The last three months have been a blur of consciousness. I had been in and out of sleep the entire time, only half aware of the milling bodies and hush voices around me. My bloody, beaten and bruised body was continuing to be treated, forcing me in and out of natural and medication-induced rest. I didn't really mind. I haven't really had good rest in over three years. I barely remember conversations from when I first arrived here, between doctors and military officials trying to wrap their heads around what had happened out there. Then there was surgery. When I slightly woke up from that, I heard more talk of notifying someone. They wouldn't find anyone to tell though. My parents had died in a car crash before I went to college, leaving the house to me and since Emily and I weren't married or in a state where we could marry, they didn't have any way to contact her. Legally they couldn't contact her. In fact, Emily probably only learned I was presumed dead because I had left her everything I had to her in my will before I left. Suddenly, my mind wanders to the ring I had left in my desk. Had she found it? She had to have. Was she still living in the house? Was she even still in Rosewood? I knew I'd get those answers soon enough.
When I was finally able to stay awake for more then two minutes, the doctors had come in and explained to me what all they did and my current status. Surprisingly, I may get out of this with just a slight limp and a boat load of scars. After the doctors, I was debriefed and told I was to be honorably discharged, sent home and set up with some clothes and a hotel room until I found somewhere to live. Returning from the dead is apparently not an easy feat but they did set up a bank account with my salary for the last three years in it. Finally released from the hospital in Paris about three months after I was rescued, I am headed back home carrying only a duffel bag with some military issue clothing and thoughts of Emily with me.
The flight I'm on is taking forever and I can't sleep. I'm not sure if it's nerves or that I basically just slept for three months but I let my mind slip to distract me.
"Paige? Hello? Earth to Paige!" Emily says waving her hand in front of my face. I finally snap back to reality and dip my head before smirking to look up at her. "There she is! Where'd you go McCullers? Who was that on the phone?" She sits down next to me on the couch and leans into me, resting her head on my shoulder before I answer her.
"Em that was base... My unit is being deployed," I say with sadness clear in my voice. I don't want to leave her. We were just getting our life together. She had just moved into the house my parents left me and I had just gotten that ring which was now stashed in my desk drawer. Why did I have to get deployed now? I feel Emily shift to sit up and look at me.
"What?" She exclaims; clearly upset. "When is this happening?"
"I leave in a week." I can barely choke out the words. I can see the wetness forming in her eyes. It's my first deployment and I can tell we are both scared. I take her face in my hands and bring it towards me, connecting our lips in a long passionate kiss. "It's going to be ok Em."
"What if it's not? What if something happens to you Paige?" She replies her voice cracking, tears falling from her eyes.
"If something happens to me, Emily, I want you to move on." It's true. All I want is for her to be happy. It's all I've ever wanted for her. Her smile is too amazing to deprive the world of.
"What... Paige... No, I can't do that," she stumbles trying to find the words. I look at her again my face pleading with her to give me this. I need to know that if something happens she'll move on. I need to know she'll survive and live her life even if I'm not there to share it with her.
"Promise me Emily. Promise me that if I don't come back that you'll move on. I want you to live your life. I want you to be happy. Ok?" I plead with her as my own eyes starting to tear.
"Ok, Paige. I promise." She barely whispers it. I wipe the tears from under her eyes before kissing her again, this time fully and deeply. I don't want to break the kiss, but I do so I can look into her eyes and pour my heart into them.
"I love you Emily Fields. Now and forever, I will always love you, no matter what." I search her eyes as she smiles slightly.
"I love you too Paige"
I'm jolted out of my memories by the plane finally landing in Philadelphia, PA. I will have to take a taxi the rest of the way. The sun is just coming up when the car pulls up to the one hotel in small town of Rosewood, Pennsylvania. I get out of the cab and stretch my back, stiff from the long flight and car ride. After paying my fare, I limp my way to the office with my duffel to find where I am staying. By the time I find my room, I realize I'm starving and in desperate need of caffeine from not being able to sleep for the entire plane ride. Setting my duffel on the bed, I immediately turn around and head back out into the crisp September air.
I find my way down the familiar yet foreign streets of town to the old coffee shop Emily used to work at, keeping my head down to avoid eye contact with people who may know me. I'm not positive how many people I'd be able to tell my story to and I don't want to waste it on people I barely spoke to in high school. When I step into the shop, I realize nothing has really changed in this town. It's exactly how I remember it. The only thing missing was... Nope things really aren't any different because there in the same place as always is Spencer, Aria and Hanna. After a quick scan of the place, however, I realize that one most important detail from my memory is missing: She's not here. I'll have to wait a little longer to see Emily.