Disclaimer: I don't own PLL.

Warnings: This work contains foul language, sex scenes, child abuse, attempted sexual abuse, violence etc. MATURE AUDIENCES ONLY.

Emily and Toby had hung out, Alison only finding out when Emily called to gush about their common interests. Apparently they liked the same stupid band or something. Emily had actually been in Toby's room and Alison had listened to Emily recount the experience trying to keep her own jealous at bay, she was prideful enough to admit that was why she was here. Once again on Toby's front porch, where the angry boy was once again cleaning his motorcycle.

"Hi," her greeting was typically ignored but Alison was not one to be so easily dissuaded.

"I brought you something," Alison pulled a blueberry muffin from her purse, she'd stopped by the Brew on her way and thought what better way to get someone on side than with baked treats.

Toby looked at the muffin dubiously but Alison pushed it into his face until he had no choice but to take it. He sniffed it once and then hurled it across the street.

Alison sighed watching the muffin roll into the gutter.

"Not a fan of blueberry?" Alison asked lightly.

Toby just grunted at her and went back to his bike.

"I don't blame you for hating me," Alison admitted after a long stretch of silence. "I'd hate me too but I am trying Toby."

Toby huffed but didn't offer anything else. Alison tried a different tactic.

"Emily said she had lots of fun hanging out with you yesterday."

Toby's lips twisted up into a shy smile almost despite himself and Alison beamed happy to at least have gotten some kind of positive reaction. But then her smile fell because Hanna was right Toby liked Emily.

While she was trying to think of a retort that wouldn't set back their acquaintance a scream cut through the quiet neighbourhood. Alison felt her blood run cold, that was Emily.

She was half way across the street before she even realized it and bursting through the Fields front door.

"Emily!" she yelled, frantically tearing through the house.

The back door was open and she barrelled through it, Toby only a step behind, to a sight that made Alison see red.

Lying on the ground with her baggy white shirt ripped in two was Emily, terrified and struggling to get up as Ben loomed over her, his intentions clear with his hand on her chest as he tried to wrestle her into a kiss.

"Get the fuck off her!" Alison cried.

Emily took Ben's momentary distraction to knee him in the groin and pushed him off herself as she clambered up. Alison was by her side in a instant pulling the brunette into her arms. Emily was panting and hiccuping into the blonde's shoulder as Alison rubbed her back.

Ben held himself in pain before he rolled onto his knees and stood up his fists clenched and his whole body set to attack.

Alison stepped in front of Emily shielding the brunette behind her and stared Ben down as he raised his fist, she got ready to block him but he fell to the side as Toby tackled him into the ground.

"Toby!" Alison cried as Toby punched again and again at Ben's face.

They wrestled for a moment but Toby's weight advantage held the other boy down and Ben could do nothing but try to protect his head.

"Toby stop," Alison pulled at the angry boy.

"Toby please stop," Emily called coming to her senses as Toby wailed on Ben.

Emily's words finally seemed to reach Toby and he pulled away moving off of Ben when Alison pulled at his shirt. The last thing they needed was for Toby to end up in juvie again.

"Are you ok?" Toby asked Emily and the brunette nodded pulling at her ripped shirt trying to cover herself.

Toby took off his own shirt and handed it to Emily, who slipped into it without a word. She nodded at him in thanks and he smiled sadly.

Alison watched them for a moment before Ben writhed on the grass, complaining loudly.

"You fucking pyscho I'm gonna-" Ben struggled to get up but Alison placed her heel on his chest holding him down forcefully.

"You're not going to do shit, Ben," Alison threatened leaning in close so he could see she was deadly serious. "You're going to go home and forget you ever met Emily."

"I'm not scared of you, Alison," Ben spat, coughing as the blood from his nose pooled in the back of his throat.

"You should be," Alison warned. "Stay away from Emily and stay away from Toby."

"Em baby-," Ben pleaded.

"No Ben. Ali's right, stay away from me," Emily spat. "From all of us."

"Fine," Ben huffed. "I don't need a frigid girlfriend anyway you never-"

Alison dug her heel into his chest painfully.

"Keep talking Ben, give me an excuse," Alison challenged. "They'll never find the body, I promise you."

Ben's eyes widened in alarm and Toby crossed his arms behind Alison in support.

