"Aria," Ezra asked as we climbed the stairs to the old theatre in which Alison DiLaurentis had apparently decided to meet us in,"do you need any help?"

"Ezra, it's seven stairs; not Mount Everest. I'm fine." I snapped, glaring back at him. I sighed and softened my expression. "I'm sorry. This is just a LOT to take in."

"I understand completely. I just don't want you to stress any more than you already are." He said. I ceased walking up the stairs and he wrapped his arms around me. I smiled and looked back at him.

"You're racking up some serious husband creds right now." I replied softly with a smirk. He chuckled and held my hand as we ascended the stairs to where Alison supposedly was.

As we got to the top of the stairs, I paused. Obviously I wanted to go further, but I just couldn't. I heard footsteps on the next floor, and I began to breathe deeply. Ezra knew what was wrong, and took my hand in his before walking around the corner with me.

We approached the seemingly empty room just past the stairwell, and I saw a young woman sitting on a couch facing away from the open door. I let go of Ezra's hand and began walking forward. He waited in the hall to let me have some time alone with my friend who had apparently gone all Walking Dead. She heard me, and she turned around to face me.

It scared me how much Alison had changed. I mean, I could tell after speaking with her on the phone that she was different; but, it was far less subtle than I would've thought the differences would have been.

Her hair was still curly and loose, per usual, and her makeup was done without fault; but there was something...off about her. Her eyes had lost that bright cerulean spark I had once admired, and they were now a noticeable grey.

I was the first of the four of us to get here, seeing as she called me, and I had to call the others. She smiled at me, and whispered an iconic line that had far more meaning than she probably wished it to when the words fell from her vermillion lips.

"Did you miss me?" She asked.

I was stunned. I honestly was half expecting this meet up to be another trap. But, nonetheless, here she was. In the flesh. And my guess was she'd have something to say to me after we hugged, because she couldn't see my protruding stomach from the angle at which she stood. That didn't really matter to me at this point, though. She was safe, and she was alive.

"Ali...I thought you...we thought you were..." I murmured before tears marked my cheeks in a repetitive pattern.

"I know...and I'm sorry." She replied softly. She sounded wounded. But, her cockiness hadn't left her just yet; I knew that after what she said to me next. "You look different. Hair cut?"

She was obviously hinting at my weight gain. My hips had expanded because of the pregnancy, but Ezra made sure to tell me that I was making room for our little girl, and that I should never have to feel ashamed of my body; he loved me no matter what. Be that as it may, this is Alison we're talking about. She relentlessly called Han "Hefty Hanna" the entirety of her teenage years before she went "missing." And the frilly olive maternity top I was wearing paired with the high-waisted leggings and loose knit cardigan made it quite obvious I had a bun in the oven. She smirked slightly, but I was not amused.

"Irrelevant." I snapped. She looked surprised, but I brushed it off. Apparently being hormonal takes away some of your empathy. I came to my senses shortly after and apologized. "Sorry. This is just a lot to comprehend."

"No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that." She replied.

Since when did Alison DiLaurentis become a compassionate human being?! Never, that's when. She really had changed. She extended her arms outward, signaling that she wanted to hug me. I caved, and ran straight into her arms. The strange thing was that while I was comforting her, she was actually comforting me. After she broke our embrace, she pulled away and looked at me with a slightly concerned expression.

"Are you..." She said slowly. I knew what she was trying to ask me, and I understood the awkwardness.

"I am." I replied, putting my left hand on my stomach and smiling. "Five and a half months."

"Wow," she began,"after my scare at the Cape, you'd think you'd have known to use protection."

"Whoops." I replied sarcastically. She noticed my wedding ring, and gently grabbed my hand. She looked up at me with a smile.

"Nice bling." She said.

"Yeah. He's good to me." I replied with a smile as I began fiddling with the rings on my finger.

"Who is?" She asked. And I was considered Suzy Clueless?! This girl could not put two and two together!

"Ali, it's called a wedding ring for a reason." I answered. She looked shocked, and I understood why.

"You're married?!"

