A/N: This is a fun one. Enjoy!
Chapter 20:
Not So Happy New Year
Sara's eyes darted from the gun in Emily's hand to the fists by Alison's sides. They both looked ready to kill, and after everything they'd been through she knew they wouldn't hesitate. Even so, she didn't want to give them the satisfaction of letting them know her heart was racing in fear.
"You were the one in the graveyard. You defaced my father's grave." Emily was trembling in anger.
"Condolences." They both knew she didn't mean it.
"You tried to kill us." Alison took a step forward, which intimidated the girl in the red coat.
"I haven't tried to kill anyone."
"She was pissed about the recording and she sent you to set that fire." Alison took another step forward.
"What are you talking about? What recording? What fire? I mean…yeah, okay…we talk. And she's not exactly thrilled with you. But I'd never kill anybody."
"Liar!"
"Takes one to know one." Sara responded like a petty little kid on the playground.
Alison lunged forward again.
This time, Emily let her. The wily blonde slammed their tormentor against the wall.
"Why did you do it, Sara?" Alison pushed her arm against Sara's windpipe.
"Have you lost your mind?!" Sara yelped. She looked at Emily helplessly. "Are you going to stop her?"
"Absolutely not."
Alison tightened the pressure on her neck.
"What you're doing to Charlotte is criminal…" Sara choked.
"You want to talk about criminal?" Emily kept the gun trained on the ground, but her eyes were laser focused on the interaction between Alison and Sara. "What you did in the Dollhouse is criminal. What you've been doing for her now is criminal."
"I'm not the one holding a gun." Sara coughed out from beneath Alison's hold.
"I'm not the one who tortured innocent people for fucking fun." Emily had to work to control her anger.
She couldn't get emotional while holding a gun. That was a bad combination.
"She's just misunderstood. Charlotte has one of the most brilliant minds in the world. She shouldn't be locked away like some animal. It's killing her. And I can't stand it. She is like a sister to me."
"She is like a sister to all of us." Alison muttered. "Half this fucking town is related."
"You abandoned her." Sara glared at Alison accusingly.
"No. I saw her for who she truly is." Alison argued. "You're just too stupid to see it."
A strange emotion flickered in Sara's eyes.
Alison didn't catch it, but Emily did. Sara had spent months using her and manipulating her after the Dollhouse. The brunette recognized certain things about her.
"You don't actually give a damn about Charlotte." Emily realized.
"Of course I do."
Her bluff didn't fool Emily.
"You'd need to take about a dozen showers to get all that bullshit off of you. What's really going on?"
"I have no fucking clue what you're talking about." Her voice was shaky, but it wasn't because Alison was holding her arm against her throat.
It was because she was lying.
"Why are you helping her?" Emily asked.
"Who says I am?"
"Drop the act. There has to be a reason that you tried to kill us." Alison's eyes narrowed, icy blue flames burning through the other girl.
"Why do you keep saying I tried to kill you? I never tried to kill you!"
"I'm losing my patience." Emily glanced down at her weapon and then looked at Sara.
"Oh, Emily…" Sara rolled her eyes. "I know you. You'd never pull that trigger. You care for wounded little birds like me." She taunted. "Like her." She shot a nasty look at Alison.
Alison drew back and threw a punch. Her fist connected with Sara's jaw. Sara glared at her and moved her jaw back and forth to try and isolate the pain.
"The thing about birds…" Emily slowly raised the gun, careful not to point it directly at either girl so she wouldn't risk pulling the trigger.
Gun safety 101, Baby Girl. Never point your weapon at anyone unless you're absolutely certain you need to fire.
Her father's aid had guided her through the years.
"…there are regular birds," Emily said calmly. "And there are birds of prey. And right now, Sara, you're the prey. If you think I'm not willing to cross this line then you have no idea who I am…or what you and Charlotte have done to me. Monsters create monsters."
Alison shot Emily a look. The brunette couldn't possibly believe that, could she? Was it an act? Or was Emily truly so damaged from her trauma that she had enough darkness in her to pull the trigger?
Sara seemed to think it was the latter.
"Stop! STOP! Don't point that at me!" She shrieked in horror.
Alison had a flashback to the night Emily beat Tyler up after he assaulted her. She had looked like she wanted to rip the boy's throat out. Would she have done more harm to him if there had been no witnesses? Was she going to pull the trigger now?
"She has something on me, okay?!" Sara cried.
"I don't care what she has on you. What you did is unforgivable." Emily's tone was calm and even, but there was a danger beneath it.
It sent a mixture of arousal and curiosity coursing through Alison's veins.
"I killed someone. And she has proof." Sara blurted out.
Emily lowered the gun and took a step towards the confrontation.
"What?" It shouldn't have been a shock, yet somehow it still was.
"Why do you think I ran away from home? I was afraid. Charlotte could see it in my eyes. Of course, she would have known how to spot a murderer. She'd killed before, after all. But it was more than that. She knows everything. She knows what I did. And if you expose her…she'll expose me."
"You should be exposed. You killed someone." Emily furrowed her brows angrily.
"Look who's talking, Killer. If I remember correctly you have a body count, too." Sara fired back.
The blow landed. Emily still felt guilty about that night at the lighthouse, even though she shouldn't.
Alison saw the pain on her girlfriend's face and it enraged her.
"That was self-defense. Lyndon…Nate…whoever the hell he was…was going to kill her." Alison clenched her jaw. "She was going to die."
"She looks perfectly alive to me."
"Fuck you." Alison growled. "You're a psychopath and a murderer."
"It's not like the guy I killed didn't have it coming. He was mean and awful and cruel…"
"That doesn't give you a license to kill." Emily argued.
"Says the girl with the gun."
"Have I fired it yet?" Emily smarted back. "If you give me a reason to, I will. Otherwise…" She shrugged.
"You wouldn't get it." Sara frowned at Alison, but then she faced Emily. "But you might. See, I was always competitive in school and there was this one smarmy kid who was constantly trying to one-up me. His name was Nolan. He was my Alison."
Her gaze was back on Alison again.
"Hey, don't look at her." Emily sneered. "Leave her alone."
"Whatever. This kid was a bully. He was constantly doing things to try and humiliate me. The worst thing he ever did was lure me out to the woods after declaring his undying love for me. We started making out and then it turned into more…" She trailed off.
Alison felt like gagging. She didn't want the details, but Sara certainly didn't skimp on them.
"I rode him like a fucking stallion. He enjoyed every second of it. And then when it was over, you know what he did?"
"I don't want to know…" Alison uttered at the same time Emily spoke up,
"Went to get checked for STDs?" The brunette replied tonelessly.
Sara flashed an angry look her way.
"He laughed in my face. Said he just did it to sleep with me. Then he took my clothes and left me naked in the middle of the woods." She was so mad that she was spitting. Alison had to move around to dodge the saliva. "I was out there like some feral animal while he was laughing it up with his buddies. Made me furious. We had it out a few times, but I was smart. It was never in public. But he went around telling people I was a slut behind my back. It really started to get to me."
"So you murdered him to get back at him?" Alison wasn't sure who she hated more. The Nolan guy or Sara. She decided she hated them both equally after a few seconds.
"One day I got this idea in my head. Our town has a drug problem, especially minors. Competitive natures and people always expecting us to be our very best got to us. People die from overdoses all the time. So one night when he was completely wasted I slipped into his house and injected him full of enough drugs to kill an elephant."
"Jesus." Alison uttered under her breath.
It was a sickening thought. But even more sickening was the fact that she had drugged her friends the night she disappeared. That could have gone so badly for the girls. She couldn't imagine having accidentally killed Emily or any of the others.
She wondered if any of her friends hated her enough at one point to murder her. It's all she thought about on the run. She hadn't been a very good friend. She'd made so many enemies. To think that one of her friends would do that to her made her stomach churn.
"What does any of that have to do with Charlotte? You're the one who killed that boy." Emily pointed out. "How does she even factor into it?"
"She's the one who sold me the drugs that killed him." Sara looked directly into Emily's eyes. "And she has video proof of me going into his house the night he died. I think she knew that I'd freak out once his body was found. So she 'ran in to me' when I was on my way out of town. And the rest is history."
"That doesn't make any sense. Where would she have gotten those kinds of drugs?" Alison thought out loud.
She knew Charlotte had been getting drugs from someone. She'd seen the paralytic used on her father and brother.
Emily had wondered the same thing. Some of the drugs used on them in the Dollhouse were beyond prescription grade.
"I don't know. Some guy she'd been hanging out with. I never met him." Sara shrugged.
Emily seemed skeptical.
"Is any of this true?"
"At this point why would I lie? You've literally got a gun in your hand."
"So you've been helping her ever since?" Alison felt ire roiling in her veins.
She'd tortured the girls in the Dollhouse.
It didn't matter if she was being blackmailed…she had hurt them.
"Just little things."
"Just little things while standing by and letting Charlotte drown me…or taking Aria's identity away…or tearing Spencer apart or making Hanna puke for punishment? Those little things?" Emily growled, a darkness in her eyes. "You let her throw Mona into a pit without food and water for days. You stood by while she left Spencer in that steaming hot shower with nowhere to go. You helped her mess with all of our minds."
