AUTHOR'S NOTE: I know it's been so long since I wrote a new story, but I've been working on this idea for a while. I hope you like it and look forward to long chunky chapters and reading more about the future of the girls :)

~ 1 ~

Caleb finished pinning the hot pink banner on the window. He climbed down from the ladder and took a step back to admire his handiwork. Hanna noticed he was done. She tapped Spencer's shoulder and they ran out the door to stand next to him.

"Nice job," Spencer nudge him, "but the right side is just slightly higher than the left."

"It's a grand opening sign," Hanna scoffed. "It will only be up a few weeks."

"I'm just trying to start this business off on the right foot," came the sassy reply.

"Babe," Hanna slipped an arm around Caleb's waist and gave him a kiss, "I think it's perfect. Gives it character."

"Okay," Spencer cleared her throat. "We need to work out a few more things before you guys let your libidos take over."

"Fine," Hanna kissed Caleb's cheek. "I'll see you at home?"

"Yeah," he smiled.

Hanna watched from afar as Caleb rolled up his sleeves and strolled back to their house a few blocks away. It took Spencer clearing her throat a few more times before Hanna brought her attention back to the matter at hand.

"Okay, sorry," Hanna told her. "Let's talk shop."

"Come on," Spencer said leading them back into the newly painted office.

Hanna took a seat at her desk across from Spencer's. They didn't exactly make the most likely partnership but they had come to realize that their career goals weren't much different. After high school Hanna took off to Los Angeles and became a noted makeup artist working on a handful of films in Hollywood. Shortly after that, Hanna booked a huge job working on a television show shooting in New York. After four years and two Emmy awards, the show had reached it's final season and Hanna was headed back to finish filming the last few episodes.

Spencer hadn't found her calling quite as easily. She went to business school and got her MBA by age twenty-three. Her genius and family connections landed her an entry level position at a risk assessment firm where she worked for three years until she just couldn't handle it anymore. The intelligent stand out student from high school and college was lost in a sea of other intelligent and manipulative financial managers. She wanted to do something more with her career, something more personal.

That's where Hanna and Spencer put their minds together and came up with a brilliant plan. Using Hanna's savings and Spencer's trust fund they leased a space in the town center and founded a full service bridal boutique. Hanna heads the hair and makeup team in addition to stocking the place full of designer wedding gowns. Opposite her, Spencer handles the rest; booking the venue, caterer, florist, etc.

In the last two months while Hanna's show was on hiatus, they had managed to set up several exclusive partnerships with different vendors and they were finally ready to open their doors. The only problem was Hanna's impending return to New York. Hanna assured Spencer that should could handle all of their projects remotely and would return regularly on the weekends to stay on top of things. Not to mention, she couldn't go more than ten days without seeing Caleb and for the moment they were struggling to get through the last few months of their long distance relationship.

Spencer wasn't concerned about her partner's ability to keep up the workload. Luckily Hanna had focused all of her energies into the business during her time in Rosewood. Spencer's biggest concern was convincing herself that she could do this. Hanna was an award winning makeup artist, if this business fell through, she could always land on her reputation. Spencer didn't have a backup plan and now she had no trust fund either. The bridal boutique had to work or she'd be on the streets in three months if her calculations were right.

And that's why they were crowded around their IKEA desks, which Caleb had built, trying to work out their budget for the next month. The plan was to officially open the doors in the morning, but they had already booked three weddings through various referrals from high school friends.

"So, you'll be back for the first two weekends next months?" Spencer asked.

"Yeah," Hanna replied. "I have night shoots both of those Thursdays but I will take the train here as soon as I wake up on Friday and I should be here by six at the latest. We can run through last minute notes then."

"This is crazy," Spencer laughed. "We're, like, officially in charge."

"I know!" Hanna gushed pulling out two large shopping bags. "That's why I got us these."

"What's this?" Spencer asked pushing aside the tissue paper.

