48 Hours
48 Hours until the clock strikes 12 and its Christmas in Rosewood.
Emily should be happy about that, since it's her favorite Holiday and all, but none of them felt too Christmasy, especially after Mona's murder. Not even the movie Elf, which she was currently watching, turned her frown upside down.
After Ali left town, all hell broke loose and Mona got enough "proof" to lead on the girls to believe Alison was A again. Apparently, the whole Emily kidnap was planned and when things didn't go her way, she ran away because she got what she needed to screw the girls over. And once she left, A had disappeared with her, making everything even shadier.
Emily kept defending her, saying that she would have known about it since they were together all of the time, but the rest were in doubt especially since she left and broke Emily's heart in the process.
Then more proof against Ali was found, since Mona and Spencer found out that Bethany and Ali DID know each other, something Ali had failed to mention. And not only that, but apparently they were family since Mrs. DiLaurentis had a special bond with her and she kept visiting her in Radley. And not only that, but apparently Mrs. D. bought the deceased a horse and she and Ali would ride together sometimes.
Everything seemed to point back to Ali and everyone but Emily was admitting it.
After giving the girls all the proof she could get against Ali, Mona was mysteriously murdered and that seemed to convince Spencer and Hanna that Mona was right; Ali HAD to be the enemy.
Aria didn't know what to believe, so she decided to stay neutral for Emily.
But of course, Emily was devastated because not only was the love of her life gone, but everyone had turned AGAINST the love of her life. She was back to where she started and that honestly couldn't be more depressing.
Her phone vibrates and her heart beats, still hoping after all this time that Ali would spare her some pain and at least sends her one lousy text, but her phone says its Hanna calling and her body can't suppress her groan.
"Hello?" She picks up, stuffing some popcorn into her mouth.
"I'm picking you up tomorrow at 10! Get ready!" Hanna tells her.
"What for, H-" And before she can answer completely, Hanna hangs up.
Emily puts her phone aside and heads off to bed, knowing the next morning was going to be exhausting.
-36 Hours Till Christmas-
"Em!" Emily hears Hanna say, snapping her back to reality. "You need to help me choose!"
"Sorry." The brunette mumbles, facing her remaining blonde friend. "Um, that one looks nice."
Hanna models the dress she's trying on, twirling it around a bit. "Nice as in it's hot enough for all of Rosewood's lesbians to start hitting on me? Or should I check the lingerie?" She winks playfully at the brunette.
"Ha-ha." Emily fake laughs. "Very funny. Seriously, though, we need to hurry up."
"Come on, it's not every year that you get to spend Christmas Eve with your boyfriend and your best friends. I want to look good."
"Hanna, you do. That dress looks perfect, can we please go?"
Hanna sighs as she looks at a defeated Emily. She slowly walks up to her and sits on the empty chair next to her closest friend. "I can't shop without thinking about Mona." She says, staring at the dressing room in front of them. "That's why I asked you to come, because I can barely try on some clothes without wanting to cry and I knew you'd keep me distracted."
Emily rubs her temples. "I know." She admits. "Although you should have asked Aria to come, you know shopping isn't my favorite hobby and that tiny girl knows how to dress better than most of Rosewood." She tries to enlighten the mood, earning a smile from Hanna.
"I know, but I felt like you needed a distraction too. You barely even talk to us anymore."
Emily sighs heavily. "It's okay."
"It's not, look I know how it feels to be abandoned. I know how hard it can be. But Alison? She's bad news and you know it."
"We don't know anything for sure." Emily protests.
Hanna looks at Emily and shakes her head."Fine. I'm not going to make you see anything you don't want to see."
Emily nods, looking away.
Hanna stands up and walks back to the dressing room. "You know I love you, right?"
"I do." Emily smiles.
"I'll do anything to keep you safe."
"I know."
Hanna faces the mirror again. "I think this one really IS the one."
"Finally!" Emily exclaims. "My body can't take anymore walking."
Hanna stays quiet.
"What?"
"I still need some shoes..."
-33 Hours till Christmas-
To say Emily was tired was an understatement. Even if she was an athlete, her feet felt like they were on fire and walking around their huge mall was enough workout for the day. After finding the "perfect" shoes for Hanna, they decided to eat somewhere nice since they were both starving. After eating, Hanna decided it was best for both of them to head back home so they can cook whatever they needed to cook for the following's day small get together at Spencer's, or buy a gift for the Secret Santa thing.
She arrives to her home and is a bit surprised to find it empty, since she thought her mother was going to be there getting ready for her father's arrival. She puts her keys down on the counter and decides to give her a call but she doesn't pick up, so she sets her phone aside and heads upstairs to rest for a while (resting at 3 was not a crime, thank you very much).
Once she reaches her room, she takes of her jacket and throws it on the bed.
She knows A is always around. She knows A probably has a hidden camera in her room because that's the only way it can know everything. She knows she constantly feels watched but right now, she feels as if someone else is in the room. She tries to play it cool, so if anyone was really inside she could catch them, but then she hears her room's door close.
She quickly turns around, ready for a battle, and cursing herself for leaving her phone downstairs (she should know better by now), but when she sees the person in front of her everything starts spinning.
"Hey, Em." The person says and Emily knows she's staring too hard and that she probably looks pissed (as always) but that's because she is. How dare she randomly break in her house after leaving her like that?! So she stays quiet.
The blonde takes a cautious step forward, fearing that if she moved too fast, Emily might collapse right in front of her. "Em?" She takes another step. "Please say something..."
And before she knows it, Emily walks right up to her, determination in her eyes. She smiles, expecting a kiss because that's what somebody gets from a loved one after being gone for a while. But instead of Emily's lips, she feels her hand on her right cheek, slapping her hard.
The blonde lifts her right hand and touches her cheek, slowly looking at Emily again. "I guess I deserved that." She admits.
"You certainly did, Ali." The brunette then wraps her arms around Alison's neck, taking her in for a long, tight, hug. The blonde wraps her own arms around Emily's hips, getting closer. And then the taller girl whispers, "You certainly did."
"So when did you get back?" Emily asks Alison, once they sit on the bed, calming her initial shock.
"Around a day ago." She answers.
"Can I ask where you disappeared to? And when?"
