A/N: This idea came to me when my friend and I were watching A conspiracy videos and she said, "What if Aria and Ezra were on the A team together?" We concocted this whole revelation scene that involved dramatic black hoodies and whispering names, so I have you to thank for this über-long one-shot, Romione4Life.

If you're reading my other story "Scandalous," I'll be updating that Wednesday, tomorrow at the earliest. I know, I know, so many of you are probably wondering why I'm not writing that when I left it on a somewhat cliffhanger, but I promise it'll be good!

P.S. This is a crAzy idea, but what of PLL isn't?

unmAsked

By Lady Elena Dawson

Disclaimer: I do not own Pretty Little Liars.

The night was like any other. We were just curled up on the couch, watching a movie, no words exchanged. The comfort level had always been there, but tonight I was surprised Aria was so willing to cuddle up next to me with the whole Maggie situation throwing us off. I could tell she was struggling, but I didn't say anything. Inside, I knew I should.

She took a deep breath and let it out in a long, drawn-out sigh. For some reason, she felt like she had to make up for something, and she said we could watch Chinatown—even though she could never stay awake during the whole movie to save her life.

"You hungry?" I mumbled as she pulled away from me, closing her eyes and stretching her arms above her head, reminding me of a cat.

"Yes," she grumbled lazily, falling back on the couch and rubbing her head. "How long was I out?"

I barked out a laugh. "Ten minutes."

Aria shrugged her shoulders and sent me a small smile, only one corner of her mouth turning up. "It's a new record."

God, I missed days like this when I didn't have to worry about anything but Aria. Lately our movie nights had been tense, but now they were slowly becoming more peaceful again. Fumbling to get off the couch, Aria managed to push herself up, joints cracking, and I watched her stride the room to my desk.

Suddenly, my muscles tensed up. For a moment I didn't know why I was so scared, but then I remembered: I had left my newest A mission opened on my laptop. If she bumped it, I was a dead man; that was how she figured out about Jackie.

"Why can I never find your menus?" she snickered as she flipped through my papers. I silently prayed that I didn't leave anything in there, too.

"Here, let me find it," I murmured, passing off my discomfort as lethargy.

As I sighed and flicked through the pile of letters, printed emails, and bills, I noticed Aria staring at me with her round hazel eyes squinting at me.

"What?" I asked her innocently.

She blinked quickly and shook her head, a blush spreading across her cheeks. "Nothing," she said. "I just...miss you."

I felt my heart pump a little faster, and I grinned boyishly. "I'm right here," I replied reassuringly, the Chinese takeout menu now in my hands.

"I know," Aria whispered while I unfolded it. "Sometimes I just feel like things are different…like they'll never be the same."

The smile I had on my face faltered, and she had her eyes trained on the balcony windows. I wanted to pretend like I didn't notice her eyes were watering—the international symbol for upcoming tears—but I couldn't. We'd known each other too long for me to ignore things and pretend like I didn't know the signs. As a single teardrop slid down her cheek, I wiped it away with my calloused thumb.

"Hey, I'm right here," I repeated, pulling her into a needed hug. "And I'm not going anywhere." When a whimper escaped her lips and her tears started to wet my shirt, I added, "We're going to be okay."

I let her cry in my arms for a while before pushing her away, never letting go of her arms. She looked so fragile, like a porcelain doll that's been played with and almost dropped. I wished I could tell her what I knew, but that would mean risking her safety. "I know what will make you feel better…," I said as she wiped her tainted cheeks with her sleeve. "I'll let you pet my lime. It's so furry, you could mistaken it for a baby squirrel."

A warmth I could never place spread throughout my veins as she started to laugh. It was a sound I was so familiar with; when we first met, I had gotten her to smile in under a minute. It was nice to see her happy again, even when I knew that A's wrath wasn't over yet.

"I'm going to order the food and pick it up," I explained as she crossed her arms at her chest. "I'll be back in a few."

It'd been so long since we'd kissed—that is, it felt that way. I'd been gone for a bit to see Malcolm, and when I came back I didn't realize there would be a sense of awkwardness. For me, it was a relief to see her standing at my doorway—until I remembered the new circumstances. Things were changing, I knew that, but I didn't want them to. The arm holding her cell phone to her ear fell to her side and I clenched my jaw because I knew I was going to be chewed out.

