25 - Bonjour, Paris

A/N: my French sucks, so there's a dictionary at the end if you need translation for the phrases in French that appear in this chapter.

It was early afternoon the next day when the plane arrived to Paris. The group made their way out of the plane, excitedly breathed the fresh air of Paris, and went inside the grand airport. They placed their luggage on the floor and looked at each other.

"We made it to Paris, guys," Toby called out as he wrapped his arm around Spencer's shoulders.

Hanna squeaked and kissed Caleb's cheek zealously, much to his pleasant surprise. She parted away from him tentatively, wearing a confused expression. "What now?" she asked.

"Hotel, Han, I told you." Spencer reminded her.

"Hold on, I told Noel I would call him the second we landed," Alison stated, pulling out her phone.

"Wait, isn't calling from here super expensive?" Aria asked cautiously.

"Harris said he made sure we all have unlimited calls, texts and internet, because the budget from the club is paying for it all," Ezra reminded them.

"Yeah, and Emily extensively tried to argue with him about that," Alison pointing out, staring intently at Emily.

"I didn't want him to pay for everything, I mean, who knows how many calls we'll be making from here? And hey, I ended up agreeing and saying yes," Emily defended.

"Yeah, you agreed because I forced you to. If it were up to you, we would have to sing on the street to get money to pay for our calls," Alison laughed. "You're just too good of a person, Em," the blonde shook her head in amusement.

"Would you two just shut up and call Noel? I haven't eaten anything in the past eight hours and I'm cranky," Hanna chimed in.

"What about the food they served on the plane?" Spencer asked.

"Did you want me to puke all over Caleb? I can't eat airplane food, remember?" Hanna evoked.

"Han, chill out," Aria mumbled.

"I'll chill when I'm sleeping, Ar."

Alison rolled her eyes at Hanna for a moment. The girl really was cranky, but Alison kind of felt for her. She picked up her phone and saw that Noel had sent her several texts in the past few minutes.

Noel 😈: Has the plane landed yet? Mona and I are waiting for that video chat before we head out to a date.

Noel 😈: By the way, do you still have that devil emoji next to my name on your phone?

Noel 😈: Seriously, take that off, it's getting ridiculous.

She laughed to herself at the texts and turned back to the group.

"He's with Mona. They want us to video chat," she said and opened the video chat app.

The group gathered around Alison's phone and the blonde tapped on her screen a few times, holding the phone up so everyone could be in the frame. The screen was black for a few seconds before suddenly, Noel and Mona appeared on it. They were in what Alison recognized as the kitchen at Noel's house.

"Hey!" Mona and Noel greeted overzealously in unison.

"Hi," Alison replied tiredly. She was so damn tired and jet-lagged from the flight, she could barely hold the phone up any longer. All she wanted to do is curl up with Emily in their five-star hotel room.

"How are you liking Paris?" Noel asked, taking a bite of a red apple.

"We've been here for a total of what, four seconds?" Hanna asked with a raised eyebrow. Everyone grimaced at exactly how irritable and annoyed Hanna got when she was jetlagged and hungry. They tried their best to act gingerly around her.

"Still, it's pretty great," Emily smiled amendingly, not taking her eyes off Alison. She seemed to be the only one who could keep her eyes open.

"It is, isn't it?" Alison remarked in return, smiling softly at the girl.

"Would you guys stop with your fluffiness? I'm nauseated enough from the flight," Hanna pulled an odd look their way, but they knew she was an avid fan of their relationship so they didn't take anything she said to heart.

"Jealous?" Alison asked playfully.

"Of Emily? Not a chance. Of you maybe," Hanna said and winked at Emily jokingly, making Emily blush at the compliment and Alison narrow her eyes defiantly.

"Guys?" Mona asked hesitantly through the phone.

"Yeah, sorry," Alison shook her head and turned back to her phone.

"So, we have a surprise for you," Mona said suddenly, her voice turning eager.

"A surprise?" Ezra asked cautiously.

"Yeah! Remember when I told you about my friend, Cece?" Mona asked.

The group nodded in unison, some mumbling agreements, prompting her to continue.

"Well, she lives in Paris and she's super rich. I mean, I know her because our families are friends, but she went out and really made a name for herself in Paris with her boutique shops that she opened up after college. I told her you were coming there and she offered to give you guys a ride to your hotel in her limousine," Mona explained enthusiastically.

Hanna perked up from Caleb's shoulder. "A limo?!" she shouted wide-eyed, suddenly feeling anything but tired.

"She sent a driver. He's holding a card with Alison's last name on it, so look for it," Mona informed.

