•

"Birds Of A Feather"

Night had fallen fast over Rosewood. That sort of thing happened often now the summer months were over. Autumn had rolled in with crisp breezes and golden trees before the winter inevitably stole away the leaves. It was quiet, only a faint buzz of the small town filling the air. Halle Brewster and her friends were amongst the clatter of the Apple Rose Grille, sat around a table as they demolished a slice of chocolate cake.

Halle had finished up a shift when Aria, Emily and Hanna showed up for coffee and cake. Then, it was getting to be the last ten minutes of her shift when Spencer arrived with her mother and sister, the former plopping herself down at the table with her friends while her family waited for their order. Halle only prayed they'd be gone by time Jason arrived to pick her up. Things has been tense this past weekend, with unanswered calls and aggravated conversations over Garrett Reynolds' trial. Halle didn't even get peace when she hung out with her friends; that was always the subject of interest.

"Do we really believe that Jenna was off on a joyride that night?" wondered Aria, as Hanna merrily finished off the remnants of cake in the middle of them.

"Or—" Spencer put in, "was her plan to take Emily to Ali's grave all along."

"I'm leaning to into the latter," Halle said.

"Seemed to me like she was scared of someone," Emily replied, hands warmed by the last of her coffee.

"And it seemed like she was blind for five months when she wasn't," retorted Aria, shooting Emily a look from across the table.

Halle gave soft hum, "Jenna is a good liar."

Hanna, on the other hand, cracked. Her hand came out, her arm bent at it's elbow, and she argued, "Okay — for the purposes of my head not exploding, could we just say that she is telling the truth?"

Folding her arms over her chest, Spencer explained, "Well, that would mean that we would cross her off the new A-list."

"Then who's still on it?" Aria asked.

"Lucas?" Emily inserted.

"No way." Hanna refused to believe it. She remarked, "He might be a little unhinged lately, but he's not capable of digging up a grave."

"Just smashing up a memorial, then," quipped Halle knowingly, which shot Hanna down. "But yes—" Halle considered what her friend had said, "Lucas is a little whimpish to dig six feet on his own."

"Guys," Spencer stressed to them, "all roads lead back to the Black Swan." She added in strongly, "We know that she was working with Mona, the sketches were in her lair."

"Well, I've been on every online store, comparing every black swan costume and nothing comes close to those sketches," Halle mentioned. "Whoever our Black Swan is, she already has this costume or she got it made specifically for the Masquerade."

"Or A— Mona did," Aria reminded, correcting herself halfway through.

"So," Emily groaned, "we're no closer to finding her."

"Spencer—" Just then Melissa Hastings turned back around and zeroed in on her younger sister. "Mom wants to know if you want anything else," she said, as Veronica Hastings looked over as well.

"Uh, no," Spencer answered politely. "Thank you, Mom."

While Spencer faced the table again, busying herself with a coffee, her friends were focused on the eldest Hastings sister. The last time the five of them saw Melissa together, she had a swelling baby-bump under heavy sweaters as she ate Aria's frozen yoghurt. Now, her slender figure was hugged by white jeans and didn't shy away from prying eyes.

"Melissa looks great," admired Emily, saying exactly what the four were thinking.

"Yeah, she's back to size-two skinny," Hanna agreed. The others looked to her; Spencer lowered her cup. Hanna leant across the table and whispered pointedly, "Black Swan skinny — think about it."

Halle, still while eyeing Melissa, surrendered to Hanna's suggestions. She mused, "We know that she lied about when she lost her baby."

"Whoa, back up," Spencer put a halt in that, outraged instantly.

Aria's brows were tightly knit as she leant forward, eyes darting between Hanna and Halle. "You guys think that she was pretending to be pregnant for that long?" Aria said, "No, that's, like months."

"There's no way," defended Spencer profusely, keeping her voice low. "She wouldn't do that to my parents."

"Who else could it be?" asked Emily.

Hanna sighed, "Well, Mona started talking again, so maybe she could give me some answers."

The door to The Grille swung open. Halle looked up, her friends following suit. Jason had a tight grip on the handle, eyes scanning the restaurant before they landed on Veronica Hastings. All it took was one glance, and Halle knew exactly how this was going to go down. "Jason—"

"Did you really think you could avoid me forever?" Jason spoke loudly, so everybody would hear him. The entire restaurant settled on his abrupt figure, the tension filling the four walls. He did on purpose — confronting the woman in public and letting Rosewood know what she was doing. Jason moved towards Veronica Hastings. "How could you defend Garrett?"

Halle was up, out of her seat. She went to her boyfriend, hands finding his wrist, and tried again. "Jason." Yet, he didn't look at her. Jason didn't once take his determined stare off Veronica Hastings, admittedly making the woman uncomfortable.

Veronica Hastings dropped her voice, aware of the prying eyes and burning ears around them. "Let's not have this conversation here," she said.

