Disclaimer: I own nothing related to PLL. I'm only borrowing the characters for a while.
Reminder: This story is AU as of Season 5, Episode 12. It is a sequel to my story "Ali's Nightmare Before Christmas", my AU version of the Season 5 Christmas episode, where I revealed that "A" was Ali's twin, Courtney. Therefore, please remember Cece is NOT related to Ali and Jason and she was not "A" in my story.
You may want to go back and reread that story and this story before you read these new chapters because it is VERY different from what happened on the show. And it's been a LONG TIME since I updated this story.
I can't remember if I ever mentioned my muse for the title of this fic but I took the title from the song Breathe Again by Sara Bareilles. The song gave me the idea for the fic—just change all the "he's" and "his" to "she's" and "her".
Enjoy! And if you are so inclined, please leave a review.
Breathe Again—Chapter 10
Spencer had barely hit the brakes in front of the ER when Emily shoved the car door open and threw herself out of it. Her feet collided with the concrete and tile as she rushed through the double doors.
"Alison Fields, where is she?" Emily demanded as she reached the check-in desk and slapped her hands down on the formica.
The nurse looked up at her with a startled expression. "Who?"
Hanna, Aria, and Spencer rushed up behind Emily as she exclaimed again. "Alison Fields. I need to see her."
"Did you just say Alison Fields?" Spencer asked with a look of confusion.
"Are you family?" The nurse asked.
"Yes, she is," Hanna replied, and Emily's eyes snapped to her friend. The blonde looked at her like, "Duh," before she spoke to the nurse again. "Now let her see Ali."
Emily wanted to hug Hanna, but she was too frazzled with worry at the moment to fully appreciate Hanna's perceived support.
"Emily."
Emily whirled around at the sound of her name and saw Regan rising from a chair on the other side of the waiting room. Alison's assistant strode toward the foursome, her face pinched with concern.
Emily quickly grabbed Regan's arms when she reached her.
"Regan, thank God. What happened? Where's Ali?"
Spencer herded the group to the right, away from the check-in desk, as Regan shook her head.
"I don't know anything. They took her in about forty-five minutes ago and I haven't heard anything since."
Hanna turned toward the nurse at the desk again.
"Someone needs to tell us what the hell is going on with Alison DiLaurentis… er…. Fields…. er… or whatever the hell her name is now," Hanna demanded.
"Unless you're family, I can't tell you anything."
"What happened?" Emily turned back to Regan and asked once more.
"She'd just started shooting when she froze. Her body stiffened, and she cried out as she jerked sideways. Her camera flung out of her hands and she just starting falling. Luckily, Jack was standing close to her and caught her before she hit the ground. He lowered her to the floor and her body was seizing, her eyes rolling back and she was drooling. She stopped breathing and that's when the set medic called 911."
"Oh, God," Emily whimpered as her vision went black. Hanna wrapped an arm around the brunette's waist from behind as Emily's legs gave out.
"Whoa," Aria gasped as she reached out to help catch Emily.
"Here, sit her down," Regan said as they led Emily to a chair.
"Is she alright?" The nurse behind the desk asked.
"No, she's not fucking alright," Hanna snarled. "She needs to know if her girlfriend is alive."
"Okay, that's enough, rage queen. Hanna, you need to calm down. Why don't you get Em some water from that cooler over there," Aria said as she led the blonde away.
"Has anything like this ever happened before?" Spencer asked as she kept her hand on Emily's shoulder.
Emily rocked back and forth, feeling the same intense fear as that night outside the church so long ago.
Regan shook her head. "Not since I've worked for her." Her phone pinged and she glanced down. "Jason and Cece are here."
The group turned just as Cece and Jason rushed through the doors.
"Regan," Jason strode over. "Any news?"
"No one will tell me anything."
Jason stepped up to the nurse. "I'm Alison Fields' brother and her health care proxy. I need to see her or the doctor treating her immediately."
The nurse looked up at him. "Do you have the power of attorney with you?"
"It should be on file in your system. Dr. Scotte is her neurologist."
As the nurse typed into the computer, Emily surged out of her chair and approached Jason. She grasped his arm, tugging him around to look at her.
"Jason, what's going on with Alison?"
"Emily, let me talk to the doctors. Then I'll tell you."
Cece took Emily's arm and pulled her to the side, where Regan and the girls were still standing.
"Em, let him handle this."
"Cece, I don't understand what's going on. Why does Ali have a neurologist? And why would she have a seizure?"
Cece's eyes slid toward the others and narrowed.
"Hey, I didn't hit her that hard last night," Hanna said as she held up her hands.
"Seriously, Hanna? Not the time," Aria scolded.
Cece glanced over at Jason as he was talking to the nurse, her eyes filled with worry, before her eyes returned to Emily.
"Em, I'm not saying anything in front of these bitches. I don't mean you, Regan," Cece added.
"Cece, don't be a bitch. We're all here because we're worried about Ali," Spencer insisted.
"Can you guys give me and Cece a minute?" Emily asked the others before leading the blonde to a corner of the waiting room.
"Cece, don't jerk me around on this, okay? What's going on with Ali?"
Cece shook her head. "You're gonna have to talk to Ali about this, Em."
Just as Emily was about to go off on the blonde, Jason approached them.
"What did the nurse say?" Cece asked.
"Do you know anything?" Emily asked at the same time.
"They're sending someone out to get me. Ali is apparently awake and the seizure has stopped. But I won't know any more until I talk to the doctor."
"Why are you Ali's healthcare proxy?" Emily asked as her eyes studied Jason's face. "Why does Ali need a healthcare proxy? Why does she need a neurologist? And don't give me the runaround like Cece." Emily jerked her head at the blonde.
A door opened beside them and a nurse stepped out. "Jason Drake?"
