Hello, guys!
Another update for you! Unfortunately, Emily's swimming career is coming to an end. And Ali's double life is about to blow up on her face... eventually.
To the reviewers asking about Paige, all I can say is that you haven't seen the last of her.
Enjoy!
With love,
White Tigresss
RULE XII: Listen to your intuition
Emily kept Alison tucked into her shoulder until the blonde's tears subsided. Somewhere amidst their embrace, the roles of comforter and comforted had shifted — a testament to the weight of recent events on them both. When Emily decided she was ready to give herself fully to Alison, she did so embracing all of her vulnerabilities. Yet, the way Alison weeped against her body gave her the feeling that the CEO hadn't shown all her demons just yet.
Alison lifted her head from Emily's shoulder, sniffling. "I'm sorry," she said, managing a weak smile. "I got your shirt wet, and not in a good way."
Emily chuckled softly, brushing a strand of hair from Alison's face. "It's okay, Ali. You needed to let it out."
Alison gazed up at Emily's sweet brown eyes, guilt settling heavily in her stomach. She knew she hadn't fully addressed her own secrets, and it gnawed at her, especially since she knew Emily had given her all. Their first time wasn't all roses and candles the way she had pictured, but it had been perfect because it was when Emily had finally handed her all of her heart. And Alison wanted to cherish it, but she couldn't, not when she hadn't been completely honest herself.
"If it ever gets too much, promise you'll tell me?" Emily asked gently, interrupting her train of thoughts. "I know you want to be there for me, but I don't want to burden you."
"You're never a burden, Em," Alison assured her, her voice tinged with sincerity. "It just hurts to see you going through this. You deserve better."
Emily nodded solemnly. "It hurts now, but thanks to you, I know what I need to do."
"Do you want me to drive you to the studio?" Alison offered, concern etched in her features. "I could take you back to get your car later."
"Ali, you need to rest," Emily insisted, placing a reassuring hand on Alison's cheek, wiping away one last tear that insisted on falling. "And besides, Aria will be there. I'll be fine."
Alison nodded reluctantly, a knot of worry tightening in her gut. She had a bad feeling about it, but tried to reassure herself that Emily would be safe surrounded by friends who cared for her. Emily was going to be safe.
"Promise me you'll call if anything happens?" Alison requested, her voice tinged with concern.
"I promise," Emily affirmed, leaning in to kiss her gently. "Now go rest up. You have a long day ahead, CEO duties and all," she said, playfully messing with the blonde's hair.
"And hopefully a very long night," Alison added playfully, waggling her eyebrows suggestively.
"One hit of me and you're already an addict?" Emily teased as her insides clenched as well. Maybe it hadn't been a lie when Alison claimed she was a goddess in bed because, oh gosh, Ali has made Emily feel things she had never felt before during sex. And the brunette wanted to explore more of it.
"I was hooked long before I met you," Alison flirted back, watching Emily blush with amusement and look away bashfully. She'd never grow old of Ali's flirting.
After Emily left, Alison took a deep breath and slipped out of bed, quietly padding to the living room. She needed space to think, to gather her thoughts before facing Emily again. Sitting on the couch, she hugged her knees to her chest and stared into the dimly lit room.
The truth had to come out. Alison couldn't bear the weight of her secrets any longer, especially now that she had admitted her feelings for Emily. She reached for her phone and scrolled through her contacts until she found Lorenzo's number.
After a moment of hesitation, she pressed the call button. The phone rang twice before he answered.
"Alison?" Lorenzo's voice was filled with concern. "Is everything okay?"
Alison swallowed hard, her throat tight with emotion. "Lorenzo, we need to talk. It's about Emily."
There was a brief silence on the other end of the line. "Is she okay?"
"She's fine," Alison assured him quickly. "But there's something I need to tell her. She deserves to know the truth about me and what I do for the CIA."
Lorenzo hesitated before replying, his tone serious. "Are you sure about this, Ali?"
"Yes," Alison replied firmly. "I can't keep hiding it from her, Lorenzo. It's tearing me apart."
"Alison, revealing your identity is risky. There are implications for others, including Emily," he cautioned.
Alison wrestled with her guilt and determination. She had grown close to Emily under false pretenses, originally intending to investigate the swim team. But Emily had changed everything, and now the truth threatened to unravel their relationship.
Emily had taught her how to love and Alison was going to fight for it.
"She needs to know, Lorenzo," Alison insisted, her voice wavering slightly.
"Alright," Lorenzo sighed in resignation. "I hope you've thought this through, Alison. Once you tell Emily, there's no going back."
Alison nodded, her gaze fixed on a spot on the floor. "I know. Keeping this from her... it's been eating me alive. She deserves to know the truth."
