Emily slowly blinked her eyes open, wincing at the harsh light that flooded the room. The air smelled bitter like cleaning supplies and her head was pounding. Confusion clouded her mind as she tried to make anything out with her still blurred vision. She shifted uncomfortably, groaning when it felt like every part of her body protested the small movement. When her eyes adjusted to the brightness the first thing she noticed was a familiar figure sitting beside her. Relief washed over her at the sight of her girlfriend asleep in the chair at her side, but it was quickly replaced by a wave of anxiety as she took in the rest of the room and realized she was in a hospital.
"Paige?" Emily croaked, her voice hoarse and weak. "Paige, what...what happened?"
Paige raised her head from her sleep, as soon as she made eye contact with Emily she shot up straight in the chair. "You're awake," she said softly, reaching out to take Emily's hand in hers. "You were in a car accident. What do you remember?"
Emily's brow furrowed as she tried hard to recall the moments leading up to her waking up in the hospital. Images flashed through her mind in a blur, headlights, screeching tires, the car flipping.
"I...I don't remember," Emily admitted, squeezing Paige's hand as tears started to stream down her cheeks. "Was it my fault? Did I hurt anyone?" She panicked.
Paige shook her head, "No, no. There were no other cars involved. They think you fell asleep at the wheel for a second and lost control of your car."
That didn't sound like her, "I didn't fall asleep," Emily protested.
Paige reached out to gently wipe the tears from Emily's cheek, her touch soothing. "Hey, it's okay," she murmured. "You've been running yourself ragged lately between your courses and the swim team. You were exhausted, and things happen. I'm just happy you're alive, you looked so bad when they pulled you out of the car." Paige's voice broke.
Emily felt a lump form in her throat as the reality of the situation began to sink in. Guilt gnawed at her for making her girlfriend cry. "I'm sorry," she whispered.
Paige wiped her own tears away, "I should go find your parents, everyone's been waiting for you to wake up."
Emily's eyes flew open, her heart pounding at not immediately recognizing her surroundings. This wasn't her room. This wasn't her bed. She wasn't in a hospital and she wasn't home either. The sense of de ja vu made her head spin, thoughts and memories running together, confusing her. Scared, Emily shut her eyes tightly and pulled her legs to her chest, attempting to curl up into a protective ball until she could calm down enough to think clearly. A sharp pain shot through her hand when she tried to close her fists, causing her to let out a loud and broken sob. Tears stung her eyes as she pulled her hand close to her chest.
Her breathing was almost under control when she felt the bed dip on one side, it took her by surprise, and she opened her eyes. The sight of blonde hair and pink lips had everything coming back to her. Alison. Emily looked between the blonde and the broken door, her mind racing with questions. Had she said anything in her sleep? How much did Alison hear? How long had Alison been there?
Alison glanced over her shoulder at the door, seemingly guessing what Emily was thinking, "I came to see if you were awake and heard you crying," she explained. "I was going to give you some space, but then you screamed." She reached out a hand toward Emily's face, but Emily jerked her head out of reach. The quick motion made her dizzy and she had to close her eyes briefly. Alison's hand followed her movements, gently wiping her cheeks. She was still cradling her hand to her chest and it caught Alison's eye quickly. "Let me see," Her tone was soft but insistent.
Emily held her injured hand closer to her body, her dream had rattled her, but she was more alert now. She remembered the shit show of the night before, Alison's ramblings about liking her, and her destruction of the bedroom in response.
"That night at the club...you liked me, I know you did." Alison's voice came through the solid wood.
It wasn't true. it was one night of innocent flirting, and Emily hadn't thought about Alison since. She didn't ask for this. This wasn't her fault. Emily met Alison's blow to the door with one of her own but it was weak, after three days without food or water, she was weak.
"You don't have to punish yourself for liking me. I like you too,"
Lies. Alison didn't know her, she was just using her to hurt Paige. Emily struck the wall again but it was so halfhearted that she backed away feeling more disappointed with herself than justified. Heat spread up her neck to her face, the anger rose so quickly that Emily wasn't sure anymore who she was mad at. She took her rage out on the dresser, and then the vanity. When Emily heard Alison breaking into the room she was near the nightstand and in a split second decision she grabbed the bedside lamp and hurled it at the door, narrowly missing her captor. Emily had already hurt Paige enough, the least she could do was protect her from this psycho.
