•

"A Dark Ali"

TRIGGER WARNING: MENTIONS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT/HARASSMENT AND FEATURES THE WORD 'RAPE'.

"You said you don't know?!"

Spencer raged at Alison after she found out about the strange man at the precinct, claiming to be the accomplice to her kidnapping. She was outraged, her tone filled with incredulous spite as she fumed from the line she and the liars stood. Again, they all opposed Alison.

"What was I supposed to say, Spencer?" fired back Alison, snide in her defence.

Wryly, Emily suggested, "How about 'no'?"

"I was blindfolded, remember?" Alison callously reminded.

"I'm sorry," Spencer's tone was drenched in sarcasm, her eyes narrowing, "do we seriously have to remind you that you were never actually kidnapped?"

Silence stewed over Alison. She was visibly bothered by the reminder, hateful because it had become a hurdle none of her friends — not even Emily, now — could get past. There was something different, Alison noted about Emily: a reluctance to get closer and Emily was looking at Alison different today than she was yesterday.

Aria said defiantly, "There's a man being questioned by the police right now for a crime that never happened."

"At least with Fitz, you had the decency to lie on a dead guy's name," Halle remarked, a sourness to her attitude. "Why did you even have to make up an accomplice?"

"It's more believable," justified Alison. "Someone needed to feed me, give me water, when Ezra couldn't. I was using logic to cover our tracks, so my story made sense."

"Oh, forgive me," Halle sardonically coated her spite, "I thought you would've gone for the more tragic lie of him starving you over being believable. For god's sake, Alison!" she exclaimed in frustration. "The logical thing would've been to never make up this lie."

Panicked, Emily said, "Guys, this is A. I mean, you—" she motioned to Alison, "said he knows about the rock that hit you." She reasoned, "He knew where you were kept, what you ate, what mattress you slept on."

It slapped Hanna right across her face, striking her eyes will horror. "It's the same story that you told the doctor."

Realisation had also hit Spencer, and she agreed, "And Holbrook, the night we got back from New York."

"Well, it doesn't matter when A got it," Aria said demandingly, keeping them all on track. "What matters is what A is planning to do now."

"If A is behind this," Alison speculated, "that's exactly who that guy is gonna run to when he panics."

Hanna checked, "What are you saying?"

The confidence in Alison was astounding. While she explained, twisting a new plan, Alison could disguise her motive of having her lie believed and be the hero. "I'm saying, if I can make him think that he's gonna go down for this, we can follow him and finally win A's game."

"Great," Aria said, unconvinced. "We win the game, we find out who A is." She was pessimistic and blunt as she posed, "What happens when we lose?"

There was no answer from Alison. The room was silent on it also. Nobody had her back on this one, as they didn't any longer on the lies Alison told like she breathed. For the first time, staring at all five, Alison noted she might have pushed too hard. She was losing them, and they thought of her as a lost cause. They could've save her, and Alison definitely didn't want to be saved.

•

Afterwards, the liars walked down the porch of the DiLaurentis house. It was totally normal, since the fake break-in at the Marin house, that a police cruiser was outside of the end house. The cul-de-sac became the perfect spot for the cops to park, interchanging every eight hours with another, at least while this new suspect had yet to be charged. The sight of it caused the blend of exhaustion and irritation to build upon Halle, especially with how close it was to her own home. She couldn't come or go without officers setting the barriers that cordoned off Bridgewater Terrace; now there was more outside her front door.

Or Alison's.

Or Spencer's.

"Is it weird that we haven't gotten an A-message about this yet?" Hanna couldn't help but wonder aloud. It had surprised most of the others, but Aria rebutted that fact.

"No," Aria said stubbornly, "I don't need a creepy text to read the writing on the wall to know that—"

"That we're screwed?" Halle finished, knowingly cutting in.

Aria's perfectly full and shaped brows raised higher as she repeated it as a dull remark, "That we're screwed, yes." She led into a mild rant, "I mean, the second Ali says that this guy was Ezra's accomplice, we're gonna figure out that Cyrus Petrillo's a sheep farmer in Montana and couldn't possibly have done this." She didn't help the churning of her stomach or the rising in its acid, when she explained further, "And then the whole world's gonna know that Ali's a big, fat liar."

"And us!" Hanna whisper-exclaimed. She was far too aware of the cops on the driveway to yell it the way she wanted to. If Hanna was honest, she'd scream it. She huffed, "Right now, we're just as big and fat as she is."

Calmly, Emily instructed, "Hey, guys, keep your voices down."

Once they were safely past the police car, Spencer rotated her head to be sarcastic to Emily's face. "Yeah, thank god the cops are here so we don't have to worry about being imaginary kidnapped," she droned, annoyance clearly laced her tone.

"How's she done it?" Halle voiced in utter bewilderment. "One guy's dead so can't deny it, and another is actually confessing to a crime that ain't ever happened." She scoffed and said tightly, "A has a sick sense of humour — rewarding her made-up story."

Spencer fell silent. Her mouth clamped shut. Her mind stirred up with her unpleasant interaction with Noel Kahn, at her family's lake-house. What Noel had suggested...

"Yeah, but once Tanner figures out that the kidnapping story is a lie," began Aria, panicking small, "they're gonna figure out about New York and what really happened with Ezra real quick."

The group stopped near the gate to Spencer's backyard, but the girl had yet to speak since the dark thoughts entered her brain. She tried to bury them but couldn't. Spencer feared her anxiety around Alison and A — their relationship, how they dared entwine outside of the liars — would creep out into her words.

With her arms crossed, Emily said, "Ali's not an idiot."

"That's half the problem," Halle pointed out, "Ali's not as clever as she thinks she is, and it backfires on us."

Dismissive of all bad trait Alison might have, Emily reasoned, "She's not gonna walk right into an obvious A-trap."

Finally, Spencer broke her stewing silence. "We don't know that anymore," she argued. "We all heard her in there. She's gone rogue."

A look crossed Emily as if to tell Spencer, who had said the least against Alison, to give Alison a break. but right after Emily gave it, she wished she hadn't. She closed up, shrinking in on herself. If they knew what she knew now and they found out that even a slither of Emily was still defending Alison — after all that happened with Hanna — Emily knew she'd had to final accept the title of Weakest Link. Because for Alison, Emily was a complete fool. That was more apparent now: with every defending comment Emily made for the blonde, even when Alison was faced with the most grievous accusation. Pushing Sydney Driscoll's poor sister down the stairs for Ian Thomas.

Whispering, Aria suggested, "Okay, well, someone needs to go back in there and make sure she doesn't ID this guy."

While Emily looked down, expecting a levelled discussion over who would be that one to convince Alison, when Hanna said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Right, well, Emily," Hanna put. "Yeah?"

"Yeah," Spencer agreed.

Pressing her lips together, Halle also said, "Yeah."

At the unanimous agreement, Emily's head shot up in shock. She tried to flounder her way out of it, "Ah—Uh, Hal—Halle's the convincing one."

"Yeah, and Alison doesn't exactly trust my opinion right now, so," Halle replied, sucking her teeth afterwards. "Not me — you," she said to Emily.

"Then Spencer," Emily reasoned, hand out in needy gesture.

Logically, Aria mentioned to Emily, "Yeah, but you're the hardest to disappoint."

"It's about the eyes," Spencer explained, nodding along as she felt the truth of the statement.

With a roll of her eyes, Emily sarcastically said, "Awesome." Among them, she was put on the spot and forced to do this for the group as a whole. So, feeling the pressure, Emily did a complete U-turn and redirected herself back to the DiLaurentis house.

When Emily had gone, the rest of them continued to the next conversation. Awkwardness pulled at Hanna the same as she did on the loopholes of her denim skirt, and she asked Aria, "How's your mom?"

There was a twinge of pain to Aria's face before a frown took up residence. "She's heartbroken."

Looking away, Hanna expressed without a filter, "God, it's so awful. I mean, first your dad cheats on her and then her sleazebag boyfriend hits on me."

At the insensitivity, Spencer advised, "Hanna, she was there. She doesn't need a play-by-play."

A hint of glare came from Hanna at first, then sympathy leaked in. She glanced to Aria and said, "I'm just sorry, that's all, I just say the wrong thing."

"I know, we all do," Aria said, smiling small. "Thanks, though." She motioned to her car and asked, "You need a ride?"

Nodding, Hanna gave a smile. "Yeah."

From the corner of her eyes, Halle spied the thick envelope that Spencer had pulled from her bag. "What's that?" she asked.

