"I was falling. Falling through time and space and stars and sky and everything in between. I fell for days and weeks and what felt like lifetime across lifetimes. I fell until I forgot I was falling."
― Jess Rothenberg

…

"Hey, sleeping beauty. The doctor says I'm supposed to talk to you, though I don't know why" Spencer whispered as she hooked a leg of the rather uncomfortable visitor's chair with her foot and pulled it closer to the bed. "What they expect me to do, exactly? Talk you out of a freaking coma? Like that's an easy thing to do. You'd never, ever, listen to me anyway, you stubborn girl" she chuckled humorlessly as she lowered herself to a sitting position and looked down at her unconscious friend.

She let out a deep sigh and twined her fingers with Hanna's, studying the way they seem to fit perfectly together. She took another deep, shaky breath and lifted the blonde girl's hand to her mouth so she could press a soft kiss to the brunette's knuckles.

"Please wake up, Hanna" she murmured, as she set their hands back down on top of the thin hospital blanket. "You gotta wake up for me, sweetie. For all of us. I-we need you. Please, wake up and let me see those big beautiful eyes of yours" Spencer implored, her own eyes filling with tears as she tenderly stroked the smaller girl's cheek with the pad of her other hand's thumb.

A light tap on the door startled her, and she brought her arm to her face and wiped all traces of wetness from her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt. Spencer Hastings hated crying, even more so doing it in public.

"Can I come in?" Ashley Marin asked quietly, standing at the threshold.

"Of course" the tall brunette replied, motioning for the older woman to come inside and take her seat, which she gratefully accepted.

"Anything yet?"

"Nothing" Spencer shook her head sadly. "I did as you asked. Tried talking to her, but…"

"She'll come around soon" Mrs. Marin smiled kindly at her daughter's best friend. "You know Hanna: she's just enjoying her beauty sleep; having everyone doting on her. Probably thinking you'll do all her holiday homework this way"

"Plausible" Spencer chuckled. "I'd do it until we graduate if she'd just wake up…"

"I know sweetie" Ashley smiled sympathetically at the youngster. She knew how close all the five girls were, and how much they loved and cared for each other. Especially Spencer, who had always struck her for the most level-headed and protective one of the group. A sort of big sister for the others.

Although, if she was honest with herself, the redhead had to admit that the way Hanna and Spencer gazed at each other most of the times had nothing to do with a sisterly kind of relationship. At all. For all accounts, they looked and behaved just like an old married couple. Particularly when they bickered – which occurred way more often than she cared to admit.

She couldn't be too sure about Spencer's feelings, of course, but she was well aware of where her daughter's heart laid. Perhaps even more than Hanna herself. She was a mother, after all, and mothers always know best.

'I guess time will tell…' With a fond shake of her head at the thought, Ashley turned to peek at the lanky brunette that stood beside her and was trying awkwardly to stifle a yawn.

The poor thing looked so tired and completely worn out. She and her friends had been in the hospital since the day before, when they brought Hanna in, taking turns to look after her.

Emily eventually had to leave in the early hours of the morning – her dad had finally come home for the holidays after his last mission overseas, and it was only fair for her to be there to greet him. Alison was her ride, so she also left to drop her girlfriend home; the only ones left were Aria – who was currently curled up on a chair outside in the waiting room, fast asleep – and Spencer. Both of them refused, in fact, to leave their friend's side. It was not like they had much to do or were expected to be anywhere else anyway.

"Spencer, honey, why don't you and Aria go home and take some rest? I swear I'll call you the moment I have any update" Ashely asked mildly concerned.

"Oh no, it's okay" the brunette replied, a little embarrassed for having being caught in a moment of weakness by the older woman. "I guess I'm in need of a coffee, though. Want me to bring you back something, Mrs. Marin?"

"I'm fine, thank you dear" Ashley smiled warmly and watched Spencer gave her a brief nod and leave the small room.

"You know," the redhead sighed, glancing back down at her oblivious daughter and taking her hand in her own, "I wouldn't mind if you and her ended up together. Maybe that's what you're scared about; the reason you haven't woken up yet… But you have to know that you don't have anything to worry about. As long as you're happy and healthy, I'm happy too. So hurry up and come back to us, baby."