Alison had won their standoff and Emily allowed herself to be fed. She'd held out as long as she could. Emily didn't believe Alison cared about her, the blonde was a control freak and delusional. When she was brought back to the room it was bare, Alison had one of her goons clean out all the broken furniture. Emily spent most of the night how she'd spent all of the previous ones. She paced, stood in the corner, and then paced again, keeping herself moving to fight off the exhaustion. But yesterday it had gotten to be too much and just keeping herself upright was a struggle. She told herself she was just going to lie down but she'd fallen asleep.
"If you're hurt, I can help. I want to help. Give me your hand," Alison reached for Emily's hand again and she turned her body away. The concern laced words made her jaw tense and she stared at the ceiling.
"Always the hard way with you," Alison had the nerve to sound annoyed. Emily bit her tongue to keep from responding. Excuse her for not feeling warm and fuzzy toward the woman who abducted her from her wedding, crammed her into a box, and stashed her in the suburbs of all places. Forgive her if she was far from a bonding mood.
The third time Alison reached for her hand, Emily threw a hard jab to the blonde's ribs, smirking at the pained hiss she heard. It was sure to leave a bruise and Alison deserved it for all of the syrupy covered shit she'd been trying to get Emily to believe. Her upper hand didn't last long, and a strong forearm pushed hard on Emily's chest, pinning her to the headboard. Unable to move Emily had no choice but to let Alison examine her. Alison had barely tried to extend Emily's middle and ring finger and still, the slight movement caused a pain that radiated up her entire arm. Emily managed to swallow the scream that threatened to escape but she couldn't stop the fresh tears.
"They're not broken but they're badly sprained. You're going to need a splint," Alison released her. "I'll get you one from the pharmacy. While I'm gone, take a shower and change. I'll have Ben bring you the clothes I bought the other day," Alison touched the collar of the robe Emily had been wearing for the past four days. "We'll have lunch by the pool when I'm back."
A list of imaginative ways to tell Alison to go fuck herself hung on Emily's tongue but instead of giving the blonde a reaction, she rested her head on her knees, waiting for Alison to leave. Time felt like it stood still, though it was probably just a minute or two before Emily felt the bed shifting again. She peeked out to see Alison heading for the door and sighed quietly, it was getting harder and harder to keep quiet. Emily raised her head just as Alison had stopped and turned to face her again.
"You know, there are people who were born into this life who would've broken by now. Offered me all kinds of things, and sold out their entire families just to get out. But you? You haven't willingly budged an inch." Unable to discern Alison's tone, Emily looked into the blonde's eyes. Whatever emotion was there Alison blinked away quickly. "I'll be back in two hours. It's a beautiful day and I don't want to spend it dragging you out of this room again, so don't make me." Alison traced the spot on her ribs where Emily had landed her jab before she turned to leave, motioning for the youngest of her goons to return to his spot.
… …
Countless talks, lectures, and family dinners with the McCullers, some of which felt more like interrogations, and not once did they ever bring up what to do if she was kidnapped. Strict security measures for the day, Emily let out a low cynical laugh, she'd been taken right from under their noses. She pressed her head against the smooth tile of the shower wall, letting the scalding hot water cascade over her body. Emily stood still under the stream, partly due to a lack of energy and partly because every muscle in her body was beginning to ache and the hot water was soothing.
The small bathroom felt cramped and outdated, reminiscent of the one Emily had grown up with in her parent's home. Gone were the luxuries of space, the separate shower and spacious tub she'd gotten used to. She missed her mutli head shower system most of all but after four days of giving herself sink baths, she wouldn't complain about the standard amenities. Four days. Four…whole…days since the wedding and Paige hadn't come for her yet. Tears started to stream down Emily's cheeks, she closed her eyes. It was likely that Paige thought she'd gotten cold feet and ran away. How long would it take for her to realize something was wrong? More tears fell, she wanted to go home.
