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.

26. Breaking the Ice

A/N: Apologies for the delay. Hope you enjoy this Shakespearean length monster of a chapter!

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Chapter 25:

Breaking the Ice

After a brief phone conversation with Tanner, several authorities had come by process the scene and collect evidence. They talked to potential witnesses, but most people had either been out for Valentine's Day or in their condos…for Valentine's Day. No one remembered anyone coming in and dropping the little box off on the doorstep.

The authorities requested the security camera footage and got the name of the place where the present had been gift-wrapped.

Emily and Alison gave their initial statements, but said they wanted to speak with Linda Tanner directly on their own terms.

Shortly after everyone left, Emily and Alison took the van to the airport. Samara had tossed her the keys and said she would watch their place like a hawk to make sure no one else came by. She and Zoe were shaken up, because they were concerned a disgruntled protestor that frequented the Alliance had gotten their address. Samara also had her own concerns about the girls' past haunting them. Either way, she and Zoe vowed to watch their backs.

It took Emily and Alison nearly an hour and a half to get to LAX Airport. They were both exhausted by the time they parked.

Emily was on the phone with Toby.

"Have they landed yet?" Much like Caleb, he had an air of protection in his voice.

He wasn't fond of the idea of the others making themselves targets both for Charlotte and the FBI. Normally he would have pushed for the girls to get as far away from Rosewood as possible, but since Emily and Alison had received a human ear on their doorstep he worried about their safety regardless of where they were.

"Hanna will be here in a few minutes." Emily leaned against the van.

Alison was walking towards the entrance, still in her sight.

"And Spencer and Aria?" The tone in Toby's voice was rigid, and a little righteous because he wasn't there to make sure they were okay.

"We're checking their flight schedules." Emily watched Alison peering at her phone, glancing at Hanna's flight to make sure it was on time.

"Spencer isn't picking up her phone."

"Toby, she's thousands of miles in the air right now…" Emily reminded him.

"She has access. We've talked when she's been on a flight before." She detected a hint of a smile in his voice. "I'm worried Charlotte might have gotten to her…"

"She boarded her flight. She texted us right before she got on the plane." Emily put his mind at ease.

"I don't like this. How the fuck did the wicked witch get a goddamn body part through the post office?"

"At this point, anything can be sent anywhere." It was still a shock to her that they'd had a human ear in their condo, but she wasn't surprised someone had been able to sneak it into a package.

There was a hesitation on Toby's end. She could practically hear him tugging his fingers through his hair.

"Em, if you need me to come out…I will. In a heartbeat. You're vulnerable. You're all vulnerable. I don't know how Liam and Caleb are coping with Aria and Hanna going out there. But I'm losing it here."

"I need you there. My mom needs you. I…I can't be there for her from out here. And my dad…" Her throat felt like it was closing up. She couldn't finish her thought.

"I know," he replied softly.

Spencer had told him the same thing when he had insisted on going with her.

"You can not let anything happen to Em's mom." It was one of the last things they had talked about.

"I've got her. I promise, okay?" He assured Emily.

"Thank you. Have you seen Wren around?"

"Not since the holidays. I asked Bud if he'd seen him out at the graveyard and he said he hasn't."

"Great." Emily muttered under her breath.

If he wasn't in Rosewood then where the hell was he?

"What about Jason?" Emily asked.

"He's been around. But I avoid him, because his face looks very punchable to me. One time I thought about hitting him with my truck. That was a fun daydream."

"I love you, but please do not commit any felonies."

"No promises."

"I've got to run. Ali is waiting on me. But please…watch your back." Emily saw Alison pause at the airport entrance.

"Always do. You kick ass and take names there. I'll do it here."

"I'll text you when the girls get here."

"Take care of them."

"I will."

Emily said her goodbyes and then caught up to Alison.

Alison led her through the entrance while talking about Hanna's schedule. She was expected any minute.

Hanna's plane was the first to land, and by that time it was late afternoon in California and early evening on the East Coast.

Hanna had a mixture of exhilaration and concern on her face when she saw her friends. She was happy to see them, but not about the reason they were getting together.

She was pulling a small carry-on on with wheels behind her that had a bag on top of it.

Hanna sighed when she greeted them, reaching for Emily first. Alison didn't mind. She knew that Hanna and Emily were close. For a long time she'd been jealous of their friendship, but that was before she'd learned to share.

"Hey." Hanna pulled back. "You get in here, too, Malibu Barbie." She reached for Alison.

"Hey, Han." Alison hugged her.

"So…here we go again…" Hanna shook her head.

"Looks like it." Emily nodded. She reached for Hanna's luggage. "Let's take this out to the van. Spencer's flight should be here in an hour. She said the lawyer is flying in with her. They were both in DC."

"I need to run by the baggage claim first. I have two more bags…"

"How long do think you're going to be here?" Emily laughed.

"Hey, I'm always prepared. I've got to look my best." She glanced at Alison. "And there might be a clothing bag with some dresses that my boss designed and I might have told her I'd photograph you modeling them, making her think this is a work trip…"

"You have the worst timing." Emily smiled and hugged her again. "God, I've missed having that bad timing in my life."

"What do you say, Malibu? Want to turn a negative into a positive with me? No pressure, but I might get fired from this internship if you say no...because I kinda told my boss you were really into her work." Hanna made the most innocent face she could muster.

"We'll figure something out." Alison half nodded, half laughed.

"Yes!"

"Come on. We'll get your bags and then head to pick up Spencer." Alison waved.

"She has a car already waiting if I'm not mistaken." Hanna slipped her backpack off of her shoulder, reaching for the pocket that held her phone.

"She does. But I still want to be here. And I want to meet Attorney Park-Lewis." Emily nodded.

"And Aria?" Hanna asked. "I haven't heard back from her since I boarded my plane."

Emily grabbed her phone and checked Aria's itinerary.

"Oh, wow. It's a good thing you said something. Her flight is ahead of schedule. She's actually going to land before Spencer. We'll need to pick her up first." Emily put her phone away.

"I can help Hanna take her things out to the van and then we can come back and join you." Alison suggested.

"Or we can just all hang here until Aria gets here. I saw a little sandwich shop that looks good. And I'm famished. Those rabbit-food sized biscottis on the plane don't cut it." Hanna frowned.

"That works." Emily nodded.

They grabbed Hanna's extra bags and walked towards the sandwich shop. There was a short line and it was moving quickly.

"This airport is so tiny." Hanna observed. "I can never get over it when I fly in here. O'Hare has everything you could ever want. And Atlanta's airport is basically a live-in mall with everything you could ever possibly need."

"Its terminals are also 50 miles away from the check-in desk." Alison laughed.

She remembered going through that airport with her mother as a child when they were visiting Jessica's mother. It had seemed like a dream castle to her, but there was so much walking. And Jason complained the entire time.

"True. And you get stuck in traffic on the way to and from the terminals."

"So, how did Caleb handle the news?" Emily asked, browsing the menu that was posted on the wall.

"Oh, I just snuck off without telling him. I'll call him once I'm settled."

Alison and Emily both whipped their heads towards her.

"What?" They asked in alarm at the same time.

Hanna started laughing.

"Oh my God, I'm just kidding." Her face turned red from the laughter. "You should have seen your faces. Sorry…I was just trying to break the ice. He's fine. Told me to be careful. He's back home with Cheese working on the IT stuff for us."

It was Alison's and Emily's turn to laugh.

Hanna had managed to loosen them up.

In no time they were sharing their meal, laughing over memories past.

When Aria's plane landed they wrapped up their impromptu lunch. Emily grabbed the vegetarian wrap she'd ordered for Aria and they rushed to meet her.

Similar to Hanna's approach, the small petite brunette had a cautious stride in her walk. She had a smile on her face, but they could see the anxiety hidden behind her eyes.

"Hey Ar." Hanna let go of her bag and leaned forward to hug her.

Unlike Hanna, Aria didn't have a ton of luggage with her. She'd always been a minimalist.

"It's good to see you." Alison leaned in for a hug. "Even though the circumstances aren't…ideal."

"Hey, you shine the A-signal. We show up." Aria shrugged.

Aria hugged Emily next, wrapping her arms around the brunette.

Her hugs were different since Emily's father had died. She packed a powerful punch in her small stature. Her hugs were filled with compassion and unadulterated love.

"How've you been, Em?" Aria asked, pulling away.

They all knew she wasn't asking about Charlotte's torture.

Aria had thought about Emily's father on Valentine's Day. She'd talked to her mom, who had gone out with Emily's mom for drinks. Ella had told her that Pam seemed distant, but open about her feelings. She knew it wasn't easy for the Fields family.

"Good days and bad days." Emily sighed. "Yesterday was great until it wasn't."

"Ugh, I can't even imagine." Hanna stuck her tongue out and gagged.

"I'll never forget that cow's tongue that Charlotte sent to Mike because he was going to testify in court." Aria shivered. "If I wasn't already a vegetarian…that would have done it for me."

"Speaking of vegetarian…we got you a veggie wrap." Emily held up a to-go bag with the wrap inside.

"Thank God." Aria breathed a sigh of relief. "The last thing I had to eat was a banana this morning…"

She paused when she realized that it was the morning after Valentine's Day.

"Not that kind of banana." She shot Hanna a look.

The blonde had a grin on her face.

"Suuuure. Did Liam make and serve this banana for you? Did it have whipped cream on it and a cherry on the tip?" She paused for dramatic effect and then grinned, "On top, I mean. On top." She winked.

"Shut up." Aria laughed.

"Hey, you're the one talking about bananas." Hanna threw her palms up innocently.

