A/N: I do not own Pretty little liars nor its characters. Please R&R.
It's lunch period, Emily, Aria and Spencer are sitting together having lunch. Hanna comes in and sits down next to Spencer with a slight frown on her face. She also looked nervous but doing her best to cover it up.
"Nice of you to join us" Spencer said to Hanna teasing her, but Hanna didn't seem to be paying attention.
Noticing Hanna's odd behaviour Aria spoke up "Han... are you okay? You're being weird."
Hanna didn't look at Aria nor did she reply. Instead she reached into her jeans pocket looking at the shiny item on her palm. She looked up across the table. Here goes nothing! She thought. "Emily..." she said it so low she doubted Emily caught that she was being addressed. She decided to try again. "Emily?" Emily gave Hanna her full attention. Spencer and Aria looked on in confusion still wondering about Hanna's weirdness. Hanna hesitates so she decides to go for safe, twisting the item in her right hand under the table. "Emily I... uh... I love you"
Emily smiled at her "I love you too Han." She blew Hanna a kiss; she smiled wider when Hanna smiled back at her.
Feeling left out Aria faces Spencer and grabs her hand "I love you Spence" she adds a wink mocking Hanna, prompting Spencer to blow her a kiss exaggeratedly. They giggle together with Emily but stop when Hanna doesn't join in. She seems to be staring at her hand.
Hanna takes a deep breath and with new found confidence she faces forward again "Emily?" her friends turn their heads and focus on Hanna again. Another deep breath, she gets up to stand in front of Emily, she pushes the table away so Emily is exposed and then gets on one knee. She holds up the ring in her hand, then looks at the stunned Emily in the eye and takes one last breath. "Emily, Will you marry me?" the silence that followed was almost deafening.
Emily couldn't find the words to reply, she just stared at Hanna trying to figure out if she was serious. But her silence was too long because Hanna got up and pocketed the ring she had out. She pulled the lunch table back into its place. Picked up her bag and pushed her chair in. "I'm going home." Hanna said facing her other two friends for the first time since she arrived.
"But it's lunch..." Aria tried saying to Hanna who had turned away from her. Spencer put her hand over hers to calm her down.
With tears in her eyes Emily finally found her voice "Hanna don't leave!" Hanna turned around and walked back to the table and looked at her friend. "I'm only 16 Han... hell! You're just 17. You're not serious right? That's not a real ring right?" she finished off in a low voice trying to hold her tears in.
"I know how old we are Em." She shrugged her shoulders and took the ring out of her pocket again. She held it out but Emily didn't reach for it, so she put it on the table. "My granddad gave it to my grandma, who gave it to me." She told her other two friends. "I had it resized and added the two stones next to the centre diamond. I thought you might like that." She paused looking at Emily but not getting any response. She turned to Spencer who had picked up the ring to examine between her fingers. "Please keep that safe until I see you again. I'm going home." She looked around the table for new objections, but when none came she turned around again and walked out of the school.
"Can I see it Spence?" Emily asked. She turned it around in her hand, and then turned the ring into the light. "It's beautiful. Really beautiful, and she's right. I do like it."
"It is very beautiful." Aria said dreamily looking at the ring in Emily's hand, and then something dawned on her. "Em I didn't know you and Hanna were together, let alone this serious that she would ask you to marry her. To which you didn't deny by the way."
"Yeah Em, how long have you two been together?" Spencer asked.
"We're not together." Emily replied quietly.
"Is she trying to get you back and show you her seriousness with the ring? She seemed upset when you didn't answer her but she wasn't angry. I think she's not giving up." Spencer voiced her observation. Aria nodded in agreement.
"No. You guys don't get it. Hanna and I have only been friends and nothing more. I've never been her girlfriend and now I'm what... her wife to be? How did I go from friend to fiancée in such a short time?" Emily said still confused.
"So you're going to say yes then?" Aria asked Emily.
"Wait up! Why did Hanna just propose to you if she's never expressed her interest in you before? I'm confused. And to make it clear, you didn't say yes so you're not her fiancée." Spencer jumped in before Aria could get her answer.
"Oh... you're right I'm not. To tell you the truth I don't know why she proposed. All she said was she loved me. You heard her yourself." Emily slipped on the ring onto her left ring finger, and admired it. "Do you think Hanna will let me keep the ring? It is intended for me after all."
"So you're saying no then?" Aria felt the need to ask, tired of being ignored.
She was still staring dreamily at the ring on her finger. "I'm not getting married Aria, I'm 16. Maybe in 5 years, and who better to marry than my..." Emily trailed off at the sudden realisation. It hit her like déjà vu. "Oh shit!" she started looking for her phone frantically in her bag.
