A/N: Have your tissues handy.


Epilogue:

Home Sweet Home

Upstate New York was beautiful. Pam's sister lived in a large house in a quiet secluded area away from suburbia. Pam had wanted to pick them up at the airport, but Emily knew the girls would want to come and they would be relentless in asking questions. They were very smart little girls. They would figure it out. Bringing them to the airport would ruin the surprise.

After they rented a car they set out on their way out to the house. Emily couldn't help but notice all the 'for sale' signs they passed on the way. It sparked an idea in her mind that simmered in her thoughts.

Alison fidgeted in the passenger's seat. She was eager to see her babies. Emily took her hand, leaving one on the wheel. The energy they shared was palpable. They were so excited to see their little ones again.

When Emily had left the girls with her mother she had hugged them very tightly, not knowing if she'd ever see them again. She hadn't wanted to let them go. She didn't trust anyone with her babies except for family. If she could have found a way to get them to Jason overseas to get them as far away from the danger as possible she would have.

Jason had called them every day since the news broke. After he heard the whole story he'd wanted to fly home to be there for them. He'd hated his father, the man who had treated him like a bastard his entire life. They hadn't spoken since he left home. But he loved his baby sister.

Alison told her brother that she would smack him upside his big dumb head if he cut his philanthropic visit to Haiti short because of her.

There wouldn't be a funeral for their father. He'd essentially already been cremated in the fire. Alison told the police she wanted nothing to do with what was left of his body. His remains belonged to the city. No one would mourn his loss.

After all the drama in Beacon Heights they needed some time to process what they'd been through. Emily had extended her leave of absence at work and Alison had decided to take time off from school to deal with the mental and emotional ramifications of what she'd gone through.

They had decided they wanted to stay in New York for a little while. Going back to Rosewood right away didn't feel right. Rosewood drudged up just as many bad memories as the fresh wounds they'd gotten in Beacon Heights.

Emily had once dreamed of getting out of Rosewood. She'd been a bird ready to fly when she was younger. After A happened she was more than ready to get away. She had gotten as far away as possible after high school, but a part of Rosewood still pumped through her veins.

After she had gone back for Charlotte's hearing all of her feelings about Alison came rushing back to her, and she couldn't stay away. She knew she couldn't leave her again.

When Alison found out she was pregnant with their children Emily remembered feeling her world coming to a complete stop. For a moment in time the shock made her feel like the only two people that existed were her and Alison.

They'd had numerous talks about what to do, but once they'd decided to have the babies they set a plan in motion for their future.

The brunette hated Rosewood. She wanted to leave and start their family somewhere new. But Alison wasn't ready to go. She had a tether keeping her there. She'd been on the run so much when she was younger that she'd started to lose a sense of where she belonged. No place ever truly felt like home. Not until she'd come back after having been missing for over a year.

She couldn't quite explain why she didn't want to leave Rosewood.

She didn't have to. Emily was willing to do anything for her girlfriend. Alison gave up a lot to have their children. Sacrificed her sanity. Her body. Her mental health.

Giving up her plans to leave was the easiest choice Emily had ever made. It was the least she could do given what Alison was doing for both of them. Even with all of the PTSD haunting her she told herself staying wouldn't be so bad. At least they would have her mother for support.

The pregnancy had been difficult on both of them. Emily woke up every morning feeling guilty for asking Alison to have the babies. Alison woke up every morning trying not to think about how she'd ended up pregnant in the first place. It took a mental toll on them.

They saw a psychologist during the duration of the pregnancy and continued going to see her after the babies were born. It took a lot of work to get into a healthy state of mind. But their children made it easier.

Their daughters made them smile every day. The good times started to outshine the bad. Emily loved watching the connection between Alison and the girls as she nursed them. The bond between them was something to behold.

Her babies meant everything to her. She felt a love in her heart like nothing she'd ever experienced before when her girls were in her arms.

They had so many good experiences. Rocking them to sleep. Their first baths. The first time Grace giggled. Lily had giggled right back. It was music to their ears. Lily's first word. It had been sissy. As in her sister Grace. Grace's first step…towards her sister. It had been so cute. Then Grace stole Lily's toy and Lily smacked her and they both started to cry.

