TWs for Death, Guns, and other Mob behavior

Alison initially envisioned taking Emily home to her newly renovated and furnished four bedroom and two bathroom loft in the East Village. She knew Emily would love how the sun drenched the entire space in the mornings, and during the evenings everything felt illuminated under the night's sky. It was on the freeway that Alison realized it wasn't feasible to take Emily there, at least not immediately. She racked her brain and finally thought of a place she hadn't been in years but it would be the best option on such short notice. It was a well kept secret, ensuring both the McCullers and her own family didn't know about it.

Adrenaline still rushed through Alison's veins, and every image of Paige in distress or frantically searching for Emily that filtered through her mind gave Alison a new wave of satisfaction. Glancing over her shoulder to the backseat, Alison watched Ben wince and nurse several scratches on his face. She couldn't help but smirk as she shifted her gaze between him and the petite brunette responsible.

Emily had used Ben as a punching bag for about twenty miles until her arms and legs became too tired. She'd kicked, scratched, and punched him until she couldn't anymore. Then she turned to screaming, alternating between hurling insults and names at Ben, and promising Alison and Eric that Paige would kill them when she rescued her. Alison both admired and found amusement in the faith and loyalty Emily showed, but the fact that it was directed toward Paige McCullers made her burn up with envy. An emotion she'd never felt toward Paige before and would never admit, she would cut out her own tongue first.

Eventually, Emily's screaming stopped too and she fell quiet. Alison had caught a few secret glances at Emily during the drive. Her legs were pulled up to her chest and she drowned in Ben's suit jacket that laid on top of her like a blanket. She looked exhausted but determined to keep herself awake and alert.

"None of us are going to hurt you. You can close your eyes," Alison tried to reassure her.

Emily cut said brown eyes to Alison then with renewed fierceness but she said nothing.

"Are you thirsty? You did a lot of...talking," Alison asked, causing Eric to snicker in the driver's seat next to her. Alison glared at him and he quickly shut up. She took her time studying Emily's hardened features. Even angry, Emily was still beautiful, and her resolve made her even more so. "You think if you don't talk, don't show how scared you are, that I can't enjoy this, and somehow you're not contributing to Paige's suffering. Is that it?"

Still met with silence, Alison assumed she was right. "You're smart, wrong but smart." Alison chose not to delve into where Emily was mistaken. She had to see for herself that Alison didn't take any pleasure in seeing her hurt or scared. It bugged her that Emily had gone on the defensive, but Alison reminded herself that she had taken Emily from what should have been a safe place, bound her, gagged her, and threw her in a box where she couldn't see, hear, or breathe. It wasn't the best second first impression.

"If it makes you feel any better, today isn't going exactly how I'd planned either." Alison wished they were alone. She wanted to explain that when she arrived at the McCullers estate, she didn't know Emily would be there. She hoped she'd have a chance to make Emily understand, that Emily would give her that chance.

"20 minutes out," Eric announced.

Alison heard her phone beep with a new notification. Glancing at it, she read a text from her brother, Jason.

McCullers just kicked everyone out. Nick personally apologized to Dad for the inconvenience. You would have loved it. Where did you go?

The McCullers and their obsession with appearances, Alison mused. What if Emily had been taken by someone dangerous? She could've been hurt, and Paige and her father were more concerned about optics. Pathetic.

What are people saying? Alison texted back.

"Fuck," Eric muttered.

Alison's head shot up, looking behind them in the car's rearview mirror. Behind them was an unmistakable white cruiser with yellow and blue stripes and state trooper decals. Cops. Just her luck, Alison thought as the atmosphere in the car tightened, lights and sirens started in bursts. Alison looked back at Emily just as the brunette realized what was happening. Emily yelled and screamed even louder than before.

"Keep her quiet, Ben!" Alison ordered.

"What am I doing, boss?" Eric sought out direction.

"Don't pull over here. Take this turn, and keep going until we're someplace secluded. Then stop," Alison directed, her eyes flicking between the approaching police car in the rearview mirror, and Emily fighting against Ben's hold in the backseat.

She dialed Noel on the car phone, "What's going on back there?" he answered.

"We're being pulled over. Take the first opening you can, and circle back. Stay a few cars behind the cops. If you lose sight of us, call," Alison instructed Noel, her voice urgent but also level. She hung up after hearing Noel confirm his understanding.