"I'm sure you already have a ton of these," Hanna explained, "but I thought we could use brand new blazers. White for you and pink for me. I even had them emboss our logo on the breast pocket."

"Hanna," Spencer laughed. "This is so like you."

"I also got a dozen more in different sizes and colors," Hanna confessed. "For when we start hiring a team."

"I should have known," Spencer smiled and hugged Hanna. Then she glanced out the window to the coffee shop across the street. "Look, I know you and Caleb probably have some great goodbye sex planned but, I was thinking maybe we can head across the street for a beer..."

"I think that's a marvelous idea," Hanna told her. "Plus, I could use a little more Emily in my life."

On that note, they got up and walked across the street to The Brew, a place where they shared dozens of coffee dates after school, and the place where Aria's mom found her second love. Hanna opened the door causing the bell to chime. Emily stood behind the register and looked up. She smiled when she saw her friends and put down her apron to come greet them.

"It's busy tonight," Hanna told her looking around.

"It's been like that," Emily explained, "ever since we got the liquor license. The extra income even helped me finish the addition on the loft."

"Yeah," Spencer raised an eyebrow. "When do we get to see that?"

"Soon," Emily told her. "It needs new paint and some furniture, but I promise, I can't wait for you guys to see it."

"Just show us when you're ready," Hanna told her, "but obviously, the sooner the better."

"Enough," Spencer said. "Can we just sit down and get a few beers?"

"Yes," Emily laughed.

She led them to a few stools near the window and popped the top off a couple of beers before laying them down.

"Hey," Spencer said only noticing the two. "Join us. Can't someone cover for you?"

"Like you said," Emily told her. "It's really busy. Another time?"

"Sure," Hanna smiled giving her a pat on the back. "Get back to work boss lady."

"You got it," Emily laughed as she skipped back to the counter and retied her apron.

Hanna took a sip of her beer and looked out the window across the street to their own boutique. Even at night with the lights off, it looked so elegant and welcoming. She envisioned years of making dreams come true.

"To the future," Hanna lifted her bottle.

"To the future," Spencer clinked hers with Hanna's.

Spencer put down her beer and almost instantly a hand reached down to grab it.

"Done with that?" came a familiar voice.

"No, I..." Spencer looked up and a smile spread across her face.

"Hey," Jason smiled giving her a hug.

"I didn't know you were in town," she told him.

"Emily gave me a job," he explained. "I've been meaning to come by and check out your new place but...you see how it gets here now."

"Yeah, you're pretty busy," Spencer replied.

"Guys," Hanna interrupted, "Since you probably have a decade of sibling rivalry to catch up, I am going to head home and see my man before I take off for six months."

"Okay," Spencer flashed her a smile. "See you in the morning?"

"Yeah," Hanna replied.

She took one last sip of her nearly full beer and then grabbed her purse before heading out into the brisk winter air toward her home and her doting boyfriend. Even though it had been years since high school and the A drama, it still made her uneasy to stroll through town alone so late at night. Even during the day she sometimes couldn't shake the feeling that she was being followed.

Hanna breathed a sigh of relief when she reached the front door of the modest three-bedroom bungalow a few blocks from the location of her new business. Hanna pulled out her key and unlocked the door before stepping into the dark house. She dropped her purse on the console table and tiptoed into the master bedroom. The room was dark save for the light on the bedside table next to Caleb.

"Hey," Hanna smiled leaning in the doorway.

"I thought you'd never come home," he told her.

"Well, I'm here now," she tiptoed toward the bed.

Caleb didn't waste any time. He put down the book he was reading and turned to face her. Hanna sandwiched his legs in between hers and lowered herself onto his lap. Caleb's hands rested on her waist and she looped her arms around his neck as she placed soft kisses across his jaw, working her way down to his chest.

"Come here," he whispered tilting her head up before pressing his lips to hers.