Looking back on it was funny to them now.

Silly kitchen food fights and bubble baths and bedtime stories became the highlights of their lives. They loved it when the girls came crashing into their bedroom with their favorite toys and books and climbed into bed with them.

Rosewood had been the girls' first home. Emily and Alison were making it their own, taking back what A had stolen from them. Their lives.

Despite all the horrible things that had happened to them there, they stayed.

The terrible twos with the twins were difficult. The girls had been walking talking little maniacs getting into everything. It didn't help that Emily's mother had a major heart attack a couple of months after the girls turned two. She was in the hospital for three weeks.

Almost losing her mom made Emily realize that she didn't ever want to leave Rosewood. Staying was a necessity to her, even when Alison left. She couldn't leave her mom. It seemed impossible that she would ever leave her mother behind.

Emily remembered the first time she felt like she was truly putting down roots in her old town, not knowing at the time that there was a growing restlessness bubbling inside of Alison that only worsened as the years passed.

It came as a shock to Emily that right after the girls started preschool Alison decided she wanted to move across the country for a job.

It had taken Emily so long to come to terms with what had happened in Rosewood, and she was finally happy. It threw her for a loop that Alison wasn't. But she let her go.

She stole a glance at her wife in the seat next to her.

She was never letting her go again.

Things were changing. Her mother was doing great. They were safe. Their babies would soon be in their arms. And Emily had an idea brewing.

Alison had seemed unsettled in Rosewood. Emily now knew that the blonde had been running towards Beacon Heights in search of herself as much as she had been running from Rosewood. From her past. She didn't want to be in Rosewood anymore. She had only stayed because by that time Emily had decided she wanted to stay.

The fact that Alison had wanted to stay in New York and not go home was telling. It made Emily wonder if going back would send Alison spiraling again. Emily knew Alison better than Alison knew herself. She was stubborn to a fault. As much as the teacher didn't want to admit it, Rosewood was part of the problem. Perhaps they had outgrown their lives there.

"It's beautiful out here." Alison looked at the stretch of never-ending mountainous trees and the lakes and rivers surrounding them.

"It really is." Emily smiled. She had memories of exploring the woods with her mom and dad when she was a kid. Every time she came to visit her aunt it was an adventure. It was peaceful. Calm.

It was everything they needed.

Alison's phone buzzed and they both jumped, hearts racing, before they remembered they weren't in Rosewood or Beacon Heights anymore. There was no A. No one hiding in the dark shadows to hurt them.

Alison looked at her screen and saw a text from Mona.

Have you made it to the house yet?

"It's Mona." Alison glanced at the GPS. She looked at her phone as she typed out a response.

About twenty minutes away. Thanks for checking in. How are the kids?

"You two really bonded out there, didn't you?" Emily lifted her brow, intrigued by their new friendship.

"We talked some things out. Things that we've needed to say to one another for years." Alison said just as Mona's response came in.

They'll be fine. I'll keep them on track. They're leaning on each other.

Three little dots appeared on the screen as Mona continued typing.

Let me know when you get there. I want pictures of those sweet little faces.

Why, Mona Vanderwaal, I had no idea that you felt that way about us. She teased.

It earned her an eyeroll emoji.

I meant Lily and Grace. I want to see their smiling faces when they see their mommies.

Alison smiled. She could see those happy little smiles in her mind. For the first time in what felt like forever she was going be able to see her babies, not through a screen, but in person. She could hold them. Smell them. Hug them. Smother them with kisses.

As Emily rounded the corner she swerved and slammed on the brakes. The phone flew out of Alison's hand and down to the floorboard.

Alison's heart leaped into her chest as she instinctively reached up and grabbed the handle above the door to steady herself. She spun around to check the back seat, a habit she had any time the car veered off-course. Her first instinct was to check on her babies.

But they weren't there. She breathed a sigh of relief and turned back around. It took her a second to realize why Emily had swerved. There was a white-tailed deer standing in the middle of the road.

They marveled at the beautiful doe. She turned to look directly at them.

