DISCLAIMER: Pretty Little Liars and all its characters don't belong to me. Characters in this fanfic except for a few belong to PLL. Some events were borrowed from the storyline of the PLL TV series. I never read the books and mostly focus on PAILY stuff when watching PLL so I have no clear idea about 'A' and their motives for torturing the Liars. That said, the motives of the 'A'-team in this fanfic are entirely of my own creation.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: For the lengthy version of what this fanfic is about, please refer to the Author's Note in the first two chapters.
~Thanks for the continued support and appreciation of the story through all of your reviews.~
~Story's going to be done the day 3b starts so there are two more chapters left after this one.~
~This chapter contains a dream within a memory so I hope you guys don't get lost around that part…~
Shokoshik: As always, thanks for your PM review!~
CHAPTER 13: Execution
"It is not reasonable that those who gamble with men's lives should not pay with their own." – H.G. Wells
"Bienvenue en Rosewood ma petite soeur." CeCe said in greeting as she approached Tara, giving her sister a warm embrace once she alighted from the bus.
"Merci!" Tara said, hugging her sister back.
"How was the trip?" CeCe asked as they walked arm in arm and made their way towards the parking lot.
"Uneventful." Tara said indifferently.
"I'm sorry I couldn't pick you up from the airport." CeCe said ruefully. "We've been busy since last night, making sure everything's set for tonight like you asked us."
Tara shook her head. "It's fine." She said as she took in her new surroundings with little to no interest. "Setting the plan into motion is more important. I had no problem finding my way here on my own." Tara said reassuringly. "Speaking of. I can't believe Kenneth and Jessica chose to live here. It's quaint. Which means other than the paranoia you two have been causing all these years, this place is boring." She took off her sunglasses and eagerly looked at CeCe once they were inside the car. "Please tell me you're ready to liven up this town."
"Well now that you're here, I have no doubt that things will certainly liven up." CeCe said, giving her sister an amused smile.
"Count on it. You and your beau have created quite a mess for yourselves. That wasn't the way to handle that annoying little sister of yours." Tara said as CeCe began the drive back to town.
"I admit that things got a little out of hand. She had a tape of us and she was threatening to use it to expose us. Bribing her wasn't working anymore. She wanted us to break up." CeCe revealed, barely keeping the hatred out of her voice.
"Luce, are you sure he's worth this? You can just end things with him and find someone else." Tara suggested as she checked her reflection on the side mirror. "Just say the word and I can make him take the fall."
"I know. But right now I'm still having fun with him." CeCe admitted. "Alison failed to understand that I do things on my own time. I'll break up with him on my terms. Not because she told me to." She said indignantly.
Tara looked at her sister briefly. "Well you did train her how to manipulate people." She said matter-of-factly.
"True. But she forgot the number one rule." CeCe retorted.
"Everyone except you." Tara said bluntly.
"Everyone except me." CeCe affirmed. "I may have trained her to choose the people she can manipulate. But when she found out about me and Jason she actually had the nerve to include me because it turns out that girl has a conscience when it comes to family." CeCe said, disappointed. She turned her attention to her sister for a moment. "But you. You've definitely surpassed me. Our seemingly philanthropic parents' untimely demise is a testament to that." She said approvingly.
"Lucy! How many times do I have to remind you? Never speak ill of the dead!" Tara reprimanded jeeringly.
CeCe let out a laugh before deciding to change the subject. "So, what do you think of my welcome gift for you?" She asked, a hint of curiosity evident in her voice. "I know she isn't exactly your type but I thought maybe you could have some fun while you're here. You'd have to wait for a while to meet her in person though. They had a late night last night. What with the engagement party and all." CeCe explained coolly.
"I'm actually eager to meet her. This town doesn't seem to offer much but she definitely has me intrigued." Tara said as she studied the passing scenery. She let out a chuckle. "They just got engaged last night? Then this is going to be fun. If all goes according to your plan I might actually enjoy my stay here."
"Oh trust me. You'd have no trouble making her do as you please without her knowing. Alison had her wrapped around her finger for years." CeCe said reassuringly as she took the road that would lead her to their destination.
"Well Emily was in love with her for years. She had an unfair advantage." Tara said wryly.
CeCe waved her hand dismissively. "You don't need to make her fall for you. She's way in love with Paige for you to be able to come between them through that ploy. You just need to target her weakness. I'm sure you'll find a way." She said confidently.
Tara nodded her head in agreement. "True. I could just mess around with her emotions. After all, I'm pretty good at manipulation myself." She said nonchalantly. "But we still have to see how things go tonight. I've decided that your idea will serve as the back-up plan to mine. I had some time to think on my way here and I have another thing in mind about those two." Tara revealed enthusiastically. "If you really want to teach these people a lesson, let's start by taking Paige out of the picture entirely. If all goes according to my plan I may not have to stay here that long. I don't need to ruin Emily's life because Paige's death will take care of that. But right now I'm more interested to see her. She seems feisty."
"Well I'm taking you to her right now. But I would have to apologize in advance on her behalf. She won't be able to receive you cordially. She's a little out of it." CeCe said, smirking.
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"We managed to tap into the marina's security feeds last night like you instructed." CeCe said as she and Tara alighted from the car. "The intimate gathering Emily's friends threw for them served as the perfect cover. All we had to do was spread the word that there's a celebration down by the docks and the supposedly intimate gathering became a full-blown party in an instant. It was easy to get past security. You've got complete control of their feeds from the boat. We're practically invisible."
"That's good to hear." Tara said as she followed CeCe towards the direction of the docks. "I'll take care of the rest tonight. What about the cameras from the nearby establishments?" Tara asked as she observed the restaurants and shops that lined the boardwalk.
"Those were a little tricky." CeCe admitted. "There's no way we can tap into all of them so we decided to tap the ones nearest to the Kismet's slip since that's where the action will take place tonight."
"I can work around that." Tara said reassuringly. "What about the establishments near this slip?" She asked as they reached Kenneth DiLaurentis' slip.
"All tapped." CeCe said confidently. "Permission to come aboard?" She called out eagerly once she and Tara were standing near enough the boat to be heard.
Tara surveyed the sailing vessel in front of her, her eyes landing on its name. "The Temptress?" She asked, not the least bit amused. "Really?"
"I know. He named it thinking of you." CeCe said, disgusted.
"Of course." Tara said, barely hiding the revulsion she felt. She decided to change the subject, refusing to dwell on the past. "And Kenneth still lets you use his slip free of charge?" She asked, turning to face her sister.
"They're overcompensating for giving me up." CeCe explained dismissively.
"Manipulation at its finest." Tara said, amused.
CeCe shook her head wryly. "I mean please. They gave me up to a lavish lifestyle. A dysfunctional family but nevertheless, a remarkable sister. That was the best decision they ever made." She said bluntly.
"But they didn't need to know that." Tara stated.
"Of course not. My anguished and terrified daughter act keeps them from turning me and Jason in. And of course they have no idea we're still together." CeCe revealed as she looked at the boat once again, her face lighting up when she finally saw Jason emerge from below deck. "Speaking of." She said as Tara followed her sister's line of sight. "Jason. I'd like you to meet my sister, Nathalie." CeCe said, quickly making the introductions.
"Thea for short but Tara since I arrived in Rosewood." Tara said, extending a hand to let Jason help her board the boat.
"Nice to finally put a face to the name of the person who saved us from Christopher York." Jason said once he and Tara were standing in front of each other.
"Please. Glad to be of service." Tara said indifferently. "How's the patient?" She asked eagerly.
"See for yourself." Jason said as he nodded his head towards the direction of the deck below them. "Alison called her Pigskin."
"Lame." Tara declared, looking back at Jason.
"Oh it's because she used to be a cutter." Jason explained.
"Used to?" Tara asked doubtfully. "Trust me, that urge never goes away." She said, suddenly eager to get things moving with every new detail she finds out about the so-called 'IT' couple.
"We need to get going. Her folks already left for Scranton early this morning." Jason said as he prepared to disembark.
"You got the keys?" Tara asked.
"Right here." Jason said as he gestured to the front pocket of his windbreaker. "Are you going to be okay here by yourself?"
Tara smirked. "I'm not the one you should be worried about." She said as she looked towards the direction of the deck below. "I can think of ways to pass the time." Tara said reassuringly as her eyes landed on the syringe Jason left on one of the seats.
"Careful with that. She might overdose." Jason said when he saw what Tara was looking at.
"And we can't have that now, can we?" Tara asked sarcastically. "Don't be such a worrywart Jason. I've got everything under control here. Find that file and then we'll see what happens next." She said as she gestured for Jason to leave.
Jason hesitated as he contemplated whether to say something before deciding against it. "If she starts to regain consciousness there's more of that stuff in my duffel bag below deck." He said before disembarking.
After watching their retreating backs for a few seconds, Tara finally made her way below deck, eager to lay her eyes on Paige. She grinned when she saw the unconscious girl lying on the bed. "Well you are a looker. Such a shame your parents got involved in this. Now you're merely collateral damage." Tara said as she sat down beside Paige, preparing the syringe with the drug as she removed the air bubbles.
"Just to be safe." Tara explained to the unconscious girl. "You're not restrained and I'm saving you for later so right now you have to stay asleep."
Tara impatiently checked the time on her watch for what felt like the nth time, looking around her as she searched for the face that belonged to Paige McCullers. I guess she doesn't know how to tell time as well. 8:30pm my ass. She thought, irritated that the other girl had the nerve to make her wait. She checked the time again and decided to take a seat on one of the wooden benches that faced the open waters, letting out an annoyed breath as she waited for Paige to arrive. This is what I get for offering to let them use my boat. If that girl doesn't arrive in the next 15 minutes I am out of here. She thought resolutely as she checked her watch and took note of the time. 8:45pm. Time starts now.
