Seasons of Love

by Forever without him

When Alison DiLaurentis is thrust into a world of choices between obligation & loyalty she makes an impossible decision. After spending three years without Emily Fields, she sets out to prove to the brunette that she's worth loving. As looming threats from their past emerge and an unexpected tragedy unfolds, they learn to lean on one another. Canon-Divergent. Rating may change.

19. Auld Lang Syne

A/N: This is a long ride. Prepare snacks as needed and have your emotional support animals ready. Or in my case...my emotional support Canadians. Where my Toronto, Vancouver, and all my Canadian fam at?

Some M-rated material ahead.

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Chapter 18:

Auld Lang Syne

Their glasses clinked.

It was 12:00 AM on the dot.

They could hear fireworks in the distance, which struck Emily as being somewhat dangerous since there were wooded areas surrounding the cabin. But since the ground and trees were covered in snow it didn't seem likely that anything would spread so local authorities didn't seem to care.

The crowds on the television were going wild. The camera panned to people hamming it up and kissing each other while millions watched.

Alison and Emily had avoided the crowds, deciding instead to ring in the new year in front of a cozy fire in the cabin.

"Happy New Year, baby." Alison put her glass down and leaned over to kiss her girlfriend.

"Happy New Year." Emily smiled into the warm kiss that tasted like champagne.

Emily was hoping that they were ushering in a calm new year. Their world had been far too chaotic lately. Between her father dying and Charlotte tormenting Alison it had been one of the worst years of their lives…and that was saying a lot given everything they had been through.

But things seemed to be looking up.

The last two days at the cabin had been incredibly peaceful. It was just what they needed.

Emily didn't sleep well at night, so she napped during the day. Alison loved the cuddle-time. She'd completely disconnected from her devices. Her agent was not going to be happy with her. The only content her fans was getting was scheduled posts she'd set up before they left Rosewood.

She was trying to work through the new revelations in her life. She had always felt deep down that Charlotte had killed her mom. But knowing for sure didn't make the sting of the betrayal hurt any less. It didn't make her mom less dead either. She'd still never get that closure.

Emily could feel the tension Alison was carrying in her shoulders. The blonde was dealing with a lot of intense emotions. It gave Emily an excuse to give her long sensual massages…which many times ended up with them kissing.

They were both hoping the new year would bring more kissing and less trauma.

Emily reached up and slipped her palm underneath Alison's hair and cupped her neck with her palm, pulling her in for another kiss.

She could feel how tight Alison's muscles were. She squeezed the back of her neck and put gentle pressure against a giant knot underneath her skin.

"Jeeze, Ali, you're really tight. You're packing a lot of anxiety in your neck."

"You sound like a chiropractor." Alison teased, but she was relaxing underneath Emily's touch.

"We could go back to the bedroom and I could crack your back if you'd like." She shot back with a flirty smile. "Seriously, come here."

Emily turned sideways and perched up against the arm of the couch. She spread her legs and buried her socks into the couch cushion and gestured for Alison to sit on the cushion in the open space.

Alison scooted towards her and Emily put her hands on Alison's shoulders. She started working her muscles loose.

Her fingers were magical. Emily's hands were soft and delicate, yet firm and hard at the same time. She used the perfect amount of pressure. Alison wondered if it was natural talent or if she'd picked it up during her physical therapy after her shoulder injury. She would make a great physical therapist.

Alison was a little concerned about Emily's lack of motivation in school. She was so close to getting her Bachelor's Degree. When Alison first got to Malibu, Emily had seemed so passionate about advancing her career.

But now?

Alison saw how much the brunette was struggling.

She wanted to help her, but she didn't know how. Maybe when they got back to California she could make school sexy somehow. They could make it into a game in the bedroom. She could quiz her with flashcards and every time she got the answer right one of them could remove an article of clothing.

Emily swept her hair aside and blew a gentle breath on her neck before pressing her fingers into Alison's tight skin.

Alison made noises that she only ever made in bed. Being with Emily, she had learned that sex wasn't the only intimate act between partners. When Emily touched her she felt like she was transcending physically, emotionally, and mentally.

The brunette's touch soothed her. She could feel her stress fading away as she melted into Emily, relaxing against her.

How does she do that?

She got lost in thought, only brought back to reality when Emily slipped her fingers underneath her silky top and trailed her fingers against her spine.

She shivered.

"That feels amazing." Alison murmured.

"Feeling better?" Emily leaned forward and kissed the side of her neck that had been left exposed when she'd pushed Alison's hair over her right shoulder to get better access.

"Much." Alison slowly moved down, letting Emily fall naturally in place next to her. She smiled softly. "You're so good to me."

When her nose crinkled Emily felt like kissing it. Alison knew she was drop dead gorgeous. She wasn't shy about that. But it was in her more intimate moments when Emily got to see her vulnerabilities that she was most attracted to her.

Alison leaned her head against Emily's shoulder. Emily couldn't help but notice that Alison had been using her shampoo.

The brunette lifted her arm and curled it over Alison's shoulder and lifted her feet up on to the ottoman.

She stared at the fire. It was a powerful force, and it was even more powerful when nightmares of being burned alive were plaguing someone.

The flames were like fingers clawing the air. All it took in nature was the wind fusing a spark and everything in its path would be destroyed, leaving only charred ashes in its wake.

"Em?"

Emily startled at the sound of her voice.

"Hmm?" Her eyes were still on the flames.

"You're staring at that fire like it insulted your great-grandfather." Alison touched her hand.

"Sorry. I just…" Emily felt a point of tension in her forehead, a throbbing vein of sorts.

"Nightmares?" Alison guessed.

"Yeah." Emily replied softly.

"The Dollhouse?"

Emily nodded silently.

"It must have been terrifying being trapped there with nowhere to go while that shithole burned down." Alison scrunched her nose up, the thought of the Dollhouse disgusting her.

"I uh…I don't exactly make it out alive in my nightmares. It's super intense." She felt heat rising on the back of her neck.

Alison hugged her.

"I can't imagine." Alison peered at her sadly. "I was absolutely petrified when we found the smoke. I thought I'd already lost you all. I didn't…I didn't see you at first and my heart felt like it was being slowly ripped to shreds. I never want to feel like that again."

The words hung in the air like they were haunting them, like a foreshadow of something to come.

"We were all so fragile then. We barely had the strength to walk." Emily tried to force the memory away.

Alison touched her temple and drew a circular pattern.

"And yet you persevered. You leaped into that hole to save Mona." Alison reminded her.

The first time that she'd heard that Emily had saved Mona's life she was floored.

"Spencer was so pissed at me when I took that risk. But there was no way out for her. Someone had to do it. I wasn't going to leave her there. Not even after everything she'd done to us. I never thought I'd see the day that I risked my life for Mona Vanderwaal."

"You're being modest. You saved her and Aria after Charlotte tried to run them over with a car. You lost your scholarship because of your shoulder injury, didn't you?" Alison asked. "You have your father's protective nature."

"Yeah, I suppose I do." Emily sighed, staring at the champagne glasses on the table.

"Always and forever my protective mermaid." Alison had a lazy drunken smile on her face. She reached up to stroke Emily's hair. "Not only do you rescue people at sea. You rescue them everywhere."

"I wish I could have done more to help back then. When Charlotte started playing the game I wasn't sure what was going to happen to me…to my loved ones. I mean…she ran a car through my living room It could have killed my mother. For someone who claimed to love her dolls," Emily hissed the word, "…she sure as hell treated us like she was going to break off all our limbs and melt us in the microwave."

"Toby seems to think she was harder on you because she was jealous of how much I care about you." Alison's eyes softened. "The girls think that, too, but they're too polite to say it."

"It doesn't matter now." Emily stared at the fire.

"It does. Because you're still worried about Charlotte." Alison felt like cursing herself. They weren't even an hour into the new year and she was already bringing up the past.

Emily sighed and then slowly faced her.

"I knew you hadn't been sleeping well." Alison reached up and gently stroked her thumb underneath Emily's left eye. "God, the nightmares must be horrendous."

"It's not only the nightmares keeping me up. I'm still trying to settle here. It's an unfamiliar bed." Emily shook it off.

"Bullshit." Alison stared her down. "You've told me more than once that a military brat sleeps where her head lands."

Emily reached for her champagne and quietly reflected, trying to figure out how to explain to Alison that it didn't matter if Charlotte was out of their lives…that it didn't matter how far away they were or what they were doing.

She tried to find a way to explain that Charlotte had taken a piece of her that she knew she'd never get back. It was a piece of her she didn't want back. It was the fragmented shattered remains of a broken girl in high school who wanted more than anything to forget the past. Yet, she refused to let it go, because she had been shaped by it.

She took a sip of her alcohol, resisting the urge to chug it all and pour another glass.

"She's always there…in the air. But it's something you learn to live with. It's like…electricity whirring. We're around it and we grow up surrounded by the noise. Instinctively we learn to tune it out, whether it's the refrigerator buzzing or lights humming. It's a constant sound that we acclimate to. But when the power goes out…it gets quiet." She twirled her finger around the rim of her glass. "Too quiet. And you realize just how loud the silence is. And sometimes that silence is worse than the constant buzzing. Because that silence reminds you of the very thing you were trying to forget. The noise."

Alison touched Emily's knee.

"You know, I don't think I'll ever be able to face her again." Alison traced Emily's jaw with her index finger. "I honestly don't know how you did that. I know you were expecting me to be angry, but the truth is I'm glad you got her to back off. I just hate that you had to go in person to do it. I feel like she probably planned it that way. She knew goading me would set you off, and she knew it would hurt you to see her." It was part of her fucked up game. "I'm sorry she did that. I won't ever let her hurt you again."

