A/N: Not gonna lie guys, I thought of SO many variations for this, I debated writing them all but I figured there's only so many times you'd want to read the same bits over and over :')
Much like the other oneshot, the beginning of this is from Hold On, this is an alternate for it…again! Hope you like it!
Hanna had been sitting with her back to the wall, head on her knees, arms wrapped around them, trying to stay awake. She didn't want to fall asleep…didn't feel comfortable sleeping in this strange place, unable to see any incoming attacks. The more she'd sat here, the more she'd felt like she was back in the dollhouse, as much as she tried to fight it…it was getting to her. The dark. Being locked in. Trapped.
She was cold, she was tired and her stomach felt like it was eating itself. She'd do anything for a sip of water, her throat was parched. She didn't know what time it was…what day it was…how long had she even been there? She was losing track of time…losing focus. She felt something hit her foot…something cold and….wet? Great, now the place is flooding so I can sit in water for God knows how long. She hurriedly scrambled to her feet, backing away from the water and in to the wall behind her. She tried to peer through the darkness. To see where the water was coming from but she couldn't see a damn thing.
"Caleb? Mona? Aria?" Silence. "Spencer? Emily?" More silence.
The hope that had briefly built crashed down. It wasn't her friends. If it was they would have answered her, would have comforted her. Not kept quiet and continued to freak her out. Suddenly a cold blast of water hit her, she couldn't get away from it, no matter which way she moved, how much she curled over the water kept hitting her, arms, legs, stomach, face, she managed to swallow some, enough to wet her throat so she could cry out. "Stop…please stop….please….stop..please" but the water kept coming. She'd been cold before but now she felt like she'd never be warm again. The torrent of water hit her with force, stinging. Eventually it stopped. She couldn't understand what the purpose was. She'd already been cold…did this person want her to freeze to death? Catch hypothermia? Surely there where easier ways. Or maybe the person was trying to clean her up. She touched her face..couldn't feel the blood that had been by the side of her mouth. Maybe she was about to be returned to her friends…maybe…maybe that's what this is about. So she didn't look like she'd been mistreated. She knew it was a long shot. She frantically swiped at her eyes, trying to get rid of the water so she could try and see, it was then that she heard a strange sound, almost like a whine like…like the noise that sounded when the electricity had turned on back at the dollhouse…when they where running towards the fence. But there was nothing electrical in here…unless…unless they'd brought something with them….
She had the impression of darkness shifting in front of her, someone coming towards her, she tried to press herself back in to the wall, heard the electrical sound coming closer, she had no idea what was about to happen but she didn't think it was going to be pleasant.
"No…please….no….no…no please" She started to beg, but was cut off when she felt a sharp pain hit her in the side. It hurt. It hurt a lot. She couldn't even begin to describe the pain and before she'd recovered she felt another shock. Because that's what it was she realised, whoever it was…they where using something on her..something to shock her. She looked down at the thing as it came at her for another shock, fighting through the pain to focus on it..she'd seen something like it before but she couldn't think what it was called. If Spencer where here…she would know. She'd be able to tell her. The shocks kept coming, arms, side, stomach, thighs, back, she couldn't get away, whichever way she moved it was there….pain lancing through her as it connected with her wet skin.
She thought she heard….her….she thought….If I finish that thought I'm gonna be sick. She cried out again and again begging the person to stop. Tears falling fast down her fast. "Please…stop…STOP PLEASE. PLEASE. STOP. PLEASE….PLEASE" Hanna cried and screamed but it didn't stop. She wanted Caleb, wanted him so badly to come rushing in to that barn and save her. Take her home. Wrap her in his arms and comfort her. But he wasn't there. He probably had no idea where she was otherwise he'd be here already. She had never wanted Caleb as much as she wanted him then. His comfort. His protection his sense of safety. The pain kept coming. She couldn't move, but she tried, weakly trying to dodge but never being fast enough. She could barely cry out. "Please….please….I didn't kill Charlotte, it wasn't me I swear…it wasn't me…it wasn't….I was at the hotel…it wasn't me…please, you have to believe me….it wasn't me, please stop it wasn't me. I swear…I swear it wasn't me" she repeated over and over, voice getting weaker and weaker and then it stopped. No more pain. She slumped down to the floor, the wall of the barn the only thing keeping her upright. She couldn't move. Could barely even think. She just sat there. She guessed they'd left. But she had no idea. They could be sitting there…watching her suffer.
