Hi everyone! Thank you for all the reviews and the encouragement to continue this story. You all have been great and I really do apologize for the long wait. Please enjoy!

Maya knew what she had to do next. As much as she didn't want to, she had to.

Maya waited until she heard the last sound of footsteps disappear down the hall before slowly opening the closet door. Because Emily had left the light on, she bent low to the floor so that no shadow could be seen by anyone who may be watching the window. She moved over to Emily's desk and quickly found a notepad and pen. She hesitated with the tip of the pen hovering just above the sheet of paper. What am I doing? Why don't I just tell her that nothing can happen with us? This is so cowardly but will Emily really let me leave if I wait and tell her face-to-face? If the roles were reversed, would I let her leave? She was becoming increasingly frustrated as so many doubts about what she was doing started to flood her.

Maya ran her fingers through her hair, letting them curl and tighten around a few locks at the nape of her neck. She stared off thoughtfully for a few minutes before putting pen to paper and scribbling her message to Emily. As the pen stroked out the last words, Maya dropped it and gripped the paper while the fingers of her other hand tighten around her locks of hair. She knew this was going to hurt Emily. She hated this but what was she suppose to do? Staying would hurt her far worse; not to mention ruin the entire plan and put everyone else in serious danger. No, this was no time to be selfish, and staying with Emily would be.

Maya released her grip on her hair and used both hands to smooth out the sheet of paper. She was moving faster now; she had to get out of there before she changed her mind. She put the pen on top of the paper and moved away from the desk towards the bedroom door, remaining very low to the floor, and opened it as slowly and quietly as possible. She strained to listen to get a sense of what part of the house Emily and Paige were in. She heard Emily mention eating so they were probably in the kitchen, which meant she would have to use the front door instead of the back. That was very dangerous but what wasn't dangerous about this whole situation?

Maya inhaled deeply and made her way out into the hall, closing the door gently behind her. Her movements were slow and steady as she moved along the wall, careful to avoid bumping into any pictures or mirrors. Once she reached the top of the stairs, she peered around the corner and listened intently. She could hear their voices but faintly, which told her that they were definitely not in the living room or front hall. In a flash, Maya was moving down the stairs along the wall, avoiding the center of each stair as to not cause any creaking sounds; and was standing on the bottom step just before the landing within in seconds.

She stared thoughtfully at the front door for a moment. How am I supposed to open that without them hearing it? Maya wondered to herself. She remembered that the front door bolt made a distinct sound when it was moved so she knew they would hear it. Biting her bottom lip and carefully considering her options, she was suddenly hit with an idea. She had to create a loud enough noise to drown out the sound of the bolt as well as any other sound the door might make. She pulled out her disposable cell phone and punched in Emily's house phone number. Suddenly, the high pitch sound of ringing filled the house. She didn't have to worry about Emily leaving the kitchen to answer because she knew the kitchen had a wall phone.

Maya moved with each string of ringing, freezing in place at every pause. Before Emily could reach the phone, Maya was out the door, ducking around the side of the house and heading toward the backyard while hanging up the phone and slipping it into her pocket. She moved swiftly, almost soundlessly, making her way around the edge of Emily's yard to the edge of the yard of the neighboring house. She stopped when Jenna's house came into view. Maya noticed that Jenna's car was the only one parked outside which meant her parents weren't home, and she already knew that Toby was out with Spencer and her friends.

Maya hesitated but only for a minute. She pulled out the cell phone again and dialed Jenna's cell. It only took two rings before she answered. "Are you home alone? I need to see you," Maya spoke softly into the phone. She waited for an answer, and then continued, "You know what to do." She hung up the phone and waited. One by one each light in Jenna's house went out. Maya sighed and lowered her head briefly before raising it again and making her way to the back door of Jenna's house.

Back at Emily's house, Emily stood frowning at the telephone receiver, listening to the sound of a "dead tone." She hung up the phone and felt a nauseating wave of anxiety rush through her body almost immediately. Something was wrong; she felt it. That wasn't the usual "call and hang up" kind of call; something was definitely wrong. She needed to get Paige out of the house now and get back up stairs.

"Emily, is everything okay? You look spooked. Who was on the phone?" Paige asked walking toward her.

