A/N: So I decided I'd give this a try since the idea just wouldn't leave my head. I'm sorry the first chapter is sort of short, I think next chapters will be longer. I apologize for the possible mistakes, English is not my first language but I try my best. I hope you enjoy it, and please if you like it, leave a review :)
Everything was just the same as she remembered; except for the house. It was once a majestic, beautiful house with a shade of antiquity. Now it was like a wrecked ship. It survived the years that have gone by, but time had certainly left its mark on it. The main window was broken. The door was in a poor condition. The entire house was an embarrassment to this street; the residents had complained about it; they wanted to tear it down at various occasions, although none of it ever came to realization, simply because the house had its owner and now the owner has returned.
As Spencer Hastings stood in front of what once used to be her house, she knew she would do anything to return to it its former glory, to make of it a home that was always supposed to be.
She closed her eyes, and it almost seemed as if nothing had changed. The wind on her face was the same; the palette of yellow and orange tones around her was indicating the arrival of autumn, as it did so many times before. The chill in the air indicated it wouldn't be so long, before autumn turned to winter. With a swift movement she wiped away a tear. There was no time for that. If she wanted to put her life back together, she'd better start right away.
"So you're really doing this?"
A beautiful blonde nodded joyfully and smiled. "I'm going to be fine, Tobes."
Hanna Marin was a 24 year old, she lived alone in a big house that she used to share with her mother. But Ashley recently got promoted and got a great job in the city, so she decided to move. Her daughter was nothing but supportive at her mother's success, however, Hanna was never one to live alone, so she decided to put a part of the house available for rental. She put an advertisement in the paper, and got an immediate response.
Her best friend, Toby Cavanaugh, was now sitting across from her, watching her with his gorgeous baby blue eyes, which were now mirroring his concern. He insisted on being present when the girl Hanna was renting to, came to check it out. He wanted to make sure it was all safe. And even though Hanna seemed annoyed, she actually loved the fact that he worried about her and looked after her, in a way being a big brother that she always wanted but never had.
No one really understood their friendship. Sometimes the two of them didn't even understand it. He was calm, down to earth, kind and hardworking. She was messy, loud and all over the place. Perhaps it worked because they balanced each other out. Perhaps it was the fact they both valued friendship above all. Perhaps it was something else. Whatever it was, it just worked, because they have been friends since they could remember.
A knock on the door woke Hanna up from daydreaming and she opened it excitedly, with Toby breathing down her neck.
Hanna smiled at the newly arrived guest, he looked at her and his world started to turn upside down. First thing he knew, was he had seen her before. In a dream maybe. Their eyes met and he just knew with absolute certainty that he had stared into those eyes before.
"Hi, I'm Spencer. I believe we talked on the phone?"
Hanna smiled and nodded. "Yes we did. Hi, I'm Hanna and this, is my friend Toby." She stared at him perplexed and poked him to help him regain the possession of his brain.
"Nice to meet you." He murmured softly. He couldn't stop thinking about where he knew her from.
After the initial hello's, they stepped on the porch and sat down at the table.
"So, what brings you here?" Hanna asked her. She liked her immediately. There was something about her that was so incredibly familiar. She hoped that she would stay for a while. Also, Hanna wasn't dumb, even though some people thought she was. She knew that Toby has not looked at any girl, the way he looked at her moments ago. He seemed completely caught up in her.
"I had family here when I was a child. I'm planning on renovating the house."
"Really? What house?" Toby asked with an almost overly inquisitive tone. Hanna looked at him incredulously, seeing as he just regained his voice after being silent.
"The Hastings house. Just down the street."
In that moment it had all come together. It was her. The girl next door. The beautiful human being that marked his childhood. He could remember her pale green dress and the ponytail she always wore. He remembered she could, at the time, climb a tree better than him; that unlike other girls, she wasn't afraid of ruining her pretty dress. A memory of sadness still lingered in his mind. A sadness of a little boy who realized that his best friend suddenly disappeared. Until this day, he never knew why; her whole family was simply gone. All those years she had a special place in his mind and if he loved her as a girl, he now admired her as a grown up woman. She grew up to be gorgeous. Of course she would.