Alison looks away.
"I guess I can't."
"I went to Paris." Alison admits, deciding it is best to just tell her. "With Cece. Around a week after we last saw each other." She glances downward.
"Oh." Emily simply replies.
"Oh?" The blonde questions, facing her again.
"Nothing."
Ali smiles. "Don't be jealous, we'll go together to sweet Pawe soon." She jokes in a French accent, making Emily blush a bit.
They stay quiet for a while, neither one of them knowing what to do or say next. In the last month and a half, Emily made a really long mental list of questions she wanted to ask Alison. The Bethany thing, why she left, why she had to lie… But now the list seemed to disappear and all she is left with is her painful shred of hope.
"Why did you come back?" She asks, guided by the same hope that's breaking her heart.
Ali breathes in and out before answering. "For many reasons, actually. First, my dad is going to sell the house…"
"What?" Emily asks, her disbelief apparent.
"Yeah. I, um, I kept in touch with him so he wouldn't worry too much. He also thought that it was best for me to leave and he encouraged it so much that he's sending me money weekly." She gets off track and when she sees the pain behind Emily's awkward gestures, she decides to just give her an answer. "But that's not the point, the point is that he's selling the house and he asked me to come back yesterday so I can pack up some things I want to keep and meet up with him in New York by tomorrow because he bought an apartment there and we're going to spend Christmas together."
"Then you'll go back to Paris?"
"I don't know yet." Ali answers honestly. "Paris is nice, I even got a job and I'm attempting to finish school over there. But it's too… lonely, sometimes."
"Aren't you with Cece?"
"Yeah, but she made some friends before I arrived and I don't feel like being with a lot of Frech people constantly."
Emily nods, understanding the want of being alone.
"And…" Ali continues. "I also came back because I wanted to see you…"
Emily sighs. "I figured you were going to show up." She admits as she stands up to walk to the window. "I just thought it'd be on Christmas morning and you'd go all 'surprise, bitch thought you'd seen the last of me?' on us."
Ali snickers. "That's something the old me would have done, although I did consider it."
Emily stares at some friends running down the streets.
"So where are your Christmas decorations?" Ali asks, genuinely curious. "Yours are always the best."
"I didn't feel like decorating this year." Emily answers, trying hard to control her urge to kiss or hit her again. She wasn't sure what she wanted to do exactly.
"Why?"
Now Emily is the one who snickers. She faces her and starts talking. "Why? Well for starters, my girlfriend, after I get kidnapped, suddenly disappears leaving no trace behind. Just a miserable text that says and I quote 'I'm sorry'. Then I had to live, praying to God that she doesn't get killed or that any of the recordings from that day surface."
Ali tries to explain, but Emily talks over her.
"And then I have to make sure Hanna is okay since her former best friend was apparently killed in her own home, but we don't know for sure because the body wasn't even there."
Alison glances to the side, avoiding eye contact.
"But this doesn't seem to be news for you…" Emily implies as she crosses her arms.
"It is." The blonde answers, a little too quickly. "I just don't know what to say."
Emily looks at her, suspicion in her eyes, and Ali tries to explain herself. "You know I wasn't close with her."
"It's still a death, Alison." Emily gets closer, arms still crossed. "I thought you'd be a little bit more surprised."
"I thought you'd be a little bit happier to see me, Em." Ali accuses the taller girl back.
This deflates Emily. "I'm sorry, I just…" She sits next to Alison again. "It was just like last time, Ali. First you're there, then you're not and you're not there again for a while. And the last time it happened, I attended your funeral." She looks at Alison again, whose face seemed to mirror her own sorrow. "I can't take this game of yours anymore, either you leave and tell me why or you leave and never come back. I can't keep staring at your house anymore, hoping one day I see you walk out of it."
Ali wipes away a tear. "I know, and I'm sorry. But I had to leave."
"Why? Because you couldn't take the pressure?!"
"Because I couldn't keep putting your life in danger!" Ali raises her voice, trying to make Emily understand. "I couldn't stay here, knowing that because of me all of your lives are constantly at risk. It broke my heart to leave, but I had to because if I didn't, A would have pulled the trigger on your head next time it could! I had no other choice."
Emily nods as she looks away. She whispers, "You could have explained…"
"You would have stopped me."
Emily gulps as she walks to the window again, noticing it's unlocked. So that's how she got in…
"Em?" She hears Ali say and when she turns around, she finds her in front of her. Close enough to hear her heart beat. "Please don't fight with me… I don't have a lot of time left…"
The blonde caresses the taller girl's cheek, getting closer as she did. "I'm sorry…" She whispers, her eyes glossy with tears.
And that's enough to make Emily forgive Alison. "Hey, hey, hey…" She says softly as she gets closer to kiss her forehead. "It's okay…" She wraps her arms around the smaller girl as she continues kissing the top of her head. "It's okay…"
Alison lifts her head, silently begging for a kiss, as a tear rolled down her cheek. Emily immediately grabs her face and plants a kiss on her beautiful, lush lips. She melts in the kiss, getting weak in the knees. The blonde then takes control and continues kissing the brunette as her hands roamed all over her body.
God, she missed these lips so much…
A few minutes passed and their kisses started getting sloppier and messier, and neither girl knew which lip was whose. Emily pressed the smaller girl closer against her own body as she slid her tongue in the other mouth, earning a moan. Ali swiftly tries to gain advantage by lifting her right thigh a bit, to gently touch Emily's arousal. And she achieves, hearing a small gasp from the other girl.
The kisses start getting harder and they both know what they want but neither one of them wants to start it, scared of what it may mean.
Emily backs her head away, her eyes a few shades darker. Ali opens her eyes at the lost, looking at her both lovingly and confused.
"Please…" The blonde whispers. "I need you…" Her voice breaks a bit and Emily goes wild as she lifts the smaller girl's shirt up and throws it to the side. They keep kissing and kissing as Ali unbuttons the brunet's jeans. When she couldn't do it, she separates from the kiss to gaze down to her hands to see what she could do to open them. She hadn't noticed that her hands were shaking.
As she unbuttons her jeans, Emily starts kissing the left side of her face, whispering a few 'I love you's as she did. She finally manages to open them and she shimmies them down as Emily lifts her legs to take them off completely. Once thrown to the side, the blonde resumes kissing her as she gently touches with her own hands Emily's sensitive area.
