2.12

•

"Over My Dead Body"

"I'm sorry, I need you."

Those were the words Halle Brewster spoke into the phone. An officer watched her carefully as she begged over the call, eyeing her suspiciously as she did so. The usual tough exterior — the one she had showed earlier — vanished the moment she heard the dial tone connecting, the voice she desperately craved to hear sounding after. Halle started to cry, something she hadn't done in a long time, and begged for his help.

After, Halle was shoved back into the interrogation room. She was with Aria, Hanna and Spencer. Emily was missing from their sides. Hanna looked up when she entered and asked, "Did you reach your parents?"

"Yeah," Halle said, still shaking. She did her best to play off the moment prior and joined the three at the table in there. She joined them in silence, which gave her more time to go over her thoughts. Her mind raced, head pounding. Halle ended up where she was out of foolishness — her parents raised her better than that, but she was scared. Her phonecall was out of desperation, a plea for help.

The door to the room open, and the girls sat up nervously. They hadn't expected to be met with Detective Wilden again. Time away had made him grow more smug — more sly. He was confident as he entered the room, asking, "Did you miss me?"

He got a rise out of making them anxious, watching them tense in their seats. Wilden came closer, put his hands on the table and stared the four down in an attempt to intimidate them. "This doesn't just look bad. It is bad," he declared. "Homicide is a capitol offense in the the state of Pennsylvania, and you girls are going down."

•

TWELVE HOURS EARLIER

The mailbox was full, stuffed to the brim with letters, and there was no answer when Spencer rang the doorbell. Hanna stood at the front window, peeking inside for any movement. "Dr Sullivan," Hanna called out, "are you home?"

Emily paced the front porch to the psychiatrist's house. She had her phone in her hand, calling the woman's cellphone but only reached voicemail

"Hi, you've reached Anne Sullivan. I've been called out of town on a family emergency. If you need immediate attention, please see your physician for a referral."

"I got the same voicemail," Aria claimed, moving from the frosted-glass door.

"Yeah," Spencer sighed, "she probably sent it to all of her clients. I know Mr Brewster said that Halle's been referred to a temporary psychiatrist."

"Did Halle answer your calls, then?" Emily asked, eyes on Spencer.

"No, I spoke to her dad," Spencer stated. "He was the one who came to the door, said Halle's been hauled up in her room. Sorry, Em," said Spencer, noticing the girl's frown. "We're all worried about her."

"Who would've thought Halle would be the one to take a break-up this hard? I'd just always imagined her punching a wall and getting on with it," said Aria truthfully. "Never wanting to be with somebody who didn't want to be with her."

"Yeah, but then you factor in her bipolar," Spencer pointed out logically. "It's probably triggered an episode, she's been in bed since her and Eric broke up."

Hanna shivered at the thought. "I've never known Halle to sit still."

"We should check on her," Emily suggested.

"She's still coming to the wedding, right?" Hanna asked suddenly.

"Hanna!" Aria scolded.

"Sorry, I won't ask." Hanna held up her hands up in defence, apologising for her insensitivity. She came away from the window and stated, "Well, Dr Sullivan's not here."

Spence crouched low, picking up the newspapers on the porch. "Looks like she didn't come home last night either," she commented. "She hasn't checked her mail or picked up her papers."

"Maybe we should call the police," Emily put in.

"And say what to Officer Garrett when he starts asking us questions?" Hanna asked, throwing it back at her friends. There was no way they could go to the police.

"Yeah," Spencer agreed. She stood up and explained, "Hanna's right — Garrett, Jenna, Ian, Jason — they're all connected, we can't trust any of them." She sighed and added, "Look, the last time somebody thought she knew who A was, she was hit got hit by a car. Sorry, Hanna."

Quietly, Hanna realised how much Halle had protected her — and just how insensitive she had just been towards their absent friend. "Halle was hit, too."

"Okay, so what do we do?" Emily asked helplessly.

"We go into terror-alert-red and hope that our phones don't ring," shot Spencer. The moment she had said it, Emily's phone did so. Her face dropped. "That did not just happen!"

Emily checked her cell, smiling when she saw who it was from. "It's Maya," she told him merrily.

Hanna broke into a chuckle, teasing her friend. "Look at you, suddenly all happy," she said.

Emily looked to Spencer and asked, "Can you check on Halle, make sure she's okay?"

Nodding, Spencer said, "Of course, you enjoy your time with Maya. You deserve this, Em. Plus, Halle would want it for you." Spencer told them, "I'll check on her when I go home."

Only, when Spencer did swing around to check on her, she was met once more with Halle's father. Nick Brewster told Spencer the same thing he did earlier before he sent he away, with the promise he'd inform her if anything changed with Halle. Not that he had a strong feeling that it would anytime soon.

A wave of intense sadness came over Halle rather suddenly the day before. It was brewing at the college fair, and again when she dealt with her brother, and then it finally hit her. The moment she had gotten in her car to drive to meet Emily at Dr Sullivan's office last night, she was crushed. She felt the world darkening around her, closing in, and she suffocated on her guilt. She choked on it, flooding her lungs until she sank down under the water. Halle made herself sick with it.

Admittedly, Luisa Brewster hadn't taken the break-up well either. Halle's mother had managed to coax her unresponsive daughter from behind the wheel of a car shortly after she returned home from walking Pacha. She was calm and sensitive at first, putting a distraught Halle to bed. The screeching only started when Halle's father came home.

Halle, in the darkness of her room, blankly staring at her ceiling, listened to the complaints of her mother below. Her parents' raised voices rose through the floorboards of Halle's bedroom and deepened Halle's helplessness. At some point, the shouting-match had stopped. Halle wasn't sure when, not having any concept of time — whether it was when her father finally had enough or when her mother ran out of fire. Halle just knew when she finally focused back into reality, it had done quiet downstairs. Usually, she could hear the muffled noise of chatter between her parents. Now, there was nothing. A sick thought came to her head, oh, god, she's killed him, and Halle started to cry silently again.

Then, there was a knock at the door. It opened slowly with a small creak, and Halle rolled onto her side, her tears catching on the pillow. In the dark, with the only light being through the slither of curtain that had not been completely shut, Halle met her mother on mutual ground. Halle wasn't fighting and her mother wasn't lecturing.

"Spencer called around again," Luisa said softly. "She came by earlier, your dad spoke to her. Your friends are worried about you, they're concerned," she added but got no reply. "You have to try and answer your phone."