Her voice was soft and sweet as she reached up to caress Emily's cheeks. Alison had grown into the kind caring woman that Emily had caught glimpses of in high school. She'd lowered her guard and let the mask of the angry queen bee slip.

Emily response was a sweet peck on the lips. She didn't need words to tell the blonde how much she loved her.

"You know how I feel about you. You've always known…" Emily had said the day she left Rosewood.

Sometimes she wondered what would have happened if she hadn't left. She had contemplated going back minutes after she left Alison staring sadly at her taillights.

Would they have been able to work it out?

They had been through hell together. That's why she'd reacted so rashly to Charlotte torturing Alison again.

Maybe they could truly put it all behind them.

"This year is going to be better. It's going to be our year." Emily tried to put positive energy out there, even though she wasn't sure she believed in manifesting good things anymore.

She'd managed not to be entirely jaded by everything in her life.

Spencer had told her that she'd tried to protect her when they were younger. She'd seen something in Emily. She hadn't wanted her to lose hope.

Emily had hated her for it back then, but she appreciated it now.

"I hope so." Alison leaned into Emily with a dreamy drunken look in her eyes.

Of course, she wasn't completely drunk. She was just buzzed enough to feel the muscles in her body loosen…thanks to Emily and her magical fingers.

When she looked at Emily like a seductress, the brunette could hardly help herself.

"How about we start it off right?" Emily smiled.

"Yeah?" Alison lifted her brows when she heard the sultry tone in her girlfriend's voice. She paused to think about something, and then she laughed.

"What's so funny?" Emily asked.

"Usually the year ends in a bang. It doesn't start with a bang." She was laughing again.

Emily snorted.

"That was worse than my back-cracking chiropractor joke." Emily snorted. "I think we're cut off for the night. We're at that point where we're laughing at our own pick-up lines."

"Yeah. Stone-cold sober us would be cringing so hard." A smile played at Alison's lips. "New resolution…work on my flirting."

"No need to flirt with me. You already have me." Emily gently kissed her.

"But flirting with you is fun." Alison kissed back aggressively and then pulled back and touched her cheeks, feeling them flooding with warmth. "You get flustered and blush and it's really cute."

"Maybe I'm not going for a cute vibe." Emily pressed her forehead against Alison's and then slowly pushed her lips against hers.

"Oh? Is that so?" Alison languidly rose to her feet. She gently gripped Emily's hand and pulled her up. "Then let's see what you've got."

Minutes later they were in the bedroom, recreating their night by the fire in the living room with more vigor.

The alcohol had fueled them, and it heightened everything around them. The air around them was buzzing with energy.

Alison found she was highly more sensitive to Emily's touches, and Emily could feel her stamina steadily increasing. Her sex drive was wildly high. One moment she was kissing Alison's belly and the next she was moving down between her legs, Alison's hands tangled in her hair.

Alison didn't let Emily have all the fun. She flipped her on to her back and held her wrists above her head as she peppered her sweaty skin with kisses. It drove Emily mad not being able to touch her. She ended up begging for her to let go. It was the sexiest thing Alison had ever seen.

When she let go of Emily's wrists she languidly laid one hand against her chest. There was a moment between them where they both paused, staring lovingly into each other's eyes as their bodies and souls connected.

Alison looked down, her hand still resting against Emily's bare chest. There was an electricity crackling between them. She could feel Emily's heart racing in time with her own. It was as if they were one single soul, one heart beating for the both of them.

They were up until nearly three in the morning, having only taken short breaks between each interaction. Between the throes of passion they'd have short little talks about their lives and what they wanted for their future. Neither of them mentioned their past or their past trauma.

By the time they fell asleep neither one of them was thinking about Charlotte.

But that didn't stop the creeping sensation of dread and doom from invading Emily's subconscious.

The smoke was thick and black.

It burned her lungs.

Her friends were screaming her name.

Alison was crying.

As the flames licked at her skin a shadowy figure appeared in the darkness.

She only uttered one word.

"Americano."

The grin on Charlotte's face was like something from the ether.

For some reason the flames didn't touch her.

They parted for her like the Red Sea had parted for Moses.

It was if she was in control.

The fire was at her beck and call.

The look in her eyes said it all,

'You'll always be my doll.'

Emily woke up startled, her eyes flying open in the darkness. She had a horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach. It was as if a premonition was coming to life. Something terrible.

She sat up in the bed, glancing down at the sheets she had sweated through.

She peeled the blanket back and lightly stepped out of bed. She couldn't decide whether she wanted to get a glass of water or pace the hall until she wore herself out.

She opted to just go into the bathroom and splash her face with water.

She crawled back into bed and looked at her phone. She'd only been asleep for half an hour.

She looked next to her, where Alison seemed to be sleeping peacefully. Emily carefully reached out and pushed the hair out of her face.

Alison smiled in her sleep and reached for Emily.

Careful not to wake her, she pulled Alison into her arms. She held her a little tighter than she normally did, as if nothing could hurt her as long as she was there.

It took her fifteen minutes to calm her breathing. And it took her another fifteen minutes to give into her exhaustion.

She was certain she was being paranoid. They'd had a good trip. There had been no threatening calls or texts. No boogeymen hiding in the dark.

She didn't know that her unease wasn't entirely irrational. There was a reason her sixth sense was screaming something was wrong.

They slept soundly until a loud buzzing noise stirred them both awake in the morning.

Emily slapped her palm against the desk next to the bed until it landed on her phone.

Alison mumbled and growled into her pillow.

Emily made sure all her nude body was covered and answered the FaceTime with a yawn.

"Hey, party girl." Hanna's smiling face greeted her.

By the sunken dark circles under her eyes it looked like she'd had a late night, too. Yet she looked perfectly put together.

Emily wasn't sure how she could be so perky in the morning. Hanna had never been a morning person. Sometimes she would throw things at people who woke her up. One time she bit Emily for trying to wake her up so they could get to school on time.

"Hey." Emily rubbed her face, still half asleep.

"Happy New Year, babe."

"I love you, Han, but why so early? Do you secretly hate me?" Emily rubbed her throbbing temple.

"It's noon." Hanna looked directly into the camera with one eyebrow quirked.

"Oh." Emily smiled sheepishly. "I think I'm still on west coast time."

"Mmhmm. Someone had some late night fun." Hanna playfully goaded her. "I knew that bookworm act you were putting on about studying at the library when we shared a room was just a front. You were out there having wild crazy sex, weren't you?"

Emily hadn't thought about that living arrangement in ages. She'd briefly moved into the Marin house in high school because her father had been reassigned to Texas and her mother insisted that they move out there to be with him.

Emily had been devastated about leaving her friends. But then one of Mona's A games had turned the tables. Mona had mailed a fake letter from a college saying that if Emily stayed in Rosewood to finish out her swim career that they would grant her a scholarship. Her mother let her stay.

"Wild times." Emily nodded.

"Alison was right about you being wild in the sheets." Hanna winked at her. "I'm not going to lie…I questioned my sexuality when you were staying with me."

Alison turned over, frowning at Emily. She knew Hanna was only teasing. She was working very hard on her jealousy. She knew she could be possessive of the brunette. She just had to remind herself that what Emily had with the girls was different than what they had.

Before Alison could say something, Hanna laughed.

"Hi, Alison. I'm just messing with you. Knowing Emily…she really was at the library back then. Probably because it reminded her of you. That's where she fell in love with you, you know."

It was somewhat impressive that Hanna knew her well enough to know that she was going to complain. It was also adorable to watch Emily's cheeks turn a bright shade of red.

"Oh My God, Hanna, shut up." Emily chuckled like a teenage girl with a crush.

"No, please go on." Alison replied with a grin, still off-screen. "Hey, Hanna."

"Hey, Ali. I'm not taking back what I said about your girlfriend being hot." Hanna grinned.

"I'll allow it." Alison yawned. She couldn't deny the beauty of the woman in bed next to her. "Did you go to the Square last night?" She leaned towards the camera, her face popping halfway on to the screen.

Alison loved Times Square. The energy seemed infectious.

"No. I don't do crowds that big." Hanna responded with a solemn expression on her face.

Alison wanted to smack her herself in the face. Of course Hanna was sketchy of being in crowds. Just like Emily was sketchy of crowds. They carried the heavy burden of their past. The only reason Hanna ever went into a crowd was for fashion shows.

Alison opened her mouth to apologize, but she couldn't think of what to say. And Hanna had threatened her under penalty of smacking her if she apologized again.

"Besides…" Hanna saved her the humiliation. "We got snowed in. I didn't feel like sloshing out there in the cold. I have a nice space heater right here."

"Oh, tell Caleb hello." Emily chuckled.

Hanna panned the camera, but it wasn't Caleb's face that was on screen. A content cat was snoring in her lap. Hanna's hand ran across Cheese's soft orange fur.

"Caleb is making breakfast…" Hanna stopped and then swiftly corrected, "…well, technically it's lunch, I guess." She smiled. "He's so good to me."

Alison and Emily shared a look. Alison had said the same thing to Emily last night. It made them feel lucky to have what Caleb and Hanna had, especially given that they had only been together for six months.

Jumping back into a relationship had felt really natural for them, but the fact that Emily was adamant that they get to know each other again had cemented their connection.

"What are you two love-birds up to today?" Hanna asked.

"We stupidly signed up to go skiing this afternoon…not taking into account that we might be exhausted and hungover." Alison ran her hand through her tangled hair.

She felt messy, but in the best way.

Emily's eyes darted away from the screen and focused on the blonde's morning afterglow. Alison had always looked beautiful in the morning, tangled hair or not.