"Yeah, I know. I heard it as soon as I said it." Aria shook her head, embarrassed. "For a writer, I really do say some stupid things sometimes."

"Or maybe Hanna's mind is just always in the gutter." Emily playfully bumped her shoulder against Hanna's.

"Ha ha." Hanna rolled her eyes. "Aria, should we run by baggage claim for your things?"

Aria looked at her bags and then looked at Hanna in confusion.

"What do you mean? This is my things."

"That's all you brought?" Hanna's jaw dropped.

For the first time since Aria had arrived she saw Hanna's matching suitcases and bags.

"Holy crap. Did you pack your entire apartment?" Her eyes widened.

"I didn't bring everything. I didn't bring Caleb…or the cat." Hanna tried to defend herself.

"Only because the cat refuses to go into the carrier on an airplane and instead wanders the aisles after escaping, becoming a general menace to flight attendants." Alison snickered.

They all burst into laughter.

Cheese was an escape artist. Houdini in cat form. When Hanna and Caleb had tried to bring him on a short trip once he had busted out of his carrier and somehow found his way into the cabin. He'd just been wandering the aisles, stopping and begging for food and chilling like he owned the entire plane. And in a way…he did own it. Everyone thought it was hilarious. Even the flight attendant who had to run around to catch him.

Caleb and Hanna had tears from laughing so hard when they told the girls that story.

"Caleb didn't help matters when he grinned like a moron and shouted "That's my boy!"." Hanna giggled.

Emily and Alison peered at one another. It felt good to laugh again. It felt good to be with their friends again.

They went to wait on Spencer and the lawyer.

They were the first ones to come through the crowd. The girls recognized Spencer first.

Beside her there was a distinguished older woman with dark skin and brown eyes. They knew immediately that it was Jerica Park-Lewis, a fierce lawyer, and mother to one of Veronica Hastings' interns. Married to Senator Cycerli Park-Lewis.

Spencer was speaking to her with an intense look on her face. It was clear to the others that she was taking charge of the entire situation. It wasn't uncommon. Part of how Spencer coped with the unexpected was by seizing control of the situation.

In high school it hadn't been the best thing, but she had grown in her knowledge and she was more open to collaboration and conversation. She didn't shut her friends out anymore in the decision-making processes.

Emily kept her promise to Toby, sending him a quick text,

Spencer is here. Looking at her with my very own eyes. Execute "Stop worrying" protocol.

Toby had clearly been waiting on the text, because he responded immediately,

Don't tell me what to do, Fields.

A few seconds later he added,

Glad everyone arrived safely. The boyfriends' (err…fiancés?) club has a group chat. Caleb and Liam told me that Hanna and Aria were there. Was just waiting on confirmation on Spence. Give her a hug for me.

Affirmative.

She felt like her father when she sent him the last text. It just sounded like sounded like something he would have said.

"Spencer!" Aria called out in excitement.

When Spencer saw them her entire demeanor changed.

She paced ahead of the lawyer.

"Hey!" Her face was serious, but filled with glee to see them. "I didn't know I was going to be the last one to arrive."

"Good to see you." Aria moved forward first and embraced her.

"Spencer." Hanna joined the hug.

"My Hanna-banana." Spencer smiled warmly.

Aria and Hanna looked each other and burst into laughter.

"What? What did I say?" Spencer asked in confusion.

"Banana." Hanna grinned.

"Still weird, I see."

"Still overworked, I see." Hanna shot back.

"Em. Ali. Hey, how are you?" Spencer moved forward and hugged them both. "I'm so glad you're okay."

"Was your flight okay?" Emily asked.

"Yeah. It gave us an opportunity to go over some things."

"How much does she know?" Alison asked quietly as Jerica walked towards them, finishing a call on her phone.

"Right now…all she knows is the way we were scapegoated in the past. I told her about the threats and the package with the ear. And that we're afraid Charlotte is behind it, given what Sara Harvey was saying."

"Does she know about Teddy? Or the doctor's list?" Emily whispered.

"Couldn't exactly out Caleb and Toby for looking at Jessica's murder case and jumping into the fact that one of Charlotte's doctors might be her right-hand man. But she does know about the list of doctors. Jason sending it was totally legal. Now be quiet. Before someone hears us."

Hanna snorted out a laugh.

"You expect us to be quiet? Come on, half of the shit we went through in high school was because we couldn't keep our mouths shut."

"Well, we're not in high school anymore." Aria pointed out. "Let's not make the same mistakes."

"I was just messing around." Hanna rolled her eyes. "That's my defense mechanism when I'm freaked out."

"There is nothing to be freaked out about." Jerica reached up and tapped on a Bluetooth. "Sorry. I was just letting my office know my updated itinerary."

Spencer turned to face the older woman.

"Girls, this is Attorney Park-Lewis." Spencer introduced her colleague.

"Call me Jerica." The older woman smiled.

"Nice to meet you, Jerica. I'm Emily." Emily stepped forward first and shook her hand.

Alison and the other girls were a little more wary about someone new being involved in their A-drama. It rarely worked out for them in the past.

"Aria." Aria quietly followed Emily's suit.

If Spencer trusted her, then Aria trusted her.

"You're Alison. I recognize you from TikTok. My daughter Caitlin follows you." Jerica glanced at Alison.

Her face wasn't easy to read. It was a little bit terrifying, but it could bode very well for them to have a shark on their defense team…if it got that far.

"Oh, that's always nice to hear." Alison feigned a smile, but she still wasn't fully on board when it came to bringing someone else in. She often paid the price when things went south.

"Which makes you Hanna." Jerica turned to Hanna.

The stylish blonde sized her up.

"Thank you for coming all this way." Emily tried to show how appreciative she was.

"Of course. Spencer has kindly provided me with a bit of your history and I looked over it on the flight." She looked at Alison and Emily. "Did you already speak to the FBI?"

"Just local authorities to give our statements." Alison answered. "The FBI Agent running the case…"

"Special Agent Linda Tanner." Jerica nodded, a crease in her brow chipping away at her poker face.

"Right," Emily said.

"I've seen her work. I can't say I'm impressed."

All the girls laughed. That seemed to bring them around to the idea of trusting her.

"Tanner is arranging for us to meet at our local precinct around 8:00 in the morning. I told her we were waiting on our attorney," Emily said.

"Good. Very good." She smiled. "My advice is for all of us to meet up somewhere private to have a discussion."

"We didn't do anything wrong." Alison added, a tad bit defensively.

Jerica didn't seem bothered by it.

"We'll talk more later." Jerica promised.

"We have a car waiting." Spencer tried to shift the unease the other girls were feeling. "Should we go back to your place and talk this through?"

During the frantic planning to get out to Malibu, they hadn't really talked about lodging yet.

"I don't think so." Emily shook her head. She glanced at the attorney. "I'm concerned that whoever dropped that box off is still lurking around."

"That's completely fair. We've got a hotel so we can easily meet there." Spencer suggested.

"I would actually rather stay with you two." Hanna faced Alison and Emily. "Strength in numbers and all that. I know you're worried, but I have a feeling given that the cops were crawling all over your place that whoever sent that package will have the good sense to stay away for a while."

"That's probably true. It's likely one of the safest locations right now." Jerica nodded. "It's widely acknowledged that it's rare that with break-ins and similar crimes that the perp will risk returning to the scene once they know police are involved. It's highly likely that you'll have cops doing a drive-by every hour to make sure everything is okay."

"Not sure how I feel about that." Alison mumbled. "I don't really trust authority."

"You can trust me." Jerica promised.

Alison nodded in appreciation.

Hanna's eyes were soft, and she was looking directly at Emily.

"Do you mind if I crash with you?" Hanna asked.

Something told Emily that maybe it was about saving money, especially since she'd just gotten engaged. Aria and Spencer had a bit more funding. And even though Spencer would comp the room, Hanna didn't want that. Hanna had too much pride to say that, but Emily knew her well enough.

"We have room." Emily wasn't going to say no to Hanna, especially since the Marins had opened their house to Emily when she needed a place to stay.

"Good. I've missed your old couch." Hanna smiled. She'd stayed on it when she came out to visit Emily before. "Plus." She held up a garment bag. "Business to attend to, remember?"

"Right." Alison laughed.

Because nothing says "I'm having a serious conversation with Linda Tanner to proclaim our innocence" like a flashy little dress that exposes everything.

"I'll stay at the hotel." Aria shifted towards Spencer.

"If you change your mind, Samara and Zoe offered up their condo if you want to stay there. We've worked with enough foundations that they can find room and board easily in Malibu," Emily said.

"I guess it depends on how long we stay." Spencer looked at Aria and then at Jerica.

"We won't know that until speaking with the FBI." Jerica offered in response.

"Knowing Tanner, she'll probably want us all handcuffed to the station door to put us on display." Aria muttered.

"Let's just get settled. And then maybe we can go out to eat to celebrate Hanna's engagement…" Alison couldn't help but play the hostess.

"Congratulations." It seemed to be the first that Jerica was hearing about it.

"Thanks. Long time coming." Hanna responded.

"After that we can meet up and discuss talking points before the meeting tomorrow." Spencer agreed.

"Sounds good." Emily nodded.

They walked out to the parking lot together, then briefly said their goodbyes and split up. Emily and Alison helped Hanna haul all of her luggage into the van while Spencer and Aria talked about how they were going to approach Tanner.

The hotel was thirty minutes from Emily's place, so the girls weren't that far apart. After Aria and Spencer got settled in their rooms they made plans with Emily, Alison, and Hanna to dine at a cozy little restaurant and bar right next to the hotel.