"That's me," he replied before he put his hand on Emily's arm. "Let me find out how she is, and then we can talk. Cece, give her the brief overview please."
"I'm not telling anyone anything," Cece refused. "It's Ali's choice."
"Cece, don't be a bitch about this. You know she won't want Emily worried," Jason snapped before turning and following the nurse.
Cece glared at her boyfriend as he disappeared through the door.
"Cece, please," Emily implored, because clearly demanding answers from her would get her nowhere.
The blonde sighed as she looked back at Emily and her eyes softened.
"Listen, Em, you'll have to wait for Ali or Jason to get the details, but that hit Courtney gave her really messed her up."
"Why didn't Ali tell me this? Is that why she was hospitalized after she came back from Paris?"
Anger flickered in Cece's eyes as she snarled. "How do you know about that?"
The blonde's sudden hostility made Emily pause before answering. "Spencer told me."
"Fucking figures. None of those bitches know how to keep their damn mouths shut."
"Cece, stop calling them that," Emily snapped. "Just tell me why Ali was hospitalized after Paris."
"Uh uh," Cece shook her head. "You're going to have to ask her, Americano."
"I'm asking you," Emily growled.
"And I'm telling you that you need to talk to Ali," Cece insisted. "It's not my story to tell, Emily. If she wanted you to know, she probably would have told you."
"I thought we were done with this crap, Cece," Emily snapped as the door beside them opened and Jason stepped out.
"Em, she wants to see you."
Emily hurried through the door without so much as a backward glance at Cece. She'd get her answers from Alison.
She walked through the ER, quickly checking every room, searching for her girlfriend. Jason caught up with her halfway down the hall and grabbed her elbow to stop her.
"She's down at the end. But they took her for an MRI. So just slow down and take a breath, okay? She's doing okay, Em."
Emily inhaled her first real breath since Regan had called her.
"Come on." Jason brought her to the last room on the left and gestured to the chair next to the empty bed.
"Here, take a sip of her water."
"I don't want water, Jason. I want to know what's going on."
"What did Cece tell you?"
"Not a fucking thing," Emily replied sharply, and then she let out a sigh. "I'm sorry, Jason."
Jason shook his head to let her know it was okay.
"Em, relax. She's gonna be fine," Jason said again. "But this isn't the first time it's happened."
"Is this why she ended up in the hospital after Paris?" Emily asked him the same question she'd asked Cece.
"Who told you about that? Was it Spencer?"
"Jesus, Jason," Emily replied, exasperated. "Yes. But only by mistake. I'm tired of being kept in the dark. Ali and I are together now, and that's not gonna change. I have a right to know if there's something wrong with her."
A heavy sigh escaped Jason's lips. "I should really let Ali tell you this. She should be the one to tell you. But she won't want to talk about it now and it will only get her upset."
"Jason, please. She's the love of my life," Emily implored, using the only thing she had at her disposal. Her love for Alison.
He regarded her silently for a moment. "I know she is. You're the love of her life, too."
Emily felt her eyes prick with tears. "Please, Jason," she asked again.
Jason sat on the edge of the empty bed. "What happened today has nothing to do with why she went to the hospital after Paris. But let's focus on today first. Okay?"
"Cece said Courtney's hit really messed her up."
"Yes. Courtney cracked her skull. And because of that hit and the one when she was fifteen, she has hippocampal sclerosis. It's neuron loss in the hippocampus, which is the memory center of the brain."
"I had no idea her head injury was so serious."
"It was. They discovered the lesion on an MRI and said it was from the blunt force trauma. We had to watch her for months for seizures, but nothing happened, so we thought she was in the clear. But she's been on anti-convulsive meds ever since as a precaution."
Emily nervously rubbed her thighs.
"How often does she have seizures? She hasn't had one since we got together."
"This is actually only the second one she's had."
"When was the first one?"
"After Paris.
Confusion crossed Emily's face. "I thought you said that wasn't why she was hospitalized?"
"It wasn't. It just happened when she was already in the hospital."
"What can they do about it? There has to be something they can do."
"They recommended a temporal lobe resection, but Ali refused."
Emily felt like her head was about to burst from information overload.
"Jesus. That sounds bad."
"It would remove the damaged tissue, effectively stopping the seizures and preventing additional tissue degeneration."
"So, why hasn't she had it removed?" Emily asked as she stood and paced beside the bed. She felt Jason's eyes follow her.
"Although it's a fairly common procedure, it's still risky."
"But if she doesn't have it removed, she'll keep having seizures, right?"
"Not necessarily. But she'll always be at risk of seizures if she has nothing done."
"So why wouldn't she have it removed?"
Emily sensed Jason's hesitation as he remained silent for a moment.
"Why won't she have it removed, Jason?"
"You," he finally replied.
Emily had to sit again because she was afraid she'd fall if she didn't.
"I don't understand."
"One of the risks of the surgery is memory loss. She refused to have it done because she didn't want to take the chance of losing any of her memories of you."
A wave of pain hit Emily in her gut, leaving her reeling. Jason put his hand on her shoulder.
"Em, she's okay. She's been okay all this time. She just needs some rest so she can recover. The seizure took a lot out of her. That's why I'm telling you this, so she doesn't have to."
Emily's eyes were filled with fear and worry for Alison as she looked up at him.
"Does she know you're telling me this?"
"No. But I'm sure she assumes I will. I didn't want you to come in here and start firing questions at her and get her all worked up."
Insulted, Emily's expression turned sour. "I wouldn't do anything to upset her, Jason."
"It doesn't take much to get my sister upset, Em. You know that."
Emily hesitated for a minute before she asked the question still burning on her tongue.
"Jason, why was Ali hospitalized two years ago? I won't bring it up to her right now, but I… I just need to know."
