5 Months Earlier
The night air hit Alison as she emerged from behind the heavy metal door and onto the sidewalk, refreshing her. After a quick scan of her surroundings, she let her eyes fall close and took a deep breath, taking the cold air deep into her lungs. It was a normal Saturday night, the place was packed, the DJ was doing a decent enough job, and though she hadn't set her sights on anyone in particular yet, it wasn't one of those nights where the men outnumbered the women three to one. There were plenty of women both on the dance floor and near the bar. Alison leaned against the exterior of the club. It was chilly enough that she could see her breath when she exhaled, but she wasn't cold. The warmth of alcohol ran through her, keeping her warm and helping relax her after an especially mundane week.
The beginnings of a shouting match unfolding near the club entrance caught Alison's ear. A slim brunette was going head to head with the bouncer, Leo. He was as tall as he was wide and towered over her, standing with his arms crossed and body blocking the woman from entering the club. Alison strained to hear the exact words being exchanged, she could hear the feisty and defiant voice coming from the brunette as she argued with Leo. Her friends stood close behind her, wearing expressions that ranged from cautious to desperate.
"This is so stupid. We've been in that line for an hour and now you're saying we can't get in?" The brunette fired off, getting in the bouncer's face as much as her height allowed.
"We're at capacity tonight, ladies. You'll have to party somewhere else," Leo replied loud and gruffly. "I won't say it again."
It didn't end there, Leo let the woman blister him and he was pulled further into the back and forth. Alison watched the two of them, amused by the fire the woman displayed. The brunette was unrelenting in her efforts to get herself and her friends inside the party, she was determined to get her way, and so the yelling continued. Alison looked the brunette over, the shimmering silver halter dress she wore made her stand out from all the other women still hanging around outside. It was short, so short that Alison was sure if the brunette made one wrong move, or the right one, everyone on the sidewalk would be able to see her cervix.
When Silver Dress started poking Leo in the chest, Alison turned to Noel who had followed her outside and was smoking a short distance away. With a nod, she made her intentions clear and Noel understood the unspoken request. He crushed what was left of his cigarette beneath his boot and headed toward the entrance with his shoulders up and hands shoved deep in his pockets, a habit Alison hated more than his smoking.
Noel inserted himself into the situation, leaning in to speak to Leo without anyone overhearing. The bouncer was reluctant at first, he had a job to do after all. More words were exchanged and Leo stepped away from the door, waving the group of girls inside. Alison laughed freely to herself when she saw the triumphant and almost smug smile the brunette shot at Leo before she slipped inside the party behind her friends.
The club really was at capacity, it was packed wall to wall but Alison managed to keep an eye on her newfound interest. She watched from her private section as the brunette and her friends danced and laughed together on the main floor. When a college frat boy looking type slid up behind her trying to dance, the brunette didn't immediately tell him to fuck off, instead she started chatting him up. Alison leaned over the railing, staring intently as the brunette's hand found its way to frat boy's bicep, holding it as she pretended to be interested in whatever he was talking about. He was grinning from ear to ear as he headed to the bar, returning to the group a few moments later with a round of shots. The brunette rubbed his shoulder like a dog who had just performed a trick.
Noel scoffed into his glass, "Fucking cuck, now look at him, standing there like a twit."
Alison chuckled to herself, the group of girls had turned inward, joking amongst themselves while frat boy was on the outskirts looking utterly confused before disappearing back into the crowd. Flowing red hair caught Alison's eye and she broke her gaze away from silver dress long enough to survey the rest of the dance floor. There were plenty of attractive women in the club, gay or straight didn't matter, all she had to do was turn on the charm and they would practically jump in her bed. Alison looked at her now empty glass, after a long week of being bored out of her mind, she wanted a challenge. Her eyes returned to the brunette who was dancing with one of her friends, a blonde. The two of them swayed together to the music, eyes closed and hands entwined above their heads.
"I can go down there and invite them up," Noel offered. "The short one is kinda cute," he added with interest.
Alison considered the idea for a second before shaking her head, "No, stay away from their little clique for now." It wasn't unusual for her to point out women to Noel, he was always up for playing the role of wingman. Most nights he would haul her top picks up to VIP along with someone for himself, but that wasn't what she wanted tonight. "I don't need you glued to my side either. Go on," she nodded toward the stairs.
