A/N: *peeks out from under rock* Hello, Emison fans. I know there are only like 12 of us left, but I had one other story in me. I had planned to make "Infatuation" my last one (I always say that…I know). But then my brain started needling me one night and my bestie texted me and told me she was sad and wanted another fic and this premise just popped into my head.
The inner critic is still alive and well, so be gentle. Reviews always appreciated. But be nice, because my inner critic is an awful bitch. I'm an overly-sensitive baby.
Note: This is canon-divergent. It takes place after the season 6A finale when all the girls go off to college. Season 6B and 7 never happened. But characters are as they were in the show. No AU. Simply a different interpretation on what could have happened with the characters as time progressed. We see more of Emison's journey than the others, but there are cameos and the Liars and their Lovers are around.
o ~ O ~ o
Quick recap of the end of Season 5 and all of 6A (skip if you know it by heart): Season 5 brought Alison back to Rosewood...only for the Liars to turn on her when Mona fakes her death. They conspire and decide to get her sent to jail. The only problem? They learn Alison is innocent. After Alison's trial where she is found guilty the girls are also arrested as accessories. But someone kidnaps them from the prison van and they end up in an underground bunker, where it's revealed that Mona is alive and is being forced to act like Alison. They try to escape, but it's hopeless. They learn that their captor plans on luring Alison out so the "doll" set will be complete.
At the beginning of Season 6A, the girls are held in the Dollhouse for nearly a month until Toby, Caleb, Ezra, and Alison all team up to get them out.
After they are rescued they set out to find out who Charles DiLaurentis (their captor) is. Alison learns that Charles was a sibling her parents hid from her and Jason (gaslighting Jason to the point that he believed Charles was his imaginary friend). While Alison's world is spiraling, the Liars are struggling to pick up the pieces of their lives. Spencer struggles with old addictions. Emily buries her pain in lieu of helping Sara Harvey, who was also in the bunker with them. Hanna's trauma manifests through her anger, and Aria's pain is channeled into a new passion (photography). She befriends a nice guy named Clark and bonds over art.
Things take a dangerous turn when the girls go to their Prom. Alison is extended an invitation to meet Charles, who is revealed to be her sister, Charlotte. Charlotte traps Alison in the mental hospital where she was held as a child and tells her the story of her anguished childhood of growing up in a mental institution, abandoned and alone.
The Liars desperately search the school for Alison. When it appears that they are in danger, Aria's friend Clark is revealed to be an undercover cop sent to protect them and to help catch Charles. At some point they separate from Clark and they all rush to find Alison with Sara in tow.
The girls end up locked in a room at the Radley, betrayed by Sara Harvey, who has been working with Charlotte the entire time. They are being fed a live stream of Charlotte talking to Alison. Charlotte reveals that she's drugged Jason and their father.
Spencer realizes while watching the live feed that Charlotte plans to blow up Radley with everyone trapped inside (including the girls) and the cops are not coming to save them because even though Sara said she was going to call them, she never did...cuz despite all the showers she took...her hands are dirty.
The Liars manage to break out of the room and they run into Sara on the way to try and save Alison. She is setting up a bomb. When she tells them to get out, Emily confronts her and punches her, sending her into an electrical breaker. Spencer deactivates the bomb and when Charlotte tries to detonate it, it fails.
Charlotte takes off when she realizes it's over. Alison has gotten out of the room and is chasing after Charlotte, who is heading to the roof. The police have arrived at this point and Charlotte knows the game is over. She plans to kill herself.
The Liars go up to the roof with Alison to stop her from jumping, despite all the terrible things Charlotte put them through. They convince her not to jump and explain that they heard what happened to her in her childhood. While they don't forgive her, they don't want her to die.
Charlotte is captured by the authorities and we cut to the girls getting ready to leave for college.
Where the relationships stood at the end of 6A: Hanna and Caleb went to NY together. Aria and Ezra went separate ways. Spencer and Toby were going to try to make long distance work. And Alison and Emily...well...that's where we pick up.
Some of the aspects of the show will remain canon through my time jump (which is three years instead of five), but other aspects differ. Aria and Ezra are not endgame, they stay apart. Caleb and Hanna stay together (which diverges from the show). The rest will unfold naturally as the story progresses.
And Alison and Emily's journey starts here:
Prologue:
Girl for All Seasons
Her teary blue eyes sparkled, a sense of desperation in them. She sat on her mattress staring at the only girl she had ever loved, a sharp twisting pain in her chest.
She knew what she was about to say was selfish, but she couldn't help herself. If she didn't fight for her then she would never forgive herself.
"Stay." There was a jagged edge in her voice, a plea. "Please stay. For me."
The words shattered the brunette, because she couldn't give her best friend what she wanted. Not this time. She stayed perched on the edge of the bed, flashing back to every time she'd been in it with the blonde.
But Emily was too damaged now. The town of Rosewood was like poison in her veins, so the second she got her acceptance letter from Pepperdine she hadn't hesitated to accept. California was a long way away from all the terrible memories in Pennsylvania.
"Running won't solve your problems or fix your pain."
That's what her mother had said.
Emily's mom supported her, but she wanted to make sure that she was making the decision based on what she wanted and not out of some attempt to avoid what had happened to her.
Emily knew part of her mother's concerns stemmed from the fact that her dad had been called back to go overseas, so she was losing both of them.
Her parents only wanted what was best for her. They were having a hard time letting her go, but they supported her decision.
Now, her very first love was peering into her eyes, begging her not to go.
It was hard enough to leave her parents. But leaving Alison DiLaurentis? After everything they'd been through together…it felt like a betrayal.
Still, she said the words,
"I have to move on."
She couldn't stay. Not after what happened. Not even for the blonde. Tears filled her eyes as she closed the space between them and cupped the shorter girl's soft cheeks.
"Without me." A whispered sigh.
"I asked you to come with me." She'd asked a dozen times. And she'd ask a dozen more if she thought the answer was going to change.
"You know I can't." Tears wet her icy blue eyes. "My sister…" She saw the brunette shudder. "I'm so sorry for what she did to you all." She bit her lip. "I hate her. I hate what she did to you."
She couldn't even imagine what it was like for Emily and the other girls to be held underground in a bunker for a month and tortured every day. Alison had put herself out there to save them, but she felt an immense amount of guilt for what happened to them. She felt even guiltier for being unable to abandon the girl who had done it to them.
