The Heart of Beacon Heights

Teach Your Children Well

A/N: *drops beat* Guess who's back? Back again? *hears crickets chirping, coughs, let's self out*. I'm off to hang my head in shame for 1) Being so bad about updates (though to be fair I did warn everyone they would be sporadic) and 2) Just being a complete nerd in general. Thank you to the audience still out there that hasn't given up on me.

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Chapter 6:

Teach Your Children Well

Alison's bed had felt cold since she'd moved. She had gotten so used to Emily being next to her and to her girls shoving their way between them every other night. She had forgotten what an empty bed felt like. Without Lily rolling over in her sleep and smacking her face and Grace kicking her appendix and smothering her with her bear, and without both girls mumbling and making little babbling noises in their sleep it didn't feel like home. They were constantly worming their way into their mommies' bed.

The very last weekend before Alison was set to leave for Beacon Heights was no exception. Alison and Emily had been at odds and ends, but they'd made it a point to never go to bed angry with one another. It's one of the things that made their marriage work. To reconcile differences, or put aside petty annoyances just long enough to say, "I love you".

Alison had wept in Emily's arms that night, a release of emotions...a combination of not feeling like she was good enough, not wanting to leave her family, a fear of the future, guilt for wanting to take this step for herself. She wanted it, but she felt guilty for wanting it. And Emily didn't say a word to discourage her. She just let her cry. And once it was over, Emily had pushed Alison's tear-stricken hair aside and kissed her.

"Everything will work out the way it's supposed to, Ali."

"You have every right to be mad at me..."

"Hey, I'm not. I'm not mad. I will never let my anger be stronger than my love for you."

"I'm so sorry that I insinuated I don't love our family...or if I made you feel like I felt trapped doing it. I don't..."

"I know. And I don't discredit the fact that what happened to us...to YOU...was horrible. You have every right to have conflicting emotions about it. I want you to know that I think you are the strongest woman I know. Not everyone could have done what you did."

"I made my choice. And I don't regret it." She'd slowly looked up at her. "I want you to know that had they been Archer's...I don't think I would have gone through with it. But I love you and when I found out that you were their mom...I just...I pictured you holding our child in your arms. I pictured our family. I knew our child...our CHILDREN would always be safe with you."

"They will. I would give my life for our babies. They will always be safe with me, Ali."

Alison had reached out to touch Emily's cheek.

"You and the girls are enough. I just want you to know that. You're more than enough. I love you so much."

"I know."

"Do you think they do?"

"Of course."

"What if this screws them up? What if I screw them up by taking this job?"

"Alison, plenty of children have parents who are away for work. My mom and dad managed. I don't think that screwed me up. I mean, I missed my dad. But I understood why he was away. And it made my time with him so much more precious when I got to see him. I learned from a very early age not to take my time with him for granted. And I think we're raising the girls with the right values. They're smart, they're kind, they're independent..."