If Paige found her, she would be better, Emily promised. She would listen to Paige's father about moving on with her life. She'd let Paige's aunt find a place for her in one of their business without complaint. The two of them had been the perfect couple before the accident, they could be perfect again. If Paige found her she could be good. She would be good. Emily repeated the words until there was a dull thudding in her head. None of this would have happened if Paige didn't try to keep her locked away. She wouldn't have been sneaking around and she would have never met Alison at the club that night. Paige was the one who needed to do better, she'd promised a long time ago to protect her and she failed. Emily winced at a sharp pain that shot behind her eyes and the anger dissipated just as quickly as it came on.
She couldn't wait for Paige to save her, she had to save herself and that meant keeping her thoughts straight long enough to come up with a plan. Emily wished she'd paid more attention to Paige's rants about Alison, but at the time she was a faceless person that Emily couldn't care less about. There had even been a handful of times Emily was grateful for whatever Alison had done to throw Paige into an upset, it meant her fiancée would leave her alone for a few hours. The only things she had to go on were what she'd seen herself.
"Drop your keys out of the window,"
Emily was breathing hard against the hand clamped over her mouth. The cops would intervene, they had to, she just needed to get their attention. Her whole body trembled when she heard the keys hit the ground and she strained to hear what else was happening. When she saw the officer lean down to the window she knew that was her chance. She bit the inside of the hand across her mouth and screamed as loud as she could, but the officer was too slow and Emily watched Alison point a gun across the driver's side and pull the trigger twice. Glass shattered and there was a loud thud, then yelling and more gunshots. Emily sat frozen until she was pulled down and a heavier body covered her own.
It was the first time Emily had seen someone die. Paige had never even pulled a weapon around her, let alone gotten into a shootout. Hearing two dead officers being loaded into the back of the car was unsettling but it was Alison's behavior that jarred her most. It happened fast but she remembered Alison throwing the back door open, gun at her side, asking if she was okay. Okay? She could have been shot. She would have been shot if it weren't for the oaf next to her throwing his body onto hers. After checking her for injuries twice and a warning against doing anything stupid, she was being lifted into the blonde's arms, but not before slipping a piece of the broken glass that had littered the backseat into her robe pocket.
Alison was hotheaded and violent but Emily could use that to her advantage. A plan started to piece together while Emily washed and rinsed herself. In an obvious attempt to get on her good side, her captor hadn't skimped on care products and a few of Emily's favorites were among the array. When it was four against one she didn't stand a chance, but the oldest guy had left. Three against one didn't improve her odds much and Alison never left for long. She had to get rid of one of the guys if she was going to try to make a run for it. Out of the two of them, Ben, the muscle for brains looking type that stood out front of the bedroom door most nights seemed like the easier choice. The other guy with the thick eyebrows, Noel, was quieter, smarter. He and Alison seemed close.
The once comforting heat of the shower became sweltering and a nauseous feeling crept up on Emily. She held onto the sink to keep herself upright as she climbed out of the tub. The thudding in her head wasn't dull anymore and all the movements to shower and dress renewed the pain hand. When she was done Emily pulled the mirror above the sink open to find a medicine cabinet. She rifled through the bottles, looking for anything to take the edge off. The very sharp edges that felt like they were stabbing her all over now. Benzos, oxy, anything, she couldn't do this if she couldn't think. Emily cursed under her breath when she found nothing. Maybe Ben could be useful before she got rid of him.
… …
Noel looked like he was almost done setting the table when Ben led Emily out. Alison was already seated, and the two were talking while he finished up. As Emily got closer she eyed the spread. The food was colorful and inviting but she had every reason to be wary.
"Lobster was on your wedding menu…I figured it was safe…that you liked it," Alison said a bit awkwardly.
Noel jumped in to save her, "Lobster ceviche, spicy mango salsa, fresh tostadas." He pointed at the plates. "Oh, and that pitcher is watermelon fresca. It's good on its own but it'll help if the salsa gets too spicy." He ran a hand through the stubble coming in on his face.
He learned to make lobster ceviche in prison? Emily's stomach rumbled despite her reservations. Thankfully no one else noticed. She had survived the prison chef's chicken alfredo, this wouldn't kill her. Ben made a joke about there not being enough space at the table and when Alison didn't laugh Noel threw his arm around Ben's shoulder and told him they were eating inside.