Her sister Charlotte had no one, and Alison understood that. Her mother was dead. Her father had disowned her. Only her brother Jason remained.
Jason hadn't always been a nice guy. In fact, he'd been a drunk asshole for a long time. And a pervert. He'd started a club with his friends when they were in high school. They had filmed underage girls undressing, including her and her friends.
He'd apologized profusely after he got clean, but it didn't change what he'd done. He'd exploited them. He'd begged to make it up to them. He'd apologized to the girls, but no one told her whether or not they forgave him. She didn't. But he was family, so she was stuck with him.
Her family really did suck. Both of her siblings had hurt her friends.
Charlotte's actions were just as horrific as Jason's. She'd nearly killed them.
Alison couldn't take back what Charlotte had done to her friends, but she also couldn't leave her all alone after she'd been abandoned as a child.
"I'm..." Alison stuttered. "I'm so confused. And lost. My parents lied to me and my brother. And I need to understand. Jason and I…we want answers."
That's the one thing they had found common ground on after the years of fighting.
"I hope you find the answers you're looking for." Though the brunette's tone was sharp, she managed to give Alison a compassionate look.
Emily had a look of resolve on her face, like she'd always known it was going to work out this way between them. But everything had been complicated by that stupid fucking Dollhouse.
She inhaled a sharp gasp and she was back in that dungeon of torture. She had scars, physical and mental that would never heal.
Alison could see her regressing. She could tell that Emily was back in the hell that her sister had created, and for a moment she thought about jumping in the car with Emily and never coming back.
Alison's emotions and feelings were complex. She despised her sister for what she'd done, but she also wanted to believe that there was a way forward for her.
Alison had been a forgotten abandoned child, too. She had been born into the same terrible family. She had managed to make a change for the better. She wanted to see a hint of good in Charlotte and hope she could have a normal life one day.
That was hard to believe in given that Alison had seen the scars on Emily. The brunette never talked about her experience in the Dollhouse with anyone. Not even the other girls.
"I'm sorry…" Alison's voice came out as a whisper.
Emily's shoulders shrank.
"It's not your fault. You didn't know Charlotte was going to…"
"That's not what I'm talking about." Though she was sorry that her screwed up family had spilled over into her friends' lives. "I was always so afraid to…I didn't know how to…"
She had always struggled with her emotions, and it was going to cost her the love of her life. If only she'd said something sooner.
"How to what?" Emily's brow crinkled in confusion.
"I never told you how I feel…about you." Alison chewed on her lip. "I never said the words…"
There was a long overbearing silence lingering between them.
Emily peered at her, waiting for her to explain, but she seemed to be disappearing back into herself.
"Ali…"
"I love you." Alison's eyes darted towards Emily for a brief second before slowly glancing down at the floor.
Emily inhaled a sharp gasp. She had waited so long to hear the words. They had been intimate in bed, but Alison had always avoided talking about her feelings.
The fact that Alison was opening up now was almost too much for Emily to handle.
"I'm sorry I didn't say it sooner." The blonde muttered, forcing herself to look at the brunette, forcing herself to face the heartache of losing her. "Maybe…maybe if I had…"
"I…I don't know what to say." Emily's mouth felt dry…full of cotton and sandpaper.
"You don't have to say it back. I wouldn't if I were you. After all the years I taunted you. And after what my sister did to you…you should hate me."
"I don't hate you." Emily shook her head. "I could never…" She reached for Alison's hand. "Me moving away…this has nothing to do with you…"
"But part of it is. You don't have to lie to me. I understand why none of you want to stay here. I would go, too. But that's all I ever do. I run. And I don't want to be that person anymore."
She had spent nearly two years of her life running away from her problems. But things were different now.
"I understand that." Emily was so kind that it hurt.
"But you still have to go."
"Look, Alison…I…" She looked into her watery eyes. She had always loved the blonde. It had never been a secret. "You know how I feel about you. You've always known…" She saw Alison nod absentmindedly. "There's no question about my love for you. But…"
"But you're still going," Alison said again.
"Our timing is just not right."
Emily sighed and looked down at the carpet. She had memorized every fiber on it. She had spent so many nights in Alison's bedroom that she knew everything about it.
She knew about the hidden mark that had been left when Alison tried a cigarette for the first and only time in her life and nearly coughed up a lung, dropping the cigarette and burning the carpet in the process.
She knew about the bleached spot underneath the beanbag chair that had been stained by salsa. They weren't supposed to have food in the room, so Alison redecorated.
She knew about the nail polish spill underneath her bed. They had been laughing so hard about something that Emily had accidentally knocked it over. They rearranged the bedroom again after that.
They'd had a lot of fun in this room over the years. They'd shared secrets. They'd laughed. They'd experienced their first time in it.
Emily ran her hand over the duvet cover and that night came rushing back to her.
The relief she'd felt about having Alison home safe. The warmth of their bodies pressed together. Fumbling fingers. Alison's persistence. The way they had easily fallen into a rhythm.
They hadn't had a chance to talk about it the next morning because their lives were overwrought with drama.
Things had spiraled so fast. Emily's friends had been skeptical of Alison's intentions, but Emily believed in her heart that Alison had changed. Aria had been the only one who seemed to care about her conflicting feelings for their old bully. Spencer and Hanna wanted nothing to do with Alison. They always thought the worst of her.
Emily had been right all along, but none of her friends apologized for doubting her. Alison had been sent to prison for something she didn't do because of them. And Emily still hadn't forgiven herself for that one moment of doubt.
No one ever talked to her about the fact that her feelings had been invalidated. No one cared. And then a whirlwind had swept them all off of their feet and they'd landed in hot water…and in the Dollhouse.
Sometimes Emily lied awake on those hard firm uncomfortable mattresses that Charlotte called beds and cursed herself for not trusting her instincts. Because no one knew the mysterious blonde girl more than she did. Alison was trying to protect them in her own warped way.
Alison was softer with her. She was sincere. And Emily had repaid her by letting her friends' doubts eat away at her self-confidence.
The blonde didn't hold anything against her. Neither one of them knew they were going to end up here.
Neither one of them knew they were going to develop such a meaningful relationship.
Alison DiLaurentis's room held their entire history.
Alison looked around her room, thinking about all the memories they'd made.
How could she possibly leave this room?
How could she leave me?
Her heart was torn. She didn't want to bog Emily down, but she also didn't want to lose her.
"Why California?" Alison walked her fingertips up Emily's arm. "Why not somewhere…more convenient? For your parents to visit…and….for me to see you?"