"New Jersey State Police, pull your vehicle to the side of the road," came from the cruiser behind them.

This was bad. Alison's brain ran through possibilities and outcomes. The best was the cops being called away to something more urgent but she wasn't holding her breath for that. Taking Emily across the state line was risky, more time on the road could lead to potential complications. Cops in New Jersey were lazy compared to their counterparts in New York who were always eager to play the hero. This was the worst possible time for them to cross paths with some overzealous boys in blue. She watched as the cruiser continued tailing the SUV even after Eric executed the turn she specified.

With a swift motion, Alison kicked a hidden compartment near her foot. It popped open, revealing the small semiautomatic inside. Her fingers gripped the cool metal but she kept it pointed low and out of sight.

"Driver, you are being signaled to stop. Pull over now."

"Can we put her back in the box?" Ben used one hand to cover Emily's mouth and the other to keep her arms at her sides.

"Not enough time," Alison replied, her eyes darting out the window. "Stop here," she instructed Eric.

Eric did as he was told, they were just outside a residential area, near a warehouse and loading depot. It wasn't the ideal location, but it was better than stopping in front of a line of houses.

"Turn your engine off," the officer gave instructions over the loudspeaker.

After looking to Alison for confirmation, Eric complied, cutting the engine.

"Drop your keys out of the window," came the next instruction. Alison nodded again, signaling for Eric to follow through with the officer's demand.

When the keys hit the ground, Alison listened keenly to the distinct sounds of cruiser doors swinging open and duty boots hitting the pavement. Her line of sight wasn't great but Alison was well versed in police protocol, and the pair of officers had been following it to the letter until that moment. They're slipup made Alison's heart pump faster.

Approaching with cautious strides, one of the officers positioned himself beside the driver's side of the SUV. The dark tinted windows hid the interior, making it impossible for him to see anything, and was likely the reason why they were being stopped. At the same time, his partner positioned himself at the rear of the SUV on Alison's side, just outside of her view.

Wait for it. The officer on Eric's side tapped the driver's window with his nightstick. Wait for it, Alison relied on her instincts. Just as the officer pulled his nightstick back and leaned down, trying to get a clearer view inside, Ben yelped in pain, and Emily unleashed a scream. The officer couldn't pull his ugly mug from the window quick enough, and Alison shot two rounds through the window and into his face.

"She bit me," Ben whined.

"Woo!," Eric yelled. Like Alison and his brother, Eric lived for this part, the messy part. Having Alison's gun three inches away from his face while she blew a cop's head off was a thrill. Normally she would've enjoyed it too, but it was hard with Emily in the car.

"Cover her!" Alison shouted over the chaos. Ben swiftly moved into position, using his body to protect Emily. The second cop, thrown into panic at seeing his partner's body hit the ground had started firing shots blindly into the car.

Alison forcefully swung open her door, knowing it would be a matter of who was faster. As her heels hit the asphalt, another shot pierced the air, followed by the distinct sound of a reload and another shot. It wasn't a service pistol, it was loud and thunderous like a shotgun. Alison, holding her weapon high, advanced toward the back of the car.

"You two are having all the fun today," Eric remarked with a playful grin to his brother as he joined Alison at the rear of the SUV.

Satisfied that neither of the officers would be getting back up, Alison lowered her gun. Turning on her heels she yanked open the back door on Emily's side. "You okay?" She addressed the shaken brunette. Emily said nothing but shot her a furious look.

A small splatter of blood on Emily's neck and a dark, wet spot on Ben's jacket that was still currently draped over her caught Alison's attention. Panic surged within her, "Answer me!" Alison shouted, fingers moving to push the jacket from Emily's shoulders, eyes scanning every inch of her form for signs of injury.

"She's fine... it's me," Ben groaned, drawing Alison's gaze toward him. He was clutching his arm and gritting his teeth in pain.

Alison looked back to Emily, her eyes scanning the brunette once more. "You're not hurt? You didn't get cut by any glass or anything?" she asked. Emily remained unresponsive and instead, quietly began pulling Ben's jacket back over herself. Alison started to speak again but realized she didn't know what to say. Sorry for yelling, came to mind. Emily's eyes didn't show fear or panic anymore. It was just this cold, judgy look that reminded Alison of Paige.