"Mmm…" The brunette moans as she feels Alison's hands on top of her underwear. She continues kissing her as she carefully pushes her back until they reach her bed. Emily gently pushes the blonde down as she takes off her lover's pair of jeans and underwear, leaving her naked from the waist down. As Emily stares at Alison, the blonde quickly takes off her shirt, leaving her with just a bra on. Emily licks her lips as she takes off her own shirt and lies on top of Ali, kissing her.
They kiss and kiss and once Alison cups Emily's sensitive area, she moans and she remembers that she has her own underwear on, so she stands up quickly and takes it off. Ali does the same with her bra. They stare at each other, both exposed completely, emotionally and physically and it somehow never felt better. This time, Emily gets on top of Alison slowly, giving them enough time to savor the moment.
"I love you." Alison states, with such security in her voice that it scares her.
Emily is now inches away from Alison's mouth, both her heart and sensitive area beating like crazy. "I love you too." And she kisses her. She goes down her jaw line, to her neck, making Alison moan with pleasure. Ali caresses Emily's naked back as she leaves love bites all over her upper body. Emily takes a nipple and then the other and Alison never felt more at home. The brunette then goes upward again and starts kissing her as she opens the blonde's legs.
She places one finger on top of her entrance and she looks at her one last time, wanting to memorize the face she makes when she first enters her to save it forever. She slowly starts going in and Alison moans, loud enough for the noise to bounce off the walls. She then places another finger in and she starts pumping in and out as she touches her clit with her thumb.
Ali moans as she lifts Emily up a bit to take her nipples in her mouth as she smoothly lifts her hand and starts entering Em. They both moan in pleasure, going faster…
And faster…
And faster…
They feel each other tighten on their respective fingers and they know they're close. They look at each other straight in the eyes, pumping and pumping, and Alison comes undone, followed by Emily.
Emily drops on the bed next to her, both panting and trying to control their bodies. Ali is the first to face her, smiling and filled with sweat. "You're so beautiful…" She leans in and kisses her again, this time softer. Emily kisses her back… and they kiss and kiss and next thing they know, they're asleep.
-31 Hours till Christmas-
Emily wakes up a little after 5, smiling because she just had the best nap of her LIFE. And also, the best Christmas gift anyone could ever ask for. She looks at her left and smiles because Ali was still there, sleeping beautifully. She plants a soft kiss on her lips but she keeps slumbering like a baby. Emily stares at her in pure adoration for a few more minutes, until she decides that she should make Ali some dinner in bed, or something.
So she heads downstairs, ready to tackle the kitchen, but she stops on the counter to check her phone first. And she finds…
1 Missed Call from Hanna
4 from Spencer
2 from Aria
13 Unread Texts from Hanna
And one from her mom
She opens her mom's text first, knowing that whatever the girls had to say was going to take over the rest of the day. The text read: "Doing some last minute shopping. Blame your dad."
She then opens Hanna's texts and they all pretty much say "Call me", but some are more urgent than others.
And just on cue, her phone starts ringing. It's Spencer.
"Spence?" She says as she answers.
"Finally! We were about to go to your house!" A frustrated Spencer replies.
"Sorry, I just… fell asleep." She mumbles, rubbing her eyes.
"You need to get here right away." Spencer commands her.
"I can't right now…" She protests.
"It's important."
"Spencer, I can't!"
"Ali is A! We just confirmed it!"
Emily shuts up and looks at the staircase, making sure that Ali wasn't coming down. "What?" She whispers.
"You have to come over!"
"She's not A."
"Emily, she is! Even Aria is convinced!"
"Put her on the phone." Emily asks Spencer, thinking that Aria could excuse her since she's the most reasonable one.
"Hey." Aria says once she's on the line.
"Aria, we both know that the proof they get is mostly never accurate. They accused Mrs. D of being A, for crying out loud."
"I know but this time I can't even think about defending Ali. You really need to see all of this."
Emily sighs. "Aria, I can't." She pleads, hoping Aria gets the message.
"Wait…" Aria starts. "Did you… You know…" She whispers and Emily hears her walk away from her other two friends.
"Yes, I did. And Ali's here. I can't go now."
"What is she doing?"
"Sleeping."
"Okay." Aria thinks. "Leave her a note, come over here, we'll show you what we found and if it doesn't convince you, you can go back."
Emily sighs, about to protest, but Aria stops her.
"Please? I'm worried."
"Fine." Emily agrees. "I'll be there soon."
"This better be good."
Emily says as she walks in Spencer's house, annoyance in her voice.
"Hello to you, too." Aria hands Emily a candy cane. Then she winks at her. Emily rolls her eyes playfully, knowing that her small friend just confirmed that she did not tell anyone about Ali and her.
"Soooooo!" Spencer faces Emily, wearing a Santa hat. "A few hours ago, right when you disappeared, Hanna got some papers from the police."
Hanna waves the papers from a distance.
"It's a letter from Mona to Hanna." Spencer continues. Emily walks up to Hanna and examines the papers herself. She reads the letter Mona wrote. "They're a map of Mona's house."
Emily nods. "Why are some places in her house marked?" She questions, examining the map.
"Because those are the places Mona wanted us to look in." Hanna answers.
"And we did." Aria says, walking towards them.
"Hanna went to visit Mona's mom…" Spencer says as she rubs Hanna's back in support. "And while they talked about everything, Aria and I broke in her house and checked the marked spots. And we found…all of that." She points at some pictures and papers on the other side of the table, so she walks over there.
She starts grabbing things one by one and her heart starts to beat like crazy.
First, she sees a picture of Ali in a black hoodie talking to Cyrus. Then, she sees some pictures of her and Holbrook kissing. She also sees Ali walking in and out of Radley. She sees many more pictures of Ali either doing something she hasn't told Emily about or of her in a black hoodie and her vision gets blurry. She then reads a letter from Bethany to Alison, saying that she couldn't want to visit her on Labor Day weekend.
"Oh my God…" Emily whispers as a few angry, sad, and scared tears roll down her cheeks. "This can't be right…"
"And unfortunately, that's not all…" Spencer hands Emily a few final pictures.