"I want to give Pepperdine a chance. They have a great Biology program."
"Aren't they an uber-Christian school? Do they even know you're gay?" She didn't mean for it to come off as bratty, but her tone left something to be desired.
"It doesn't matter what they know. Their program is a step towards me getting my Biology degree. They have a track record of getting their students fantastic internships that turn into very lucrative jobs."
So do a thousand other schools.
There were so many other schools that offered exactly what Emily wanted. Alison didn't understand why Emily picked Pepperdine.
"I guess it probably helps that Pepperdine is only a few hundred miles from Paige." The name felt sour on the blonde's tongue.
She wanted to take it back the second it had left her mouth.
Jealousy made her an extremely ugly human being. She regretted how she'd treated Paige. She'd been sincere when she apologized for being so awful to her. She couldn't take back what she'd done to her and she did feel bad about the relentless bullying. But she was territorial when it came to Emily. She knew it was a bad look for her.
She saw Emily frown at her.
"That has nothing to do with my decision. Paige isn't going to Pepperdine."
"But she's just a few hours away." She'd overheard Emily talking to Paige on the phone about the move and it irritated her. "Are you two getting back together?"
Emily sighed and gently pushed herself to her feet.
"Why do you always make this a competition between the two of you? Both of you act like I can't make my own choices. I'm so tired of people making decisions for me." She'd had to deal with Alison's hot and cold nature for years, and Paige had betrayed her and given her ultimatums about Alison.
Neither one of them wanted the other in Emily's life.
Alison had clearly said the wrong thing, and she was losing her.
"I didn't…that's not what I meant." Alison fumbled as she scrambled to stand next to Emily.
She always did the wrong thing. She always fell back into being controlling and lashing out. She knew it was a problem and she knew she needed to work on it.
The brunette let out another sigh.
"I know this is hard for you. It's not exactly easy for me either. I don't like leaving you like this. But I have to get out of this town. I have to put everything that happened here behind me."
"Everything?" Alison's response was pitiful, and Emily quickly realized her mistake.
She cupped Alison's hands and sandwiched them between her warm palms.
"Never you. I could never forget you. What we had…"
Had…past tense. It cut Alison deeper than she thought it would.
"…our relationship…it was real. It is real. Just because I'm living in a different state…that doesn't change that. I'm always going to love you."
Then why are you leaving?
How could Emily look her in the eyes, say those beautiful words, and still abandon her when she needed her most?
No, it's not her responsibility to put me back together again.
Though she was the only person in the world that Alison trusted to do so. She realized she was projecting what she wanted. Her urges. Her desires. Her needs.
But what about Emily?
Emily deserved peace. She deserved to be happy. What kind of person would Alison be if she kept her from her happiness?
Even so, there was a tether she couldn't let go of. She was not ready to say goodbye. Emily might have thought she was leaving behind Alison's heart, but the reality is that Alison's heart was going wherever Emily was going. She would not be whole without the brunette in her life.
She couldn't stop Emily from taking her heart. She didn't want to stop it. Her fear was that she would grow bitter over the years, and she didn't want that.
"What we have is special." Emily tugged on Alison's hand.
She gently guided Alison's palm over her chest and held it there, letting Alison feel her heartbeat.
She has no right.
She has no right to make me love her like this.
It made saying goodbye harder, though Emily didn't seem to think so. Alison could sense that the brunette was trying to give her closure. But it would never work, because Alison didn't want closure.
Alison leaned closer, closing her eyes, hoping that Emily wouldn't move to California. Wishing for it not to happen. Willing it not to happen.
Emily stood frozen like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car. She knew she needed to put an end to it, but she couldn't force herself to do so.
Alison buried her face into the crook of Emily's neck, her hand still on the brunette's chest. She inhaled a deep breath, trying to memorize the way Emily smelled and the way her heart sped up when their bodies touched.
That's when she felt the tears welling up. She had been fighting them ever since Emily came to say goodbye, but she had no fight left in her. She kept her face buried, hoping that the brunette wouldn't feel the hot wet tears streaming down her face.
Emily wrapped her arm around Alison's lower back and held her close. She leaned back, forcing Alison's face into the light.
"Hey, don't cry." She lifted her chin to find Alison's dazzling blue eyes swimming in an ocean of water.
Emily's mouth was so close that Alison could practically taste her lips.
She didn't wait for permission. She pressed herself up on her tiptoes and her lips softly moved against the brunette's. Emily tensed at first. She knew it would be impossible to stop if they didn't get control of themselves, but then she found herself falling back on old habits…and kissing her back.
After a heated back and forth Emily finally pulled away.
"I…" Emily swallowed hard. If she didn't leave now she might never find the courage to leave again. "I'm so sorry. I've got a really long drive ahead of me. I've got motel reservations for tonight. And I'm going to need a good night's rest for tomorrow's drive."
It was going to take her a few days to road trip out to California. Driving instead of flying had been her idea. She needed some time alone in her car for a few days. She needed some time to process leaving Rosewood.
Emily gently stroked Alison's cheek, wiping away the remnants of her tears.
"You and Jason have your hands full here." She seemed on edge talking about it, but she knew the elephant in the room needed to be addressed. "For the record…I meant what I said. About all of it. About us. About...about her. About why you have to stay. I understand."
Alison was too devastated to speak.
So this is it.
She knew they would promise to call each other and stay in touch, but that was just a fabrication. A lie that children told each other to make major life changes easier.
She didn't know what else to say, so she just held Emily's hand and uttered four words.
"Take care of yourself."
Emily nodded and slowly pulled away from her, but not before pausing and pressing a kiss against her forehead.
As Alison watched her move towards the door she felt a rising panic in her chest. There was nothing logical about the way she felt. She saw her heart and her soul walking out of her life forever.
She saw her past with the brunette.
Secret kisses in the library.
Sentimental cards she'd kept over the years that Emily had sent to her.
Snowglobes and vulnerabilities.
Holding each other tight when the uncertainty in their lives was at its highest peak.
She saw that safety disappearing. And she raced after her best friend.
"Emily, wait." She grabbed her arm, her fingers gripping her as if she held on tight enough she could keep her forever.
Emily closed her eyes, fighting the ache in her chest. She was on the verge of tears. Alison's touch had a power over her that she couldn't fight.
"Don't go yet." Alison knew it was selfish, but she'd lost everyone in her life she'd ever cared about. Losing the brunette would shatter her. "I need you."
