A/N: *foregoes cute little "peeking out from under rock" comment to say that I hope everyone is staying healthy and safe during this pandemic*

I know it's been eons and eons. This story fell by the wayside when the fandom heated up and people started fighting after the cancellation. There aren't that many chapters left, so I *should* finish it before the next decade rolls around. *insert winking emoji*

Previously on "The Heart of Beacon Heights": Alison moves across the country for a teaching job in Oregon. Mona is there. There is pie. I don't know why there is pie. Some stuff happens. Dana Booker is all mad. Claire Hotchkiss is suspicious AF. Emily disappears. Alison loses her mind. Taylor is alive *dramatic gasp*. Emily's car gets all burned out. A body is involved. Creepy 'A' message makes cameo. Dylan is mopey. Caitlin says something smart. Ava gets into a bar fight. Emily has been watching her bae's back from the shadows. Claire Hotchkiss is a survivor (she not gonna give up, she will survive, keep on survivin...). Alison stabs Emily (aww, young love). Mona says something snarky. Alison says something bitchy. More stuff happens. Perfectionists being framed with some of Nolan's trinkets. Killer is in the woods. Taylor and Claire tell Mona and Alison to butt out. They gon' kill a bitch. Alison and Mona bond in a sewer over "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles". They are having a good time until Dana Booker finds them. Damn that Dana Booker.

We all caught up? Good. If not, there are 9 previous chapters you can look at for reference. Everything in the world is cancelled. What else do you have to do?

Chapter 10:

Law and Order

Alison stared at Booker.

Dana Fucking Booker. Alison had decided that Dana could have no other middle name, because Fucking just fit her perfectly. That's what she did. She got her jollies off by fucking with everyone in town.

Mona noticed Alison giving Dana a nasty look. The short brunette reached out and pinched Alison. Alison turned and glared at Mona. Mona shook her head. It was not the best time to mess with the officer.

Alison peered at the little red mark where Mona had pinched her and she reached over and did the same to Mona's arm.

The look Mona shot Alison screamed, "Real Mature, Ali."

Alison looked at the officer again, who was awaiting an answer. How the hell were they supposed to explain why they were emerging from the sewers in the middle of the day? They certainly couldn't tell her that Claire and Taylor were in an underground bunker plotting to murder the person running around in the woods.

"Well, ladies, what will it be?" Dana asked. She peered towards the sewer. "Unless, of course, you're about to tell me you're friends with a bunch of crime fighting turtles."

Mona tried to hold in her laugh, but failed. Alison glared at her.

"Sorry." Mona chuckled.

"Something funny, Miss Vanderwaal?" Dana asked.

"No." Mona was able to change her attitude with the flip of a switch. She glanced at Alison and mouthed "Donadello".

"Perhaps I should take a look around down there myself." Dana motioned behind Alison and Mona.

"I'm sorry, what law have we broken?" Mona fired back.

"I don't think you're in any position to be asking the questions here." Dana took a step towards the sewer.

Alison and Mona looked at one another helplessly, trying to come up with something to stop her. It's not like they could knock her over the head and tie her up somewhere. At least not in broad daylight.

They heard rapid footsteps approaching and a familiar voice yelling,

"Cut!"

Booker spun around, her hand on her holstered weapon. She saw Ava jogging towards them. Ava completely ignored Booker's presence as she walked up to Alison and Mona.

"That was really great." She had her phone out in its Steadicam case. "Wasn't expecting the cop cameo, but we can fix it in post-editing. I think I want to do the reveal in slow-mo to really give it the creep factor."

Mona nodded enthusiastically, even though she had no idea what the hell was going on.

"What fresh hell is this?" Dana asked.

"Oh, Detective Booker. Hi." Ava smiled. "Mrs. DiLaurentis and Miss Vanderwaal are helping me with my film project. I'm going for a Stephen King It vibe. Creepy, right?"

"Is that so?" Dana asked. She stared at Ava. "Mind if I see this creepy film?"

"We're just rehearsing." Ava seemed ready with her answer. "But I've got some location shots in my camera roll."

She turned the camera so Booker could see. She started swiping through her camera roll, which had several dark eerie photos of sewers and streets illuminated by streetlamps.

"What exactly did you say this was for?" Dana questioned suspiciously.

"There is a contest online for established influencers to show off their craft." Ava pulled up a flyer on her phone and showed it to Booker.

"Hmm." The cop didn't like that the young girl was besting her in a battle of wits. "A little strange to make a horror film after a good friend of yours was found gruesomely murdered."

It was a low blow, and it pissed Alison off.

"The twist ending is the best part." Alison looked at her coolly. "The cop investigating it was the killer the whole time. And she gets exactly what she deserves."

"Was that a threat, Mrs. DiLaurentis?"

"It's just a movie." Alison shrugged, a devious smirk on her face. "Because the cops are the good guys in real life. Right?" She tested her.

Mona glared at Alison in disbelief. She hated Booker as much as Alison, but she also knew when to keep her mouth shut. They didn't need to give Booker any extra ammo.

"We really should go." Mona grabbed Alison's arm aggressively to try and shut her up. "We have a lot of work to do."

Alison pulled her arm away, keeping her gaze on Booker the entire time. Mona silently begged her not to be defiant. Alison finally relented and smiled politely at Booker.

"I'm sorry if we gave you a reason to worry, Detective." Alison forced out a cheerful tone. "We'll be more considerate of when and how we film from here on out."

Booker kept her abrasive stance, but she nodded. They'd reached a stalemate.

"I suppose it was a little reactive of me to assume the worst. But it is my job."

"Understood." Alison nodded.

"You're both free to go."

"Thanks for your understanding." Mona smiled.

They started to walk off. Booker called after them.

"Ms. Jalali!" she exclaimed.

"Yes?" Ava turned around. Her heart was thumping hard against her ribs.

"I look forward to seeing your film in its entirety."

"You'll be the first person I link it to," Ava said with a smooth tone. She turned around. Mona and Alison heard her utter "fuck" under her breath. Once they got far enough away from Booker Ava shook her head. "I don't know why I said that. Now I've got to make a movie to keep myself out of jail." She faced Mona and Alison. "You're so lucky I had those survey pictures in my phone from my structural architect class."

"How did you pull that off?" Mona asked.

"We saw you. Emily knew that's where you'd be coming out. Taylor texted her." She glanced back over her shoulder to make sure they weren't being tailed.

Ava walked off, motioning for them to follow her.

"Of course Taylor texted her," Alison muttered. "She's getting really cozy with my wife…"

Mona looked at Alison and smiled.

"Do I detect a hint of jealousy in your tone?" Mona asked.

"Shut up, Mona." Alison cut her eyes at her.

Mona laughed, because she knew she was right.

Ava led them to a Beacon Guard dead zone outside the woods near town.

The others were waiting on them. Emily was with Dylan and Caitlin. She was still sporting the wig and sunglasses. Alison broke into a jog when she saw her. She ran into her open arms.

"I'm so glad you're okay." Alison grabbed her face and kissed her. She pulled back. Her soft expression morphed into a scowl. "I'm still mad at you."

"I know."

Alison took a moment to admire the blonde locks on Emily. They'd done some crazy things in the bedroom together, but the wig was giving Alison all kinds of ideas. She knew a lot of it was just the hormones that had been building up since they'd been away from one another. But it was also because Emily was really sexy.

"You look hot." She whispered.

"Really not the time." Emily laughed.

"This film is a horror noir, not a low budge porno." Ava scoffed.

"Hey, Em." Mona waved.

"Mona." Emily nodded at her politely. "Good to see you."

"You, too. Nice job on that chess app, by the way. You owe me a rematch though."

"As soon as we get out of this." Emily replied.

"We should get out of here before Booker changes her mind." Mona suggested. "Beacon Guard may not be able to touch us out here, but Booker can."

"Where else do we have to go?" Caitlin asked.

"I think I know of a place." Dylan hesitated before saying more. "It was one of Nolan's places off campus where no one could track him."

