A/N Enjoy! Thank you for the reviews. They really are really very lovely and enouraging. :) I do not own PLL.

"How could you?" uttered Aria, her voice deadly calm and quiet.

"Aria, what?" Ezra left his thought uncompleted as she slammed a book onto his desk. The school day had just ended, and the halls were growing quiet as people left.

"How could you write these things and feel these feelings and give up on us so easily?" Her voice was becoming frantic and emotional.

"Aria, listen, I," he began again.

"No, you listen," exclaimed Aria. "You led me to believe that being in a relationship with me was a big mistake."

Ezra looked at her blankly, willing himself to say something, "I never meant for you to read that."

"Then why did you write it?"

He ignored the question, "I thought I was doing the right thing."

"The right thing for who?" she demanded. "For me? For you? I don't know which story to believe…the I missed you while you were in Iceland story, the you've grown up so much since you were away story, the we shouldn't be together story."She was furious, her anger was just below the surface.

"Aria, it was the right thing for you. That's the truth."

"Oh, are we going to talk about truth now. Yesterday's truth or today's or next week's? Here's the truth, Ezra. We're over, and my age didn't ruin us, you did."

"What's going on here?" Suddenly Noel was at the door, and he was starting at the two people in the room with a dangerously bewildered look on his face.

"Nothing, absolutely nothing is going on here," said Aria before storming out of Ezra's classroom.

"Do you have something to say to me?" Ezra deadpanned to Noel. Noel remained silent and turned to follow Aria down the hallway. Ezra looked at the book Aria had left on his desk. It was a collection of poems by Ezra Pound that he had lent to Ella and on a blank page in the back of the book was poem that he had written about Aria. He stared at the page and then took the book and hurled it across his classroom until it hit the back wall. He sat back in his desk dejectedly.

It was November 8, 2011, and Aria hadn't felt like writing anything in her journal that day. She left the page blank.

On November 15 Aria went to a sleepover at Mona's. It was her birthday and her house was filled with girls and popcorn and hairspray. She left early. She didn't feel like gossiping or her doing her hair. Hanna offered to drive her home, but she declined, thinking the walk in the evening air would do her good. Mona only lived two blocks from her house.

She had just turned onto her street, looking forlornly at her feet, when the vibration of her phone caused her to take it out of her back pocket.

It was Noel. Where are you?

She ignored his text, slipping her phone into her purse. She looked up and saw that she was near Ezra's front yard. The lights were on in his house, but she couldn't see him through the window. A part of her wanted to go into the tree house, her childhood refuge, and curl into a ball. Another part of her wanted to go home and cry herself to sleep in her own bed. Still another part of her remained quietly angry with Ezra and wanted to ring his doorbell and confront him. Her fury won.

She rang the doorbell, and he answered it. He looked disheveled and worn, haggard even.

"Aria?"

"You've got thirty seconds."

He craned his neck out the window and look onto the quiet street. "Come in?" he asked.

She stiffly complied, settling herself onto the familiar sofa of his living room, her arms crossed. He sat next to her.

"Aria, I didn't go to New York to leave you, I went for you. I thought that if I resigned from Rosewood, we would have a chance to be together."

Her face softened, but her tone of voice didn't change, "I'm still angry."

"Forgive me?" he begged, his voice barely above a whisper. She didn't answer. "Forgive me?" he repeated, leaning in to her. Suddenly she grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him closer to her, her lips on his. How long they were like that, neither of them could say. Later, Aria would recall the flash of headlights and the quiet intrusion of privacy.

After they had made up they looked at each other. No words were necessary to convey the emotions they felt. She leaned in to kiss him one more time. His hand rested on the small of her back, his other arm stroked her soft hair. They sat together on the couch. Her head lay in his lap and he continued to stroke her hair.

"Can we stay like this forever?" she asked.

"I wish." He leaned in to kiss her temple. A while later, he asked, "Are you hungry?"

She sat up and shook her head. "No, I'm more tired than anything else. I haven't been sleeping well lately," she admitted.

"Do you want to stay here?"

"My parents think I'm over at Mona's. They won't know I spent the night here," she responded slyly, pulling him from the couch. He gave her a look and followed her as she led him up the stairs.

When they reached the top Ezra started hoarsely, "I think you should stay in the guest bedroom."

He was surprised when Aria responded serenely, "I know." Nevertheless, she walked all the way down the hallway to the master bedroom.

"Aria," he sighed, following her into the room.