Tara held the syringe in midair, her attempt to inject Paige with the drug for the fourth time interrupted when she felt her phone vibrate. Irritated that she was disturbed, she took out her phone and looked at it, rolling her eyes in frustration. "You're lucky." She said to an unconscious Paige before answering her phone. "Bonjour." She said in greeting.
"We have a problem." CeCe's worried voice came on the other end of the line.
"No, we don't. We have a Plan B." Tara reminded her sister patiently. "What happened?" She asked, sighing.
"We can't find the file anywhere." CeCe said, frustrated.
Tara checked the time on her watch. It was almost noon. "You've stayed there for too long. Go to Plan B and make sure the fiancée doesn't interfere." She said before abruptly ending the call. "Now where were we?" Tara asked as she focused her attention on the unconscious girl once again. She was about to go back to drugging Paige when she noticed the other girl's phone vibrate from the chair beside the bed. She quickly took it to see who the message was from, grinning widely when she saw Emily's name. "Oh speak of the fiancée and she doth text a message."
Tara hurriedly read the message and typed a reply. "Can't right now. See you later at dinner. You're in for a big surprise. Love you." She read out loud, satisfied with her reply. "And send. There. I guess that takes care of your fiancée for now." Tara said as she turned her attention back to Paige, injecting the unconscious girl with the drug once again.
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"It's a good thing your slip is beside her folks'. Where's your boat anyway?" Tara asked as she waited for Jason to dock the Temptress beside the Kismet, studying the other boat with mild interest.
"Storage unit." Jason explained quickly.
"Take it out of there tomorrow. There's no need for you to do the disappearing act yet." Tara ordered as she started to make her way below deck. "Come on. Help me carry her. She's deadweight right now." She said as she gestured for him to follow her.
Once they reached the bed, Jason studied the unconscious girl for a moment, making sure nothing's amiss before moving to carry her. However, when his hands made contact with Paige's skin, his eyes widened in surprise. "Thea, her skin's cold to the touch and I can barely feel her pulse. What did you do to her?" He asked in alarm as he turned to face the girl standing behind him.
Tara shrugged indifferently. "Nothing. I just had a little fun. I needed to pass the time." She said offhandedly. When she noticed Jason's appalled look, she rolled her eyes in irritation. "Oh please tell me you didn't decide to grow a conscience now. You buried your own flesh and blood after Lucy killed her. This isn't new to you."
Jason shook his head wordlessly and lifted Paige over his shoulder. "Are you sure we won't be seen?" He asked, hesitant to go above deck while carrying an unconscious girl.
"Positive. The feeds are on a loop right now and I programmed them to shut down in a few minutes. As for eyewitnesses, there's barely anyone in sight. It's raining hard out there. Almost zero visibility. Everything's going our way." Tara said, extremely pleased as she led the way.
Without another word, Jason transferred Paige on the Kismet with Tara's help. Once done, he turned to look at Tara, silently asking what she planned on doing next.
"Go and meet Luce at the McCullers'. They're still out looking for their daughter. You two know where to find the file now. Go. I'll take care of this." Tara ordered as she began to study the Kismet's layout.
"What are you going to do?" Jason asked before preparing to disembark.
"Teach them a lesson they will never forget." Tara said coldly as she headed below deck.
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"This wasn't the plan." Tara said in frustration as she and CeCe watched the funeral from a distance. "This wasn't the plan at all."
CeCe shifted her attention to the girl seated beside her on the passenger seat of the car. "It wasn't. But we didn't expect to find another copy of the file inside that safe as well. This works in our favor." She said as her mind started to formulate another plan.
"What do we do now?" Tara asked as she turned her gaze towards her sister. "Since we still didn't get the file I'm assuming I'm prolonging my stay here." She said, the dread evident in her voice.
"I'm so sorry Thea." CeCe said sincerely. "I know this wasn't how you wanted everything to turn out but you have to admit Pigskin surviving means we have another way to get to that file."
"She wasn't supposed to survive. But I'm listening." Tara said warily.
"You're going to hate me but I think we should lay low for a while. Let Pigskin grieve. Sooner or later she'll want to have answers about what happened." CeCe said as the plan began to take shape in her mind. "These people are going to play their part in my plan perfectly. I'm sure of it. All we have to do is push their buttons the right way."
"Just as long as I get to play with Emily." Tara said, thinking she might as well try to enjoy her stay. "I guess with these turn of events our back-up plan will now come into play and I get to drive a wedge between them. Although now I wish I got here sooner. It's more gratifying for me to ruin them before any of this ever happened."
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Tara studied from outside the rental shop the raven-haired beauty perusing the stands for movies. She felt someone stand next to her and shifted her attention to her sister.
"Moment of truth." CeCe said, nodding her head towards the direction of Emily Fields. "I'd have to warn you though; the last thing she wants right now is for someone to come on to her. She's too preoccupied with Pigskin to pay attention to you."
"Oh I am counting on that. She's going to barely pay me any attention right now. Probably be rude to me too. Then she'll forget we've encountered each other today." Tara said eagerly. "But this is how some mistakes begin." She said confidently. "A few more chance meetings and a bold first move from me and that girl would find herself cheating on Paige. Especially with how much her fiancée has been pulling away from her lately. I'll be the sympathetic ear she needs. A breath of fresh air from how everyone has been treating her. She will find solace in my company. And I, in turn, will use that to create a fracture in their already fragile relationship."
"Well you better get in there then." CeCe said supportively. "Make me proud."
"Don't I always? I aim to please Luce." Tara said before giving her sister one last look and entering the store, eager to continue the domino effect they caused.
Paige slowly opened her eyes, trying to adjust to the darkness of the room. Aware of the sleeping girl she held in her arms, she strained her neck to look at the clock on Emily's bedside table. 8:15pm. Taking a deep breath, she kissed Emily's head lightly before carefully lifting the other girl's arm off her waist. She then did her best not to disturb Emily's slumber as she moved her girlfriend's head off her chest before getting out of bed. After getting dressed, she just stood for a brief moment and watched the rise and fall of Emily's chest, staring in awe at the naked girl she held just moments ago in her arms. Emily looked so peaceful while she slept that Paige started to have second thoughts about waking her up. But she knew she had to.
Kneeling beside the bed, she touched Emily's cheek gently and kissed her softly on the lips. She smiled when the other girl opened her eyes sleepily. "Hey." Paige whispered tenderly as she brushed a few strands of hair away from Emily's face, kissing her on the lips once again.
Emily rubbed the sleep from her eyes before getting up, bringing the sheet over her chest in an effort to cover herself. "Hey." She whispered back as she studied her girlfriend.
Paige moved to sit beside Emily on the bed and stared at her girlfriend for a moment, both of them studying the other closely, memorizing every detail as if for the last time. "I have to go." Paige said quietly.
Emily nodded, her heart hammering wildly. "Okay." She said, her voice barely above a whisper as she struggled not to breakdown.
"It's time." Paige said reluctantly, her body refusing to move from its position.
"I know." Emily said hoarsely.
When Paige finally willed her body to move, she stood up hastily, forcing herself to head for the bedroom door before she changed her mind.
"Come back to me." Emily said pleadingly, her voice breaking.
Paige turned around and quickly closed the distance between them, holding close the terrified girl sitting on the bed. "I will. I'll always find you." She promised fiercely. "Whatever happens I'll find you." She said as she felt Emily's tears on her neck.
"I love you." Emily whispered in between sobs.
Paige gently wiped the tears from Emily's eyes and touched their foreheads together. "I love you too." She said ardently.
Kissing her girlfriend one last time, Paige forced herself to get out of the door, leaving behind the warmth and safety of Emily's house. She hurriedly made her way to her girlfriend's car and got in, forcing herself not to meet Emily's worried gaze from the bedroom window as she pulled out of the driveway and started to drive towards the direction of the marina. She knew she was running late and Tara was most probably pissed. She checked the time on the dashboard clock. 8:30pm. Everything's still going according to plan.
"Hey. What's wrong?" Emily asked worriedly when she noticed Paige sitting beside her on the bed. She checked the time on the clock on her bedside table. 2:33am. She got up and touched Paige's arm gently. "Bad dream?" She asked softly.
Paige shook her head, willing her pulse to stop racing. "No. Not really." She answered hoarsely as she felt Emily's hand take hers and squeezed it tightly.
"Then why is your hand clammy?" Emily asked restlessly as she studied the girl beside her.
Paige turned to face her girlfriend. "Maybe it's because of what you told me the other day after I picked you up at the Brew. But I think I remembered part of that day. When I went missing. I felt like I was swaying. Like I was in a moving vehicle but it wasn't bumpy or noisy. It was like a lulling feeling." She said, trying to make sense of things.
"Like you were in a boat? Maybe you remembered waking up when the Kismet was burning." Emily said, trying to calm down Paige when she felt the other girl's pulse.
"It didn't feel hot. It felt like I was floating." Paige said, confused.
"You were pretty out of it that night Paige." Emily said gently. "Maybe it was the effect of the drugs in your system." She said as she began to stroke her girlfriend's head softly. "We'll figure it out." She whispered in the other girl's ear reassuringly.
When Paige still seemed agitated, Emily turned to get something from the drawer of her bedside table, hoping seeing it would help the other girl relax. "I think it's time I gave this back to you." She said quietly as she placed in Paige's hand the box the other girl gave her on her birthday.
