RULE #6: SHOW YOU WILL BE THERE
THE ROSEWOOD OBSERVER
AMERICA'S MERMAID EMILY FIELDS SOON TO BACK IN THE POOL
Sources claim that the Olympic champion has taken significant strides in her treatment and should swim competitively again sooner than later
Emily got home with a tingle on her lips. It took her thirty minutes to find her way back to the apartment she shared with Paige. Yet, Ali's kiss lingered on the back of her mind and Emily replayed every moment. She had never been kissed like that.
"Where were you?"
Paige burst her little bubble of happiness as soon as she walked into their apartment. Her fiancée sat on the couch with a glass of whiskey in her hands and it annoyed Emily. Paige sometimes was so up in her grill for stupid stuff, but didn't hold that standard against herself.
"Paige, you're not supposed to be drinking!"
"And you're not supposed to be going out alone, Emily!"
"You're not my keeper, Paige."
Her fiancée glared at her, taking into every part of Emily as if scanning for evidence. Of what? Emily had no idea. But it made her angry that Paige was the one who cheated and yet she was the one demanding faithfulness and loyalty.
"You were with Alison DiLaurentis, weren't you?" Paige accused and Emily gasped in shock. How did she find out? She hadn't told Paige about her agreement with Alison, which makes Emily wonder if anyone had seen her go to Ali's apartment.
"Yes," She tried to answer without stuttering, "Why?"
"Wow," Paige snorted, "Her visits to our training facilities have been paying off. Has she fucked you already?!"
"What?!" Emily yelled back, outraged that her fiancée thought so low about her, like she was an object instead of a person. "Paige, she's just a friend."
Friends don't kiss each other but Emily omitted that part. And wasn't Paige the one who started it when she cheated on her with Shana, aka, their teammate?
Paige stood from the couch and walked to Emily, her brown eyes so dark that the injured swimmer feared she might hit her or something. But Paige never did that. She just whispered:
"Alison's gonna fuck you and drop you. And then you'll come running back to me."
Emily had never believed that Paige could pour that much venom in her words. It turned out she didn't know her own fiancée that well. Paige slammed Emily's injured shoulder on purpose as she walked past her wife to their bedroom. Emily dared not follow her. She slept on the couch instead, despite the injury on her shoulder.
Emily still had Paige's words wrapped around her brain on the next day. She knew all too well that Alison was a player. Yet, there was something in the way Alison treated her that led Emily to believe there might be something more in between them.
She immediately shook her head, feeling foolish for falling for the tricks of a seductress.
She stopped at The Brew for a muffin when a blond boy holding a muddy soccer ball popped out of nowhere and ran into her, staining her favorite jeans jacket. It kind of annoyed Emily because, well, The Brew isn't exactly the best place for children to be running around with a soccer ball in hands, but it wasn't like her to go off for something so minor either.
"Seth, you can't just run onto other people like that! I'm sorry, miss, but—" A woman followed behind him and Emily would recognize that voice anywhere. It was Alison.
Great, another coincidence, Emily running into the person who has been hunting her thoughts in the first place.
She looked at the kid and saw that his dirty blonde hair looked quite similar to Alison's. Was this boy related to Ali somehow? Could he be her secret son or something? Alison didn't look like a kids type of person, but Emily knew she was bisexual and maybe had an ex-boyfriend or something. The media would love a story about Alison DiLaurentis' secret son.
"Ali?" Emily called her and the blonde finally recognized her as well.
"Em?" Alison gasped when she saw whom Seth had run onto. She couldn't believe in that happy coincidence too.
It's the first time she and Emily saw each other after the kiss. Emily still had a tingle on her lips and Alison felt an unfamiliar — though not unwanted — warmth expanding through her chest. It was the first time that she felt anything like that after kissing someone and this feeling scared her, yet made her want to explore it even further.
They both stared at each other awkwardly, not knowing what to say or how to start a conversation.
"Oh my God, this is Emily Fields!" Seth inadvertently broke the tension between them, "Aunt Ali, why didn't you tell me you knew her?"
Emily laughed at Seth poking his "Aunt Ali". She didn't know Alison had such an adorable nephew or that she was an aunt in the first place. She sighed in relief, though, that Alison didn't have a secret son from a long lost ex-boyfriend. The media vultures could rest now.
"Uh... Because I've just started to work with her now," Alison awkwardly rubbed the back of her head and Emily decided to come to her rescue. It was endearing to see her lose her base in front of that little boy.
