120 bpm, the white letters glowed against the black display of the watch. Paige picked up her pace, her breath coming in short gasps. All of her muscles burned with exertion but as always for the last fifteen minutes of her morning run, she pushed herself harder. The physical strain she could deal with. It was everything else that was beginning to take a toll.

She could hear her heartbeat thrumming in her ears along with the loud pulsing music coming through her headphones. Despite her efforts to focus on the lyrics, they were drowned out by cyclical thoughts. Her mind hadn't stopped racing for the last five days, since Emily stood her up in front of all their friends and family. Paige grit her teeth and reached for her water bottle, her feet never faltering. It was selfish and embarrassing but she should have anticipated it. Emily seemed to be making a habit out of finding ways to punish Paige for loving her, for caring.

Paige huffed, growing upset as she gulped down mouthfuls of water. She'd stood by Emily through everything. When she fell asleep at the wheel and almost died by flipping her car…when she lost her scholarship because the damage to her shoulder was irreversible…when she started mixing her pain meds and alcohol. Paige understood, she had been there for Emily at every turn and this is what she got in return.

She stumbled forward, her reflexes quick enough to save her from falling face first onto the machine as her attention snapped to a faint noise in the empty house. It sounded like the front door. Her heart lurched and she ripped the headphones from her ears as she jumped off the treadmill. Silence.

For a moment she stood frozen, listening intently for any sounds of an intruder but the house remained quiet aside from the hum of the treadmill. Emily was probably somewhere on a bender, she knew that, but it did nothing to quell the uneasiness she felt. If she was wrong, it could mean someone was coming for her. This wouldn't do, she couldn't jump at every sound, and she couldn't be stuck in a feeling of anxiousness. It was time for Emily to come home.

The beeping of her watch startled Paige and she let out a shaky breath at the sound of the alert. Her workout was officially over. She moved around the room slowly, gathering her things and planning her day. She huffed in annoyance knowing where her first stop would be.

… …

"Look who finally showed up," The blonde smiled slyly, she opened the door and moved to the side for Paige and Cooper to enter. "Who's this?" she motioned to the tall solid man at Paige's side.

Coop was one of the guys who kept an eye on her family's…investments, at the dock. She'd plucked him from his duties to help in her search. He was trustworthy and she wanted to keep the situation surrounding Emily quiet.

"Hanna this is Cooper, Cooper this is Hanna Marin. Emily's…"

"Bestfriend,"

Instigator, tag along, bad influence, annoying sidekick, Paige thought of other descriptors that better suited the woman in front of her. She nodded slightly and with the necessary introductions out of the way, she pulled a vial of white powder from her vest pocket.

"Don't worry I didn't come by empty handed," she held the vial out to Hanna, "if you can answer a couple of questions for me."

"Ask me anything," Hanna said in the pretend sweet way she normally reserved for when Emily was around and the two of them had to play nice, "But first.." Paige sighed, knowing what was coming. "Are you a cop, Cooper?" The man beside her bristled, his eyes narrowing at the question. "An officer of the law, sheriff, federal agent," Hanna continued.

Coop crossed his arms and widened his stance, "No."

Hanna nodded once and then turned her eyes to Paige, expecting her to answer the question as well. "No, Hanna. I'm not a cop."

Hanna slipped the vial from Paige's hand, backing further into the house to the living room. Paige followed her but Coop broke off to search the house as they discussed before arriving. Hanna dropped down to her couch, "She's not here," she sang the words amusedly, pulling a silver tray out and dumping half the vial contents onto it.

Paige's eyes darted around, the house was quiet and there were no immediate signs that Emily had been staying there, "He's going to take a look around anyways."

Hanna laughed as she made four relatively even lines out of the powder, "Ask your questions, Paige." the blonde used a rolled hundred to do her first line, throwing her head back when she was done.

"Have you seen her? Since the wedding,"

"No," Hanna did another line, letting out a quiet buzz of satisfaction when she was done.

"She left her phone, her ID, credit cards, keys, everything," Paige thought aloud. It was the one thing she still hadn't wrapped her head around. It was all in the room with her, she could've grabbed it before leaving. "Why would she do that?"