I was so lost in reverie, I forgot that I was just staring into her eyes without a sound or explanation. She put a warm hand to my cheek, and I thought my heart had stopped beating. Her touch always made me forget everything else that was happening in the world. It was sad to admit that I barely felt the sweet, soft kiss she left on my lips because I was now too overcome with guilt.

Picking up my jacket and keys, I turned around at the door and smiled weakly at her. She grinned back broadly, innocently, before plopping on the couch to wait. Starting my car, I realized we didn't need words to say good-bye because we'd known each other for so long.

That's what would make the truth hurt so much more.

…

With Ezra out of the apartment, Aria counted down the minutes until he'd be home. She liked the sound of that: home. It was more of a home to her than her own bedroom back in the suburbs of Rosewood. She knew every nook and cranny, what each drawer contained, and how the books were organized on his shelves. And the last thing she wanted was to enjoy her few minutes alone watching Chinatown for the umpteenth time.

Sighing, she picked herself up off the couch and strolled to his desk. There was a frame holding a photo right next to his laptop, and she couldn't help but smile and snort at their first picture as a couple. It was the polar opposite of the one she had on her nightstand: While her and Ezra's faces were clearly visible in her photo, the one Ezra chose to adorn his house with was the one with paper bags over their heads. How charming.

She let her finger graze the wood of his desk, remembering the countless times he'd spent sitting there, his fingers typing over the keys as he wrote some brilliant story. She might as well check her email, she thought, the same finger scrolling over the pad. That's when she saw it.

There were dozens of pictures lined up on Ezra's screen. Aria's eyebrows scrunched together in a quandary, and she pulled her chair aside with shaky fingers so she could sit down and gaze through.

None of them made any sense. In fact, the countless pictures of her, her friends, even Jenna, made Ezra look like a part of the disgusting N.A.T. Club; they just looked like pictures a Peeping Tom would take. With a trembling finger, she opened up his other tabs.

The plan is set. Take action on Thursday, 12pm. –A

Aria jumped away from the laptop like she had been burned. Her throat was dry yet her eyes were watering over, and she hastily collected her things as her whole body trembled with her newfound knowledge.

Her sweet, rumpled, charming Ezra was on the A team. Game over.

…

When I returned home to an empty apartment, I immediately knew something was wrong. My heart was lodged in my throat as I set the bag of food aside on the counter, apprehension coursing through my every vein.

She saw it. I know she did.

Pulling out my phone, I typed in the first person I had on speed dial—Aria—and closed my eyes, telling myself that she'll pick up, have a screaming match, and then hang up in a rage. But as long as she picked up… I just wanted to hear her voice and reassure her that everything I'd done was to protect us…

Voicemail. I swore under my breath, waited a few minutes, and tried again. I attempted to reach her all night, even calling Spencer to see if Aria had run into the arms of one of her friends. But even Spencer said Aria wasn't picking up her calls. Eventually I just gave up, cursing the day I accepted to be a part of this twisted game at all.

…

No, this wasn't happening.

It was a horrible idea to drive in Aria's state, and though it was freezing out, there was nothing left of her to numb. She felt as though her entire soul was shriveling up and her lungs had been caught in a black hole. Through her dizzy, warped vision, she started to walk faster.

Her walk became a sprint, then a run. Eventually she found herself next to the Hollis parking lot, trying to take a breath. She wished so badly for it all to halt, because at least it would stop her heart from shattering more than it already had. Finally, she understood Spencer, and how a stupid guy could really make a girl's life miserable-some romantic, smart, older, sweet guy.

Aria realized she was choking on her tears and sounded absolutely pathetic. Rubbing her hands together, she also noticed that she couldn't feel her fingers. There were still some lights on in Hollis, and she wandered inside.

How could Ezra be A? It made absolutely no yet complete sense. If Toby's intentions were good, were Ezra's? What did he even have to do with Alison? I trusted him, I loved him... I watched the other girls go through different guys (or girls, in Emily's case) and they had boringly watched me pine after the same one since this whole mess started. How pathetic was I?

