"Where is Paige?" Emily asked as she ran into the kitchen. She woke up to an empty bed after falling asleep last night with Paige.
"She ran home an hour ago. She has been spending a lot of time with her mother since her father passed. When she wasn't constantly at the hospital with you, when you were asleep, she was with her mom." Pam said.
"She isn't dealing with her father passing away, and I'm afraid of the consequences." Emily admitted to her mother and father.
"She just needs time Emmy. Everyone deals with loss differently." Wayne said. "But I could always go and have a "fatherly talk" with her."
"Would you?" Emily asked. "I mean, not right away, but maybe in a few days, after this all cams down, maybe she will need it."
"Of course I will. We had a few good talks at the hospital." Wayne said.
"You did?" Emily asked, her face contorted in question.
"There isn't a lot to do when the person your visiting not is fast asleep." Wayne said with a laugh. "She's a good girl."
"She is." Pam said in agreement.
"I'm going to go find her." Emily said.
"Thought you would say that, so I made you a sandwich to go." Pam said as she went to the fridge.
"Thanks mom." Emily said, with a kiss to her mothers cheek before doing the same to her father.
"I thought that you could call her?" Wayne asked.
"Normally I can, but her emotions have been all over the place, that she can't concentrate on her senses. I tried to call her when I first got up. She needs to start letting some of this out. I'll see you two later, I love you both!" Emily yelled the last part as she headed out the door to Paige's.
She decided to take her car for the 10 minute drive, instead of her normal walk. She tried to think of ways to help Paige all the way to the girls house, but came up empty handed. She thought that she would work some of the tension out of live last night, but the girl is so emotionally exhausted, that she was ore actually alders before hitting the bed. Foiling Emily's plans to be together for the first time in four weeks. Entering the house, she found Lisa sitting in the kitchen, starting out the window to the back yard.
"Lisa?" Emily asked, trying not to startle the older woman.
"Emily! Good morning sweetheart." Lisa said as she stood and gave Emily a hug. "It's great to see you upright and out of that bed."
"It feels great to be out of that bed." Emily said with a chuckle.
"She is in the backyard." Lisa said as she turned back to the window.
"Is that where Nick?" Emily couldn't even bring herself to finish the sentence.
"Yes." Lisa said. "I know she is having a hard time with this. I just don't know what to do to help her."
"Me either." Emily said. "But I'm going to try." She walks out of the back door and towards the old tree where she could see Paige sitting on a log. When she gets closer she realizes that Paige is talking and hasn't noticed her yet.
"I'm not ready for this dad. And I just wish you were here to tell me that I am wrong. That I am strong enough to live with this change. I feel like I have everything with Emily, and yet I feel like I've lost everything because of it. I don't want her to feel guilty because I am giving things up for this. I don't want anyone to feel guilty about it. But I look at Spencer, Toby and Caleb, they seem so carefree and happy. And then I look at the monsters like Alison and Bobby, what if that's what I'm meant to be?" Paige asked.
"There isn't a single bad bone in your body Paige McCullers." Emily said firmly.
"How long have you been standing there?" Paige asked.
"Long enough to know your wrong. About everything. Your not a monster. You could never be like Alison. And no one could ever make you do the things Bobby was." Emily sat down next to Paige.
"You could if you wanted to." Paige said with a slight laugh.
"And I would never want to. Look, there is evil in this world. Wether it be normal human beings like me, or supernatural like you. Look at your grandfather. He was evil. I'm not evil. Alison was evil. Spencer, Toby, and Caleb aren't. It's a choice you have to make Paige. And I know you. I know what you are. As for feeling guilty about your change, there will be some days that I will. If you hadn't met me, you wouldn't of had to give up swimming. You wouldn't be wondering what your going to do for the rest of your life because you would be following your dreams. I can't say I'm not going to hate that this happened. But I am so glad it did. Before I met you Paige, I was a shell of a person. I couldn't get over the fact that my ex died. I was living day to day. I had nothing to look forward to. And then you happened. And now I look forward to growing old with you. You know I hadn't looked at a single girl until the day I met you?" Emily asked.