"And how exactly do you about that?" Ava cocked her head curiously.

"We uh…" Dylan realized he had no excuse, "…studying."

"Bullshit." Ava rolled her eyes. "How many times did he take you there?"

"Ava, I swear it was before the two of you got together. It was complicated, okay?"

"Guys, can we not?" Caitlin asked. "There is a psycho running around town. There are more pressing matters at hand."

"Come on. I think we can all squeeze in the car." Emily ordered.

Alison climbed in the front seat. Ava, Caitlin, Dylan, and Mona squeezed into the back seat. Alison marveled at the inside of the car. She was alarmed at how many buttons and controls the vehicle had. She felt like she'd just stepped into a space ship.

"Since when are you a secret agent?" Alison faced Emily.

"Since Taylor showed up and asked for my help." Emily started the car.

"Yeah. About that…you want to tell me what the hell is going on with that? You're running around Beacon Heights with some blonde bimbo playing a game that has a psychopath after you."

"Yeah. It's just like being at home." Emily smiled sarcastically.

"Jokes? Really? Jokes at a time like this?"

"You knew who I was before you married me." Emily hit a button on the dashboard. "Besides, you knew all of this already. We had this conversation after you shoved a knife into me. This is no different than Rosewood. Except this time we're in cahoots with the mad genius." She glanced at Mona in the rearview mirror. "How's it going back there, Mona?"

"Trying to decide whether I want to be insulted you called me mad or flattered you called me a genius."

"To be fair, you did earn the 'mad' title." Emily put the car in drive.

"I was never this bad." Mona pointed out.

"You hit your best friend with a car." Alison frowned at her.

"What?" Caitlin turned her head sharply to look at the small brunette.

"Only a little." Mona scoffed. "It was more like a…tap…with the bumper." Alison and Emily both glared at her from the front seat. "Whatever. She's alive."

"You just said you two bullied each other. You never said anything about attempted murder." Caitlin stared at her in shock.

"Well, I mean…bullying…murder. It's a fine line. It kind of blurs together sometimes."

"Um…no. Those are two very separate things."

"Not in Rosewood."

"I'm starting to think you two brought your crazy town with you when you came to Beacon Heights." Caitlin laughed nervously.

"Oh, sweetie. You haven't seen anything yet." Mona put her sunglasses on. "Trust me, this is nothing compared to Rosewood."

"She's right." Emily agreed. "Until you've seen a rich-bitch decapitate himself by falling on to his own axe and watch his head bounce down the stairs like a basketball you haven't seen anything."

"Ah, Noel Kahn. That was a terrible day." Alison frowned.

"Who are you people?" Dylan asked.

"Oh, that's not even the half of it. Just wait until someone's estranged British twin shows up and kidnaps you and takes your place." Alison added coolly.

"Did that…um…that actually happened?" Ava asked.

"Yes, in the middle of a friend's wedding." Alison glared at Emily. Without warning or provocation she reached up and smacked her wife's shoulder.

"Ow, what was that for?" Emily frowned.

"You never told me that Alex tried to kidnap our daughter at Aria's wedding."

"Thanks a lot, Mona." Emily scoffed.

"What is happening?" Ava mumbled to herself.

"You never once thought of mentioning it to your wife?" Alison scowled at Emily.

"I knew if I told you you'd do something stupid."

"You don't trust me."

"No. Because I know you." Emily patiently took her hand. "You can love someone, but not fully trust them. We're all human."

"This is going to be a long car ride," Dylan muttered.

Dylan directed them on where to go. Alison and Mona filled the kids in on everything they'd left out of their past. Ava, Dylan, and Caitlin listened, gawking at times and laughing at other times. It sounded illogical to them. Then again, they lived in a town basically run by robots and rich people.

The cabin was a huge change of pace from the town. It was quaint. And quiet. It was also remote and spooky.

"This is your safe spot?" Caitlin stared at it through the back window. "It's a cabin…in the middle of the woods."

"Yeah. Off the map. Where we need to be," Ava said.

"There is literally a horror movie named A Cabin in the Woods that tells us we're basically sitting ducks here," Caitlin said.

"She's not wrong." Mona piped in.

"No. We can make this work. When I was on the run in high school I ended up at some seedy places sometimes. There are things you can do…precautions you can take to protect yourself. We can set up traps and alert systems," Alison said.

"This isn't Home Alone. And this isn't high school, Alison. There is a real life killer out here. You can't possibly feel safe here." Mona motioned to the cabin.

"I do." She reached for Emily's hand. She put her fingers on top of Emily's. "I always feel safe when I'm with my family."

"Love is great. But security is better." Caitlin sided with Mona. She bit her lip. "Man, I can't believe I'm siding with a hit and run driver."

"We don't have time to argue about this." Emily turned the car off. "We can't go back."

"She's right." Ava pushed the back door open. "Besides…I know this place. I know Nolan. He had security measures in place. And he kept it pretty well stocked."

She stepped out and stared at the cabin. Caitlin and Dylan quietly stepped out after her. Caitlin put her hand on Ava's shoulder.

"He told me once that he kept his treasures here, because it was the safest place in the world."

Alison, Emily, and Mona climbed out of the car.

Ava walked over to the gate. It had a box keypad. Ava stared at it. She punched in several numbers. The gate automatically rolled open. She looked back at the others and shrugged sadly.

"My birthday and our anniversary. He said his greatest treasure was me. Guess he wasn't lying about that." Her voice was shaking. She let out a heavy breath. "I haven't been here since before…"

Dylan reached up to touch her shoulder. He squeezed it.

"I miss him, too. We all do."

Ava nodded tearfully.

They walked up to the cabin. Ava repeated the process to get them on the porch and then into the house. All of the security pads had different ways to access the cabin. Ava got them in without a problem.

The last security measure was a pad with a handprint. Ava placed her hand on the pad and it scanned her hand. They heard the lock open and the door creaked open. The lights automatically switched on.

"We're like those idiots in every horror movie walking directly into our doom instead of running out of the house and going for help," Caitlin uttered as she walked past the threshold.

They walked inside. Mona was the last one in the house. She looked out at their surroundings to make sure no one was lurking in the shadows. Even with all the security measures she knew how easy it was to break into a security infrastructure.

She stared out at the trees. She felt like they were being watched. And she didn't like it. She planned to get some security up and running as fast as she could.

"How many secret cabins and bunkers does this town have?" Alison mumbled.

She was angry at herself for not looking at Beacon Heights more in depth before deciding to uproot her entire life to the place. Rosewood should have taught her to be careful about her surroundings.

Mona walked over to the sofa. She sat down and pulled her phone out of her pocket. She pulled a tiny wireless device out of her other pocket.

"What are you doing?" Emily asked.

"Trying to access Beacon Guard to see if I can find footage of whoever left those trinkets for Caitlin and Dylan."

"Why? What's the point? Claire and Taylor told us to drop it." Alison moved to sit down in the loveseat next to the couch.

"Since when does Alison DiLaurentis listen to her peers?" Mona scoffed.

"I listen." Alison frowned, offended.

Emily let out a boisterous laugh as she sat down next to her wife.

"Like hell you listen. How many times have I told you not to leave your heels in the middle of our room? And how many times have I tripped on your heels?"

"I'm a teacher. Listening is my job."

"Yeah, maybe in the classroom."

"Shut up." Alison poked Emily's ribs. "You don't get a say Miss 007. Running around like you're invincible or some shit…" she mumbled.

Emily laughed at her overreaction. Alison was cute when she was mad.

"Are you two always like this?" Caitlin questioned curiously.

"She exaggerates." Alison replied.

"Oh, I exaggerate? Who faked her own death?"

"I thought you were dead a week ago." Alison pointed out. "We're even."

"Not even close." Emily argued. "Mona, help me out here…" Emily glanced at Mona, who was still immersed in her technology.

"In a minute." Mona waved her hand dismissively.

"Hey, how about we take a break?" Emily gently reached out towards her phone. "Let's just breathe."