"What?" both Spencer and Aria asked concerned. "Your what? What's wrong Em?"
Emily found her phone and dialled waiting for the line to connect. As soon as the phone was picked up Emily started speaking without waiting for the hello "I'm sorry I forgot Han." She heard sniffling on the other end "Please don't cry Hanna, I'll make this right I promise." She paused listening to Hanna calm down "where are you?"
"I'm almost home."
"Is this the same ring?"
"Yeah." Hanna replied, she could still hear tears in her voice.
"Can I come over? We could talk."
"I don't know Em, I feel like I ruined everything between us."
"Let me fix it Han. Please let me come over."
"I really don't know Em."
"Please." She listened for a reply but Hanna didn't say anything back "I love you." She paused, Hanna still silent. "I know I can fix this, let me come over."
"Okay." Hanna replied in a low voice then hung up, and then walked into her house.
Emily looked up from her phone seeing the concerned faces looking back at her she decided to start packing her stuff. "You do realise that it's midday and you are leaving as well? What is happening Em? What was that call about, what did you forget?" Aria asked.
Emily paused in her haste to leave and explained. "Hanna's grandmother gave her that ring when she turned 12. She proposed to me soon after. I was 11 then, so I said in 5 years she should ask again if she still wants to marry me and who better to marry than my best friend. I didn't realise she noted the time as well, and she remembered what I wanted on the ring. I...I have to go."
"Did that just happen?" Aria nodded. "Wow! I have to say I didn't see that coming." She paused and gave Aria her best glare. When Aria rose her eyebrows confused at what she's done "How come you haven't asked me to marry you? Hanna's done it twice already and will probably ask again for the third time in 5 years. You're wearing a fairly expensive ring right now, why have I not been given a chance at having it?" Spencer delivered her speech so convincingly Aria stared at her with her mouth open in disbelief. She looked down at the ring she'd gotten after her paternal great-grandmother had died only a year ago. After a few seconds Spencer started smiling.
"You suck Spence! I wish I had something to throw at you... that wouldn't hurt you. I really thought I messed up big time without even knowing it. I must say I can't imagine having Melissa as a Sister-in-law, though. No thanks!" They both laugh at that last dig at Melissa. "I hope Em and Han are able to work it out." Spencer nodded in agreement, both of them worried about their friends.
Emily gets to the Marin's house at lets herself in and starts looking for Hanna. She finds Hanna in the kitchen carving an apple, it's weird but she doesn't comment about it because Hanna is sad and still has puffy eyes from crying earlier. She walked to the counter grabbed the knife and apple from Hanna's hands and set them down. She hugged her from behind squeezing her hands into hers. Hanna turned around in Emily's arms and tucked her head under her chin and she felt Emily hug her tighter.
"I'm not mad at you. You know that right? I'm just upset is all." Hanna snuggles more into Emily's body rubbing her nose on her collar bone. She feels Emily nod to her question. "Last time I proposed I at least got a kiss, this time around you were so shocked...I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable Em. I was just doing what you told me to." Hanna sighed still not letting go. A long time passed before she spoke again "I love you Em."
"I love you too Han" Emily replied lovingly.
"Em?" Emily looks down at Hanna in response waiting for the pending question she sees in her friend's eyes. "Say, in another 5 years if I were to maybe ask again. Do you uh, do you think you'll say yes? Do you think if you're older you'll consider marrying me?" she shifted her eyes from Emily's and tucked her head under her chin again talking into Emily's neck "Do you even want me to keep asking or am I putting pressure on you? You are allowed to say no Em. Don't worry about sparing my feelings. I'll be ok, I promise."
"I don't really know Han. The first time it was sweet and I wanted to marry you. I do love you but you and I are just friends and I feel like maybe we'll meet other people or we'll just get divorced because we got married too young and didn't really know each other. I wouldn't mind it if you asked again, but I think it would be unfair to you to keep waiting for me without being certain that we'll end up together."
Hanna finally pulled away from Emily, and then turned around to pick up the apple and handed it to Emily. "If you'll let me I'd like to try something different."
Emily turned the apple around and read the carved out words "go on a date with me?" She looked up at her friend "You want to date me?"
"I figured that my grandma didn't mean I should propose immediately at twelve, and she gave it to me as a gift to keep or even sell if I wanted to. And I also realized that I did it backwards, so I'm hoping if I do it properly and start by asking you out, I'll have a better chance of getting a yes from you the next time I propose. So... will you go on a date with me?" Hanna finished her speech looking at Emily sincerity visible in her eyes.