They were meeting up with Jerica beforehand on the off-chance that they got too tipsy from the engagement celebration. They'd planned not to drink a ton, because they needed to be fresh and bright-eyed in the morning during their meeting with Tanner. Emily had volunteered to be the designated driver. Ever since she'd seen that human ear she hadn't had much of an appetite for anything, but especially not alcohol.

When Alison, Emily, and Hanna got to the hotel they texted Spencer and Aria to let them know they were there.

We're on the 7th floor. 714.

"Is the number 7 supposed to mean good luck or bad luck?" Hanna asked as they walked on to the elevator.

"It's just a number, Han." Emily laughed.

"Actually, if I remember correctly I think a lot of people think it means good luck." Alison peered at all the buttons on the elevator and pressed seven. "My dad gambled a lot."

"I didn't know that." Emily glanced at Alison.

"I don't think I've ever told anyone before. It's not like he's anyone important to me." Alison shrugged.

"Yeah, I get it. We're both members of the Shitty Father's Club." Hanna nodded in sympathy. "My dad likes to spend all his money on his new daughter. I don't exist to him."

Emily stayed quiet. She wasn't sure what to say. Wayne had been a wonderful man and an excellent father. She understood that Alison and Hanna had also lost their fathers, just in a different way. They had feelings of grief and loss, too.

She thought Hanna and Alison might pick up on her thoughts, but they were lost in their own conversation. Emily smiled as she watched the interaction, because Hanna and Alison had spent years at odds, and it was nice to see them being friends.

"He sent that bitch to Equestrian camp and then bought her a fucking horse of her own. He paid for her college tuition. Meanwhile, the fruit of his deadbeat loins was struggling to find a way to get into college. Emily and I even tried pageantry. Remember that, Em?" Hanna grinned.

What Emily remembered was Hanna completely altering her routine halfway through the song and getting her anger and hatred out with a wild interpretive dance.

"What I remember is that lasting impression you left on the director when you did your own thing."

"I was so mad because Kate had signed up for the competition, too. It's not enough that she stole my father and gets everything from him. She had to try and take that away from me, too." Hanna frowned. She lightened up after a few seconds. "I don't know how you kept a straight face when I went rogue. I recreated it for Caleb afterwards and he laughed his ass off."

"I assumed you just needed to get it out. But I also think I was just too shocked to say anything." Emily laughed.

"Is there video of this somewhere?" Alison smiled. "I would love to see it."

"Get me drunk enough at my celebration and maybe I'll recreate it for you." Hanna grinned. "I have no shame."

The elevator stopped on the seventh floor.

"Surprised we made it without stopping on every floor." Alison stepped off.

"They have like eight elevators, so that probably helps." Hanna followed.

They found Spencer's room and knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" Aria called out, even though she could see them through the peephole.

"Housekeeping." Emily responded sarcastically.

Aria chuckled and opened the door.

They walked inside a large spacious room. It was so much bigger than the girls had been expecting.

Spencer walked in from a dining area.

"Hey."

"Hey." Emily waved.

"Ohh, fancy-schmancy." Hanna laughed. "Spencer Hastings with the executive suite. I like it. But how in the world can you afford this?"

Hanna had never been one to hold back from asking personal questions.

"How do you think?" Spencer asked. "My parents are loaded. As soon as my mom found out why I was coming she told me to use whatever rewards we have and she'll pay for the rest out of pocket. She is pissed that Charlotte is doing this again. And my dad wants to sue."

"Sue…who?" Alison asked warily.

She was worried that they'd go after her and Jason because they were Charlotte's relatives and she was in Jason's care, though Spencer wouldn't let it come to that.

"Everyone. That's just his regular response to this kind of thing." Spencer didn't give it a second thought. "Jerica is waiting in her room and it wouldn't be polite to keep her waiting."

"Should we…uh…" Hanna cocked her head. "I mean, I don't want to be rude and exclude her, but I think it might be kind of weird to invite her to dinner with us?"

"She already said she's staying in. She doesn't want her presence here to gather a lot of attention. She's a very prominent figure in politics because of her job and because her wife is a Senator. Plus she's working every angle to make sure Tanner doesn't try to back us into a corner. Don't worry about it." Spencer waved it off.

"Do you trust her?" Alison sat down on the large couch in the lounge area.

"With my life." Spencer nodded. "Some of her cases have kept innocent people from being railroaded and thrown behind bars for something they didn't do."

"Where was she when I was being railroaded?" Alison muttered.

The girls glanced at one another, but no one said anything.

"Sorry. I just had the worst lawyer back then, so I'm wary of them."

"Understandable." Emily sat beside her.

"Hey, Ali…" Aria walked over, clearing her throat. "I don't know if I ever apologized…"

"Don't worry about it. I don't blame you all." Alison's face softened.

"Still, Emily is the only one who stepped up and apologized for that. She was right the whole time, but the rest of us had a bias against you and we used it to influence her. Emily was right. We should have taken your concerns more seriously." Spencer blew a fluff of hair out of her face. "I'm sorry we didn't listen."

"I'm sorry I underestimated Charlotte." Alison sighed. "Listen, all that stuff that happened back then...it's ancient history. I'm just glad I have you girls in my life."

"Same." Aria smiled.

"Aww…group hug?" Hanna plopped down next to Alison and started to dogpile her and Emily.

"Are you still high over your engagement excitement?" Spencer asked with a sarcastic quirk in her brow.

"Most definitely." Hanna grinned. "Look. Look at it." She held her hand out to show off her ring.

It was very sparkly and showcased Hanna's appearance.

"Caleb did well." Aria admired the diamond. She was still sitting on the arm of the sofa.

"I know. I haven't been able to stop looking at it." She toggled the ring around her finger. She paused and thought about something. "I wonder if I should take it off before we talk to Tanner."

"There's nothing suspicious about an engagement." Spencer squeezed in next to Hanna. "I, for one, think you should be proud of it."

"Okay, this is definitely a group hug moment. If not for the human ear this would be the happiest moment of our lives." Emily grinned. "Aria, get down here."

Emily yanked the smaller girl off the arm of the couch and tangled her in with the rest of them. Spencer fell into it with a laugh.

As Alison sat there hugging her friends, a thought occurred to her.

This is what family is supposed to be like.

"As morbid as this sounds, I'd kind of like to take a picture to remember this." Alison managed to pull her phone out. "We need a new photo of us to showcase in the condo."

She snapped a few candid shots of the girls' reactions to her suggestion and then they posed for one, Aria sprawled out over their laps.

"God, it's so good to see you all again." Emily smiled as Alison thumbed through the photos. "Even if the circumstances are crappy, I'm really glad you're here."

"Honestly, I wouldn't want to celebrate my engagement with anyone else but you four. Sure, Caleb and I have friends in New York, but we have something different when it comes to us." Hanna moved to the side to give Aria some room.

"Yes, we do. Years of anxiety, trauma bonds, and a hell of a history of fights." Spencer gave Hanna a hard time. "Which makes us all sisters in my book. I'd definitely call you before Melissa with any life-changing news."

She had an odd look on her face at the mention of her sister. Alison picked up on it, because she squabbled with Jason all the time. She recognized it when siblings were pissed at each other. Before she could ask any follow up questions Emily laughed.

"Life-changing news? You mean like maybe a proposal of your own?" Emily winked and nudged Spencer.

Spencer couldn't fight the smile she was trying to contain. Her cheeks blossomed with color.

"Toby and I are just…finding our footing again. I don't know what's going to happen with us, but I'm really excited to find out. We wanted different things for our lives a few years ago, but we've grown as individuals."

"You still love him though, right?" Hanna asked what was on everyone's mind.

"Of course I do." She didn't hesitate.

"I think everything will work out." Aria, always the romantic, gave Spencer a gentle pat on her arm. "If anyone deserves happiness in our lives it's us. Whatever makes your soul happy. Do that."

"Is that a line from your book?" Alison remembered hearing it somewhere.

Aria's face lit up.

"It was a quote in the preface. No one knows who originally said it. But I loved it when I heard it."

"I said it!" Hanna smiled at Aria. "I'm not an unknown."

"You didn't say that." Spencer laughed.

"I did, too. I said we all would find our jubilation one day." Hanna argued.

"That's not the same thing." Spencer smiled.

"It's close enough." Hanna frowned.

Aria took a thoughtful breath.

"It does all mean the same thing. We spent so much time in the dark." Aria looked at her friends. "Our souls really took a beating. It's time we got to be happy."

"You're my favorite romantic, Aria Montgomery." Spencer beamed.

If not for the fact that they had a high-profile lawyer waiting for them it would have been the perfect moment. In a way, it was still kind of a perfect moment.

Despite their jet-lag they all managed to pull it together and went to meet with Jerica.

Her room was very tidy. She had a laptop sitting on an end table and several documents strewn about. There was a tray with room service set up next to the couch. It had several different finger foods, a pitcher filled with ice water and several clean cups and small plates.

"I know you plan on going out later, but I thought we could get through this easier if we had snacks. Help yourself." Jerica smiled as she moved towards her laptop. "I'll pull up what I've been working on."

The girls helped themselves. Alison was the only one who didn't reach for the food. She was too frazzled to eat. Her stomach was in knots. She poured herself a glass of water and they found a place to sit over by the lawyer.

Emily could sense Alison's nerves. They'd been in this position before, and it rarely worked out in their favor. They had been sentenced alongside Alison in Rosewood. It cost them the last link to their sanity and landed them in the Dollhouse. But before that, Alison had experienced her own hell in jail. She'd been held captive, too. Just not by Charlotte.