That only served to make Jason raise his voice. "Oh, it doesn't both you that he murdered my sister?" he threw at her, not caring who looked or listened. Jason hoped it drew more attention. He had tried to play nice — called her office and cell, stopped by the house — but Veronica avoided him at every turn. As far as Jason was concerned, he had been forced into a corner and resulted to this to get answers.

"Look, I understand that you're upset," Veronica Hastings began. "But this isn't the place.

Again, Halle tugged of Jason's wrist. Slowly, she slid her hand into his, praying that their locked fingers would calm him. She attempted to pull him away, but he didn't move an inch. Jason was solid. He stayed, unflinching, green eyes bearing into the Hastings woman.

"Just tell me why you're doing it," he requested.

Formally, and with her chin high, Veronica Hastings stated, "Everyone deserves a competent legal defence."

Briefly, Jason's eyes flickered to Melissa, knowing — thanks to his girlfriend — that it wasn't necessarily the whole truth. He gave Veronica Hastings a dubious look and raised his brows. He told her with a single stare that he didn't believe her. Just like Alison before him, Jason had a way of looking at a person like he already knew all their secrets. "You sure that's the only reason?"

Veronica Hastings swallowed thickly. There was a softer approach to her tone now. "Let the process play out, Jason," she said. "Focus on taking care of your family—" her gaze travelled to Halle, and then to the grip she had on Jason, "the girl you have there, and yourself."

Under her touch, Halle felt Jason tense. He squeezed her hand back for the first time before he removed it completely. The second she was mentioned, Jason wanted to protect her. He tucked Halle behind him, almost as if he was shielding her. Jason took it as a threat, playing dangerously with his most sensitive nerve. "Don't worry — I am," replied Jason confidently, a fierce glaze over his already mad eyes.

Then, he turned. Halle's gaze met his for the first time. The very fear she had prior had spewed over; now it was time to leave. Briskly, she went for her bag while Jason made for the door. He opened it, holding it opening with his arm as he waited. Halle sent her friends — especially Spencer — an apologetic look before she left with Jason, him letting the door shit behind him.

The gentle breeze on the night was cool against Halle's skin. She watched as he walked ahead, stopping at the street-light outside. His hand reached into his bag, and Halle knew something bad was about to happen.

"Jason, you don't have to do this," Halle said calmly.

He ignored her. Jason put up a sheet of paper, sticking it firmly to the length of the street-light. Halle's eyes widened, eyes meeting the reward poster for the first time, just as he heard Spencer over her shoulder.

"Jason? Are you okay?" Spencer asked, approaching the two.

"No," he said, short and stubborn. "But I will be." Jason turned back, extending his hand out to Halle, which she took with a small pressed smile.

Her eyes glanced back at the Spencer and spied her three friends exit the restaurant to join. Halle knew they'd feel the same heavy chaos churn inside, too. Still Halle left with Jason, hand in his, fingers interwoven. It wasn't until they had reached his car, parked over the street, when her phone chimed.

IMAGINE WHAT I COULD DO
WITH FIFTY GRAND.
-- A

•

In a blind rush, running late for school, Halle bounded down the stairs with her bag thrown over her shoulder. Jason had offered to give her lift to school, since they were both travelling to the same location. Keys jangled in her hand as she hurried down the last few steps. She was almost out of the door when she heard her father's voice call her back.

"Halle!"

Her feet stilled. She almost toppled forward from the abrupt stop. She put on a forced smile and turned, one foot planted as she span around. "Dad, I really have to go — I'm late already."

"You're still going to be late, whether it's ten minutes or fifteen," he returned, confusing Halle as her dad had never once had that attitude when it came to time. He hated tardiness.

"Okaaay..." Halle drew out the word. She pointed over her shoulder with her thumb. "I am gonna be late for homeroom, though. I really should—"

"Veronica Hastings called," Nick Brewster said flatly, and in an instant, Halle's bag fell from her shoulder and slumped down to the ground with a heavy thud.

Her mother appeared at his side, frowning, arms crossed. "You were with Jason DiLaurentis last night."

After a long pause, unable to fill the silence, Halle finally spoke. Admittedly, it wasn't what either parents wanted as a reply — nor was it what Halle wanted to give, but it was best she had. Halle was still nervous to tell the truth. "So?"

"So?" Luisa Brewster scoffed. "So—" her voice grew irritated, and it was too early for Halle to have to deal with, "You've been lying to us."

"Hardly," Halle argued back. "I was at work — like you knew," she accused with reason. "And Jason just so happened to show up and cause a scene." Presenting herself as unbothered, Halle reached down and picked up her bag, adding, "It's not my fault he chose my work to confront Mrs Hastings for choosing to defend a murderer. His sister's murderer, by the way."

"And you just so happened to leave with him as well?" Nick tossed back at his daughter, and Halle knew she was officially rumbled.