"I'm surprised the ski resort is even open on New Years Day."

"Tourist dollars." Emily shrugged. "You talked to the other girls yet?"

"Just Aria. I texted her and she texted back a picture of the view of Brazil from her hotel room. I think she did it to make me jealous." Hanna pouted.

"Yes, because that's her sole goal in life." Emily snickered.

"Spencer is at some spa retreat with her mom and her sister. And Mona and her mother are visiting family in Lake Tahoe. I think Caleb and I are the only ones who didn't go anywhere." Hanna glanced around their apartment.

"Stay-cations are the best. You have everything you need at your fingertips." Alison smiled. "Plus, Cheese would have been mad at you if you went somewhere without him."

"That's true. And it's not like we can take the little bastard with us. He refuses to stay in his carrier on planes." All three of them burst into laughter when they recounted the time that Cheese had escaped his carrier and was wandering the plane until a flight attendant grabbed him and made an announcement about him.

Three people had offered to adopt him before Hanna and Caleb could stop laughing long enough to claim him.

"Hey, can I ask you something?" Hanna's jovial nature turned into a more serious one.

"We have been talking about a periods and sex since we were fourteen. We shared a bedroom. We're practically related. Ask away." Emily gave her the go-ahead.

"Has she really stopped since the visit? I mean…you're not just telling us that because it's what we want to hear, right?"

It took Alison and Emily a second to register that she was asking about Charlotte. Alison peered at Emily in confusion.

"Caleb told her about my visit to Charlotte." Emily admitted.

Alison knew that Caleb had told Hanna about the calls and the texts, but she didn't know Hanna knew about Emily's visit to Welby.

Emily meant to tell Alison, but they'd been so wrapped up in each other since they'd gotten to the Poconos.

"Right." Alison didn't seem upset.

It made sense to her. Caleb and Hanna had been together for years. There were practically no secrets between them. It was admirable.

"So did she stop?" Hanna's focus was on Alison, concern radiating from her sensitive blue eyes.

"It seems like she has." Alison felt last night's wild ride churning in her belly. She was sore in the best way. "It's been quiet since Emily's visit."

"Good. I hope it stays that way." Hanna firmly nodded.

"I hope you're not spending too many sleepless nights worrying about us."

The last thing Alison had wanted was for her friends to be caught up in her family drama again. Realistically, she knew it was only a matter of time before Charlotte's antics had dragged them back in. She was grateful that Caleb and Hanna had helped Emily, but she worried it would take a toll on their mental health. At the very least, Spencer and Aria weren't involved.

"I would do that regardless of whether or not I knew everything you were going through." Hanna smiled, a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"We're okay, Hanna." As soon as Emily said it, a quiet chill went through her.

Maybe we're not okay. It was a random impulsive thought.

She was on edge, but she didn't understand why. The calls had stopped and their trip had been wonderful so far.

"Are you okay?" Emily turned the conversation back towards her friend.

"I am now that I know that you are." Hanna's attention was momentarily drawn away from the call. "That looks amazing."

Her eyes were focused on what Emily could only assume was her breakfast-lunch.

"Brought you extra bacon." Caleb's voice cut into the call.

"You spoil me." Hanna beamed.

"I was talking to the cat." From the tone of his voice it was clear that he was teasing her.

"I have to go. I need to throw my phone at my very thoughtful boyfriend." Hanna had a smarmy look on her face. "Have fun skiing. Don't break any bones."

Alison and Emily both laughed. Her brevity never got old.

"And keep me posted on…everything," she added.

Translation: Let me know if Charlotte stirs shit up again.

Emily suspected everything with Charlotte had gotten deeply embedded under Hanna's skin. Obviously she had called to tell them "Happy New Year" but she had another motive, too. She was worried about them.

"Happy New Year." Emily waved.

After Hanna hung up Emily dropped her phone on the mattress and rolled towards Alison.

The blonde smiled at her.

Emily scooted closer and their lips brushed together, lingering less than a centimeter apart. Alison was the one who bridged the gap, pressing her lips against Emily's. The brunette smiled into it when she felt the warmth of Alison's breath.

"Morning." Alison pulled away and raked her fingers through Emily's hair.

They simply could not get enough of touching one another.

"I think I'm going to take a book out of Caleb's playbook and make us breakfast. I worked up quite an appetite thanks to you." Alison winked.

Emily looked away, her cheeks burning. Sometimes Alison said things to her that made her feel like she was falling in love with her all over again.

Alison made it a personal challenge to make her blush. She loved seeing her all bashful and dopey.

"I'll confirm our reservations and make sure they have everything ready for us at the resort." Emily put her palm against Alison's bare arm. She could feel the fine hairs on her skin standing at attention underneath her fingertips.

Alison thought it was adorable that Emily was excited about going skiing. Emily didn't have much experience, but she had researched a ton and couldn't wait to get out on the slopes. Alison had caught her watching ski tutorials online. The brunette was always eager to try new things. Her passion for life was unmatched.

Then again, she had a reason to be passionate about experiencing new things. She'd nearly been killed more than once when they were younger. She was alive to actually experience new things, and she was grateful for that.

They crawled out of their warm cocoon and got dressed.

Alison slipped into a pair of slippers and made her way into the kitchen. It was much bigger than their kitchen back at the condo.

She pulled the shades covering the window open to let in the natural light. She peered outside. The undisturbed snow was so beautiful. It was white as far as the eye could see. The trees looked like something out of a picturesque calendar showcasing the seasons.

She grabbed her phone and walked over to the sliding glass door that led to the back porch. She snapped several pictures and then closed and locked the door.

She scrolled through them, picking her favorites and uploading them to Instagram. She hadn't been as active as her agent wanted her to be lately. But disconnecting was becoming exceedingly more necessary. The noise in her head got way too loud sometimes. It was nice to experience peace and quiet for a while.

She uploaded the pictures and captioned them Woke up in Narnia this morning.

It didn't take long for people to start liking and commenting, but she forced herself not to get sucked into it. She would answer them later.

As she was putting her phone down on the counter she saw a flicker of movement out of the corner of her eye. She thought it was Emily's reflection in the sliding glass door, but when she turned around there was no one there.

She glanced outside and saw something moving in the trees.

"Emily!" She yelled, reaching for a frying pan and a knife from the knife block. "Someone is outside!"

She acted on impulse, darting out the door with her weapons. She barely felt the cold biting her skin. She didn't see the movement anymore, but she knew someone was out there hiding in the trees. She sprinted down the steps, careful to be mindful not to slip. The last thing she needed to do was accidentally stab herself.

She heard Emily clamoring behind her.

"Alison!"

She could hear the fear in Emily's voice, but her adrenaline was on overdrive.

When she reached the line of trees she searched for the culprit, but no one was there.

Emily jogged up behind her.

"What's going on? Are you okay?" Emily sidled up next to her.

"I saw something." Alison's gaze penetrated the forest.

Emily didn't question her. She started searching for tracks. Alison walked with her, clutching the frying pan and the knife in her hands. She knew she probably looked ridiculous running around the mountains with bedhead in her pajamas and wielding kitchen utensils as weapons, but she didn't care.

"There." Emily spotted tracks in the snow.

The tracks weren't human. They were tiny little pawprints that probably belonged to a fox or a small dog of some kind.

"Oh." Alison felt heat flushing her face. She tried to hide her embarrassment.

Emily took a second to take stock of her girlfriend. She had a determined look in her eyes. It was understandable. They'd been stalked for years. Emily probably would have reacted the same way. She was glad she'd left her gun at the condo, because she wasn't entirely certain she would have been thinking clearly.

"It was probably a fox." Emily touched Alison's bare arm, which was tinged a slight shade of grey because of the cold. "Too small to be a wolf or coyote."

"How do you know about animal prints?" Alison asked in curiosity.

"My dad. He showed me when we went hiking when I was younger." She had learned so much from her father over the years.

A pang went through her chest. She felt his loss more and more each day.

"You're kind of a badass in the wilderness." Alison had an amused smile on her face.

"Me? You're the one wielding Betty Crocker as a deadly weapon." Emily gestured to the pan and knife in her hands. "What possessed you to go running towards the danger?"

"I don't know. I guess I've seen you do it enough times." Alison quipped back as they turned back towards the cabin.

"Fair." Emily nodded.

She couldn't argue. She'd walked directly into Charlotte's web to protect Alison more than once.

"I'm just tired of looking over my shoulder everywhere I go. I don't know if Charlotte is really going to stop. And I'm always going to wonder." Alison lowered the knife, the tip pointing towards the ground. "I refuse to be her victim again. And I sure as hell am never going to let you be her victim again."

Emily was impressed with her valor. Alison had always been brave, but she was sincerely stepping it up.

Emily glanced back at the woods.

A chill ran down her spine. It would be easy for someone to hide out there, but they would have left tracks.

Even so, she couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. Then again, she always felt like that.

When they got back inside the cabin they stripped out of their wet socks and went to put something a little warmer on.

"Need help with breakfast?" Emily pulled a sweatshirt on over her tank top.

They hadn't been wearing much clothing because the cabin was nice and warm.

"I can handle it." Alison wrapped herself up in her robe and glanced at herself in the mirror.

Emily's reflection appeared behind her. She loved the confidence she'd seen in Alison when they were chasing a fox in their pajamas.

She walked up to Alison and wrapped an arm around her waist. She brushed Alison's hair aside and kissed the back of her neck.

"I'm going to help you anyway." She laid her chin against Alison's shoulder.

The blonde thought about something.

"You may talk to me while I make breakfast. And that's it." Alison commanded.