Everything was fuzzy. She felt like she might pass out and she must have because the next thing she knew she was being prodded awake with that metal, pronged thing. She blearily opened her eyes. She couldn't see the person but she knew they where there. He, she, it spoke. The voice was disguised. Had to be. It questioned her, asking her about Charlotte again and again. "When did you last see her last?" "Where were you when she was killed?" "How did she die?" "What was she wearing when she died?" She answered the questions as best as she could, through the fog in her head. "The hearing" "The Radley" "I don't know…she was pushed or she jumped or…or I don't know" "I don't know. I didn't kill her I swear it wasn't me…I just….I just…..I was trying to get you to leave my friends alone, I just wanted you to leave them alone. I don't know" Hanna cried. There was silence. She wondered if the person was mulling it over…thinking it through. She wondered if they believed her. She sat there in the dark, huddled against the wall. Waiting. Suddenly there was a vicious punch to the wall to the side of her head. The bang echoing around the barn. She jumped. The person growled. "Who killed her?" "I don't know" Another punch, a different part of the wall. She jumped. "Who killed Charlotte?" "I don't know…I swear I don't know" She had no idea where the person was, no idea where they where. No idea where the next punch was coming from. A punch came again, above her head this time. She jumped. She couldn't help it. She had no idea when the next one was coming or where from or if there would be another one. Hanna had no idea how long it continued on for but she knew things had changed when a punch landed with enough force to crack the wall beside her head. "WHO KILLED CHARLOTTE" the voice shouted for the first time, deafeningly loud in the silence of the barn. "I don't know! I swear! I don't know!" Hanna cried. She must have made the person angry because punches start to reign down on the wall. She hunched down and covered her head with her arms but the punches kept hitting the wall. No attempt to hit her.
Suddenly she was grabbed by the shoulders, and shoved face first down on the dusty, dirty ground of the barn. She struggled but it was weak. Her strength had fled her during the shocks, she had no energy. She struggled, and kicked but she couldn't get free the person was too strong. She thought it must be a man…to be that strong. But she couldn't be strong. She started to cry. "Caleb…..Caleb please" she needed him to come and save her. Now…because…because she thought she might be about to die. They've realised I don't know anything…I….I…I made them made…..why did I do that? Why did I make them mad? So angry…..so….so strong…I can't…can't get free…..I'm…I'm going to die. I'm going to die here…alone in this barn….I'm never going to see Caleb again…..never going to see my mom again…..
She felt her tank top being shoved up her back. "I think you're lying. But that's fine. I can make you talk" the voice said menacingly. Hanna start to shake. She heard that strange noise. The electrical one and she knew what was coming. She found some energy left…she struggled, kicking wildly but she couldn't get free and then….then it was pressed to her back and she screamed and screamed. She couldn't think around the pain. She wished he'd kill her. It would be less painful than this…she wanted it to stop, she wanted it to stop so badly…more than she'd wanted anything else in the world. "Who killed Charlotte?" they asked again, and again, and again. She screamed and screamed, tears falling fast down her face. "I don't know…..I swear I don't know…it wasn't me…I don't know who did it. I swear….I swear I don't know. I DON'T KNOW" She screamed. She kept repeating it over and over and over. Whatever it was….it remained pressed to her back. The pain was blinding. Thankfully it wasn't long before she passed out once again.
Caleb and Mona had been following Mary Drake for hours. Night had fallen not too long ago, and the pair where shifting uncomfortably in their seats from maintaining the same positions for so long while driving around. They where hoping she was finally leading them to Hanna, but the longer they followed her the more likely it became that she wasn't and it was making Caleb twitchy. Time was wasting, the deadline was ticking closer.
"She's been driving around for hours" Caleb said, frustrated. Hours spent doing nothing. Hours closer to the deadline, to Hanna…to Hanna….he refused to think about it. They would save her. They would be in time. They had to be. He refused to believe anything else.
"She's either taking a tour of the country or….she's completely lost" Mona cut in to his thoughts.
"Or she knows that we're following her and she's just jerking us around" Caleb said. He wouldn't put it past her. Waste their time. Waste Hanna's time. Suddenly Mona shot to life, frantically tapping away at her laptop.
"What? What's happening?" he demanded.
"She's talking to, I assume, her partner…." Mona trailed off listening. "C'mon Mary…keep talking" Mona said in to the tense silence as her laptop scanned data.
"Can you hear the other person?" Caleb asked. Mona immediately shot up a finger in front of his face, shh-ing him.
"Don't shhh me" he sassed at her. He needed to know what was going on….if they where talking about Hanna. He had to know if she was okay if...if they had a shot at finding her finally.
"Signal keeps dropping in and out but it's definitely a man. I think he has an….accent? Maybe Aussie…maybe British." Mona listened some more, head cocked to the side.
"What are they talking about?" he asked.
"I don't know…I can't hear clearly and it's vague…"
"They aren't saying anything incriminating…do you think they know we're listening in?" Caleb said thoughtfully, wondering if they where about to be lead in to a trap.
"I'm not sure" Mona pressed a few more things. "They're definitely arguing, she's saying….I think she just said she's on her way"
"On her way to where?"