Emily's heart squeezed at Jason's pained expression. When he answered, Emily instantly regretted asking.
"She had a complete mental breakdown."
#########
As the glass door opened, Alison glanced up and Arturo, her radiology tech, wheeled her into her room.
Alison's face lit up when she spotted Emily in the corner chair, and she released the breath she had been unknowingly holding.
"Em," she breathed as she held out her hand.
Emily rose from her seat and clasped Alison's fingers in her own before she bent down and enveloped the blonde in a hug.
"Ali." Emily's breath brushed against Alison's shoulder as she let out a sigh of relief.
The blonde laughed softly as she wrapped her arms around her girl. "Baby, I'm fine."
"Let's get you back in bed," Arturo said, and Alison let go of Emily.
"Oh, sorry," Emily said as she stepped back, looking embarrassed, and Alison felt her heart throb in her chest. She loved when her mermaid blushed.
"You're interrupting me and my girl, Arturo." Alison scowled at the tall man as she looked back over her shoulder.
He chuckled as he wheeled the chair over to the bed. "You can hug your girl all you want once you're back in bed."
Emily stood aside as Arturo helped Alison back into bed. As soon as he stepped back, Emily moved the chair closer to the bed. Settling into her seat, she reached out and grasped Alison's hand, aching to touch her.
Alison slid her fingers between Emily's and she smiled as she introduced Arturo to her girl.
"Arturo, this is Em." Alison squeezed Emily's hand gently. "Em, this is Arturo. He's a pain in my ass."
Arturo barked out a laugh as he walked around the bed and hooked Alison back up to the machines, monitoring her vitals. "That's because you're a troublemaker." He smiled at Emily. "It's nice to meet you, Em. I've heard a lot about you in the last fifteen minutes."
"Hi," Emily said as she arched an eyebrow at Alison and the blonde shrugged.
Arturo pointed at Alison. "Now you stay in that bed. If I catch you out of it again, I'm sending Lucy in here."
"Now that's just plain mean. And here I thought we bonded."
Alison fluttered her eyelashes at him, and Emily just shook her head with a small smile.
"She's dangerous, that one," Arturo said to Emily with an affectionate smirk.
"You have no idea," Emily murmured, and Alison gaped over at her with a scowl. But it morphed into a smile as Emily softened her words by bringing Alison's hand to her lips.
"I hope I never see you again, Arturo," Alison snarked as he walked toward the glass door.
"Me too, Trouble," Arturo replied with a wink as he stepped out of the room.
########
As soon as Arturo stepped out, Emily rose from the chair and sat on the edge of the bed. She pulled Alison into her arms again, burying her face in Alison's neck as she released a shuddering breath.
Alison turned her face and buried her nose in Emily's hair as she wrapped her arms around Emily's waist.
"I'm sorry I scared you, baby."
Emily pulled back and looked at Alison, letting her eyes trace over the blonde's features. Although she appeared tired, Alison seemed fine, and Emily felt the knot in her chest loosen.
Alison reached up and brushed a couple of strands of Emily's hair behind her ear.
"I'm alright, Em. Regan shouldn't have called you. I-"
"What?" Emily gaped at Alison. "Yes, Ali, she damn well should have called me."
Alison frowned as she picked at the hospital gown she was wearing. "But she worried you for no reason. I'm fine."
Emily grasped Alison's hand again. "Ali, promise me Regan will have standing instructions to call me if something like this happens again."
"Em, it was a fluke."
"I don't care what it was. Or is. Promise me."
Alison rolled her eyes. "Fine," she agreed, letting out an exasperated sigh, but then her mood shifted and she nervously bit her lip. "Did Jason tell you what happened?"
"Yes," Emily nodded as she tucked the sheet around Alison's thighs. "But let's not talk about it now, love. We can talk about it later. Just focus on resting so we can get you home."
Emily saw the relief in Alison's eyes, and the brunette shifted and stood. But Alison grabbed her hand again.
"Where are you going?"
"I'm just going to sit on the chair."
"I like you better closer," Alison pouted.
Emily tugged the chair closer with her free hand and sat down. She lowered her head and rested her forehead on Alison's hand. Alison saw the tension in her girl's shoulders and just wanted to bring Emily close and comfort her. She hated to worry Emily, so she changed the subject.
"You were supposed to be talking to the girls this morning, right?"
Emily lifted her head. "I was with them when Regan called. They're in the waiting room."
Alison's lips curved upward, still trying to distract her girl. "I'm sure you heard I picked up a hitchhiker this morning."
Emily smiled sardonically. "Yes."
"We came to an understanding," Alison said as she shrugged.
"What kind of understanding?"
"While Hanna may not like that we're together, I plan to spend the rest of my life with you, so she'll just have to accept it."
Emily brought Alison's hand to her lips, softly brushing them against her palm.
"But," Alison sighed softly at the feel of her girlfriend's lips. "If I ever break your heart again, she has my full permission and expectation to squeeze the life out of me with her bare hands."
Emily jerked her head up. "Ali, that's…."
"Don't worry, Em," Alison said, smiling gently. Her eyes softened as she continued. "She's never gonna get the chance because I will never break your heart again. It's the most precious thing in my life."
"You're the most precious thing in my life," Emily whispered before she surged forward to capture Alison's lips in a soft kiss.
Alison let out a surprised gasp that quickly turned into a purr, but it turned into a purr, but the nurse interrupted them as she came into the room.
With an audible growl, Alison shot a glare at the woman, who appeared just slightly older than she and Emily.
"Sorry to interrupt, but I heard you didn't take your carbamazepine this morning."
She held up a pill in one hand and a cup of water in the other. Alison took it and swallowed the pill down quickly.
"When can I get out of here?"