She watched Emily raise her brows in amusement.

"Oh? Is that so?" She pressed her lips against the soft underside of her ear, knowing that it drove Alison crazy. "So bossy."

"You knew that when you signed up to be my girlfriend." Alison turned around, her front meeting Emily's. Her fingers pressed into the muscles of her lower back and then slid down to her hips. "No arguments."

Alison hadn't set any other stipulations, so she couldn't be irritated ten minutes later when Emily turned on some music and started dancing with her in the kitchen while she tried to cook.

"Oh my God, you are so annoying." She laughed when Emily twirled her around.

She had a whisk in her hand and was trying to beat some eggs in a bowl.

"You knew that when you signed up to be my girlfriend." Emily mimicked her words back to her.

Alison pecked her lips and then went back to cooking.

Emily looked outside every so often, eyeing the woods. She knew she was being paranoid, but she couldn't stop herself.

She just had to keep reminding herself that they were okay. Her mother had done everything in her power to make sure that they would stay safe. And Charlotte wasn't getting out any time soon.

That left Sara as a free-agent. The relationship between Charlotte and Sara was not something that Alison or Emily could predict.

The demented blondes had clearly been working together, and they'd clearly had plans.

Emily had thrown a wrench into those plans with her visit.

Charlotte had a choice to make: end the game or risk criminal charges. Or rein Sara in and then push her away.

What would happen if Charlotte pushed away her only friend…coworker…fellow psychopath? Sara was hard to diagnose, but she clearly wasn't in her right mind.

If Charlotte told her it was over…what would she do?

Sara was unstable, too. She had to be if she was helping Charlotte.

Would she go rogue?

Alison noticed that Emily's demeanor had changed. She was putting their omelets on their plates when she caught the brunette peering outside. She looked like she was keeping watch.

She put the plates down, which snapped Emily out of her thoughts.

"I hope I didn't scare you earlier. I know I looked like a lunatic running around outside." Alison walked over to the refrigerator and pulled out some orange juice.

"You looked like you had it under control." Emily shook her head with a grin.

She'd never get the image of Alison trouncing around in the snow in slippers and skimpy pajamas out of her head.

Alison put the orange juice down on the center of the table. Emily reached for it and filled up her glass. She poured one for Alison, too.

"In a lot of ways, this trip was everything I needed." Alison scraped her plate with her fork, cutting into her omelet.

"Me too." Emily took a healthy bite of her eggs. "This is really good."

"It's just eggs." Alison blushed as she reached for a glass of water.

Emily had set the table just like she said she would…right before she started dancing and distracting her.

"They're fancy eggs." Emily motioned to the plate like she was a game show host showing off a grand prize.

Alison rolled her eyes with a laugh. She loved it when Emily made a show of things. Her playful nature could change the trajectory of her entire day.

"I love you." It was hard not to love the brunette. She was so endearing.

"And I love these eggs." Emily winked, taking another bite. "And the chef who made them." She added before Alison could scold her. "Thank you."

There was a quiet lingering silence in the air as they ate their breakfast.

"How are you feeling about going back to school?" It was Alison who broke the silence when she stopped eating long enough to reach for her drink.

The discomfort radiating off of Emily was palpable. Alison expected her to tell a little white lie or say that she was ready, but to her surprise Emily told the truth.

"I can't stop thinking about my dad, especially when I'm on campus. That call I got there just…it fucked me up."

Getting that call had been one of the worst days of her life. And for some reason her mind was associating the trauma with the school.

"I'm lucky the admin receptionist is the only person who saw me fall apart."

"I think anyone who had seen that would have been understanding." Alison reached across the table and held Emily's hand.

Emily had been there for her the first day she'd been in her condo. Alison had been terrified of going to the police after Tyler had assaulted her. Emily had soothed her with one single touch. She hoped that she could do the same for her.

She wished Samara or Zoe had been there when Emily got the call. They would have cared for her. They would have called Alison. And they definitely would have kept Emily away from the gun safe in their condo.

"It's like…the ghost of that day hovers over me and I can't shut those cries that came out of me up. And it's loud and emotional and I can't focus." She flinched, tiny creases forming next to her eyes like she was fighting a bad headache.

A bad headache called grief.

"Is it any better at home? All of your courses are online in the summer. Could you do something like that? Maybe you could focus better." She wished she had better suggestions, but she wasn't really familiar with the college lifestyle. She'd been lucky enough to jettison to fame after her brief stint in admin at Rosewood High.

"The classes I have to take next semester are a lot more involved. I'm lucky that some of them are hybrid, but I have to actually show up in class for others."

"Would it help if I was in the classroom with you?" Anything she could do to help, she was willing to do.

"You want to audit my classes?" An amused smile tugged at the brunette's lips. "I don't know how your agent is going to feel about that."

"Seriously…if you didn't think it would be a distraction I would sit in with you. I could make it work somehow." She eased her foot underneath the table until it landed softly against Emily's foot.

She knew Emily loved playing footsie in the morning. Emily smiled when she felt Alison's toes against hers, but she shook her head.

"We already talked about this. I don't want you to put your dreams on hold. You're finally where you want to be in life."

"Emily…you gave me a place to live and helped me get on my feet. This is the least I can do for you." She would give up the world for Emily, though she knew Emily would never let her do such a thing.

It's why they worked. They knew one another.

"You're sweet, but I don't think there is anything anyone can to do fix this." She laid her fork down and sighed. "I miss him. Every day." She closed her eyes, fighting back her tears. Her eyes were watery when she opened them back up. "It hurts getting up in the morning knowing that he isn't here. But he wouldn't want me to give up. So I'm going to keep getting up and keep showing up for as long as I can. I just have to hope that this pain gets easier to bear. It's always there, even when I'm not thinking about it."

"I know." Alison replied softly.

Her mother had been dead for years and she still thought about her all the time.

Emily recognized the grief in her sad blue eyes reflecting back at her. She squeezed the tips of the blonde's fingers.

"I'm sorry about your mom…about Charlotte…"

"Me too." Alison looked down at the table to try and hide her despondence.

Emily was still torn about her visit with Alison's terrible sister.

She had done it out of sheer desperation. She had been afraid at first, but the second she saw the red paint on her father's grave…and the look of horror in Alison's eyes when she thought her mother's tomb had been desecrated, too…she found the strength to do what she needed to do.

Hanna had mentioned taking the revenge angle, but for Emily it wasn't about that. She hadn't gone there for herself. She had gone for her girlfriend. Everything she did…she did for Alison.

"Can I ask you something…about Charlotte?" Alison tested the water carefully. It still felt awkward to talk to Emily about the girl who had tortured her.

"Of course."

"I heard the recording." Alison stared at her mostly empty plate. "I heard what she was saying, but I need to know…what did you see when you looked at her?"

Emily considered the question carefully. There were so many different ways to answer.

Hatred.

Anger.

Indifference.

"Fear." Emily answered. "The second she realized I had her on tape I could smell it on her."

"And before? Did she care at all about my mom? Did she look like she felt bad? She told me all the time that mom was the only one who loved and supported her." Tears burned her eyes.

"We both know Charlotte is a chameleon. She was never going to show me her full hand." Emily tried to picture what she'd seen in Charlotte's eyes when the older girl had confessed to killing her mother. "She was calculated when she let that slip. She wanted it to hurt you. She also knew that I would overthink it and wouldn't be able to quite capture what she was thinking. All I know is that she didn't flinch. Not once."

"Mmhm." Alison nodded, mindlessly poking at what was left of her meal. "I just…I can't make any sense of it. My mom did support her. She visited her. She loved her. She paid for her transition. She accepted her. I don't understand why she would kill her. It doesn't make any sense."

"I wish I had answers." Emily frowned. "Only she has those answers, and I'm not sure she would ever tell the truth."

"She definitely wouldn't." If it was one thing Alison understood about her sister now it's that she manipulated everything to her benefit. "Sometimes I look back and wonder when the lies began. She seemed to actually care about me when I was younger. I had good memories with her. And Jason said she was the sweetest kid he ever knew. I just don't understand how all of that could be a lie."

Emily was quiet for a few seconds. Her brow was tight in thought.

"Maybe it wasn't." It wasn't the response that Alison expected, especially not from someone Charlotte tortured. "Maybe she was Jason's best friend and she loved you and your mom back then. There is a lot about psychology that's too complex for even professionals to understand."

"Maybe."

Emily could see that Alison was having a difficult time reconciling Charlotte's past with her future. The last thing she wanted to do was talk about a woman who had tortured her and her friends, but she sensed that Alison needed to talk it through.

"Beyond what she told us on prom night, did she ever talk to you about her experiences in Radley?" That place had been shut down for a reason.

Alison blinked in surprise, though she shouldn't have been shocked that Emily would support her…even when it was uncomfortable for her to do so.

"I asked all the time, but she didn't want to talk about her past. She just wanted to talk about all her 'progress'…" She lifted her hands in air quotes to emphasize the sarcasm behind the word progress, "…in the present."

Emily sat quietly, her palms flat against the table next to her plate. She was trying to consider how to broach what she wanted to say.

"You know…the things she did to us in the Dollhouse…only part of it was her game. The rest she had to have learned from somewhere."

Alison's spine stiffened. Of course…she had considered that being in Radley had screwed her sister up. She'd read horror stories about what they did to the patients there. It was an old-school facility, which meant that if medications didn't work they would try other measures. More aggressive and abusive measures. Had the medications worked on Charlotte? Or had it gone beyond that?

"You think they tortured her?" Alison quietly asked.

Emily shrugged, clearly uncomfortable, but still wanting to support her.