"Nobody; wrong number. Listen, thank you for dinner and stopping by to check on me. I think I should get some rest now. I'll call you first thing in the morning; I promise," Emily smiled gently at her.

Paige looked at her curiously for a second. "But you didn't even finish your food," she pointed out.

Emily sighed, "I'm full and honestly can't eat another bite. If I do, I'm afraid I won't be able to hold it down," she looked at her meekly.

Paige couldn't help but give in to her. She reached for Emily's hands and held them tight. As much as she didn't want to leave, she also didn't want to keep pushing her. She pulled Emily close and lightly kissed her. Pulling back slightly, she whispered simply and almost sadly, "Good night." With one more delicate kiss, Paige let her hands go and turned to head out of the kitchen but stopped to let Emily lead the way.

A fleeting feeling of guilt washed over Emily. Paige was only trying to take care of her and she was dismissing her like some sort of stranger. She paused momentarily until the feeling of anxiety that hit only moments ago, came flooding back. She quickly grabbed Paige's hand and led her toward the door. She tried not to appear rushed but the anxiety was growing. She stopped when she noticed that the bolt on the front door was unlatched but the lock on the handle was secured.

Emily snapped around to look at Paige. She wanted to ask her if she left the bolt unlatched but was afraid of the answer and the questions that would follow if she said no, so she quickly unlocked the lock on the handle and opened the door. Emily's mind was racing frantically as dread started to replace the anxiety in her gut. She could no longer hide her anxiousness to get Paige out of the house. She leaned forward and gave her a rushed kiss and lightly ushered her out of the door.

Once on the front porch, Paige turned to her with a slightly confused expression until Emily flashed her gorgeous smile. Paige couldn't help but smile back. She shook her head with the smile still in place and waved good night to Emily before turning and walking down the stairs.

Emily waited until Paige got into her car and drove away. Once she was out of sight, Emily closed the door, locked it, and bolted up the stairs, taking two at a time; all the while screaming in her head, No, no, no! Please no! It seemed like an eternity before she was finally standing in front of her bedroom door. She knew deep down what had happened but hoped with all her heart that she was wrong. Please, Maya…be here, please…be here. Emily reached for the door handle, turned it quickly, threw open the door, and rushed into the room. She stood still for a moment as the overwhelming feeling of aloneness hit her so hard she almost stumbled backward.

Emily steadied herself and slowly walked over to the closet. Peering inside, her heart dropped. Maya was gone. Emily's shoulders slumped as she lowered her head, feeling the lump rising in her throat bringing with it a suffocating feeling of helplessness.

Emily lifted her head and looked around the room. She knew Maya well enough to know that she probably left a note or something. A piece of paper torn from her notepad laying on her desk with a pen on it caught her attention. She walked toward her desk and as she got closer, she recognized Maya's handwriting on the paper. She grabbed the note so fast that the pen went flying into the air then landed on the floor. She gripped the paper tightly with both hands as she read.

Emily,

I'm glad we finally got a chance to talk and spend a little time together, no matter how brief. Now, I need you to do something for me. Remember what I told you and trust that this is the way it has to be. In time you'll understand. I can't say much more until that time comes. Until then, be careful, trust your instincts and look out for your friends. Y ou will all need each other more than ever sooner than you think. We'll talk again soon. Take care.

That was it. The note ended just like that, leaving Emily more confused and frustrated than before. Why did Maya leave? Was it because of Paige? But she is the one that insisted that Emily act as if nothing had changed between her and Paige. So what did she do wrong? Was it the things that Paige said? The kiss? Emily could feel the stinging in her eyes as hot tears started to fill them. They weren't tears of sorrow or sadness like before, but of pure anger and frustration.

Emily slowly backed away from the desk with the piece of paper clutched in her fist. When she felt the edge of the bed against her leg, she threw herself backward onto it. She stared up at the ceiling letting her mind fumble through the events of that night. Suddenly sitting up with a jolt, she took the piece of paper in both hands and read it again. She actually read it twice before tearing it into pieces and throwing the pieces across the room.

