Sorry I took so long to get this chapter out. School has been killing me.
Also I wanted to get this superhero origin story locked down. I hope I got it. It's kinda inspired by different works. This world i'm building. Let me know what you guys think.
I don't own PLL. I'm just borrowing the characters.
Balancing a tray, Emily made her way over to Hanna and Caleb. She set their drink orders on the table in front of them as well as a cake and two forks. "Here you go. And Caleb, I'm glad to see you out and about."
Caleb didn't answer her right away. He was too focused on the insides of an old cellphone. Hanna had to nudge . "Sorry. Thanks, Emily. I'm glad too. How long has that been happening? I'm not still sick and having a fever dream right?"
Emily turned to see what he was talking about. Spencer and Paige had just come into The Brew. The two of them were laughing and playfully bumping into each other. "It is a very recent development."
"I still think it's weird." Hanna picked up her iced mocha.
"It's what I wanted. For my friends to be friends with my girlfriend." Emily bit her lip.
"Admit it. You think it's weird too. Like you're not forcing them to play nice." Hanna scrunched her face up.
"It's not weird. It's… okay, it's a little weird." Emily shook her head. "But as long as Spencer is getting along with Paige. I'll talk to you guys in a bit."
She was still working after all. She went back to the counter. Paige and Spencer had finished giving their order to another barista. She gave her girlfriend a quick peck on the cheek by way of hello. "Hey, babe. You guys here to study?"
"Hmm. Hey." Paige gave a breathy response. "Uh, yeah."
"Hi, Spencer. I'm glad that you are also here." Spencer interrupted.
Emily rolled her eyes. "Hey, Spence. Did you want a kiss too?"
"As much I as I would love one, I think your girlfriend here would protest." Spencer and Emily turned to look at Paige. "Or should be protesting. You're totally picturing me making out with your girlfriend."
"What! No." Paige stammered.
"You are!" Spencer's eyes went wide in amusement. "You don't have to be a mind reader. It's written all over your face."
"Mind reader?" Paige glanced around the cafe, and her eyes settled on Emily. "Don't even joke about that."
"You're right. A mind reader wouldn't have much to work with went it came to your thick head." Spencer laughed. "This round goes to me."
"You guys are competing? Bad Spencer. Bad." Emily laughed.
"What! You're not mad at your girlfriend for having fantasies about you and me? But you're mad at me for competing? It's not a competition with myself, although it might as well be. Paige is competing too!" Spencer pouted.
Paige stuck her tongue out at the other girl.
"I already know about that fantasy of hers. That got her a high five. And some other stuff we're not discussing. And you," Emily turned to her girlfriend. "Don't stick your tongue out unless you intend to use it."
"You can't say anything because you're biased in favor of the person who makes out with your face." Spencer sighed. "Wait, you two and me?"
"I said we're not discussing it." Emily turned went to go check on the espresso machine. She tried not to think about her girlfriend's fantasies and what they got up to afterwards. It was very distracting. She made her girlfriend and Spencer's orders and brought them to their table in the alcove.
"Are you guys working on trig tonight?" Emily asked as she set down Spencer's coffee.
"Working on our plans for world domination, actually." Spencer nodded.
Paige laughed. Emily stared between the two of them. Her girlfriend brought out a side of Spencer Emily rarely saw. They had a similar sense of humor and had apparently already come up with some inside joke. "Thanks, love. Give me some sugar."
Emily leant over and gave her a kiss. "I'll let you guys get to work."
The Brew wasn't too busy, it would be picking up in a couple of hours. But she still felt like making herself busy. She went around bussing tables. She checked on a few customers and asked if they needed anything. She went back to the counter.
And standing there looking irritable was Pru Cho. Paige's friend had been sick with the same bug that Caleb and a few other kids from school had. Emily had learned that some people around town had caught it as well. But while Caleb was back to his usual snarky self, Pru seemed more annoyed to see her than usual. She was holding a plastic bag from the drugstore up the street.
"Hey, Pru." Emily said with a friendly smile. If Paige could be friends with Spencer, then Emily could be friends with Pru. "What can I get you?"
"Not so loud!" Pru hissed.
Emily was confused. She hadn't raised her voice at all. That tended to be something someone with a hangover said. In fact, Pru looked awful. She had dark circles under her eyes. And her hair was messy.
"Congrats on always looking like you just stepped off a runaway." Pru clenched her eyes shut. "Is Paige here?"
"Yeah, she's studying with Spencer." Emily looked towards the alcove.
"Ugh." Pru's face turned even more sour. "No, I don't want to interrupt her if she's working hard. With Hastings."
"Are you okay?" Emily asked concerned.
"I have a huge headache. So no. I'm not okay." Pru spat out. "And there's no need to bother Paige with this. Can I just get a camomille tea? Please. To go."
"I'll tell Paige you dropped by. I hope you feel better." Emily tried. She wondered why Pru didn't want to talk to Paige. Her girlfriend did say Pru was being distant lately. Paige was really worked up over it.
Pru looked sad as she glanced towards Paige. She held a hand up. "Um. Thanks."
Emily filled a cup up with hot water for Pru and she put in the tea bag. She turned back to Pru. Some steam escaped the cup before she put a lid on it. "Careful, it's hot."