Emily looked around the airport's welcoming area, searching for the driver that was supposedly theirs. Toby did the same, nudging Emily on the arm as he spotted the man wearing the chauffer hat and holding a sign that stated Alison's uncommon last name.

"Thank you, Mona," Alison said genuinely, noticing how happy it made the members of their group.

"Of course," Mona replied with her usual adoring smile towards Alison. It was silent for a few seconds, before she took a small breath. "That's what friends are for," she said quietly, but loud enough for the blonde to hear.

Alison had never in a million years thought she would consider Mona a friend, but seeing that the girl genuinely tried her hardest to make Alison like her, she sighed, thinking, why the hell not?

"Yeah, you're right," Alison flashed her a warm smile and Mona smiled back, feeling confident about her new friendship.

"Well, you're probably all really tired and jetlagged, so we'll leave you to it." Noel said in finality.

"Yeah, we all just wanna sleep," Aria said with a lazy laugh.

Mona and Noel chuckled. "Alright, talk to you all later," he said.

"Bye!" the group said back in unison and waved, starting to gather their luggage.

"Oh, and Ali?" Noel said just as Alison was about to close the video chat. The blonde looked up at him expectantly. "Keep us updated?"

"Sure," Alison smiled genially at him.

She closed the chat and they grabbed their bags, heading towards Cece's driver.

He looked at them strangely as they approached. "DiLaurentis?" he inquired in a heavy French accent.

"That's me," Alison confirmed. He looked at her for a second, not understanding her English, and she hesitated before remembering she was in Paris. "Oh, ç'est moi," she corrected suddenly, even pulling out her passport to confirm to the man that Alison DiLaurentis was, indeed, her.

Emily looked at her with an amused smile and Alison gave her a playful roll of eyes, not appreciating the girl laughing at her expense. The wheels in Emily's head started turning as she reminisced back to the day when the two of them were supposed to be studying for their French test in the classroom, long before they were even dating. Alison hadn't even had the intention of studying, though. Instead, she had spread out postcards on the table and talked to Emily, and yet, she had still gotten an A+ on that very test. Alison was the top of their class in French, the blonde was good at it without even trying.

Emily visibly relaxed when she realized Alison could do all of the talking for her, since she wasn't very good in French herself. At the time, she had only taken the class to be with Alison in it.

"Grand," the driver announced happily. He started walking away and gestured the group to follow him, even helping Aria with her hefty bag. They obligated, carrying their suitcases and bags in the direction of the busy airport parking lot.

They arrived to the shiny black limousine, climbing inside in awe.

"Wow," Aria breathed out in amazement as she ran her finger on the leather seats.

"This is so cool!" Hanna gushed, not nearly as cranky anymore.

"It's actually not as special as I thought it would be," Spencer offered calmly as they settled in.

"You're welcome to leave," Alison said flatly. She mentally winced while listening to her own words. She'd meant for it to come out playful but it came across as colder and dryer than she'd imagined.

"Ali, relax," Emily tried, placing a comforting hand on Alison's thigh.

Alison's expression softened, "I'm sorry, Spence. But come on, we're in a limo! How can you not be freaking out?"

Spencer merely shrugged, "I mean, it's definitely a pleasant change from a regular car, but the I-don't-know-how-many time you're in a limo isn't as special as the first time."

Hanna choked on her breath, "What?!"

"Yeah, my parents used to rent a limousine for us whenever we would go to family events," Spencer answered plainly, genuinely not understanding what the big deal was.

"What kind of family events did you go to? The most exciting one I've ever been to was my dad's engagement party, and that's only because someone threw up on Isabelle's dress," Hanna cackled as she thought back to the events of that night.

"Wait, I thought that was you-" Hanna stopped Emily's honest statement by clamping a hand over her mouth.

Everyone looked at Hanna in stranged amusement but eventually brushed it off as one of the bubbly blonde's random moments.

"I guess I get it, Spence. I was in a limo once too," Alison revealed. "With Jason, actually. My parents forced us to 'spend quality time together'," she air-quoted, "and we went to some concert. They ordered a limo for us and everyone at the place thought we were famous when we pulled up."

"Okay, your childhood memories are so much better than mine," Caleb laughed but there was a woeful undertone to his words. They were all aware of the fact that Caleb lived in a foster home for many years. He seemed to have gotten over it, but they could recognize that it still hurt him every once in a while, especially in moments like these.

Hanna grabbed his hand sympathetically and gave him a small smile. "Well, now it's time to make new ones," she said calmly to him. They all smiled encouragingly at him, making him return the gesture.