"This is not a yoga retreat." Mona glared at Emily. "Just because we got away once doesn't mean we'll get away again. He's still out there. And I have to find him."

Emily looked at Alison for guidance. She knew that Alison had become friends with Mona.

"Should we worry?" Emily lifted her brows in a question of intrigue.

Alison subtly shook her head. But she knew that the kids had seen the exchange.

"I think I'm going to make us something to drink." Caitlin looked at Ava. "Which way is the kitchen?"

"That way." Ava pointed. "But the hard liquor is in hallway cabinet."

"I was thinking more along the lines of some hot tea." Caitlin walked towards the kitchen.

"That's very British of her." Emily nodded.

"She did spend a semester abroad in England," Dylan sat down in a large recliner. "When she's uncomfortable her instinct is to make everyone hot beverages."

"Or bring them food." Ava added.

"Is anyone hungry?" Caitlin called from the kitchen.

Everyone laughed softly at the timing. They could hear her moving around in the kitchen. She emerged ten minutes later with a tray of cups that had steam drifting out of them. There was a tea kettle in the middle.

"I found some chamomile." She handed the cups out. "Careful. They're hot." She warned.

"I can't wait to tell people in the future that the President of the United States made me chamomile tea one time in a remote cabin in the woods." Dylan smiled.

"The President has to survive in order to become the president. So let's take it a step at a time, shall we?" Caitlin sat down next to Mona.

The room was filled with a quiet awkward tension.

"So…how did you two meet?" Dylan looked at Emily and Alison.

"Well…" Alison peered at Emily and then faced her students. "It's complicated."

"We kissed a few times. She told me she didn't like me. Then she died." Emily tried to sum it up.

"That's a terrible story." Caitlin made a face.

"We went through a really rocky beginning." Alison reached for Emily's hand. She looked at Emily and smiled. "I wasn't very nice to her, but she always believed in me. She saw the version of myself I wanted to be. Even after all the terrible things I put her through…"

"I never stopped loving her." Emily lifted Alison's hand and kissed her knuckles. "I didn't like her at times. Still don't." She teased Alison with a smile. Alison rolled her eyes and shoved her. "Love…it's complicated."

"Yeah, I get that." Dylan nodded.

"A lot of people don't." Emily looked at Alison. Her eyes were like a ray of sunshine when she looked at her wife. "Skeptics are everywhere. When you're in a relationship everyone has an opinion. People like to pick things apart, but the reality is that they have no clue what those two people are feeling."

"People judge what they don't understand," Caitlin said.

"People don't understand exactly what they're judging." Emily added. "People don't seem to understand that relationships aren't sugar-coated fairytales. They seem to think that love should be perfect and that it's some pure simple thing that ebbs and flows. That we're all perfect human beings that fall in love and live happily ever after. But that's not love. That's fantasy. You hear all about the good times. You see your favorite couples in a book or in a TV show or movie and you root for them because you see the romance and the happiness and the good times and the big flash mob dance number. But no one tells you about the complex feelings or the constant push and pull your heart feels when you're truly in love."

No one talked about the harsh realities of what happened when the credits rolled or when the last chapter in the book ended. No one talked about all of the work that relationships required. Everyone was so focused on their perfect depiction of love that they couldn't see that there was no such thing as a perfect couple.

"Love is nuanced. And that makes it one of the most imperfect things in the world. There are disagreements. Feelings get hurt. Pain is inevitable. But nine times out of ten…the couples who truly love one another wade through it. They get mad. They fight." She squeezed Alison's hand. "But they only fight because it matters. Love means accepting someone, flaws and all."

"It's true." Alison nodded, her eyes fixed on Emily's. The way they looked at one another said it all. "Sometimes even the worst of us is capable of changing for the better. And there is something to be said for people who love you at your worst." She looked at the kids. "I didn't deserve her. But she stayed with me anyway."

"We don't choose love. Love chooses us." Emily smiled.

"I always knew you two would end up together." Mona glanced up from her phone. "The day at the Brownie sleepover when you gave up your s'more for Alison was the day you two were married in my eyes."

"Is…is that code for something?" Dylan looked confused.

Quiet laughter filled the air. The only one who didn't laugh was Ava. She was staring at a picture next to the couch.

Caitlin reached out to touch Ava's arm. Ava barely felt her touch. She was staring at a picture of Nolan and Taylor. Her nose flared in anger. Her hands were shaking so much she almost dropped her cup.

"Are you okay?" Dylan questioned.

"Yeah. I'm just plotting how to kill Taylor now that she's come back from the dead and got us put on some crazy man's hit-list."

"That's not funny." Alison scolded her.

"I'm not joking."

"I know you're hurt…"

"I'm tired of people telling me how I feel. I'm not hurt. I'm angry. And I'm ready for this to be over." She looked at Mona. "Are you still dead set on trying to figure out who killed Nolan? Because I'm down for that. He had a bunch of stuff stored in the attic. We can start there." She climbed to her feet.

Caitlin and Dylan followed her. Alison sighed and looked at her phone. She made a face that Emily didn't miss.

"Everything okay?" Emily asked.

"I've got to find someone to cover my class for me. The school has blackballed teachers for not showing up."

"You have a killer after you. I think they'll give you a pass." Emily assured her. "Besides, Claire probably has you covered."

"Claire is too emotionally wrapped up in trying to kill someone. I think I'm on my own with this one." Alison opened her messaging app and started scrolling through her contacts.

A few minutes later Dylan came down the stairs hauling boxes for Alison, Emily, and Mona to sort through.

"There is a lot of crap up there. We're going to go through the bigger boxes up there. These are mostly old files and pictures. I think a lot of it was probably Claire's stuff." He grabbed a large clunky laptop from one of the boxes and handed it to Mona. "It's Nolan's old computer. He was pretty savvy and probably wiped the drive, but maybe you can pull something from it."

"Yeah." Mona nodded. "I'll see what I can do."

"I'll let you know if we find anything else." He turned to walk towards the stairs.

"Hey, don't leave the cabin. And stay together." Alison ordered.

Dylan nodded to let her know he heard her and walked up the staircase.

"Look at you being assertive and taking control." Emily lifted her eyebrows and grinned at Alison. "I love it when you get all authoritative."

"Ugh, I'll be glad when this is over so you two can finally get a room." Mona gagged.

"We technically have lots of rooms to choose from here." Emily smiled.

"As per usual I guess I'll do all the work while you two make googly eyes at each other. Just like old times."

"Shut up and pass me that box." Alison frowned.

Mona kicked a box over towards them with her feet. She fiddled with Nolan's computer.

Alison and Emily started sorting through the box. There were a lot of tax files and financial paperwork. Underneath the paperwork there were stacks and stacks of old photos.

"Nolan must have been looking into this before he died." Mona dug through some of the photos.

"He clearly found something of value." Alison shuddered when she thought about Nolan's demise. No kid deserved such a violent death.

They started picking through the pictures. There were a bunch of various photos throughout the years. There were a lot of Taylor and Nolan as children. Emily glanced at a picture of the Hotchkiss kids as children. She saw a familiar face.

"Isn't this Booker?" She picked the photo up.

Alison reached for the picture.

"Yeah, she's been a family friend for a long time apparently. It's probably why she's on us so hard about Nolan's case." She stared at the photo.

Emily reached to pick up another photo that just had Dana and Claire. They were close. Closer than most friends would be for a snapshot.

"Could be that they were more." Emily showed Alison the photo.

"It would explain a lot." Alison made a face. "What does it say about me that I'm not even surprised by these revelations anymore? Head of the school having an affair with a cop. Seems like a typical Tuesday to me," she said sarcastically.

"You think Nolan found out?" Emily asked. "If he knew…what if he threatened to expose them? His MO was to hold people's secrets over them. Maybe he pushed the wrong button."

"This would be so much simpler if he didn't have half a dozen people who wanted him dead." Alison rubbed her forehead. Emily reached up and rubbed her shoulders to help ease her tension.

They continued sorting through the photos. After they finished going through the ones of Nolan's and Taylor's childhood they found another stack of pictures from before they were born.