"I can give you an autograph if you want, Seth," Emily offered then.
The boy's eyes sparkled, "Really?!"
"Sure!"
Emily winked and Seth tugged Ali's hand repeatedly, which the brunette thought to be adorable.
"Aunt Ali, Emily is gonna give me an autograph!"
Alison laughed and thanked Emily with a discreet wink, "Not now, though. You're gonna apologize first and then I'll take you home to Aunt Mary."
Emily had no idea who "Aunt Mary" was, but she supposed it was the aunt that had adopted Alison and her siblings per what Hanna had told her.
Seth blushed, suddenly reminded that Emily's jacket was dirty because of him and his muddy soccer ball. Emily had forgotten that her favorite jacket had been ruined because of that little accident. It had all been forgiven.
"Sorry," He bent reverently in front of Emily, who giggled at his antics.
"That's okay. I've got plenty of these jackets anyway."
It was a lie, but Emily didn't have it in her heart to say otherwise to Seth.
"Do you need another one? It's pretty chilly outside," Alison quickly offered.
"I'll be fine," Emily tried to dismiss it, but Alison was faster: she slid out her beige leather jacket and handed it to Emily.
"Ali, you didn't have to—" Emily blushed deeply at the gesture, but removed her mud-stained jacket and put on Ali's anyway. The blonde's sweet perfume immediately surrounded her and Emily suddenly felt so at ease. She felt like a teenage girl feeling on top of the world just because her lame boyfriend gave her his jacket.
"Ali! I've been looking for you everywhere!"
A tall brunette quickly joined them. Emily recognized her as the woman Hanna had been talking to in the last two parties they went to.
The tall woman looked at both Emily and Alison and frowned when she saw that the swimmer was wearing the blonde's jacket. Alison bit her lip and coughed awkwardly to break the tension.
"What is it, Spence?"
Spence? Spencer? It was good to put a name to that face, especially since Hanna seemed to know her. Then, suddenly it clicked. Alison had mentioned Spencer to her before. It was something about her being the Juridic Director of the Carissimi Group.
"I've got something to tell you. We gotta go!" Spencer seemed in a hurry, but Alison apparently didn't want to leave so soon. Emily found that weird, especially since Spencer didn't seem to want to discuss the issue in front of her. Maybe it was a corporate secret or something.
"Now?!" Alison glanced pointedly at Emily.
"Now!" Spencer urges and Ali runs her hand through her hair.
"Okay, but I have to drive Seth to Aunt Mary's first."
She looks back at Emily one last time for the day and waves, "See you tomorrow, Em."
"See you," Emily waved back, wishing her heart would stop with the somersaults in her chest after seeing Alison unexpectedly.
Seth, however, didn't move. He glanced at the two of them back and forth before popping out the question:
"Are you Aunt Ali's girlfriend?"
Emily had never seen Alison blushing, but she was right now. She would've mocked the blonde if she weren't trying to find a place to hide as well. Spencer, on the other hand, was laughing her ass off.
Alison coughed once again and tugged the boy by the hand:
"No, Seth. Emily's engaged to someone else," She pointed at Emily's diamond ring — the one Emily had forgotten about, "Now let's go!" Alison ushered Seth and Spencer by the door before they could cause any more embarrassment.
Emily stared at her engagement ring and, for the first time, she wished it wasn't on her finger.
With some luck, Alison managed to drop Seth at Mary's before he could make more inconvenient questions. Then, she had to deal with Spencer, her partner in crime and forever pain in the ass.
"What was that about, Spencer?" Alison asked once they got back into her car. Spencer's snickers echoed through her mind. It wasn't that she was ashamed that Seth thought she and the swimmer were dancing. But whatever she and Emily had felt private and Alison felt the need to protect that.
"Calm down, Romeo!" Spencer laughed off, but Alison ignored her joke.
"Why did you whisk me away like that?"
"Because, unlike you, I've actually done some research first. Elliott Rollins is not who he says he is. Actually, there is an Elliott Rollins, but he died five years ago and I'm pretty sure he was a nice old man, not a sexy young doctor."
"The USA team's doctor is using a fake identity?!"
Spencer gave her a file on the original Elliott Rollins. It surprised Alison how his specialty was psychiatry and not sports medicine, which made her wonder how the swim team had let it pass them by.