Halle stared emotionless at her mother, no words leaving her. Her eyes were heavy and fluttered closed. It took too much energy to keep them open.

Luisa Brewster moved across the floor and chose to lay down next to Halle. She rested her head on the pillow and stared directly at her daughter, a faint smile ghosting her lips. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

"I know," Halle whispered back.

"I only want the best for you," Luisa replied. They both kept their voices low, barely audible even in the stillness of the bedroom.

"I know that, too."

"Your dad had words with me," Luisa told her daughter up-front. "He told me what you've been saying all along, but I didn't listen. I don't do a very good job at listening to you."

"You do the best you can, you've got two other kids," Halle offered, finally opening eyes to meet her mother's. All her replies were short. She didn't know if she had the strength to speak for longer in case she broke down in tears again.

"Yeah, but I'm failing the one who really needs me right now," Luisa said truthfully, but it made Halle's stomach turn over in guilt as she thought of her brother. Luisa offered, "I don't know what's going on with you. I thought after Dr Sullivan gave you that diagnosis, everything would fall back into place, but I was wrong."

"Mom..."

"I need you to talk to me and tell me what's going on because I need to understand," Luisa pleaded, her voice cracking from being so quiet. "I want to understand. First cheerleading, and now this?"

"I can't— " said Halle, her eyes wet. "I'm sinking, I can't win."

"Win what? What are you trying to win?" asked Luisa.

Meekly, Halle said, "... The Game." Her voice was below a whisper, barely audible. It hurt to speak. The words ghosted over the lips, coming out in a hoarse and painful murmur. Her thoughts went to A, but kept that secret heavily guarded still. "I know you're mad... About Eric," Halle said. "But I don't want Eric, I don't love him like I should."

"You don't love him?" Luisa questioned, disbelieving just how out of sync she was with her daughter. "Did you ever?"

Halle weakly nodded, tearing up again. "I just... wasn't in love with him." She said to her mother, "I know he's a good guy, and I should wanna be with him. And a part of me does want that, but... I don't feel it with him, Mom. I haven't in a long time, not in the way you feel it with dad." As she continued to silently cry, Halle explained, "I grew up watching you two and... I know what it's like. I know what it looks like when two people just get each other and it...it just fits. I never had that, not with Eric..."

Halle paused and steadied herself. Her breathing was shallow, and she was bracing herself for what was to come. She closed her eyes for a brief moment before opening them again to tell her mother the careful truth — the truth her mother was most likely to tolerate.

"I had it with Jason, Mom... That Summer."

Silence.

Complete silence.

Deafening silence.

Her mother was frozen. Eyes focused in on Halle's face, searching her expression for the lie. There was none. This was the truth. Halle's truth. More from that summer.

"I knew it was wrong," Halle began quietly. She was cautious, even in her dark head-space, to use past-tense around her mother, fearful of the strong reaction. "He was Alison's brother, and I was her best friend, but it didn't feel wrong when I was with him, that only came afterwards." Out of fright, Halle's bottom lip quivered. "Please don't be mad. I still feel awful over it, like, physically bad over it. My stomach hurts," Halle cried softly. "Every time I think of Alison, I get this ache in my stomach like I'm gonna be sick."

After a long pause, Luisa spoke at last. "Did you love him?" Halle knew her mother chose that to be her first question for the reason of not pushing Halle over the edge she was already tiptoeing on it.

Halle shrugged, small. "I almost did... for a minute."

"Listen..." Halle's mother started calmly, but it would never end that way. "When you told me in the hospital about That Summer, I knew it was gonna be more than you let on. I didn't say anything because I didn't want to have to deal with that." Luisa reached out a stroked her daughter's cheek softly. "It won't work," she said regretfully, watching Halle's eyes turn dull in the dark. "I'm sorry, but it's the truth. He's Alison's brother and you were her best friend, that sort of thing is forgivable, especially if people starting looking closer at the summer." She pushed Halle's hair from her face, her thumb caressing her daughter's cheek loving. "It'll hurt you both."

"What if I wanted it to work, though?" Halle asked quietly.

"Never want someone like Jason DiLaurentis, Halle," Luisa sadly told her, "it'll get your nowhere."

Halle cast her eyes down, the weight of her lids insufferable. She felt her eyes were swollen to twice the size, red and blotchy. "I'm going nowhere anyway," she replied in the stillness of her bedroom.

The conversation hung in the air and met with silence. Luisa decided it was best to leave Halle alone now, having spoken their piece. She leaned in a kissed her daughter's head before she climbed out of the bed. Luisa crossed the room, slowly exiting as she the shut the door to behind her, and Halle just laid there. Tears spilled onto her pillow, rolling in a horizontal line from the corner of her eye. A tremor moved through her body, and she crumbled in her bed. Halle hugged her arms around her frame and curled into herself.

On the night stand, she heard her phone ping. Her swollen eyes glanced up, seeing the glow of the screen peek out against the wood. Summoning what little strength she had left, Halle forced herself up. Her elbows were weak; she could barely hold her weight, shaking profusely. Halle reached for the phone, picking it up, to see the latest text.

She's still alive.--A.

•

After the A-text, a large wooden crate was delivered to the Hastings' house. In the kitchen, it sat and on it were the printed words 'Open or she dies'. When they all received Spencer's SOS about it, the five friends knew it was about Dr Sullivan and went to see it themselves. Even Halle had managed to drag herself out of bed, not that she looked presentable, which none of the others chose to comment on.

"I walked Toby outside, and when I came back inside, it was here," Spencer explained to them.

"Here? Like, here in the middle of your kitchen or here on your porch and you brought it inside?" questioned Aria, her voice high-pitched and panicked.

"I haven't touched it," Spencer insisted.

Hanna stared down at the words, tears filling her eyes. She said, "Guys, I never told you this, but Dr Sullivan really helped me."

Halle offered, miserably looking at the box, "I got better because of her."

"Yeah, that was the reason we trusted her," Spencer agreed. "She helped us all."

Turning up her nose in disgust, Hanna asked, "You know think her ear's in here, do you?"

"Oh," groaned Spencer, not even thought in her mind.

"It's a big box for an ear," noted Emily.

"Maybe it's her head like in that Brad Pitt movie," Halle replied. "You know, Seven," she stated. "'What's in the box?'" Halle quoted, her voice monotone.

