Sky's Still Blue
Title: Sky's Still Blue
Summary: Hanna and Emily find something, or rather-someone else in the Kahn's cabin that night. Turns out, in Rosewood death is just a five letter word, and this -A- certainly isn't playing scrabble.
Pairing: Emily/Maya, implied Hanna/Caleb, Aria/Ezra and Spencer/Toby
Rated: Mature
Disclaimer: All television shows, movies, books, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work, and the characters, settings, and events thereof, are the properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for-profit, it constitutes fair use. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context, and are not intended to be libelous, defamatory, or in any way factual.
"Look, Em. There's another door," Hanna points out to the wooden frame behind the dusty old bookshelf. There is many things about the Kahn's cabin that Emily Fields did not quite understand; like, why there was a pink bra hanging from the chandelier, why no one seemed concerned enough to clean up after their rounds of beer pong that night, or why in every room, there has to be at least three stuffed animal heads on the wall, staring at her. And this secret door, hidden away in the back of a room behind shelves, is just another secret that Emily doesn't understand.
But as of late, Emily has given up making sense of most things. Like why -A- is targeting them, who -A- even is, and why her girlfriend had to die. Her life has been nothing been a series of unexplainable events that has done nothing but hurt her and all the people that she has cared about, and took the life of the only woman she had ever truly loved. A part of her wants to grasp it all, to make sense of Maya's death and all the other events that surround her daily life, but she knows that to do that, she has to be as twisted as the person controlling their lives from texts on their cellphones. And if that is the case, she never, ever wants to understand.
Things have been better as of late though, Emily sighs as she approaches the door. That was, until Maya's letter surfaced and she realized that she had been killed trying to tell her something. Lately, things have been good, like, really good. Her swims have been fantastic; she has never finished anything but in first place. Her schoolwork is improving; in fact, she even got an A on her last Bio quiz. Even her relationship with Paige has been smooth sailing, well, at least for the most part. But like always, -A- never wants her to be happy for long and when Maya's website, much like her letter, surfaced, Emily found herself in that same distraught, grieving place that she was in before.
"Let's move it," Hanna instructs and a part of Emily wants to laugh because Hanna is just so tiny and prissy, the thought of her actually doing work that might end up with her hands and clothes getting dirty just amuses her. But then there is another part, a bigger part, that can't help but feel fortunate to have such a friend like this, someone who wants to solve the death of her girlfriend just as much as she does. Even if it is somewhat for her own personal gain as well.
Nodding her head in agreement, Emily grabs hold of the edge of the shelf and begins pushing with all of her might. Whatever is behind this door is something they didn't want people to see, and whatever is behind this door might have some sort of answer as to what exactly Maya was doing up here. Grunting and groaning in a struggle, both the girls push with all their might, the shelve moving slowly at their efforts.
They push, and push, and push until the thing finally budges out of the way, much to the relief of the two exhausted girls. Sighing in relief, Emily wipes the sweat from her forehead, looking at her best friend who looks just as spent as she does. Sharing a tender gaze, the two girls understand exactly what is about to happen, they know just how much their life could change from the opening of the door. Whatever is behind this door could contain a very important clue about whom -A- is and exactly what she/he wants from them. Whatever is behind this door could save them or kill them. But as far as Hanna is concerned the risk is worth the reward.
"On three?" Hanna asks, looking at the raven haired beauty for reassurance. Sucking in a breath, Emily nervously fidgets with her fingers, glancing at the door before her eyes dart back to Hanna standing anxiously in front of her before she nods her head.
"On three," Emily replies with a nervous lump in her throat. The two friends share another soft gaze with one another, knowing this moment could perhaps be the one they have waited for since the day of Ali's funeral. They look at each other apprehensively, and then, a soft smile curls upon Hanna's lips, winking at the swimmer. It takes all the strength in Emily to force the smile back at her. Even if whatever is behind this door brings Caleb back to Hanna, it would never bring Maya back to Emily, and that is a bitter pill she has to swallow.
Hanna grabs the knob, pushing her shoulder into the door to open it with a grunt, shoving it open. Instantly, a cloud of dust surrounds the two girls, they cough loudly, a rattle in their chests. Coughing, Hanna swats at the dust and dirt with one hand, the other clutching to Emily's with dear life. Thwacking at the dust, the girls enter the dark room, squinting at the sudden adjustment from daylight to black darkness.
"There has to be a light around here somewhere," Hanna grumbles, holding onto Emily's hand so tight that the raven haired woman swears that she has lost all circulation to it at this point, "we don't know how clean this stuff is, I don't need to fall and break something, or cut myself and end up with like, a freakin' infection." The blonde complains, nervously searching for the switch.
But there is something else that catches Emily's attention, other than the black darkness in the mystery room. It is the ping that she is feeling in her heart, the thousand strings that seem to be pulling her into this place of the unknown. There is something here, something that gives her purpose. There is something here that makes her feel comfortable, easy, the same way that Maya had. Wrinkling her brow, she takes another complacent step in the room, listening to the surroundings. She listens to Hanna's hushed mumbles as she searches for a switch, the sound of her own shuffling feet as they step on stuff, but there is another sound, a soft rattle, almost like a whine, that she just cannot place.
