DISCLAIMER: Pretty Little Liars and all its characters is the intellectual property of others. Characters used in the creation of this fanfic belong to PLL except for a few. Some events were borrowed from the storyline of the PLL TV series. I never read the books and mostly focus on PAILY stuff when watching PLL so I have no clear idea about 'A' and their motives for torturing the Liars. That said, the motives of the 'A'-team in this fanfic were entirely of my own creation.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: For the lengthy version of what this fanfic was about, please refer to the Author's Note in the first two chapters.

~This is it. The final chapter of my first ever venture into writing fic. Thank you all for the support and appreciation of this story through all of your amazing reactions and humbling reviews.~

~If anyone's interested to have a PDF copy of this story, just PM me here or DM me on twitter krystn21.~

Chapter 15: The Constant

"I want you for always… days, years, eternities." – Franz Schubert

CeCe willed her feet to move faster, impatient to get to her sister and see the file. When the Temptress was finally within her line of sight, she broke into a jog. "Thea." She called out breathlessly as she moved towards the slip.

Tara quickly turned around when she heard the relief in her sister's voice. "Hey." She greeted, hurriedly walking over to the side of the vessel to help CeCe board the boat. "Where's Jason?" She asked, looking past her sister to see if he was close behind.

"Docking the Charles in its slip." CeCe said dismissively. "Let me see it." She said, extending a hand to her sister.

Tara picked up the folder Paige hastily dropped on the marine beanbag moments before she dove in after Emily and handed it to her sister. "So? Is it the original report this time?" She asked after letting CeCe study the contents of the folder closely.

CeCe nodded. "As far as I can tell. Yeah. It is. Did Pigskin tell you where she got it?" She asked, looking at her sister inquisitively as she closed the folder.

"From her dad's safety deposit box. I'll tell you how she did it later." Tara said in answer to CeCe's questioning look. "Do we destroy it or keep it?" She asked, slowly rotating her wrists to try and get the circulation going.

"Burn it. But later. Right now we need to get away from this place." CeCe said urgently, turning her back to Tara to disembark.

"What's the rush?" Tara asked nonchalantly as she walked over to the spot she occupied when she was tied up and took the bottle of water Paige got for her earlier. Taking a seat, she twisted the cap off and took a sip, the cold water soothing her parched throat. "It's not like anyone's following us. Emily's at the bottom of the sea by now and because of her foolishness, in time Paige will soon join her. It might take days before someone finds them." She said coolly.

CeCe leaned against the metal railing and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "You're the one who wanted to get out of this town remember?" She said wryly.

"Yeah but I was just tied up." Tara reminded her sister. "Can we stay put until the circulation's restored in my hands and feet? That bitch tied me up pretty good." She said resentfully.

CeCe finally moved to sit on the beanbag. "I still think we should have left this boat with them. Made it look like Pigskin carried out a sort of poetic justice against Emily when she found out about the cheating, committed a crime of passion then took her own life. It would look suspicious if they were found in the middle of the sea with no boat. It would raise a lot of questions like how the hell did they get there and why is Emily tied up?" CeCe explained, keen to cover their tracks.

Tara scoffed. "It would raise a lot of questions if their bodies were ever found." She corrected her sister. "Don't worry about it Luce. It's like what happened to our dearest mom and dad. Lost at sea. I made sure they were never found. It was easy. Messing with the yacht's GPS led them to where I wanted them to meet their end." Tara explained haughtily.

CeCe finally smiled, amused. "I gotta hand it to you. Their demise was your best work yet. I mean, offering to give a reward money to anyone who can provide a lead as to their whereabouts was brilliant. But leading the search and rescue for months? That is pure genius." She admitted, impressed.

Tara laughed heartily. "I did play perfectly well the part of the aghast, grieving child who needed closure. You taught me how." She said, refusing to take all the credit for their parents' passing.

"They needed to die Thea." CeCe stated firmly.

Tara nodded. "Yes. They did. Your plan of keeping them away from me didn't work. It was a temporary solution." She said wryly.

CeCe rolled her eyes. "Tell me about it. The only reason I even thought about meeting Kenneth and Jessica was so that they'd leave you alone." She said, disappointed that her plan didn't work.

"I still can't believe they actually agreed to leave me behind." Tara admitted.

CeCe smiled sadly. "They had no idea I knew what they were doing to you. They thought I saw them as these perfect, loving parents who could do no wrong and would give me everything I wanted so when I asked them to take me and me alone, I knew they wouldn't be able to say no." She said quietly.

CeCe stood up to sit beside her sister. "I actually thought dad would finally focus on some other kid that isn't his. When mom couldn't control his urge anymore and he started making plans to return to France, I knew I had to act fast and introduce Ali to him. I figured better her than you. Ali had a thing for older men anyway so it would be consensual this time. But he wouldn't quit his obsession with you. He had to return and mom just had to tag along to make sure you were compliant. Their arrangement sickens me. It needed to end." She declared stonily.

Tara smiled, relieved. "I thought I lost you when I told you what I did. They've always favored you and I didn't know if a part of you would hate me for taking away from you the people who raised you after your real parents gave you up." She admitted hoarsely.

CeCe shook her head firmly. "You're more important to me. I agree that they had to die." She said reassuringly.

"Just like Ali did for ruining your life." Tara stated, reminding her sister of the reason that brought them in this particular moment.

CeCe smiled. "You and me, sis. It's us against the world." She stated resolutely.

"And Jason." Tara added reluctantly, nodding her head towards her sister's boyfriend when she saw him approach them from the docks.

CeCe turned around to glance at Jason before looking at Tara once again. "I don't know. Now that things are over he kinda lost his appeal to me." She admitted, thinking back to the argument she and Jason had earlier. "It was exciting when we had this secret connection and this common goal. But as of tonight, I'm thinking, I can do so much better. But I have to make sure he doesn't talk once I end things. The last thing I need is a bitter, vindictive ex." CeCe said suggestively.

"Oh I can definitely take care of that." Tara volunteered, smiling eagerly.

"Hey. You guys ready to leave?" Jason urgently asked once he boarded the boat.

Tara stood up slowly, stretching her arms above her head. "Yeah. Circulation's returning." She declared.

"Thea, thanks for your help. For giving us our lives back." Jason said, looking at Tara gratefully.

"Hey, just gladly returning a favor." Tara said reassuringly, sharing a meaningful look with her sister.

"Where to now?" Jason asked, looking at them expectantly.

Tara smiled. "You guys feel like moving to France?" She asked excitedly.

CeCe nodded. "Sounds perfect to me. I think it's about time I went home." She said as she let Jason help her disembark.

"Oh, hey, that reminds me. You like to sail, right?" Tara asked when Jason turned around to help her disembark next. When Jason nodded his head, she continued. "There's this really cool place I want you to check out once we get to France. I can program it to your boat's GPS for you." She offered eagerly.

Wilden lowered the binoculars he held in his hand, eager to get the show on the road. "That's the signal. Get into position." He ordered behind him before turning around to follow his men, stopping for a brief moment when he reached Hanna and Aria. "You better pray these people have with them what you and your friends promised me. My ass is on the line here." He whispered warningly before walking past Hanna.

Hanna swallowed uneasily, choosing not to say anything as she followed Wilden's retreating back. She and Aria barely convinced the detective to agree to their plan and get a warrant. She knew they owed him big time. If CeCe, Jason and Tara came back to the marina empty-handed Wilden will make sure she and her friends will pay for costing him his job tonight.

"Hanna." Spencer's anxious voice made Hanna focus her attention to her friends. "You and Aria did it." She said, amazed.

Hanna nodded. "Barely." She admitted. "If they don't have with them the file we better start thinking about moving to the Bahamas for good because Wilden is going after our blood." Hanna said anxiously.

"What did you guys do to get a warrant at this time of night?" Dani asked, a tad impressed.

"Well for starters, Wilden made us go back to CeCe's house and return everything we took." Aria explained. "He then broke a window from the outside; made it look like there was a burglary by telling us to ransack every room in the house, making sure we don't leave any prints and that the evidence we found earlier were scattered everywhere. And then he asked one of his trusted informants to make a call to 911 to report the incident."

"He then made sure he was first on the scene by quickly responding to the dispatcher, saying he was already near the vicinity. He made a show of discovering the evidences and then he called, actually, he bothered a judge, insisting that he be granted a warrant tonight based on probable cause." Hanna continued. "If he doesn't get that file he could lose his job and he's going to make our lives a living hell if that happens." She said worriedly before grabbing Spencer's wrist to check for the time. "Caleb should be back by now." She said, almost to herself, before walking past her friends to stare at the dark horizon in front of them. "They're alive, right?" She asked uneasily, looking at the three people behind her.

Spencer shrugged. "I really don't know." She answered truthfully. "Wilden may have seen the signal but I don't know if they both made it." She said as she looked at the twinkling lights the marina provided below them.

"But they're both strong swimmers." Aria reasoned out. "I mean Em's on a swimming scholarship and Paige..."

"Hasn't treaded water in years." Dani finished hoarsely. "She's probably a little rusty but swimming is a skill for life, right? Can you unlearn that skill?" She asked, looking at all of them nervously.

"Now is not the time to be pessimistic." Hanna reprimanded her friends. "They both made it." She said resolutely. "They have to."

"And if one of them didn't?" Aria asked cautiously. "What happens then?"