Spencer stated, "It's Noel Kahn's insurance policy." As Aria inched closer to gain a good look at the pictures, Spencer expanded, "It's everything that Shana gave to Jenna that proves that Ali wasn't dead. Ali knew it was out there, she just didn't tell us about it."

"Or she's too arrogant to think we'd figure it out," Halle dared to suggest, her right brow quirked up.

The photograph of Alison at the cash-point, face cleared than glass and the date printed above, awe laced Aria's voice. "Tanner would sure love to get her hands on this," she said, slotting it in and out so that she slid out the recording device. "Ali talking to Shana when she's supposed to be dead."

Dry and snide, Hanna retorted, "You mean kidnapped."

Securely tucking it back, Aria returned the evidence to Spencer. She questioned seriously, "Ali doesn't know you have this, right?"

"No, but I'm headed to my house right now to stash it," Spencer told them, as she began to walk.

Immediately, Halle tailed her. "In your house?" She fluttered alive with trepidation, worried thoroughly at the mere four-wall security. "Is that safe?"

Proudly, Spencer claimed, "I have a spot."

While Aria parted to get to the driver's side of her car, where it was parked, Hanna questioned, "A spot?"

"That nobody else knows about," Spencer assured them with all the confidence a Hastings should ever have.

"Spencer—" Halle dropped her voice, "A stole your laptop right out of your bag when it was glued to your side last year."

"I left it in my gym locker," Spencer argued like it was a one-off.

"And you're leaving this in your spot," Halle challenged in dry mockery.

Spencer replied, "I'm surprised you don't have a spot."

Halle was struck quiet for a moment. She swallowed the lump in her throat and put on a false, dazzling smile. "I don't have a spot," she said, "I have two storage units under a fake name, which is really where we should put that — once we've made a copy."

"Well, I have my spot," Spencer mentioned, almost arrogantly. "I'll be safe, promise."

Suggesting, Hanna said, "Well, maybe you should tell us where this is." She tried to sound as nonchalant as she could, but was glared at by Spencer in an 'are-you-kidding way', which told Hanna that she had failed. Hanna reasoned within her, backtracking, "You know, just in case anything were to happen to you."

After Spencer had opened the passenger door, she stepped back to allow the blonde in. "Goodbye, Hanna," she sang.

Reluctantly, Hanna climbed inside yet Aria hesitated. Over the roof of her car, Aria warned Spencer gravely, "Be careful, please."

"I will," Spencer promised before she shut the door.

As the car drove off, Halle and Spencer subconsciously moved to stand next to each other. They saddled together, side by side, both their arms folded over their chests while the car disappeared down Bridgewater.

"I think we should make a copy," Halle said first. "Like we did with everything else we have on A."

"The cameras are working, right?" Spencer checked with her, and Halle smoothly untucked a piece of paper from her bra and held it out to her.

"It's the login and password for the app," Halle informed. "We can see everybody that passes the units — all the comings and goings."

"Good," Spencer responded. Glancing to Halle, she asked, "Do you know how to make a copy of a recording device?"

"No, but Caleb might," Halle spoke. "We just gotta find out if he can keep a secret from Hanna first."

"Okay," said Spencer quietly. "I'll hide until we can speak to Caleb." She struck out her left hand towards Halle. "Deal?"

Halle's palm met her friend's and shook it. "Deal."

•

Meanwhile, back in the time-warped, pink bedroom, Emily did her best to convince Alison's out of her worst instincts. She was exhausted from it, her hand on her waist, her face deflated as she spoke. Emily tried to get Alison to understand, but, deep down, a part of her knew it was wasted breath.

"Well, Aria's right," started Emily. "If you identify this guy, it will be way too easy to prove you're lying." Frantically, Emily tosses hand up in fear she was already losing Alison. "I mean, we don't even know who this Cyrus-person is or where he came from," she concluded in a stance, her weight shifting on one leg and arms crossed with the final point.

Begrudgingly, Alison listened to the mild rant. She remained at the foot of her bed as Emily stood away from her. "I get it, Em." She met Emily's eyes and assured, "Okay? I do." Yet, Alison added, "But I can't just say that this guy is innocent."

Emily's neck craned out in objection. "Why not? Ali, it's—"

"Why are you being weird with me?" Alison hotly intervened, and Emily stammered.

"I—I—I don't, uh, know what you mean."

"Em, you're looking at me like I'm a stranger now," Alison justified, "I'm just trying to catch A and this Cyrus-guy is our best bet."

"At being caught," Emily swiftly finished. "You identifying him isn't a good idea, please believe me on that." She rambled on nervously, "We've done it before. We've ran straight into an A-trap when we should've stopped to look at the bigger picture. I mean, we once went to the cops with a trophy covered in rat blood because we thought it was what Ian Thomas used to—" Emily clamped her mouth shut. She locked it tight. She didn't want to speak again. Ian Thomas's name had fallen out of her, and now she was looking at Alison like she was a monster again.

"What?" Alison demanded. "What just happened? Where did you go, Em?"

"I, uh..." Dipping her awkward gaze to the floor, Emily avoided Alison as she said, "I spoke to Sydney last night, before the party."

"What, did she give you some lame excuse to why she's buddy-buddy with Jenna Marshall?" Alison spitefully tossed out, and Emily gulped down the lump in her throat.

"She did," Emily revealed. "She told me that you—"

Abruptly, she was cut off by knocking at the closed bedroom door. Without either of the girls replied, Kenneth DiLaurentis opened it. His smiled dropped in an instance, surprised to discover Alison wasn't alone. "Oh," he said. "Emily, hi. Uh..." Kenneth soon realised he would have to switch up what he wanted to say and speak in hinted riddles as not to alarm the girl. "I just got back from the station, and—" He stopped to request, "Emily, could I have a word with Ali?"

While Emily went to understandably nod, Alison stole the chance away. "Dad, I already told her," she informed.

Kenneth grew serious, but barely scolded her, "Al, you were not supposed to do that."

"Emily helped saved my life," returned Alison, putting praise on her friend. "She deserves to know what's going on."

Entering the room, Kenneth stepped closer to stress his first point. "The person you should be talking to is Tanner."

Uncomfortable, Alison inhaled a shaky breath and angled her body away. Her right side faced him more now as if to silently tell him to stop.

He didn't. "That man knew every detail." Kenneth asked her, "How would he know that unless he did it? Unless he helped that evil man do it?"

The girls were silent. Unease increasingly swarmed Emily, and she ended up holding herself to self-sooth while Alison refused to speak. Curling in on herself, the latter stubbornly turned further away.

Kenneth crossed the room, sat down beside his daughter and stared at her side profile until she looked at him. "He confessed already," said Kenneth. "They've confirmed he did two years at Hollis while Ezra Fitz was there before he dropped out the year Ezra started teaching. The police said this same man could have knowledge about who killed Bethany Young," he brought up, and Alison couldn't help but spares a nervous look to Emily, who gave wary acknowledgement, especially when Kenneth gestured to her. "We're all here to support you, Al. The family, Emily, all of your friends," he listed. His stern eyes were back on Alison as she looked away once more. "We all want the same thing... To put this man away for a very long time," he insisted. Yet, at their quiet, Kenneth glanced to Emily and nodded his head towards his daughter as if to urge Emily to speak.

"Uh, yeah," Emily half-heartedly said. Awkwardly, she clasped and unclasped her hands together twice, almost disbelieving. "We... all want you safe."

Narrowed eyes landed on Emily. Alison glared at her, knowing it was for show for her dad, but She chose to acknowledge it with a raise of her brows.

"Whatever you're afraid of, please, don't be," Kenneth advised, and Alison turned. "Someone else may have stolen our chance for justice against Ezra Fitz, but this man is behind bars and all we have to do is keep him there."

Downstairs, Jessica had overhead the entire interaction. Sound unfortunately travelled in the cold house, and Jessica bore the brunt of the heartache. Having listened it all, Jessica retreated. Her hand lifted to her pearls, clutching them with her perfectly manicured nails, as she walked to the front window. Outside, she peeped the police cruiser and sighed. She didn't know how her life ended up this way, and yet, Jessica was thrust into acceptance of it.

The heinous mess she had become, as well as her daughter. The rotten fruit fell from her family tree. Jessica should've have always known when they had moved to Rosewood, this would be the awful outcome. However, out of the murkiness, Jessica glimpsed something good.

Across the road, at the house opposite, Jessica spotted her son's convertible. Jason was perched against him, stationed towards the Brewster house; a broad smile came to his face as soon as he laid eyes on Halle. She smiled at him also, hurrying to meet him. She picked up the pace while he stood off from his spot, prepared as she flung herself at him. Halle collided with Jason, jumping up to wrap her legs around him. His reaction was quick, hands gripped her thighs to keep her up. Their mouths met for a kiss, happiness radiating off of them. Jessica was glad to see it — that they had found it — that her son grasped at it and Halle.