"And you're prepared for the consequences?"
No, I'm not, Alison thought. I don't think I'll ever be ready for something that could break her heart.
"I don't know if anyone can truly be prepared for this," Alison admitted quietly. "But I can't keep lying to her. Not when things are getting more serious between us."
"You're brave, Ali," he praised her. "I'm so proud of you for doing the right thing."
Alison knew he was speaking not as her boss from the CIA, but as her brother-in-law and someone who saw her grow out of her traumas and blossom in life.
"Thank you, Lorenzo."
"One more thing," Lorenzo added before she could hang up. "We've traced a money trail to Dunhill. It leads to Senator Ezra Fitz."
Meanwhile, Emily took an Uber to the swim team training facilities to pick up her car, which she had left there after her conversation with Lorenzo and subsequent panic attack. It upset her to think that this might be one of the last times she walked into that building, but Emily pushed aside the bittersweet feeling. She needed to move forward.
She retrieved her car and drove to the Rosewood Observer's studio to meet Aria. The studio was located in a secluded part of Rosewood, a practical choice given the space required for equipment and recording interviews. Parking outside, Emily entered the building and spoke with the receptionist for directions to the studio. The hallways all looked similar, and the building seemed unusually quiet that day with no one around to ask for further directions.
Attempting to call Aria, Emily received no reply, likely due to the spotty signal in the area. She retraced her steps to the reception, intending to ask the receptionist for clearer directions.
Unbeknownst to Emily, someone was following her.
Suddenly, a sharp blow struck the back of her head. Emily cried out in pain, but before she could react, darkness engulfed her as she blacked out and lost consciousness.
ROSEWOOD HAWKS
America's Mermaid Emily Fields Spotted at Rosewood Observer Studio: Breaking News Alert!
Hold onto your swim caps, everyone! Our sources have spotted America's Mermaid and Olympic champ Emily Fields making her way into the Rosewood Observer's studio this morning, and Twitter is already buzzing with speculation.
Some eagle-eyed fans are placing bets on what our beloved swimmer was doing there, while others couldn't help but notice something peculiar about her outfit. That's right—those weren't her usual clothes!
Emison fans are in a frenzy, claiming that Fields spent yet another night at Alison DiLaurentis' condo. And while we're still waiting for some juicy confirmation, that dress shirt she was sporting certainly looked like it came from the wardrobe of our favorite blonde CEO.
Let's not forget, we were the first to report that these two lovebirds have been seeing each other. Although neither party has made their relationship official, Fields did recently split from her fiancée, Paige McCullers, who is currently taking a mental health break.
Rumors are swirling that Fields was at the studio to record an interview about her relationship with DiLaurentis. Some fans even believe that Alison herself might be making a visit to the studio soon!
But sports fans have their own theories. Many speculate that Fields was there to announce her retirement, following her less-than-stellar comeback performance. Others suggest it could be just another interview for the National Swim Team. Long-time fans know that Fields is close friends with reporter Aria Montgomery, who works for the Rosewood Observer.
Whatever the reason, one thing is clear: something big is brewing, and we're here to bring you the scoop first-hand. Stay tuned for updates, because this is one splash you won't want to miss!
After her phone call with Lorenzo, Alison sulked in bed a little longer, the weight of her decision pressing heavily on her chest. She had resolved to tell Emily the truth tonight, no matter the cost. The risk of losing Emily's trust was immense, but Alison knew their relationship had to be built on a foundation of honesty.
Shaking off her self-loathing thoughts, Alison got up and dressed for another day at the CIA. Their investigation had taken an intriguing turn. They all knew Dunhill wasn't funding the drug operations himself, but discovering a senator's involvement was unexpected.
Alison didn't know much about Senator Ezra Fitz beyond his political career. A Democrat with a strong following in Pennsylvania despite being from New York, Fitz was popular, especially among female voters. He didn't seem any shadier than the average politician, and Alison found it hard to imagine him being involved in a drug trafficking scheme that included doping America's greatest swimmer.
Pushing these thoughts aside, Alison shot Emily a quick text before grabbing her burner phone and heading out. She hoped Emily would update her once she arrived at the studio but understood she might be busy.
"Hope you have a wonderful interview today. You're amazing, sweetie, never forget that!"
Alison buried her phone deep in her purse and drove to the CIA headquarters, her mind a whirlwind of thoughts about Emily, the investigation, and the impending revelations.
Spencer ambushed Alison as soon as she arrived at the CIA office.
"Alison! Lorenzo told me you're planning to tell Emily everything."
Alison huffed. Of course Lorenzo would tell Spencer. "I don't know why he told you something I mentioned in confidence."