"Can you not?" Emily asked, freaked out enough without Halle's cynical comments. Emily said, "We should just open it."

Each of them — other than Halle, who sat on the edge of the stool, almost apathetic — went to the clasps and unlatched them. Lifting from the corners, they took off the lid and set it aside on the floor. Halle peered over from her spot. Inside the box, a silver cloth covered the contents and a piece of paper sat on top of it, the letters cut out from magazines and stuck together to leave instructions.

Aria picked it up and read aloud, "'You have until seven PM to save her. These are my demands.'"

Peeling back the cloth, Spencer revealed the dolls underneath. Laid out neatly, four dolls were made to vaguely resemble the girls.

"Dolls?" Emily questioned.

Reaching out, Spencer plucked up the nearest doll to her. The doll itself has pale skin and dark hair, dressed in a blue dress with a silver necklace around its neck that spelt out Aria's name. Spencer handed it over to the girl and said, "Guess this is yours."

Then, Spencer's hand went back in the box and retrieved the papers from where the doll once lay. Aria pulled the cord on the back of the doll, making a tinny child-like voice to sound.

"Make Jackie go away."

Hanna's skin crawled. She averted her eyes away from the dolls and asked, "Is there a creepier word than creepy?"

Aria caught sight of the papers in Spencer's hand and snatched them from out of her friend's hands. "Wait, this is the paper Jackie's getting published on Theodore—"

"—Gericault," stated Spencer, cutting her off. "He's a French painter who—"

"—Who painted," Hanna finished.

Halle felt her eyes roll. "Obviously." She thought this was painful — tedious. She just wanted her bed; she longed for it now. The comfort needed to drown her along with sadness in her chest.

"Yeah, in word. But A also gave you this French article on Gericault, and it's identical to Jackie's paper," explained Spencer, holding them side by side. "She plagiarized this."

"And the plot thickens," Halle put in, already dreading her own doll.

Eager to know hers, Hanna grabbed the only blonde doll in the box and yanked at the cord. The creepy voice rang out again, coming through the voice-box inside the doll.

"Stop the wedding."

Suddenly more alarmed than before, Halle dove in the crate for her own doll. Dark in hair and skin, her doll was dressed in a deep purple and was the only one with curls. She held it up, noticing the papers underneath where it was laid, and pulled at the cord.

"Take back the pony."

Lastly, Spencer took her doll, pulling the cord also.

"Keep Toby safe."

A sharp gasp left Spencer. "Oh, my god! Toby was driving his truck this morning and his breaks went out." Her voice was shrill and full of panic. "That wasn't an accident. That was A."

Emily hand flew to the box, but she came up empty. She announced, "I didn't get one."

"You've been A's target for weeks now, Em," reasoned Halle. It dawned on Halle what it would take for her to get back on the team — what A wanted to her do — and her stomach curled inside of her. She wanted to cry again. Why did she always want to cry?

"Maybe A's bored with you," Hanna offered, throwing herself down on the sofa. "And I mean that as a good thing."

Busy comforting Spencer, Aria said, "But if A wants to shut me up, she found a way to do it. I mean, we finally tell someone the truth and now Dr Sullivan's gone? Hey, A can do that to anyone we care about," she said firmly.

"Well, A sure did that to me already," Halle shot, even though her voice lacked any force. "What A did to Eric... He was broken."

Spencer abruptly slammed her doll down on the table as her response.

Hanna then asked, "So we do these things and Agives her back? Is that what we're supposed to believe?"

"Okay, I get that this is a game, but I don't understand," Emily admitted, lost by the instructions.

"It's like A wants us to have what we truly want but can't have," Halle retorted bitterly. "I feel mocked, actually."

Sitting up in realistation, Spencer said, "No, it's brilliant actually. Ais being our ultimate frenemy," she explained, "forcing us to get what we want, but knowing when we do—"

"All hell breaks lose," concludes Hanna, now following along with A's plan for destruction.

Honestly, Aria said, "Believe me, I really wanna get rid of Jackie, but if I use this to do it, Ezra may never forgive me. I mean, there's a reason why we can't just go around telling the truth — ;cos it comes back to bite you, hard," she spat.

The girls went quiet, all sat in the dread of what would soon be demolition-day for everyone in their lives. Spencer glanced up on the clock on the mantel, and said, "Okay, we've got five hours to obey our Chucky dolls or..." Her eyes drifted back to the red writing on the crate. She told them, distressed, "I saw A push Ian off that bell tower, and there was no hesitation."

"Spence," Hanna's voice shook. "What are you saying?"

"She's saying that it felt like it was easy for A to kill someone," Aria explained, her voice equally shaken.

Spencer sounded like she wanted to cry. She said, "And I only know one way to keep Toby safe... and that's to keep him away from me."

•

Hanna had insisted on inviting herself over to Halle's after they left the Hastings' house. The blonde felt incredibly guilty over the comment she said earlier and wanted to make up for it by being more sensitive. Even if Halle wasn't there to hear it, Hanna still wanted to do something to help.

So, without exchanging many words, Hanna led Halle upstairs and helped wash Halle's hair for the wedding. She had Halle sit in the bath while Hanna deeply washed her hair, deep conditioning her ends and scrubbing her scalp clean. Halle stayed quiet the entire time. She kept her knees up against her chest, her arms folded around them to keep them tucked away, as Hanna chatted.

"And Caleb came back earlier, he's excited to see you," Hanna said. She ran the conditioner through Halle's wet hair, surprised at how far it came down her back. "He's showed me all the photos from his trip. His little brothers are so cute," she mentioned fondly. Grabbing the cup from the side, Hanna began to rinse out the hair, tilting Halle's back as she did so. "You know, if it's too much for you..." She took a breath and released her friend from the afternoon. "You don't have to come."

Halle looked to her friend with sad eyes. "But you need me there."

"Not as much as I need you to feel better," Hanna replied. "I just want you to do whatever you're comfortable doing. If the most is me bathing you, then I'm okay with that, and you should be too," said Hanna, with a small smile. "I don't think I realised this was the downside to your... to your bipolar. I thought I'd have an excitable, high-strung best friend who went on shopping sprees with me and bought way too much. I kinda forgot about the opposite end." Hanna looked at Halle directly and assured, "I just want you to know that I understand you guys agreed to come to the wedding to support me, so I wanna return that for you. I'll support it if you wanna stay home today."