"Yeah, I am. He proposed after I told him about the baby. But enough about me. The others are on their way, but I have some questions of my own that need answers."

"I know. Just trust me when I say that I need all of you in one place. I have a lot to say, and I probably won't have time to repeat any of it." She replied hastily. After she had calmed down, she smiled and proceeded asking me questions. "If I may ask, who is your husband? Is he the baby daddy?"

"Yes, Ali, he's the baby daddy. And the baby daddy just happens to be right outside. It was hard enough to convince him to let his pregnant wife wander into the city, let alone going by myself. I might be carrying the baby for now, but he's planning to carry her right through college." I answered.

"Her?" Ali asked, grinning. I nodded. "Have you and Mister Mystery chosen a name yet?"

"Yeah, actually." I replied. "We chose the name Seraphina."

"It's cute. I like it."

"Thanks. But, I think you'll like her middle name even more." I said with a smile.

"What is it?" She asked.

"Allyson." I answered while gently rubbing my belly. "With a 'y.'"

"Wow." She whispered with a small chuckle. She took my hand in hers and I smiled. "Thank you, Aria. Not just for the name; but for everything."

"You're welcome, Ali. You know I'd do anything for you."

She just nodded.

"Can I meet him?" She asked. "The baby daddy."

She was truly clueless, wasn't she?

"Turns out that you already have." I replied. Just then, Ezra walked through the doorway and into the room. He didn't notice Alison at first, as he was preoccupied with checking his text messages.

"Ar, Spencer just left a voicemail. She and Hanna are on their way. Emily insisted on driving herself. Why didn't she just call-"

Alison had grown pale, and I just smiled. I returned my eyes to Ali before speaking again, a slight confidence surged through my voice.

"Ali, you know Ezra Fitz."

Ali gulped softly before finding her voice again.

"Ezra. It's, uh...it's nice to see you again..."

I could see it in his eyes. All the flashbacks of when he and Alison were what used to be called an item were flooding back into his memory. After I found out about the book, I practically forced him to recount every single memory he had of their relationship. By the end of his reminiscing he had shed a few tears; not from leaving Ali, but from almost losing me because he lost Ali.

He was speechless, and that was understandable. So, he just nodded at her.

"Are the girls on their way? I don't know how much longer I have..." She panicked, her voice breaking slightly.

"They're on their way. Ali, I'm gonna make this as clear as I can: I'm not gonna let you run off again. Mona's in Radley. You're safe." I replied harshly.

"When have I ever been safe? In case you didn't know, I am constantly in danger."

"AND in case you didn't know, you constantly being in danger has put us all constantly in danger. All of us." I yelled. My voice was now cold; numb. But, still I went on. "Don't underestimate me, Ali. I have this crazy pregnancy strength now, and I can easily barricade a door."

"Fine." She replied. "But, don't say I didn't warn you about being in danger."

The sirens blared. People gasped in shock. A few onlookers had to turn away from the sight. My friends were silent, they had yet to find the strength to speak after what they had just seen unfold in front of their very eyes. I, however, was completely and utterly hysterical.

As they wheeled him into the ambulance, I broke down completely. Emily held me close, Spencer held my hand and Hanna helped them both to hold me back from running after the paramedics. Ali stood on a balcony above us, watching in shock as she realized that that could've very well been her on that stretcher and not him.

"Let me go, goddamn it! Let. Me. GO." I yelled as I struggled against them. I could barely see through my tears, and it didn't help wiping them away, as more would just begin falling if I did.

"If they think you have any remote involvement in this, Aria, you'll be the first one they question at the police station." Spencer whispered. I stopped trying to break through the barricade my friends had formed with their arms and stared at her angrily.

"Do you really think I give a RAT'S ASS about that right now?! My HUSBAND was just shot, for God's sake! He was shot trying to protect us!" I argued before my hormones, fear and despair threw me back into hysterics again. I began crying again, and Hanna was the first to embrace me. She held me there and lent me her shoulder to cry on. She didn't even care that I was probably hurting her by clinging to her so closely.

