Wow the response to this story has been incredible and really made me smile! It's so nice to know that there are so many Emisonians out there-struggling to survive with me! Like many of you I'm trying to hold onto hope that our two ladies will be together after the time jump but knowing PLL and Marlene-ya never freaking know!

Just so no one's confused this story is set in 2019 (I think PLL world on the show is 2012 because Alison disappeared in 2009?) Whatever if I actually tried to figure out the correct year for things on this show I'd develop a severe headache (props to all those people who do comb through episodes and try to find clues and come up with theories-for me that's just too damn much)

Anyways I hope you enjoy!

Again I don't own Pretty Little Liars or its characters, because if I did my boo Ali wouldn't be checking out a grandpa and Emily wouldn't be attached to someone hiking up her water bill...seriously though Pam's gonna have to start charging Sara utilities lol

Guardian Angel: An Emison Story Chapter Two

Graffiti Grounded

6 weeks later-the beginning of November
CIA New York City Headquarters

"Yo, how boss are we?" Alison couldn't help but roll her eyes at her best friend who had been boasting since they'd arrived back in New York City. It always cracked Ali up how professional Britt could be when dealing with foreign diplomats and government officials slipping into her quote on quote "white girl voice", because as soon as they were back "in country" The Bronx accent returned as well (code switching at its finest). "I mean we completed the mission three weeks early-which never happens. We prevented like 12 wars, saved a bunch of people, and re-established a positive relationship with Iran. Damn Ali, we should just run the fuckin' world."

"Britt, would you stop, please? We have to meet with Reggie any minute and I can't be laughing uncontrollably in his office." But Alison was glad Brittany was in such good spirits. International missions were always incredibly draining because both women had to constantly look over their shoulders in these new environments. It was no secret to the agency that New York City was their comfort zone. Brittany having been born and raised in The Bronx had the city's blueprints practically memorized and Alison had come to affectionately regard New York as her safe harbor. Overseas they each became shells of themselves out of necessity, so it was refreshing to have Brittany's true personality shining through.

Ignoring Ali's plea, Brittany just boasted even louder, "The hell you can't be. Ali…guuurrrll we literally just saved the fuckin' world! We are allowed to be proud of our damn selves. We didn't just Olivia Benson that shit…we like superheroed that shit."

Alison was cracking up now to the point of tears, "Did you just create a new verb?"

"Hell yeah I did. I'm calling Merriam-Webster after our meeting with Reggie and demanding that superheroed be added to the dictionary."

"What's its definition?" Alison asked through her giggles.

Brittany tapped her chin with her right pointer finger as she pondered with a serious professor-like face before responding after a few moments, "Kicking ass and saving lives. But of course a picture of the two of us is included right underneath the definition."

"Of course" Alison leaned into her best friend and couldn't help but feel so…happy to be back in New York. She really hoped Reggie wasn't planning on sending them on another international mission anytime soon because frankly she was exhausted. She also hoped this meeting would happen like now, because Britt's shoulder was so comfortable and she was seriously about to fall asleep. Plus she just wanted to go home to the house she shared with Brittany. She hated that the CIA required all Guardians to check in with their district heads-Reggie in her and Britt's case-once they were back in the States. All Alison wanted to do was find her bed-hell she'd go for the couch in their living room right now.

And just as Ali was about to slip into a comfortable slumber, "Well, well if it isn't my two favorite Guardians. Baller, Bombshell it's good to see you both."

Reggie's booming voice brought her back to reality. She really did love her boss-Reggie was fair, honest, and compassionate. But dear God did she hate his nickname for her. Bombshell-seriously could that be anymore generic? I mean yeah she's beautiful, but there was more to Alison DiLaurentis than that, especially in her life after Charles/–A. At least Baller completely suited Brittany-her best friend still kicked mega ass on the basketball court even though it had been eight years since she'd been the NCAA Women's Player of the Year and slated to turn professional.

"I think you mean ass kicker and life saver, and before you ask, yes Reggie I am the ass kicker…Ali's forte is saving the children." Leave it to Brittany to always have a comeback. Alison smiled at the brunette sitting next to her, because Reggie was throwing her a glare that would falter almost anyone and Brittany just smirked right back at him completely unfazed.

"Oh how I've missed your sass Brittany." Reggie replied with a light chuckle. Playful bickering between her boss and best friend was just how the two of them communicated. Alison swore it was because they were both born and bred New Yorkers-Reggie growing up in Harlem had endured a lot of the same horrors as Brittany in The Bronx-poverty, violence, and political corruption to name a few. Laughter was how both of them had survived.

"As you very well should have, but can we please get this meeting rolling because Ali is about to fall asleep and I really don't want to have to carry her to the car…again. I'm strong and all, but way too exhausted to even attempt the feat." Brittany retorted and then added as an afterthought, "Although, Ali's pretty tiny so it wouldn't be that hard."