The brunette put her hand on top of Alison's. Alison smiled appreciatively.

"Let's start with the social media aspect." Jerica cleared her throat. "Your statement was very thorough." She read through what Alison had posted on the subject of her sister and everything that had come out about Rosewood. "Very empathic, but also respectful about the delicacy in the case and the request for privacy in the matter. Smart move. You shouldn't have to say anything more. Don't respond to any interview requests or any media inquiries. You have PR, I assume?"

"Yes."

"Make sure they are aware they are to direct everything through me."

"Okay." Alison nodded.

"This whole conversation tomorrow is going to hinge mostly on you." She was straightforward. "They will want to delve into your family history. The most important thing to remember is that you are not on trial here. But I do need to know everything relevant you can think of so I can have a better understanding of how to speak with the FBI regarding all of this. Emily, you will likely be questioned as well, as I understand you two are in a relationship and the threat was directed towards you, too."

"And us?" Aria asked curiously, taking a sip of her water to wash down a bite of her carrots and hummus.

"You three say absolutely nothing unless I advise you to." Jerica glanced at the other girls.

"So glad we flew 3000 miles to say nothing." Hanna uttered sarcastically. "Not even a 'fuck you' to Tanner…"

Spencer shot her a serious look.

"I mean, it's great we get to see our dear friends again." Hanna tried to make up for the jet-lag crankiness.

She shoved a cracker in her mouth before she could put her foot in it again.

"Alison, they'll be looking at your time here in California as well. They'll likely have questions about what transpired before and after you moved to get a better sense of what motivated these threats. They will also likely request access to both yours and Emily's phone records, so I'd advise you to tell me anything you might have concerns about."

"I thought they weren't on trial." Spencer frowned, gripping her cup of chilled water.

"It's fine." Emily cut her off.

Hanna looked concerned. She knew that Caleb had been involved with some of the investigation they'd done and she didn't want him to get in trouble. Emily could see the anxiety in her eyes.

"It's mostly just regular every day texts." Emily assured Hanna.

The records were fairly clean. A lot of the conversations they'd had were over the phone. The texts could all easily be explained given their past trauma. But the FBI might actually see that they had been getting threats, which would likely strengthen the case against Charlotte.

"I will need to know if either one of you has been involved in any altercations here that resulted in the authorities getting involved." Jerica typed something on her laptop.

Alison's eyes darted to Emily's.

Tyler.

She felt sick to her stomach about having to relive it, especially with the other girls sitting right next to her.

"They won't find any records on either one of us." Alison bit her lip. "Except maybe a report I filed…"

"What was the nature of the report?"

"Um…" The blonde swallowed. She gripped Emily's hand firmly.

"Is it really necessary to this case when Alison didn't do anything wrong?" Emily tried to protect her.

"A report against another individual could have resulted in a grudge being held against you both. If someone else could potentially be holding a grudge against you, that might be an avenue that the authorities pursue." Jerica looked at Alison empathetically, like she already knew what she was going to say.

"Ali…what happened?" Aria reached over and touched her hand.

Alison didn't mean to jump when she felt Aria's palm against her skin, but she had a flashback to Tyler touching her in places she didn't want to be touched. She hadn't thought about it in months.

"Well…" Alison hesitated, taking a moment to stop and observe every single one of her friends. She found comfort in Emily's eyes. A strong tenacity she needed. "There was this guy…"

She didn't have to say another word for the girls to get the gist of it. They already knew that Alison had been living with some sketchy people before she'd moved in with Emily.

"I will destroy him." Spencer uttered under her breath.

Jerica cut her eyes at Spencer.

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that." Then she looked at Alison, her eyes soft and kind. "What happened?"

"What always happens when a guy thinks he can stake a claim on a girl. I think I might have been drugged. There was an altercation, but…I got away." She repeated it, trying not to relive that night.

She scooted closer to Emily.

"Emily took me to her place that night and I went to the police in the morning. He turned himself in…" With the "persuasion" of Emily and the other guys in the Airbnb beating his ass. She had a random thought, wondering where Chad the hero-frat boy was now. He was part of the reason Tyler was behind bars. "He's in jail."

Jerica thought it over.

"He could definitely hold a grudge, but I think we all know that will be a dead end. The authorities will circle back to your family history." Jerica paused, reaching out to the younger girl, "And Alison, you didn't do anything wrong. I've sent people like that boy to prison for a very long time."

Alison nodded, trying not to cry. She couldn't bear to look at the horrified looks on her friends' faces.

But Emily did. She didn't see horror. She saw anger. They were angry on Alison's behalf, because most of them knew what it felt like to be assaulted, Aria and Spencer specifically.

Hanna looked like she was ready to take a flamethrower to Tyler's face. Spencer did, too. Aria's anger was quieter. More calculated. Her anger was the scariest, because when she blew up it was nuclear.

Their conversation continued for another 45 minutes, with Spencer jumping in to ask questions the entire time. She truly wanted to understand what they would be walking into in the morning and she wanted the other girls to understand it, too. Jerica was patient with them and answered all of their questions.

When it came to time wrap things up they all felt more prepared to see Linda Tanner again.

"I'm going to go over all of this and make some notes." Jerica peered at her computer. "Why don't you all go out and celebrate the engagement? We can touch base later. Tomorrow should be fairly informal. It's just the start of the investigation."

"Thank you for doing all of this." Emily reached out to shake her hand.

"It's my full intention to keep you all well protected and to get to the bottom of exposing who is doing this." She took Emily's hand.

Alison gulped down the last of her water, fully ready for a drink that would take the edge off.

They said their goodbyes to the lawyer and made their way down to the restaurant.

Spencer had made the reservations and the timing was perfect

By the time they all arrived their table was ready. They were seated and then left with the menu.

"I don't know about everyone else, but after all of that…I need a drink." Hanna skipped the menu with the food and instead grabbed one that had specials on Margaritas.

"We've got to go easy on the drinks though." Aria flipped through the menu until she got to the vegetarian plates they offered. "Early morning."

"Right. And just FYI, this does not count as my Bachelorette Party," Hanna said. "I want the real thing. Vegas. Male dancers. All of it."

"Noted." Emily laughed.

Alison silently reached for her menu. She was still trying to process everything.

"You okay?" Spencer was the only one who hadn't looked at the laminated book in front of her.

"Yep. Just trying to figure out what I'm least likely to puke back up." It was out of her mouth before she could stop herself from saying it.

There was a pause and then,

"And you all accuse me of painting vivid images?" Hanna asked.

"I thought I would be hungrier, but all I want right now is a drink." Alison sipped on her complimentary water. "Spence, what about you? Haven't seen you even so much as look at the food options."

"Oh, I looked online before we came. I already know what I'm getting." Spencer shrugged.

"Of course you did." Hanna nodded. "You always have a plan."

"I wish I had a better one than talking to Tanner."

"Getting us Jerica is probably the best plan for us," Emily said. "We owe you."

"Not really." Spencer shook her head. "Family supports family."

"Awww, you called us family." Hanna gushed jokingly. She feigned a frown. "Don't ever compare us to Melissa again."

It was a comment that only Hanna could get away with, and she knew it.

"I talk to you all more than her anyway." She had a rigid look on her face.

Alison saw the sibling rivalry flaring in her eyes. This time, Emily caught it, too. She narrowed her eyes, a question forming on her lips. Before she could ask it, Spencer gave the tiniest shake of her head.

"Not now," she said with her eyes.

"Damn. Tell us how you really feel." Aria grabbed her water and sipped an ice cube into her mouth.

Spencer smiled at her friends. She loved that she didn't have to hold back when she was talking to them. It was nothing like the political mine-field of being a Senator's daughter. If her family stepped one foot out of line they'd be politicized and made into villains, though to be fair her father and her sister had skirted that villainous line in their past. They weren't innocent.

Before anyone could reply they were interrupted by a young man about their age. Maybe a few years older. He looked Mediterranean and had olive-colored eyes. He introduced himself and asked if he could take their order. They ran through their food order and then got to the drinks.

"I'll right back with your drinks." He winked.

He was kind, but a bit flirtatious. The girls smiled at one another when he walked away.

"Seems nice." Hanna watched him disappear. "Wonder if he knows he's flirting with two LGBTQ women and three women in love with other men."

"Hanna, he's probably just trying to get a good tip." Spencer shook her head.

"Speak for yourself. Just because I'm off the market doesn't mean I'm not still hot." She shrugged.

"Just please be nice to him so no one spits in our food, okay?" Aria asked.

"Why would I be anything but nice?"

No one answered, but all the girls looked at one another and burst into laughter.

Ten minutes later Alison, Hanna, and Aria had their beverages in their hands. Emily and Spencer had opted not to drink.

"I would like to propose to a toast." Alison glanced over at the only other blonde at the table. "To Hanna and Caleb. You two went through this wildly emotional gauntlet…and here you are, on the other side of it. What you and Caleb have reminds me that true love will always prevail."

"Cheers." Aria agreed.

Seconds later all of their glasses were clinking and they were sipping their beverages, some alcoholic, some not.

"That was really sweet." Hanna admitted, trying to fight back tears.

A few minutes later they had their appetizers that Emily had ordered for the table. It had a little sample of everything from the appetizer menu, including vegetarian options for Aria.

As the evening wore on they got lost in conversation. As they talked about everything that didn't revolve around Charlotte they were reminded of how much they truly missed one another. For the moment, the severed ear and Tanner weren't on their minds.