Deep inside, Aria knew that something had been nudging at her heart. She had been so distracted by that boyish smile, those electric kisses, and those calming evenings alone without a care in the world that she never listened to what her mind was trying to say: He's not telling you to truth. So maybe Aria hadn't told him about the first A or Jenna for a while, but had he ever told her his deepest, darkest secrets? She had to find them out by herself or through others.

But this was much, much worse than an ex-fiancé and an impregnated ex-girlfriend. This was more horrible than cutting off the family name and keeping it a secret. Ezra was A: a person whose intentions sometimes made it seem like they were trying to shut her and her friends up for good.

Unconsciously she had found herself in front of her father's door. She was shaking so horribly, she didn't notice that her phone was vibrating in her pocket at first. When she looked at the caller ID, it was Spencer. Ezra had probably called her asking if she knew anything, and after Aria hit decline, stabbing the screen with her thumb, there were three missed calls from Ezra. Typical of him to worry of her when she went missing. Or was that just part of the act?

Suddenly, her newfound knowledge digested in her head and she felt like she'd just woken up from brain surgery: Ezra had been hurting her for months. There was a bodiless heaviness that weighed down on her shoulders, and a feeling like no other she'd ever felt-not when Ezra almost left for Louisiana, not when he almost permanently left Rosewood after her dad got him fired-swarmed her. It was followed by the same burning that accompanied uncontrollable tears, and she weakly knocked on the office door.

Byron opened it curiously, but he was immediately alarmed when he saw his daughter's contorted face. "Daddy," she sobbed, and soon she was crying so hard she couldn't even speak as she fell into his comforting arms. Sometimes, Byron questioned what Aria saw in Ezra, especially when he'd broken her heart so many times. When would it finally be enough?

...

Thursday came without a word from Aria. It was approaching noon, and I'd changed into the usual A getup, the black hood pulled up over my head. I was doing some last minute organizing on my laptop, waiting for Mona to arrive so we could start planning. We both realized that what Red Coat wanted was a lot different than what Mona wanted: Mona wanted a sense of power and high knowledge, that's all; Red Coat wanted pure, deathly revenge for reasons unexplained. And people were ending up dead because of that.

Shuddering, my computer was almost done loading when I heard the door open. "You're early," I said simply. Sometimes I hated Mona for doing this to innocent teenage girls, but whatever it took to keep Aria safe—from her life to her reputation.

"I know."

The voice was familiar, but it definitely wasn't Mona's. This one sounded weak, broken. Turning around, there was Aria hidden under a black hoodie, tears dotting her eyes. It looked like she'd been crying since Sunday, the day she must have figured it all out.

"You think I would never find out?" she croaked. I hung my head down like a scolded puppy, again silently swearing to myself.

"How did you know?" I found myself asking, though I had a pretty good idea already.

Aria took a reluctant step forward, but then stepped back again, shaking her head. "I saw what was on your laptop," she explained.

"Aria, I can explain—"

"No!" she shouted rather loudly. Lowering her voice, she murmured, "Don't explain. I looked through your files. This whole time we've known each other has been a lie. You talked to me at that bar with some sick goal in your head." Her voice cracked, and her mouth began to quiver. She couldn't look at my face at all. "I gave you everything…and this whole time you were using it against me."

The palms of my hands were sweating anxiously in my hoodie pockets. "I never told Mona anything. She figured it out all on her own. And I never took any of those pictures. I was more of Mona's helper than anything else."

Then the unexpected happened. Aria threw her head back and started laughing, despite the fact she looked like a deranged clown with her black makeup smearing under her eyes. "I trusted you!" she spat. "And I was so naïve, thinking that you were the only guy I would ever be with on this planet until the day I died. We made plans, Ezra." Finally I saw her broken eyes and had to look away for my heart's sake. "When I finished high school. Were you even going to hold on to those promises?" She sniffled and rubbed her nose; I was speechless.

"A year and a half together…and it was all a lie."

Silence. "J-just let me tell you the story, Aria," I spoke up when I finally found the words. "Please sit down and listen. Please."

Her heartbroken, twisted face told me she was going to turn around and sprint away. But instead she looked down at the floor and nodded, mumbling, "Okay... I'll listen," before sitting herself down on the couch, my heart skipping a beat as she did so. Maybe I could win her back.