"If your MRI results come back clear, Dr. Scotte wants you to remain under observation for at least a few more hours."
"How many is a few?"
"Plan to have lunch here."
Alison scowled. "Where is she? Can I talk to her?"
The nurse checked the IV bag on the stand by the bed. "She's not here. Dr. Lowe consulted with her and that's what she said wants you to do. She also wants to see you for a follow up in two weeks."
"I'll be on a three-week work trip in two weeks. So she better set it up before then. Or it will have to be after."
"I'll let the nurse in charge of her appointments know."
Emily was quiet as she listened to Alison and the nurse talk. She had so many questions about Alison's condition, but she heeded Jason's words to wait. She wouldn't risk upsetting Alison.
"That's just fucking great," Alison scoffed. "How many visitors can I have in this room while I'm being held prisoner?"
The nurse seemed unfazed by Alison's attitude. "One at a time. I told you that already. Now, try to get some rest. Ring if you need me."
Alison glared after the nurse was she left.
"Was that Lucy?"
"No. Lucy is the mean one. That was Taylor. I liked her at first, but now not so much."
Alison glanced at the clock on the wall and sighed. "You should really go talk to the girls, Em. You only have a few hours before you have to be at work."
Emily sat back in the chair. "Ali, I'm not leaving you."
"But you have to work at two."
"I'm not going to work. I have to call Pierre, but he'll understand."
"Em, I'm fine, "Alison insisted. "You don't need to call out to work. Regan will stay with me and take me home when they finally release me."
"I am not leaving you, Ali," Emily said sternly.
Alison sighed. Her girl was so stubborn sometimes. She didn't want to Emily to leave either, but it was stupid for her to just sit around the ER.
"Did you have a chance to talk to the girls before Regan called?"
"No. Hanna had just gotten back from her joyride with the hottie teamster."
Alison snorted. "I knew having Jay drive her back would have that reaction."
"She talked nonstop about him on the drive here," Emily said with a smirk.
"Seriously, Em, I'm not telling you what to do, but I think you should go talk to them. They don't have to like me, but they love you. And they came all the way here to see you."
"And they can wait. Although I should at least let them know you're okay," Emily said as she glanced at the door.
"I'm sure Jason told them." Alison squeezed Emily's hand again. "But, baby, I really need to speak to Regan for a few minutes, anyway. She must have all my stuff and I need to reach out to the client about the shit show today turned into. See how quickly we can reschedule the shoot."
"Ali, that should be the last thing on your mind."
"Your protective instincts are so fucking sexy," Alison purred. Every minute that passed, she felt more like herself. She reached over and ran her fingers through Emily's hair. The brunette sighed softly and closed her eyes momentarily before she opened them again and Alison dropped her hand at the resolve she saw there.
"Then you know I'm not leaving you for work or anything else. I'm taking you home and putting you to bed." Alison's lips curved up seductively, and Emily chuckled. "And before you get any ideas, you're going to bed to rest. Not defile me."
Now Alison pouted. "You're no fun."
"I love you, Ali," Emily said just because she couldn't hold it back. Her emotions were too raw.
"I love you too, Em," Alison sighed softly before shaking her head. "Wait a minute, didn't you say Pierre was up in Napa today? Who's going to do the desserts if you don't go in?"
Emily cringed as Alison reminded her of her boss's trip up north. "Damn it! I forgot about that."
Alison sat up straighter. It was time she put her foot down.
"Em, this is ridiculous. You need to go to work. I promise you, I'll be fine."
Emily opened her mouth, but the look Alison shot her shut her up.
"No, Em. Go talk to the girls and then go to work and I'll see you at home later. I promise, if anything happens or changes or if I even stub my toe, I'll have Regan call you. Okay?"
Emily rubbed the back of her neck in frustration. "Shit. I can't believe I forgot Pierre was out of town."
"Well, the last twelve hours have been pretty dramatic," Alison said as she made a funny face to lighten the mood.
Emily shot her a look that clearly said, "don't even go there," before she asked, "Are you sure, Ali? I really don't want to leave you."
"And I don't want you to leave," Ali assured her. "But I'm making you. I'll see you at home tonight."
Feeling torn, Emily reluctantly nodded and got up.
"Good," Alison grinned as she tugged Emily's hand and pulled her closer. "Now kiss me until I'm breathless, then get out of my sight."
Emily snorted, but she did exactly as her girl commanded.
#########
Emily walked out of the ER doors and found Hanna, Spencer, and Aria sitting on the two benches beside the door.
"Em!" Hanna stood, as she caught sight of Emily.
"How's Ali?" Aria asked as she stood.
"Jason didn't say much, just that she's awake," Spencer said as she rose and turned to face Emily.
"She's okay," Emily replied. "They're keeping her for observation for a few hours, but she should be able to go home this afternoon."
"Oh, thank God," Aria said.
"How are you doing?" Spencer asked.
Emily brushed her fingers through her hair tiredly.
"I'm okay. Thanks for waiting."
"Of course we'd fucking wait," Hanna said as she eyed Emily with worry.
Emily wanted to avoid any more drama with her friends. After the last couple of hours, she felt drained and the last thing the brunette wanted to do was rehash her hurt over something that happened over two years ago.
"Look, I appreciate you stayed. But my brain is on overload right now. I know I said we'd talk today, but I just don't want to fight with you anymore."
Emily's gaze shifted towards Hanna.
"Hanna, the agreement between you and Ali is your own business. And I appreciate all of you didn't want to hurt me. But you did. But I'm tired of being angry with you."
An ambulance came screeching to a stop beside them.
"Look, Em, you could probably use a break. If it's going to be a while before Ali is ready, why don't we go grab a coffee at Starbucks?" Spencer suggested as she eyed the ambulance warily.