After dinner they opted for a nice quiet celebration hanging out at the beach to stay out of the spotlight.

They had all agreed that no social media content was to be posted, but that didn't stop them from capturing the moments they were sharing with each other.

Spencer, Aria, and Alison were wandering the beach, exploring, looking for little hidden treasures carried to the shore. Aria was highlighting every artifact they were coming across. The tooth of a shark that had been weathered down by the elements, making it smooth.

"This had to have traveled hundreds of thousands of miles away. Doesn't belong to one of the native sharks here." Aria admired the tooth.

"And how exactly do you know it doesn't belong to one of the native sharks?" Alison asked in curiosity.

"Liam and I studied sharks on all coasts a while ago. He's fascinated with sea-life. If he wasn't a writer I think he'd be a marine biologist." Aria held the tooth up for Alison to see. "See here? Look at the way it's preserved. It has an acid-resistant coating on it. Most teeth like this fossilize. Some are from over 65 thousand years ago." She admired the small trinket in her palm. "It's amazing that they're preserved so well considering the elements. More than likely this one was either swallowed by the shark or got stuck in its prey."

"I didn't know shark teeth fell out that easily." Alison looked at the small sharp tooth curiously. "You think they'd all be toothless."

"They can grow teeth back in like two days." Aria dusted some sand off of the tooth.

There was a beat of silence. Then Spencer took the tooth from the smaller brunette to admire it.

"You are like a walking encyclopedia of random knowledge." Spencer smiled.

"Being a writer means a lot of research." Aria's eyes started scanning the sand again, searching for more things she could take back as a souvenir for Liam.

Too bad I can't sic a shark on my sister. But Alison didn't want to ruin the moment, so instead she said,

"That's really awesome, Aria."

Alison was impressed. She'd only been in Malibu a few months and she still only knew how to identify simple artifacts, seashells mostly.

She'd been looking for the perfect one to give Emily since they'd gotten there that evening.

Unbeknownst to her, Emily was looking for the exact same thing.

Emily noticed that Hanna was lingering behind, and she thought it might be a good time for them to talk to one another. It also gave her an opportunity to show Hanna her beach and why she loved it so much.

She watched the girls' silhouettes in the distance as she walked towards Hanna.

"Tired of treasure hunting already?" Hanna teased.

"I found the perfect treasure this summer." Emily looked into the distance.

"Oh…buried gold?" Hanna bumped into her shoulder playfully.

Emily was still focused on Spencer, Aria, and Alison.

"Well, she has golden hair if that counts." Emily smiled.

"God, you two are so sickenly sweet." Hanna shook her head. "It's weird. Don't get me wrong. I'm happy for you. But it's weird."

"Caleb literally trained your cat to help him propose to you." Emily grinned smugly. "If anyone is the mushy couple it's you two."

"I am drunk and therefore have no retort, but I will get you back for mocking my kings." Hanna's eyes narrowed, but then her lips curled into a languid smile.

"You have multiple kings?"

"The cat earned his crown by not losing the damn ring."

Emily chuckled.

"You're not drunk. I know Drunk-Hanna. Drunk-Hanna has never missed a quick-witted retort. You just don't want to admit that I'm right and that you loooove Caleb." Emily poked at the ring on her finger.

FaceTime had not done the jewelry justice in real life. It was stunning.

"Yeah, he did well." Hanna agreed. "Really well." She lifted her hand and admired the beautiful engagement ring. "He's been saving for years. He didn't say that. I just know."

"He's a good guy. I'm happy for you."

"Thanks." Hanna beamed, her face a bit flushed from the drinks she'd had earlier. "I'm happy for me, too."

Hanna turned towards the ocean, letting out a sigh. She lifted her phone and played with the settings before aiming and taking several pictures of the sunset.

"It never looks as beautiful as the real thing on camera, but at least we'll have the memories." Hanna shrugged and lowered her phone.

"The last time you were here I never really got to show you my little spot out here." Emily motioned for Hanna to follow her.

"I'm pretty sure you showed me every inch of this beach." Hanna trailed Emily's footprints in the sand.

"This spot is a little bit different." Emily smiled.

It's where she and Alison had made spontaneous love on the beach. It's where they'd looked at the stars and where they had slowly started connecting and forming a real bond.

It also had a good choice of seashells to choose from.

They went the opposite way the others had gone, but they weren't so far off that they weren't in sight.

Spencer was threatening to push Aria into the water.

"Find me some pearls!" Spencer bellowed a laugh.

Aria just laughed it off. Alison joined in. It was like a symphony of joy.

Emily watched them from afar. She could hear their laughter echoing in the air.

"I love that sound." Emily had a serene expression on her face.

"The ocean?" Hanna asked.

"Their laughter." Emily paused and peered at the motion of the water moving in the setting sun.

Emily was quiet as she continued to pad across the sand in her bare feet.

"Is this it?" Hanna glanced at the stars slowly coming out to say hello.

"This is it." Emily nodded.

She knew almost every inch of the beach, but when she stood in that very spot she felt like the beach knew her.

Hanna cocked her head, making a small frame with her fingers and peering out as if she was looking through a viewfinder. She moved around in a semi-circle, taking in the beach.

"It's nice." She lowered her hands. "What makes it so special?"

"Alison." Emily admitted. "This is our spot. When I first moved out here I would come to this spot on my breaks and watch the ocean. And sometimes at night I would come out here and lay down and look at the stars. Turns out Alison was doing the same thing in Rosewood. We were looking at the same stars. I can't explain it, but I could feel her."

"Undeniably destined." Hanna smiled.

"You have no idea." Emily chuckled.

"You totally boinked in this spot, didn't you?" Hanna snorted.

"Yes." Emily didn't deny it. Hanna would call her on her bullshit. "But it's more than that. This spot is where we both fell into each others' arms again. It's where we truly started to connect on so many levels. Sometimes we'll come out here and just watch the sun go down…watch the stars. It just feels…right. You know?"

"I do." Hanna glanced down at her ring. "And I know what you're thinking. That this is it. That this is the place to declare your undying love for her."

"Maybe." Emily tried to play it cool. "Eventually."

Hanna took a moment to soak it in. She looked around and then took in a deep breath.

"It's perfect." Hanna closed her eyes and listened to the waves. "It's so peaceful out here. I see why you two love it."

The sound of the waves gently lapping at the shore and then going back out to sea where they were called was a comfort. It was a reminder that no matter how often their world seemed to tip on its axis, some things were constant. Some things remained the same.

Hanna heard something shift and when she opened her eyes she saw that Emily was gently dragging her toes through the damp sand. At first Hanna thought she was just burying her feet, but then she saw the concentration on Emily's face. In the dusk of the twilight she could see Emily's eyes focused on something she couldn't see.

"What are you doing?" Hanna peered at her curiously.

Emily didn't answer at first. She leaned down and dug something out of the sand with her fingers. She dipped it into the water and washed it off. Then she stepped back.

She held up a medium-sized conch seashell. It was somewhat of a rare find. They were in high demand, and there weren't as many of them as there were smaller shells.

"That's cool." Hanna smiled. "Can you hear the ocean if you put it up to your ear?"

"I can hear the ocean right now." Emily grinned back at her.

"Smart-ass." Hanna rolled her eyes.

Emily traced the outline of the shell.

"All this time I thought I was looking for something flashy, but this one…" Emily turned the shell over in her hand. "It's what I've been looking for."

Hanna brushed her fingers over the top of the shell. Her fingertips ran through the grooves and bumps. Her eyes were on the shell as she slowly started to talk.

"You know, if you think about it…you and Alison have been together longer than any of us have been with our partners."

"How so?"

"You loved each other when you were fourteen. You were too scared to come out, and Alison was too scared of her own feelings to admit it. All these years we just assumed that she was nicer to you because she was manipulating you. But looking back it's easy to see what we all missed. She truly cared about you. She loved you. She trusted you." Hanna looked at her ring and then looked up at Emily. "Like that seashell, your relationship has weathered a lot. The shell is a bit worn, but it's also still really strong. A lot like you and Alison, it's guarded…it has a protective outer-shell. But deep inside it's intricate and fully connected. Like you two."

Emily put her arm around Hanna and pulled her in for a side hug.

"You're a really good friend." Emily smiled.

"Surprised at how philosophical I am?" Hanna looked proud of herself.

"No. Not at all. You've always had a way with words." Emily exhaled. "Usually they're sarcastic and blunt, but you've always been capable of this perspective."

Now it was Hanna's turn to smile.

"You're a good friend, too."

"Hanna! Emily!" Aria interrupted them.

They looked over and saw the girls approaching them.

"Save me. Spencer is trying to get me to dive for buried treasure." She laughed.

The girls closed the distance between them.

"She's the one who has been stopping at every grain of sand and talking about how important every minuscule piece of nature is to our ecosystem." Spencer had an innocent look on her face that she wasn't pulling off at all.

Emily and Alison smiled at each other.

"What did you find, Aria?" Emily asked in curiosity.

"Several shark teeth. Some fossilized. A couple of really cool shells. Just the norm." Aria pulled a few things out of her pockets to show off.

Alison couldn't stop looking at Emily. She looked like an eager little kid who was hiding a secret.

"I found three quarters and a couple of Canadian coins. And seaweed. My foot found seaweed. We didn't keep that." Spencer looked down and wiggled her toes in the sand.

"What have you got?" Alison peered at the shell in Emily's hand.

Emily and Hanna shared a look.

"It's for you." Emily held the shell out to her. "I've been trying so hard to find something perfect for you…" She didn't have to add the "in our spot" that she was thinking.