"Is it out of the realm of possibility?"

It was a rhetorical question.

"It doesn't matter now. She's too far gone." Alison's shoulders sagged.

"That doesn't mean you've processed it." Emily leaned over, tucking a tendril of blonde hair behind Alison's ear.

"She murdered my mother." Alison glared at a pattern on the wooden table.

"Yeah." Emily sighed.

"It's scary to think I could have ended up just like her. Angry and vengeful at the world." Alison slowly met Emily's gaze.

"You would never. Even when you were at your worst you were never like her." Emily knew that Alison worried that she might be a monster, but when the brunette looked at her she saw the exact opposite.

She saw someone who fought monsters. She saw the same brazen young woman who had dashed out into the snow without thinking with a frying pan in one hand and a knife in the other to confront what she thought was an intruder.

"You really did see the best in me, didn't you?" The blonde's heartache gave way to something else…affection.

"I did." Emily didn't hesitate to answer. "I have always believed in you."

"If anyone else said that to me I would call them on their bullshit." She reached for Emily's hand again, interlacing their fingers. "But I know you actually mean it. And I love you for it."

"Let's hope you still love me when I fall on my face when we're skiing." Normally Emily was confident, but Alison picked up on some subtle nerves.

Alison thought Emily was being dramatic about it until they actually made it out to the slopes.

After breakfast they got showered and got ready.

They bundled up and made it out to the resort.

It turned out that Emily wasn't exaggerating about not having much experience. Alison thought that her athleticism from swimming would help her naturally find a balance in the snow.

She didn't fall on her face, but where she thrived in the water, she failed gloriously on its frozen counterpart.

She ended up wiping out at least a half a dozen times before finally getting the hang of it. Her long legs should have given her a natural ability, but she was overthinking it.

Alison, on the other hand, was a natural. Her parents had taken her and Jason skiing all the time. She had never enjoyed it as a kid. She felt forced to do it.

But as an adult…who was watching her adorable girlfriend fumble like a baby deer on a soft mound of snow…she loved it.

She cut through the snow to get over to her.

"Here, let me help you with your stance." She planted her ski poles firmly into the snow and reached out to grasp Emily's hips.

She would take any excuse to touch her.

Emily took it in stride.

"Ah…yes…my devious plan is coming together. Touch me more." She grinned widely.

"Like you'd have to fake something like this to get me to touch you?" Alison scoffed.

Emily's smile somehow managed to get even wider. She kept her ski poles planted in the ground as she leaned forward to peck her lips.

Before Alison could deepen the kiss they were interrupted.

They heard a string of giggles filling the air. When they glanced back they saw a mother encouraging her little girl down a tiny bunny slope. The girl couldn't have been older than three.

Mom was right next to her, ready to catch her if she fell.

The child's round rosy cheeks were spread into a big grin. Her little pink helmet and gloves matched her ski attire. The skis were slightly pointed in opposite directions and she was keeping her balance relatively well.

She laughed as she wobbled down the hill.

It sparked a memory in Alison's mind, long forgotten.

Bundled in warm bulky clothes.

Toddling in the snow.

Making silly-faced snow-people with her big brother and his best friend.

Eating yummy s'mores that mommy would never let them have at home.

Riding a funny looking cart in the air.

Sitting snugly on mommy's lap and swinging her feet as she watched the ground below get smaller and smaller.

"We're up high, mommy."

"Put your arms out!" Jason looked goofy with his arms flying in the air.

Jason and Char-Char…that's what Jason called his friend…were laughing and pointing at the trees.

The ride came to a stop and Jason and his friend ran towards a cabin.

They all got fitted for ski-boots and safety-wear.

"I want a pink helmet like Alison's." Char-Char pointed to the princess helmet on Alison's head.

Her mommy smiled.

"Of course, honey. Whatever you want."

Alison had been scared to try and stand up on her own on her skis at first, but Char-Char cupped her hand.

"It's okay, Ali. Don't be afraid. I'll stay right next to you." Sweet blue eyes peered into Alison's.

The older child wasn't much steadier than Alison, but holding Char-Char's hand made Alison feel better.

"You can do it!" Jason yelled from the bottom of the hill.

He'd already been down several times. Alison had been learning to balance, but her brother was older and better than she was at skiing.

"Come on, baby." Her mommy encouraged her from the other side.

"I don't want to fall, mommy." Tears pooled in her eyes.

"You're not going to fall."

It was a lie. Alison had already tumbled over learning to balance more than once.

She pushed her little lip out, pouting.

But then she felt an encouraging hand squeeze.

"It'll be fun. Promise" Char-Char looked at her eagerly.

"Have you done it before?" Alison asked.

"No. We'll go together."

Alison nodded and slowly started down the tiny powdery slope, her mom on one side leaning down to her level while coasting down the hill with her. Char-Char was on her other side, holding her hand tight.

By the time she reached the bottom of the hill she was laughing.

"Again, mommy!"

She did it over and over again.

Her first time skiing was the only time she had loved it.

She would grow to hate it later on, but that day she used her wobbly little legs, skiing into her mother's arms until she could barely stay upright anymore.

Once they were done skiing they got in a large puffy raft and sledded down a big hill.

Mommy was in the back, her arms wrapped around a gleeful Jason.

Jason was hugging his friend tight.

And Char-Char cuddled Alison as they both squealed in delight.

Alison had been so exhausted by all the fun they had that she fell asleep and didn't even get to have hot cocoa with Jason and Char-Char.

She woke up in her booster seat in the car, yawning.

It was dark out.

Jason was sitting next to her.

But only Jason.

No Char-Char.

Alison rubbed her sleepy eyes.

"Where's Char-Char?"

Her mother caught Alison's glance in the reflection of the mirror.

The question seemed to upset Jason.

"See? I'm not making it up!" He whined, kicking his feet, hitting the back of the passenger's seat.

"Of course not, Jason. We know Char-Char is real to you. But remember what we talked about. Daddy can't know what we do in Imagination-Land together."

Jason got a defiant look on his face.

"I'm not stupid, mommy."

Alison didn't understand why her brother was so angry, and she had no idea what her mommy was talking about.

"I don't think you're stupid. I love our trips like this together. You and Alison always have so much fun."

"And Char-Char, too!" Jason insisted.

Her mother reached back and pat a patronizing palm against his knee.

"Whatever you say."

Jason grunted angrily and turned away from his mother.

Alison saw the rage in his eyes bouncing off of the reflection in the window.

By the time they got home Jason wasn't speaking to his mother.

He rushed to get his seat-belt off and slammed the door when he got out of the vehicle.

Alison started to cry, because she didn't know what was going on.

They'd been having such a good time and now everything was different.

They went skiing all the time after that.

But Charlotte never went with them again.

Alison stared at the mother and child and was transported back to the day Charlotte had gone skiing with them.

Charlotte had been so enthusiastic and excited. And so sweet.

Now Alison understood why Jason was so damn stubborn about Charlotte.

How could that sweet child turn into such a monster?

How did that kind-hearted kid grow up and murder their mother? It was incomprehensible.

Alison had made peace with the fact that her sister would never be that sweet child again. But she still hadn't come to terms with how it had happened.

"Hey." Emily planted her ski-pole in the snow and settled next to her. "What's up? You okay?"

"I think my mom took us skiing." Lines crinkled her forehead as she tried to clutch the memory. "It's hard to tell. I don't know what memories are real."

"I thought you all went skiing all the time." Emily had seen all their family portraits with them in the snow.

"This time was different. I was really young. And I think…I think Charlotte was there."

She always hesitated to mention her sister's name. And it was usually laced with venom. But she remembered that day. And she remembered the child that Jason remembered.

"Oh?" Emily never gave much away when Alison was talking about Charlotte.

"I was so scared. And she told me I could do it and we went down the bunny slope together." Alison reached up and rubbed the arm of her jacket, insecurity washing over her. "We had so much fun together. And then I fell asleep and she was gone when I woke up. My mom and Jason were arguing. Mom kept telling us Charlotte wasn't real."

"I'm so sorry your parents did that to you."

"Yeah." Alison's face flared in anger. "Me too."

Sometimes she wondered if things would have been different if they had different parents. If their parents hated them so much why wouldn't they just give them away to a family that loved them?

"I think you're probably right about Radley." Alison's nose had started to run because of the cold air. She sniffed, the chilly air burning her nostrils. "Something clearly happened. It sucks and it's not an excuse. But at least I can make sense of why she is the way that she is."

"I know you wish there was a way to…"

Alison held her hand up and interrupted her.

"I don't. I can't," she said as she watched the little girl laughing with her mother. "I can't afford to waste my life on her anymore. I did everything I could for her. And she still turned on me. I know she wouldn't hesitate to kill me if it meant she could go free. She doesn't get to have that power anymore."

Emily let go of one of her ski poles and extended her arm, offering a hug.

Alison gladly accepted the offer.

In a surprising twist of fate, Alison lost her balance and they fell against a mound of snow. They both started giggling.

The little girl had heard the commotion. She shuffled over, sliding down a small slope. Her mother was right behind her, crouching behind her so she wouldn't fall.

"You fall down!" She exclaimed, a look of grave concern on her face.

"Yes. But we're okay." The way Emily spoke to the child went straight to Alison's heart.

Emily was someone who could make the vibe of the room better just by walking into it. Her smile and her laugh were both infectious. It made everyone around her feel like smiling, too.

Alison had noticed that Emily was very attentive. When someone seemed off…sad or upset…she knew exactly what to say to comfort them. She noticed people who tried to disappear into the shadows and she pulled them into the light. She knew exactly how to break the ice and to make awkward conversation seem normal. She was bright, like the sun…always making things warmer and happier. She was sunshine packaged in human form.