"Then I'm staying in Rosewood." Dani said quietly. When she saw the curious looks the three girls gave her, she forced herself to look at the vast darkness in front of her instead. "Paige will never let anything happen to Emily even if it meant her last breath was spent cutting Emily loose. I made a promise to my best friend earlier tonight. And if you think only one of them survived, then I'll have to stick around Rosewood to keep that promise." Dani said, fighting hard to control her tears.

"Let's grab some dinner before heading home to pack." Jason suggested. "All this activity tonight made me famished." He said as he led the way to the car, unlocking the doors once they were near enough.

"I say we just buy takeout. We need to pack as soon and as fast as we can. I'm itching to get out of Rosewood." Tara said, opening one of the car doors to the backseat.

CeCe went around to the passenger side of the car and faced them. "Sounds like a plan. My laptop's at the back." She informed Tara. "You book the tickets while we buy dinner." She said, opening the door to get in.

"Tickets? Going somewhere?" Wilden's inquisitive voice made the three turn and look towards the direction of the approaching detective behind them.

Jason decided to handle the situation. "Detective Wilden. What brings you out here at this time of night?" He asked cautiously, trying to control the uneasiness in his voice.

"You three actually. But most especially, you." Wilden said, shifting his attention to CeCe as he moved closer to them. "You've been quite busy these past few years haven't you Lucille Morin?"

CeCe crossed her arms in front of her chest defensively. "Am I supposed to know who that is?" She asked, pulse racing. They needed to get out of there.

Wilden moved closer towards them. "You tell me. We have plenty of time to talk down at the station. Bring your friends. They need to answer some questions as well." He said, looking at Jason and Tara.

"About?" Tara haughtily asked, the gears in her head quickly shifting into overdrive. If they acted fast enough maybe they could outrun the detective. She casually looked around her to find a possible escape route but realized to her dismay that they were surrounded by cops in plainclothes.

"For starters, the murder of Alison DiLaurentis and Nick and Olivia McCullers." Wilden stated confidently, gesturing for the other cops to start moving.

"That's absurd! You have no proof of these accusations!" CeCe said indignantly, looking around her as the other cops began closing in on them.

Wilden narrowed his eyes threateningly. "I think we do. A 911 call was made earlier tonight. Someone reported a burglary in your house and I was the first to respond. When I saw those photos scattered everywhere I asked Ms. Marin and her friends to come down to the station to give their sworn statements that you've been victimizing them for years. Their statements served as probable cause that granted me this. Warrants for your arrests." He said, handing the papers to them before turning to the cops. "Cuff those two." He ordered as he pointed to Jason and Tara before moving towards CeCe, stopping an officer before he could handcuff the girl. "This one's mine." He said, dismissing the other cop as he produced his own set of handcuffs.

Turning CeCe around, he went through the motions of reciting the Miranda Rights to the girl while forcefully bringing CeCe's hands behind her. He took the folder CeCe was gripping tightly before cuffing her. "What's this?" He said once CeCe turned around to face him, the defiance evident in her features. Not waiting for an answer, he opened the folder and browsed its contents. "Well I'll be damned." He exclaimed. "It must be Christmas. I've got a missing evidence and apparently a possible sample to compare it to is standing right in front of me." He looked past CeCe and nodded to a cop behind her, signaling for the officer to take the girl away.

CeCe began to struggle. "Hey! Hold on! You don't have solid proof! This is crazy! We want to see this evidence you say you have against us!" She exclaimed, refusing to be taken in quietly. "For all we know those girls broke into my house and made the 911 call after. They're setting us up!"

"Nice try. I already checked their alibis." Wilden informed the indignant girl. "They were on their way to attend a party outside of Rosewood but at the last minute turned around when I called Ms. Marin. I believe you know the host, a Mr. Henrik Thiel, since he happens to be a close friend of yours Mr. DiLaurentis." He said, shifting his attention to Jason. "We checked and those girls are on the guest list. The host said you even called ahead and asked that they be given a special discount to his merchandise. How very brotherly of you. We're asking Mr. Thiel to cooperate, maybe shed some light as to how the same drug he was selling was found in Ms. McCullers' system the night of the crash that killed her parents. I think he has a lot to say on the subject matter." Wilden said reassuringly, making Jason squirm.

"Don't forget this." Caleb said breathlessly from behind them as he jogged the rest of the way to hand over to Wilden a CD. "Sorry I was late. I had to make a quick stop. That taped confession is my best work yet. I've managed to remove the background noise among other things. You'd have no problem hearing everything." He said confidently.

Wilden took it without any questions. "Mr. Rivers, glad to see you've managed to join us. I guess Ms. Marin gave you a heads up about this sudden turn of events." He said in a low voice, gesturing behind Caleb towards the direction of Hanna and her friends. "Why don't you go join them?"

Caleb nodded and turned around to meet his girlfriend but was stopped in his tracks by Tara's surprised voice. "Where did you come from? And what's this taped confession you claim to have?" She asked dubiously.

Caleb shrugged. "Hitched a ride on your boat." He revealed nonchalantly.

"What?" Tara asked, confused.

Caleb walked over to Tara. "Word of advice. Check if you have a stowaway on your boat before bragging to someone your role in this sick game you people have been playing on us for years." He said quietly before turning to look at Wilden once again. "Oh. I almost forgot. I don't know about extradition laws and stuff but I think the authorities in France would want to hear what's on that CD as well. There's a confession there about how this one right here killed her parents." Caleb said, tapping Tara lightly on the shoulder.

Tara violently shrugged Caleb's hand off her. "They deserved it!" She exclaimed spitefully.

"Thea!" CeCe reprimanded urgently, reminding her sister not to say anything. She was about to say something else when she felt her blood run cold when she saw two figures hurriedly approach them from the docks.

"Did we get them?" Paige asked, trying to catch her breath. Beside her, Emily was looking around her anxiously, trying to figure out what was happening. Paige shifted her attention to the speechless girl standing a good distance away from her. "What's the matter Lucy? You look like you've seen a ghost." She said, feigning concern and confusion.

"How did you..." CeCe began, unable to form a coherent sentence as her mind worked in overdrive, trying to figure out how things went downhill so fast. She just stared at the two girls who were looking back at her triumphantly despite shivering in their wet clothes.

"Get here?" Paige continued, moving closer to CeCe so she could stare the other girl right in the eye. "Here's the thing. I do know a thing or two about chess. But guess what? We're not playing on a chessboard so you don't get to decide if I'm in zugzwang. I had one move left and I took it. Next time, check if there's a mooring buoy nearby. You never know if a rubber boat may be tied to it." She whispered arrogantly before pulling back. "Because you were so guilty and you three were so intent on getting your hands on that report, you failed to consider something. That file was worthless if the authorities didn't know your connection to the DiLaurentises. So tonight we made sure they would find out who you really are. Emily and I were the decoys, not our friends." She revealed once she noticed that Wilden ordered everyone back to give them a chance to speak out in the open.

"That was one dangerous move you two pulled out there." CeCe said, the rage she felt for having been outwitted evident in her voice. "Are you that desperate?"

Paige shook her head. "No. We're that determined." She corrected emphatically as she took Emily's hand in hers. "I was ready to die out there because I knew that once you three reached land you're not going anywhere. I knew once I told you that I have the file and your sister you and Jason would come after me. But to make sure that you wouldn't involve the cops by telling them I just abducted a close relative of yours or whatever lie you decide to spin, Emily left herself unprotected to give you the idea of settling things your way. She let herself be abducted. As for the real reason why you wanted to get to me fast, you're the only one who can answer which is more important." She said, stealing a glance at Tara before looking at Caleb. "You gave them the taped confession?"

"Yeah." Caleb said, nodding. "Had to edit some things out though, like when you flew into a rage. I thought I was going to have to reveal myself to stop you when I saw you lunge at Tara." He admitted quietly.

"I knew what I was doing." Paige said reassuringly. "But thanks for worrying."

Caleb smiled. "Thanks for defending my sister's honor." He said gratefully.

"I was abducted!" The desperation they heard in Tara's voice made them all look towards the direction of the girl who refused to get inside the cop car.

"What?" Wilden asked, turning his attention to Tara. "Unless you can prove that statement I suggest you keep your mouth shut." He said warningly.

"I'm not making it up! She abducted me!" Tara said accusingly, nodding her head towards Paige's direction. "She said she wanted to borrow my boat and asked me to show her around. Next thing I knew, I woke up with my hands and feet bound! She forced a confession out of me! Whatever is on that CD were all said under duress. That is inadmissible in court!" She exclaimed defiantly.

"Do you have proof of that?" Paige asked, walking towards Tara. "Because I have proof that your sister and Jason abducted Emily." She said as she watched Caleb hand over another CD to Wilden.

"How?" Tara asked incredulously.

"Caleb placed a hidden camera in the Charles earlier tonight. I'm sure it caught them red-handed." Paige whispered in Tara's ear before pulling back. "You have no proof that I abducted you and forced you to confess under duress. They can subject that recording to a voice stress analysis for all I care but they're just wasting their time. They don't need to do that because you were anything but under duress the entire time we were talking." She said smugly.

Wilden moved to stand between them, his back turned to Tara. "That's enough. Let's continue this down at the station shall we?" He said to Paige quietly. "You and your friends can follow to give your statements after you and Emily change into some dry clothes." He turned to look at his men. "Take them away." He ordered firmly.

