CHAPTER 2

A/N: I'm sorry this took so long, but I accidentally forgot to save it and I had to re-write it. I think the second came out even better though. Thank you for the reviews, and please if you like it, do let me know because it's a huge motivation for my muse. I hope you like it and without further ado, here's chapter 2.

"So..."

Hanna was sitting on the counter of Toby's kitchen, sipping freshly made coffee. "How's the renovating going?" She didn't even try to hide a she was onto something else with that question. She looked at him, searching for some sort of reaction. There had to be something there. She had seen the way he froze when he saw Spencer for the first time, she saw how he looked at her. It made Hanna hopeful. It had been too long since she has noticed Toby looking like that at a girl. It had been too long since she has noticed him looking at a girl at all.

She knew he had been hurt, he had gotten his heart broken and she understood he needed space and time. He needed to mend his heart after Claire had walked all over it, but instead she saw him build a wall, not letting anyone in. Now, Hanna was thinking maybe not everything was lost.

"Renovation is fine." He answered calmly, not giving her the satisfaction. He talked about tearing down walls for a while with a grin on his face, while she was getting more and more frustrated. He could see right through her. There was another question hiding within that one. "Why don't you ask what's really on your mind?" He knew her all too well for her to be playing those kinds of games with him.

She rolled her eyes and sighed. "How can you tell?" She asked curiously. "What gives me away?"

"Not telling you. Now, did you want to ask me something?" His expression turned from amused to a slightly irritated one.

"You like her." It was a statement not a question.

"Where on Earth did you get that idea?" He asked immediately.

"I saw the way you look at her. I may be blonde but I'm not stupid." She looked like she had just won an award. He chuckled and shook his head.

"Well you're wrong. It's just that I used to know her." He confessed. "When we were kids we used to play together. It seems I'm the only one who remembers it." The sadness in his voice was unavoidable. He had thought about it for a while now. No matter what, he couldn't seem to find a reasonable explanation for her pretending not to know him. She did call him, like Hanna suggested and asked for his help with the renovation. He prepared some plans for the house and she seemed to have loved it, but she never showed any signs or remembering their shared childhood moments.

Now Hanna looked confused. "Wait, that doesn't make any sense." Toby just shrugged his shoulders. "Why would she fake not knowing you? It makes no sense at all."

"I wish I knew."

"Well I still think you like her." She teased and winked at him. Toby only shook his head in response.

Hanna was determined to get to the bottom of it. If there was something this girl was hiding, she was better equipped than anyone else, for sticking her nose up where it didn't belong, so when Spencer got home the next day she was quick to start digging.

They were sitting behind the white kitchen counter, sipping on coffee, which was, as Hanna has learned so far, Spencer's favourite thing on Earth, so she decided it was safe to bribe her with.

"So I hear the renovation is going well. I knew Toby would be just the man for the job. He's helped me around the house so many times before."

"Mmhm." Spencer nodded and took a sip absent-mindedly, while her mind drifted away, Hanna doubted she even heard a word she just said.

"He also mentioned you two know each other from when you were little." Why waste any time when you can just be direct? That has always been her philosophy even though it kept getting her in trouble.

That certainly got her so wanted attention. Spencer's eyes flickered nervously. She knew this moment would come eventually; the moment when she would fail to recognize the people that used to know her as a girl. She just hasn't expected for it to come as soon.

"Oh, yes that's right." Her voice was calm, almost too calm; radiating with complete self-control.

"So you do remember him?" Hanna asked. She was giving her another option to come clean.

"Sure I do." She hoped the lie would sound convincing. "We used to play together as kids." She kept making up along the way. "We lived nearby." At least that's what she deduced when she saw where Toby was living now. "Then we moved away and we didn't keep in touch. I probably didn't remember him right away, because I was so little when we left, but yes I do know him." She smiled.

That was close.

Hanna looked confused, at the end she decided to give her the benefit of the doubt. She would get to the bottom of this sooner or later, besides there was a plan forming in her head. She decided to let it go, so she returned the smile and nodded. "I'm sorry I'm so intrusive."

"It's okay. We do live together, so I guess that sort of gives you the right." It occurred to her with what ease she told that lie before. She doesn't like lying or pretending, and now she was here, lying and pretending. She felt odd, as if she just lost an important part of herself and it made her want to curl up and cry, but she wasn't here to get emotional; she was here to remember, and then, to make everyone pay.

"So is Toby a good help?" Hanna decided to change the subject back, before she pushed it too far.

"Yes, he's amazing." Spencer blurted out. "I mean, his plans are great. But the renovating is going to take longer than I anticipated."

"Well, no rush. You're welcome here for as long as you wish."

"Thanks, but be careful what you say because it might be a while. A couple of walls were too damaged so we're going to have to tear them down and re-build."

"Well look at it from the bright side. Now at least you get to choose how the space is divided." The girls chatted for a little while longer before Hanna checked the time and realized she was already so late.