Reaching out, Halle took her friend's hand and pressed a kiss to the back of it. "Thanks," she said quietly. "But I'll be there."

After Hanna had helped Halle do her hair, the blonde left to go home and get ready. The smell of mangos from Halle's favourite leave-in conditioner made the faintest of smile appear on her face, truly appreciating what Hanna was doing for her today. So, Halle wanted to return the effort. She put all her energy in getting herself ready. She did light make-up and kept her hair down, not bothering to style it further. Halle managed to force herself into the pretty, yellow ruffle dress; the ribbon sleeves tied in bows on the tops of her shoulders. Hanna picked it out earlier, finding something a lot more sunny than Halle was feeling.

Halle's heart broke the moment she saw her dad grin. She had just come down the stairs, all dolled up for the wedding — a much different look from the past day and half. Her father was sat in the living room, reading the paper, when he looked up at the sound of heels. He smiled brightly at his daughter and said, "You look beautiful." He sat forward while Halle approached him, hiding papers behind her back, and he offered, "I can drive you if you don't feel like it, I can wait in the car or come back to fetch you later. Whatever's best, I don't want you stressing."

Without a word, Halle crossed the room and placed a sheet of paper down on the top of the coffee table in front of him. Questioning her with furrowed brows, Nick's eyes went down to the paper to see what it was. His nostrils flared after, and he looked straight at her. "What is this? Where did this come from?"

"Your study," she answered, lying well.

Dropping his tone seriously, Nick said, "Halle, you shouldn't have this. Did you go looking for this?" he asked.

"It's your bank statement," she stated.

Increasingly more wary of his daughter, Nick said, "I know what it is, Halle. I want to know why you have it."

Then, Halle revealed the second sheet and presented it to her father. "That's a close up, in case you didn't know what I was getting at." Halle explained, "You made a very generous donation to the school. The date you donated, it was the day the video of me was leaked. In fact, that donation was made at the same time you and mom met with Principal Hackett," she mentioned smartly. "Mom wanted to sue, but you were against that. I had a feeling why back then, but I didn't know for sure until I went looking. You paid Hackett to bury the video."

"It was to protect you," defended Nick profusely.

"I don't need protecting," said Halle, voice devoid of emotion.

"What are going to do with these? Tell your mother?" he asked.

She didn't answer him. Halle remained strong and held her own. She told her father, "I want back on the cheer team, and I want my vice-captaincy back."

"You started a fight," Nick reminded his daughter. His eyes were wide, shocked at her behaviour. The past day she had spent hauled up in her room, silent and unresponsive. Now, Halle was blackmailing him with such force, Nick Brewster was sure it was a stranger in front of him.

"And I'm starting this one, too," Halle countered.

"What happened to you?" Nick looked torn — broken as he took in his daughter's actions. "Where's my Halle gone?"

"She grew up, Dad," she replied. Forcefully, Halle warned, "I want back on the team, or I take what I know to mom... And then to the police." She saw his eyes shoot up to her, and she continued, "It ain't gonna take much for people to connect the dots. What those statements prove, is that you made a sizable donation to the school to bury that video, you covered up a criminal offence when the FBI wanted to look into it for Ali's case."

The veins in his neck produced, a violent red under pink, angry skin. "We'll both be jailed, I could go to jail for that," he argued with her. "I'll lose everything — you, your mom, your brother and sister!" exclaimed Nick loudly.

"Then, get me back on that team," Halle insisted.

Awe-struck, Nick shook his head. "You wouldn't do that — not over cheer."

"You and mom were the ones who said this was my one solid chance at a scholarship," Halle threw back at him. "I'm only protecting my future."

"I protected your future by burying that video!" yelled Nick.

"No, you protected yourself!" Halle yelled back. "You protected yours and Mom's! You protected your appearance and how it would look to have your daughter stripped naked for the world — for your precious Rosewood!"

He stared her down, ashamed. He didn't recognise her. "This isn't you."

"Give Hackett ring," Halle advised. "I have copies."

As not to stay under her father's disappointed gaze longer, Halle quickly exited the house. Her hand went over her mouth, holding back any sob that could've left her. She ran down the drive, her heels clicking against the stone of the porch, and dashed towards her car. She had just opened the door when she heard her voice being called.

"Halle, wait!" Jason had pulled his car up, getting home from a trip into the city, when he saw her emerge from her house. He got out as fast as he could, wanting to speak with her. Jason crossed the road, flagging her down.

"Jason, not now. I don't have the time, I'm late for a wedding," said Halle, tossing her purse over to the front passenger seat. She climbed in and went to shut the door, but Jason's hand caught it.

He held it open and forced her to look up at him, eyes wide in alarm.

"Jason, let go," Halle said, trying to pull it shut. "Let go, I'm late."

"Why didn't you tell me you broke up with Eric?" Jason asked her. He felt her grip loosen on the door. "So, it's true? You broke up with him?"

"I have to go," Halle said, but he stood there persisting she talk with him. Halle repeated the same words, stronger this time. "I have to go."

"Halle," he said, "just stop and talk to me."

"I'm late. Let me go. Let me go, Jason!" In an instant, as she said it, Halle was brought back to that dreaded night.

"I was just playing with you," Halle had just told Jason. In his yard, in front the the woodshed, she held his gaze and remained strong. She hadn't even wanted it to come to this, but it did. She shook her head and said helplessly, "This was a game, I used you to get back Ali."

"That's a lie, I know you're lying," Jason claimed.

"How?" Halle threw her hands up. "How do you know it's a lie?"

"I know when people are lying," Jason shot. "And I know this summer wasn't just a game. This wasn't a game."

"Get over it, because it was," Halle said harshly. As she turned she closed her eyes shut, damning herself over the things she did just to keep Alison as her friend.

A hand came out and grabbed Halle's wrist. Jason pulled at her and rushed in, pressing his lips against her. This kiss shocked Halle. He prayed it would make her turn back around and say it was a joke, that he meant something to her. But Halle never did. Jason never even felt her kiss him back. Instead, both of her hands came up and pushed him away from her. She tried to escaped him again, but Jason kept a grasp on her.

"Let me go, Jason. Let me go."

"I'm not gonna let you pretend this was nothing," Jason argued with her.

"It was nothing." Halle battled with him, twisting her arm out of his grip. With fierce eyes, Halle told him again, "I was just playing with you." And then she fled the scene, heading towards the barn.