"Is that… us?" Emily looks at the picture, where she sees herself with Paige and Hanna and Aria with their own boyfriends hugging in front of Mona's house. "Are these pictures of the day Mona died?"
"Yeah." Hanna affirms, sadly.
Emily looks at the next picture, where she sees a picture of a black hoodied person with blonde hair entering Mona's house. Then she sees the last picture; Alison staring at them and at the house from a distance. "Oh my God, Ali was there?" She asks, wiping a tear a way.
"Apparently." Aria whispers.
"But this can't be! Mona died almost a month after my kidnap, Ali left a week later!" Emily argues.
"I don't know, I guess that…" Hanna's brows furrow in confusion. "Wait…How do you know that?" Hanna asks Emily, sparking Spencer's interest.
"What?" Emily asks.
"How do you know Ali left a week after you were kidnapped?"
"Yeah, how?" Spencer asks too.
The targeted brunette licks her lips, trying to find an alternative answer but her mind isn't working properly right now. "I, I don't know, I, I, I'm guessing." Emily rubs her temples, not wanting to explain.
"You sounded pretty convinced, though." Spencer says, making Emily even more uncomfortable. She really didn't want to tell them about Ali and her.
"I, I don't know. Okay?"
"Emily…." Hanna presses on.
"Because she told me! Okay? She told me!" Emily screams, throwing the pictures in her hand on the couch.
"When?" Hanna asks, confused.
Emily looks at Aria, pleading for her to explain.
Aria rolls her eyes, not wanting to be the one to tell them. "Ali and Emily were together when we called."
"What?!" Spencer and Hanna exclaim at the same time.
"And NOW you tell us?!" Spencer demands.
"Jesus…" Emily sits down, rubbing her eyes.
"Guys, give her a break! They just met up!" Aria tries to defend Emily.
"Oh my God." Hanna says. "You two had sex didn't you?!"
Emily presses her hands against her head.
"Oh my God." Spencer exclaims, feeling like her head was about to explode.
"She totally did! I can smell her hands all the way over here! Oh my God!" Hanna points at Emily, her eyes wide.
"Guys! Come on! We're not in middle school anymore!" Aria tries to get everyone to shut up because Emily keeps pressing her hands against her skull harder and it looked like it was about to pop open. "Let it go!"
"Aria, Emily slept with A!" Hanna spat back.
"No! Emily slept with Alison! We don't know anything for sure! In this town nothing is what it seems!" Aria argues.
"Oh my God." Spencer says from a distance, rubbing her temples too.
Emily angrily knocks all the papers to the ground and walks to the door.
"Where are you going?!" Spencer asks, too afraid to know the answer.
Emily stays quiet and practically starts sprinting to get out.
"Em?!" Hanna exclaims.
"To see Alison! Or A! Or whatever you want to call her!" She screams back as she leaves, slamming the door on the way out.
Silence takes over the room.
But Aria breaks the tension with a simple, yet sarcastic, "That turned out well."
-30 Hours till Christmas-
Emily is in her car, staring at her house. She SHOULD go in and face Ali already, but not even the last half an hour was enough to calm her down. She doesn't even know what to say to her once they're face to face. A part of her wants to question Ali endlessly and beg for answers, but she knows that all she'll get are lies in return. Another part of her wants to hit her and hit her, but she wasn't the kind of girl to hit people and that would only break her own heart. She figures that she'll know what to do once she gets in, so she gets out of the car, freezing to death since it was already snowing like crazy. She runs to the front door and opens it, hoping Ali had already left.
But to her disadvantage, Ali was in HER clothes watching some TV in her living room.
"Hey you. I was wondering if the girls were ever going to let you go" Alison says once the blonde notices that the brunette is finally home. She looks at her with pure love in her eyes and Emily feels her heart hurting. "Want to watch the Grinch with me?"
Emily continues staring at her, her eyes filled with a sort of feeling Alison had never seen before. Her blood runs cold. "Em?"
Emily keeps looking at her and if looks could kill, she'd probably be dead by now. She stands up softly. "Babe, what's wrong?"
"Don't 'babe' me." Emily says, not taking her eyes off of her.
Ali shakes her head, her eyebrows furrowing. "Emily, what ha-"
"When did you leave, Alison?" Emily asks, still not looking away, squeezing her fists on the side.
"What?" The blonde asks confused.
"I said when did you leave town. After A kidnapped me."
Ali gulps nervously. "I told you, a week after."
"Really, Alison?" She crosses her arms. Her eyes were starting to sting. "Did you come back before yesterday?"
"What? No." Alison answers. "What makes you say that?"
"Don't lie to me." Emily warns her.
"Emily, what's going-" She tries to get closer but Emily takes a few steps back.
"Stay away from me." She warns again.
Ali's lower lip trembles. "Em…"
"I saw some pictures of you looking at me and my friends the day Mona was killed."
Ali stops breathing.
"And I also saw some pictures of you kissing Holbrook and of you with a black hoodie."
"Whoa…" Ali feels lightheaded. "A black hoodie?"
Emily stays silent, staring coldly.
"Please tell me you guys don't think I'm A?"
"What else is there to think?"
"Emily…"
"It all starts off with some texts and messages, revealing something about ourselves that only you knew." The brunette starts listing. "And then it turned into a sort of game only you like to play. Then you come back and try to pretend that you've changed but all this evidence seems to suggest otherwise."
"Emily, please don't…"
"Did you kill Mona?"
"No!" Alison exclaims, shocked that she even had to answer her questions. "I didn't kill Mona! I'm not a murderer!"
"Then what were you doing there?!"
"I came to check up on YOU!" Ali screams back at her, furious at the constant lack of trust coming from Emily.
"I thought you had left!"
"I hid out in Ravenswood for a while! Then I saw the news and I saw Mona's house and I freaked so I came back! Only to see you holding Paige!" Alison spits at her.
"She randomly showed up, we were never a thing after you left!"
"That's not what it looked like!"
Emily sighs heavily. "You're lying. You didn't come back to see me."
"I did, but believe whatever you want to believe!"
Emily takes a deep breath. "I think it's best if you go home."
"Em…"
"Please get out of my house."
Ali looks at the clothes she's wearing. "But these are yours."