"I'm going to let you up and you're going to go, understood?" Alison seethed.

Ben nodded and Alison slowly removed her heel, he scrambled to his feet as soon as he was free and fled out the back gate.

Alison breathed a sigh of relief, every nerve in her body still on high alert.

"Do you want to take a shower?" Alison asked Emily gently.

The brunette nodded, Alison picked at Toby's shirt on Emily's body.

"Maybe you can give this back," Alison suggested.

It made her irrationally angry to see anyone elses' clothes on her Emily. Alison tried to squash that part of her that wanted to claim the brunette, now was not the time and after what Emily had just been through Alison needed to be a friend now more than ever.

"Keep it," Toby smiled softly. "Looks better on you anyways."

Emily smiled gratefully and headed into the house, she turned back when she noticed Alison wasn't following her.

"I'll be there in a minute," Alison assured the brunette.

Once Emily was gone Alison turned back to Toby, studying him, he met her scrutinizing gaze with his standard glare, his earlier softness with Emily gone.

"Thank you," Alison sighed.

"I didn't do it for you," Toby reminded her as they headed into the house.

"I know," Alison agreed. "But if anything happened to her I.. it would destroy me, so thank you."

Toby studied her for a long moment puzzled. Alison guessed he was trying to figure out how genuine she was being. Eventually he nodded and then headed through the front door.

"Good bye, Toby," Alison called.

He didn't turn back and Alison shut the front door gently. She had more important things to worry about than Toby at the moment.

"Do you want anything to eat?" Alison asked Emily softly, running her hand delicately through the brunette's hair as Emily lay against her chest.

Her mermaid was freshly showered but obviously shaken up and Alison had taken one look at Emily and carefully dragged the brunette under the bed covers, snuggling up to her Em.

Emily shook her head gently, she hadn't said anything either and Alison was starting to worry.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Alison hedged, her heart squeezing painfully as she recalled the earlier traumatic ordeal.

Again Emily shook her head.

Alison pressed a kiss to Emily's locks and squeezed the brunette tighter to her.

"You know none of that was your fault right."

This time Emily didn't respond at all.

"Em look at me, please," Alison instructed gently and Emily lifted her head slowly.

Her eyes were so wide and vulnerable and Alison wanted to do nothing more than kiss away the pain that shone in those chocolate depths. No one deserved anything like what had happened to Emily but her mermaid was so special and perfect and kind and Alison could feel her blood start to boil again at the thought of Ben's actions. That asshole was the very definition of dead man walking.

"It wasn't," Alison stressed. "That asshole had no right to do that."

"But I-" Emily stuttered and Alison had to hold herself back from interjecting, Emily wanted to talk and that was progress, they could discuss why there were no buts in this situation later.

"Yes," Alison encouraged when Emily stopped talking.

"I am.. like he said… I never liked his kisses and I pushed him away… a lot," Emily buried her head into Alison's chest in anguish.

"Em," Alison soothed. "No matter what he was wrong. He doesn't get to kiss you whenever he wants or make you feel like you should kiss him, thats not.."

Alison could feel her frustration creeping in as she struggled to explain.

"That's not what relationships are about," Alison breathed deeply, pulling Emily in tighter. "There has to be trust and acceptance and Ben didn't do that, he broke your trust and he.. well he assaulted you and we can press charges if you want-"

"No," Emily cried frantically. "Please I don't want anyone to know."

"Hey, no its ok, we won't, we won't I promise," Alison cooed, petting Emily's hair softly.

"Look I just want make sure you know that you weren't wrong here," Alison stressed. "He was and I would have let Toby keep beating him up if Toby didn't already have record."

Emily nodded shyly.

"Frankly I would have finished the creep myself but then I wouldn't get to see you everyday," Alison chuckled when Emily smiled back.

"You didn't have to do that Ali," Emily softly confessed.

"Do what, Em?"

"Threaten him like that," Emily whispered.

"Of course I did," Alison scoffed softly. "No one hurts you."

"Cause I'm your friend right?" Emily asked hesitantly.

"Yeah Em cause you're my best friend," Alison snuggled into the brunette. "And so much more."

Emily yawned as she nodded and Alison closed her own eyes as Emily snuggled into her chest happily. Maybe they hadn't fixed everything and yes Alison still had to find a way to kill Ben but Emily was safe and warm against Ali where she belonged, and that was the most important thing.