[The day before]

Spencer glared down at the pile of Christmas lights and the boxes full of dust and decorations, wishing with every fiber of her being to set them on fire by the sheer force of her will and get away with it.

How on earth did they manage to cajole her into this, she didn't know. One moment she was sitting on her couch, all bundled up in her favorite plaid and sipping her hot tea, and then, next thing she knew, her two very annoyed best friends, along with an overly excited Emily and the ever stoic silhouette of her mother, the one and only Veronica Hastings, appeared before her eyes. That was when she knew troubles had found her.

Apparently the Hastings decided to throw a private dinner this year, and to everyone's utter surprise, they passed up the opportunity of booking the Country Club – where they usually held every important event or social gathering - and announced instead that they were going to host their annual Christmas party at their mansion. Now, that explained why four innocent, unsuspecting teenagers were so brutally robbed of their well-deserved lazy Saturday and Spencer of the peace of mind.

The younger Hastings' frown deepened considerably as she watched appalled Emily bossing and ordering everyone around like a seasoned Lieutenant Colonel – Veronica very much impressed by the athletic brunette's attitude and sense of décor.

"I can't believe this" Spencer groaned loudly at the sight of a clearly struggling Aria carrying around a reindeer bigger than herself, and too much heavy for her slim tiny arms. She was doing everything and anything Emily and her mother commanded, hoping beyond hope to please the powerful duo. And Spencer felt sorry for her.

"Poor thing" Hanna appeared beside her and commented with a slight wince.

"This is not the sweet ol' Emily Fields we all know and love" Spencer murmured incredulously. "What happened to her?"

"Did you read her boobs?" the blonde asked in all seriousness, as if she'd just asked the world's dumbest question and the answer was right in front of her eyes. It probably was the case, because soon after she pointed at the print on Emily's shirt. "The girl loves Christmas" was all Hanna had to offer.

"Well, that explains everything then" Spencer snorted. "But things are gettin' out of hand here. Aria's two minutes away from a heart attack and I'm pretty sure Ali is seriously considering to get away from Rosewood again. For good this time"

Hanna decided to ignore Spencer's crude – yet accurate – observation, dismissing it with a fond and mildly amused roll of her eyes.

"There's something sadistic in the way they're making her stroll around with that thing" the blonde observed.

"Yeah… I'm pretty sure they call it 'slavery'. Or 'exploitation of child labour'" Spencer remarked, then frowned. "I wasn't trying to imply anything. That had nothing to do with Aria's height… or lack of thereof"

"Sure you weren't" Hanna giggled.

"Nice word by the way" the brunette smirked, patting the blonde's shoulder. "I knew you'd put to good use the 'Word of the Day' calendar I gave you last year" she stated rather proudly.

"I don't know what you're talking about" Hanna replied trying to look totally unfazed by the praise, but her flushed cheeks gave her away. "Oh and while we're at it, this time around try to make an effort with my present, would you?"

"Why of course! Since you've improved your vocabulary, I think I'll get you something to help you with math. Or science. I'm still pondering it" Spencer teased, tapping her index finger on her chin.

"Don't you dare" Hanna mock-glared. "Besides I've already got you for that, my dear personal nerd" she winked mischievously and turned away, leaving a puzzled brunette behind.

"Right…" Spencer sighed, then moved back to her share of boxes, resigned to her fate and ready to deal with it.

"Here I go" she mumbled to herself as she picked up a string of lights and climbed the ladder to hang them on the eaves and roof lines of her house. 'Better me than let Hanna near anything electrical', she thought.

She had been working steadily for a good hour when she heard someone calling her name. Not just anybody, but Emily. Thinking that her friend had some other tasks for her to complete – and shuddering at the mere thought – she decided that feign ignorance and hide on the roof for a bit longer was the best course of action, so she tried her hardest to look busy.

"SPENCE" Emily called out again.

"BUSY!" the brunette shot back immediately, not even bothering to sit up from her lying position on the roof.

So yeah, her hardest impression of a busy person looked a lot like taking a nap in Spencer's book, apparently.

"Mmm, I can see that" Hanna grinned, suddenly appearing at the top of the ladder with a glass of eggnog in her hand. "Here, enjoy"

Spencer arched an eyebrow questioningly but all she received in response was a light shrug from the blonde, who went to sit down beside her friend for a well-earned break.