Footsteps ruined the bubble Jessica had enclosed herself within, imagining her son's rediscovered joy was partly hers since she had none of her own to collect or recall. Her ex-husband approached her, a clear distance between them. "I think Emily can convince her to identify him," said Kenneth.

"She can't identify a man she never saw," Jessica reminded him, like she had done last night. Jessica hated the lies that Alison told, but knew she had to wear the responsibility due to her teaching her daughter the very first. "She was blindfolded whenever he was around," she said. "She never saw his face."

"She could recognise a familiarity of his," Kenneth put. "He's given a location of where they kept her. If she can confirm that's where she was, then they can charge him."

Repulsed, Jessica sought out goodness. Her stare returned to the window, to Jason and Halle. They were smiling, him now holding the car door open for her, and Jessica relished in how sweet and tender their young love seemed to be. The affection she witnessed softened her cold heart, melting the ice in her chest. She wondered if she could heal through it — by looking to their good.

"Don't you wish we could go back?" Jessica asked him. "Save them from all the lies we told?"

Kenneth saw what her ex did and remained untouched by it. He was frostier as he stated, "That's not an option for this family, and you know that."

Jessica lowered her head, wounded. "Yes, I know."

•

Spencer had insisted they meet while Halle saw it as an opportunity. They had an unique chance to sway the group — to gather the masses on their side — so Halle suggested that they start making moves to add them. It was the smartest choice, one Spencer didn't take much convincing to agree to. So, the two soon found themselves in Aria's bedroom with Spencer's tablet between them.

"Just watch the bushes," Spencer instructed.

She showed the pair the footage from the camera set up at her barn. The same one she had put there to catch Melissa but caught Alison sneaking around instead. Now, they had Melissa. Spencer had figured she'd stay up all night, scouring the images to find out who had stolen the recording from 'her spot'. Both Aria and Halle sat on the window seat, squinting at the screen, as Spencer hovered over and controlled the narrative.

On the left-handside, the bushes rustled. Someone moved through them and out into view of the camera. Their slender back was to the camera, their face ducked and covered with a hat.

"Who is that?" asked Aria.

"Just watch," Spencer encouraged them.

Next, they saw Melissa exited the barn. In her hand, she held a bag and gave it to the stranger, who pocketed the large plastic bag.

Aria gasped, "She just gave him something, right?"

Halle's stare raised to Spencer. "The recording?"

"That's what I thought first, but Melissa has no reason to help A or Alison," Spencer reasoned. "I think it's to do with Mona's Army." Fiddling with the control, Spencer said, "That's not all."

The vertical crease appeared between Halle's brows as she asked, "What are all these buttons?"

"It took me a while to figure them out," Spencer told them, "I had to look up the manual."

"This is Fitz's?" Halle asked her, slightly unnerved.

Spencer shot her a side-eyes. "Yeah."

Aria dithered, "Ugh."

Spencer advised her friends, "Watch what she's saying." Zooming in on the footage caused it go grainy and more pixelated, Spencer gave a voice to the blurry image of Melissa's words. "'Do it' — 'Trust me.' — 'Do it.'"

Alarm seeped into Aria. "When was this?"

"It was three nights ago," Spencer stated. Aria's eyes flashed back to the screen, gob-smacked, while Halle struggled to comprehend it. So, Spencer explained, "Less that twenty-four hours before Cyrus Petrillo confessed, I know."

Uneasy took shape in Halle, her stomach lurching at the suggestion. "Are we sure?" She said, "I mean, do we seriously think the guy in the video in your backyard is Ali's fake kidnapper?"

Struggling with it, Spencer admitted, "I don't know."

"And that Melissa stole the recording and gave it to him?" Aria followed, beginning to panic.

"I mean, we already know she's working for Mona, so why not A too?" Spencer plausibly explained.

"'Cos it's gonna make my head explode, that's why," screeched Aria, and she turned her back on them.

"Mind you," Halle reasoned, "Mona's a little different to this new A. Mona wants Alison gone —destroyed — and giving that recording to Cyrus Petrillo to fake confess to trap her is so smart, but it takes us down too." Shaking her head, she said, "Mona wouldn't do that again, not to Hanna. Mona actually wants forgiveness, and Melissa wouldn't do that to you either," she finished, eyes on Spencer.

"I don't know what Melissa wouldn't do," Spencer excused. "She's been keeping secrets since Ali came back, and dad's tried to shut her up multiple times in front of me. My mom even thinks they're keeping something from us," she recalled.

A gasp left Aria. She faced her friends, eyes wide and startled. "Oh, my god, do you think that Melissa sent that text?"

"Maybe" Spencer said, "I mean, she always likes chess."

"Wait— I thought you said Melissa was in the room with you?" Halle was confused. She saw Spencer nod, and Halle said, "Well, then someone else sent that text, not her."

"You really don't think it's her?" Spencer asked.

"After what Myles said?" Halle shook her head. "There's no chance." She said, "Melissa's doing whatever she can to keep Alison away from you, not force her closer."

"What exactly did Myles say about Melissa?" questioned Spencer carefully.

Sincere eyes met Spencer, and Halle said, "That she wanted a second chance at protecting you and that..." Halle's features tightened, contorting up as she recalled what her brother had said. Her stare blew wide. "Spencer, Melissa didn't betray you. It wasn't the recording she gave him—" she snatched the device from Aria to get a better look, "it was a rat —look."

Gratitude seemed to melt Spencer's hard exterior, her gaze becoming glassy, but she made no move to grab the tablet. Aria did, snatching it to rewind the tape. Spencer was stuck on what Halle told her, emotional now. Her voice wavered, "Melissa's doing this to protect me?"

"Because she couldn't the first time," Halle was convinced. "Mona's Army ain't about revenge on Ali, though it's a bonus, it's about protection — from Alison. And it's not just us, it's everyone Alison's ever hurt," Halle added with extreme clarity.

Spencer's mouth fell open. Although, the words didn't leave her. She had to open and closed it several times before she could get out the gentle reveal. She kept her eyes fixed to Halle. "I need to tell you something." Spencer confessed, "Noel didn't just tell me about how he got the recording, he made a pretty big statement about Alison... and about A."

Halle felt her eyes sting. "I know what you're gonna say, Spencer."

Shaking her head, Spencer replied, "No, you don't. You only know half of it. The part of Alison... being connected to A," she said, swallowing nervously. "But, Hal, Noel didn't say it..." Spencer battled with it, not quite having the right words to express it. "But from what he did say, it was like Noel was telling me Alison knew about the explosion."

All of it left Halle slightly puzzled. "Like my dad did?"

"No," said Spencer gently, voice light with her saddened guilt. "Like she knew everything. That it was meant to be Emily's that blew but it got it changed to Toby's, and it would take out Noel and—" she choked out the last part, "... your dad."

"Ali..." It pained Halle greatly. She ran her palm up her chest, inclined towards the base of her neck, gripping at the skin. Sniffling, the tears came quickly. "She knew?"

"I can't be sure," Spencer admitted, "but I think so."

"Oh, my god, Halle," Aria awed in distress. She turned her touch to her friend and slug an arm around a tender Halle to hug her close. Pulling the girl closer, Aria felt her whole body grow overwhelmed with hurt.

"Look, we cannot take any more chances," Spencer reasoned strongly. "We have to cut the cord with Ali before she drags us down with her."

Peering up at her, Aria asked, "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that we use what we got from Noel," Spencer stressed. "The pictures, the conversations with Shana — 'cos they prove that Ali was alive and decidedly un-kidnapped for the past two years."

"Okay," Aria struggled to make sense of it. She stuttered in panic, "A—An—And—And that helps us how?"

"We got to go Tanner and we tell her the truth," Halle decided, more determined now even though her eyes were teary. "I ain't having anybody — especially not Alison," she strained firmly, "mess with my family."

"Yeah, absolutely," Spencer said, agreeing fast. She nodded and stated, "We tell Tanner that we thought that Ali was dead up until Ravenwood—" she spoke over Aria's profuse shaking of her head, "—and Ezra's the one who took that photo of us that night in my yard," Spencer continued. "The only thing that we know about the last two years is whatever Ali told us."

Halle swore, "That she lied to us."

"Just like she lied to them," Spencer said, jet set.

Panicking, Aria let her terror swept out. Alarm flooded her body, trembling, as she countered, "Okay — but what about New York? We can't just come half-clean."