When CeCe was led past her by Wilden, Paige grabbed the other girl's arm firmly. "Checkmate." She whispered smugly in CeCe's ear before releasing her grip. As she watched the three people who have caused them so much pain and suffering get taken away, Paige sank down on her knees from the exhaustion, breaking down into tears as Emily held her close.

"It's over. It's okay. It's finally over." Emily whispered soothingly in Paige's ear, holding her girlfriend tight as she gently stroked Paige's hair.

Hanna painstakingly opened the rotting door of the rundown cabin she and her friends have been frequenting for the past two weeks and cringed when she heard the door squeak. Great. Half of Rosewood probably heard that. Rolling her eyes in frustration, she decided to open the door unceremoniously the rest of the way and entered the room, followed closely behind by Aria and Spencer.

"We have to stop meeting like this. I feel like I'm turning into an owl. Awake at 3 in the morning hanging out in a rundown cabin in the woods." Hanna complained once she closed the rotting door behind her.

Following Aria and Spencer, she headed towards the dining room and saw that Emily and Dani already occupied two of the five seats around the dinner table. Paige and Caleb opted to stand to let them occupy the remaining seats instead.

"Sorry. But if we want to be able to talk freely; we need to do it when they're asleep." Caleb explained apologetically as he pulled out a sturdy-looking chair for his girlfriend to sit on.

Across from her, Hanna heard Emily groan in response as the other girl struggled to keep her eyes open. "I need caffeine in an IV drip." Emily said before stifling a yawn.

"Don't worry. This is the last time. I promise." Paige said as she moved to stand behind Emily, placing her hands on her girlfriend's shoulders as she studied the six people in the room with her. Aside from her, Caleb and Spencer were the only ones wide awake.

"Why are we having this meeting anyway?" Aria asked from beside Emily, stifling a yawn herself.

"Spencer." Caleb said, gesturing for the girl to speak. "Tell them what you told me earlier."

"I got a call from Henrik a few hours ago." Spencer explained as her gaze shifted from Aria to the two girls seated on each side of her. "He said he's going to throw a rave tonight outside of Rosewood. We're on the guest list." She said anxiously.

"That's why we need to execute the plan tonight as well. What time is it going to start?" Caleb asked as he moved to stand at one end of the table to be able to see everyone.

"Eight. But no one comes early to those kinds of things so I figured we'll arrive an hour or so later." Spencer answered. Her gaze shifted to Paige. "We can execute the plan at around 8:30. That should give us enough travel time so we're almost near the party and a good distance away from Rosewood by the time you get to Tara." Spencer explained, making it obvious to the others that she's thought about it on the way over.

"Isn't it a little soon?" Dani asked anxiously.

"We have no choice. We need them to know that we discovered the drugs in Paige's system and the only way to do that indirectly is under the pretense of Spencer attending that party with you three." Caleb explained. "Besides, we've already gotten most of the details sorted out." He said, looking at Paige. "But let's run through it one more time."

"So far Spencer's act is working on Jason and she's been calling Henrik nonstop. All she needs to do now is reel Jason in." Paige began.

"By leaving Paige's medical file out in the open." Emily said, joining the conversation.

Caleb nodded. "Yes. Once he sees that, he'd know we're really up to something. He'd quickly go into offense and support Spencer's idea of a good time. Then he's going to follow you guys." He said confidently.

"But how do you know CeCe will come with him?" Aria asked.

"The first thing he's going to do after he sees that file is call CeCe and convince her to come with him to take care of the problem. But the four of you have to be careful. Keep in mind that one of them tried to run my mom off the road once." Caleb reminded them.

"That leaves Tara." Paige said quietly. "At some point CeCe would call her sister. Probably to check up on her or rant about Jason screwing up big time. Tara in turn will rant about me running terribly late to meet her so CeCe will know where we'll be exactly." She continued.

"Once Tara's guard is down, Paige will knock her out, make the call and head out to sea with Caleb." Hanna said, looking at the two of them worriedly.

"Just make sure you make that call before we reach the party." Aria reminded Paige. "Our names only need to be in that guest list to incriminate Jason and expose his connection with Henrik. I'd rather the authorities deal with him. Not us." She said anxiously.

"What happens if I'm late making the call?" Paige asked as she looked from Aria to Spencer.

"One of us might be getting high tonight." Spencer said uneasily.

"Okay. I'll make the call in time." Paige promised.

"Thank you." Aria said, somewhat relieved.

"Once Paige managed to lure CeCe and Jason out to the sea, you guys are free to gather all the evidence you can, then hand it over to the cops. The more damning the evidence you find, the better. We need to be able to get a judge to issue a warrant for their arrests before they return to land." Caleb continued.

Paige cleared her throat. "Hanna, tell your mom I'm going to the bank this afternoon. I'm going to apply for a loan so she can slip the forms I need to sign in between the forms I'm going to fill up."

Hanna nodded. "Okay. I'll give the file to Caleb when I pick up Dani for the party." She said, remembering what Paige told her over the phone a few days ago.

Caleb looked at Paige. "Call me when you get to the marina so I'll know when to bring you the file. I'll probably be at the Charles, placing the hidden camera once I'm done securing your escape plan." He said reassuringly.

"You managed to find a black rubber boat?" Paige asked anxiously.

Caleb shook his head. "I had to rent one. But don't worry; I didn't rent it from the marina. I'll tie it near the Temptress' slip before heading over to the Charles. Here's the location of the nearest mooring buoy I could find. You still know how to steer a boat right?" He asked as he handed to Paige a scrap of paper.

"Yeah. I'd have no problem finding these coordinates." Paige said confidently as she studied the numbers Caleb wrote on the paper. She looked up and met Spencer's gaze. "Either Emily or I will give the signal to let you guys know that they're headed back to land." Paige said as she pocketed the piece of paper. "Once you see it from the bluff, tell the cops to head to the docks to meet them."

"I'd have to swing by the Charles' slip after we dock but I'm sure I'll be able to hand over Nathalie's confession and the footage from the Charles before they get taken away." Caleb told Paige reassuringly.

"Sounds like we have everything covered." Paige said, looking around the room. "Let's…"

"I think I should wear a wire." Emily spoke up suddenly, turning around to look Paige in the eye.

"What?" Paige asked, confused.

"Once they come for me, I want to be able to record everything from the moment they abduct me to when they bring me to you." Emily explained.

Paige sighed and gestured for Emily to stand up, taking her hand and leading her outside the cabin. Once Paige closed the door behind her, she turned around to face her girlfriend. "No." She said vehemently, shaking her head.

Emily crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Excuse me? I don't recall asking for your permission Paige." She said, annoyed.

"The answer's still no." Paige said firmly. "You can get mad at me for a week, a month or even a year but my answer's still no. I won't risk that." She explained quietly.

"But it would really help the case against them. It's evidence." Emily said stubbornly.

Paige closed her eyes in frustration. "Em, if they find out that you're wearing a wire they wouldn't hesitate to kill you. Not to mention the whole plan will be exposed." She said anxiously.

When Emily still looked incensed that Paige forbade her just now, she closed the distance between them. Touching their foreheads together, she cupped Emily's cheek imploringly. "Em, please don't ask me to let you risk your life more than you already planned to. You're already expecting a lot from me by asking me to leave you unprotected so they could abduct you. You told me to save you. How am I supposed to do that if they get to you first? You need to get to me alive. I need to see you alive. So please." She whispered pleadingly. "Don't be so stubborn. Just this once please let me forbid you."

Emily wrapped her arms gently around Paige's waist. "Okay." She said quietly when she heard the fear in Paige's voice. "I'll get to you alive." She promised as she closed her eyes and rested her head on Paige's shoulder.

"Good. Because I'm going to save you." Paige vowed. "I'll find you." She said resolutely.

88888

Working fast, Paige made sure Tara was indeed out cold before taking the other girl's phone and going above deck, her eyes scanning everywhere until it settled on the folder that was lying on top of one of the seat cushions. Right on time. She took a quick look below deck, smiled as she watched Caleb begin to bind Tara's hands and feet and made the call on Tara's phone. 9:12pm. Barely made it.

Paige steeled herself when she heard the voice on the other end of the line. "Do you know who this is?" She said in greeting.

"Pigskin." CeCe said, the disdain evident in her voice.

"Hello Lucille. Or is it Lucy?" Paige said, not bothering to hide the fact that she knows the truth. She needed them to get mad at her.

"What do you want?" CeCe asked impatiently.

"To continue the game you started two years ago." Paige said ominously. "I've got the file and since I'm using Nathalie's phone to call you, I guess you know I've got your sister too. Find me before I get to the cops." She said before ending the call.

"She's out cold." Caleb's reassuring voice behind her made Paige turn around. "I've tied her hands and feet. I'll bring her above deck once we're at sea." He said as he began to coil the unused rope.

"Are you sure the ropes won't chafe her skin? We have to make sure she won't be able to prove that she was abducted." Paige said anxiously.

"Yeah. I didn't tie her up too tight so it won't leave a mark and I've coated the ropes with anti-chafing gel. It will slide against her skin when she struggles against it." He said reassuringly. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

Paige nodded. "There's no turning back." She said determinedly. "They're probably on their way to abduct Emily." Paige said as she checked her watch. "You have to leave now. We have to be at sea before she regains consciousness."

Caleb stole one last look at Tara's unconscious form below deck before looking at Paige. "Be careful." He said before disembarking and heading to a black rubber boat hidden from view behind the Temptress. Starting the outboard motor, he headed for his destination, quickly disappearing into the darkness as the sound of the motor got fainter and fainter.