Emily nodded. "Yeah. Alright. Regan's taking her home later, anyway, because I have to work at two."
As the girls walked to the car, Emily started talking again.
"Look, we don't need to rehash what happened. I need more time to fully forgive you, but I still love you all and I'll get there."
Hanna stopped and yanked Emily into a fierce hug.
"Hanna, I can't breathe," Emily gasped.
The blonde released her and stepped back, looking both worried and relieved.
Emily looked pointedly at her friends and continued, "But you're all going to have to accept Ali in my life. She's the love of my life," Emily reiterated what she told Jason. "You know this. She always has been. And that will never change."
Hanna still looked worried. "She just hurt you so bad, Em."
"Hanna, yes, she hurt me," Emily emphasized. "And therefore, it's my choice to forgive her for it. Not yours."
Emily started walking again, and the other three followed.
"I just don't know if I can ever trust her again," Hanna said honestly.
"Hanna, are you the same person you were six years ago?"
"Hell no!"
"Neither am I." Emily looked over at Spencer and Aria as they reached the car. "Neither are the two of you. We've all grown and changed. Why is it we can change, but Ali isn't capable of it? It's not fair to think she hasn't changed too."
"You've only been together a couple of months, Em, "Spencer said sounding a bit unsure. "How can you be sure she won't hurt you again? How do you know she won't change her mind?"
"Yeah," Hanna agreed. "How do you know for sure she won't tear your heart out again?"
Emily released an exhausted sigh. "There are no guarantees in life, Han. Today just proves that. But I know this to the depths of my soul. I know Ali's not perfect and I'm not blind to her faults, despite what you guys think. But I trust her with my heart and my life."
Emily could still tell they were unsure, so she just opened the car door and got in the back. The others followed, Aria beside her, Hanna in the passenger seat and Spencer behind the wheel.
"You keep saying that she's changed, Em," Aria said as she met Emily's eyes. "So, who is Alison these days?"
Emily's eyes swept over her friends and she knew exactly what to do. She just hoped Alison wouldn't murder her in her sleep for it.
"You want to know the person Ali is now? Let me show you."
########
Emily opened the front door to Alison's condo and stepped into the living room. It was dark, all the lights off, except the sconces on either side of the fireplace. Alison always left them on for her, so Emily never entered a completely dark house.
The brunette locked the door before switching off the lights. It was almost eleven, much later than she wanted to get home, but the restaurant was a mad house tonight with several large parties rolling in fifteen minutes before closing. It was after ten-thirty by the time she finished cleaning up and changed her clothes.
The condo was silent. Pepe didn't even come trotting down the stairs the way he often would if he and Ali were already upstairs when she got home. He and Ali must be asleep.
Emily couldn't stop thinking about Ali the whole night. She called the blonde while she was on her break and Ali had just stepped out of the shower. She assured Emily she was fine. Cece and Jason brought her home and ordered takeout for dinner. Then she and Pepe took a quick stroll to the dog park after dinner.
Emily walked up the stairs and entered the bedroom. Alison was lying on the bed with Pepe sprawled over her legs. She was asleep with her glasses perched on the end of her nose and her book resting on her chest.
Emily couldn't help but smile at how peaceful and beautiful Alison looked.
She'd been surprised the first time she saw Alison in reading glasses. Of course, the blonde looked beautiful in them. In fact, Emily thought she was downright sexy in them, but Alison only wore them at home. She wore contacts otherwise.
Emily closed the bedroom door and tiptoed across the carpet. She didn't want to disturb Alison, but she was desperate for a shower.
Once inside the bathroom, Emily pinned her hair up, turned on the shower and dropped her clothes on the floor. She brushed her teeth before stepping under the stream of water. She loved the shower in Alison's bathroom. With two rain shower heads and wall jets, the water hit everywhere. She sighed and leaned her head on the tile, letting the water wash off the day.
After leaving the hospital, she took Aria, Spencer and Hanna to Fields House. She wanted to give them a glimpse of who Alison had done. They had such a skewed vision of the blonde. Emily didn't think she needed to justify her love for Alison, but it bothered her they had such a negative opinion of her girlfriend.
As she hoped, they were all impressed by what Alison had accomplished with Fields House, even Hanna. By the time they took Emily back to the condo to walk Pepe before work, Hanna's negative feelings towards Alison seemed to fade. The three of them were leaving on a redeye flight the next night and asked if they could see Emily and Alison again before they left. Emily wasn't sure if it was a good idea after what happened, but she said she'd talk with her girlfriend.
Just as Emily felt her muscles relax, the shower door behind her opened. She looked up from the tile and saw Alison stepping into the shower. The blonde had pulled her hair up into a messy knot, and the sight of her smile soothed Emily's still partially frazzled nerves.
"Why didn't you wake me?" Alison asked as she stepped into the water and wrapped her arms around Emily's waist from behind.
"You should be resting, Ali," Emily replied as she felt both Alison's lips and breasts brush against her back.
"I told you I'm fine, Em. I had a little headache earlier, but it's gone now." Alison pressed her naked body against Emily and purred. "I missed you."
Emily turned in her arms and reached up to cup Alison's face in her hands.
"I missed you too, love," Emily murmured against Alison's lips as she took them in a soft kiss.
Alison's head fell back and she eagerly opened her mouth for her girl, moaning softly as their kiss deepened.
The kiss wiped Alison's mind clean of everything but Emily, and she pressed closer as the brunette guided them under the rain shower. Alison pulled her lips away and sputtered out a laugh.
"Em, I washed my hair earlier. I don't want to get it wet again."
"Oops," Emily said as she spun them again, letting her own body block the stream of water.
"That's okay, baby. How was work?" Alison asked, still chuckling.
Emily groaned softly as she reached for the body wash. "It was a madhouse Three big parties came in at 9:15."