"Han, I think… I think we s-should leave," Emily stutters, giving the blonde a reassuring squeeze.
"Ha! Found it!" Hanna exclaims proudly, pulling hard on the string as a bright fluorescent light cascades throughout the darkened room. Instantly, the two girls screech in pain, their eyes squinting as the try to adjust to the room. Blinking hard, Emily slowly opens her eyes and what she sees is just enough to break her heart completely.
"M-Maya," Emily cries.
In front of them sits the medically declared dead girl, her hands tied behind her back and a gag in her mouth. God only knows how long she has been like this, but Emily can tell it has been a while. She looks remarkably thin and her clothes are dingy and dirty, her face marked with a rather large scratch on her temple that has now dried with blood. Stumbling back, Emily can feel the blood drain from her face as she looks at the woman who only looks back at her pleadingly, tears in her eyes.
"No, you're… you're dead," Emily cries, looking at her then over at Hanna who seems just as stricken by the sight as Emily. Staggering, the raven haired beauty can hear the heart wrenching cry that escapes from her lips and she can feel her own knees buckling beneath her. This can't be. She was there. She was there when the cops discovered Maya's body, she was fucking there. Maya was dead. As heart breaking and destroying as that had been she had accepted it and started to move on from it. She had died.
"I was there… the cops discovered your body and my mom told me…I… I was there. You are dead. This can't be…" Emily gasps loudly, staring at the young woman who stares back at her with pleading eyes that are filled with tears. Shaking her head, Emily only stares, her heart leaping in her throat and her stomach twisting in knots. Maya whimpers, moving her body slightly in the chair and it just enough to break Emily's heart completely.
Getting over Maya's death was the hardest thing that Emily Fields has ever had to deal with, and suddenly, realizing that she had not been dead at all, brings a whole new level of sorrow and sadness rushing through her veins.
"God, let me help you," Hanna exclaims, releasing Emily's hand as she approaches Maya. The two share an all-knowing gaze before she removes the gag from her mouth, placing the bandana simply around her neck before leaning down to work on her hands.
"Emily," Maya breathes in a husky voice. It sounds like she has screamed and cried for days and Emily can't help but wonder if she had been screaming for days. Screaming for someone to help her, to save her but no one lives around here for miles. God, how could she not have known? Swallowing hard, the tears begin to cascade down Emily's cheeks as she slowly approaches the girl, their eyes locked together, watching each other carefully, as if they are two loves who have been separated for years and have finally been reunited with one another.
"I thought…" Maya croaks, wincing at Hanna's attempts to untie her, "I thought I'd never… see you again." She whispers in a sniffle and Emily swears that her heart breaks deeper in her chest. Her lips are quivering when she comes to a stand in front of Maya and she reaches her hand out shakily. Trembling, she softly caresses Maya's cheek and the butterflies suddenly begin to flutter wildly in her stomach.
This is real. This is not some hallucination, or a dream, or a made up reality that is meant to help get her through the ordeal. This is reality. Maya is really sitting in front of her, scratched and hurt, but alive. She is not buried six feet under the ground and left to be a simple memory through photographs and old clothes. This is really happening, right here and now. And the more Emily tries to comprehend it, the more she tries to make sense of it, the more confused she only gets.
"Maya," Emily's voice cracks as her thumb brushes her lover's cheek softly. With another successful tug, Hanna frees her from the knots with a proud 'HA'. Almost immediately, Maya jolts from the seat, her arms wrapping around Emily in the tightest, bone crushing hug, squeezing her so firmly that Emily swears for a second, her lung collapses.
It is as natural as ever when Emily's arms wrap around the smaller girl, holding her close. Through her shirt, she can feel Maya's heart beating, strongly and it is enough to steal Emily's breath away. Slowly, she pulls away, their faces so tenderly close to one another. So close, in fact, that Emily can feel Maya's breath against her lips.
Then it happens, in an instant, in a heartbeat, in the blink of an eye. Maya's lips are on hers and she is kissing her, like really kissing her. For a second, Emily wants to stop, she wants to stop and say something, come to a recollection of what they are doing, but she just can't. Maya's mouth opens against her lips, her hands roaming her body, squeezing against her and pulling her into her hard. It is like the clocks around the world are running backward when their lips meet, as if time just stops. So long Emily has dreamed of this moment, of kissing Maya again, of holding her again, that now that the moment is actually here, she finds herself so lost in her that she can't take a moment to remember it.
Loving Maya is so easy, Emily sighs, her body leaning against hers as she kisses her deeply. Whether they spent every second together, or they have been apart for months, or even if something like this happens, Emily Fields always has been and always will be forevermore in love with Maya St. Germain.