Fine, Maya! If this is what you want, then this is what you'll get but not the way you want it. If you won't come to me willingly then I'll force you to. It's time I have a say in all this. She knew that Maya still loved her. She saw it in her eyes; felt it in her touch; tasted it in her kiss. No, Maya wasn't going to call all the shots this time and neither was anyone else; not when it came to her and Maya. Emily felt a renewed confident determination. Now, she just needed a plan…

Monday morning at Rosewood High…

Emily leaned against her locker waiting for the lunch bell. She decided to leave class early to try and get her thoughts straight. She was going to make her first move and had to make sure that it made an impact. She should have been feeling nervous but she wasn't. She was more angry and fed up than anything else. Emily tapped her foot waiting for the bell. She was suddenly startled by the sound of loud clacking coming down the hall. She turned her head in the direction of the sound and saw Hanna racing toward her.

"Em, what's going on? Why did you leave class? Are you okay?" Hanna asked worriedly.

"I'm fine. I just have something to take care of; that's all," Emily answered without feeling the need to go into detail.

"Does this have anything to do with Friday night? You know, the whole Paige showing up at the wrong time thing?" Hanna whispered trying to be as quiet as possible.

Emily furrowed her brow. "How do you know about that?" She asked a little annoyed because she had a pretty good idea that she knew the answer.

"Come on, Em. Don't be mad at Aria. She kind of had no choice. We are all just worried about you," she stroked her friend's shoulder sincerely.

Emily sighed. She knew her friends genuinely cared about her and Aria wasn't just gossiping, so she wasn't mad at her. "I'm not mad but there's something that I need to do and I don't want to drag you guys into it, because I have no idea what's going to come of it," she said thoughtfully.

Before Hanna could respond, the bell sounded and Emily was off and heading toward the cafeteria. She followed as quickly as she could but Emily was moving fast with determined strides and Hanna was clacking awkwardly behind in her new high heels.

Emily reached the cafeteria and immediately scanned the room. She got in line and grabbed a tray, although she had no intention on eating but didn't want to call attention to herself. She got her food and headed toward her usual table. As she arranged the food on her tray, her eyes continued to scan the room. She barely noticed when Hanna sat beside her slightly out of breath.

"Em, what the hell…?" She started to say until Spencer sat down across from them. Hanna shifted her eyes to Spencer and gave her a look that made her frown.

"Am I interrupting something?" Spencer asked suspiciously.

"I'm not sure. Let's ask Emily," Hanna countered, crossing her arms and turning her gaze to Emily.

Spencer turned her attention to Emily who wasn't listening to either one of them. She was still scanning the room and absent-mindedly arranging things on her tray. Spencer reached over the table and put her hands on Emily's to stop her from moving around and hopefully get her attention. "What is going on?" She asked an obviously distracted Emily.

Emily looked at Spencer then at Hanna. "Guys, nothing is wrong. I just need to handle something and I need you to give me space to do it," she said almost frustrated.

"Let us help, Em. We're not going to let you face anything alone. You know that, right?" Aria's voice came across comforting as she sat next to Spencer and put her tray down.

Emily softened at the genuine loyalty she saw in her friends. She wasn't trying to shut them out but she didn't want them to pay if her plan had negative consequences. She opened her mouth to explain this to them when the sound of laughter snatch her attention away. The laughter came from the very person she was looking for.

Jenna sat about three tables away with her minions, including Noel, surrounding her. Emily watched as she waved her hands while talking and smiling like she didn't have a care in the world. Emily was about to change that. She knew she couldn't approach her just yet; not with so many people around, so she waited.

Aria, Hanna and Spencer noticed Emily's gaze fixed on Jenna. Aria was the first to speak. "Emily, don't do anything crazy. This is not the place or time," she pleaded.

"What happened between you two that night that has you ready to go after Jenna? Which, by the way, is not a good idea," Spencer warned.

Emily kept ignoring her friends but not to be rude. She just couldn't let them talk her out of what she was about to do. Suddenly, Jenna stood up and said something to the people at the table and walked toward the girl's bathroom. In no time, Emily was on her feet and heading in the same direction.

"Oh, no…" Aria whispered as her eyes widened and her mouth fell open.

"Here we go…" Spencer shook her head.

"It's on! Let's go!" Hanna whispered excitedly and quickly rose to her feet.

None of them bothered to collect their trays but instead quickly made their way to the bathroom. Noel noticed what was happening but didn't let on to the others at his table. An angry frown formed on his face because he didn't like the fact that Jenna was about to be bombarded. He couldn't do anything though without drawing attention, so he sat back in his chair, staring at the bathroom, brewing with anger.