"There's more. I've searched on Interpol's most wanted database and I found a match. The name is Archer Dunhill. He's a Scotch drug dealer better known for his ability to steal someone else's identity when he had to run."
Spencer showed Alison another file, this one of Archer Dunhill's profile on Interpol. It was a match. He had the same brown hair, the same brown eyes and the same charming smile he always wore.
"Oh my God! That's definitely him!"
"Now we have warrant material."
Then it all came crashing down on Alison. Archer wasn't a doctor, so it meant that he could be injecting all kinds of wrong stuff into Emily's shoulder. Just the thought of that gave her the creeps.
She promised herself she wouldn't let Archer Dunhill escape.
"No, a search warrant is not enough. We have to arrest him. If we don't, he'll just run away like always and, bam, there goes our case," Alison frowned.
"I can prove that he's Archer Dunhill. If I do, we can totally arrest him," Spencer gave Alison that look. As much as they clashed head to head as partners, they still worked together for a reason: whenever in need, they put their skills to use and arrested criminals. Together, they were almost invincible.
And no one was going to stop them now, not when Spencer had a legit motive for an arrest and when Alison had someone to fight for.
The fire Emily ignited in her took her by surprise. Alison was used to shallow relationships: she liked the chase and the excitement of a new toy. However, she knew it all fizzled out with time, at least from her side.
The way Emily made her feel was different. There was definitely attraction and chemistry between them, but there was something more. Alison felt strangely protective of the swimmer despite knowing that she was engaged to someone else. Emily was an amazing person who deserved so much more than Paige and Alison herself.
"We're going to the headquarters," Alison said as she revved up the engine and drove, trying to conceal her thoughts from Spencer.
But Spencer always read her like a book.
"What's going on between you and Emily?"
"We're friends. We grew closer because we started to work together," Alison lied despite knowing that she wouldn't be able to fool Spencer. Her friend had the annoying combination of sense and sensibility.
"Come on, Ali, even Seth picked up that there's something else going on between you two," Spencer quipped. "Does it have to do with the fact that you won't let me have a look through her contract?"
"No, it's not that!" Alison couldn't show Spencer that contract because it could potentially expose Emily. "We just clicked."
"Ali, you don't click with anyone," Spencer suddenly reminded her. "Is she the reason why you've stopped with your sexcapades?"
"Spencer, what the hell?!"
"Come on, I'm a married woman, I have to live through you vicariously."
Spencer was married to a doctor named Wren Kingston. To be fair, Alison wasn't his biggest fan in the beginning. Wren and Spencer started their relationship in the worst way possible. The Hastings had always harbored competition and jealousy between Spencer and Melissa, her sister. It came to the point that Spencer hooked up with one of Melissa's ex-boyfriends, Ian, which awarded her an earful from Alison. Plus, Ian was a creep. She doesn't know how he's still coaching women's teams at pro-level. She hopes one day they can prove just how much of a douchebag Ian is. But he always switched teams every time allegations were close to coming to light.
The "stealing-your-boyfriend" pattern Spencer developed through the years repeated with Wren, who used to be Melissa's fiancé. All their parents did was blame Spencer for Melissa's romântico fiascos whole conveniently forgetting that Spencer had been a minor in many of these occasions, so maybe they should've blamed the douchebags who would flirt with their girlfriend's younger sister instead.
When Melissa brought Wren to Rosewood and introduced him to his family, he and Spencer clicked immediately. She had started her CIA training and had actually been working through her unhealthy attachments to older men connected to her sister in therapy. But Wren had been different.
At first, Alison thought that Wren could be just a positive influence to Spencer in her family. He was different from Melissa's exes. There was a flame about him and something about his quirky sense of humor. He wasn't a perfectionist and lived life as it was.
For good and for worse, Wren and Spencer ended up falling for each other. Alison can't blame Wren, really. Who would choose Melissa when Spencer was right there? Spencer wasn't nearly as problematic as her sister and she had actually put in the work to be a better person and break away from her family trauma.
But it was one of the worst ways possible to begin a relationship. Of course, the Hastings kicked Spencer out of their house and moved to DC in an attempt to suffocate the scandal. The situation wasn't pretty, but they always made things worse. Spencer was a wreck after that, Wren took responsibility for that and stayed by her side ever since. It was so refreshing to watch their dynamics. Wren respected and admired Spencer not only for her smarts, but for the woman she was. And he knew how to comfort her whenever her self-criticism kicked in.