"Hey, check this out." Emily held up a dated photo. It was faded and worn around the edges. From the fashion it was clear it had been taken over twenty years ago. There were three men standing in a small group and talking at a large party. Two of the men's faces were visible. "Isn't that Ava's father?"

"Let me see that." Mona grabbed the photo. She stared at the men, scrutinizing every detail. She faced Emily. "How do you know about Ava's dad?"

"Taylor."

"Well, she just really gave you the full history, didn't she?" Alison frowned, crossing her arms across her chest. "You stay up late and have coffee and conversations with her, too?"

"Oh, we didn't do much talking…what with all the sex we had." Emily deadpanned.

"You're not funny, Emily Fields."

"One bitchy blonde is my limit." Emily held her hands up submissively.

Alison playfully shoved Emily. She glanced at the photo and recognized the man standing next to Ava's dad.

"That's Mr. Hotchkiss with him, isn't it? Did they know each other?" Alison asked.

"They did." Mona reached into her jacket and pulled out an encrypted mini-iPad with a bunch of notes she'd been taking. It had photos of all of the files and connections she'd been making. She saw Alison staring at her. "What? I always bring my work with me." She tapped on the iPad.

"You got the kitchen sink in there with you, too, Mary Poppins?" Emily asked.

"You kid, but just remember this when I get us out of here, alive."

"So, how did the Hotchkisses and Jalalis know one another?" Alison looked at the hard copy of the photo.

"Taylor says that their father was investigated for the same crimes that Mr. Jalali was detained for. But enough money can buy any rich white guy freedom. Ava's dad wasn't so lucky. They came down harder on him because of his heritage. It's why he ran." Emily stared at the photo.

"Poor Ava." Alison sighed. She knew what it was like to have a father who just disappeared. She looked closer at the photo, but couldn't see the other man. He had been cropped out of the photo. "Who is the third guy?"

"Rich donor, probably," Mona said.

"Taylor thinks there was a third party involved in the embezzlement. The same man who raped her mother. If he was an investor he would have been at the benefit where Claire was assaulted. And she wouldn't have known him, because she stayed out of her husband's illegal business affairs," Emily said.

"How did I not know this?" Mona swiped the screen in furious concentration. "How did I miss this?"

Alison and Emily looked at one another in concern. Mona had been doing a lot of research lately, and sometimes she spiraled down the rabbithole and needed to be pulled back. Alison reached out and touched her hand and forced Mona to look up from the iPad.

"Taylor and Claire obviously have a plan. If we screw it up who knows what they'll do? They're off the rails and you know that," Alison said.

"So then what the hell are we even doing?" Mona dropped the photo in frustration.

"I don't know anymore." Alison sighed. She leaned back in the loveseat. "Basically we now have Dana Booker in a potential love affair with Claire Hotchkiss, and Nolan blackmailing Dana about it, allegedly. We have Nolan's father getting away with crimes that sent Ava's dad on the run. And we have a mystery man who raped and impregnated Claire, and Nolan potentially finding out his identity. Everyone is mad at everyone. I hate it here. I just want to go back home to simple Murder-y Rosewood."

Emily put her arm around her and pulled her close. Alison smiled at her. It felt good to be in her wife's arms again. She knew tensions were running high and that things were really dangerous, but she felt comfortable with Emily holding her. The only thing missing was her baby girls.

Mona tapped against the keyboard on Nolan's laptop, trying to get through all of his encrypted files. She tried everything to bypass his security codes. Emily watched as Mona tried to crack it. Her forehead was tight in concentration. She was starting to get frustrated.

Emily looked around the cabin. She thought about what she would have done if she was in Nolan's place. She thought about how she'd been able to reach Mona through the chess app, and about how there were certain things that were easier to crack than others. Emily knew that Mona was brilliant in a lot of ways, but sometimes there were certain connections her brain didn't make.

"Everything about this place has been tied back to Ava. This was his sanctuary for her." Emily looked at a picture of Ava and Nolan on the mantle. "Put that in numerical context."

It was just the key piece of information that Mona needed. There was a spark in her eyes as she started typing in numbers.

1 for A. 22 for V. 1 for A. 10 for J. 1 for A. 12 for L. 1 for A. 12 for L. 9 for I. The numerical representation of her name didn't unlock the computer. But it did unlock a video file.

"How did you know that?" Alison leaned forward when she saw the computer blinking.

"Statistics." Emily shrugged. "Most people choose something they would never forget as their passwords. Family. Friends. Lovers…"

"Speaking of lovers…" Mona turned the computer so Alison and Emily could see. There was a video image of Nolan frozen on the screen.

She hit the play button. Nolan reached behind the screen to do something to steady the camera. Then he looked directly at the camera. He rubbed his left eyebrow and sighed. He looked nervous. And fidgety. Two things he'd never been like in person.

"Hey, Ava…" The first two words captivated them immediately.

Emily reached forward and paused the video. She knew how it felt to get a post-mortem love letter from someone you loved. Her first girlfriend had made one for her.

"This is…" Emily stuttered. "What do we do here? I mean, should we go get Ava? It feels wrong to watch this without her."

"Ava is on a ledge right now." Alison shook her head. "I'm afraid this will push her over it."

"Ali…" Emily said softly. She felt a lot stronger about it than Alison did, because her friends hadn't told her they'd found her ex-girlfriend's videos until after they'd watched them, and she'd felt betrayed. "You have to understand…"

"Let's just…let's see what's on the file first. I want to make sure she can handle it," Alison said.

Emily relented, pressing the play button.

Nolan moved on the screen.

"You just left about fifteen minutes ago. Mine is the last face you probably want to see right now, and I don't blame you. Seeing the pain in your eyes when you caught me with Kendra…" He sighed. "I knew it was going to hurt you, but I didn't realize it would break you." He paused and looked off-screen. "Or that you would break my crystal vase."

He rubbed his eyes, like he was tired…or like he'd been crying.

"You're not going to understand this, but I needed to get it out there. I didn't want to hurt you. The thing is…I had to. I found some things out about my family…about Taylor. About my mom. Things have been getting really dangerous. I don't know who to trust. And I'm worried that if we're still together…you're going to get hurt. I thought if you were angry with me you would keep your distance. I'm just trying to protect you."

He sighed again. They could tell that he was frustrated.

"But it's hard. It's hard because I love you too fucking much. I don't know. Maybe it was the wrong move. Maybe I'm an idiot. And this video isn't going to make a damn bit of difference, because I did hurt you. And I'm sorry. But keeping you safe is more important to me than having your love in my life."

Alison and Emily looked at one another. They understood what he was saying on a level that no one else did. They'd pushed each other away to keep the other safe multiple times in their lives.

He looked off-screen for a few seconds, like he was trying to gather his thoughts.

"I'm telling you this because I think something huge is about to go down. And I want a record of it. And you and Dylan and Caitlin…you're the only people I trust."

He took a long calculated breath. He hesitated.

"Taylor is alive. I've been working with her and trying to lay out a trap for someone who hurt my mother…years ago. But I think I screwed up. And now everyone I know is in jeopardy because of it. Beacon Guard will offer some semblance of protection, but it's not perfect. You and Cait and Dylan need to be careful. And that new teacher…the one from Rosewood…"

Emily and Mona looked at a dumbfounded Alison.

"At first I thought she was one of them."

One of them? Alison thought. What did that even mean?

"But I think I might have been wrong about that. I don't think she is who she used to be. And if I'm right, we put her in a lot of danger bringing her here. She's the key to all of this. If something happens to me…" He seemed almost certain that something would happen. "You need to trust her. Trust who she is. Trust her friends. Trust her to help you. Because she might be the only person who can get you out of this."

Great. No pressure. Alison thought sarcastically. She already felt like she was failing her kids miserably.

He lowered his head into his hands and groaned. He rubbed his face and then looked at the camera again.

"I don't know. I don't know what I'm saying. I polished off a bunch of bourbon after you left. I hope this makes sense." There were tears glistening in his eyes. "I'm so sorry about all of this. I love you, Ava."