Alison grabbed the loofa off the hook and held it out so Emily could squirt body wash into it.
"I cleaned up early so I could leave quickly but, of course, they all wanted custom desserts."
"That's because your desserts are to die for." Alison grinned as she washed Emily, gliding the soapy loofa over her breasts and arms.
"Mmm, that feels so good," Emily sighed, tilting her head back and relishing Alison's soapy massage.
"Arms up," Alison said, and Emily did as she was told.
It was quiet in the small room for a couple of minutes as Alison turned Emily around and gave her back the same treatment. The room was quiet except for the sound of water and the women's soft sighs.
Alison turned her around again and handed the loofa to Emily. She got her hands soapy and sensually explored Emily's abdomen before sliding her fingers lower and focusing on the warm, wet flesh between Emily's thighs.
"Behave, Ali," Emily arched her brow at the blonde, who just looked up at her impishly.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Alison purred with a mischievous smile.
"The innocent act doesn't work for you," Emily murmured as she grabbed the loofa and returned the favor, gliding it over Alison's body.
"Sure it does. And I already showered, Em," Alison fluttered her eyes playfully, but removed her fingers and let her girl wash her.
Alison loved feeling Emily's hands on her, and they kissed and touched each other for a little longer. When they were both sufficiently clean, Emily turned off the water. Alison swung the shower door open and Pepe let out a yelp as it hit him.
"Pepe, baby, why do you lay there when I shower?" Alison scolded the dog gently as she reached for two towels, handing one to Emily. "He's been stuck to me like glue since I got home."
"Pets can sense when their owners aren't feeling well," Emily said while she and Alison dried each other off.
"Yeah, he always knows when something's off with me."
"He loves you," Emily said simply because it was just that simple. For both Pepe and Emily, loving Alison was easy.
Alison wrapped her towel around her body and stepped out of the shower to find Pepe now lounging on the tile floor in front of the shower rug.
"Come on, baby," she said to the dog. "Let's go out back so you can pee before bed."
"I can take him out," Emily said as she stepped out of the shower.
"I've got him," Alison said, letting her hair down and shaking it out. The ends were just slightly damp.
"You dry off and I'll see you in bed," the blonde said with a sultry purr before sauntering out of the bathroom, with Pepe on her heels.
Ten minutes later, Emily shut off the bathroom light and stepped into the bedroom again. Alison was back in bed, snuggled up under the covers, and obviously naked. Pepe was lounging at the foot of the bed, resting on her feet.
Emily walked over to the dresser, but Alison's voice stopped her. "Don't bother putting anything on. I'm just going to take it off you."
"No sex tonight, Ali," Emily said as she slid her panties up her legs.
"And why the hell not?" Alison snapped as she glared at Emily.
Emily slipped into some comfy pajama shorts and a tank top, grabbed her lotion, and made her way to the bed.
"Because you had a seizure today. You need to rest."
"Em, you know I hate it being coddled," Alison complained, scowling.
Emily sat on the edge of the bed and began rubbing lotion on her arms and legs.
"I'm not coddling you, Ali. You should just take a night to rest."
Alison pushed herself up and crossed her arms. "So, what exactly did Jason tell you about what happened today?"
Emily glanced at Alison over her shoulder. "Didn't he tell you?"
Alison raised her eyebrow. "I'm asking you."
Emily turned and propped her leg on the bed, facing Alison.
"He said Courtney hit you so hard it caused a lesion on your brain."
During the ride back to Santa Monica, Emily used her phone to research hippocampal sclerosis. She liked nothing she read about it. It was a condition of severe neuronal cell loss in the hippocampus, which could be brought on as the result of head trauma. It was often drug resistant and caused grand mal seizures. It was also a progressively degenerative disease.
"He said that's what triggered your seizure today and one you had two years ago."
Alison exhaled a quick breath as she dropped her arms and rested her hands on her lap.
"Why aren't you yelling at me for not telling you?"
Emily reached up and brushed Alison's hair behind her ear because she just needed to touch her. "I don't make it a habit of yelling at you, Ali."
Alison's expression changed to a frown. "But I kept this from you."
"Did you?"
"I didn't tell you about it."
"You're right," Emily agreed as she reached for Alison's hand, stroking her thumb on the back. "But has the topic of our health come up at all since we've been together?"
"No."
"Did you purposely hide this from me, or did it just not come up?
Alison narrowed her eyes at her girl and pulled her hand away. "You're being awfully understanding about this. I kinda expected you to accuse me of keeping secrets again."
"Did you deliberately keep this from me, Ali?" Emily asked again.
Alison gave a noncommittal shrug, but knew she needed to be honest. They agreed to always be honest from now on, so she wouldn't break her promise.
"I don't know. Maybe. I didn't really want to bring it up. But honestly, I'm surprised you didn't just see my anti-seizure pills in my medicine cabinet. I didn't hide them, Em."
"I don't go through your stuff."
Alison reached for Emily's hand again and slid her fingers through her girl's.
"That's what makes you a better person than me. I would totally go through yours if I could bear to step foot in your apartment again," Alison admitted with no remorse.
Emily rolled her eyes. "Ali, it's just an apartment."
"But you live there with her. You slept there with her." Alison crossed her arms again defensively, refusing to say Mari's name.
"Ali, it's not like you haven't had anyone in your bed here."
"But that's different."
With an arched brow, Emily asked in a tone of surprise. "How is it different?"
"Before you, I've had exactly three people in this bed and they were all one-night stands, as long as you don't include Cece because she's crashed here a bunch of times over the years. But you shared your bed with a woman you loved, Em. I've never done that before you. And I can't bear to see it. I just can't."
Emily did a double take as Alison's words registered.
