Shadedgrey15…thank you for the encouragement once again

vic/bRBARA/elena…love the feedback : )

On a side note, after this chapter I'm going to be going on a 1 week break just because of the time jump in the story. Also, please let me know if you guys like the flow of the story…or the story in general. I always appreciate good advice!

For every who celebrates Thanksgiving, hope you all had a great holiday!

Disclaimer: I do not own Pretty Little Liars or any its characters

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Upon entering her gymnasium, Paige had to take a double take due to the difference in appearance. Midwood's High School committee had done a complete 180 just for the Halloween dance. They covered the walls with floor to ceiling mirrors, giving the venue an appearance of a larger room. The floor was layered with a wall to wall black and orange autumn leaves wool carpet and above the center of the room was a large black and gold baroque chandelier that was surrounded by lighting trusses which were packed with strobe lights, beams, and LED lighting giving the gymnasium the perfect party atmosphere. With tables seating 12 set up around the center, the dance floor was still large enough to fit the entire student body all at the same time.

Paige walked in proudly with Hallie's arm around her speechless at how well the decorations came out. Even with the theme of the dance being movies of the 90's it did not stop the high school committee from pulling out all the hottest and scariest Halloween decorations. The couple's entrance was perfect to the song 'Kiss Me' by Sixpence None the Richer; it was as though they were rehashing the prom scene from 'She's All That'. With hoards of people in front as well as behind her, Paige knew the dance was going to be a night she'll always remember.

Walking toward a free table located right between the dance floor and food station, Paige felt a small tug on her arm. Turning around Paige heard someone scream "Paige, my girl!", before she was suddenly engulfed in a hug by the bearer; it was Sandra a defensive player on the team. "Look at you two looking all sharp. Please do tell".

"I'm Batman" Paige answered in a husky voice as she was spotting an all-black slim suit. With her gold tie untied and the first few buttons on her black button-down unbuttoned, observers were easily able to see the Batman suit Paige was currently sporting under her actual suit. "Hallie is my lovely Dr. Chase Meridian" she continued as she gave Hallie a kiss on the cheek. "And who might you two be? I'm loving the race car outfit"

"Cole Trickle my friend. Natalie is of my course my one and only Dr. Claire Lewicki" Sandra responded as she hugged her girlfriend tighter. "Didn't the decorations turn out amazing? You could hardly tell it's a gym. We're going to have so much fun tonight!"

"Check you guys out!" Kayla soon screamed out as she patted Paige on the back. "Hallie you look absolutely gorgeous" she finished as she gave her a quick kiss.

"O Romeo Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo" Paige sarcastically quoted. "Such an obvious choice Kay. Had to go with the damsel look huh?"

"Oh don't be jealous P, it doesn't suit you" Kayla quickly responded as she showed off her Juliet's dress.

Paige gave a smirk to her friend's statement before she went over to Jeff, giving him a kiss on the cheek. "And you make a handsome Romeo, Jeff"

The group continued laughing and chatting away as they reveled in the surrounding atmosphere. Enjoying each other's company, each one of them knew these moments were not only rare but were going to be their last. They had to make every moment count. Paige watched the scene before her as though it was a movie. With a smirk slowly crawling across her lips, Paige's facial expression quickly changed. Noticing Bess enter the gymnasium from the corner of her eye, Paige mentally prepared herself as she knew she would be encountering Emily at any moment as well. As Bess approached the group, Paige instantly noted Emily was nowhere in sight.

"Lancelot, I don't think that's quite fitting for you" Paige coolly quipped before taking a sip from her apple cider.

"And Batman Paige? Not a typical choice from you and your beloved?" Bess quickly responded as she grabbed a glass of apple cider from a nearby server.

Ignoring Bess's comment, Paige slyly asked, "I'm assuming Emily is Lady Guinevere?"

Taking a quick sip from her drink, Bess replied "She is not. She wanted me to be Henry; I don't even know who that is. So I don't even know who she's coming as."