"How could you be so stupid?" her mother put in, unhelpful to the situation. "Jason DiLaurentis," she said in distaste, "I taught you better than that."

"Oh, shut up," Halle groaned out without thinking. Her eyes shot open, perfectly aware now of what she let slip and the stunned stares on both of her parents' faces. Halle took a deep breath, bracing herself before the storm of which she stood, unwavering, in the eye of. "Look — I know this is gonna be hard to hear, but yes, I'm with Jason. As in, I'm dating him — he's my boyfriend." She saw her mother's lips twitch, and Halle fought back strongly. "I don't know why you're acting like you never saw this coming, we've have multiple conversations about this, Mom — about Jason."

Nick's eyes flashed to his wife in horror. "Multiple?!"

"Not multiple," tried Luisa but Halle cut her off.

"— Multiple," said Halle, emphasizing her point. "You knew Jason and I had history. I told you how I felt about him before we were arrested with the damn shovel—" Halle was still annoyed at that one, "and then we talked about it a month after that."

Defending herself, Luisa stammered, "I— I knew, I knew things were happening. That— that you were getting closer, but I had no idea it— it was this," she threw out, her tone weighty with contempt. "And I told you to stay away from him."

"What, in the multiple conversations you've had without me?" Nick returned harshly. "How could you not tell me?"

"I— I," Luisa started, floundering, "barely knew what this was. I thought it was just some crush. I had no idea it was this." Amongst all the stumbling she was doing, Luisa Brewster still found the time to spew out her dislike for Jason.

"This?" Halle questioned, becoming enraged. "Call it what is it, Jason's my boyfriend." She met her parents' trying looks — the clenched jaw of her father and the hard glare of her mother. "I know you don't like it, but I'm not putting your feelings above mine on this. You're gonna have to deal with that, because it's you that has the problem — not me. I'm finally in a good place!" Halle stressed to them, begging for them to see it. "I'm happy, and I don't think it's fair for you to make me feel bad about that — about how I feel about Jason." With another long breath, Halle finished with a huff, "Now, please can I leave? Because I'm definitely late for school."

Her father was the one who dismissed her. "You can go."

"Thank you." Halle shoved her bag over her shoulder again and turned to go for the front door. She stopped, facing them as she remembered to hit the final nail into the coffin. "Oh — and by the way, tell Mrs Hastings if she focused on her case instead of my relationship, maybe she wouldn't have taken one defending Alison's murderer."

And with that, Halle left. She escaped her house and fled for the safety of Jason's convertible. He was already waiting for her. A faded red t-shirt sat tightly around his arms, the brown leather bracelet she got him for his birthday around his right wrist that rested on the wheel. "You all right?" he asked. Jason asked her because she got in the car, fastened herself in and settled back all without kissing him first. That never happened.

Halle forced a smile to her face, not that it was convincing. "Just, I had a bad night's sleep," she lied easily but not well. She was sure Jason would've picked up on it, but if he did, he didn't say anything. Jason kept quiet on the matter, at least until it was too pressing to ignore.

He had been waiting for her again. This time, after school had ended and his session was over, he stood outside his car. He was leant up against it as she approached, her rubbing her tired eyes and softly smiling. She came over, greeted him with a small 'hey' and then went to open the door, only it was locked. Halle huffed and looked up to him. "Are you gonna unlock the car so I can get in?"

"Are you gonna tell me what's put you in a sour mood?" Jason countered. He, too, was frustrated, after his encounter with Spencer, who was adamant he'd stop with the flyers, but Jason wasn't the one letting it affect his relationship. He argued, "You barely spoke in the car this morning, you didn't kiss me — Look, I know we're not officially out yet, but we were in my car and I thought you were warming up to the idea of us being more open—"

Jason was cut off by Halle's lips. In the midst of his rant, he didn't acknowledge her closing in until she was in front of him and kissing him. He was surprised, pleasantly. They were in public, with students still filtering out of the building opposite them, dwindling by as they left for the day.

Confused slightly, his brows furrowed down at her. "I thought... I thought we were being careful," he said. "Enough to let people see us together without know we're together."

"No need," Halle told him, pressing her lips into a small smile.

Half of Halle was happy to no longer hide, but the other was itching with brewing anger over it being stolen from within her grasp. Last year —with A — Halle learnt the hard way that privacy was announcing herself, but now she was beginning to understand that others had the same power to take it was from her, just like A did before. Mona... like Mona did before.

Halle sucked her teeth and revealed bitterly, "Veronica Hastings told my parents. They pretty much know everything."

Jason's eyes widened, his brows arching up. "Everything?"

"Well, that you're my boyfriend, we love each other, and there's nothing they can do about it," Halle rambled, flooring him.

He took a deep breath, collecting himself. "I'm guessing they didn't take it well, then."