"Maybe I just decided to focus on my work," Alison tried to convince Spencer that there wasn't anything going on between her and Emily.
"Ali, you loved to have casual sex and now you're blushing at the idea of dating Emily. You like her and the sooner you admit that, the better."
"Spencer, she's engaged to someone else."
"That never stopped you before. And I wasn't talking about her feelings, I was talking about yours."
Spencer was right, like always. Alison had played with married people in the past if the attraction was mutual. She even felt proud about it, like that was proof that she was so attractive that even married people couldn't resist her.
"Emily is different, okay?" Alison admitted. "She's such a good person that I would feel guilty about meddling with her relationship just to fulfill my desires."
"So, you admit that you're attracted to her at least?"
"Of course, I am! Are you blind, Spencer?"
"No, I'm just straight," Spencer smirked. "But I see what you see in her. Emily is beautiful and Hanna says that she's a sweetheart."
"See? That's why I can't play with her, Spence!"
"Then don't play with her. Show her how you feel and let her make her choice."
Alison swallowed hard. The idea of being open and vulnerable about her own feelings was scary. Emily seemed so set on saving her engagement that Alison was pretty sure that she would run for the hills if Alison made a move. They had kissed, but Emily might have dismissed that as part of their agreement.
"I'll try," Alison promised Spencer and herself.
Emily would never admit that she loved it when Alison borrowed her jacket. She appreciated the gesture and liked Ali's perfume wrapped all around her. Come to think about it, she can't even remember the last time Paige did something like this to her. She couldn't remember when was the last time Paige had felt as safe as Alison feels.
Little did Emily know that the borrowed jacket would give her a massive headache the following morning, just before they were heading out for swim practice.
She had left Ali's jacket near the couch, where she was still sleeping. Paige hadn't relented on letting her back into their bedroom, not even with her injured shoulder and her upcoming swim meet.
"Whose jacket is this?" Paige asked when she spotted Ali's jacket. "Don't say it's yours because I know it isn't."
Emily had planned on giving it back to Alison as soon as possible, but didn't count on Paige being so observant. She forgot that Paige knew by heart everything Emily had on her closet, which wasn't much, to be fair.
"It's from a friend," Emily didn't exactly lie. Alison was her friend after all, "I spilled coffee on my jacket and she gave hers to me because it was raining yesterday. It's not a big deal."
"Which friend, Emily?"
"Does it really matter, Paige?"
"It's Alison's, isn't it?! You've been to her house!" Paige accused and Emily blushed. In a way, Paige was right but Ali's intentions were the best when she gave her that jacket. And they weren't at her house at that time.
But Emily had kissed Alison and liked it. And she felt guilty about it despite Paige being the one who cheated first.
"Alison gave me her jacket, Paige! So what?!" Emily shouted back, "How long has it been since YOU did something like that?!"
"It's not like you're trying, Emily!" Paige tried to pin all of their problems back on her. "You don't even dress up for me anymore!"
Trying? Emily was taking seduction classes for Paige but it didn't matter. Paige would never know this and she probably didn't care anymore. And Emily was tired of always taking the blame whenever they had an argument. She wanted to blow up on Paige, but there wasn't enough for that right now. They had practice and Emily had an upcoming swim meet, her first one ever since she got injured.
"Whatever, let's talk about this later," Emily just shrugged, "We're going to be late for practice."
She grabbed her things and didn't look back to see if Paige was following her.
Things in the CIA weren't going as fast as Alison would've liked. Just as she and Spencer were about to turn in evidence to put Archer behind bars, Lorenzo had to step away for an urgent case possibly related to terrorism. Charlotte says even she hasn't spoken to her husband these days and it was making her worried.
Alison was trying to hold back and go by the book this time because she really wanted this guy to be arrested. She had a terrible feeling about the drugs he was using for Emily's treatment. The more she thought about it, the more she was sure that either he messed up with Emily or that she had been an unwilling guinea pig for his schemes.
Still, she had events to attend in her real life as a businesswoman and those included Emily's first swim competition after her injury. Alison was there to check how her suits were performing and to support Emily, who was now Focus D's new face.
She was sitting quietly by the stands when another woman approached her. It was that journalist, Aria Montgomery. Alison didn't really care for her, but she had a feeling that Aria always knew more than she let on.
"Alison! Can I have a word?" Aria approached her in a way that Alison knew she would have no escape.
"You wouldn't let me leave here without a quote, huh?"
"Probably not," Aria chuckled. "What are your expectations for your suit?"