Alison visibly cringed. The details of their torture made her feel physically sick.
Sara didn't blink. She didn't seem remorseful at all.
"I did what I had to do."
That infuriated Alison. The blonde threw a right hook into her gut and when Sara doubled over she grabbed her hair.
"Who was the guy?" Who had aided her sister?
"Fuck." Sara groaned, still clutching her abdomen. "I told you I never met him. He was some guy who worked in Radley. That's where she met him."
"Great, that narrows it down." Emily rolled her eyes. "What else do you know about him?"
Sara shrugged silently.
Alison hit her again.
"Stop it!" She whined. "This constitutes as assault, you know."
"You're trespassing." Alison snorted back. "And you're lying. What else did Charlotte tell you about this man?"
"I don't know. He was young. Handsome. She said she liked his accent."
"Accent?" Emily felt her fingers go numb. "What kind of accent? Where was he from?"
"Ireland. Dublin maybe? I don't remember." She squinted in concentration. "It was something British…"
"Dublin is not part of Britain." Emily frowned, growing weary of her idiocy.
"You know what I mean. Someone from one of those countries that eats biscuits and crumpets." Sara rubbed a spot on her arm where Alison had left a mark.
Not only is she a criminal. She's an uneducated moron. Emily shook her head with a quiet scoff.
"Was he English?" Alison stiffened up.
There weren't many British doctors in Rosewood. In fact, there was only one that stood out to the two of them. And he was already on their radar.
Wren.
He'd worked at Radley. He'd also integrated himself into all of their lives.
And now it made sense as to why.
"Wren." Alison said the name just before Emily could.
"Yeah, yeah, I think that was his name. Charlotte wasn't the only one with money. He apparently had quite an interest in her. He bankrolled a lot of her activities. "
"Activities." Emily sneered. "You mean you two torturing us in the Dollhouse? Was he there, too? In the Dollhouse beating on us day and night?"
"I don't know."
"How can you not know!?" Emily lost her temper, raising her voice to an irate yell.
It startled both Sara and Alison. Alison had never heard Emily yell like that before.
"Because Charlotte didn't tell me whether anyone else was there with us. He was mostly just our bank account. I don't know what else he was involved in. It's not like we all stayed in the same room at the Dollhouse together. Charlotte had her own little palace. I don't know what was going on behind closed doors." Sara shrugged. "Like I said I don't know the guy."
It seemed hard to believe that she could spend all that time torturing them and not know who was with her.
"How did Wren get that kind of cash?" Alison asked.
"I'm willing to bet Charlotte wasn't his only customer. He probably sold drugs. He also had some kind of windfall after his parents died. They left him a lot of money. I guess he was an only child." Sara glanced at the gun in Emily's hand.
"No. He had a brother." Emily shook her head. "Back in England. He was in a mental institution…"
"That probably explains why the money went to him. You know about money and mental health care, don't you Alison?" Sara smirked at her, goading her, letting her know that she knew all about Jason's plans to sell the house.
"Shut up." Alison raised her fist and threatened to hit her again.
Sara flinched and threw her hands up.
"No, stop! Please…"
"You didn't stop when my friends were begging in the Dollhouse. You didn't stop even though you knew you were hurting us by helping Charlotte again." Alison was furious. "Where is Wren now?"
If Wren was involved then things were a lot more complicated than they thought.
Wren wore a lab coat and scrubs. He would blend in at Welby. Perhaps Sara wasn't the only one working for Charlotte.
"How the hell should I know?" Sara glared at them.
"Where is he?" Alison shouted again.
"I don't know!"
"The hell you don't. There is no way you could pull this off on your own. Was he there when you set the fire or was that all you?" Emily pushed the interrogation forward.
"You keep talking about fire like I would like being around flames." She lifted her gloved hands. Alison almost hit her, but realized she was only gesturing to her injuries. "You of all people would know about burning someone and scarring them for life, Emily." Sara sneered.
Alison didn't even think. She just reacted. Her fist was making contact with Sara's jaw seconds later.
"You don't get to talk to her like that." She went completely wild, clawing at Sara's face and tugging her hair out by its roots.
Emily had to physically pry Alison off of Sara…with one hand.
"Keep your bitch under control." Sara backed up against the doorway, gasping for breath.
Emily almost let Alison go, but the last thing they needed to happen was for a neighbor to see the fight and then Alison getting in trouble for it.
"You watch your fucking mouth." Emily spit with venom. "After everything you've done to us you deserve to be pummeled unconscious. Now, stop playing games and start answering our questions. Were you in the Poconos over New Years?"
"No. I was here in town. Jason can vouch for me. He saw me at the Grille. Hell, the entire staff and dozens of other people can vouch for me, too."
That meant there was a third party helping.
And it was probably Wren.
He had casually been around every time they were in town. Emily and Toby had seen him at the graveyard. He'd come to Wayne's funeral. He ran into them in restaurants.
Alison dug through the recesses of her mind. What was it Aria had said about running into him months ago?
He told Ella Montgomery he was dating someone he met at the hospital.
But which hospital was he talking about?
Brilliant is how he'd described her to Ella.
Brilliant is also how Sara described Charlotte.
"Is Wren dating my sister?" Alison asked.
"I don't know. Like I said, I'm not in contact with him. I don't even know if he's still around. I haven't seen him. I'm only in contact with Charlotte."
"How?"
"What do you mean how?" Sara curled her lip up, exposing her cheap veneers.
Alison wanted to knock those fake teeth right out of her head.
"In person or on the phone?" Emily asked.
"Both. But a lot of it is organized over the phone."
"Call her." Emily glanced at her coat pocket. She was certain Sara had a burner in the coat.
"That's not how it works. We have to circumvent the front desk. Every call to and from Welby is recorded for the safety of the patients and everyone else involved. I have to call in and ask to speak with her. Then we share a brief conversation where I slip in a code word and a time and Charlotte knows to get her hidden burner and wait for a call from me. No recordings. No witnesses."
"Fascinating little crime operation you've got going on." Emily rolled her eyes. "What's the code word?"
Sara turned her attention away from Emily and gave Alison a very smug look.
"Malibu."
It got under the blonde's skin. Her safe place…her new start with Emily…tainted by her sister and her minions.
"When is your next little secret rendezvous?" Alison asked.
"Why should I tell you that?" Sara scoffed, digging her heels in stubbornly.
"Because the last time I checked I have the gun in this scenario." Emily still had the weapon pointed firmly at the ground, her finger off the trigger.
"Eight. She's expecting my next call at eight." She glanced at the clock.
It was a few hours from now.
"Give me your phone." Emily demanded.
"What?"
"Give. Me. Your. Phone." The gun was still aimed at the ground, but the muscles in her arms were bulging.
She had to resist the urge to raise the weapon.
Sara saw the seriousness on Emily's face and she nodded. She moved her hand towards her pocket.
"Slowly." Emily had the gun ready to aim if she needed to.
Right before Sara could put her hand in her pocket Alison grabbed her arm.
"I don't trust this bitch as far as I can throw her." She held Sara down and pulled something out of her pocket.
It wasn't a phone.
It was a hunting knife.
"Fucking thought so." Alison's eyes burned into Sara's.
"I wasn't going for it. I just couldn't remember which pocket my phone was in…"
"Shut up." Alison pat her down and her palm landed on a brick-shaped object. The phone in her other pocket.
The blonde pulled it out and handed it to Emily.
"Passcode?" Emily asked.
"Why?"
"Are you going to keep asking stupid questions?" Emily gritted her teeth together angrily.
"1-6-2-0."
The passcode unlocked the phone, exposing one number.
Emily glanced at Alison and handed the phone to her. Alison pulled her phone out and took a picture of the only number in her contacts.
"Is this the burner?" Alison showed Sara the number.
"Who else would I have programmed in there?" Sara rolled her eyes.
"Stop being such a bitch and just answer the question." Alison growled.
"Yeah, it's hers." Sara seethed, reluctantly answering.
Emily nodded at Alison.
Alison wiped Sara's phone down very well before dropping it on to the floor.
"What the hell…"
Before Sara could finish her thought Alison brought her shoe down on top of it several times, cracking and breaking it.
"What exactly is your plan here?" Sara looked amused. "You're a far cry from a dynamic detective duo."
As if on cue, blue flashing lights called for their attention.
No sirens.
Emily had an idea of what had happened.
Toby had done more than just call for food. He'd called reinforcements. He probably told them not to use sirens so they wouldn't draw as much attention.
The blue lights were getting closer…until they had stopped in front of Emily's house. The lights illuminated the streets.
The neighbors are going freak out…
Emily wasn't ready to deal with the aftermath. Everyone in town already thought she was drawn to trouble because of her past.
"You called the cops?" Sara gasped.
"No. But this could get interesting." Emily moved back and pulled the magazine out of her gun. She put it in the gun safe and locked the door so the police officers wouldn't freak out when they saw her with a weapon.
As Sara was looking for an impossible escape route, Alison wiped the knife down and put it back in her jacket pocket.
Toby came marching around the corner to the backyard, which was a relief. He'd probably filled his old team in on what was happening. Sara was technically trespassing...with a weapon. But she'd admitted to something more devious than that.