The rear door of the SUV opened to reveal Noel and Eric hoisting the body of the officer Alison shot into the trunk. "Stop bleeding all over her. Get out and help them clean this mess up," Alison told Ben, who was still nursing his arm. Emily kept her gaze fixed past Alison seemingly blocking out what was happening around her. "I'm going to move you to the other car. The sidewalk is covered in glass. Don't do anything stupid," Alison explained to Emily, and with one arm wrapped around Emily's back and the other supporting her legs, Alison lifted the brunette into her arms. She carried Emily the short distance, placing her in the backseat of the SUV Noel was driving and clicking her seatbelt. Alison lightly tugged at the belt, pretending to check that it was secure. With a sly smirk, she whispered, "Looks like you're still stuck with me." Emily swatted her hand away and rolled her eyes. It wasn't words but it was something, she'd get Emily to see her, really see her, eventually.

Alison closed the door, as much as she wanted to focus on Emily, there were two dead cops, one of their SUVs had been turned into swiss cheese and one of her men had been shot. She took a deep breath looking over the shit show that had unfolded. She saw Noel jump out of the police cruiser.

"Dashcam?" She called out.

"Broken," He answered as he returned to the group. "One less thing to worry about."

"Were you hit or grazed?" Alison looked at Ben who had ripped the sleeve off his button up and wrapped it around the wound.

"Just grazed."

"Good because you and Eric are going to make all this disappear, and fast. I want both cars and the bodies burned and crushed, find the nearest junkyard and get it done. Pay whoever owns the place to mind their business. If that's not enough, tell them Alison DiLaurentis will owe them a favor." Alison gave instructions to the two men. Ben had come to work for her two years ago, he was still pretty green but he had potential. Eric had been with her for five years and before that, he worked for her father.

"The cruiser has GPS tracking and they called in the stop to their precinct. Won't be long before the whole station is looking for them and the SUV," Noel pointed out.

Alison let her head fall back against her shoulders and she took another deep breath. The SUVs weren't registered to her or her family, tracing them would be a dead end for the police. But riding around in a car that was almost identical to the one the cops would be looking for was going to be an issue.

"One problem at a time, Noel, you're driving. I'll ride in the back with Emily. Stick to the back roads, we can't get pulled over again." Alison handed her gun to Noel, who tucked it in his waistband, and without waiting for any response, she headed back to the SUV.

… …

The sun was setting when Noel navigated them into a quiet New Jersey suburb. It hadn't changed much since Alison's last visit. Rows and rows of houses with neatly manicured lawns, flower filled gardens, and lush oak trees lining the sidewalks passed them by. Most people would describe it as a slice of paradise tucked away from bustling city life, but it was too still, and too calm for Alison's taste. She preferred to be in the middle of things, where something was always happening. The sleepy township was the perfect hideout, no one would think to look for her there.

Emily craned her neck to look out the window at the change in scenery, no doubt taking in the unfamiliar surroundings. Did she hate suburbia as much as Alison did? Did she like it? Was she mapping out a plan to get away? Alison wanted to ask but Emily had stayed determinedly silent for the remainder of their drive and Alison doubted she would break that silence now. Alison resigned herself to just watching the brunette while her mind shifted to other matters. She started a mental list of things they needed, a new car, clothes, and food were at the top of it.

The GPS announced their arrival as Noel steered the car into a cul de sac, coming to a stop in front of a modest blue and white two story house. Alison wasted no time in hopping out of the car, scanning her surroundings as she approached the garage. She punched in the security code, and the garage door rumbled open. They needed to keep the SUV out of sight, it stood out too much against their current scenery and the police would be looking for a very similar vehicle soon.

Noel maneuvered the car into the garage and cut the engine as Alison searched her key ring for the set she needed, it had been a long time but she knew she still had them. Sounds of a struggle followed by a hard strike interrupted her. Alison rounded the car to see Noel reaching inside the backseat, struggling to get a hold of Emily whose legs kicked wildly at him.

"You little bitch," Noel hissed.

Alison shoved her keys into Noel's chest, pushing him away from the car. "Figure out which one opens that door!"