Just as she was handing the cup to the other girl, the door to The Brew opened and a couple came in. The first guy was looking at his date with a dopey expression, and which the second one was returning even harder.
That's when Pru's hand flew up to her head, wincing in pain. That action caused her to smack the cup of boiling hot tea spilling the contents all over Emily's hands and forearms.
"Oh my God." Pru looked shocked. "I'm so sorry."
But Emily was more worried about if anyone noticed how the water was scalding hot didn't seemed to affect her. It would have burned anyone else. She looked around to see if anyone noticed. The couple were looking at her. She had to think of an excuse quickly.
"It's fine. Lucky for me the water was lukewarm."
Pru gasped harder this time. She stumbled forward and leaned on the counter. Emily thought about getting Paige. She went to Pru's side and was about to call out for her girlfriend when Pru stopped her.
"No! Don't. Don't call Paige. Please."
"What?" Emily was beginning to be seriously weirded out and confused. She didn't think she had said Paige's name out loud.
"You didn't. I just. I have to go." Pru tried to shrug out of Emily's grip.
"Did you just?" Emily was surprised. A thought formed in her head that maybe she wasn't the only one that had special abilities.
"You too?" Pru stopped struggling.
"Pru? What's going on?" Paige came over to them and stood on her friend's other side.
"I shouldn't have come in." Pru jerked away from Paige's touch.
A hurt look flashed on Paige's face briefly. It made Emily annoyed with Pru's behavior.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Emily tightened her grip.
"You're hurting me!" The girl gasped.
That got Emily to let go of Pru quickly. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."
"I get it! Just stop." Pru growled out.
Her powers were a curse. She always felt like she was so close to hurting people if she wasn't careful. Pru just experienced a tiny bit of what she could do. She was worried about hurting Paige. If she got too excited or too upset, she could break a rib or push her too hard. Even though her father had helped her learn how to control her powers, the fear was always going to be there. He had laid down a foundation, but she didn't know how well it could stand up to her growing strength and speed. And now she was invulnerable.
"Pru, let me take you home." Paige looked between the two of them. She handed her best friend the keys to her car. "Wait for me in the car?"
Pru stared straight at Emily. Of course, if the girl could read minds, she had just heard all of her thoughts.
The word "fuck" crossed her mind more than once.
"I can." Pru said. Emily was sure that was more for her than for Paige.
Emily was screwed. Pru nodded and left The Brew. Paige just looked at her gently.
Her girlfriend took her hand in her own. She rubbed it with her thumb. "Emily-"
"What the hell just happened?" Spencer walked over, interrupting them.
"Paige's friend had a headache and she'll be taking her home. And I spilled some hot tea, which I better go clean up." Emily used Paige's distraction to step back. She forced her hands down to her side, out of the way where they would do no damage.
Paige sighed. "Sorry, Spencer. Maybe we can catch up later? And Emily, you didn't do anything wrong."
Emily looked away. Paige had no idea about what she could do. She could feel two sets of eyes on her. "Bye, Paige."
"Yeah. Bye. I'll come find you?" Spencer said and Emily could hear how much she was dying to ask her what is going on.
The door to The Brew opened up and Paige was gone.
"Okay, what was that?" Spencer asked the question Emily knew was coming.
"It's nothing."
"No. When we got here you were practically all over her, I was about to spray you with the hose." Spencer drawled. Emily was used to the way her friend teased her at the same time showing her concern.
"I'm just being weird." Emily wiped up the spilt tea. The couple that had been behind Pru had been taken care of by one of her co-workers.
"Does this have anything to do with when you and Paige were attacked?" Spencer leaned against the counter.
Emily sighed. It was really hard to explain to her friend who had no clue about her powers. It was hard to explain to anyone that didn't know what it was like to do what she could. "Kind of. I just don't like the idea of Paige getting hurt because of me."
"Like I told Paige, and I'm going to tell you, that wasn't your fault. Some asshole with a gun came after you."
That wasn't what was bothering her. Emily could do real damage just with her bare hands. But she wouldn't say that to Spencer. "I know. I was so close to losing her. Again. That wasn't the first time someone came after me. Nate, I mean Lyndon kidnapped her because of me."
And maybe people would always go after Paige to get to her. Or her friends. Or her family. She had A to worry about, and she had the people her father warned her about.
"I get it. Having to deal with A using how much we care about them against us." Spencer trailed off. "I get it."
"Is Toby still not talking to you?" Emily asked.
"Yeah." Spencer rubbed her finger back and forth on the top of the counter. "But I'm trying not to think about it."
"But your distraction for the evening is gone at the moment." Emily nodded.
"Paige is great. She's helping me as much as I'm helping her." Spencer shrugged to try to downplay her friendship with Paige. But Emily knew Spencer long enough to know the truth. Spencer valued her friends, and she considered Paige to be one. There was some guilt on her part for how she treated Paige in the past. Emily was big enough not to remind her friend about that fact.
Instead, Emily said, "I'm glad that you two are friends, have I told you that?"
"Only about a thousand times." Spencer rolled her eyes.
Hanna came over to the two of them. "Did Paige leave?"
"Yeah, she had to take care of something." Emily put the dish rag away. She had to find a way to talk to Pru.
"That's too bad. I wanted to talk to her about that double date idea she brought up." Hanna frowned.