"Hopefully Hanna" Mona said allowing some hope to seep in to her voice. Caleb was filled with renewed vigour as he concentrated on the road and keeping Mary's van in sight. The roads changed, became lonely, deserted, forest surrounding both sides, looming up ominously. Caleb started to feel hope…but he tried to push it down. He wasn't sure he could take another disappointment, not when they where so close, if this didn't work out...he didn't know what the others where doing...didn't know if this was their only shot at Hanna. Mary turned on to a dirt track and a few minutes later Caleb followed slowly, all lights off. He could start to see an open space ahead and made the decision to pull off the dirt track and hide his car among the trees to the side as best he could. He and Mona climbed out. Mona grabbed something out of her bag, tucking it in to the back of her pants.
"Is that a taser?" Caleb asked with a raised eyebrow.
"What if it is?" She retorted, Caleb shrugged, having to laugh a little. Typical Mona. The pair creeped through the trees, coming up to the edge of the treeline. There, in a large clearing, was an old, decrepit barn. A few smaller outbuildings located nearby. The area clearly used to be a farm, but had fallen to wrack and ruin at some point in time. The perfect place to keep someone you'd kidnap. No-one to hear you scream. Caleb thought grimly.
"Hanna….she has to be here" Caleb said and started forward, only to be pulled back by Mona at the last minute. "What?!" he said, angrily. Why the hell is she trying to stop me getting to Hanna!?
"Look" Mona pointed and Caleb followed her finger with his eyes. Mary had exited her vehicle and was walking towards the barn. As they watched, someone walked out of it, turning and locking it behind them. Well...that big shiny padlock is new...and a problem. The person was wearing a strange sort of suit and…..night vision goggles? What the hell? They watched as the mysterious person met up with Mary and the two engaged in a heated exchange. They couldn't hear what was being said but the odd word drifted on the evening breeze. "Too far" "End this" "Bring it" "Her". At the sound of the "her" Caleb perked up. "She's definitely here" Caleb breathed, hope filling his chest.
"What do you want to do? I can only tase one person at a time" Mona said drily. Caleb was fully prepared to kick some ass but...
"Maybe we won't have to do anything….look" They turned back to the pair arguing and the mysterious figure pulled off the goggles and ski mask...thing. They couldn't see his face…but it was definitely a he. As they watched he followed Mary to her van, and the pair got in.
"What do you wanna bet they're heading out to get ready to….to…" he couldn't say 'kill Hanna', but it was obvious. Mary had everything in her van except for something to murder someone with, and evidently the barn didn't come supplied with murder weapons. If it had Hanna would have gotten out by now.
"I don't know, but if they're leaving…we have to work fast, we don't know when they'll be back" Mona said with practicality. As they watched, the van executed a quick turn and then head back down the dirt track at a decent pace. Caleb and Mona remained perfectly still, listening to the sound of tyres on dirt fade away. They waited a few moments to make sure the van wasn't coming and then looked at each other.
"Let's go get Hanna. I hope you're good at picking locks." Caleb said, and he and Mona sprinted towards the barn.
Hanna jolted awake. She was still soaked, so she couldn't have been out for that long. As she went to move, a wave of pain washed over her. She gingerly reached out to touch one of the places radiating pain. She winced as she made contact with her skin…it felt…it felt like it had been burned. Of course it has idiot. That person..they…they held that prod thing there…it…it had to have caused some damage..and from before too. Memories slammed in to her, of being drenched with water…shocked again and again…screaming for it to stop….endless questions she couldn't answer because she hadn't killed Charlotte. Being held down while the prod was held to her back until…until she'd passed out with pain. Hanna pushed herself gingerly in to a sitting position and started to scoot back to the wall. She didn't relax until her back hit it. She felt safer with her back against something solid.
She peered out in to the dark but couldn't see a thing. A noise started to make it's way to her ears. She listened hard. The door….someone was fiddling with it. They're back….they're back already. They're going to kill me this time…..I'm going to die…I…I can't even defend myself….I'm going to die…I'll never see mom or Mona or Spencer…..Emily….Aria…or…..or Caleb again. She felt tears start to slide down her cheeks. After what she'd just been through she didn't think she could fight someone off, she didn't have the energy...couldn't even move that well. She huddled back against the wall and waited. Maybe…maybe she could push herself…maybe she could get past them..make it out of the barn…..she heard the door slide open…and then she heard a voice.
Caleb and Mona cautiously peered in to the barn but they couldn't see a thing. I guess I know why the night vision was necessary. Caleb thought. Hanna's been kept here...in the dark for so long...I can't imagine what that's done to her. He and Mona slowly started to make their way in to the barn, Mona using the torch on her phone to light a path.