Emily let out a shaky breath, her hand landing on Alison's hip. For a moment they just stared at each other, their eyes connecting, their hearts racing. Emily slowly moved her palm up against the curves of Alison's body…a body she was going to miss more than anything. Her palm came to rest against Alison's neck, which was hot beneath her touch. She could feel her pulse thrumming wildly.
Alison reached up to cup Emily's face, expecting her to pull away. She had been pulling away ever since the Dollhouse. She hadn't been the same girl. And Alison knew that was because of what her sister had done to her.
She wanted to ask her what happened, but she also feared knowing.
Emily moved closer. She was acutely aware that it might be one of the last times she saw the blonde. Growing up and growing apart was a natural part of life. Because she had been raised in a military family, she was all too familiar with what happened when someone moved across the country.
Technology had made it easier for people to stay in touch, but in a way it also put a wall between them. People were closer than ever without having to be close in proximity. It was a way to feel connected, but distant.
Emily thought about how this would likely be the last time they would physically touch one another. It stirred all of her old feelings to life.
Alison saw her hesitation and she slowly released the grip on Emily's arm.
The blonde closed the distance between them and then they were kissing again.
The next thing Emily knew, they were on the bed…the soft duvet tickling her skin as Alison slid her fingers underneath her shirt.
The brunette couldn't keep her hands to herself either. She cupped Alison's cheeks as their bodies moved together like the rise and fall of an oceanic surge.
"We shouldn't…" Emily knew that it would only lead to feelings of abandonment and resentment in the future, but her libido was really hard to ignore.
She'd never been able to fight her attraction to the blonde.
"I want to." It came out a whisper against her cheek. "I need to."
"It's not a good idea…"
"Nothing is ever a good idea with us. The girls made that perfectly clear." The betrayal in her heart ran deep.
No one had ever supported their relationship, with the exception of Aria. Emily had told Alison about the time she had gone to Aria to talk about her feelings. Aria had listened and respected her. Spencer and Hanna had tried to talk Emily out of being with her.
"They have nothing to do with it." Emily licked her lips. "They don't tell me who I can and can't date. Don't forget that I was the only one who believed you when everyone else was against you."
"Until Spencer got into your head and convinced you I was A…" Alison laughed bitterly.
That still stung. The look on Emily's face when she told her she was done with her had shattered her heart…or at least, what was left of her heart.
"That…" Emily stuttered. "That wasn't her fault. You were acting so different. But I saw the good in you. I refused to believe the worst of you."
"But you set up a test to see if I was the one torturing you…"
"You did the same thing the night you went missing. You spiked our drinks." Emily reminded her.
"I did." Alison thought back to their Sophomore year…the year she had gone "missing".
She had been running away from someone threatening her. She didn't know who to trust. She was paranoid.
"Mona was so relentless when I got back after being on the run. So I didn't know how to act. And then my mom…" She swallowed tight.
Pepe barking.
Her friends' screams.
A human hand sticking out of the dirt.
Flashing lights.
When she closed her eyes she could still see her mother's corpse being dug up in Spencer's backyard.
She would also never forget the chilling video she got of her being buried. Someone had sent it to her to taunt her. She had almost puked in the high school cafeteria. It was horrifying to see her mother in the same position she'd been in when she was buried.
The cops assured her family that she was dead before she was buried. Her blood pressure had bottomed out and caused her heart to stop. Even so, Alison still had dreams of her choking on dirt.
The video she'd been sent couldn't be tracked. Charlotte swore she had nothing to do with it. She told Alison she never would have hurt their mother...that her mom was the only one who cared enough to visit her in Radley. The older girl was certain someone had done it to hurt both of them.
There was no trace of physical evidence, so the cops had yet to take anyone into custody.
The case was cold.
It bothered her.
"I was so messed up after she was killed." Alison nervously curled her fingers into a fist. "I had so much I needed to talk to her about. I never got closure with her and I was terrified I was losing you all, too. I…I'm sorry for how I acted."
"You shouldn't be apologizing to me." Emily looked at her sadly. "I'm sorry I doubted you. It's our fault you ended up in prison. You told us what was going to happen. You were right. And I should have trusted my instincts."
Emily had been on her side until the very last minute. She still felt guilty for the way things had ended up.
"That wasn't your fault. After Mona faked her death, A was hellbent on pinning it on me no matter what. You were just pawns in Mona's and Charlotte's games." She saw Emily flinch and physically recoil at the reminder of her trauma. "That…that isn't what…I was just trying to say…"
She didn't want Emily to feel used, exposed, or guilty.
"This whole thing ties back to me. None of it is on you. What Mona did…what Charlotte did…they made their own choices. And I did the same. When I first started getting those texts back before I ran off…" She clucked her tongue. "…I never should have involved you. I shouldn't have involved any of you. It wasn't your fight."
Alison frowned at the floor.
"It didn't have to be a fight."
"I think you always knew it would be. That's why you were protective of me until the end. I didn't deserve it, but you were. Through everything you always believed the best in me. You always defended me. I didn't even have to ask you to." Alison swallowed a lump in her throat.
Emily got really quiet. Alison couldn't read the look on her face, which was unnerving. Emily touched her lips absentmindedly, and Alison couldn't help but wonder if she was thinking about their very first kiss in the library.
"Out of all the girls…why me?" Emily squinted her eyes as if she was looking into the sunlight, confused. "Why did you trust me with your secrets? The snowglobe? Meeting me at the warehouse? The scar." Her eyes drifted to Alison's thigh where she'd gotten a nasty scar when she was on the run. "Why did you single me out?"
"Because I knew I could tell you anything and you would keep it a secret."
Emily bristled. Secrets were what had gotten them into trouble in the first place. Alison placed her palm against her forehead and rubbed it, fighting a strange pulsing headache. She dropped her hand.
"I know I keep saying the wrong things." Alison peered into her eyes, holding her gaze. "I can't make up for my past, but I want you to know that it wasn't in vain. I was able to see you through a different lens. But I was so scared of admitting that out loud. My mom…she forced me to lie when I was five. She forced me to lie to my dad my whole life. And now I know it's because he hates people like us…like…like me."
She had never had the courage to come right out and talk about her sexuality. They'd had sex, but Alison never talked about her feelings.
"It's not fair…what your parents did to you." There was an obstinate anger in Emily's sienna eyes, but it wasn't directed towards the blonde.
Alison almost slipped up and said it wasn't fair to Charlotte and Jason either, but she realized that would be pouring salt in Emily's wounds.
