Title: Come back.

Summary: From a prompt on tumblr – 'Paige is about to quit/missing swim-team training for quite a while bc she is afraid her team-mates would see the scars. Emily recognizes that Paige is missing practice and tried to get her back on the team'.

Trigging warning: Self injury.

"No." Hanna stated obstinately as she walked down the school hallway with her friends. "We watched a horror movie last week."

"But rom-com's are so dull." Emily pointed out. "Right guys?"

"I don't see why we can't just watch a decent period drama." Spencer spoke up. "They're educational and romantic."

Hanna, Emily and Aria instantly began to protest.

"I already have the movie." Alison spoke coolly, effectively silencing the four girls flanking her at either side.

"What are we watching?" Hanna finally asked as they turned the corner.

"I think it's called lost and delirious." Alison answered, shooting Emily a coy smirk.

Emily froze at the mention of the movie. She'd seen the trailer when she'd been researching her 'issue' on the internet so of course she was well aware of the plot. Alison was obviously using the movie to make some kind of point, though Emily was clueless as to what that point was. No doubt it would be made apparent later when they watched the movie.

Spencer wrinkled her nose. "I've never heard of it."

Alison shrugged, and satisfied by Emily's reaction turned to face forward again. "Someone at a party recommended it."

"What's it about?" Aria asked curiously.

"I don't know." Alison answered casually. "Something about a boarding school."

Spencer and Aria shared a look at the vague answer but they didn't attempt to question Alison's choice of movie.

"Are you okay Em?" Hanna asked, noticing that Emily had paled slightly. "You don't look so great."

"I'm fine." Emily answered. She looked up in time to see Alison raising a questioning eyebrow at her. That wasn't the only thing that caught her attention however as her gaze averted over Alison's shoulder and she spotted Paige McCullers was hunched close to her locker. Emily jumped at the excuse to get away from her friends to figure out how she was going to deal with the jibes that would be sent her way later that night. She stopped suddenly and her friends stopped with her. "I just…I just remembered that I have to talk to my coach about something. I'll catch up with you guys later."

"We could wait for you." Spencer offered unsurely. She glanced at Alison as if wary of her disapproval.

"It's okay, I'll probably be a while." Emily assured them, trying as hard as she could not to glance in Paige's direction. She needed to get her friends out of the way before Paige took off. "I'll meet you at Spencer's."

"But…"

"You heard what she said Spence." Alison cut in, still watching Emily closely. "She'll catch up with us."

Spencer gave a tight nod, though she still didn't look happy about leaving Emily alone. "Okay."

"We'll see you later Em. Don't be late for the movie." Alison said, a smirk playing on her lips. She turned to walk away and after a moment of hesitation Hanna, Aria and Spencer dutifully followed.

Emily waited until they were out of sight before she approached Paige's locker. Paige didn't seem to notice Emily's approach, apparently too engrossed by the small shiny object she held in her hand. "Hey."

Paige startled at the interruption and she quickly threw whatever she was holding into her locker before slamming the door shut. Emily's brow furrowed at the suspicious behaviour as Paige turned to face her. "Oh…um…" Paige looked stunned and a little terrified by Emily's presence. "Hi."

"Sorry." Emily apologised, offering Paige a small smile. "I didn't mean to startle you."

"It's okay." Paige's eyes darted to either side, scanning the hallway for any sign of Alison.

"Are you okay?" Emily asked, concerned by Paige's skittish behaviour.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Paige forced herself to look at Emily but she found she couldn't meet her eyes without feeling like she was going to melt into a big puddle. "I'm sorry, did you want something?"

"I was wondering if I could talk to you."

"We are talking."

"I mean somewhere private." Emily corrected herself.

Paige looked wary, recalling Alison's clear warning for her to stay away from Emily. "I don't know. I'm kind of busy…"

"Please?"

Paige instantly caved at the pleading tone of Emily's voice. "Well I guess if it doesn't take long…"

"It won't." Emily promised before she took a couple of steps away, clearly expecting Paige to follow her.

Paige glanced up and down the corridor one more time to make sure that Alison wasn't watching before she followed Emily down the hall. They walked into an empty classroom and Emily closed the door behind them.

"So…" Paige said as she tried to casually sit on one of the desks. The fresh cut on her thigh ached in protest but she tried her best not to show it. "You wanted to talk about something?"

Emily followed Paige, standing a couple of feet in front of her. "I noticed you haven't been coming to practice lately."

It took all of Paige's willpower not to smile at the fact that Emily had noticed her absence. "Okay?"

"And I was wondering if something is wrong."

Paige took in the concerned look on Emily's face and briefly entertained the fantasy of telling her everything. If she did maybe Emily would help her and they'd have the chance to bond like Paige had always wanted them to. Paige shook the idea off. It was just a stupid fantasy, she told herself, nothing good would come of telling Emily the truth. "Nothing is wrong."