"Be careful where you point that, don't blind her!" He hissed at Mona, before turning to the barn at large. "Hanna?" Caleb whispered in to the dark…he didn't know why but he was wary of shouting in this place. He didn't know who else could be lurking nearby. He heard shifting off to his left and he gestured to Mona. She swung around carefully and her torch illuminated the area in front of one of the walls….and Hanna. She'd brought her arm up to shield her eyes. The other wrapped around her legs….there where fresh marks…burns all over her and she was wet. "C-c-c-caleb? Mona?" she said in a hoarse voice…as if she'd been crying...or screaming. Looking at her burns he figured he knew which one was the correct answer and he felt rage start to build a fire in the pit of his stomach.
"Han?" Caleb said gently, approaching her slowly with his hands up. Hanna suddenly burst in to loud, wrenching sobs.
"I thought….I thought the person was back…I thought…I thought they where going to kill me...I thought..I...I was going to die" she sobbed. Caleb hurried over to her, and threw himself to his knees, hesitating a moment or two before carefully wrapping his arms around her and pulling her to his chest. She grabbed on to his shirt with both hands and held on tightly. Mona approached slowly, staring down at her friend and the state she was in. She looked at Caleb. He knew they where thinking the same thing. The burns on Hanna….the one he could see on her back…they where fresh. They must have been done in the past hour or so….which means the guy they'd seen leaving the barn must have just….finished when they arrived. If they'd been earlier they probably would have heard Hanna's screams. He shuddered at the thought. Holding Hanna close to his chest. Mona crouched down next to her.
"Han" Mona breathed, scanning her friend from head to toe. Hanna released her grip on Caleb to throw herself in to Mona's arms and Caleb felt bereft. After a few minutes, Caleb had to interrupt Hanna's agonizing crying, and Mona's comforting babble. They'd lingered long enough. They couldn't afford to hang around much longer.
"Han, we need to move. We don't know how much time we have until they're back" he said firmly, reaching out to gently grasp her arm.
"I don't….I don't think I can move too fast right now" Hanna said, wincing as she shifted away from Mona and moved to try to get to her feet. Caleb stopped her with a gentle tug on her arm.
"Don't worry, I've got you. We're getting you out of here, now." he said quietly and he picked her up carefully, cradling her in his arms. She threw her arms around his neck and he tightened his grip as much as he could without hurting her. Caleb carefully stood up, and started to head out of the barn, Mona lighting the way, once they reached the barn door, Mona checked the coast was clear, and they headed for the car as fast as they could, Mona pausing briefly to pull the doors to the barn shut and click the padlock closed before catching up.
"In the trunk...should be a blanket" Caleb said to Mona as she reached them. She nodded and hurried past them.
While Caleb settled Hanna in to the front passenger seat, Mona rummaged around in the trunk for the blanket, finally finding it after a moment or two of searching and bringing it round to Hanna's door. Caleb took it from Mona and carefully wrapped it around Hanna, making sure she was as covered as she could be, once he'd stopped fussing Hanna grabbed the ends and clutched on to them. Mona handed her a bottle of water before climbing in to the backseat.
"We don't have any food…we….we weren't really thinking about eating, stupid of us really. But we can grab some on the way to the hospital?" Caleb asked as he got in to the drivers seat.
"No. No doctors…I just….they'll ask questions that I can't….can't answer and I just….I want to go home" Hanna said quietly. Caleb looked at Mona who shrugged. He sighed. Hanna's burns looked pretty bad but if she didn't want to go...he didn't want to force her. Not after what she'd been through.
"If you're sure?" Hanna nodded.
"Okay then….do you…want to go to your apartment or…." Caleb trailed off realising he didn't have an alternative. He couldn't take her back to Spencers. It'd be like the Spanish Inquisition as soon as Hanna walked through the door…no. He'd make the decision for her and take Hanna to her apartment. Settle her in…stay with her. He'd let the others know she was okay and that they could see her tomorrow. She needed to rest first, without being asked a million questions, most of which he figured she wasn't ready to answer and wouldn't be for a while.
"You can stay at mine?" Mona suggested.
"No…I….Lucas has all this security…I'm sorry…I…" Mona cut her off gently.
"It's okay Han….I get it." Mona squeezed her shoulder from her place in the back of the car.
Hanna grabbed Caleb's arm as he went to put the car in gear. "Will you….will you stay with me?" she asked quietly. He nodded.
"Of course Han" he would stay with her forever if she let him.
Hanna met Mona's eyes in the rearview mirror. "Both of you?" Mona nodded and smiled.
"Mona can you let the others know….." Caleb trailed off with a meaningful look.
"Sure. But they aren't getting anywhere near her tonight" Mona said decisively. Caleb smiled.
"Great minds think alike" he said as he threw the car in to gear and sped away from the barn as fast as he could.