Alison finished two more drinks and lost count of how many songs had played when the brunette she had been eyeing all night started maneuvering through the crowd toward the bar. Right behind her was frat boy, shoving his way aggressively through people to keep up. The brunette didn't notice he was following her, focused on getting to her destination. Before Alison could fully process what she was doing her feet started to move. As Alison got closer to the bar she became aware of a few things. The first, she was increasingly confident that she had made the right choice for the night. Silver dress had a stunning face framed by long wavy brown hair that fell almost to her waist. Her skin glowed and her legs looked like they went on and on.
Coming to a stop, Alison reached out and caught frat boy's wrist in a crushing grip before he was able to lay a hand on the brunette. He turned wild eyes onto her, his face reddened, but Alison maintained her grip, her eyes hardening. When his eyes darted back to the brunette, Alison yanked his arm by the wrist she held, demonstrating that she could snap it if she wanted to. He recoiled, cursing under his breath and stumbling backward. The confrontation was over in seconds, all while the oblivious brunette waited for her drink.
"You should be more aware of your surroundings," Alison could hear the annoyance in her own voice. Who goes to a club and splits up from their friends? Wasn't there some kind of girl code rule for that?
The bartender returned then with the brunette's drink, he made a joke that caused her to throw her head back in laughter, revealing pearly white, perfect teeth. Both the sight and the sound were breathtaking. Alison opened her mouth to speak again but the words got caught in her throat as the brunette turned chocolate brown eyes away from the bartender and onto her.
"Did I bump you or something?" She asked confused.
"Or something," Alison still wasn't sure where the fleeting feeling of annoyance had come from. "Be careful, this crowd can be rough," she warned.
The brunette shrugged, uncaring, "I can handle myself." She threw back her shot with ease and turned away, making eyes at the woman on the other side of her. "Buy me another one?" she whispered to the stranger.
Annoyance flared within Alison again but this time, she was able to pinpoint the source. As gorgeous as the woman in front of her was, her disregard for her own safety bristled Alison. She didn't seem to care about anything beyond her next drink.
"Your next one's on me," Alison said, cutting into the brunette's conversation.
Dark brown eyes were on her again in an instant, and Alison gave her a practiced and charming smile this time. The brunette's eyes lingered a little longer before she responded, "No thanks."
"No thanks?"
"No thanks," the words stung just as much the second time. Silver Dress turned away, continuing to chat up the stranger next to her while they waited on their next round.
Ouch. Leaning against the bar, Alison observed her surroundings out of habit. The brunette's friends were still engulfed in the dance floor with more than twenty feet separating them from the bar. The club was so crowded and chaotic that it ensured they couldn't see anything happening at the bar.
With the brunette facing away, Alison let her curiosity drive her. Expertly she used two fingers to delve into the woman's hanging clutch bag, retrieving a folded up $20 bill, emergency cash probably. Alongside the cash was a New York State ID, Emily Fields, twenty four years old, female, 5'8, brown eyes, born on November 19th. A scorpio, huh? Alison hummed with interest. She committed the address to memory, another habit, and slid the ID and the $20 back into the bag with the same ease she used to extract them. Her fingers brushed against something distinct inside the clutch, she smiled to herself knowingly. To Alison's amusement, Emily remained completely unaware. 'I can take care of myself', Alison laughed under her breath, yeah right.
Emily was still chatting up the woman next to her, the basic niceties in a clear effort to get another drink but the older woman had other plans.
"My apartment is a 10 minute walk from here, how about I buy us a bottle and we head back to mine?" the stranger propositioned.
"Sorry, can't, but thanks for the drinks," Emily said abruptly, redirecting her attention to the bar.
Feeling slighted, the woman huffed her irritation and headed back toward the dance floor. Alison, observing the entire exchange, chuckled, catching the brunette's eye. It's a fleeting moment, but Alison can see Emily's eyes scanning her features. She decides to try again.
"Husband or wife?" Alison asked keenly.
Emily tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, shifting her weight from one foot to another, "What?"
The nervous movements only fan Alison's curiosity, but she doesn't want to scare the brunette off, "Waiting for you at home, husband or wife?"
"I'm not married," The brunette said plainly, her gaze fixed on Alison. It would be convincing if Alison wasn't sure she'd felt a ring in her purse. Alison raises her brow, silently communicating her skepticism. The two of them remain locked in a stare until Emily breaks it, rolling her eyes, "I'm engaged…newly engaged," She admits.
