A/N: "Our girls survived a fire. How much crazier can it possibly get?" -My bestie
"Here, hold my vodka..." -Me
"Fine, but I'm going to drink it while I read this chapter." -Friend runs off with story and alcohol in hand.
Note: There is some sensitive material in regards to mental health, so tread carefully.
Chapter 19:
Chilled to the Bone
It was almost five in the morning when they got back to Rosewood.
Alison was wide awake…watching Emily at the wheel. They had taken turns driving since they were both too wired to sleep.
They had decided not to stick around the cabin after they gathered their things, even though they were offered a motel voucher.
They'd exchanged their information with the Fire Department, and the owner of the cabin had been notified. They'd been free to go.
They had planned to spend their last day in Rosewood before flying back to California. They just got an early start on going back to town.
Emily yawned, batting her eyes to try and wash away her weariness. She had an odd hallucinatory sensation from her exhaustion. Part of her felt like she just having another nightmare, but the other part of her was hyper-aware of what they'd been through. Her head was pounding and she felt sick to her stomach, which was probably a combination of not getting any sleep and smoke inhalation.
The acrid scent of the fire was still clinging to them. It hadn't helped that they had been cooped up in the car for several hours.
They had stopped at a rest stop and changed out of their pajamas, hoping that maybe the clothes in their bags wouldn't carry a strong a lingering scent, but they could still smell the singed hickory wood from the cabin.
They had kept the windows cracked for a while, but eventually it got too cold. They were both craving a nice hot shower, but they knew they'd be too tired to do so.
The snow on the ground in Rosewood wasn't as thick as it was in the mountains. It lightly dusted the ground and the trees.
Alison peered at her reflection in the rearview mirror. Her cheeks were ashy and her eyes were bloodshot. She looked like a ghoul.
Terrible for optics.
Good thing she wasn't taking a selfie at that moment.
Her eyes and her throat were still stinging from the smoke. She needed sleep. If she showed up to her meetings in Malibu looking like a trainwreck she might lose out on work.
The blonde rubbed her tired blue eyes and looked at the Fields house. It looked like an illusion in the dark.
"I don't want to wake your mom." She looked at the dashboard, which was unapologetically flashing the time in a blue hue, rudely reminding them that it was 5:03 in the morning.
"She's an early riser." Emily's eyes were glued to her mother's bedroom window.
"This early?"
Emily sighed and leaned back in her seat. She still hadn't turned the ignition off. She was moments away from falling asleep behind the wheel.
"Are you sure you don't want to just go to a motel?" Alison asked.
"No point. It would only be for a few hours." Emily turned towards her, her face illuminated by the blue lights on the dashboard. "Besides, she was expecting us back today."
A light from inside the house flooded the darkness. A shadow moved behind closed curtains.
"What are we going to tell her?" Alison frowned.
Surely Emily wasn't thinking about telling her the truth. The woman had lost her husband two and half months ago. Learning that her daughter had nearly been killed…again…couldn't be good for her health.
"I don't know." Emily was weighing the options in her mind.
There was always a chance her mom would see the story on the news, but it's not like their names would be in the media. And unfortunately fires were really common.
Then again, her mother knew exactly where they'd been staying. She had booked the reservations for them. If someone called with follow-up questions she'd find out anyway.
"We could tell her we weren't inside. And that the damage wasn't bad, but that the smoke was bothering us." Alison slid back into bending the truth way too naturally for her liking.
She'd lied as much as she'd breathed in high school. She didn't like that version of herself very much, but sometimes falling back on old patterns was necessary.
"That should work." Emily yawned. "Maybe we should roll around in the snow to try and wash any lingering smell of the fire off of us."
It was partially a joke, but Alison had considered it, too.
"This isn't exactly how I wanted our new year to start."
"It can only go up from here." Emily tried to feign a smile, but she didn't have it in her.
"I'm not so sure about that. Who knows what Charlotte will stoop to once we give that recording to the police." Alison didn't want to imagine what their lives would look like if Charlotte escalated her torture.
"You're sure about that?" Emily asked.
"I am. I'm not going to let her keep doing this." She'd been letting her sister get away with her bullshit for far too long.
"Maybe we should wait until we're 3000 miles away." Emily muttered.
"I was actually thinking the same thing. Get some distance between us." Sometimes 3000 miles didn't seem far enough.
"And Jason?" Emily asked tentatively. "Are you going to talk to him?"
She turned her heard towards Alison, laying her cheek against the head rest.
My poor Mermaid.
She looks so tired.
What had happened at the cabin had been traumatizing, but neither one of them had fully processed it yet.
Alison mirrored Emily's actions, letting a yawn slip out.
She had been wrestling with what to say to Jason now that she knew the truth.
"I mean…it's the right thing to do, isn't it?" She played with the belt buckle that was wedged between her seat and the console. "It's not like we can turn it an anonymously…can we?"
"I can edit myself out entirely, but it might weaken the case considerably. I'm the only witness right now."
Which made her Charlotte's number one target.
"Is it even legal to record someone without their knowledge?" It was something that Alison hadn't even considered before.
"Not in Pennsylvania. But that only means they couldn't use it in court."
"But it would give the cops a reason to look into my mom's murder again."
"Yeah." That's exactly what Emily had told Caleb after she sent him the recording.
"Maybe it's best we do send it anonymously. We should keep your name out of it. I don't want legal blowback on you. What do you think?"
"I think I'll do whatever you want to do. This is up to you."
"But it affects you, too."
"It's not just about that." Emily reached over the console and touched her knee. "You've had control taken away from you for far too long. I might not have listened to you back in high school, but I hear you now."
Alison nodded absentmindedly. Her brain was in such a fog from the fire and the drive back to town. The snow was starting to look like the ash she'd watched filling the air in the mountains. Snowflakes danced, lighting up the bleak night.
"I want you with me when I tell Jason." She grasped Emily's hand.
"Okay." Emily didn't hesitate.
She never hesitated.
Alison managed to flash her a weary smile.
Emily grabbed her phone from the car charger and frowned at the screen. She was not looking forward to talking to her mom.
Holding her phone felt surreal. She'd forgotten that she'd grabbed it in the midst of the chaos.
Another light from the house illuminated the silky cover of darkness.
Emily glanced at the phone. Her finger hovered over the picture of her mother in her contacts. She wanted to let her know they were back early. She didn't want to walk in and startle her.
Before she could hit the speed dial, the porch light came on and the front door slowly cracked open.
Her mom was clearly trying to get a better look at the car.
After a long thirty seconds her eyes adjusted and she recognized the rental. Emily rolled the window down and waved.
Relief washed over her mother's face as she opened the door.
Emily saw a familiar bulky object in her hand and immediately recognized the pistol. It wasn't hard to identify.
Her mother slid it into a holster and waved back to them.
At least she's protecting herself.
If Charlotte tried to pull anything with Pam Fields she'd end up with a bullet in her kneecap.
"Holy shit…I have never been more terrified of your mother in my life." When Emily looked over she saw that Alison's body was rigid and her eyes were wide with fear, "I didn't know she carried…" She paused. "Well, I mean I guess I knew, but I've never been able to picture her with a gun in her hands. Though…I won't ever be forgetting this mental picture."
"Most families go out for pizza to spend time together. We went to the shooting range." A funny little quirk appeared in Emily's brow. "Sometimes dad would sneak me out for pizza afterwards." She chuckled. "My mom hated it when we chose cheap pizza over her cooking."
A look of sad nostalgia washed over her face. Emily felt the grief over the death of her father every second of the day.