Like any good rich girl Alison had been brought up to learn the piano, it was no surprise that when the DiLaurentis' clan moved next door to the Hastings' and the two families met again that a not so silent war over whose child was more talented began. Melissa was already heavily into horse riding by that time and Jessica DiLaurentis had all but written Jason off when he came out of the womb, so the story went as far as Alison knew, it was destined therefore that Spencer and Alison would forever be in competition from five onwards. The piano just one of many categories.

Alison liked the piano though, when she was alone with just the music she actually really enjoyed it. It was all about conjuring stories and lies but with sounds rather than words, producing feelings and images through elaborate notes and crashing crescendos. In her heart Alison was a poet.

She hadn't touched a piano since before she disappeared and she sat in the DiLaurentis family room almost afraid to touch this one. But Alison DiLaurentis was no coward and she reverently lifted the cover off the keys and placed her fingers, muscle memory was a wonder she marvelled as her fingers flew effortlessly and the first beginnings of a sorrowful melody wafted over the blonde.

Alison lost herself in the music and let it wash over her as she played, everything else just drifted away, the piano had always been an easy escape somewhere to just get lost for a few hours.

"I didn't know you still played."

Alison's fingers halted on the keys and produced a terrible series of disjoined notes as she startled.

"I didn't mean to scare you," Spencer assured the blonde as she shuffled into the room.

"You didn't," Alison huffed, turning back to the keys.

"I thought you hated the piano," Spencer mused as she took a seat next to Alison on the bench.

"I hated that they compared us," Alison admitted, starting the tune again. "Its not a competition, its music."

Spencer titled her head quizzically.

"So what are you doing over here, brain?" Alison asked lightly.

"I just… had to get out of there, Melissa and…Ian….." Spencer shrugged closing herself off again.

Alison watched the brunette curiously. There was no doubt this summer was shaping up worse for Spencer than the last time Alison had been around but just like last time Spencer was bottling everything in side. Steadily building up her anger until she would eventually pop as she had on the last night of summer screaming at Alison in the midst of that storm. The blonde was determined that that would not happen again.

"Play with me," she commanded.

"Alison I'm really not in the mood to-"

"Just do it," Ali snapped.

Spencer sighed but settled her hands onto the keys dutifully.

"Good," Alison praised earning a murderous glare from Spencer.

"I don't know this one," Spencer marvelled as Alison played expertly.

"Jump in whenever," Alison assured her friend.

"I don't know the notes," Spencer lamented again.

"It doesn't matter, Spence, its music not science," Alison smiled making a point by pressing random keys suddenly. "Its about what you hear not what its supposed to sound like."

Spencer cocked her head staring at Alison puzzled.

"Look here," Alison instructed starting another tune, still sorrow filled and soft. "Close your eyes and tell me what you see."

"This is stupid, Ali I don't-"

"Just do it," Alison snapped and then softened her tone. "Just try, one song."

Spencer huffed but closed her eyes as Alison played.

"What do you see?"

"The back of my eyelids," Spencer drooled clearly unimpressed.

"Fine," Alison picked up her playing, the notes rising around them. "What do you feel?"

Spencer was silent for a moment and Alison could tell she was really trying. Her face scrunched up hard as she concentrated.

"You're not being marked Spencer just say the first thing that comes into your head," Alison encouraged gently.

"Trapped," Spencer softly admitted.

"What else?"

Alison concentrated on the music playing as Spencer shuddered letting the sounds flow over her.

"Disappointed. Sad. Out of control. Spiralling."

"Why spiralling?" Alison asked.

Spencer started to open her eyes.

"Stay in the music," Alison commanded her fingers flying over the keys as the tune picked up.

"Like I can't catch it, its just dancing out of my grasp and then I'm just alone again."

Alison played through not offering anything as Spencer finally started to open up.

"I can never quite reach and everyones laughing and pointing and all I can feel is this crushing weight of failure and I just can't breath," Spencer gasped working herself up.

Alison played harder rising the music in time with Spencer's panic.

"And I just want to scream at them all. Why! Why am I not enough!" Spencer cried out shaking.

Alison looked over to her friend as Spencer shook in her anger.