"Thanks" said the brunette, accepting the offered drink.

They sat in companionable silence for a while – Hanna secretly watching Spencer from the corner of her eyes, biting down on her lower lip nervously. It happened a lot recently, her feeling uneasy around the taller girl; ever since the blonde started to notice that her feeling for her best friend ran a little deeper than she had always assumed. It was both frustrating and exhilarating, especially at times when she would catch Spencer look at her or touch her in a different, slightly intimate way. Those were the times when Hanna was almost sure that something was really there; but then again, anything substantial never really happened and maybe it was all in the blonde's head – or so she thought.

"Alright, I'd better get going…" Hanna abruptly stood up; "We had a bit of a situation going on with the Nativity scene earlier"

"'kay" Spencer mumbled dismissively, her eyes still closed against the faint light of the afternoon sun. The blonde sighed.

"Don't push yourself too hard, will you?"

Spencer snorted, "Gotcha"

With a last affectionate glance, Hanna started to walk over to the edge of the roof. Somehow, her foot got caught between the strings of the lights and her legs flew up in the air as she started sliding down the roof. She tried to take a hold of the ladder, unsuccessfully.

"Shiiit"

Spencer was on her feet the moment the expletive left the blonde's mouth in a loud squeal, but it was already too late. She watched in horror and despair her friend flying down on the ground. She jumped on the ladder and all but ran down, rushing to Hanna's side in a frantic run and landing on her knees.

"Hanna!" she yelled, carefully shaking her motionless form. "Hanna! C'mon sweetie, snap out of it"

Aria was the first one to notice, and shouted out to the others while running to the pair's aid. She found Spencer desperately searching for a pulse – which, albeit weak and feeble, she found.

"Call the 911" the taller brunette instructed. "Now Aria"

The smaller brunette nodded numbly, her phone already pressed against her ear waiting for a response on the other line of the device. She stared down helplessly at one of her best friends lying unconscious on the ground; the other doing her absolute best to make sure that Hanna was still breathing and alive when the EMTs would finally decide to show up, whilst trying with everything in her to not break down and loose it.

"They're on their way"

"Hang in there, Hanna" Spencer said between labored breaths, her voice low and thick. "You just have to hang in there, baby."

[Present time – Rosewood Community Hospital]

All around her was darkness.

She was cold and shivering; somehow her clothes had disappeared, leaving her in only a thin tank top and underwear. Even her shoes went missing and the rough texture of the floor scraped painfully against her bare feet, leaving small scratches on her skin.

She had no idea what happened or where she was being kept – it looked like a basement but she couldn't be too sure about that. And what was she doing down there and in such conditions anyway? Had –A kidnapped her?

No, that couldn't be the case. -A – no, Mona – was defeated; they unmasked her months ago. The game was over. So then, what the hell happened to her?

…

"Is she going to be okay?" Ashley Marin asked, as she watched a doctor lean in closer to have a good look at Hanna's wound.

"Hard to tell. Depends on if there's any intracranial bleeding" he told her honestly. "I've tended to people with skulls literally broken open and did just fine, so I'm optimistic," he replied as he began cleaning the area around the cut.

Her mother stayed by her head as he continued to take care of Hanna, feeling tears build in her eyes as he checked off some of the blonde's potential injuries. Part of her was glad that he was including her, but a larger part of her wished that he'd just shut up. The details were scary.

"Grade three concussion" he rattled on, "looks like a possible break on the occipital bone, from what I can tell that's the area that suffered most from the impact"

"Oh god," The redhead woman murmured as she followed Dr. Tisdale's pointing finger toward Hanna's skull.

"Frontal bone looks intact" he continued as if she had not spoken. "Breathing is even… heartbeat is regular… all things considered she's doing as well as could be expected."

…

She tried and tried again to find an exit, a clue, anything that would help her to get out but it was all in vain. She screamed for what felt like hours, days, but nobody ever came to her rescue. She was trapped and alone, only God knew where or why. Why her? Where were the others? Would someone even notice that she was gone? Where her friends, her mom, searching for her? Did someone even miss her?

She was so tired. Hungry, cold and tired. Thirsty too. And her head hurt like hell. Sleep was claiming her and she easily gave up and complied.