It was like a silent promise. It was theirs and only theirs. The entire beach existed for everyone, but there was a perfect little area where the stars seemed brighter, where the sand seemed warmer, and where the world seemed perfect.

Alison gently took the conch shell from her.

"These aren't easy to find." Alison admired it. "At least not one that looks this cool. Even though it looks a little older and has a few chips, it's still so unique and beautiful."

Like us. Emily thought to herself.

Alison pressed her tiptoes against the sand and pecked her lips.

"I got something for you, too." She looked over at Aria, who she'd given it to for safe-keeping.

It was so delicate she was afraid she might break it before getting it back to Emily. She had been searching the beach for the perfect seashell, but she had found something more fitting instead.

Aria very gently fished out a small flat object that without the absence of the sun looked like a stone of some kind.

"Aria says it's a rarity because it's so highly sought after." Alison carefully held the flat smooth material in her hand.

"Aria, you're a sea-life expert now?" Hanna asked.

"Liam has a passion for it. When we went to Brazil he was like a kid in a candy shop. It was honestly very sweet." Aria's cheeks turned pink.

"I almost stepped on it, but then I looked down at the last minute." Alison presented Emily with her gift.

She gently placed it in the brunette's soft palm.

Emily knew what it was simply by touch.

"You found a sand dollar?" Emily admired the soft, yet tough outer shell.

It had a sandy white appearance with a star-like shape on the top of it. There were small little slits that had once served for a live creature to be able to use them as pressure drainage channels.

"Aria told me the pressure chambers helped the sand dollars from being washed away in the waves. They're strong little fighters." Alison smiled. Just like us.

Emily's shell and Alison's sand dollar were perfect. Both protected by the external part of the conch shell and the persistence of the sand dollar to survive despite rough waters.

It was the perfect exchange, but they both knew it wasn't simply an exchange. It was an extension of their values as a couple.

Emily and Alison naturally gravitated towards each other. They murmured their quiet I love yous. It felt more intimate than gushing over each other.

Aria and Spencer were chatting with Hanna about everything they'd found, but they were interrupted by an alarm.

Everyone but Spencer jumped.

"Relax. I set a timer for us so we wouldn't be out building sandcastles all night." Spencer pulled her phone out and turned off the alarm.

"Oh, we still have time! Let's build a whole sand kingdom!" Aria's eyes lit up in delight.

"We need to be fresh in the morning. We need to be sharp enough to cut Linda Tanner…"

"You…you don't mean like literally, do you?" Hanna's brow furrowed. "I could get behind it, but I want to know what we're walking into first."

"No." Spencer loosened up with a laugh. "I meant we have to be sharp enough to cut her theories down."

"Lame. Throwing knives would be more fun." Hanna muttered.

"No talk like that tomorrow, okay?" Spencer asked.

"I make no promises."

"Hey, I just wanted to say one thing before we do this." Emily interrupted the back and forth. She had their full attention. "No matter what happens tomorrow." She looked at each of the girls' individually, "We've got this."

"Yeah." Alison nodded, a little more confident than she'd felt hours away. "Let's just try to get a good night's sleep and we'll meet with Jerica and then Tanner…and whatever poor rookie they threw her way to be her partner."

"Are we still good with sleeping arrangements?" Emily asked, glancing at Spencer. "We could definitely make something work if you and Aria want to be closer to us."

"I appreciate it, but I'm good. Aria?"

"Yeah. Same."

They hugged and took a few photos for their memories and then split up. Aria and Spencer went back to the hotel. Alison, Emily, and Hanna went back to the condo.

They offered the shower to Hanna first and she graciously accepted it. While she was showering off the sand and the booze Emily got the living room ready for her.

When Hanna emerged she looked surprised by the transformation even though all Emily had done was make up the couch with blankets and pillows and put some water out for her.

Emily went out of her way to play the hostess for Hanna. It reminded Alison of how Emily had been when she'd first moved in…without all the longing glances.

Alison disappeared into the bedroom to shower while Emily made sure that Hanna was settled.

"Okay, Pam Fields. I don't expect the Four Seasons treatment. I'm fine couch surfing."

They chatted until Emily heard the water cut off.

"You'll let me know if you need anything?" Emily asked.

"Yes."

"Help yourself to whatever you want. All my streaming services are already logged in. All you have to do if you want to watch something is turn the TV on."

"I'm fine." Hanna laughed. "Stop hovering and let me call my soon to be husband."

"It's nice to hear you say that." Emily smiled.

"What? Stop hovering?"

"No. Soon to be husband." She saw Hanna blush and open her mouth to respond, but she was so genuinely excited that she had nothing to say back.

It took her a minute to think of a reply.

"If you and Alison aren't engaged by the time I walk down the aisle I'm going to throw the bouquet directly at your head."

"Nice." Emily rolled her eyes with a laugh. "Subtle."

"Hand Grenade Hanna. That's what Spencer calls me."

There was a moment of silence and then Emily cleared her throat.

"Han, I know you already know this..." Emily reached up and scratched at the back of her neck awkwardly. "But if you hear screaming or crying from the bedroom..."

"Nightmares." Hanna nodded, a solemn look on her face.

Emily didn't have to say the words.

"Yeah."

There was a beat of silence.

"Or some really kinky sex." Hanna managed to smile. "Story of my life. One or the other. I get it."

"I know you do."

Before the Dollhouse Emily would have laughed, but she knew the reality of what Hanna was going through. The blonde used humor as a crutch. But her words were very real. She woke up screaming and crying in the middle of the night sometimes. She hated that Hanna had nightmares, too, but she was glad she had Caleb by her side to guide her through the ups and downs.

"Tell Caleb I said hi."

"Night, Em."

By the time Emily walked into the bedroom Alison was already ready for bed. She hadn't had a ton to drink, but she was buzzed enough that she was feeling a warm comfortable feeling washing over her. She was already in her PJs and she gave Emily a warm smile.

"Hanna finally kick you out of our living room?" Alison guessed.

"Maybe…"

"She'll be fine. Go shower. You need to relax." Alison pecked her lips.

Emily nodded, but she wasn't entirely sure about relaxing. She was starting to wish she had had a shot of something at dinner.

She felt a little less on edge after she finished showering. She pulled on an oversized T-shirt and joined Alison in bed.

Alison had her eyes closed, half-awake.

"I hate why they had to come, but I'm really glad the girls are here." She mumbled and opened her sleepy eyes.

"Go back to sleep." Emily kissed her forehead.

Alison rolled over with a smile and curled into Emily. Emily wrapped her up in her arms. Before she reached to turn the light off she noticed something new on the dresser.

Seashell and sand dollar side by side, like they'd always been there…like they'd always belonged there.

For some reason, it comforted her.

Her perfect little human seashell was snuggled close to her.

Despite everything wrong in the world, she felt right.

It was the last thing she thought about before she went to sleep.

When they woke in the morning it was rainy and dreary. Hanna had made a comment about how the drizzle and the fog rolling in from the beach was ironically perfect for the day that they were going toe-to-toe with their old nemesis.

When they got to the station, both Spencer and Jerica had told Hanna in no uncertain terms not to say a word unless directed to. Spencer was brash and to the point, but Jerica was softer with the request. They were a juxtaposition to one another outside the station, but everyone knew Jerica would turn into a shark once they were inside.

They were greeted by the front desk, then they were taken back to a small meeting room with just enough room for them and a few others.

To their surprise it wasn't Tanner who walked into the room with them first. It was a younger buff gentleman sporting a suit and tie. The buttons on his shirt were a little too tight, but he wasn't trying to showcase the muscles underneath them. His dark hair was combed neatly, but he had a bit of rugged scruff on his face. When he introduced himself as Linda Tanner's partner Marco Furey they all heard the tiniest hint of an accent in his voice. He seemed nice enough, but the girls weren't fooled.

"You must be the good cop to Linda Tanner's bad one." It wasn't Hanna who put her foot in her mouth, but Alison.

Spencer swatted her under the table, but Emily and Hanna looked at each other and snickered.

To their surprise, a soft smile washed across Furey's face and he chuckled.

"Not the first time I've heard that one." He put his hand against the back of his chair.

A few seconds later Linda Tanner walked in, head held high. She looked like she'd won a championship game and was preening to the crowd. She had several files in her hand that she put down on the table.

"Tanner, we were just talking about you." Furey still had a grin on his face.

"I'm sure you were." Tanner addressed her much younger counterpart.

He seemed amused by her annoyance. They glanced at one another and sat down.

"Girls." Tanner had a smug look her face, like she was expecting them to come crawling to her. "Thank you for coming in." She took a moment to study each of their faces. "I must admit that it's a surprise to see all of you here."

"We thought we'd save you the trip." Spencer replied bluntly. "This is our lawyer, Jerica Park-Lewis."

"Mrs. Park-Lewis. I'm familiar with your work." Tanner nodded slightly at the younger woman.

"I'm familiar with yours as well." She smiled back.

The girls had to hold back a laugh, because they knew exactly how she felt about Linda Tanner's work.

Not impressed.

Tanner cleared her throat,

"I appreciate the fact that you have come in from so far away, but there's no need for…"

"With all due respect, there is every need for me to be here." Jerica responded curtly.

"All right. It's your right to have an attorney present." Tanner glanced at the girls.

"Why don't we start with something simple?" Furey tried to play the mediator. "It must have been quite a shock for you two to open that box and find human remains."

His focus was on Alison and Emily. Emily shuddered at the thought of the ear sitting on the tissue paper. Alison was too angry to think about the ear. She was pissed that Charlotte was disrupting their lives again.