Jenna, completely unaware of what was about to happen, pulled her lipstick out of her purse and began touching up her lips. She stopped suddenly when the bathroom door went flying open and Emily stormed in. She stopped several feet away and glared at her. Jenna didn't turn around but simply looked up at her through the mirror. She then slid her ring finger along her bottom lip, smoothing out the lipstick that she just applied. A wicked smile formed on her lips as she did this.

Within seconds the bathroom door swung open again and Hanna, Spencer and Aria came rushing in, stopping just behind Emily. Their eyes locked on Jenna's reflection in the mirror. "Hmmm," Jenna mused while placing the cap back on the tube of lipstick and rubbing her lips together. She puckered her lips in the mirror and met Emily's eyes. With a smirk on her face, she turned her head toward the girls that were standing on the other side of the bathroom. Her eyes hardened but the smirk never left her lips. "Get out," she demanded in such a sweet yet commanding tone that the girls quickly grabbed their things and scurried out of the bathroom.

Jenna turned to face Emily and her friends while leaning back against the sink. "Yes?" She asked with fake innocence.

"I want to see her," Emily took a step closer to her, causing Jenna to stand up straight.

"It doesn't work like that," Jenna growled, the smirk slowly being replaced by a snarl.

Before Emily could speak, Hanna held up her hand to silence her. She then went to each stall and pushed the door open to make absolutely sure that no one was in the bathroom with them. When she was satisfied that they were alone, she went to Emily's side. "That's what you should have done that morning at the Grille," she taunted Jenna with a smirk of her own.

Jenna was not amused but kept her anger at bay. "Clever, I'll keep that in mind," she responded while rolling her eyes at Hanna.

"I said, I want to see her," Emily interrupted the battle of wits. Her only concern was getting to Maya.

Jenna turned her attention back to her. "And you assumed that I would help with that? Not going to happen. I don't want you anywhere near her," she seethed while taking a step toward Emily. "You have done nothing but put her in danger from the moment she met you. Make no mistake, I don't like you and couldn't care less about you but for some reason that escapes me, she does. However, you are trying my patience. Back off, Emily. I won't let you suck her in again. There is nothing that I won't do to protect her. Count on that," Jenna warned in a tone that could chill the blood.

While all the girls stood astonished by the pure hatred emanating from Jenna, Emily wasn't deterred. "I would never hurt her! And the reason that her feelings for me escape you is because she knows that. You know nothing about what's between us! And you make no mistake; I'm not giving up on her and I'm not backing off. If I have to have this same conversation with you every day, I will. I'm not letting her go again so either take me to her or bring her to me. The choice is yours," Emily stood her ground with complete faith in what Maya felt for her.

"Emily, Emily, Emily! You truly amuse me sometimes!" Jenna laughed while clapping her hands together. "But only sometimes…" her laughter suddenly shifting into something else that sent chills up Emily's spine. "It's almost heartwarming how you can confidently declare your loyalty to her. Yet, you lied to her constantly, chose your friends over her time and again, and never really cared about the things that she cared about. It's always been about you, never her. You hid her away like some dirty secret and she was patient but it hurt like hell. Believe me, I know. I held her when she missed you and was confused. I wiped away her tears," Jenna spoke trying to control her own emotions as she remembered those moments.

"You know…" Jenna began, unconsciously taking another step toward Emily. "The night of the Homecoming dance is what I remember the most. She was so excited that you wanted her to go; it's all she talked about. I wasn't going to go but I knew that she would need me there. I heard Toby talking about taking you and knew. I probably should have warned her but she needed to see for herself what I already knew. I asked her if I could tag along and she was happy to say yes. I knew she would be; that's just Maya," Jenna smiled almost fondly while looking down at the floor before raising her eyes back up.

"We showed up that night and Maya took me over to some seats over by the game area. She asked me to give her a few minutes so that she could find you. She wasn't afraid to introduce me as her friend because she didn't want to hide anything. She was happy that you were coming around so she wanted to be completely honest about everything. When she came back, I heard the sadness in her voice even though she tried to hide it. I couldn't see her face but I knew if I could have, I would have seen the disappointment and pain," Jenna knew her voice was starting to shake. So she stood up straight and raised her head.