"I know," understood Spencer wholly. She expressed sensitivity while she said, "But we tell her what happened there, too — that it was self-defence and you were protecting us. That's the truth."

"But the truth doesn't amount to much when it comes from a bunch of liars!" yelled Aria hotly, utterly petrified. It was a slap across the face, they knew. They had told too many lies now to unglue themselves from Alison and where they were. The liars might not have told the lies, but they certainly went along with them in silence. Each of them with complicit accomplices, and they were finally faced with the fiery backfire. Aria said, "Guys, the whole reason I'm freaking out about this Cyrus-thing is that it could lead Tanner to that rooftop, to the hospital." Her eyes were wide and grave, tortured by the crimes she committed. "What happened there wasn't accidental, Spencer, that wasn't self-defence. I wasn't protecting anyone," she said. Disbelieving, Aria posed, "And now you wanna beat A to the punch?"

It was immediate. "Exactly," Spencer sternly said. "Because it's better if they find out from us."

Aria's stare had stayed consistent. Every now and again, they travelled back to Halle, who quietly dwelled in the realisation of what had just been revealed to them — to her. As much as it affected Aria, it wasn't Aria's father who was almost killed because of an elaborate plot, planned by A or Alison. "You can speak your mind," Aria urged her. "I know you agree with Spencer on this. It was your idea to turn Ali over first."

Truthfully, avoiding looking at Spencer too much, Halle said, "I'm surprised at how quickly you guys come around it, really." She glanced to Aria, them next to each other, and across to Spencer, who sat on the bed. "So," Halle began, "do you think that Alison might say Cyrus is guilty?"

With a sigh, Spencer answered, "Yeah, I do."

Tired, Aria said, "Me too," and two pairs of eyes lifted to her. She further mentioned, "She thinks that he's gonna lead us to A. When really we both know that A's gonna make this whole confession lead Tanner back to us. I mean, a whole day has passed and he' still sitting in jail."

"I think you're right," Halle voiced. "I think if it helps solidify her story, she'll lie." Regrettably, but not untruthful, Halle concluded, "Whenever Alison has the choice to lie, she takes it."

Worry spurred on Aria, "But she has something bigger on us, if we turn her in."

As if it was only them to in the room, Halle accepted what Aria meant with a frown. "That Night."

"We're the ones this backfires on more," Aria said, clearly scared with her teary eyes. Her hand searched for Halle's, collecting hers in Halle's lap to hold on. "And if I come clean about New York and what I did to Ezra in that hospital, the cops will add that to That Night, and — poof — I have a history of violence."

"And you—" Spencer reminded them she was there also when gestured to Halle, her voice falling so quiet, "have a history of covering things up to protect Aria. If we tell the truth, Alison will name you guys as the one who hit her That Night."

Following the scary thought, Halle added, "And they won't believe us when we say we didn't bury her."

"And by default, we'll get blamed for Bethany," Aria told her. "A blonde in the exact same yellow top as Ali was wearing That Night, that we made sure was dead."

After a sharp inhale, Halle said, "We're really screwed if we do this."

That caused Aria to break away. She stood abruptly and started to pace in her sweltering panic. "Everything's gone, right?" she checked in a frantic mess, and Spencer's stare flashed to Halle. They exchanged a look as Aria raved on. "The spy-gear, the research, the photos of Ali — all of it? Because if Tanner gets a search warrant on either of our houses—"

"Aria," Halle inserted calmly, "it's sorted. It's all gone. It's in storage units, under a fake name. Remember?"

Spencer made sure to add to her freaked friend, "Yeah, Halle and I got rid of it, and we made doubles. Jason drove Halle out to Philly to stash part of it—"

"—Yeah," Halle added, "and you know how thorough Spencer is." Her palm was out as she insisted greatly, "She went up in your attic herself, not trusting Jason to collect it all."

"We promise you," Spencer strained to Aria, "it's safe," she said. "It's protected, we're—" she glanced to Halle, "protecting it."

"We swear," Halle said, hand over her heart. Having done nothing to settle her friend's panic, Aria now aggressively chewing at her manicure, Halle sighed. "Look, do you want me to talk to her?"

"Why?" Aria asked incredulously.

"'Cos," Halle said, "I ain't a pushover like Em is. Because someone sure as hell needs to make sure none of what we've just discussed happens," she concluded.

"Yeah, but we could push Alison into making that bad decision," Spencer reasoned.

Halle argued, "She'd do it anyway if no one stands up to her."

"No." Aria was stern. "No, you're not talking to her, Hal." Her eyes were wild and fixed to Halle's face while Aria paced the room. "We've just talked about what Alison could say about us, what she could do to us. I mean, Emily's mom said the police don't believe Alison's story and we can't give Ali a reason to start telling the truth now. Not now," she added furiously. "Not with Tanner circling and A watching our every move, no—"

With her palm up, Halle tried to plead her case, "Aria, just—"

"No," Aria cut her off swiftly. Her peeled gaze bored down at her friend — at her closest, most protective friend. Aria had to protect them back. "Promise me, Halle," she begged. "Promise me you won't speak to her." She exhaled a heft breath, her shoulder slumping. "Please." She said, "I need to know that we're safe, at least from Ali."

It was reluctant to leave Halle. She didn't want to agree. If she could've gotten out of the woody bedroom without giving over her word, she would have. but two sets of eyes were pinned to her, fixed to her answer, and Halle caved.

"I promise."

•

A sinking, dull ache followed Emily around, as she followed Alison around. Emily glued herself to Alison, trying to crack the shell, trying to break through and convince Alison this was another bad idea. But no matter how hard Emily smiled or was supportive of Alison, it all presented as false because of this ache in her stomach. A void, empty, in the shape of a staircase and the now-known girl at the bottom of it.

Brooklyn. Brooklyn Driscoll.

She had a sister. She had a name. It all stayed with Emily, in the pit of her stomach, and she couldn't ever look at Alison the same. The adrenaline of defending Alison was finally wearing thin, and Emily was seeing Alison as the person who pushed Ian from the bell tower and who also pushed Brooklyn down a flight of stairs because of Ian.

As they entered the living room, after taking a brisk walk through the woods to clear Alison's head, Emily's awkwardness grew. She didn't want to be back in his house, or linger around longer than she needed to. She wanted out. She wanted away from Alison; because one more look was enough for Alison to pick Emily apart.

"How long 'till your dad gets back?"

"About an hour," Alison answered her. Rotating elegantly on the spot, Alison took a seat on the Parisian-style loveseat and reclined back comfortably among the expensive, pearl and light blue cushions. "He's meeting with a social worker, with my mom," she said. "The only time they talk is about me."

"Why?" Emily asked, eyes widened slightly.

"'Cos I was missing for almost two years, Emily, of course they're gonna talk about me," Alison said like it was obvious.

"No, I mean, why are they meeting with a social worker?" asked Emily, more clearly this time. That was the answer she wanted, not some repetitive nonsense about how important it was for everyone to talk about The Disappearance of Alison DiLaurentis.

"My dad thinks I'm afraid of retribution," Alison told Emily, truthfully. She plucked up the cushion beside it by its long tassels and placed it down in her lap.

Arms folded, Emily released a heavy sigh. She accepted it with a nod, not entirely happy about the outcome they were faced with. "He thinks that's the reason why you don't wanna ID this guy."

A beat of silence passed between them. Emily didn't say anything, neither did Alison. They were both avoiding each other, with Emily going as far as not even looking at Alison. She couldn't. How could she when she knew...?

"Look," Emily tried to push through the churning sensation, "I know your dad is putting pressure on you... Okay?" After a deep breath, she added, "I... I know he's convinced that this is the guy who helped Ezra keep you hostage and knows who killed Bethany Young." Alison anxiously twirled her finger around three of the tassels, playing with rather than listening, while Emily went on. "And I'm sure Tanner would love to wrap up all our nightmares with a neat, little bow and you..."

Alison's head snapped up at that. "What about me?"

Emily couldn't bear it. It hurt too greatly to ignore — to burrow down with all the rest of her insecurities over Alison. She couldn't keep them buried. They were all rising to the surface, and neither of the girls could stop them. They had found buoyancy now, through every lie Alison had strung together since being back, and Emily was reaching her end. So, she broke.

"I know it was you who pushed that girl down the stairs at that frat party," Emily blurted out without hesitating. She wavered after, shaking, as she stood imploring Alison to tell her she was wrong, but it never came. "I know you had Ian lie and said it was CeCe to the police and I know she has an NAT video, too."