Four officers trailed behind him, including his old partner Lorenzo.
Barry Maple, who had been around a lot when they were in high school was part of the team.
"I have a weapon, but it's secure." Emily held her hands up to show that she was unarmed.
"She has a hunting knife on her." Alison pointed to Sara.
"What the hell?" Sara hissed angrily.
"Is anyone hurt?" Barry called out.
"No." Emily responded.
They all glanced at the scuff marks on Sara's face and arms and saw her disheveled hair, but none of the cops said a word.
"You're sure about this, Cavanaugh?" Lorenzo asked.
"Saw it happen, Lorenzo." Toby looked at his old partner. "Sara Harvey. Same girl who was planning to blow up a building in high school. She was stalking them and made threats against them. Showed up here and I caught her myself."
"No. This is…this is a mistake. It's a misunderstanding…" Sara's eyes darted towards the officers in wide-eyed fear.
She'd escaped the law once, but dodging a bullet twice in a row wasn't likely to happen.
"She confessed to killing a boy." Alison looked coldly at Sara.
That gained every single cop's attention. Two of them put their hands on their holsters, readying their weapons.
Sara slowly raised her gloved hands in fear.
"His name was Nolan. I'm sure if you look up the case you'll find what you need." Alison wanted her behind bars for a long time. "She drugged him to make it look like an overdose."
"Shut up." Sara growled through her teeth.
"It will all be on my security camera." Emily pointed to the camera near the back door.
Sara's eyes bulged out of her skull.
It was all on film.
Some people were so stupid in the age of technology. Cameras were everywhere. And since it was private property, they had a right to record. It would hold up in court.
Emily saw the look of shock on Sara's face.
It was as if she didn't know the cameras existed. But if that was the case…then who had turned them off over Christmas when Baby Jesus disappeared? And who had turned them off to bypass her mom to get the information on their cabin in the Poconos?
"Fields?" Barry pulled her out of her trance. "You got it on camera?"
"I do."
Emily only needed to show them the confession. She knew Toby would help her waver through all the red tape. Having it on video helped. Just like in Charlotte's case, it would push the cops enough to reopen an old crime and discover the truth.
"No. This isn't right!" Sara screamed.
The officers moved swiftly.
Lorenzo was the first one to move forward.
"Sara Harvey, you're under arrest for trespassing and stalking with malicious intent." He started to pat her down, taking the knife away from her in the process. "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law..."
"You can't do this to me!" She looked helplessly at Emily and Alison.
When he pulled Sara's gloved hands behind her back she shrieked.
"You're hurting me! My hands are burned! This bitch got me electrocuted three years ago…"
Lorenzo ignored her and cuffed her as she screamed.
"This is abuse!"
"Your ass should have been behind bars three years ago." Lorenzo looked coldly at her.
"Look who's talking. You dated a minor." Her eyes found Alison's. "That makes you creepy and biased. My lawyer will have a field day with this."
Alison hated that Sara was technically right. She'd had a fling with Lorenzo when she was in high school. She thought she had the power, because she was using him to get information. But the reality was he was a grown man and she was a high school kid.
"Fine. Maple, you want to take over?" Lorenzo moved back.
"Sure." Barry nodded. He looked at Alison and Emily. "You two okay?"
"We're fine." Alison answered. She looked at Lorenzo, a frown on her face.
She felt sick to her stomach thinking about the fact that he was yet another creepy guy in a long list of guys who had no business being with a high school girl. The fact that he was still a cop was unnerving, but at least the right person was in cuffs.
The other two officers moved in to pat Sara Harvey down again.
The crowd slowly moved away from the house, but remained within sight distance, even Toby…who seemed especially keen on making sure that Sara didn't get away.
"Try not to drop the soap in the shower, Harvey!" Alison called as she was being perp-walked away.
She stood in the doorway, a triumphant smile on her face. She had always hated the bitch. She had her arms crossed, chest puffed out.
When she turned around she was met by a precarious look on Emily's face. She didn't say anything. She just watched the blonde.
"Why are you staring at me?" Alison asked.
"This should be the last thing on my mind, but you are really turning me on right now. That was so hot."
Alison grinned.
Footsteps shuffled up behind them.
Toby was a few steps ahead of Barry.
"They're going to need to take your statement." Toby huddled over them protectively. "Your flight leaves in the morning, right?"
"Yeah."
"I already talked to Barry and Lorenzo. We can get it done in the next few hours. As long as you give them your contact information you should be good to go. And of course…the footage," he said as Barry walked up behind him.
"It will take time to upload." Emily looked at Barry.
It was already uploaded, but the cops didn't need to know that. They needed time to trim it down to Sara's confession.
Toby narrowed his eyes. He had helped Pam install the cameras. He knew for a fact that she was lying. He knew the video was already in the cloud.
He didn't say anything. He already knew something was going on with them. Emily had told him as much after her father's grave was defaced.
"I'm sure that will be fine." Toby nodded in satisfaction.
He looked like he was back in his uniform.
"Do you ever miss it?" Emily watched him take control.
"Miss…being a police officer?" He laughed like it was the most ridiculous thing in the world. "Hell no. I hated doing it. I only did it for you girls."
"I'll pretend I didn't hear that." Barry glanced behind him.
The other officers were leading Sara away.
"You pretended not to hear a lot when we were in high school." Toby ribbed him.
"I hate this damn town." Barry sighed. "Statements?" He looked at Toby and then the girls.
"Come in." Emily waved him inside.
He paused and looked skeptically inside the house.
"You said the weapon is secure?"
"For Christ's sake, Barry…it's Emily." Toby pointed to the gun safe. "You knew her father. You really think she doesn't know how to secure a weapon?"
"Protocol." Barry walked through the threshold. "I have to ask."
Emily led him and Toby into the kitchen.
Alison lingered behind, watching as Sara was loaded into the back of a cop car.
A few neighbors were looking outside.
We're going to give Pam a heart attack.
Between the fire and the cops showing up they'd really drawn a lot of attention to themselves. But at least Sara was being arrested. That took care of one problem. But there were other issues that remained.
Alison glanced at her phone. She had Charlotte's number in her hand, but they hadn't planned on a third person being involved, especially not Wren Kingston. Now they had a whole new set of problems.
Alison gleefully watched the car with Sara pull away. The other car shut off its lights.
Lorenzo trying to avoid fanfare.
A neighbor walked over to find out what was going on. Lorenzo approached casually and acted like it was no big deal.
"Alison? Officer Maple is ready for your statement." Toby walked up behind her.
He peered outside.
"Right." Alison moved from where she'd been perched in front of the window.
Emily met her at the entry to the kitchen.
"I didn't tell him about Charlotte," she whispered. "What do you want to do?"
Alison sighed.
"One dragon at a time. I can't take much more," she admitted.
"I hear you. This has been the strangest two days…"
"Stressful, too." Alison shook her head. "This is what we get for coming back to Rosewood."
"I'm all for having holidays in Malibu after this. Mom can come out. She likes the beach."
Alison laughed weakly.
They walked into the living room, where Barry was waiting, notepad in his hand.
After a brief conversation, Barry told Emily to follow up with the footage as soon as possible. They could only hold Sara for trespassing for so long. They needed something to go on to pass along to the police department in Sara's old town. That department would have to follow up because it was their jurisdiction.
After Barry was gone, Toby lingered. He waited until the cruiser was out of sight, then he faced them.
"How bad is it?" He looked at Emily and asked her point blank.
Emily looked at Alison. Hanna and Caleb knowing the truth was scary enough. She wasn't sure how Alison felt about Toby knowing everything, too.
Alison gave her a slight nod. She knew they might end up needing his help since he was local. Not to mention he'd put his ass on the line for them. And it's not like he didn't know that something was going on. Emily had asked him to keep tabs on Wren a few times and to check in on her mom. Him knowing the full scope of what was happening was a lot to put on him. But he would dig until he found out if they didn't tell him.
"You might want to sit down. It's a long story." Emily gestured towards the couch.
He knew a little bit, but he didn't know the big picture. He knew someone was harassing Emily and Alison, but he didn't know how bad it was.
He didn't say much as they told him what was going on. They started from the beginning…from the very first call Alison had gotten out in California. The only thing they left out was the fact that they had Charlotte's burner number. It was better if he didn't know in case the cops had follow up questions about Sara's arrest.
Emily looked at him apprehensively when she finished explaining the situation. She couldn't read his face, which scared her…because she could always read his face. She couldn't tell if he was angry or frightened. He certainly had a right to be afraid since he was the only one who lived close enough to get hurt.
But his initial reaction wasn't about himself at all.
"And Spencer and Aria don't know anything about this?" He rubbed his palms against his jeans.
Was he frustrated they hadn't told him?
Emily couldn't tell.
"No." Emily nervously picked at a loose thread on her father's chair. Like their lives, it was slowly unraveling. "And we want to keep it that way. I love you, but the only reason I'm telling you is because you helped us with Sara tonight, which very well might piss Charlotte off. And you need to know what you're in for."
