Home For Fall // Emison and PLL

Piece By Piece

The waiter dropped a couple of sandwiches off in front of Emily, Hanna, and Spencer at The Brew.

Hanna sucked down her coke immediately while the other two brunettes began sifting through the countless pictures on Spencer's phone screen.

"Elliot diagnosed Charlotte with severe anger issues. Most of these sessions weren't pretty. He wasn't kidding around when he told you she harbored intense feelings for Ali, Em," Spencer deducted.

"Like romance feelings?" Hanna cringed.

"No, Hanna. They were sisters. It was a protective feeling. Almost complete and utter hostility all for one person. It actually really closely resembles the behavior of a primate," Spencer said.

"But Charlotte was always like that, wasn't she? That's why she began to torture us. Of course the game originally began with Mona and Ali, but Charlotte took it from Mona and kept playing against us when she believed we weren't being good friends to Alison," Emily said.

"Yeah, well, Charlotte was never really one for truly trying to figure things out. She just did what she wanted," Hanna said.

Spencer became quiet as she tugged at her lip silently between her teeth. Her eyes were focused on her phone in front of her, her fingers moving the pictures back and forth.

"There's a pattern. Elliot said Charlotte's hostility really began to show itself in her final days. When he told you she was really angry because Ali seemed distracted, she wasn't angry with Ali. She was angry with you, Emily," Spencer said.

The girls sat in quiet for a few minutes, the loud talking and chattering of The Brew surrounding them.

"Me?" Emily asked uneasily.

"It says here, clear as day, 'Charlotte speaks of intense anger against a girl named Emily Fields. Alison talks of her a lot more. It began quite slow, where she'd occasionally slip into conversations, but now this girl harbors every topic. Unsure of Charlotte's intentions. Anger, jealousy, confusion? Alison's connections to Emily Fields? All signs indicate jealousy. Charlotte continues to say that the knight cannot come back for her queen. Research shows Emily Fields is a soldier. Currently stationed in California. Alison Dilaurentis is the queen? But what of the connections??? Alison and Emily grew up as best friends. Charlotte continuously complains now of Alison's hidden feelings for Emily Fields. Charlotte says Alison denies any feeling of affection for Emily Fields. There is no known source of communication between the two any longer, yet Charlotte is uneasy. I fear for what may happen if Charlotte is released from Sanitarium.'"

Emily and Hanna sat in uneasy silence as Spencer read aloud Elliot's untidy scrawl.

"He was afraid," Spencer said. "He was afraid of what Charlotte would do to you once she got out. She was almost cleared, Emily. Charlotte wasn't angry with Alison. She was angry with you. She was scared you were going to come back and steal Ali from her."

"But that doesn't make sense. That's literally crazy. When Charlotte was alive, Ali and I weren't even speaking yet," Emily said.

"And how long did you really think that would've lasted, Emily? Ali had called me just before then. She missed you. And you had written me that letter. Clearly you missed her too. How long would it have been before one of you called the other up?" Hanna interrupted.

"I don't usually agree with Hanna, but Hanna is right," Spencer said.

Hanna sat back and smiled to herself at the taller brunette's words.

"Okay, so still... It doesn't make sense. What does this mean? That Charlotte wanted to kill me, and somebody killed Charlotte?" Emily said.

Spencer shook her head wearily. "I don't know. I don't know what it means, Emily. I just know it isn't good. Elliot had these session papers. This is compiled evidence against you. And yet he didn't go to the police. He didn't show them these. Or else, they would've been all over you. He's protecting you."

"Why?" Emily asked, exasperated.

"I don't know!" Spencer exclaimed angrily.

"Take it down a notch, Spencer. Maybe we're just forgetting something," Emily said.

"No, Emily we aren't! Maybe we are forgetting something and that something is that Charlotte was a little crazy!" Spencer spat.

"You're lost," Emily realized.

"Not lost. More like completely and utterly confused. This is hopeless. Dead ends lead to more dead ends. For all I know, Charlotte's ghost is haunting us," Spencer rolled her eyes.

Emily ran a hand through her hair. "Well... If I know anything at all, it's this. Elliot protected me. I need to speak to him. He must've realized Charlotte was off of her rocker. He had to clear her to get her released, right? Well... What if he didn't clear her?"

"You think Rollins kept Charlotte in the Sanitarium?" Spencer asked.

"I think he tried to. That doesn't mean that Charlotte didn't get out. Mona could easily get in and out of Radley. I'm sure Charlotte found her way with Brookhaven too," Emily said.

"I definitely think you should speak to Elliot. If anybody was closest to Charlotte, besides Ali, it was him," Spencer said to Emily.

"So... The killer could be...?" Hanna asked, completely confused.

Spencer leaned back. "What if the killer is another Mona?"

"Excuse me?" Emily asked.

"Mona originally started the -A game. She taught Charlotte all about it. After Charlotte took over the game, Mona continued to play. What if there's another Mona?" Spencer asked again.

"You mean... You think another patient killed Charlotte?" Emily questioned.

"I think it's entirely plausible, yes. Also, when you talk to Elliot, bring it up. He spent the most time in Brookhaven out of all of us. If any patients went missing, he would know," Spencer said excitedly.

Emily rubbed her forehead. "I'll speak with him. I have a feeling he knows more than he lets on."

"That actually makes sense. If another patient did it, they could've easily done what Mona did. Snuck out of Brookhaven, killed Charlotte, and taken on the identity of Uber -A. Charlotte taught them the game. They're," Spencer stopped.

"What?" Hanna asked nervously.

"There was one difference between Charlotte and this person. Charlotte killed, yes. And Charlotte would always hurt people. But never in a million years would she ever wish to hurt Ali. This person won't stop."

She looked up at Emily and Hanna worriedly.

"They won't stop until we're all dead."