"I hope it's comfortable and boosts Emily's performance. Not that she actually needs it," Alison winked playfully. It wasn't like she could say anything more specific about the suits. She was a businesswoman, not a specialist. Her real talent laid on spotting people could solve her problems. She was pretty sure Hanna could mention every single fact about Emily's suit, since she was the one who designed it, with the help of their sports team, of course.
"And what are your expectations for Emily's first time back in the pool after her accident? I mean, now that she's the new face of your brand."
That question took her slightly by surprise, but Alison masked it so well. To be fair, all she wanted Emily to do was to have fun doing what she loves. However, that answer was far too simplistic for an interview.
"I want her to keep doing her best and sweep America off our feet just like she has done in the past."
"That was great, Alison. Thank you!" Aria said and Alison thought she was done with her interview when another bomb came. "I've seen you two get a little too close at the Focus D party. It wouldn't be good for Emily if people thought she was cheating on Paige with you."
"Aria, what are you implying?"
What Alison really wanted to ask was: who the fuck do you think you are? That boarded on unprofessional and unethical from Aria's side.
"It would be a good idea to stay away from her, Alison. Emily doesn't need any more drama in her life right now and I am a journalist, which means I know all about your flings."
Alison squinted her eyes as she spoke, "My relationship with Emily is purely professional."
"And I hope it stays that way."
"Are you saying that as Emily's friend or as a journalist? I can literally sue you if you came up with any crazy story to drive me away from her," Alison threatened and meant it. She knew Emily was friends with Aria, but some journalists were treacherous enough to throw their own loved ones under the bus for a good story. Alison hoped Aria wasn't like that because she would do everything in her power to protect Emily from the media's backlash.
"That's for me to know and for you to figure out, Alison," Aria replied cryptically, giving one last glare before leaving.
While Alison was talking to Aria, Emily was in the zone before her first swim competition after her injury. She plugged on her earphones and streamed some upbeat music to get her in the rhythm. She did her warm-ups and stretched, feeling that slight tension she always felt before swimming.
Still, Emily felt something was wrong.
Her shoulder still felt off. She tried to push that thought away, pinning it on her nerves doing the talk. She was still recovering after all and her upper body strength would come back eventually.
Soon, she and the other swimmers were all on their marks at the pool. This was weaker competition than Emily was used to, meaning it was a great opportunity for her to get back on track.
Emily jumped into the pool as soon as she heard the shot announcing the race had started. Her reaction time was fast; maybe not her fastest, but it was within her expectations for her first race back on track. Her gliding underwater was also on point. Her legs still had the same kicking power as before and her breathing pattern was good.
Still, her right shoulder and her right arm just weren't doing it. Emily felt like she had lost all her strength and burst power and she continued on the race for the sake of competing or the pain would've made her quit already. It was slowing her down. Emily tried to keep up with her legs only, but her competition caught up to her. She finished fourth and felt like a disappointment.
As soon as she got out of the pool, all she could hear was the whispers:
"Maybe she rushed her rehabilitation, she's clearly not ready."
"Definitely not the welcome back party Emily Fields wanted."
"Now, I hear rumors of retirement. Emily really busted that shoulder on that accident. It's sad, but things like that happen sometimes. All heroes are meant to fade."
Emily felt small, despite being the greatest swimmer of America in her time. She rushed back to the changing room so she wouldn't have to hear any more of it.
All Emily wanted to do was skip her press conference and go home and curl up against her pillow. But she was contractually obliged to attend the conference, so she had no other choice but to put on the best face she could muster right now.
Then Alison showed up, strolling down the halls as if she owned the place (which, knowing the blonde, she might as well own that gymnasium along with half of Rosewood). Emily had no idea what Alison was doing there. She supposed it had something to do with her being endorsed by Focus D, though Emily doubted Alison made a point to attend every press conference in which her brands' ambassadors took part in.
Still, Alison took a seat and motioned for Emily to take the one beside her as well. She still didn't know what was going on, but Ali's presence was somewhat comforting.
"Thanks everyone for coming," Alison started. "You may wonder why I am here. As Emily's sponsor, I will be supporting her in a few press conferences from now and on and I feel like some of your questions should be addressed to me instead. You may start."
Someone from the meet's actual PR team sent the reporters a sign and the press conference officially started. Emily took a deep breath as she waited for the lions to come for her throat.