"She's not here?" Paige asked with a bit discomfort.

"Be careful there P, that actually sounded like you have sincere concern for the girl" Bess replied with a smirk. "She's coming on her own. We got into a small fight. She'll be here, don't you worry".

Lightly clearing her throat, Paige knew how she sounded. But she also knew the girl standing before her was the reason why she's become suddenly protective of the brunette. "It seems like you guys are always getting into these little fights recently" Paige coldly stated.

"And that's your concern how?" Bess sternly asked as she turned to face Paige. Glaring into the auburn's eyes, she continued. "The last time I checked, Emily and I are in a relationship. Maybe we don't have the same type of relationship you and Hallie have, but couples fight. They learn from it and become stronger after. So don't pry into my personal life, I never interfere in yours".

Holding the girl's glare, Paige responded to the girl's accusations. "I'm not prying. But I'm also not going to pretend that I don't see the obvious effects you guys have on each other and therefore have on everyone else around you".

"I'm handling it ok" Bess stated. "Emily is still my date tonight and we'll be just fine".

Clenching her fists, Paige held back her retaliation as she was only able to watch the sandy brown girl shimmy through the rest of her friends and make her way to the other side of the group. Taking in a deep breath to control her anger, Paige pulled Hallie closer toward as she held the swimmer from behind.

With majority of the students entering the dance, the DJ took it as a sign to start changing the music to a more upbeat tempo; allowing the dance to finally take off. With a mix of slow and fast songs from the 1990's, the students absolutely loved the selection.

After about an hour into the party, instrumental pieces began playing; giving off a serene vibe to the party goers and an indication dinner was about to be served. As the classical piece "Sentimental" by Mike Simpson come on, Paige took it as a sign to grab another drink from the drink station before Hallie had another chance to grab her. Leaning against the column located right by the entrance, Paige slowly took a sip as she watched the rest of the students enjoy tonight. Just as a smile crept on her face, a starling figure slowly walked into the venue making Paige slowly turn to watch in admiration. Parting her lips, Paige felt as though she was in a complete trance as Emily finally made her appearance. It was clear she was Danielle aka Cinderella from the movie 'Ever After'. Paige couldn't look away.

The stunning brunette was wearing the famous 'Just Breathe' dress with the wings included. The antique white satin gown was a floor length dress with a deep 'V' neckline of cream satin decorated with small pearls and metallic seed beads. There was a leaf design right in the front that was assembled with marquis cut rhinestones. Her dress however didn't have the same long sleeves as it did in the movie, but had winter cap sleeves allowing Paige's eyes to crawl over her skin as though she never saw a woman's arm before. As her eyes crept upward, the beauty's messy curls came into site allowing the drop in her chest to go wild.

Right when Paige thought she was going to be stuck in her trance, she quickly noticed Kayla, Hallie and Sandra running over to greet Emily as they dragged her over their table. Clearing her throat, Paige pushed herself off the column and forced herself to walk over to Bess. Giving the girl a pat on the back as they walked over to their shared table, Paige knew she was going to need every ounce of strength within her to avoid all contact the brunette. With the rest of the group welcoming Emily, Paige was only able to watch from the side pretending she was staring at the dance floor but knew every movement the girl took. Noticing Bess walk over to Emily as her hands slid around the brunette's waist, Paige couldn't help but turn to witness Bess whisper something into Emily's ear.

"Come on Bruce, dance with me!" Hallie screamed suddenly grabbing Paige to the floor. Glancing over to Emily one more time, Paige realized Emily had been keeping an eye on her as well as she allowed Hallie to drag her onto dance. Slow dancing to the tune, "Unchained Melody" by Righteous Brothers, Paige wrapped her arms around Hallie as the couple began swaying to the music. Making their way around, Paige quickly took notice of Emily dancing with Bess on the dance floor as her eyes solely focused on them.