"And me?" Alison asked. "What am I doing?"

"You're laughing with everyone pointing out all my failures just waiting for me to slip up. Leading me and then you just disappear," Spencer choked as she began to cry.

"Why are you like that Ali why are you so hot and cold?" Spencer begged, eyes still closed.

Alison slowly brought the song to a gentle close trying to ease Spencer out of it, she was surprised this had worked. Hadn't really had a plan when she started but it seemed to be effecting Spencer.

"Spencer," she called gently. "You can open your eyes, hon."

Spencer slowly opened her eyes and blinked through her tears she looked around the room startled for a moment. Her wide frightened gaze fell to Alison, who gently lay a hand over Spencer's, squeezing softly.

"Spence you know I'm here for you," Alison assured her friend.

Spencer nodded as Alison wiped the brunette's damp cheeks.

"You've got to ease up the pressure you put on yourself," Alison sighed.

"But I have to be the best," Spencer started.

Alison placed a gentle finger over Spencer's trembling lip.

"No you don't, the only thing you have to be is yourself," Alison smiled warmly trying to pull Spencer out of this dark place she had crawled into.

"Why am I not good enough, Ali?" Spencer sobbed.

"You are Spencer, you're brilliant, you just put too much pressure on yourself, on everything," Alison gently soothed pulling the brunette into her arms.

"I'll never be as good as Melissa," Spencer cried.

"You're already better than her," Alison snapped before she could catch herself. "It's not a competition."

"It feels like it is," Spencer muttered into Alison's chest.

"I know," Alison nodded she knew all about unfair competitions. "Here I'll show you how much fun it can be without a competition."

Alison pushed Spencer to sit up and fished a tissue off the table near by for the brunette. Spencer smiled gratefully and wiped at her eyes.

"Lets just play," Alison smiled invitingly.

"What song?" Spencer asked settling her hands on the key.

"Doesn't matter," Alison instructed her fingers flying across the keys again. "Just make it up."

She started a happy round robin and bobbed her head at Spencer till the brunette finally jumped in, it took a bit to get a rhythm but eventually they were just messing around, smashing the keys and while it sounded far from Mozart their laughter made it a masterpiece.

Alison laughed while Spencer tried to add chopsticks reaching under and over each other in a mess of hands. She was almost surprised by how much fun she was having and if the wide smile on Spencer's face was any indiction so was Spencer.

Alison was so wrapped up in their game she didn't even notice her mother until the piano lid was slammed shut. At the last possible second Alison grabbed Spencer's hand and pulled them clear.

"Shit," Alison cursed glaring up at her mother.

"I was trying to sleep," Jessica glared back, she was in another one of her mid afternoon hangovers Alison guessed and Spencer shifted uneasily on the bench, clearly uncomfortable.

"I was just-"

"Making a racket," Jessica snapped. "I should have shipped this thing out when you refused to go to recitals, god knows why we paid for lessons when you wouldn't even compete."

"Mother-"

"You've always been an ungrateful little-"

Jessica raised her hand.

"Spencer was showing me how well she plays," Alison jumped in and Jessica seemed to finally notice they had a guest.

"Spencer dear," Jessica's angry snarl morphed into a polite smile. "I didn't see you there."

Spencer shifted uncomfortably and Alison gave her friend a look trying to convey that this was not a good time for the Hastings' stubborn hunt for answers.

"Good afternoon, Mrs DiLaurentis," Spencer smiled. "I'm sorry we woke you."

"Oh no dear I'm sorry I interrupted your playing," Jessica smiled patting a hand down Alison's hair, Alison tried not to flinch at the contact. "You girls always did love that thing, do you still play Spencer?"

Spencer shook her head.

"Not for a while, Ali's much more talented than I ever was," Spencer admitted smiling at her friend.

"Yes but she squanders her talents," Jessica lamented her nails digging painfully into Alison's scalp for a moment. "Well I'll leave you girls to it."

Jessica smiled at them both and then disappeared up the stairs. Spencer turned to Alison sharply.

"What the hell was that?" Spencer asked in disbelief. "She looked like she was going to hit you, Ali."

Alison lifted the lid on the piano and pressed at the keys lightly avoiding Spencer's gaze as she concentrated on only the music.

"Ali?" Spencer hedged.