"Alright, we'll get back to Cece in a second, but Ali, you hear how ridiculous that sounds, right?"
"It's not ridiculous," Alison interrupted with a scowl. "I've never loved anyone but you, Em. I just haven't. And I don't hold it against you that you loved her. I honestly don't. I hate it, but it's part of who you are and I love every part of you." She shrugged as she looked away. "But I just don't want to ever see where you were with her again."
"Sweetheart," Emily said, gently turning Alison's face towards her.
Before Emily could finish her sentence, Alison blurted out, "I know we haven't been together for very long and you want to take it slow, but I really wish you'd just move in here with me."
"Okay."
Alison's eyes shot up to meet Emily's gaze. "Uh… what?"
Emily's lips curved into a smile. "I said okay. It doesn't make sense for me to pay for an apartment I'm never in. And it doesn't matter that we've only been together for a short time, Ali. I plan to spend the rest of my life with you, so what's the point of waiting?"
Alison's eyes widened, and she hurled herself across the mattress, fusing her lips with Emily's. The brunette toppled backward and barely kept herself from falling off the bed as Alison pinned her down.
Pepe barked in protest and jumped off the bed as Alison straddled Emily before tearing her lips away and pressing kisses all over Emily's face.
"I'm gonna make you so happy, Emily Fields. I promise," Alison breathed between kisses.
Emily gripped Alison's ass and dug her fingers into the soft globes as the blonde kissed her again. Emily let out a soft groan at the feel of Alison's naked body on top of her.
"Did you really mean it when you said no sex tonight?" Alison asked between kisses.
"Yes," Emily replied as she pulled away from Alison's lips, even as the blonde's writhing was tempting Emily to break her no-sex rule.
Alison threw herself to the side dramatically, landing on the mattress beside the brunette. Emily chuckled at her dramatics.
"Sometimes you can be really cruel, Emily Fields," Alison groaned. "I'm not an invalid, you know."
Emily rolled over and propped herself up on her elbow, resting her chin in her hand. She reached out and touched Alison's stomach with her other hand.
"I know you're not. I'm just trying to take care of you."
"I can think of at least a half a dozen things you could do to take care of me," Alison pouted, but her lips quickly lifted into a sultry smirk. "But it would require you to be naked, too."
"How about, instead, you elaborate on what you said earlier about Cece?" Emily diverted the conversation by changing the subject.
Alison shot Emily a sour glance. "How about I don't? That just kinda slipped out by mistake."
Emily just looked at her.
"What?" The blonde snapped and rolled over to face her girl, even though she was tempted to pull away.
"Ali?" Emily said her name as she gripped Alison's hip. "No more secrets or lies, remember?"
"What do you want me to say, Em?"
"How about you tell me about Cece and the other people you had in this bed were?"
"Do you really want to have this conversation while we're in this bed?"
"Ali, neither one of us was celibate while we were apart."
"So why can't we just leave it at that? You just agreed to move in with me, Em. I want to revel in that, not rehash the three other people I had here. In fact, right now all I wanna do is light this bed on fire."
Emily's lips twitched at Alison's theatrics, but she didn't break her gaze.
"Fine," Alison growled. "I'll tell you, but you damn well better put out when I'm done. If I can talk about this, I can fuck you."
"Deal." Emily's agreement caught Alison off guard, but her surprise quickly turned into a sultry smile.
"Mmmm… I hope you don't regret this, mermaid."
"So, you and Cece hooked up?" Emily asked. The idea of Alison and Cece together was unsettling, but the brunette couldn't deny her curiosity. "I thought you said she was like a sister to you?"
"She is. There's never been anything with me and Cece, Em." Alison held Emily's gaze so the brunette had no doubt of her words. "I mean, we hooked up twice the summer before I disappeared. I was confused about my feelings for you and she told me it was okay to have feelings for another girl. She said it was like a rite of passage for girls to get crushes on their friends. So, she encouraged me to experiment with her."
"Okay," Emily said slowly. "And you were with her again here?"
Emily's calm reaction to the news about Cece surprised Alison, but it was about time they had this conversation. Alison disliked keeping it from Emily and it was bound to come out someday because Cece had a big fucking mouth.
"It only happened once. After I got back from Paris. I was devastated and a complete mess. I was spiraling. Jason and Cece were in this back-and-forth drama of fighting or fucking. They'd gotten into a huge fight and Cece and I went out drinking. We both got so wasted and can't even remember what happened, but it was pretty clear the next morning."
Alison watched the myriad of emotions cross Emily's face and she felt her palms start sweating.
"Does Jason know about it?"
Alison nodded. "Cece told him after they got back together."
"What did he say?"
"I think he was pissed and a little creeped out," Alison said with a shrug. "But like me, one thing Jason has learned to do is try to leave the past in the past." Alison bit her lip nervously. "Are you upset with me?"
Emily softly caressed Alison's cheek and spoke after a minute. "No, Ali."
The blonde let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. "Is it going to be weird for you to be around Cece now?"
"Maybe for a little while."
Alison's lips turned down in a frown. "There has never been anything like that between Cece and me. It was just a total blackout, drunken mistake. And it will never happen again, Em. I promise."
"Hey," Emily cupped her cheek. "I believe you, Ali."
Alison let out a sigh of relief and pressed her forehead to Emily's cheek. "Can we please be done with this nightmare of a conversation?"
The whole Cece thing was a bit mind-boggling, and Emily wasn't sure how she'd feel the next time she saw Alison's friend. But she believed Alison. And she trusted her.
"Not yet, love," Emily replied as she caressed Alison's side. "So, who else did you bring in here?"
"Your curiosity is really fucking morbid, Em," Alison scowled. "I have no desire to know who else you were with. Knowing about her is more than enough."
"You're the one who started it by bringing up Cece. So? Who else?"