"Nope," Halle said shortly. "But it doesn't change anything." She looked up and met his green eyes staring down at her, feeling her iron-self melt under his hot gaze. Soon enough Halle figured she'd be a puddle where before she had been a pillar of strength. Love made her soft, and she didn't resent it. In fact, she leant into it — encouraged it. Her hands found his chest, slowly riding down as she spoke to him. "I made you a secret before, I'm not gonna do it again."

"So, this is real?" Jason clarified. "I can hold your hand in public—" His large hands slipped around her, travelling over her hips to land on the small of her back, "kiss you without wondering who's gonna see, take you on dates and not worry about missing your curfew?"

Smiling, Halle said, "All of the above." Stretching up, heels coming off the ground, Halle kissed Jason again. They both grinned into it, more at peace than ever. After, with his breath still hot on her face, Halle went to speak but was cut off.

His phone rang. It broke their precious moment. The turning over of Jason's face, the way any trace of a smile vanished, switched up the mood drastically. Halle knew it. She stepped back and began making her way to the passenger-side door.

"Do you need to take it?" she asked.

"No," said Jason. He sighed and declined the call, tucking the phone away as he too went to open the door. He spoke to her over the roof of his car. "It'll just be somebody calling about the flyers. If it's important, they'll call back."

He brought it up, and Halle followed. "Do you honestly think they' re a good idea?"

"If it's gonna get me answers, then yes," Jason said, stern. There was a fierceness in his eyes, not unlike the ones she had seen many times before. "You know, this sounds an awful lot like a conversation I've just had with Spencer. She thinks this is a bad idea, too."

"Because it is," Halle chided. "It's stupid. You can't think you're gonna get real answer from those flyers." When he didn't respond, Halle grew worried. What did Jason know? What did somebody else know? "Do you?" He didn't respond again, stayed quiet, and it stressed Halle out. She swallowed nervously, her mind flashing back to that night by Alison's grave. Again, she asked with more concern, "Do you?"

Jason considered her. Something was hidden within her dark eyes. Fear? Panic? He didn't know. He couldn't decipher it, but he got the same sensation from talking with Spencer. Jason questioned her, "Why'd you ask?"

There was no struggle as Halle answered him. "Because — Alison was best friend, you know."

Her answer seemed to humour Jason. It tickled him and a sarcastic scoff left him without thought. "You had a funny way of showing it."

Halle's face fell, offended. "That's not fair."

Jason let out a sigh, ashamed. He shouldn't have said that. "Yeah, I'm sorry. Can we just forget about it?" he replied sincerely.

"How can we forget about it—" His phone rang, thus proving Halle's next point, "when your cell is gonna go off every two minutes?" asked Halle. With the phone still ringing, she pleaded with him, "Just, just stop and consider what you're doing for a second. Clear your head — because right now, it clouded with anger. And anger gets you nowhere.—" She smiled at him, "You taught me that."

He returned the smile. The slight annoyance he showed her previously was gone, replaced with genuine affection. Halle knew when he declined the call again, her argument had won him over. Still, the guilt churned up inside of her. Halle was keeping secrets, and nothing was more painful than lying to Jason.

But Halle did it.

For Emily.

Halle told herself, this was for Emily.

•

As uncomfortable as Halle was in the Hastings' house presently, she pushed it aside and met up with her friends after a discouraging text from Hanna. The blonde had gone to see Mona twice. The first time, she found out Mona had been stripped of her visiting privileges after freaking out on Caleb; and the second, she came back with more pressing information, involving Detective Wilden.

"He was there with a court order to talk to her," Hanna told them, freaking out.

Sat on the couch, with Aria perched on the back over her shoulder, Emily asked the blonde, "So what do you think Mona said to Wilden?"

Through her gritted teeth, Aria said, "If she knows that we were at Ali's grave that night—"

"We would be in jail right now," snapped Spencer, cutting off the end of that sentence. Hunched over, the five of them lingered on the couch, all staring blankly at various objects instead of each other.

"I swear, you get me five minutes with Mona, I'll get it out of her," Halle released, a very thinly veiled threat.

"You hitting her is not gonna get us anywhere," Spencer scolded.

"Yeah, but I'd feel better," Emily retorted, backing her best friend. It made Halle feel a little better about lying to Jason — to know Emily supported her the way Halle did Emily.

"You guys, we need to find out who the Black Swan is," said Hanna impatiently. "Like, now." Her eyes were burning into the back of Spencer's head, the Hastings girl refusing to meet her gaze despite knowing exactly where the conversation was shifting.

Strongly, Aria suggested, "I think we need to find out when Melissa lost her baby."

"Yeah, she right, Spence," Emily said. "I mean, Melissa lied for a reason. We need to find out what that is."

"Okay, guys—" Halle tried to slow them down, "I don't trust Melissa as much as you, but we can't just poke around something like that," she argued. "She lost her baby, it doesn't matter when."