"I don't care. Just take your phone." Emily goes to the couch and hands Alison back her phone. "And leave."
Ali stays still, not knowing if she should leave or not.
"Are you deaf?!" Emily screams at her. "Leave!"
Ali gets startled because Emily had never screamed at her like that, but she does as she's told and she leaves.
On her wait out, she runs into Pam. "Hi, Alison."
But Ali ignores her and keeps walking away.
A confused Pam enters the house with lots of bags in her arms. "What happened?"
Emily sits on the couch while she bites her lip, trying to suppress her tears, but her body starts involuntarily shaking and she starts sobbing uncontrollably.
"Emily… my baby…" Pam says as she places everything on the floor and wraps her arms around her teenage daughter.
"What's wrong?" She asks, in a soothing voice.
"I hate her! I hate her!" Emily screams in her mother's chest. "I hate her! Why can't she ever leave me alone?!"
Pam holds her closer, trying to comfort her but Emily starts crying even harder. "Because you don't let her."
Emily's sobs turn into desperate wails and Pam just holds her, praying that it's enough to heal her daughter's obvious broken heart.
-7 Hours till Christmas-
"It's Secret Santa time!"Ezra exclaims in his Santa boxers, carrying his gift on his right hand.
"Yes!" Aria cheers. "Let's gather around!"
A few cheers and whoops are heard around the room.
"Come on, Em! It'll be fun!" Hanna takes Emily by the hand and makes her join the fun.
"Okay! Who's first?" Ezra asks around the room, eating some chips with dips from the trays on a table.
"I volunteer Toby!" Spencer screams as she raises her hand.
"Spencer!" Toby exclaims, laughing.
"Looks like you're up, Bud." Caleb pressures him, his arm around Hanna's waist. "Toby! Toby Toby!" Everybody chants and the tall boy goes to the Christmas tree to grab his present.
"Fine!" Toby models his Santa boxers on his way to the semi circle.
"Remember! No physical descriptions!" Spencer reminds her boyfriend.
"I know, Spence." Toby says as he clears his throat to start. "My person loves to shop."
"Hanna!" Everyone in the room screams, making both Hanna and Toby laugh.
"She says whatever is in her mind!" Toby continues anyways.
"Hanna!" Everyone screams again.
Toby giggles. "And she's exactly who you think it is! Ms. Hanna Marin!"
The room erupts in cheers as Hanna goes to get her present and hugs Toby. "Thank you!" She says.
Toby puts on her his Santa hat. "You're welcome."
"Okay!" Hanna says. "My person is extremely artistic."
"Aria!" Everyone cheers.
"And I love her so much so please welcome Aria Montgomery WOOOO!"
Everyone starts clapping as Hanna hands over Aria her gift and they both hug and take a selfie in the process.
"Since we're doing easy ones, then my person is extremely technological." Aria smirks as everyone tells Caleb to go up front. The two hug and now it is Caleb's turn to hand over his gift.
"I honestly don't really know my person." Caleb starts admitting, and no one guesses because that could be many people in the room. "But, that person is a FANTASTIC writer."
"EZRA!" "Ezra!" Everyone cheers and Ezra and Caleb twerk to each other in their boxers. Then Ezra is all alone and it's his turn to give his gift.
"Well, I AM a writer. So I won't make this so easy, even if there is only a couple of people left." Ezra starts. "My person is… my hero."
Everyone stays quiet, knowing it's not Aria since she already got a gift.
"I think that all of us are strong, but for me this person has been the strongest."
They continue listening.
"I told this person once that there are real problems in the world. That she shouldn't complain about hers."
Emily looks at the floor knowingly, too sad to celebrate appropriately.
"This person…" Ezra gets closer to Emily since everyone already knows who he's referring to. "Had to go to two funerals: one of her first love and the other of her first girlfriend."
Emily feels her eye sting, but he's still thankful for Ezra because she seriously needs to feel appreciated.
"And had on her shoulder the death of the friend who lied to her and killed her first girlfriend."
Emily closes her eyes as her tears fall freely. Hanna, who is next to her on the couch, puts her arm around her and Emily cries a little bit more.
"And she had to give up on her dreams because her health wouldn't let her accomplish it."
A broken sob escapes her lips.
"And lost her home, says goodbye to her father whenever he comes to visit because he's in the military, has to deal with her sexual identity and the homophobia that comes with it…" He kneels in front of her, as he takes one of her hands. "She's had everything taken away from her. And she's still here. She's still trying to smile in between tears. She came and she still believes in happy endings."
The familiar words makes her sob quietly again.
"She's a fighter. A warrior. And we couldn't be more proud of her."
Ezra smiles at Emily, as encouragingly as he can. "Everyone, give it up for Emily Fields."
The whole room starts cheering louder than ever as Emily and Ezra stand up and give each other a hug.
Everyone stands up and turn the Ezra and Emily hug into a big group hug, making Emily smile. They start chanting 'Emily, Emily!' as they squeeze her, making her laugh. Once they let go, Emily wipes her tears away as she smiles and laughs.
"Your gift." Ezra says as he gives Emily her present.
"Thank you." Emily says, sincerely. "It means a lot to me."
"Any time." They hug again and now it's Emily's turn.
"Sorry for that." Emily says as she wipes her eyes completely.
Everyone starts saying "Awww!"
"My person…" Emily continues. "Well, no one wanted me to be friends with him at first."
"Toby!" The remaining three girls in the room yell, all remembering the old times.
"But he's like a brother to me." Emily continues. "And his name is Toby Cavanaugh!"
Toby stands up and gives Emily a hug as he takes his gift.
"Is that it?" Toby asks. "Did everyone get one?"
"Not everyone." Spencer says as she stands up with her gift in her hands. She walks to the front, clearing her throat to get everyone's attention. "My person… is super smart."
"Boo!" Hanna yells. "That's not fair, you're not supposed to gift yourself!"
"What makes you say it's me?" Spencer asks, trying to mind-fuck Hanna.
"Super smart? Really, Spence?" Caleb adds.
Spencer rolls her eyes. "I needed to make sure I got this gift!"
"Boo!" Hanna starts booing and everyone else joins in.