Heart pounding, Paige made her way to the bow and started the engine. Please be safe, Em. She took one final look at the marina before facing the open waters, her face set as she headed for the sea.

88888

"Here, give me your hand." Paige said as she extended her arm for Caleb to grab, gripping his hand firmly to help him board the boat. "Are you sure it's secured?" She asked nervously as they stared at the rubber boat Caleb tied earlier to the mooring buoy.

"Yeah. I checked it thrice. The knot won't come undone easily and the waves aren't that rough tonight. It's secure." Caleb assured before turning his back to head below deck. "She's still out." He said, relieved to see they still had time to move Tara above deck.

Moving fast, he threw the unconscious girl over his shoulder and made his way up, careful not to bump Tara's head on anything. Carefully, he positioned the girl on the seat facing the forward end of the boat before checking to see if the bindings he did on Tara's hands and feet were still secure. He turned to watch as Paige moved the marine beanbag in front of the unconscious girl, making sure the steps leading below deck is obscured from Tara's vision once she wakes up.

"That's where you planted the mic?" Paige asked, nodding her head towards the seat Caleb positioned Tara.

Wordlessly, Caleb moved Tara's body forward and showed Paige the transparent fiber optic mic he taped on the backrest of the seat the unconscious girl occupied. "I placed it after I boarded the boat earlier. I'll be able to pick up the signal from below deck and I can edit the conversations as you go. By the time I'm headed back to the marina with them I would have cleared the background noise and I could give it to the cops." He said reassuringly. "Just make sure you get her to confess to Ali and your parents' deaths. Keep her talking."

Paige nodded. "I can do that." She said confidently. "How about the feed from the Charles? Are you sure you're going to be able to monitor that as well?" Paige asked with trepidation.

"Yeah. I'll be able to burn the footage later and hand it over to the cops as well. I just need to remove the hidden camera once I return to land." Caleb said before he stepped closer and touched Paige's arm gently. "You need to stay focused. She's going to be fine Paige. Emily's really tough." Caleb said reassuringly when he saw how terrified Paige is for her girlfriend. He took out of his pocket several glow sticks. "Here. You turned on the GPS signal?" He asked, looking towards the direction of the bow as he handed the glow sticks to Paige.

"I'm about to." She said as she pocketed the sticks. "You need to stay out of sight now. She might wake up anytime soon. Remember to hide once I head downstairs later." Paige reminded him before Caleb went below deck.

When Paige was sure that Caleb is hidden from view, she hurriedly made her way to the front end of the boat and turned on the GPS signal. Sneaking a glance at Tara, she breathed a huge sigh of relief when she saw the girl start to regain consciousness. Just in time. She turned around and walked towards her captive, ready to make Tara talk.

"Finally you're awake. I was starting to get bored staring at you." Paige said as she stood in front of the bound girl, studying Tara closely.

88888

Emily looked at CeCe and Jason. "I won't let you use me as a bargaining chip." She said stonily, acting fast before either of her captors could react.

My future lies with you. "Em!" Paige yelled in horror as she watched Emily throw herself overboard, instantly disappearing into the pitch-black sea. The file and Tara immediately forgotten, Paige swiftly dove into the cold, black water in an effort to save a tightly bound Emily.

The instant Paige felt the icy water engulf her, she forced her eyes to adjust to the darkness. The longer it took for CeCe, Jason and Tara to leave the farther Emily sank and she can't let that happen. She needed to act now. Hoping against hope that the three people on the surface weren't paying any attention to her progress, Paige dove deeper before taking out of her pocket the glow sticks, breaking the glass capsules inside to activate the chemicals and surround herself with an eerie glow. She ignored the stinging sensation in her eyes the seawater caused and looked around her. Her lungs begged for air but she dove deeper still. She needed to find Emily. When she couldn't hold her breath any longer, she quickly surfaced and took a huge gulp of air, grateful to see that the boats were gone.

"Emily!" Paige called out frantically as she looked around her and struggled to stay afloat in the freezing water. She knew it was a waste of precious time since Emily was underwater but she was getting desperate. She's been down for too long. "Em!" She cried out, starting to panic. Damn it! I got the timing wrong. Where are you? I can't lose you. Not now. Not yet.

She dove once again, deeper, heading towards the direction she last saw Emily disappear. Her lungs were begging for air once again and she had to surface fast. Every second she spent coming up for air, Emily sank deeper and she felt her terror and frustration mounting. I should've never allowed her to do this. Shit.

"Emily!" Paige desperately cried out into the darkness once again. Please. Don't take her away from me too. She begged, closing her eyes to utter a silent prayer when a memory comes unbidden instead.

…Emily wrapped her arms gently around Paige's waist. "Okay." She said quietly when she heard the fear in Paige's voice. "I'll get to you alive." She promised as she closed her eyes and rested her head on Paige's shoulder.

"Good. Because I'm going to save you." Paige vowed. "I'll find you." She said resolutely…

Paige quickly opened her eyes with renewed determination and took a huge gulp of air before diving again, moving farther, deeper from the surface. She thought her heart was going to beat right out of her chest when she finally saw Emily, struggling against her bindings. She's still conscious. Thank God. Paige swam fast towards her girlfriend and quickly captured Emily's mouth on hers, giving her girlfriend some much needed oxygen. When Emily finally signaled that she's okay, Paige quickly got out the cutter she brought with her from the car earlier that night and proceeded to cut the rope that bound Emily's feet. Her lungs were begging for air once again but she fought the urge to surface this time. She will die first before she left Emily again. She refused to surface until Emily was with her. Once she was done cutting the rope, she quickly captured Emily's mouth on hers once again, giving her girlfriend air she thought her lungs didn't have. When she was satisfied that Emily had enough oxygen in her lungs, she gestured for the other girl to wrap her arms around Paige's neck before she began their ascent.

The second they broke the surface, Paige let out a choked sob as she held Emily close to her. "Oh god I really thought I lost you this time!" She exclaimed, unable to control her tears.

"I'm okay." Emily said breathlessly as she took huge gulps of air to fill her lungs, grateful to be able to breathe again. Her hands were still tied but she felt Paige's need to hold her close so she kept still as she let the other girl's tears subside. "I'm okay. I'm right here." She whispered reassuringly, holding close the trembling girl in her arms. "We're okay."

Paige forced herself to stop crying. "I'm sorry I got the timing wrong babe. I'm so, so sorry." She said brokenly.

"Paige." Emily uttered softly as she held her girlfriend tighter.

Paige finally looked at Emily, touching their foreheads together. "I will never let you risk your life for me like that again. I don't know what I would do if I lost you too." She said, the fear evident in her voice.

"That's not going to happen. You're stuck with me Paige. I'm not going anywhere." Emily promised, kissing Paige on the forehead soothingly.

"I love you so much." Paige whispered.

"I love you too." Emily whispered back. "Come on, we need to get going before they get away." She said after a beat.

Paige quickly cut the rope that bound Emily's hands before they swam towards the black rubber boat Caleb tied to the mooring buoy earlier. "Careful." Paige said as she helped Emily get in. "Quick. Use those blankets to warm yourself." She said before getting in herself and quickly grabbing a flashlight, using it to send the signal twice.

"Are you sure they won't see you sending that signal?" Emily asked as she continued to dry herself, trying not to shiver from the cold wind.

Paige nodded. "Yeah. They don't care what happens to us out here. All they care about right now is reaching land and escaping. Trust me. They're not looking back." She said confidently before setting down the flashlight and turning her full attention to Emily. Paige sat for a moment in complete silence as she took in the sight of her girlfriend. She's breathing. She's shivering but she's alive.

Emily gave her girlfriend a reassuring smile. "I'm right here." She said quietly before leaning forward to give Paige a gentle kiss. "Stop looking so worried." Emily reprimanded lightly when she noticed the other girl's agitation. "Thanks for always coming to my rescue." She said softly.

Paige finally broke into a relieved smile. "Anytime." She said. But as her eyes continued to study Emily, the smile on her lips disappeared.

"What's wrong?" Emily asked worriedly.

Paige wordlessly touched Emily's cheek, her hand moving near the other girl's lips. She closed her eyes in anguish when she remembered how CeCe so callously tore off the duct tape from Emily's mouth. Forcing herself to open her eyes, Paige began to stroke Emily's cheek but stopped when the sound of the slap CeCe gave her girlfriend earlier reverberated in her mind. Swallowing hard, she let her hand travel to the side of Emily's neck where Jason held the knife earlier. The blood was gone but the wound was clearly visible. When she felt Emily wince, she let out a sob.

"Paige, I'm fine. It's okay. It'll heal." Emily said reassuringly as she brought her hand to her neck to take Paige's hand in hers. She felt her heart break when she saw how distraught her girlfriend was as Paige continued to study her wordlessly.

When Paige's gaze finally landed on Emily's chafed wrists, the tears she was fighting so hard to hold back spilled from her eyes freely. "What did they do to you?" She whispered brokenly as she took Emily's hands in hers and gently kissed the other girl's wrists sorrowfully. "Oh god what did they do to you?" She cried in agony as she broke down into uncontrollable sobs.

Emily felt tears spill from her eyes, the pain Paige was in over seeing her bruises made her heart shatter. "Paige, I'm fine. I'll be fine." She whispered as she stroked Paige's hair gently. "It doesn't hurt much." She said quietly.