"Really? She was here this whole time and you waited until now?" Spencer raised an eyebrow.
"Well, I only got around to asking Caleb about it. I thought it would cheer him up. He's been distracted lately, ever since he was sick." The three girls glanced back to where Caleb was sitting. He was still messing around with the old phone, but seemed to be making something with it's parts. "And besides, Spencer, everytime I would head over there you would glare at me."
"Because I don't want you distracting her." Spencer huffed.
"Please. Paige is smart." Hanna crossed her arms. "I think the real reason you were getting annoyed with me is that you don't want to share her."
"That's so not true. Tell her it's not true, Em." Spencer pouted.
"You saw more of my girlfriend today than I did, so…" Emily smirked. "I have to get back to work." She picked up a bussing tray.
"I guess I can hang out with Hanna and Caleb." Spencer sighed in an exaggerated way.
"Yeah. You're so fun to hang out with yourself." Hanna teased.
"What's Caleb doing anyway?" Spencer nodded her chin towards him.
"I don't know. He's been off since he got sick. I caught him yelling at the toaster in my kitchen the other day. He's taken apart anything with wires that he could get his hands on." Hanna scrunched her face up. "So I try to get his hands on other things."
The three of them started laughing. Then the power went out.
"What the damn hell?" Hanna cried out.
"My phone isn't working." Emily tried to use it for light. It seemed she wasn't the only one that had that problem. There were murmurs going around cafe.
The lights from outside the shop poured in through the window. She saw her shift manager, Cass, walk towards the middle of the room. "Ladies and gentlemen, sorry for the inconvinience. Looks like the power isn't coming back on any time soon. I'm afraid we're going to have to close up early."
Spencer and Hanna were both trying to get their cell phones to work. Hanna was smacking hers, while Spencer was holding down the power button.
"Okay. That was weird." Spencer looked around the dark cafe. Most of the customers were leaving. "Usually when the power goes out, it's only things that are connected to the building's power like the lights and appliances. Not our phones. They run on batteries."
"We know how phones work, Spencer." Hanna rolled her eyes.
"They should have stayed on. The only thing that could do this is like some kind of-"
"Hey, girls." Caleb walked over to them, interrupting Spencer. "Crazy stuff right?"
"Yeah, crazy." Emily shook her head as she went around with the bussing tray to clear off some of the tables. She used the sunlight pouring in to see her way around the tables. "You guys don't have to hang around here."
"You don't either, Emily." Cass called over to her. "You can take off with your friends."
"Are you sure? At least let me help you lock up."
"Sure." Cass moved over to the register.
"But first," Emily went over to the table in the back and cleared it. Her friends made sure they had everything. Spencer was holding her satchel as well Paige's messenger bag.
"You guys don't mind waiting?"
"Of course not. We'll wait for you." Hanna nodded. Caleb was still looking at the old stripped apart phone. Spencer was putting away some textbooks. "Ignore them."
Cass had managed to find some big candles and put them by the register. She lit them and left them by the register. Then she went into the back with the other candle. Emily counted the money in the register. Cass came over and did the same, only a little slower since it seemed she had trouble seeing in the limited lighting. Once they got the same count, Cass got everything locked away in the safe in the back office.
"It's so irritating to turn the dial in the dark. I wish this was one of those electronic safes. But I guess Zack was going with a certain aesthetic. Old school register. Old school safe." Cass and Emily went back into the front of the shop.
"Well if it was an electronic safe, it would be like our cell phones. Completely dead. Anyway," Emily gestured. "Thanks, Cass. I'll come in first thing tomorrow to see what I can do to help." Emily made the promise to her manager. She felt a little guilty about taking off even though the older girl said she could. She wanted to make up for the time she should have been working.
"I don't think I can get you to change your mind about that. But could you do me a favor?" Cass pulled a small pad of paper and a pencil from her apron. She wrote something down. "Could you get to a working phone and call this number? Let Zack know about what happened."
"You can use Caleb's phone. He got his to start working again." Hanna nudged Caleb forward.
"Yeah. I mean it's the least I could do." Caleb handed over his phone. "And I could probably look at your phone too."
"Thanks, Caleb." Cass beamed at him as she slid traded her phone for his. She dialed Zack's number on Caleb's phone. "Hey, Zack. It's Cass. We had a little situation down at The Brew."
The group of teens went to sit by the table closest to the window.
"Do you need me to take Paige's bag, Spencer? I can drop it off." Emily asked.
"No. I can totally do that. I mean, she and I need to catch up anyway." Spencer's eyes went wide. "Finish studying."
"Oh my God, Emily. Spencer totally wants to do your girlfriend." Hanna cried out.
"What?" Spencer huffed.
"It's okay, Spence. We've all been there. Paige just makes you feel things." Hanna fanned herself. Then she burst out laughing.
"Wait, what?" Caleb looked up from Cass's phone.
"She's so sweet and thoughtful. And she listens. Paige just makes me feel wanted" Spencer explained shyly.
"Plus she's totally hot." Hanna added. Her boyfriends and best friends stared at her. "Geez, sorry for having eyeballs."
"I understand, Spencer. Feeling wanted is something you need right now. And I'm sorry you're not getting that from us. Really failing you as a best friend." Emily took Spencer's hand in her own. "You and Toby will work things out."