"So there it is, Emily. I held her that night. I reassured her that there was nothing wrong with her. I told her what kind of people you and your friends are. Yes, Emily. She knows what you guys did to me. And silly me, I thought she already knew. I found out that night just how much she didn't know. How you can claim to love her yet keep those things from her is beyond me. I won't let you hurt her again which I know you will. When this is all over, you'll have a choice to make and I'm sure it won't be her. It usually isn't," Jenna's eyes suddenly hardened.

"Stay the fuck away from her because if you don't, I swear I will make you sorry. If you think I resented you all before, you haven't seen anything yet," Jenna's contempt was almost stifling.

Emily was almost paralyzed by what she was hearing. Oh God. Why didn't I see what was happening to her? Is Jenna right? Emily was losing focus on why she had confronted Jenna in the first place. It should have been her holding Maya not Jenna or anyone else. Emily stepped away, taking her eyes off of Jenna and focusing on the floor. She felt like she was just hit by a 15-ton truck. How didn't she notice?

Spencer rushed to Emily's side and placed a supportive arm around her. "Is this really necessary? You are so damn heartless! Emily was only trying to protect her by not telling her about certain things. And as for the rest…" Spencer was suddenly cut off.

"Trying to protect her? Bull! Emily did nothing but make her vulnerable. She had no idea what or who the hell to look out for to protect herself," Jenna spat.

"Emily was dealing with a lot back then and she was trying to protect her! I hate that you're speaking for Maya because I know that she understood and that's why she stayed with Emily. I doubt you know her as well as you think," Hanna's anger was growing by the second.

Jenna smirked. "Trust me, I know her better than any of you, including Emily. I hate to be the bearer of bad news but; no actually I enjoy it," Jenna corrected herself. "Maya has made her choice so I'll make sure it stays that way," Jenna smirked. "That's right Emily. I know about the other night. We don't keep secrets from each other; we know each other too well for that."

Emily, now extremely angry, pulled herself away from her friends and stood only inches away from Jenna, towering over her. "I bet Maya doesn't know this side of you. Hateful and wicked," Emily challenged her.

Jenna glared up into Emily's eyes while rising up onto her toes to get closer to Emily's face. "Trust me. Maya knows every inch of every side of me," she whispered while licking her lips as she rested back on her feet.

Emily could feel the rage exploding inside her. She wanted to put her hands around Jenna's neck so bad but didn't dare. Maya was the only thing keeping her from tearing Jenna apart. Emily had never been the violent type but Jenna was taking her to that place. Emily's thoughts were interrupted when Hanna lunged forward.

"You bitch!" Hanna's anger had finally reached its boiling point. Emily quickly moved in front of her, cutting her off.

"Careful, Hanna. I'm not blind anymore," Jenna warned while glaring over at her.

"Good! Now you'll see the smile on my face after I slap the…" Hanna went at her with her hand raised only to have it caught in mid-air by Emily. Just then, Emily noticed Paige standing in the room by the door. With all the commotion, she didn't notice her walk in.

Emily felt panic rise in her as she looked over at Jenna who didn't seem bothered at all. She let out a breath of relief because if Jenna wasn't worried than she knew Paige must have just walked in and didn't hear much.

"Is everything okay? Em, are you alright?" Paige asked concerned by the fact that Emily's hand was holding Hanna's in mid-air. Both Emily and Hanna looked over at her and immediately dropped their hands.

Jenna shifted her gaze to Emily. "You really need to take care of your own business…" she whispered in a throaty growl while glancing over at Paige. "…and I'll take care of mine…" she purred seductively while licking her lower lip. She backed away from Emily and smirked at the anger she saw in her eyes. She winked and waved her hand at them. "Bye ladies," she mocked as she strolled toward Paige. She stopped right next to her. "Emily could really use some attention. She's so uptight lately. I'm sure you can help with that," Jenna sounded almost sincere. She smirked again and made her way out of the bathroom.

"What is going on?" Paige asked as she walked toward Emily.

"Nothing. It's not worth talking about," Emily declared while trying to walk past Paige.