The car finally exited the busy parking lot and they were soon out on the highway. They looked out the window and were blessed with views of Paris. They passed through many streets and main roads, heading towards their hotel. They enthusiastically pointed out to several landmarks and rushed to take out their phones and cameras for documentation, much to the amusement of their driver.

It took about forty-five minutes to reach their destination and the driver waved them goodbye as they exited the car, thanking him and unloading the trunk. It was already dark outside when they stepped into the fancy hotel and headed towards the reception desk.

Almost none of them knew how to speak fluent French, and they volunteered Alison to talk to the lady at the desk, even though they could probably speak English with her and she'd still understand them.

Spencer was good at speaking French as well, her average was higher than the vast majority of students when it came to French, after all, but the tall brunette was walking sleepily and barely keeping it together, courtesy to the fact that she hadn't had a cup of coffee in the past five hours, which was unusual for her. She definitely couldn't speak to the receptionist while being like that.

"I guess the idea of traveling on our first day is crossed off the list," Aria thought out loud, receiving tired groans in response she watched her friends try their hardest to stay awake.

"Bonjour," Alison greeted politely as she crossed her arms on the front counter. Meanwhile, the group took a seat on one of the long leather couches in the reception hall.

The lady picked her head up and smiled amicabilly at the blonde. "Bonjour, Miss, comment puis-je vous aider?"

"Quatre chambres pour DiLaurentis?" Alison asked for their four rooms, knowing they were to be registered under her name.

"Un moment," the lady replied agreeably to Alison. She gazed at her computer and typed something, scanning the screen before looking back up at the girl. "Oui, il est là. J'ai juste besoin de vos coordonnées."

Alison gave the woman her details as she asked and the lady slid against the counter four small envelopes that contained card keys. The blonde thanked and retrieved the envelopes to the group.

"Here," she handed three keys to Spencer and Toby, Hanna and Caleb, and Aria and Ezra. She grabbed Emily by the hand and led her over to the elevator, both of them carrying their luggage.

The four rooms were all scattered around the long, fancy, luxurious hall. Four separate five-star hotel suites were definitely a good touch, Alison mused.

She and Emily said goodbye to their friends for the time being, approaching their own door and unlocking it, then stepping inside in anticipation.

"Oh, my God," Emily breathed out, her eyes widening.

Saying the room was relatively huge, was the understatement of the year. It was bigger than the guys' entire apartment, and everything in it was designed to perfection;

In the middle of one of the three open-concept rooms that completed the hotel "room", was a queen-sized bed with an Eiffel Tower duvet, and lots of pillows. That bed reminded Emily of Alison's because of the Eiffel Tower setting, only a bigger version of it. In front of it, stood a large TV screen and right next to it was the entrance to a lavish-looking bathroom. The other room was occupied by a lounge with leather couches, right next to a smaller, yet fully equipped kitchen.

Emily walked past the lounge area and neared two glass doors. She pushed them open and found herself standing on a small balcony, the Eiffel Tower shining still in front of her. The whole room looked like it belonged in a French castle, making it a real 'pinch-me' moment for her.

Alison soon joined Emily on the secluded balcony as they both enjoyed the nightly breeze and stared at their favorite French landmark. Emily felt Alison gaping in wonder next to her and reached out to grab her hand softly. Alison turned to the girl, smiling at her dreamily and appreciating the way the light from the tower illuminated Emily's face perfectly. Turning back to look at the famous tower, she peacefully rested her head on the brunette's shoulder and let out a sigh in contentment.

This was definitely the only place in the world she wanted to be in at that moment.

XXXXX

"Em, come to bed," Alison grumbled from under the covers.

"One second, Ali, I'm organizing everything in the bathroom," Emily replied in a slightly apologetic tone.

"We can do that tomorrow, Em, I'm so freaking tired," Alison whined childishly, picking up her head to look at her responsible girlfriend.

Emily was done unpacking their suitcases and was now merely making sure that their toothbrushes were by the sink, the shampoos and conditioners were inside the bathtub, and that the toilet paper was in place, as well all their other beauty products and make-up. She knew she could've very much done that in the morning, and she was very tempted to crawl back into the bed with Alison, but she also knew they would be so wiped-out in the morning that she would thank herself later for organizing everything ahead.

This was one of those moments where she could clearly see how much she was Pam Field's daughter.

"Go to sleep then," Emily suggested as she placed towels in a cabinet next to the tub.

"You know I'm not going to be able to fall asleep without you, Em," Alison admitted and pouted cutely. "All alone in a foreign country," the blonde added playfully.

Emily lifted her head and chuckled gently at the ridiculous girl. She looked down when she felt blush spreading evenly on her cheeks, and then dropped whatever she was doing, walking back to the bed.