"I bet your mom makes a killer homemade pizza." Alison smiled.
"She does. But when you're a kid rebelling against everything in life the cardboard crust and nasty fake cheese is symbolism in a war against the adults. My dad understood that. He fed the anarchist in me."
Another flinch.
Another flash of grief.
"I miss him." Emily choked up. "I wish he was here right now."
She wanted him to hold her and tell her everything would be okay. He had such a calming aura.
Alison reached up and rubbed her shoulder, sympathetic towards her pain. She was still reeling over the fact that her sister killed her mother.
Emily glanced at the porch where her mom was waiting.
"Might as well get this over with."
"Hey…it's going to be okay." Alison had no idea where her sudden confidence had come from. Maybe it was because she knew that Pam would be understanding and sympathetic…unlike her parents. "I have a feeling that not all your strength and tenacity came from your dad."
Emily couldn't help but smile.
"She is extremely bold when she needs to be."
It was something Emily had learned about her mother after she'd confronted Paige's father at school for making homophobic remarks. Emily was sure that her mom would have fought the man physically for her honor. She'd never seen her that angry before. She was ready for war that day.
"So are you." Alison leaned over and squeezed her knee. "I think you get some of that from her."
It was a gentle reminder that she still had her mother.
Alison waited for Emily to open her door, but the brunette was having trouble moving. It was clear that she needed a little bit of help to take the first step.
Emily wasn't afraid of running through fire if it meant saving her loved ones, but she clearly wasn't ready to tell her mother that.
Alison reached for her door handle and pushed the door open. It triggered the overhead light, which seemed to snap Emily out of her temporary paralysis. When she saw Alison exiting the car, she followed.
Emily closed her door, not bothering to grab their suitcases. She knew there would be something in her room for them to wear. The clothes weren't as stylish as Alison liked, but she seemed to enjoy wearing them anyway.
"Girls." Emily's mom looked at them in surprise. "I wasn't expecting you back until this afternoon. Is everything okay?"
"I'm sorry. I should have called." Emily leaned in to hug her mother. "It was just so early when we left."
Her mother tightened their embrace.
Having her near was both a comfort and a heartache. She felt safe with her mom, but every time she hugged her she remembered she would never hug her dad again. Her parents had been a pair for so long. It was hard now that he was gone.
"That's an awfully long drive to be taking so early."
"There was a little mishap at the cabin last night." Alison glanced at Pam when the older woman pulled away from Emily.
She was surprised when Pam engulfed her in a hug as warm and inviting as the one she'd held her daughter in.
She looked between the two younger girls, her scent picking up the smell of charred wood. She assumed it was from a bonfire until Emily cleared the air.
"There was a fire. We're okay." She spoke very quickly for someone who hadn't gotten any sleep. "We just wanted to come home."
"Oh, girls..." She lifted her hands, one palm landing on Emily's cheek and the other landing on Alison's.
Her touch was so motherly and maternal. It made Alison ache for the childhood she'd never had…for the love of her own mother.
"Let's get you settled. I'll make some tea." She opened the door and waved them in.
They followed like obedient children.
Alison excused herself to run to the restroom as Emily and her mother walked towards the kitchen.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Pam's eyes searched Emily's in trepidation.
She had gotten very good at reading Emily's emotions over the years. She realized how much pain her daughter could hold inside after she'd been tortured in high school. She had always sensed something was wrong, but she never would have dreamed the big secrets that Emily was internalizing.
"Just tired." But she flinched and saw a flash of the fire in the Dollhouse.
The suffocating smoke.
The heat from the flames.
Spencer stubbornly refusing to give in.
Hanna's frantic cries for Mona.
The look of defeat in Mona's eyes.
Aria's palpable terror.
Sweat seeping from every pore.
Choking on the air.
Heat licking her skin.
Ashes burning her eyes.
Everything collapsing in flames.
Explosions.
Desperate cries for life.
The darkness.
"Em…" She reached out and touched her cheek again. "Don't lie to me."
"I don't know." She muttered. "It was a lot. You'd think after surviving two fires in high school I'd be used to this."
Before the Dollhouse she'd nearly burned to death in a cabin that had been set on fire after Mona trapped them there trying to figure out who A was…who had stolen the game from her. Then there was the fire in the Dollhouse.
Her mother frowned.
"Those were intentionally set to hurt you. Was that what this was, too?" She knew the extraordinary lengths that Mona and Charlotte had gone to in order to hurt her, but she couldn't fathom it happening again.
Emily was prepared for the question, so she already had an answer.
"No. They still have to do the investigation, but the fire inspector said that there had been reports of fireworks nearby and a stray piece of debris was found where they suspected it originated." She didn't plan to tell her that someone had printed out their itinerary and followed them out there and that someone likely planted the firework. It was eerily similar to what had happened to Jenna in high school. But it had been more than a stink bomb. "I know I should have called, but I didn't want to wake you up."
Her mother looked like she'd just insulted her great-grandmother.
"If there is an emergency you pick up the phone and call me no matter what time it is." She scolded.
Even though Emily was an adult, her mother still had a way of making her feel like she was a little kid again.
She nodded and muttered out an okay. But then added truthfully,
"I was afraid it would scare you."
"You're my child. I'm always worried about you."
"I didn't want you to be alone when I told you. Not after dad…" She had to choke back the tears.
Emily would never forget how helpless she felt when she got that call from her mother about her dad. They had both been so broken, but Pam's agony made it worse for her daughter.
Her mother's face fell flat and all of the pain that Emily felt was reflecting back at her. But then a determined look replaced it. She gripped Emily's cheeks and kissed her forehead.
"Always call." She repeated.
"Hopefully there won't be a next time for me to have to call."
They heard the sound of running water and Emily's mom glanced towards the hallway.
"How is Alison handling this? Is she okay?"
"It scared the hell out of both of us." Emily looked down at her hands.
She stared at them, so tired she couldn't figure out what to do with them. She felt like she was fidgeting, but she was completely still.
"Oh, honey…" Pam looked at Emily, her eyes teeming with sympathy. "You have been through far too much…more than anyone your age should ever have to go through."
"On the plus side…" Emily rubbed her eyes and flashed a sarcastic smile, "I think I have enough experience to join the fire department."
Her mother didn't miss her dry tone, but she still looked affronted.
"Don't you even consider it. I worry about you enough when you're on duty at the beach. You're already fighting one element and you want to add fire on top of water?" She meant what she was saying, but she had a smile on her face. "You're not an Avatar, Emily."
Emily laughed. It was the last thing she expected her mother to say. She was surprised her mom even knew what an Avatar was.
"I know. Besides, Alison would kill me." She'd probably go as far as hiring bodyguards to follow her around everywhere. It was surprising she hadn't already done that.
A door down the hall opened and Alison's soft footsteps padded towards them.
"Why don't you two go lie down? I'll bring you the tea when it's ready." Her mom reached for a worn grey kettle.
"Thanks, mom." She waved and walked out of the kitchen to meet Alison in the hallway.
The blonde's face was damp. At first Emily thought it was from tears, but then she realized she'd splashed some water on her cheeks to wash them off. But no matter how much she scrubbed she couldn't scrub away the trauma.
"She's going to make the tea and bring it up to us." Emily stopped when she reached her girlfriend. She reached up to push a few wet strands of hair away from her damp skin. "You can have the shower first if you want it."
"Maybe in a few hours. Right now I just want to lay with you." She wrapped her arms around the brunette.
A few hours ago she thought she'd never see her again. Now she never wanted to leave her side again.