He reached forward and the camera cut off. The girls looked at one another in confusion. The video had left them with more questions than answers.

"What the hell was that about?" Alison asked. "How am I a part of this?"

"Maybe Nolan thinks this person has a reason to come after you, too. Could be someone you pissed off." Mona tried to make sense of the video.

"Almost everyone I knew who wanted to kill me is dead."

"You know, all those years of torture…I've never felt anything like this." Mona shivered. "I always got this…high…this feeling…when it was someone playing the game. This is…colder."

"You feel that, too, huh?" Alison asked.

"Well, whoever it is isn't going to get anywhere near you." Emily rubbed Alison's back. "Not while I'm around."

They heard a noise outside. All three of them jumped. Emily was the first one on her feet moving towards the window.

"Are you crazy? This person has a gun." Alison panicked.

Emily leaned over and pulled her pant leg up, revealing a small holster with a gun in it. She pulled the weapon out.

Alison's eyes widened.

"Oh, so…you weren't bluffing earlier. You…you really do have a gun on you."

"Ever since I left Rosewood. I'm strapped at all times." Emily peered out the window. "I'm reckless. I'm not stupid."

Alison was equal parts terrified and turned on by her wife's new GI Jane lifestyle.

They heard footsteps rapidly descending the staircase. Dylan was in front of the girls. He had a candlestick in his hands and he looked ready to fight. He saw Emily at the window.

"We heard it, too," he said, slowing his pace.

Caitlin peered over his shoulder. She had a large bronze statue. Ava had a crowbar. The kids were ready for battle. The gun didn't even faze them.

"Did you check the cameras?" Ava looked at Mona.

"Hacked them the second we got here." Mona grabbed her phone and pulled up Nolan's security feed. It's why she'd been so lost in her phone when they had just arrived.

After a few seconds Mona scoffed and rolled her eyes. She put her phone down.

"Everyone can stand down, unless you feel like bludgeoning Bambi to death."

"It was a deer?" Caitlin lowered the statue she was wielding as a weapon.

The cabin was quiet as they slowly came down from their adrenaline rush. Minutes later they were all laughing.

"We have officially lost our minds." Ava shook her head and turned on her feet. "Come on." She ordered her friends. "I need to stay busy or I'm going to lose it."

"That's valid." Dylan nodded, following her.

"Are you three having any luck down here?" Caitlin asked.

Alison, Mona, and Emily glanced towards the computer. They collectively, and silently, made the decision not to say anything about Nolan's video.

"We're still working on it," Mona said.

Caitlin followed her friends. They listened to the sounds of their footsteps above them. Alison and Emily both silently reached for another box and started to sort through it. Mona opened the computer and started working on it again.

They were still riding high on the scare, so when Alison's phone went off they all jumped.

"Is it the school blackballing you already?" Mona asked with a hint of a smile as Alison reached for her phone.

Alison cocked her head. She recognized the area code.

"It's a Pennsylvania area code." She looked up at Mona and Emily.

"Anyone we know?" Emily looked at the screen.

Alison shook her head. She put the phone down on the table and the three of them leaned over it. She hit the answer button and put it on speaker.

"Hello?"

"Mrs. DiLaurentis?" She recognized the gristly voice right away. Mona and Emily did, too.

"Yes," Alison answered. "This is Alison DiLaurentis-Fields."

"I don't know if you remember me…"

"I remember exactly who you are, Detective Tanner." Alison's tone was curt, but she tried to remain professional. She'd already pissed off one cop today. She didn't need to piss off another.

"How is Oregon?" Tanner asked.

"It's fine." Alison clenched her jaw in frustration. "But I'm guessing you didn't call to chat about the weather on the west coast."

"No. Of course not." Tanner laughed half-heartedly. It sounded so phony. "I called about your huge Oregon sports teams."

Her deadpan humor would have been funny to Alison if she didn't hate her.

"What can I help you with, Detective Tanner?"

"We're going to skip the pleasantries, I see."

Her tone irked Alison.

"You relentlessly harassed me and my friends when we needed help. You'll have to forgive me if I don't roll out the welcome mat for you."

Mona poked her, a grim look on her face. Alison looked at her and saw Mona mouthing,

"Ease up."

The last thing they needed was for Alison's temper to get the better of her. They didn't need any other complications.

"I'm sorry. Have I caught you at a bad time?" Tanner asked. Her voice was duplicitous. It's almost as if she was taunting Alison.

"No. Not at all." Alison faked a smile. Even though Tanner couldn't see her, Alison assumed that after years of police work the woman was good at reading emotions over the phone. "It's just a busy time for me. There is a lot going on."

"Mmm, yes. We've heard about Nolan Hotchkiss. It must be a very difficult time for your students. They're so lucky…" She emphasized the word in a demeaning manner, "…to have someone who understands tragic loss."

"You'd be surprised how resilient people can be." Alison replied coolly.

"You would know all about resiliency, wouldn't you?" Tanner questioned. "I can't imagine the strength it must have taken to take a job across the country, away from your entire family…"

The low blow hit her hard. Alison had a string of profanities ready to fire back at her, but Emily calmly reached up and put her palm against Alison's mouth. The brunette lifted her other hand and pressed her index finger against her own lips in a "shushing" motion. Emily shook her head. Her eyes said it all,

"Don't poke the bear."

Emily lowered her hand and Alison nodded and took a breath.

"It wasn't a decision that my wife and I came to lightly."

"Speaking of, have you had any contact with your wife recently?"

"I…" Alison looked at Emily and then calmly replied into the phone. "We took some time apart during the move." She was trying to build an alibi for Emily. "I know she's with family right now."

"Any idea where?"

"Why? Is something wrong?"

"Answering a question with a question. What a very Hastings technique." Tanner chuckled.

Alison made a face at the phone and balled her hands into fists. She was screaming on the inside.

"When is the last time you had contact with your wife?"

"I can't say." Alison stared directly at Emily. Her lie was flawless.

"I see." Tanner seemed to be mulling something over. "Well, that's problematic."

"Look, I mean no disrespect, but aren't you tired of this?"

"I'm sorry, tired of what?"

"Chasing us down. Trying to drag us back to a past that we all worked very hard to overcome."

"It's not about your past, Mrs. DiLaurentis."

"DiLaurentis-Fields." Alison hastily corrected her. Usually she didn't care if someone didn't call her by her full name. In fact, it was easier from an educator's position to stick with DiLaurentis, but with Tanner she felt like she was proving a point.

"Right. My apologies." But Tanner didn't sound sorry at all. "Mrs. DiLaurentis-Fields, we have reason to suspect that your wife is a person of interest in a homicide case…"

The car. The body in the car.

"What?" Alison felt her throat closing up. How was it possible that Emily was being sought for a murder in Rosewood at the exact same time that she and Mona were being accused of the same thing by Booker in Beacon Heights? It's like the whole world was against them. "That's…that's absurd."

"We've been by your house several times and there has been no answer. We've checked her place of work and they explained she has taken a leave of absence. When we checked with your childrens' daycare they said they haven't seen your girls in weeks. We became concerned about her well-being, so we were able to obtain a warrant to search your house…"

Emily's brows shot up in surprise. Alison's lips turned down into a scowl.

"You went into my house?" Alison tried to keep her temper even.

"Out of an abundance of caution. It doesn't appear anyone has been there in weeks. There are indications that she either left in a hurry or there was a struggle that took place there."

"If you're making assumptions because of the house being messy I can tell you that it stays in disarray. We have two small children. It always looks like a bomb has gone off."

"The department is looking into it. We've been monitoring your residence. No one has been there. We couldn't find her phone, but we looked at her phone records and found no indication of her using it recently. In fact, it seems as if her call list was wiped clean. I find it odd that a mother of two just ups and disappears with her children in the middle of the school year. Especially if she didn't say anything to you about it. Are you not worried about them?"

"Of course not. I trust my wife." Alison looked over at Emily.