…

"I met Alison at Hollis when she was visiting your dad. I knew who you were years before we met. When I started college, your dad was my favorite professor. Sometimes I would see her walking out of his office. One day I was going to ask your dad a question about a grade I received, and I ran into Alison. She was quite the flirt for someone so young. Then you came storming out of your dad's office in tears, and I remembered that Mr. Montgomery had a daughter with pink hair; he always complained about it to the class. You didn't even look at me. You just pulled Alison away, and that was the last time I saw either of you.

"When I was at that bar more than a year ago, I wasn't a part of anything. I was just the average college graduate with their first job. But I recognized you when you sat next to me. Not at first, but then we started talking. And I thought you were this amazing girl who I only knew small stories about, and I didn't want to scare you off by saying I already knew you. And I'm sorry you didn't know until now.

"After Alison's funeral, the threats started. Some anonymous person kept texting me that they knew about us and that they would tell. I ignored them at first, and nothing happened. Then Noel happened and I got a text that started threatening your life, so I texted back asking who it was. They didn't answer my question, but they did say I could do one thing to keep you safe.

"For a while, I only knew A as a person in a black hoodie giving me simple orders to plant a trophy in the prop bin through texts. But then I saw A's lair and realized that this wasn't some stupid prank someone was trying to pull. There were pictures of you four and Alison everywhere. I was even in some of them...and Mona revealed herself as A.

"At first, I didn't know what I was getting myself into. She was one of my students, and she was threatening you and your friends. She started crying and saying that she didn't mean for things to go so far, but she couldn't stop. Someone who hated Alison more than she did learned of what she was doing and took control.

"Neither of us knew who that person was. We only knew her by a mask and a red coat. Mona and I became good friends. I was the one who convinced her to go to therapy and talk to Dr. Sullivan. I thought maybe it would help her stop. She was so obsessed with the feeling of power...and whenever it was just me, I would look for ways to help you. Mona had a soft side for me, and because of that I talked her out of doing anything to harm you. I really did try to help everyone in the situation, but there were times when she was angry and threatened you. The way she talked about you sometimes... I wanted to punch her. But I couldn't do anything without risking something bad happening to you.

"Mona didn't recruit Toby. I did. I told him that by being a part of the team, he could keep Spencer safe. You were safe, too, for a while... But then Halloween happened.

"I wasn't ghostwriting. I was with Mona, and she said that two people were planning to throw you off the train. There was an earlier plan—something about locking the four of you up in the last car and cutting it off from the rest of the train—but I had refused to put you guys in real danger. She tried to convince me that it would only shake you up, but I knew that that wasn't true, and that she wanted to hurt you. So she changed the game on me, and turned against you.

"I contacted Toby and explained to him the situation, and he said that he thought we were sticking to the other plan. He saw someone carry you away, but he thought he was taking you to the last shuttle. We were going to prevent anything bad from happening to you girls that night.

"I was in a panic. Toby called and said they couldn't find you anywhere. And then they did, and Toby told me that you were sobbing and screaming...and that Garrett was dead right next to you. I wasn't lying when I said I drove along the tracks to find you. I was so relieved that you were all right, and the guilt...

"I love you, Aria. Everything I've done has purely been because of you."

…

"You hurt me and my friends," she stated.

"No, I didn't," I replied. "Never directly."

"But you still lied to me. And you put all of us in danger. Just because you weren't physically a part, you still went along with it."

"I know… I know. I can't deny that."

Pause. "Not telling me about Jackie was a lie. Not telling me about Maggie was a lie. But this…this isn't a part of the past you're trying to forget, Ezra! God!" She laughed weakly. "What is this?"

"This is me," I whispered, taking her clammy hands in mine. When she didn't pull away, I knew that was a good sign, "protecting you. By working with A, I've stopped bad things from happening to you and your friends. I'm protecting you from the law and this twisted person, Aria." Her glistening hazel eyes bore into my blue ones, and I could see the trust rebuilding in them. "I'm not the bad guy here."