Alison didn't say much as Emily led her into her childhood bedroom. Emily pulled out some fresh pajamas that didn't reek of smoke and they changed into them.
Alison gently took her hand and pulled her towards the bed.
The bed was just as Emily had left it before they had gone to the mountains. Every corner tucked in perfectly, just like her father had taught her.
A wave of crushing pain seeped into her veins.
Her dad would never see her bedroom again. He'd never lean against the doorframe with a huge grin on his face and tell her "Good job, Emmy" when he saw the military precision in which she'd made the bed.
He's really gone.
Sometimes she pushed it from her mind…or momentarily forgot, a form of amnesia she willed herself to have. But it never lasted. The grief was overpowering. She tried to ride it in waves. For the most part, she wavered through it in silence.
Sometimes Alison could tell when she was wading into the deep end. She could see it in her eyes.
Emily's father was always on her mind, even when he wasn't. The grief was a constant pressure inside of her. Sometimes it was loud. Sometimes it whispered softly. But it was always there. She was learning to live with it.
She hadn't said anything to Alison, but she felt like her father had been with her in that cabin…guiding her to safety.
Alison pulled the comforter and sheets aside and climbed under the covers. Emily burrowed in next to her.
The blonde rolled to her side and sat up, propping herself up on her elbow. She took a moment to appreciate the beauty of the woman next to her.
"You're staring." Emily blinked like she couldn't figure out what Alison was looking at.
"I like the view." She leaned down and pecked Emily's lips, so grateful that she was okay.
Alison curled her body against her and laid her head in the soft space between her collar bone and the top of her breasts.
Moments later she felt Emily's stroking her hair. She murmured out a happy purr, relaxing against her. Her heartbeat soothed her.
Alison closed her eyes just as Emily's fingertips grazed her cheeks.
It sparked a familiar touch.
A different touch.
Her mother.
Her dream.
"Wake up, Alison!"
She opened her eyes and lifted her chin, meeting Emily's curious eyes.
"My mom warned me." Alison whispered.
"What do you mean?" Emily's brows furrowed in confusion.
"I think she came to me in a dream. She warned me about Charlotte. And near the end of the dream she kept begging me to wake up. If I hadn't…" If she hadn't they both would have succumbed to smoke inhalation. "I don't know. Am I crazy to think it was really her?"
Emily took a thoughtful breath.
"My dad comes to me sometimes. He's all decked out in his dress blues." A sad smile. "I think they're always around. I felt him with me when I was trapped in the cabin. I feel like he got me out."
Alison sat up.
"Really?"
Emily nodded.
"Sometimes when I'm at my lowest or when I'm afraid…I can just feel him with me." Emily caressed Alison's arm. "What was your dream about?"
"I said things I needed to say for a very long time. We talked about our past. And…my future…with you." She smiled when she saw Emily's cheeks burning, a bashful smile tugging at her lips. "She said she was proud of me and that she loved me."
"She has every reason to be." Emily curled her arm around Alison's back, pulling her closer.
"I think it might be the closest I'll ever get to closure." Alison gently kissed Emily's shoulder, watching as her body reacted with a slight tremble.
"Hey, we could always try a séance. Your mom. My dad. Hash everything out that needs to be said." Emily smiled.
"No, thanks. I'm not superstitious, but I've seen enough horror movies to know not to mess with a Ouija Board. The last thing we need to do is summon the devil." Though she was pretty sure the devil was already in their lives.
Charlotte.
"Why not? We already summoned the flames." Emily replied with a wry smile. When Alison scowled at her she chuckled. "What? Too soon?"
"How are you so calm?"
Emily's ability to remain completely unshakable was something to be envious of.
"I've said it before, but compartmentalization."
Alison buried her face in Emily's skin and laughed.
"We really don't need to invite more bad luck our way. We have enough of that with Charlotte out there." Alison frowned.
"How do you think Jason is going to react to the recording?" Emily asked.
"I don't know. He's been blind to her bullshit for so long. But he has also always carried the weight of our mother's murder in his heart. She was the only person in our lives who truly loved him. I mean, I do…in my own way. He's my brother. I know he's done terrible things and loving him doesn't mean I don't hate him, too. I don't want to hurt him…or break him, but I feel like this might be the only way to get through to him. And it might be the only way to get Charlotte to stop what she's doing."
There was a light tap at the door, which Emily had left cracked for her mother.
The older woman walked in with a tray that had two steaming cups of tea.
Chamomile.
Emily could smell it the second she put it down.
She could see her mother's anxiety in the way she paced into the room. She wanted to stay and hover over them and make sure they were okay, but she could sense that the two of them needed some breathing room.
Every time Emily watched her mother agonize over a decision she realized how hard it must be to be a parent. To have that part of your heart out in the world vulnerable to its evils. How terrifying it must be to know there were monsters who wanted to hurt your baby. And how frustrating it had to be when you couldn't help your children.
"Thank you, Mrs. Fields." Alison picked up the tea and cupped her hands over the warm glass.
"Pam." She corrected her with a kind smile. Emily had her smile. "If you two need anything I'll be around."
"Love you." Emily shot her an appreciative look.
"Love you, too." Her mother walked towards the door.
She paused to look at her daughter before walking through it. She gently pulled the door closed behind her.
"You think we could get her to talk to Jason for us?" Alison blew on her tea before taking a small sip. "She exudes crazy amounts of mom-vibes."
"That's because she is a mom." Emily laughed.
"You know what I mean." Alison bumped her shoulder playfully. "He'd probably do anything she asked him to. Maybe she could talk some sense into his big hard head." She faced Emily, her tone shifting into more serious territory. "Not that I would ever actually consider dragging your mother into this."
Emily wrapped her arms around Alison.
"To be honest, I don't even know that I'll be able to get him to talk to me. It's not like he's made himself available." Alison huffed.
"We'll try before we leave." They had until tomorrow to find Jason and tell him the truth.
They had their work cut out for them.
The chamomile tea relaxed them enough for them to get a few hours of sleep. They were so dead-tired from the fire and the drive that neither one of them had dreams.
When they did finally wake up it was early afternoon.
Emily immediately went to work. She pulled up the audio file of her visit to Charlotte and spliced it, cutting herself out of the conversation. Jason didn't need to hear all the hateful things she'd said. Alison had understood, but Jason wouldn't. And the last thing she needed was to be on another DiLaurentis hit list.
After they showered and changed they made the drive to the DiLaurentis house.
The fire had left both of them hyper-aware of their surroundings. Lights were brighter. Noises were louder. Smells were more intense. Crackling branches in the trees sent them careening back into the crackling flames in the mountains.
The car still had the faintest remnants of smoke. Emily made a mental note to take it to a car wash before returning it to the rental place so they didn't lose their security deposit.
It was close to five in the afternoon when they arrived at Alison's old house.
They were surprised when they pulled into the driveway and found Toby rustling around the back of his truck.
He slammed the tailgate and dusted his gloved hands off.
He waved when he saw them approaching.
"What is Toby doing here?" Alison studied him carefully through the window.
Jason and Toby had nothing in common. The last time Toby had seen him he wanted to strangle him.
Toby despised Jason for creating the NAT club. He knew what it was like to be a victim, and it enraged him that Jason wasn't rotting behind bars with his devil of a step-sister Jenna, who also should have been in jail for her crimes.
Toby had watched Jason spiral from afar, and over the years some of the heat between them had died down. But he wouldn't seek him out willingly.
"Maybe he came here to murder him before you did." Emily put the car in park and switched the ignition off.
"If he murdered my brother before I've had a shot at him I'm going to be really mad."