"And if not, he's a butt." Hanna cut in.
Spencer actually laughed at that. "Thanks, guys. You both know the right things to say."
"I think we should call Aria and have a girls' night. And yeah, Paige can come too." Emily answered before either of her friends could ask. They both seemed to like that idea a lot.
"Okay, I got your manager's phone squared away. Who's next?" Caleb set the phone done on the table.
"How did you do that so fast?" Emily asked.
"Hmm. Don't you usually need a computer for a job like that?" Spencer's lips thinned to a line.
"Sounds like you guys don't want Caleb to fix your phones." Hanna looked at the both of them.
"No. We do." Spencer nodded. "Please fix our phones Caleb."
Emily studied Caleb. He seemed off earlier. A little more distracted than usual. At the moment he seemed a little nervous. It wasn't like him. Hanna said he was off since he'd been sick. Just like Paige said about Pru.
"Zack said he'll be calling an electrician to come in tomorrow. Thanks for lending me your phone, Caleb." Cass returned his phone. "And thanks for staying around Emily."
"Really, it's no problem, Cass." Emily waved her off.
"Here's your phone." Caleb handed Cass back her phone.
"Wow, that was quick. Let me pay you for your troubles." Cass started heading back towards the counter.
"No!" Caleb shouted. Everyone looked at him. "I mean, that's not necessary. It's what I do."
"Uh, I'm pretty sure you charged people to jailbreak their phones because it's what you do." Hanna scrunched up her face.
Caleb looked uncomfortable. "This time it's on the house."
"Well, guy. The next time you and your girlfriend come in your coffee is on the house. And I'll throw in a pastry." Cass smiled.
"As fun as it is to sit in the dark, I think we should relocate." Spencer spoke up. "Let's go to my place. And once Caleb fixes my phone, I'll text Paige to meet us there."
Emily rode with Spencer, while Hanna drove her and Caleb. He had all their phones so he could work on them on the drive over. When they turned onto Spencer's street, they saw that Paige was in her car waiting for them. Emily hopped out of Spencer's SUV and went over. The others pulled into the Hastings' driveway.
Emily knocked on the driver's side window. "Hey."
"Hi." Paige said softly after she got out of her car.
"How's Pru feeling?"
"In a word. Awful." Paige frowned. "She hasn't been sleeping well. But I got her into bed, and stayed with her until she fell asleep."
"That's nice." Emily tried to squash the pang of jealousy she felt. It was what Emily would have done for her best friends, and Paige never got jealous. She took a deep breath and forced it to the back of her mind.
"She said that with me around, it wasn't as loud." Paige looked deep in thought.
"I'm glad you could help her." Emily said.
"I am too. I wish there was more I could do."
"You're so sweet. I'm sure she'll feel better soon. It's a hard flu to get over. I think Caleb is still shaking it off." Emily wrapped her arm around Paige. "Come on. I bet Spencer is dying to know how you knew how to come here."
Once they were all seated in Spencer's living room, they told Paige what happened at The Brew after she left.
"So all of your phones stopped working?" Paige asked. "No wonder I couldn't reach any of you. I kinda thought there was an A emergency. And that you guys would come here since you would be more free to talk. It was just a feeling I had."
"A feeling?" Caleb asked, more to himself. Hearing that seemed to get him thinking.
"It was a good guess." Spencer crossed her arms.
"Anyway, Caleb fixed our phones on the drive back." Hanna grinned. "Well, except Emily's."
"I'm was about to finish up with it." Caleb held it up. He went back to work.
"That's great that you fixed their phones. And I guess the silver lining of the power going out at The Brew is that you got off work early." Paige intertwined her fingers with Emily's.
"Ugh. Get a room, you two." Spencer rolled her eyes.
"I think it's sweet." Hanna gushed.
"I know, I know." Spencer huffed.
"Oh that reminds me. We're going to have a girls night." Emily told Paige.
"That sounds good. The four of you haven't hung out in awhile just for fun and with nothing to worry about." Paige nodded.
"No." Hanna threw a pillow at her. "We want you there too, you goof."
"Really? I mean sure. Just let me know when." Paige grinned.
"We still have to tell Aria. But I'm sure she'll be up for it." Emily laughed. "Right, Spence?"
Spencer didn't answer. Emily and Hanna looked at her and then they looked at each other.
"Spencer? Yo!" Paige threw the pillow at her head.
"What the hell!" Spencer shouted.
"Emily asked you a question."
"Sorry, I'm just thinking about what happened at The Brew. How that it wasn't just the phones or the lights that shut down, it was everything electronic."
"That sounds like an EMP." Paige said.
"Right?" Spencer gestured with her hand. "That's what I thought it was."
"Those things are illegal. Man, if the area affected was any bigger than it could be considered an act of terrorism." Paige was dead serious.
"Terrorist? Sounds like A." Hanna added.
"Hey, uh... Emily." Caleb's voice was shaky. "I'm done with your phone."
"Thanks." Emily peered at his face. It was like all the blood had drained out of it. "Are you okay, Caleb?"
"Yeah. I'm fine." Caleb gave her a weak smile.
She didn't quite believe him. He was nervous about something, but she wasn't sure what it could be.
"Aw. Are you still feeling under the weather?" Hanna hugged him close. "I know how to make it better."