"That may be the case, but we have a substantial amount of evidence that points to her as a potential suspect in a homicide, which includes a personal item found at the scene of the motor vehicle crash outside of town."

"Emily would never hurt anyone."

"I think you're forgetting about Lyndon James."

"That was self-defense." Alison snapped. The fact that Linda Tanner was cherry-picking things from their past to hurt Emily made her angry.

Emily grabbed her hand and squeezed it, trying to calm her down. When Alison looked at her she could see the pain Emily still harbored for killing him. It had been almost 10 years since Emily had been attacked by a stalker who had killed her first girlfriend and was on deck to kill another one of her girlfriends. That night still haunted Emily. It had been kill or be killed.

Occasionally, Emily still had nightmares about what had happened to her out at the lighthouse. Alison wished she could reach through the phone and strangle Tanner for bringing it up. Something told Alison that Tanner knew that Emily was there listening in, which is why she was bringing it up. It bothered her. She didn't want it to upset Emily, though realistically Emily had no reason to be upset. One of the first debates her class had was whether or not it was okay to murder a murderer. Alison had her own opinion on the matter. She'd kill every single madman out there to protect her wife.

"Lyndon James was a killer. He was a psychopath and he would have killed more people if Emily hadn't stopped him that night." Alison was saying it just as much for Emily's benefit as she was for Tanner.

"I'm not saying that he was right in any capacity. Of course, he was a criminal," Tanner said. "I'm merely stating that it's a proven fact that Emily would kill to protect herself…" She paused, "…or her loved ones."

Alison looked up at the photos of Nolan and his family surrounding them. She thought about everything Taylor had gone through for her brother. Then she started to think about everything Emily had done for her…and for their children.

It had taken Alison a long time to understand the complexities of love. It had taken her a long time to allow herself to be loved and to love in return. Growing up in her family had only taught her the art of manipulation. She hadn't known what love was before she met Emily. Being with Emily taught her that when you loved someone there was no line you wouldn't cross for them.

It made Alison wonder if Tanner had anyone in her life who actually cared. Maybe that's the reason she was so callous and cold. Maybe no one loved her.

"Do you have a family, Detective Tanner?"

"Excuse me?" Tanner was caught off-guard by the question.

"All these years you've learned everything about my friends and my family, and I'm just now realizing you've never mentioned your family."

"Why would I? It's not relevant."

"I only ask because…if you love someone…what would you do to make sure they remained safe?"

Mona started wildly waving her arms, trying to get Alison to shut up. She didn't want Tanner to speculate that Emily had done something and that Alison was covering for her.

"Mrs. DiLaurentis-Fields, there is a fine line between what we would do for our loved ones and the letter of the law. I will always honor my badge first."

"That's so sad," Alison said. "To care about an inanimate item more than living breathing human beings. A badge can't hold your hand." She reached for Emily's hand. "It can't keep you warm at night. A badge can't love you. You must have someone you love."

"It's ironic that you say that. How often would you say that you speak to your loved ones?" Tanner tapped against something that they could all hear on the other end of the phone.

Alison felt unnerved by the question.

"Why do you keep pivoting back to me? I've already told you that my wife and my girls are fine."

"It's not them I'm asking about."

Alison's face scrunched up in confusion. She looked at Emily and Mona. They both shrugged.

"What does that mean?" Alison asked.

"I'd actually prefer to have this conversation in person."

Alison felt her stomach clench. Her heart pounded rapidly against her ribcage. It was a lot like the feeling she'd gotten when she learned about her mother's death when she was a teenager.

"We haven't confirmed anything yet, but it's important I speak with everyone in your family. The victim in the vehicular homicide that we're investigating yielded some interesting DNA results."

"What do you mean?"

"The remains we've identified share common markers of your DNA."

"What…what are you saying?"

"I'm saying that it is very important that I talk to everyone in your circle of friends. I'm saying that in light of your history of people who have been known to come after your family and hurt them…your wife would more than likely act accordingly to protect your children, even if that includes hurting people. And I'm saying that your wife has disappeared, which makes me very suspicious."

"I…" She looked at Emily. "Whatever you think she did, I know she didn't do."

"We can account for your whereabouts the night we found your wife's car with a body inside. Can you account for her whereabouts?" Tanner asked.

Alison didn't reply. She felt like she needed a lawyer. Tanner pressed on.

"Can you confirm whether or not you have spoken with your wife within the past ten days?"

Still no response.

"Can you confirm her whereabouts now?"

Silence.

"I'll take your silence as a cue that this conversation is over?" Tanner guessed. "You be sure to let me know if you hear from your wife. I'll be in touch." There was a pause and then Tanner added with a smile that Alison could hear through the phone. "Speaking of family, be sure to say 'hello' to my sister for me. She really likes it out there."

"Your…sister?"

"You did ask me about my family. Perhaps it would be prudent for you to know that I'm a widow. My late husband was a Staff Sergeant in the Army. I go by his last name. I always will. My way of honoring him. I was born Linda Booker. You might have met my sister out there…"

"Dana Booker is your sister?" No wonder Alison hated her so much.

"Oh, God, there's two of them," Mona muttered quietly.

"I've heard you two have gotten quite close." Tanner chuckled, a dark undertone in her reply. "Don't give her too much trouble, okay? Between the two of us she's still nursing a broken heart over a girl she loves."

"I wasn't aware she had a heart." Alison murmured.

"What can I say? Business and pleasure don't mix. She wouldn't tell me much, but I do have it on good authority that she's the one who ended it. There were certain legal parameters she wouldn't cross. I'm guessing it has to do with the open investigation of Nolan Hotchkiss's murder." She clicked her tongue. "It's funny how at the epicenter of every murder it always comes back to you and your friends."

"You were wrong before, and it ended up with me in jail and my friends being tortured in an underground bunker. Think about that before you decide to try and upend our lives again."

"We'll see."

Their conversation ended with a curt "goodbye" and Alison stabbing the "end call" button angrily with her finger. She yelled in frustration and nearly knocked the phone off the table.

"Well, that was a lot." Mona looked up from her iPad. She'd been taking notes. "First of all, you just committed perjury."

"I wasn't under oath when she asked about Emily."

"Okay, so you obstructed justice."

"Worth it." Alison shrugged, smiling at Emily.

"Second…" Mona looked at Alison, "How many illegitimate relatives are running around with your DNA?"

Alison gave her a look that clearly stated, "Are you kidding me?"

"I'm sorry that my parents were whores." Alison uttered sarcastically. "I didn't even know about Charlotte until I was 18. In all her years in therapy she never once talked about anyone else. Then again, she also didn't tell me that I had a murderous British cousin."

"You've talked to Spencer, right? She's okay?" Emily questioned in concern. "It's been a few weeks since I saw her for the estate stuff."

"Yeah, I talked to her a few days ago." Alison looked at Mona. "But…I mean…Alex did fool us once."

"It's not Alex Drake." Mona shook her head.

"The no-fly thing isn't a guarantee…"

"Just trust me." Mona growled. She was starting to get agitated.

"But…"

"Ali, there is no way Alex Drake is ever coming back, okay?" Mona stared at Alison. There was a hard look on her face. Her jaw was set. Her eyes were unmoving. She didn't flinch. She was as still as a statue.

"Oh…" Alison said under her breath.

Emily and Alison looked at Mona, and then at each other. They had more questions, but they didn't think it was wise to ask them. Some things were just better left unknown.

"And…and Mary?" Alison asked quietly.

"Mary and I came to an understanding years ago. She's honored her word. This doesn't involve her. So we need to keep looking at your family tree."

"Spencer, Alex, Mary, and Charlotte are the only people I know about. I Facetimed Jason two days ago. He's still safe overseas."

It felt like an odd sentence to say. To think that someone was safer on a completely different continent when they were supposed to be safe at home. But one thing Alison had learned was that sometimes people were safest when they were far away from her.

"My mom is dead. My dad is gone…"

"Do you know where?" Mona lifted her brows curiously.

"It doesn't matter."