Of course Jason has his mortal enemy over for house calls, but he still can't pick up the fucking phone for me.
They climbed out of the car.
"Hey. I was just on my way over to your place." He smiled at Emily. "Wanted to say goodbye before you took off for California tomorrow. I was going to bring you all dinner."
"You're at the wrong house for that." Emily smiled.
Toby snapped his fingers like she'd exposed him to a huge revelation.
"So that's why the cranky blonde dickhead at the door growled at me like a feral animal."
He managed to get the two of them to laugh. The first genuine laugh they'd had since escaping the fire.
"So, what are you doing here?" Alison asked.
"I didn't come by my own free will. My boss tells me what to do and I have to do it." He seemed less than pleased.
"Your boss?" Alison's eyes flickered towards the house.
What did Jason need with a carpenter?
"Jason wanted me to take a look at some things. He's thinking about adding an addition and renovating the place a bit before you all sell it."
Alison's jaw fell open in shock. She gawked at him.
"Sell it?"
Toby scratched his confused brow, his eyes slowly widening in surprise.
"Oh…I…did you not know?" He glanced at Emily for help, but he knew it couldn't be fixed. Even so, he tried. "It's just preliminary. Nothing for sure yet. I think he just wanted to get a feel for it before he talked to you."
"Don't bullshit me." Alison snapped. "He had no intention of talking to me." She glared at the house, but continued talking to Toby. "I'm sorry. This is not directed towards you. I'm not mad at you."
"Glad to hear it. Hell hath no fury like a DiLaurentis scorned."
Emily shot him a look of disbelief.
You're making it worse.
"Anyway. I'm going to shut up now. My lawyer has telepathically advised me not to say anything further." He managed a quiet chuckle.
Alison took an angry step towards the house, but Emily reached out and grabbed her before she could storm in.
It would do no good to rile Jason up before playing the recording for him.
"We left our phones in the car." Emily saw the flame in Alison's eyes when the blonde spun around. She pulled her in close. "We don't want to go in angry," she said quietly.
Alison snorted an irritated breath through her nose, but she knew Emily was right.
Emily let go of her arm, huddling next to her girlfriend for a few seconds before watching her walk back towards the car.
Toby ran his gloved fingers through his hair. It was getting shaggy. He definitely looked the part of a carpenter.
"I am so sorry. My boss just asked me to do this, and I didn't want to bother you two while you were on vacation. That picture you posted was cute, by the way." He smiled.
"How did you even see that? You don't do Instagram."
"Spencer took a screenshot and shared it with me. She thought it was cute, too. She gushed over how happy you two have been. Then she called me allergic to technology. I responded that we were literally texting and that's technology. She was not amused." His grin widened.
"You really love teasing her, don't you?" Emily felt some of her tension fade.
"She's cute when she scowls at me. I miss it sometimes." He heard Alison growling and cursing as she searched for her phone and his smile disappeared. "I do not miss the temper tantrums and the secrets from back then. Though, Alison has every right to be angry. I knew Alison and Jason were fighting about Charlotte. I assumed they were fighting about this, too." He dropped his hand and blew out a breath. "Apparently Jason has been talking with my company for a few months. But I didn't know about it until I got assigned two days ago."
The heated fog from his breath dissipated into the air.
"A few months? He's been planning this for that long?" Emily had to admit it was a dick move.
To sell their childhood home out from under Alison and completely leave her out of the decision?
"Yeah. He apparently called my boss with some questions before he left town to travel. Said it was something he was considering."
"What an asshole." Her jaw ticked with rage.
"He really didn't tell her?" He watched Alison slam the rental car door.
"No."
"I didn't realize things between them were that bad. I mean, I know what she did for you and the girls…" He trailed off when he saw the look of intrigue on the brunette's face. "Spencer told me about how Alison lobbied against Charlotte's release. Her taking off makes a hell of a lot more sense now. But I didn't know she and Jason were this bad off."
"Because she doesn't open herself up to just anyone. She only wanted me to know about her testimony."
"Makes sense. You're the only person she's ever trusted." He smiled.
His smile told her a lot in just a fraction of a second. How they'd harbored their own little secret friendship when they were younger. How he'd always come to her defense. How she stood up for him. And how happy for her he was in that moment…that she had Alison.
"I've got to run," he said, conveniently just as Alison was walking up behind Emily. He didn't want to be there when the small blonde bomb exploded. "But how about that dinner tonight?"
"Yeah. That sounds good." Emily hoped that maybe they could unwind with a familiar face after the heat died down.
"See you later." Alison waved as she continued walking towards the house.
Toby mouthed a "Good luck" to Emily and climbed in his truck.
Emily quickly paced after Alison. She knew she was in a mood, but she was hoping that her presence would keep her interaction with her brother from becoming explosive. They'd already been through enough fire and brimstone.
Emily wasn't exactly thrilled with Jason, but she knew she was there to serve one purpose. And that was to keep her little firecracker grounded.
Alison reached for the door handle. She wasn't surprised in the least that it was unlocked.
Idiot. After everything that's happened in this town, he still invites the danger in.
They walked into the foyer and through the living room.
Jason emerged from the kitchen with a thermos in his hands.
"Alison?" Jason paused in his stride. He didn't look happy to see her. But then he saw Emily and he feigned a smile for her sake. "Emily…hi."
Somewhere between the fake smile and his greeting, a general look of softness washed across his features.
"I never got a chance to tell you how sorry I am about your dad. I wanted to come to the funeral, but I was out of town." He bore the same expression that only a child who had lost a parent could spot.
His soft spot for his mother was going to make it so much harder for him to hear the truth.
Emily mentally played back what she'd said to Charlotte that day. She'd regretted every word when she walked out of her room. She had only done it out of desperation. She was angry at Charlotte, but hurting other people was not who she was at her core.
It hadn't been easy to channel that cold dark side of herself. It bothered her. She hoped Jason never found out what she'd said.
"Thanks." Emily coughed awkwardly into her hand.
"I didn't realize you were still in town." Jason's strides were confident as he approached them.
"We're leaving tomorrow." Alison stared at the thermos in his hand. "Is that vodka or water?"
Jason looked at her in disappointment. He looked wounded at her accusation.
"I've been sober for four years, Ali." He frowned.
"If that's true then perhaps you can explain something to me." She glanced at the high ceilings, which was capturing her voice like it was an echo in the wind. "You were going to sell the house without telling me. You were sober when you made that decision?" She cast an accusatory glance at him.
Jason sucked in a breath through his teeth.
"I need the money for Charlotte's medical treatment." He took a second to let her absorb the information. "Plus this place is too big for just me. I want something smaller. I want to start fresh when Charlotte gets better."
He is so delusional.
"Charlotte is getting along just fine." She grabbed her phone and pulled up an audio file. "She's not who you think she is."
Emily glanced at Alison, a look that questioned "so we're just diving right into this?"
Alison answered by pressing play.
The phone was at maximum volume.
Jason froze when he heard Charlotte's voice.
"I knew exactly what I was doing. I wanted her to suffer. She deserved to die." Charlotte hissed hatefully.
Jason seemed conflicted and confused. He reached for Alison's phone.
It cut to, "Lucidity is where I live. Insanity is just the inviting garden that draws people into a haunted house without them realizing what they're walking in to."
The older boy was audibly shaken by what he was hearing. He sat down in his father's old chair next to an end table.
"I killed my mother. I ground up those pills and I put them in her wine and I watched her die."
By the time the recording was over he was sitting with his chin resting in his hand, staring at the phone like it was an intense movie he couldn't turn away from.