"She's magnificent." Alison slowly reached for her phone. She didn't want to startle her. She took several pictures.

Emily and the deer were peering at each other. It was a strange conversation without words that the brunette didn't quite understand. Like it was some kind of sign of things to come.

The doe turned away from Emily and looked back into a wooded area. After a few seconds two timid little fawns appeared. Their markings were exactly the same.

Twins.

Emily thought of Lily and Grace.

The babies walked up to their mom. Their large curious eyes darted around. The doe gave Emily another look, almost as if she was nodding to say thank you. Then she walked forward, her babies in tow until they were safely on the other side.

Emily waited a few seconds before she took her foot off the brakes, wondering what she'd just witnessed. Was it a sign?

As Emily navigated the winding roads leading to her aunt's house Alison took pictures of the scenery.

The blonde had gotten so lost in the sights that she didn't realize that they were pulling into the driveway to a small colonial style house.

"We're here." Emily shifted the gear into park.

Alison looked up from the photos she was swiping through on her phone and stared out the front windshield. The house was open and bright in the middle of a large private drive. The windows on either side of the door had the shades halfway drawn. It was the perfect blend of free and open. It was beautiful.

She knew that what was inside the house was even better.

My babies.

There was a figure sitting on a swing on the front porch. She stood up and waved.

Emily waved back at her mother. She had probably been waiting there since Emily called her from the airport to let her know they'd landed.

Pam walked down the porch steps and over to the rental. She helped them haul their luggage out of the trunk, earning a disapproving look from Emily. The brunette didn't like it when her mother over-exerted herself. But the bag she'd chosen was small and light, so Emily let it go.

They walked towards the house.

"Was the flight okay?" Pam asked, putting Alison's bags down on the porch.

"Yeah, it was fine." Emily smiled. "It's good to see you, mom." She wrapped her arms around her.

There was a time when Emily couldn't stand her mother, didn't want to be near her. Not after the way Pam had acted when she came out. But the older woman had made huge strides over the years to support her daughter in every way. Emily wasn't sure she could live without her. It was in almost losing her that she realized how much she loved her.

She thought her mom was going to die after her heart attack. She wept by her hospital bed every day. She would then have to go home and put on a brave face for her little girls, so as not to upset them.

Once the girls were asleep Emily would break down again. Sometimes she disappeared into the bathroom and sat against the edge of the tub and quietly sobbed into her hands. Sometimes she went out to her car and sat in the front seat and clutched the steering wheel angrily as she let out keening wails. Sometimes she would cry in bed. Alison would hold her as her body was wracked with uneven heaving breaths.

One time Alison found her on the bathroom floor curled up against the tile floor clutching something to her body. It was only after she pulled Emily into her arms that she realized she was holding her mother's shirt.

"It smells like her," was all Emily could say through her tears.

They'd had a really tough time after Pam's heart attack. Her recovery was long and hard, but it brought her and Emily closer than ever.

"It's good to see you, too, Emmy." She eyed the healing gash on her head.

Emily had tried to cover it the best she could, but she couldn't fool her mother. Pam scrutinized Emily's face. She reached up and ran her fingertip against the blemish. She shook her head with a sigh as she took Emily's face into the palms of her hands.

She grasped her cheeks, looking into her eyes. The entire time Emily had been away Pam had sensed that something was wrong. She held her daughter's gaze, like she was checking for new emotional scars. She sighed and dropped her hands.

"What happened out there?" She had heard the news about Beacon Heights. What she didn't know was the details surrounding Ken DiLaurentis's death. She only knew that her daughter had been in a rush to get to Oregon when she dropped the girls off and that while she was out there Ken had attacked them.

"It's a long story." Emily gave her mother a weak smile. A story she didn't feel like rehashing. "But we're okay, mom. Really."

Pam smiled, because her daughter was standing right in front of her, alive. And alive counted for a lot. Her husband had told her that once.

"Alison." Pam smiled warmly and pulled her in for a hug.

Another way in which she'd grown over the years was loving Alison as if she was her own daughter. She considered the blonde family in every way. So when she saw the cut on Alison's head she reacted the same way she had to Emily's injury. She made a 'tsk' noise and cradled the blonde's face.

