Infatuation (PLL Emison AU)

Monsters

A/N: This chapter has some mega-triggering content. It was almost cut from being published entirely because parts of it cover the 3Gs (and I'm not talking old cell phone coverage): I'm talking graphic, gruesome, and gory. But ultimately it had to stay in given the nature of Emison's growing relationship. There are some pivotal moments in this chapter. Just keep in mind this one is hard to read at times, but also keep in mind that my writing is never what it seems. And don't entirely judge until the end. And I'm sorry for the trauma I cause.

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Chapter 9:

Monsters

For the next three weeks Emily had lunch at the hospital every day in between her busy days of working the SLK case and the serial rapist case. Alison always managed to carve out some time for her amidst her packed surgery schedule.

In addition to their lunches they went out to dinner several times a week, engrossing one another as they peeled back the layers of the other's foundation.

Emily was up to her neck in her case-files, but her time with Alison was important, so she found the time. At the station, Toby and Emily had been building a profile of Tim Roland and they were almost ready to set the trap for him.

Roland had been hiding since his last victim escaped, but they knew that the longer they made him wait the more eager he would be. He would get agitated. The anticipation would get to him. He would be prone to make mistakes.

Emily didn't mention the Roland case to Alison. She knew the blonde wouldn't approve of her using herself as bait. Since they'd started dating Alison's affection had turned into a tender sort of over-protectiveness.

That overprotective nature had been put on full display one day when the blonde had been bringing lunch to the station and she happened to see a criminal trying to escape.

Emily had been right on his tail. He'd spun around at the last minute and tried to grab her gun.

Alison's vision flooded in shades of red. She wanted to paint the walls with his blood. She dropped the take-out bag into a chair and a low animalistic growl built up in her throat.

Anger exploded in her chest like a dangerous firework. Darkness shrouded every shred of common sense and every ounce of self-preservation in her body as she lunged for him, ready to slam a pen into his jugular vein.

She didn't comprehend the fact that Emily already had the upper-hand in the fight. She saw the desperate man elbow her in the forehead, drawing blood. And like a shark in the water, that blood drew Alison towards them.

She didn't shout any warnings as she charged towards the fight. None of the other cops even saw her coming...except for one.

She felt a pair of large tense arms around her and her heart tightened in her chest.

Her vision flickered and she was a teenager again.

She couldn't breathe.

A flash of an older man and his large burly arms holding himself up in his bed in his boathouse.

Darren was grinning at her. She wanted to draw back and punch him, but her arms weren't moving.

Then she was seven again, unable to move when a large palm gripped her tiny little arm. Her dad's skin burned, a fiery heat against hers, like he was leaving the searing handprint on her forever.

"Let me go! You're hurting me!"

She blinked and saw a familiar face with a familiar set of furry eyebrows staring back at her.