"Well I have to get going, I'm sorry, but I need to get some new clothes for the party next week."

"A party? What party?" Spencer asked with surprise, a little bit of shock and maybe even fear. She was never he one to like parties. Nobody said anything about any party.

"Yes, every autumn they throw this huge neighbourhood party. You're invited of course, since you are a part of the neighbourhood, besides everyone is dying to meet you. You've kept to yourself for too long, now they are only more interested in the mysterious new girl." She checked her phone and gasped. "Oh, I'm so late, I really need to get going. I'll see you later!"

And with that she was out of the door and Spencer was left alone in the big house, feeling like she had just weathered a storm, or rather, a hurricane. That's what Hanna Marin seemed to be. She blinked a few times to get a hold on herself. Even though she was terrified of having to go to this party, this might be useful. She was here for a while and she still hasn't met a lot of people, so what better way of making new acquaintances than going to a party? She could even ask a few questions while she's at it.

With Hanna gone, the house sounded all too quiet and empty, almost lonely. She pushed that feeling away quickly. If she's going to accomplish anything, she needs to push away her emotions. She needs to harden her heart. Nobody said that the path she decided to take would be easy.

Her cell-phone rang and hastily she answered it.

"Hi. I know. I'm sorry."

"Spencer, what on Earth do you think you're doing?"

"I'm doing what needs to be done. I knew you wouldn't understand, which is exactly why I didn't tell you."

"Where the hell are you?"

"That's not something I can reveal yet, but I'm okay. Please don't make this more difficult." Her voice was cracking now.

"It's just that I worry about you. How can you protect yourself, if you can't even remember who your enemies are?"

"I'll be fine, if it gets too dangerous I'm coming back. I promise."

"Just… be careful. I'm not ready to lose you yet."

"You won't. Take care." With that, she hung up even though there was so much left unsaid. She wanted to hear words of comfort, she wanted to hear that she's not alone, but out here, she was alone. There was no one here, who knew what goals she set for herself.

Tears she so desperately tried to fight, came running down her face, moistening her cheeks. It was a basic human instinct to trust somebody, yet she had no one she could confide in. only person that knew her, knew her darkest secrets, was across the country.

The air suddenly seemed so heavy, it became hard to breathe; and she felt like the walls were closing in. She let herself slide down on the floor, her hands wrapped around herself as if she was trying to keep herself from falling apart, her lungs were demanding air and she was desperately fighting for it. Her body was shaking uncontrollably and the room was beginning to spin as if she were on a carousel.

Toby wanted to talk to Hanna before heading home, those little late night conversations were something that had become quite a tradition over the years. He saw the lights were off, but he had his own key, so he decided to check anyway. He stepped into the hallway and went straight into the kitchen.

"Hanna are you he…" His words got stuck in his mouth by the image of her, the white kitchen counter supporting her back. He only hesitated for a second before he fell down on his knees, his arms reaching for her without thinking, just holding her. His strong arms wrapped around her tiny shaking body and he knew in that moment that he had to help her, and he wanted nothing more. In one silly moment he wished he could be the one to save her.

"Hey shh. You're okay. Just breathe. Take a long breath." His words were like a band-aid to her. "Listen to me. Try to breathe, find something, an anchor. Find something beautiful to focus on."

She heard him, even though his voice seemed distant. Her eyes caught his and in she thought he must have the bluest eyes. They were soothing and there was a bit of worry and desperation in it, but still, it was the colour of the ocean after weathering a storm, the colour of the sky right after rain had washed it. There was something so pure in those eyes, she almost forgot to breathe.

"Your eyes." She managed to get out. He replied with a confused look. "Your eyes are beautiful." Neither of them said anything. They just sat there for a little while longer, the only light being the moon making its way through the kitchen window. Spencer realized she had stopped shaking a while ago and now there was sort of peace inside her, as if she got everything out of her system. "I am sorry you had to see this."

"Hey it's okay. Everyone feels a little overwhelmed now and then. It's not that strange." He said with a smile.

"I don't even know why I panicked." She admitted. "This whole renovation thing is getting to me."

"Well don't even worry about that, I know some great people that can help you. You know what you need?"

Her eyes stared at him in wonder. "What?"

"To have a little fun now and then. Don't get too caught up in work, and forget all the fun you could have."

She smiled genuinely and warmly. "I think you're right."

"I usually am." That got him another smile. "I'll tell you what, you can start at the party. Hanna told you about that, didn't she?"

Spencer nodded. "I'm just not that good at partying." She confessed.

"Well neither am I. Maybe we can try together?" He asked, not pushing it.

"Okay." She gave him another one of her smiles and got up from the floor.

"Okay."

"Goodnight Toby."

He watched her walk away, down the hall. He watched even after she disappeared into her room. Her words echoed in his head.

"Your eyes are beautiful."