"Well, that's—" Alison shook her head and forced on a smile, "not true," she said. "CeCe pushed that girl, she was thrown out of UPenn for it and several witnesses saw her. And why do you even believe Sydney anyway?" Alison tried to lightly dismiss. "She's friends with Jenna who is a known liar, Sydney's probably one too and—"

"I never said it was Sydney," Emily cut in, and Alison's mouth sealed shut. "Which means it's true," she guessed logically. "You pushed that girl, and you knew who she was when you pushed her."

"Look, Em—"

"You gave us Ian's videos, Ali." Pressing harder, Emily exhibited all her resistance towards the blonde now. She was stern throughout, utterly wrecked but cool under the intense stare Alison was giving her. "You gave me that key, knowing what we'd find, knowing that we'd find Ian's videos — and we did. We found all of them. Or we thought we did," she said. "We found all but one."

A stressed smile came to Alison as she shook her head. "I don't know what you're—"

"You do, Alison, you do know exactly what I'm taking about," Emily pushed back, refusing to let go, so Alison dropped her tense smile. "There was another video you found that day at Hilton Head, and you're not dumb enough to delete it, but you knew you couldn't just leave it with the others because that video is a crime." Emily put her foot down, hard. "Ian Thomas raped a girl and there is video proof that you hid it for him, and I know why."

Almost snarling, Alison said, "Go on... Why?"

"Because you were blackmailing Ian Thomas," Emily said flatly. It sat painfully on Emily's chest, a heinous accusation she gathered to be true. "There had to be something big enough on him that could outweigh you not being dead. Because why — the second you try to blackmail him — wouldn't he turn you in? And that—" Emily pulled at her hair, aggravated, "that question bugged me for ages, Ali, because the cops would've found NAT from digging some more. I mean, we found it," she said miraculously. "But you had the one thing that Ian Thomas didn't want out there. Proof of a rape," said Emily. "Not just him with you as a minor, but him with an unconscious, drunk girl at a frat party, who was later pushed down the stairs, which you did." Emily locked eyes with Alison, betrayed. "You pushed her."

"That's a bold theory," Alison confirmed, her chin high, her eyes cold. "Do you think the others would believe it, too?"

"That's the problem with you," Emily hissed, her finger out at Alison as she battled with the vile dismissal of what Emily accused her of. "You don't deny anything. You let it sit with us, and fester. It rotting us from inside out, Ali. And that's what you're—" she pointed more harshly at her, "doing to us. It's what you've been doing since you got back."

"Oh, is it?" Alison asked spitefully.

"Yes!" Emily exclaimed loudly. "And that's what you love about Cyrus showing up. You love that, for once, everyone seems to believe you," she strongly inserted. "The cops believe this more than your stunt of national television because he's confessing and you look like the scared victim who's terrified of naming him, and you don't say anything because the work is already done."

"That's not what this is about," Alison denied.

"Good!" said Emily, exasperated. "'Cos I swear, if you let some stranger go to jail because you're trying to cover your ass like you let CeCe—"

"He's not a stranger, Emily," Alison interrupted. Her eyes were now glossy, threatening to spill with fresh tears she had brought on, but her voice remained firm. She didn't shake or tremble. Most certainly, Alison didn't cower when she turned her hot, watery gaze up to her friends. There wasn't any fear in her when she stared Emily down.

"Who? Cyrus?" Emily was floored, shocked beyond belief at what she was hearing — what she was gathering. If Alison could keep this locked up tight, when she was faced with it and her best friends begging her not to identify him, Emily didn't doubt what else Alison could keep secret. "What do you mean, 'he's not a stranger'? Do you know him?"

Now, Alison's voice filled with a tremor. "I don't know how A found him," she said quietly, just loud enough for Emily to hear. She didn't miss the way Emily's jaw fell slack, not in a way of horror but in a way that told Alison that Emily was appalled by her. by her keeping this to herself. So, Alison decided to share more. "But..." She moved the cushion out of her lap and slowly lifted her dress to show her thigh, revealing the raised scar there. "He's the one who gave me this."

It hit Emily, right where the sinking feeling was. She hesitated to speak. Her mouth opened but words failed her. Her eyes kept on getting drawn back to the scar, from where it spread from a puncture-wound. Hanna had Emily told about it, but Emily never saw it herself. now she was, and Alison was telling her it was Cyrus who did it. Emily felt herself soften. She became a puddle of sympathy, pooling at Alison's feet, sweeping it to save her yet again.

Soon, Emily was beside her. They were both on the loveseat with Emily imploring Alison to share more — to open up to her more. There was more to be said — to be revealed — so Emily pried for it. "You were living with this person? In an abandoned basement?"

Alison was quiet. She didn't speak after she disclosed what she wanted — exactly what Emily was repeating back to her now. Alison found she only had to add things at certain points; Emily filled in the blanks all by herself.

Emily asked, "Did he know who you were?"

Lifting her head a tad, Alison finally responded. "Just that I was on the run." She added, "He said he could tell that I was different. Special."

"Were you alone?" Emily checked, gently speaking. "With him?"

Alison shook her head. "There were others," she said. "He was with his girlfriend at the start. They ran away together, but..." she nervously swallowed, "it changed after they met me."

It frightened Emily to ask, "What happened, Ali?"

"He didn't want me after," she spoke timidly. "He just wanted to use me and take my stuff. My money. Our money," revealed Alison. She looked to Emily, wary. "The three of us, we were running scams on people, to survive, you know. It wasn't harming any one until... it was." After another painful swallow, Alison shared, "There was an accident. A girl got hurt from one of scams, she got stabbed."

Emily gasped, "Oh, my god."

"It all happened so fast," Alison hurried to get out, ramping it up. "So fast. And I wanted out." Her eyes were wide, pupils dilating with recalled fear. That was when the tears returned, welling up further as she remembered more. "And the way he looked at me... when I told him I was done... Like I was nothing to him," she said, face frozen over. "Like I was never anything to him that whole time, I was just a pawn in a game." A tear fell. "I was worse than nothing."

Her hand itched as Emily fought her brain. She led with her heart in circumstances like this, and Alison held a part of it. Emily pushed aside all her thoughts of the bad things Alison had done while her heart beat louder, reminding her there was a spot available still. At that, Emily's hand reached for Alison's. "I'm sorry, Ali," she expressed sincerely.

"You are?" Alison checked with her, eyes still glistening with tears.

"I am," Emily promised her. "But—" Emily couldn't push it back hard enough. She had to release it — had to use it to guide Alison to the right choice. "A is using this creep to trap you," she said, pleadingly. "To trap all of us." Emily waited for a tear-struck Alison to glance at her before she continued, "A wants you to identify him. You have to let him go — you know that, right?"

It seemed to land with Alison. She was stripped raw, broken it seemed by this new confession. She had opened up to Emily — brought her close again — yet couldn't shake the sense of responsibility thrust on her shoulders. Blinking away more tears, Alison accepted it was a trap. She had a deep understanding that this was what A wanted — that A wanted her to choose wrong and identify Cyrus. There was a slither of opportunity presented to her — to be believed wholly, without question — and all Alison had to do was reach out and take it. But this risk was too great and too judged by her friends — by Emily — so Alison didn't stretch out her grasp.

"I know," Alison said shakily. "It was just nice to be believed."

•

It hadn't been her choice, but after one too many bad coffees, they ended up at The Brew. The idea of running into Zach caused Halle's back to rise up, hoping she'd also get to punch him like Caleb had. However, Halle was soon comforted by the the flyer put up in the window and again stapled to the cashier.

Business and property for sale

"I know you girls are intimidating," Jason began humorously. His hands were on her waist, him behind her; his breath was hot on the shell of her ear. "But I didn't think you were sell your business and run-for-the-Swiss-Hills intimidating."

Over her shoulder, Halle sent him a teasing smile. "You'd be surprised."

"And here I thought you were all out of them," Jason returned, just as she slipped out of his hold.

"Oh, I'm full of them," Halle promised him. Her fingers grazed him while she pulled him towards the cosy cafe. "You've still got so many to go."

His hand had beat Halle to the door, opening it and propping it wide enough for her to enter. Again, Jason's voice came dangerously close to her ear as he ducked down to say into it, "I'm gonna enjoy getting to figure them out."

A smile lit up her face, eyes gleaming and mischievous. "Really?"

"Hmm," he deliciously hummed.

"Well, don't you think you better start now?" she asked him playfully after they walked inside. She shot him a wink and said, "I might get bored."

"Bored?" Jason chuckled lowly. "Of me? Never." The smile was kept to his mouth, hands once more on her as he held her close. "I keep you on your toes, Brewster, that's why you love me."