It was no surprise children loved her.

"I help? I show you. It's not scary." Her bright blue eyes were full of wonder.

"Sorry." The mother gave them a sheepish smile. "She's new to the slopes. Every time she sees someone fall she wants to show them how to get back up."

"Well…she's in luck. It turns out I'm new to skiing and would love to learn how to get back up."

Watching Emily interact with children always gave the blonde a new appreciation for her compassion and patience. She was really good with kids, which wasn't a surprise given that one of her jobs was to reach out and help kids. She knew how to connect. She also knew how to give an innocent little girl a win.

After they were upright again, the little girl was showing them how to make it down little hills.

As Alison watched Emily interact with the little girl her heart felt so full of love. She was so patient and wonderful at listening. It made Alison's ovaries ache.

She hadn't even thought about the idea, but watching Emily with the toddler tweaked something to life inside of her. It didn't have to happen immediately, but she could certainly picture a future with Emily and their children.

Watching Emily's maternal instincts was more of a turn-on than she ever thought it could be.

Alison appreciated the innocence of children.

And when they said goodbye she said a silent prayer that the baby maintained her innocence. Because she knew that innocence was so easily lost.

She wanted nothing more than for that little girl to succeed.

The day had been a whirlwind, from Hanna's early morning wake up call to rushing around the woods in their pajamas searching for a ghost to their favorite little ski instructor.

There was never a dull moment.

After their lesson with the little girl was over she hopped in excitement when they all got to the bottom of a tiny hill.

It was one of the cutest things Alison and Emily had ever seen.

Her mother thanked them for indulging her and then took her to get her something to eat.

"Best ski lesson I've ever had." Emily was beaming when she faced Alison.

She really lit up around children. It was a great look on her.

"No offense to my previous instructor." Emily reached out and laid her hand against Alison's waist gently, trying not to throw either of them off-balance.

"That was really sweet of you. That little girl might remember this day for the rest of her life. I'm so glad you made it a good one." Alison leaned forward, brushing her lips against Emily's.

Their ski goggles made the kiss a little clunky, but they made it work.

"Hey, I wasn't the only one on the bunny slopes with her." Emily grinned. "Did you see that celebratory hop she did at the end? She was so cute."

"Seems like she's a good kid."

The little girl had built Emily's confidence.

They ended up tackling more challenging hills and the brunette realized she was getting better with her balance.

She stopped at the bottom of the hill and watched as Alison glided effortlessly towards her. She was truly a magnetic force.

Sexy. Determined. Vulnerable. Agile. Kind. Feisty. All reasons she loved the blonde.

She captured the mental image of Alison's flawless perfection and banked it in her memories. Seeing the smile on her face was priceless, especially given everything she had been through.

By the time night rolled around they were exhausted.

They took their time unwinding in the hot tub attached to the cabin.

Alison had watched Emily climbing in, her body glowing in the blue hue of the lights underneath the bubbling water.

The brunette sank down on to the seat, letting a jet of hot water pulse against the tight muscles in her back.

Alison sauntered over to the tub, pulling her robe off and exposing her body to the cold mountain air.

She made sure Emily was watching as she unhooked her bikini top and let it fall to the porch.

Emily smiled, aroused by her bold action. She stretched out, her arms resting against the back of the tub as she admired the striptease playing out in front of her.

Alison wiggled out of her bikini bottoms and sauntered up the steps to the tub.

Emily offered her a hand to help her step into the water.

"Careful. It's slippery because it's wet." She motioned to the water that had spilled over the top of the tub.

"I'll bet that's not the only thing that's wet." Alison looked down at her, a seductive smirk on her face.

"Mmm…Alison DiLaurentis, are you trying to seduce me?" She edged closer to the blonde as she made her way into the water.

Alison's feet touched the bottom of the tub. She stood in front of Emily so the brunette could admire her.

Emily's hands skirted the top of the water and her palms landed on Alison's hips, pulling her closer.

Alison leaned over and cupped Emily's cheeks. She stopped when their lips were mere centimeters apart, teasing her.

Emily bridged the gap, pressing her lips against Alison's. Alison mewled into it, giving Emily an opportunity to slip her tongue into the blonde's mouth.

She felt Alison's hands on top of hers, guiding them away from her waist and up the curves of her body. Emily didn't have to be told what Alison wanted. She knew how she liked to be touched. Still, Alison's hands continued to command Emily's actions, pushing them until her palms gently grazed her breasts.

Alison dropped her hands and let Emily continue as she lowered herself into the water. She kissed back with fervor when the brunette's fingertips circled her nipples.

She gasped into the kiss with a pleasured sigh and then moved closer to Emily, straddling her. She lowered herself on top of Emily's lap and wrapped her arms around her neck to keep herself sturdy.

Fireworks had started back up in the distance, but they barely registered the noise.

Alison moved up against Emily's thigh, working to create friction in the warm water. She could feel a band of pleasure expanding in her stomach.

Emily gently met her motions, feeling her desire in the way her chest pulsed beneath her palms.

Alison growled in disapproval when Emily pulled one of her hands away, leaving one of her breasts untouched. But she quickly changed her tune when she watched as the hand disappeared into the water and landed in between her legs. Emily used just the right amount of pressure to make Alison see stars.

Emily gently helped her ride it out when the pleasure got to be too much for her. Her large blue eyes were filled with delight. The blue lights in the water captured every contour in her face, every expression she made.

When she was finished riding the wave she collapsed against Emily, kissing her shoulder and then working her way up to her neck. Her lips stopped on her pulse point and she gave her a little nip.

She moved up towards Emily's earlobe, teasing it with her tongue.

"Your turn." She whispered, her fingertips moving towards Emily's bikini, hooking her fingers underneath the straps and pulling them down.

She pulled back to watch the expression on Emily's face as she undressed her. She tossed the sleek black top out of the hot tub and then urged Emily to lift her hips so she could get the rest of the bathing suit off.

Alison stayed seated on top of the brunette, holding her in place as she kissed her collar bone, her eyes drawn to the way her breasts bobbed against the surface. She trailed a line of kisses down her body until her lips landed on the top of her right breast. She gently pushed Emily up a few inches so she could take her nipple into her mouth as she moved her hand between her legs.

Emily exhaled a shaky breath as Alison's fingers circled between her legs under the water. The heat of her mouth against her breast nearly sent her over the edge.

The fireworks in the distance were suddenly right in front of her. She saw colors she didn't even know existed. The hot water and her trembling body had turned her into a sweaty mess.

Alison knew every trick that turned her into putty in her hands. She was completely at the blonde's mercy.

Alison held her shaking body as she came down from it. She brushed her lips over her pulse point, feeling her heart racing reverberating in her mouth as she kissed her skin.

After Emily stopped trembling she gripped Alison's chin and pulled her in for a kiss. Unlike when they were younger, it wasn't needy or desperate. It wasn't frantic and chaotic. It was sensual and sweet and intimate.

Alison lifted her weight off of Emily and moved to her side, sinking into the bubbling hot water. Emily wrapped her arm around the blonde and pulled her closer.

"I love you." She kissed her temple.

Alison smiled at her.

"I love you, too."

They stayed in the hot tub for nearly an hour, cuddling and relaxing. Then they'd gathered up their clothing and turned the hot tub off and covered it up.

After they were finished outside they went in to shower and pack up their things. They were planning to leave the next afternoon. Emily dragged most of their luggage to the living room, near the front door where they could just pack it up in the car in the morning.

She glanced at the snow glistening in the moonlight.

The evening was so calm.

But there was darkness hidden in the depths of the trees.

She made her way back up to the bedroom after making sure the cabin was locked up tight.

The day had gone really well. They'd managed to leave their drama in the dust and start the new year with a new hope.

"I had a ton of fun today." Emily smiled as she slipped into the bed next to Alison.

"I did, too." Alison put a book down in her lap.

Great Expectations. It was one of her favorites.

The book brought back fond memories. Alison had been reading it the stacks at Rosewood High. She'd joined her and it had ended in a kiss that had changed Emily's life. It had changed Alison's life, too, but she didn't admit it at the time. She had been too afraid of what she was feeling. She didn't understand what she felt for Emily.

But she knew exactly what she felt for Emily now.

"That little girl was so cute." Alison smiled.

"She was."

"You're amazing with kids." Alison knew without a doubt that if kids were in their future the brunette would be a fantastic mother.

"You were good with her, too. She really liked you." Emily smiled.

Warmth blossomed in the blonde's chest. It was really encouraging to hear, especially since her mother had set a horrible example for her.

Before Alison had reconnected with Emily she wasn't sure if she wanted kids, but watching Emily out on the slopes had slightly opened the door to the possibility of it. She would absolutely love to have a bunch of mini-Emily's. She wasn't so sure about her own mini-self. Her family had a lot of history of mental illness and it scared her to think about passing it on to her kids.

That was something she'd known before getting back together with Emily. If she ever had kids…it would be later in life after she'd settled. And she didn't want her genes to be a part of it.

She knew they had plenty of time to plan the rest of their lives. They had only been back together for six months. There was no need to rush anything. Besides, she wanted to make sure that her sister was out of the picture for good.

"You have a lot going on up there." A tender touch, Emily's fingertips against her temple. "What's on your mind?"

"The future."

Emily smiled and kissed her forehead.

"New year, new us."

"No," Alison held up her pointer finger and corrected her. "New year, same us. I wouldn't change a thing."

"I wouldn't change a thing about you. But I'm going to work on being a little more honest. And no more sneaking into mental institutions without telling you."

