Always Waiting

Emily Fields

Two hours later:

Emily watched the waters of the lake with troubled eyes. The water was calm, hardly any ripples on its surface. Though there was a light breeze in the air, it wasn't effecting the the water's calm.

Emily ran a hand through her hair, angry at herself for what she'd allowed happen. She turned around and sat herself down on one of the benches.

She could picture, in her mind's eye, Paige here, watching the water or sitting here like she was now. Emily felt her emotions beginning to overwhelm her and she fought the urge to breakdown.

Dimly, she remembered a moment, years ago, when she and Paige had barely known each other. It was the night of the masquerade ball when Paige had said a statement to her.

It had seemed like a simple statement at the time, but Emily hadn't appreciated the underlying impact it had. And she couldn't understand the significance of its meaning.

But she did now. That statement, said with the innocence of youth, held so much more meaning to her now. She remembered it clearly, the surroundings, the way Paige's voice had sounded as she'd said it.

I wish I'd fought harder for you.

It held so much more meaning to her now because at last, she realized that statement was true to her. She'd failed Paige in a very real way. Anguishly, Emily whispered into the air. "I wish I'd fought harder for you, Paige."

Emily finally gave in to the emotions that were threatening to overwhelm her, sobs shaking her body as she realized that Paige was completely lost to her now.

Behind where Emily sat, just where the dock and the ground met, Spencer Hastings stood, her eyes on her friend. She knew things weren't easy for Emily, but in a way, Spencer figured this was karma.

The last twenty four hours hadn't been easy for Emily, Spencer knew. This time yesterday, Emily had made her mind up to staying in Rosewood to make sure Alison would be alright. Her brother trying to kill her was a traumatic event and she was definitely feeling the aftereffects of it.

But Spencer knew Emily. Better than most and Spencer knew where Emily's heart truly lied. She just wanted Emily to accept it. So she had drawn Emily into a conversation the morning before.

Emily had told Spencer about what Paige had told her. About Paige staying here, waiting to see if Emily would choose her over Alison for once. Hearing it, how things had gone between them had lit a fire in Spencer.

She didn't know why, but she needed Emily and Paige to have their happy ending. No, that wasn't true. She knew why. Jason DiLaurentis was the reason why.

As -A, Jason had played a masterful game and made victims of them all. But Paige had particularly suffered. He'd made everyone that cared about Paige believe that she was -A and he'd done solely because he knew Alison's conflicted feelings for Emily would be the perfect tool.

He'd known Emily would be devastated believing Paige to be the killer and seeing Emily's love for Paige would hurt Alison more than anything. And it had worked all too well. Spencer felt shame at herself and her friends at how easy it had been to believe Paige guilty.

Spencer liked to believe herself a string willed person, especially after what they went through before college, but she'd betrayed Paige by believing her guilty. As had they all.

That was why Spencer talked to Emily. Why she'd asked her one important question that had finally cut through Emily's protective instinct and touched Emily's emotions.

She'd simply asked her one thing. "Emily, years from now, when you yourself are ready to have kids, have a family, who do you see yourself with? If its Alison, then your making the right choice. If your okay with never again seeing paige---if your okay with never seeing her face ever again, then by all means, stay here and be with Alison. But if you Paige is the woman you see yourself with, see yourself marrying, starting a family with, then you need to make a choice. You need to choose what your willing to do to have her."