"I was so confused. I knew you would have been the only person who would understand. We have always been able to talk. Sometimes we talk without actually speaking..." Alison snaked her hand up Emily's shirt.
When the brunette didn't stop her, she continued…her fingers tracing the bumps of Emily's abs…moving towards her chest…
Emily let out a shaky exhale.
"I'm afraid if we do this it's only going to make things worse." Emily's words didn't match her actions as she put her hand against Alison's abdomen.
It can't get any worse than losing you.
She would later find out she was wrong about that.
"If you really don't want to…we won't." Alison's lips ghosted over Emily's. "But I'd very much like something to remember you by."
Something in her words changed Emily's hesitation. Moments later their lips crashed together with a fiery need.
Their first time came rushing back to Emily. Only this time, Alison wasn't shy about removing articles of clothing. She also wasn't shy about pushing Emily on to her back and pulling her shirt off.
Emily bucked back and rolled against her so that Alison's back was flat against the mattress. They'd always fought for control in the bedroom.
Alison ran her finger up against Emily's spine, stopping when she felt a bump.
A scar.
A scar that my sister gave her.
She saw Emily tense and pull away, her eyes wild…in the deepest recesses of her mind.
I don't have a right to be with her. Not like this.
Not after she had decided to stay in Rosewood for her sister. She could have just as easily skipped town and run away with Emily, but she didn't want to fall back on old habits. She didn't want to be like her family. When things got rough they abandoned people and disappeared.
After her mother had died, Jason had abandoned her. After Alison came out to her father, he skipped town. Jason had eventually come back after he heard the truth about Charlotte. Her father hadn't.
But even though she knew she didn't deserve Emily…she didn't stop. And Emily didn't either.
Alison pushed back, rolling Emily on to her back again, their lips and tongues clashing as their pelvises connected.
When Emily mewled into her mouth Alison shivered…the motion vibrating down into her veins and culminating between her legs.
"I love you." Emily uttered. It was completely in the heat of the moment, and the minute she said it she realized it was a mistake, especially since she was leaving.
She knew it wasn't exactly a secret, but she'd never said the words to her like this before. Not when they were baring their souls. It caught Alison off-guard.
"What?" Alison pulled back.
"I…"
"You…love me?"
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have…" Emily mumbled. It was only going to make their goodbye harder. "It's not fair to say that now and I…"
"Emily…" Alison grasped her face, trying to stop her from rambling. "Do you really love me?"
Emily closed her eyes, a pained look on her face. She didn't want to go. She didn't want to leave Alison, but she had to.
"I do." She blinked and then locked eyes with Alison.
"But you're going away…"
Emily pulled away and Alison felt a visceral shiver at the loss of contact.
"I knew this was a bad idea. This wasn't…" Before Emily could finish her sentence Alison's lips were planted on hers again.
Alison was greedy with the embrace, controlling and demanding. She pushed her body against Emily's.
"Ali, you're really vulnerable right now…" Emily uttered as she tried to catch her breath between kisses.
"That's not why. I promise." She cupped Emily's chin with her palms resting on either side, her fingertips against Emily's cheeks.
"I don't want you to look back on this moment and cry." Emily's eyes were full of tears.
Too late.
Alison traced her index finger from Emily's temple down to her jaw, her palm gently cupping her chin.
"Just…love me while you're still here." She popped the button on Emily's pants and slowly slid the zipper down, watching as the brunette's eyes darkened in lust.
They both knew how painful it would be to say goodbye, but it was hard to deny the heat between them.
Alison had always been in awe of Emily's physique.
My sweet little swimmer.
She used to sneak into Emily's practices to see her swim competitively. She belonged in the water. When she came out, hair dripping and sun-kissed with a huge smile on her face it was easy for anyone to fall in love with her. She was such a natural.
My beautiful mermaid.
She could have been awarded a scholarship had it not been for two predatory stalkers.
One had tainted her medical records after poisoning her with HGH cream.
Mona…
The other had run her, Aria, and Mona down with a car, which is how Emily sustained her shoulder injury that sidelined her.
Charlotte…
Charlotte had destroyed what little chance she had left, and that pissed Alison off, but it also made her feel sad.
She didn't even realize that she'd finished undressing the brunette entirely until she felt their bare bodies intertwined. The weight of Emily's toned body pushed her down against the soft mattress and silk sheets.
Feeling Emily's breaths in time with her own was staggering. The power that she wielded was unmatched by anything Alison had ever encountered. Normally, they both pushed for dominance, but the blonde was completely at Emily's mercy for the first time.
Alison blinked and inhaled a little breath of disbelief. She'd never let Emily have control before. She'd always let her think she had it, but at the last moment she had always flipped that control.
What had changed?
My God. I'm in love with her.
She'd always known she loved her. It had scared the hell out of when she was younger. She was always afraid of what her father would think, though she wanted to believe deep down that her mother would have accepted her. Or perhaps she would have shipped her off to a mental institution like they had done to Charlotte.
Alison's mother had loved Charlotte enough to bury her alive after Charlotte mistakenly hit her over the head with a rock. It was clear her mother was a very complicated person. But she loved Charlotte. And she probably would have loved Alison if she'd come out to her.
She had never expected to fall in love with Emily Fields. She certainly loved her, but it was only in that fragile vulnerable moment that she understood that loving someone and being in love were not the same thing.
I'm in love with her.
And she's leaving.
There had been a change in their dynamics. She felt the brunette, her mermaid, pull away.
Emily had always been an alluring mystical creature. A siren with a beautiful song. Alison wanted to listen to her every word when Emily was focused on her.
All she saw when she looked into her beautiful brown eyes was love. That's what Emily was…she was love.
A warm hand caressed her pelvis as Emily trailed kisses along her neck. Alison gripped her, pulling her closer.
"Are you sure?" Emily blew a heated breath against Alison's lips.
Alison didn't respond.
"You have to tell me you're sure. I can't…I would never take your silence to mean yes. You have to say the word, Alison."
Consent had always been important to both of them. They had both encountered situations with other people who had ignored consent.
Emily's high school boyfriend…her beard before she came out…had pinned her against the lockers and tried to assault her. And Alison had been groomed and seduced by older men for years, including the man who gave her the scar on her thigh.
But Emily was different. Emily never pushed her to do anything she didn't want to do.
Alison's head tilted back against her pillow, her eyes meeting Emily's as she grasped her rosy cheeks and slowly pulled her back down.