"Oh, no. Not this time," Paige blocked her path and held her ground. "I walked in and saw you holding Hanna back from hitting Jenna so don't tell me it's nothing. And what did she mean by taking care of your own business?" Paige demanded; this time not backing down.

Paige looked at the other girls who were all trying hard not to stare at them. "Can we have a moment alone?" she asked them with a hint of annoyance. It did not escape her that none of them moved but instead looked to Emily for permission.

As much as Emily did not want to deal with Paige at that moment, she remembered Maya's words, "Nothing can change." Emily looked over at her friends and nodded her head. On cue, they quickly made their way out of the bathroom. Paige turned to Emily, ready to ask some questions when a group of girls came in. "Get out!" Paige growled in a voice that startled even Emily. The girls turned around and went right back out the door. Paige wasn't an "It Girl" but she was still well known as one not to be toyed with.

Paige once again turned her attention to Emily but her eyes were soft and warm with no sign of the girl that just scared the hell out of a group of girls. "Please Em. Tell me what's going on. Is Jenna harassing you? I swear if she is…" Paige was immediately cut off.

"She is not harassing me. She's just being Jenna. I can handle her. I always have. Promise me that you won't get involved."

"Why won't you let me protect you? I can make her stop. Trust me, I can. Emily let me in, please?" Paige was close to begging at this point.

Emily stumbled back a bit. "Paige, promise me that you'll stay away from her. I need you to promise me that," she pleaded again but this time with certain sternness.

Paige hesitated for a moment then decided to probe deeper. "Not until you tell me why. Why do you want to protect her now? I care about you! I don't give a damn about her! If she's coming after you, she is in for a rude awakening. I won't let her, A or anyone else hurt you or come between us!" Paige was seething.

"If you care about me at all, you will stay away from her," Emily spat, now becoming angry.

"What is with you? You're acting just as strange as you did the other night. Now, all of a sudden you care about Jenna? She tortured you! She hates you and all your friends and you know that! Emily, what the hell is going on?" Paige was starting to become flustered.

Before Emily could respond, the bathroom door opened again. Paige had no patience at that point. The young girl walked in and looked at Emily and Paige and quickly shrank back by the look in Paige's eyes. "Sorry," she muttered as she ran from the bathroom.

Emily turned to Paige. "I swear if you go near her, we are through! I don't need your protection. I want to handle her on my own. I'm the reason she hates me, not you. It's not your fight; it's mine. I will deal with her; I have to," Emily's anger was now showing. She knew that if anyone interfered, she could lose Maya for good. As much as she hated to admit it, she knew that Maya cared about Jenna and an attack on her would only push Maya further away. If she had to protect Jenna to get to Maya then so be it.

Paige took a step back. The hurt in her eyes was undeniable. "Em, I'm only trying to protect you," her voice was breaking.

Emily moved forward, wrapping Paige in her arms. "I know but I need you to trust that I can handle myself. Can you do that for me?" Emily pulled back, looking into her eyes.

Paige gave in, feeling defeated. "Yes," she whispered.

Emily hugged her tighter and held her for a little while.

Meanwhile…

Jenna was back at the lunch table, ignoring Noel who was frantically trying to send her signs. He wanted to know what had happened.

Aria, Spencer and Hanna had been watching Jenna ever since they left Emily alone with Paige in the bathroom. Jenna had her phone in her hand obviously texting someone. What was Jenna up to?

When Paige and Emily emerged from the bathroom holding hands, Jenna just smirked but continued texting and ignoring Noel and everyone else.

Suddenly the bell rang and everyone started putting up their trays. Jenna didn't bother. Instead, Noel grabbed hers and put it up. She got up and started heading towards the exit with Noel right behind her. As Emily walked hand and hand with Paige out of the cafeteria, Spencer decided to follow Jenna. Hanna paused wondering if she should but ultimately decided to follow behind Spencer. Not surprisingly, Aria was right on her heels.

With all the excitement, no one noticed that one person wearing a black hood move into the girl's bathroom. The hooded figure swiped a black-gloved hand under the bathroom sinks, obviously looking for something. A smile formed on the hooded figure's lips as a finger brushed against the desired object. The hooded figure pried the object from its hiding place, then turned and left the bathroom, completely unnoticed.