"Emily, what do you have to say about your underwhelming performance today?", asked one sports reporter from the Rosewood Observer. Emily thought Aria was supposed to be covering that meet, but maybe the paper sent someone else and this only made her even more stressed.
The swimmer felt like she had been punched straight in the gut. It was taking everything in her not to get up and leave right now in the middle of a panic attack.
Something about her body language must've told her off because Alison placed a calming hand on her knee. Her grip was firm and not unwelcome. It helped Emily disconnect from the dread she was feeling.
She took deep breaths and the desire to bolt out of the room began to fizzle out. Emily was a shy person, so this wasn't her first panic attack during a press conference. She remembered having one just after she turned pro. The PR team who worked with her at the time advised her to take deep breaths and reminded her that it was nothing to be ashamed of and that she was going to be okay. So, Emily developed the ability to work through her panic attacks. She just hadn't had one so intense in a very long time.
Emily realized she had left the reporter hanging without an answer a second too long and finally spoke up:
"I think everything went according to the plan. I'm still recovering and I'm pretty sure I will improve in the following meets."
She had rehearsed that one answer with the national swim team PR team. They had foreseen Emily might be asked this if her first performances after her injury were subpar. Honestly, Emily was glad she made it a point to memorize that answer because it meant she didn't have to think that much.
"Do you feel like you rushed your way through recovery and went back to the pool before you were ready?" A reporter from the Philadelphia Inquirer asked.
"Like I said, it's all going according to the plan."
That was another rehearsed answer. No athlete would ever admit to being rushed back into action and, to be fair, that didn't happen to Emily. Her recovery was following her team's plan despite the ongoing pain on her shoulder that they brushed off as something she needed to work through.
"Also, the swimsuit might have hindered her performance a bit," Alison quipped, leaving Emily surprised. "We might have to make adjustments."
All journalists stared at Alison as she spoke. She was a businesswoman admitting that her product might not be perfect. Gosh, Emily could see Alison's PR team entering in panic mode because of it.
Plus, her swimsuit was far from the reason Emily failed at the pool today. In fact, it was the best suit Emily had ever used. But Emily knew it was not the time to compliment on Focus D's suit. She understood what Alison had done. By giving a clip she knew the media wanted, Alison derailed all the attention to herself, effectively protecting Emily from the media harassment.
"So, you're admitting that Focus D is not at an elite level right now?" Someone from the New York Times asked, thinking they probably had the scoop of the year. Emily could already picture the headlines: Alison DiLaurentis admits her Focus D swimsuits are far from perfect.
"Focus D is an amazing swimsuit. You can ask other swimmers, they'll tell you that. But we can always improve and do better. We'll make adjustments so our athletes can excel doing what they love the most," Alison answered without breaking a sweat. She didn't care about bringing unwanted attention to her own company or creating a potential media crisis.
One of the reasons the CIA loved to work with Alison was that she was a pro at reading body language. Alison could read people very easily, which helped her both in the investigation scene and in the corporate world. She could always figure out what people wanted before they even mentioned it to them.
Plus, it wasn't like Emily really made an effort to hide. Everyone knew she was a nervous wreck after her performance today. The journalists had all been circling her like vultures pecking on each other to see who dug the best story first. Aria, the only reporter who might have been friendly towards Emily, had gone missing from that conference.
When she saw Emily panic, Alison decided she would help her through that conference. Emily was amazing. She was truly a warrior. She had swum through pain and injury. Thus, the blonde decided that Emily deserved a little piece of mind and Alison would give her that.
"Alison, is Focus D reconsidering the decision to have Emily Fields as their face?" A blogger from Rosewood Hawks asked. Emily knew him. He would always instigate and try to be polemic in order to get a quote. Some younger athletes fell to his cheap tricks, but Emily knew better by now. "My sources have claimed that she is considering retiring," he added.
Emily just hoped that Alison knew better too. The glint in her icy blue eyes meant she was this close to snapping his neck with her bare hands.
And Alison was. The only thing that stopped her was Emily's hand squeezing her own, suddenly reminding that she couldn't bring any more negative attention to this conference. She needed to bring more positive facts to the table, or so would say her PR team.
So, Alison seized that opportunity to list every quality Emily had:
"Emily Fields has everything our brand wants in an ambassador. She's an elite athlete with strong ties to our country and she's a fighter. Her injury was devastating and she's still pulling through and doing everything she can to follow her dreams. Personally, I don't care that she was fourth in this race. Emily showed grit and persistence by swimming today. Sports shouldn't only be about winning. It should be about the inspiring stories that uplift us and drive us to keep trying. And Emily did that today."