"Let me go, I'm late!" Halle exclaimed at Jason not, at the foot of the driveway. When that didn't work, Halle reverted to threatening him. "I swear to god, Jason, if you don't let go, I will honk this horn and I won't stop until my dad comes out. Then, I'll have you down for harassment."

Jason let go of the car door. His gaze had turned hard, a steely coldness came over his features. He was taken back to that night, too. He thought about the only person who ever truly got him tearing his heart out and dropping it to the floor without a care in the world. Never before that night had Jason ever understood why Halle and his sister were friends — that night, Halle wrecked him and she did it with ease. She was a mirror-image of Alison.

"Thank you!" said Halle loudly.

Aggressively, Halle slammed the door shut. Her car shook at the force, but the engine still kicked up fine. She drove straight out the driveway, leaving Jason stood alone. He ventured out into the road, following her out. Halle, out of habit, took to the bend slow and looked into the mirror above her dashboard. Her glassy eyes locked with Jason's figure in the distance. A choked sob left her while she drove off, and then a chime alerted her to her phone.

Welcome back,Captain Cheer.--A.

•

FOUR HOURS LATER

Halle's parents were the first to arrive at the police station. Both of them did their best to see their daughter yet Halle was still being kept from them. The worried pair demanded to see their daughter in opposite ways. While Luisa Brewster was driven by need, her husband spoke calmly with Officer Maple at the desk.

"What do you mean we can't see her yet?" asked Nick Brewster, brows furrowed together. "She's seventeen, Barry."

Luisa put in, "She's a minor."

"You have to wait to speak with the officer in charge," Barry regretfully informed him. "All I can tell you is she's fine," the officer tried to assure, having known the family well. "She had to see a medic, but she's fine. Her and the girls are doing okay, just a little shaken."

"Then, why can't we see them?" asked Luisa, frustrated. "I need to see her. I need to make sure she's okay. I'm her mom, surely you can understand why."

"They're not seeing anyone," said Barry. "The detective in charge is refusing."

"They're kids, what could they have done?" said Nick, disbelieving. He recalled his conversation with Halle earlier — how she became instantly unrecognizable to him, transforming into someone who would willingly hurt her family. Nick had to wonder what else she was capable of because he never thought she was of that, but the second her heard her broken voice over the phone, Nick knew he had to be there. It didn't matter what Halle had done, he'd never stop fighting for her; his love was unconditional.

Officer Maple was more inclined to digress a little more than he should over to the man in front of him. He informed the Brewsters, "They're being held, but no charge has been put against them yet. They're trying to intimate them."

"They're a group of teenage girls, what could the officer hope to achieve by intimidating them?" shot Luisa, baffled by the way the police were handling their daughter and her friends.

"I think you said enough there, Officer Maple." Detective Wilden's voice came across more stern than before, reprimanding his kinder inferior. He stared at Halle's parents and told smugly them, "You can wait here in the lobby, we'll try to keep the press out."

Just then, Luisa's mobile began to ring. She looked down at it. "It's Veronica," she said. Luisa looked to her husband. "I have to take this, don't do anything you'll regret," she lowly warned him, warily glancing between him and the detective she knew Nick had a sour attitude for.

When she had walked away, Nick was free not to take that advice. He made a comment immediately to the man stood opposite him. "Seems like your luck has changed. How'd you do it?" he asked. "Get the case back, I mean."

"I made an argument to the board with evidence they couldn't ignore," Wilden revealed to him.

"Evidence involving my daughter and her friends?" Nick questioned.

"I wouldn't be here if it wasn't substantial," replied Wilden. "And look at them now, here again for with a potential charge of homicide."

Nick was calm and composed despite the very obvious pointed comment the man facing him was making. Still, Nick kept his voice down. He didn't need to raise it to get his point across. Nick rarely showed anger; he didn't need to do that either. Patience was a virtue, and Nick Brewster had it ten-fold. It just wore a little thin where his family was concerned.

"What you're failing to notice is, every time you've come up against these girls, you lose," Nick mentioned flatly. "And every time you do, your bias against them grows. It affects how you go about your investigation." He made a pointed remark, "That's because you think you can solve cases by intimidating and harassing young girls, but I'm telling you that's not going to fly with me. You may be back on this case, but if I ever see you anywhere near my daughter without my knowledge, I'll have you fired and aired as the dipshit cop you are." Nick threatened the Wilden with hard eyes, "I'll ruin your career."

"You don't know what we have on them yet," Wilden tried.

But it was no use; Nick was confidently on Halle's side. He met Wilden with a fierce gaze and told him, "I stand by daughter and her friends. I stand by what they're saying and I won't listen to you tell me otherwise." He dropped his voice even lower than before, stepping just that little bit closer to the other man to intimidate him. "I advise you find someone else to pick on, Detective, or I'll show you what a real bully looks like."

Wilden's mouth pursed in irritation at being put in his place. He never liked being made the inferior. Through a locked jaw, he shot out, "You have no idea what these girls are capable of — or the lies they've told."

"Then enlighten me or stay out of my way," Nick retorted back just as his wife came to stand beside him again.

Luisa rested her hand on her husband's arm and chose to stand proudly at his side, backing him up without hearing all of the conversation. She told Nick, "The Hastings' are on their way." Then, Luisa glared at Wilden and remarked smartly, "Veronica Hastings is also the girls' legal defence. You can't go in that room without her there, so until we —or her— see them, you don't have anybody to interrogate."

•

FOUR HOURS EARLIER

Entering the church, Halle could have sworn she'd go up in flames. She wasn't the type to ever be comfortable in a church. Like Hanna had promised, Caleb was there and moved to greet her the moment he saw her. His arms found their away around her, hugging her into his chest and kissing the top of her head.

"Hey, Cheery," said Caleb softly into her hair.

Halle sighed, the closest to peaceful. "You have no idea how much I needed to hear you say that, Stalker."

"Yeah, Hanna said you've been having it rough," Caleb mentioned.

"I know we're at a wedding, but it really feels like death," Halle replied.

With sharp wit, Caleb said, "I think Hanna shares your enthusiasm."

For the first time since yesterday, Halle laughed. A bubble of laughter passed through her, and a smile etched onto her face. Halle had missed Caleb.

She hadn't wanted to let go, but Halle had to, eventually. She made her way to the pew where both Spencer and Aria were sat waiting as more guests filtered in. Halle briefly shot a faint smile up towards Hanna, who stood at the back of the church, before she took her seat next to her friends.