"What's this?" Paige asked, momentarily forgetting her dream as she opened the box Emily handed to her.
"The keys to the boat. You gave it to me remember? For safekeeping?" Emily reminded her girlfriend gently. "Now that you're back I think you should have it. I don't need it anymore. It already brought you back to me." She said, smiling softly.
Paige furrowed her brows in confusion. "Yeah. I remember giving these to you. But I forgot these weren't mine. These were my dad's keys. I lost mine the night of the accident since it was in my house keys as well." She said slowly. Paige studied the keys she held in her hand for a second and a look of realization suddenly crossed her features.
"What is it?" Emily asked when she saw the gleam of excitement and fear in Paige's eyes.
Wordlessly, Paige held the girl close to her before whispering in her ear. "Kismet did help me find the way back to you. No matter how long it took, I would've come back to you because you had it all along." She said in disbelief.
"Had what all along?" Emily asked, baffled.
"I think I know where the file is." Paige said breathlessly.
Emily hugged her girlfriend tighter. "Where?" She asked hoarsely.
"We need Hanna." Paige answered as her grip tightened on the keys she held in her hand.
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"This is getting ridiculous." Paige declared stubbornly once Dani opened the door of Caleb's apartment.
Dani closed the door behind Paige and steeled herself before turning around to face her best friend.
"It's been a week and you still won't talk to me?" Paige asked incredulously. "I mean I get that you want to get over me. That I'm making things hard by trying to be friends with you. But how long are you going to avoid me?" She asked miserably.
"What you think this is easy for me?" Dani asked, finally acknowledging Paige for the first time since they last talked at the park. "This is the only way I know for me to get over you."
"By staying away?" Paige asked, hurt.
"Well if you have a better idea, then by all means tell me. Because I am all ears." Dani said desperately. "The last thing I want is to hurt you by pretending like we were never friends. But right now I have to think of me. I'm sorry if what I'm doing is hurting you. But unlike you, I don't have anyone to comfort me." She confessed brokenly. "I don't have an Emily I can come home to every night. I don't have someone to hold me when I lament the fact that I miss my best friend more than anything in the world but it sucks because I happened to be in love with her. And I have to get over her because otherwise I won't be able to become the kind of friend she needs."
"Dani, please. We can figure this out." Paige pleaded. "Let me take you to the hospital today instead of Caleb. Let's start there."
Dani shook her head adamantly. "You don't get it do you?" She asked, helpless. "When we broke up you still ended up having the person you love beside you and your best friend as well. Because they weren't one and the same. At least not yet. Unlike for me. So I ended up losing both." Dani said dejectedly. "I'm trying to figure things out. Trying to understand what it means to be friends with you after what happened between us. And I thought it would be easy but it's harder than I thought. So I'm sorry if you're hurting because of it. But right now I have to stay away."
Paige stood for a moment and stared at her best friend in silence, knowing she couldn't do anything to change Dani's mind. Wordlessly, she walked past the other girl and headed for the door. She turned one last time to stare at her friend before leaving. "You were wrong." Paige whispered miserably. "When we broke up I didn't end up having both. Because just now you made me realize that I lost you the night you asked me to choose."
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"Hey. What's up?" Hanna asked curiously once she got inside Emily's car and closed the door. "I'm about to meet Spencer and Aria at the hospital."
"We need to talk so we'll drive you there." Emily said before pulling away from Hanna's house.
A couple of minutes later, Paige turned around from the passenger seat to face the girl behind her. "We need your help with something." Paige began anxiously.
"What is it?" Hanna asked, her gaze shifting from Emily to Paige.
Paige wordlessly took out her father's keys to the boat and showed it to Hanna. "Notice something?" She asked quietly.
Hanna took the keys and studied it closely for a second. "Yeah. This key…" She said, looking up at Paige in confusion.
"I need you to take a look at it. See if it's there." Paige said urgently.
"How am I supposed to get there without tipping off 'A'?" Hanna asked in disbelief.
"We hate to ask but you already know who to ask for help. It won't be obvious." Emily said, stealing a glance at her friend from the rearview mirror.
"Please?" Paige asked nervously.
Hanna nodded. "Yeah. Of course. I'll get right on it as soon as I get home this afternoon." She said reassuringly.
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"Watch your step." Paige said as she held Emily's hand to help her disembark from the boat. Once she was sure that her girlfriend's feet were firmly planted on the dock, Paige disembarked and began to secure the Kismet, all the while willing her hands to stop shaking. Keep it cool, Paige. It's not like what you're about to do is life changing. Not at all. Asking Emily Fields to marry you isn't life changing at all. Except it is. She thought as she fumbled with the rope she held in her hand.
Silently cursing herself, she stole a quick glance at her girlfriend and felt her cheeks turn beet red when she found Emily watching her in amusement. "What?" Paige asked, barely getting the word out. What is wrong with you? She's your girlfriend. Talk like a normal person.
"Nothing." Emily said, her eyes twinkling in amusement. "You've been weird and jumpy since you picked me up at the Brew. Is everything okay?" She asked, a tinge of worry evident in her voice.
Great. Now you made her worry. Good going. Paige cleared her throat and checked her watch for the time. "Yeah. Everything's fine." She said, giving her girlfriend a reassuring smile. "I just can't seem to fasten this rope so I'm a little frustrated."
Emily moved to crouch beside Paige. "Why didn't you say something sooner? Here, let me help." She said as she reached for the rope.
"I got it." Paige said, snapping at Emily as she quickly moved the rope out of her girlfriend's reach. "I'm sorry." She said when she saw Emily's hurt look. "I didn't mean to snap at you." She said hurriedly. "It's okay. Really. I got this."
Emily shrugged and stood up, deciding to let Paige finish docking the boat on her own. She faced the open waters and watched as the sun set on the horizon. A few minutes later, the sound of an aircraft above made Emily look up and she broke into a grin.
"Paige come look! Someone's proposing!" Emily said excitedly, her eyes never leaving the skywriter as it began to spell the words 'Marry.'
"Oh yeah? What's it say so far?" Paige asked as she carefully took out of the pocket of her vest the small box she'd been carrying around since their freshman year. Inconspicuously turning around from her crouched position, Paige faced the girl behind her whose eyes still stayed glued to the sky.
"Marry me." Emily answered as she waited for the name to be spelled out. "Come on hurry up, you're missing it!"
Paige willed her heart to stop beating so wildly and swallowed hard. "Here, hold this. I'm almost done." She said as she took Emily's hand and placed the open box on the girl's palm. Kneeling on one knee, she waited for Emily to look at her. She didn't need to look at the skywriter because she knew the name it would spell out.
Paige watched as the raven-haired beauty standing above her finally took her eyes off the sky once she saw her name written on it. Watched in breathless anticipation when Emily saw the box Paige placed on the palm of her hand. Watched as tears welled from her girlfriend's eyes but Paige knew they were tears of anything but sadness.
"Well?" Paige asked breathlessly. "Emily Fields, will you marry me?" She asked before standing up and taking the ring out of the box, poised to put it on the finger of the speechless beauty standing in front of her once she gave her answer.
"I have loved you for as long as I could remember. I've felt it even before I could describe it. You are the only thing I am certain of in my life. I know we're still young and we have a few years ahead of us before we graduate, and beyond that a future lying in wait for both of us. This is probably the most selfish thing I have ever done when it comes to you. To ask that you be mine. But I can't wait to start forever with you. I can't imagine anyone else by my side every step of the way. Whatever happens, wherever life takes me, you, Emily Fields, are my constant. When all of my dreams come true, the one I want standing next to me is you and when everything falls apart I know that you're the one I want to come home to. You're the one who makes me try and makes me want to be better and I want to spend the rest of my life being all those things for you too. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I want you to be selfish with me too. I want to belong to you. So Emily Fields, will you let me spend the rest of my life with you?" Paige asked humbly.
Emily felt the tears streaming down her cheeks before she realized she was crying. She felt her throat constrict but she managed to get the words out. "Yes Paige McCullers. I'll marry you."
Emily laughed and cried at the same time as the other girl happily slipped the ring on her finger and eagerly met Paige's lips with hers. When the intensity of their kisses finally died down, Paige held Emily close to her. "I promise I will make you the happiest girl in the world." Paige said reverently, barely able to contain the happiness she was feeling at that moment.
Emily looked at the ring on her finger and closed her eyes in blissful contentment. "I already am." She whispered, her breath catching in her throat as she began to envision their future together.
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"I thought I'd find you here." Paige said softly as she wrapped her arms around Emily's waist, careful not to upset the other girl's position as she sat on top of one of the wooden railings that lined the boardwalk.
Emily placed her hands on top of Paige's and nestled her head on the crook of the other girl's neck, amazed at the blissful feeling she felt at the mere contact of their bodies. "I needed a break." She admitted.
Paige took a deep breath and let her gaze wander to her boat where a party was in full swing. "I think half of those people have no idea why there's a party." She said wryly. "I don't even know who brought the booze and the deejay."
Emily laughed softly. "I think Hanna and Spencer are trying to do damage control right about now." She said lightly as she began to caress Paige's arms.
"Your friends continue to amaze me." Paige said teasingly. "They managed to throw an intimate gathering for us at the last minute and now it's a full-blown party."
"You're not mad though, are you?" Emily asked hesitantly.
"Of course not. I will gladly clean up their mess the next day because that would mean today really happened." Paige said happily as she felt the ring on Emily's finger.