"How did you get this? Where…" He dragged his fingers down his cheeks and scratched at the stubble forming on his chin.
"Does it matter? It's her. Confessing to what she did to mom. It literally is word for word her saying exactly what the police report said. Her blood pressure bottomed out because Charlotte drugged her. Our mom is dead because of her." She snatched the phone out of his hands.
"Yeah, but…" His eyes flicked over to Emily.
He somehow knew that she was the one who got the recording, but he didn't say a word. He didn't seem to want to know the truth.
"She thinks she's sane, but she isn't…" He stumbled.
"Don't you dare defend her." Alison snarled.
She had loved Charlotte as much as Jason did. Maybe even more. It hadn't been easy for her to hear the truth. But she'd seen the light. Jason was still trapped in their sister's web of darkness.
"I'm not, but…"
"I don't expect you to believe me when I tell you that she's dangerous, but this proves that you shouldn't trust her." Alison cut him off. "Since you have power of attorney you need to take this seriously. You need security around her to bulk up and you have to stop Sara from visiting her."
"That's just going to drive her to attempt to kill herself."
"Someone set our cabin in the Poconos on fire." Alison frowned. "With us in it."
"What?"
"We almost died. We would have if…" If mom hadn't woken me up.
"Jesus, are you two okay?" He cut in when Alison grew silent.
"No, we're not okay!" She exclaimed. "She's got someone out there doing her bidding. This is going to the police."
"You can't do that! She's very fragile right now."
"It's all an act." Alison scoffed.
"I've seen the cuts myself." He growled at her, livid.
"Excuse me?" Alison blinked in surprise.
She had assumed Charlotte just had a flair for the dramatic. She didn't realize she was actually hurting herself.
She shot Emily a confused look.
The brunette looked just as shocked at the revelation.
"I told you that she'd been on suicide watch a lot. Ever since you left." He gave her an accusatory glare.
Alison was too shocked to react, but Emily wasn't.
"That's not her fault." Her molten brown eyes flashed with fury, sparking amber flecks that drew Alison towards her.
Alison already felt guilty enough, and the fact that her brother was trying to pile on top of that did not sit right with Emily.
Jason glanced at Emily sheepishly.
"You're right." He looked at his sister apologetically. "I'm sorry. It's just been intense lately. It's why I haven't been to see her as much. I didn't mean to blame you."
Alison faced Emily.
"I didn't know she was doing it until her doctors told me. She does it where no one can see." Jason explained.
"Shit." Emily muttered.
It made her feel worse about what she'd said to Charlotte.
But there was a monster inside of Alison's sister. And it had control.
Emily and Alison exchanged a look. Emily wasn't sure if the self-harm changed anything. She wasn't sure Alison still wanted to go through with sending the recording to the authorities.
Alison shook herself out of it.
"I feel for her. I really do." She did. She still loved Charlotte, despite her hatred of her actions. Her sister was still a danger. She'd tried to have them killed. "But that doesn't change anything. We have to take what we know to the cops. She's a danger to herself and a danger to others. Whatever her treatment is right now, it's not enough. We have to let the authorities deal with it."
He looked completely appalled at the idea.
"Welby is one of the best mental institutions in the state. And what's the point of bringing more heat on to her? She's already suffering enough."
His reaction pissed Alison off.
"She's suffering?!" Alison raised her voice. "How about the fact that her victims are suffering? How about the fact that I wake up screaming thinking that her hands are around my throat? Or the fact that Emily has night terrors about what Charlotte did to them in the Dollhouse, shaking and covered in sweat…"
Emily opened her mouth to say something, but she couldn't speak. Part of her realized that Jason needed to see that Charlotte's victims were more important than Charlotte.
"She tried to kill you in that elevator shaft. She hurt so many people. Aria has panic attacks on trains. Spencer still can't fucking sleep. Hanna has such severe PTSD that she completely forgets to breathe sometimes. Hell, even Mona suffers."
It was hard for Emily to sit through it. She knew Alison was in a rage, but it bothered her to think about her friends being so vulnerable.
"Don't you care about that? Or about justice for our mother? She's the only one who ever gave a shit about you. Dad treated you like a redheaded stepchild. I know you hate him."
Jason had a distant look in his eyes. His sorrow was palpable. Emily could feel it deep in her soul. The loss of a parent carved a hollow spot in the heart. Emily knew Jason would never feel whole again. She knew that because she felt the same way about the loss of her father.
Jason took a deep breath. His eyes darted to Emily.
"I am so sorry for everything she put you all through…"
"You are. She isn't." Alison snapped.
"Mom is dead. Nothing can bring her back. And this won't change anything." He gestured to the phone. "In fact…" There was a spark in his eyes, "if you do this and they open the investigation back up it's going to spill over into your new life. You could wreck your career. Everything gets out and people learn all of the DiLaurentis's dirty little secrets. Turning her in to the cops will wreck all of us."
"You are unbelievable. You think I'm that selfish? That I care more about my career than I care about the safety of my friends?" Alison muttered under her breath.
"I didn't say that." Jason held his palms up facing her in a show of trying to make peace.
"I don't know why this is so hard for you. It's not like you haven't turned your sister into the cops before. You didn't hesitate to turn me in when I was a kid. I had just gotten back to Rosewood and someone was after me. Someone set me up. I needed your help. And you turned me in."
"I let you go." He replied weakly. "I believed you."
"Do you believe Charlotte? What she said on this recording?"
"I…" For the first time in years, he faltered. "I don't know."
"You don't know?" Alison's nostrils flared. She was getting ready to ream him out, but she felt Emily's hand against her back, gently calming her. "Okay…I know this is a lot for you." She took it in another direction. "But you know it's not out of the realm of possibility."
"Mom loved her. Why would she do something like that?"
"Because she's crazy!" She tried not to lose her temper.
He really could be a dense oaf sometimes.
"What if we talk to her?" Jason suggested.
"We?" Alison gave him a pointed look. "You cut me out."
"I…yeah…that was shitty." He admitted. "I was just trying to protect her."
Alison laughed angrily.
"Of course you were."
"Ali…can't we just have a civil discussion here?" Jason pleaded. "Listen, I'm sorry I've been such a dick. But what if we can just sit down…as a family? We could force her to stop."
"You don't get it. You can't force her to do anything." Alison argued. "And it shouldn't be on us anyway. This is a her problem. And the cops can deal with her."
"I'm worried if you do this she might do something drastic." He bit down on his bottom lip, clearly conflicted.
"Setting me and Emily on fire isn't drastic enough for you?" Alison replied sardonically.
"I meant to herself…"
Alison sighed, her tension softening.
"We can't help her. She doesn't want it. She's an addict and a sociopath. She's obsessed with hurting people and she doesn't have any remorse for what she does."
"Because of mom and dad."
"She has been in that mental hospital for over three years. And she's still playing games with our lives. That has to mean something to you. Even if you hate me, you have to feel something."
He looked wounded.
"I don't hate you, Alison. I care about you, but…" He watched his sister's cheeks flush angrily. "Charlotte doesn't have anyone. She never did."
"Neither did we! But we didn't kidnap and torture people!" Alison threw her hands up in exhaustion and stood up.
"But we acted out in other ways," he said, a look of shame in his eyes. "We were just as screwed up as she is."
"No." The blonde growled. "You don't get to downplay her actions and blame her entire childhood, especially given what you did with your stupid little videos."
Jason didn't fight fire with fire. If anything, Alison's comment seemed to subdue him.