"Shut up." Alison grumbled with no edge to her voice. She knew her best friend was just joking, and would carry her to the car if need be.

"Would the both of y'all just get in here? Damn." Reggie's New York accent flowed the freest around Brittany and Ali's best friend loved to bring it out of him.

With a burst of energy Brittany jumped up from the couch they were sitting on and turned to Ali with her hand outstretched and drawled,

"C'mon Bombshell, Boss Man's getting frustrated. We better hurry and get in his office before the crease in his forehead becomes permanent." Brittany laughed and then whispered so only Alison could hear, "Cause Lord he's already bald and could you imagine what he'd look like with a permanent crease…like a damn turtle."

Alison snickered and grabbed Britt's outstretched hand to pull herself up. Once she was situated they both made their way into Reggie's inviting office. He had specifically designed it so people would feel comfortable opening up-which turned out to be incredibly useful given the hyper panic most of the victims the Guardians had to protect possessed. Alison's favorite part of Reggie's office though were the pictures of New York City that adorned the walls because they encapsulated the tenacity of the city and its people that she had fallen in love with.

"I just got off the phone with the Secretary of Defense. He's very impressed with the work you did in Iran," Reggie began and then cautiously continued, "He asked if you two would be willing to go to Afghanistan."

Alison and Brittany released exasperated sighs simultaneously. Instead of being rewarded with domestic missions for completing their work in Iran early they were being sent out of the country…again. Both women understood how vital the work they did was for the United States and its citizens, but Jesus couldn't they take a break for like a second. No, forget that, they deserved a break. Alison didn't know if it was the exhaustion or the fact that she was trying to let go of her past, but she spat back at Reggie,

"And what did you tell him?" This was incredibly out of character for Alison-she could feel her pre-A bitchy personality coming back full force as she crossed her arms over her chest and glared (with a ferocity that even surprised her) at her taken aback boss.

Brittany laid a gentle hand on her tense arms and softly tried to divert her attention, "Ali…"

Alison's eyes flew from her boss who she wanted to kill up to her best friend who was now standing in front of her. However, even Brittany's soulful blue eyes couldn't calm her down right now as she continued to seethe, "No, this is bullshit. Don't even try to act like you aren't fuming inside right now."

"Ali, I'm not pleased but…"

"Not pleased! Are you kidding me Britt? How many events have we missed in Mandela's life because we've been "working?" Alison regretted her question as soon as it left her lips because Brittany's head dropped down to the floor at the mention of her 3 and half year old nephew. Alison knew how much it killed Britt to be away from her entire family while they were overseas, but nothing quilted her best friend more than being separated from Mandela-the two of them sharing an incredibly special bond.

Now Alison was the one reaching out a hand for her best friend as she tried to comfort her, "Hey, hey…" Alison's voice had turned from enraged to soothing in a matter of milliseconds. When Brittany finally lifted her head to meet Alison's gaze the blonde continued, "Mandela knows you love him more than anything else on this planet, no distance or time apart will ever change that."

"I told him no." Reggie's declaration caused both Ali and Brittany to break out of their bonding moment and snap their heads back towards their boss. Reggie chuckled at the two most likely because of the flabbergasted expressions on their faces.

"What?" Alison managed to utter.

"I told him no." Reggie repeated and then continued to explain, "I very clearly spelled out that the two of you would not be going to Afghanistan or anywhere overseas for that matter for a very long time, unless it was on a much needed vacation." Alison couldn't believe what she was hearing; glancing up at Brittany she figured she was thinking the same thing given how wide her mouth was hanging open.

"Reggie what are you saying?" Alison asked because she knew her best friend was incapable of forming a coherent sentence right now and frankly she needed Reggie to spell out exactly what the fuck was going on.

"I'm saying that the CIA believes your services would be better utilized closer to home. In fact my request to have the two of you remain on domestic initiatives for the next five years just got approved by President Clinton herself-I figured that it was better to override everybody and go straight to the Commander in Chief. The Secretary of Defense apparently didn't get the memo."

"Uh…I…what will we be doing then?" Brittany was at a complete loss for words, but somehow managed to ask.

"The same things you two have always done-protect people, gather intelligence, stop bad guys. Just now you won't have to worry about being shipped off half way across the globe without warning." Reggie accessed the two to make sure they comprehended what he was saying, waiting a moment before he continued, "New York will be your home base. In fact President Clinton thinks it'd be a good idea for the two of you to be permanent Guardian Angels in our beloved NYC. Given that it's the economic and entertainment capital of the country she figures it could use the agency's best quote on quote superheroes."