"Hey..." Spencer said cautiously, drawing out her greeting.

Halle rolled her eyes, no other indication to how she felt, and said, "Don't baby me, Spence. I can handle everyone else doing that, but not you guys, please."

"Good to know," Spencer replied.

"Where's Em?" asked Halle next, hoping to have someone's hand to hold or pinkie to link with.

"We don't know," Spencer replied. "Hanna said that Emily left before she did."

With the phone held up to her ear, Aria spoke to Emily's voicemail. "Em, where are you?" she asked. "We're at the church. Text me when you get this." Aria ended the call and said to the two now sat beside her, "I'm worried, you guys."

"You're not alone," said Spencer.

"Call her again," Halle insisted, and Aria went back to her phone.

Shortly after, the ceremony began. There was still no sign of Emily, and the three girls huddled together on a pew were starting to panic. Halle's right knee shook, her foot bouncing up and down so much the clicking was heard around the church. Spencer had to reach out and clamp her hand down on Halle's knee to stop it — and be able to hear the preacher's words.

Halle hated words of affirmation or love. It made her feel like a failure. She hadn't succeeded with her relationship; in fact, she made awful mess of it, and broke someone's heart in the process. Halle fooled herself into believing she could be saved by love — by Eric. But she only flirted with the idea of love. Now, as she sat listening to the teachings of marriage, Halle believed she never had any intention of being loved and loving someone in return.

"But let each one of you love one another, but not make a bond of love," spoke the Pastor, as Tom Marin and his fiancée Isabel stared lovingly at each other. "Let it be as a moving sea between the shores of your souls. Fill each other's cup, but drink not from one cup. Give one another of your bread, but eat not from the same loaf—"

Fidgeting in her seat, Halle looked up to see Hanna's confused face. Hanna mouthed over the the three, "Where's Emily?"

"I don't know," Spencer managed to mouth back.

"— Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone," continued the Pastor. "Even as the—"

"Isabel?" Hanna cut into the words. She looked physically sick as she did it, but Hanna knew it had to be done. Their freaky dolls gave them all instructions, and Hanna was following through with hers. When the couple — her father and Isabel — both glanced back at her in irritation, Hanna asked, "Can I talk to you for a moment?"

The congregation started to murmur. Hanna's interruption wasn't going down well with the wedding guests and by the look on Isabel's face, it wasn't with her either. Isabel looked to Tom Marin in pure disbelief, appalled that Hanna was pulling such a stunt. It left Hanna's father in an incredibly awkward position.

"Uh, Hanna, whatever it is, it can wait," Tom said. He tried to mask his clenched jaw with a smile.

"Um, no it can't, Dad," returned Hanna, which only caused Kate to glare at the blonde with a furious rage.

Stuck in the middle, Isabel was given no other choice but to bend to Hanna's request. The woman cleared her throat before she suggested, "Let's go into the rectory." Her heels clicked against the church floor, carrying her out of the church's chapel, with Hanna following.

In the suspense of the wedding, Spencer quickly whispered to her friends, "I think Hanna's about to need a getaway car."

"Yeah, let's go," Aria agreed quickly.

Hoping not to draw too much attention, the three stood. A few pairs of eyes were cast to the movement, Caleb's being one of them. His gaze met Halle's as they tried to escape quietly. She quickly mouthed, "sorry," before she, Aria and Spencer made a dash to the door.

A had sent Hanna a text the moment she had obliterated her father's wedding. It hadn't taken long to ruin an entire wedding. The four had gotten into Spencer's car straight after and driven straight there. It lead them to the outskirts of town, to a secluded barn in the middle of nowhere, surrounded in a mass of deeps woods. Suspecting they were going to find Dr Sullivan, they were startled to find Emily's car was already there, and then Emily passed out on the ground nearby.

"Em!" Halle was out of the car before it had even stopped. Her sense of judgement vanished. She ran over, her knees collapsing under her. "Emily!"

Emily laid unconscious a couple feet from the barn. The faint smell of carbon monoxide lingered in the air. Halle felt her pulse at the wrist while Spencer tried to get Emily to open her eyes, tapping her face repeatedly to shake her awake.

"Emily," Aria said, alarmed. "Emily."

"Em, are you okay?" asked Hanna, noticing Emily's was coming around.

"What happened?" Aria asked.

Emily looked rather hazy as she came to. Her eyes went wide, but her face lacked colour and her body stayed motionless. She whispered, "She's still alive." Sitting up with Spencer's help, Emily kept to herself, arms by her sides and eyes dazed with the most recent memory. "She was here," she said. Emily scanned the area, searching for someone — the person she had convinced herself was alive.

"Did you see Dr Sullivan?" Spencer asked.

Slowly, Emily moved her hand to her face. Her fingertips delicately traced her lips, the taste of a kiss still on them. She told her friends, "I saw Alison."

Halle retracted. Her eyes were large and questioning. She remembered how certain she was when she saw Alison — how sure she was that Alison was in the hospital room with her. But Halle was drugged up, and Alison was dead.

•

TWO HOURS LATER

Hours later, after finding Emily, the girls were sat in an interrogation room. Head hung low in her hands, Halle's head pounded. She had a raging headache. Her thoughts raced, each dark one competing with the other to blackened her brain first. Halle fought back tears, but she felt she'd only be crying for the sake of it. Tears shed out of numbness weren't ones Halle was willing to cry.

The door opened, and an officer escorted Emily inside. Like the others, her dress was ruined with mud, her skin coated in the stuff, and her hair was mess also. She had her arms folded over each other as the girls looked up at her.

"Em, are you okay?" asked Aria, concerned.

Lowly, after they were left alone, Emily told them, "I haven't said a word to anyone."

Spencer shifted nervously. She tried not to move her lips as much as she said, "They're... watching us."

"The mirror," Halle muttered, opting for the same technique as Spencer.

Emily's eyes shot to it, realising what it really was. It was a two-sided mirror where Detective Wilden was watching — listening.

Hanna then asked, "What did the doctor say?"

Sitting down in a chair next to Halle, Emily answered, "They gave me some oxygen, I'm fine."