"I get that." So he wasn't pissed. "But Charlotte is unconventional. If she has help, then Spencer and Aria need to know, too. Especially Spencer. Charlotte knows what she means to me. If she's willing to come after you to get to Alison then she's willing to go after Spencer to get to me. Plus, if Wren is involved that makes her more easily accessible."
He made a decent point.
"Spencer and Aria are harder to pin down. They travel all the time." Alison pointed out.
"They still should know. At this point we don't know what we're up against. I haven't seen Wren since the graveyard when I was visiting mom for Christmas." Toby frowned. "He could easily be traveling."
"Sara kept insisting she didn't set the fire. And she acted like the security cameras were a complete surprise." Emily pursed her lips in thought. "Maybe she was telling the truth. Maybe Wren got ahold of our itinerary somehow."
"I never trusted that fucking guy for one second." Toby angrily flexed his jaw. "Maybe we can pin him at the cabin in the Poconos. Do you have anything other to go on other than the fact that someone printed out where you were staying?"
"No. I'm sorry for not telling you this then, but I was worried about my mom being here alone after we went to the mountains. That's why I asked you to look in on her…" Emily bit her lip.
She hated that she'd kept the truth from Toby. But he didn't seem upset. He was attentive and receptive. She was so busy focusing on Toby that she didn't notice that Alison had gone silent. The blonde was peering at her phone curiously, an idea surfacing.
"Why?" he asked. "Did something happen when you left?"
"Nothing I can prove. But mom said the door was unlocked after we left. And there is no way we left the door unlocked. I was worried maybe someone bypassed the security cameras and got in."
"Have you looked at the footage?" he asked.
"I checked online where the footage is stored and didn't see anything."
"Shit." He muttered. "So we don't have anything to go on other than Psycho-Harvey's word."
"I wouldn't say that…" Alison searched the browser until she found what she was looking for.
"What are you doing?" Emily asked as she watched her dial the phone. Her eyes widened. "You're not calling her now are you?"
Toby shot a look at Emily. They hadn't told him they had Charlotte's burner number.
"Calling who?"
Alison held her finger up and gestured for them to give her a minute.
"Rosewood General, how can I help you?" Someone feminine answered as Alison put her on speaker.
Emily breathed a sigh of relief. At least it wasn't Charlotte on the other end of the phone.
"Yes, my name is Elizabeth and I'm a patient of Dr. Wren Kingston." Her acting ability had carried over into how she could change the inflection and tone of her voice. Emily wouldn't recognize her if she called and spoke to her in the voice she was currently doing. "He called and left a message for me urging him to call him back about some test results."
Toby glanced at Emily, raising his brows in surprise. He seemed impressed.
"What was the doctor's name again?" The woman on the phone asked.
"Wren Kingston. Really nice man." It tasted bitter to say it. She saw Toby snort. "I believe he was from London. Accent to die for." She giggled, though she felt like puking telling the lie.
"There is no one here by that name that works here."
Alison and Emily shared a look.
"Are you sure? I'm positive that's his name." Alison pushed.
"It's not in my system," she replied.
"Can you double check? Maybe he was transferred somewhere. I'd really like to follow up with him."
"We haven't had anyone leave their rotations. If you would like to set a follow up with someone else…"
"I'm sorry. I must have called the wrong hospital. My mistake." After they hung up, Alison gawked at Emily. "He lied to Spencer and Aria about where he was working."
"First of all, that was terrifyingly good acting." Toby sized her up.
"Thank you." Alison smiled.
"Second of all, what exactly is happening here?"
"Wren has been walking around town in his scrubs acting like he actually works somewhere in this town. But he never had a job at the hospital. So why walk around in scrubs at all, especially since we don't actually live here anymore? Was it a smokescreen or is he using it to get in to see Charlotte?" Alison asked.
"That's a good point." Emily nodded, thinking about how she'd seen Wren in the graveyard at Thanksgiving shortly before Sara showed up. "Visitors may be monitored in Welby, but doctors come and go, especially psychiatrists. He used to work in Radley. He easily could have falsified a badge or whatever else he needed…especially with Charlotte's help."
"Sara said she didn't know Wren. What if he's actually Charlotte's helper and he's helping her pull the puppet strings?"
"Then why would she need to talk to Sara at all?" Emily questioned out loud.
"Because she gets pleasure out of it. Plus…she'd need to get Sara to agree to go places and do things. Maybe he sets things up and she follows through?" Alison guessed. "You said she had something in her hands when you were chasing her through the graveyard."
"Yeah, a small bag. Didn't look like it could hold much." Emily still had vivid recollection of what she'd seen at the graveyard when Sara showed up. She paused and then her eyes brightened in realization. "She's the mule."
"Definitely. She's a total jackass." Alison agreed.
"No…she's like a drug mule. I'm betting Charlotte has some offshore bank account or something that Wren set up for when and if she tries to escape." Emily was working through something in her head.
Alison and Emily shuddered at the thought of Charlotte running free. But running free with Wren and money? That was a lethal combination.
"Sara said that she got the drugs to set up the overdose from Charlotte," she continued. "Charlotte had to have someone getting the drugs for her. Someone with access to drugs. She had to be telling the truth about Wren…if not some other doctor."
"Sara is definitely not smart enough to pull off a drug heist off." Alison agreed.
"That's probably true. I don't know much about Sara." Toby muttered. "But she's as dimwitted as they come. She's a follower, but she's not that bright."
"I'd blame Charlotte for knocking a few screws loose in her head if I didn't know she hadn't murdered some guy out of spite." Emily had a dark expression in her eyes.
A split second after she said it she turned towards Alison apologetically. She knew the blonde's feelings were complicated. Alison was on board for outing her sister, but it wasn't an easy decision for her.
"Sorry."
"Don't be. She's been playing me this entire time." Alison rubbed her face. She was so tired. Mentally. Emotionally. Physically. She was just exhausted. "I don't know exactly what Wren has been getting out of this, but he's clearly involved…"
"If we are to believe Sara. All of what you said makes sense, Em, but you have to look at all angles." Toby held up a finger, looking at the girls skeptically. "For all we know that was bullshit that Charlotte told her to say in case she ever got caught."
"I highly doubt Sara would have confessed to murder and then just made up Wren's involvement." Emily peered at a photo of her father.
I wish you were here, dad. I wish you could tell me what to do.
"Besides, Wren has a history in this town. He was constantly trying to stay invested in our lives. It was almost as bad as…" Emily trailed off, but Alison finished for her.
"Ezra." They were on the same wavelength.
Emily nodded solemnly.
"Ezra was using us from the very start for a stupid book." Emily's anger was written all over her face. "He wanted something from us. And Wren was the same way. But his motivations were never really clear."
"He was a pervert. That much was a clear." Toby curled his lip up in disgust.
"But it was more than that. He forced himself into Spencer's life, said that he was marrying the wrong sister, acted like a total creep, and then tried to pursue her. He actively sought out secrets about us so he could help fix them. He wanted to be painted in a heroic light." Emily curled in on herself and scratched at her arms like there were bugs crawling underneath her skin. "Like when I was in the hospital with an ulcer and my bloodwork tested positive for HGH. He promised to run the test again. To make me feel better. And then he went out of his way to help Hanna lobby for Mona to stay in Rosewood instead of being shipped off. But the question is…why? Did he want all of us here for Charlotte's game? She'd taken the helm at that point."
"Do you think he helped her in the Dollhouse?" Toby asked.
Emily froze, a memory resurfacing…one she'd had buried in a box somewhere in the depths of her mind. She didn't like revisiting her time in the Dollhouse.
"Choose…"
"No…"
"CHOOSE!"
The voice was robotic and menacing.
It lacked depth and human emotion.
It was as if a computer was giving commands.
"CHOOSE!"
She sat at the table and stared at the camera in tears.
"I can't." Her eyes darted to the switches in front of her.
There was a single picture of each one of her friends above the switches.
"Defiance means you all suffer."
She heard the screams before she felt the shocking jolt reverberating throughout her veins.
It wasn't the shock that hurt her.
It was hearing her friends crying out.
Alison saw the pain in her eyes.
"Toby…it's been a long day, and I really don't think…"
"No, it's…it's okay." Emily raised her shaky hands and buried her face in her palms, hiding all of her doubts and insecurities. She felt Alison's hand on her back. She slowly raised her head. "I've often wondered how Charlotte was able to hold all five of us down there for a month. It seems like a lot for one person. I don't know whether Sara was telling the truth about not knowing he was there, but it's definitely not out of the realm of possibility."
"He did disappear shortly before the shit hit the fan with Charlotte. He was back in London for a while." Toby remembered, because he was happy that Spencer was not on the same continent as the jerk.
"Maybe." Alison pursed her lips in thought. "Or maybe he was hiding out with Charlotte."
Emily rubbed at a scar behind her ear. A phantom pain shot through her shoulder. She remembered the strength of being hit from behind when she was trying to get in to help Spencer out of the steaming hot shower. And waking up in the room filled with images of Alison, her head throbbing.
The hit had been so powerful. Sara didn't seem capable of it. Charlotte was watching for fun. It had to have been Wren.