The room burst in a round of applause and Emily was at wonder. She had no idea that Alison had such a positive view on her. No one had stood up for her like that. She stared at the blonde in bewilderment and then melted when Alison smiled right back at her.
"By the way, this conference is over," Alison said as she grabbed the mic before rising from her seat and dragging Emily along with her to the exit.
The journalists made a fuss about it, but they let the PR team handle that mess.
"Ali, you don't have to do this," Emily said as Alison gave her a ride to her apartment. "I'm okay, really. This isn't the first time I do below average in the pool."
"Like I said, I don't care that you finished fourth in the race, Em. But you were in pain, I could see that much."
Alison knew what it was like to be out there with an injury or in pain. She had been shot during her CIA missions sometimes; fortunately, her wounds hadn't been that bad, but they still had hurt, especially when she needed to move around, which was often the case in the middle of a shootout or during a stake.
Therefore, she knew when someone was pushing through their pain and that was exactly what Emily had done in the pool. Alison had watched her swim before and she could see that Emily lacked arm strength because of her injury. She could see that her shoulder was really giving her a hard time and it was enough to make her wonder about whatever treatment that creep Archer was giving Emily. It gave Ali the creeps and she silently prayed that Lorenzo would come back to Rosewood soon so they could throw Archer in jail.
"How did you know?" Emily asked, surprised at Ali's insightfulness. She thought she had masked her pain well.
"Emily, please. I wouldn't have been a successful business owner if I didn't have a good eye. I've watched your tape, I know there was something holding you back today."
"I don't know why, my shoulder doesn't seem to be improving," Emily complained on the verge of tears. "Maybe I'm doing something wrong."
There went Emily again. Alison had no idea why the swimmer couldn't see what an amazing person she was and would always take the blame for things that aren't outside her control. Paige sucked, yet Emily was trying so hard to save their relationship. Archer sucked, yet Emily would rather blame herself for not improving than seek a second opinion.
"Sweetie, I know you well enough to know that you're following whatever what Ar— I mean, Rollins is saying. But if it isn't working out, then you should seek another opinion."
"I don't know, Ali…"
"Spencer is married to a doctor. I'm gonna ask him for a recommendation," Alison spoke mostly to herself. Talking to Wren about this wasn't a bad idea after all. She definitely trusted Wren more than she trusted Archer.
"I don't understand this," Emily whined.
"What don't you understand?"
"Why are you going out of your way to help me? I know we have our… arrangement, but still…"
"Why do I get the feeling that you're not used to being cared for?" Alison snorted.
"What do you mean?"
"Emily, I'm doing those things because I care for you. I knew you'd be upset after what happened in the pool and I figured that you'd rather not be alone in that press conference, so that's why I tagged along. What I can't understand is why Paige isn't doing those things instead and why you let her get away with mediocrity."
Alison wanted to punch Paige so bad. She had a woman like Emily Fields in her arms and didn't worship the ground she walked on. If Alison had Emily instead, she'd make sure Emily was cared for and had only the very best.
She clenched the wheel as she drove. Emily was making her challenge everything Alison had set on stone for her life. She was supposed to be the cool aunt, the one who never got married, but got all the hot babes in town. And she'd be fine, really. But now Alison was wishing she was the one who got to marry Emily instead.
"Ali, like I told you before, I believe in mending relationships," Emily insisted more out of habit than of conviction.
"Emily, I'm not disputing that. It's okay to fight for your relationship. But is Paige fighting for you as well?"
The question sent Emily into a spiral. Yes, they were having more arguments than usual and there were times Paige scared her despite never being aggressive. And Alison was right: Emily had tried to fight for their relationship, but she wasn't seeing much from Paige's side.
Their last argument about Ali giving Emily her jacket had been the last straw. Emily had asked: when was the last time Paige had done something like that? Had she ever? Emily wasn't sure.
Still, a slight part of her blamed herself for her failed engagement.
"Maybe if I did more to be enough for her she wouldn't have cheated on me," she whispered, hoping it was low enough for Alison to miss it.
It wasn't.
"Emily, for fuck's sake!" Alison slammed her hands against the wheel as she lashed out. "Paige cheated on you because she's a fucking dick. You're an accomplished athlete, you're gorgeous, and you're a goddess, so stop accepting her breadcrumbs! If you were my fianceé, I would make you feel special every fucking day and thank God for giving me the chance to spend my life with you!"