…

"She should be fine" Dr. Tisdale assured them all as he busied himself with the patient's charts.

"She better be" Spencer husked as she looked down at their joined hands and began to gently rub the pad of her thumb over Hanna's knuckles.

"Mmmm" Hanna's soft voice punctuated the quiet that had fallen over the hospital room.

"What's that?" Emily yelped as she looked from Hanna, whose eyes were still closed, to the doctor who had pulled out his penlight and was checking the blonde's pupil dilation.

"Active REM" he reported as he watched darkened blue eyes flicking wildly from side to side. "She's dreaming"

"Dreaming?" Aria repeated.

The doctor shrugged. "It's not uncommon, and it's actually a good sign."

Spencer turned her attention back to her hand wrapped protectively around the unconscious girl's. "What are you dreaming about, Han?"

…

"Hanna" a familiar voice husked into her ear. She knew that voice; she loved that voice.

The more she started to regain her senses, the more she became aware of the changes in her body: she wasn't cold anymore. And her head no longer rested on the hard surface of the pavement, but onto something softer, something incredibly cozy.

"You've got this, Hanna. You're gonna be okay" the voice assured her.

Long, slender fingers tangled in her hair massaged her scalp smoothly, and Hanna purred in pure contentment and bliss. She slowly opened her eyes and immediately found a pair of soulful, bottomless chocolate brown eyes staring right back at her.

"Spencer" Hanna cried out in relief, the mere presence of the brunette all of a sudden made her forget about anything else and grounded her. She was in Spencer's arms, she realized, and as she nuzzled against her, she felt safe. Somehow Spencer had always had a way of making everything seem like it would be okay.

"Where are we? What happened?" Hanna began to bombard her with questions. "How did you get here? Oh no!" She gasped, and her features morphed from elation to understanding; "This is a dream, right? You're not really here…" she murmured dejectedly.

"Something real is actually existing as a thing or occurring in fact"

"I don't know what you're saying, but I'm glad that you're here" Hanna said as she scooted further into Spencer's embrace.

"A dream is an experience and an experience is real" the brunette rasped. She brought her hand down to the back of Hanna's neck and then up again, turning to cup her cheek.

Her breath itched and her eyes closed in anticipation when she felt Spencer leaning in closer and capture her lips in a slow, gentle kiss.

"Wow" the blonde breathed out in awe when they parted.

Spencer chuckled. "Sleep now. You're gonna need your strength for tomorrow if you wanna get out of here"

"There's no way out" Hanna frowned. "I checked"

"Of course there is. If there's a way in, there's a way out. And you'll find it" her brunette friend stated confidently.

Hanna exhaled noisily. "Will you stay with me?"

"Always" Spencer promised.

…

"The scans were clean. Fortunately the patient didn't report any fracture, just some severe bruises that don't concern us though" Doctor Tisdale reported to Ashley Marin who stood silently beside Hanna's bed along with her daughter's friends. "Her parameters all look good"

The redhead took a deep breath and asked the one question that was weighing heaviest on her mind. "Why isn't she waking up?"

"She has a serious concussion" Doctor Tisdale replied. "The swelling of her brain on her MRIs seems within safe limits though so I'm not too terribly concerned about that. As with any brain injury though, we won't know exactly what's going on until she wakes up. Which will be when she's ready" he continued, seeing that the agitated woman was about to press for a more definite answer. "I don't know when that will be, but judging from her vitals it could be any time now. Just sit with her, talk to her, let her know that you're here for her, and when she does wake-up call the nurse and she'll page me immediately"

"Okay" Ashley and the group of teenagers nodded. "Thank you, doctor"

"My pleasure" Dr. Tisdale assured her. "Now, I'll leave you alone. Talk to her, remind her why she needs to wake up"

As the words left the man's mouth, everyone turned to glance at an unsuspecting, worried-sick Spencer.

It was subtle enough, and certainly an unconscious act – although the synchronicity Aria, Alison, Emily and even Mrs. Marin displayed was quite astounding. Probably because each one of them knew, on some level, that at the time the only thing Hanna wanted and needed the most was the oblivious brunette.

Unbeknownst to them, Spencer was starting to realize just how much she wanted and needed Hanna, too.