"You know, even if she had Sara's help…she was outnumbered. Maybe we didn't see him, but…maybe he was there." She closed her eyes, trying to transport herself back to the darkness. It wasn't easy. "There were some instances where there was this eerie looming presence. And other times when I would be fighting to stay conscious and…it made me wonder about the strength of the person blindsiding me. Not to mention all the drugs that were used on us."
Toby reached out and touched her shoulder. Alison shot him a look that neither he nor Emily saw. As much as the blonde tried not to be territorial when it came to her girlfriend, when someone else touched her…a tiny part of the girl she'd once been in high school surfaced. She cleared her throat and reached for Emily's hand.
Emily looked into her eyes.
"I think it's time we told the others." Emily sighed.
Alison nodded. It was spiraling faster than they could get a handle on. Toby was right. The girls deserved to know.
"Let's start with Hanna and Caleb." Alison knew it would be easiest to loop them in. "Should we ask Caleb before talking to Hanna?"
"No. He'll understand. I know he didn't want to upset Hanna with this, but she needs to know everything, especially because of his involvement."
Toby nodded in agreement.
"I bet Caleb could dig up something on Wren. And I can ask my old contacts in the police department…"
"No offense, Toby, but I don't trust those bumbling schmucks. Besides, you're already pulling strings for us with this whole Sara thing." Alison shook her head.
"Then tell me what I can do to help." He didn't take offense to her tone.
"When we go back to California…look out for my mom." Emily knew her mother could very much take care of herself, but on the slim chance that Charlotte came after her she wanted someone in her mother's corner.
She couldn't lose another parent.
Toby's eyes darted to the mantel where Pam and Wayne's wedding picture stood out among the others.
"I can do that." His tone softened considerably.
Emily shot him an appreciative smile and then reached for her phone. It had been an exhausting day, but it was far from over.
She hit her speed dial for Hanna and got an answer after four rings.
Wind howled, echoing in the speaker.
"Hey, how was your cozy cabin in the mountains?" Hanna asked with a smirk.
"Hot, but not for the reason you'd expect." Emily tried to push the fire out of her mind.
Her life had been nothing but one tragedy after another. Alison's, too. And she was tired of it.
"What do you mean?"
Emily sighed.
"We have…a lot we need to talk about." Emily slowly launched into the story, starting with the fire.
Then their visit to Jason.
The truth about what happened to Alison's mother.
Charlotte's confession and how Caleb was working out a way to send the recording to the authorities.
And finally…Sara showing up and telling them everything, including Wren's involvement.
When she finished talking she expected a typical Hanna retort.
Instead, she was met with silence.
"Hanna…are you still there?"
There was a breath and then,
"What a fucking bitch." The wind had stopped and all they could hear was Hanna's angry labored breaths. "And Wren, too?"
"If Sara is to be believed. But it makes sense," Alison said.
"He went to bat for Mona with me." Which also aligned his plans with Charlotte's: to keep Mona in town. "And he helped me after A attacked us at Noel's cabin."
Emily and Hanna had been locked in the cabin while A threatened them. Hanna had cut her leg and Wren had stitched her up.
"And what about you, Em? Didn't he help you keep those test results about the HGH cream suppressed after Mona tampered with your pain reliever?" Hanna asked.
"Yeah…he's been there this whole time. He's been playing us."
"Oh my God. I could strangle the British completely out of his accent." She snapped.
That had been the response Emily was expecting from her.
Hanna paused to consider something.
"Wait…is he even British? Or was that a lie, too?" Hanna didn't have a quiet anger like Emily or a calculated temper like Alison.
She was all anger anger.
"I think he is." Emily replied. "Caleb was looking into him a while back and there are international records on him that he couldn't access. Then I got so stuck on Charlotte's records and Sara Harvey. Wren was put on the backburner."
"And his engagement to Melissa…was that just to get to Spencer?"
"We don't know anything more than what we've told you. We have no idea when he turned," Emily said. "In fact, we need Caleb's help in tracking his past. Sara was insistent that he was an only child, but I swear he told Spencer he had a brother in a mental health facility in London."
"He said the same thing to me." Hanna confirmed it. Another pause. "I have a stupid thought."
"No such thing." Emily chuckled.
"He said he had a brother in an institution. He's loyal to Charlotte. We don't think he's referring to before she transitioned…"
"He 'showed a great interest in Charlotte' according to Sara. But I don't think he would deadname Charlotte or use the wrong pronouns." Alison shook her head. It was ironic. He was likely a psychopath, but he drew the line at being transphobic. "Also, if I find out about one more fucking sibling I didn't know about I'm going to lose it. I think he was just helping her when she was institutionalized."
"You know come to think of it…Mona mentioned something to me about Wren from her time in Radley. She thought it was just a side effect of her medications, but she thought she heard Wren talking to someone and when she saw his sketchbook later he'd drawn a picture of redcoat."
"How sure is she about that?" Emily asked.
"I mean, she was also pretty sure Alison came to visit her…"
Emily and Toby looked at Alison.
"I didn't." Alison had been in New York the entire time Mona was in Radley.
Her only pop-in visits were when her friends were in danger.
"Yeah, so she's not exactly a reliable source. At least not from her time when she was institutionalized." Hanna replied. "I could ask her…"
"No." Emily and Alison chimed in at the same time.
"You said she was doing well." Emily gently took over the conversation. "And out of all of us…she's the most vulnerable to fall back into the past. The last time I talked to her she said not even her therapists and medicine were enough to keep the nightmares at bay. She's…" She tried to choose her words carefully. "She's more sensitive to this than the rest of us. Unless she's in danger I don't think we should tell her."
"She and her mother are leaving Lake Tahoe and going on vacation to Costa Rica. So at least she's far away from this." Hanna sighed.
"I'm tempted to call Aria and tell her to stay out of the country." Emily muttered.
"You're going to tell her?" Hanna asked.
"We're going to tell her and Spencer. It's not safe for them to be in the dark anymore. Especially not if Wren is still helping Charlotte."
"Yeah, I guess that makes sense." Hanna sounded drained.
"I'm really sorry, Han. I had no idea she had this kind of reach, though I guess maybe I should have known." Alison glanced apologetically at the phone.
"It's not your fault. You're not responsible for her actions." There was a pause. "So what's the plan? Turning the recording of Charlotte over to the cops?"
"First we have to make sure that what we have on Sara sticks, but yes…eventually…" Alison trailed off.
Her mother's corpse was staring at her from the center of Emily's living room. She rubbed her eyes to make the mirage go away.
"And what about Wren?" Hanna asked.
"We have to find out where he is first. Toby hasn't seen him lately." Emily's brow crinkled in concern.
"Convenient. Wonder if he skipped the country after he tried to set you on fire." Hanna's tone was laced with venom.
"I can check the usual haunts. And I'll talk to Bud at the cemetery. See if he has seen him." It was the first time Toby had said a word.
He'd been letting Alison and Emily handle it.
"Toby?" Hanna asked in surprise. "I didn't realize you were still there."
"I wasn't planning on leaving after everything went down with Sara." He shuffled on the sofa, comfortable in his position.
There was a beat of silence.
"Good. Can I pay one of your cop buddies to rough her up?" Hanna asked.
"Hanna…" Emily tried to pacify her. "We're not doing anything illegal."
"Since when?" Hanna scoffed.
"Since the cops got involved." Alison answered for the brunette. "Any action we take from here on out has to be considered carefully, especially given my high profile as a rising celebrity." She bit her lip. She knew it sounded conceited. "What I mean is that anyone could catch me any time doing anything that could jeopardize the integrity of this case. And yes, I know how pretentious that sounds. But the truth is the cops in this town hate us…"
"That's not entirely true." Toby pushed his bottom lip out in a pout.
"No, she's right." Hanna was quick to agree. "We have no reason to trust them and they have no reason to care about us. They showed us that in the past."
"There are just a few…"
"There are no few bad apples, Toby." Alison argued. "The whole fucking orchard is rotten. You might trust them, but we don't."
"So let me handle that aspect of things." He offered.
"One step at a time." Emily tried to bring the tension down.
She knew that everyone's anxiety was at an all-time high.
"Everyone just needs to stop and take a breath." She looked at a picture of her father, trying to center herself.
He's really gone.
It still didn't feel real.
"I'll talk to Caleb about Wren. See what he can do." An aggravated sigh crackled on the other end of the line. "Are you all going to be okay?"
"For now." Emily reached up and massaged her temples with the tips of her fingers. "You call us if anything weird starts happening. Calls. Threats. Hell, I want to know if your cat stares unusually hard at a wall for too long."
Hanna and Alison laughed at the same time.
"I think that little bastard does it on purpose. Staring at nothing is his favorite sport. That and knocking cups off of tables. I don't get it, but Caleb says it's apparently just a cat thing." There was a pause. "You don't think that Wren would do anything to Cheese, do you?"
She sounded like a worried mother.
"I hope not. I don't think so. Charlotte never had any interest in hurting animals. And I don't think Wren would either, but we can never be too careful." Emily cringed.
"I'm putting a bell, a tracker, and a note on him that says if anyone touches one piece of his fur that I will destroy them." Hanna frowned.
"I think your cat can hold his own. He lives with you, doesn't he?" Emily teased.