"Spencer's right, Aria. We'll find out where they're taking him, and I promise we'll get you there. Ezra's a fighter; he'll pull through." Emily said, placing her hand cautiously on my shoulder and pulling me in closer to her. I let a few more tears stream in messy tracks down my reddened cheeks as I buried my head in her sleeve.

"I know he is. It's just-" I replied. I was trying to calm down, but my attempts were, quite obviously, incredibly futile. "-I know it could very well have been me or you or Ali on that stretcher. He sacrificed his life to save mine. Ours. And Ezra needs to live. He needs to meet his daughter. Sera needs her father. He can't leave me here..."

"No. Don't think like that. He'll be fine. You'll be fine. We'll find out who did this to him, and we'll get whoever it was thrown behind bars." Hanna implied in an attempt to make me feel better. Surprisingly, it helped.

"Thanks." I murmured as Emily held me tighter. I still had one arm wrapped around my stomach, and I began worrying.

"I swear to you, Aria: I will kill whoever did this to him with my bear hands. Nobody hurts someone my best friend loves and gets away with it." Spencer added.

"I can't lose you too, Spence. You saw whoever it was shoot him. There was no hesitation at all."

"What're you saying?" Emily asked.

"She's saying that she felt like it was easy for whoever it was to shoot someone." Hanna replied for me. I looked up at her and let a few more tears fall before speaking again.

"This wasn't just anyone, guys." I whispered. "This was A."

"No! 'A' is in a room with bars over her windows getting a bowl of pudding to wash down her tranqs and sedatives with. This can't be Mona!" Hanna objected. As soon as she said this, she came to the realization that she could be wrong: and we felt the same way.

"It can't be Mona. But, it can be a new 'A'." Spencer muttered quietly, just so we could hear her; but no one else could. "Is it starting again?"

"It doesn't matter. This person just shot my husband-and I think Ali may know who it was. She never told us the whole story about 'That Night.'" I said.

"How do you know that?" Hanna asked.

"I just do. Her tone of voice was just...off. And she was just about to tell us something important, before..."

"Ar, I know exactly where this is going, but Alison is not 'A.' She can't be!" Emily countered.

"I'm not saying that, Em! Look, I know you love her and I would never want to hurt you, but she definitely knows something she isn't telling us; whether she actually thinks she does or not! And I'm gonna get the truth, whether or not you like it." I replied in a harsh whisper, scaring the others into submission. After that day, I would never speak in that tone again. I sounded far too much like the old Ali: the one who mocked and humiliated and bullied people until they burst into tears. I didn't like that old Ali, but Alison had changed for the better.

I heard footsteps on a balcony above us, and upon looking up, I locked eyes with Alison, who had apparently heard the whole thing. She nodded at me, and I knew exactly what she meant.

"I-I have to go." I muttered, attempting to break through the barricade my friends had made to keep me from blitzing the paramedics. They obviously stopped me and their eyes asked for an explanation.

"Why?" Emily asked.

"I have to-call my mom. She's in Philly, and I just need her here." I replied. Emily looked at Hanna, who looked at Spencer, who stared at me, and all three nodded.

"Be safe, Little Big One." Spencer said as she let me go.

"I will." I replied.

I walked cautiously into an alleyway and flipped open my phone. With clammy hands and trembling fingers, I finally managed to dial my mom's number. As I waited for her voice to fill my ears, I noticed the blood still stained my hands. His blood. I immediately burst into tears again, and I was still heartily sobbing when she picked up.

"Aria?" She asked.

"Mom, thank God." I sobbed quietly into the phone.

"What's wrong? Is it the baby?"

"No, I think the baby's okay. I just need you here."

"Where are you? I can hardly hear you."

"New York. Fitzgerald Theatre." I answered.

"Why the hell are you in New York?!"

"A friend needed me. Look, Mom, I promise I'll tell you everything soon. Can you-just be here, please?" I was trying hard to keep the barely audible crack in my voice inaudible, but the person on the other side of my call was my own mother. She picked up on it almost immediately.

"What happened?"

"It's Ezra. He-someone shot him..." I whimpered.