"I just wanted to see what it looked like," she maintained, her back to him. "I've never been in here." She took in the sight of the sparse room. It was painted a shade of green that was somewhere between sage and emerald, the king sized bed was covered with a homemade quilt. There was a dresser made of dark brown wood, and she could see the door leading to the bathroom. On the nightstand beside the bed there was a porcelain angel figurine and over the bedpost rested a dream catcher.

She walked to where it was and fingered it. "You kept it all these years," she said in awe.

"Of course," he answered softly, "you gave it to me."

She sat on the edge of the bed and continued to look around. "They're in here," she stated, "you kept them as part of this room." She ran her hand over the quilt.

He nodded. "I changed this room the least. I never repainted, and she made the quilt on the bed."

"Mrs. Springer did love angels," said Aria looking at the figurine.

"She did," smiled Ezra. Aria looked up and noticed he hadn't moved from his position in the doorway.

"I'm not going to bite," she said.

"I beg to differ," he laughed. But he still didn't move. She gave him a pointed look. He sighed. "I can't promise what will happen if I come in there."

She nodded and jumped off the bed coming towards him. "Good night, Ezra," she said, tiptoeing to kiss him on the cheek.

"Good night," he answered and watched as she entered a room down the hall.

The next morning on November 16, Hanna burst into her bedroom and dropped a duffel bag onto the floor. She shut the door behind her.

"I saw you and Mr. Fitz last night," she blurted. Aria looked up from where she was sitting on the window seat and took her earphones out of her ears.

"What did you say?"

"I saw you and Fitz last night," Hanna enunciated from where she stood in the middle of the room.

Aria was startled. "Hanna, I…"

"Weren't you going to tell me?" Aria realized that Hanna was hurt. "Geez, Aria, after I set you up with Noel. So there was no guy in Iceland?"

"Wait a minute," began Aria and walked to where her friend stood. "What did you see?"

"You and Fitz making out in his living room. I drove to your house, to make sure you were okay and you had forgotten your bag. Some of the guys crashed the party, and I knew you had walked home." Hanna shook her head. "You dumped us to be with him?"

Aria sat on her bed and looked up at her friend. "I really was going home. I just got a little side tracked."

"I know," said Hanna coming to sit beside her friend. "How long has this been going on?"

"For years," replied Aria calmly.

"Years?" exclaimed Hanna, scrunching up her nose. "Aria, that's creepy like disgustingly creepy."

"No, I mean," Aria took a deep breath and continued. "I've loved him for years, but what's going on between us, it only started when I came back from Europe."

"What about Noel?" Hanna asked quietly.

"I didn't mean to hurt him. I really didn't. Ezra had ended it with me but last night…" Aria let the thought hang.

Hanna stared at her friend. "I'm not the only one who saw you last night." She proceeded to tell Aria that when she had seen as she drove past Ezra's house. Noel had been there, staring through the open window to where Aria and Ezra had been making out. That night Aria's journal read "What next?"

On Monday, November 18, Aria found Noel in the music room.

"I'm sorry," she said. His back was too her and he was bent over his guitar. He turned to look at her.

"These things happen," he turned back to his music.

"So you won't tell anyone?" she asked.

He stopped strumming chords and turned back to her again. "What happens between you and your neighbor is your business." He looked at her.

"I really I am sorry," she repeated.

He gave her a twisted and sad smile, "I know. See you around?"

"Of course," she answered. He turned his back to her and she left the room.

Her journal entry for that day read "sometimes things do work out for the better."

Her sense of elation didn't last long. A week later, on November 25, she walked into Ezra's house and found him in his study, drinking. His shirt was untucked and he didn't have his tie on.

"What happened?" she exclaimed.

"Noel," he exclaimed hoarsely, talking another drink of brandy.

"What about Noel?" She was confused.

"He came to me today and asked me to change his grade." He shook his head and looked at her. "I can't do it Aria. I just can't."

She took his drink from him and set it firmly on the desk. Taking his hands in hers, she sighed and kissed him on the forehead. "What are you going to do?" He heard the fear in her voice, the sense of uncertainty that he also felt.

He looked at her. "I could resign. Then Noel wouldn't have anything to say to anyone."

Aria bit her bottom lip. "He was talking to Mike today at school. At first I didn't think anything of it, but now…what if he told Mike something about us?"

Ezra cocked his head. "Maybe he did. Maybe he didn't." He sat down in the desk chair and took another swig of his drink.

Aria shifted her weight between her feet for a moment before deciding to sit on his lap. "If my parents find out," she looked at him.

"I know," he answered. "We'll figure this out together."