Caleb whispered something into her ear.
"Oh! So yeah, we're going to take off." Hanna winked at her friends.
"You do that." Spencer said with amusement.
Hanna and Caleb stood up from the couch. "Bye, guys."
"Oh, Paige! Em told me about how you want to do a double date with us. We should! When this one is up to it." Hanna winked at them and then they made their way out of Spencer's.
"And then there were three." Spencer glanced at Paige and Emily. "Do you guys want anything to drink? Or eat?"
"Water is fine." Paige nodded.
"I'll have water, too." Emily said.
When Spencer was in the kitchen, Emily whispered to Paige, "Don't you think Caleb was acting weird?"
"Oh definitely. But if there's something he doesn't want to tell us then all we can do is wait for when he's ready to tell us. Right?"
Paige was smiling so warmly and it put Emily at ease. She wanted to tell her right then and there about her powers.
"Right."
But she didn't.
"And I'm worried about Spencer." Paige changed the subject. "This thing with Toby is getting to her. So I'm glad we're going to do this girls night."
"Yeah. Spencer is always trying to be strong for us. That she neglects her own happiness." Emily spoke softly. She liked that Paige was on board with taking care of Spencer. Paige was aware of Spencer going to Radley. None of them wanted a repeat of that. "But just keep doing whatever it is that you're doing with her."
"Oh you mean, the little friendly bit of competition we have going on. I wouldn't dream about going easy on her." Paige smirked.
That was what Spencer needed. To be challenged but in way that the stakes weren't life or death. Maybe the only thing that would be hurt was Spencer's ego. But she always came back. Toby working with A and faking his death almost destroyed her. Spencer didn't know how to bend. She took everything on until she broke under the weight of it all. Emily worried the next time Spencer went past the breaking point, there would be no coming back.
This friendship with Paige was good for her.
"You're sweet." Emily kissed her cheek.
"Emily has you wrapped around her finger, Marshmallow." Spencer came back with a tray that had three glasses of water, and a bowl of pretzels.
"Marshmallow?" Emily raised an eyebrow.
"It's Spencer's nickname for me, implying that I'm as hard and tough as a Peep." Paige picked up her glass of water. She gave Spencer a little cheers.
"There's no implying. Paige is a big softie."
"Hate to say to say it, babe. But Spence is right." Emily teased.
"Aw. You wound me." Paige clench her hand over her chest.
"You'll recover." Spencer smirked.
"You just need to find an equally adorable and sweet nickname for her." Emily nudged her girlfriend in the shoulder.
"Emily, no!" Spencer's eyes widened in surprise.
"It's only fair." Emily shook her head.
"Yeah! Emily is your bestie, so she knows all the dirty details." Paige laughed. She had a rich laugh.
"Two against one. Ugh." Spencer flopped back onto the sofa.
"Let's see what can you use?" Emily put a finger to her cheek. "I got some pretty juicy stories."
"You wouldn't dare."
"Dare I?"
"You are enjoying this way too much."
"Spencer jumped off the swings when we were little and broke her arm."
"Um, Emily. I did that too. Broke my arm by doing something stupid, I mean. I actually fell out of a tree. And I'm sure I would have broken something else if my mom hadn't stopped me on the way to the garage when I had a red towel tied around my neck like a cape to ask what I was doing."
"You were going to jump off your garage and try to fly, weren't you?" Spencer smirked.
Emily though that was an adorable, if not dangerous thing for a little Paige to do. "I'm glad you didn't jump off that garage."
Paige dipped her head for a moment. "The point is that makes us fearless." Paige puffed out her chest.
"You two are freakishly alike." Emily sighed.
The two girls looked at each other and then high fived.
Emily put her hand on her jaw. "Let's see. The really bad stuff I can't tell you because of the oath I took as a best friend."
"I understand." Paige nodded. "I wouldn't ask you to."
"Well, Spencer has this really intense sweet tooth. Three sugars in her coffee. Cronuts." Emily laughed.
"Oh yeah. Buttercream cookies are her favorite." Paige chuckled.
"Why do you know that?"
"I was asking Emily so I could buy you something you liked as a sort of olive branch."
"A bribe to get me to like you." Spencer caught on to what Paige meant.
"This was back in the early days when you straight up hated me."
"You mean when I thought you were A. I probably would have accused you of trying to poison me." Spencer frowned.
"Spencer, how many times do I have to tell you? I forgive you. I would have thought the same thing if I were in your position." Paige shook her head.
"Yeah well the only difference between you and me was I that I actually did join the A team." Spencer's voice was heavy with guilt.
Paige glanced at Emily. "Like Em said. You and I are a lot alike. You probably did it to protect your loved ones."
"Maybe I did it just to catch A." Spencer swiped at her eye. "I'm not sorry, guys. I'm just being pathetic."
"Hey. What has you so down?" Emily moved from her spot next to Paige to sit next to Spencer. Paige surprised her by getting up and sitting on the girl's other side so that Spencer was in between the two of them.
"Toby and I finally talked." Spencer sniffled.
Paige looked at Emily. This couldn't be good.
"And?"
"And it's over between us." Spencer choked out. "I didn't want to say anything because all of you were just so happy. I didn't want to bother Hanna or you with my problems."
"I'm so sorry." Emily hugged her while Paige squeezed her shoulder.