"Yes." I want you to stay with me like this forever. "Please, I want this. I want you."
Emily smiled down at her, tenderly stroking her face. She seemed so different than the shy girl Alison had kissed in the library. She had grown. Matured. She was more confident, more controlled.
She watched as Emily slowly leaned down, her lips brushing against Alison's ear.
"I want you, too." She whispered.
The words sent a wild tingling sensation down Alison's spine. She'd always known it. She'd felt it when they'd been together. But this was different than all the other times. Emily had never been bold enough to express her feelings outright in the middle of sex.
Alison wasn't sure how to reciprocate. Because everything in her mind sounded like something a stalker would say.
I've always wanted you.
You're the only person I've ever loved.
I only feel things when we're together.
Alison let herself get lost in the moment. She let Emily consume her. She wanted to be consumed.
Minutes ticked by.
Then hours.
Alison felt a panic rising inside of her, realizing that her time with Emily was running out. She didn't want to lose her. All she wanted to do was snuggle and cuddle with the one familiar person in her life who loved her unconditionally.
Emily peered at the clock on Alison's bedside table, the cool blue digits flashing the time. She sighed, Alison's cheek shifting with her breath. The blonde could feel Emily's heart pounding against her skin. She closed her eyes and tried to memorize the feeling.
Emily raked her fingertips through Alison's hair, eliciting a smile from her. The moment felt perfect.
But she knew it was coming to an end.
Emily shifted and Alison moved up and laid her head against the crook of her neck, taking in the overwhelming scent of her shampoo.
"The girls are meeting up soon." Emily's eyes drifted to the clock again.
Alison buried her face halfway into Emily's shoulder and halfway into the shared pillow they were both laying on.
"They probably hate me." She grumbled into the pillow and then glanced up at Emily.
You probably hate me.
I hate me.
Only someone really shitty would decide to stick around a town where her sister had tortured her best friends. Someone even shittier would stay for that sister.
"They don't hate you." Emily's voice was timid. It reminded Alison of the gentle nature she'd always had when they were younger.
"I don't know if I can stand to look them in the eyes." Alison felt selfish for many reasons, but Charlotte wasn't the only reason. "I don't want to say goodbye."
She knew she had no right to feel that way, but it didn't change how she felt. She was a hypocrite, because her friends had never gotten to say goodbye to her after she was chased out of town. There were a dozen reasons she could have told them the truth when she was on the run. But in her mind there were also a dozen reasons why she couldn't tell them the truth.
"Would you have come with me?" Alison's eyes met Emily's. "That day after I saved you in the barn. If I had given you more time…would you have gone with me?"
Early on, when she'd been hiding from the person who had tried to kill her she had pulled Emily out of a barn to save her from monoxide poisoning. It had been a trap that Mona set up for her. She would have died if Alison hadn't been there.
Alison still held a grudge against Mona, not because Mona was torturing her before she left town, not because Mona gaslighted her and tricked her into leaving, but because Mona had dared to go after Emily Fields.
She expected Emily's answer to be a resounding no, but to her surprise the brunette contemplated the question.
"I don't know. Maybe. If I thought I could help." That was so like Emily. "I feel like maybe we could have worked things out and maybe we could have fixed everything if you trusted me enough to come back with me." She faced Alison. "Why do you ask?"
Because we could run away together now. Just the two of us. No college. No Charlotte. Just you and me. We could run away to Paris like we always wanted.
It was a flight of fancy. A desperate girl clinging to a dream.
"Did you change your mind about coming with me?" Emily perked up, and Alison hated herself for giving the brunette hope.
"No. I was just thinking about our dream of going to Paris." And about everything she was losing by staying behind.
A peaceful expression washed across Emily's face. She smiled as she thought about their idea of running away to Paris together.
Being alone in the French classroom Freshman year, their fingers brushing together as Alison showed Emily some of the places she wanted to go. There had been a vulnerable look on the blonde's face.
Mona had been torturing her back then, and Emily had no clue. It meant all that much more that Alison wanted her to go. She wanted to run away from her problems. She was probably scared, but she didn't show it. And she trusted Emily enough to go with her. She'd wanted Emily to go with her.
Emily's phone buzzed with a text alert, shaking her out of the memory. She picked it up and read the message from Hanna.
Leaving soon. Where are you? We're not leaving without saying goodbye to that pretty face of yours, California Girl.
Alison picked up her phone. There were no messages for her, which only confirmed how the girls felt.
She sighed and slowly started to put it down, but it jingled in her hand. It was a message from Spencer.
We're all meeting up before we leave. Hope to see you.
Alison tilted her head in confusion. The last person in the world she expected to care about her was Spencer Hastings.
"I've got a few more things to pack." Emily was moving to the edge of the bed. It took everything in Alison's power not to grab her and hold her there. "And I have to say goodbye to my mom before I go."
That was not going to be easy. Pam Fields was going to have as much trouble letting her go as Alison was.
"Do you want me to go with you?" Alison reached for her bra and put it on. "Maybe she'll be less likely to cry."
Emily laughed and turned to face her as she pulled her pants on.
"She's going to cry no matter what, but I appreciate it. I think this is something that should be between just me and my mom."
"Have you talked to your dad yet?" Alison walked towards her closet to pick out a less crumpled outfit. Everything had wrinkled in the pile on the floor.
The messy look worked well on the brunette. She could pull off any fashion design. Even ode to frumpy housewife sweats. But Alison didn't like going out in clothes that were in less than perfect condition.
"Yeah, I talked to him this morning. He's in Germany training new recruits. Then he's going somewhere else, but they won't let him tell us. Army is tricky like that." Emily reached for her bra and her shirt and put them on. She walked to the vanity so she could make herself look presentable. "He's really excited for me, but I think he's worried that my mom won't know what to do with herself. He doesn't want her to be alone."
"She has the wine club with everyone's moms." They'd even printed out shirts that said Wine Moms, which Alison thought was the dorkiest mom-like thing to do in the world. "And I'll check in on her."
Emily turned around, a grateful expression on her face.
"You would do that for me?"
"Not just for you. For her." And maybe a little for herself.
Maybe she'd feel a little less alone…and a little less guilty about staying. And perhaps she could find something special with Pam. Something that she'd never had with her own mother before she died.
Emily moved towards her, but stopped, uncertain of her motions. She wanted to wrap Alison up into a bear hug and kiss her forehead and then kiss her temple. She wanted to shower her with kisses. But she was leaving. It would be torture for both of them. Instead of grabbing her cheeks with her palms she gripped Alison's hand.