Outside, in the main part of the station, most of the girls parents were there. The Hastings were arguing with an officer while the Montgomerys, Brewsters and Ashley Marin seemed to hang around, rattled and useless until they could see their children; Emily's parents were in Texas still, so Luisa made sure to keep them updated regularly. It seemed Nick and Luisa hadn't thought their charged response to Detective Wilden through — because now he was keeping even Veronica from them, even if she was their legal defence. All of it was to unnerve the girls in hopes they'd cave and confess.

In heated determination, Jason DiLaurentis also entered the Rosewood Police Station. He had been informed by the police that there was a new lead in his sister's chase, but the moment he heard Halle was involved, he got straight in his car and headed down to the station to clear things up

Jason knew how it'd look in a town like Rosewood, him defending Halle Brewster more fiercely than any other person, and yet every care he had about that disappeared the second he thought she was in trouble. It didn't matter what she had said or done earlier; Jason just need to make sure she was alright.

He was met by Peter Hastings before he could get to any officers. Peter Hastings charged at him and held Jason with a strong hand. "What the hell are you doing here?" he asked.

"Don't," Jason warned. He stepped out of the man's hold, shaking him off. Jason didn't even want to be touched by the man confronting him

"You need to stay away from this," said Peter.

"I think my sister would want me here," Jason replied, daring to challenge him.

"Look, this isn't just about me, all right? It's about you," Peter offered in hopes of calming the tension between them. "I did things to protect you that you don't even know about," he said seriously.

"My mother told me about the will, okay?" said Jason. "And you didn't need to do that. I didn't kill Ali," he stated firmly. He was certain of it.

"I never thought you did." Peter Hastings' tone softened as he explained, "Jason, I have watched you grow up. I've seen what you've gone through, and I was honest with you last night because I thought it would help."

Jason argued back, "No, you told me because I didn't give you a choice. Why'd you think I bought that house, huh? I knew what I'd find." He heard the man in front of him sigh, and Jason continued, "Ali was great at keeping secrets, but she was also great at punishing people with the truth." Taking a glance over Peter Hastings' shoulder, Jason saw Veronica talking with an officer. Jason's eyes were hard and focused, but his voice was calm. "Does she know?"

"No," Peter Hastings said. "And she's not going to find out tonight." He gave Jason a stern stare. "You need to go — now."

"I'm not going anywhere," said Jason. He held his ground, firmer than Mr Hastings thought he would. "I'm not leaving until I know Halle's okay."

"Halle? Why would you need to know Halle's okay?" Peter asked him. His eyes grew large in realisation, putting the two together. "Please don't tell me you're involved with her. Jason," he warned. Peter Hastings was already imagining how it would be if the police ran with the story of Alison's brother and best friend sneaking around — how Rosewood would react. "Do you know how serious this could be? I protected you both from that theory before, when the police first came asking questions," Peter claimed. "What are you even doing with her? If her parents find out—"

"I care about her," Jason cut him off. He was strong in his argument, firm yet steady. "I care about her, and I'm not leaving until I see her. Try and stop me, and we'll see how long it is until she--" Jason looked over at Veronica Hastings with a hard stare and finished his threat, "finds out the truth."

•

TWO HOURS EARLIER

"You blacked out," Spencer said. She was trying to sway Emily out of the idea that she saw Alison — that it was Alison that pulled her out the barn. "Maybe you just don't remember getting the doors open."

Admittedly, Emily was out of it. Her head was spinning, clouded with the thought of Alison and the taste of her soft lips against her. Emily remembered the feeling of her kiss, her lips on hers, and she shuddered, uncomfortable. As she turned into herself, she caught onto something. "That wasn't there before," she stated, eyes zeroed in on the shovel leant upright against the barn.

The girls moved to it curiously. Spencer picked up the shovel, holding the metal back at angle so she read what was written on it. "It's a set of latitude/longitude coordinates," she said.

YOU'LL NEED THIS.40 24' N / 75 17'8 W

Panic sparked up behind Hanna's eyes. "The text A sent me in the church said she was about to run out of air."

Aria, quiet and afraid of the answer, asked, "Did A bury Dr Sullivan alive?"

Traipsing through the wood wasn't how Halle expected her day to go. She followed her friends blindly, the dark falling over them. Halle rid herself of her heels soon after they took off. She didn't feel feel the branches splinter against her bare feet or the sharp edges of the odd rock. Halle didn't wince or even flinch; she was too determined to find her lost therapist than herself.

Spencer led the way, directing the group by her phone-maps. "Okay, I think we have to go left up here, and then it's not much farther."

"Yeah, well, 'not much farther' in these heels is like a marathon in flats," commented Aria smartly, grunting.

"Or less oxygen for Dr Sullivan," fired Halle depressingly.

Exhausted and increasingly light-headed, Emily felt faint. "I can't to it," she complained, pain written across her face.

"Here," Spencer said. She and Emily both stopped, using each other for support as they both rid themselves of their heels. Aria did the same, and Hanna was about to follow suit until her eyes plunged at the sight of Halle's shredded feet.

"Oh, my god! What did you do? Did you run a cheese-grater over them?" said Hanna, almost gagging.

When Halle cast her eyes down, she saw her bloody feet. She had walked the entire distance from the barn without her shoes. Barefoot, she had taken to the forest floor, cutting herself of branches, thorns and stones. Halle was so drained physically, she hadn't felt any of the sharp pains jolting through her feet. She hadn't even realised she cut herself.

"No, we stop, Halle can't go on," Hanna lectured strongly. "Her and Emily should stay here while we go on."

"Wait," Spencer halted her movement. She was staring down at the phone screen as she said, "It says that this is it. We're here."

The five began to look around. Hanna shone the light of her cellphone outwards, hoping for a better view into the dark.

Aria span around, confused. "Uh... There's nothing here."

"Guys," Hanna whispered. She focused the phone-light toward a spot only a couple meters away. In the ground stood a thin, yellow marker. "Could she be under there?" Hanna asked. At the sound of a text alert, her eyes shot down. Hanna gasped. "'She's still alive, bitches. Start digging.'"

"Dr Sullivan!" Emily called out.

Leaping into action, the group sprinted over the marker. Aria was the first over, going down on her knees and immediately getting to work with digging. Spencer still had the shovel and made haste of removing large chucks of ground while the other three did the same as Aria. They all panicked, breathing short and heavy as they used their hands to claw up the soil. Flinging up the dirt, they hurried to trying and save their the only adult they all truly trusted with A "There's something down there!" shouted Spencer.