Without further warning, Caleb toppled back onto the bed bringing Hanna down with him. She erupted into a fit of giggles before tugging at the hem of his shirt. Caleb got the message and searched the nape of his neck for the collar before pulling it over his head and launching it across the room. Hanna laughed as she flipped them over placing Caleb on top. He slid his hands under her shirt eliciting a moan from her lips. Hanna's legs instinctively clung to either side of him as she slid herself out of her top.

Caleb peeled the shirt off and tossed it aside before bringing his lips down to the top of her breast. Hanna's hips jutted forward and she gripped the headboard above her caving at his gentle touch. Caleb's hands wandered her body, sliding up her thighs and disappearing underneath her skirt.


Hanna awoke wearing nothing but her bed sheets. Next to her Caleb lay asleep with an arm loosely tossed across her waist. She batted her eyelashes trying to adjust to the morning sun. She heard Caleb groan and she readjusted under the covers to let him know she was awake. Caleb's grip on her waist tightened and he pulled her closer to him.

"I'm gonna miss you," he whispered in her ear.

"I'll miss you more," she replied turning to face him.

"When do you have to leave?" he asked.

"I'm taking the train at three," she told him.

"Let's hang out all day," Caleb told her, "and pretend like we're in that movie with Ethan Hawk and French girl and we can just talk until your train comes."

"That's pretty romantic," Hanna smiled. "Have you been hitting Netflix while I'm gone."

"Guilty," he smirked. "I just don't like when you leave."

"Come on," she slid out of his grasp, "let's get breakfast."

She threw off the sheets and walked to the bathroom with nothing on. Caleb's mouth watered for a second until he snapped back to reality. He hopped out of the bed and slipped into the shower behind Hanna.

"Hey!" Hanna turned to him. "What are you doing in here?"

"I thought this was an invitation," he said sliding his hands down her shoulders.

"It wasn't," she told him, "but now that you're here you can shampoo my hair."

Caleb dutifully grabbed the shampoo bottle and got to work massaging it into Hanna's scalp. She pressed her hands against the wall and let out a series of loud moans emulating an orgasm. Caleb laughed at her antics before wrapping his arms around her waist and tickling her.

"Caleb!" she squealed. "Stop!"

"Got you," he laughed.

"Hey," she turned to him, "if you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem. Now get out and let me take an actual shower."

"Fine," Caleb sighed.

He backed out of the shower and grabbed a towel to dry off. Then he stepped into the guest room to use that bathroom while Hanna finished up. After coating himself with a healthy layer of shower gel, Caleb rinsed off. He shut off the faucet when he was done and dried off before heading back to the bedroom. Hanna was still in the shower, conditioning her hair no doubt, when Caleb was getting dressed. He was already wearing jeans and a raglan t-shirt when Hanna appeared in a towel.

"Wow," Caleb smirked at her, "I want to do dirty things to you."

"Too bad," Hanna shrugged. "I just got clean."

She left Caleb to his thoughts and grabbed her phone before disappearing into the closet. When she reemerged in a pair of leggings and a tunic top, Hanna had a guilty look on her face. Caleb pouted.

"What's up?" he asked.

"Spencer wants me to make an appearance at the grand opening," Hanna explained. "Can we do breakfast at The Brew and then I'll just pop in for a minute?"

"Fine," Caleb pulled her into a hug, "but you're buying."

Hanna grabbed her purse and took Caleb's hand as they strolled toward The Brew. The walk only took about ten minutes and the cafe was already bustling when they arrived. Hanna gave Emily a smile as she and Caleb grabbed a table by the stairs.

"Hey," Emily came by to take their order, "what can I get the lovebirds?"

"Coffee," Caleb groaned.

"Got it," Emily jotted it down.

"How about one omelette with everything," Hanna told her, "and an order of French toast."

"Done," Emily smiled before she scurried off to put in their order.

She hung the receipt up on the rack and turned back to the register for walk-in orders. Jason snuck up behind her with a bus tray.

"Do you want to take a break?" he asked her. "You've been on the floor since we opened."