Emily frowned at the automatic response. "Paige…"

Paige's eyebrows shot up in surprise and she blurted out her thoughts without thinking. "You know my name?"

"Of course I do. You're on my swim team." Emily answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Wait, you know my name right?"

"Right." Paige confirmed with a nod.

"Really?" Emily asked unsurely.

"Emily Fields." Paige clarified, a small smile tugging at her lips.

Emily grinned, more at the sight of the rare smile than the response. "So about the team…"

Paige's expression dropped at the reminder. "I have my reasons."

"If something's wrong, you can tell me." Emily pushed. "I swear I won't tell anyone else."

Paige sighed at Emily's persistence and idly scratched the area on her thigh where she knew the new cut to be. "I can't talk about it."

"But…"

"Why do you care anyway?" Paige asked, genuinely curious. "With me out of the way, you have no competition for anchor."

"I don't want to anchor." Emily frowned at the suggestion. She was met with a sceptical look and quickly continued. "Okay, getting to anchor would be nice but I don't want you off the team to get it. We need you."

Paige was silent for a long moment, mulling over what Emily had said. "I can't come back to practice yet."

"Why not?" Emily asked in concern.

"I can't…"Paige shifted uncomfortably on the desk. "I can't swim with other people right now."

Emily looked as confused as ever by the vague answer. "I don't understand."

Paige closed her eyes and exhaled heavily. "It's complicated. I can't…be around people while I'm…"

Paige trailed off and Emily's eyes narrowed in thought as she tried to figure out what Paige was getting at exactly. "When you're not dressed?"

Paige remained silent, her silence confirming Emily's suspicion as much as an answer would have.

"Paige, if someone's hurting you…"

"It's not that." Paige said uncomfortably, her gaze dropping to where her hand rested atop her thigh.

"You're hurting…yourself?" Emily asked warily.

"No!" Paige exclaimed, looking up quickly.

"Okay." Emily held up her hands in a sign of surrender. "I'm sorry. I just want to help."

Paige sighed, part of her wishing that she could tell Emily the truth. The fact that Emily had posed the question suggested that she wouldn't judge her but Paige couldn't run the risk of Alison finding out. The blonde would no doubt make her life hell with it. That is after telling Emily about Paige's attraction to her and thus ruining any possible friendship between them. "I appreciate your concern but I'm fine. Really."

"Okay."

Emily looked so downtrodden that Paige couldn't help but continue. "I'll come back to practice in a few days, maybe a week. I need some time."

To heal, she mentally added.

Emily brightened slightly at the answer. "Great. I'm glad."

Paige couldn't have stopped herself returning the smile if she'd tried. She hopped down off the table, probably a little bit more boisterously than she should have. A sharp sting shot up her thigh and she winced, her hand instantly going to the area.

Emily looked worried by the movement. "Paige…"

"I'm fine." Paige quickly moved her hand away from the area. "Just leave it Emily. Please. I can handle it."

"But I want to help…"

"I don't need help." Paige said sharply before she brushed past Emily, making a beeline for the door.

"Paige, wait." Emily called, spinning around on the spot. She was surprised when Paige actually came to a stop next to the door and turned around to face her but nevertheless she hurried over to her. "Do you have a pen?"

Paige looked confused but withdrew a pen from the pocket of her jeans and offered it to Emily.

"Paper?" Emily asked, taking the pen.

Paige shook her head. "I left it in my locker."

"Oh." Emily frowned for a moment, realising she'd left her own things in her locker because she didn't have homework to do. Finally she came up with a solution and motioned to Paige's hand. "Do you mind…?"

Paige numbly shook her head.

Emily reached down to grasp Paige's hand in her own and tugged it to eye level.

Paige watched, gobsmacked as Emily wrote something on her palm though if she was honest with herself she was more focused on the way Emily's hand was cradling her own than what was actually being written.

"There." Emily announced after a moment. She gave Paige's hand a light squeeze before letting go of it. Paige looked at her hand to see that Emily had written her name along with a number in her elegant scrawl. "If you ever need anything, anything at all, just give me a call. It doesn't matter what time it is."

Paige curled her hand into a loose fist and lowered it to her side as if to protect the number. "Thanks."

Emily nodded with a small smile. "It's no problem."

Paige fumbled behind her back for the door handle, unable to tear her eyes away from girl in front of her. She finally found it and pushed the door open. "I'll see you around Emily."

"At practice." Emily elaborated.

"Sure…At practice." Paige flashed a small smile before she forced herself to turn and walk out of the door.

Emily sighed as she watched Paige leave, well aware that her worries regarding her troubled teammate would overwhelm her embarrassment over the movie she was watching with her friends at their sleepover.

THE END.