Hanna interjected with another laugh and a shake of her head.

"What's so funny? Your bestfriend has been missing for five days. What about that is humorous?" Paige slid the tray away from Hanna.

"You," Hanna pulled the tray back with a roll of her eyes. "Standing there pretending to care about Em now that she finally left you. If I'm a bad friend then you're like the worst girlfriend ever."

"She's my wife," Paige corrects, "of course, I care about her," the reply is sharp. The worst girlfriend ever, the words ping pong around Paige's head.

Hanna ducked her head down to the tray again, snorting another line and then coming up to throw Paige a dirty look and motioning around the house. "She's not here, Paige, you don't have to lie. You can drop the act," Hanna ran a hand through her hair as if suddenly exhausted. "I don't know why she left her stuff. Next question." the blonde sighed.

"Do you have any idea where she would go? Who she could be with?" Paige ran the back of her thumb across her brow.

"No clue,"

"What about Maya?"

Hanna's chuckle seemed to echo through the house and Paige drew in a deep breath, sick of being laughed at. It reminded her of another blue eyed blonde who never seemed to take her seriously either.

"You just can't help but think the worst of her, can you? She's been gone for days and you think she's cheating on you," Hanna gave her an incredulous look. "I don't know what took her so long to leave but I'm glad she finally did. You two were never going to work."

Outwardly, Paige brushed off Hanna's words with ease and a tight lipped smile. But inside frustration simmered. When Hanna mumbled something about a drink and stood to head to the kitchen, Paige took the opening in front of her and extended her calf into the blonde's path. As she took her next step, Hanna's foot caught on Paige's leg and her laughter was replaced by a gasp before she tumbled forward. For good measure, Paige swiped her leg outward and Hanna collided with the coffee table harder than she would have without interference.

It was a lot of groaning and garbled curse words before Paige was able to make out anything Hanna said. "Fuck…my nose," Hanna grumbled as she pulled her hands away from her face to see blood. "You did that on purpose," Her back against the couch, Hanna grabbed the corner of a throw blanket and brought it to her face.

"I didn't do anything. You're high and you're clumsy," Paige feigned innocence. When she did find Emily the last thing she needed was for Hanna to claim Paige hit her. "Where can I find Maya? And this time spare me the colorful commentary about Emily and me. You think I'm sooo terrible but relationships take two people and I've been doing it all, by myself," The only thing Paige hated more than having to get her hands dirty was losing her temper, beneath her composed exterior, there was a small sense of vindication as she watched Hanna hold her nose.

Heavy footsteps descended the stairs and Paige caught Cooper giving her an all clear nod. There were no signs that Emily was staying with Hanna or that she'd seen her since the wedding. Cooper didn't bat an eye at the scene in front of him and Paige didn't offer an explanation.

"I need Maya's address," Paige prompted while Hanna's nose leaked like a faucet.

"She's not in the city,"

Paige cocked her head, that was an interesting development. "Where is she?"

"Poconos… she has a cabin or something… I don't know."

"Where's the cabin?" Paige pressed, she would need more details than that.

"I said I don't know!" Hanna yelled and instantly regretted it as her hands flew back to her injured face.

Paige couldn't stand there any longer, the realization sinking in that her wife might be holed up somewhere with her first love. Storming out of the house, Cooper followed closely behind. Leaving the city and heading to Pennsylvania wasn't an option, it would raise too many questions. And even if she did, she couldn't search every cabin in the Pocono Mountains.

Her phone rang, jolting her from her thoughts. "What?"

"That's no way to speak to your father," his voice lacked its usual kindness. He sounded disappointed, still stinging from the embarrassment of a canceled wedding and sending some of his oldest friends home without explanation.

"I'm sorry, I-" Paige began to apologize, but her father cut her off abruptly.

"I'm standing in your office. It's empty. Where are you?" he got straight to the point.

"I'm in Dumbo, visiting one of Emily's friends. I have one more stop to make, but I can meet you at my office afterward," Paige offered. When there was no immediate response, she added, "It should only take about an hour."