"Really?" Paige asked.
"Really. You changed my life for the better Paige. You opened my eyes. You have saved me countless times. I love you Paige. And I don't regret anything." Emily grabbed Paige's hand to emphasize how she felt.
"You mean that?" Paige asked shyly.
"Of course I do." Emily answers, giving Paige a quick kiss. "Is this what's been going on? Why you haven't been sleeping? Because you feel guilty about the imprint?"
"What if, a month, or a year from now, you realize this was a mistake? Your going to have to give up things too Emily." Paige said.
"I'm never going to change my mind. If in a year, I still feel for you, what I do now. I'll be the luckiest girl alive. Every person has to make choices and sacrifices Paige. Not just me and you. It'll happen, and something better will come along. I don't care what it is, as long as I still have you." Emily said.
"And what if it's something like my father had to do. Look where it got him." Paige rose to her feet, dropping Emily's hand as anger took over. "He didn't get a choice to end here."
"Yes he did." Emily said.
"He didn't chose to get shot Emily." Paige yelled.
"He made the choice to save your mother and you Paige. I'd make that choice to save you!" Emily countered.
"It just isn't fair." Paige said, defeated.
"It's not. But sadly, that is the world we live in. It's unfair and cruel. But if we're lucky, we get to spend time with those we love. Just like your dad did. And if it ask me, he was really lucky. He got to have a second chance with you and your mother." Emily said. After a few minutes of standing and thinking Emily knew what had to be done. She pulled out her cell phone and sent a text to Spencer asking her to bring the boys. When they arrived they walked into back yard and asked Emily what they was doing there. " I need you to take her."
"Take her where?" Toby asked.
"Away." Emily said with tears in her eyes. "She needs to go be a wolf for a little while. Be away from me until she figures out what she wants. Her dad told me this a few weeks before he passed."
"Emily?" Paige asked upon seeing the tears of the other girl.
"You have to go with them Paige." Emily whispered.
"Where am I going?" Paige asked as she took ahold of one of Emily's hands.
"I don't know, but you have to go away with them for awhile." Emily said, not looking at Paige's face.
"I don't understand." Paige said.
"Your dad told me this might need to be done. You need to get in touch with your wolf side. So you have to go with them to do that. Away from me." Emily said.
"No. I'm not leaving you." Paige said.
"You don't have a choice Paige. Emily is telling you, you have to go." Spencer said.
"Emily? Is this what you want?" Paige asked.
"Yes." Emily said. "I need you to go."
"Em.." Paige started.
"Go Paige!" Emily yelled and turned her back on the girl, breaking all contact from her.
"Let's go Paige." Toby said. Paige said nothing to the girl before her, turning and walking away from Emily towards the tree line. Once at the edge, all four turned into their wolf forms and ran into the woods full speed. Emily stood broken and crying on the lawn.
"It had to be done sweetheart." She heard Lisa say as she wrapped Emily in a hug.
"But Nick said there was a chance she might never return." Emily said as she birdied her face in Lisa's shoulder, remembering that day with Nick.
"Emily!" Nick yelled as the girl walked across the yard.
"Yes?" Emily asked as she took the seat next to Nick after he offered.
"I have to tell you something. Something about Paige that you may or may not have to do. You notice the way she has been acting?" Nick asked.
"Like she is fighting an inner battle?" Emily said.
"Yes. She needs to leave you. If this doesn't pass, she will need to go away. Get in touch with her inner wolf. Spencer and Toby will know what to do. You just have to give them the word." Nick said.
"How long?" Emily said.
"As long as it takes for her. But Emily." Nick said when she made to leave.
"Yes?" Emily asked.
"There is a chance that she might not return to you. If she lets the wolf part completely consume her, you will never get her back." Nick said.
"I'd do anything to help her." Emily stated.
"I know you would." Nick said.
a/n: and this wraps up this story. thanks for the reviews, and in advance, I'm sorry it ended like this. But not really lol.