"Uh, it does," Hanna returned, in a almost 'duh' tone. She held up her hand, questioning Halle with a single, narrowed look. "And since when have you started to defend Melissa? Last year, you were on my side ready to put her and her pregnant belly behind bars." She pressed on, "She could be the Black Swan."

"Yeah — could," Halle argued fiercely. "She could be the Black Swan. What happens if she's not?" Halle lectured them all, "We bring up her losing her baby, make her relive that in front of us — who she already thinks are bitches, by the way — come to find out she's not even the Black Swan? What happens then?" She fired out, disgusted at the suggestion, "We apologise and move on? No — screw that. Melissa won't be able to move, and if we can, then I don't know who we are anymore either."

"She lied about—"

Halle cut Aria off, "It doesn't matter."

Emily looked to Halle and asked, "So, what do you wanna do?"

"I say, we get definite proof that Melissa is the Black Swan before confronting her," Halle vowed.

"Guys—" Spencer grabbed their attention by forcing herself up off the sofa. "We know why Mona hated us." She faced them head on and asked, "Why would my sister want to torture us?"

"Because," Hanna exclaimed, "you made out with her fiance and broke up their engagement."

"Okay," acknowledged Spencer, unappreciative of the reminder, "yeah, but that was me."

"And she knows we have the video that puts her in Ali's room the night that she was murdered," recalled Aria pointedly.

"And she fits the costume," added Hanna.

Halle sucked her teeth, slapping the side of her thigh. She offered to Spencer helplessly, "Can't argue with that."

"Fine." Spencer huffed. She span around and darted over to the small writing desk slotted in the space between the stairs and the fireplace mantel. She snatched up the keys from a glass bowl and presented them to the group. "We're going to Philly."

•

Hidden below, under the large stone steps of the townhouse Melissa Hastings' apartment, the girls — minus Spencer — lay in wait. After hearing the heavy door above shut, and heels click against the paving, the four peered out the archway.  As Hanna dove into her bright handbag for her phone, Aria and Halle peaked ahead at the road, watching Melissa Hastings retreat from them, while Emily looked up and examined the entrance.

A few seconds passed, the dial-tone matching their antsy breaths, Hanna greeted Spencer on the other side of the call. "Hey — Melissa just left. Should we go in?" asked Hanna, the three leering over her. It didn't matter how hard Halle tried to listen in, she couldn't hear Spencer. "Alright," Hanna said. "Roger that."

Hanna ended the called, and Aria threw her a questioning look. "'Roger that'?" wondered Aria, baffled by the sudden formality.

"What? We're on a mission," Hanna defended easily.

Waiting for Spencer's text was excruciating. Somewhere in the waiting, the girls ventured to the steps — Halle, Hanna and Aria sat down as Emily took a place leant up against the railing. Halle chewed the inside of her cheek, hard, and bounced her foot against the sidewalk. The sole of her left trainer clipped against the stone, slowly beginning to irk Hanna. It was Halle's least dominant, having little control over the body ticks she got as anxiety built. Even when Emily's hand reached out to rest on Halle's knees, subsiding the sound, the swirling inside Halle's stomach didn't vanish.

"All right—" Predictably, Hanna was the first to cave. "You guys, it's been twenty minutes. We should just go in."

"Spencer hasn't texted yet," Emily lectured, shooting it down instantly.

Yet, with a sigh, Aria ignored the swimmer. "She will any minute," said Aria. "Let's find out when she lost that baby."

A groan left Halle, "Yeah, let's not look suspicious for another twenty minutes."

Briskly, Aria and Hanna lifted themselves up and climbed the stairs. Emily held out her hand and helped Halle up, the two following after the others. Aria unlocked the door, pushing open the door and holding it open for the three behind her. Melissa lived in the first apartment on the ground floor, overlooking the street. Leading the way, Aria unlocked Melissa's apartment door and stepped inside, the girls hot on her heels as they checked the coast was clear.

The apartment was small. Smaller than Halle ever thought Melissa Hastings would settled for. With a single velvet two-seater, a desk pressed up against the window, a few floating shelves stacked with books and a closet to the left of the back wall.

The door shut with Emily's back pressed to it. She asked, "What exactly are we looking for?"

"Medical records," Hanna stated.

"Costume receipts," put in Halle.

"Anything with a date on it," agreed Hanna, travelling immediately over to the desk.

Pointing towards the back, Aria declared, "I'm gonna go check the bedroom."

"Good shout — I'll come with," Halle said.

The two went through the tiny slither of hallway, passing a vanity, and into the bedroom. They were faced with a perfectly symmetrical bedroom, evenly distributed with ironed white sheets and a floral scent to the room. Even the lamps were placed in the exact same top corner of the bedside table. 

"Do you wanna check the bathroom and I'll check the wardrobe?" suggested Aria logically.

After five minutes of riffling through Melissa's bathroom, Halle came out empty handed. "Okay, so I got nothing," Halle announced. She found Aria putting hangers neatly back in place, with half an inch between them. "You found anything?"