Hanna cocked her head and thought for a second.
"That's true," Hanna said. "You need help telling Aria and Spencer?"
"I think we should wait until Aria and Liam are back before breaking the news. No sense in ruining their vacation. But I'm going to go ahead and reach out to Spencer…"
"I don't think she's available. Her spa trip was cut short. She's in DC putting out a few fires…" Hanna recoiled at the wording. "Metaphorical fires. Not literal. Not like…"
"Not like the inferno in the Poconos." Emily knew what she was getting at.
"Sorry. Wrong choice of words."
"It's fine. I know we hit you with a lot." Emily squeezed her thumb and forefinger against the bridge of her nose. "I'm not sure how much I want to tell them. I think telling them about Charlotte's confession could be dangerous."
"You told me. Does that mean you love me less or you love me more?"
"You would have nagged it out of me." Emily smarted back. "Plus…we have to figure out what this link is between Wren and Charlotte. And if you're looking over Caleb's shoulder I know you would have figured out the truth about that confession. But let's keep it between you, Caleb, Toby, and us."
"So what are you going to tell them?"
"I don't know." Emily looked at Alison. It all rested solely in her hands. "I'm going to let Aria enjoy her vacation. I'll reach out to Spencer when I can."
"I think she has a work retreat coming up." Hanna replied, "I'm not sure where they're going…"
"If Wren can find your itinerary he can find hers." Toby scowled, though he wasn't angry at the girls.
"I don't think so. It's classified because so many high profile people are going to be there. She said she wouldn't be reachable for a few days." Hanna interjected softly.
It made Alison and Emily feel a little better. She probably had more security on her than any of them. They would have to talk to her before she went back to school for the next semester though.
There was a quiet clicking sound on the phone and everyone in the room fell silent. It wouldn't be above Charlotte to bug their phones.
"Caleb is calling." To their relief, the noise was just Hanna's phone cutting out because of another incoming call. "I'm going to find somewhere private and talk to him. I'll ask him about all of this and see what he can do."
"Thanks. Han. Tell him not to be mad that we told you." Emily smiled weakly.
"I can handle Caleb Rivers, Emily." Hanna laughed. "It'll be fine."
"Okay. Be careful." Emily replied.
"You too."
A few seconds later the call dropped.
The room was quiet again. No one knew what to say.
Alison got up without saying a word and walked out of the room.
Emily shot Toby a look and then followed her.
She found the blonde pacing in the kitchen.
"We should just leave." Alison paused in her stride and looked up at Emily.
"We are. Our flight leaves tomorrow." Emily peered curiously at her. "You want to try and move our flight up or…"
"No. Leave the country. Just get on a plane and go. I'm so sick of her finding us." She resumed her pacing.
"That wouldn't solve anything."
"I know." Alison uttered in frustration. "I'm just so…"
Pissed off.
Exhausted.
On edge.
"…I don't know. I am just tired of her. And maybe this will all stop if I'm not around for her to pull my strings anymore."
"No." Emily's tone was firm, but kind. Alison stopped walking again to look up at her. "We have fought so hard to get here. And I refuse to let her take that away from us. I know I talked about running away when we were in the Poconos, but that was just a pipe dream."
She closed the distance between them. Alison opened her arms to embrace her.
"You're right." She took a breath. "I think it's all just too much." She glanced over Emily's shoulder. "I feel like I'm spiraling. There are too many people involved now and all I can hear is their voices over mine."
"I get that."
Ever since the calls had started it had been the two of them against the world…with help from Caleb every now and then. And now they were inviting all of their friends back on to the malfunctioning ride of their lives.
"I love that our friends care, but…" Her eyes darted towards the living room again.
"You feel overcrowded." Emily finished her thought for her.
Alison didn't have to tell Emily what was on her mind, and she loved that about her
"It's just that I'm dealing with a lot. I appreciate everything Caleb and Toby have done, but I need privacy. I need…just you and me. Your mom is going to be home soon." Alison peered at the clock. "And I need time to process this. She is going to ask about the police. She'll know that it's really bad if I'm a mess. I need to get composed."
Emily reached up, her palms landing on Alison's arms. It steadied her.
"Okay."
They heard cautious footsteps approaching.
"Everything alright?" Toby stopped in the entryway of the kitchen.
He teetered on his feet, like he was debating whether or not he should cross the threshold. He could tell that they were having a private moment.
Emily turned around and faced her best friend.
"Toby, we need some time." She rubbed her palms against her biceps, feeling completely vulnerable and insecure.
The adrenaline had worn off. She'd been holding a gun in her hand less than an hour ago. It was drudging up bad memories. She tried to hide her shaking hands, but Alison and Toby saw them trembling.
Toby stopped the balancing act on his feet and walked towards them. He reached for her hands. For once, Alison didn't feel a surge of jealously. She understood what was happening. Toby had held a gun in his hands before, too. She watched as he gripped her fingertips.
"It will wear off…that fear…the weight of the gun in your hand. It's going to wear off. I know you've handled weapons before, but that was in a controlled setting. This was different. It was like…"
"The lighthouse." Emily finished speaking for him.
"Hey, you didn't shoot Sara. You didn't kill her. That feeling coursing through your veins will dissipate. I promise, okay?"
If anyone knew what it was like to hold a gun on someone it was Toby Cavanaugh. He'd carried it over from his career in the police.
Emily nodded. She gently pried her hands away from Toby's.
"Thank you for being here."
"Of course." He smiled, but it had a hint of sadness in it. "I'll let you two have your privacy." He reached up and cupped her shoulder, "But Em…I'm only a phone call away. Anything you need."
"Thank you."
Toby double-checked the perimeter just to be safe and then left.
Alison stared quietly at her girlfriend.
When she'd watched the interaction between Emily and Toby she couldn't help but think about what Emily had said to Sara when she was holding the gun.
"…there are regular birds...and there are birds of prey. And right now, Sara, you're the prey. If you think I'm not willing to cross this line then you have no idea who I am…or what you and Charlotte have done to me. Monsters create monsters."
They sat down in the living room, both of them more composed.
Before Emily could reach out to comfort Alison, the blonde spoke,
"Em…what you said to Sara…you don't actually think you're a monster, do you?"
They'd had a similar conversation after Alison admitted to her brother that she understood monsters because she was one. But she'd never dreamed that Emily felt like that. There wasn't a mean bone in her body...unless one of her loved ones was being threatened.
Hearing her say something like that made Alison wonder if she had enough darkness in her to actually pull the trigger.
"Some days I don't know." Emily admitted. "When I had that gun in my hand all I could think about was putting a bullet in Sara's head. I was afraid my anger would get the better of me."
"Is that…is that why you keep your gun in Malibu under lock and key?"
"Partially." Emily looked ashamed. "Listen, I've had dreams where I actually pulled the trigger. And in the heat of the moment…I mean…I was able to do it when Lyndon was in that lighthouse."
"That was your only choice. He would have killed you and Caleb."
"That's not the point." Emily rubbed her weary eyes. "The fact that I could even consider pulling the trigger again…even in an emergency…after everything I went through that night…it's a lot. Shooting him should have completely turned me off of guns entirely. And for a while it did. But then the Dollhouse happened. And I didn't like that loss of control. So when I got out I went to the shooting range. I was so angry."
Alison put her hand on Emily's shoulder, earning a tender thankful smile from the brunette.
"My mom chewed me out when she found out. I know better than to take anger to the range. But I only felt safe with a gun in my hand. And I wanted to make sure that I would be able to hit a target. But the scariest thing for me was how easy it was for me to pull the trigger and picture people who had tormented us on the receiving end."
"If it makes you feel any better I've had dreams about blowing Charlotte and Sara up with a rocket launcher." Alison stifled a small smile. "I'll tell my brain to add Wren to the mix. Maybe burn him with a blowtorch."
The smile turned into a grin when she heard Emily softly chuckle. Alison's delicate palms trailed the sides of her arms until she reached her biceps.
"You told me I wasn't a monster. After one of my fights with Jason you held me and you made me feel human…" Alison slid her palms between Emily's arms and wrapped her in a hug.
"You are human." Emily whispered.
"So are you." Alison kissed her collar bone. She pulled back. "Em, you're not a monster. And I never want you to say that again." She traced the area where she'd kissed her. "If being with you has taught me anything it's that we judge ourselves too harshly for the way we react to the trauma that others inflicted upon us." She slowly looked over at the pictures on the shelves. Emily's father was staring back at her. "Your father would never put up with you torturing yourself over this."
She'd hit Emily's soft spot, and she knew it. She felt bad bringing him up, especially since Emily was so hard on herself. But they both knew it was true. If Wayne was alive he would chastise Emily for even considering that she might be a monster.
"I guess not." Emily didn't know what else to say.
She was reminded of a time when her mother had told her she was a good person.
"There's only good there."
At the time, Emily had been struggling with her memories and nightmares. The two had blurred together. It was during the time that Alison had been on the run.
The brunette thought she had hurt Alison. She was convinced she'd done something to harm her. When her mother had approached her one day when she was jumpy Emily had pushed her away and adamantly stated that she wasn't a child anymore and she insinuated that she wasn't a good person.