"You have to get out of here," Maya whispers, pulling out of the kiss, her eyes looking deep into Emily's. Pam had always told her that the eyes are a window into someone's soul, well, if that is the case, Maya's soul is the most beautiful thing she has ever seen in her life, "the two of you, you have to go. She'll be back, she… she always comes back and you have… you have to go." At this, Emily shakes her head vigorously, her eyes darting from Maya to Hanna who seemingly has the same reaction.
"I'm not leaving you again," Emily declares.
"Who is she? Who has you here, Maya?" Hanna intrigues and Maya shakes her head, sulking softly. In all the time Emily has known her, Maya has always been so incredibly fearless. She had been the one who smoked even with her parents downstairs, the one who snuck over to her house in the middle of the night just to have a sleepover, the one who jumped without even looking. But suddenly, Maya seems so withdrawn, frightened, terrified.
"You have to go. If she finds you here… you're not safe," Maya whispers, stepping back from Emily as the tears fall effortlessly down her cheeks, "pl-please, I can't have something happen to you, Emily. I love you, don't you know that?" She hiccups in a cry, taking another step back but the raven haired woman shakes her head, squaring her jaw in determination.
"I lost you twice. I thought you... They told us you were…. That you were…" Emily stutters, her voice breaking but she quickly bats away the tears with a hard swallow, "It was hell for me thinking that, thinking that you were dead and that it was my entire fault. I nearly drank myself to death and if it wasn't for my friends, I probably would have. I am not losing you again, Maya. I am not leaving without you."
"Emily, you don't understand…"
"I do understand. You're scared and I'm terrified and Hanna is terrified and we're all totally freaking out because you were supposed to be dead. But y-you're not and I'm not leaving here without you. I'm not doing this to us again, don't you understand? You're in danger and I'm not abandoning you!" Emily exclaims loudly, grabbing Maya by the hand and pulling her hard into her. Gently, her thumb brushes across the gash before she smiles softly, "you came back to me, Maya."
"Emily, we have to get her out of here," Hanna states, glancing around the room, "it's going to be dark soon and who knows when her kidnapper will show up. And maybe it'll think it can have three for the price of one." The blonde grouses as she tucks a strand of her dirty blonde hair behind her ear, her eyes glancing between the two lovers.
"Let me rescue you, Maya. You… you are always saving me. Even when I thought you were…." Emily swallows hard, looking away with a heavy sigh. What is she supposed to say? That she thought she was dead so she moved on to Paige McCullers, the one who tried to drown her. God, Paige, Emily groans with a heavy sigh. How was she going to break this to her? A pair of arms squeezes around Emily's back and she glances at her lover with gentle eyes, a smile playing upon her lips.
"Come with me," Emily pleads and Maya sighs heavily, looking over at Hanna who nods her head just as enthusiastically. Biting her lip hard, the smaller girl sniffles, looking around the room with a heavy sigh. Rosewood is a strange place, but this is certainly as strange as it gets.
"She'll come after you," Maya replies in a hushed whisper with big eyes, "it's why I…" Oh God, Emily swallows hard, a new cry appearing in the back of her throat. It was her fault, her fault Maya was kidnapped, her fault that all of this happened. -A- was coming for her and Maya saved her.
"We can tell with -A-," Hanna speaks up, stepping closer to her friend, her eyes full of compassion and empathy. At her friend's response, Emily nods her head, squeezing Maya a little tighter in her arms.
"I can't lose you again. Please," Emily begs, resting her thumb under Maya's chin as she pulls her into a soft kiss. Their bodies curl around one another's, the world seeming to come to a slow stop as she slowly inhales her lover. Kissing Maya is like traveling back in time, it is the best feeling, and nothing, not even kissing Paige, could ever compare to this. Pulling away softly, Maya inhales a deep breath, looking around the room reluctantly before she nods her head.
"Let's get out of here," Maya nods her head, releasing Emily's hand as she walks over to the window seat box, grabbing her bag from within it. Smiling softly, she reaches for the swimming superstar's hand, their fingers instantly lacing. They were a perfect fit, no spaces, no gaps, just skin against skin; it became a perfect example of exactly why they are soul mates.
"I will keep you safe, I promise," Emily whispers, kissing her temple softly as she takes Maya's bag, slinging it over her shoulder. Maya nods, wrapping her arm around Emily, walking snuggled into her side as they exit the Kahn's cabin. Quietly, Maya licks her cracked lips as she glances back at the place in which she had been held captive for the past months, her heart hanging heavily in her chest.
As Emily opens the door for her to climb in, Maya can't help but stare at the cabin, cuddling herself in tighter to her girlfriend's side, her body weak from the exhaustion. Emily smiles lovingly, placing another tender kiss on her temple as she climbs into the seat beside of her, her arms holding her tight and safe around her.
However, despite Emily's arms around her, she feels anything but safe.
Rosewood, Pennsylvania is a very strange place.
And Maya St. Germain cannot help but feel like they just woke a sleeping giant.