"Uh yeah," she grabbed his arm.

Emily saw her afternoon waitress walk in and motioned for her to take over. Then she turned to Jason and bit her lip lightly.

"Can we talk upstairs?" she asked him.

"Um...sure," Jason replied following her up to the loft.

Emily shoved him into the room and locked the door behind them. She sighed deeply and rested her hands on her waist before pacing the room.

"Are you okay?" Jason asked.

"Yeah," Emily sighed, "there's just something I need to ask you."

"Okay..." he was confused.

"I'm just gonna say it," she blurted out. "I want to have a baby and the cafe is in a good place right now. The only problem, is that I need a sperm donor. That's where you come in."

"You want to have a baby with me?" he asked her.

"Well, not necessarily," she explained. "I want to have my own baby and I would like you to be the biological father. I'm not expecting a commitment, I just need..."

"Why me?" Jason cut her off.

"This might sound weird," Emily told him, "but I really loved your sister and since you guys share DNA, it's kind of the closest thing to having her back. Plus Spencer would kill me if I asked Toby."

"Did you already ask him?" Jason smirked.

"Yeah," Emily replied. "He said Spencer would kill us both if he said yes."

"Okay," Jason said finally. "I'll do it."

"Really?" Emily asked him. "You're sure?"

"Yeah," he sighed. "You're right. The DiLaurentis name should live on, and we all know that I am nowhere near settling down so..."

"Oh my gosh!" she squealed giving him a hug. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"You're welcome," he smiled. "So, how does this work?"

"We can talk about it later," she replied. "I need to get back on the floor."

"Alright," Jason laughed following her back downstairs.

Emily locked the door behind them and pocketed the key. She took her spot back behind the register with a newfound smile spread brightly across her face. Her dreams were finally going to come true, but before she could bask in the glory of motherhood, she still had to get through the rest of the day in the cafe, a feat that was made much easier when she saw Aria step in the front door.

"Hey," Aria smiled looping an arm around Jake's waist.

"Good morning," Emily smiled sweetly at them. "What can I get you?"

"Coffee for him," Aria handed her credit card over, "and I'll have a mint tea."

"Coming right up," Emily said sliding the card and handing it back. "I'll bring it right out to you."

Aria smiled and took Jake's hand leading them to one of the velvet couches in the back. She leaned against the window and draped her legs across his lap while Jake slowly massaged her calves. A few minutes later Emily arrived with their drinks and laid them down on the table.

"Here you go," Jake handed Aria her tea.

"Thanks," Aria took a sip. "It's hot."

"Isn't that the point?" he teased drinking his coffee.

"Don't get smart with me," Aria retorted.

"So," Jake squeezed her ankle, "what are we doing today?"

"I was thinking," Aria laid her hands across her belly, "we could walk through the park and maybe visit the book store."

"You and your books," he laughed.

"I know," she sighed, "but I was thinking of picking up some baby books."

"Well, in that case," Jake slid her feet off his lap, "let's get a move on it."

"Okay," Aria smiled.

Jake helped her to her feet. As she reached over to grab her tea, a dull pain stung her lower abdomen. Aria instinctively pressed a hand to it and it dissipated.

"Are you okay?" Jake asked.

"Fine," she replied one she felt back to normal. "It's just a cramp."

Jake shared his concern but Aria she quickly assuaged his fears and they headed out toward the book store. Aria stepped into the musky room and deeply inhaled. The stench of old books mixed with a hint of lavender incense filled her nostrils. Aria loved it.

"Come on," she said grabbing Jake's hand and leading him toward the parenting section.

She grabbed a rickety ladder and pushed it into place.

"Careful," Jake cautioned as she stormed up the rungs.

"I'm fine," Aria told him.

"Okay," Jake smiled.

Aria reached for the parenting book she had heard so much about and pulled it down. Then she carefully stepped back onto the ground.

"See," she held up the book, "all in one piece."

"I have an idea," he told her.