"Mom and dad didn't ship us off to a mental institution." He was desperately clinging to his childhood friend, and it would have been heartbreaking if not for the fact that Charlotte was trying to kill them.
"Maybe they should have." Alison angrily shoved her phone into her pocket. "Christ. You need to come to terms with this. I'm not going to let her hurt my friends anymore."
She sped across the living room and stormed out on to the front porch.
They could see her pacing and hear her swearing.
There was a beat of silence and then Jason cleared his throat.
"How did you get in to see her? I had security tighter than Fort Knox." Jason peered at the brunette curiously.
Not tight enough if Sara is getting in.
"It doesn't matter." She sure as hell wasn't going to mention Caleb's name. "Besides, I never said I did."
"You were a shitty liar when you were younger." Jason raised a curious brow. "You've gotten better."
"We screwed Alison over when she came back to Rosewood. Put her into police custody when she was innocent. I'm never going to make that mistake again." Emily kept her eyes locked on Jason's. "And I'm hoping you won't repeat the past when the cops start sniffing around. And you know they will."
"I understand." He relaxed his shoulders.
Message received.
"Good." Emily stood up to go after Alison. "Alison is still your sister. And I would hope that now that you know everything that you're going to back the right sister this time." She paused. "Even if you don't…I will. I love her with everything in my heart. I'm not letting anything else happen to her on my watch."
Jason stood next to her.
"Emily…" He gingerly reached out to stop her.
Emily looked at him in curiosity. She was fuming because Alison was hurt, and she hated to see it, but there was something genuine in Jason's tone.
"I haven't been the best brother to her…"
No shit.
Emily managed to keep her composure.
"If you want to make it up to her then maybe try listening to her. For once. She's right about this. I know you love Charlotte and you're too close to see it, but I know from experience what she's capable of. Alison woke up. I wish you would, too."
Jason blinked, uncertain of how to respond.
"I don't get it. You can be civil with me. After the NAT club…after…everything." She saw the remorse on his face, which was the only thing that separated him from his older sister. "Why don't you think Charlotte is capable of changing?"
"Because you acknowledge what you did. In some ways it's just as bad as what Charlotte did to us. We were kids, Jason. And Alison is your sister. What you did was criminal."
"I know." Jason waited for her to slap him. It looked like she wanted to. But Emily restrained herself. "None of you forgave me. And I understand…"
"It doesn't matter what we did or didn't do. Actions speak louder than words. You stopped." Emily paused at the doorway. "Charlotte didn't. That's the difference. That doesn't mean I forgive you. I'll never forgive you for exploiting us like that. But deep down, Alison still loves you. And she's trying to protect you before you fall into a trap and it's too late to save you. And I want what Alison wants. I want you to be safe."
Even though she didn't think he deserved it. After she found out about his perverted club she had felt exposed and betrayed and angry. Those feelings hadn't gone away. But she also respected her girlfriend's complicated feelings. Alison hadn't forgiven him for recording them naked and his perversion, but she still loved him and wanted to protect him.
"Alison is the only reason you're not in jail right now." Emily frowned. "You really fucked her over."
"She deserved better." Jason didn't argue.
"You need to be really careful going forward. This is a precarious situation. And Charlotte is unpredictable."
He looked down at the floor.
"Did Charlotte really kill my mother?"
"She wasn't lying." Emily had looked directly into Charlotte's eyes when she was confessing.
His brow scrunched, trying to hide the emotions he was dealing with.
"Despite what you might think of me, I do love my sister. And I'm glad she has you."
"If you really mean that then you'll consider what she's saying."
"You're asking me to choose…"
"You chose over three years ago. But that doesn't mean it's too late to change your mind." Emily frowned. "Charlotte is using you. That's what she does. It's up to you to decide whether you want to keep letting her get away with it."
"You have to understand. Alison has you. All Charlotte has is a padded cell and a shitty brother who should have spoken up when we were kids and protected her. I need some time to absorb this, okay? Alison doesn't get that. She made up her mind about Charlotte when she left town. But this is all…" He shook his head. "It's a lot. I need time to process."
"You better process fast, because I think Alison is set on sending that recording to every cop in Rosewood. Things are going to blow up really fast." Emily's eyes flickered to the front door and then back to Jason.
"Is that what you want? You finally get revenge on her." A sour frown tugged at his lips.
Emily stared coldly at him.
"That's never what this has been about." Perhaps it was for the other girls. Hanna would be giddy with joy if Charlotte was exposed and had to face the repercussions of her actions. "She's messing with the woman I love. Charlotte is dangerous. She wants Alison dead. And I refuse to go to another funeral for her. I won't bury her again. I'd just as soon see myself being lowered into the ground. She's been through too much. I have a feeling you feel the same way. And if you don't then you need to think really hard about where your loyalties lie."
He heard the sincerity in Emily's tone and nodded sadly.
"Thank you…for taking care of her," he said as he peered out the window at his little sister who was still ranting.
"She takes care of herself." Emily shrugged.
"She likes to think that she does, but you and I both know she'd be lost without you. She…was lost without you." He squinted, the days of Alison's heartbreak a distant memory. "When you left she was a different person. She had a lost look in her eyes, but seeing where she is today…I can see the fire in her eyes again. You girls really grew up."
Guess we aged out of being your type.
She still had a chip on her shoulder about Jason's movie-making days. But that's not what this was about, so she held her tongue.
Even so, he saw the look in her eyes.
"I can't take back what I stole from you all in your youth," he said. "I truly am sorry."
Emily didn't respond.
"Do you talk to the other girls?"
"Often," Emily said.
"I only talk to Spencer occasionally about the campaign donations. She refuses to stay on the phone with me for very long." He bit his lip. "Tell her I'm sorry. Tell them all I'm sorry. For everything."
"You already apologized to us."
"I know. I'm apologizing again. I'm not that guy anymore."
"I guess we'll see what kind of guy you are in the upcoming weeks." Emily reached for the doorknob.
She left him to digest her final words.
She slammed the door after she exited the house, signaling to Jason that she didn't want him to follow.
When the door stayed shut she realized her message had gotten across.
Alison was on the edge of the porch muttering angrily to herself. She was gripping the railing, which was thinly covered in snow.
The winter had been more bitter than Emily could have imagined.
The brunette walked up behind Alison and put her hand against her back.
"You okay?" Emily wrapped her arm around her, pulling her into the heat of her body.
"He is such a fucking asshole." Alison turned towards her. "How can he still stand there and defend her?"
"He's confused. And conflicted." Emily peered through the window. The living room was empty. "He needs time."
"He's had more than enough time." She looked at her phone. "How fast do you think we can make copies of this?"
"Since the file has already been spliced and I have the original we could make as many copies as we want. The question is how you want to share what we have. Cops have dedicated digital forensics teams and they'll be able to trace it back to us if we send it in an e-mail. We could send a non-traceable thumb drive anonymously. I can also see if there's a way for us to mail it to every cop in the state, including the state investigators and the FBI. Sometimes they're interested in cold cases, especially if it ties into other murders. And since Rosewood has had its fair share of bodies stacking up over the years I'm sure they'd be interested. You know Tanner would love to sink her teeth into this."
Linda Tanner had been the most ruthless bitch of a Detective that they had ever dealt with. The girls had tried to go to her for help, but the woman twisted everything into being their fault. She was part of the reason Alison went to jail and the girls had been kidnapped and locked in a bunker. She had botched the case so badly. Alison and Emily despised her.
"Ugh…if Tanner gets involved I'm not sure I want to send it to the state investigators." Alison groaned. "I so don't have time for this." She curled her nails into her palms. "I have like three meetings scheduled for the day after we get back. And I'm supposed to meet with the director of my new project the next day."