"We're in this together, Ali. You're not the only one at risk."
"If you're gonna try to talk me out of it, don't even bother. I've made up my mind."
"I'm not trying to talk you out of it," Spencer said, stepping back a bit. "I just want to make sure you understand the implications."
Alison took a deep breath. "I know the implications of not telling her."
"Ali, we knew the risks when we took this job."
"I can't keep this secret anymore, Spencer. It's killing me!"
"Okay, okay," Spencer relented upon seeing how affected Alison was by the situation.
"How would you feel if you had to keep a secret like this from Wren?"
"Ali, he's my husband," Spencer argued. "Unless… you want to propose to Emily?!"
Alison stumbled back a bit and allowed herself to imagine a future with Emily. She'd buy her the flashiest diamond ring she could find. They would get married on the beach, because Emily loves the water and Alison loves making Emily happy. They'd go to Paris on their honeymoon because it's the city of love and Emily would look so good on top of the Eiffel Tower. And then maybe they'd have a family of their own. Alison would love to have a kid who looked just like Emily running around the house.
"Alison!" Spencer snapped her out of her daydream.
"I'm not proposing now. But yes, I feel like we could be heading there. I need her to trust me, and I can't do that with this secret hanging over me."
Spencer smiled nervously. "I can't believe how much you've changed."
"What?" Alison frowned in confusion.
"Ali, not even a year ago you were bragging about your body count," Spencer reminded her. "And now you're talking about settling down and getting married."
Alison took a moment to absorb what Spencer said. She knew Emily had changed her, but she hadn't realized how quickly. And she didn't regret it. She was pushing herself to be a better person — someone Emily deserved. That definitely wasn't Paige, and Alison would forever work on herself to keep her place in Emily's life.
"Ladies, this conversation is fun, but we have a crime to solve," Lorenzo chimed in, making his presence known. He had listened to a good deal of their conversation. "What do you know about Senator Ezra Fitz?"
"He's from the Fitzgerald family but broke away from them due to political divergences. He made his career here in Pennsylvania and built quite a community in Rosewood. He hasn't been involved in any scandals before this," Spencer replied, having obviously researched him for their job.
"Also, I think he's in a relationship with Aria Montgomery," Alison added. "I remember seeing them together at some parties."
"Aria's about the same age as us, so there's a considerable age gap between them," Spencer concluded.
"Great, he's a politician in a relationship with a journalist. Way to make our lives easier," Lorenzo quipped. "Any chance she's also involved?"
"She does have a lot of access to athletes. Perks of her job," Alison mused. "But she's a journalist, not a doctor. She probably doesn't have enough intel to make the drugs."
"I agree with Ali," Spencer nodded. "Aria doesn't fit the MO."
"So, Dunhill sold the drugs, and Fitz funded the whole scheme. But who was actually making the drugs?" Lorenzo wondered out loud.
"We need to talk to Fitz. That's the only way to figure it out," Alison suggested.
"Ali, he's a politician," Spencer pointed out. "We can't lock him in a room and make him talk."
Then, Alison had an idea. "But we can threaten to leak the story to the press. That would do a lot of damage to his image and his future campaigns."
Spencer stared at her as if she was crazy, while Lorenzo only sighed. "Ali's right. We need to make him talk. Let's give him some incentive."
They all drove to the apartment (Alison and Spencer under their disguises) where Fitz lived in Rosewood to talk to him. But Ezra Fitz wasn't there. Neither was Aria Montgomery.
As they stood outside the empty apartment, Alison's — currently Vivian's — frustration boiled over. "This is just great," she muttered, pacing back and forth in the dimly lit hallway. "We finally get a lead, and he's nowhere to be found."
Alex pulled out her phone, scrolling through her contacts. "We need to find out where he is. Maybe someone at his office knows his schedule. I'll have Mona give them a call."
Lorenzo glanced around the quiet hallway, his instincts on high alert. "Keep your voices down. We don't want to tip anyone off that we're onto him."
Alex texted Mona for help and then turned to Vivian. "What about Aria Montgomery? Maybe we could check on her too."
"She's currently in an interview with Emily Fields at the Rosewood Observer's studio," Vivian replied, making a mental note to check in with Emily as soon as she finished her job. "Emily's not replying, so I don't think they have a signal in there."
"Just lovely," Lorenzo smirked, and then Alex's phone buzzed in her pocket.
"It's Mona," Alex said. "She talked to Wesley Fitzgerald, Ezra's younger brother. According to him, Ezra didn't show up in Congress this week. He wasn't in New York either. Seems like Wesley and his family believed that Ezra was in Rosewood."