Alison doesn't know who launched forward first as she and Brittany engulfed Reggie in a bone crushing hug. Luckily he's a really strong guy and could support both of them clutching onto him for dear life. Waves of emotions keep rushing through Alison's body and she doesn't think she'll be able to stand it much longer. She wants to jump up and down and cry her eyes out at the same time. She's just so damn relieved and genuinely happy. She knows her life will still be anything but normal-for God sakes you don't do what she does for a living and just watch TV at the end of the day in ignorant bliss-but she'll be in the city she loves with the people she loves and that's pretty fucking fantastic.

"I just thought the two of you deserved a little less turbulence in your lives." Reggie says in such a caring voice that Ali and Brittany hug him even tighter. "I know in our line of work there's very little reward for what we do, but I wanted to do something to thank you for all the work you've both done these past six years. I know it hasn't been easy."

Talk about the understatement of the century, but Alison has never once regretted her decision to join the CIA. After everything that transpired in Rosewood because of Charles Ali needed to do something where she could see tangible positive change stemming from the work she was doing. Mind you she could have never imagined that she'd become one of the most valuable assets in the CIA and one half of the agency's most effective Guardian team, but nevertheless here she was, hugging her boss after receiving some of the best news she'd ever gotten.

8 o'clock that same night
The Revolutionary Bean Coffee Shop
Manhattan, New York City

What wasn't she seeing? Why couldn't she get the pieces to connect to lead to the person responsible for these crimes? Three murders with victims bearing strikingly similar physical characteristics to one another-that wasn't a coincidence-only naïve people who hadn't seen the true evils of the world would believe it was. Emily didn't have that luxury.

"Another coffee?" Emily was drug from her thoughts regarding the case that was eating away at her as the barista approached her table.

"Yeah that'd be great, thanks." Emily figured since she'd been sitting in the coffee shop for over an hour jotting down notes she owed it to the place to keep drinking their source of caffeine. The Revolutionary Bean was only a block away from her apartment and had become her spot to clear her head once it had become too blisteringly cold for the roof of her apartment building to serve as her solace. Hanna had taken her here after her first week at Special Crimes to celebrate and Emily had immediately become enchanted with the cozy atmosphere of the place. It sort of reminded her of The Brew back in Rosewood-she just hoped there were no psychopaths lurking around these corners.

As she feels her phone vibrate in her pocket Emily knows who's calling her without even looking at the ID. Her gut clenches in anticipation for the dreaded news. She knew this bastard would strike again. She's enraged with herself for not figuring out who this monster was and heartbroken because another family will have to bury their daughter.

Emily lets out an exasperated sigh as she picks up her phone, "Another victim, Brian?"

"Unfortunately, yes." Emily can hear the exhaustion and frustration radiate through her boss' voice. Everyone at Special Crimes was reeling as the body count kept increasing. Given that they all deeply cared about New York and its citizens-not being able to stop a menacing serial killer was driving the Unit insane. They were the best the NYPD had to offer and right now they couldn't keep the city safe-they were failing everyone who called New York home.

"Where was her body dumped?" Emily asks but she has a feeling she already knows. This would make the fourth victim that they know of. Three boroughs: Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn had already had their alleyways shrouded with white females in their late twenties with brown hair and blue eyes. The Bronx was bound to be next. Emily figured Staten Island would be left for last (or forgotten completely) given its separation from the rest of the city.

"Alleyway in The Bronx. Right off the Harlem River. I'll text you the address."

"I'm on my way." Emily hangs up her phone and gathers the notes she had been taking trying to draw connections where none seemed to be-except who was killing these women. She gulps down the rest of the fresh coffee the barista had brought over 2 minutes prior-yeah she wasn't sleeping again tonight.

One hour later
The Bronx, New York City

Even though Emily had been working homicides for a few years now, it still churned her stomach to see another human being treated so…worthlessly. This victim was only a couple years older than her-talk about questioning your mortality.

Rebecca Evans-the victim's name they'd discovered based on the driver's license in her wallet-was brutally beaten just like the three women prior. Their serial killer was getting more and more brazen-Rebecca was dumped in a fairly visible alleyway while the other three had been in far more secluded areas. Jesus they needed to put the pieces together like NOW.

"I want Forensics to comb the area and try to find anything that might help us catch this son of a bitch." Brian's booming voice brought Emily out of her daze. Peeling her eyes away from the brunette who woke up this morning having no idea that it would be her last day on this planet-something caught Emily's eye. About ten feet from Rebecca's body a large graffiti portrait adorned the wall.

It was of a female basketball player. She was in the process of shooting a basket over three defenders. It was clear from her poise and the fire in her crystal blue eyes that nothing deterred her in that moment-the shot went in. The bubble letters under the image read: "Bronx Baller-2009 State Championship MVP". Graffiti was on practically every building in New York City, but something in Emily's gut told her this was significant. Her instincts told her there was a very specific reason why this woman was dumped near a portrait of that athlete.