Her rant startled Emily. She didn't expect Alison to be so passionate about her love life or about love in general. Her last phrase echoed through her mind. It gave Emily a tiny bit of hope that maybe Alison wasn't a heartless bitch and that a girl could dream. This slope was treacherous, Emily knew. But she would take what Alison would give her.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to intrude," Alison whispered a little out of breath after her rant. She was so angry that Paige couldn't see what she had in Emily. In fact, she was so angry that she had let all her thoughts slip by her tongue and effectively exposed herself to Emily. "It just hurts to see how much you demean yourself."
"Alison, pull over the car."
The blonde obeyed right on the spot. Her hands shook. God, she overstepped their boundaries and now Emily was going to walk out of her car and—
Emily unbuckled her seatbelt and kissed her. Alison was too startled to react at first, but kissed her back with the same passion. Emily unbuckled the blonde's seatbelt too and was almost on her lap, grabbing her by the lapels of her blazer. It felt like Emily wanted to devour her.
Alison wrapped her arms around her and slowed down their kiss. She was breathless.
"Did you mean it?" Emily whispered against her lips.
"Every word."
"Paige didn't even text me to check if I was okay," Emily mumbled as she looked down and Alison knew she didn't mean to compare, but rather show why she wasn't used to feeling like she deserved the world.
"Her loss," Alison snarled and kissed Emily again before pulling her into her arms, tracing down her injured shoulder. "I'm sorry the swim meet today wasn't as good as you expected. Gosh, I hated how the reporters looked at you like you were a failure or something."
Emily pressed a shy kiss to Ali's neck, smiling softly when the blonde didn't push her away. Alison's heart was racing and Emily knew it wasn't from driving. As an athlete, she knew there were some reactions you just couldn't fake. Alison could lie and feel nothing about their kiss, but she definitely couldn't fake her racing heartbeat now. Emily knew then that their interest was mutual.
"You know how the press works, Ali," she replied, straining her ears to listen how Ali's heartbeats were slowing down in her presence.
"Doesn't mean I like it," the blonde scowled, unaware that Emily had such a grip on her, but definitely aware of how good it felt to hold her in her arms.
"Thank you for everything you've done for me today," Emily kissed her neck again, making her blush.
"It's nothing, really," Alison looked out of her window. Having Emily pressed up so close against her was making her feel things she hadn't ever felt. It was one thing to have sex with someone; it was another to feel like a ball of nerves just standing too close to them.
"I think I'll break up with Paige," Emily spoke out loud.
"Em, I don't want to meddle in your relationship —"
"You were right. I was so focused on trying to save a relationship that I didn't notice that Paige hadn't been trying in the first place and I can't fight this war alone."
"Em—"
"It's just scary… I used to think Paige and I were it, but turns out we aren't and I've been with her for so long that I don't know what it feels like to be single again."
It was true. Now Emily could see that part of the reason she held onto Paige was the belief she had to make it work with her first love. She knew that reality was much different than that: people that actually made it with their first love were rare and there was a reason for that. People change and outgrow one another and Emily thinks she's finally outgrowing Paige. But they had been together for so long that Emily didn't know what it meant to be single anymore or what to do with that part of her life that had Paige in it.
"You're not alone. I'm here for you," Alison offered as she brushed her fingers against her shoulders.
Alison had never been in a relationship. In fact, the thought of having someone so close to her emotionally scared her off. But she could show Emily how fun the single life could be. Though she imagined them doing couple things without any sort of label on them. Maybe Alison would whisk her away to Paris. Emily would look so good on top of the Eiffel Tower.
Emily had a wide smile on her lips, as if she could see exactly what Alison was picturing on her mind.
"You say I'm amazing, but you're pretty amazing yourself. Don't ever forget that," Emily made her promise. She knew that Alison went beyond the seductress who the media claimed has slept with half the people living in Hollywood. She went beyond the ice queen who ruled a business empire. And she wanted Alison to finally see that side of herself, the side that was capable of loving someone else.
Yet that made Alison feel guilty. The girl in her arms obviously loved some rose-colored version of her. But Alison had actually used their relationship to get more information for her CIA investigation. She cares for Emily, more than she actually thought she was capable of. She cares for her a lot.
Alison hopes Emily won't be disappointed when she finds out the truth.