"I don't think I'll ever forget today." Emily said as she gazed at the docks and remembered Paige's words. "I really want to be selfish with you too." She said quietly and smiled when she felt Paige's warm lips on her neck. She turned her body to face Paige and was about to say something when her eyes fell on two couples walking side by side from a distance.
Paige followed Emily's gaze and met her fiancée's questioning eyes, flashing her a dazzling smile. Emily felt her knees go weak and her heart race a mile a minute when she saw Paige's smile.
"I forgot to tell you that I have one more surprise for you today." Paige said as she stared into Emily's eyes.
Emily turned her attention once again to the four people headed their way and broke into a huge grin when she recognized her parents and Paige's parents.
"I don't want this moment to be a secret from the people we love." Paige said sincerely. "I talked to them first." She admitted. "I asked for your hand yesterday and they gave us their blessing."
Emily felt her throat constrict with overwhelming happiness and love as she stared into the other girl's eyes. She felt her face flush when Paige reverently tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Thank you." Emily whispered hoarsely, unable to say just how much what Paige did meant to her.
"You're most welcome." Paige said, kissing Emily softly before helping her get off the wooden railing, intertwining their hands as they made their way to greet their parents.
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"I don't know. I think Emily McCullers has a nice ring to it." Emily said quietly, leaning her head back against Paige's chest as they slowly made their way to Emily's house.
Paige wrapped her arms tightly around her fiancée's waist and kissed Emily's head softly. "How about Paige Fields?" She asked lightly.
Emily shook her head. "Nah. Not so much." She answered, the laughter evident in her voice.
"Well how about Emily McFields?" When she felt Emily shake her head once again, she began spewing off names. "Paige McFields? Emily McCullers-Fields? Paige Fields-McCullers?" Paige asked as Emily continued to shake her head at each name, making Paige chuckle.
"We'll figure it out." Emily said playfully when Paige kissed her neck. She sighed in contentment before deciding on something. "I really like Emily McCullers though." She admitted softly, letting the name roll around her tongue.
"Yeah, me too." Paige agreed happily.
They continued to walk in blissful silence until Emily looked at the ring on her finger. "I can't wait to be married to you." She confessed ardently.
Paige stopped when she heard Emily utter those words and gently turned the other girl to face her. "You mean that?" She asked breathlessly, still unable to believe Emily wanted to spend forever with her.
"I said yes didn't I?" Emily said, breaking into a stunning smile that made Paige's heart hammer wildly.
Paige touched Emily's cheek reverently, uttering a silent prayer of gratitude. "Yes, you did." She said huskily before capturing Emily's lips on hers, wanting the other girl to feel the immensity of her love.
Somewhere in Rosewood, a bell tolled, ending the moment between them. Emily felt her face flush and took a moment to stop her pulse from racing as she stared into Paige's eyes and felt herself getting lost in it. "The clock just struck 12." She said breathlessly when she finally found her voice.
Paige kissed her one last time before resuming their walk towards Emily's house. She took her fiancée's hand in hers and intertwined them. "It's official." She said lightly. "I guess it's perfect timing that I proposed yesterday because as of today we are officially engaged." Paige stopped walking for a moment to face Emily. "Happy 3rd anniversary babe." She said happily.
Emily gave her fiancée a soft, lingering kiss. "It's perfect." She said, grinning widely. "Beginning our third year together engaged."
When they finally reached Emily's front porch, Emily turned around to face Paige, smiling at the girl mischievously. "You know what would be a perfect way to start this new phase in our relationship?" She asked playfully.
Paige fought the urge to grab Emily by the waist and kiss her senseless knowing she can't come inside. "I don't know. Sleeping in separate houses?" She said reluctantly.
"Why can't you stay over?" Emily asked, disappointed.
"I want to say goodbye to my folks before they leave for Scranton." Paige explained unenthusiastically.
"But you'll see them tonight though once they get back so…" Emily let the words hang in the air, knowing Paige understood the rest and she began to pull her fiancée inside the house.
Paige knew she was insane for resisting but she had to. "I can't babe." She said regretfully. When Emily began to resort to other methods to convince her to spend the night, she felt her resolve start to weaken. "You are not using those doe eyes of yours to get me to bed. I am repelling that." She said adamantly. "Oh now you're resorting to pouting. No way. I am not resilient." Paige stated despite feeling anything but.
Emily finally gave up. "Fine. Go home. But I better see you tonight." She said assertively.
Paige grinned at the raven-haired beauty standing in front of her. "Of course you will." She promised. "I have another surprise for you but you'll have to wait 'til our date tonight. I have a few things to take care of though but I'll pick you up at around 8." Paige said before closing the distance between them.
"What is it?" Emily asked, her skin tingling when Paige gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
"Like I said, it's a surprise." Paige whispered huskily. "But I promise you'll love it." She said before capturing Emily's lips on hers one last time.
Paige waited until Emily was safely inside, making sure she heard the lock on the doors click before she finally started to make her way back towards the dark, empty street. Starting to plan for their date that night, she was lost in her own thoughts, not paying any attention to her surroundings so she didn't hear the quick shuffle of feet behind her, didn't see the shadow emerge from somewhere beside her. The next thing she knew, a bag of cloth was violently pulled over her head. She struggled for a brief moment before she felt something hard hit her at the back of the head. Then everything went black.
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"Paige! Paige! Wake up! Paige!" Emily's panicked voice jolted Paige awake from her nightmare and she quickly sat up from the bed. She glanced at the clock on Emily's bedside table. 1:47am. Resting her head on her knees, she willed her pulse to stop racing wildly and tried to adjust to her surroundings. She didn't realize she was shaking so hard until she felt Emily gently pull her close. "Babe what's wrong? You were trashing in your sleep." Emily said worriedly.
Paige wrapped her arms around Emily, terrified to let her go, afraid to close her eyes for fear that her nightmare will return. "I remember everything." She whispered hoarsely.
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"Yeah?" Paige said into the phone after she answered it on the fifth ring while trying to stifle a yawn.
She looked at Emily who was sitting beside her on the couch, trying to study but barely able to keep her eyes open. The nightmare Paige had last night kept them both up until the wee hours of the morning. She kept tossing and turning and Emily was so worried about her girlfriend having another nightmare that she barely slept, choosing to watch over Paige instead. Paige gently touched Emily's arm to wake her up.
"It's me." Hanna's voice came from the other end of the line.
"What's up?" Paige asked when she heard the urgency in the other girl's voice. When she saw Emily's questioning gaze, she silently said Hanna's name and held the phone near her girlfriend's ear so Emily can listen in on the conversation. "Em's here."
"Hey, Em." Hanna said, acknowledging her friend before continuing. "I just called to tell you that you were right." She said quickly. "It's there."
Paige let out a relieved sigh and returned Emily's eager smile. Her mind started to formulate a plan now that she knew where her dad kept the original file. "Thanks." She said gratefully.
"No problem." Hanna said reassuringly. "I'll give you back the keys tomorrow."
"No. Hold on to it for now." Paige said hurriedly. "I need your help one last time." She said as she began to explain her plan to them.
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Paige steeled herself as she stared at the phone she held in her hand. She had to make two calls and she dreaded both for different reasons. Taking a deep breath, she decided to make the first one and waited for the other person to pick up.
"Hey, Tara. It's Paige." She said in greeting, trying to mask the anger she was feeling with eagerness instead. "I'm sorry if this was sudden. It's just that I wanted to surprise Emily tomorrow with an early morning sailing trip so I was wondering if your offer still stands?" Paige asked, adding a tinge of hesitance and timidity in her voice. "I mean if you don't want to it's fine. Really." She listened for a moment before speaking again. "Wow. That's so cool of you. So you don't mind? But I gotta ask if we can meet tonight though so you can show me around. It's been a while since I sailed and I want to familiarize myself with the layout of your boat." She paused as she listened to the other girl, fighting to control her rage. "So you don't mind if we meet tonight? Yeah. Around 8:30. I gotta make sure Emily's asleep first before I leave. She wasn't feeling well this afternoon so she'll probably turn in early tonight. Yeah. Okay. Sure. I'll see you there. Yes. I promise I won't be late."
Paige breathed a huge sigh of relief before lowering her phone, turning her attention to the encrypted phone she kept close. She listened for a while to make sure the shower was still running before taking the other phone in her hand. This wasn't part of the plan at all but in case things go south, she needed to know Emily won't be alone.
"Hey." Paige said quietly when she heard the beep, signaling for her to start leaving her message. "It's me. I'm sorry for calling. I know I'm the last person you want to hear from right now. I know things will never be the same and I have no right to ask this of you, but I don't know anyone else other than Emily that I trust as much as you. Before anything else I just want you to know that the past two weeks have been hard for me too. And I know things are complicated between us. But right now, I need the girl I met when I was five. I need my best friend. You see, after tonight I don't know what will happen to me. If I'll survive. So in case anything happens to me, I know it's asking too much, but can you look after Emily? I know it's selfish and incredibly insensitive of me. And you don't know how sorry I am that I'm asking this of you. But you're still my best friend Dani. And you're the only person who knows how much I love her. You'll probably resent me for the words I just said but I want you to know that in case I don't make it, I'm worried about you too. And I want the two people I love most to be there for each other. Maybe when I'm gone you two will finally find a way to like each other, right? So yeah, I need to know if you can do this for me because you're the only person I'm willing to entrust Emily's life to, and she's the only person I would want to look after you when I'm gone."
Paige finally ended the call and looked up to see Emily standing by her bedroom door. "How long have you been standing there?" She asked quietly.
"Long enough to know that call wasn't part of the plan." Emily said, a hint of anger evident in her voice. "You're giving up already?" She asked, trying to fight back her tears.