Emily wanted to find a way to make improvements to herself. She'd gone through a lot since her dad died. She'd been grasping the edge of a cliff trying not to go over it. Her grief was nuanced. It would sneak up on her at the most inopportune times. Sometimes it came out rationally. Drinking to soothe the pain. Crying. But other times her emotions got the better of her and she lost it. She had more edge to her since she'd lost her father. That edge had led her to seek out Caleb so she could sneak in to see Charlotte.

She'd done it for noble reasons, but keeping it from Alison had been beneath her. She didn't want to fall back on old habits. She wanted to work on communicating in a healthier light.

Alison loved her for it. The brunette wore her emotions on her sleeve. She felt very deeply with her heart, the good and the bad.

Emily threw her arms around the blonde and wrapped her in a hug that Alison was happy to snuggle in to.

Sometimes Alison loved Emily's spontaneous moments of affection more than sex. Mainly because when they were in high school they hadn't attached strong feelings when they were acting on their sexual impulses. They loved each other, but it was harder to express it because things were so complicated.

But now that they were a little older and more confident there was a channel that had been opened between them. They knew that love meant more than just sex.

Love was spending time alone in a cabin with no outside forces at play. It was in the gentle touches and the chaste kisses. It was in the subtle glances and the tender talks. It was in the way they leaned on each other, the way they let each other in.

The brunette kissed the top of Alison's hair. She still smelled like the fresh snowy air. It made her yearn for a longer trip. She wasn't ready to go back to her normal life in Malibu. Everything had changed since her dad died.

Alison understood her plight and she always listened with compassion. She knew what it meant to lose a parent.

Emily had seen it on her face on the ski slopes. The memories she had of her childhood were so very seldom good memories that she didn't trust the unreliable narrator in her brain that stored that information.

It had been almost five years since Alison's mother died and she still rode on a train of grief. It was a hollow and empty void filled with shadows and screeching demons. The pain bathed inside of her and crawled under her skin…becoming a part of her. The tears were enough to fill an ocean. It was hard to get off that ride. It never ended.

But sometimes there were moments where breathing was a little easier. Sometimes there were moments that pulled her from the train of death and swatted away the demons. Sometimes the pain was bathed in sunlight...and it thawed the slightest bit.

That night, their very last night in the cabin Alison dreamed of her mother again.

But they weren't at Alison's house. They were at her Grandmother's house in Georgia. Her mother wasn't a ghoulish creature, but the very lively woman she'd been when she was alive. And for once, they weren't fighting.

Her mother hugged her, and despite all the conflicting emotions rushing through Alison's veins…she hugged her back. Her mother pulled back and touched her face, her fingertips warm against her daughter's skin.

"Alison." She looked at her with love and affection that Alison hadn't seen when she was a child.

"I thought you left me. I was so scared I was never going to see you again." She wrapped her arms around her again and fought back a sob.

"I know. I know, darling. I'm so glad you're home." Her mother's palms landed against her shoulders, like she was taking in a child who had grown up before her eyes.

"I've been all alone. Since…"

Pain exploding in her vision.

A dark autumn night.

Dirt in her lungs.

Her mother crying.

Screaming, but not being heard.

But they weren't the only ones crying.

They weren't alone.

Soft sobs cried out Alison's name, but the voice didn't belong to her mother.

It belonged to her sister.

The child left behind.

Memories of a snow covered hill and a sweet child holding her hand as she laughed and faced her fear of the bunny slope.

Charlotte.

That was the last time she remembered being happy with Charlotte before she'd learned the truth.

"You could have told us Charlotte was our sister." Oddly enough there was no anger in her tone. Just confusion.

"Oh, honey. It was complicated…"

"Why did you push her away? Why did you put her in that awful place?"

Maybe she wouldn't have snapped if her mother had cared more.

"I had no choice."

"You did though. There is always a choice." A chill washed over her and that's when she realized she was dreaming. "This isn't real. You're dead."

"And you're very much still alive. And I'm still here for you."

"You chose her the night you buried me alive. Why? Why didn't you love me?"

"Oh, sweetheart…I love you more than anything." When she touched Alison's face it felt so real. "After I held you in my arms for the very first time I fell in love. You were my heart beating outside of my body."

"So then why did you choose Charlotte over me?"

"I didn't know. I thought you were dead. I had lost you. I couldn't lose her, too. But I failed you. I'm so sorry that I failed you."

Alison had been waiting for so long to hear it that it paralyzed her.

It should have lifted a weight off of her shoulders, but it only made her heart feel heavier.

"I did the best I could." The older woman truly looked like she meant it.

"Did you know?" Alison asked. "Did you know that I made it out?"

"I was frantic out of my mind to find you as soon as we realized that the DNA wasn't a match…"

"I'm not talking about the grave. Did you know that I made it out of Rosewood? That I'm happy? And I'm in love…"

Her mother smiled softly at her, tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear.

"Oh sweetie…of course I know. And I couldn't be more proud of you."

Tears burned Alison's eyes. She knew her mother wasn't really speaking the words to her in reality, but she still needed to hear them.

"I never got the chance to tell you. I don't just only like boys." Alison cleared her throat. "I like girls, too. I'm bisexual. I was afraid of letting that part of me out. But I'm comfortable with who I am. And I want you to know…I'm in love with Emily…"

The older woman beamed in pride.

"I couldn't ask for a better person than Emily Fields to love you. She can love you like you deserve to be loved."

"I don't get it." Alison's gaze dropped to her feet. They looked funny. The floor didn't look real. It looked like cement. "How can you accept me and love me and tell me you're proud of me and not do the same for Charlotte? Just because she wanted to wear dresses and dad didn't like her? I don't understand, mom. I know you loved her. She told me you were the only one who supported her…that you paid for her transition. Why go through all of that and keep her locked away like some hidden secret?"

When she looked up the expression on her mother's face had changed from gentle to coarse.

"Your sister is dangerous, Alison."

"I know that now." Alison scoffed. "But she wasn't always like that."

"She had her moods. I had you and Jason to think about. I did my best to support her. But she needed help."

"The people at Radley didn't help her. They destroyed her." Alison's eyes darkened in ire.

"Perhaps. But I can't change any of it."

"If you could go back…would you?"

Something changed in her mother's expression. The thoughtful glint in her eyes turned into wide-eyed fear.

It startled Alison.

"Mom?"

"Wake up, Alison. You have to wake up." Her mother shook her by the shoulders. "You're in danger."

"I don't understand. What are you talking about?" When she opened her mouth she inhaled air so hot that she couldn't breathe.

Her throat burned and her lungs seized. Sweat dribbled down her forehead and trickled down the back of her neck.

An intense flash of heat burned her skin.

"Wake up, baby!"

She tried to choke down another breath, but the air was suffocating her.

"WAKE UP!"

She heard a loud cracking noise and jolted awake.

The room was filled with thick black smoke billowing in from somewhere.

Flames licked at the wooden walls of the cabin.

At first she thought it was a nightmare, but the intense heat and the suffocating smoke were both very real.

"Emily!" She shrieked, reaching for the brunette.

At first Emily didn't respond, which scared the hell out of her. If she had inhaled enough smoke she could be dying.

She jostled her girlfriend again and Emily let out a string of coughs. Her eyes fluttered open, widening when she saw the flames.

Her entire body tensed. Much like Alison, she thought she was trapped in another nightmare.

Back in the Dollhouse.

Trapped.

Flames chasing us.

Smoke permeating the air.

Charlotte's wicked grin.

The fire doing her bidding.

When Emily looked at Alison she realized it was real. Her fear was palpable. The blonde was reaching for her phone to call 911.

"Shit." She could barely see Alison through the smoke.

Why weren't the alarms going off? Why weren't the sprinklers working?

She could hear Alison talking to the emergency operator. But she knew they had to act quickly. She knew how fast the fire would spread. It could consume them within minutes.

"911…"

"Please help! My girlfriend and I are trapped in a cabin that's on fire…"

"Ma'am, I need you to try and remain calm. Can you tell me the address…"

But Alison didn't remain calm.

"Where is it coming from?" Alison's voice was panicked.

Emily couldn't see the origin of the fire, but given that the floor hadn't collapsed it was safe to say that it was on the second story, outside, or on the roof.

"I don't know!" Emily called back, her throat burning when she inhaled.

"I can't breathe!" Alison cried into the phone.

Emily did a sweep of the room, noticing that the smoke was heavier on her side, near the doorway. The door was shut. That was probably their only saving grace. She reached for her phone, shoving it into her pajama pants and tried to figure out her next move.

Alison's coughing fit spawned Emily into action. She nudged her and pushed her away from the flames.

"The floor…" The brunette urged.

She remembered how the flames and smoke had devoured her in her nightmare. She remembered being trapped in the burning Dollhouse.

"We have to check the door." Alison hit the floor.

Emily rolled to the other side of the bed and she heard Alison scream her name again when she went the opposite direction…towards the thicker smoke.

"It's okay!" Emily covered her mouth with her night shirt. The heat was so intense that she was already drenched in perspiration. "There is a fire extinguisher in the closet. Just stay low!"

It wasn't her first experience being in a fire. Or even her second. She hadn't just been in the burning Dollhouse. She'd also been locked inside another cabin when they were searching for answers about Alison's disappearance in high school.

She'd developed good instincts, though it was still terrifying that she was so calm. She should have been panicking.

Alison managed to stay on the line with the emergency operator, explaining their emergency and where they were located.

When she reached the door she gently put her palm against it.

"The door is stuck! And it's hot!" Alison called through the heavy fog of smoke. She reached for a towel and shoved it underneath the crack to keep the smoke from pouring in.