"She kicked me in the face," Noel grumbled.

"The door, go open it," Alison chided. "You going to kick me too?" Leaning into the car, Alison found Emily huddled against the opposite door. Alison could see Emily thinking about it, and she saw the exact moment Emily made her decision. A swift kick was aimed at Alison's face, but Alison was quicker. She caught Emily's leg and used it to yank her across the backseat. "Don't take so long thinking about it next time, just do it."

The ribbon that held Emily's hair back had long been lost. Between her scuffling with Ben and the shooting, her loose waves had become frizzy and wild. Up this close Alison could see the glitter in Emily's eyeshadow had scattered across her face, her mascara was smudged and lipstick was faded. Even with red rimmed eyes and tear stained cheeks Emily was beautiful, but there was more to her than that and Alison wanted to know everything.

A loud click and the sound of Noel's shoulder pushing in the door made Alison break her stare. She released Emily's leg, "Come on, I want to give you a tour." Alison took a step back giving the brunette room to get out on her own. When Emily didn't move Alison had to think of a motivator, because ripping Emily out of the car and dragging her into the house wouldn't win her any points. "I could carry you again if you-" Alison's offer was cut off by a sharp huff from Emily and a look that unmistakably said, 'fuck you'. Alison laughed it off, following Emily and Noel into the house.

Once inside, Alison took the lead, flipping on light switches that brightened the dark house. It was exactly as Alison remembered it. She started their tour in the living room and kitchen. Emily was putting as much distance between them as she could but with Noel behind her, she could only go so far. She kept her arms crossed tight to her chest but she looked around as Alison pointed things out.

"I'm not much of a chef, but Noel learned in prison." Alison motioned around the kitchen area, "Do you like to cook?" awkwardness colored her voice and Noel furrowed his brows at it causing Alison to clear her throat. Fuck him, this wasn't easy.

Emily's lips pulled into a tight line and she glared at Noel. Alison held back a groan of frustration, she wanted to hear Emily's voice, her laugh. "Don't look so skeptical, he's pretty good," Alison joked, moving on to the glass double doors that led outside.

"Stop," Alison called to Noel as they stepped outside, "Stay back." She ordered quietly.

Shimmering water caught Alison's attention, drawing her further away from the house. She searched the backyard to ensure they were still alone. Satisfied that they were, she signaled to Noel that it was ok to bring Emily out. The pool was the closest to anything Emily had gotten so far and Alison stared at her as the brunette stared into the water. The pool should've been empty and covered, instead, it was filled with clean sparkling water that smelled lightly of chlorine. Emily didn't say anything, but there was a flicker of something in her eyes.

Back inside, Alison showed Emily around the upstairs, ending up in the guest bedroom where Emily would be staying. "I don't want to lock you up in here," Alison said, her tone casual but serious. "You can move around freely, but one of my guys will be with you at all times. Show me you're not going to run into the street yelling and screaming the first chance you get, and we can come up with a better system."

Emily stood in the middle of the room, hugging herself, and Alison could see fear creeping back into her eyes. Alison waved for Noel to take off, and give them some space. She tried to think of something to say, but before she could come up with anything, Emily's stomach decided to speak up, rumbling loudly and breaking the silence.

"I'll sort out the fridge tomorrow, but how about pizza for tonight?" Alison suggested with a playful glint in her eye. During their night at the club, tipsy Emily had gone on a very cute rant about how she'd kill for a slice of pizza. "Sicilian with pepperoni, spicy tomato sauce, and fresh parmesan," Alison remembered it vividly like she did everything else from that night. It was etched in her mind like it happened just yesterday. She'd even dragged Noel to a pizza joint in the city and demanded they recreate it, so she could taste what had Emily feeling murderous.

For a second, Emily seemed to consider answering, her lips twitching slightly. But then her expression closed off again, and she turned away without a word. Alison didn't let it deter her, it was progress. She'd spent five months holding Emily in her thoughts, hoping to see her again. Now here they were in the same room, Alison could wait a little longer for her. She was worth it.

... ...

Author's Note: It's been very nice reading the reviews as this story unfolds so please keep reviewing and letting me know what you think. Writing Emily as silent was a challenge but I think it came out well. I enjoy making Alison work for the smallest of reactions. Happy Thursday!