"I'm so, so sorry." Paige uttered as she rested her head on Emily's lap, her hot tears spilling on her girlfriend's knees. "I'm so sorry." She repeated quietly.

Emily brought her lips to Paige's head. "It's okay. We're okay. We're alive." She said, unable to control her tears as well. "I'm not going anywhere." She promised earnestly. "Come on; let's get you dry before you catch a cold." Emily said as she gently eased Paige up, brushing the tears away from her girlfriend's eyes.

Turning around, Emily got a blanket from behind her and wrapped it around Paige's shoulders before rubbing briskly the other girl's arms to warm her up. She then took a towel and started drying Paige's hair but stopped when she saw her girlfriend smile at her, seemingly in awe.

"What?" Emily asked, smiling back at Paige breathlessly.

Paige shook her head. "Nothing. I just realized something." She whispered hoarsely.

"What?" Emily asked again, her brows furrowing in confusion.

Paige touched Emily's cheek reverently. "Have I told you how much I love you?" She asked huskily.

Emily broke into a dazzling smile. "Yes. But I will never get tired of hearing you say it." She answered quietly.

Paige gently pulled Emily closer. "Just like you'll never get tired of saying..."

"I love you too." Emily whispered as she closed her eyes and captured Paige's lips on hers.

Paige slowly sat in front of her parents' graves, placing a bouquet of red tulips on her mother's marker. She took a deep breath and smiled. "Hey dad. Hey mom. I know it's been a while but, I got great news this time. We got them. We finally got them. Last night. I wouldn't have done it if not for everyone's help. Especially Emily's." She looked at her father's marker. "You heard it right. I got her back dad. I found my one again and I have no intention whatsoever of screwing it up this time. I'm going to ask her to marry me again. Tonight." Paige revealed eagerly.

Oblivious to what Paige just said, Emily silently approached the other girl with a mischievous grin on her lips, poised to grab her girlfriend from behind when she heard Paige speak again. Deciding she didn't want to interrupt Paige while she talked to her parents, Emily stopped in her tracks and instead stood a few steps away from where her girlfriend sat.

Paige brought her knees to her chest and continued; completely unaware that Emily was standing right behind her. "You guys should've seen her last night in action. She was utterly amazing. You'd be so proud of her. I know I am." She said confidently. "She's grown so much. We both have. I didn't think the Emily I fell in love with when we were teens would turn into this breathtaking, remarkable woman who finally found the courage to completely surrender to me like I did to her. I am so lucky to have her in my life and I am always in complete awe of her. I guess you could say I'm falling in love with her all over again which seems impossible considering I never stopped." Paige said, the happiness evident in her voice.

Emily's pulse began to race the second she realized that Paige was talking about her and she found herself taking a step closer towards her girlfriend, curious to hear through Paige's words how the other girl saw her.

"We've been through so much both together and apart but I never once fell out of love with her. If anything, I realized I've fallen more in love with her. I know, I know it sounds cheesy but the love I have for her continues to grow everyday. I love every side of her that I got to see because she helped shape the person I am today." Paige said quietly, resting her chin on her knees as she let her mind be consumed with thoughts of the only girl she has loved all her life.

…She grew up thinking the world is an ugly place. Never thinking or seeing things as beautiful. But in that moment, she finally saw something wonderful. Emily took her breath away…

Paige smiled wistfully at the memory. "I was 14 when I literally fell for the caring girl who cradled my head on her lap and made me feel I was safe even when I was bleeding. Emily was the girl I fell in love with as a kid, even before I knew I had a crush on her." Paige began, recalling the moment Emily entered her life.

…She smiled at Dani widely before blurting out her news. "Emily's my girlfriend." She said, barely able to contain the happiness she felt saying those words out loud...

Paige took a deep breath. "I was 16 when she first agreed to be my girlfriend even if it meant being my secret. She deserved better because Emily was the unpretentious girl who accepted me for who I am and took a chance on me. She was the girl who gave me the courage to tell the world I'm gay." She continued, remembering the night she and Emily kissed by the latter's window seat after she came to her, confused and scared when she realized she can't lie to herself anymore.

…She watched as Emily grabbed a cup of green Jell-O and peeled the top off. "It's lime." Emily explained before producing a birthday candle and sticking it in the middle of the Jell-O. "I can't exactly light this in here so just pretend the wick is burning." She said before turning her attention back to Paige. "Go on; make a wish before the candle melts." Emily said, smiling at her tenderly…

"At 18 I knew with absolute certainty that she's my one. Emily was the sweet girl who laid down beside me that night at the hospital and with a simple gesture made me realize that I was ready to spend forever with her." Paige uttered humbly, smiling when she remembered Emily coming back inside her hospital room with an armload of food and a dazzling smile on her face.

Emily brought one hand to her mouth in an attempt to stifle her sobs. Paige's heartfelt confession was making her fall in love deeper than she thought possible and she ached to hold the other girl in her arms but she wanted to hear the story of their love through Paige's eyes so she continued to listen.

…Emily took another step closer to Paige until her foot was almost inside Paige's room. "Am I too late? Did I lose you forever? I want to know." Emily said, her voice hoarse. "That night you came to my house you chose me. Can you tell me if you can do it again? Choose me? Take me back? Can you please just take me back?" Emily asked, a sob escaping her lips. "Because I love you. So much. And I don't know how to stop. And I can't take it anymore. You said you came back for me. So I'm here. And you're here. And you said you came back..."

Paige felt her pulse race at the memory and she smiled. "When I thought I lost her forever, three weeks ago she knocked on my bedroom door. Emily was the honest woman who stood outside my room at the Hamptons barefoot and looking sexy as hell while she bared her heart and soul to me. She was the woman who made me realize that just when I thought I had nothing left to give, the immensity of the love I have for her will always be enough." She said, remembering the way she felt when she finally held Emily in her arms again after so many years.

…She took an unopened letter and held it up for Emily to see. "This is the reason why it will never work out with anyone else. I know without a doubt that we are meant to be. My future lies with you." She said solemnly…

…"The day you left I came here after I read your letter. I don't know what exactly made me think of doing it but I figured I would start counting the days until you came back to me." Emily looked at the water in front of them again. "As of today I have been waiting for 773 days for you to return to me." She said smiling wistfully…

Paige swallowed hard. "When I came back for her I didn't dare hope that she waited for me after all these years. When I stopped watching over her I forced myself to let her go. But she never did the same for me. Because Emily was the stubborn woman who wrote to me all those unsent letters and counted the days until I returned. She never lost faith in us even when I was gone. She was the woman who made me realize that no matter how bleak things seem, if you hold on tight enough, if you wait it out and weather the storm, things still work out." Paige continued, remembering the night Emily read to her the letters she wrote as they snuggled in the window seat.

…She wrapped her arm around Emily's waist, pulling the girl closer to her before she slowly opened her eyes, staring right into her girlfriend's mesmerizing brown orbs. They stayed that way for a few moments, just staring into each other's eyes, breaths mingling due to the proximity of their bodies. They finally grinned at the same time…

Paige stared at her hands. "I didn't realize just how much I missed Emily the entire time I was away until I opened my eyes the first morning that I woke up beside her on her bed. The breathtaking woman I woke up next to and the last person I see when I close my eyes every night for the past few weeks reminded me that there is heaven on earth and I am holding her in my arms." She sighed in contentment when she remembered waking up to Emily's kiss their first morning back in Rosewood.

…Turning around, Emily got a blanket from behind her and wrapped it around Paige's shoulders before rubbing briskly the other girl's arms to warm her up. She then took a towel and started drying Paige's hair but stopped when she saw her girlfriend smile at her, seemingly in awe…

"And last night, Emily was the fearless woman who sat in front of me in a rubber boat and found the time to lovingly dry my hair in the middle of the sea when we were seemingly lost and surrounded by the never-ending darkness. Her simple gesture reminded me that she's been my guiding light through all of this. She is and will always be, my one, true constant." Paige said solemnly, remembering the moment she realized she wanted to spend forever with Emily again.

Emily finally wiped the tears of happiness from her eyes and walked towards Paige, sitting down beside the girl before kissing her girlfriend soundly, trying to convey how she felt right now. "Thank you for loving me so much." She said breathlessly.

"How long have you been listening?" Paige asked as she studied her girlfriend's tear-stained cheeks, anxious to know if Emily heard her plan to propose tonight.

"Just long enough to know that I am so lucky to have you too. Why? Is there anything you didn't want me to hear?" Emily asked, looking at Paige curiously.

Paige shook her head, relieved. "No. Of course not. I wanted to tell you those things too." She said reassuringly.

Emily brushed a strand of hair away from Paige's eyes. "You didn't have to. I feel it whether we're together or not. But I have to admit it's nice to hear it once in a while." She said softly, kissing her girlfriend once again. "Ready to go?" She asked when they finally came up for air.

"Yeah. Just. I have one more thing to say." Paige said timidly.

"Okay. Do you want me to leave?" Emily asked, moving to stand up.

"No. I want you to hear it too." Paige said, holding Emily's hand to stop the girl from leaving. She looked at her parents' graves once again. "Thanks for forgiving me dad. Moments before we crashed. Thanks for understanding what I couldn't at the time. Once I got past the rage and the pain, once the darkness lifted, I realized what you did. And I understood. Mom didn't die on that crash like you did because you found the strength to move and protect her too. Like I did with Emily. I finally understood what you said about not feeling guilty for loving someone more than I love you guys because it's incomparable. The love I have for you is different from the love I have for Emily. Just like the love you have for me and mom. So you don't have to worry anymore. Wherever you guys are. Take good care of mom for me dad. Emily and I will take good care of each other. I promise I'll take really good care of her." She said, staring into Emily's eyes.