The sounds of the emergency operators were drowned out by the roaring sounds surrounding them.

Then she heard a voice break through it.

"Window!" Emily yelled back. "Get to the window!"

She was almost at the closet door. She knew she couldn't put the entire blaze out with the extinguisher, but she could slow it down and buy them enough time to get out.

The brunette searched for the source of the flames. She could see a glow beyond the doorway and another spectacle of dancing light outside her window on the other side of the room.

Outside, she could see the fire drawn to the sky…the air feeding it. A tree was on fire, the sinister shadows on the branches reaching up towards the open night sky.

She had the oddest fleeting thought that it was strange that it was spreading to the trees, which were covered in snow. It was weird seeing the two elements battling it out. Only one of the two could win. Either the fire would melt the snow or the snow turned to water would snuff the fire out. It was like a fight that no one could win.

Emily finally found the fire extinguisher. It was heavy and she was out of breath, but she couldn't let this be the end of them.

She could hear Alison coughing and gagging.

An explosion of glass sent sharp shards falling to the floor in front of Emily. The heat had shattered the window where the fire was more active.

"Ali, go! Get out!" Emily screamed.

She aimed the extinguisher towards the base of the flames, and to her surprise it kept the blaze at bay. The wind was working in their favor.

Emily could tell that only one side of the cabin was in flames. It was the porch. They could hear wood burning and side shingles collapsing. Emily watched something covered in embers fall to the snowy embankment below, where the fire was met with water that smothered it.

The wrap-around porch on Alison's side of the room was still intact and safe. She knew she could get out, but that meant leaving Emily.

"Emily, come on!" Alison begged.

"Alison, you're in danger." Her mother had urged.

She couldn't leave the love of her life.

"I'm right behind you!" She heard Emily blasting the extinguisher near the door. "Stay on the phone with 911!"

Alison grabbed a stray heel and hesitated before slamming it into the glass over and over until it was a clear exit. The porch was only a five foot drop. All she had to do was avoid the hot tub.

"I've got a way out!" Alison exclaimed.

"I'm trying to stop it from spreading, but I'm right there! I'll be right there!" Emily called.

Alison covered the base of the window with a towel and carefully crawled out, confident that the brunette would be behind her. But after she dropped on to the porch she didn't see any movement from inside.

There was a loud rumbling noise and a pile of sheet rock fell in front of the window.

Emily's only way out.

"Emily!" She could hear sirens, but they weren't close enough. "Hurry." Alison cried into the phone. "Please hurry. My girlfriend is still inside. She's trapped."

What the fuck is she DOING in there?

Emily had stopped a line of fire from getting up underneath the door. She carefully assessed the situation. Every instinct in her body was telling her not to open the door.

But then she heard a familiar voice.

"It's the only way, Emmy."

Dad.

He wouldn't lead her astray.

"I'm with you, baby girl. I'm here."

She knew that if she opened the door she risked spreading the fire…feeding it the air that it desired.

But it was her only way out.

"You've got this, Em. You're not alone honey. You know what to do."

She crouched down, fire extinguisher still in hand. When she touched the doorknob it was warm, but bearable.

"I'm scared, dad. I'm so scared."

"It's okay to be scared. You're going to be okay."

She took a deep breath and cracked the door open, expecting an explosion of fire to hit her in the face. She was met by smoke and heat, but no flames.

She aimed the extinguisher at the base of the door and let the white flame suppressant coat everything around her as she slowly opened it up.

"Tackle the flames." Her dad calmly advised.

The hallway was filled with smoke and a line of small flames were creeping along the baseboard. The line led to a window near the staircase.

"Dad, I don't know if I can…"

"You don't have to choice, kiddo. People are relying on you. Your mother. Alison. Your friends. I believe in you honey."

Emily took a deep breath and sprayed the baseboard and glanced at the window, and just beyond it...the stairs.

Alison watched in anticipation from outside. She wanted to scale back up the wall into the room and pull Emily out. But an explosion from the other side of the house rocked the air.

The noise was terrifying.

She scrambled to her feet, her phone still in her hand. She was completely oblivious to the emergency operator as she searched for her girlfriend.

Something collapsed. It was loud and rocked the foundation she was standing on.

"EMILY!"

Suddenly everything was going in slow motion.

The heat and the smoke were making her dizzy. But was the house…quiet?

She didn't hear Emily anymore, and she felt a gnawing feeling in the pit of her stomach.

Another explosion, though it sounded like it had come from the woods out back.

She held her breath, trying to not sob.

She raced down the steps and ran around the side of the house, making a beeline for the front door. If she had to pull Emily out of the flames herself she would do it. She'd done it before.

The front door blew off of its hinges.

Alison had to squint to make out what was happening.

The door hadn't been blown open. It had been kicked down.

The brunette emerged covered in soot, still holding the fire extinguisher.

Alison raced over to her.

"Oh God, I thought you were dead…"

"I'm okay." Emily coughed, dropping the extinguisher and wrapping her arms around Alison.

She could smell the heavy fumes of smoke clinging to Emily's skin…in her hair…on her clothes. She could feel the weight of her adrenaline in the way that the brunette was holding her.

It transported Alison back to the night the girls had been trapped in the Dollhouse. She had desperately stood by as Toby and Caleb tried to break the door open. She could still hear the girls screaming.

Alison hugged Emily as tight as she could.

"I got it mostly contained indoors. Back porch is toast. The Fire Department is going to be more concerned about the spread of forest fires." Emily wiped her sweaty brow. "Which is really weird considering it shouldn't be spreading to the trees because of the snow..."

She rambled as if she was in shock.

"What happened?" Alison was relieved, angry, impressed, and emotional all at once.

"I don't know. I wasn't…" Emily had no words to explain the instincts that had kicked it. "The window was blocked. And I just…I went into combat mode. My dad…he…"

Alison had every right to yell at her, but she didn't want to. She was just glad the brunette was alive.

"I don't know what happened." Except she knew exactly what had happened. She had been thrown back into the dark recesses of her mind…into the Dollhouse. And the survival of her loved ones was all she was able to think about. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"I'm okay if you're okay."

"I'm okay." That was all the confirmation Alison needed.

"What do you think started it?"

"I don't know. I made sure the fireplace was off. We weren't running anything high energy…"

"This isn't the first time you've been pulled from a fire." Alison gnawed on her lip.

Emily didn't have any time to respond.

The firefighters had arrived and they were readying the scene to make sure they could control the outdoor spread.

To the girls' surprise, they had it under control in less than fifteen minutes. Most of the damage had happened outside in the wooded area. The cabin had mostly been spared except for some minor damage in the bedroom, siding, and hallway.

The remnants of a firework had been found in the debris. They couldn't say for sure that's what had caused it though. They had to do a proper investigation. They did discover that the fire alarms and sprinklers were faulty.

It had started a small fire indoors, but the major one was roaring outside.

Emily and Alison clung to one another as they watched the scene unfold. Firefighters were running around shouting orders and pouring water on the surrounding areas. Lights were flashing and sirens chirped.

There were so many moving bodies that unbeknownst to them…anyone could hide under a uniform and a mask.

A first responder had pulled them into an ambulance and checked their vitals. They were hovering together under a blanket. The heat had been so intense that the chill of the snow felt good.

Miraculously they had made it out unscathed.

It wasn't until two hours later after everything had died down that they'd stumbled upon a vital piece of information.

They'd been allowed back into the cabin after it was cleared to gather their things from the front of the house. Two firefighters escorted them in with proper protective gear.

The first floor was untouched, though it reeked of smoke.

All the windows were open to ventilate it.

They wouldn't be staying for long. They just wanted to get what was left of their belongings and go.

Emily stepped on something when they walked through the threshold of the front door.

Alison looked down and saw a crumpled sheet of paper.

Emily bent down to pick it up. When she smoothed it out she got a clear picture of what it was.

It was their itinerary.

Alison glanced at Emily and her eyes widened. Anger flooded her veins. She snatched the paper from Emily, studying it. Neither of them had printed it. Emily had done everything online.

Someone had gone to the trouble to find them…and to leave a calling card behind.

It reeked of Charlotte.

Even though Emily had threatened her and told her to back off she had still crossed the line. She thought about the call Emily had with her mother. Emily had been concerned someone had been in the house because the alarm wasn't on and the front door was unlocked.

It hadn't been a coincidence after all.

Alison yanked Emily's hand and pulled her out of earshot of the firefighters.

"Ali, before you say anything, let's..."

"We're releasing that fucking recording of my sister." Alison held up the wrinkled sheet of paper.

As they solemnly walked away from the cabin they couldn't help but look back at the charred remains on the siding of what had been a cozy retreat where they had connected on a deeper level. The wooden panel was still smoldering, wisps of smoke dissipating into the heavy smog-filled air. It was a hotspot that the firefighters would keep an eye on, but it served as more than that to Alison and Emily.

It was a direct parallel to how hot-headed Charlotte DiLaurentis could be...and it was sobering reminder of how far she would go to keep them quiet.

---

A/N: Ooof...the new year is NOT off to a good start for our girls. What a ride. From the cuddling to the...sexier stuff. The nice fresh air. Hanna and her antics. Domestic Emison in the kitchen, but bad-ass Emison in the wilderness. Did Alison see something other than a fox?

What about the ski slopes? Was Alison's memory true?

So much ground covered in this chapter. The HOT hot tub. Alison slowly coming to terms with her mother's death. The kindness between Emily and Alison. The empathy they have bringing each other closer.

It was almost a perfect trip. *Almost*. Until the cabin went all "Backdraft" on them (if you don't get the reference...it's a movie about fire).