"We don't have to rush into this. We have plenty of time…"
"I just want it over with. I need Charlotte out of our lives." Alison interrupted her.
"Let's go back to my place and we'll figure things out. I can call Caleb if we need to. He might have an idea of how we can e-mail the file without it being traced."
Alison nodded. She put her phone in her coat pocket and rubbed her hands to warm them up. They silently walked towards the car.
Out of the corner of her eye, Emily saw a car idling several houses down. She frowned at it in suspicion.
"Was that car here when we got here?" She'd been so preoccupied talking to Toby and trying to keep Alison from exploding that she didn't really look around.
Her gaze was fixed on the dark 4-door sedan with partially tinted windows. She didn't know it, but it was the same car that she had missed seeing by minutes when she went to Welby.
Alison craned her neck around and looked.
"No, I don't think so."
"Maybe it's just my paranoia, but…" She watched as the car pulled forward and drove away. They were too far away to get a license plate. "It kind of feels like everyone is out to get us."
"Because they are." Alison mumbled angrily.
"Yeah…" Emily quietly muttered to herself.
When they climbed in the car Alison looked over at Emily.
"You didn't say anything about Charlotte self-harming."
"I didn't see any cuts on her. I swear." The keys jingled in Emily's fingers.
"I know. I believe you. I just…can't believe it. The Charlotte I knew was vibrant and confident and…honestly too vain to do something like that." Alison was gnawing on her bottom lip.
"Sometimes that has nothing to do with what's going on inside," Emily said softly. "She may be a monster, but she fights demons of her own."
"I know." Alison's eyes were downtrodden. She slowly looked up to face Emily. "Have you ever had intrusive thoughts like that?" She paused. "Before your dad died?" She knew how Emily had gone straight for her gun when she found out about her father, but she often wondered if Emily had struggled before.
Every time she asked Emily seemed to freeze.
The question jarred the brunette.
Alison could see the discomfort on her face, and she thought back to the conversation she'd had with Hanna about how Emily spiraled after she disappeared. Hanna had explained that Mona thought Emily wanted to die, which is why she'd locked her in a barn with a running car until she slowly started to succumb to the carbon monoxide.
Alison had asked her about it before, but Emily never went into detail.
"I don't mean to pry. I'm only asking, because I've been where Charlotte has been and I still didn't see the signs…"
"You've been where she's been?" It seemed to alarm Emily. "You hurt yourself?"
Alison shook her head.
"I was too obsessed with my vanity to ever follow through, but I did have thoughts about doing it all the time. I know I told you about how I wanted to die after my mom died. But even before that that I had…thoughts." She bit her lip. "Every time my mother talked about how we couldn't have fatty foods because I'd gain weight or every time my parents tried to present us as some picture perfect family. I felt like I was screaming, but no one could hear me. Sometimes I would lock myself in a bathroom with a razor blade or stare over a cliff and dare to think about what would happen if I just took one more step forward. It was very lonely." Alison sighed.
She felt Emily's hand against her knee, gently squeezing it.
"I wish I would have known."
"I don't feel like that anymore." Alison lifted her gaze to meet Emily's. "But when Jason mentioned Charlotte was hurting herself…" She shook her head. "I don't like my sister, but it's sad that she's in that dark of a place. It was almost enough to give me pause about sending that recording to the police."
"We don't have to do anything. You and Jason know the truth now. If you want to just forget the whole thing I completely understand." Emily felt a mounting pressure of guilt for the things she'd said to Charlotte. She had probably made things worse.
"My sister needs help. And she's not getting it in Welby. I don't know how she'll react to this. She may get angry. But I can't have this lingering over my conscience. My mother was a frigid bitch of a woman, but she deserves the decency of justice."
"I'm sorry about your mom. And I'm sorry about Charlotte, too." The words felt bitter to Emily, but she meant them. "I never should have said those things to her."
"I would have said everything you said and worse. Don't blame yourself. Let's not forget that this is the same woman who just tried to have us barbecued in the mountains."
"I know, but I know how tricky mental health can be. I've had…lows." Emily chose her words carefully. "High school was a really hard time for me." Between being closeted and being tortured it had exacerbated her sensitive emotions. "There were times that I cried myself to sleep and begged not to wake up."
Alison felt her heart splinter at the thought of Emily's pain.
"So when Mona locked you in that barn…"
"She wasn't entirely wrong. Things were so complicated after I thought I'd lost you. But…" She reached over the console and cupped Alison's cheeks. "I'm not that girl anymore. I still struggle sometimes, especially since my dad." She swallowed hard. "Things are different though. Even when the pain gets so bad that I don't think I can stand it I just look at you. And I feel like everything is going to be okay again."
"Em…" Alison was moved to tears. She leaned over the console and cradled Emily's face, gently brushing her lips against the brunette's. "I wish I could have done something for you back then. I wish I would have been a better person."
"The past is the past. Let's just focus on keeping our eyes forward for now." Emily clucked her tongue. "But you have complete control of what we do going forward." Her eyes were on Alison's pocket where her phone was buried.
The blonde pulled it out and stared at the media file she'd played for her brother.
"Am I total bitch for wanting to send this to the cops even though Charlotte is struggling?"
"I don't think there is any wrong way to feel in this situation. But you're not the problem here." Emily stroked her arm.
"I know. It's just that I've made all the wrong choices in my life…" She gripped Emily's hand, "Except for you. But even then I screwed it up three years ago. It took me that long to realize my mistake. And I'm really tired of doing the wrong thing. I wish this was black and white, but there is so much grey area." She laced her fingers into Emily's. "I'm not having doubts about doing the right thing and turning this over to the police. She tried to kill us. But I feel like shit knowing what I know now about her mental health."
"Whatever you decide to do we'll figure it out together." Emily kissed her cheek.
One of Emily's defining traits was her compassion. She was always able to put her own feelings aside and support the people she cared about.
The brunette started the car.
The drive back to Emily's place didn't take long.
Alison was lost in thought.
The silence lingered as they trudged back into Emily's house.
Alison was once again faced with an impossible choice. Hold back the evidence that her sister murdered her mother and give in to her threats or…turn everything over to the cops knowing what she knew about her sister's potential to spiral.
"When will your mom be home?" Alison asked.
"Couple of hours. You want something to eat?" Emily slid out of her jacket and hung it up in the closet by the front door.
It was only then that the blonde realized she was aimlessly wandering towards the kitchen.
"No. I'm not hungry." She turned around, brows furrowed in confusion.
Alison changed directions and started walking towards the living room. She sat down and placed her hands in her lap.
Emily sat down on the arm of the sofa.
"You okay?"
"She'll keep coming after us as long as we have this over her. That all stops if we hand it over to the cops." Alison stared out the window overlooking Emily's driveway. "You know…as much as she's put everyone through…I don't want to hurt her. But she's not leaving me much of a choice." After a few more seconds of hesitation she nodded her head in determination. "I think we should call Caleb before I lose my nerve."
Emily pulled her phone out, hoping that he'd answer. Alison seemed to be struggling and she didn't want to prolong that.
She hit the speed dial and put the phone on speaker.
After three rings Alison started to lose hope that he'd answer. But he picked up on the fifth ring.
"Hey Em, what's up? Everything okay?"
It spoke to the kind of friendship that they had that his first concern was something bad happening.
"Yes and no." Emily answered. "Our trip to the Poconos got cut short."
The dead air between them was deafening.
"What happened?" He finally asked.