"Bah! Humbug!" Spencer protests as she goes back to her seat, getting a kiss from Toby.
"Now can we open the presents?" Hanna asks to no one in particular.
"Yes we may!" Spencer pronounces and the room breaks in, opening their presents.
-6 Hours till Christmas-
"You can't keep staring at her house, you know?" Aria says as she joins Emily in the window.
"I know." Emily says.
"So…?"
"She's all alone in there." She points at Ali's house. "She was supposed to fly out today to see her dad. But she couldn't so I observed her go back inside with all of her stuff. And she hasn't left. She sleeps with the light on and well…" they stare at her room above, and a light is indeed on.
"No one is flying or driving back here. The storm hit hard."
"I know. And know she's all alone in that big house and I'm guessing she doesn't even have a nice tree in there."
"Honey…" Aria tries to calm her down. "That's not your responsibility."
"I confronted her yesterday about the Mona thing."
"What did she say?" Aria asks curiously.
"She said that she had left a week after what happened, but to Ravenswood. There she saw the news and came back here to check up on us. She was going to talk to me but she saw me cuddling Paige outside and stayed away."
"Do you believe her?"
"I don't know." Emily admits. "But I did check the pictures again and I noticed that Ali's hair is different than the person who went in her house." She takes the pictures out of her purse and shows her. Aria examines them. "And she did tell us that she met up with Cyrus a couple of times, she just didn't tell us what she was wearing."
"The picture thing is true, but I don't know…" Aria admits.
"Aria…" The taller brunette tries to explain. "You didn't do it with her."
Aria makes a grossed out face.
"I did. It felt so real and sincere, for the first time ever. I felt her open up completely and those things don't happen unless you're both in love and you know it."
"I do…"
"Ali is highly suspicious but so was Toby. So was Ezra. And they both ended up being huge liars but they were still in love with you and Spencer."
Aria nods. "I know."
"Ali isn't A. She can't be. Not after everything she's done for us."
Aria sighs. "I know it's hard to believe but we can't let our feelings- "
"Guys." Everyone hears Spencer says. "The UPS guy just showed up. Apparently we got a gift all the way from Paris…"
Toby gets near her and evaluates the box in Spencer's hands. "How do you it's from Paris? There's no return address."
"How did he even drive up here?" Hanna asks.
"Only the main streets are filled with snow, Han. And because it literally says 'From Paris'". Spencer explains as she places the box down.
"Who is it for?" Caleb asks, curiously.
"For Emily, Hanna, Aria, and me." Spencer answers.
"Should we open it?" Aria asks. "What if it's a bomb?"
"Honey, you can't just send a bomb through mail." Ezra mocks her nicely.
"Someone give me a knife." Spencer says and Toby hands her one. She stabs the box and opens it.
"What the hell?" Hanna says out loud as she sees the content. "Is that…?"
"Yeah. These are the bracelets Ali got us a few years ago." Spencer answers and hands them all to each girl.
They all inspect them. "They seem new." Emily notes.
"They do." Aria agrees.
"What's that?" Ezra asks, pointing at the black book next to where the bracelets used to be.
Spencer takes it out and inspects it. She opens the book and sees Ali's handwriting on it. "I think this is Ali's newest journal."
"What?" Emily questions and Spencer hands her it.
"And some CD." Aria says as she opens this case with a coverless CD.
"Hey, there's a letter in the bottom." Hanna notes and Emily takes it out.
"Dear Girls." Emily reads the front of the envelope. They all gather around, encouraging her to open it and start reading.
"Seriously?" Emily asks.
"Yeah, read it." Spencer pushes her. Emily rolls her eyes and read out loud.
"Dear Girls:
I've tried to write this letter over a thousand times but nothing comes out right. I guess I better start by saying I'm sorry to all of you for leaving like that; hopefully I already stormed Rosewood and I got to apologize to Emily myself. So I guess that apology is more for the rest of you. I truly am sorry for all the heartache I've cause these last couple of years. You guys don't deserve any of this and if I could take it all back I would, but sadly it's too late for that."
Spencer scoffs, earning a pointed look from Emily. Spencer mouths a 'sorry' and she continues.
"My last Christmas, as you all know, was spent on the run and it couldn't have been lonelier. I wanted more than anything to randomly teleport myself to Spencer's annual holiday get together and praise her old tacky reindeer sweaters."
Everyone giggles at that.
"I wanted more than anything to share that last piece of pie with Hanna. I wanted more than anything to do some karaoke with Aria, since apparently we're the best singers there. And of course, I wanted to find a way to mysteriously end up under the mistletoe with Emily and laugh at her cute red, embarrassed cheeks and kiss them afterwards." Emily blushes but she keeps going. "But most importantly, I wanted to be with my family. I wanted to hug my mom because even if she buried me alive, she gave me a sort of security. She made me feel safe. She made me feel like a spoiled kid again. But I couldn't, because my return could mean horrible, horrible things for myself and all my loved ones. So I spent Christmas crashing some hotels, trying my best to not seem homeless. It wasn't until I saw this little kid open her present that I started to cry. I asked myself if I would ever be able to settle down and have children of my own, but the answer always seemed to be no. And I felt… empty. I felt as if everything I was doing was worthless because I would never be able to be happy again."
Emily stops to look at everyone, and they all suddenly look gloomy.
"Then you guys found out I was alive and that loneliness didn't disappear, but it was slowly being replaced by both fear and hope. I was scared because now I was exposed again and A could easily find me. But I was also hopeful because what I wanted… No, what I needed was to somehow be part of the foursome I left behind when I had to disappear. And that same foursome finding me was enough for me to feel like I could be their friend again. Like I could be their cool, badass friend once more."
Emily hears Aria sniffle.
"But like Spencer says, hope breads eternal misery and here I am, in Paris, running away for what feels like the hundredth time. I know you guys don't think highly of me anymore… In fact, you never truly have. But I know that now I probably hit the lowest low and that there's no coming back from abandoning the ones you love for a second time in a row. But I just want you to understand that I couldn't keep pretending like what was happening was okay, because it wasn't. Emily could have died that afternoon. If it wasn't for Spencer and Toby, I don't know what my life would be like right now. Emily could be dead and I'd be begging God to kill me Himself because I would have never gotten over the guilt."