Wrapping her arms around his neck, Halle spoke, "As long as you keep me on them, right here, I'm good with that."

"Is that so?" Jason manoeuvred them to the side, nearing the cashier while the barista wrapped up the order before them. He said, "I'm sure you can think of a reason to keep me here—"

Halle suddenly froze. She stood up straight, arms falling slack as her stare set far from Jason's hold. "What is she doing here?"

Jason followed her eyeline and soon discovered his younger sister, sat at one of the iron-wrought tables away from the main floor. Alison was alone, sipping at her espresso, and hadn't acknowledge either her brother or ex-best friend yet. A heavy sigh left Jason when he felt Halle slip from him. "Mom and dad took her here, before they go to the station," he said. "Tanner wants to see them."

Concerned, Halle's eyes flashed to him. "About what?"

There was a sense of reluctance behind Jason before he revealed, "They've found the basement this guy is saying he kept her in, Tanner wants to take her there, see if she can confirm that's the place." Quickly noticing the barista was looking at them, Jason asked, "What do you want?

She could scarcely believe he was asking her that, not when her focus was more alerted towards Alison. "Uh, a macchiato — extra hot, please," she said to the barista. Then, she looked to Jason. "I need to talk to her."

"You don't need to do anything," Jason said. "If Ali's gonna do something, she's gonna do it. You aren't talking her out of it, Halle, save your breath."

"I gotta try," said Halle desperately. "Please." After squeezing his hand, Halle took off. She let go of Jason, crossed the floor of the cafe and presented herself at Alison's table.

Her sudden presence stunned Alison, who was unsuspecting to her until that moment. Halle made the space her own and sat down opposite Alison, immediately abrasive.

"Don't do this," Halle said. "There are a lot of people involved in this, it ain't just us. We've all got families who are gonna be affected, I'm sure this Cyrus has one too and you're gonna label him a criminal. A lot of people have supported you, tolerated you," she put un-delicately, "and they've done exactly what you've asked — gone along with all your stories — please think of them first."

Narrowing her eyes into nasty slits, Alison questioned, "Is this a threat?"

"No." Halle was stronger than she was initially. Something about Alison tended to bring out the most daring side of Halle. "Trust me, you wouldn't need to ask, you'd know if I've threatened you."

"You said you weren't my friend anymore," Alison stated, blatantly annoyed by it.

"That doesn't mean I'm not involved in this, that I'm not gonna keep the story going to protect us," Halle gave. "Besides, I have my own investments in this," she said honestly. "I tried to cover up an attempted murder — your attempted murder."

Alison asked, "Did Aria ask you to talk to me? Is that why you've changed your tune?" She warned her harshly, "Because if one more person tells me what I should do, I swear I'm gonna scream."

"Go ahead a scream, Ali, 'cos it doesn't matter what I tell you to do," responded a hardened Halle. "You'd gonna do what always do — you're gonna do what's best for Alison. So, I'm advising you—" she inched closer, "not to name Cyrus."

Her tone was stormy when Alison said, "Why?"

A hand was slammed down to the table. Halle locked her jaw, mouth tight and gritted, while she bit out fiercely, "Because next time it won't be attempted murder, now there's my threat."

Alison snarled, "Why you—"

"Oh, Halle, dear," came Jessica DiLaurentis' bright voice. She grinned dazingly at the girl. "How lovely to see you."

"Mrs D, hey," said Halle, equally as nice and polite as the woman was for her. She rose from the chair she previously occupied. "Sorry for stealing your seat, I just wanted to check in."

"Oh, steal away," Jessica said in jest. Her hand extended, touching Halle's arm lightly. "How are you? How's your dad?"

"He's doing better, thanks," Halle replied, smiling for real this time. "He likes being home. Probably 'cos mom's doting on him, constantly trying out new recipes for him."

"She was always such a fabulous baker," Jessica complimented massively. "She always had the best cake at church gathering and, between you and me, they sold out the quickest at the bake sales, too." Lighting up positively, Jessica suggested, "Oh, you should tell her this place is for sale if she ever wanted a change of scenery from the gallery. I could get her a good deal, broker one for her," she happily said. "It would be so wonderful to have a neighbour on green as well as on Bridgewater."

Grimacing a false smile, Halle replied, "I'll let her know."

"You should," Jessica said.

Jason met them with the two to-go coffees in his grasp. "Hey, this is yours," he said to Halle.

She accepted it with a soft smile. "Oh, thanks."

"Hey, Mom," said Jason, leaning to kiss her cheek.

Jessica delighted at the sweet touch. "Hey, darling boy." She smiled genuinely at them, wider than before, eyes full of a glowing warmth. "Are you two back together again? Oh, please, tell me you are." Her palm fell to a prayer. "You were never happier, sweetheart."

He did his very best to hold back his grin, and Jason said collected, "We're taking it slow, Mom."

"But—" Halle slid her hand in his, finger locking together while she smiled up at him, "we're together," she said.

"That's wonderful news," Jessica cherished merrily. "You don't how badly needed some," she said with a light chuckle, but something told Halle the woman truly meant it. Squinting up her face, Jessica reached out to lovingly to squeeze her son's chin. "I'm happy for you." She looked to Halle. "For both of you."

"Thanks, Mom—"

To dampen their mood, Kenneth DiLaurentis approached. He interrupted them with a strong glower. "Jason." His eyes went down to the girl at his side. "Halle."

"Mr DiLaurentis," Halle met, not unhappily but not impressed.

Jason didn't speak. He refused to. A part of him supposed it was because Jason no longer knew how to greet the man who raised him — the man he called 'father' and 'dad' thousands of times over, not that he deserved either title. His biological father didn't, either. But it was known now — because of the book. The book damned them all.

"Have you decided you're coming with us?" asked Kenneth. His tone was strict, unimpressed by merely looking at Jason. "Finally decided you're a part of this family too."

"Oh, no, Dad," Jason mocked him, sarcasm dripping from him, "you decided I wasn't a long time ago."

While the fight built in Jason and the man who raised him, deadly glowers fired out at each other, as Jessica stepped in between, the group of DiLaurentis — and Halle — failed to notice someone else. From the kitchen, Aria emerge with a big box of unused decorations for the engagement party that never happened. She stilled on spotting Halle among them, too attached to the girl to not know what was said prior.

"Jason, not here," Jessica coolly advised her son.

"Why not?" Jason challenged the both of them now, with a sharp, sardonic touch to everything he spoke. "The book is out soon, I was thinking of getting him a copy for Christmas."

Towering, Kenneth responded in distain, "At least I know I don't have to take any blame in how much of a screw-up you are."

His green eyes were harden as Jason countered, "No, you're the exact reason for that."

"I said, not here," bit Jessica firmly, quiet in her frustration with the males. "Both of you — enough. I'm too soft for this right now, enough," she ordered. "Stop with the war."

"It's fine, Mom," Jason seemed gentler now but his stare was still harsh. A hand came to rest on Halle's waist. "We're leaving."

As Jason turned his back, Kenneth was quick — and cruel enough — to deliver one last blow. "Go ahead, it's what you always do," said Kenneth, and Halle stiffened before Jason did.

He returned to stand off with his father, and Jason chided, "Wonder where I learnt it from."

Kenneth's jaw was set. "Must be from your real father."

"I swear if my mom wasn't—"

"Dad," Alison's sweet voice called out. She interrupted Jason's threat while Halle squeezed tighter at his hand, begging him to leave with her now. But Alison was great enough of a distraction to bring Kenneth DiLaurentis from being more malicious.

In an instant, Kenneth's behaviour switched. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," Alison told him. "But mom's right, we shouldn't do this here."

"Of course." He accepted it fast, then checked his watch to compare it to their deadline. Kenneth DiLaurentis frowned and said, "We don't have much time."

A glare landed on Halle from Alison. The conversation had shifted back to the man sat in the police station — to what the police had hoped to wrap up with just one word off Alison. Yes. They wanted her to say yes, and Alison craved to say it the most.

"Alison, they have to release him after forty-eight hours," cautioned Kenneth, acutely aware of the time. It caused Alison to look off, avoiding him, so Kenneth tried again. He crouched down to be at her height, pleading. "Now, I know this is hard, but we really have to go," he said.

"Let's not pressure her, Kenneth," Jessica smoothly inserted. She held back the lie for her daughter and kept up the steady show. "She's been through a lot."

Kenneth turned his stare to his ex-wife, unflinching, and said, "Which is why we need to hurry.