She had been angry when Alison left her family. It was hard for Emily to get her to understand. But Pam still loved her daughter-in-law. She knew that the young girl was going through a lot.

"It's good to see you. I've missed you." Pam smiled.

"I've missed you, too." Alison smiled back.

"I'm so glad you're back." The older woman's fingers delicately touched her healing injury. "Are you alright?"

When Ken's body was positively identified all Pam could think was that the poor girl had no family left. She was an orphan. Of course, she had her brother, but he was often away overseas.

"I'm okay." Alison answered her question with a shy smile. "Now."

"Did you find what you were looking for out there?" There wasn't any malicious intent behind the question. Simply a mother's worry that her daughter wouldn't end up with a broken heart.

"Mom." Emily frowned, furrowing her brow.

"It's okay." Alison appreciated the question. She appreciated that Pam loved her daughter so fiercely that she would do anything to protect her. "I know that my leaving put Emily and the girls through a lot…"

"She was going through a lot, too." Emily piped in. She'd tried to explain it to her mom, but it just never made any sense to Pam.

"Em, you don't have to make excuses for me." Alison faced her mother-in-law. She was ready to own up to her mistakes. "I know you find it hard to trust that I won't run again."

She had a history of running.

"It's not just that." Pam touched her arm. "I can understand needing to find something…a part of yourself. I get that. I truly do. When Wayne…" She bit her lip at the mention of her late husband's name. "When he was overseas it was so hard. Being married takes work. There were times I would get so frustrated that he kept going back, even though it was his job. I resented him for leaving me with a child to raise on my own. And I was ashamed that I felt that way. But he was gone. And I stayed."

It wasn't a jab at Alison. It was a statement.

"I think a part of him needed to go back out there. Because we lose bits and pieces of ourselves when we go through certain things. It's easy to lose your way. Sometimes when we're searching for ourselves we get so lost that we forget we have others to guide us home. So I want you to understand something." She put her palm on Alison's arm. "You are not alone in this. You've never been alone in this. If you ever start to feel lost again I want your word that you'll stay and that you'll ask for help."

She lowered her palm and gripped Alison's hand.

"I'm only asking this because I care about you, too. You're Emily's wife. The girls' mother. And my daughter-in-law. You didn't just take our last name. You are a Fields. You are a part of this family. If you're going through something I want you to understand that you not only have Emily. You have me, too."

Alison was touched to hear it. She was afraid Pam would hate her for going out to Oregon. But the woman was standing in front of her, telling her that she loved her.

"You have my word." Alison touched the wedding band on her finger.

Pam nodded. She seemed satisfied with her response. She pulled the younger girl in for another embrace.

"I love you like a daughter, Alison. You better not ever put me through that again." She exhaled heavily.

It had never dawned on Alison that in leaving Rosewood she hadn't just left Emily and the girls behind. She'd left Pam behind, too.

"I love you, too." She curled her arms around Pam's back. "And I did find what I was looking for." She pulled back and reached for Emily's hand.

The brunette squeezed it.

The piece of her that made her whole was always Emily Fields. Her lover. Her co-parent. Her wife. A woman who would go to the ends of the earth for her. She'd left to find herself. But it was Emily who found her. Emily always found her. Alison understood that now. She would never be lost when she had the brunette by her side.

"The girls are going to lose their minds when they see you." Pam reached for front door.

"Thank you so much for looking after them." Alison grabbed her bag and followed Pam into the house. Emily walked behind them.

"Oh, it's been a treat." Pam's eyes lit up in delight as she shut the door. "They're a lot of fun. They both remind me so much of Emily at that age, in different ways. Lily is sensitive like she was. And Grace…" She shook her head and chuckled, "Oh, that Gracie…she's always into something."

"Yeah, she really is." Emily smiled. She'd turned her back on Grace for two minutes once and when she turned back around the child had slathered her entire face in peanut butter.

Pam lit up when she talked about her grandbabies. She didn't know the origin story of how her grandchildren had come into the world. They'd told her Emily donated her eggs to someone, but the original recipient ended up not needing them. Then they explained that they'd wanted to start a family together and that Alison had wanted to carry. It had pained them both to lie about the trauma. But they wanted to protect her from the truth.