Alison responded with a nod and a smile, her eyes probing Emily's as she ventured "And does your betrothed know that you like to slip off your ring, go to clubs, and charm your way into free drinks?" There's no judgment in Alison's tone, merely increasing curiosity. It's been a long time since she's met anyone remotely interesting.
The breath Emily takes is audible before responding, "She's out of town…the wedding is getting closer and I just…I just needed to get out of the house."
Alison's gaze turned contemplative, now she was judging, not Emily but the wits of a person who would leave their gorgeous new fiancée alone at home. With a subtle wave, she summoned the bartender, who promptly abandoned whatever he was doing to attend to her.
"I'm going to add you to my tab tonight, anything you or your friends want, Logan will be happy to get you," Alison says between them and Logan nods his understanding.
"I can't let you do that," Emily protested.
"Consider it an engagement present," Alison insisted, not willing to take no for an answer, not for a second time. Emily still looked hesitant, "You're already out, enjoy yourself, it could be your last night of freedom in a while."
Alison watches the weight of the realization settle on Emily. "Shit, you're right," Emily orders a bottle of Patron and asks for two shot glasses with salt and limes. "Drink with me?"
Alison glanced back to the dance floor, the brunette's friends would come looking for her eventually, and when they did Alison didn't want their time to be cut short. "Sure, but not down here," Alison directs Logan to have Emily's order sent up to her private section. Emily doesn't protest this time and when Alison turns to leave, Emily follows behind.
After a few shots, they're both more relaxed and comfortably seated in Alison's section. They've fallen into easy conversation with Alison absorbing every detail of information she gleaned from Emily. The brunette's smile is contagious and she laughs as she calls Alison out on her lazy and almost rude approach at the bar.
"You don't usually have to put in much effort do you?" Emily asked, pulling her legs up onto the black leather. "With those eyes, I bet the girls just do whatever you say," She pulls her bottom lip through her teeth and Alison watches intently.
Alison smiles slyly and can't help but lean in closer, "I guess I don't usually have to try too hard," she forces her eyes up from Emily's lips to chocolate brown orbs that are watching her closely, "but my charm doesn't seem to work on you."
Another laugh escaped Emily, but this time it carried a hint of sadness. She reached her hand to pour another shot, but Alison beat her to it, taking the bottle and expertly refilling both their glasses. Alison handed Emily her shot and a lime wedge. She watched as the brunette threw the shot back immediately.
"According to my fiancée, I'm bullheaded and hard to tame... I think she's starting to wish she'd picked someone else," Emily chuckled dryly, attempting to brush it off. "So maybe your charm does work on me, and I'm just giving you a hard time," she added with a nonchalant shrug.
What a fucking bitch, Alison masked the surge of anger coursing through her. This fiancée sounded more and more like an imbecile deserving of being buried under the foundation of a new home. Laid to rest forever in cement, never to surface again. The idea was tempting, it would be easy enough. Mentally, she conjured Emily's address, wondering whether they shared a home yet. When would the fiancée return to town? Could Alison intercept her on the way to work and...no, no. Alison vigorously shook off the thought.
"You could give me a hard time any day, we'd have fun," Alison declared honestly.
Unknowingly Alison had inched closer, now leaning into Emily's personal space. "I'm sure we would," Emily responded, a certainty in her voice. Just as Alison felt Emily leaning in, an alarm ruptured the moment. Emily jerked back, pulling her phone from her clutch to silence the noise. "Shit, I have to find my friends. I have to go."
Emily stood too quickly and wobbled on her feet, but Alison was already up, wrapping an arm around her to prevent a fall. "Are you going to be okay?" She held Emily closer than she needed to, enjoying the way the brunette was hanging on to her.
Before Alison could get an answer, a short brunette interjected, surprise in her voice. "Oh... Uh, the girls and I know you have to be back at a certain time, so I thought I'd come get you. Unless you've changed your mind?"
"No, I was just coming to find you. Let's go," Emily slipped out of Alison's hold and joined her friend. The two disappeared down the stairs, and Emily didn't even glance back. Her leaving stung more than it should have.
3 Months Earlier
Alison can't seem to get Emily out of her head, the silver dress wearing brunette has taken over her dreams. She's managed to resist the urge to drive by Emily's address, but she's dropping by the club more than usual, hoping to spot her. There's been no luck. Even Logan, the bartender from that night, says he hasn't seen her since. Did Emily tie the knot with that idiot fiancée of hers? Alison wonders more than she should. They talked, laughed, flirted, but, they were also hammered. Did it mean as much to Emily as it did to Alison?