"Thanks for forgiving me, Em. It may be hard to understand but you've forgiven me. By accepting the love I have for you, you've forgiven me." Paige said humbly.

Emily kissed Paige on the cheek. "Thanks for letting me love you the way I do too." She whispered in her girlfriend's ear softly.

"P, it's not for good. I think. But Rosewood isn't my home anymore." Dani said reluctantly.

Paige sighed. "I know. I guess what I'm trying to say is, I'll miss you. A lot." She said. But what she really wanted to say was that she didn't want Dani to leave just when she got her best friend to finally start talking to her again.

Dani managed to give Paige a faint smile. "Me too. I kinda got used to spending time with you again after years of spending time apart." She admitted.

"Are you nervous?" Paige asked, noticing Dani's restlessness.

Dani shook her head. "More like excited. I can't wait to meet Caleb's mom and I can't wait to see my dad again after all these years. I just hope I don't disappoint him." She said, now suddenly getting nervous.

"Are you kidding? I think he's throwing a bloc party for you. Because of what we did your family gets to stop living in constant fear Dani. He's anything but disappointed in you. Trust me." Paige said reassuringly.

Dani finally threw her arms around Paige, hugging her best friend tightly. "Ugh. I'm so gonna miss you!" She exclaimed, realizing they're going to be fine after all.

Paige quickly recovered from her surprise at Dani's sudden display of affection and hugged her best friend back. "Thanks for everything. Not just for the whole finding out the truth stuff but for being the best friend I need. Promise me we won't lose touch again." Paige said quietly, glad that they were on their way to forging a new friendship.

Dani nodded before pulling away. "I promise. Once I get settled, you can come visit." She shifted her attention to the girl who kept silent the entire time she and Paige were talking. "You too Fields." Dani said, giving the girl a genuine smile.

"It's not necessary." Emily said timidly.

Dani rolled her eyes. "Come on. Tell me you're not willing to try being friends with me for this girl right here." She said, pointing to Paige. "I'm a pretty awesome friend. Just ask your girlfriend. And unlike before, I've come to accept my place in Paige's life." Dani admitted.

"The awesome best friend?" Emily asked hesitantly.

Dani shook her head. "The really awesome close friend. There's an opening in her life for a new best friend and I think you're perfect for the position." She said sincerely, giving Paige a wink. "But seriously Fields, thank you. For finally seeing Paige's worth and letting yourself fall completely for her. You made her start living again. I'm glad she'll never be alone anymore so I don't have to worry about her too much."

"Well thank you too." Emily said quietly.

Dani furrowed her brows. "For what?" She asked, confused.

"For playing a role in bringing us back together. I know how hard it is to give up Paige. I tried and I failed." Emily admitted, looking at her girlfriend.

"Well you two belong together and you know it. So I think despite trying to convince yourself that you're willing to let her go, in the end, your reluctance to just accept how things are made you fight for her." Dani explained. Though it still hurt a little, seeing them together, Spencer's words last night gave her hope. It does get better.

Paige finally decided to speak up, feeling her cheeks turning red. "Um, you guys, it's kinda uncomfortable listening to you two talk about me when I'm standing right here." She admitted timidly. The two girls must have found her discomfort endearing because she earned a kiss on the cheek from Emily and an eye roll from Dani. "So, Hanna's coming with you and Caleb?" She asked Dani, deciding to change the subject.

Dani nodded, looking at Hanna and Caleb who at the moment were both busy looking at the people passing in front of them. "Yeah. He wants to introduce her to my dad. She's kinda nervous about it actually. I told her if she introduces me to a girl I'd put in a good word for her." She said, smiling when she saw the two argue about something.

"Did it work?" Paige asked, looking at Caleb and Hanna.

"She's still looking." Dani admitted. "That's why they're probably arguing right now." She said as she nodded her head towards the couple, grinning when she saw Hanna point to a girl and then roll her eyes when Caleb shook his head. "She's really nervous about meeting my dad." Dani said, the laughter evident in her voice.

"What are you guys going to say to them? About this whole 'A' thing?" Emily asked, lowering her voice.

"Well we won't tell them about everything." Dani said reassuringly as she focused her attention back to Emily and Paige. "Just what they needed to know. That these people had a twisted sense of love and loyalty and it made them ruin lives because of it." She checked the time on her watch and sighed. "We have to get going. Our flight leaves in an hour." She said reluctantly. "Say goodbye to Aria and Spencer for me."

"Yeah. They said they're sorry they couldn't make it today." Emily said apologetically.

Dani waved her hand dismissively. "It's cool. Tell them they can come visit too if they have the time." She said, moving to give Emily a quick hug to the other girl's surprise.

"I will." Emily said, hugging Dani back. "I'm gonna go say goodbye to Hanna." She said, giving Paige's hand a light squeeze before heading towards her friend.

Paige watched Emily for a moment before turning her attention back to Dani, surprised when she saw the girl's knowing smile.

"You're going to ask her to marry you again aren't you?" Dani asked, genuinely happy for her friend.

Paige nodded, the thought suddenly making her palms sweat. "My face is like an open book to you." She said reluctantly.

Dani laughed. "Not really. I just saw you practicing earlier in the ladies' room." She revealed wryly. "Don't be so nervous. You know she's going to say yes."

Paige smiled. "Thanks for the pep talk." She said sincerely as she watched Caleb approach them. "All set?" She asked when he was within hearing distance.

"I don't know. Hanna's been a nervous wreck because someone told my girlfriend that the only way her dad is going to like Hanna is if she put in a good word." Caleb said, pointedly looking at Dani.

"I said it would help. I didn't say he won't approve entirely." Dani said, rolling her eyes in mock indignation.

Paige smiled. "Tell Hanna she has nothing to worry about. Mr. York is easy to please. He likes blueberry pancakes for breakfast so if Hanna cooks that for him, she's won him over." She said to Caleb reassuringly. "Ow!" She suddenly exclaimed when she felt Dani punch her on the arm. Hard. "What did you do that for?!" She asked, rubbing her arm and checking it for bruising.

"You really want me to die alone, don't you?!" Dani asked, trying to look incensed. "Geez Paige, thanks. At this rate I have no chance of meeting anyone." She said, pouting.

Paige laughed. "Take good care of Dani for me." She said to Caleb. "I have a feeling she's going to break someone's heart one of these days." She said before looking at Dani seriously. "You're an amazing catch Danielle York. You don't need Hanna's help to meet someone." Paige said sincerely.

Dani gave Paige a wry smile. "Thanks for the pep talk. You'll be the first to know when I meet someone." She promised.

"We better get going." Caleb said, checking his watch for the time. "You coming?" He asked Dani as he began to walk towards Hanna.

"Yeah. I'll be there in a sec." Dani said before turning her attention back to Paige. She hugged her friend one last time. "Make sure I'm invited to the wedding."

Paige nodded. "Call me when you get the chance." She said, hugging her friend tightly.

"You okay?" Emily asked her girlfriend quietly.

Paige nodded. "I just miss her already." She admitted as she and Emily walked hand in hand towards the parking lot.

Emily gave her girlfriend a quick kiss on the cheek before wrapping her arms around Paige's waist. "Well I know she misses you too. Don't worry. Your friendship will survive." She said comfortingly before she stopped when they finally reached her car.

Paige quickly opened the door to the passenger seat for Emily. "I'm the designated driver for today." She explained, refusing to let her girlfriend get the keys to her own car. "Until your bruises heal I will wait on you hand and foot." She said quietly as her eyes traveled to the gauze on Emily's neck and wrists.

"Paige, I'm fine. I can still drive." Emily said reassuringly.

"I know you can. I just don't want you getting tired." Paige admitted softly.

Emily leisurely wrapped her arms around Paige's neck before pulling her girlfriend close and bringing her lips to Paige's ear. "What if it's a good kind of getting tired?" She asked teasingly, nibbling her girlfriend's earlobe. She laughed when she felt Paige pull her closer.

"Well just as long as you promise to get lots of sleep afterwards, I don't mind you getting tired that way." Paige whispered as she caressed Emily's back lazily.

"I can do that." Emily said before pulling back to stare into Paige's eyes.

Paige took a deep breath, her eyes traveling to the gauze on Emily's neck once again. "You know, I kinda feel sorry for Luce and Thea actually. There's no excuse for what they did but this all started when Luce tried to help Thea by bringing their parents here in an attempt to stop what their father was doing to his own daughter. If they just told someone who could help instead of trying to do things their way, Luce wouldn't have met Jason, they wouldn't have fallen in love and Ali would still be alive." She said, stepping back to let Emily get inside the car.

Emily shook her head. "Or fate would have still found a way to bring us right here. Things happen for a reason, Paige. We may not understand it and refuse to accept it but we can't live our lives thinking about the what ifs. We'll have too many regrets if we do that." She said quietly.

Paige broke into a grin. "Did you just say fate? Since when do you believe in fate?" She asked, amused.

Emily touched Paige's cheek gently. "Since you took me in your arms and pulled me inside your room at the Hamptons. Because just like you said, it helped you find your way back to me." She admitted happily.