"I'm not giving up." Paige said as she slowly stood up from the windowseat to make her way towards her girlfriend.
"You're entrusting me to Dani and you just said you want me to look after her. How is that not giving up?" Emily asked incredulously.
"I am not giving up, Em." Paige whispered hoarsely. "But I don't know what will happen tonight. And in case I don't make it..."
"And if I don't make it?" Emily asked edgily.
"Don't say that. I won't let that happen." Paige said firmly.
"Then don't give up. I don't want you to give up." Emily said, her voice breaking as tears fell from her eyes. "I just got you back. I don't want you to give up. Please."
Paige hurriedly closed the distance between them and hungrily captured Emily's lips on hers, the desperation and fear she felt making her grip on Emily's waist tighten. She felt Emily pull her closer and let the other girl drag her towards the bed. Their nimble fingers worked to undress the other, the need to feel their bodies against each other magnified by the possibility that it could be for the last time. As Paige felt herself getting lost in Emily's kisses and felt her girlfriend's naked body press urgently against hers, she fought back the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes. She didn't want this to be the last time she held Emily in her arms. She didn't want to die.
Killing the car's engine, Paige glanced at the clock on the dashboard. 8:45pm. Made it in record time. Steeling herself for what she was about to do, she let her eyes wander to the worn-out photo of her and Emily she placed earlier on the console. She thought for a moment before taking it, deciding to bring the photo with her. She needed Emily by her side. Glancing at the clock once again, she hurriedly took out the encrypted phone and made a call.
"I'm here." Paige said immediately when the person on the other end of the line picked up. "I'm about to meet her. You got the file? Okay. Give me 20 minutes then bring it to me. You know what to do next."
Paige abruptly ended the call and looked around the car to make sure she wasn't forgetting anything. Opening the glove compartment, she placed the phone inside and took out a small object before closing it. Slipping the photo in one of her jacket pockets, she glanced at the dashboard clock once again. 8:51pm. Perfect. Tara is most definitely pissed. Paige thought as she got out of the car, locked the doors and hurriedly made her way towards the docks.
"I'm glad you guys are here actually." Emily said to her friends before she stood up to leave Caleb's apartment with Paige.
Aria looked up at Emily in concern. "What's going on?" She asked.
"I was talking to Tara… I meant Nathalie… earlier this morning at the Brew and she said something that got me thinking." Emily said anxiously. "I don't think she meant anything by it but nevertheless she gave me a lead I thought we could pursue."
Emily looked at Paige who was the only other person standing in the room aside from her and saw her girlfriend give her an imperceptible nod, willing for her to go on. She took a deep breath before continuing.
"We were so focused on everything that happened after the accident. I think they were too. So they didn't pay close attention to Paige's condition before the accident. Or at least they forgot to." Emily said as she recalled the state Paige was in when they found her. "She was missing the entire day. I don't know how these people really think but a whole day is an awfully long time to keep someone captive and conscious. Especially if the reason they took her early that morning was to make sure she was out of the way while they did whatever they needed to do."
"Meaning what?" Spencer asked, confused.
"Meaning I think they had to keep her sedated the entire day." Emily said, starting to explain her hunch. "When we found her Paige was unconscious. Her skin was cold to the touch and I could barely feel her pulse. She woke up moments before we crashed and I didn't remember until today. When Nathalie made a comment earlier about me being so happy to see Paige it's like I was on drugs."
"So what do you need us for?" Hanna asked.
"I need you guys to take a look at Paige's medical record the night we were admitted." Emily said anxiously. "Especially the blood work they did on her."
"You think it's going to show up there?" Caleb asked, uncertain.
Emily turned her attention to him. "I don't know. But I think it's worth a try." She said hesitantly. "It can't hurt to take a look at it especially if they haven't gotten their hands on it yet." She turned to face her friends once again. "I can't be seen anywhere near the records room. They would know something's up. That's why I need you three to take turns going in there."
Aria looked from Paige to Emily and nodded her head. "Yeah. Sure. We can take a look at it. But not until next week. We don't have any shifts left this week." She said apologetically.
"That's fine." Paige said, giving Emily's friends a grateful smile. "It's better if you don't stray from your normal routines. But are you certain you guys can get into the records section without your actions being seen as suspicious?"
Spencer nodded. "Yeah. We go in and out of that room on our shifts. They won't suspect anything." She said confidently.
"We can schedule Dani's appointment with the doctor the same day you guys decide to search for Paige's medical file." Caleb offered. "I'm sure Dani's condition is of more interest to them seeing as they don't know she got her memories back."
Paige looked at Dani in surprise. "You got your memories back? When?" She asked, trying to hide the hurt she felt that her best friend didn't bother to tell her.
"Earlier today." Dani said, still not bothering to look at Paige. "It's not a big deal." She said dismissively.
"Not a big deal? Do you know how worried I am?!" Paige asked incredulously. When Dani didn't even acknowledge her concern, she felt her throat constrict. "You won't even look at me?" Paige asked quietly, unable to hide the hurt she was feeling.
"Right now isn't about us Paige. Please don't make the others uncomfortable." Dani said quietly before getting up and heading for her room.
Paige looked around her and saw that Dani was right. "I'm sorry." She said hoarsely, feeling her face flush with embarrassment.
Caleb cleared his throat. "So next week. I'll take Dani to the hospital and you guys do your thing." He said to Hanna, Aria and Spencer, trying to return to the topic at hand.
"We'll let you know as soon as we find out something." Aria promised the two girls who were about to leave.
"Thanks." Emily said as she walked towards the front door, taking Paige by the hand. "We really appreciate it."
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"Run it by me again." Spencer said, the frustration evident in her voice as she and Dani sat on the latter's bed.
"Uh, King of Hearts and Desiderata." Dani said, closing her eyes, exhausted by the day's events.
Dani and Spencer have been at it since the others left earlier that night. Spencer wasn't really planning on staying over but after getting a call from Jason asking if he could stay with Spencer for a while, she realized she couldn't face her brother right now. Because aside from the hurt she felt when she found out about his involvement, she had to admit that it terrified her to be alone with her brother. She had no choice but to let him live with her. Saying no could make her brother suspicious. But she needed to feel safe even if it was just for one night. Dani offered to let Spencer sleep beside her on the condition that the other girl will help her figure out the connection of the codenames to Jason, CeCe and Tara.
"I'm drawing a blank." Spencer admitted after a beat.
Dani sighed and opened her eyes once again. "We have to relate those names to any of them. Come on. Think." She ordered the girl sitting beside her on the bed.
"Well I have no idea why King of Hearts could be related to Jason and I'm not even sure if Desiderata pertains to the poem, the name of a person or a main belt asteroid." Spencer said helplessly.
"Well let's just assume that Desiderata is the name of a person. What can you tell me about her?" Dani asked, falling back on her bed and staring at the ceiling.
Exhausted, Spencer followed suit and laid down next to Dani. "Uh, the only Desiderata I know in history is Desiderata of the Lombards. She was one of the four daughters of Desiderius and Ansa. She was married to Charlemagne in 770. The marriage was annulled in 771. She had no known children and her ultimate fate is unknown." Spencer said, trying to recall what she learned about French history.
"Yeah I have no idea if what you just said described CeCe or Tara." Dani said as she turned her head to look at Spencer. "But Jason said his girlfriend's name is Lucy, right? And I mean, of the two, Lucy is short for Lucille. So it's probably CeCe."
Spencer stared at the ceiling and furrowed her brows in concentration. "Yeah but why choose that name? How is it related to... oh." She said, suddenly sitting up straight.
"What?" Dani asked, following the other girl with her eyes, too exhausted to get up.
"Ali is clever." Spencer said breathlessly.
"Why?" Dani asked, her eyes returning to the ceiling.
"King of Hearts is Charlemagne." Spencer revealed excitedly.
"Huh?" Spencer's explanation made Dani's head start to hurt and she closed her eyes to try and forget the pain. "All I understood is that Desiderata was married to Charlemagne." She said, groaning.
"I know. But listen. There was a period in France when the kings of playing cards were named after their kings. Guess who the King of Hearts is?" Spencer asked, her eyes traveling to the girl lying on the bed.
"I don't know. Charlemagne?" Dani said under her breath.
"Yeah. Otherwise known as Charles the Great. But also commonly called as Charles I." Spencer corrected matter-of-factly.
"As in the name of Jason's boat." Dani said, finally finding the strength to open her eyes and stare at Spencer.
"We need to find that notebook." Spencer said urgently.
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"So Emily was right." Aria said anxiously on the phone as she talked to Emily and Paige on the other end of the line. "The night you were admitted they did a blood work on you. It rarely happens but the drug in your system caused you to flatline several times."
"What do you mean?" Paige asked, confused.
"The epinephrine they injected you with the second time you flatlined reacted to the drug that was already in your system." Aria clarified as she studied the report she held in her hand. "That's why you crashed again."
"The drug they used to sedate me. What was it?" Paige asked breathlessly.
Aria gave the phone to Spencer so her friend could explain what she found earlier. She then leaned over to take a look at Spencer's laptop screen.
"Hey, Paige. It's Spencer. Yeah. About that drug. It's illegal here in the States but in some countries it's still being sold. It's a drug called Methaqualone and it's still being marketed in South Africa. If we can find a way to connect any of them to this drug maybe we can use this as evidence." Spencer said anxiously. She was about to say something else when she felt Aria tug her arm urgently. "Hold on a sec. Aria's got something." She said into the phone before turning to look at her friend. "What?"