"Charlotte sent someone to set the cabin on fire." Alison had to remind herself that despite Charlotte's struggles…she was still torturing them.
"What?" There was a loud rustling sound and a thud, like he'd dropped his phone. He uttered out a distant "shit" and then there was more rustling and his voice was normal again. "Are you two okay?"
"We're not dead, so there's that." Emily glanced at Alison, a precarious expression in her eyes. She knew exactly how close they had been to burning alive.
"Wait…why am I your first call? I haven't received any frantic calls or texts from Hanna, so I'm assuming she doesn't know yet."
"It's complicated." Alison sighed. "We got back to town really early this morning. We were exhausted, so we slept in at Emily's place. Then we went to talk to Jason…"
"Oh." Caleb seemed to sense where Alison was heading with her statement.
"Emily told me about the recording of Charlotte." Alison glanced at Emily, who looked wildly embarrassed about what she'd said. "She told me everything."
There was a pause and then,
"Did you tell Jason?"
"I did. He doesn't seem concerned."
"I'm sorry." His sincerity surprised her.
"Caleb…" She inhaled, trying to force the words, "I want to send the recording to the cops."
"Are you sure?"
"My brother doesn't realize how dangerous she is. Our parents really screwed us up."
"I get that." He'd come from a broken home, so he could relate. "I'll handle it. I'm assuming you don't want them to know it came from you?"
"Yeah."
"I can do that."
"I feel like eventually they will know. I'm pretty sure they don't have cameras in the rooms. I didn't see any evidence of them and Charlotte didn't seem at all concerned with what she was saying and doing. But they have video of me walking the halls of Welby. I didn't miss those cameras." Emily piped in.
"That's an easy fix."
"And if Charlotte says it was me?"
"You seeing her doesn't prove you're the one who took the recording. It would be your word against hers. Nothing is going to come back on you, Em." When she heard the determination in his voice she could picture the ferocious look of protection on his face. "Does Jason know it was you?"
"He won't say anything." Emily had seen the look in his eyes when she explained what was at stake.
"I don't know how sure I am about that." Alison's brows crinkled in concern.
"It doesn't matter what he does. We'll deal with it."
Alison frowned defiantly at Emily.
She is too noble for her own good.
"So…am I doing this or not?" Caleb questioned in confusion.
Alison peered at Emily.
There was an unspoken exchange between them.
We'll get through it. Together.
"Yes." Alison finally said after a long minute. "How long will it take?"
"A few days at most. I'll let you know before I hit send. You want to send hard copies and digital ones?"
"Yes. And I want them sent to as many agencies and officers as possible. I don't want to risk this getting buried."
"You got it. I can send it to the media, too. They'll be all over it." He suggested.
Alison cringed. She thought about Jason telling her it could fall back on them. Charlotte was a DiLaurentis, and Alison was a rising star. It would tie back to her eventually. DiLaurentis wasn't exactly a common last name, especially not in as small of a town as Rosewood.
Emily squeezed her hand.
"You're sure you're ready for the potential fall out?" Emily asked.
Alison nodded.
"It's the only way." She was already trying to think of ways she could spin it.
She'd been very careful about her private life on social media. She had built her platform on rising from the ashes of her old life. She rarely went into detail.
"You just let me know when you're ready and I'll make it viral."
"Thank you, Caleb." Alison managed to choke out.
It was a bitter pill to swallow. She spent three years hoping her sister would get better. She knew Charlotte was troubled, but actually outing her to the entire world was harder for her than she thought it would be.
Emily seemed to understand. She offered a comforting hand. Alison took it and squeezed.
"Look out for yourselves." Caleb said after a few moments of silence. He knew what they were doing was coming at a cost. "Take care of each other."
"We always do." Emily replied.
"I have to go. Hanna is going to be home from work any minute. I know this is a delicate situation. I don't like keeping things from her, but I think it's best that we keep this between us for now." He glanced away from the screen. "I'll let you know when the files are ready. Then it's up to you."
"Thanks." Emily smiled weakly.
It was not exactly something she wanted to celebrate. Alison was hurting, and she didn't like it.
They said their goodbyes and Emily put her phone down.
Emily slipped off of the arm of the couch next to Alison and wrapped her arm around her.
"I know this is hard for you." She kissed her cheek. "I'm here for you."
"I know." Alison leaned against her for support. "No matter what decision I make, this sucks."
"Does it help to know that I love you?" Emily hugged her.
Alison smiled.
"It does." Alison buried her face in the crook of Emily's neck.
She let herself melt into Emily's embrace. She loved being in her arms. Everything made sense when she was in her arms.
She only had about two minutes of peace before their lives were suddenly disrupted again.
There was a loud noise outside.
The clang of garbage cans falling and the sounds of a struggle.
They spun around just in time to see two figures darting past the window, one in a red coat.
"Double check the front door." Emily leaped to her feet.
She rushed towards the back door, where a small gun safe was located. She punched in the code and pulled her mother's pistol out before moving towards the back door.
Alison was hot on her heels.
Emily flung the door open and almost clashed with them.
"Look who I found skulking around." Toby had his hands firmly around the lurker's arms.
Her hands were twisted behind her back like he had handcuffed her.
An annoyed blue-eyed blonde was peering at them.
"Call your damn guard dog off." She snorted.
"Sara." Alison's face darkened.
Emily stared at her. The last time she had seen her face to face had been when she punched the bitch and scarred her hands. But her hands apparently worked well enough for her to still be doing Charlotte's dirty work.
"You fucking bitch." Alison lunged for her.
Sara was defenseless because Toby still had a firm grip on her. His bright blue eyes widened in surprise, but he didn't let her go.
The traitorous blonde was within choking reach, but Emily threw up her free hand to stop her. Alison managed to get a fistful of Sara's jacket before she was pulled away.
"Holy shit." Toby uttered at Alison's outburst.
"You tried to kill us!" Alison snarled.
"What?" Toby shot Emily a concerned look.
Emily shook her head.
"Toby, give us a minute." Emily clutched the gun firmly, aiming at the ground while keeping Alison secure with her free arm.
"You sure?" He puffed his chest out protectively.
"We can handle this." Emily nodded.
He scrutinized Emily's expression and slowly dropped the 'angry cop' routine. It was clear that the brunette could take care of herself. Even so, knowing their history, he wasn't going very far.
"Just as well anyway. Dropped the damn take-out chasing her. I'll go put an order in for delivery. I'm right out front if you need anything." He glanced at the gun. "Don't be afraid to use it."
"Oh…I'm not." Her tone was unforgiving.
Sara flinched.
Toby walked off, leaving the angry couple to deal with the trespasser.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Alison tilted her head from side to side, loosening up her neck like she was readying for a brawl.
At the same moment Emily's voice overlapped,
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't shoot you."
"Because you're not a murderer." Sara replied, trying to appear unafraid. But she was shaking.
"Who said anything about murder?" Emily held the gun steady at her side. "By rights, I could stand my ground right now. A bullet isn't always fatal. And honestly…I'm sick of this bullshit. So you better start talking. And it better be the truth."
A/N: Well...that escalated.
That cliffhanger tho.
Straight from the fire into the inferno. The girls are done playing around (how much do we love firecracker Alison and bold protective Emily?).
And now Toby and Jason are in the mix (I loved writing that whole scene where the girls ran into Toby while looking for Jason). Don't you just love how far Pam Fields has come? Are we into all the cuddle scenes? Do we think Jason is going to come around? Will Alison follow through on sending the recording? Why the hell is Sara Harvey? That's the whole question. You read that right. Why? Just why is she?