"Brian." Emily softly called out to her boss.

Finishing his conversation with the incredibly overworked coroner Brian made his way over to where Emily was standing examining the picture of the "Bronx Baller".

"What is it Emily?" Despite how tired the whole squad was Brian never got frustrated with any of his detectives during the course of an investigation-his tone always conveyed openness and inquiry.

"Do you know who this is?" Emily gestured to the graffitied image in front of her. Given that Brian had been in New York City for over twenty years and was an avid basketball enthusiast, she hoped he had some recollection of this player.

Brian's eyes twinkled as he reverently explained, "Bronx Baller aka Brittany Johnson. The absolute best basketball player this city had ever seen-male or female. She dominated in every aspect of the game. You never wanted to blink when she was playing because you might miss something completely revolutionary. That shot right there-2009 State Championship game 3 seconds left, her team's down by 2 and everyone knew she was gonna get the pass on the inbound. That's why the other team completely swarmed her, but it didn't matter she just caught the ball, elevated above them all, and nailed it. Corner 3 pointer to win the game. That shot made her a legend."

"Does she still play?" Emily noticed that Brian talked about everything with this "Bronx Baller" in the past tense. Had something happened to her?

"Honestly, I don't know. It was the weirdest thing-at the very peek of her college career she just disappeared. She was the NCAA Women's Player of the Year in 2011 for St. John's University here in the city. After winning the Big East Championship and taking the Johnnies all the way to the Final Four she was slated to turn pro. I'm talking like number one overall pick, Nike endorsements-the whole lot. But Baller just vanished out of thin air. Apparently she had enough credits to graduate and wanted to pursue other educational endeavors; but if you saw the tenacity she played the game with you'd know she'd never willingly give that up."

How had Emily never heard of this phenomenal athlete? She'd lived and breathed athletics in high school-swimming had been her salvation after Alison's "death" and during the entire –A ordeal. 2011 would have been her junior year-when her life turned into complete chaos. Emily supposes that's why she'd never paid attention to this athlete-even if her image and name were all over the sport's world. But why would Brittany give up basketball if she played with such fire? Something must have happened to her Emily reasoned, because being an athlete (a damn good one) herself she knew she'd still be swimming if Charles had never ruined her shoulder.

"Does she still live in the city?" Emily couldn't help but think this Bronx Baller was somehow connected with this case.

"Trust me-the way she was loved and adored, especially in The Bronx-if she did it'd be impossible for her to go unnoticed." Emily couldn't help but internally chuckle at Brian's statement, because a certain blonde she still longed for every day had managed to go unnoticed while evading a psychopath for 2 years in a small town where she was "queen". If Alison could manage to save her friends' lives on numerous occasions while living in the shadows-Emily didn't doubt that this woman could secretly remain living in a city where so many loved her.

Brian's continued explanation pulled Emily back into the conversation, "Her family still does-the Johnson's are like the definition of The Bronx. Tough, gritty, loud" Brian chuckled at this "And so damn loving, like they'd do anything for one another. Her mother's a nurse at Lincoln Hospital in the South Bronx and her younger brother's a firefighter for the Rescue 3 Company. Brittany though-nobody really knows. Rumor had she went to DC, did something with the government."

It amazed Emily how Brian seemed to know so much about this Bronx Baller, but then again if she was so beloved she and her family would have been in the spotlight constantly. "I really don't see how Bronx Baller has anything to do with our serial killer though." Brian wore an expression of puzzlement and assessment as he was trying to figure out where Emily's head was at.

"I just can't help but think our killer was trying to send a message dumping Rebecca's body here, next to this picture."

"Emily it's probably just a coincidence. Images of Bronx Baller are plastered all over this borough-like I said she's a legend." Brian tried to reassure her, but Emily's instincts told her otherwise. If Brittany was a legend then part of her mystique was the mystery surrounding her and what her life had become. Given what Brian had said Emily imagined Brittany being immortalized within this community-providing so much hope yet spurring a lot of confusion as well. Similarly to what had happened with Alison in Rosewood-except from Brian's description Emily couldn't imagine Brittany having a lot of enemies. Frankly Emily didn't know if she was just straight up losing it or not but she had a feeling she just found the connection between her victims she'd been grasping for. She needed to dig up everything she could on Brittany Johnson aka The Bronx Baller.

Well well looks like Ali's gonna be staying in New York City for a while and Emily's looking to investigate this elusive Bronx Baller...who Alison might sort of know :)

And here's to hoping we all survive Tuesday's new episode-to quote my best friend who I watch it with "Guuurrrll, I can't even-why're they doing my Emison so wrong?" If only I had the answers...if only, but that's why we have fanfiction right?