Always Loved, Never Forgotten - Alternate Version

Emily's Morning

Tuesday, September 11, 2001 (5:00 a.m.)

*Dilaurentis-Fields Residence. Around 5 a.m.*

It's just before 5 a.m. in the Dilaurentis-Fields household and there is only one person awake. Emily has come back from putting the twins down for another couple of hours or so, after giving them both their early morning feedings and walks to the kitchen to get the coffee ready.

She enters the kitchen just as her phone rings. It's Alison's ringtone and she answers it eagerly.

"Hey, baby," Emily greets. Alison is in Boston on a business trip. She was scheduled to be home tomorrow, but finished up early and is flying in today. She will be home in time to surprise Jonathan at school when she picks him up.

"Hey, Em! How's everything there? The kids giving you a hard time or anything?"

"No, nothing like that. Jon was very helpful last night with the twins. He took a shower and laid his clothes out without much fuss and kept the babies entertained while I had a shower and something to eat."

"Wow! Maybe we should think about paying him more," Alison and Emily give Jon an allowance each week of $5. It has been enough until recently when Jon asked for a raise because he wants to be able to save money up to a certain amount faster.

As of now, the allowance is the only money he is getting. He does not get paid for chores since he is Emily and Alison's "helper", doing the chores side-by-side to them. He does have to pick his toys up, clean the dinner/breakfast plates from the table, make his bed every morning, lay his clothes out, pick up his dirty ones, as well as keep up with taking a shower, brushing teeth/hair by himself, etc.

For the most part, Jon is a very well-behaved 9-year-old. He does have the normal "boy" attitude but mostly keeps up with his chores, always offers to help Alison and Emily, and is wonderful with his sisters. He absolutely adores them.

"That's what I was thinking. Maybe we could discuss when you get home?"

"That sounds good. I was just wanting to call you to say that I am going to be getting on a plane soon. I'll be there around 11 a.m. or so. I'm going to come home, freshen up, and then go to pick him up for lunch?"

"That sounds good. How about I come with you. I can go in to check him out and then you can surprise him in the car?" Alison agrees to that and, after speaking for a while longer, she says she has to go because her flight is being called.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

*6 a.m.*

Around 6:15 a.m., Emily heads upstairs to wake Jon. Then, she goes to make him some oatmeal, bacon, and eggs while he gets dressed.

As she is getting everything out of the fridge and cabinet and is putting the eggs in the skillet, she hears Jon scream from upstairs. She quickly turns the stove off and runs upstairs.

She finds Jon in his room. He has his jeans and socks on, and Emily can see his shirt crumpled up on the floor in front of him. Rushing over, Emily checks her son for injuries and, not seeing any, she becomes even more concerned.

"J-bug, what's the matter? Why did you scream?" Jon doesn't say a word. Instead, he points to the TV where his eyes have yet to move from.

It is then that Emily realizes Jon is not watching cartoons like he usually does. He is watching the news. And the coverage sends chills down Emily's body as her mind fully takes in what it is showing.

**The news broadcast channel is showing the World Trade Center. One of the towers has smoke coming from it.

It appears there is more and more fire and smoke enveloping the very top of the building and as fire crews are descending on this area it-it does not appear that there's any kind of an effort up there yet. Now, remember – oh, my God...that looks like a second plane...

The rest drowns out as it dawns on Emily what exactly it is she is seeing.

The Twin Towers have been hit by two planes. She can barely comprehend it.

And, as she turns Jon away from the TV, not wanting him to see anymore, she doesn't realize yet that the plane they just witnessed hitting the South Tower, is Flight 175 out of Boston, Massachusets.

The flight that is bound for Los Angelas, California.

The one Emily is supposed to go to the airport at 11 a.m. to wait on.

The plane that Alison is on right now because she finished her business trip early and is flying home a day before she was scheduled for.

No one knows that Emily's world is about to be turned upside down.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

I know its short but I just wanted to show a bit of their morning and then finding out about the planes crashing into the World Trade Center.

I'm thinking this story will have about 5-8 chapters, but I'm not sure. Definitely not more than 10.

Please review!