Tired, hungry, and not interested in playing coy, Emily reached for a tostada but instead got a painful reminder of her sprained fingers. Alison noticed immediately, moving her chair and plate to Emily's side of the table. Emily rolled her eyes, not again. She tried to use her other hand to load a tostada but it proved difficult and clumsy with just the one. She gave up and watched as Alison grabbed the tostada she had been aiming for and brought it close to her lips.
"Your splint is inside. I figured I'd wait to put it on in case you wanted to get in the pool. And I got some Tylenol, extra strength. I'll have Noel grab it when he's back," Alison said casually.
Extra strength Tylenol, fanfuckingtastic. She'd use Ben to get her something stronger later, right now she was starving. She took a bite of the ceviche topped tostada and her mouth watered, she went right back for another bite. It had no business being that good.
"See, I told you Noel was a good cook," Alison grinned, switching to the mango salsa. It was just as good. "Watch it, I need all my fingers," The blonde joked at her enthusiasm. "You can have as much as you want. You've missed out on some good food the last couple of days. I thought you deserved something nice." Emily took the next bite that was offered to her.
"I also feel like I owe you an explanation," Alison started, loading some more tostadas for both herself and Emily. "I meant what I said last night, something about you stuck with me when I met you at the club that night. You were a pretty girl who sounded like she picked the short stick when it came to fiancées, but more than that you were interesting…funny…it didn't seem fair that you get stuck with someone who didn't adore you." More syrup covered shit, Emily fought back the urge to respond. It didn't take a genius to figure out her relationship was on the rocks and Paige did adore her…at one point.
Alison had fallen into a routine of feeding Emily a few bites and then feeding herself, almost like it came naturally. As if they did this all the time and it was normal. "It crossed my mind to kill whoever it was, I told myself I'd be saving you, setting you free. I didn't know it was Paige until I got to your wedding. I was in the main house and I heard you laugh, at first I thought I was going crazy, I'd been remembering your laugh for months, and then I heard it again." Emily was waiting for the story to continue when Alison went into a coughing fit.
The blonde rubbed her neck uncomfortably, "Noel!" she called out. "Noel, what did you put in the salsa?" she yelled into the house.
"Habaneros," Noel called back hesitantly.
Alison's eyes watered and she chugged her water mumbling curses and death threats against the cook in between gulps. Emily watched in disbelief. Alison dropped a police officer and didn't flinch but spicy salsa was too much. She hid her smirk behind her hand.
"Not…funny," Alison tried to shoot her a glare but it wasn't very intimidating considering how red her face was becoming.
Tired of watching Alison suffer, Emily reluctantly poured a glass of the watermelon fresca Noel suggested. The weight of the pitcher felt awkward in her nondominant hand, and she spilled a bit of it as she set it down in front of Alison, who was now dramatically sucking on a piece of ice. Alison thanked her before gulping down the entire cup but Emily just turned away. She didn't do it out of kindness.
It took a few minutes but the Fresca worked and Alison continued, "You already know what happened next, but my point was I didn't go to the wedding planning to grab you. I saw an opportunity to get everything I wanted and I'm too selfish a person to pass that up." At least she's self aware, Emily rolled her eyes again and she suppressed the feeling to empathize. They weren't the same. Emily hadn't always been this way, the accident and Paige not believing her, it changed things, changed her.
"You're not going to answer but It's been bugging me…Why were you at the club that night?" Alison was giving Emily a look that was equal parts curious and suspicious, and Emily didn't understand why. It was obvious she was there to blow off steam, Alison had even referred to it as the last night of freedom she may get in a while. "That club in particular, I mean. It's outside of McCullers territory. Why were you there?" She asked the question again and Emily's ears grew hot. "Paige was the one who drew up the initial territory split and I'd imagine she takes her imaginary lines very seriously." The suspicious look Alison was giving her was replaced by a more playful one, and she started refilling her glass, pouring Emily one too.
Emily felt like everything she'd just eaten might come back up and she knew her face had betrayed her when Alison's brows furrowed and she placed a hand on Emily's arm, "Hey, no reason to freak out. I know you're not going to give me an answer."