"Where are they?" Emily dropped her bags and looked around. She expected to hear total chaos and the pitter patter of little feet padding against the floor.

"They're out back with your Aunt Kathleen." Pam waved for them to follow.

Alison put her stuff down and clasped her hands together in excitement. She was eager to see her daughters. She felt like she'd missed an entire lifetime.

Pam opened a sliding glass door and they walked out on to the screened in back porch. Just outside of the porch was a large fenced in backyard.

Alison could hear Lily's laughter. She could hear Grace talking.

They looked across the yard and saw Lily sitting in a swing, kicking her little legs. Grace was on the soft grass with her Great Aunt Kathleen. She was splaying her paint-splattered fingers across a large piece of paper. She picked up a sponge and doused it with blue paint.

"That's a beautiful painting, Gracie." Kathleen encouraged her.

"Thanks. I'm going to give it to my mommy the next time I see her." Grace squinted her eyes, concentrating on the picture as she dabbed the sponge against it.

Alison almost fell to her knees and burst into joyous tears.

My babies.

"Tell me you didn't buy them a swingset." Emily gawked. There had definitely not been a swingset the last time she'd visited her aunt. Her mother had really gone all out for them.

"They loved the one at the park so much. And I assume we'll be coming up for visits…"

Emily cocked an eyebrow at that. There was a needling sensation in the back of her brain.

Maybe… There was a hesitation, maybe we'll do more than just visit.

The swingset had to be another sign.

"It'll get plenty of use." Pam shrugged like it was nothing. Like she hadn't bought a large outside play area instead of a couple of Barbies.

"I'm doing it, Aunt Kathleen! Look!" Lily was trying to pump her legs.

She wasn't quite big enough to get the momentum to swing very much by herself yet. She was only four. But she was starting to get the hang of it.

"That's so good, Lily! Maybe you can show your mommies when they get back from their trip." Kathleen waved to her great niece.

The twins hadn't seen their grandmother or their mothers yet.

Grace splashed some paint and it splattered on to her shirt and into the grass. She giggled.

"Gracie, you're messy!" Lily shouted at her sister from the swing.

"Lily, come play!" Grace begged.

"Mmmm…" Lily put her index finger up to her lips, like she was thinking it over.

"Pleeeeease, Lily-pad?"

The sound of her children's voices was almost too much for Alison to bear.

"It's fun, I promise!" Grace had always been good at roping her sister into things.

Lily was debating it. Her brow creased. She looked like Emily when she was in thought.

The screen door creaked when Pam pushed it open. She walked outside.

Emily and Alison followed.

It was their little Lily who saw them first. She came to a dead stop on the swing. She cocked her head, staring at them like they were a mirage.

There was a look of utter confusion on her face. Her little brows furrowed for a minute. Then she gasped and let go of the chains on the sides of the swing. She jumped out of the seat and shrieked.

"Mommies!" She half exclaimed and half cried.

Grace whipped her head up and looked at her sister. She saw her running past her and towards their mothers.

Grace dropped the fingerpainting sponge she had in her hand and stumbled to her feet, echoing Lily's cries,

"Mommies! Mommies!"

Alison and Emily both leaned down, waiting for their children to come crashing into their arms.

Lily was running so fast that her feet came off of the ground as she leaped into Alison's waiting arms.

Grace was a hair behind her. She stumbled over her feet and fell into the grass, catching herself on her hands and knees before getting back up and dusting herself off.

Our little "Grace"ful Grace. Alison thought as she stroked the back of Lily's head. Her little girls arms were clutching her tightly.

Grace started running again, and she didn't stop until she was in Emily's arms.

Lily started to cry, tears of joy. Her words were a jumbled mess at first because she was crying so hard. But she finally started to breathe normally again.

"I missed you, mommy. I missed you so much." She snuggled against her neck, burrowing herself into Alison's body.

Alison took a breath in through her nose, taking in Lily's aroma. Berry berry bubble bath and chocolate chip cookies.

