern on her face.

Emily suddenly understood. It had been an emotional few hours. "Oh," she said softly. She giggled once, then giggled again, trying to stop herself from losing it completely. She took a step closer to Paige and rubbed her sides up and down. Looking up at her with puppy dog eyes, she asked, "Wouldn't you rather stay and work out with me?"

Paige's jaw dropped. "You don't think... It's not... It's not too soon?"

Emily shrugged her shoulders. They weren't kids anymore, and they weren't strangers either. And they had just talked about being more honest about what they were feeling.

"Okay," Paige said shyly.

Emily's face lit up. She couldn't keep herself from clapping her hands. Paige smiled and impulsively pulled Emily in, kissing her on top of the head.

"Do you remember our first time?" Emily asked.

"How could I ever forget it? " Paige smiled wistfully, shaking her head at the memory. "You told me that you were looking for someone..."

"And I came here." Emily pointed down to where they were standing, to indicate that she was updating the story, this time, referring to Iowa.

Paige leaned her head back, smiling as she thought back on those days. She had been so young, so insecure, and so full of guilt. At the time, she was afraid that she would never be able to earn Emily's forgiveness, it was amazing that Emily was there. Times had certainly changed. This time, when Emily came to her, it was Emily who was afraid of not getting Paige's forgiveness. And, this time, Paige was more confident, more secure in who she was - and in what they were.

But, still, she was as amazed that Emily had come. She stood there, reveling in the thought, with a far-off look in her eye.

Emily touched her cheek to regain her attention. "Don't look away."


A/N - Was that too hacky of me, ending the story with that line? :(

Thanks so much to subway20 for sending me the lyrics to the song that I used for the title of this chapter, Paul McCartney's "No More Lonely Nights." They were so on-point for Emily's feelings in this story! In the end, I wasn't able to weave the lyrics into this chapter, but do yourself a favor and Google them.

Oh - and by the way - those were actual titles of Hallmark Romance Channel movies!

Big, big thanks to you all for sticking with this story! (There are still a couple of us Paily fic fans out there...) Special thanks, as always, to all who took the time to let me know what you thought - good, bad or indifferent.

I honestly love you all!