"South Africa." Aria said breathlessly.
"Yeah. What about it?" Spencer asked, confused.
"In Jason's file, when he was in college." Aria said as she grabbed Spencer's laptop and checked if the micro disc containing the information about Ali's family was in the disc drive. When she saw that it was, she hurriedly searched for the file she was talking about.
"Again, what about it?" Spencer asked as she watched her friend intently, handing the phone to her when Aria asked for it.
"In his file, it says here Jason took a Pharmacology course for one semester but he roomed with a South African student for 2 years." Aria said into the phone as she turned the laptop to face Spencer.
"What's the name of his roommate?" Emily asked urgently.
"Henrik Thiel." Aria answered quickly, the name committed to memory.
"Can we talk to this guy? Ask him if he gave or sold Jason those drugs? Or if he knows someone who could have given it to Jason?" Emily asked.
"I think Spencer knows him. We'll call you guys right back." Aria said when she saw the look on her friend's face. "How do you know this guy?" She asked Spencer anxiously after she ended the call.
"I crossed paths with him a few times in UPenn. He's getting his Master's Degree." Spencer admitted. "Jason got those drugs from him. I'm sure of it." She said quietly. "Henrik asked me to try one when I attended one of his parties. He called them lemmons. But Jason told me to steer clear from him. Back then I thought he was just being a concerned brother. But now I think it's because he's covering his tracks."
"How do you consume it?" Aria asked worriedly.
"There are a variety of ways. I think the ones he was selling were meant to be ingested or inhaled. I'm not sure if he sold ones which can be injected." Spencer revealed anxiously.
"Is there any way we can find out?" Aria asked.
"Yeah. I could buy from him." Spencer said as she met her friend's eyes.
"I meant a safer way." Aria said, not willing to get her friend in trouble.
"It's the only way." Spencer said reluctantly. "Don't worry, I have an idea."
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Dani sat on her bed as she listened over and over to the voicemail Paige left her a few hours ago, debating whether to call her best friend. It's been a week since Paige walked out on her after making her realize that what happened between them hasn't been easy for Paige either. That though brief, Paige did consider their romantic relationship as something that was serious. Made her realize that she wasn't the only one who lost a friend the night Paige chose to get back together with Emily. It's only been a week. And she still needed more time to figure things out. But the problem is, tonight if something goes wrong she might get all the time in the world but it would have been too late. So tonight she has to take a small step. Taking a deep breath, she dialed the number and was relieved to hear it go to voicemail. She didn't have the courage to talk to Paige yet.
"Hey. I got your message. I can't say much since it's almost time. I admit it's been a weird couple of weeks between us. Not to mention hard. And I know how dangerous it is. What you're about to do. So in case everything falls apart, I hope you get this message before you do something stupid like give up. You didn't lose me Paige. You never will. I just needed time to get used to just being a friend again. So you can't give up. Because we still need to figure things out and I can't do that if you're gone. But if you did everything you could and it wasn't enough, then okay I'll do what I can to look after Emily. But you have to promise that you won't give up so easily because you have to return to her. You're her life and she will stop living if you don't come back to her. I will never be enough. So please come back. To her and to me. Because we're not done trying to be friends again."
Dani took a deep breath and finally ended the call just as she heard a knock on her bedroom door. "Hey." Spencer said as she poked her head inside Dani's room. "You ready to go? Hanna and Aria are waiting downstairs."
Dani looked at the time on her bedside table. 8:30pm. "Let's do this." She said determinedly.
"I'm surprised they haven't run us off the road yet." Hanna said edgily as she stole a quick glance at the rearview mirror before focusing her attention on the road ahead of them once again.
"Just focus." Aria said from the passenger seat of the car as her grip tightened on the file on her lap.
"How much farther?" Spencer asked from behind Hanna as she fought the urge to turn around and look at the car following them several vehicles behind.
Hanna glanced at the GPS. "We're almost there." She said anxiously. "What happens if they don't turn around?"
"Then we have no choice but to blend in with the crowd." Dani said nervously from beside Spencer.
"I have no desire of attending a rave thrown by Henrik." Spencer said, suddenly feeling queasy.
"Well we might not have a choice Spence." Aria said, turning to face her friend. "If they don't turn around and head back to Rosewood we might have to attend that rave."
"We need a sample of the drug anyway." Hanna said, trying to put a positive spin into things. "If they don't turn around let's just go to Plan B."
"That is one plan I don't look forward to executing." Dani admitted. "I've never dealt with a drug dealer before."
"Don't worry. I've got it covered." Spencer said reassuringly as she looked at Dani. "I just hope he won't ask us to sample the merchandise before leaving. That's what I'm worried about." She said tensely.
Hanna looked at Spencer from the rearview mirror. "You got Jason to believe that you're spiraling out of control because of your breakup with Trent. But will Henrik buy your act?" She asked anxiously.
"Yeah. I've called him incessantly for the past two weeks. He thinks I'm desperate." Spencer said reassuringly. "He knows I'm Jason's Straight "A" younger sister so nothing would please him more than to see me let loose."
"Well let's just hope it doesn't come to that." Dani said quietly. "I'd rather the cops handle him than us."
"Me too. So let's hope they turn around in the next 15 minutes." Aria said as she checked the clock on the dashboard. 9:00pm.
Working himself into a sweat, Jason continued to run up and down the bleachers of the track and field stadium, knowing any minute now he was about to start a wild goose chase. Setting his pace, he reached the bottom of the stands and turned around to make his way to the top again. "Jason." Nick McCullers' agitated voice rose above the sound of the rain surrounding them, making Jason stop midway to the top. Right on time.
Turning around, he carefully bounded the steps, making his way down to face the worried man. "Nick." He said in greeting, adding a tinge of raggedness in his breathing. "What brings you here?"
"Have you seen our daughter?" Nick asked urgently as he strained his neck to check the tracks.
Jason furrowed his brows in confusion. "Paige? No. Not since last night at the engagement party. Why?" He asked, gesturing for the man to follow him as he found shelter underneath the bleachers, stopping when he reached the spot where he placed his duffel bag. Grabbing a towel, he faced Nick as he began to dry himself.
"We just got back from Scranton and we found a note saying she went here for a run. We don't know what time she left though. We just want to make sure she's really here. We need to find her. It's urgent." Nick explained, checking his watch for the time.
"Have you tried calling her?" Jason offered, studying the other man closely.
Nick nodded his head, distracted. "She's not answering."
"Well I haven't seen her here. If you're worried something happened to her maybe you should call the cops. Tell them she's missing." Jason suggested.
"That won't be necessary. I'm sure she's fine." Nick said, starting to back away.
"Are you sure? Because I can call them for you. I've got them on my speed dial since Ali's murder." Jason insisted as he rummaged his things for his phone, turning to face the worried father once he found it.
"No. We don't want to trouble you." Nick said as he looked towards the direction of his wife who was standing at a distance, wringing her hands worriedly while she held an umbrella over her head.
"It's no trouble really. I'm dialing as we speak." Jason said as he pressed the speed dial.
"I said no. Please. We've got this under control." Nick said firmly, a hint of urgency in his voice.
Jason shrugged, ending the call. "Suit yourself. Try looking for her at her campus or at the town square. Maybe someone saw her there." He said, leading them to the next breadcrumb.
"Thanks. We'll try her campus next." Nick said as he made his way towards his wife, not bothering that the rain was drenching him.
Jason watched until they were out of sight before dialing a number. "They're headed to her campus then they're coming your way. I'm going back to the marina. I'll meet you at the McCullers' after." He said quickly before ending the call, grabbing his things and heading for the other exit.
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CeCe hurriedly made her way towards the direction of her boutique, a cup of coffee in one hand and an umbrella on the other. Any minute now she would be standing face to face with her expected guests. Standing in front of her shop, she made a point of trying to get her key from her bag while holding the umbrella and coffee in one hand.
"CeCe." Nick McCullers' urgent voice behind her made CeCe smirk. Right on cue. She pointedly ignored the man and continued to fumble with her key. Dropping it on the ground, she was about to bend over and pick it up when Nick hurriedly scooped it from the wet pavement, slipping the key into the lock and opening the door for her.
Turning around, she gave him a grateful smile, closing her umbrella before going inside, knowing they were right behind her. "Mr. and Mrs. McCullers. What a surprise." She said as she put the coffee on the counter and faced them. "I just closed shop an hour ago but I forgot something so I came back. What brings you two here?"
"We didn't mean to come at such a late hour. But we're glad we caught you. That's Paige's bike outside. Have you seen her?" Nick asked urgently, holding his wife as she tried to control her sobs.
CeCe went to the front door to take a close look at what Nick was pointing at, hiding her smile when she saw that the bike they took earlier did its job. "Not since yesterday when she went to my store to buy a scarf for Emily. Why?" She asked, facing them once again with a look of concern.
"She's not answering her phone and we've been looking everywhere for her." Nick said, agitated.
"Oh no. I hope nothing bad happened to her. Did you call the cops? I can help you file a missing persons report on her." CeCe offered, making her way towards the back room.
"No. I don't think we need to do that. She's still probably with Emily." Nick said as he led his wife towards the exit, prepared to go to Emily's house next.
"But just to be sure, I'll go make a call now." CeCe said hurriedly, knowing Emily wasn't part of the plan.
"No. Please. Don't do that. It's not necessary." Nick said pleadingly as he turned his attention to the street, trying to think of a place to look next.
CeCe shrugged. "Okay. Suit yourself. But I think you should try going to..."
"Emily!" Nick yelled, the relief evident in his voice as he rushed out of the store, his wife right behind him.