Emily sniffles herself, feeling a new pair of tears roll down her face.
"I just want all three of you to know that I'm A's biggest target and with me gone, it'll get easier. So that's why I want to leave for good. Because you all deserve a fresh start and I can't give any of you that. And Emily… I love you, okay? I always will. But you need to move on and find someone who can always be there for you and not bring you any trouble. I'm sorry."
The room goes dead silent until Emily continues. "The black book is a journal I kept while I was gone. Since Labor Day weekend. I wrote there every important event from those years. There, you'll find some answers you've been looking for, including the Bethany thing. Also, it has some leads on finding out who A is. I need you all to read it carefully and burn it because that information can't end up in the wrong hands."
Hanna observes the book.
"And the DVD? Well… Just watch it together. Which you probably all are but yeah. And the bracelets? I ordered some new ones because I want each one of you to find it one day in the far future and think about me. That way, my immortality desires never die off.
I love you all unconditionally.
Love,
Alison.
PS Merry Christmas, girls. And a happy new year. I hope you all get what you wished for."
They all stay quiet for a while longer, analyzing the letter as best as they can.
"Do we believe it or…?" Caleb voices everyone's question.
"Let's watch the video first." Spencer suggests as she walks to her laptop, opens it, and plays the video.
As the video starts playing, the Liars are transported to a few Christmases back, remembering that particular one very well.
They all smile as the boys watch.
"Hey Ali!" Aria says to Ali who is modeling in front of the camera. "Leave the camera alone and come with us to open some presents."
Ezra fiddles with Aria's hair, fake-looking for a pink stripe. Aria takes his hand instead.
"Here we have Aria Montgomery, slayer of the goths." Ali says as she turns the camera completely to face the black-haired girl.
"Ha, ha. Very funny. Come on, what are you doing?"
"I'm making a documentary! I'm filming our first official Christmas together, isn't it obvious?" Ali responds sarcastically.
Aria rolls her eyes playfully. "Come on, let's go!"
"Do something cool first."
Aria fidgets but ends up sticking out her tongue.
"How old were you guys when this was recorded?" Ezra asks, noticing how small they looked.
"Like 12." Emily responds.
"Okay, stop. You're embarrassing me." Ali says as she focuses the attention back on her. "Okay people, now we go inside." She films herself as she walks in.
In the take we see the Hastings, Ms. Marin, the Fields, the Montgomerys and the DiLaurentis. They're all talking and eating some snacks.
The Liars smile.
"Hey, Hanna!" Ali now focuses the take on Hanna. "Watcha doing?"
"Nothing." A Hefty Hanna responds. "Just sitting."
"I can see that." Ali responds once again sarcastically. "When are you going to get up?"
"When we open the gifts, duh."
"I like your attitude."
Hanna smiles, approval radiating off of her.
"Where's Spence?" Ali asks, snapping Hanna back to reality.
"She's in the back, fighting with Melissa."
Ali then walks with camera to the backyard, where Spencer and Melissa are screaming at each other. "Hey!" Ali tries to scream at them, and they look her way. "Spencer, it's not worth it. Just come with us, we're doing Secret Santa now."
Spencer crosses her arms and walks to Ali.
"Any comments?" Ali asks.
"No." And Spencer continues walking. Ali puts herself on the angle and smirks. "Sisters. Such a complicated life."
The screen goes black but it comes back again.
"YOU STUPID CAMERA!" Ali screams at the lens.
The group gets startled.
"Why didn't you record the Secret Santa thing?! You useless pile of shit!"
Everyone giggles a bit because a small, angry Alison looks hilarious.
"Alison?" Mrs. DiLaurentis walks up to her daughter. "What's wrong?"
"The camera didn't record the Secret Santa exchange!"
"Ali, don't worry about that. You can tell them what happened now."
"Fine." Ali says as she stands up. "I gave Spencer a gift and she goooot…" Ali runs to Spencer who has some notebooks and a pencil in her hands. "Some notebooks and a pencil!"
"Yes, because I don't have any of these things." Spencer answers sarcastically as she walks away.
Everyone giggles again.
"And Spencer got Emily and shee got…" She runs up to Emily. "What did you get, Em?"
"I got some new goggles and some bathing suits!" The brunette answers, filled with enthusiasm.
"You're so cute." Ali mumbles.
"What?" Emily asks, shock taking over her facial expression.
"What?" Ali asks herself before smoothly fixing it. "I mean, it's cute that those stupid gifts make you excited."
"They're great! I love them!"
"Good."
"Good."
Emily stares at the camera for a few more seconds, not knowing what to say. "Shouldn't you be recording people?" She asks.
"Yeah." A nervous Alison replies. "I was just making a dramatic pause."
"So gay…" Real life Hanna whispers as Emily elbows her.
"Anyways! Emily got me and she got me…" Ali runs to a table. "This picture of us together." She shows the picture on camera. "This shirt." She also shows it. "And this Fashion magazine. Now this is a quality gift."
Hanna scoffs, making herself get elbowed again.
"And then Aria and Hanna got each other and they ended up gifting themselves the same pair of shoes but in different sizes. That was funny." Ali continues. "And that's pretty much it! I'm bored now." Ali moves the camera so it's facing everyone. "Say bye guys!" She screams and every child and adult says goodbye to the camera. The shot ends with Ali winking.
The screen goes black again, but another video starts.
"So, these are the kind of things I say in private, so here we go. Today is Christmas and it was by far the best one yet. I got to spend it with my friends and even if I wished for my brother to disappear and Santa failed, I had fun. I love being with my four best friends because even if sometimes they act like they're 10, they all listen to me. And that's a first." Ali glances away but faces the camera again after a few seconds. "I'm hiding in the bathroom to finish the final take. And I just want to thank God for this Christmas and my friends because I couldn't have asked for better ones. I feel important with them. With all of them. Even with Spencer, the one who likes to bother me. I wish that I get to spend every Christmas with them by my side. In other words, I wish we could be friends forever. But sh! Don't tell anyone I said this." She smiles as she looks at the door. "So now I go back and fake a stomachache so I can leave dramatically. Toodles."
And this time, the screen goes black for good. They all stare at it for a little while longer, analyzing the video the same way they analyzed the letter.