"Um..." Alison cleared her throat, her gaze pinned to her lap. "You know, I think I'm just gonna get a refill," she said. Showing hesitation on identifying him, Alison stood from her chair and fled for the counter.

"Two minutes," Kenneth said. He ducked his head lower, leaning nearer to Jessica when he ordered, "Talk to her. Reason with your daughter."

Rotating her head around, to watch Alison go, Halle ended up locking eyes with Aria who appeared miffed. It hit Halle instantly — the guilt. She opened her mouth to speak, to defend her actions, but couldn't possibly when Halle knew too well that she went against Aria, and Aria knew it too.

The heels of Aria's boots clicked aggressively on the concrete. She crossed the darkened, wet road fast while Halle tried to chase her. "Aria," she pleaded, "just stop for a sec." Her eyes darted either side of the road before she walked, arriving as Aria opened the trunk of her car. "Just, talk to me about this—"

"What did you say to her?" demanded Aria. She had hotly thrown the box down into her boot. "What did you say?"

Halle said, "That what she says now affects everybody, not just her."

"What about you?" Aria snapped harshly. She turned it around Halle as she fumed louder. "What about how what you say affects us — me?" She asked, "Were you even listening when I asked you not to talk to her?

"Yeah, course I was," Halle said defensively. "I did listen, but Alison doesn't respond to silence, Aria, she responds to power."

"And that's what you showed her, huh?" Aria asked, annoyed. "Power?" In her anger, Aria attempted to shut the trunk of her car but failed. It was jammed; something stopped it from closing. Aria tried again, harder this time, but had the same outcome.

A itching hand extended out while Halle said, "Here, you have to—"

Yelling, Aria cut in, "No, I got it!"

"Okay," said Halle. She took a step back, palms up in surrender.

Opening the boot again, Aria began shoving things down and towards the back. Halle could still tell that her friend was angry — Aria's nerves completely shot — so Halle softened her voice.

"Look, if it helps, I didn't go looking for her," she started. "I saw her there, and I knew what was happening because Jason told me, and I went over to tell her not to identify Cyrus." Halle swore, "It was bad move, I know. I made poor decision is a split second and I shouldn't have. I should've thought of you first, but I—"

Aria faced her. "You confronted her right in the middle of town," she countered hotly. "Right in front of her parents and brother." Her arm swung out as she went on, "Right when she's about to go see Tanner. If you push her over that edge and she turns on us, it is over. It is over for us, especially," Aria dragged out desperately. "You get that, right?"

"I'm sorry," Halle said quietly, while Aria continued to sort out her boot. "You know she needs to know she can't just lie and expect us to go along with it, she's—"

Whipping around swiftly, Aria accidently knocked something to the ground and raved madly at Halle, "I do know, but it was the one thing I asked—" she glanced down at what her brash movement had caused to fall and break, "the one thing I asked you not to do, you did."

They sighed simultaneously. Both were upset and exhausted. The rage they took out on each other, and the pair knew as much when they dropped to pick up the items.

"What's happened, Aria?" Halle asked her softly. "Because it's not just what I did, you'd know I'd do something like this. Earlier, you said you were coming to terms with owning up to everything, so..." she delicately pressed, "what is it?"

The tears rushed forward quickly. They reddened Aria's eyes, rolling down her cheeks. In her grasp, she currently held a picture of her mother and Zach; the frame was broken in the fall. They were happy and in love, with Ella hugging him and Zach smiling directly at the camera. Aria had many images of her like that with Ezra that were now ruined the same as this was as well. The pain came to Aria and she had the compulsion to smash it, however, showed it to Halle instead.

"Your mom," Halle gathered sadly.

"She was happy for the first time in a really, really long time," Aria spoke, a glumness to her tone. "Hanna was right, after what my dad did and now Zach... she's broken." She admitted, "I spent all day trying to fix everything for her — the catering, the flowers, the band. I had to call them all and cancel every single—"

"Aria," Halle began softly. She cut her friend off, prying the frame from Aria's hand, and Halle said, "It's not your job to fix her, but I..." she gulped anxiously, fearful of the next part, "I don't think this is just about your mom.... I think it's about Ezra too.. about what Zach did to Hanna and—" Halle gave a painful swallow and concluded, "what Fitz did to you."

Aria blinked away her tears. "I think you're right," she whispered. After they had picked everything up, the pair moved towards the car again. They set the items down in the trunk, turned to face out and both perched on the edge, sitting together. Aria told Halle, "I feel like... if I really admit to what Zach was like and how my mom ignored the first time Zach was inappropriate, then I have to wonder if it's genetic? Our bad taste in men," she depressingly inserted. "I mean, I love my dad, but I can't ignore he also had an affair with one of his students and had me lied about it." A heavy sigh exhaled forcibly from her, and Aria resigned, "I'm probably both of them."

"I think that's how it works," sympathised Halle, sincerity outpouring from her as she sat on the trunk of her friend's car. "Half mom, half dad, all you." Her brow lifted when she further remarked, "You don't just get one-hundred percent of your issues, you get a hundred percent of both theirs too. It's screwed up, really."

"Yeah, well, that sucks," droned Aria miserably. She sniffled and wiped at her nose with the sleeve of her jacket. "That really, really sucks."

"I know, baby," Halle said, nudging Aria's arm softly with her own. "But you're seeing these for the first time so it's gonna suck harder." At that, Aria's nose turned up, so Halle asked carefully, "Do you think you ought to speak to somebody 'bout it?"

Lifting her head to face Halle, Aria asked, "What, like, Dr Sullivan?"

"I was thinking that Jesse guy, from school?" suggested Halle. "Yeah, he's a bit of a toxic-positivity jerk, who considers everybody's feelings," she half-mocked, "but..." Halle checked in, "you liked him, right?"

"I did, he was nice to me," Aria admitted. "He's actually asked Mike about me a few times, you know, since Ezra's mother CC'd the whole school to call me a liar." Gently, she wondered, "You think I should take him up on it?"

"I think you need to really talk about it to someone who can help you figure it out," Halle said, considering Aria as the raw centre, "so you don't feel like this anymore."

"Oooooh, not ready for that," let out a shaky Aria. A new wave of tears flooded her gaze, blurring her vision as she stared down at the wet road. There was a massive, dull ache in her chest that swelled further, lurching almost. With those brimming tears, Aria said to her friend, "I'm scared I could feel like this forever."

"It won't be forever, trust me," Halle released, as she swung an arm around Aria to hug her. "Yeah, it's gonna haunt you for a while, but one day you're gonna wake up and it's gonna be just something that happened to you. It'll always be with you, yeah, but it won't always be you," she explained empathetically. "Just like a scar."

Perched on the edge of her truck, Aria rested her head on Halle's shoulder and let out a loud sigh to finalise the end to that depressing part. "I'm glad you spoke to her," she brought up, much lighter than earlier.

A airy chuckle left Halle. "No, you're not," she replied, and they shared a sweet laugh together.

"No," Aria laughed again and shook her head, "I'm not." A smile graced Aria's lips, sad but comfortable, and, once more, she settled on Halle's shoulder. It held her up if not just for that moment, for her safely land after a small wobble. The most consistent thing she had was Halle, holding her up, protecting her back, and Aria was eternally grateful. "Thank you."

Smiling herself, gently, Halle used her arm to pull Aria closer for their cuddle. "I got you, baby," she promised, sealing it with a tender kiss to Aria's head. "We got each other."

•

SOS. Ali ID'ed Cyrus.
Need to meet.
From Han

Betrayal weighed heavy on Emily's chest as it tightened. She waited in the dark, under the weak porch lights of the DiLaurentis porch, not far from the stationed police cruiser. Emily wasn't there long after the text ended up on her screen and she didn't have to brace the winter air for much longer before a car pulled up. The headlights were on high-beam and startled Emily up from where she sat.

"Em?"

Alison had exited the car on spying her friend there. Her voice was light and sweet, unsuspecting that Emily knew anything at all. Or if Emily did, Alison never expected a stony-face to greet her at the foot of her porch.

Emily saw that Alison wasn't alone — that both Mr and Mrs DiLaurentis had climbed out of the car also. While Jessica sadly smiled, feeling the shame of tonight overcome her, Kenneth didn't react at all. "Ali, can I talk to you?" Emily asked, ever so politely.

"Dad, I'll be right in," Alison said, as they walked towards the house. She didn't address her mother; she hadn't since they left The Brew tonight.

Kenneth checked over his shoulder — to the police car down the street. Although there was still a base-level anxiety around leaving his daughter alone, he was comforted by the police presence. "Okay," he understood, his hand on hr arm briefly before he walked away, towards the front door.