19C. 20C. 21C. Touchdown. Dani thought, grinning inwardly when she finally got to her seat. Across the aisle, just a few rows in front of her, she noticed that Hanna and Caleb found their seats as well. When her brother turned around to check on her, she gave him a thumbs-up. Though the three of them had to sit separately, they were lucky the flight still had available seats. It was a last minute sort of thing. Going home. But Dani had no problem sitting a few rows behind Caleb and Hanna by herself if it meant she got to see her dad tonight.

She settled on her seat and took out her iPod, looking forward to spending the entire flight getting some sleep. The past few weeks they've all been sleep deprived because of all the scheming, but that was about to change. She was about to select a playlist for the trip when a shadow fell over her.

"Sorry. I just need to get to my seat. 21B." Looking up, Dani was startled to see a girl about her age standing over her. The girl was sporting a pixie crop haircut that pronounced her cheekbones, her chestnut brown hair seemingly tousled by a light breeze. Dani stood up to let the other girl pass and immediately noticed that the girl was a little taller than her.

"Thanks." The girl said once Dani sat down next to her, rewarding Dani with a smile that revealed the girl's dimples.

"Uh. Yeah. No problem." Dani said hoarsely, her eyes meeting the hazel orbs of the other girl's.

"I'm Nice." The girl said, extending a hand for Dani to shake, her deep set eyes crinkling as she smiled warmly.

Dani tore her eyes off the girl's perfect features and stared at her outstretched hand. "Kinda full of yourself aren't you?" She asked, slightly put off by the other girl's lack of humility.

"What?" The girl asked, puzzled as she withdrew her hand.

"You're nice? What's next? You're gonna tell me you're hot?" Dani asked, the words escaping her lips before she understood what she just said. Great. As if she needed another ego boost.

The girl smiled teasingly. "So you think I'm hot?" She asked, extremely pleased.

Dani felt herself getting flustered. "What? No. I said you think you're hot." She said, hoping her cheeks weren't turning a deep shade of red.

"Because I said I'm nice." The girl clarified.

"Yes." Dani said emphatically.

The girl's laughter made Dani's pulse race. "Well because that's my nickname. My real name's Berenice." The girl explained when she finally stopped laughing.

Dani wanted to crawl under a rock and die of embarrassment. "Oh. So you're not just nice. Apparently you're Very Nice." She joked, trying to redeem herself. "I'm Danielle." She said, surprised she just used her first name to introduce herself.

The girl laughed again. "Great sense of humor. I like that. You can call me Erin if you want. Just so it doesn't confuse you." She said, extending her hand once again.

"Erin." Dani repeated as she shook the girl's hand, her skin tingling at the innocent contact.

Erin's eyes traveled to Dani's lips once the other girl uttered her name. "You are starting to make me regret flying home to have dinner with my mom and her boss just so I could meet her stepdaughter." Erin admitted.

"You're flying home for a blind date?" Dani asked, surprised. With her looks, Erin doesn't seem to need any help getting herself a date.

Erin shook her head. "I wouldn't call it a blind date exactly. It's just dinner to help my mom impress her boss. I was visiting my dad but I actually live with my mom so technically, I'm going home tonight. Just when I thought it already sucked that my visit was cut short because of it, now I have to endure dinner with a girl who's probably some rich, stuck-up snob while thinking of someone else entirely." Erin said, her eyes meeting Dani's.

"Well who knows? Maybe you two will end up hitting it off." Dani said, trying not to seem disappointed.

"I could try. But I really doubt I'll like her." Erin replied, still staring at Dani.

"Why's that?" Dani asked, inclining her head to the side.

Erin shook her head in disbelief. "You're adorable." She muttered under her breath before facing forward, not bothering to answer Dani's question.

Paige's hips rose to meet Emily's quick thrusts, her movements becoming erratic as her body screamed for release. Emily's wet core slid up and down Paige's rock-hard thigh and she ached to slide her fingers inside Emily but her girlfriend's other hand kept her arms locked above her head.

"I want to touch you." Paige whispered raggedly, begging Emily to release her grip on her arms.

"Not yet." Emily whispered in Paige's ear, doubling her efforts as her thrusts became faster, her thumb drawing circles on Paige's clit. She hungrily captured Paige's lips on hers, absorbing the other girl's moans.

The way Paige's body responds to her touch drove Emily mad with desire. Her heart was hammering and her pulse was racing madly. Her senses were heightened, her body fully aware of how it fit perfectly with the girl writhing beneath her. Tonight wasn't enough. This wasn't enough. She wanted early morning kisses everyday and endless hours of lovemaking every night. She wanted to be selfish. She wanted to belong. She wanted forever. Kissing Paige's sensitive spot, she bit her lower lip and placed her lips near her girlfriend's ear.

"Marry me..." Emily whispered passionately.

The moment those words left her lips, Emily's eyes flew open and she suddenly became aware that the girl underneath her stopped moving as well. She slowly pulled back and withdrew her fingers from inside Paige, feeling her cheeks turning red.

Paige tried to catch her breath as she gazed in amusement at the flushed girl lying on top of her. She missed Emily's fingers moving inside her and her entire body was still screaming for release but the words Emily just uttered brought their movements to a screeching halt.

"Did you just... propose to me during sex?" Paige asked, her breathing still ragged but the surprise evident in her voice.

Emily felt her cheeks turning beet red. She sat up and grabbed a part of the bed sheet, covering herself while running a hand through her hair. "I know. It just came out. I'm so sorry." She said apologetically.

Paige propped herself on her elbows and looked at the girl who was straddling her, giving Emily a small smile. "Well did you mean it?" She asked softly, her pulse beginning to race faster.

Emily tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and licked her lips. She swallowed hard and took a deep breath. This is so embarrassing but she didn't want to lie. She remembered what she was thinking moments before she uttered those words. Why she said those words. Gazing at the stunning girl beneath her, she realized she didn't utter those words in the heat of the moment. She really wanted forever with Paige. Emily tenderly brushed a strand of hair away from Paige's eyes and nodded her head.

The sight of the naked, blushing, raven-haired beauty sitting on top of her still fully aroused body convinced Paige that despite the torture her body was feeling of not being able to cum, she was experiencing heaven at the very moment. Paige smiled teasingly, her heart pounding wildly. "But you don't have a ring. My dad said you can't propose without one." She said breathlessly.

Emily felt herself getting even more embarrassed at her impromptu proposal and exhaled loudly. Maybe it was too soon. They did just get back together. "Fine. I take it back. I'm unproposing. Can we just continue where we left off?" She asked, running a hand through her hair.

"How do you suggest we do that?" Paige asked teasingly despite wanting to do just that. "It's kinda hard to continue where we left off when you say something like that."

"Fine. Let's just sleep then." Emily said, finally moving to sit beside Paige on the bed, exceedingly embarrassed.

Paige looked at Emily and smiled widely before reaching for something inside the drawer of her girlfriend's bedside table, quickly turning on the lamp.

"But... lucky for you, I happen to have one." Paige said before she wrapped a part of the sheet around herself as well and promptly kneeled on the floor on the side of the bed facing Emily, her action surprising the other girl. Paige watched as Emily's cheeks turned a brighter shade of red, her lips breaking into a dazzling smile when she realized what Paige was about to do. Paige finally admitted the truth. "I was planning on doing this later but, I think this moment is perfect."

Paige gently tucked a loose strand of hair behind Emily's ear before beginning. "This time, there's no sunset, no skywriter to ask you in some grand romantic gesture for all of Rosewood to see. This time, it's just you and me, in all of our stark nakedness, in this dimly lit room where I first opened up myself to you and you accepted me for who I am. Emily Fields, I can't promise you that everyday between us will always be perfect. I can't promise that we won't fight, we won't cry, or that we won't get frustrated at each other. But I can promise you that even through all of that you will be loved. You will always feel that you are loved. Because you are the only thing I am certain of in this world."

"I'm your constant." Emily whispered hoarsely as she smiled through her tears, her heart beating wildly.

"You're my constant." Paige affirmed reverently as she brushed her girlfriend's tears away. Emily let Paige put the ring on her finger. "I have loved you since forever. Even when we're not together I loved you. You saved me from the darkness that threatened to consume me and became my guiding light. My home. You chose to hold on when I tried to let go and never lost faith in us. So I'm asking you again to let me spend the rest of my life with you. My breathtakingly beautiful Emily Fields, will you marry me?" Paige asked humbly.

Emily nodded her head wordlessly as she felt her throat constrict. She hugged Paige tightly and finally found her voice. "Yes. I'll marry you." Emily said through her tears. "It took me a while to realize it but you're my constant too. Paige McCullers, I am so irrevocably in love with you." She whispered breathlessly.

Once Emily pulled away, Paige excitedly climbed back into bed, tenderly cupping Emily's cheek before kissing her passionately. Touching their foreheads together, Paige broke into a wide smile as she gazed at a grinning Emily and felt a happiness she thought she would never feel again. "Now we can continue where we left off." She whispered huskily before eagerly capturing Emily's lips on hers again, the familiar feeling at the pit of her stomach returning as she brought herself on top of Emily.

"Told you she'd say yes." Dani said into the phone as she sat on the porch swing of her dad's house. "Congratulations P." She said sincerely.

"Thanks. You're the first person I really wanted to tell." Paige's elated voice on the other end of the line made Dani smile. "Though my proposal didn't go exactly as planned." She admitted sheepishly.

"Why's that?" Dani asked as she stole a quick look at the front door.