"You're looking for her?" Her father's tone carried a hint of puzzlement.

"I've given her enough time to find her own way home. I have a good idea where she is, I just need to narrow it down a bit more."

"You can't just take a personal day, Paige. This office can't sit empty. When it does, we look weak. We have a business to run," her father insisted.

"I have a business to run. You're supposed to be retired," Paige retorted sharply. "And I'm not taking a personal day. I'm trying to bring my wife home where she belongs."

"She makes you foolish," he sneered before abruptly ending the call, leaving Paige fuming.

… …

Paige sat in the backseat, her grip tight around the handles of the duffle bag next to her as Cooper navigated the city streets of a neighborhood she'd only passed through a handful of times. She had made a decision that went against her ego and better judgment, despite it being the right choice, it was a bitter pill to swallow. Toby was the last person she wanted to ask for help but she was desperate and as a former police officer Toby had experience tracking people down. It wouldn't take him long to find whatever cabin Maya and Emily were partying in and she needed Emily home as soon as possible.

Paige's pride warred with her sensibility. She was right in terminating Toby's employment, the sympathetic glances and helping Emily sneak out, it would have only gotten worse and she needed someone she could rely on around her wife. Paige glanced at the duffle bag full of money next to her, it was the only thing she could think of to convince Toby to help after the way she'd dismissed him. $50,000 would have to be enough for him to set his pride aside, just like getting Emily home quickly and quietly was enough for Paige to set aside hers.

When the car came to a stop, Paige stepped out, letting Cooper know he could stay put this time. She walked up to the door, readying herself for what would surely be a confrontation. Paige raised her hand to knock but the door swung open before her fist made contact. Toby's eyes flickered from Paige to her waiting car with guarded suspicion. His brows furrowed and a look of resentment on his face.

Without a word Toby stepped back, his posture stiff, a silent invitation for Paige to come inside. Acutely aware of the tension between them, Paige watched Toby closely. Leaving Cooper outside may not have been the best decision. Once inside, Toby's expression changed from frustration to curiosity as he crossed his arms over his chest. His silence sent a clear message, Toby wasn't going to do her the favor of speaking first, he'd invited her in and now the ball was in her court.

"I know this is… not ideal… me showing up here… for either of us," Paige started rockily. "But I need your help and I'm willing to compensate you for your time and expertise." Paige held out the duffle bag between them, "$50,000."

Toby hadn't reached for the bag, nor had he even glanced at it. Paige took it as a sign that she would need to lay her cards on the table. "Emily… disappeared… on our wedding day. I'm almost certain she's in the Pocono Mountains with an ex of hers, Maya. I don't know where exactly, but I need you to find her and bring her home, simple," she explained, her voice tight. She dropped the bag and it hit the floor with a thud at Toby's feet.

"Simple, huh?" Toby unzipped the duffle, shuffling the wads of bills around. "Does she want to come home? I'm guessing she ran away for a reason."

Paige's jaw clenched. "That doesn't matter. I want her home," she insisted.

Toby glanced up at her in silence for a moment before giving a reluctant nod, indicating his willingness to listen. "I'll need $100,000," he stated firmly. Paige must have looked confused because Toby stood, kicking the duffle bag to the side. "I'll take this as a down payment, but I want another $50,000."

Paige fought back the urge to lash out. Toby was in a position to demand more money, she was the one who needed him, not the other way around. "Okay," she agreed through gritted teeth.

Toby's gaze softened slightly as he realized he had the upper hand, "What happens when I bring her back?"

"That's between me and Emily," Paige replied tersely.

"No deal,"

"Rehab," Paige said quickly. "It was an option before and she always said no. But after this, things need to change, so... rehab."

Toby nodded slowly, seemingly satisfied with the answer. Paige extended her hand for him to shake. His eyes darted down to her hand and then back up to her face. "Get me another 50k, and I'll bring her to you."

… …

Paige felt a swell of pride in herself when she left Toby's home. Emily would be home soon, and then things could go back to normal, or even better than normal. They could have a small ceremony with just their parents to make up for the canceled one, and then she could check Emily into Mountainside. Their lives could get back on track.