Alison couldn't stop herself from crying. She looked over to see her Gracie girl. Her messy child had her chubby little hands against Emily's cheeks, covering the brunette in paint. She was staring at the cut on her head inquisitively.

"You got a boo-boo." Her lip quivered in concern.

Lily looked over, tears streaming down her face. She didn't like that her mama was hurt.

"Just a little one." Emily kissed the tip of her nose.

If only they knew the extent of what they'd been through…

A smile washed across Grace's face. She stretched her head up until her lips were against her mommy's head, kissing the healing scar there.

"I kissed it and made it better." She smiled.

"You did." Emily nodded. "Thank you, my sweet girl."

Grace gave her mama a big kiss on the lips. Then she turned towards Alison.

"Uh oh." She pointed at the cut on Alison's head. "You have a boo-boo, too."

Lily looked up at Alison. She reached her hand up and her tiny fingers traced the cut.

"Are you and Mama going to be okay?" Lily questioned, her eyes glued to Alison's injury.

"We're going to be just fine." Alison kissed Lily's forehead.

"What happened?" Grace asked.

"It's not important, Gracie." Emily kissed her cheek.

Grace didn't push it. She looked at Alison.

"You've been gone for a very long time, Mama." Grace extended her dirty little hands towards Alison, who promptly took her and settled her on her other hip, paint be damned. "Are you going to stay for a little while?"

Alison kissed the top of her head, sniffing out her scent just as she'd done with Lily. Her aroma was different from Lily's. Grass and pine. And cinnamon. Grace loved Cinnamon Toast Crunch. It was the little things she'd missed so much.

"Sweetie…" Another kiss. "I'm going to stay forever."

I'm never letting you go again, she thought as her babies snuggled against her.

The girls burst into cheers and tears. They were so excited.

Alison wept into their hair and swayed with them in her arms. Emily wrapped her arm around the three of them. Alison leaned towards her and their lips met.

"I love you." Alison whispered into their kiss.

"I love you, too."

"You should come play with us, mommies." Grace, who had always had a knack for interrupting their special little moments, pressed her sticky hands against Alison's blouse.

"Gracie, you're getting mommy's pretty shirt dirty." Lily frowned.

"It's okay, honey." Alison couldn't care less about the mess. She had her babies in her arms.

Grace shrugged and wriggled, wanting down. Lily clung to her. Grace tugged on Alison's pants. They followed her over to the paints, where Kathleen had made room for them. She stood up and said a polite hello and then walked over to where her sister was standing. They wanted to give Emily, Alison, and the girls some time to bond.

Alison put Lily down and the little girl grabbed Emily's hand, squeezing it hard. She had missed her mommies so much.

"Come watch me swing, Mama." She pulled her towards the swingset.

Emily glanced over her shoulder and shot Alison a smile. The blonde was lowering herself on to the soft grass next to Grace.

"Like this, Mommy!" Emily could hear Grace instructing Alison as Lily climbed into the seat of her swing.

Emily walked behind her little girl. She leaned down.

"Hold on tight, Lily-pad." Emily kissed the top of her head and started pushing her.

"Higher, Mama!" Lily squealed in excitement.

Alison glanced at Emily across the yard. The sounds of Lily's laughter filled the air. Grace's dirty hands were against her pants as she babbled all about her day. The excitement. The innocence. They were the sounds of Alison's heart.

Alison looked around the big backyard, and she felt the same sentiment that Emily had felt in the car when she was looking at the doe.

Something about being there felt like home. She had never been happier than she was in that very moment.

The rest of the day the girls were glued to their sides. They climbed in bed with them that night. All of them slept soundly.

It went like that for the next several days.

They'd get up and play with their babies. They took them to the park. They drove out to Niagara Falls. They took them to see New York City. They went to Legoland and The Strong National Museum of Play to let them play cool games.

The longer they stayed the more Alison and Emily started to settle. They were comfortable. They weren't thinking about their trauma. They weren't thinking about death. They were just present, there in the moment with their babies.

On the day before they were supposed to leave they took the girls out hiking. Emily lifted Lily up on to her shoulders, letting her legs fall down against her collar bone. Lily leaned forward and wrapped her little arms around Emily's neck. She peered into the trees, looking for birds and squirrels.