"He couldn't take me betraying him like that. Apparently that's all I'm good at. He didn't like feeling second place to you guys. And to catching A. And that I never took his feelings into consideration."
Emily didn't understand. She was friends with Toby as well. She never thought he would ever feel like he had taken a backseat when it came to Spencer's priorities.
"When he said that he felt like I didn't fully trust him, I lost it. I screamed at him, 'Why should I trust you when you put on that hoodie and drove me to Radley?' I thought he was dead, Em. He faked his death and put me through hell." Spencer just stared blankly into the space in front of that. "I guess we couldn't really recover from that."
Emily hugged Spencer tighter. Spencer planted her face in the crook of Emily's neck. She knew that Toby did what he did to protect Spencer, and the rest of them. But the hurt was there. Emily had been there when Spencer was cracking. It was hard to watch.
Spencer gripped Emily's arm tightly. Emily kissed the top of her head. Paige stood up and went into the kitchen.
The two friends stayed like that for a few minutes more until Spencer pulled back. "Thanks, Em."
"It was no problem. I'm always here for you." Emily wiped a tear from Spencer's face with her thumb.
"I know." Spencer gave her a small smile.
Paige came back with a mug of tea. "Here."
"Thanks, Paige." Spencer couldn't look Paige in the eye.
Emily's phone started ringing. She checked the screen. "It's my dad." She looked at the other girls apologetically.
"Go ahead and answer it, Emily." Spencer held the mug of tea inbetween her hands, like she is hoping for some of it's warmth.
"Hi, Dad." Emily answered.
"Emmy, I need you to come home."
"Oh. Well I was in the middle of something with Spencer." Emily was torn. She wanted to be there for her friend, but her dad rarely called her and told her to come home. This didn't sound like a we want you home for dinner call.
"I'm sorry, but this is important. Things are happening and your mother and I want to explain." There was an urgency in her father's voice that was never present. "This is something that can't wait."
"Okay. I understand. I'll be home in a bit. Love you."
"Stay safe." Her father hung up.
"You have to go?" Spencer managed to look even more defeated.
"My parents need to tell me something." Emily shook her head."
"Go. I'll be okay. Paige is here."
"I'll come back as soon as I can." Emily explained as she hugged Spencer goodbye.
"Spence, I'll just walk Emily out." When the other girl nodded, Paige walked her girlfriend to the door.
"Thanks for staying with her," Emily said.
"I was kinda surprised. I thought she would rather have Aria around." Paige scratched the back of her head.
"It's not just you." Emily had to admit.
"Well, I have some idea of how to cheer Spencer up." Paige grinned.
"Please don't play any dangerous board games." Emily groaned.
"Dangerous board games? Like Exploding Trivial Pursuit?" Paige chuckled.
"No. It's just any game with you two is dangerous. You're both very competitive." Emily had banned Uno and Jenga.
"Exactly. That's how to get Spencer out of this funk."
"But-"
Paige cut her off with a kiss. "We'll be fine. You need to get home."
"I'll talk to you later." Emily laughed.
"Go!"
"Bye, Spencer!" Emily called out one last time.
"Bye, Emily. Now get out of here." Spencer waved her off.
Once Emily was clear of anyone watching, she took her shortcut from Spencer's back to her house at a dead sprint. At least that's what it would be called by other people. She never tested it but she could go faster than this and she could keep this pace up for longer. She wasn't faster than a speeding bullet but she could go pretty fast.
She dropped out of her run. She hadn't even broken into a sweat. Olympic sprinters would have been out of breath at the speed she had been going. She had to fix her hair though.
Emily entered through the back door and once inside she called out to her parents.
"We're in the den," her father shouted back.
She went to the den. Her mother was sitting on the couch, and pat the space between her. Emily sat down. Her father remained standing.
"Emmy, we have to tell you about your powers."
"Please don't tell me that you guys found me in a spaceship in the middle of a cornfield." Emily tried to joke. Her father liked far too serious.
"No," he chuckled. "As you know, your mother has powers. She literally has the power of suggestion."
Emily knew about her mom's powers. She could tell people to do something and they would do it. Then she had control over them.
But Pam Fields had vowed to never use her powers on her daughter. Emily believed that her mother kept her word. She could have used her powers to get Emily to clean her room or dress a certain way. And she could have used them on Emily when she came out. She could have told her to like boys and she would never know otherwise. She could have molded Emily into how she wanted. But she hadn't. It meant a lot to Emily to know that.
The Fields had raised their daughter not to use her powers for personal gain. And they lead by example. But that didn't mean Pam never used her powers. She tried not to use them.
The only time Pam used her powers was when she was being motherly to Emily's friends. If it ever happened that one of the other girls was feeling a little sad or worried, Pam would give them a very suggestive pep talk and they cheered right up. She never crossed a line though. Pam had talked to Hanna when Caleb was in surgery after he had been shot. She had talked to Spencer when she got an A- on a European History quiz once. And she had calmed Paige down the other night when she had walked into Emily's room and found the couple on the bed together.
Emily was a little iffy about her mom using her powers on her girlfriend. Even though in the end it helped Paige be able to look Pam in the eye and allowed her girlfriend to continue coming over to the house without her sitting five feet away, it still felt morally ambiguous.