CeCe hurriedly made her way to the front of the store to look where Nick and his wife went, a feeling of dread washing over her when she saw them talking to Emily. Quickly taking her phone out of her pocket, she dialed a number. "It's me. Meet me at the McCullers' now. We're running out of time." She said before ending the call and hastily locking the door behind her, not bothering that she was instantly drenched from head to foot as she ran towards the direction of the McCullers' house.
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"What took you so long?!" CeCe asked impatiently as she emerged from the shadows once she saw Jason arrive.
"Sorry. Moving Paige's body to the Kismet took longer than necessary. Thea and I needed to work together to transfer her." Jason said apologetically as he surveyed the dark house in front of them. "Your sister is one twisted girl Luce. You trained her too well." He said, remembering the feel of Paige's limp and cold body in his arms.
CeCe smiled, the pride evident in her features. "Like I said, she's my masterpiece."
"Did you see where they kept the file?" Jason asked, eager to get things over with.
"Yeah. Come on. Let's get inside before someone sees us." CeCe said as she took Jason's hand in hers and led the way to the back door of the McCullers' residence. "Make sure not to leave any mud or prints." She said warningly before opening the door.
Once inside, she led Jason to the floor safe she saw Nick McCullers open earlier. "Get cracking." She ordered as she gestured to the lock, stepping aside to let Jason handle the situation.
Jason was able to crack the first number when CeCe felt her phone vibrate. Taking her eyes off her boyfriend, she took it out of her pocket and answered the call, not bothering to check who the caller was. "Bonjour." She said in greeting.
"You didn't take care of the fiancée." Tara's voice came on the line, the sound of rain barely masking the irritation in her sister's voice.
"What?" CeCe whispered in disbelief.
"They got here too early." Tara explained.
"They're at the marina already? How did they figure it out?" CeCe asked before cursing herself inwardly when she remembered seeing the McCullers and Emily earlier. She should've known.
"Emily Fields. She's with them." Tara said, confirming CeCe's suspicion.
"Well we need time to crack the safe. So far Jason's only got the first number." CeCe said, starting to get flustered.
"Don't worry. I've got everything under control. After I'm done with them you can crack that safe all night long." Tara said reassuringly. "Just make sure you clean up after you leave. No clues left behind." She said firmly.
"You have a plan?" CeCe asked, relieved.
"I always have a plan grand soeur." Tara said ominously before ending the call.
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"Spencer!" Jason yelled in warning when he noticed the oncoming car that was about to hit his sister who was crossing the street without looking.
Spencer stopped and turned to see who called out to her. When she saw that it was Jason, she waited until he was standing next to her.
"What's going on? You almost got hit by that car." Jason said worriedly. He studied his sister closely, noticing the dark circles under her eyes. "Is this about the guy you were seeing?" He asked uncertainly. When Spencer didn't say anything, he pulled her to the side. "This isn't like you."
Spencer yanked her arm off her brother's grip and stared at him for a moment. "How am I supposed to feel? He lied to me." She said, the pain evident in her voice.
"You have to bounce back." Jason said firmly. "You're missing your classes, you're out late going to bars and if you don't go out you spend the day in your room wallowing. You're spiraling out of control."
"Have you been following me?!" Spencer asked incredulously. "When I agreed to let you live with me I don't recall saying you could tell me how to live my life."
"I'm just worried about you. You need to get your act together. You could lose your scholarship if you don't." Jason said quietly.
"You think I care about that? I only care about feeling better Jason. I want to forget everything and just feel better. So unless you can point me to the right direction, back off." Spencer said angrily before walking past her brother.
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"You think I wouldn't find out?" Jason said quietly as he stood just outside of Spencer's bedroom door. "Henrik's my friend."
Spencer looked up from the book she was reading and met her brother's warning glare. Closing the book, she moved towards the edge of her bed, trying to explain her actions. "I remembered he had a way to make me feel better." She said, her voice barely above a whisper.
"I told you to stay away from him. He's bad news." Jason said, his eyes wandering to the folder lying on top of Spencer's dresser beside the door. "What's this really about?" He asked warily when he saw Paige's name on it.
"What do you mean?" Spencer asked, confused. "I am not planning on hooking up with Henrik tonight. I just need something to make me forget even if it's just for a while." She said, standing up to start getting ready.
Jason's eyes fell on the clock on top of Spencer's dresser. 8:15pm. "Where are you headed?" He asked nonchalantly.
"To a party Henrik is throwing." Spencer said, facing her brother. "I won't hook up with him. I promise. He's not my type."
"I'm not worried about that." Jason said, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "You're going alone?"
Spencer shook her head. "No. I'm taking Hanna, Aria and Dani with me. Hanna's driving so she's picking me up in a few minutes before we swing by Caleb's to pick up Dani." She said as she checked her reflection on her full-length mirror.
Jason fought the urge to grab Paige's medical file and instead met Spencer's gaze from the mirror. "If you insist on attending this party tonight to get your hands on what he's selling I'll call Henrik and ask that he give you a discount since it's your first time." He said, changing his tactic and going into offense.
Spencer raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "That was fast. A minute ago you were insisting I stay away from him. Now you want him to give me a discount? What changed your mind?" Spencer asked, intrigued.
"You're a big girl. You know what you're getting into. What you're dragging your friends into." Jason said as he moved to leave his sister alone. "Don't say I didn't warn you though." He said, trying to keep the menacing tone out of his voice as he turned his back to her and made his way to his room.
Locking the door behind him, he took out his phone and dialed a number. "We've got a problem." He said urgently.
"Why don't we just run them off the road?" CeCe asked impatiently as she fought the urge to grab the wheel from Jason and ram the SUV they've been following for the past 20 minutes. "I don't have time for this."
"We can't just run them off the road, Luce. We need to know what they plan on doing once they get to Henrik's party." Jason argued, not willing to increase the body count. "For all we know they're just going there to have fun. We're still not sure if they found the connection between the drugs and Henrik."
"I say it doesn't matter. Just get rid of them." CeCe said indifferently. "You said you saw Pigskin's file lying out in the open. I think it's pretty obvious they found the connection."
"No. It isn't. Because I wasn't able to look at the file." Jason said, standing his ground. "I will not be involved in their demise until I am absolutely sure I did it for self-preservation. I will not kill four people because of a hunch." He said firmly.
"We wouldn't be in this mess if not for your carelessness." CeCe said, irritated.
"How is this my fault?!" Jason asked incredulously, taking his eyes off the road for a brief second. "Thea was the one who kept injecting Paige with all those drugs. We needed to keep her sedated. Not bring her to the brink of an overdose. When I got back to the boat Paige was barely alive, Luce. Your sister was having too much fun while we were out setting the plan into motion and that's why I think it was still in her system when Thea caused the crash."
"Stop blaming Thea." CeCe said warningly. "You should've thought of a better way to sedate Pigskin."
"Can we just focus on them?" Jason asked, starting to lose his patience. "Playing the blame game isn't really helping matters right now."
CeCe rolled her eyes and looked at the time on the dashboard clock. 8:51pm. She took out her phone and decided to check on her sister.
Tara was jolted out of her reverie when she felt her phone vibrate. Quickly checking the time, she realized she still had to wait for Paige for at least 9 minutes. Taking the phone out of her pocket, she looked at the screen and quickly answered the call.
"Yeah?" She asked as she looked around to see if Paige was anywhere near her.
"Where are you?" CeCe's anxious voice came on the other end of the line.
"Down at the marina." Tara answered casually. "Why?"
"Why are you there?" CeCe asked, confused.
"I'm meeting Paige. At least I was supposed to. She's running late. If she's not here by 9 I am out of here." Tara said, the irritation seeping out of her voice. "Why do you ask?"
"Why are you meeting Pigskin?" CeCe asked, not bothering to answer Tara's questions.
"I promised to let them borrow the boat two weeks ago." Tara explained impatiently. "I thought if I played nice they'll be more at ease around me. Since we don't seem to make any progress despite what your worthless boyfriend promised, I thought I'd find a way in again. Paige called earlier today and asked if I could meet her tonight to show her around. She hasn't sailed for quite some time thanks to yours truly and she wanted to take Emily out sailing tomorrow morning."
"So why is she late?" CeCe asked, confused.
"Apparently Emily's sick. She's probably running late trying to put her to bed or something. But like I said, I am not one to wait for long. If she isn't here by 9 I am out of here." Tara said, checking her watch for the time again. 3 more minutes. "Are you on the road or something?" She asked when she hard the sound of a truck on the background.
"Yeah. Jason and I are going on a last minute trip with the others." CeCe said, the anger evident in her voice.
"Uh-oh. What did your pesky boyfriend do now?" Tara asked when she heard the restrained anger in her sister's voice.
"Maybe left a trail of breadcrumbs for the others to follow." CeCe replied. "I'll explain everything later. I just wanted to check up on you."
"I'm fine Luce. I got things under control here. Emily's out sick and Paige is walking towards me as we speak." She said as she finally saw the girl approach her, half running, half jogging. "I gotta go. Tell me everything later." She said hastily before ending the call.
"I am so, so sorry." Paige said apologetically as she checked the time on her watch. "I had a hard time putting Emily to bed so I left a little later than I planned to."
Tara fought the urge to lash out at the girl and instead gave her a dismissive smile. "It's cool. I figured that was your reason for being late. Good thing I had nothing planned for the rest of the night."