"Oh my god. Aria, I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Please hurry."

And with that, I hung up. I began to walk back to the girls, but I heard footsteps behind me. I quickly turned around to face whoever it was so I could hopefully elude them, but who I saw there wasn't threatening. I saw Alison, beckoning towards me. Without hesitation, I followed her into the building once again.

"Alison, who the hell did that to him?" I sobbed.

No response. She continued walking me through the building by her hand in silence as I cried.

"Ali? Please stop." I said louder. She dragged me a few more steps before I yanked my hand free from her grasp and she turned to face me.

"What, Aria?" She snapped.

"I want you to listen closely: if you had anything remotely to do with what just happened, I need you to tell me now." I shouted.

She inhaled, signaling compliance. Thank God.

"I didn't have anything to do with Ezra getting shot, okay?" She muttered before taking a breath and continuing. "But, I do know who may have shot him."

"Who?"

She waited a moment, and leaned forward prior to speaking. "Byron Montgomery. Your dad, Aria."

I gasped, and prepared to refute her claim, before I realized that I couldn't. Byron very well could have done this, and I didn't know what to do. I wasn't safe, as I was the one he really wanted to hurt.

"You're right. And he was aiming at me. I'm next. We have to go." I hastily replied.

"He can't get to you at the hospital." Ali said. I nodded and took her hand as we left the building.

When we finally arrived at the hospital, I checked in with the nurse. She looked startled, seeing as both my hands and my shirt were partially covered in a thick crimson blood. I stammered and slipped over my words while in hysterical tears as I asked for Ezra Fitz. She gently put her hand on my shoulder and smiled down at me.

"He just got out of surgery, Mrs. Fitz." She whispered soothingly. My eyebrows creased and she just looked at me.

"How did you know who I was?" I asked.

"Doctor Phillips asked me to check for any identification as she rushed him into surgery. I opened his jacket pocket, and there was a picture of who I'm assuming was you and Mr. Fitz." She answered.

"How is he?" I murmured, anticipating the answer I hoped would never come silently as I prepared for the worst. That bad news never came.

"The doctors successfully removed the bullet and other debris in the wound, and got him stitched up. He's going to be okay, Mrs. Fitz." She smiled.

I raised my hand to my mouth and tears of relief gathered in my eyes. "Thank you. Thank you so much! Can I-can I see him?"

"He's not awake yet, but familiar voices will help to coax him out of the sedative. So, yes. I'll bring you to his room."

As we rushed down the hallway, tears streamed down my cheeks as I looked through the windows of some of the rooms, and realized how lucky we had gotten. He was going to be okay. Before I got to his room, however, my phone began ringing. I shakily raised it to my ear and heard the crack in my mother's voice as she spoke.

"Aria? Honey, are you okay?" She asked.

"Mom, Ezra's going to be okay. He's in recovery." I smiled. When she didn't reply, my smile dropped as I realized that something was amiss. "What's wrong?"

"Aria, the police were just here. Your...your father's body was just found in an alleyway in New York." She stuttered. My jaw went slack and my vision blurred. He was dead.

"How did it happen?" I stoically replied.

"He-he took his own life."

Author's Note:

I FINALLY WORKED UP ENOUGH COURAGE TO KILL OFF A CHARACTER! Yay(the little things, am I right?)!

So, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Also, I'm just gonna address the elephant in the room: I'm so sorry that I haven't posted a new chapter in, well, Go knows how long. My depression was at an all-time high, and writing hardly gave me any joy (except for lachrymose, saddening short stories I bled onto a notepad at three in the morning). But, I finally had enough motivation to start up again:)

Primarily, I want to thank all of you who actually stuck by during my story's Dark Age and read this last installment. I love you guys! It takes a lot to remain patient with someone; and as someone who lacks in whole that skill, I am amazed and grateful for your patience with me.

I also have the first chapter of my new fanfiction complete and ready to publish (if anyone is interested in reading it!), and I'd love to hear from some of y'all if you would actually give it a chance. Let me know:)

Thanks so much for reading.

XOXO, Dee (ezriaandliars)