"It was horrible." Alison nodded.

She wanted to ask if they knew who the ear belonged to yet. They all did. But they didn't want to seem too eager or show their hand. That was something Jerica had coached them on.

"We were able to obtain an ID from the footage that we reviewed of the condo complex. The gift was from a local shop that focuses on arts and crafts, including specialized gift-wrapping. We took the liberty of contacting the store. It seems as if it's just a service they provide that delivers packages after they are gift-wrapped. This one was unique in the fact that the gift was already wrapped. There was simply a request for a bow and a small gift-tag to be added and sent to your condo. The person who paid for the services did so anonymously. Everything was paid for through a charity funding that received a cash donation to cover the costs. We have put in a request to speak to the foundation and the delivery driver."

"So, you don't have a name for us yet?" Jerica asked.

"I'm afraid not." Marco looked sincerely apologetic. "But we thought perhaps you might have an idea…"

He looked at Tanner, who eagerly jumped in.

"Alison, we understand that you've expressed some concerns about your sister the past few months." Tanner seemed restrained in her response, like she wanted to say more, but she wanted to read Alison's expression first.

Jerica and Alison shared a look. They'd discussed exactly what to say. The calls to Welby that she'd made pleading with them to verify that her sister wasn't being given access to technology were public record.

"About Charlotte? Yes, I have. I've gotten a few calls and texts that are unsolicited and quite frankly a bit unnerving. Given our past history I just wanted to make sure that it wasn't her."

"Charlotte isn't the only one in your past who would have reason to target you though, is she?" Tanner asked.

"That's irrelevant." Jerica quickly cut in.

"You're right. Let me rephrase that." Tanner placated the attorney, which seemed to piss Jerica off for some reason.

So smug. Emily thought as she stared at Tanner.

"Why is Charlotte the first person you thought of? Why not Mona Vanderwaal? I know you two have a sordid history. I also know that you made your fair share of enemies back in high school, as we all do…" She tried to save face and bring the conversation back full circle. "You are also a household name at this point because of your content online. The internet is a far-reaching place. I was hoping that perhaps you could give us some insight into why your first conclusion was someone thousands of miles away with no access to technology?"

"If you had a sister who tried to murder you, what would your first instinct be?" Emily coolly replied.

Aria's eyes widened. Hanna snickered. Emily thought Spencer might reprimand her, but when she looked over she saw that her friend's dark angry eyes were narrowed on Tanner in suspicion. Jerica didn't say anything either, so Emily assumed she hadn't crossed the line. But she knew she was going to have to be careful going forward.

"Of course we understand that concern." In jumped good-cop Marco Furey. "The trauma response is completely normal. I think what my partner here is trying to say is that we have to look at things from all possible angles. And we have to rule out people who might be unknown and local, as well as those who have raised red flags in your past specifically."

Alison and Emily both looked at their lawyer. It was something else they'd talked about.

"It's quite elaborate for someone who doesn't know them as intimately as Charlotte DiLaurentis." Jerica replied for them.

Aria shot her hand out underneath the table, not sure whose hand she was reaching for. She found Hanna's first.

Hanna squeezed the shorter girl's fingers, both of them trying to escape the Dollhouse images looming in their minds.

Aria, her entire identity being stripped away. The paralyzing fear and the helplessness she'd felt lying on that cold surgery table as a dark figure taunted her with a razor blade. Hanna, the immense embarrassment and shame she'd had every time she was forced to vomit lest the other girls be punished. It haunted them.

Spencer's hand was on Aria's knee a split second later. She managed to keep a poker face, but all she could think about was the fresh blood on her hands and the scalding hot water burning her skin as she screamed in pain.

"And Mona Vanderwaal?" Tanner asked.

Everyone flinched. Mona had gotten the worst of it in the Dollhouse, mainly because she'd been there for months before they were.

"Mona hasn't even been in the country." Hanna replied. As soon as she let it slip she knew she'd said too much. But she was able to save it with, "We keep in touch."

"You keep in touch with someone who used to torture you? Someone who hit you with a car?" Tanner looked at Hanna like she was crazy.

It pissed the other girls off.

Despite her history with Mona, Alison was the first one to jump to Hanna's defense.

"They were friends before everything happened." She stared directly into Tanner's eyes.

"And you stayed behind with your sister for three years after everything she did, correct?" Tanner was pleased that Alison had been baited directly into her trap.

"All of this is completely irrelevant. My client left Rosewood months ago. She was not on good terms with anyone in her family. She is not beholden to her sister in any way. Charlotte DiLaurentis is unstable and has a history of doling out threats similar to the ones they are receiving now." The shark in Jerica pounced, "And quite frankly, your tactics here are insulting and unprofessional."

"I can appreciate that. I apologize." Tanner tried to tame the wild beast she had awakened. "But you must understand that our history with this goes back years. I'm trying to get the full picture." She looked at Hanna. "You're certain that Miss Vanderwaal is out of town?"

"Yes." Hanna looked at the older woman with venom in her eyes.

"I see." For a moment everyone thought Tanner was going to let it go. But like Jerica, she was also a shark in the water…and she smelled blood. "You three are a long way away from home, aren't you?"

Now her focus had shifted to Hanna, Emily, and Aria.

"I requested we all convene." Jerica played it cool. "Spencer and I were in DC. I was celebrating Valentine's Day with my wife. Spencer suggested that Alison and Emily might want to talk to me and I elected to come out. They followed suit."

"Lucky you were able to do so on such short notice." When Tanner smiled it was like a Cheshire cat. Something was hidden beneath that smile and they all knew it.

"We're family," Spencer said without missing about.

Something about the way she said it, with conviction and finality, made Emily and Alison both feel a rush of warmth in their chests.

Family. Not just friends. Family.

"Hanna and I both have flexible schedules." Aria quietly added, hoping to help.

Whatever game Tanner was playing seemed to be subdued for the moment. Jerica was staring at her, daring her to take it further.

Tanner noticed. Instead of being rattled by the attorney, she seemed highly impressed.

"The calls and the texts that you mentioned…" Furey broke through the tension. "What exactly did they entail?"

"Hang-up calls. Random taunts." Alison replied.

"Keep it simple," Jerica had told them last night.

"Why didn't you come forward about these threats sooner?" Tanner questioned.

Emily looked at Jerica, who gave her a slight nod.

"We tried calling Rosewood Police Department about it, but they wrote us off." Emily tried not to lose her temper. "They always write us off." She looked at Tanner pointedly.

Spencer nudged her, trying to rein her in.

"Hmm, we'll have to have a chat with them about that." Marco scratched the scruff on his chin.

"Why Rosewood? If you live here in Malibu, why contact Rosewood?" Tanner asked.

"My clients tried to reach Alison's brother in Rosewood first. And when he was unresponsive they were concerned and called in a welfare check." The records were public, and Jerica knew Tanner already knew the truth. "Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but they didn't talk to her brother until recently. Given Alison's family history you must understand why she might be concerned with her brother's well-being. He remains in contact with their sister. They were simply trying to be thorough."

"You left Rosewood because of a feud with your brother and your sister, correct?" Tanner homed in on Alison.

Alison shrank in her chair, but she felt rage boiling in her stomach. She didn't respond.

"Is that why you think that your sister is targeting you?" Furey asked more directly.

Alison nodded.

"Yes. She's angry."

"Why?" Tanner asked.

Her statements about Charlotte would be on record at Welby and it was only a matter of time before Tanner and Furey had them, if they didn't already. Jerica had told them they didn't want to fall into a trap, so she encouraged them to be honest.

Alison looked at her friends. They already knew the truth.

"She wanted out of the mental health facility and I didn't think she was ready." She felt like Tanner was peeling open old wounds and she resented her for it.

Tanner and Furey seemed satisfied with her honesty.

"That's why you requested that Charlotte's room be searched multiple times." Tanner glanced at a file on the table.

"I was worried she was the one calling."

"That's a fair assessment." Furey nodded in understanding. "So…you have a fight with your family and get resettled here in California. The calls start, and you worry about who it is."

It seemed cut and dry, but the girls knew Tanner was trying to figure out how to spin it.

"The logistics are what we're trying to make sense of." Tanner interrupted her partner. "To pull something like this off would take coordination and communication that is…difficult to come by when one is monitored and in treatment for mental health care. It's not as if though Charlotte has a long list of visitors." Tanner leaned forward. "In fact, Sara Harvey was one of the most frequent visitors until she was put behind bars…rightfully so…" She faced Emily. "By you."

"What does that have to do with the threats my clients are receiving?" Jerica cut in harshly.

"Well, seeing as how she was the one witness we had that could have offered inside information on how Charlotte could possibly be doing the things she's been accused of doing…"

"She is doing this." Alison snapped.

Emily grabbed her hand to settle her. When Alison looked over she saw the brunette shaking her head.

"I'm not calling into doubt that it's a possibility." Tanner leaned back. "I'm simply stating that Sara Harvey's untimely death puts Charlotte at a disadvantage. I've seen the visitor log. Very few names on it. She's in the institution, and Sara was the only one available to her. No one else goes to see her…"

Caleb had expunged Emily's name from the list right after her visit.

"…with the exception of your brother."

"He wasn't even in town. He isn't part of this." Alison found her defense of Jason surprising.

"I'm not saying that he is. I'm simply saying that options are limited."

"She found a way to do it before. Is it so hard to believe she'd find a way to do it again?" Emily asked.

"Phone calls are monitored…"

"Did you think of searching for contraband?" Jerica frowned with a sneer.