Alison and Grace lingered behind, because Grace wanted to stop at every tree and bush that they passed and touch them. She was a child who loved sensory things. Alison watched as Emily and Lily sauntered ahead.

After a while they finally caught up to them. Emily had stopped at a clearing and they were staring through the trees. They were silently watching something. Alison picked Grace up and walked over towards the clearing to see what they were looking at.

Emily turned towards Alison and smiled. She put her finger up to her lip to signal for her and Grace to stay quiet. Then she smiled and pointed at a doe and two fawns grazing in the clearing.

Grace's jaw dropped and she let out an amazed little sigh. The girls watched the mama and her two babies intently.

Emily and Alison shared a look. The woods were full of deer. What was the possibility that it was the same doe and fawns they'd seen on the way into town?

Neither of them had vocalized the quiet thoughts they'd been having about how much they liked it there. But there was an unspoken exchange between them in that moment.

When they got home later that evening they ate dinner and gave the girls their baths. After the twins changed into their pajamas they came into the big bedroom where they'd all been sleeping the past week.

Alison and Emily were looking at a group chat on Alison's phone. She had sent a picture of the girls.

All four of them had written back

Mona: Give them lots of smooches from their Auntie Mona.

Ava: They are so cute!

Dylan: Okay, totally get why you had to leave. How could you stay away from that adorableness?

Caitlin: Precious. Their cheeks look very squeezable.

Alison smiled at her phone. Things were a little crazy in Beacon Heights since Taylor had stepped back into the public eye. But that wasn't Alison's problem anymore.

She had more important things to attend to.

"Mommy?" Grace had a book in her hand. She crawled up into Alison's lap as the blonde put her phone down. "Will you read us our stories?"

She held out her worn copy of Mommy, Mama, and Me. Her favorite book.

Lily crawled next to Alison and sandwiched herself between her moms. She had picked out a book as well. Say Hello. She liked hearing hello in all the different languages.

"Of course, baby." Alison smiled at the cover, two beautiful women looking lovingly at each other with their happy toddler between them.

Emily pulled Lily into her lap and tickled her, eliciting a giggle out of the little girl. She wrapped her arms around her tiny frame and kissed her head. Lily relaxed into her embrace. She had missed her Mama's hugs.

Alison opened the book and started the story,

"Mommy picks me up, up, up." She lifted the book up, up, up. "Mama pours juice in my cup." She kissed Grace's head. "Mommy gently combs my hair." She ran her fingers through Grace's hair. "Mama rocks me in her chair…"

As she continued reading she played with her tone and inflections, making Grace and Lily smile and laugh.

Emily silently watched her. She loved watching the blonde with their daughters. She was so gentle. A stark juxtaposition of who she had once been. Emily had seen her heart, even back then. She had known Alison was capable of an immense amount of love, even when the blonde didn't know it herself. She loved her more than anything in the world.

When it was Lily's turn for her story she crawled over her sister and took her place in Alison's lap. Grace turned around and dive-bombed into Emily's lap, wrapping her arms around her, hugging her tightly. Emily playfully snorted into the side of her neck and Grace hollered out a laugh. When Grace pulled back she put her little palms against Emily's cheeks, just like she'd done the day they got there.

"I love you, Mama." Grace smiled sweetly at her.

"I love you, too, sweetie." She kissed her forehead.

"Mommy?" Lily looked up at Alison. "Do you promise you and Mama will never go away again?"

The question simultaneously warmed her heart and broke it.

"I promise, Lily." She pulled her in for a hug, cupping her cheek. "Never ever again."

"Okay, good." Lily nodded. She was satisfied. She clutched her book with a smile. "Can we read my story now?"

Alison obliged, starting the story, saying hello in all different languages. She couldn't help but look at Emily and smile when she got to Bonjour.

"You and me, sweet Parree," she'd told Emily in high school. It was crazy to think about how far they'd come.

An hour later the girls were asleep in their mothers' arms. Emily snuggled Grace. Grace smiled in her sleep and nuzzled against her with a sigh. Lily was clinging to Alison like she never wanted to let go. She snored softly in her sleep.