"We've been through this, Emily, anything past Caffe'Roma is off limits." Paige had just come home and was standing in the middle of the living room with her hands on her hips.
Emily kept her gaze fixed on the ceiling, she'd just split a gram with Hanna and they were working on a bottle of Don Artes. She had no idea what Paige was talking about and there was no way she was going to let her fiancée kill her high.
"It's DiLaurentis territory! You can not roam their streets looking to score drugs."
DiLaurentis…Di…DiLa…DiLaurentis…Emily giggled, it rolled off her tongue weird but it sounded nice.
Hanna laughed for an entirely different reason. "Score drugs?" She asked and now Emily was laughing too. "You sound like a cop. Are you a cop Paige?"
Paige shot her head toward the blonde, "No, Hanna. You ask me that every time you come over." despite the forced polite tone Emily knew Paige wasn't a fan of her friend.
"Just checking," Hanna shrugged.
Emily sat up on the couch, knowing the faster she let Paige get this out, the faster she'd leave them alone. Paige sat across from her on the edge of their coffee table. She put her hands on Emily's shoulders giving her a disappointed look that Emily had grown familiar with.
"How long are you going to do this? When am I going to get my Emily back?" Paige stroked her cheek. Emily sighed avoiding her fiancée's eyes, she didn't like this feeling. She didn't like any of her feelings that was the whole point of the flake and the booze and now Paige was ruining it. "I feel like I don't even know you anymore." Paige carded her fingers through Emily's hair.
"That's not fair," Emily pulled away, Paige's last words upsetting her. "I didn't know you at all when we were dating, you lied to me."
"I didn't lie…I told you already I just wanted to keep us in our bubble for as long as I could." Paige retorted.
"You lied," Emily got up angrily and took a few steps only to be followed and have Paige's arms looped around her. She shoved them away, "You lied about who you were and now I'm stuck. Stuck in the parts of the city you've trapped us in, stuck in this house, stuck with you." Emily said without thinking and she watched Paige's face fall.
Paige turned to leave but Emily pulled her back, "I didn't mean that. I love you. I just…"
"I know," Paige stopped her. "I love you too."
"Does this mean we can't go to that club Aria was talking about? She's not bringing that old guy she's been hanging out with so it'll just be three of us," Hanna chimed in.
Paige still entertained the question despite Emily's attitude and it made her feel terrible. She really did love Paige, regardless of the bullshit that came along with it. It had just been so many changes in such a short time. Fuck, her high was definitely blown. She listened to Hanna give Paige the address and watched as Paige looked it up on her phone.
"It's outside of our range" Paige shook her head no. "I'm going back to my office. There are a few things I need to tie up before my trip." She put her arms around Emily, pulling her close. "When I'm back we should talk about Mountainside again," she said low enough for Hanna not to overhear.
Emily rested her head against Paige's shoulder nodding her acknowledgement. Mountainside was a fancy rehab facility Paige had been trying to push on her. There wasn't a chance in hell she was going but now wasn't the time to argue. She'd clean up her act for a few days, maybe throw in some 'spontaneous' sex, and a few tears, Paige would let it go.
Giving her a quick kiss on the head Paige pulled out of their embrace, "Stay away from the club," she said to her and Hanna before leaving.
Emily was pulled out of her thoughts by the feeling of Alison using a napkin to wipe her face, for the second time that day the blonde was wiping away her tears. Emily pushed her chair back as much as she could trying to put some distance between them.
"I'm sorry I brought it up, I didn't mean to upset you." Alison leaned out of her space, calling inside the house for Noel to bring her the bag she'd brought in from the pharmacy.
Emily was still reeling from the realization that if she'd listened to any of Paige's ramblings about territory, she might not be in this mess. She stared at the ground, the pool, and the punching bag, anything to avoid looking at the blonde. A flash of pain in her hand brought her gaze back to Alison, who was quickly adjusting the splint. Emily winced and Alison's face scrunched in sympathy. How does she fake that so well?
... ...
Author's Note: Everyone who reviewed asked for Emily's POV so I hope you all enjoy the update. Italics are flashbacks/memories if it wasn't clear. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts as always :)