"What is it?" Aria asked.

"Surprise," came the curt response.

Aria handed the cashier the book which they paid for and then left. She stuffed the book in her purse to avoid suspicion and took Jake's hand. He led her to the park where he laid down a thin blanket that he had stuffed in his jacket pocket.

"What is this?" Aria asked.

"I thought we could talk," Jake shrugged lying down.

"You want to talk?" she laughed.

"Just sit down," Jake laughed patting the ground next to him.

"Alright," Aria sat down and rested her head back against his stomach.

"So," Jake slipped his hands through Aria's hair, "have you thought about what's going to happen when this baby comes?"

"Well, I'm due in late summer," she replied, "so I guess I'll finish out this school year and then take the next semester off."

"Have you told your boss yet?" he asked.

"No," Aria pressed her hands to her belly, "we agreed not telling anyone until our parents know. This is a small town."

"Well, when are we doing that?" he asked.

"How about next week?" she offered. "My dad will be back from Europe and we can invite your parents over."

"Okay," Jake kissed her forehead. "Let's do it."

"Alright," Aria sat up. "I'm starving."

"What are you thinking?" Jakes asked.

He got up and slipped his arms around her waist from behind. They struggled to walk together as he towered over her.

"I want a tuna sandwich," Aria said laying her hands down over his, "and I want you to make it for me."

"You're trying to domesticate me?" he teased.

"More like succeeding," she laughed.

The two stumbled home taking the long way through the park. Eventually they arrived at their brownstone and stepped inside. Jake got started making a tuna sandwich while Aria flipped through the book she had picked up earlier. Just as Jake was finishing lunch, Aria was once again struck by dull cramping in her stomach. It was gone as quickly as it had come and Aria thought nothing of it. Jake put down a plate in front of her and Aria put away her computer.

"I feel like the luckiest girl in the world," she told Jake.

"Because I made you a sandwich?" he laughed.

"No," she replied. "Because of everything."

"You're sweet," Jake smiled as they finished their lunch in silence.

When they were done, Jake cleaned the dishes and Aria grabbed her book. She took a seat on her bed and got lost in the book. When he was done cleaning, Jake knocked on the door.

"Sit down," Aria smiled.

She put her book down as Jake crawled into the bed.

"Have you learned anything yet?" he asked.

"Nothing," she teased. "I accidentally bought the book in French so now I've got to buy a book to teach me French. It will probably be a while."

"You know," Jake told her, "I took French back in high school. Maybe I can have a crack at it."

"Or," she laid down next to him, "you could just hold me."

"I like that plan," Jake replied.

Aria moved her hair to the side and got comfortable. Jake draped his arm around her waist and pressed his warm hand just below her belly button. They sat like that for what felt like forever, but also felt like no time at all. Neither said a word. The only sound Aria heard was Jake's rhythmic breathing against her ear. She smiled in his warm embrace and it wasn't long before she had dozed off.

Aria felt like she had only been asleep for a minute when she heard Jake's ringtone. They both slowly became adjusted to their surroundings and a few seconds past before she felt Jake jump up and head in the direction of his phone. She blinked her eyes awake and noticed the dull ache in her stomach was back, but this time worse than before. She pressed her hand just below her belly button trying to numb the pain but it persisted worse than ever.

"Oh no," she breathed knowing exactly what was going on. She panted heavily and finally managed to scream out, "Jake!"

"Aria?" he asked poking his head in.

His right hand held his phone which fell to the ground instantly when he saw the fear in her eyes. Jake rushed to her side and held her hands tightly in his as a single tear slid down his face. He knew then that Aria was experiencing unbearable emotional and physical pain. He just wanted to hold her and let her know everything would be all right but he didn't have that power. Jake knew that as much as he loved her, as much as he wanted to protect her, he was completely powerless against this cruel twist of fate.

I hope you've enjoyed the beginning of this story. Let me know what you think and how you feel future chapters should pan out. Thanks for reading!