Emily and Alison shot Spencer a look.

"She's good." Emily nodded.

Spencer smiled back, easily interpreted as,

"The best."

"Of course." Tanner responded patiently. "Nothing has come up in searches."

"And inside help?" Jerica asked.

"We're screening the people who work there."

"Until you have more than that to go on I must insist that you leave my clients out of it unless you have something else to say that they don't already know."

"There is one thing." She traced her fingertips along the edges of one of the files on the table. She flipped the file open, revealing several pictures stacked on top of each other. "I need confirmation that this is what was left on your condo's doorstep."

"They have already given their statement to the police. What are you playing at here?" Jerica asked.

"Because we put a rush on it, we have preliminary DNA results back on the severed ear and we have to be certain of the details surrounding its discovery."

Alison and Emily tried very hard not to let their concern slip. They were scared that Tanner was going to berate them for not calling the cops the second they opened the box. Instead they had waited until they talked to the girls. They hadn't exactly been forthcoming about that. Jerica said if the timing came up they could easily spin it as uncertainty of whether it was real or a prank, and that they weren't sure what to do.

But Tanner didn't mention timing. She simply slid the picture slowly across the table.

Aria looked away. Hanna was morbidly curious. Spencer angled her neck to try and get a better look.

"Alison, Emily, please confirm that this is what you found when you opened the box left outside your condo."

Emily took a breath. Alison felt everything she ate and drank last night threatening to come back up.

"Yeah." Emily glanced at the photo, her voice hoarse. "Yeah, that's what was inside the box."

Alison nodded in agreement.

Tanner pulled the photo back across the table.

"You know who it…that…" Alison wasn't sure how to phrase it. "You know where it's from?"

"I don't think you'll find it as a shock to learn that it belongs to someone you know." Tanner played it cool.

"What?" Spencer found herself asking intensely.

"If you had to guess, what would it be?" Tanner asked.

"We didn't…I…it's too horrible to think about." Emily shook her head, trying to erase the image from her mind.

It was far from the most disturbing thing she'd ever seen, but for some reason it made her agonizingly ill.

"You two were the last two people to have seen her before she was taken into custody." Tanner nodded between Alison and Emily.

Both of them immediately thought about the text they'd received.

"Sara didn't listen…"

They'd had their suspicions that it was Sara's ear, but getting the confirmation still came as a shock. It was too terrifying to think about, because if Charlotte had managed to arrange Sara's death while Sara was being monitored in prison...there was no limit to what she could do.

Emily didn't offer up the response that Tanner was looking for.

Neither did Alison.

"What we can tell you about the ear is that it was removed pre-mortem." Furey tried to keep a straight face. It was clear he had seen much worse. "You know what that means?"

Alison and Emily nodded.

"So, it was taken while the victim was still alive." Jerica stated. It wasn't a question. She knew it was a fact. "How is that possible?"

"Because the ear in question belongs to Sara Mandi Harvey." Tanner deliberately said her name slowly so she could watch the reality sink in on their faces. "It happened in the altercation in prison."

"If that's the case it sounds like the PD is in some serious hot water. Not only was an inmate killed while under their supervision. Someone was able to get away with it and smuggle human remains out." Jerica replied.

"Oh, indeed they are definitely feeling the heat." Tanner didn't disagree. "What we want to know is…how exactly did it land on the doorstep of two people 3000 miles away?"

"That seems like your job to figure out." Jerica wasn't going to allow Tanner to get away with harassing the girls.

"We're working on it." Furey replied. "But this would be a lot more productive if we knew everything."

"What are you insinuating?" Jerica turned her focus to the younger man.

He held his hands up apologetically in a show of peace.

"Nothing. No one is on trial here. We want answers as much as you do."

"We've already requested access to both of your phone records, so if there is something you know you might want to tell us now." Tanner added.

Alison bit her tongue. They'd been warned that would happen. She hadn't expected them to go for those records so quickly though.

"Can I have a moment with my clients?" Jerica asked before anyone could say anything else.

"Of course." Furey pushed his palms against the table and grabbed the files they had.

Tanner eyed the girls, but followed.

A few moments after they had left the room they reconvened about where to go now that the records had been officially requested.

"You mentioned that nothing of note was in those phone records, but I need to know specifically what they're going to find before we can continue this. I trust that you were honest with me last night, but I also know that in high stress situations things can easily fall by the wayside."

The girls all quietly looked at each other. There had been a few texts exchanged where they were just checking in on each other. Everything they'd said so far would back up their texts.

They had tried to get in contact with of Jason. Alison had been concerned about her sister potentially calling and texting her. They confided in Hanna and Caleb first. But nothing they talked about in their texts would point to anything odd or illegal.

Things were then muddled by the shocking death of Emily's father. They were hoping that Tanner didn't bring up the fact that Emily's father's grave had been vandalized. If they did, Emily was certain that Bud would be in their corner. So would Toby, though she was trying like hell to keep him out of it.

He didn't make it easy. He'd texted her right before they'd come into the station.

Offer to fly out there still stands. Getting ready to check in on my favorite moms. Text or call if you need anything.

Emily hadn't had a chance to respond yet.

Jerica was still reciting everything they had gone over.

After the grave incident they had gotten a threat on Thanksgiving, but nothing to prove it was from Charlotte. Then they finally were able to talk to Jason in person around Christmas. They found out that he'd been on a build out of the country. They were concerned they were being followed in Rosewood, so Emily had asked Toby to check up on Wren. After that they'd expressed some concerns about Wren and Sara, because Jason had been in contact with Sara...and Sara had been in contact with Charlotte.

Emily and Alison left out Emily's visit to Charlotte. There was no trail of it. Caleb had made sure of that.

New Years Eve they'd narrowly escaped the fire in the Poconos, but nothing they said was incriminating and nothing suggested anything other than fireworks being the culprit.

Then after New Years they'd had the altercation where they'd caught Sara trespassing on Emily's property. That's where her confession came in.

They hadn't said anything to Jerica about Sara mentioning Wren's name. They'd cut that out of the video. They were holding their cards close to their chest on that.

A few weeks later, the recording of Charlotte confessing to Jessica's murder had been sent in, but they hadn't put any of that in writing. And they'd kept their trail completely clean. Tanner had asked about it once, and Emily was surprised it hadn't come up again.

Shortly after that the text threats got a bit more aggressive. They followed up with Jason to check in on Charlotte, which would explain them wanting a list of her doctors if that came up.

Then they'd talked about the shockwaves that had gone through them all when the news about Sara Harvey being killed came out. Hanna, Aria, and Spencer had panicked and called and texted to make sure Emily and Alison were okay, given they were the people who had turned Sara in.

They told Jerica about the threat specifically mentioning Sara Harvey not listening.

That was where they were at now.

Jerica thought their options over, and she knew the best option was to get ahead of it. So they talked about the last text they'd received that was specific to Sara Harvey's ear.

After they'd finished strategizing they asked for Furey and Tanner to join them again.

Emily and Alison went through what they'd talked about, Jerica coaching them the entire way. Tanner and Furey listened, taking notes as they spoke. They didn't mention anything about Charlotte's confession or offer anything up about Wren. They were afraid if they did they'd be retaliated against.

As Furey recounted everything, Tanner quietly went over her notes.

"What exactly does that last message to you mean? What exactly are you supposed to listen to?" Tanner asked in sincere confusion.

"Charlotte wants out. We don't want her out. We think it's about that." Emily replied.

There was a pause in the conversation. Tanner pursed her lips.

"I think this runs far deeper than that."

"They told you everything they know. What else do you want from them?" Spencer snapped.

"Cooperation would be nice."

"We are cooperating." Alison was seething.

"Yes, you are." She didn't disagree. "But I don't think you've told us the full story. We need that in order to work this case. We need every little finite detail."

"We don't know anything else." Emily insisted.

They couldn't definitively say that Wren was involved because they didn't know for sure. They also couldn't accuse Charlotte's doctors of conspiring with her because they had no proof of that.

That left the girls in a stare-off with the woman who had twisted everything in their childhood into being their fault.

"We appreciate you coming in and speaking with us." Furey realized they were at a standstill.

He was smart. He didn't want to risk isolating them further. The girls and Jerica picked up on that. Tanner was all bristle and threats. He was the quiet kind of intelligent, being friendly and putting them at ease so they might slip up.

"We'll be in touch." Tanner reluctantly agreed with her partner.

They saw the girls out into the lobby. Tanner asked them to stay put if possible for the next few days. If they had to leave she said she would follow up with them in their hometowns.

None of them wanted it to follow them home, so they made arrangements for the next two days.

Jerica assured them that everything had gone exactly as expected, and while it had been an intense line of questioning, they didn't reveal anything the FBI didn't already know. They also managed to maintain their innocence.

But the hardest part was yet to come. They knew that being innocent and staying innocent was precarious. And anything could happen now that law enforcement was involved, especially since Linda Tanner was at the helm.

---

A/N: Seems as though the years have made the girls more savvy when it comes to dealing with law enforcement. Are the girls right to be worried? Does Tanner have something up her sleeve? Also, is Spencer acting a little shady about her sister...or is it just normal sibling rivalry?

I think my favorite thing about this chapter (aside from the anxiety-inducing meet with the FBI) is having everyone back together again. There's a little of something for everyone. Sparia. Spoby. Tobily. Hannily. Emison. And Alison has her own little bond with all of the girls. It was fun to have all the dynamics in one chapter! Plus, the attorney's jabs at Tanner made me happy.

Question going forward is...what evil thing is their tormentor plotting next?