Aria huffed heavily. "No, nothing."

"Yeah, just—" Halle stopped, struggling. She turned to Aria and asked, "If you were to buy a one-of-a-kind costume, where would you put the receipt?"

"Well, I wouldn't return it if it was one-of-a-kind," Aria countered. "It's a different story if it's rented."

"It's not rented," Halle claimed confidently. "I've been through every online directory in Pennsylvania for black swan costumes, nothing even comes close to the one at the masquerade."

Aria's eyes lit up. "So, the costume could still be here?" She then groaned, "But there's nothing in here, I've combed through this wardrobe — nothing. I was so scared I'd put something out of place."

"Yeah..." Halle glanced around the neat room and said, "It's kind of creepy. Melissa even organizes her towels."

"How very Hastings of her," Aria commented.

"How very Spencer of her," retorted back Halle in light jest.

Giving up — and in — Aria closed the wardrobe doors, and the two returned to the front room. Emily and Hanna poured over the contents of the front desk as Aria told them, "Okay, there's nothing in the bedroom."

"Bathroom is clean, too," Halle mentioned. She stopped at the vanity and began to nosy through it, finding a tray of unopened mail. On top, she found a porcelain paper-weight, shaped in a white swan. She held up it, presenting it to the group. "Am I the only one who finds this patronizing?" she asked, huffing.

"Well, I'm not exactly happy to be searching through Melissa's stuff," Emily replied. "But you were the one who wanted proof."

Rolling her eyes, Halle went back to what first caught her attention. With her phone-torch, she held it flush against the sealed envelopes, squinting to read the contents.

"Is this anything?" Halle heard Hanna asked Aria, followed by the shuffling of paper.

"Yeah, her car insurance," replied a dry Aria.

Announcing, almost bemused, Emily said, "Melissa bought a pair of Chloe boots from Saks last week for nine-hundred bucks."

"Okay, now those I wanna see," Aria replied eagerly. She then screwed up her eyebrows, confused. "I didn't see them..."

"I wanna find her fake baby bump," Hanna declared, grinning devilishly.

"Dude!" Halle chided from across the room.

"What?" Hanna span around to face her, brows arched up at the cheerleader. "Aren't you curious? It has to be in here somewhere."

"Gross," mumbled Aria, still confused. Her eyes went to the large wooden built-in, wondering. As if Hanna read her mind, the blonde was already hurrying across the room to inspect it.

The double doors slid open, and Hanna let out an involuntarily, "Oh, my god." The girls looked over as Hanna turned back and shot out over her shoulder, "She's even more anal than Spencer."

From where she stood, Emily took in the perfectly placed hangers and the colour-coordinated rack. She commented, "I didn't even think that was possible."

Reaching up, Hanna divided the hanging clothes and parted it down the middle. She revealed a built-in shelf, boots lining it, with halo-lights above each pair.

"And, yet it is," Aria drawled.

"Oh, my god!" Emily suddenly gasped out. Her eyes were large, bulging at something outside the window.

Halle's head whipped up. "What?"

"It's Melissa!" Emily exclaimed in fright.

"Where?" asked a confused Aria, still searching through Melissa's mail.

Quickly, Emily began frantically cleaning up the desk as she fired out her answer. "Outside," she panicked.

"W— What do we do?" asked Aria now shaking.

As coolly as she could, Emily instructed them, "Put everything back where you found it."

Chaotically, their plan fell apart. It smashed to pieces and they were left scrambling at papers and envelopes, trying desperately to shove everything back where they found it. Halle shuffled the unopened mail back down and put the white swan paper-weight on top of it. Aria slammed a drawer shut. Emily put away receipts. Hanna straightened the magazines.

CLUNK.

"Dammit!" Hanna yelled out. She had accidentally knocked off a tin, causing a ton of small, colourful elastics to spill on the rug.

"Hanna," scolded Aria, diving down to help her. The pair scrambled over them, grasping at handfuls at a time. They shoved them back into the round tin. Not being fast enough, Emily swiftly swept down to assist them. Halle snatched up Hanna's handbag and ran for the closet. Aria scrambled and put the tin back on top of the stack of magazine before they fell into the closet. Once in — and hidden — Halle went to pushing each hanger back into place, concealing them.

The apartment door opened and closed. Seeking comfort, Halle's hand found Emily's, winding her pinky around Emily's and squeezing. Hanna leant back into her, squashing Halle back into Emily. The sound of Melissa moving around was deafening. Halle held her breath, waiting for each footstep. She breathed in lowly, shallow, until her head felt light. Then they came towards her.

As the closet doors clattered open, Aria stood back more. She forced herself into Hanna, who in turn did the same with Halle and she did the same to Emily. The pair in front stifled grimace; the clothes parted. Melissa was in the closet with them, one-by-one searching through the jackets. Blood pulsated in Halle's ears, making them ring. She couldn't hear a thing. Her face screwed up in pain. It swirled inside and churned up a lump in her throat.