"Then who is?" she asked, and she unconsciously rubbed her thumbs across the backs of my hands. "Do you know who Red Coat is?" In her eyes I could practically read, I want to believe you, Ezra. But you need to prove to me that I can, even if it takes months or years...I still love you more than I want to admit.

I love you, too, I added internally. So, so much.

I shook my head sadly. "No one does, not even Mona. And I don't think I want to know."

"Why wouldn't you want to know?" Her expression was that of bewilderment. "Don't you want to know who's been doing this to me? T-to us?"

Opening my mouth to answer, I got sidetracked by another thought. "Wait, what's with the black getup?"

Aria glanced down at her black hoodie. "Mona thinks I'm here working for the A team." She winked deviously. "She'd be here, but she came up with some excuse not to be. She probably wouldn't like the romance...or the screaming."

The tension dissipated as we shared the laughter. Licking my cracked lips, I let the guilt not eat me on the inside. "Are we good?"

Aria tilted her head and squinted her round eyes as though she was examining me, then placed a quick peck on my cheek. "We're more than good," she whispered. "Look at us, we're both practically devils! Honestly, I thought Spencer would pick up the pace and join with Toby… But I think we're just perfect. Partners in crime, don't you think so?"

At that moment, I was in awe at the amazing woman in front of me. For someone who could be so stubborn, cold, and irrational, she was able to forgive me. Maybe it still hurt inside, but I would never do anything to hurt her intentionally.

She noticed my staring and her expression fell. "What?"

I managed to pry my eyes away and watch as I played with her fingers. "I'm just wondering how I got so lucky."

"Really?" she asked, surprised. I looked up in slight confusion. "Because I was thinking the exact same thing."

Taking my face in her hands unexpectedly, she kissed me with so much passion, I was nearly thrown back in my seat. Eventually I unfroze from my shock, closed my eyes, and savored it, moving my hands down her arms and to the small of her back. It was the longest kiss we'd shared in a while; she only pulled away when we had no air left.

"Move to New York with me."

"W-what?" She pulled back a little, but her hands still held my face. I moved my own hands to cover hers.

"I think you heard me correctly. No other statement could get a reaction like that out of you. Your eyes are nearly popping out of your head!"

She laughed and sat back down across from me. "I meant it as in… I thought we were waiting for me to graduate."

"Who needs an education when you can leave everything to the wind and have an even better life?" Our fingers entwined, and her face still held the same crazed expression. "I'm surprised we're still living in this town, it's so insane. We can escape all of that now. I believe I attended your eighteenth birthday party last month." She nodded her head vigorously, still dumbfounded. "You can do whatever you want. So…come to New York with me."

Her face was unreadable, but then she softened. Scooting herself further off her seat so she could wrap her arms around my neck, she kissed me briefly before whispering in my ear, "As long as I'm with you… There's nothing to be afraid of anymore."

…

The sun was just rising, turning the dark sky a light blue swirled with hues of orange, pink, and yellow. Aria was slumped in the passenger seat next to me, her feet propped up on the chair and her knees pulled to her chest. Despite the earliness of the day, her eyes were as wide and awake as a sleepless young child. Her face glowed and sparkled even more when we passed the sign that declared we were officially leaving Rosewood.

In the back were the few possessions we packed with us, one of the pockets containing the cell phone that Aria used to send quick, simple messages to her friends and family explaining her whereabouts.

Aria expressed her reluctance very well at first. "What about Maggie?" she had asked. "And Malcolm? And my education? Am I even finishing school? How can I go to college when I haven't finished school?"

"Breathe!" I had chuckled, and she let out a pent-up sigh. "We'll figure it out all." With that, she stuffed her clothes into a bag and didn't look back.

"My parents are going to go insane once they know I'm leaving without finishing school," she said from the seat, and I can hear the amusement in her voice.

"I don't know what's more unfortunate: Their daughter not finishing school in picturesque Rosewood or their daughter running away with some low-life teacher." There it was: a snort. "It's a good thing you're beautiful, because underneath all that you're a mess."

"We're crazy, you know that?" she proclaimed while taking my hand.

I looked away at the road long enough to see the smile I fell in love with so many months ago adorning her vibrant features. "Yeah," I agreed, squeezing her hand. "We're just plain crazy."

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