Chapter Text
Ezra might be dead—A might be dead—but the week that follows provides little comfort for Emily. Spencer is gone, shipped off to rehab at a time when they should all be together. Aria is a mess, of course. Hanna isn’t in much better shape than Emily herself; they’re both just trying to hold everything together. And Alison…
Ali isn’t home, they haven’t heard from her, but Emily can feel it coming; her looming presence is like a storm on the horizon. Or maybe it’s the sunshine after a long night of rain. Emily hasn’t decided yet. At first she tries to make up her mind about Alison’s imminent return, before realizing that she won’t really know how she feels until Ali is back. Not dragging Emily out of a barn for a kiss before disappearing again, not showing up in Spencer’s backyard with yet another cryptic clue, but actually back, for real.
These past two years have made it hard to think of ‘Ali’ and ‘real’ in the same sentence.
But then one day, remarkably, it is real. Pam calls Emily in the middle of the school day, breathlessly explaining that Mrs. D. is on her way to Philadelphia. Alison contacted her, she’s ready to come home.
Emily hangs up the phone without saying goodbye and spends the next ten minutes tracking down Hanna, who’s standing in the courtyard with the world’s worst poker face.
“You heard,” Emily surmises.
“Yeah,” Hanna replies. Her skin looks especially pale. “This is actually happening.”
Emily nods, wordlessly taking Hanna’s hand as they sit together at a table. Lunch doesn’t start for another fifteen minutes, but Emily doesn’t particularly care right now. Hackett wouldn’t dare give them detention for skipping class on a day like today.
“I wish Spencer were here,” Hanna murmurs. “And Aria.”
“I know. Me too.” Emily breathes in shakily. “This is what we wanted, right?”
“Right,” Hanna echoes, but she doesn’t sound certain. They don’t say much for the next few minutes, and when Paige joins them a while later, asking what’s wrong, Emily doesn’t think twice before lying to her.
--
Emily and Hanna consider camping out on the DiLaurentis porch after school, but Pam insists they come home first and give Alison and Mrs. D. some space. Emily picks at her dinner and can't focus at all on her homework. She somehow manages to wait until her mom leaves to run errands, and then Emily sneaks out and marches right over to the DiLaurentis house by herself.
There’s a single cop car out front but that’s the extent of it, which surprises Emily. Somehow when she pictured Alison’s return, the house was swarmed by police and detectives and maybe even the FBI. The yard would be swaddled in yellow tape: Danger. Do Not Cross. It was all deeply metaphorical in Emily’s head.
But instead, to Emily’s utter shock, Alison herself answers the door. Emily’s mouth drops open, every word she rehearsed completely leaving her in this moment, and Ali’s eyes immediately fill with tears. The beat seems to stretch on forever, Emily feeling completely immobilized, and then Ali is launching herself into Emily’s arms.
“It’s you,” Alison breathes wetly into Emily’s neck. “I was hoping it would be you.”
Emily does her best to swallow the gigantic lump in her throat, hugging Ali back fiercely. “I wanted to be right here when you came back,” she mumbles into Alison’s hair, which somehow still smells the same. “But I—”
“It’s fine,” Alison assures her, pulling out of the hug but still keeping an arm around Emily. “I’m so happy to see you.” She raises her other hand to Emily’s cheek, running her thumb over a tear Emily didn’t know she had shed, and it’s all so much, right at once. Emily should have waited until Hanna could be a buffer, because she’s been around Ali for all of two seconds and already she doesn’t trust herself to not do something stupid.
(But how could she wait a second longer, when Alison was here? She’s not sure she physically could have.)
“Come in,” Ali insists, pulling Emily inside. Emily does as she’s told—she always has, where Ali’s concerned—and then Mrs. D. is bustling out of the kitchen with a tight smile on her face.
“Emily,” she says warmly, or as warmly as Mrs. D. ever sounds. “How wonderful to see you.”
“I’m sorry to barge in,” Emily apologizes. “I just—”
Mrs. D. raises a hand, cutting her off. “Nonsense. Of course you needed to see Alison.” Her gaze softens, and Emily can’t help but recall their conversation just a few weeks ago. You loved her as much as I did. I wish that Ali could have returned those feelings. I couldn’t have asked for a better person to love her than you.
Emily nods, well aware that Alison is still clinging to her, and that she doesn’t really want her to let go. “Do you have to talk to the police still?” Emily asks Ali. “I noticed the cop car out front.”
Alison shakes her head. “That’s just for surveillance. They’re going to give me tonight, then tomorrow I have to answer their questions.”
“And your dad?”
Mrs. D. makes a displeased-sounding noise in the back of her throat. “I’m going to give you two some space,” she says curtly, her demeanor suddenly seeming a lot cooler. “Emily, please don’t stay too long. Alison needs her rest.”
“I won’t,” Emily assures her. Mrs. D. turns on her heal and heads back to the kitchen.
“Should I not have brought up your dad?” Emily asks quietly.
Alison shrugs. “Who knows what’s going on with them? Mom’s avoided talking about him, but he and Jason are heading here tomorrow, apparently. It didn’t take much to figure out my folks are splitting up.”
“I’m sorry,” Emily tells her.
“Don’t be,” Ali replies. “In the long run, it’s okay.” She snorts. “A lot worse has happened to me.”
“Ali,” Emily whispers, because she can’t think of anything else to say. It’s like there are too many questions in her head, and now none of them can find a way out.
“Emily,” Alison says back. There’s so much tenderness in her voice that it makes the hairs on the back of Emily’s neck stand up, and she actually shivers. Which Ali picks up on, of course, and she puts a hand on each of Emily’s shoulders, rubbing gently.
The Alison of Emily’s dreams was always mysterious and ghost-like, a sexy, cool phantom. But this Alison is solid and warm, undeniably human. Undeniably real.
“You must have a million things to ask me,” Ali recognizes, her expression growing more serious.
“Yeah,” Emily acknowledges. “But not right now.”
Alison exhales, looking relieved. “Good. Because I know my mom is going to make you leave soon, and all I want to do is be here with you. Without the questions.”
Emily studies Alison closely, looking for any trace of a lie, any sign of manipulation. Ali’s so good at it that she doesn’t leave a trail, she can spin a story without even trying. But all the same, Emily would swear she’s being genuine.
“I wish you could stay here tonight,” Alison continues. “But my mom…” She trails off, and as if on cue Mrs. D. comes bustling back from the kitchen.
“I think you’d better head home,” she advises Emily. “But thank you for stopping by.” Her eyes narrow slightly. “And I would appreciate if you girls came over one at a time.”
“Okay,” Emily replies. She catches Alison looking sharply at Mrs. D., but Emily gets it. Mrs. D. has just gotten her daughter back. She’s going to do everything in her power to avoid losing her again.
Alison pulls Emily close again, hugging her deeply before Mrs. D. can open the door. Emily pulls back first this time. “You’ll really be here again after tomorrow, right?” she asks, hating how desperate the question comes out.
Alison smiles at Emily. Not a mean girl smirk, or even a teasing grin, but a genuine smile. “I promise,” she says firmly. “I’m not going anywhere.”