DiLaurentis / Pretty Little Liars

Chapter 5

Season 3, Episode 12
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Weeks had passed since the devastating series of events that had shattered Lianna's world. She still found herself still being choked by the suffocating fog of grief. The pain of losing her parents and her unborn twins tore through her frail body, constantly replaying every night as her dreaded nightmare. Her head lay on the pillow that still lingered of Jason's scent, a reminder of the man that she left behind as Lianna and Logan drove home to Philadelphia to arrange their parents' funeral.

Condolences floated from her right ear to the left as she sat down, staring at the white caskets that held her parent's bodies during the wake. For three days until the burial, she sat motionless in front of the casket, only walking away to use the bathroom. She couldn't leave them, she knew she was the reason why they died.

After the day she was discharged from the hospital, Logan asked her who A was. Even if she wanted to tell him everything that she went and was going through, she couldn't risk putting Logan on A's radar and putting his life in danger. It happened once and she wouldn't let it happen again. Not even more so now that she wouldn't be able to at least let her parents know that she is grateful for everything they have done for her.

"Mama," A faint cry from outside her door made Lianna sniffle. Even if her own son was her only hope and light left in this world, she knew that she couldn't face being a mother yet, at least not for now.

Logan has been understanding of what his sister was going through and took care of Leo. She couldn't face her son while she is still mourning over his old dead grandparents and younger siblings... Her twins, the twins that were taken from her and Jason.

A sob left her mouth when she remembered the day she left Jason behind. The brokenness in the man's eyes was unbearable. Lianna, unable to bear the weight of her own sorrow mirrored in his eyes, left Rosewood without telling him. She just couldn't. She was a coward and she knew that.

It was already nighttime when the ringing of her phone filled her room. At first, she didn't move a muscle to see who was calling, she was afraid to see who it was because if that was Jason, she would lose herself all over again but when it rang the second time and then the third time, she picked the phone up and answered the call.

Her throat scratched, protesting that it was suddenly used after weeks of not speaking, "Hello?" Lianna managed to say. The voice on the other end was Spencer's, trembling and frantic, delivering news that sent shockwaves through Lianna's already wounded heart. Emily was in trouble, and even worse, Caleb was potentially facing danger too.

Without hesitation, Lianna, Leo, and Logan were back in Rosewood, the town that held both memories and heartbreaks. As they arrived, the scene was chaotic – police cars with flashing lights, a chorus of panicked voices, and officers working in tandem.

Lianna's eyes spotted Caleb on a stretcher, a gunshot wound on his lower abdomen that is later followed by another stretcher but this time it was covered with a yellow blanket. A sense of recognition pierced her like a blade, her breath catching in her throat as her mind struggled to comprehend what was happening before her. It was as if time folded in on itself, and she was transported back to that agonizing moment where she was drowned in grief.

The pain in her chest erupted with an intensity that could not be contained. A primal scream tore from her lips, a guttural expression of the anguish that had been building within her. "No!" The word was a desperate plea, a denial of the unbearable truth. "Caleb!" She cried out, Spencer's arms keeping her steady as her legs gave way, her body trembling with the intensity of her emotions.

A crying Hanna rushed to Lianna as they both cried, their eyes blurring as they looked at Emily being questioned by the police. A wave of guilt ran through Emily when she saw Lianna hysterically crying, after not seeing her for weeks, this is not how she wanted to see her. "Please just let me talk to my friend." She begged, her eyes tearing up as she watched Hanna and Lianna hold each other.

"Officers." Paige ran up to Emily and the officer questioned her, nodding at Emily who turned and ran to Lianna, embracing her shaking body. "I am so sorry Lianna, Hanna." She whispered, taking Hanna as well to hug both girls who were visibly worried for Caleb.

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Hours after the incident, Lianna found herself sitting and spacing out in a waiting room with the girls. Spencer walked towards them, handing Lianna and Hanna a cup of coffee which Lianna took but Hanna didn't. "Logan asked me to tell you that he'd be staying at your apartment and not to worry about Leo so you could take care of Caleb," Spencer said softly to her as she handed her the coffee. Lianna nodded, blowing on the coffee before drinking from it. The warm liquid soothed her aching throat.

"What- what happened?" Lianna asked, her voice hoarse from all the crying, and fixed her eyes on her coffee. "Why was Caleb shot, Emily?" She asked.

"I met Nate a couple of weeks back, he uhm, he told me that he was Maya's cousin but the truth is that he was Maya's stalker that she ran away from." Emily started, looking at Lianna who had an empty look on her face. The red blotches on her eyes and nose started to fade but the pain was still evident. "I-I didn't know what happened until I... I stabbed Nate and then there was a gunshot... and Caleb... Caleb was on the floor... bleeding." Emily stammered, recalling the traumatic event that happened hours earlier.

Lianna closed her eyes, cringing as Emily said the last words about Caleb. She already lost her family, she wouldn't know what would happen if she lost Caleb too. Well, she did but she couldn't accept it as her mind allowed one scenario that would involve her wearing a straight jacket, locked away in Radley.

"Lianna,"

Her eyes snapped open when she saw Emily's Mom approaching them, "Mrs. Fields." She answered back, standing up to give the woman a hug. "I heard from Emily. Condolences, honey." She muttered softly, hugging Lianna a bit tighter.

"Thank you." Lianna sniffled, pulling away to take a seat again. She felt that if she would stand any longer, her knees would just give in and she would fall to the ground. "Caleb's still in surgery." Pam informed the ladies, taking a seat beside Emily.

"How ya holdin' up?" Pam asked Emily who rubbed her hands together anxiously, "I'm fine."

"Pam Fields, please pick up the nearest courtesy phone." The intercom echoed, "Must be Dad." Emily stated to her Mom.

"No, I never reached him. He doesn't even know we're here." Pam said confusedly, shaking her head as she stood up to go to the nurses' station. Lianna held her breath as the girls' phones started to ring but hers didn't. "I must be off of that bitch's radar." She laughed dryly as she watched the girls grimace before answering their phones.

Lianna watched as their brows furrowed, "What is it?" She asked, "A distorted voice saying "Emily, I owe you one"." Aria answered and sighed, quickly putting away her phone when she saw Pam approach them again.

"That was odd. There was no one there." She stated.

From the corner of her eye, she spotted Spencer's mom walking out of the elevator with none other than, Garrett Reynolds. "Mom, he's out of jail?" Spencer asked once her Mom stopped in front of them.

"Emily, I'm so sorry you had to go through that tonight." Mrs. Hastings started, not acknowledging what her daughter just said. " But I want you to know that you helped an innocent victim."

"Because of you, Garrett Reynolds is a free man."