"I believe her." Ezra is the first to admit it.
"What? This has to be all fake." Caleb tries to go against him.
"Guys, she lied to me for a while and I lied to her and to all of you guys, too. I know a good lie when I see it and I've never seen her be more honest."
"He's right." Aria backs up her boyfriend. "The last part… She had no one to lie to. No one to manipulate. Why would she film it if she didn't feel it?"
The rest stay quiet.
"I think that the video proves how much Alison loved Emily." Spencer scoffs. "I mean 'quality gift?' I got Emily something she liked and that's not quality?!"
Everyone laughs a bit.
"I'm sorry Caleb, but even I was touched. I know her and the fact that she said all of those things in the first place, says a lot." Hanna adds.
"So do we think she's A or not?" Toby asks.
"I don't know. All I know is that she was our friend. I don't know what her intentions are now, but she obviously sent this before Emily told her we thought she was A so that's worth something." Spencer argues.
"Em?" Aria asks.
Emily sighs. "I think we're dumbasses."
"Why is that?" Toby asks.
"Because here we are, debating whether Ali is a good person or not, while she's all alone on Christmas Eve." Emily concludes. "Even if she were A, maybe a little love would be enough to change her attitude. We know that was enough for Mona. Why not try it with her?"
"What are you suggesting?" Caleb asks.
"I think we should give her a good Christmas, because no matter what, we know we gave it our all. And after this video and the letter, I feel like it's the right thing to do." Emily looks at everyone and they're all smiling.
"Shall we start at midnight?" Hanna, dressed as an elf, asks.
"Yes, we shall."
By midnight, it was Christmas and everyone got in Ali's house and started decorating. The boys took care of the tree while the girls brought some food from Spencer's and decorated around. After everything was nearly done, Aria and Emily drove to the nearest pharmacy to buy a big stuffed animal to spray Emily's perfume on it to give it to Ali so she can sleep better. At exactly 12'o clock, Caleb placed the star on the top of the poorly moved tree and they couldn't be more proud of their work.
-9 Hours later-
She didn't want to wake up. There is no reason to. She is all alone in the same house she was buried alive and where her mother was found. The house brought nothing but sorrow. She stays a few minutes lying down, trying hard to fall back asleep. But she couldn't so she figured it was best to just wake up entirely.
She slowly leaves her bed as she walks to her window to spy on Spencer and her Christmas. Strangely, no one seemed to be home. For some odd reason, Ali is relieved. She goes to the bathroom, where she brushes her teeth and washes her face. She doesn't even bother changing. As she walks down stairs, she can't help but feel emptier than usual and she thought that was impossible.
She decides it's best to just not think, so she walks into the living room, where she finds an unexpected surprise.
Her 4 "friends" and their boyfriends are standing in the middle of HER living room. She glances behind them and she sees a beautifully lit Christmas tree sparkling their way. She takes a few steps forward as she glances around, noticing how there are small Christmas decorations ever.
"What's this?" Ali asks, suspiciously. She knows she can never let her guard down.
Emily is the one who's in front, so she looks at her friends and then faces her again before speaking. "It's a gift. From us to you."
Ali gulps as her eyebrows furrow, confusion taking over. "I don't understand."
"What don't you understand?"
"Two days ago you hate me and now you're giving me Christmas?" The blonde questions.
"We got your gift." Aria steps closer. "With the video and all."
Ali sighs, a bit taken aback. "I even forgot about that."
"Well, we didn't." Spencer also takes a step forward.
"This is a peace offering. You don't need to take it." Hanna says. "It's our way of showing you that we don't want a war. We just want to stick together. We'll leave everything behind if you start being honest with us. We don't know how we feel about you just yet, but we know you deserve a chance since we never properly gave you one."
"Didn't you get the journal?" Ali asks.
"Yep." Ezra shows Ali they have it. "They did."
Ali nods.
"But they mean in general." Caleb steps in. "You need to stop your games-"
"And manipulation." Toby adds.
"And manipulation." Caleb backs Toby up. "And you need to trust them. They are the most truth worthy girls you'll meet and you need to stop treating them badly."
"I know." Ali agrees.
"So…" Emily asks, getting even closer to Alison. "Can we all start over?"
Ali tries to not smile at Emily, but fails.
"Guys!" Aria says and they both face her. "Look up."
And they see the mistletoe hanging.
"Oh, you so did that on purpose cause I said I wanted to kiss you under the mistletoe in the letter." Alison argues.
"Whatever." She says as she connects her lips to Alison's and everyone start whooping.
Emily separates from the kiss and looks at Alison as everyone scatters around, celebrating Christmas at Ali's. "I can't promise that we'll get back together because there's a lot we need to deal with, but I need you to stay." She presses her forehead against Alison's.
"I know…" Alison starts. "But I don't know if it's what's best."
Emily nods. "It's okay. We'll talk about it later. But you need to eat some of Spencer's dip first, it's literally better than ever."
"That sounds promising."
And hand in hand they walk to kitchen.
-An Hour Later-
As Toby goes around the Christmas tree, he spots an unopened gift. Curiously, he picks it up to check its contents. He checks for whom it is for, and when he sees an A on the label, he drops the gift.
"What's wrong, Toby?" Spencer asks him since she was the closest to him.
"A left Alison a gift." He deadpans, looking at the box on the floor.
Everyone stares at the exchange, since they all listened to what Toby said last. Alison quickly approaches the gift and inspects it.
"I don't want to open this." Ali says as she looks at the wrapped, box-like gift.
"How did it even get in here?" Hanna asks.
"I think that what matters right now is what's inside it."Caleb says.
"I'll open it." Spencer says and she unwraps it, revealing a Jack in the Box.
The box on the outside contains a lot of A's, freaking everyone out.
"I hate those things…" Hanna comments.
Spencer ignores her and starts spinning the lever.
The "Santa Clause is Coming to Town" song starts playing softly and slowly as she spins.
He sees you when you're sleeping.
He knows when you're awake.
He knows if you've been bad or good so be good for goodness-"
And the Jack pops out, making everyone jump.
They notice that the Jack has a paper stapled to it's face.
So Spencer reads it.
"Next time, it won't be so easy to leave. Merry Bitchmas.
-A"