Then, the search stopped. Aria clamped a hand over her mouth, shaking, as a jacket brushed against her bare arm. Melissa had found what she came back for. The double doors rattled to their close, the four breathing a silent sigh of relief. It wasn't until they heard the apartment door shut and the lock turn before they poured out.

"That was close," Halle mentioned.

"Yeah, way too close," Emily fired back, still reeling.

"Okay—" With open palms, Aria advised in defeat, "let's just get out of here."

Already crouching, Emily went to pick up from fallen items. "No, we need to pick these up," she said. Emily clutched at a hanger, slotting the red blouse in between the similar shades.

"Wait, you guys." Hanna's hand landed on Emily's shoulder, eyes alert, and pushed her aside "Look," she demanded, pointing at a sealed, out of place hanging bag. Instantly, Emily unhooked it and brought it out. Center City Costume was printed on the left side along with their logo: a black mask.

"Did you check this one out?" Aria asked Halle.

"Yeah, but they had no black swan costume," Halle recalled. Then, it hit her. "But you could have custom costumes made."

"One-of-a-kind," reminded Aria, pointedly pulling from their conversation in  the bedroom.

Eager in antsy anticipation, the four stared at it feeling their heartbeats quicken. With the zip clasped between her thumb and index finger, Aria steadied herself before she yanked it down. The other clambered at the bag but grasped at nothing.

The bag was empty.

Halle pulled way first, sucking her teeth in annoyance. Hanna went to follow, a hand running through her hair framing her face, yet Aria pulled them back.

"Wait," said Aria. Her hand shot out and dug into the bottom of the dress-bag. She had spied something, and it wasn't until her hand returned, fingers clasping at the black and blue feather, they realised exactly what they had found.

Melissa was the Black Swan.

•

It was strange how comfortable Halle felt, even after the revelation of the day. How her body felt so at ease and relaxed that every tense knot in her back untangled and fell perfectly back into place. Her lids grew heavy, her head on his chest listening to his heartbeat, and Halle was lulled into safety. The steady rise and fall of Jason's chest kept her calm.

"You're too quiet," Jason said. They were laying on on the couch, her between his legs as they a movie together. A Rebel Without A Cause played softly on the background, the flickering light of the television keeping them awake. Yet, all Jason's attention went to the girl with her head rested on his chest. Her fingers tips drummed softly on his arm. "It was just a fight, you know your parents will come around to us," he assured. Jason pressed a kiss to her head. "All families have them. God, my family can barely be in a room five seconds without someone falling out."

"My family isn't like yours, Jason," Halle said weakly. She rolled her eyes and pushed out in half-jest, "I actually like mine."

Chuckling lowly, Jason had to agree. "Yours are a lot better." His hand stroked her back, rubbing up and down, ending up on the dip. "I used to sit on the porch, staring at your house, watching your family come and go. And I'd think to myself, 'this is what a real family looks like'." As he spoke, Halle turned her head up to look at him, gazing up at his pained face as only somber words came out. "I was so jealous. I think at some point I might have actually hated you." He considered, "I did when you used to come over and complain about them. I'd hear you talking with Ali in her room, and all the while, I'd be wishing I could just trade places with you once. To have a mother that pushed me to be better, a father that actually cared about me — that didn't speak to me like I'm just a screw-up. I think that's why I got loaded all the time," he confessed lowly. "I forgot all that, but it came back. Always did."

"I never knew that," Halle started, her soft eyes on him. "Why didn't you ever tell me?"

"Because it's sad," Jason chuckled. "Besides," he said, "you knew how my parents felt about me compared to Ali, you were at enough dinners."

"And Alison encouraged it," Halle remembered reluctantly.

"It's why they think they lost the wrong kid," replied Jason.

"Hey—" Halle found her voice, it becoming stronger. She settled herself up more and told him, "You're never to say that again, okay? Never." With her chin rested against her arms, them bent at the elbow and flat against his stringer chest, Halle gazed lovingly up at him. Often she wondered how Jason's parents treated him so badly, how they couldn't see how wonderful he was; because she was sure if they took a second to get to know him — really get to know him — they wouldn't speak a bad word about him. "You deserve so much better than you got."

This time, it was her phone going off that broke their tender embrace. She smiled apologetically at him and then raised herself up. She reached over to the coffee table and found her cellphone, seeing a new message.

Melissa's home. Abort Plan.
Will explain later.
From: Spencer.

Huffing loudly, Halle put her phone back down. This caused Jason to sit up as well, his feet coming down against the wood floor. "Anything I should know?"

Halle turned to him. In his eyes, she could see he was begging her not to push him away, but she couldn't bring herself to say the words. After all the trouble of last year — all the accusing she and her friends did, all the upset they caused — Halle wouldn't do it again. So, she lied. "No, just— my mom wants me back." She tried smiling. "I should go, but I'll call you."