"Is everything alright?" Paige asked when Cooper took an unexpected turn.

"Yes, Ma'am," came the instant reply.

One turn was nothing to worry about, so Paige returned to ruminating on how great things would be once Emily was back. She could overlook Emily running away with an ex girlfriend, especially if said ex girlfriend was out of the picture permanently. It would require another favor from someone she loathed, but it would be worth it. She could frame it as getting rid of a problematic dealer, the DiLaurentis family wouldn't think twice about it. Alison, trigger happy Alison, never turned down an opportunity to rid the world of someone. Besides, their families were allies… for the time being. What was good for the McCullers was good for them too. Once it was done, Paige could even pay for the funeral and score some points with her wife.

As Cooper came to a halt at a red light, a sense of unease washed over Paige. The air felt still as if time itself had paused. In the uneasy quiet, the world moved around her. A white van shot out onto the street in front of them, blocking their path while a truck she hadn't noticed before did the same from behind. The assailants moved with swift efficiency. The van's doors were flung open, and before Paige could react, a black cloth bag was forced over her head, plunging her into darkness. Despite the surge of panic that threatened to overwhelm her, she managed to keep her composure, focusing on her surroundings as she'd been taught.

Four figures loomed around her, their movements almost silent but unmistakably familiar. Her hands remained unbound, a detail that only added to her confusion. It was clear that the goal was to disorient her, rather than to instill fear. They take her into what smells like a warehouse, dry and stale, and she's thrown down into a chair that creaks. After what feels like ten minutes go by there's the sound of wingtips on concrete and then the bag is ripped from her head.

"I was on my way to my office to meet you. This stunt really wasn't necessary, my men should be where I assigned them." Paige said, coming face to face with her father.

Her father's expression was an unimpressed gaze normally reserved for people he saw as incompetent. "It's my office, and these are my men. You made your priorities clear today when you didn't show up to lead them, which is what I put you in charge of doing."

"I understand your concern but Emily being away for too long is dangerous,"

"That's one thing we can agree on," her father nodded. "She's a danger to this organization."

Internally Paige frowned but she kept a straight face. That's not what she meant about Emily, but she didn't dare interrupt her father. "You've tried helping her, it hasn't worked, and now she's run off. She did us a favor getting out of the way. Why are you trying to bring her back? It makes me wonder If I was wrong to think you were ready to lead this family."

"I have been leading this family. You haven't had any complaints until now," Paige retorted.

"Addicts do not bode well for anyone's confidence," he hissed. "If she talks to anyone... a rival… a cop... she's a liability. You have to see that."

"She's not talking to anyone! She got cold feet, it happens," Paige argued, her voice rising slightly.

"And the next time?"

"There won't be a next time."

"Make sure of that, otherwise, I'll make sure of it," the threat seemed like an irrational escalation, but her father had been increasingly unhappy with Emily for months. "Until you get your house in order or decide to see things clearly, I'll be controlling the day to day operations again."

It was dangerous not only for her but for Emily to disagree, so Paige hung her head, "Yes, Sir."

"Someone saw you and Alison near the perimeter on the day of the wedding. Was there some sort of incident?" If he brought it up, it's because he already knew the answer.

"I was looking for Emily. I saw Alison leaving and we argued. It was nothing," Paige explained more defensively than she should have. They were always arguing, and until the day they decided to finally end the cycle for good, it was inconsequential.

"You pushed her," her father said disapprovingly.

Paige nodded, resigning herself to the consequences. He'd already removed her from command, what else could he do?

"Apologize."

Paige threw him an unbelieving look, "What?"

"Alison is the only one still suspicious about this alliance, and I don't need her putting thoughts in her brother's head. Go to her and apologize in person for your disrespect. I expect it to be done by the end of the week," he said firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"Yes, Sir."

... ...

Author's Note:

If any of you are still reading, I hope you enjoy the update. Next chapter we are back to Alison's POV. Looking forward to reading your thoughts on how the story is unfolding!