"Thank you so much. That would mean the world to me...to know that she's not alone." Emily squeezed Alison's fingers and then let go.
Alison felt like crying when their hands drifted apart.
She felt like curling into a ball and dying when she was waving from her front porch ten minutes later.
She held it together until she walked back into her room and was blasted in the face by Emily's scent. Her presence was still there.
Alison walked over to her bed and plopped down, burying her face in the pillow they'd been sharing. Tears flowed freely from her eyes, soaking the pillowcase.
She sobbed for nearly ten minutes before she realized she needed to clean herself up and go say goodbye to her friends.
She forced herself to wash her face. Then she put concealer under her puffy eyes and started to put her make-up on.
Half an hour later she was walking out the door, numb to all of her senses.
She had to put on a show when she walked up to where her friends had gathered all their cars. She smiled and waved and jogged over to meet them.
"Hey, glad you came." Aria gave her a small smile.
"Of course I came." Alison smiled back warmly, hiding the agony she felt in her heart.
They're leaving.
Emily is leaving.
She glanced over and saw that Hanna was looking at the bags in the back of Emily's car.
"Did you pack enough flip-flops, Em?" Hanna gave her a look that screamed, "Overkill much?" The fashionista always had something to say.
"Malibu." Emily simply shrugged and closed the trunk.
They walked over to where Aria, Spencer, and Alison were standing.
Emily shot Alison a soft smile, but there was a hidden pain beneath the depths that Alison could see.
This is hurting her as much as it's hurting me.
She couldn't stand the idea of Emily hurting. It was worse than her own pain.
Spencer playfully poked Aria's shoulder.
"You better not come back from Savannah talkin' like a southerner, ya hear?" Spencer's attempt at a southern accent had everyone biting back laughter.
Alison had spent time in the south with her grandmother in Georgia during the summers and Spencer's accent would have made the southerners cringe.
Aria was ready to bite back.
"You better not come back from Georgetown talking like a politician." The short feisty brunette shot back with a grin.
Talking like a politician would be so much worse than talking like a southerner. Or maybe the worst thing would be is if one of them came back talking like a southern politician.
Spencer had nothing to say to Aria's retort, so she just nodded, knowing she'd been bested.
"Yeah. Okay. That's fair."
They all giggled. It wasn't often that people matched wits with Spencer and won.
There was a lull in the conversation.
"I heard that Sara is being released from the hospital today." Emily peered down at her knuckles.
Sara hadn't been the first person she'd punched in her life, but she had been the first one to land in the hospital because of that punch. It's not like she didn't deserve the hit. She'd been helping Charlotte torture them. And she was going to blow up Radley with them inside.
Alison rolled her eyes in irritation.
"She should be in prison…" She stopped herself short, realizing that her sister had avoided prison by going to a mental health facility.
But Sara had been in control of her actions. Charlotte wasn't. Charlotte tortured them because she was sick. Sara had helped her because she wanted to. She could have come clean at any time instead of using Emily and the others after the Dollhouse. Hell, she could have come clean before Charlotte captured them.
Her friends were staring at Alison, no doubt thinking about how hypocritical she was being.
"She told the cops that she felt conditioned to be loyal by Charlotte." Spencer stated matter-of-factly.
"That's such bullshit."
Spencer shrugged in response.
"Have you talked to her?" Alison put her hand on Emily's shoulder.
Emily looked up at her, and for a few seconds all of their trauma melted away. They were just Alison and Emily at the kissing rock…in the library…outside of a barn…in Alison's bed.
"You mean since I punched her so hard she fell into an electrical breaker and ended up with third degree burns on her hands?" The trauma returned. "No. I haven't."
"What happened to her wasn't your fault. You were protecting us." Hanna frowned, a dip in her brow making her normally bright blue eyes a shade darker.
Emily didn't respond. She wouldn't look any of them in the eyes.
"Emily," Alison said evenly, drawing the brunette's gaze to her. "I know you, and I know you blame yourself for pretty much everything wrong in the world, but that was a freak accident and you know it. We were in danger."
"She's right, Em." Aria touched her arm.
Alison shot Aria a look that none of them saw. A possessive look. Because despite the fact that she was trying not to be a jealous lunatic…it was instinctive for her to dislike others touching Emily. Even in a friendly manner.
You're doing it again. She reined in her temper.
"I would have hit her myself if you didn't." Spencer jumped in to agree.
"Yeah." Emily rubbed her knuckles.
It was all she was willing to say about the subject.
Someone's phone went off. Everyone tensed at the noise at first, but then Spencer grabbed her phone and tapped on the screen.
"I have to go. I'm meeting Toby at The Brew to say goodbye."
"I'm glad you two are going to try and make long distance work." Aria smiled.
Spencer didn't have as much enthusiasm as Aria. She and Toby knew there was a very real possibility that it wouldn't work. But they wanted to try. Emily and Alison had talked about long-distance, but ultimately they knew it wasn't in the cards for them.
"Em, you want to come with me?" Spencer asked.
She knew how close Emily and Toby were, and she knew how hard this move was going to be on them. They were like brother and sister. He'd been the first person she'd really come out to. He'd accepted her. And she stood by him when the entire town thought he was a horrible person. She helped him clear his name.
"I said my goodbyes to him already." Emily had meticulously planned on meeting up with him about an hour before she'd gone to Alison's house.
She wanted Spencer and Toby to have a proper goodbye with each other. The way she'd had a proper goodbye with Alison.
She looked at the blonde, who looked shattered, and it was almost enough for her to change her mind.
Aria let out a sigh.
"You guys, I can't believe we're actually leaving." Her eyes were brimming with tears.
Hanna looked around awkwardly, letting a nervous laugh slip.
"Saying goodbye is a lot harder than I thought it would be." Hanna hugged herself.
Alison's eyes caught Aria's. At first, Aria's expression was hard to read, but then her face softened. She leaned against Alison and hugged her. Hanna and Emily embraced. Spencer smiled through her tears.
"How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard." Spencer rubbed her bare arm.
"What brilliant scholar said that?" Emily chuckled.
A sly grin formed on Spencer's lips and she breathed out a laugh,
"Winnie The Pooh."
It earned another round of laughter.
Emily peered at Alison and she naturally fell against her shoulder and grabbed her hand as they both laughed.