"It could if he's the person they found in that car." Emily pointed out. "I know you haven't seen him in years, but losing a parent…it's…" Emily teared up just thinking about how she'd crumbled when she'd gotten the call about her dad's death.

"Em, I already lost him. When he chose bigotry over love…over his own family. I lost him when he chose to walk out on me. I don't…I don't care about him. You are the most important person in my life. You and the girls. And Tanner is gunning for you. I can't let her take you away from me. Not when I just got you back."

"I'm not going anywhere." Emily put her palm against Alison's. Alison linked her fingers into Emily's.

"Okay, that's enough sickeningly sweet crap from you two. I had to sit through your eternal love in Rosewood. I don't have the patience to sit through it here, too." Mona rolled her eyes. "We need to figure this out."

"What about Bethany Young?" Emily questioned.

"Bethany has been dead for almost 15 years…" Alison frowned.

"No. I mean, yeah, I know that. But her DNA and your DNA was switched to fake medical records." She looked at Mona. "We thought Alison was dead because it was confirmed. It was only after she came back that they discovered that it was Bethany the whole time. Someone could be doing the same thing here. If a person has access…they can flub DNA up any way they want to."

"Okay, that's a fair point." Mona nodded, jotting something down. "The question is who would have access to do something like that?"

"Tanner had access to the scene. And she ties in with Booker here. We know Booker was in love with Claire. I'm not sure how that ties in to anything. But there's the connection we should be looking at." Emily said.

"It does explain why Booker has been so hard on me. She's even gone as far as asking to speak with you." Alison faced Emily. "She's trying to help her sister. Tanner and Booker think you're a murderer."

"You need to tell me what Tanner has on you so I can get ahead of this," Mona said.

"I have no idea. I wasn't there."

"Start from the beginning. What exactly happened back in Rosewood?"

"It all started with an anonymous text message my Junior year of high school…" Emily said flatly.

"No one likes a wise ass." Mona frowned.

"I do." Alison raised her index finger with a smile.

"We're doomed. We are definitely doomed." Mona sighed.

"I don't know what to tell you. After Taylor came to see me I pretty much jetted out of town. I took the girls to my mom's and I grabbed some things for them for their trip. I was in kind of a rush," Emily said.

"So what Tanner said about the house being tossed?"

"True." Emily nodded. "It looked like a tornado went through it before I left."

"Great, so anyone could have come through and picked up something to tie you to the car crash." Mona rubbed her temples in frustration. "At least tell me you have security cameras? After everything we went through, please tell me you have some kind of security?"

"Oh my God." Alison's face lit up in surprise. "I'm such an idiot."

"Wait, say that again. I want to make it my ringtone." Mona reached for her phone.

"The doorbell cam. The motion sensor." Alison looked at Emily. "Did you check it after you left?"

"I'm sorry. You have a camera at your house and you didn't find it prudent to mention it until now?" Mona glared at them in disapproval.

"Taylor hacked them when she came to see me. She couldn't risk being caught on camera. She told me about it. She was worried that if the wrong person found out she was alive she would put all of us in danger."

"Well, she put all of us in danger anyway." Alison muttered.

"Everything happened so fast after her visit. She told me that keeping the cameras off was the safest bet."

"That sounds like criminal talk. I should know," Mona said.

"Given that someone is out to get her family, I think she was being sincere," Emily said. "She also said that if the cameras were off it would keep the police from being able to track anything."

"It's like she knew Tanner was going to get involved," Alison said.

"When doesn't Tanner get involved?" Emily rolled her eyes.

"So she's trying to stay off Tanner and Booker's radar. That doesn't prove anything except she's a dead girl who doesn't want to get caught alive." Mona frowned.

Alison looked at Emily.

"You told me where you were the night the body was found. But you said Taylor wasn't with you. And Taylor had access to our house…"

"Why would Taylor go to all that trouble to keep everything on the downlow just to throw me under the bus?" Emily asked.

"To keep the cops locked in on you instead of her family. It had to be part of her plan to get her mother's attacker out here. Nolan said on the video that Alison ties into this. That she's the key. None of this is a coincidence. She's been baiting someone. And she's been using you and Alison to do it."

"You think Taylor actually killed someone for that plan? No." Emily shook her head. "It doesn't make sense."

"Maybe she thought she had him. Maybe she thought she could take him out before he got to Beacon Heights. But she screwed up." Mona chewed on her lip. "I made that mistake once." She looked at Alison apologetically. "When the highs and lows are so bad that you can't keep yourself straight, nothing you do is thought out."

"But…who hates us that much? Who hates us enough to get away with rape and murder…and come back to the scene of the crime? I know I've made a lot of enemies, but who would come after me now, after all this time? We were out in the open in Rosewood for years after everything that happened with Alex. Why would this person suddenly care now? And why come after Ava, Dylan, and Caitlin?"

Alison's phone bleated. Alison glared angrily and picked it up.

"God, fucking Tanner…" She glanced at the screen, expecting to see Tanner's number. Instead, she saw a blinking message.

She tapped on the message. Her face blanched and she nearly dropped the phone.

"What is it?" Emily asked.

Alison couldn't talk. She started to hyperventilate. She handed Emily the phone. Emily read a message from an unknown number.

"Looks like you've got babies on both coasts. Give up your new ones or I'll go after your REAL ones."

In the message there was a cropped photo of the twins that had been taken off of social media. Alison and Emily had always been really careful about exposing their girls on social media, but there were a few photos up for their friends to see.

"What the hell…" Emily gawked at the message. "No." Her face tightened in concern. She'd done everything in her power to make sure Lily and Grace were safe. "No, I won't let them hurt us." She gripped Alison's phone angrily. "I'm going to kill whoever this is."

Alison was shaking so much that the loveseat was vibrating beneath them. She had a frantic look in her eyes.

"Call your mother." Alison gripped Emily's arm. "Call her right now."

"Ali, the girls are fine. This is just someone playing on your emotions. Think about it. This person is here. They're 3000 miles away. And trust me, no one is getting near our babies with my mom at the helm. My dad taught her everything she knows."

Alison understood Emily's logic, but she couldn't shut out the panic that was rising in her chest.

"I don't care. I want to see my babies. I want to talk to them."

"We could put them at risk. If someone picks up on the call and traces it to where my mom and her sister are with the girls they could go after them."

"Not necessarily," Mona said. She reached for Alison's phone. "Let me see your phone."

"Why?" Emily asked curiously.

"Because I'm going to privatize the hell out of this line."

Mona did something to the settings and then grabbed pulled a SIM card out of her iPad and put it in Emily's phone. Then she handed the phone back to Emily.

"Thank you," Alison mouthed to Mona.

Emily pulled up the video chat, but she didn't hit send. She faced Alison.

"Before we do this you need to calm down." Emily put her hands on top of Alison's hands. It curbed some of her anxiety. "Lily and Grace are smart. You know that. They'll pick up on it if we let on that something is wrong."

"I just…I need to know they're okay."

"I know." Emily said, her voice calm and even. She was always the calm in the middle of the storm. It's why they worked so well. "This will all be over soon."

Alison nodded. She took a breath as Emily hit the facetime app. It rang for a few seconds before Pam picked up.

"Alison, what a surprise! I wasn't expecting your call…" Pam peered into the screen and saw Emily in the frame. "Emmy, hey! How are you girls enjoying your retreat?"

"It's great, mom." Emily faked a smile. She had to hope that her mother couldn't see how terrified she felt. "We miss the girls, though. How are they?"

"They're great. Your Aunt took them on a nature hike this morning. We've had to pull Grace away from the poison ivy half a dozen times already. You know how she is…tell her not to do something, and she doubles down on doing it." Pam laughed and rolled her eyes. "Just like you."

"Yeah, she still does that." Alison laughed half-heartedly. She poked Emily. It was true in every way. "Thank you so much for taking care of them."

"We've had a great time. But I know they miss their mommies. Lily asked me last night if we could have you start reading them bedtime stories on facetime until you get home."

"Well, we're hoping to be home soon." Or in a morgue. It could go either way, but Emily wasn't going to tell Pam that. "Can we talk to them?"

