"So…who IS the father?" Hanna asked eventually, voicing the question of all three girls.

"I can't tell you, okay? That's what I meant when I said it wasn't only my secret!"

"Why not? Do we know him?" Spencer demanded.

Aria hesitated, and then said, "I can't tell you, okay? I'm sorry, but I just can't."

"So we DO know him," Hanna remarked.

"I didn't say that."

"No, but you would have said no if it HAD been someone we didn't know." Hanna replied.

"Ok, fine, whatever. But I'm still not going to tell you who it is," said Aria.

"But A knows," Spencer said.

"Yes."

"And she might tell your Mom."

"It's not just my mom! It's everybody! No one can find out about this!"

"Um, if A knows, I think they're pretty much going to, in the end," Emily said.

"She's right, you know," Spencer added. "It's just a matter of when."

"Maybe she won't," Aria said desperately. "I mean, she hasn't told about the Jenna thing yet, or some of your other secrets. Maybe – maybe we'll figure out who she is before then! Maybe no one will ever have to know."

"Jesus, Aria, who IS this guy?" Hanna demanded, impatiently. "Why are you so freaked out? I mean, once your mom knows you're pregnant, she's gonna know there's a father, so why on earth is it such a huge deal?"

"I told you! I don't want her – or anyone - to know who it is."

"Holy crap, Aria. This guy – he's not ….married, or something, is he?" Emily demanded.

"No! Do you think I would ever do that, after my Dad…?"

"Shit. I'm sorry. Of course you wouldn't. But then what is the big deal? I mean, you don't have to tell us his name, if you don't want to. But what is so bad about who he is?"

"We just never should have gotten involved, okay? He's – he's older than I am. And I'm underage. They'd probably arrest him for statutory rape, or something."

"Only if your mom pressed charges, which I'm guessing she wouldn't do," Spencer said.

"Even if she didn't, he'd still be in a whole lot of trouble!" Aria cried. "He'd lose his job, and his license…" she trailed off, realizing she had already said too much.

"His license? What is he, like your doctor or something?" Emily asked in disbelief.

"No! Look, I've already said too much."

"Yes, you have. So you'd better just spill it, because all three of us are going to walk around now, mentally accusing every older man you know who has a license – doctors, lawyers, teachers…" Hanna trailed off as she noted the brief flicker of fear that had gone across Aria's face as she'd said the word "teachers". "Jesus Christ, Aria. It's a teacher?"

Mutely, Aria nodded. She was going to have to tell them now. Why couldn't she just have kept her mouth shut?

"Holy…fuck." Emily whispered, and Spencer just stared, her mouth open.

"One of our teachers?" Hanna asked, her voice hushed, just as it had been when she'd said the word "pregnant".

Aria nodded again.

"Who?" Emily asked softly, matching Hanna's tone.

This was it. No turning back now. And secretly Aria knew she'd been aching to share this secret with someone; the secret that had started out fun and dangerous, which had now turned into a nightmare she couldn't handle by herself. To her shame, she felt her eyes filling with tears. She looked up at the concerned gazes of her three friends, and a tear rolled down her cheek as she said, softly and simply:

"Mr Fitz".

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