"Jack and my ex-assistant, Annie. There! Are you fucking happy now?" Alison snapped.
"You slept with one of your assistants?" Emily asked, ignoring Alison's outburst.
"A couple of them. But Annie is the only one who spent a night here. And it was just one night."
"And the Jack you're talking about is the guy you work with? The one who calls me Sophia Loren?"
"Yeah, but it was no big deal," Alison said dismissively as she flopped onto her back again. "Can we please stop talking about this because I'm ready to throw myself out the window?"
"But you still work with him?" Emily asked.
Alison turned her head to look at her girl. "Did you seriously ignore me when I threatened to jump out the window?"
"If I thought you'd really do it; I would've acknowledged it."
Alison snorted and teasingly ran her fingers over Emily's thigh.
"He's one of the best gaffers in the business."
"Hmmm," Emily murmured as she also flopped onto her back.
"You can't possibly be jealous of him," Alison snorted again.
Emily just hummed to herself again. Alison's lips curved, and she pushed to her knees before straddling Emily's legs. Emily gripped Alison's hips as Alison leaned down and buried her face in the crook of Emily's neck. The blonde brushed her lips up to her girl's ear.
"Baby, you have nothing to be jealous about," Alison purred as Emily's body shuddered softly beneath her.
Emily gripped Alison tighter, and she turned her head to bury her face in the long strands of Alison's hair.
"But he's seen you naked," Emily growled quietly, and the low tone made Alison tremble as she felt the vibrations travel down her body and create a tingling sensation between her thighs.
Alison pressed soft kisses over Emily's cheek until she reached her lips. She slid her hands into Emily's hair as her lips brushed softly against Emily's.
"No one but you," Alison breathed before kissing the brunette soft and deep.
Emily moaned Alison's name as the blonde's tongue slipped between her lips. Alison tightened her fingers in Emily's hair and tugged the long strands gently. Every time she kissed the brunette, she wanted to devour her whole. Emily's taste was like heaven on her tongue, and Alison knew she wanted to kiss the brunette for the rest of her life.
"Enough talking," Alison ordered, kissing her way down Emily's body, pushing up the bottom of her tank top.
"Ali, wait," Emily pleaded breathlessly as the blonde's tongue swirled slowly around her belly button.
Alison let out a frustrated growl and raised her head. "Oh, for fuck's sake, Em. I can't believe you're obsessing over this when I'm going down on you."
The blonde sat back on her heels and looked at Emily, seeing the questions still in her eyes, and realized she wasn't going to get her mouth on her girl until they finished this.
Alison sighed. "Neither one of us was celibate while we were apart, Em. Isn't that what you just said? Can't we just leave it at that?"
"I don't see the girls I was intimate with anymore, Ali. You see Cece all the time. You see Jack all the time. You see Holbrook all the time."
Alison gaped at Emily's words.
"Whoa, whoa, wait a sec. I never slept with Gabe, Em. I was never really involved with him. All of that was an act to trick Courtney."
Emily pushed herself up with her elbows. "Then why did he transfer to the LAPD?"
Alison made a face. "Not for me. I hadn't seen him since Rosewood. I never knew he transferred to LA until I got brought into the police station one day. I was being booked and he walked out of an office and recognized me."
"Why were you being booked?"
"I had a disagreement with a cop over a speeding ticket."
"A disagreement?" Emily arched her brow and Alison scoffed.
"Do you really find that all that surprising, considering how well you know me?"
Alison circled her hips, grinding down on Emily, teasing and trying to distract her girl. She saw Emily's eyes cross and Alison grinned with triumph.
"So he's never tried to pursue you?" Emily barely got the question out.
"I didn't say that, but nothing ever happened between us. And it doesn't matter who I've been with, Em. Just like it doesn't matter who you were with before." Alison's eyes softened as she lifted Emily's hands to her breasts. "I can't believe how distracted you are, especially when I'm naked on top of you."
Emily's eyes darkened and her fingers flexed around Alison's soft flesh.
"Mmmm… that's more like it,' Alison purred. "The past doesn't matter anymore, baby. All that matters is that we're together now." Alison's eyes narrowed playfully. "Now shut the fuck up or I'm gonna gag you."
Emily laughed and nodded with a little smile. The look of love in her eyes took Alison's breath away, and she lowered herself onto the brunette again.
"Only you," Alison said again as she brushed her lips over Emily's throat.
Emily sighed and arched her back in response, pressing her breasts against Alison's.
"No one else, ever," Alison breathed against the shell of Emily's ear before biting down gently.
Emily shuddered and hiked her leg over the back of Alison's thigh. She turned her face and took Alison's lips in a kiss that conveyed the depth of her feelings. Alison settled on top of her mermaid, mewling and purring against Emily's lips.
Emily's hand slid down Alison's back and gripped her ass again. With the blonde sufficiently distracted, Emily used her foot to push and roll them both over so she was on top. Who was on top was an ongoing battle between them because they were both so dominant. Alison was usually the winner, but Emily was determined to not let her win tonight.
The brunette pushed Alison's thighs apart, settling herself in between, before she reluctantly pulled her lips away.
"I'm on top tonight, Alison," Emily whispered, holding Alison's hands above her head.
"Yes," Alison breathed, shuddering as she felt those words settle low and deep between in her belly. Emily rarely used her full first name, and it was usually when she was in trouble. But there were those even rarer times when her girl used it when she wanted to take control.
Alison's body quivered with anticipation as she willingly and eagerly relinquished control, surrendering every part of herself to the woman she loved.
It was always in those moments, when there was no room for hesitation or insecurity, that Alison knew with absolute certainty that she and Emily were made to be together.
Thanks again for reading and please leave a reply if you enjoyed it. Reviews make my heart happy.