Emily was quiet while she thought about the new proposal. She looked down at the ring still on her finger leading Hanna's eyes to notice it for the first time since arrived. She took it off and handed it to Hanna again, seeing the hurt look in her friend's eyes she spoke. "Yes." Hanna's face lit up again, matching her smile she continued. "I'll marry you Hanna." She stretched her left hand towards Hanna and pointed for her to slip it on her ring finger. Hanna still shocked at the response; she slowly put the ring on Emily's finger.
"Are you my fiancée now? Can I call you that?" Emily nodded still smiling. "Can I tell my grandma?"
Emily laughed "of course you can." She leaned forward and kissed Hanna less innocently than their kiss five years ago. "Now you can call her." She said to a flustered Hanna who still couldn't believe her eyes and ears, waiting for Emily to say she's joking.
She pulled out her phone from her pocket and snapped a picture sending it to her grandmother immediately, and then dialled her number. "She said yes! Can you believe it gran? she said yes. And she kissed me again. She said yes!" Hanna didn't let her grandmother speak; she was laughing on the other end and congratulated her. Emily was also laughing at Hanna jumping around her kitchen. She had never seen her friend so happy. After she hung up she launched herself at Emily trying to lift her up without success. Emily decided to lift her up, and let her cling on her like a baby koala. "I'm very happy Em." They stayed in their position for a while just happy to be so close. "Do you want ice cream? We are celebrating!" Emily steadied her new fiancée in her arms and kissed her again before putting her down so they could get to the freezer.
They had three tubs out and scooped out large amounts into a big mixing bowl and settled down. Emily fed Hanna a spoonful "I'm also happy. I love my ring too, you knew just what I wanted." Emily said with a smile matched by Hanna's. They enjoyed their bubble of happiness having more ice cream and laughing together through brain freeze and working slowly towards a sugar coma.
Ashley Marin walked into her house that afternoon to a quiet house, almost too quiet for her liking. She walked into her kitchen and was met with a mess of empty cartons and tubs, some spilt cereal, dirty spoons and dried syrup on her counter. The cars outside having confirmed it for her, she knew it was Hanna and Emily. The girls apart were sweethearts, especially Emily but together they were a pain in Ashley's behind. She walked out of the kitchen looking for the girls. She found them in the living room fast asleep on the couch, Hanna looking comfortable in Emily's arms with her head resting on her best friend's chest, and their legs entangled. She took a picture muttering to herself "Little devils!" She left to go change out of her work clothes.
She was scrolling through the pictures on her phone and landed on the most recent one on her way down and for the first time noticed the ring on Emily's finger. She looked closely and recognised it as the ring Hanna had been carrying around for the last few days after having it altered. She tried to recall why her daughter had the ring out again but kept drawing a blank because Hanna never explained why. Then it hit her; what Hanna always talked about when she first got the ring. Marrying Emily! "Wake up! Hanna Marin and Emily fields wake up now!"
The two girls were startled out of their slumber, Hanna almost falling off of the couch, Emily catching her before she landed on the floor but Hanna was too low so they both fell and landed on the floor with Hanna breaking Emily's fall. "Shit! What just happened?" Hanna groaned underneath her best friend's body.
"Oh Han... I'm sorry I landed on you. Ow, why did we have so much ice cream?" Emily groaned rubbing her stomach trying to get off the floor. Neither girl noticing a fuming Ashley hovering over them.
"Celebrating your engagement." The new voice shocked both girls who got up off the floor faster than their bodies would allow in their state. "What the hell are you thinking? Marriage, really? You're just kids." Ashley was still fuming.
"Grandma's happy for us." Hanna said in a low voice avoiding her mother's eyes.
"Did your grandmother tell you to find a wife at 17? Hanna make me understand this."
"Uh...uh no. She said that I should have the ring because I'm her only granddaughter." Seeing the unsatisfied look in her mother's eyes she kept on talking. "It's an engagement ring mom, it means I have to give it to someone I love. Someone who loves me and appreciates it." She was not convincing at all. "It's a ring for a girl, so I... found a wife."
"That's your reason?" Ashley asked incredulously. Her daughter must've lost her mind. "And what made you say yes this time around Emily? What happened to waiting another 5 years?"
"She asked me out?" Emily said shyly not sounding sure. Ashley prompted her for more "She asked me on a date. And I really love the ring, and I want to keep it."
Ashley couldn't believe her ears, these two devils were wearing her patience thin. "Does Pam know about this? " Both girls shook their heads. "Go clean my kitchen now before I strangle either of you. I'm going to give my dear old mother a piece of my mind." Both girls were still standing at a loss for words. "Are you waiting for me to call Pam Fields? We all know she will rip both your heads off!" with that they both ran into the kitchen to start cleaning up. "You have five minutes. Move it!"