"Of course. They're making slime. They'll probably talk your ears off about it." Pam moved, the phone becoming unsteady as she walked down a hallway into the kitchen.

Emily and Alison could hear the twins giggling and chatting loudly. Grace said something about her purple slime. Lily told her pink was better.

"Girls, I have a surprise for you!" Pam exclaimed. "Guess who I'm talking to?"

She turned the phone towards them. The second the twins saw their mothers their eyes lit up in excitement. Alison felt tears in her eyes. She missed her babies.

"MOMMIES!" They exclaimed. Grace dropped a goopy purple mess on to a baking sheet and wiped her hands on her shirt. Lily reached for a napkin to clean her hands off. They both ran towards the phone.

"Hey, girls. Are you behaving for your Aunt Pam?" Alison asked.

"We're being SO good!" Grace nodded enthusiastically.

"Nu uh!" Lily laughed, pushing Grace. "Grace threw gum at me yesterday."

"It was a accident!"

Hearing them argue was music to their mothers' ears.

"We miss you." Grace pouted.

"We miss you, too, baby." Alison blew a kiss to her.

"When are you and Mama coming home?" Lily asked.

"Soon. I promise. We'll be there soon." Alison bit her lip. Lying to them felt wrong.

"Did you and Mama do anything fun today?" Grace asked.

Alison and Emily looked at one another and tried not to laugh.

"Nothing as fun as making slime." Emily pointed to their messy hands.

"It's really cool! We can show you how to do it." Lily offered.

Mona stood up and grabbed a few things. She motioned to Alison and Emily to let them know she was going to join the kids upstairs so they could have a few moments alone with their daughters.

Emily moved off camera and mouthed a silent "thank you" to her.

"Tell us all about it." Alison clapped her hands in excitement.

It was a strange sensation given the heightened state of terror they were in, but all the bad seemed to fade away when they were talking to their daughters.

They listened as the girls talked to them about how they were learning about nature. They laughed when Lily said a "Flutterby" had landed on her when they were walking outside. It was the escape they desperately needed. The twins seemed to be doing well, though they made it abundantly clear that they missed their mommies.

They were just getting ready to wrap up their call when they saw Mona and the kids shuffling down the stairs. They all had grim looks on their faces.

"We'll talk to you again real soon, okay, lovebugs?" Emily asked.

"We love you, mommies." Lily and Grace replied simultaneously. It wasn't often that they spoke in unison, but when they did it was the cutest thing in the world.

They handed the phone back to Pam. She walked out of the room.

"They really miss you," she said quietly.

"We really miss them." Emily replied. She glanced at Mona. She knew she needed to get off the phone. Something huge was going down. "Listen, mom, I can't thank you enough for this. I wish I could chat with you a little longer, but something has come up…"

"Emily…" Pam looked at her hesitantly. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, we're fine." Emily hated lying to her mother. She'd never been good at it. "I love you. I'll give you a call soon."

"Bye, Pam." Alison waved nonchalantly, as if their lives weren't on the line.

They hung up and put the phone down. Mona and the kids met them in the living room. Mona had something in her hand. Her fingers were shaking.

"What's wrong?" Alison asked.

"We know who it is." Mona's face was drained of its color. "Caitlin wasn't wrong. This is all connected to Rosewood." Her voice cracked with nerves. "Em, you said Barry was the one who helped you code that chess app? Barry Maple?"

"Yeah. He was working with a friend at the department's IT company. He didn't tell anyone what it was for. Or who it was for."

"He didn't have to. You were being watched before all of this started, because this person knew Alison was gone. And he wanted to see how you acted and what you did." Mona faced Alison. "The CCTV footage of Emily and the twins that I found? Those were near the police station." She looked at Emily again. "Someone knew about you talking to Barry, Emily."

"Wait, there's footage of me and the girls back home?" Emily asked.

"Dated two weeks before this happened. Initially, we thought it was Claire or Taylor because they seem so fixed on Alison. But it wasn't them. It was Nolan. He hacked them when he was in town. He was watching Rosewood."

"That was months ago. He was watching us before I came out here? Why?" Alison frowned in confusion.

"Because he didn't trust you. Not at first," Ava said.

"His family wanted me here." Alison argued. "They dragged me here…away from my family."

"That wasn't a coincidence. Remember what I said earlier about someone using you as a pawn?" Mona asked. "The Hotchkiss family knew your history. They knew that bringing you here would bring some of that history with you. They just weren't expecting it to go this wrong," Mona said. "They underestimated him. Nolan found out the truth and he planned to set up a trap, but he was killed before he could tell his mother and sister. And then Dana Booker jumped on the case."

"Because of her history with Claire," Alison said.

"Right. And she's had Tanner feeding her information about your family this entire time. But something we missed when Tanner was talking to us earlier…she has been talking to someone you know. Someone has been giving her false information. Emily, you're a suspect in the vehicular homicide case because he wants you to be. He wants you out of the way," Mona explained.

"Who wants me out of the way?" Emily frowned.

"Enter The Professor," Ava said quietly.

"Who?" Emily asked.

"We…um…we were going through the roster of donations and looking up the contributors to see if any of them could be the psycho after us. I didn't recognize the name, but…um…I found his picture…" Ava licked her lips nervously, clutching a photograph. "I met him after my father disappeared. I had gotten into a fight with Nolan about something stupid and ended up at the townie bar. He was there…said I looked like I needed a drink. I got hammered and totally unloaded my entire life story on him. When he found out about my dad he offered to help. He said he was a Professor at a Law School. He wanted to get in contact with my dad. But no one knew how. I started crying and I must have looked really trashed, because he offered to call me a ride." She looked at the ceiling, trying to fight back tears. "I gave him Nolan's number."

Ava was shaking as she recalled the night. She'd been so drunk that she didn't even think to tell the police about the encounter. It had seemed like just another random stranger she'd encountered.

"Nolan was dead two days later." Ava bit her lip. She glanced at Mona. "When I showed the picture to Mona, she told me he wasn't a professor…" Ava sighed.

Ava gently extended the small photograph, holding it out to Alison. Alison took the photo, almost afraid to look at it. Her fingers gripped the edges as she stared down at the familiar face looking back at her.

It's a mistake. It has to be a mistake.

But in her heart, she knew it was true. Everything was coming together. She knew it wasn't a coincidence. There were no coincidences in her life. She made a noise between a shocked gasp and a whimper. Emily stared at the image. She put her arm around Alison, mostly because she didn't know what else to do.

Alison shook her head in disbelief.

"It's how he got access to the CCTV cameras Nolan hacked. It's how he was able to send you that message from Nolan's phone, Ali. It's how he's been watching you both," Mona said.

Alison's lips were trembling. She was halfway between crying and raging out.

"This…it's not possible…" She mumbled. "It doesn't make any sense. I thought…I thought he was…" Her eyes widened when she realized what it meant. "Oh, God…that means…" She couldn't comprehend it. It didn't feel real. "Taylor…" She looked up at the crowd surrounding her. She felt helpless. "Oh, God…Taylor…someone needs to warn her and Claire. They need to know who they're dealing with."

"He's not just after Taylor and Claire," Caitlin said gently. "He knows you know. And he's coming for you and Emily, too."

Mona looked at her iPad. Something was blinking on the screen. She swallowed a knot in her throat. It was a security alert.

This time, it wasn't a deer.

Mona turned the screen around to show Alison and Emily their masked stalker standing outside the cabin, staring directly at the security camera.

"He's already here." Mona looked at her friends.

A/N: Recap: Booker is Booker (and also has an equally annoying sister and a...complicated history of love). Ava is hella good at thinking on her feet. Caitlin makes tea and bakes when she's nervous. Mona is still a mad genius. Alison and Emily annoy people with their love. Nolan pulled a Maya St. Germain love message for Ava. Tanner smells a rat. The killer is RIGHT THERE. And this is why you should never go to a secluded cabin in the middle of the woods. You'll get ALL THE ANSWERS in the next chapter.