Paige managed to give the girl a relieved smile, forcing her body not to do anything out of character. "I didn't think you'd wait actually. When you said 8:30 sharp I knew you were someone who liked doing things on time. So thank you. You don't know how much meeting you tonight meant to me." She said as she began to follow Tara towards the direction of her boat. "What's the name of your boat anyway?"
"It's in French so I doubt you'll understand it." Tara said nonchalantly as she led the way towards the boat. "But in English it means The Temptress."
Willing herself to control her rage better if she wanted things to go her way, Paige let Tara's comment roll off her and instead stepped beside the girl and smiled. "Yeah other than bonjour and merci I don't know any French words so thanks for clarifying that for me." She said lightly. "Why'd you name it in French anyway? You from there or something?"
Tara shook her head. "No. I just like the way it sounded. It sounds more sophisticated than saying The Temptress. La Tentatrice has a better ring to it don't you think?" Tara asked as she turned her attention to Paige while gesturing behind her.
Paige looked past Tara to stare at the boat in front of her. "Well she's a beauty." Paige admitted.
"I thought you'd say that. That's the way I described her to Emily when I bumped into your girlfriend again after our first meeting at the rental shop." Tara said, trying to get a rise out of Paige. "But of course this boat's nothing compared to Emily's beauty. I remember that day so well. She was so breathtaking. The way the wind blew her hair while she stood looking out into the open waters. I really wanted to kiss her that day." Tara admitted sheepishly.
Paige managed to give the girl a small smile. She knew Tara was trying to get a rise out of her and an unnatural reaction to what she said will give her away. She decided the right reaction to the words the other girl said and opened her mouth to speak. "Uh, Tara, I know we're trying to be friends here and everything but it would help a lot if you don't tell me how much you've wanted to get together with my girlfriend while I was away." She said, adding a tinge of discomfort in her voice.
"Right. Of course. I'm sorry." Tara said, studying Paige carefully. "So I'm guessing you're willing to try and be friends with me?" She asked hesitantly.
Paige nodded slowly. "Emily asked me to try. She said you did a good thing for her when I was away and for that I am willing to try. I mean you can't be all that bad if you were able to help her feel better about herself right?" She said as she watched Tara board the boat.
"Right." Tara said as she faced Paige to help her board the boat next. "I promise you won't regret being friends with me." She said once she and Paige were standing face to face. "So, let me show you around then." Tara said before turning her back to Paige.
Paige took a few steps before she was suddenly hit with a feeling of dread. She'd been here before. She can't tell why but she had this sinking feeling that she'd been inside this boat before.
"Are you coming?" Tara asked, turning to look at Paige when she noticed the other girl wasn't following her.
"Yeah." Paige said, turning her attention back to Tara. "I guess it's been a long time since I've been on a boat. I'm still trying to get used to it." She said as she began walking towards Tara.
"Well don't sweat it too much. I'm sure after the tour tonight you'll remember the feeling." Tara said as she started to make her way forward to the bow.
Paige forced herself to keep moving even when she was hit with the sudden realization that for months they've been staring at the place where Paige was the entire day she was missing. That's why there was so much activity that day surrounding this boat. This was where they kept her after they abducted her.
"And the last part of the tour. The bed." Tara said as she went below deck to show Paige where she and Emily can sleep. "Don't worry. It's big enough to fit two." She said, turning around to face the other girl.
Paige stepped forward and gave Tara a grateful smile. "Your boat is amazing. Mine doesn't even compare. I'm glad I changed my mind and decided to take you up on your offer." She said as she moved closer to Tara.
"Thanks for the compliment." Tara said, giving Paige a toothy grin. "I'm sure you'll find the bed comfortable." She said, turning to face it. She was surprised to feel Paige's arm around her shoulder but forced herself to hide her disgust.
"I know I will." Paige said lightly. "But it's too early for bed. At least for me." She said as she began to tighten her arm around Tara. "I meant it when I said meeting you tonight was important for me." She whispered in the other girl's ear, not bothering to hide the rage she was feeling as she finally caught Tara in a chokehold, her actions unexpected that Tara's guard was down. Paige refused to relax her grip until she felt the other girl go limp.
Working fast, she made sure Tara was indeed out cold before taking the other girl's phone and going above deck, her eyes scanning everywhere until it settled on the folder that was lying on top of one of the seat cushions. Right on time. She took a quick look below deck, smiled and made the call on Tara's phone. 9:12pm. Barely made it.
Paige steeled herself when she heard the voice on the other end of the line. "Do you know who this is?" She said in greeting.
"Pigskin." CeCe said, the disdain evident in her voice.
"Hello Lucille. Or is it Lucy?" Paige said, not bothering to hide the fact that she knows the truth. She needed them to get mad at her.
"What do you want?" CeCe asked impatiently.
"To continue the game you started two years ago." Paige said ominously. "I've got the file and since I'm using Nathalie's phone to call you, I guess you know I've got your sister too. Find me before I get to the cops." She said before ending the call.
Heart pounding, she made her way to the bow and started the engine. She took one final look at the marina before facing the open waters, her face set as she headed for the sea.
Mind racing, CeCe stared at the phone she held in her hand and felt her blood boil in anger. In a span of 45 minutes everything managed to fall apart. She can't let that happen.
"She's got Thea." CeCe said, the anger seeping in her voice as she turned to look at Jason, fighting the urge to lash out at him for putting them in this position. She still needed him to get her sister back.
Jason looked at CeCe in concern, unaware of the rage his girlfriend was feeling towards him. "Are you sure? Maybe it's just a ploy to get us off their trail." He said as he gestured to the SUV a few vehicles ahead of them.
"She called me Lucille. She knows Thea's my sister. She's got the file. And she wants me to find them before she gets to the cops." CeCe rattled off, trying to get Jason to understand what she was getting at. "Does that sound like she's trying to get us off their trail? They were decoys! What you saw was merely an empty folder and you were stupid enough to fall for it not to mention drag me into it!" She said, exploding in anger. "She's my sister. Turn around." She ordered menacingly.
"What?" Jason asked hesitantly, extremely aware of CeCe's rage but still unconvinced to head back to Rosewood.
CeCe stared at Jason ominously. "I am not saying it again. Turn around. We're getting Thea and the file back." She said determinedly.
"How?" Jason asked as he finally listened to his girlfriend and turned around. "We don't even know where they are."
CeCe looked at the time on the dashboard clock. 9:14pm. "I do. They're at the marina. But we need to tip the scales to our favor so drive faster. We need to make a quick stop."
Emily gently touched the wooden post in front of her as she studied the lines she etched on it for the past two years, its worn-out surface the only witness to the number of days she waited for Paige to return to her. Taking a deep breath, she smiled softly when she felt a pair of arms wrap itself around her waist from behind. Leaning back into Paige's chest, she placed her hands on top of her girlfriend's arms and sighed when she felt her girlfriend's warm lips on her neck. She didn't regret waiting.
"You don't have to keep coming back here, Em. I'm back." Paige said reassuringly as she slowly forced Emily to turn around and face her.
Planting her hands firmly on the wooden railing behind her girlfriend, Paige locked Emily between her arms, allowing the other girl to pull her close when Emily wrapped her arms around her girlfriend's neck before bringing her lips to Paige's.
"You are back." Emily said happily when they finally came up for air.
"Yes and I'm not going anywhere." Paige promised earnestly.
They gazed into each other's eyes for a minute before Emily noticed that Paige's attention shifted to the setting sun behind her.
"What is it?" Emily asked, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.
Paige planted a gentle kiss on her girlfriend's forehead, breathing her in. "I want to take you somewhere." She whispered softly before taking Emily's hand in hers.
Curled up on the couch as she rested her head on the armrest, Emily looked up when she heard the persistent knocking on her front door. Slowly getting up, she took her time making her way towards the sound. Taking a quick look on the eyehole, she opened the door to face her visitors.
"CeCe. Jason. What brings you two here?" Emily asked warily.
"Pigskin said you were sick." CeCe said as she let her eyes study Emily from head to toe. "I guess she just wanted to keep you safe tonight." She said when she finally decided that nothing was wrong with the girl standing in front of her. "Tell me. Did you know what she planned on doing tonight?" CeCe asked coldly.
"What do you mean?" Emily asked, starting to back away from the door.
"I think you know exactly what I mean." CeCe said with a deadly gleam in her eyes.
Before Emily could react, she felt something cold and sharp press against her abdomen. "Get in the car." Jason ordered, the chilling manner he said those words sending a shiver down Emily's spine.
"What?" Emily asked, barely able to hear herself speak with the sound of blood rushing to her ears.
"I said get in the car." Jason ordered, pressing the switchblade harder against Emily's abdomen, making her gasp.
"Why?" Emily asked, terrified.
"Because if you don't I have no problem making sure you bleed to death right here on your front porch." Jason whispered menacingly. "Now Get. In. The Car." He ordered ominously as he pressed the blade harder.
Emily closed the door behind her and willed for her steps not to falter as she followed CeCe towards the car, the feel of the cold blade behind her reminding her that she is outnumbered. Getting in the backseat of the car, Jason closed the door behind him and handed the blade to CeCe, allowing him to tie Emily's hands and feet. Emily bit her lip to keep from crying out when she felt the rope cut into her skin.
"Where are we going?" Emily asked nervously once CeCe handed the blade back to Jason and turned around to start the car.
CeCe met Emily's terrified gaze from the rearview mirror and smiled eerily. "You and Paige's love somehow managed to survive the first time I decided to tempt fate. But the guilt she felt for choosing to save you that night almost drove her to the brink of depression and self-destruction. I'm curious to see what happens if I decide to tempt fate tonight. One. Last. Time." She said ominously as she started the drive towards the marina.