She got up, kissing him gently, and then left with him still sat on the couch and the movie still playing on the television.

•

The night grew cold quickly. Jason leant up against the wooden banister stretching between the stone pillars of his front porch. In his hand, he clutched his cellphone. He had tried calling Halle after she left but got no answer. Then, his eyes caught onto a pale pink coat travelling up the bend.

"Out for an evening stroll?"

Spencer stopped. She turned to face him and answered, "I'm just trying to clear my head."

"Yeah, seems to be a lot of that going around," he mentioned, his mind clouded with Halle. Yet, he remained attentive to the girl he shared a father with. "Rough night?" he asked.

With her hands balled into her coat pockets, Spencer walked towards him and dryly remarked, a tight smile on her face, "Rough two years."

He stepped forward. "I've received over two hundred calls in the last few days," Jason told her, talking a seat on the second to last step, "all swearing they know who stole Ali's remains." His arms rested against his knees as his hands came together. "Everyone's being accused from Mrs Welch to Obama... to you," he said, eyes drifting back to her. He met her awkward grimace with, "But it's all just lies."

Smiling small, Spencer sighed and took up the space next to him. "You have no idea how much I'm looking forward to going to college next year." Her voice cracked a little, "Getting out of this place, and all its dysfunctional people."

It made him chuckle, finding some amusement in it. "Yeah, sounds good, doesn't it?" They exchanged a smile, hers wholeheartedly agreeing with what he previously said. "But unfortunately, it doesn't work that way," Jason told her. He looked to her. "Trust me, you can leave Rosewood, but Rosewood will never leave you."

Spencer's smile grew into a larger, more knowing one. "That's because you had someone you wanted to come for." Playfully, she nudged his arm with her elbow. "I like you two together, she seems happier." Spencer corrected herself, "She is happier."

Even though a smile tugged at the side of his mouth, relieved to be hearing it, Jason's next words reflected something else entirely. "Right now, I'm not sure everybody sees it that way." With no smile anymore, he turned to the girl next to him. "Your mom told her parents about us."

Shock took a hold of Spencer, it evident on her face. "Jason, I— I had no idea," she stammered, wondering if she should be on the defence.

"Didn't go there," Jason returned reassuringly. He sighed, looking forward, at the Brewster house. "I can tell she's hurting, that she's keeping something from me. I don't really what I'm supposed to do. Her family isn't like mine, or ours."

She gave a gentle hum, agreeing with the last part with great certainty. Spencer advised, "Just be there for her, she'll come to you when she's ready."

"And until then, what?" Jason faced her, eyes challenging. "I'm supposed to let her lie to me?"

Spencer didn't have an answer and luckily for her, she didn't have to pathetically give him one. A beep from his cellphone, still in his hand, captured his attention, and after reading it, he was disinterested in continuing the conversation.

"I gotta, uh— I gotta do a few things," Jason said. He looked to her, careful not to make it obvious how severe the text was. He reasoned, "Driving up to meet my parents in the morning. Figured I'd tell them about me and Halle before anyone else does."

"Tell them I say hi," said Spencer softly. "I hope it goes well, with you and Halle." She smiled once more and then picked herself up.

"Spencer—" Jason called her back. He waited until she faced him to continue. "I'm withdrawing the reward," he informed. "You were right, it's too much for me."

Offering what little she could, Spencer shrugged and said, "Truth always comes out, Jason." She sucked in a shaky breath and let out, "One way or another." Spencer tried not to let Jason see her worry, but when she turned, her smile dropped and fear flooded her features.

Once Jason was certain Spencer was gone, watching her disappear from his line of sight, Jason pulled out his chequebook from his back pocket. He slid the pen from out of its sleeve and began writing. The whole fifty thousand reward was scrawled down, payable to 'CASH', as Jason completed it with his signature. He tore it out, eyes flickering up in case Spencer had come back. She hadn't.

So, Jason collected up his phone and called back the number which text him. When they answered, Jason spoke. "Yeah, meet me in the parking lot in fifteen minutes."

•

LITTLE AUTHOR'S NOTE
SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG TO UPDATE,
YOU WON'T HAVE TO WAIT LONG FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER.
I'VE SPENT THE LAST FEW WEEKS REWRITING THE POST FIVE YEARS JUMP. I WANTED TO SEE IF I CAN WRITE IT THE WAY I'D LIKE WITHOUT HAVING TO WRITE THE WHOLE THING,
AS IN EVERY SINGLE STORYLINE/PLOTPOINT FOR EACH CHARACTER.
IDEALLY, I WANTED TO FOLLOW THE MAIN STORYLINE OF THE NEW A,
JUST WITH OR WITHOUT CERTAIN THINGS/CHARACTERS. I'M ABOUT TWELVE EPISODES IN AND IT'S GOING TO PLAN SO FAR,
HOPING I CAN PULL IT OFF.

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