"Emily already knows this. We were up front about it when she staring showing signs of having powers. We told you we all had powers so you didn't have to feel alone. You remember don't you?"
"I remember. Dad kicked my door in."
When Emily was five, her parents had sat her down and told her that they had special abilities.
"Hey, Emmy."
Emily didn't look up at her parents. She didn't mean to break the door. She was just super excited that they were going to decorate for Christmas today. When she woke up, she had hopped out of bed. And ran to the door of her bedroom. She pulled on the door, and the doorknob got smushed. She tried to turn it still, but the door wouldn't open. That made her scared. She couldn't get out of her room! She screamed for her mommy and daddy. She started to beat her fists against the door in panic. That's when part of the door broke. Her daddy came running. When he couldn't open the door and he heard her screaming, he told her to stand far away from the door. So she did. Then there was a loud bang and door burst open. Soon both of her parents were holding her in their arms and willing away her tears.
"Your father and I aren't mad about the door." The three of them were sitting on her window seat. "Why don't you tell us what happened?"
"I gots really excited for Christmas. We were going to get Pingy and Wingy out. So I wanted to eat breakfast really fast. And get started."
"Okay. We can still do that. We just want to know why you were scared."
"Because I wanted to get breakfast over with, and ran to the door. When I tried to open it, it smushed."
"What smushed?"
"The doorknob. Then the door couldn't open and I got scared. So I hitted and hitted the door, and then it broke."
Her dad stood up and looked at the door. He gasped. "She's not wrong. That doorknob is definitely smushed. And part of the door is splintered."
"Emily did all that?"
"I'm sorry." The tears flowed anew.
"Oh, sweetie. Don't cry. We can just buy a new door." Her mom hugged her tightly. "Besides you dad did way more damage to it when he kicked it down."
"I was scared! There was no time to wait." Wayne huffed.
"You were scared?" Emily asked.
"Yes. I got scared because I thought you were hurt or in danger. I don't want that to happen." Wayne sat back down next to her.
"I got scared cause I couldn't get out." Emily sniffed.
"Yeah. That is scary. But if you are ever in trouble, your ma and I will always find a way to help you. Understood?"
Emily nodded. She always felt so safe with her mommy and daddy.
"Well, your dad and I need to tell you something. What you did to the door? You can do that because you're special. You can do things other people can't. There are very few of us out there. You are a very strong little girl and maybe you'll only get stronger. And you can probably do other things too. We'll just wait and see. But I will help you so you don't go around smushing doorknobs. It's very important that you learn how to control your powers."
"Are you and mommy strong too?"
"No. But we do have powers. I can detect other people like us. And your ma can make people do things she tells them to do."
"So she's super bossy?" Emily asked.
Her dad chuckled. "I guess that's sort of true."
"Can I see, Mommy?"
"Wayne?"
"Show her. You can use me."
"Okay. Wayne, you are a dog." Pam's eyes glowed purple.
Wayne crouched down. He barked. He crawled around on his hands knees, sniffing around. He came along to Emily. He barked again and started to wag his non existant tail. Emily giggled. He turned to Pam and nudged her knee with his nose.
"That's enough. Back to your usual, lovable self." Pam's eyes glowed again.
"That was neat!"
Wayne was kneeling in front of his wife. "I take it the demonstration was a success?"
"You acted like a doggie. Mommy made you."
"Yes. I did. But I don't really use my powers, Emily."
"How come?"
"We'll tell you when you're older. But for now, I just don't like using them unless I have to. There's nothing wrong with powers. You're just like your mommy and daddy, okay?"
"Okay."
"I'm going to teach you how to use your powers. And that's the only time you can use them. Only when you're with your ma or me. Not in front of anyone else."
"How come?"
"Wayne, she's too young."
"I won't lie to her. Emily, there are some bad men after people like us. If they found out, they would take you away from us."
"This is a lot of exposition and backstory, but bare with us. We were waiting for you to display enhanced strength. The first time was when you were learning to pull yourself up to standing. You got your hands on the coffee table and your fingers put tiny dents into the table. The speed started coming in once you were in middle school. And now..."
"I'm bulletproof." Emily finished. "So I got my powers from you and mom?"
"Yes and no." Pam supplied. "It's complicated."
"There are so few of us. Not many of us end up with those who have powers. It's usually one person with powers and someone with no powers getting together and having children. It's rare for two people with powers to end up together. Unless of course they are in the same situation as your mother and I."
"Which means?" Emily didn't know where this was leading.
"Let me back up, I was recruited for a special government project while I was still in the Army. They knew that people with powers existed. They were classified as metahumans or specials. I could find them."
"Your father found me." Pam said. "My father realized I had powers when I got another child to give me his chocolate bar when I was five. It was then that he decided to exploit them. He was a gambler and very much in debt with a mob boss. To pay off his debts, he offered my powers up to this man. That's all I ever knew. But your father saved me from all that."
"Scientists have been studying Specials since World War II. They haven't made much progress. Some people are born with powers while others aren't. Scientists in Nazi Germany theorized that they could breed powers so that's what they did. Seventeen couples composed of two people with powers didn't produce children with powers. If any of the pregnancies were successful at all. The two children that made it to adulthood, had no abilities. The most common outcome was miscarriages. If a pregnancy didn't end in a stillbirth, the child didn't make it past infancy. Allied scientists tried the same thing, but with volunteers. Only one child with powers was born. There was more success with couples that were mixed. One Special. One Nat. Most of the children died. But most didn't. Only half of the children had powers. And all of these powers were... Not really suited for war. Teleporting and phasing through walls. Useful in some ways."