"Together," she breathed calmly. But there was worry in her eyes.

The next morning on November 26, she found her friends in the school's courtyard. They were drinking coffee and talking. Aria sat next to them on the table, her sunglasses covering her bloodshot eyes.

"What happened to you?" asked Spencer.

"It was a long night," answered Aria shortly.

"Does it have to do with Mr. Fitz?" asked Emily innocently.

Aria, who had been drinking from her own coffee mug, nearly choked. "Hanna," she exclaimed hoarsely.

Hanna looked up from her texting and at her friend. "What?" she shrugged. "They were going to find out anyway."

Aria's shoulders slumped and she hunched over the table. "Noel knows and he's trying to blackmail Ezra into giving him better grades."

"What's he going to do?" Spencer questioned. There was a calculating look in her eye.

"Resign if he has to," Aria admitted. She put her face in her hands causing her sunglasses to ride up to the top of her head. "Why do I ruin everything?"

"Don't say that," said Emily with feeling, rubbing Aria's back in comfort.

"Yeah," chimed in Spencer. She smiled sadly. "At least you didn't ruin your sister's wedding by kissing her fiancé."

"What?" burst out Hanna, "You and Wren?"

Spencer nodded, "That's why he and Melissa broke up."

"And I thought I was having a hard time telling Lucas I only liked him as a friend," responded Hanna.

"Who's Lucas?" Aria asked, lifting her head up slightly.

"He's this really smart guy. He's nice," she shook her head, "but I don't like him like that and I don't think he gets it."

"I told my mom," whispered Emily. He friends gave her their undivided attention as she continued. "I told her about Maya, and she doesn't look at me the same."

"Oh, Em," breathed Aria, leaning to give her friend a hug.

"We've all got messed up love lives right now, Ar," said Spencer.

"We really do," answered Aria. Just then the bell rang, and the girls picked up their bags and walked into the school. Emily, who had been silently shedding tears, wiped them away as she leaned in for a drink of water at the fountain.

"What's going on?" asked Spencer, pointing to where Principal Hackett and Noel were loudly arguing.

"The answers to three midterms, Mr. Kahn," Principal Hackett was saying. "I can't imagine ever believing you again." Noel loudly protested as he was forced into the office. Aria heard the word suspension uttered out loud. Ezra, who had been watching the scene unfold from the doorway of his classroom, caught her gaze, and she returned it. He silently turned back into his classroom and Aria turned to her friends.

That night the word Mike was bolded in her journal.

"Why did you do it?" she asked her brother, walking into his room.

He was laying on the bed, reading a comic book. "Why did I do what?"Aria rolled her eyes and stared him down. He sighed. "Because you're my sister and Ezra has always been there when I needed him."

"How long have you known?" she asked, coming to sit next to him on the bed.

"Since Ezra stopped coming to Wednesday dinners." He sighed and layed down his comic book. "Noel tried to get a reaction out of me." Mike should his head. "He thought I would be upset about it."

"Are you?" she asked, bracing herself for an answer.

He shook his head. "I'm happy for you. Both of you. Ezra's been too sad since he moved here."

"Even though he's my teacher?" she asked.

"He's been Ezra much longer than he's been Mr. Fitz," he answered simply.

"And the age thing?" she probed further. She was curious.

"Okay, that's a little creepy," Mike admitted. "But I guess if you were twenty and he was twenty-nine it wouldn't be such a big deal. And if it's not going to be a big deal in three years, then why should it matter now?"

Aria smiled at her brother. "Thanks." She got up to leave but hesitated.

"Yes?" he encouraged.

"What do you think Mom and Dad will say if they find out?"

"You mean when they find out," retorted Mike. He sighed. "Dad won't be happy because Ezra's your teacher and we all know about Dad's Mistake." Dad's Mistake was always how they referred to Meredith and their father's infidelity.

"And Mom?"

"She won't be happy you kept such a big secret from her," Mike answered.

"Thanks, Mike," repeated Aria, she turned to go.

"Aria," Mike called.

She reappeared in his doorway. "Yes."

"It wasn't me," he said. "It was Caleb, Caleb Rivers."

"Why him?"asked Aria.

"Because he can't stand Noel Khan," answered Mike.

"Does he know?"

"No," Mike shook his head. "Caleb barely needed any explanation I had to give for sabotaging Noel."

"Am I the only one who was blind about Noel?"

"I don't think you were blind," Mike answered carefully. "Emotions tend to cloud people's judgments and perceptions." Aria looked at her brother. When had he grown up?