Emily stroked Grace's head.

"Mama," she mumbled quietly in her sleep. She gripped Emily tighter.

Emily leaned down and kissed the top of her head.

"This was great, wasn't it?" Emily smiled at her wife.

"Mmmhmm." Alison leaned down to kiss Lily's soft head of hair. She took a moment to appreciate her scent. "It really was."

"Do you like it here?" Emily rubbed Grace's back.

"I do. It's quiet." Alison put her hand on the back of Lily's head.

"I've been thinking about that all week." Emily chewed on her lip. She peered into Alison's eyes. "Do you ever think about starting somewhere fresh? Just you, me, and the girls? None of the darkness, none of the bad memories? No negative connotations attached to it?"

"What are you getting at?" Alison questioned curiously.

"The entire time we've been here I haven't thought about Beacon Heights or Rosewood once. I'm sleeping better. I don't jump when we round every corner. My phone doesn't drive me crazy. I just feel…"

"At peace?" Alison finished her thought for her. She knew exactly what Emily was going to say. Because she felt the same way.

"Yeah." Emily smiled.

"I feel that way, too." Alison reached out and took Emily's hand in hers.

"Maybe it's crazy, but…what would you think about moving up here?" Emily laced her fingers into her wife's.

"It's funny you mention that." Alison nodded, her lips tight in thought. "I was thinking about it all week. And…" She paused, "…this feels right. Us. Here. It just does. I can't explain it. I thought maybe it was some kind of trauma response. To get away again, only all of us this time. But it's not about that. There's just something about it up here."

"So, what do you want to do?" Emily asked.

She wanted Alison to choose. She didn't want the blonde to make her decision based on what she wanted.

"We could sell the house in Rosewood. I talked to Jason last night when you were in the shower. The house is in my name, and he doesn't care if I sell it."

"We could make a really decent profit off of it. It's a seller's market." Emily's face was tight in thought. She looked at her daughters. "I think they'd adjust okay. They've already been here a while. We could look for a place. Get them enrolled in pre-school again. You could look at colleges out here. And it'll be easy enough for me to find a job."

"What about your mother? I know you're worried about leaving her." Alison bit her lip.

Emily sighed.

"That's going to be the hardest part. But I can't let my paranoia keep us from living our lives." And she was not going to risk losing Alison again. "She's been doing well. Her last cardiology appointment went great. And it's not like we'd never see her. She'll come to visit us since her sister is here, too. She might even come more often if it means seeing the girls."

Emily knew that all her mother wanted for her was for them to be happy.

Rosewood wasn't making them happy anymore. New York was the right move, and Pam would understand. She would support them.

"You're sure about this?" Alison wanted to make sure they were totally in it together.

"I want this with you, Alison." Emily squeezed her hand.

She could see their future as clear as day. A big house with a backyard for the girls to play in. Watching sunsets from the front porch holding her wife's hand. They could even get a dog. The girls had been begging to get a puppy.

"All I need is you." Emily carefully leaned over, making sure not to jostle Grace. She pressed a gentle kiss against Alison's lips.

The blonde smiled into the kiss.

"All I've ever needed is you." Emily whispered as she peered into Alison's teary blue eyes.

Emily would move across the world, move heaven and earth to be with her. As Alison had once read to her from Charles Dickens Great Expectations, she loved her against reason. Against promise. Against hope. Against peace. Against happiness. Against all discouragement that could be.

Something that it had taken both of them entirely too long to understand was that home wasn't a place. Home was the people you were with. They didn't care where they were as long as they were together.

Forever.


A/N: And so we've arrived at the end of another journey. I won't be long-winded here. I'll just simply say thank you for reading. I'd love to hear final thoughts in the reviews. Favorite part? How about that New York surprise? Pam and Alison? Pam and Emily? Did the reunion with the twins make you cry like it made me cry writing it?

Just FYI, I've got a dark Emison story in the works. You can follow me on twitter at ForeverW_outHim (Forever Without Him) for details. And to yell at me for putting you all through so much emotional trauma.

You have all been awesome. See ya in the next book.