The girls didn't seem to notice their proximity. They were trying to deal with the fact that high school was over…that they were moving on. Aria and Hanna leaned in to hug Spencer at the same time, sandwiching her between them.
It was only then that Hanna's eyes flickered over and saw Emily's fingers intertwined with Alison's. She saw the way they were looking at one another. Emily didn't notice Hanna's gaze. She was too focused on the blonde.
"You gonna be okay?" Emily squeezed her hand as she turned towards her.
No.
"Yeah." Alison lied. Everything was easier when you lied. But she was getting kind of tired of doing it. "I spent my whole life dreaming about getting away from here, but right now this is the only place I want to be…" She drifted off, not explaining her reasoning, because staying behind for Charlotte made her feel a churning sickness in her guts.
Emily tilted her head, trying to read the expression in her eyes, but Alison hid behind a smile.
"Love you." Emily pulled her in for a hug, and it made Alison's heart feel like it was splitting in two, especially given what they'd shared a few hours ago.
The words seemed to hold a new meaning to the both of them.
How could she let her go?
"Love you, too." Alison found herself responding without thinking.
Once Emily let go Alison zoned out. There was a lot of hugging through watery tears and a lot of promising to keep in touch. Alison barely registered when Spencer reached out to hug her, but she forced a smile on her face.
"Bye." They said at the same time.
"Have fun." Alison managed to keep the smile on her face. "Drive safe, guys." She looked around at her friends.
Spencer was the first to climb in her car.
Hanna stood next to her open door, glancing at Emily and Alison over the hood of her car. She studied their body language before giving them a brief wave.
She knows. Alison realized.
Hanna had always been perceptive. Alison half expected her to open her mouth and spill her guts. But she didn't. She climbed into her car and started it.
Aria was the last to approach her vehicle. She was taking in her surroundings. Alison wouldn't be surprised if Aria became a world renowned author. She noticed every little detail in artwork.
Alison forced herself to keep her composure as she smiled and waved as they drove away from her one at a time.
One by one, each car slowly pulled away until it was just Emily and Alison.
Emily gripped Alison's hand and gave her a peck on the cheek.
"Let's stay in touch." Emily's smile didn't quite reach her eyes. She was holding back tears.
That's what everyone says.
But we never do.
"I'd like that." Alison gave Emily a watery smile of her own.
Emily sauntered to her car, dragging her feet like a child who didn't want to go somewhere. Once she reached her vehicle she lingered. She raised her hand and smiled sadly as she waved goodbye.
When she climbed into the car Alison thought she was going to puke.
Go after her.
Don't let her go!
But she did let her go.
She stood on the sidewalk and watched as the love of her life started the car and put it into gear.
Don't leave me.
She couldn't see the tears pouring down Emily's cheeks or hear her take a heaving gasp to fight back a sob.
Alison had a hard time fighting back her own tears.
She watched as Emily pulled out into the street. Then she watched as the car took her one true love away from her. She stared at the brake lights when the vehicle stopped at a stop sign. The car turned and rounded the corner.
And then she was gone.
Alison stood there, hoping for the impossible…hoping that Emily would change her mind and come back to her.
She stood there for nearly ten minutes before she realized Emily was actually gone.
And she wasn't coming back.
That's when the darkness crept into her soul.
A mean demon inside of her head made it impossible for her to get out of bed the next morning.
She'd closed the curtains in her room and crawled under the covers.
That was where she lived for nearly a week, other than the occasional bathroom run.
Her brother would bring her food, but she would just pick at it.
Emily texted and called often. While it should have brightened her day, it just made her feel sick. She longed to be by her side.
Then one day a month later something came along and slapped the demon away, and in its place all that remained was anger.
She'd been scrolling her socials. She liked to spy on her friends from afar, making sure they were doing okay.
Emily's Instagram was locked down and private, but Alison followed her, along with the rest of the girls and few other of Emily's friends. She didn't post much content, so when she got the alert that Emily posted she couldn't wait to see the brunette's smiling face.
Instead she was met with a photo drop of landscapes and beaches. Alison sadly scrolled through them. She ached to be there with her, but she was tied to Rosewood in a way she couldn't break free.
It was depressing to look at photos that Emily had taken...without her by her side.
But as sad as she was when she looked at the scenery, what set her off was the second to last photo.
Emily's smiling face greeted her. She had on a hat and sunglasses.
And she wasn't alone.
Paige McCullers was next to her.
They were close. Too close.
A month ago Emily had laid in her bed. They'd made love. And now she was hanging out with her ex-girlfriend and having the time of her life.
She lied to me.
Emily had told her that she had no interest in Paige. So why were they together?
Her lip curled up, jealousy bubbling in her stomach. Before she could stop herself she was hurling her phone at the wall. The case flew off and the phone hit the carpet.
Alison climbed out of bed and stormed out of her room.
For the first time in days she took a hot shower and then made her way to the kitchen to hate-cook something to eat.
Jason came down, rubbing his eyes and staring in astonishment.
"You left your bedroom." He stated the obvious.
"Yeah? Well…life goes on." Alison slammed her plate down and started to eat. "What time are you going to visit Charlotte?"
Jason was startled by her voice. She'd barely spoken to him since her friends left. And she hadn't gone by to see Charlotte yet.
"In about an hour or so. You coming?"
"Yes." She grabbed a knife and scraped it with butter.
Family was the only thing that made sense to her. Jason was family. And so was Charlotte, whether Alison liked it or not. She'd had a relationship with her sister without knowing who she truly was. Her parents had lied to her. Charlotte had done terrible things to her friends…and to her. But Alison didn't have anyone else in her life she could consider family anymore.
Her heart was broken, and the only place she had to turn were her siblings. Her perpetually annoyingly screwed up brother and sister.
She made a choice that day.
She chose her sister.
It was only later that she would realize that she'd made a terrible mistake.
A/N: Before anyone screams at me for the last twenty paragraphs…Emison reigns superior in this fic (Paige is a non-factor in this story, and you'll see that in the next chapter).
This is a prologue. The real journey begins after the time jump. There are no love triangles. And Alison takes a drastically different path in this fic than she did in the show. Buckle up for a love-filled (and sometimes slightly terrifying) adventure. Nothing is ever as it seems.
Also please note that their characterization here is of two lovers having to say goodbye. The time jump will give you a better idea of who these two are. Their personalities in this chapter are not set in stone.
Updates may lag a little bit, but I'll try not to leave you hanging for too long.