All five were on their hands and knees, scavenging. They used their arms to barrel the dirt out of the hole, gasping for air as they rushed. Fear rose in Halle's throat like bile, an acid taste burning her throat. At some point, she turned away, convinced she was going to be sick. She wretched but nothing happened.

Hanna's fist collided with something, her hurrying to clean the soil out of the way. She gasped loudly. "Oh, my god! Her boots! Those are her boots!"

"Go — fast!" Halle cried. She dug her hands into the ground, throwing it back in frantic motions. She had never been so scared in her life. So close to death, and Halle was fighting for life.

They shrieked, panting as they kept on going.

"Come on!" Spencer screamed. "Dr Sullivan!"

A nose poked out from underneath, and the girls all clambered to the rescue. Aria scratched at the dirt, searching for the face. Her hand abruptly stilled, her head craned back. "What the hell?"

Buried beneath was a plain, white mask. The boots were separate, not connected to a body. There was no body to be found or saved. A helicopter whirred above them, and bright spotlight found them, glaring down from the sky. Loud chatter sounded as a series of flashlights approached, policemen running in to arrest the girls.

"They're over here!" one shouted. "This is the police. Stay where you are!"

Halle struggled to stand like the rest of the girls. Her ankles caved, making her wobble. She clung to Hanna for support, the blonde helping her up.

"A set us up!" Spencer yelled to her friends.

Aria breathed heavy. "Yeah, but for what?"

"The five of you, all get on the ground!"

•

A while later, Veronica Hastings was finally allowed in. The girls sat around one narrow table, covered head-to-toe in dried mud. Officer Maple had given Halle a pair of woolen socks from his locker after a doctor tended to her feet, but she was still denied any knowledge of what was going on outside of the interrogation room until now.

With her head held up by her hand, Hanna said, "I thought Detective Wilden was fired."

"He was suspended for his actions," Veronica explained to them, sat at the end of the table — Emily and Halle on one side, Spencer and Hanna on the other and Aria on the end. "But he's been reinstated as Chief Officer in this investigation."

"How could that happen?" asked Spencer, shocked.

"He had evidence to back up his allegations," said Veronica, causing her daughter to huff and sit back further in the chair. "And it's significant," she added, "otherwise you wouldn't be here."

Halle 's jaw locked. "I'd like to shove Detective Donkey-face's badge so far down his throat—"

"Halle," warned Veronica Hastings, immediately stopping the girl's threat. "Enough of that, it won't help you."

"Oh, believe me, Mrs Hastings, it would," Halle returned. "I'd feel a lot better."

Emily picked up her head and asked timidly, "Has anyone called my parents?" She still shook, not fully recovered.

Veronica placed a hand on-top of Emily's, reassuring the teen. "They're on their way," she told her, giving Emily at least some comfort.

The door then opened. Detective Wilden returned, now finally revealing to the girls and Spencer's mother why they were being held. "Evening, girls," he met. The man then tutted. "Halle," he said, "talk of assaulting an officer of the law."

Halle scoffed, a sarcastic smile on her face. "Careful there, detective. You know, with your habit of going through minor's bags and interrogating them without a parent, you really shouldn't be so confident with calling yourself of the law."

Detective Wilden hummed, impressed at how well she held herself. In that moment, he realised what a precise mix of her parents she was. He knew he'd wipe the cocksure attitude off her face soon enough with what charge he was about to slap on them.

Breaking up the tension, Veronica Hastings requested, "Can you get on with this, instead of taunting minors? I'd like to know why you're holding them."

"When Alison DiLaurentis was murdered, she was hit so hard, it made an indentation to her skull," Detective Wilden told them. He watched as the girls began to squirm in their chairs, unnerved by the bluntness. "I've given you guys so many chances to just be honest with me. Evidence doesn't lie," he stated. He turned back and took the now-bagged shovel from the officer stood behind him. Detective Wilden, with a firm grip, planted it down on the table in front of them all. "We've know all along what the murder weapon was." He said, "Tonight, we caught you with it."

Halle's eyes went down to the shovel — now weapon — and they watered. She realised what this meant. A wasn't just setting them up for a stunt like they did for the fashion show. A was setting them all up for murder. Alison's murder. All of Halle's thoughts filled with Jason and what he was going to think or believe. She could never lie this away.

Halle was a good liar, but she wasn't that good.

She didn't have to wait long to find out if she was. Halle had just stepped out of the station, her father's coat wrapped around her shoulders, and instantly she caught sight of Jason. His head picked up at the sound of people leaving and he stood straight, eyes firmly set on her figure. Halle felt nauseous with his gaze on her, hands beginning to shake.

"We'll talk about the thing later, okay?" said her father coolly. "Let's just go home."

"Can I have a second?" Halle asked hopefully. She gestured across the parking lot, towards Jason's car. "It's just... Alison is his sister and I'd rather him hear what happened from me than anybody else."

"Sure, go ahead. I'll go heat up the car," said Nick. He kissed his daughter's head and took off for the car while Halle made her way to Jason.

Immediately, Halle was met with his panic-stricken face. "It's okay, I'm okay," she reassured, but it was no use. Jason had closed the space between them and enveloped her in a hug. His arms brought her into his chest. Halle felt herself relax at last. She had never felt more at peace than she did when Jason was holding her. It was her favourite feeling.

Jason's arms remained around her as she lifted her head to look up at him. Their eyes locked — that old chemistry was harder to deny. They both recognised that the other cared. In that moment, Jason confessed, "I don't care what happened as long as you're alright, I'll believe you."

"You don't even know what—"

He cut her off fast. "I don't need to. I know you, Brewster, and I know what you wouldn't do."

Not knowing what to say, Halle's actions spoke for her. She shot Jason a soft smile and laid her head back on his chest, hugging him once more. Her arms had the tendency this time around to tighten. She was terrified of what this could be — if she had a good thing — but she didn't want to lose it again. As she was in his embrace, Halle realised that her heart already knew how she felt about Jason, but her brain wasn't ready to admit it.

Neither was Luisa Brewster. She watched from the steps to the station, having just exited the building. She watched her daughter hug Jason; her face was ashen. Everything stopped for her. The world had muted the second her eyes connected with the pair across the parking lot. Only then, as she saw them together, did Luisa realise her daughter had mastered the art of telling a really good lie.

The summer Alison DiLaurentis disappeared held more secrets than anyone originally thought, and it all began months before. When Jason DiLaurentis drove Halle Brewster home on Halloween night.

•