"Well Emily proposed in the heat of the moment then she un-proposed. Then I realized the moment's perfect, so I proposed right there and then." Paige explained hastily.

Dani felt her jaw drop. "So what you're saying is you proposed to your girlfriend stark naked?" She asked before laughing so hard, she almost dropped the phone.

"It's not funny! Stop laughing!" Paige chastised Dani mock indignantly. "I had a sheet wrapped around me if it helps." She said, trying to redeem herself but it only made Dani laugh harder.

Dani wiped the tears from her eyes. "I'm so sorry." She said in between intakes of breath. "It's just that, how did you go from candlelight dinner and a trail of rose petals at the bluff to proposing to her in the nude?" Dani asked incredulously.

"Well it seemed romantic at the time." Paige said defensively.

Dani smiled. "It is." She admitted. "It's better actually. Kinda symbolic. For the two of you and your relationship. It may not be some grand romantic gesture but knowing you, I think you still found a way to make the moment memorable." Dani said, suddenly becoming serious. "I'm so happy for you Paige."

"Thanks." Paige said. "But enough about me. How's the flight?" She asked.

Dani shrugged. "Okay. I sat beside this girl." She said casually.

"And?" Paige asked expectantly.

"And nothing." Dani said, feeling her face flush when she remembered Erin's dimpled smile.

"Doesn't sound like nothing. Spill." Paige ordered when she heard the catch in Dani's voice.

Dani rolled her eyes. "We didn't exactly hit it off. I was a little standoffish. Her name's Nice." She said, stealing a quick look at the front door once again.

"Really? What is it?" Paige asked eagerly.

Dani chuckled. "No. That's her name. Nice." She said, amused that Paige misunderstood the name like she did.

"Oh. Got it." Paige said, waiting for Dani to continue.

"Yeah, well, that's the problem. I didn't at first. So I made this comment about her being full of herself 'cause she said 'I'm nice.' Then I said something like, 'What, you think you're hot too?' and she corrected me and said her nickname is Nice. Her real name is Berenice." Dani said, rushing to explain what happened.

"Oh so she's not just nice. She's Very Nice." Paige said, chuckling.

Dani laughed, amused that she and Paige still think the same way. "I know! That's what I said too! But then she told me to call her Erin so I did and then she had this weird look in her eyes." She said, her heart skipping a beat when she remembered Erin's gaze.

"Weird how?" Paige asked.

"I don't know. I'll tell you once I figured it out." Dani promised.

"So… you think she's hot huh?" Paige asked teasingly.

Dani groaned. She knew Paige was going to bring that up. "No." She said, her answer sounding a little defensive than she intended it to be.

Paige laughed. "Well can you describe her to me?" She asked.

Dani heard the front door open and close and instantly felt her pulse race even before she looked up. "Uh, P, I gotta go." She said faintly.

"Oh come on! Just describe her to me in one word." Paige begged.

Dani swallowed hard. "Unexpected." She said quietly as she moved to the side to make room for the person who just joined her.

"What? That's not a word to describe someone!" Paige protested.

"Yes it is." Dani insisted. "Listen, I'll call you again tomorrow." She promised.

Paige sighed. "Fine. But don't think you're getting out of this one. I want to hear more about this Erin girl. Get some rest. Goodnight." She said lightly.

"Goodnight." Dani said, ending the call.

"I take back what I said earlier." Erin said once Dani faced her.

"Which part? About you having to endure dinner with me or about me being a rich, stuck-up snob?" Dani asked, feigning hurt, surprised she was able to form a coherent thought despite how close Erin sat next to her.

Erin smiled, giving Dani a chance to see her dimples once again. "Well, that and the part where I said I doubt I'll like the stepdaughter. And for the record, I said probably." Erin said, laughing lightly as she placed her hands inside the pockets of her leather jacket. "I am willing to make it up to you if you'll let me." She offered as she moved closer to Dani.

Dani swore she just heard herself gulp. "Why's that?" She asked, extremely aware of the other girl's proximity. Erin smelled of green apples and it was quickly becoming her favorite scent. Dani felt herself getting flustered when she noticed that Erin was looking at her in that weird way again.

"You're so adorable." Erin sighed before leaning forward and kissing Dani softly on the lips. "I've wanted to do that since you called me Erin." She admitted before meeting Dani's eyes. "And those blue eyes of yours are going to be the death of me." Erin said, shaking her head.

So that's what that look meant. "Erin." Dani uttered as her eyes flew to the other girl's lips, her heart beating fast. It took her by surprise the first time and she wanted to feel the other girl's lips on hers once again.

Erin smiled and slowly leaned forward, giving Dani a chaste kiss. "Now kiss me back Danielle." She said softly as her lips hovered mere inches away from the other girl's. "Kiss me back or I might start to think you don't like it." Erin whispered, so Dani did.

"This view is definitely worth getting up earlier than usual." Emily admitted, her eyes never leaving the horizon as she and Paige watched the first rays of the sun touch the sea. Leaning back, she let her body relax against Paige's as her fiancée leaned her back on the side of Emily's car.

"I wanted to see my first sunrise here with you. I feel like it's a new beginning for us." Paige whispered, taking a deep breath as she wrapped her arms around Emily's waist, pulling her fiancée closer.

"This is definitely our new spot." Emily said, finally taking her eyes off the horizon and slightly turning her body to look at Paige.

Paige smiled and gently ran her hand through Emily's silky hair, her other hand finding her fiancée's like it was drawn to its mate. "Hey. I almost forgot." Paige said when she felt the ring on Emily's finger.

"About what?" Emily asked, stepping back a little to completely face Paige.

"The date you had engraved on this ring. You said you'd tell me someday what it meant." Paige said as she took her eyes off Emily and stared at the ring on her fiancée's hand.

"Oh. The explanation's really simple. It's the date of our first picnic." Emily revealed.

Paige looked up at Emily in confusion. "You engraved on your engagement ring the day you decided we should just be friends?" She asked, baffled.

Emily shook her head, smiling faintly. "No. I engraved on my ring the date I realized just how much I liked you. We saw things differently that day Paige. You may not believe this but… for you it was the day I pulled away; for me, it was the day I fell for you. Remember what we were doing that day?" She asked, inclining her head to the side.

"Lying on a picnic blanket listening to music." Paige answered. Of course she remembered everything about that day.

"Yeah. And I asked you to come with me to see the band's concert next month. We only had our first date the previous night and I was already making plans to go on a date with you the next month. That's how much I liked you." Emily admitted, her heart racing when she remembered how she felt lying next to Paige that day. How she couldn't take her eyes off Paige when she saw how happy and relaxed the other girl seemed and how she felt when she realized that she was the reason for Paige's happiness.

Paige smiled in disbelief. "I didn't know you felt that strongly about me back then. It was pretty easy for you to decide you can't be more than friends with me when I said I didn't want to risk being seen with you. So I thought even if you did like me, it wasn't that big of a deal." She admitted.

"I didn't either." Emily said quietly. "But, there was this one day, while you were away and I came by to visit your parents' graves, when I remembered that day and I realized that was the moment I fell for you. That's why it hurt when you said you didn't want to be seen with me. Because you already meant so much to me." She said, taking a deep breath before continuing. "I'm a little slow until recently when it came to my feelings for you but I realized now that ever since that day I've been falling for you. I just didn't want to admit it to myself."

"Because you thought I wouldn't catch you." Paige said hoarsely. "I'm so sorry I ever made you feel that way."

Emily shook her head. "No. I knew you'd catch me. I knew if I was patient enough you'd find the courage to come out for me eventually. I just, I wasn't ready to fall completely." She admitted.

"But now you've surrendered to us." Paige said, cupping Emily's cheek. "We have grown haven't we?" She said, smiling at her realization.

Emily nodded. "Yeah. We grew up separately and together. But now we're moving forward together." She said, returning Paige's smile.

"I like the sound of that." Paige said as she stroked Emily's cheek tenderly.

Emily took a deep breath and sighed. "I need to get to campus. I have early swim practice." She said reluctantly.

"I'll come with you." Paige offered quickly, wanting nothing more than to spend the entire day with Emily.

Emily grinned. "I'd like that. You owe me a lot of walks too." She said as she offered her hand for Paige to take.

"Then I guess it's a good thing that I'm going back to college next semester." Paige said, taking Emily's outstretched hand.

"You're serious?" Emily asked eagerly.

Paige nodded. "Yeah. I did promise my dad I'll focus on my studies again once I found the people responsible for their deaths. But it's next semester so for now I'm thinking of auditing some classes." She admitted.

"So you'll be in school all day with me?" Emily asked, grinning.

"Yeah. I'll walk you to all of your classes starting today. Is that okay?" Paige asked hesitantly.

"Okay? It's perfect! I'm not complaining." Emily exclaimed giddily.

Paige laughed. "Good." She said as she and Emily made their way towards the driver's side of her car.

Opening the door for her fiancée, Paige waited for Emily to get in and was pleasantly surprised when Emily turned to face her instead; Emily slowly wrapped her arms around her fiancée's neck and Paige instinctively wrapped her arms around Emily's waist. They stared into each others' eyes until Emily's lips broke into a soft smile.

"I love you, Paige McCullers." Emily whispered softly.

Paige pulled her closer. "I love you too, Emily Fields." She said fervently.

"Always have?" Emily asked breathlessly, her eyes traveling to Paige's lips.

"Always will." Paige answered solemnly before kissing Emily with all the love in her heart.