The girls got to the parking lot and looked around but didn't see any sign of Jenna. They turned to go back inside but stopped when they heard murmuring of voices that sounded like they were coming from the parking lot adjacent to the far east-side of the building. Aria put a finger to her lips and made her way toward the side of the building. Spencer and Hanna followed close behind. Aria suddenly stopped and turned to glare at Hanna. "Take them off!" She whispered annoyed.

Spencer turned toward Hanna, knowing exactly who Aria was talking to. Hanna rolled her eyes and slipped off her high heels. "Fine!" she whispered at them, also annoyed.

Aria shook her head and continued toward the edge of the building along its side. Once they got close enough, they peered around the corner to see Jenna standing at someone's driver side window with her arms crossed. They wouldn't have been able to see who it was even if Jenna had not been blocking their view because her car was parked behind her which obstructed their view of the other car. They strained to listen but could barely make out Jenna's voice.

"How the fuck was I supposed to predict this?" Jenna was thoroughly irritated.

"Calm down and lower you voice. Just fix it. I don't care how determined Emily is. Stop acting like a God damn amateur. These are kids for God's sake! You're losing it, Jenna. Just keep this in mind, if you fail, Maya's dead. That's it and nothing that we've done will make a damn bit of difference," the unseen figure growled. "Fix it! I'll handle things on my end. Spencer and her little friends will be dealt with," the figure reassured her.

Jenna paused momentarily before she spoke. "Don't hurt Emily…" she said cautiously.

The figure turned to her. "Excuse me? Since when do you care about Emily?"

"I don't but Maya does. I'm just afraid that she'll turn on us if Emily gets hurt," Jenna lowered her eyes as the realization hit her again; Maya still loved Emily.

The figure knew what Jenna was afraid of. "You're right. Maya has to go…"

"Don't even fucking think about it!" Jenna seethed with anger flowing through every fiber of her being. "I swear to God…" Jenna's anger was getting the best of her.

The figure spoke up quickly to reassure Jenna that hurting Maya wasn't even a thought or an option. "None of us will allow anything to touch her. You should know that by now. Haven't we all sacrificed to protect her? We want her alive just as much as you do. You may not believe that but look what we've done for her," the figure tried to reason with Jenna.

Jenna looked at the figure with scrutinizing eyes. "I protect her because I love her. You do it because you want something from her. Don't you ever compare yourself to me. I can't fix this on my own so it's time you step up and fucking do something, yourself," Jenna exclaimed done with the conversation.

Jenna turned her back on the figure and started to walk away. Aria, Hanna and Spencer inched back a bit so that they would not seen.

"We need to lock Maya down until the time is right. You know that. Even you said that Emily's relentless and Maya is not making things better by contacting her." Jenna stopped abruptly and swung back around at the seriousness she heard in the figure's voice.

"So what's the plan? What's next?" Jenna uncrossed her arms.

"I'll make the call to the others. We need to talk. I'll arrange the place and time but Jason stays out of this one," the figure said while throwing the vehicle into drive and speeding off. Jenna turned her back and headed toward her own car. She was done with school for the day.

Hanna, Aria and Spencer ducked behind the side of the building as the figure's car went speeding in their direction before making a sharp turn to exit the parking lot. They poked their heads around the corner again just in time to see the side of the driver's face. "Melissa…"

Later that night…

Maya emerged from the bathroom wearing a white plush robe with her head down as she dried her hair. A hot, relaxing bubble bath is exactly what she had been craving for the last couple of days. She was still in a little bit of a daze from the other night. She was so lost in her thoughts, that she didn't notice the hooded figure sitting in the corner across the room.

The hooded figure pulled out a miniature recorder, pressed play and set it on the small table next to the chair. The hood figure smiled while watching Maya slowly raise her head, letting her soft wet locks fall down around her shoulders. Maya was about to open her robe to put on some clothes when she suddenly froze at the sound of Mozart Requiem wafting through the air. She turned in the direction of the music to see the hooded figure. A chill ran up her spine but she didn't move.

The figure slowly rose and moved gracefully toward her, seemingly gliding on the notes of the music. Maya stood her ground, defiantly as the hooded figure got closer. Now, only inches away, the hooded figure slowly reached up and pulled back the hood. "Hello Maya…" Mona purred with a devilish grin.

Please review. Things will progress rapidly over the last few chapters. With every storm, the tides will change…