Alison tried to play through her feelings, the crushing despair of knowing how her mother valued her as a possession, her father's cold indifference, Jason's furious distain, her friends' fear that would later mould into hatred. And the all consuming nightmares that spilled into her days as A hunted her.

"Ali," Spencer snatched the blonde's hands up in her own. "Please talk to me."

Alison finally looked at Spencer as if seeing her for the first time, she had no doubt her eyes reflected Spencer's sorrow.

"You're not the only one who feels trapped," she admitted, pulling her hands free and crashing them against the keys frantically.

Spencer just watched as Alison smashed at the keys and Alison was thankful she knew that the second Spencer left she would pay for embarrassing her mother and doubly for doing it in front of a Hastings spawn.

Toby and Emily were kind of cute together. In a they-better-stay-platonic-so-help-me-god kind of way, Alison mused ducking behind a tree when they turned down another path in the park. She'd been tailing them for the last half hour and so far all they'd done was try to let the other pick something to do and then ended up in a fit of giggles when neither of them could come up with anything. It was like watching paint dry, adorable paint but still they didn't really achieve anything and Alison felt restless just watching. Eventually they'd wandered the short distance from their street to the park, Alison carefully following them just out of sight.

She'd briefly felt bad, knowing that this was typical jealous girlfriend stalking behaviour but then she found she didn't actually care enough to stop. Alison wasn't sure if that made her committed or meant she should be committed so she chose not to dwell on it and simply followed her friend on her little outing.

Alison had turned up earlier that morning with a muffin for Toby and had intended to spend the day with Emily but when she dropped off Toby's muffin, this time chocolate chip (because who didn't love chocolate chip), Emily had texted that she was busy. Toby immune to the superiority of chocolate chip muffins hurdled it across the street again and Alison left dejected, only to double back and see Emily and Toby awkwardly deciding what to do.

She was doing it for Emily's safety she tried to tell herself making sure that Toby didn't try anything, though deep down she knew he never would, he was a gentleman through and through no matter what everyone in town still thought of him.

"I'm having a.. a really great time," Toby gushed at Emily when they stopped at the edge of the pond.

Great time doing what, Alison wanted to shriek all they'd done was walk around the stupid park.

"Me too," Emily admitted shyly ducking her head and slipping her hair behind her ear carefully.

Ok what the hell, that made Alison a little nervous, Emily was acting all flirty and shy and what the actual fuck, she was supposed to be irreversibly in love with Alison, not stumbling all over herself around the boy next door.

"I was… Em can I kiss you?" Toby stuttered softly.

Alison wanted to punch him in the face, how dare he. She almost jumped out of her hiding spot to scream at him that no he could not kiss Emily because Emily loved her but she didn't instead she strained to hear Emily's response.

"I.. um," Emily seemed to be struggling with her answer and then finally she slowly nodded.

Alison felt like she was having a heart attack as Toby smiled stepping closer and leaned forward closing his eyes. Emily leaned up as her brown eyes fluttered closed and Alison couldn't tear her gaze away even as her heart begged her to run.

"Wait," Emily pulled away, shuffling on her feet.

"I'm sorry Toby… I don't…" Emily looked down in shame and Toby smiled gently.

"My bad," he said softly. "I didn't mean I just.. really like you,Em."

Emily smiled at him shyly through her hair.

"I like you too, Toby."

Toby beamed.

Alison shook her head sadly and wiped at her face alarmed to find her cheeks were wet.

"But not like that," Emily clarified her face set in a sad frown like she'd disappointed Toby and hated herself for it.

Toby was crushed for a moment, confused and then slowly he nodded.

"Ok, can we… can we still be friends?" he asked hesitantly.

Emily tackled him in a hug and he pulled her close basking in her affection. Alison wondered briefly how long it had been since Toby had been hugged. They talked in their little shared bubble, holding each other and Alison was too far away to hear, she decided she should quit while she was ahead and slowly slipped away.

Alison could finally breath again when she got back onto the path leading out of the park, she wiped furiously at her eyes and began a fast walk home, it wouldn't do to be caught outside crying and she needed to change, hiding in the bushes was dirty business, but at least she got something out of it. Her mermaid didn't like Toby like that, Alison couldn't help her happy grin.

Take that boy next door.