Her mother had gotten a fierce look in her eyes. She had refused to let Emily go. She'd embraced her and told her that she only had good in her soul.
Emily wasn't sure she believed that anymore. Not after the things she'd done. But when Alison looked at her earnestly and held her she couldn't deny the warmth she felt in her veins.
"How are you holding up?" Emily pulled her closer.
Alison didn't say anything at first. She silently reached for her phone. It felt ridiculously heavy in her hand. She stared at an image. Emily couldn't see what she was looking at because of the angle of the phone, but she had a pretty good guess.
Alison looked at the clock. It was nearly eight.
"Sara is going to make sure Charlotte finds out about this." Alison moved her phone from one hand to another, like it was a hot potato.
"We have time."
"Not if she calls Wren." Alison sighed and looked at her phone again. "I need to talk to her before Sara uses her one phone call to warn her."
Emily laid her palms in her lap, but she didn't say anything.
"You think it's a bad idea." Alison frowned.
"No. I just wasn't sure whether you wanted space or if…"
"I want you with me." The blonde reached for Emily's hands, pulling her right one out of her lap and clutching it.
"After everything that happened between us at Welby I didn't know if my presence would make things better or worse."
Alison squeezed her hand.
"Everything is better with you."
Emily gently squeezed back.
"Then I'll stay right here."
Alison pulled up an app that had a number scrambler. She'd learned a lot about how to shield numbers when she was on the run. She wasn't taking the chance by giving Charlotte a familiar number on the caller ID. She needed her to answer.
Alison peered at her screen.
"You think she'll pick up?" She slowly looked up at Emily.
"Won't know unless we try." Emily shrugged.
"I don't know if I want her to pick up." Alison admitted. "I have so many things I want to say to her, but I know I have to be careful about this. I'm walking this crazy tightrope."
"I'm here to catch you if you slip." Emily gave her an encouraging smile.
The amazing thing about their relationship was the balance they gave to one another. Just moments ago it had been Alison comforting Emily. Now the roles had been reversed. To Emily, that's what it meant to be in love. To instinctively know what her partner needed. To know her so well that she could predict what her girlfriend needed in the situation.
When Alison was younger Emily had gotten so many mixed signals. She hadn't really known how to be there, because the blonde still had her walls up. But the years had lowered Alison's defenses…at least when it came to Emily. She trusted her. She loved her. She leaned on her.
"I love you." Alison leaned over and pressed her lips against Emily's. "Against reason. Against promise. Against peace…"
Emily smiled and finished for her.
"Against hope. Against happiness. Against all discouragement that could be."
"Well I would say that contacting my sister who has been torturing us is against all discouragement that could be." Alison tried to lighten the mood. "Let's do this."
Emily gave her an encouraging smile as Alison scrolled through the images and found the number she'd seen on Sara's phone before they destroyed it. That had been satisfying. Watching the bitch's face crumple as her precious lifeline was destroyed.
Alison copied the number and pulled up the number scrambling app.
Then she hit dial and turned speakerphone on.
It rang three times. Then four. Five. Seven.
When it got to ten Alison was certain it had ended before it had even begun.
But then there was a click.
A whoosh of air.
Silence for several seconds.
Whispered hushed words that neither of them could understand.
Alison looked at Emily in confusion and Emily just shrugged.
Your guess is as good as mine.
Then someone spoke.
"Finally." Her voice cut Alison to the bone when she heard it. "Where the hell have you been? What have you got for me? Is their flight still scheduled to leave in the morning?"
Alison felt her blood boiling. She knew Sara had been spying for Charlotte, but to hear it confirmed by her sister stoked the flames of the fire building in her chest.
She wasn't sure if her heart was breaking or if it was encapsulated by anger from a scream was building in her lungs.
"Are you there? I swear if this is another butt dial…" Charlotte let out a deep angry sigh.
"Hello, Charlotte."
At first she was met with silence. Alison was certain she was going to hang up, but then she heard a malicious chuckle.
"Well, well, well…look who finally grew a backbone…" She laughed. "So how did you outsmart Sara, little sister?"
"I didn't. She's just that dumb." Alison replied coolly.
"I'm going to assume your other half is there listening. Your codependency reeks through the phone." Charlotte laughed harshly. "Hello, Emily."
Emily didn't give her the satisfaction of replying.
"Aw, come on…don't be shy. You and I both certainly know how vicious you can truly be." Charlotte taunted.
"Shut up. This isn't about her." Alison snapped.
"Ohhh…baby girl has got some bite. I think California has made you sassier." Charlotte started laughing again.
She sounded deranged. Alison wondered how she had fallen so far so fast. Or perhaps she had always been this way, but was good at hiding it.
"I'm not sorry I left." Alison kept her composure, but her hands were shaking.
Emily reached out and touched her thigh, trying to calm her down. Alison shot her an appreciative smile.
"You think that's breaking news?" Charlotte's voice was full of irritation. "You couldn't jet out of here fast enough."
"You did threaten to kill me." Alison stared at the phone, trying to picture her sister on the other end. "Then again…you threaten to kill everybody…even yourself"
"Well, that seems quite loaded." Charlotte's tone was cold and dull. "Let's unpack that, shall we?"
"Jason told me about you self-harming…"
"He knows what I want him to know." She tried to play it off, but it seemed to agitate the older girl.
"Are you still doing it?"
"Wouldn't you like to know?" Charlotte scoffed. "Like you'd care?"
"I wouldn't want that for anyone." Alison replied softly.
"Save your faux sensitivity. It doesn't suit you, Alison." The way she said her name sent a prickle down Alison's spine.
"You need to stop, Charlotte. Suicide is not a joke."
"Let me out and I'll stop." It almost sounded desperate. Almost.
"You know I can't do that. You've been torturing us."
"You can't prove anything." Charlotte challenged.
"Sara is going to talk. We know about the boy she killed." Alison didn't hold back.
"So what? It's still my word against hers. And I have proof."
Alison could picture her sister sitting on her bed and staring at her nails in boredom. Only…she wouldn't have long nails, because she was a danger to herself and others. So part of her treatment was to have her nails cut short.
"You sent Sara to kill us. We almost burned to death…"
"I haven't seen Sara since…I don't know when."
"Don't fucking lie to me." Alison's nostrils flared.
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Charlotte's voice was light and airy, almost sing-songy.
"Yeah. Right. Just like you had no idea what happened to mom?" Alison asked bitterly. "I know you killed her."
There was another lingering pause.
"Emily told you? Hmm…points to you, Americano."
Emily flinched, but maintained her silence. She understood that this was Alison's call. And she wasn't going to butt in.
"Of course she told me. Unlike you, she's not a liar. We don't keep things from each other." She glanced at Emily, her eyes soft.
"I'll bet little Miss. Goody-Two-Shoes didn't tell you what she said to me." Charlotte tested her boundaries.
"I listened to the whole recording."
"And you're still with a monster like that? My, how the mighty have fallen."
Alison saw the brunette drop her shoulders and quietly slump down. She was already fighting with her internal demons. Charlotte probably knew that…and she was hitting her where it hurt.
"If you want to see a monster then look in the mirror, sis." Alison hissed. She wouldn't stand for Emily being slandered. "She didn't say anything that wasn't true."
"So you agree with her? I guess blood isn't thicker than water." Charlotte made a tsk sound repetitively.
"This ends now. I'm sending your confession to the cops."
There was a pause and then a heavy angry breath.
"You do that and you'll be sorry." Charlotte's tone shifted dramatically.
"I'm done letting you get away with your shit. I already told Jason. He heard the recording. Sooner or later you're not going to have anyone left."
"Careful not to overplay your hand, Alison. You have no idea what I'm capable of."
"I know exactly who you are and what you're capable of." Alison countered. "You're not that little kid on the ski-slopes anymore. You stopped holding my hand a long time ago."
There was a staggering breath.
Charlotte didn't seem to know what to say to that.
"The ski slopes…" Charlotte seemed to be speaking more to herself than responding to her sister, like she was lost in the recesses of her mind.
"You can't keep playing this game. I won't let you." Alison stated adamantly.
Something changed in Charlotte's tone. Her voice was soft as she responded. It was as if they were back on the ski slopes, Charlotte holding her hand.
"Ali…I…" She stuttered, "Y-you…I…I didn't think you…"
There was a rustling sound on Charlotte's end.
They heard a distant voice say her name. But Alison and Emily couldn't place it. It wasn't Jason. And the person had a southern accent, so it wasn't Wren.
Seconds later the call cut off.
Alison squeezed her phone and let out an aggravated cry. She felt Emily's palm cupping her shoulder. Alison threw her phone down against the couch.
"That was weird." Emily murmured. "What happened at the end? She completely shifted. She sounded almost…human."
"I don't know. Probably more manipulation tactics." But Alison wasn't entirely sure. It's like she'd flipped a switch in her sister mentioning what may or may not have been a memory of them when they were younger.
"You didn't mention Wren." Emily pointed out.
"I don't want her to know that we know. Having the upperhand might be an advantage."
"Smart." Emily kissed her temple.
"Did you hear that guy call out for her near the end of the call?" Alison turned towards the brunette.