The auburn hair was now curling up a little, and he also noticed it was shimmering in the sunlight; her eyes were dark brown, almost the shade of the coffee she was now sipping.
"You mean that old thing?" Hanna gasped with surprise. "Can it be fixed?"
"I'm counting on it. It's the only home I ever had." There was a sweet sadness in her words. She closed her eyes for a moment, thinking that the memories always came rushing in when they were the least welcome. She remember the laughter. The children playing in the backyard. The smell of brownies coming from the kitchen. Those things were so clear. Yet she still couldn't remember the rest. What happened, who was involved. She was only sure that she once had a family and it was on this street.
"What about your family?" Hanna asked politely.
"I have none." She replied. That wasn't so true to be honest, but she did tend to say that to avoid unwelcome questions, she didn't even know how to answer.
Hanna offered to show her around and Spencer nodded. She liked the house and she would certainly need a place to stay while she was renovating. She also liked her. The tall blonde seemed to be very outgoing and nice. It was her friend that intrigued her. He somehow seemed familiar, so why couldn't she just remember?
Spencer only remembered waking up in a hospital. Everything was so white. She was alone and she just wanted her mother. They told her, that her parents were gone, that her mom was never coming back. They said she had gone into a shock after acknowledging the news, that when she became aware of herself she couldn't remember anything. They said her brain sealed some of the memories because they were just too hard to live with. Repressed memories, post-traumatic stress. Terms that continued to follow her until that very day. They said that the memories might just come back over the time.
Slowly, she recuperated some of the lost ones. She remembered their old house, the soft touch of her mother's hand, a random face of a boy, she had yet to identify. But there were so many things she still didn't know. For example who was he?
She was tired of sitting around, waiting for the memories to come back, so she hoped that coming back to this street, seeing where she grew up, being surrounded by people she used to know, would help her find out what happened to her family, how she ended up in institution after institution. She wished she could repress those memories.
"Hey are you okay?"
His hand had a firm grip on her arm, as if he was supporting her. His eyes were staring into hers, watching her with concern. It was irrelevant to the moment but it occurred to her that he had the bluest eyes she had ever seen. Looking into them was like looking at the sky, or swimming in the ocean, but looking right into his eyes also terrified her to death. It felt like he could see right through her, like those baby blues could penetrate her soul and get to know her darkest secrets.
"I'm okay." She said in a tone perhaps a little bit too harsh.
"You looked pale and you didn't answer. You were like in some sort of a shock." Hanna jumped in apologetic, her eyes reflecting worry too.
"My mind just got carried away." She made a, what she hoped was, a reassuring smile. "It does that sometimes. I'm sorry, what was the question?"
"If you'd be bothered about the shared entrance? I don't cook a lot so kitchen is all yours if you want it. You have your own bathroom with a tub and a shower." Hanna explained.
"Oh that's perfectly fine. I won't be having a lot of visitors anyway." Or none for that matter.
"Oh, no boyfriend?" Hanna asked, a plan already forming in her head. She always had a great sense for matching people together and she honestly thought her friend could use some distraction from the last relationship, since that didn't end up so well.
"None for now." Spencer shook her head. "So, did I pass the test?"
"Yes. Honestly I'm really glad I got to rent it out to someone of my age. You came along on perfect timing. Oh and one more thing, Toby here can help you move in if you need any help, he's the man to go to."
Toby was mentally strangling her. But maybe having a new job wouldn't be so bad, the money would come in handy.
"I'll remember that. Actually I might need some help with renovating the house too. If you think you might be up for it?"
"Sure, give me a call okay? I have to go, but Hanna will give you my number."
"Okay. I'll give you a call."
And like that he was gone.
"Hot isn't he?" Hanna asked pretending it was a random question.
"What?" Spencer asked in confusion. "Oh, I didn't…" Or did she? Could she be a hypocrite and say she didn't notice the stone-hard abs under his shirt, or that she didn't feel the manly power in his hold?
Hanna mused, apparently satisfied with the result of her question. "Whatever you say."
"With nothing more to say, welcome to Rosewood." Hanna said and handed her the keys.
"Thank you."
The street lay ahead of her, just a bunch of houses, one next to another. It was just a town, but she suddenly got a feeling she belonged here. As if the town was waiting for her. She felt, like she was finally home.