Jessica went to follow. Instead of touching Alison, Jessica frowned sympathetically at Emily and decided to squeeze the girl's shoulder as she past. "So good to see you, Emily," she said.

"You too, Mrs D," Emily replied, lacking heart, and Jessica sensed she knew why.

So did Alison.

Emily knew. They all knew.

The door shut, and the two were alone. Emily didn't speak first; she allowed Alison. It was tired routine now.

"You heard," Alison stated.

"Yeah," Emily confirmed what she suspected. "But I didn't understand." Her dark eyes were pleading for the truth — to why Alison would do this. "You identified him? Ali, I thought we were in this together."

"We are," Alison said, arms folded.

"No," Emily firmly told her, stare wide in horror. "We're not." She said, "Whatever A has planned affects all of us, not just you."

The panic rose in Alison as she scrambled to justify her actions. "I waited as long as I could." Her voice trembled, "Everyone was looking at me, being in that place. You weren't there, Em."

"When?" Emily hotly countered. Her volume increased with her anger. "When wasn't I there?" She listed them all in an insipid fury, outraged that Alison could even say that to her face like Alison was in this alone, while they had been going through hell in Rosewood. "When Hanna broke her leg because of A? When Aria was trapped in a crate ready for A to push her off a moving train? When I almost died in an elevator with your brother because I was trying to find out who killed you? Or when Halle got attacked by Wilden because she was doing the same? Or when Spencer had to check into Radley because everything your disappearance put us through?" Hot, angry tears glistened in Emily's eyes while she fumed, "The past several years haven't been easy for any of us, but what makes it okay is that we stick together. We don't turn on each other."

Wriggling uncomfortably, desperation leaking out, Alison excused herself poorly, "I have a plan—"

"Oh, I'm sure you do," Emily remarked sarcastically, sodden through with hatred for all this. "The problem is you'll throw us all under a bus to pull it off."

At that, Alison turned away. She couldn't look at Emily, not while all Emily did was throw spite in her face, not while Alison had yet to bring on the tears.

"I stuck up you for you," Emily accused, heart-broken at the hurt Alison had caused her. Emily's embarrassment was mortifying. All her defence had be obliterated with one huge swing from Alison, and Alison still didn't get it. "Against Halle, against Spencer, against Sydney, against everyone!" Sickened by just how far Emily had fooled herself, she unleased all her hurt. "I wasted so much time on you," she voiced disdainfully.

After Emily broke away, Alison whipped around to persuade her. "Emily," she said, rising with panic at losing the most loyal to her.

Facing her, Emily had finally reached her Ali-limit. Her eyes were hard and cold, utterly ruined by the knife she had managed to at last pull out of her back.

"I'm gonna make it right," Alison swore, pleading. Still, there were no tears. Alison's eyes weren't even glassy like this didn't hurt her the way is brutalised Emily. "I am." She said, "I can still find out who A is. Please."

Yet, Emily's just was set just like her mind. "I'm done, Ali," she said. Her rage simmered when Emily delivered, "I am so done with you." And with that said — her place clearly positioned, Emily walked away like she should've done a hundred times before. Only, it took this — it took Alison going too far on this one thing Emily begged her not to do — for it to finally hit her.

Alison would never change.

So, Emily had no other choice than to remove herself entirely. She had to be done. She had to cut the strings otherwise Emily hadn't grown in those two years. She'd still be Alison's puppet. A doll. Emily wasn't that. She was Emily, and Emily was really proud to be who she was. She didn't want all the work to be tainted or used or abused any more. She was done. She made it clear that she was done. Emily just needed to make sure her friends were done, too.

•

Aria quoted directly back at Spencer, "'Sooner or later, Ali's gonna get what she deserves' — that's what she said?"

They were standing in Hanna's kitchen, loitering around the far end of the grey island. It was the three of them — Aria, Halle and Spencer. Hanna was a mere ten feet away, in her foyer, lowly chatting with Caleb, while the others divided out recounts of their night without her — or Emily. They were missing Emily. She was the only one not to show after Hanna's emergency text rocked the group-chat.

Lowly, Spencer said, "Yeah, Melissa basically admitted that either Mona's Army or A has something terrible in store of Ali — and us."

"Great," chimed Halle sarcastically. "Somehow I prefer Melissa when she's keeping secrets. The woman speaks in veiled threats, it sets my teeth off."

"Look, it's not too late, Aria," said Spencer. She spoke serious, a graveness to her tone. "Like we said earlier, we can go to Tanner. We can tell her the truth about Ali."

Uneasy with all the attention — the added pressure slumped onto her already caving shoulders — Aria said, "Yeah, no. I know." Tense, she recounted, "You've mentioned that, like, sixteen times already."

Understandingly, Spencer accepted, "Fine."

The front door shut and soon Hanna strolled in. She joined her three friends in the kitchen, a large smile lighting up the bottom half of her face. They each turned to stare at it, and Halle's lips pulled up to a smirk. "Damn, girl," she commented, "would you look at the smile on you."

Spencer asked, "What are you smiling about?"

Hanna came to stand between them at the island. "It's just a smile, guys," she reasoned while she kept the happy curve to her mouth. Her palms were laid to the counter. "Don't sound so concerned."

"Hmm," Halle hummed from her spot, "that ain't just a smile."

A cheerful glint shone to Hanna's eyes as she tried to ignored her friend's teasing. She turned away from him and refocused them. "Any word on Emily?"

"No, not yet," answered Aria of the 'SOS' that was sent out.

"You guys," Spencer addressed, fuming slightly, "I know I said that this might happen, but I still can't believe it."

"Ali walking into an A-trap with both eyes open?" Sadly, Aria expressed, "Me neither."

"We should have prepared for this properly," Halle said in almost declaration. "I say we drive out to the storage unit tonight and drop it on Tanner's desk."

"What's that gonna prove?" Hanna asked her. "Apart from the fact we're all liars."

"That yeah, we may have lied but we can prove the truth now," Halle said, more settled with the idea of turning against Alison than any of them. "If we can—" She was cut off swiftly when the patio door swung open and a breathless Emily appeared at long last, her face thunder-struck and determined.

Out of deep concern, Spencer questioned it, "Em?"

"Are you okay?" Aria asked next.

After closing the door, Emily swept over to them. In her hand, she held a familiar envelope from before, the one with the evidence they had stolen from Noel Kahn. "You were right, Spencer," Emily said between laboured breaths. She joined them, crowded around the island of the Marin kitchen. "We can't trust Alison," she said. "Not after tonight."

Intrigued by the extreme change of heart, Halle itched closer. She wanted to hear this — to hear Emily finally twist out the knife Alison had plunged into her back and see that it was Alison's hand that were bloody.

"Not you too," Aria sighed.

Emily placed down the envelope on the island, by Aria's hand. "There's something I haven't told you guys," she admitted. "Yesterday, Sydney came to me, to explain why she's friendly with Jenna, and it's not good. It's—" Emily swallowed the bile in her throat, "really awful, actually, and it makes me feel sick."

"What is it?" Spencer pressed.

"Sydney's sister is the girl who was pushed down the stairs," Emily revealed to them, watching as thunder rumbled through them. They all felt it — their worlds shook loose. "And Alison's the one who pushed her."

"Oh, my god," Hanna's hand fell to her mouth.

Shock floored Halle as she pried, "She did?"

"It was for Ian," Emily said. "Because she was obsessed with Ian."

Spencer gritted her teeth. "She blinded Jenna for getting too close to Ian, why not push a girl down the stairs too?"

"There's more," Emily said, devastated. But I—" her hand flew to her stomach, to ease the sinking feeling she had all day. "I can't really get into it now because we'll be here all night and we have to move fast if this is gonna work for us." Next, Emily's eyes were on Aria, serious and heart-felt. "Look, I know that this affects you more than the rest of us. Okay — I know that," she said. "But I really hope you can get on board." She faced the other liars, and Emily announced, "We need to cut ties with Ali now. Tonight."

With what she said, the kitchen stilled. The liars looked from Emily towards each other for the answer. Aria looked to Spencer first, who turned to Hanna. The blonde was already set on Spencer, hoping that the surged in her chest was also felt by everyone else. Then, Aria's stare fell to Halle, her dark ones had finally left Emily, swirling with awe at where they eventually reached, and they felt it. All five felt the shift. The tides had changed. The game was set. Players were taking their positions. It was them versus Alison, and the liars needed to choose themselves this time if they were going to win.

The liars had to severe ties. They had to rid themselves of Alison, and they were going to do it tonight.

•