Emily felt Paige's stare immediately as she walked into the dance but didn't dare turn around. She could feel the instant effect a glance from Paige had on her yet again. Even though the gymnasium was packed with her actual friends, a part of Emily wanted the girl to come over; disappointed when their friends ran over to her instead. As Emily went around the table welcoming everyone, her eyes kept stealing glances at Paige. She couldn't help but admit how amazing the girl looked in a suit. As quickly as that sensation came, she could also feel her body tense up; livid at the girl's distant reaction to her. To make her even angrier, Bess had slithered her arms around her waist whispering how "hot" she was looking. Wanting nothing more than to get away from her, Emily knew the two had to work out their problems. Bess would have known before anyone how she looked if she just stayed listened to her. Instead, stubbornness took over and Bess just stormed out wanting to be another typical choice for tonight's event.

Midwood students never disappoint when having fun. With all the 1990's favorites vibrating through every inch of the school, the pupils didn't care who was watching or if they barely knew how to dance; they were making it a night they were always going to remember. Songs such as "It's Tricky" by Run-DMC, "Sugar High" by Coyote Shivers, "Lust for Life" by Iggy Pop and "Space Age Love" by A Flock of Seagulls radiated from the DJ's giving a blast from the past for both students and teachers.

Despite the hoards of students surrounding them, Paige and Emily's eyes seemed to always meet; sparking something low and steady in their abdomens. Shimmying her way onto the dance floor as she heard the song "With or Without You" by U2, Paige grabbed Hallie's waist as they began swaying away to yet another song. Spotting Bess not far behind, Paige watched as she snuck up behind Emily startling her at first but laughing as the duo began slow dancing to the tune.

Wrapping her arms around her girlfriend's neck, Emily couldn't help but notice the desire in the sandy hair beauty's eyes. "What's wrong Bess?" Emily asked curiously.

"I just wanted to apologize to you" Bess said sorrowfully. "Can we maybe just go out in the hall and talk for a little?" Bess watched as Emily squirmed at her proposal knowing the answer she was heading for. "It'll just take a few seconds, please" she soon added hoping her girlfriend would comply this time.

After a few seconds, Emily looked around before nodding in agreement. Feeling Bess' hands intertwine with her own, Emily watched as Bess timidly smiled at her, as she led them out of the gymnasium. Reaching the secluded hallway, Bess leaned Emily against the lockers as she began her apology.

"I'm sorry for trying to force a kiss on you the other day. You just seemed to be pulling away from me lately and I didn't know what to do. I did the only think I knew of which was trying to kiss you. Just so you could feel everything that I feel for you. For that, I am truly sorry for making you uncomfortable" Bess quietly stated as she looked to the ground.

"Thank you, for apologizing" Emily answered back as she gently grazed her girlfriend's cheek with her thumb. "But it wasn't only about the kiss. You screamed at me in public, began humiliating me in front of my friends and now it seems all you care about is having sex. When did it become about that? I'm sorry, but I'm not the type of girl that would just do as you say".

"What type of girl are you Emily?" Bess starkly replied. "You seem to always start something when we're together and the next thing I know you just stop cold trickle."

Emily's demeanor instantly changed at her absurd comment. "Excuse me? I thought you were apologizing"

"And I am. But I'm just telling you the truth. Let's get something straight. You kissed me back, you touched me back. Then you stopped out of nowhere giving me the complete cold shoulder" Bess angrily stated. "This hasn't happened once or twice. This happens every single time we're together. I think I've waited long enough don't you? I've had a girlfriend for 3 years but we haven't gone any further than 3rd base. How the hell does that look?"

Emily nodded her as she pushed herself off the lockers. "I don't have time for this, I'm going back inside".

Grabbing her arm harshly, Bess threw Emily back against the lockers pinning her down so she wouldn't try escaping again. "I'm not done yet".