"I did. But I have no idea who it was. But maybe because she ended the call so abruptly it was someone she didn't want knowing she has a phone." Emily guessed.
Alison tapped her index finger against her leg, lost in thought.
Emily's phone jolted them both back into reality. Emily picked it up and saw a text from her mother.
The neighbors said the police were there?
Without even being in the room with her, Emily could sense the alarm in her words.
Don't worry. We're fine.
Is it about the fire?
No. Someone was trespassing. Toby happened to catch her in the act.
What? Call me.
Everything is fine. I'll explain it when you get home.
Finishing up dinner with Ashley Marin. We're at the Italian place on Main. You want me to bring you and Alison something?
Emily looked up at the blonde, who had retreated back into her thoughts. She was desperately trying to figure out how to just jump to the end of things with her screwed up family.
"It's my mom. One of my nosy neighbors told her about the cops being here." Emily glanced at her phone. "She's going to have some questions when she gets home, but she's eating dinner right now. You hungry?"
"Starving." Their dinner with Toby had ended before it could even start, and she was famished.
"Pizza?" Emily suggested.
"Sure."
Emily sent their order to her mother and then put her phone down.
"I have to get the footage of Sara's confession to the cops. Do you want to send Charlotte's with hers or do you still want that to be done anonymously?" Emily asked.
"She knows we're the ones with the recording. But the cops don't have to know that. I need a few days…and maybe a sunset on the beach before I make that call."
"Can't offer the beach here, but why don't you go take a nice hot shower?"
"Only if you join me?" Alison extended her hand towards Emily.
Emily deliberated for a moment.
"We'll have to be quick." Emily pulled her to her feet with enough force that Alison fell into her embrace. "Before my mother gets home."
Alison smiled.
Showering together wasn't so much about sex or seeing each other naked. It was a unique bonding experience in intimacy.
Emily gave incredible back massages with her coconut oil, and Alison's fingers worked magic lathering up the brunette's hair. The scalp massage always put Emily at ease. There was something innocent about exploring each other's bodies. Alison always kissed the scar on Emily's back. And Emily always gently traced the scar on her thigh that Cyrus had given her. Emily took care to kiss Alison's sensitive knuckles where small cuts and bruises had started to form from her fight with Sara.
After they finished washing up they got changed and Emily went to work on the footage of Sara Harvey. She found the confession and cut out the rest of the conversation about Charlotte and everything else. She e-mailed it to Toby.
Think this is all they will need?
-Em
His response,
Yeah. She's apparently already talking to try and save her ass. I'll take the video in. I have to go in and give a sworn statement. Thought it would save you the trouble of navigating all the law shit. You have enough going on right now. You and Alison just rest up for your flight tomorrow.
-The Hermit who lives in the woods
Emily smiled.
Thanks, she replied.
One down.
Two to go.
Sara would be out of the picture for a long time. Charlotte wouldn't be far behind, though that was going to be a bit trickier. But Wren was a wild card. They had no idea how to find him. Would he go rogue if something happened to Charlotte?
Emily made sure to delete all copies of the rest of the footage that showed them practically beating Sara for information.
They heard a car door slam shut.
"Emily? Alison?" Emily's mother's voice called seconds later. "I have dinner!"
"Ah, time to do damage control." Emily tied her hair up into a messy bun.
Alison smiled at her. She loved Emily's messy hairdos.
"I'll be right down. I need to straighten and dry my hair a little. If I get on that plane with untamed hair tomorrow it's going to frizz like something fierce. I'll look like a hobo."
"I think you'd be a cute hobo." Emily smiled, pecking her nose. "Take your time, Princess." She teased.
"I'm not!" Alison feigned shock.
Emily winked at her as she walked out of her room. The brunette was a smooth talker, so Alison had no doubt that she'd be able to update her mom without making a big deal out of it.
Alison didn't hear any hysterical screaming or angry shouting, so it seemed to be going well.
She worked on her hair routine.
She was getting ready to join Emily and her mom when her phone rang.
Normally she would ignore it in lieu of spending time with her girlfriend. But she saw Jason's contact info…Fucking Asshole…which is what she'd stored in her phone as his name.
She picked up, ready for a fight.
"Yes?"
"You had Sara arrested?" Jason didn't bother with saying hello. "Jesus. How deep does this obsession of yours with her go?"
"How do you even know that?" Alison frowned at the phone.
Why couldn't they talk like civilized people?
"She called me. She needs a lawyer. She wanted the name of the lawyer who represented Charlotte."
"Of course she called you." Alison grumbled. "Guess you can go ahead and take her off Charlotte's visitor list." She added with a hint of bitchiness in her tone.
"I was going to do that anyway. You didn't have to get the cops involved!" He yelled.
"You were going to take her off the list?" It surprised her.
"Yes. You seemed really upset and you were determined she was doing it to get to you. I was going to call in the morning and have her removed. So how about you call the station and get the charges against her dropped?"
Sara clearly hadn't told him everything.
"I can't. She killed a boy, Jason." Alison hissed into the phone.
She was met with silence and then a confused,
"What? When?"
"When she was in high school. She confessed to it…while she was trespassing on Emily's property earlier...with a knife. We turned the video evidence of it over to the cops."
More silence.
"Well…shit." There was a rustling noise.
Alison pictured him running his hand through his hair. He did that when he was anxious.
I told you so.
"Yeah, so…maybe the next time I ask you to follow my instincts you should listen." She couldn't help getting another barb in.
"The recording of Charlotte…" He replied.
"What about it?" Alison asked.
"Did you turn that in with the evidence of Sara?"
"No."
"Good." He breathed a sigh of relief.
"Really? After all of this you still want to protect her? Sara was a murderer…helping our sister…who murdered our mother." Alison spit angrily.
"I know that," His voice wavered, "I don't want you to turn that recording of her over…"
"That's not your choice." Alison stared angrily at the wall.
"I'm aware." He was oddly calm, and Alison didn't like it. "You didn't let me finish. I don't want you to turn it over, Ali, but I can't stop you either. I'm not going to try to stop you."
Alison was stunned into silence.
"But I can't help you either." He sounded genuinely sad, which should have made Alison feel something for him.
She couldn't force feelings to the surface while he still ignored reality. Just because he wasn't actively trying to stop her from outing Charlotte's secrets didn't mean he was not doing harm.
"I need to know the names of Charlotte's doctors." Alison knew she needed to tread carefully.
"Why?"
"They need to know this information about her. For her treatment." It was a lie, and one that Jason called her on immediately.
"Bullshit. You don't care about her treatment. Not since you walked away. What is it really about?"
Alison pressed her thumb and forefinger against the bridge of her nose and grumbled.
"After everything…can you just help me out here? What are their names?" She didn't want to introduce Wren into the conversation.
She was not going to involve her brother more than absolutely necessary. He would probably fuck it all up.
"I honestly don't know. She's had a ton of them. I don't know all their names."
"So you're not familiar with them?" Alison asked.
"I'm not always here. I was out of the country for four months. I trust the hospital to take care of her. The girls up front call me with updates as necessary. And when I visit Charlotte I don't really spend a ton of time with her doctors. I go there to see my sister."
Such a Man response. To not know the little details. One-track mind.
"This is important, Jason. I need those names."
"I don't have them." There was a pause and Alison was getting ready to explode, but then he added, "I'll see what I can do. Maybe there is something in her records. I know she's seen over three…maybe four dozen doctors and shrinks. They rotate."
Alison was only interested in one name.
Wren Kingston.
If he was anywhere on the list that would explain how Charlotte was getting away with so much. Wren wouldn't need to be on the visitor's list if he was part of the team treating Charlotte.
Jason spoke again after a period of silence.
"I'm sorry, Alison. You were saddled with a shitty family, including me. I do still love you though."
Alison couldn't bring herself to say it back. She didn't trust him.
"Call me when you have those names."
Jason sighed and then said his goodbyes.
Alison stayed sitting upright on Emily's bed for a solid three minutes. Then she fell back and let out a deep breath. She wanted to scream, but she didn't want to scare Emily and her mother.
She laid on Emily's bed meditating…trying to find some semblance of peace. When she realized it was fruitless she gave up.
She followed the smell of pizza into the Fields kitchen. And she postponed her dread and her concerns to enjoy a much needed evening with her girlfriend.
A/N: Well, that was…A LOT. I was grinning so hard at EmisonLove123's review saying they wished Alison got in a few punches at Sara Harvey, because I knew THIS was coming. What do we make of Sara's story? True? Not true? Is Wren really out to get them? If so, why? As always, Toby coming in for the save with the call to the station. Barry's "I hate this damn town" made me giggle when I re-read for the edit. Definitely wasn't giggling when Alison called Charlotte. Or when Alison and Emily had to drop the bombshell of truth on to Hanna and make the choice to let Aria and Spencer in on it. Though Hanna's "I could strangle the British completely out of his accent" added a little tension-reliever.
At least one threat is behind bars for now. Wonder if this will snap Jason out of his obstinate dickism.
Note: If Charlotte hurts one tiny bit of fur on Cheese's little head Hanna will scorch the Earth with Charlotte on it as revenge.
We're heating up. Let's gooooooo!