Wayne paused, as if for dramatic effect. "So if super soldiers couldn't be born in the numbers they wanted, they would be made."
"During the Cold War, there was a race to create anything that could grant powers. These experiments resulted in failure. Of course, the Soviets sunk too much money into their projects that they collapsed. But this didn't stop the Americans."
Emily took this all in. This wasn't exactly in her history textbook. But she didn't interrupt her father. She had so many questions, especially about her mother's life before her, but she knew her dad would answer them.
"There was something of a breakthrough around then. A super serum. Human test subjects did get powers, enhanced strength, endurance, and speed, though not at your level. But there was a huge decrease in cognitive ability for some or it resulted in insanity for most. Some had strokes or heart attacks. The harm outweighed the benefits. They shut the project down and decided to move on. Now you're wondering where you come in."
"According to you, I shouldn't even be alive. Both of you have powers."
"Yes." Her mom squeezed her knee. "It sounds so selfish, but…"
"Your mom and I met, fell in love and decided to have children. My superior told me the odds. But we wanted children, powers or no. We tried until we had you. Then you were so sick. The doctors told us you weren't going to survive. We were desperate. A scientist on the super serum project knew how sick you were. In secret, she gave the last batch of serum to you. You got better. You were a healthy kid. But then you crushed the coffee table with your tiny hands. We kept your powers a secret though. We couldn't bare to have you taken from us and used as a weapon. That's why I taught you to control your powers. That's why you couldn't tell anyone."
Emily sat there stunned. Her parents had been left with no choice but to use a deadly serum on her in an attempt to save her life. It had to have been such an insane idea back then because hearing it now sounded crazy to her. But somehow she had been lucky. It shouldn't have worked but it did, better than they thought it would.
"I still work with this organization, since leaving would raise suspicion. We're hiding in plain sight with your powers, but I suspect you're being monitored. There are a few agents that I trust. The ones I personally recruited."
"Does this organization have a name?" She only asked because she couldn't hear the capitalization of the word.
"I work for the Highest Authority on National Defense."
"Which is?"
"That's it."
"That's the name? You guys really like acronyms. Did you want to be called H.A.N.D. that badly?"
"Yeah. I mean hands can hold, heal, mend, and guide. On the other hand," Wayne grinned at his pun. "They defend and fight. It sounds very diplomatic, which is the image the higher ups want to project even if not too many people know about us." Wayne nodded, but he sounded amused.
"I think we should get back on the topic-"
"On hand?" Wayne grinned as he interrupted Pam. This made the two women in his life groan. "Okay, okay. This is very serious. I've felt an increase in powers around town."
"As in people that didn't have powers before, have them now?" Emily though hard. This was a lot of information to take in.
"Yes. At first, there was only one or two. But now there is a small handful, I'm sure that number is going to grow. It has something to do with H.A.N.D. What they were working on." Wayne's face has turned serious. "I don't know the science of it, but the scientists were working on a virus..."
"No." Emily's eyes widened. "Everyone that has been sick has powers? How did that happen?"
"We are working on finding out. I don't think H.A.N.D. is clean as it thinks."
"Dad!" Emily chided her father.
"Oh. Yeah. I didn't even mean to do that one." Wayne apologized.
"What your father means is that not everyone can be trusted. He has his small group of agents."
Wayne opened his mouth. But Pam glared at him.
"You were going to say "that you could count on one hand" to be trusted or something." Emily shook her head.
"Yes." Wayne said slowly.
"Wayne, I love you, but get it out of your system right now." Pam scolded.
"Alright. I'm sure there is someone who will appreciate my jokes." Wayne sighed.
"There's a time and place, but not now." Pam patted his back. "Like your father said, there are more people showing up around town with powers."
"So what do we do?" Emily asked.
"These people will need our help. They will need to learn how to use their powers like how I helped you when you were younger. We have to protect them as well. There are some who would use them as weapons against their will." Wayne hung his head. "When I was recruited, I naively thought that people like us would be given the option of joining or not. Not everyone got a choice."
"And we have to protect people from those that want to abuse their powers." Pam announced, with anguish and regret on her face. "There are some people who won't hesitate to use their powers to steal or hurt others."
"Pam, I know what you're thinking and you're not one of them." Wayne pulled Pam into an embrace. "Your father forced you. And when you do use your powers it's for good."
Emily watched her parents. She could understand her mother's fear of her power. She had that same fear. She worried about hurting Paige or crossing that line into using her powers selfishly. But she knew that some people wouldn't have that same fear. They wouldn't care about hurting other people.
The doorbell rang.
Emily glanced at her parents. "I'm not really expecting anyone."
"Neither are we." Wayne frowned.
Emily went to answer the door. "Pru?"
Pru was standing on her doorstep, looking worse than she did earlier.
"Thanks. I know I look like shit." Pru grimaced. "I need your help."
"Emily, who's at the door?" Her mom walked out of the living room.
Pru clutched at her head. Her nose started bleeding. Emily caught her as she passed out.