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The feeling of distress within Paige kept growing and growing every second she didn't see Bess or Emily coming back into the gym. The instant the couple left the dance Paige's eyes were glued to the entrance. What felt like hours were purely minutes. By time the song burst out in emotion as Bono had his open-throat vocals with the rhythm increasing to sixteenth notes on the guitar, cymbals and tambourine, Paige whispered to Hallie she would be right back as she swiftly made her way outside the gymnasium. Not seeing Emily or Bess, Paige's heart began beating faster as the thought of the couple leaving the dance all together crossed her mind.

Clenching her jaw, Paige's head flew up as she quietly heard a bang against the lockers. Without giving it a second thought, Paige made a dash towards the sound. Slowing down as she got to the area, Paige didn't want to interrupt if it wasn't her place. Peering over, Paige's reflexes kicked in as though she was on the field as she saw Emily squirming under Bess's grip.

Grabbing Bess in a chokehold, Paige was in a complete state of rage. Close to the point of strangling the girl, Paige threw Bess toward the other end of the lockers, away from the brunette. Watching Bess hit her head before falling, Paige's eyes diverted back to Emily as she watched the brunette slide down the lockers looking scared more than anything. Taking her first step toward the terrified beauty, Paige found herself being slammed against the lockers as Bess had found her way back up tackling her with full force.

As punches were being thrown, Paige could hear Emily screaming in the background for them to stop, but neither seemed to oblige. Within merely seconds, Hallie, Kayla and Jeff came running from the corner as they tried to help break up the fight as Sandra, Daisy and Jenny tried to help up a dramatized Emily.

Placing Paige in an arm lock to prevent her from throwing any other punch, Kayla directed her to a corner to allow her to regain her composure.

"Paige, what the hell are you doing?" Kayla yelled at her captain. "Fucking fighting in school? Are you crazy? Your dad is going to flip a fucking shit!"

Out of breath, Paige combed back her hair with hand before making her way over to Hallie. With her eyes going wild, Paige didn't care about anything else except for one person in that moment. "Where's Emily?"

Everyone turned looked around searching for the brunette who was focus of the fight before Jenny finally spoke up. "I'm not sure, she just ran out of here".

About to run out of the area, Kayla grabbed Paige once again pinning her to the lockers. "Stay! Security is about to come and ask what the hell is going on. If you run it looks worse on you!"

Pushing her way through her group of friends, Paige stood up straight and made her way out of the hallway with only one thing on her mind. Running up a flight of stairs, Paige tried to put herself in Emily's shoes of where she would go. Knowing the all other floors were off limits, Paige ran up to the 4th floor thinking Emily would want to get away from everything; she was right. Opening the doors quickly and quietly, Paige began walking down the hall silently; forcing herself to hear any sound. Descending down the hall, Paige felt her heart dip as her eyes finally found their target. Watching Emily leaning against a column as she tried hiding between the latter and the lockers, Paige could easily tell the brunette couldn't stop shaking. Struggling to keep her own composure, Paige could only watch the beauty before her; she didn't have enough courage to say anything.

Emily knew Paige was standing right in front of her; she knew it was Paige as soon as she heard the corridor door opened. After a few seconds of gathering as much strength as she could, Emily finally shifted her gaze to meet Paige's.

Lightly parting her lips, Paige held Emily's gaze not wanting to let it go. She watched as the brunette's eyes fill up with tears, but could easily see her struggle to refuse them from falling; scared it wouldn't stop. Paige knew Emily was holding onto her tough routine knowing full well she was terrified of the prior events.

The tension surrounding both girls began becoming excruciating, but neither girl were able to say anything; verbally. Paige could see the fear and hurt Bess formed in Emily's eyes, but she could also see the confusion and frustration caused by her own doing. The pain she was causing Emily forced her own wall come crashing down, showing every emotion she was able to hide for the last few years exposed for the brunette to see right before her. In that moment, she didn't care.