"Alison will oversee the next shipment, we encountered a hiccup with local law enforcement. Rest assured, it'll be sorted." Alison's father cracked open a fresh bottle of whiskey in front of their guests, a silent assurance that it wasn't tampered with. The McCullers and DiLaurentis families were allies now but caution was warranted given their long history. "I hear congratulations are in order, Paige. Engaged, huh? Wonderful news,"
Alison's gaze snapped toward Paige, her usual disdain evident. "What sorry soul are you forcing into spending forever with you?"
"No one's being forced. It's what people do when they're in love, not that you would know," Paige retorted, prompting a swift interjection from their fathers.
"Alison, cut it out," Her father warned
"If it were up to you two, we'd still be at war. When will you drop this silly feud?" The head of the McCullers family lets out a hearty laugh.
"How are things going, Paige?" Alison's father asked, taking a long sip of whiskey and reclining in his chair. "Marriage is hard," he added.
Encouraged by a nod from her father, Paige answered honestly, "My fiancée is... a handful, but we're working through it. She's in the car actually,"
Alison chuckled at the admission, relishing in knowing that Paige's life still sucked, engaged or not. The revelation that Paige had left her fiancée in the car drew incredulous reactions from the table. "You left your soon to be wife in the car? We've been here for hours," Jason interjected, his first real contribution to the meeting, Alison noted.
Alison's father, equally surprised, spoke next. "Hopefully, it's not on our account. If you're comfortable with her being here, we'd love to meet her."
"Not today," Paige dismissed the idea. "But I'd love to have you all at the wedding."
"Your family is expanding, of course we'll be there. Thank you for the invitation," Alison's father graciously accepted.
Thankfully the conversation veered away from Paige's love life and into a discussion about a certain greedy NYPD officer demanding more money to continue looking the other way. The McCullers sought assurances from Alison that the situation was under control. She confidently reassured them both. Alison had been meticulously planning and was looking forward to blowing off some steam. The cop wouldn't live to see the morning, she'd already picked his final resting place.
Paige's Wedding Day
Alison swirled the liquid in her second glass of champagne, only half paying attention to Jason's ramblings about the truce with the McCullers. According to him, profits were soaring, police busts were down, and there were no casualties in turf wars. She couldn't help but roll her eyes, it made sense that Jason was reveling in this so called peace time, he hated getting his hands dirty. For Alison, the quiet was stifling, her days lacked the adrenaline rush that made her skin tingle. She was certain this alliance was temporary and would crumble. It had to or the boredom would be the death of her.
With Paige stepping into her family's leadership role, any hope of an alliance by thier fathers was laughable. The animosity between her and Paige ran too deep. The only reason they hadn't killed each other yet was because they enjoyed torturing each other too much, but that would eventually get old too and Alison looked forward to the day.
She snatched a third glass of champagne from a passing waiter and excused herself from her brother "I'm going to look around."
Wandering through the expansive McCullers home for the first time, Alison's ears perked up at a familiar laugh. Impossible, she followed the sound until it led her to a closed door. Then she heard it again, the laugh that had been the soundtrack of her days for months. Five months. Stepping back from the door, she descended the stairs and rushed outside.
Alison almost collided with a sign she had overlooked earlier when she and her family arrived.
Welcome to the Wedding of Paige McCullers and Emily Fields
We're so glad you're here
Emily, her Emily, was Paige's fiancée…Paige's Emily. The realization threw her into a spiral. It would be so easy, so quick, she could have Emily out of this house and back to hers before anyone noticed. Her thoughts were loud, demanding. This was why Jason had been chosen to lead the family over her whenever her Father decided to step down. It was a result of her impulsive decision making, a trait her father never let her forget. She pulled out her phone and dialed Noel.
"I need you at the McCullers house. Bring two cars, your brother, and Ben. Wear tuxes, and move quickly, our window of time is small."
"We'll be there in fifteen minutes," Noel replied.
... ...
Author's Note:
The beginning of an AU story I've been working on here and there for a while now. Be warned this one may get dark, Alison is pretty nuts and Emily is a bit on the wild side but I think it could be cute (fictionally of course). I'll leave it up to all of you whether or not you want more. Thanks for reading :)