'Screw organization,' Emily thought. 'I have the perfect girl waiting for me.'

XXXXX

In the morning, Alison convinced Emily to order room service for the two of them since she was too tired to do so herself, and the brunette hesitantly called the reception table. Just as they picked up, she handed the phone quickly to the blonde, earning a narrow-eyed glare from the sleepy girl.

"Bonjour," Alison greeted, trying to disguise her tired voice, giving her girlfriend an unamused glare for making her talk to people in the morning. "Je voudrais commander le petit déjeuner," she requested, wondering what to order for said breakfast.

"Bien sûr, Mademoiselle, que voulez-vous manger?" a deep voice on the other end asked the same thing she had just wondered to herself.

Alison glanced at Emily for a second who just shrugged in response. The blonde would've rolled her eyes if she didn't find the sleepy girl next to her to be completely adorable.

"Miss?" the man called again, making Alison finally snap her gaze from Emily.

"Oui, désolé, puis-je avoir deux croissants et deux cafés?" Alison apologized and ordered. The man wrote down her order, and not nearly fifteen minutes later, when the girls were dressed and groomed, someone knocked on the door. Emily stood up to get it and a man in a respectable suit walked in, pushing a trolley with two plates covered by metal lids and two mugs next to a coffee pitcher. The girls thanked him and Alison gave him a tip, taking some change from her purse. She was grateful for the fact that they'd exchanged dollars to euros before they got on the plane to France.

The man exited and they took a seat in front of each other at the small round table they had in their balcony.

"Em, before we eat," Alison paused, making Emily place the croissant back on the plate and gaze at her expectantly. "I just wanted to say, this has been a dream of mine ever since we first spoke about visiting France in that classroom. Eating croissants for breakfast in a fancy hotel with the view of the Eiffel Tower... it just almost feels too unreal to be true, that's all. If this is a dream, I'd hate to wake up from it."

Emily grabbed Alison's hand and rubbed her thumb on the top of it. "That makes the two of us, Ali. I've wanted this for so long, longer than I think I've ever realized. I honestly feel like we're in some... movie or something," Emily laughed lightly and Alison grinned, showing off her dimples. "This is perfect," Emily said seriously. She grew shy as she added, "You are perfect."

Alison blushed in return, and was about to reply something when a knock was heard at the door. The blonde stood up curiously and walked over to the door, finding a grinning Hanna, finally at peace after her long night's sleep.

"Morning, Han," Alison said to her, slightly irritated that she interrupted her moment with Emily.

"Do I smell croissants?" Hanna stepped without permission into the room, walking straight to the balcony as though she was directed by the delicious smell.

"Why does she always do that?" Alison mumbled to herself, shaking her head in amusement.

"Han, that's mine!" Alison heard Emily's voice coming from the balcony. She giggled as she walked outside, watching Hanna sit back grumpily on the chair across from Emily as the brunette shot daggers at her.

"What now?" Alison teased.

"She tried to steal my croissant," Emily complained. Hanna smirked devilishly at her and the brunette stuck her tongue out at her.

"Great. You're stealing our food and I'm in love with a five-year-old," Alison commented sarcastically. They heard the door open again, and this time, it was Caleb who stepped through it.

"Morning, guys," he greeted.

"Morning," Alison answered back with a small smile.

"Hanna, the food's here," he grabbed his girlfriend's hand. "Is she out here stealing your food?"

"Yes," Emily remarked with an eye roll, at the same time Hanna defensively said, "No."

Alison and Caleb shared an amused laugh at their childish partners, before he tugged on Hanna's hand, saying, "Come on."

"Fine. Later, guys," Hanna stood up, kissing Caleb on the cheek and walking out of the room, blowing a playful kiss at Emily who just glared at her.

They heard the door close and Alison took her seat back in front of Emily with an audible huff.

"So, where were we?"

___________________________

French-English dictionary:

1. Bonjour = hello

2. ç'est moi = It's me

3. Grand = great

4. Bonjour miss, comment puis-je vous aider? = hello miss, how can I help you?

5. Quatre chambres pour DiLaurentis? = four rooms for DiLaurentis?

6. Un moment= one moment

7. Oui, il est là. J'ai juste besoin de vos coordonnées = yes, it is here. I just need your details.

8. je voudrais commander le petit déjeuner = I would like to order breakfast

9. Bien sûr, Mademoiselle, que voulez-vous manger? = Of course, Mademoiselle, what do you want to eat?

10. Oui, désolé, puis-je avoir deux croissants et deux cafés?= Yes, sorry, can I have two croissants and two coffees?