Once Emily caught Paige's gaze, she could see the regret in the auburn girl's large brown eyes. It wasn't regret for fighting Bess. It was more than that. The glaze that appeared in the girl's eyes seem to be one of assertion. Emily could feel what seemed like guilt radiating through Paige, but wasn't sure. All Emily knew was she wanted to be near her. Paige had this way of making her feel safe and alive at the same time however was painfully hesitant in case she was wrong.

Emily trusted Bess. She would have sworn a month ago the pair would have gone through college together, but the last month has been a nightmare. It was as though Bess and Paige had become complete opposites of themselves; making Emily more confused than ever. The universe loved to play cruel jokes on people and this was the perfect example.

Feeling her throat constrict, Paige carefully swallowed cautious of any movement she made. Still holding the bronze beauty's gaze, Paige could feel the perplexity and turmoil searing from Emily. She knew her eyes were confessing her own intentions toward the brunette and felt the need to ask for forgiveness but didn't know how. It wasn't about asking for forgiveness for handling Bess in her own way. It was about asking for forgiveness for confusing the girl. Something in Emily's eyes told her she knew.

With the sound of her own breathing increasing, Paige hoarsely asked "Are you mad?"

Letting out a deep breath, Emily eyes didn't leave hers as she tearfully answered, "Yes".

Paige felt her heart sink as she watched Emily stand before her as vulnerable as she's ever seen any woman. All she wanted to do was wipe away the brunette's tears and pull her into a warm embrace; letting her know she would never allow anything to happen her. But all she was able to do was observe the girl melt in front of her.

After years of skillfully hiding every type of emotion she had toward the brunette, Paige could see the revelation in Emily's eyes. She knew. The unfamiliar territory sent shivers through both girls; anchoring both in place.

Paige didn't know what to do. What she wanted was to wrap her arms the beauty and just feel the girl's warmth engulf her, but Emily was probably disgusted with her. Why wouldn't she be? Paige lied to her for years. Treated her like nothing. She was cruel to her, always pushing her buttons just to drive her away. And now, she just punched the girl's girlfriend. Paige wasn't even sure what they were fighting over. But it felt as though she had no control over her own body the second Paige saw Emily struggling under the sandy brown girl's grip. No one should ever touch the brunette or anyone in that manner. Paige could feel herself forming tears, completely disgusted with herself for putting them in such a situation. This was all her fault.

Tightening her jaw, Paige heard her name being called at the end of the hallway; knowing right away it was the principal and security waiting to take her to the office. With the sound breaking her gaze, Paige shifted her eyes slightly downward Emily's neck noticing the necklace she's been missing for the last couple of days and the piece she's held close to her laying around the neck of the woman she's come to realized what she's been feeling was in fact desire, protection and admiration. It was the scariest and most amazing feeling she's ever felt but silently berated herself. She knew it had to stop. Licking her bottom lip, Paige tilted her head slightly to the left and finally moved her gaze back to Emily's eyes. "Take care of yourself. You don't have to worry about Bess"

Watching the girl head towards the principal, Emily couldn't move as she saw Paige casually stroll away from her. Confused of her own emotions, she was scared to have her head and heart compete or even admit to what she was feeling for Paige. This was Paige McCullers, the girl toyed with girls hearts all over school; Emily had to convince herself of that. But why did she feel everything was a complete lie? Why did she feel the need to just hold the brown eye beauty and tell her everything was ok? It was naïve for her to even believe Paige was really the person her heart was telling her she was. Every girl wanted to change the bad girl into the perfect girlfriend; that was what she was feeling. Shoving the thought of Paige even liking her, Emily gathered her composure and took in a deep breath. Despite what Paige has done to her in the past, Emily knew the girl just helped her from Bess and needed to make sure the school knew that. Paige might use the savior complex to her fullest advantage, but she deserved it. What Emily didn't realize however, was the image of Paige walking away from her would be implanted in the back of her mind since it would be the last time she'd set eyes on the auburn girl in high school.