"Did he mention Aria Montgomery?" Lorenzo asked. Alex texted his question back to Mona. A few seconds later, she read the text out loud. "He said he didn't talk to Aria and that they're not close anyway."
"He ran away," Vivian huffed, running a hand over her brown wig over her blonde hair. "He probably hit the road the second the information about Rollins was out."
"We can catch him," Lorenzo assured her. "A senator can't just run away and disappear."
"I'll have Mona run checks on every vehicle Ezra owns," Alex suggested. "This way we'll know for sure if he used one of them to run away."
"He may have taken the train. Ezra is not stupid," Vivian pointed out.
"Don't worry, we'll try to cover all our bases," Lorenzo tried to maintain an uplifting attitude. "He can't escape."
Vivian wasn't so sure about that. She had a gnawing feeling in her gut that they were missing something, a piece of the puzzle that hadn't fallen into place yet. The nagging doubt refused to leave her as they stood there, contemplating their next move.
Back in the office and out of her disguise, Alison and the other CIA agents frantically chased any leads on Ezra Fitz's whereabouts. Mona had run checks on every vehicle he owned, but one was parked in his Rosewood apartment garage and the others stored away in New York. They had checked cameras at bus stops and train stations with no luck. No one from Fitz's team had offered any information. In their desperation, they had Mona hack into his bank account, but all they did find was that it had been wiped out.
Ezra Fitz had essentially become a ghost.
Alison was exhausted by the end of the day. So exhausted that she didn't remember to check up on Emily. With all that happened, Alison would just apologize and ask about how the interview went when they were both at home. She was so emotionally tired that she'd forgo telling Emily the truth for tonight. Maybe after they figured out where Ezra Fitz was.
But when she arrived at her apartment, drained and exhausted, she found that there was no one there. Alison immediately considered the possibility that Emily had been to her apartment, got tired of waiting, and decided to sleep it off at Hanna's instead. However, her theory was debunked when she noticed that all the objects in her apartment had remained as she left before going to the CIA earlier in the day.
Emily hadn't been there.
So, Alison decided to check on her phone. Maybe Emily had texted her to let her know that she was going to crash at Hanna's today instead or even at Aria's. Alison didn't like the idea of Emily being around Aria that much now that Ezra was involved in their case, but she'd never do anything to push her away from her friend.
But Emily hadn't texted her. Alison's mind reeled with possibilities. Maybe Emily's phone ran out of power and she had decided to go to Hanna's. Maybe that's why she wasn't communicating in the first place.
Well, there was only one way to know. Alison decided to call Hanna. The blonde picked up on the second ring, her voice slightly confused as to why her boss was calling her outside her working hours.
"Alison?"
"Hanna, is Emily at your house?"
"No, I thought she was with you."
Hanna's reply made Alison panic, but she tried to remain rational. Emily was alright, she mentally prayed. Emily was alright and just didn't have the chance to contact her yet.
"Is there any chance she's at Aria's?"
"I don't know, Ali. They haven't reached out to me today."
"Hanna, Emily hasn't checked in with me either."
The fear escalated in Hanna's voice. "It's not like her to disappear."
"I know, that's why I called you," Alison replied, struggling to stay calm. "I'm worried right now."
More like, I'm freaking out right now.
"I'll go to Aria's and see if they're there," Hanna said. "And when I find them there, I'll smack them on the face for being two stupid idiots and then I'll call you."
"Okay," Alison chuckled and prayed that Hanna's scenario would come true. "But, Hanna, if you don't find them there, please go to the police and file a missing persons report."
"Alison, you can't be serious—!"
"I absolutely hate the idea, but timing is crucial here."
Alison didn't want to say it out loud but, as a CIA agent, she knew that the more time has passed, the less likely a missing person was to be found alive.
"Okay, I promise," Hanna conceded and then Alison heard a knock on her door. She hoped it was Emily.
"I think there's someone at my door. I'll let you know if it's Emily."
"Thanks, I'll keep you posted as well."
The two blondes hung up and Alison answered her door. She immediately stumbled back and reached back for her gun only to remember that she had left hers in the car.
"Alison, we need to talk."
Jenna Marshall's unexpected presence froze Alison in place.
In the abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of Rosewood, Emily slowly regained consciousness. Her head throbbed where she had been struck, and her vision was blurry. As her surroundings came into focus, she realized she was tied to a chair in the middle of a dimly lit room. Panic surged through her, but she forced herself to stay calm and assess the situation.
"Finally, you're awake!" A voice called Emily's attention, making shivers run down her spine. The voice belonged to a figure emerging from the shadows. Emily strained to see through the dim light, but recognition struck like a bolt of lightning.
By then, she was sure she had been betrayed.
WHEN WILL EMILY CATCH A BREAK?
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