The girls find themselves at their normal place on Saturday morning but unfortunately, Emily has decided to run practice and isn't there. Spencer is the only one facing the door of the cozy little shop when the bell rings signaling a new customer. The sound makes her look up at the door instinctively. Thinking nothing of it, she returns her attention to Aria who is rambling to Hanna about some 'really awesome new trend' involving neckties worn as skirts. She never will understand Aria's style. The familiarity of the new figure, however, causes her to do a double take. Her eyes go wide as she looks down at her coffee cup, examining it in confusion.
"Uh... Guys... How many of these have I had so far?" She inquires, interrupting Aria's rant. She leans the bottom of the cup in the direction of the girls to indicate what she's referring to.
"More than us but nowhere near your usual," Hanna spits out raising an eyebrow at her friend.
"So there's no way I'm having caffeine hallucinations then?"
"No Spence, you're good," Aria adds afraid her friend might actually be losing it. Spencer thinks she might be too.
"Great, so I've finally cracked and am legitimately crazy then," she says in defeat, leaning back in her chair only to look up and see her hallucination walking toward her.
"Spence, are you ok? What's going on with..." Aria starts but a voice from behind her cuts her off.
"Hey... girls," she says quietly. The two girls with their backs to the door freeze at the sound recognizing a voice they haven't heard in person for nearly four years. Spencer registers stunned looks on the other girl's faces and realizes her brain is not deceiving her.
"Paige?" She squeaks out, receiving a timid nod from the standing brunette. The other two girls turn around and gasp at the sight.
"How…. how is this possible?" Hanna manages to say after a minute as Aria sits next her unable to move. It's Spencer that finally gets up to greet her long-lost friend, first.
"Hey Spence," Paige whispers as tears start to form in her eyes. She's missed these girls too. They are her friends. If this is hard, she can't imagine what seeing Emily is going to do to her. Spencer reaches out timidly to touch Paige's arm lightly, still not sure if this is actually true. When her hand connects with something real, she grabs the arm of the girl and pulls her into a hug. The other two promptly get up to do the same with tears forming in their eyes as well. When they are done with their initial reunion, Paige looks around as if searching for something, or rather someone, before turning to the girls. She's about to open her mouth and ask when Spencer answers her unspoken question.
"She's at the pool. She coaches there now." The soldier smiles, a little happy she didn't have to say her name out loud, yet.
"Seriously Spencer, how the hell do you do that? She didn't even say anything!" Hanna speaks up causing the others to giggle a little. It's the first time Paige had laughed in a long time.
"Are you hungry or anything? Please sit down. Tell us what happened?" Aria says lightly touching Paige's shoulder.
"I'm starving," Paige replies about to say she'll go order.
"One bagel breakfast sandwich and extra-large coffee coming up!" Hanna says turning around to go place the order. Before she gets very far, she turns to Paige again, points to a chair and adds, "You sit." Paige quickly abides grinning that the blonde still knows her order.
"Ok Paige. How are you here right now? We were told you were dead." Aria says once the three of them have sat down.
"Well, surprise… not dead," Paige says pointing to herself, trying to lighten the mood a bit. The girls don't take the comment as mean or sarcastic. The can see the pain in her eyes. It's as if she's telling herself she's not dead as well. When Hanna comes back, food in hand, Paige starts her long and painful story of captivity. By the time she's done, the other girls have gone through several ranges of emotions. They can only sit there in a stunned silence, mouths hanging open. Their poor friend has been through hell and back, several times.
Paige is the one to finally break the long silence. "Guys, I need to see her," she sighs out with a dip of her head. The other girls sigh too knowing this is going to be difficult for both girls.
"I'll take you," Spencer offers, getting up to start heading out the door.
Emily is just finishing up practice when her phone beeps indicating a text.
Spencer: Are you at the pool? We need to talk.
Emily: Spence I've told you before, I'm not letting you break up with me. ;-)
Spencer: Em, this is serious. I'll be at the pool in 10.
Emily: I'll be in my office.
Emily stares at her phone for several minutes. That conversation was confusing. What's so serious that Spencer can't wait to tell her later? Ten minutes later, as promised, Spencer walks in her office door, closing it behind her and leaning against it. She looks distraught.
"Spencer? What's wrong?" Emily says, standing up to walk over to her. Spencer stops her by lifting her hand and holding it out palm to Emily.
"She's alive Em," Spencer chokes out. Emily looks at her friend in confusion and walks around to the other side of her desk to lean against the edge.
"What are you talking about Spencer? Who's alive?" Emily says crossing her arms, not registering what was going on. Spencer looks at her earnestly trying to get her to understand. The look on her friend's face finally makes it click. Emily stands up a little.
"Pai...," she starts unable to finish as Spencer begins to nod her head. Emily's eyes go wide. It can't be true.
"Spence, how much coffee have you had today?"
"I'm not having caffeine hallucinations, Emily!" Spencer practically yells it and Emily's face drops.
"She's al...live?" She stutters. Spencer nods again.
"She's been held hostage this entire time Em." Spencer adds. Emily grips the desk sure she's about to fall over.
"Emily, she's alive... And she's here." Emily's head shoots up to look at Spencer.
"Here? Here as in Rosewood?" Spencer shakes her head slightly.
"No Em, here as in, here," she says pointing to the ground. Before she can register what's happening Emily is rushing out the door into the warm muggy air of the pool.
Emily isn't really sure what to expect when she steps out on the deck, so her breath catches in her throat as she registers the sight before her. It's like a dream of a memory. There she is standing with her side to Emily, looking out contemplatively at the still water. She's seen this scene before. Back in high school, before they were together, Paige stood the same way as she is now moments before Emily had asked her when the last time she swam for fun was. The scene was almost the same: her shoulders slightly hunched, hands in her pants pockets but her Army track suit replaces her Rosewood Sharks sweats and she no longer has that ridiculous bob hair cut. Even the sadness written on her face is the same. Emily can't believe what she is seeing. She's dreaming right? Paige hears the steps on the deck that interrupt her thoughts. When she looks up she sees Emily walking towards her, her beautiful Emily. The girl stops walking when she sees Paige look up.
"Paige?" The dark-haired girl asks feebly still not sure if this is real, tears starting to form in her eyes. Paige smiles a little, from hearing the magical sound of her name on Emily's lips again. Her own eyes are already overcome with tears as she dips her head before looking up into Emily's eyes. She nods a small nod before softly saying, "Emily".
It's the head dip that confirms to Emily that this is all really happening right now. That really is Paige standing in front of her. In one fell swoop, all the emotions rush to her head and the pool begins to spin. Paige can sense Emily is not ok and starts to rush over to Emily as fast as she can with her weak leg slightly holding her back. She reaches Emily just as the girl's legs give out, her world going black. Paige catches her and eases her to the ground holding her as tightly as she can.